EpaperISB_22-1-24

Monday, 24 January, 2022 I 20 Jamadi-al-Sani, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 207 I 48 Pages I Islamabad Edition

PM IMran khan warns oPPosItIon of beIng ‘More dangerous If out of Power’

P

rIMe Minister Imran Khan on Sunday warned the opposition that he will be more dangerous for them if ousted from power. The PM while referring to the opposition stated that “you will not find a place to hide if I took to the streets…I will just need to nudge people and others will be running to London as well to join the ones who already are there” Speaking about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif who has been in London for more than a year on health grounds during the fifth session of ‘Aap Ka Wazir Azam Aap Key Sath’ programme, the prime minister said Nawaz will never come back to Pakistan because he loved money.

The former premier floats rumors about cutting a deal to keep his party intact, Imran said, adding that the time of these people, however, has ended.

“I am saying this publically…they should understand that this country will never forgive them,” he said, adding that the Sharifs fled Pakistan before he came to power.

“even the royal family doesn’t spend as much as the Sharifs [are spending in London],” the premier added.

About his government, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will complete its current term and win the next general elections as well.

About reports that the former premier is planning to return, the PM said he is waiting for Nawaz to come back. “Please come back, we are waiting for you.”

The PM further said that the government will take measures to provide relief to the salaried class as it was the only one facing a financial crunch amid record inflation.

Imran said inflation was a global issue as due to Covid-19, developed countries like the US and Canada as well were facing high inflation.

According to Imran, the situation in the country was not as bad as the rest of the world as Pakistan’s growth rate was 5.37 per cent in spite of all these challenges.

He said due to a boom in the agriculture and construction sectors, the income

CoronavIrus In

PakIstan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,367,605

LAST UPDATED AT 7:29 AM ON JANUARY 23, 2022

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

20

7,586

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,268,245 29,097 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

523,774

462,323

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

184,455

33,910

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

35,218/10,489

117,436

of people linked to these industries rose significantly. There was a 73 per cent increase in the income of the farmers, he said, adding that the farmers earned additional profits to the tune of rs1,400 billion.

He said the skilled labour employed by the industries witnessed 40 per cent increase in their income. According to the PM, the construction sector also recorded unprecedented growth that resulted in higher wages for the labourers as well.

The corporate sector also registered record growth, the premier said, adding that he will ask them to raise the salaries of their employees amid such high profits.

Imran said only the salaried sector was lagging behind but the government will take additional measures to facilitate them amid hyperinflation.

The government will take measures to support the lower middle class, including the government employees, but they need to have patience, he added.

Speaking about the IMF package, he said the government wanted to document the economy through the mini-budget.

The PM said tax exemptions granted to facilitate certain sectors were resulting in tax evasions, adding that only two million people were paying taxes. “If only two million people will pay taxes in a country of 200 million…then how will I have money to fix this country,” the premier added.

Imran said the Federal Board of revenue (FBr) was being reformed and the system was being automated to curb evasion of sales tax. He said the government will go after the wealthy who “live in big houses and drive expensive cars” but do not pay taxes.

In response to a question regarding elections, PM Imran said the PTI will only give tickets on the basis of merit. “If someone wants to give a ticket to a relative then a special committee headed by me will decide on the issue,” Imran added. app

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Maryam says ‘Imran will go down in history as a conspirator’ PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz jeered at Prime Minister Imran Khan after he accused the opposition leaders of plundering the national wealth.

Soon after the premier’s live question-answer session with the public concluded in the evening, Maryam took to her Twitter to state that “every word that IK [PM Imran Khan] has uttered today reeks of failure, dashed hopes & no faith in his or PTI’s future. This was inevitable man” Maryam further stated Imran Khan will be remembered in the history as a person who “relied more on conspiracy and plotting than people’s power”.

The PML-N leader added that cases against Sharif family members and PML-N leaders “were all false and fabricated and were bound to meet the fate they have met”.

“Now that your reality has dawned on the world, do not blame the judiciary. You have only your vindictiveness and revengefulness to blame,” she added.

She said people of the country “are waiting for you [PM Imran]

COVID-19: Situation worsens in Pakistan amid fifth wave Pakistan reported 7,586 fresh cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours as the Omicron driven fifth wave of the pandemic continues to get worse, official figures revealed on Sunday.

Pakistan registered its highest number of daily COVID-19 cases — 7,678 — on Friday since the pandemic started in 2020, the National Command and Operation Centre’s (NCOC) statistics had showed.

According to the NCOC, a total of 58,334 tests were conducted in the country during the last 24 hours, of which 7,586 came back positive, pushing the nationwide tally of the virus cases to 1,367,605. The country’s positivity rate now stands at a record high of 13%.

Meanwhile, 20 more patients succumbed to the virus during the same period, taking the death toll to 29,097.

In addition to this, the country’s active coronavirus cases surged to 70,263, making it the highest in over four months. Pakistan last reported 65,725 active cases on September 16, 2021.

A day earlier, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had revised COVID-19 protocols for mosques and announced that

to spare them [from] the fouryear-long ordeal that has cost them their lives”.

Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has described the prime minister’s address as an “application for the job extension and diatribe of a loser, disappointed, incompetent and a thief”.

She said had PM Imran done anything for the welfare of the people during his four years in power, he would not have to blame the PML-N leaders in his address. “[PM] Imran Khan don’t panic, now is the time to go home… Nawaz Sharif will keep smiling and you will keep crying,” she added.

It is pertinent to note earlier in the evening, PM Imran responded to the public queries over telephone. He blamed the past rulers for destroying the country’s economy and termed the Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif a “criminal” and the “culprit of the nation”. news desk

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Religious tourism is likely to pick pace between India, Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 02

only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to pray inside the places of worship. The body leading Pakistan’s COVID-19 response also announced on Friday that all schools with a high COVID-19 positivity ratio would remain closed for one week across the country.

On January 21, the NCOC had decided to shut down all schools with a high COVID-19 positivity ratio for one week across the country to curb the new variant, Omicron. A notification issued by the NCOC had said that all the educational institutions, premises, sections, specific classes with high positivity will be closed for one week.

“Provincial administration, in consultation with district health, education authorities, and

school administrations, is to set a threshold of cases for deciding such closures,” the notification had added.

The NCOC had added that COVID testing in educational institutes was carried out in major Omicron-hit cities to ascertain disease spread among students and ensure accurate disease mapping.

Therefore, keeping in view the results, the NCOC had taken the following decisions: • Aggressive testing in education institutes for next two weeks especially in high disease prevalence cities.

• Federating units to carry out special vaccination drives in schools to ensure 100% vaccination of students over 12 years of age. news desk

Sending Nawaz Sharif to London was ‘Cabinet decision’: Asad Umar STORY ON PAGE 03 in today’s issue

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02

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Religious touRism is likely to pick pace between india, pakistan LaHORe

R

news desk

ELIGIOUS tourism is likely to pick pace between the two archrival neighbours India and Pakistan. Following the arrival of Indian tourists in Pakistan earlier in January, Pakistani tourists will also fly to India on January 29 on a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight for the first time in 75 years.

Earlier, pilgrims used to visit each other’s countries either by foot or via

Samjhauta Express. According to Member National Assembly and Chairman Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar, an agreement was reached between the PIA and Air India for the promotion of religious tourism between the two neighbouring countries.

As per the pact, both airlines would operate special flights in this regard. A group of Pakistani tourists would depart from Lahore airport on January 29 and will return on February 1.

During the three-day visit, the group would visit the dargah of Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif, Jaipur,

Agra, Mithra, Haridwar and the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi.

Dr Ramesh said that the visit would cost $1,500 to each pilgrim and an additional $200 would also be charged if they want a separate room during their stay in Agra and Delhi.

As per an agreement between Pakistan and India which was reached in 1974, the pilgrims can visit religious sites of both countries. The Waqf Property Board and the ministry of religious affairs arrange the arrival and departure of pilgrims.

FPCCI hails over $1bn FDI in 1HFY22 KaRaCHI stAff RepoRt

psX faces tough week ahead KaRaCHI news desk

After closing in the red following a six-week rally, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) faces Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting as well as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board review meeting in the rollover week starting today (Monday). From a technical point of view, the correction in the market was imminent, which has been going on for the last one-anda-half-week. However, a lot of ifs and buts are there for investors during this week, which may keep them cautious. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank of Pakistan is meeting on Monday whereas inflationary pressure is set to rise in the backdrop of augmenting commodity prices. Though the market is mentally prepared for up to 50 basis point increase in interest rate, any further hike can hit the investors’ confidence hard. Moreover, talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are expected to resume on January 28 which could have a positive impact on the market. The government has so far met all key conditions of the IMF except for the passage of the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2021 from the parliament.

Though the National Assembly has passed this bill, it still needs clearance from the Senate. It is yet to see if the government will manage to get the bill passed from the Senate or not. If the IMF board meeting clears the review, it will bode well not only for national economy but also for the bourse and vice versa. The PSX closed last week with a loss of 745 points (-1.63 percent) to settle at 45,018.28 points. The week kicked off on a bearish note as jittery investors opted to stay on the sidelines due to concerns over increasing Covid-19 cases in the country. The downtrend continued for the next three sessions as a lack of positive triggers coupled with the depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar amid increasing crude oil prices and commodity prices added to the woes of investors who opted to stay on the sidelines. However, the tables turned on the last day of the trading week as the bulls returned to the bourse following an upward revision in Pakistan’s economic growth rate for the previous fiscal year due to rebasing. The government rebased the economy from the fiscal year 2005-06 to 2015-16, which expanded the size of the economy, propped up the growth rate and reduced the public debt. The major developments last week that kept the market under pressure were surging crude oil prices, increasing number of the Omicron cases, announcement of a 17 percent sales tax on commodities, withdrawal of sales tax zero-rating, and a decrease of $562 million in foreign exchange reserves. During the week under review, average volumes clocked in at 201 million shares (down by 43% week-on-week), while average value traded settled at $42 million (down by 17% week-on-week).

The Chairman of Businessmen Panel (BMP) of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Mian Anjum Nisar on Sunday said that increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first half the current fiscal year reflects the improvement in security situation.

In a statement issued here, he said that investors had started coming back to Pakistan as the country had attracted FDI of over $1 billion, up by 20 percent owing to the government’s efforts to create a conducive environment for investors. The country’s liberal policies offered one of the most attractive investment regimes in the region, anticipating that Pakistan might attract $2.5 billion in foreign inflows in fiscal year 2021-22, he added.

Mian Anjum Nisar said that lifting of Covid-19 restrictions across the world during the first half of the current fiscal year also encouraged foreign investors to press ahead with their investment plans for Pakistan.

Moreover, he said, the revival of work on energy projects under CPEC drew investment in the power sector,

which turned out to be the top segment in FDI inflows during July-Dec 2021.

Quoting the figures, he said that in Dec 2021, Pakistan registered a 29 percent year-on-year increase in foreign investment, which reached $219 million.

The power sector, he added, topped the foreign investment chart as investment inflows amounted to $364 million during the half of the year, however, it was 36pc lower than the investment of $487 million in the same period of 2020.

The Chairman FPCCI’s BMP said that China emerged as the biggest investor in Pakistan as it poured

$306.7 million in July-December 2021. It, however, was 21.3 percent lower than the investment of $389.8 million in the corresponding period of 2020. Investment by the US more than doubled to $149.3 million in the period under review against $68.2 million in July-December 2020. Investment from the Netherlands skyrocketed 184.6% as it rose from $43.7 million in July-December 2020 to $124.5 million in July-Dec 2021.

The improvement in FDI came on the back of revival of ongoing projects under CPEC, particularly those that were related to the power sector, he said, adding that work on energy schemes had been halted due to the Covid-19 outbreak in China and then in Pakistan but during the past six months, activities resumed at full pace, which led to the flow of investment between the two countries. Lockdowns have been lifted by both sides and it bodes well for foreign investment flows, he said.

Mian Anjum Nisar said that despite some increase in foreign investment, the FDI inflows were not sufficient to fully offset the widening in the current account gap. He said that only political will and drastic steps can revive the economy, which should have grown significantly and constantly for visible impact.

Pellet gun victim’s efforts to bring light into lives of other sufferers sRInaGaR AnAdolu Agency

After darkness suddenly enveloped the life of Ashraf Wani, 30, in 2016, when pellets allegedly fired by Indian police to disperse protesters hit his eyes, he found a way to bring light to his life by helping other victims.

Living with over 600 small lead pellets in his body which cause immense pain when exposed to heat, Wani, who lives in a small village in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), told Anadolu Agency that isolation, trauma, and the knowledge that many will never see the world again is killing the victims of pellet guns.

Wani said now he devotes time to helping other victims, aided by donations from locals meant to cover education and medical expenses.

“It soothes my soul if some help reaches the victims,” said Wani.

Pellet guns were first time used by occupation forces in IIOJK to disperse street protests in 2010.

According to statements by the regional police, the pellet guns have only been used when the protests/protesters have turned violent, however many human rights organisations have rubbished this claim, questioning the “lethality” of the weapon.

In early 2018, a plea was also filed before the IIOJK High Court against the usage of pellet guns in the occupied region. It questioned the way government forces used it “indiscriminately” during the street demonstrations in IIOJK.

According to Human Rights Watch, as many as 4,592 people reported injuries and disabilities after receiving pellet shots from 2016 to 2019 in the region.

Out of them, 1,459 sustained injuries in the eyes, resulting in 139 people losing their sight forever. Civil rights groups have also recorded the killing of 18 people due to pellet shots.

Wani, who lives in the village of Rahmoo in Pulwama, is now head of the Pellet Victims Welfare Trust, which seeks to help and support pellet victims in the wake of their crippling injuries.

The trust has 1,400 pellet victims as members, including two dozen women.

Wani said the group provides medical expenses, education, and sometimes monetary help for victims to set up small

businesses.

He said their issues are not limited to medical expenses alone but they also cover the loss of education, isolation, disability, and overall mental trauma.

“Most of us live in isolation now,” he said.

Life comes to grinding haLt: Before 2016, Wani worked for a telecom company as a field officer, collecting outstanding bills from customers while also pursuing his graduation.

But after the killing of freedom fighter Burhan Muzaffar Wani (no relation) in July 2016, his life took a different turn – first, he was hit by a bullet, and then by pellets.

“On Aug 24, 2016, a protest broke

PNS Tughril: A new frigate; a new era for Pakistan Navy Hassan Zeb Pakistan Navy, while keeping in view the security challenges at Indian Ocean Region (IOR), stepping up to modernize its fleet in order to maintain a formidable force at sea.

During the recent years, Pakistan has witnessed a diverse geopolitical landscape and heightened situation in the region.

To cope up with the emerging challenges,

the Pakistan Navy accorded top priority to its combat readiness and resolve to thwart nefarious designs of adversary. Pakistan Navy had been operating with major surface ships which constrain country’s regional footprints and influence. To increase naval strength, the fleet size comprising of more ships was envisioned by Pakistan Navy.

To augment maritime power, Pakistan Navy has acquired latest and one of the most

technologically advanced platforms of Surface Fleet. Named as Pakistan Navy Ship TUGHRIL, it is the 1st ship this was built at Chinese Shipyard, Shanghai, China. Three more ships of same class will be commissioned to serve Pakistan Navy for decades as force multipliers. It is a multi-mission capable ship, fitted with potent weapons like Surface to Air (SAM) and Supersonic Surface to Surface Missiles (SSM).

Weapons and Sensors installed onboard ship make it a state-of-the-art platform which can perform variety of Maritime Operations. An over 4000 tons potent platform will provide requisite deterrence and means for averting threats which contributing towards protection of Sea Lines of communications (SLOCs).

Pakistan believes in promoting peace and harmony in the region and has remain

out in a nearby village in Pulwama. I was hit with a bullet. Everyone thought that I would not survive as the bullet hit my back and pierced my liver, grazed one of my lungs, and came out through the chest,” he said.

“It was a miraculous escape,” he added.

After staying on ventilator support for almost two weeks, Wani was discharged from the hospital a month later.

While he was still recovering from the bullet wounds at home, a fresh round of protests broke out in his village.

Wani thought of moving to a safer place near Lidergam hill, a small hilly place surrounded by a few dozen houses. But soon he got caught during tear gas shelling and pellet firing.

“I remember a policeman targeted me and fired indiscriminately. I was bleeding from head to toe. The pellets pierced all over my body,” he said.

Wani said when he regained consciousness after a week in the hospital, he realised that he had lost his eyesight.

“It was all dark, it sent shivers through my body the moment I felt that I would not be able to see again. At that moment, I felt it was better for me to die rather than become an unwanted burden on my family,” he said.

Since 2005, when he lost his father, he had the responsibility of bringing up four younger siblings, including three sisters. Besides pursuing education and working for a telecom company, he also worked in apple orchards to earn a living.

committed to maintain stability and to curb maritime crimes in all forms. Pakistan is proactively contributing in collaborative maritime security initiatives as partner to international navies besides own initiative of Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP) for a secure maritime milieu in the region and beyond. The new ship induction will strengthen PN’s deterrence in the region to achieve desired objectives.

PNS TUGHRIL will indeed help PN in boosting its efforts especially in IOR. PN will continue to play its role in contributing to government’s efforts for peace and stability in the region.

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

sending nawaZ shaRif to london was ‘cabinet decision’: asad umaR

f

staff RepORt

EDERAL Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Sunday clarified his previous statement about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to send PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif to London and said that his words were spun.

Taking to Twitter to clarify his statement, Umar said his statement was taken out of context.

“Spin being given to an answer of mine regarding Nawaz Sharif exit

abroad, the discussion was about whether the PM takes decisions or someone else imposes decisions. I stated that the PM takes decisions as I was asked about the Nawaz Sharif exit decision in that context,” he said.

The federal minister said that sending PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to London was a “collective decision and was decided in the Cabinet,” further adding that “no external force was involved in it.”

“As stated in the programme, there was consultation & was finally decided in the cabinet. No external force

imposed it on us, hence I said decided

by PM and I also voted to let him go.”

PTI leader said that subsequently, it was revealed that he [Nawaz Sharif] had submitted fake medical reports.

“Later, it became clear that medical reports based on which decision was taken were falsified,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that while speaking during a TV show, Umar had revealed that it was “100% Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision” to send former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to London for his medical treatment.

Wounded leopard succumbs to bullet injuries at IWMB rehab centre IsLaMabaD stAff RepoRt

A critically injured female common Asian Leopard rescued by the Wildlife and Fisheries Department Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday succumbed to the deadly bullet injuries during a full blooded rehabilitation effort carried out by the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB).

The injured wildcat was brought on late Saturday night at the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board rehabilitation and rescue center in a critical condition, IWMB Manager Operations Sakhawat Ali told APP. Sakhawat told that in view the situation and facilities in AJK, the IWMB Chairperson directed them to make arrangements for rehabilitation of the injured common leopard.

He said, the Chairperson was of the view that the Leopard could be shifted anytime from AJK to Islamabad as there were no better facilities in the Valley to continue her treatment.

As per the AJK Wildlife Department’s report, he said the Leopard’s leg was fractured and there was no x-ray facility to assess the damage for further treatment. Therefore, we made all arrangements for x-ray and surgery start her treatment within two to three hours, he told.

The leopards along with AJK Forest Department team reached at 12’O clock at night and at 1210 hours the x-ray was done, he noted.

He also revealed that the x-ray revealed that the Leopard’s leg was not fractured due to any accident rather, shot by firearms. Bullets were hit in the vertebral column that broke the connection of the vertebrae with the backbone that left the big wildcat paralyzed, he told.

While explaining the rehab efforts, Sakhawat told that after consultation with the vet, it was decided to remove the pellets and complete effort was done to remove it. “One bullet from her body’s periphery was removed but the rest of them were stuck in the gap between the vertebras and the beautiful animal, unfortunately perished during her surgery” he told.

In extreme remorse and regret, Sakhawat said no doubt it was a huge loss for us, adding, “She was an adult female of four to five years age as per the report of the vet. We all especially the entire team are very sad and shocked to see the demise of such a beautiful

animal.”

The IWMB official remained from 10pm till 9am in the morning to oversight the rehab activities that were intended to save the beautiful endangered species.

The team comprising of Dr Basit Rasheed IWMB vet and Dr Awais participated the rehabilitation effort.

The social media users on Facebook handle of the AJK Wildlife and Fisheries Department shared that the local masses found the injured female Leopard in Noseri area of Neelum Valley near River Neelum stuck in the freezing water stiriving to come out of it. After unsuccessful effort to rescue her, the locals after finding that the Leopard was hungry ffed her chickens to keep her survive till the Wildlife Department’s assistance was managed to rescue her.

Chairperson, IWMB Rina Saeed Khan on her Twitter handle shared that the Leopard’s x-ray revealed 56 pellets of an SG/LG cartridge fired from a 12 bore shotgun rifle in her body.

“Probably, a hunter tried to kill her as the Leopard was primarily shot from above as she came to River Neelum to drink water (all pellets lodged above). Evil

act to shoot this innocent animal. We hope AJK wildlife will catch culprits.”

She further wrote, “We thank everyone for their cooperation. Thank you to AJK police and wildlife for rescuing her and bringing her to isd (Islamabad) in middle of rain/snow and thank you to vets Dr Basit, Dr Awais and Dr Amer Khalil (via phone) and IWMB staff for staying up all night with her and trying to save her until the end.

She still had so much life in her but spine damaged by shells and one in neck area and could not survive operation. We are heart broken but determined to continue our efforts to save and protect leopards in Pakistan!”

The IWMB Chairperson also shared the images of the x-ray of the Leopard and mentioned that the hunter in AJK used a 12 Guage shotgun and LG shot shell to hunt leopard for her skin/trophy.

“Pellets lodged in spine and neck area. Such beautiful eyes. She belonged in forests of AJK. Not so common leopards (critically endangered in Pakistan) MUST be protected,” she said.

NEWS

03

looted money would soon be returned: ali Zaidi sUKKUR App

Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Ali Zaidi on Sunday said the PPP-led Sindh government plundered the public money in plea of the developments of cities in Sindh.

Addressing the press conference at Sukkur Press Club here, the minister said the looted money would soon be returned to the national exchequer, as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman has already recovered millions of rupees from the corrupts. He said the fertilizer was being hoarded under the supervision of Sindh government, while pretending to support the farmers by blaming the federal government. Zaidi, who is also President of PTI Sindh chapter, said the PTI government would complete its five years tenure and would again form the government in 2023. He said road network in Karachi was the responsibility of the Sindh government rather federal government but the later had provided Green-Line Bus Project for the people Karachi. He said the local bodies act was a colonial law and against the Constitution, adding that the Constitution of Pakistan interprets the powers should be transferred to the representatives of the local bodies. To a question, he said with the passage of 18th Amendment, the powers were transferred to the provinces. The PPP government kept all the powers by the CM, and claimed themselves as champions of democracy. The provincial government was reluctant to delegate powers to the real contenders. Zaidi said Karachi Committee meeting was held in September 2020, which asked the PPP to give powers to representatives of the local government, and Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) as well as Sindh Solid Waste Management (SSWM), but the PPP-led Sindh government is reluctant to transfer the powers to the concerned authorities.

ahmed Jawad to sue pti for terminating his membership news DesK Former central information secretary of PTI Ahmed Jawad on Sunday announced that he will file a lawsuit against the party for terminating his membership. On Saturday, the PTI had expelled Jawad from the party for “violating the party’s constitution” on social media and “slandering” senior leadership. Talking to media, Jawad said that his termination from the party’s membership is “illegal,” adding that, “PTI voters and workers have seen the true colours of Imran Khan now.”

The ex-PTI member said that in the last 74 years, “no one ha deceived the nation like PTI did, while overseas Pakistanis were used like Automated Teller Machines (ATM).” It is worth mentioning here that Jawad had criticised the policies of the ruling party. Taking to his Twitter account, he had said that he will reveal the reasons why he stayed quiet for so long on the “fascism and incompetence of PTI,” asking followers to “stay tuned”. He further asked Prime Minister Imran Khan: “How did your illegal Bani Gala house and Constitution Avenue flat become legal? Can’t the houses of the poor be regularised like Constitution Avenue was regularised?” Subsequently, the PTI expelled the former secretary of information for “violating the party’s constitution” on social media. According to a statement issued by the PTI’s Standing Committee on Accountability and Discipline (SCAD) on January 12, a show-cause was served to Ahmad asking him to explain his position within seven days of the receipt of the notice but the disgruntled leader did not respond to the notice. After receiving the second show-cause notice, Jawad sent a reply, which was received by the SCAD on January 21; however, he did not explain his position, rather admitted that he had issued more than 40 tweets while SCAD took notice of only two of his tweets. “The Sub Committee of the SCAD observed that there were different forums in the party for Jawad to express his feelings/narrative before the party while he used social, electronic media to get his objective [to] malign/slander the party senior leadership, causing severe damage to the party,” the statement read.

Hakla-DI Khan Motorway: A milestone achievement on Western Route of CPEC IsLaMabaD App

The completion of Hakla-DI Khan Motorway has proved a milestone achievement on the Western Route of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for providing fast connectivity to the locals as well as paving the way for preparing the shortest route for logistics moving to and from the Chinese province of Xinjiang to Gwadar Port.

Soon after taking the charge, the incumbent government had pledged to complete the Western Route on priority besides taking the CPEC projects forward by speeding up the pace of work in other areas including industries, clean energy, and agriculture.

The government is also keen to complete other road projects on the western alignment, especially D I Khan-Zhob and Zhob-Quetta roads to minimize the travel time from the federal capital to Quetta.

The National High Authority has recently opened the Western Corridor portion of Hakla-D I Khan Motorway. The 292.5 km

long four-lane motorway comprises of 11 interchanges, 36 bridges, 119 underpasses, 33 flyovers and 398 culverts.

Muhammad Saleem, a D I Khan resident, currently living in Islamabad said, “The motorway had proved to be a source of big relief for me as I had to spent long and hard time of eight hours to reach my home on the old road that was in dilapidated condition.” However, he said now after the inauguration of Hakla-D I Khan Motorway, the travel time has been reduced to less than four hours.

According to sources in CPEC Authority, the initial cost estimation of the project that was commenced in 2016 by the PML-N government was around Rs110 billion but later on the project (a major portion was completed during current government) was completed at a cost of Rs81 billion.

The Hakla-D I Khan Motorway was constructed in five packages. The first package is from Yarak (D I Khan) to Rehmani Khel comprising 54.6 km. The 71.2 km second package starts from Rehmani Khel to

Kot Belian while the third starts from Kot Belian to Tarap and its length is 52.5 km.

The fourth package is of 51.2 km from Tarap to Pindi Gheb while the 63 km last package is from Pindi Gheb to Hakla. The project starts from Hakla on M-1 and passes through Qutbal, Fatehjang, Pindigheb, Tarap, Sikandarabad, Daud Khel, Mianwali, crossing River Indus, Isa Kheil, Kundal, Abdulkhel, Paniyala and ends at N-55 (Indus Highway) near Yarak.

The road would further connect with Sagu on N-50 as part of the CPEC Western Route and from Sagu onwards the road would be built up-to Zhob and ultimately to Quetta. The D I Khan city is located at a junction of N-50, N-55 and Waziristan area, therefore, the 292.5 km new CPEC Motorway facility would prove to be a new hub of business for the North Punjab, Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Afghanistan.

The surrounding areas of this motorway comprise of landscapes and farms producing vegetables, pulses, grains and fruits, espe-

cially the high quality mangoes and dates.

The motorway would help opening up the fertile hidden areas of North Punjab and South KP to all kinds of trade and access to other areas of the country.

The new motorway would improve the socioeconomic conditions of the people living along the road. The sources in CPEC Authority said that there were five other high priority road projects on the Western alignment of CPEC. As per detail, on the CPEC Western Route, the completed projects include the 297 km Hakla-D I Khan Motorway, the 235 km Qutta-Sohrab road, the 449 km Surab-Hoshab road, and the 193 km Hoshab-Gwadar road.

Similarly, the under construction projects on the CPEC Western Route include the 305 kms Zhob-Quetta road, the 110 km Basima-Khuzdar road, the NokundiMashkel road and the 146 km HoshabAwaran road.

The projects on the Western Route that are in the pipeline include the 360 kms Peshawar-D I Khan motorway, the 460 kms

Karachi-Quetta-Chaman road, the 200 kms Mashkhel-Panjgur road, the 163 kms Awaran-Khuzdar road, the 228 kms PanjgurAwaran road, and the 136 kms Awaran-Jhal Jao-Bela road.

Work on the 210 kilometer D.I. Khan (Yarik)-Zhob Road (N-50) and Zhob-Quetta (N-50) roads have already been completed while work on the 431 km Khuzdar-QuettaChaman Section of N-25 is also in progress.

The Surab-Hoshab at N-85 and Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab (M-8) are already operational.

Similarly, the sources said that work on the 106 km Basima-Khuzdar road, Quetta to Khuzdar road and Khuzdar to Awaran and Hoshab road has also been started and would complete soon. The sources added that the work on the western alignment routes of CPEC would be completed within three years. All routes of the western alignment go through remote areas where poverty rate is higher, jobs are less and industrial development and infrastructure is very low, thus completion of these projects will usher in prosperity of the areas.

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04

NEWS

PM IMran urges PeOPle TO raIse awareness abOuT afghan crIsIs

P

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Sunday urged people to join an “international initiative to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis” in Afghanistan.

“I will add my voice also and want people to join an international initiative to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, putting at risk of starvation millions of Afghans, especially children,” said Imran using #SaveAfghanLives with his tweet.

A day earlier, Imran endorsed a call

by former British prime minister Gordon Brown seeking an international donor conference to help the Afghans. He had said it was a global obligation to provide immediate humanitarian relief to millions of Afghans, who were facing an imminent danger of starvation during the ongoing winter.

The PM took to his Twitter to remind the world that providing immediate relief to impoverished Afghanistan was also obligatory under the unanimously adopted UN Principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). news desk

IT exports increase 35.77pc to $1.302bn in six months

ISLAMABAD staff report

The Ministry of Information Technology has revealed that the IT exports have increased at the growth rate of 35.77 percent in the first half of the current financial year.

The ministry in a statement issued here on Sunday said, “ICT export remittances, including telecommunication, computer, and information services for the period JulyDecember Financial Year (FY) 2021-22 have surged to the US $1.302 billion at a growth rate of 35.77 percent in comparison to the US $959 million during JulyDecember FY 2020-21”, In December 2021, the ICT export remittances were US $251 million at a growth rate of 28.72 percent when compared to US$ 195 million reported for the month of December 2020 also, $30 million higher than export remittances during the previous month November 2021.

The net exports for the period July-December FY 202122 are US$ 972 million which is 74.65 percent of US$ 1.302 billion in exports. Last year, for the same period the net exports were US$ 681 million which was 71.01 percent of US$ 959 million in exports.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Senator Faisal Javed Khan in a tweet said that Pakistan hit its highest ever Information Technology (IT) Exports in 6 months.

He said that “our IT Exports during Fiscal Year 21-22 surged to $1.302 billion at the growth rate of 36% v/s $959 million during the same period of 2020-21”.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to cross the $3.5 billion mark during this financial year”, he added.

Faisal Javed Khan who is also Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focus is on increasing exports to stimulate economic growth. “We will double our IT industry in 2 years”, he maintained.

Turkey set to initiate 50 development projects in Pakistan The Turkish state-run aid agency will be starting almost 50 new projects in Pakistan in 2022 to help with the development of education, health, and agriculture.

Muhsin Balci, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency’s (TIKA) programme coordinator for Pakistan, made the announcement for TIKA’s 30th anniversary.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many countries in Central Asia declared independence. This led Turkiye to devote aid efforts to Turkic-speaking countries in Central Asia and helping the newly formed countries in various social, economic, and cultural endeavors.

To help meet that demand, TIKA was established in 1992.

“TIKA is now working in more than 150 countries and we have done more than 30,000 projects since our establishment in different countries. In these projects we share our knowledge and expertise in the field of education, health, and agriculture with countries from the Balkans to Africa, from the Middle East to Latin America,” said Balci, who came in

early January to Islamabad, beginning official visits of projects.

He visited the digitisation centre for the preservation of rare books in a library founded by TIKA at Quaid-e-Azam University and also toured the Baitussalam Welfare Trust, where students showcased a performance with robots at the Blatu Hub Technology Lab that was established

by TIKA in 2018.

“Pakistan is full of talent and it gives us immense pleasure to give technical support to our brother nation. Pakistan is no foreign country for us. This nation has supported us unconditionally, and our hearts beat for each other,” said Balci.

New projects for pakistaN iN 2022: “We’re expanding our support from education to health and the agriculture sector,” Balci told Anadolu Agency.

“The departments and companies come to us for our technical support and we try our best to give the best of the best service. Our aim is to start more than 50 projects this year in Pakistan that will facilitate the organisations in fostering young talent.”

TIKA has also set up five water filtration plants in three cities to provide access to safe drinking water to residents.

“Along with our student exchange programme and other projects, TIKA is also focused on uplifting the lives of people. Our water filtration plants are another project for our Pakistani brothers that show our love and care for this nation,” he said.

From installing 60 kilowatt solar energy panels at the Lakki Marwat District Hospital that will provide 90% of the facility’s electricity, to setting up the Emergency Department of the District Head Quarter Hospital Upper Dir in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, TIKA is also creating opportunities for residents.

Balci praised Pakistani officials’ willingness to work with TIKA. “Whether it is health, energy, or the agriculture sector, Pakistani authorities trust TIKA when it comes to technical support, and in the years to come we’re planning to enhance this cooperation in the field of agriculture also,” he said. anadolu agency

India batters press freedom and journalists in IIOJK For five years, Sajad Gul wrote about conflict wracking his homeland, a disputed Himalayan territory where a freedom struggle and India’s brutal counterinsurgency have raged for over three decades.

That changed on a snowy Wednesday night in January with a knock at his house. Gul was surrounded by Indian soldiers wielding automatic rifles who bundled him into a vehicle and sped away, ploughing through the snow-laden track in Hajin, a quiet village about 20 miles from Srinagar, the region’s main city, said his mother, Gulshana, who only uses one name.

Journalists have long contended with various threats in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) and found themselves caught between warring sides. But their situation has gotten dramatically worse since India revoked the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019, throwing IoK under a severe security and communication lockdown and the media in a black hole. A year later, the government’s new media policy sought to control the press more effectively to censure independent reporting.

Dozens have been arrested, interrogated and investigated under harsh anti-terror laws. Fearing reprisals, the local press has largely wilted under pressure.

“Indian authorities appear determined to prevent journalists from doing their jobs,” said Steven Butler, Asia programme coordinator of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Gul’s arrest, which the CPJ condemned, underscored the fast-eroding press freedoms and criminalisation of journalists in IoK. Police told Gul’s family that he was arrested for provoking people to “resort to violence and disturb public peace”. A police statement later described him as “habitual of spreading disinformation” and “false narratives” on social media.

He was detained days after his single tweet linked a video clip of a protest against Indian rule, following a Kashmiri freedom fighter’s killing. He spent 11 days locked up before a local court granted him bail.

Instead of freeing Gul, authorities charged him in a new case under the Public Safety Act, which allows officials to imprison anyone for up to two years without trial. “My son is not a criminal,” said Gulshana. “He only used to write.” ‘systematic fear’: Media has always been tightly controlled in IoK. Arm twisting and fear have been extensively used to intimidate the press since 1989 when freedom fighters began fighting Indian soldiers in a bid to establish an independent Kashmir or union with Pakistan.

The fighting has left tens of thousands of people dead.

Yet, IoK’s diverse media flourished despite relentless pressure from Indian authorities and rebel groups.

That changed in 2019 when authorities began filing criminal cases against some journalists. Several of them have been forced to reveal their sources, while others have been physically assaulted.

“Authorities have created a systematic fear and launched a direct assault on free media. There is complete intolerance of even a single critical word,” said Anuradha Bhasin, an editor at Kashmir Times, a prominent English daily that was established in 1954.

Bhasin was among the few who filed a petition with India’s Supreme Court, resulting in partial restoration of communication services after the 2019 blackout, which the government had said was necessary to stall anti-India protests.

But she soon found herself in the crosshairs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Bhasin’s legacy newspaper office in Srinagar, operating from a rented government building, was sealed by authorities without any notice. Its staff was not allowed to take out any equipment. “They are killing local media except those who are willing to become government stenographers,” said Bhasin. shriNkiNg press freedom: Under Modi, press freedoms in India have steadily shrunk since he was first elected in 2014. Last year, India was ranked 142nd in the global press freedom index by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, below Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. agencies

Bitcoin slips to $35,520 as falling cryptos take a breather ISLAMABAD news desk

The crashing cryptocurrency market took a breather on Sunday, with market capitalisation gaining 1.1 percent to reach $1.75 trillion.

As of 1430 hours GMT, the largest cryptocurrency Bitcoin’s price inched down by 0.11 percent to reach $35,520. With this decrease in price, the market capitalisation of the biggest crypto has reached $672.6 billion.

Experts had warned previously that bitcoin might fall towards $30,000 due to concerns of pending interest rates hike and crypto ban proposal set in place by the Russians.

Ether, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, is also in a world of pain, losing 0.27 percent over the past 24 hours to reach $2,458. With this massive decrease in price, the market capi-

talisation of ETH has reached $289.3 billion.

ETH price has slumped to its lowest levels since September.

However, the XRP price went up by 3 percent to reach $0.616. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $61.6 billion with this increase.

Likewise, Cardano (ADA) price made a gain of 0.62 percent to hit $1.11. Its market capitalisation has reached $36.6 billion with this increase.

Similar is the case with Dogecoin (DOGE) whose price gained 5.61 percent to reach $0.139. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of DOGE has reached $18.5 billion.

A common investment case for cryptos is that they serve as a hedge against rising inflation as a result of quantitative easing by global central banks in order to tame

Covid-19 disruption in the global economy, but experts are saying the risk is that a more hawkish Federal Reserve may take the hit on crypto assets. As the 10-year US Treasury yield spiked earlier this week, rising rates have caused investors to shed their positions in riskier assets. Yields move opposite to prices.

The crypto industry has faced several regulatory pushbacks in recent days, as scepticism towards the rapid growth of digital assets spreads across the globe. Besides the Chinese government banning all cryptorelated activities, the US authorities are cracking down on several aspects of the market as well.

A Russian official has proposed banning the use and mining of virtual currencies on Russian soil, claiming it threatens monetary policy sovereignty and financial stability.

CMYK

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

05

PakIstan urGes un to resolve kashMIr DIsPute on ‘urGent BasIs’

P

AKISTAN has called out to the United Nations to expedite its efforts and “urgently” resolve the Kashmir dispute in a bid to halt Indian atrocities in the territory and prevent a threat to regional and global peace.

“Peace and security must remain at the core of the functions of the United Nations,” Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Munir Akram told the UN General Assembly on Friday while commenting on the report of the UN chief on the work of the organisation.

“We urge the security council and the secretary-general to exercise their considerable authority to promote an early and peaceful resolution of the Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) dispute and to end the Indian reign of terror against the Kashmiri people”, the Pakistani envoy said.

The UN, he said, can do “much more” to address peace and security

PM Imran khan warns opposition of being ‘more dangerous if out of power’ continued from page 01

threats by fully using the authority provided by the United Nations Charter, such as in Article 99, and by taking action in the General Assembly if the Security Council is unable to do so.

The primary threat in South Asia, the Pakistani envoy said, is posed by the dispute over IOJK and India’s attempt to annex and transform the Muslim majority state into Hindu majority territory, “a grave violation of council resolutions that promised Kashmiris their right to self-determination through a United Nations supervised plebiscite”.

Shedding light on the extensive illegal actions taken by India, the ambassador urged the council and the secretary-general to promote an early, peaceful end to the dispute.

He cited the rise of racial and religious hate and violence, with Islamophobia among its gravest manifestations, notably as characterised by lynching and calls for genocide of Muslims in India.

He said: “The worst manifestation of Islamophobia is the officially-inspired campaign of the ”Hindutva” adherents in India against Muslims.”

So far, the Pakistan envoy noted, there has been no accountability for India’s crimes.

Indian laws provide complete impunity to the 900,000 troops India had deployed in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan condemned the increasing harassment, illegal arrests and registration of fake criminal cases against journalists and civil society activists such as Khurram Pervez in the Indianoccupied territory, he said.

The recent attack and ban on the Kashmir Press Club, he added, is another manifestation of India’s entrenched use of brutal force and coercion to silence all those who raise their voice against its criminal and genocidal acts in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Ambassador Akram also drew at-

Rain, snow-related incidents leave 7 dead in KP: PDMA

The PM also said the government will introduce scholarships to the tune of Rs47 billion to support the students hailing from lower-income classes. He also talked about the Single National Curriculum (SNC), saying over the past 74 years, the education system implemented in Pakistan held back the students from the lower-income classes.

He said the fight of the PTI government was against mafias and “some elements” in the media had also sided with these “mafias” to spread hopelessness in the country. The PM said as per the reports in foreign media outlets, the economy in Pakistan was growing amid an increase in tax collection.

The premier also criticised the media, saying it was the right of the media to criticise the government but it should avoid disseminating “propaganda and fake news”.

During the session, Imran ruled out any deal with “corrupt opposition leaders”. He said that former dictator Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf committed the “biggest sin” by granting NROs to the opposition.

“Half of the taxes we collect are spent on paying back loans taken during their [opposition parties’] governments,” Imran claimed.

Replying to a caller’s question on the privileges enjoyed by criminals hailing from influential families, such as, Zahir Jaffer, the prime accused in Noor Mukadam case, and Shahrukh Jatoi, convicted in the 2012 Shahzeb murder case, the premier said that his government will be tweaking the country’s criminal justice system.

“Fixing the justice system will fix the country,” said Imran.

Maryam says ‘Imran will go down in history as a conspirator’ continued from page 01 He also warned the opposition that he will be “more dangerous” for them if ousted from power, saying that till now he was only watching their gimmicks from his office.

“You will not find a place to hide if I take to streets… I will just need to nudge people and others will be running to London as well to join the ones who are already there,” the premier remarked.

peSHaWar Staff RepoRt

At least seven people have been killed and 16 others got injured in various incidents relating to heavy rain and snowfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), provincial authorities said on Sunday.

Parts of the province have been receiving heavy rains and snowfall since Friday evening, according to the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), which is responsible for providing relief to affectees of natural calamities.

“Seven people have been killed as a result of different incidents, while 16 houses have been damaged,” a KP PDMA spokesperson said in a video message on Sunday. “Similarly, 16 people have been injured too.”

The spokesperson disclosed that 15 houses were partially damaged while one was completely destroyed by torrential rains.

He said the PDMA, district administrations and all concerned departments were alert and asked by KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to speed up relief operations in the affected areas.

The spokesperson said their team visited the Shangla district on Saturday and reviewed ongoing relief activities there.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast downpours, snow, wind-thunderstorms and hailstorms in the capital Islamabad, northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper parts of the Punjab province, and Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir regions in the next 12 hours. Dense fog is expected to envelop upper Sindh and plains in Punjab, it added.

tention to the statement made recently by the Head of “Genocide Watch”, Professor Gregory Stanton, in which he stated: “We are warning that genocide could very well happen in India.”

“We call on the secretary-general and the United Nations to take decisive steps to combat Islamophobia and to prevent the danger of genocide against the Muslims of India,” he said.

At the outset, the Pakistani envoy welcomed the United Nations mobilisation of humanitarian and other assistance for Afghanistan, calling last September’s flash appeal and the recent $5 billion appeal “timely and essential”.

He further added that the United Nations role in peacekeeping is a major success and “Pakistan will remain a steadfast partner in ensuring the effectiveness of such operations, notably the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), stationed in the IIOJK region.” app

Bureau of Immigration to provide one million jobs to overseas Pakistanis annually: DG RAWALPINDI: Director General Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Pakistanis Wasim Barakullah has said that in accordance of the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Bureau of Immigration has set a target of providing one million overseas jobs to Pakistani youth annually.

He said this while talking to Mr. Khalid Nawaz, Chief Executive Officer of Knight Human Management (KHM), Shalaan & GL Pakistan who met the DG Bureau of Immigration on Sunday.

Wasim Barakullah said that Muhammad Ayub Afridi, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, has taken a number of new initiatives for overseas Pakistanis and work is also underway to deploy “Labor Welfare Attaches” in Pakistani embassies abroad to better address the problems and issues of overseas workers.

“The incumbent government has increased the number of jobs for skilled and unskilled workers of Pakistan in foreign countries and we have fixed the target of providing overseas jobs to one million people annually”, he added.

He said the role of Overseas Employment Promoters is crucial in fulfilling this target.

“That’s why we have given Excellence Awards to the best performers out of 5,000 promoters across the country so that they would work more efficiently to help government achieve this target,” he mentioned.

On the occasion, Wasim Barkatullah lauded the performance of KHM Shalaan & GL Pakistan and congratulated Khalid Nawaz on receiving the first prize from Rawalpindi Region.

CEO KHM Khalid Nawaz said that incumbent government was the first one which was serious in resolving the problems of promoters affiliated with the Bureau of Immigration and other relevant agencies.

“If the government increases the facilities we need, our community can find more jobs abroad for our youth and achieve more than the annual target of one million,” he concluded.

Trade with Kyrgyzstan to open Eurasian markets for Pakistanis: envoy iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan has said that promoting bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan could be a milestone in regional and global trade integration and connectivity.

Talking to the state-run news agency on Sunday, he said the geo-strategic position of Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan highlights their geo-economic importance, which could play a significant role in promoting trade connec-

tivity amongst different regions and potential markets of the world.

The ambassador said that Pakistan is currently a major player in global and regional trade, bordering the Middle East and South Asian states on the one hand and the global economic power China on the other.

He said the geographical location of Kyrgyzstan offers many opportunities for trade with Pakistan as it is the shortest entry point of Pakistani products to the ‘Eurasian economic markets’ of 182 million people comprising Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia.

The ambassador said a trade delegation from Pakistan may visit Kyrgyzstan soon to look for new markets for our products. The trade turnover of the Kyrgyz Republic with Pakistan amounted to 5.9 million dollars in 2021 with Pakistan’s exports amounting to 5.3 million dollars and imports 0.6 million.

Sardar Azhar said that goods once exported to Kyrgyzstan can be further transported to the Eurasian markets without payment of customs duties. Furthermore, Kyrgyzstan has flourishing construction and hoteling industries, he added.

The Pakistan’s envoy said that many

cmYK

high-rise buildings for shopping malls, apartments and hotels are currently being constructed mostly by Turkish firms for which raw material is being imported from other countries. He said that construction material from Pakistan can also be exported.

As per figures provided by the host Foreign Office, the trade turnover of the Kyrgyz Republic with Pakistan amounted to US$ 5.9 million in 2021 with Pakistan’s exports amounting to US$ 5.3 million and imports US$ 0.6 million, he said.

Azhar said that main items of Pakistani exports include machinery and equipment,

products made of non-precious metals, plastic products, leather products and cosmetics.

Pakistan imported beans, canned meat and fish, wood products, tanned leather and aviation kerosene, he said.

The ambassador said that Pakistan basically exports pharmaceutical products, oranges, rice, sports items, surgical instruments, textiles and garments to Kyrgyzstan. In addition, Pakistan could export its surplus fresh fruits and vegetables especially during winter season when there is acute shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables in Kyrgyzstan, he said.

06-07 Comments - 24th January 2022_Layout 1 1/24/2022 12:49 AM Page 1

Monday, 24 January, 2022

06 COMMENT

Cambodia’s role in the Rohingya crisis

PM talks to the people Can’t expect opposition cooperation while going for it

Cambodia should play its due role

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RIMe MINISTeR Imran Khan cannot have his cake and eat it too. From what he said while talking to people, he still regards the opposition as corrupt and beneath his notice. his threat that they would find him more dangerous out of office than in it, indicated that he was contemplating the possibility of his ouster, and was now concerting measures on what to do if he was indeed ousted. his threat of a street movement sounded odd coming from the head of a government, and goes back to the heady days of the container at D Chowk. however, reviving such memories does not lessen the need of the government to get opposition agreement on two major issues, quite apart from the many that rise from day to day: NAB reform and electronic Voting Machines (eVMs). Both deal with issues the PTI has defined as central to its agenda, indeed central to its identity.

Opponents see NAB as being misused against political opponents, and fear that the intention of introducing eVMs is to ensure that the PTI can be guaranteed victory in the next election. however, these will require opposition ownership if they are to obtain credibility.

This need has been conceded by Cabinet members, such as in Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s recent tweet, but Mr Khan has worked hard to maintain that area of incorruptibility about himself that is such an important part of his stock-in-trade.It might now be penetrating into Mr Khan’s mind that democracy is predicated on the belief that it is possible to hold opposing views about the actions the executive should perform, yet for them to be morally equivalent. The PTI still insists that any action other than what is proposed, can only be the result of moral turpitude, and instigated by corrupt motives.

The time is running out for the government to engage in discussions. Some voices are emerging in the opposition which must argue that the time for concessions is past, because fresh elections are over the horizon, and the PTI is no longer worth talking to, because now it would be more sensible to wait out the worst the government can do.

Zubeda Chowdhury

T

he Rohingya issue is currently an important international issue. More than 1.1 million Rohingyas have taken refuge in Bangladesh since August 2017 due to genocide and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. About 50,000 newborn Rohingya children are added to it every year.

The Bangladeshi Prime Minister raised the issue at the UNGA on September 25, 2021 to draw the attention of global leaders in solving the Rohingya crisis. She focused specifically on the engagement of ASeAN leaders. It is ASeAN which can resolve Rohingya refugee problem easily.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on January 18 that the Cambodian Chairmanship of ASeAN provides a great opportunity to facilitate safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas, now sheltered in Bangladesh, to Myanmar.

According to media reports, The foreign minister said this to Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, also the country’s minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, during a telephone conversation recently.

During the conversation, Momen laid emphasis on the potential security risks to Bangladesh, Myanmar and to the greater region if the Rohingya crisis is left festering for a much longer period of time. he mentioned the vulnerability of the displaced people to radicalism, extremism, terrorism, cross-border crimes, etc.

Foreign Minister Momen congratulated his Cambodian counterpart on Cambodia’s assumption of ASAeAN Chairmanship and on the latter’s appointment as the Special envoy of the ASeAN Chair to Myanmar.

Referring to the longstanding and excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, Momen mentioned that Bangladesh highly valued its relations with Cambodia as an important partner in the neighbourhood.

Lauding the “big heart” demonstrated by Bangladesh in sheltering 1.1 million displaced Myanmar nationals, Prak Sokhonn expressed his full understanding of and sympathy for the difficulties being faced by Bangladesh.

As Chair and an active member of ASeAN, Cambodia can help to resolve it. Cambodia can be an honest mediator in this regard. Cambodia has very warm relations with both Myanmar and Bangladesh.

On October 28, 2021, Cambodia officially took over the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASeAN) for the third time since joining the group in 1999.

Cambodia holds the ASeAN chair for the third time since it joined ASeAN on 30 April 1999. It was

Dithering The government doesn’t know what to do about the TTP

I

NTeRIOR Minister Sh Rashid Ahmad seems clear that the Lahore blast, which killed three people in Anarkali on Friday, was carried out by the Tehrik-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP), but seems clear too that the TTP can be spoken to ‘provided it accept the Constitution.’ he apparently does not see any problem in talking to an organization that does not respect the ordinary law of the land, let alone the Constitution to which it is subject, nor does he seem to remember what came of the recent talks with the TTP, which saw the TTP make such demands as the prior implementation of Sharia in the country, and permission for the TTP to set up a political office in some other country.

The return of the TTP to terrorism shows that it now wants to carry out activities that will once again bring the Pakistani state to the negotiating table. After all, that is the process by which the Afghan Talian negotiated with the USA: by meeting every fresh failure to negotiate with renewed terroristic activity. The Interior Ministry and all associated intelligence agencies must up their game, and make it so impossible for the TTP to commit terrorism that it negotiates and concedes pretty much what the Pakistani state is asking: a surrender of both arms and persons, and a return to normal civilian life of the militants.

Sh Rashid discounted the claim of responsibility by the Balochistan Liberation Army. While the idea of the BLA working with the TTP is counter-intuitive, mainly because of their political opposition in their home territory, it cannot be rejected without being explored, because if both organizations are indeed sponsored by India’s RAW, as is claimed by Pakistani agencies, then there would be economies of scale generated by cooperation. however, the essential problem of the Interior Ministry remains its chief. Neither the present incumbent, nor his predecessor, inspire much confidence.

The challenge is dire; the continuation of terrorism even after the alleged source, the previous Afghan government, was ousted; is not a good sign, and merely points to a future that is both turbulent and uncertain.

A system that needs checks and balances

Mian rauf

A

N intense debate is going on in the social media e over the enforcement of the presidential system in Pakistan, which has invited the wrath of opposition parties and critics of the presidential system. The advocates of the presidential form of government are of the view that all major powers, including the USA, China, Russia, and France, have the presidential form of government and this system makes the decisionmaking process much easier, and that it is more stable and ensures continuity of government policies.

But many in the country believe that the presidential system is synonymous with dictatorship as it is one-man rule. They further hold that the presidential system has been tried, tested and found to be flawed and failed in the country in the past.

Unlike the USA, after the partition of the Subcontinent, the constitution making process was not a matter of reflection and choice but depended on vi-

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Abdul Momen considers the support of Russia and China important. he said China and Russia also want a solution to the Rohingya problem. This is positive news for us.

In this regard, Cambodia can play a holistic, significant and strategic role. Cambodia can support Bangladesh at every international forum such as at UNGA and regional conferences. They can vote in favour of Bangladesh. They can raise the issue within the ASeAN platform. Cambodia can negotiate with Myanmar diplomatically and bilaterally. It has good bilateral relations with Myanmar. Cambodia can engage with others ASeAN states to solve the crisis. Cambodia’s Buddhist society can play an effective role in this regard. Cambodia can make Myanmar understand on the regional significance of Rohingya repatriation. earlier, Cambodia hoped hat Bangladesh and Myanmar find a solution allowing the Rohingya repatriation, Prime Minister hun Sen said at the joint press conference held following his bilateral meeting with visiting Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh hasina in 2017.

For her part, Sheikh hasina affirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to provide shelters to some 700,000 Rohingya refugees and to continue negotiating with Myanmar for their repatriation.

Cambodia has confirmed its clear stance over the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. On Nov. 16, 2017, Cambodian Premier underlined that the Rohingya crisis is an internal affair of Myanmar and Cambodia will not interfere in this issue. The Cambodian premier also expressed his sadness over the crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, adding that Cambodia is considering providing humanitarian assistance to Rakhine’s people, some of them are living in Myanmar while others fled to Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, PM hun Sen visited Myanmar (6-8 January 2022). A new Special envoy of the ASeAN chair, Prak Sokhonn the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Ministerof Cambodia, was announced. he will be assisted by Cham Prasidh, Minister of Industry, a veteran of the Cambodian peace process.

Cambodia was initially hesitant to speak out against the junta, citing ASeAN’s principle of noninterference. But this time, as a chair of ASeAN , Cambodia wants to engage itself and Asean with Myanmar. It is a positive side of Cambodia. Isolation is not a solution. Involvement, engagement, negotiations are some tools to find solutions. Cambodia is doing so. PM hun Sen is very interested in ASeAN’s relations with Myanmar. Cambodia’s role in this regard would be warmly welcomed.

If Cambodia take a initiative to resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis, it would be a great achievement for ASeAN. Whole south Asia and Southeast Asia would see a permanent solution of a regional crisis.

The prestigious of Cambodia as ASeAN chair would be accepted amongst all South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Understanding Presidential Democracy

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

the last amongst the 10 ASeAN countries to join ASeAN and has followed its regular turn in chairing the organisation every decade, in 2002 and 2012, respectively. There are only two countries—Cambodia and Brunei—whose leaders have continued their tenure over the years in ASeAN, one being PM hun Sen and the other one being the Sultan of Brunei. earlier, the Rohingya had been subjected to systematic discrimination, deprivation of the right to vote, and regular targeting of violence in Myanmar for decades.

Rohingyas have come to Myanmar to save their lives after being subjected to extremely inhumane treatment by the military; But their position in the country has become a cause for concern as they are involved in migration, drug trafficking, child trafficking, smuggling, and other misdeeds as Bangladeshis. Again, some of the Rohingyas have been accused of being involved in militant activities and the Ramu attack.

According to various sources, there are about 400,000 Rohingya inside Bangladesh and about 100.000 outside the country, especially in the Middle east. Moreover, there are reports that underage women and children in various camps in Cox’s Bazar are being tied to an important social bond such as marriage; which is having a hugely detrimental effect on the society and the state system.

Child marriage is a threat to the health of the mother as well as the health of the child. It has farreaching detrimental effects on women. Adolescent pregnancy can lead to a variety of health problems, including complications in childbirth. In some cases, they are also victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and marital rape. In addition, increasing population density is having a devastating effect on the environment.

In the last four and a half years, despite various initiatives, no real progress has been made in resolving the Rohingya crisis. Under pressure from the international community, the Myanmar government signed an agreement on Rohingya repatriation, but to no avail. According to the agreement, the Rohingyas were to be repatriated in stages. The repatriation process has not started for a long time. The Myanmar government has failed to repatriate the displaced Rohingya and resolve the crisis. Bangladesh has repeatedly urged various international forums to take effective steps to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

At the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Sheikh hasina not only ended her duty by calling on the international community to repatriate Rohingya but also presented six specific proposals. The Prime Minister also raised the issue during her recent visit to France. In such a situation, the UN committee has unanimously passed a resolution urging Myanmar to end the Rohingya crisis. Most importantly, Russia and China did not oppose the proposal. The resolution, introduced by the OIC and the european Union, was unanimously passed by the Social humanitarian and Cultural Committee, known as the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. Foreign Minister

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cissitudes of time and power politics. We were unable to come out of the lasting spell of the Government of India Act, 1935 which remained the constitution of Pakistan till the framing and enforcement of the first Constitution of Pakistan in 1956.

The 1973 Constitution, though it declared itself a federal state with parliamentary government at the centre, was a result of limited choices. It is true that Pakistan had experienced different kinds of governments; from democracy to military dictatorship, to civilian martial law by Z.A. Bhutto but governance was construed as a seminal issue.

It is erroneous to equate the presidential system with dictatorship as those are completely different.

Like parliamentary democracy, the presidential system too is a democratic system. In the presidential system, the president is elected either directly by people or through an electoral college which makes the executive power concentrated in his office. The president derives his authority from the Constitution and law unlike the dictator. The president is elected for a definite period of time but that is not the case with dictatorship.

Many developed states which are famously known as the father of democracy are under this form of governance. For example, the US Constitution is regarded as the father of the presidential system of government. It worked well over the last more than two centuries and is considered one of the main reasons for building the USA into a strong nation and eventually into a world power in the 20th century. The US constitutional model has been followed in the countries that came under US influence in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The US Constitution revolves around the doctrine of Separation of Powers coupled with the system of Check and Balance. The American Constitution divides the governmental power into legislative, executive, and judicial categories. These functions are separate and are appropriately exercised by separate branches of governments. These functions of govern-

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ment are commingled through check and balance system only insofar as necessary to preserve the integrity of each branch.

It is also pertinent to mention here that under the presidential form of government the president cannot act capriciously, arbitrarily or according to his own personal whims. his actions are subject to scrutiny either by the parliament or judiciary depending upon the model of presidency. For Instance, the Congress in the USA has power to impeach the president on the grounds of conviction, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. It can refuse to ratify a treaty negotiated by the president. The US Supreme Court can declare a presidential action as repugnant to the Constitution if the same is ultra- vires the Constitution. It is clear from this discussion that the president cannot go beyond the sphere of powers allotted to him by the Constitution and law.

If people in Pakistan want presidential democracy, it can be introduced through a constitutional amendment. Parliament can amend the constitution with two third majorities of its houses. A referendum can also be held under Article 48 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 which reads as “if the Prime Minister considers it necessary to hold a referendum on any matter of national importance, he may refer the matter to a joint sitting of the Parliament and if it is approved in joint sitting, the Prime Minister may cause such matter to be referred to a referendum in the form of question that is capable of being answered by either’ Yes’ or’ No’”.

Given the current political scenario, the presidential system is not perilous for democracy but, in reality, it is a threat to the vested interest of the corrupt political elite of our country. Those who hold that the presidential system failed in the past should not ignore this fact that the previous models of presidency were introduced to this country by military dictators who had designed them according to their own requirements to perpetuate themselves in power.

The writer is a legal practitioner and columnist.

He holds LLM from Punjab University. He can be reached at mianrauf2172@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Monday, 24 January, 2022

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

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

Lack of communication skills in our society

The Murree tragedy: Exploring the reasons of a deadly situation

dr Saira aSad

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eCeNTLY, Murree received a snowstorm that caused the loss of 22 people’s lives in their cars stranded in the snow. Almost four feet of snow trapped the vehicles, creating immobility under the -8°C temperature. Soon afterward, Murree was declared a calamity-hit area.

Despite heavy snow warnings from the Pakistan Meteorological Department between 6-9 January in Murree and Galiyat, the number of tourists kept on increasing, leading to a total catastrophe.

According to the official figures issued by the office of Chief Minister Punjab, almost 157,665 vehicles had entered the city between Friday and Saturday ( January 6 and 7) on the weekend at the start of the snowfall. The roads of almost half of Murree from Ghora Gali, Bansara Gali, Sunny Bank, Kuldana, Kashmir Point, Jhika Gali, Barian, Nathia Gali, and Darya Gali were reported on TV channels from time to time as jampacked with traffic on the evening of January 7.

Routes in Murree to Rawalpindi were seen blocked after thousands of vehicles entered the city leaving tourists in a helpless situation. On seeing the situation, a state of emergency was declared by the Punjab government in hospitals, administration offices, and police stations. Murree received a huge number of tourists after 15 to 20 years according to Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry that caused the chaotic situation. Therefore, the roads were forcibly closed from Islamabad to Murree to stop the flow of tourists on January 8. emergency military help was initiated on January 8 evening for the stranded vehicles.

During the emergency relief, 22 deaths were reported, 10 men, 10 children, and 2 women. They were reported as dying due to hypothermia and a few due to carbon monoxide poisoning because of a long period of running vehicles’ heaters. The blockages of vehicles’ exhaust with snow caused the carbon monoxide to circulate within the vehicles suffocating the passengers.

To facilitate the stranded tourists, five relief camps were set up by the Army at Military College, Jhika Gali, APS Kuldana, Station Supply Depot, and Sunny Bank. The stranded tourists were taken into the relief camps and provided medication with food. The worst traffic jam was observed in the areas mentioned .

Side by side, it was seen that army engineers and troops continued their rescue operation by

clearing the roads with heavy machinery and making the traffic movable. The army again came into the crisis and came up with full facilitation. The videos and interviews were heard on different platforms, where people were praising the army and criticizing the local government for not reaching them in time despite reminders.

On the other hand, there are stories of selfishness, where people were stranded in snow for many hours. At that time, the local sellers thought of making money by considering the best time of gaining profit. It was reported and heard on different platforms that a local room at a few hotels, of Rs 3000 per night in regular days, went for Rs 40,000-50,000. A boiled egg was costing Rs 500, and a small pack of biscuits Rs 300. Chain rentals for vehicles’ tyres went to Rs 3000 per car to tow it for a few miles.

Such inhumane behaviour was even heard that some women had to survive by selling their jewelry to get a safer shelter. A few exemplary responses from local people are also there, who initiated help by giving shelter to many and provided food and necessities per requirements without any charges. The determination and goodwill gesture of these people are highly appreciated, who stepped forward for saving their fellow citizens at the time of need instead of looking for any favour in return.

The local administration was heard being blamed on various platforms for not rescuing the stranded people on roads despite calls of emergencies. The government has taken an inquiry on the tragic incident and taken action on the inefficiency and irresponsibility of different administrations’ employees.

The tragedy has reflected the lack of preparedness and planning for the citizens. eyebrows have been raised on the performance of the disaster management authorities, the district administration, the traffic police, and other government departments. The weather warnings were there from the Met Office, and it is also true that tourists didn’t pay attention to those warnings. Responsibility also falls on the citizens. They should work on their movement before departing to the hilly areas especially in winters. ignorance, irresponsibility towards safety measures, and improper dressing for such a cold area must be kept in mind.

Murree has always been a busy hilly resort with heavy traffic all around the year. This year, the weather warnings were ignored by the administration, the roads towards Murree were not blocked or closed down on these warnings. The citizens were supposed to be informed and stopped as a large number of vehicles were entering the city via the toll plaza that exceeded the parking capacity in Murree. Secondly, another lapse was seen from the administration side as they did not have heavy equipment to clear the roads where fallen trees and piles of snow couldn’t be removed. The rescue operation was initiated the next day in the morning of January 7 by the local administration after the deadly snowstorm, but

those were not enough due to lack of handling the crisis, and the Army had to intervene.

On the other side, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar acted on the negligence of authorities after the investigation and announced Rs 17.6 million as compensation to the deceased families. Action over the inhumane behaviour on raising the prices was also seen. The hotels’ owners found involved in ill practice were placed behind the bars. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also chipped in the situation by issuing free credits on the cells to those who were out of balance in that situation.

Additionally, the Punjab government has announced to make Murree a separate district within Punjab with 2 new police stations and 2 parking plazas at the busiest spots of Murree. It is a good initiative by the government to come up with more facilitation for the citizens in catering and responding to them in any situation.

Now eyes are on the government, how the said initiatives will be implemented.

The voice of people was heard when videos were uploaded and floated from the disaster area on different social platforms. Till then, 155,000 cars were reported by AC Murree as having entered the city where only 35,000 parking spaces were available. huge chaos, jammed traffic, and families in pitiful and heartbreaking conditions were found stranded on the roads without any help for long.

By leaving stuck cars in the middle of roads by people also made it difficult for the management in clearing the traffic. In a nutshell, the responsibility comes on citizens and on administration together to be vigilant and responsible on their part. The understanding of the issues from both sides will enable them to run the system smoothly and efficiently.

The citizens should make themselves aware of the weather before departing to any hilly area, especially in winter to avoid an unexpected situation. On the larger side, the local administration should be kept vigilant, equipped, trained, and efficient enough to deal with these sorts of conditions.

A strict check and balance is required by the government authorities for the smooth functioning of concerned departments to deal with these sorts of issues in time before converting into a disaster. When the state issues regulations and laws and implements them, then there is no choice for citizens but to follow. So, there is a time to act responsibly and honestly towards one’s’duty for which one is selected and appointed.

Murree is located on the Pir Panjal Range within the Murree Tehsil 70 20 from Islamabad in the northeast. It is a popular hill station of Pakistan with steep hills and valleys with an altitude of 7,400 feet (2,240 meters).

The writer is a PhD from University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), an awardwinning columnist, researcher, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Riphah International University (Media Sciences Department), Islamabad, Pakistan. She can be reached at saira.asad2011@gmail.com.

CONVeYING our idea or thought to others is called communication. The essential skill in our life is communication skills. From childhood, it is needed for everyone to convey information. As a teacher, it requires communication skills to convey your ideas or thoughts to a student. Communication skills are divided into two categories, verbal and non-verbal.

Verbal communication involves your talking power, writing skills and conveying style and non-verbal communication involves your body language your eye contact and your dressing Sometimes when you have an idea in your mind, often it gets failed to convey to others due to a lack of communication skills. It is necessary from student life to professional life. It should be mandatory to polish yourself with these skills.

Nowadays there are a lot of youtube clips that can help us to enhance our skills, but the best method for people is to practice in front of a mirror.

Skills aren’t acquired by reading, but they are acquired from practice.

In our school, students are taught different unnecessary subjects, but the students don’t get in touch with such essential skills. Now let’s talk about universities. Communication skills are taught, but it’s always treated as a subject. Students read only to pass the subject. The teachers don’t involve participating students in different activities by giving tasks to the students. The teacher only writes on the whiteboard and the student writes in his/her notebook.

Teachers and students must be able to treat communication skills as compulsory skills. This subject should be taught by the teacher in a way that teaches students how to talk and treat different people with words and body language.

MOHSIN JAMALI BAdIN

Pakistan and Poverty MOST developing countries are faced with high levels of poverty, which has given rise to hunger, diseases and social conflicts. It has hindered people’s pursuit of a better lifestyle and prospects. China, which comprises one-fifth of the world’s population, has emerged victorious in the battle against poverty. The people’s republic was able to resolve the historic problem of poverty that had caused it many problems previously. China went beyond the textbook theories for eradicating poverty, and now it can provide new perceptions and formulas to fight against poverty at global level.

In the process of eradicating poverty, China also met the agendas of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 10 years ahead of its schedule. In the last eight years, China’s 98.99 million rural population living below the poverty line have all been lifted out of poverty. The formula in China’s victory against poverty is the path of positive dialectical thinking and improving the whole mechanism of the pro-poor market. China turned the burden of poverty into a source of potential and used the human and natural resources in rural areas for the purpose of prosperity, development and poverty alleviation.

Working on local natural resources helped China develop various small businesses in impoverished areas, subsequently boosting local economic growth and providing opportunities for employment. China’s main approach towards the eradication of poverty is to maintain the goal of national common prosperity by establishing a pro-poor market in which all the sectors work collaboratively. China has allocated sufficient resources to eliminate poverty — nearly 1.6 billion yuan were allocated in each fiscal year. Many countries including Pakistan can follow the Chinese experience to alleviate poverty. China, based on its own experience and theoretical ideas in poverty alleviation, is giving back to the human cause of ending poverty and providing a new example for other countries and regions.

MuJEEB-ur-rAHMAN KArAcHI

Women under Taliban rule AFGhANISTAN, a war-torn country, had been a ground of historic enmity that started in 1979 and continues till today. The inimical relations between the Taliban and the US resulted in the decimation of the people of Afghanistan. however, the departure of the forces has resulted in adverse consequences for the people of Afghanistan. every individual especially women is terrified of the atrocious Taliban forces who are governing the country with might.

In this particular situation, the future of women seems bleak under the callous rule of the Taliban that neglects their fundamental rights.

Moreover, Afghani women believe that the Taliban regime of 1996 has been revived which would act as an obstruction for women in terms of their stability, liberation, freedom of marriage, higher education, employment and political career. While articulating to The Guardian News, a young Kabul resident, who requested to be anonymous, depicted the chaotic scenario of the very first day of Taliban rule. Besides, she induced an alarming situation for the women in Afghanistan.

One of the spokeswomen told her to wear a chador (burqa) since the Taliban forces had captured Kabul. She breathlessly started running towards the vehicle that dropped her several minutes earlier. however, the driver of the transport prohibited her from getting inside the vehicle as he did not want to jeopardize his life by transporting a woman. This reveals the extreme level of their biased behaviour with women which needs not to be practised any longer since women are actively taking part in every walk of life around the globe; in some cases, they are outdoing men also.

The collapse of the Afghan government has wreaked havoc in the country. especially, Afghan women feel abandoned and sceptical of Taliban concerning their behaviour with women and consider Taliban governance as a red flag to their prosperity. In this regard, I staunchly believe that the Taliban rule will not allow women to lead a genial life as it can be observed that there is a significant mismatch between the practices and commitments applied by the Taliban. It is high time the Taliban realized the significance of women and the need for their contribution in various fields for the uplift of the war-torn country.

MEHAK JAMALI HydErABAd.

08 WORLD VIEW 24th January 22_Layout 1 1/23/2022 8:37 PM Page 1

Monday, 24 Janauary, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

UkRaine TenSionS: The TRUe picTURe

Why the Taliban feel alone in a shifting Muslim world MANY ISLAMIC STATES ARE MOVING TOWARD MODERATION AND TOLERANCE, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THEY ARE SHY ABOUT RECOGNIZING THE NEW AFGHAN REGIME Christian sCienCe Monitor Editorial Board

It’s been half a year since the Taliban took over Afghanistan and no country has officially recognized the new regime. Frustrated with this diplomatic isolation, the acting prime minister, Mullah Hasan Akhund, pleaded with other Muslim-majority countries on Wednesday to set up ties and send ambassadors. The silence from those countries has been telling.

Many Islamic nations have been moving toward religious tolerance and a moderate version of Islam even as the Taliban return Afghanistan to the violent theocracy of their 1996-2001 rule. Among Arab youth, for example, only 34% saw religion as central to their identity last year, according to a PSB Insights poll. That is down from 40% compared with the previous year.

In addition, more than two-thirds of those between ages 18 and 24 want reform of religious institutions. In Saudi Arabia, for example, officials have largely expunged textbooks of teaching hate and fear of others, especially Jews and Christians. Many young Arabs “have been playing a very instrumental role in bringing different cultures and traditions together,” Rabbi Levi Duchman, the first resident rabbi of the United Arab Emirates, told The Circuit publication.

A few Muslim-majority countries where women play prominent roles have warned the Taliban that their exclusion of women in many parts of society is a barrier to close ties. In the world’s most populous Islamic nation, Indonesia, the foreign minister is a woman. Even in Iran, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, the theocratic regime says the Taliban government has not included enough ethnic minorities.

In December, the 57 countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held a special meeting on Afghanistan and gave a cold shoulder to the Taliban. The OIC urged the country to abide by the “principles and purposes” enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

The most visible sign of a shift in Arab thinking has come since the 2020 Abraham Accords. Four countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan – agreed to normalize relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia has also increased its unofficial ties with Israel.

“A surprising number of Arab countries are welcoming back Jews and embracing their Jewish heritage,” finds The Economist magazine. “Sympathetic portrayals of Jews have appeared in Arab films and TV shows; documentaries have explored the region’s Jewish roots.” In Israel itself, a new government includes the first independent Arab party in a governing coalition. The Taliban may still believe they can set up a model Islamic state. Instead, most Muslim countries are simply watching to see if the Taliban prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a breeding ground for terrorist groups. Desperate for recognition and financial aid, the Taliban may yet come to reflect the emerging pluralism and diversity in other Islamic countries.

Pravda timothy Bancroft-hinchEy

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O we wake up in 2022 and take a look around us. The first words that spring to mind are “What the...?” We have stories of the British supplying weapons systems to Ukraine so that people can be murdered, we have Victoria Nuland paraded on SKY News claiming that Russia’s moves are typical of a country that is possibly intending to conduct a false flag event, attacking its own troops and blaming Ukraine and creating a pretext to invade. All this while the social media has gone wild with stories about “Putin” wanting “Lebensraum” for Russians. And yes, it must be true, because I saw it on the Internet! And on television!

Hey, wait a moment here guys, calm down, take a seat, make yourselves a nice cup of coffee, whoa!

Hold your horses! Breathe deeply. What brought all of this on suddenly? Is someone trying to find a story to take our minds off Covid? Does someone have political problems at home? Are we following the notion, If you want to control a guy, make him afraid?

Is NATO making yet another attempt at self-justification?

NATO’S INCREASING NEED TO JUSTIFY ITS EXISTENCE: Maybe. I mean, everyone knows NATO is an anachronism and its raison d’être died when the Warsaw Pact was dissolved back in 1991.

You know, when NATO promised not to encroach eastwards if the Warsaw Pact was dissolved, only since then 14 nations have joined in 5 waves.

And here we reach the crux of the matter.

NATO needs to invent external threats to justify its own existence, otherwise everyone will start to see it as the monster it is, basically the cutting edge of the BARFFED Lobbies (Banking, Arms, Resources, Finance, Food, Energy, Drugs), whose member states spend, collectively, one point two trillion USD on weapons systems to murder people each and every year. That is one point two thousand billion dollars every twelve months. Yet who elected NATO to control its Member States’ foreign policies? Oh yes it does, believe me. Try wriggling out of one of its wars and see what happens. Try not paying the 2 per cent of GDP to NATO instead of wasting it on schools, healthcare, hospitals, public services, infrastructure.

UP POPS THE RUSSIA STORY AGAIN: And lo and behold, up pops Russia again as the ogre in chief.

I mean, it’s big enough isn’t it? So big in fact that

WHAT RUSSIA DOES NOT WANT IS UKRAINE INSIDE NATO OR NATO INSIDE UKRAINE, FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS OUTLINED ABOVE there are huge areas practically without anyone living in them (so why does it need Ukraine?), and it’s super-rich in mineral resources, so a doublewhammy...it provides a great THEM to justify the US and is rich for those intent on pickings, you know, create problems, support terrorist groups inside to splinter the country then move in and syphon off the gas, oil, gold and so on. So from that side this “Russia is going to invade” story appears.

THE REAL STORY: Now from Russia’s side, from the very beginning, no good winds have ever come from the West, now, have they? Napoleon was one, Hitler was another. But right from the start when the Soviet Union was taking its first steps, the West jabbed its unwelcome and ever-pervasive snout into the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. What again?

Yes, in the Russian Civil War, causing the deaths of millions. They lost, of course, as Napoleon lost and Hitler lost, but at a huge cost.

So with this history, and with NATO’s expansion after lying that it would not, with NATO aircraft being sent into the Black Sea, with NATO conducting exercises in the Baltic and poised to stick a spear into Russia’s side by accepting a Ukrainian bid for NATO membership, let us put all this into context.

For a start, Russia does not need to invade Ukraine. What for? Russia is far richer and has far more resources, does not need the “Lebensraum” and as far as the citizens of Donbas are concerned, they are perfectly capable of defending themselves.

What Russia does not want is Ukraine inside NATO or NATO inside Ukraine, for the obvious reasons outlined above.

What Russia wants is a pledge from NATO (as if that is worth the paper it is written on) that it will not expand further and will not instal offensive weapons systems inside Ukraine. Talks last week showed that NATO is not prepared to make that commitment. So we can conclude that it does have plans to enter Ukraine or accept Ukraine into its fold, NATO member states are already arming Ukraine and so it is obvious that NATO is preparing the ground to attack Russia in the future.

So the fact that Russian troops are stationed inside Russian territory – they are not in Iraq – means not that they are planning to invade anyone (what purpose would that serve?) but rather, that if and when NATO makes its move, Russia is ready.

As for Victoria Nuland’s declarations on SKY News, what is she smoking? Russia intends to carry out a false flag operation, murdering its own troops so as to create a casus belli with Ukraine??? Russia does not carry out false flag operations, such as the

ones the western-backed terrorists carried out in Syria, gassing civilians in areas crawling with Government troops, then blaming President Assad who has won the civil war with support from Russia’s counter-terrorist operation.

Conclusion: Once again, NATO is posturing and today using Ukraine as a pawn. Sorry to disappoint anyone but Russia will not invade Ukraine. It is, however, ready when NATO pounces. The fact that NATO refuses to sign any binding agreements is a clear sign that its intentions are suspicious, to say the least.

CUI BONO? Let us ask, what does Russia gain from invading Ukraine? Nothing. What does Ukraine get from becoming a NATO member? It becomes a pawn. Do the Ukrainian people benefit? No, they would prefer to continue policies of development and improving public services. Does NATO benefit from arming Ukraine or allowing Ukraine to join NATO at a later date? Yes, it strengthens its strangle-hold around Russia’s neck on the western front.

What it cannot do is counter Russia’s superior airpower, missile technology, superior soldiering and defensive systems. In any conflict, NATO would be destroyed within minutes, along with its Headquarters in Brussels and possibly along with the main cities of all NATO countries, if an attack were launched on Moscow or Saint Petersburg. So Russia is right to view NATO with suspicion, not trust a word its leaders say and prepare itself for any eventuality.

At the end of the day, instead of looking at one another through the sights of a gun, shouldn’t we all be working together to tackle the climate change challenges, to protect the environment, to defend animals at risk of extinction, to work on medicines to fight Covid, to work together to prevent a pandemic of NIPAH, the next boy on the block, should it occur?

To feed the hungry? To implement social welfare systems in countries where there are none? With so much to do, NATO is provoking Russia once again?

Mister Biden, tear up this policy. Brandish an open hand for a handshake, brandish open arms for an embrace and step back from the brink. Confrontation will get you nowhere. And ladies and gentlemen, do we not have far more pressing and urgent issues to solve together? Isn’t everyone tired of belligerence, wars, bombing and warmongering creeps using demonology to start their campaigns?

Sometimes I wish “Don’t Look Up” actually happened, for several reasons.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey can be contacted at timothy.hinchey@gmail.com

What sanctions could hurt Russia? sPieGeL internationaL tim Bartz, michaEl BrächEr, alExandEr dEmling, michaEl Sauga and gErald traufEttEr

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HEN it comes to word choice, the West is in complete agreement. A Russian attack on Ukraine would carry “political consequences” and a “heavy price,” insist both Washington and Brussels. The European Union’s chief foreign policy representative, Josep Borrell, said recently that the bloc is preparing a “full set of sanctions” against Moscow.

The problem, though, is that the consequences of such punitive measures for the Russian economy aren’t always predictable, and the harm to one’s own economy can be significant. Should the West stop buying Russian oil and gas? What would be the ramifications of a boycott on Russia’s tech sector, or of excluding the country from the SWIFT international bank transfer system?

How can the West punish Putin without shooting itself in the foot? Opinions on such questions diverge significantly when Europeans and Americans start considering possible responses to the warmongering of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

THE POWER OF SEMICONDUCTORS: It is indisputable that Russia’s economy would be hit hard if the West cut deliveries of microchips to the country in response to an invasion. Such a move would be

THE US AND EUROPE ARE HOPING TO USE SANCTIONS TO STOP RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN FROM INVADING UKRAINE. BUT SUCH PUNITIVE MEASURES AREN’T ALWAYS PREDICTABLE, AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN BOOMERANG AND CAUSE IMMENSE DAMAGE AT HOME damaging to the aircraft industry and to the arms industry, both of which are key to Russian exports and to the country’s prestige. Additional measures under discussion include limitations on deliveries of parts necessary for the construction of warplanes and rockets.

Even simple semiconductors that cost just a few euros each could serve as important leverage. The global chip industry is largely dominated by companies from the U.S. and its allies, with the most state-of-theart factories located in the U.S., Europe, Taiwan and South Korea.

With its sanctions against Huawei, the U.S. has already demonstrated just how effectively chip supplies can be used as a weapon against rivals. Since the administration of ex-President Donald Trump limited the export of smartphone processors to Huawei, the Chinese tech company’s sales have plummeted.

Russia is home to very few, mostly aging factories and they rely heavily on Western patents. The computer producer IRU, for ex-

ample, which is working on developing a desktop computer made completely in Russia, imports its processors from Taiwan. And the chip producer Angstrem-T went bankrupt in 2019 after it was forced to cut ties with its American partners due to sanctions imposed after Moscow’s incursion into Crimea.

Still, it would take several months for a chip boycott to have much of an effect. Cutting Russia off from the SWIFT system, the backbone of the financial world, by contrast, would have an immediate impact. Around 11,000 banks in more than 200 countries use the network to take care of cross-border transactions.

“Because of the massive consequences, a credible threat to exclude Russia from SWIFT would be extremely effective,” says Gabriel Felbermayr, director of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research in Vienna.

The collateral damage of such a move, however, would be significant. Even as companies in Russia would have to find elaborate alternate routes to pay their foreign bills, and the cross-border flow of cash and goods would

trickle to a stop, the West would suffer as well.

Exports to Russia from companies in Europe could no longer be paid for, and Europe would be unable to pay for natural gas deliveries from Russia. Furthermore, Russian debt held

by European banks would be jeopardized.

Such considerations led Friedrich Merz, the likely next head of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to warn of “an atomic bomb for the financial markets.”

“A SANCTION THAT MOSCOW WOULD REALLY UNDERSTAND” The problems would be of a similar magnitude if the West were to stop imports of oil and natural gas from Russia. That, too, says Felbermayr, would be “a sanction that Moscow would really understand.” But it would also have grave consequences for the West.

Around 55 percent of Germany’s natural gas comes from Russia. Theoretically, Berlin could turn to other countries for help, but there aren’t enough liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals in Europe, and none in Germany.

At the same time, prices for liquified gas

would skyrocket. German storage facilities are emptier than they have been in a long time, and because the markets have been liberalized, the government doesn’t have too many levers to counteract such price pressures. German Economics Minister Robert Habeck, for his part, has promised to exert more control over the gas market. “We have to improve our ability to prepare for next winter so that the gas storage facilities are full,” he said in an interview with DER SPIEGEL this week. He also said he intended to reform the entire market. But such promises are of little help in the current conflict, which is why a suspension of gas imports seems just as unlikely as shutting Russia out of the SWIFT system.

The situation looks different when it comes to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline between Germany and Russia. That delivery route is not urgently needed, assuming that Russia doesn’t cut off deliveries through the existing pipelines.

Germany and the U.S. have agreed that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will not go into operation should Russia start a war – a deal made between U.S. President Joe Biden and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel before she left office. Which means that everything depends on what Russia does next and whether it is then seen as the beginning of a war. Or whether Russia seeks to destabilize Ukraine without actually launching a physical invasion. “The West,” says a high-ranking EU diplomat, “will provide an appropriate and coordinated response.”

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner “Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif app” to be launched today ISLAMABAD: January 24th marks the United Nations World Education Day, which is observed annually to promote “Education for All”. This World Education Day 2022, Ehsaas is launching the Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif app to facilitate Ehsaas beneficiaries to enroll their children in the Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif (School stipends) programme.

The android app can be accessed at Google play store.

“Promoting education for all is a foremost priority of our government. Using the Taleemi Wazaif app of Ehsaas, families can enroll their children themselves without visiting any office. This landmark step will also help poorest families in saving their time and costs.”, said Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM in a press statement.

Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaef programme has been set up for nationwide execution after hard work and multiple inputs over the last 3 years. Ultimately, the programme aims to support education of 10 million children across all Tehsils of the country. Children aged 4 to 22 years from all Ehsaas eligible families can enroll for the school stipends of Ehsaas. This programme includes primary, secondary and higher secondary school stipends for children to improve their access to education.

In line with the Ehsaas’ weighted-in-favour-of-girls stipends policy for all conditional cash transfer programmes, girls get a higher stipend across all age groups.

Primary school going boys get a quarterly stipend of Rs. 1,500 and girls Rs. 2,000; secondary school boys receive Rs. 2,500 and girls Rs. 3,000; and at higher secondary level, boys get Rs. 3,500 and girls Rs. 4,000. To-date, more than 6.7 million children have been enrolled in this programme. pr

AIOU announces Ph.D. admissions in seven disciplines ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU has announced PhD admissions in seven disciplines in the first phase of spring semester 2022. These programs include: education (with specialization in)(distance and non-formal education, elementary teacher education, science education, teacher education),educational planning. and Management (EPM), Quran & Tafseer, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics and Agricultural Extension.

Classes for all these programs will be held face-to-face at the main campus of the University in Islamabad.

Admissions to these programs can be taken only online.

Admission forms and prospectuses are available on the University website. The last date for submission of online application is February 14, 2022. pr

KArOT HyDrPOWEr PlANT SET TO STArT OPErATION IN AUg ISLAMABAD

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Mian abrar

HE 720 megawatts Karot hydropower plant has entered into commissioning phase and the province will commence commercial operations in August because over 95% civil and electromechanical works of the plant have been done hitherto.

The Karot Hydropower Project is a 720MW run-of-river project to be built on the Jhelum River, Rawalpindi district. Karot hydropower plant is among the early-harvest high-priority projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.

The run-of-river project has iconic importance as a source of sustainable, low-cost, clean and green energy, two senior officials of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) said in separate conversations.

China Three Gorges Corp. (CTG) is developing the $2 billion project as an independent power producer (IPP).

In the coming months, each of the four 180 MWs units of the power plant will undergo 25-30 different reliabilityrun tests under supervision of inde-

pendent engineers and the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee (CPPA-G), the sole public-sector purchaser of the electricity produced by the project.

Presently, the reservoir impounding is in final stages, and each unit is being tested separately due to low water flow.

In the months of June and July, when there will be full flow of water, all units of the plant will be put to test simulta-

neously, the officials said.

The project will commence commercial operations in August, and CPPA-G has extended the commercial operation date (COD) of the project accordingly, they added.

In a related development, the National Transmission and Despatch Co. (NTDC) said last Friday that it has successfully connected the power plant with the national grid. The project will

play a key role in overcoming load management issues in Gujranwala, Sialkot and surrounding districts, NTDC said.

Upon completion, the project will contribute around 3.2 billion units of cheaper electricity to the national grid, the PPIB officials said. Also, the costly asset will be transferred to the Punjab government after 30 years of commercial operations, they said.

The officials said that hydropower projects under CPEC are vital for improving the economic and financial position of the country. “We have spent nothing on these projects, but will get billions of dollars in return over decades,” they elaborated.

The Karot HPP is the fourth of five cascade hydropower stations planned on the Jhelum River. It will generate 3,174GWh (net) of energy a year, which will be sold to National Transmission and Despatch Company under a 30-year power purchase agreement.

The generated power will be sufficient to power approximately seven million households. KPCL will operate the plant for a period of 30 years, after which ownership will be transferred to the Pakistan government.

HBL facilitates SMEs through Government of Pakistan’s SME Asaan Finance (SAAF) Scheme

No flaw found in road texture responsible for accident on HaklaD.I.Khan Motorway: NHA

Online Katcharies are the best way for direct contact with customer: IESCO SPOKESMAN ISLAMABAD: To ensure rectification of customer’s complaints just on a single telephone call IESCO is holding online Katcharies on regular grounds.

Complaints/suggestion and their remedies for solution of complaints are directly monitoring by Chief Executive Officer IESCO Dr. Muhammad Amjad Khan. By following same practice on 24th January 2022, SE IESCO Islamabad Circle on telephone No. 051-9260194, SE Rawalpindi City Circle on telephone No. 051-9292675, SE Rawalpindi Cantt Circle on telephone No. 051-9293048, SE Attock Circle on telephone No. 051-4950343, SE Chakwal circle on telephone No. 0543-668500 and SE Jhelum Circle on telephone No. 0544-9270377 will attend complaints/suggestions of customers from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. IESCO requests valuable customers to participate in said online Katcharies for immediate solution of their complaints. pr

09

HBL is providing collateral-free financing at subsidized markup rates to facilitate the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that are considered to be the keydrivers of the economy. The initiative falls under the Government of Pakistan’s recently launched ‘SME Asaan Finance’ (SAAF) scheme. It is designed to provide the SMEs with enhanced access to formal finance in a more convenient and seamless manner from the banks operative in the country.

Through HBL SAAF Finance, the Bank will support the SMEs,

providing them with efficient financing solutions. This initiative will enable small and medium enterprises to expand their business through easy and convenient loan processing, with minimal documentation requirements, and a markup rate as low as 9%.

This will accelerate the Bank’s agenda to shift its focus from ‘collateral-based lending’ to ‘cash flow-based lending’, with an emphasis on supporting the SMEs in the country. This initiative will result in clients getting easy access of credit for new businesses at highly subsidized rates.

Commenting on HBL SAAF Finance, Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO – HBL said, “We believe that this landmark initiative will transform the SME landscape of Pakistan. It is in line with HBL’s commitment to fostering growth of the SMEs and creating opportunities, especially for small businesses, through efficient and fast loan processing.

The scheme will also enable HBL to increase its footprint in the SME sector as the Bank plays its part in driving the national agenda of financial inclusion in the country.” pr

ISLAMABAD: National Highway Authority has clarified to a video footage making rounds on social media which shows accidents near Tarap interchange on Hakla-D.I.Khan Motorway. Responding to the footage, experts of National Highway Authority (NHA) conducted an urgent inspection visit to the stretch where the accidents happened. NHA engineers did not find any flaw in the road texture responsible for such accidents. Rather over-speeding during rain caused these accidents. National Highway Authority intends to conduct a more detailed survey and inspection of the site soon in order to completely rule out the road-related issues.

Nevertheless, National Highway Authority requests the commuters in general and those who travel on Hakla-D.I. Khan Motorway in particular to respect the labeled speed limits as well as to drive especially slower during rain so as to minimize the chances of such eventualities. pr

Q-Airlines awaits cabinet’s nod to start operations ISLAMABAD staff report

In what appears to be a good development, the federal cabinet is all set to give a greenlight of a regular public transport (RPT) licence for another private airline on January 25.

According to the details, the private airline, Q-Airlines, will commence its commercial operations with domestic flights in Pakistan. The new airline, owned by Ramada Hotels Group, will commence its domestic operations with a fleet of three Airbus-320 aircraft. A private TV reported that the federal cabinet will give approval of the regular public transport (RPT) license for the airline on January 25.

Following this, the private airline will commence its flight operations within the next three-four months. In the first phase, QAirlines will operate flights between Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore. After the RPT license, Q-Airlines will become the fourth op-

erational private airline in the country. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials said that the launch of a new private airline will generate many employment opportunities. Subject to a successful first year, the carrier may also go on to operate international services.

CAA is in the process of awarding operational permits to three new domestic airlines to provide a “breather” for local travel and tourism businesses badly hit by the Coronavirus pandemic. Two of these startups have completed the necessary administrative processes, while the third remains under scrutiny. Subject to a successful first year, the carriers may also go on to operate international services.

A CAA spokesperson said recently that QAirlines, Fly Jinnah, and Jet Green Airlines last week applied for Regular Public Transport licences to launch domestic flight operations.

“The process for permission to these airlines for starting domestic flight operations

in the country is underway,” the spokesperson said. “Apart from CAA, multiple government institutions are involved in the process; that may take time,” he added.

The RPT licenses would be issued after the completion of legal formalities and final approval from the federal cabinet, he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that AirSial, which is a venture of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), was given the go-ahead by Prime Minister Imran Khan to launch its operations.

The prime minister granted the approval during a meeting with local businessmen including AirSial Chairman Fazal Jillani. The delegation was led by the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar, who called on the premier and Minister for Privatization and Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro in Sialkot.

The local businessmen thanked the Prime Minister for extending cooperation for

the launch of the airline. The airline is being launched jointly by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Sialkot International Airport.

The local business community of Sialkot had established the Sialkot International Air-

port on a self-help basis. Following the establishment of the airport, the business community in 2009 had decided to launch an airline to provide a cost-effective and reliable travelling facility to the community and others on both domestic and international routes.

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

‘SuCh IS lIfe’: New ZealaND PM JaCINDa arDerN CaNCelS her weDDINg aMID New COvID CurBS

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REutERs

EW Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has cancelled her wedding as the nation imposes new restrictions to slow the community spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant, she told reporters on Sunday.

New Zealand will impose mask rules and limit gathering from midnight on Sunday after a cluster of nine Covid-19 Omicron cases showed community spread from the North to South islands after a wedding.

A family returned to Nelson in the South Island by plane after attending a wedding and other events in Auckland in the North Island.

The family and a flight attendant tested positive.

New Zealand will move to a red setting under its Covid-19 protection framework, with more maskwearing. Indoor hospitality settings such as bars and restaurants and events like weddings will be capped at 100 people.

The limit is lowered to 25 people if venues are not using vaccine passes, Ardern said.

“My wedding will not be going ahead,” she told reporters, adding she was sorry for anyone caught up in a similar scenario. Ardern had not disclosed her wedding date, but it was rumoured to be imminent.

Asked by reporters how she felt about the cancellation of her wedding to longtime partner and fishingshow host Clarke Gayford, Ardern replied: “Such is life.”

She added, “I am no different to, dare I say it, thousands of other New Zealanders who have had much more devastating impacts felt by the pandemic, the most gutting of which

is the inability to be with a loved one sometimes when they are gravely ill.

That will far, far outstrip any sadness I experience.”

New Zealand’s borders have been shut to foreigners since March 2020. The government pushed back plans for a phased reopening from mid-January to the end of February out of concern about a potential Omicron outbreak as in neighbouring Australia.

People able to travel to New Zealand under narrow exceptions must apply to stay at state-managed quarantine facilities.

German navy chief resigns over Putin comments BERLIN Agencies

Posters urge Kashmiris to observe Jan 26 as Black Day sRINAGAR Agencies

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, posters appeared on Sunday in across Srinagar and other areas of the territory appealing the people to observe the Indian Republic Day, the January 26, as Black Day. According to Kashmir Media Service, India celebrates Republic Day to mark the date when the Indian Constitution came into effect in 1950, which was to make the country a secular state. The posters, displayed

by Jammu and Kashmir Sada-e-Mazloom, were pasted on walls, pillars and electricity poles in Srinagar and other areas of the territory, urging the people to observe the Indian Republic Day as Black Day. The poster said if India believed in democracy, it would have not denied the Kashmiris their right to self-determination, it would not killing innocent people in IIOJK and would not take steps for changing the demography of the territory.

China’s Beijing orders more Covid tests as cases mount before Olympics

AGENcIEs The local government in China’s capital has ordered more Covid-19 tests as the city continues to report new local cases, less than two weeks before the start of the Winter Olympic Games, Reuters reports. It is pertinent to note that Fengtai district will organise nucleic acid tests for Covid-19 for all of its residents today, district health authorities said in a statement.

China had urged people to wear masks and gloves when opening mail, especially from abroad, after authorities suggested the first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus found in Beijing could have arrived via a package from Canada.

Germany’s navy chief stepped down on Saturday after drawing criticism for saying Russian President Vladimir Putin deserved respect and that Kyiv would never win back annexed Crimea from Moscow.

“I have asked Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht to relieve me from my duties with immediate effect,” Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach said in a statement. “The minister has accepted my request.”

Schoenbach made the remarks to a think-tank discussion in India on Friday, and video was published on social media. The comments came at a sensitive time as Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine’s borders.

Diplomatic efforts are focused on preventing an escalation. Russia denies it is planning to invade Ukraine.

In New Delhi, Schoenbach, speaking in English, said Putin seeks to be treated as an equal by the West.

“What he (Putin) really wants is respect,” Schoen-

bach said. “And my God, giving someone respect is low cost, even no cost… It is easy to give him the respect he really demands – and probably also deserves,” Schoenbach said, calling Russia an old and important country. Schoenbach conceded Russia’s actions in Ukraine needed to be addressed. But he added that “the Crimea peninsula is gone, it will never come back, this is a fact,” contradicting the joint Western position that Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine in

2014 cannot be accepted and must be reversed. Prior to Schoenbach’s resignation, the defence ministry publicly criticised his remarks, saying they did not reflect Germany’s position in either content or wording.

Schoenbach apologised for his comments. “My rash remarks in India … are increasingly putting a strain on my office,” he said. “I consider this step (the resignation) necessary to avert further damage to the German navy, the German forces, and, in particular, the Federal Republic of Germany.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had called on Germany to publicly reject the navy chief’s comments.

Schoenbach’s comments could impair Western efforts to de-escalate the situation, Ukraine said in a statement.

“Ukraine is grateful to Germany for the support it has already provided since 2014, as well as for the diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict. But Germany’s current statements are disappointing and run counter to that support and effort,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said separately in tweet.

UK lawmaker says she was sacked from ministerial job for her ‘Muslimness’ REutERs A British lawmaker has said she was fired from a ministerial job in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government partly because her Muslim faith was making colleagues uncomfortable, the Sunday Times reported.

Nusrat Ghani, 49, who lost her job as a junior transport minister in February 2020, told the paper she was told by a “whip” – an enforcer of parliamentary discipline – that her “Muslimness” had been raised as an issue in her sacking.

There was no immediate response to her comments from Johnson’s Downing Street office, but Mark Spencer, the government’s chief whip, said he was the person at the centre of Ghani’s allegations. “These accusations are completely false and I consider them to be defamatory,” he said on Twitter. “I have never used those words attributed to me.”

Ghani’s remarks come after one of her Conservative colleagues said he would meet police to discuss accusations that government whips had attempted to “blackmail” lawmakers suspected of trying to force Johnson from office over public anger about parties held at his Downing Street office during COVID lockdowns.

The scandals have drained public support from both Johnson personally and his party, presenting him with the most serious crisis of his premiership. I was told that at the reshuffle meeting in Downing Street that ‘Muslimness’ was raised as an ‘issue’, that my ‘Muslim women minister’ status was making colleagues uncomfortable,” the paper quoted Ghani, Britain’s first female Muslim minister, as saying.

“I will not pretend that this hasn’t shaken my faith in the party and I have at times seriously considered whether to continue as an MP (member of parliament).”

In his response, Spencer said Ghani had declined to put the matter to a formal internal investigation when she first raised the issue last March.

The Conservative Party has previously faced accusations of Islamophobia, and a report in May last year criticised it over how it dealt with complaints of discrimination against Muslims.

The report also led Johnson to issue a qualified apology for any offence caused by his past remarks about Islam, including a newspaper column in which he referred to women wearing burqas as “going around looking like letterboxes”.

The main opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer said the Conservatives must investigate Ghani’s account immediately.

“This is shocking to read,” he said on Twitter.

INTIMIDATION AND BLACKMAIL: Ghani’s comments about the whips’ behaviour also echo allegations from another

senior Conservative William Wragg, that some of his colleagues had faced intimidation and blackmail because of their desire to topple Johnson.

“Nus is very brave to speak out. I was truly appalled to learn of her experience,” Wragg said on Twitter on Saturday. He has told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that he would meet the police early next week to discuss his allegations.

Johnson has said he had neither seen nor heard any evidence to support Wragg’s claims. His office has said it would look at any such evidence “very carefully”.

“As with any such allegations, should a criminal offence be reported to the Met, it would be considered,” said a spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police.

Johnson, who in 2019 won his party’s biggest majority in more than 30 years, is fighting to shore up his authority after the “partygate” scandals, which followed criticism of the government’s handling of a corruption row and other mis-steps.

Johnson, who has repeatedly apologised for the parties and said he was unaware of many of them, has admitted he attended what he said he thought was a work event on May 20 last year, when social mixing was largely banned. Invitations had asked staff to “bring their own booze” to the event.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is expected to deliver a report into the parties next week, with many Conservative lawmakers saying they would await her findings before deciding whether they would take action to topple Johnson.

The Sunday Times also reported that Gray was looking into whether any rule-breaking parties had been held in Johnson’s private apartment at Downing Street.

India dangerous country for minorities under BJP’s rule: report IsLAMABAD news Desk

India has become a dangerous country for minorities under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A report released by Kashmir Media Service said on Sunday that minorities were being persecuted physically, psychologically and economically under state patronage and they were facing systematic oppression at the hands of Hindutva forces in India. It lamented that persecution of Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and low-caste Hindus had increased manifold under fascist Modi’s rule as violence, intimidation and harassment against minorities had become the order of the day. It said, ‘Love Jihad’ and anticonversion laws are meant to further oppress minorities in India, adding that several international reports have come to fore, highlighting persecution of minorities in the country. The report maintained that the rising attacks on minorities had unmasked the true face of the world’s so-called largest democracy as the fascist Modi was shaping India’s policy according to Hindutva dictates.

Minorities, it said, are living in a perpetual state of fear due to the discriminatory policies of the Modi-led fascist Indian government. The RSS-backed Modi is on a mission to purge India of its minorities, it deplored. The report said that the world must take notice of the plight of minorities in India and the global community should act to ensure basic human rights to the Indian minorities.

Monday, 24 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

De KocK centuRy heLPS PRoteaS cLean SWeeP InDIa 2-0

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News Desk

ORMER captain Quinton de Kock hit a sparkling century to help South Africa beat India in the third oneday international against at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday.

South Africa won the three-match series 2-0.

De Kock, who handed over the white ball captaincy last March to Temba Bavuma, made 124 off 130 balls as South Africa, seeking a

clean sweep in the three-match series, scored 287 all out after being sent in to bat.

In response, India were all out 283 in 49.2 overs. Rohit Kohli top scored with 65 while Shikhar Dhawan scored 61. Deepak Chahar later set a win fro India with an outstanding inning of 54.

At one point, India needed only seven runs of ten balls but Jasprit Bumrah threw the match away with a reckless shot and India couldn’t hold on to a match it could have eas-

Wahab Riaz eyes his international return during PSL-7 kARACHI News Desk

Expressing his passion for cricket, Pakistan’s discarded left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz termed the upcoming seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) an opportunity to perform and make a comeback to the national squad.Addressing a virtual news conference, Riaz said, “When you play cricket, your target is always Pakistan.”He targets the forthcoming PSL 7 for his comeback to the national elite squad which he says he is very passionate about. “I have performed. Even last season I was the second highest wicket-taker in the PSL. Sometimes you get the chance and sometimes you don’t get the chance. I have great passion for playing for Pakistan and that is why I am playing cricket,” Wahab said. “This is another opportunity for me to perform and make a comeback. I feel that I can play for Pakistan for another two or three years. I will try my level best,” said the pacer, who is also captaining Peshawar Zalmi, one of the most successful franchises. Asked whether he is in a position to perform better than Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi and Hasnain in the PSL right now, he said: “Hasnain, Shaheen and Haris are very good bowlers. If you say whether in the PSL I can perform better than them; so my record speaks about that,” Wahab said. “It’s not necessary you take wickets every year, it is also counted how well you bowl. All my records in the PSL are in front of you and I will try to continue that. My competition is not with these bowlers but my competition is with myself because I want to perform and play for Pakistan,” Wahab said. Wahab played his last Test in October 2018, last ODI in November 2020 and last T20I in December 2020.

ily sealed.

Earlier, Indian captain KL Rahul said his decision to bowl first on a blazingly hot day was based on the likelihood that there would be early assistance for his bowlers on a “sticky” pitch.

There were early challenges for the batsmen and South Africa were 70 for three before De Kock was joined by Rassie van der Dussen (52) in a fourth-wicket stand of 144.

Later there was turn and bounce for India’s spin bowlers but De Kock

was in superb form, hitting 12 fours and two sixes before being caught at deep midwicket off Jasprit Bumrah.

Van der Dussen was caught in the deep in the next over and the innings lost momentum despite a hardhit 39 by David Miller.

Prasidh Krishna, one of four changes in the Indian team, took three for 59, while Bumrah and Deepak Chahar took two wickets each.

Rahul said the changes were a combination of “niggles” and want-

ing to give other players opportunities.

Suryakumar Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Deepak Chahar and Krishna came into the Indian team in place of Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur,

Usman Qadir set to introduce ‘mystery delivery’ during HBL PSL-7 kARACHI News Desk

Peshawar Zalmi’s leg spinner Usman Qadir has said he is set to introduce a ‘mystery delivery’ during the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The upcoming season of the country’s biggest cricket tournament will kick off on January 27 in Karachi and conclude a month after in Lahore.

The 28-year-old cricketer told media that he took a few tips from South Africa’s Imran Tahir during the previous two seasons of the PSL when he featured in Multan Sultans.

“To share the dressing room with Imran Tahir was a blessing for me, he gave me several tips and I have worked on them to improve my skills,” he said.

“It is time for me to apply what I learnt from the South African,” he added.

He said there is obviously something new in the bag for this season of the PSL but he wouldn’t reveal the details or else others would get an idea about his strategy.

However, he said, there is something on which he has worked on during the last two years after learning things from Imran Tahir.

Usman, who has played 17 T20Is for Pakistan, was picked by the Zalmis in PSL’s players draft for 2022, after being released by Sultans.

The young cricketer hopes for a bet-

ter opportunity with Peshawar Zalmi, saying that the franchise has always given the chances to the young cricketers.

“Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik are backing me and I am hopeful of adding more to my experience while paying for Zalmi this season,” Usman said.

The cricketer is determined to play maximum matches, if not all, to gain experience and improve himself, believing that a player loses an opportunity with every match he misses.

“Even if I set my eyes on becoming a top bowler, I need to play maximum

matches for that,” Usman said when asked what are his goals this PSL, adding that his top priority is to gain more experience.

He said that the PSL has always been a great platform for youngsters where they get the opportunity to share the dressing room with top cricketers and work with different coaching staff.

Usman, who made his debut for Pakistan in 2021, is the son of Pakistan’s legend spinner Abdul Qadir.

The bowler from Lahore says that he was under pressure to perform at the start of his career because of the legacy he was carrying.

“Obviously, it was a pressure for me but now I’ve gained confidence and I’m doing well. I try to follow the footsteps of my father but I can never become a bowler like him. He was a legend but I believe that even if I am able to apply half of what he used to do, I will become a much better player,” he said.

He said that his father guided him on how to use crease and how to frame his delivery style.

“One thing that he used to tell me was that if I want to puzzle the batter, I must tweak my action in the middle of bowling,” Usman said.

The leg spinner recalled what his father had told him before he passed away on September 6, 2019.

“I still remember when I returned to Pakistan after Big Bash League in early

ICC awards: Mohammad Rizwan named Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year News Desk Pakistan’s star cricketer Mohammad Rizwan has been named the Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year by the International Cricket Council as it announces the winners of the ICC Awards in various categories.

“Sheer consistency, indomitable spirit and some breathtaking knocks — the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year enjoyed a memorable run in 2021,” a statement issued by the ICC said.

Wicket keeper-batter Rizwan, while sharing his views on the achievement, said he is more happy because Pakistan has won the award.

“It is a pleasure to see Pakistan’s name among the top teams of the world,” Rizwan said in a conversation with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Rizwan gave credit for his award to the team management, his fellow cricketers and analysts, saying that “team Pakistan has a standing in [the top squads of] the world due to everyone’s hard work”.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja congratulated Rizwan on a “well deserved achievement”.

He lauded the cricketer, saying: “Your humility, attitude and hard work defines you,” and wished more laurels and success to him.

Meanwhile, PCB’s official Twitter account also posted a congratulatory tweet for Rizwan.

Rizwan, taking to Twitter, expressed gratitude towards Allah and his fans for the award and dedicated it to the country and Pakistani

Ravichandran Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

South Africa made only one change, with seam bowling allrounder Dwaine Pretorius replacing left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

nation.

The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game.

Aggregating a staggering 1,326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89.

Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps, playing a key role in Pakistan’s run to the semis during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, where he ended up as the third-high-

est run-scorer.

He also scored the maiden T20I century of his career against South Africa in Lahore early in the year and ended it continuing his form with a brilliant knock of 87 against West Indies in Karachi. With another T20 World Cup coming up next year, Pakistan will hope that Rizwan continues in the same vein.

Though a chase of 152 looked easy on paper, Pakistan had the weight of history against them in the T20 World Cup encounter against India. With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami in opposition attack, the task was made all the more complicated. But as was almost always the case in 2021, Rizwan along with his skipper Babar Azam ensured that a famous victory would be sealed that would be celebrated in the history of Pakistan cricket for years to come.

Rizwan smacked 79* in only 55 deliveries, hitting six fours and three sixes. The ease with which he countered the Indian bowling attack was a thing of sheer beauty. He ensured that there were no hiccups in the runchase as Pakistan galloped towards the target without losing a single wicket to seal a 10-wicket victory.

2019, my mother was unwell then. At that time, I was thinking about playing for Australia and had given up hopes of playing for Pakistan but my father said that he would be happier if I play for Pakistan.”

He said it was after that when he played a T20 tournament in Pakistan, performed well and got selected in the team Pakistan.

“One thing I’ve learnt is that if you don’t’ give up your fight then you ultimately achieve what you aim for,” the cricketer said.

Usman also recalled how Lahore Qalandars helped him get back on track in Pakistan and gave credit to the franchise for bringing him back to Pakistani circuit when he was not playing here anymore.

He also expressed his delight at the news of Australia’s tour to Pakistan for a full series and aimed for repeating what his father did four decades ago.

“It is very good news for everyone that Australia is coming. I hope all goes well and we get to see a full series. But they won’t be an easy team to beat even at home. They’ve won T20 World Cup, they’ve won the Ashes. So, they’ll be coming with high confidence,” he said.

“If I get a chance, I will give my best against them, just like my father did in 1982 series,” he said while referring to Abdul Qadir’s 22 wickets in three tests against Australians.

Fatima Sana becomes Pakistan’s first woman to bag ‘Icc Women’s emerging cricketer of the year’ award News Desk Pakistani pacer Fatima Sana has done the nation proud by not only bagging the International Cricket Council (ICC) Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year award for 2021, but by becoming the first woman cricketer from the country to win an ICC accolade. The ICC in a statement said that the 20-year-old “impressed one and all with her all-round efforts in 2021”. Her figures for the year consist of 24 wickets at an average of 23.95 and 165 runs at 16.50 in 16 international matches. “She became an integral part of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I side owing to her wicket-taking ability as a bowler, and ability to add handy runs down the order at the same time,” the statement read. The ICC noted that aside from playing at home, Sana toured Bangladesh, West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and “delivered impressive allround performances everywhere”. “In fact, 18 of her 24 wickets in the year came in the 11 matches she played against the West Indies. Sana showed a lot of heart against the attacking West Indies batters and succeeded in keeping them at bay,” it said. The cricket authority said that Sana has “shown good power and range as a lower-order batter too”. While batting at number 8, she posted impressive scores of 28*, 22* and 17* against strong sides like West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively. The Pakistan Cricket Board congratulated Sana on winning the award, saying: “We are proud of you Fatima!” Sana’s “most memorable performance” was witnessed in July against West Indies as she claimed her maiden five-for in ODIs and also played an attacking knock of 28* to power Pakistan to a 22-run win (D/L Method), the ICC said.

Monday, 24 January, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:44

12:20

3:09

7:10

5:29

6:56

EvERy SEctOR Of EcOnOmy SHOWIng POSItIvE RESultS: Hammad ISLAMABAD

m

staff report

INISTER for Energy Hammad Azhar has said that the government has achieved remarkable success in its three years tenure regarding economic growth rate of the country.

Talking to a private news channel, the energy minister said that every sector is showing positive results. He said the increase in remittances, exports and foreign reserves as well as improvement in stock exchange and agriculture sector are the results of prudent policies of the incumbent government.

Replying to a question, the minister said provision of gas to domestic consumers is the top most priority of the government. He said uninterrupted gas supply has been ensured to domestic and industry sectors for the last three years.

He expressed the hope that the country’s exports would not only cross $ 30 billion benchmark but that the foreign re-

mittance would also remain above $30 billion during the current fiscal year. He said that $10-11 billion debt has also returned, besides curtailing flow of circular debt to Rs130 billion last year.

He said the PTI government not only achieved 5.37 percent growth during its third year of rule but also the current ac-

Huge cache of weapons seized by security forces in South Waziristan IBO: ISPR Security forces recovered a huge cache of weapons while conducting an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Sarwakai area of South Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said in a statement on Sunday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed that the forces conducted the IBO on the reported presence of terrorists in the area. A combination of photos showing the spot raided by security forces. — ISPR The weapons and ammunition recovered from the hideout include submachine guns, RPG7, hand grenades and a large quantity of ammunition of multiple calibres, the statement revealed. “During the search of the area, a large number of weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive device preparation material was recovered from the hideout,” the ISPR said. It is pertinent to note that the security forces had a week ago conducted an IBO in Miranshah, North Waziristan in which one terrorist was killed while two others were apprehended. “Weapons and ammunition [were] also recovered from [the] terrorists,” the ISPR had said. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari had on Jan 20 declared the militant Islamic State group’s Khorasan chapter a bigger threat to peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa than the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Ansari had said there had been security issues in North and South Waziristan tribal districts but the police had acted swiftly to enforce the writ of the state. Regarding the terrorist outfits operating in the region, he had said the Hafiz Gul Bahadar Group was the major outfit in the North Waziristan tribal district, while a mix of militant groups was active in the South Waziristan tribal district. news desk

count deficit remained below $2 billion.

The foreign remittance witnessed sharp increase and the revenue collection also registered a 35 percent increase during the last year, he added.

He said the government had to take “tough decisions” to stabilise the economy. Owing to the government’s prudent

policies, the country’s reserves, exports witnessed an increase and international rating agencies upgraded Pakistan’s economic outlook, he added.

Hammad said the agriculture sector registered 3.5 percent, large scale industry 7.8 percent and services sector 5.8 percent increase during the said period.

He said the PTI government inherited a fragile and weak economy. However, the incumbent government not only put the economy on the right track but also achieved all financial targets despite numerous challenges including Covid-19 pandemic.

The minister said uninterrupted gas supply is being provided to 1870 industrial units, fertilizers companies and power plants. He said there is a complete ban on new gas connections across the country.

The ban was not imposed for the first time; rather the PPP government had also banned new connections in 2011 and continued till 2017. However, the PMLN government lifted the ban during its last year on political grounds, he added.

Sheikh Rasheed warns PDM against consequences of taking out a rally on Pakistan Day ISLAMABAD staff report

Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Sunday warned leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) against consequences of taking out a rally on Pakistan Day i.e. March 23.

The interior minister, in his statement, berated the PDM over its long march scheduled to start on March 23 in a bid to oust the PTI-led government and warned the Opposition parties to abide by the law or face action.

“If the PDM tries to break the law, then the law will take its course and if it commits a mistake that could hurt democracy, then it will have to pay a price,” he added.

Rasheed also mocked the PDM’s intention of bringing about a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that neither the government is going anywhere nor is the Opposition capable of coming into power.

On the other hand, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said that a motion of no confidence, including other options, will be tabled against

the government in the next meeting of PDM, which is scheduled to take place on January 25.

It should be noted that the PDM has announced a long march in the federal capital on March 23 (Pakistan Day) against the incumbent government. On that day, foreign ministers

of the Organisation of Islamic (OIC) countries will be coming to Islamabad to attend the Pakistan Day parade.

Rasheed, therefore, urged the Opposition parties to reconsider their decision and defer the long march to another date.

Rs0.95 per unit increase in power tariff likely National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) is scheduled to conduct a hearing on Monday (24th January) regarding the power tariff hike by up to 95 paisa per unit with the start of the next month of February 2022.

As per details, the government has been reducing the electricity subsidies as part of the understanding reached with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.(IMF).

And, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC), after deliberation, had so far approved the summary presented by Ministry of Energy on Retargeting of Power Sector Subsidies – Phase –II, that included removal of one slab benefit (incremental block tariff) and incorporation of revised subsidy and inter-distribution companies tariff rationalisation/ cross subsidies.

According to sources, the increase in basic tariff will abolish an Rs20 billion annual subsidy from the government and the recommendations would be considered during the NEPRA’s hearing scheduled to be held on January 24.

The sources said that the tariff for consumers utilising up to 100 units is likely to increase by 8 paisa per unit, for consumers of 200 units, prices will go up by 18 paisa, for users of 300 units, they will increase by 48 paisa. For consumers using 301-700 units, the effective tariff will increase by 95 paisa per unit.

It is also learnt from sources that the new approved effective rate after NEPRA’s approval for up to 100 units consumers will be Rs9.5 per unit, for 200 units consumers, the rate will be Rs10.36 per unit, for 300 units consumers, it will be Rs12.62 per unit, for 400 units, the new rate will be Rs15.73 and for 500 units, it will be Rs17.19.

For users of 600 units, the rate would be Rs18.11 and consumers of up to 700 units will pay Rs18.75 per unit.

It is pertinent to mention that for the agricultural consumers, the ECC had earlier approved to divide agriculture tube-wells slab into two categories on the basis of plot size and motor capacity and gradually decrease subsidies to Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) tube-wells,.

Reportedly, the ECC was informed that for implementation of Phase-II, a two-part approach is being proposed keeping in view the different timelines involved for proper analysis and firming up of proposal.

Under the phase I, the government had restructured the electricity slabs from 300-700 units without changing the effective tariff. staff report

SBP warns banks against default on sovereign loans ISLAMABAD news desk

The State Bank of Pakistan has instructed commercial banks to start taking into account the probability of default on loans taken by the federal government. This brings an end to decades-old belief that the government cannot default on domestic debt.

The central bank has issued the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS9) instructions and withdrew an exemption from the expected credit loss on loans either guaranteed or taken by the federal government, revealed the July 2021 instructions that were to be enforced with effect January 1, 2022.

The IFRS-9 is the set of accounting rules that specify how a bank should classify and measure financial assets and liabilities.

According to a July 2021 SBP circular, these instructions will be enforced with effect from January 1, 2022 and the central bank has not issued any new order to extend the deadline.

The SBP’s instructions would also limit the banks’ ability to extend unlimited amount of loans to the government besides

increasing the cost of borrowing. The enforcement of the six-month-old decision would coincide with the absolute autonomy being given to the SBP, including a prohibition on the government borrowing from the central bank.

The new regulations will force the banks to review their capital requirements and increase the money in proportionate to the weighted risks being given to the government loans.

In its official reply, the SBP said there would be some impact on the capital adequacy ratio because of the new regulations but it “will be negligible”. It also said that the expected credit loss on lending to the federal government would not be “substantial”.

“The SBP should not have implemented new regulations on the banking sector at this stage, as the country’s financial position is already not very stable and it will be disturbed even more because of this,” said Shabbar Zaidi, a former senior partner of AF Ferguson.

“As a result of the new regulations, the cost of government borrowing will significantly increase,” he added, demanding that the SBP should withdraw the new measures.

According to IFRS-9 regulations of 2019, commercial banks had been given an exemption from making a capital charge on loans given to the federal government. To enable this exemption, there was a clause in the old IFRS-9 regulation that read: “The credit exposure [in local currency] that have been guaranteed by the government and the government securities are exempted from the application of expected credit loss model and would not require provisioning.”

The July 2021 instructions revealed that the SBP had deleted this clause. This means that there is now a probability of default on the loans given to the federal government, which would eventually force commercial banks to make provisions against any expected loss. The deletion of this clause implies that the banks now need to calculate expected credit loss on these exposures.

This has huge implications for the industry, which considers government exposures to be credit risk free, according to one of the country’s top five banks. As a result, these exposures often carried very fine pricing, reflecting the low perceived risk, it added.

The bank’s written comments further showed that while the ultimate recovery of

the loan was assured and hence any loss would always be considered zero, there would always be the impact of the time value of the money.

The decision becomes especially relevant considering frequent restructuring in these exposures, especially in the case of power sector.

The banking industry players said that similar exemptions had been given on the government lending in other countries where the IFRS was applicable, demanding restoration of the exemption facility. The banks will now need to calculate expected credit loss on the treasury bill and Pakistan Investment Bonds.

“This means that this will attract capital charge for the banks and impede their ability to hold unlimited government debt,” a Karachi-based banker told media. He said that irrespective of the prevailing interest rates, the banks would not be able buy the government debt beyond a threshold.

“The SBP would be stopped by the new law from lending to the government so who will fund the budget deficit in one to two years’ time?” he questioned.

Banking industry experts said taking ex-

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pected credit loss would mean that there was a probability of default and the banks will have to increase capital adequacy ratio, which will carry a cost to them.

“No bank will bear the cost on its books without first recovering from the government by increasing the lending rates,” said another banker.

After a ban on the government borrowing from the central bank, the federal government can only meet its financing needs from the commercial banks. According to another amendment in the SBP bill that the National Assembly approved last week, the SBP’s primary objective will be domestic price stability.

Finance ministry sources said the central bank could pull a plug in the name of controlling inflation if the government remained imprudent in its debt-financed spending. This can then create problem for the government.

To a question about implementation of the IFRS9 by January 1, 2022, SBP chief spokesperson Abid Qamar said that the central bank was in consultation with the banking industry and had received feedback from them on the draft guidelines issued on July 5, 2021.