EpaperISB_22-2-21

Monday, 21 February, 2022 I 19 Rajab, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII no 234 I 48 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan set to host saudi Crown PrinCe, oiC FMs next Month President Arif Alvi signs PECA, elections amendment ordinances islamabad staff report

islamabad

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MiaN abrar

AKISTANI authorities are making arrangements to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and some other high-ranking dignitaries due in the federal capital in March, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.

Well-placed diplomatic sources have informed Pakistan Today that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are finalising the dates for the visit of Saudi Crown Prince while arrangement are also being made to host an extraordinary session of the Organisa-

tion of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also taking place in the federal capital.

The sources said that the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince is very important given the increasing cooperation between the two countries in trade and investment while Saudi Arabia is also keen to secure a deal with Pakistani security forces to help secure itself against attacks from Houthi militia.

The sources sources say that Pakistan is also set to host the regular conference of OIC Foreign Ministers on March 22 which would take place in the Parliament House. It is expected that foreign ministers of OIC

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,500,320

LAST UPDATED AT 7:17 AM ON FEBRUARY 20, 2022

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

33

1,644

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,402,653 30,009 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

563,967

498,724

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

214,698

35,229

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

42,599/11,339

133,764

would also be invited to witness the Pakistan Day parade, the sources said.

The sources said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is interested that the Saudi Crown Prince must attend the Pakistan Day parade as a guest of honour on March 23.

“However, the two sides are in touch to finalise the modalities of the much-awaited visit of the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince,” the sources said.

It merits mention that Saudi Crown Prince last time traveled to Pakistan in February 2019 when Prime Minister Imran Khan had drove the royal guest from Islamabad Airport to PM’s House.

President Arif Alvi signed two ordinances on Sunday making changes in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016, and the Elections Act, 2017.

Both laws were signed by the president after the Cabinet approved them. The changes made in the electronic crimes act have been made under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.

Under the ordinance, the definition of a “person” has been broadened to include any company, association, institution, organisation, authority, or any other. Furthermore, anyone found guilty of attacking a person’s “identity” will now be sentenced to five years instead of three years.

The ordinance also states the informant or the complainant shall be “aggrieved person, his authorised representative, or his guardian, where such person is a minor or a member of the public in respect of a public figure or a holder of public office”.

Cases falling under PECA will be supervised by a high court and the trial court will have to conclude the case within six months.

“The court shall submit a monthly progress report of any pending trial to the concerned high court and shall give reasons for the inability of the court to expeditiously conclude the trial,” says the ordinance.

Apart from sending the report to the high

Maryam says ‘Imran and company is real target of fake news laws’ PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has come down hard on the PTI-led government for amending laws that would pave way for penalising defamation against the army, judiciary, public servants and government institutions as well as allowing the lawmakers to address public gatherings during election campaigns.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the PML-N leader said the laws being amended by the government were apparently aimed to stifle dissent in the country but in reality they will be used against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his aides.

“Whatever laws this government is amending are meant to silence the media and the opposition but these laws are going to be used against [PM] Imran & Company,” she wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Earlier today, Law Minister Farogh Naseem said under amended law the prison sentence for spreading fake news has been increased from three years to five years, while the offence has also been made non-bailable.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, the law minister said the complainant can

courts, copies of the progress report will be sent to the law secretary if the case is registered in the Islamabad Capital Territory. However, if a case is registered in a province, then the copies of the report will be submitted to the “provincial secretaries of prosecution departments, the prosecutor general or advocate general”.

The ordinance also authorises the high court to issue “fresh timelines” of a case if it finds the “reasons” given by the trial court “plausible” and beyond its control.

The ordinance also empowers the high courts to summon federal or provincial government officers to remove any “difficulties, hindrances and obstacles” it finds in the case.

If the law secretaries find that the case was delayed due to the “presiding officer or any of its functionaries” then they may inform the high court.

If the high court is of the view that the delay in the disposal of a trial is attributable to the presiding officer of the court or any other court functionary then they can initiate or “direct commencement of appropriate disciplinary proceedings.”

The ordinance also empowers the chief justice of every high court to nominate a judge along with other officers.

ChAngEs In ElECtIon lAws: The other ordinance signed by the president makes changes in section 181 of the Election Act, 2017.

The amendments have added a new section titled 181 (A) in the law.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Music goes silent in remote Bajaur town STORY ON PAGE 02

Qandeel Baloch: Brother released over ‘honour killing’ of social media star STORY ON PAGE 03

seek defamation and criminal proceedings against the accused since now it has become a cognisable offence.

According to Naseem, the government amended the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016 to penalise fake news as “lies cannot be allowed to become the foundation of a society”.

The critics, however, believed that the move was an attempt by the ruling party to not only control the digital space but also prevent criticism against the government and

the country’s institutions.

“Amendment to Peca, through an ordinance approved by the federal cabinet, whereby criticising the judiciary or military is a punishable offence, is extremely regressive,” Usama Khilji, a digital rights activist, said.

According to a summary sent by the information technology ministry pertaining to incorporation of the amendments in Peca, it was stated that the Constitution guaranteed equality of citizens and equal protection of the law as fundamental rights under Article 25(1). News Desk

No-trust vote against Imran pressure tactic to secure NRO: Qureshi STORY ON BACK PAGE in today’s issue

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Monday, 21 February, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

BIlawal renews CoMMItMent to soCIal jUstICe on annUal day KARACHI

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Staff RepoRt

AKISTAN Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari vowed the provision of social justice to every segment of the society, something he believes holds the key to making the country peaceful, prosperous and progressive.

In a message to mark the World Day of Social Justice which falls on February 20

every year, Bilawal called on the people to join his party’s proposed long march against the government on February 27 to free the nation from the clutches of poverty, inflation, unemployment, extremism and victimisation.

He said the PPP would launch an “awami long march” against inflation hitting the poor hard who has been dragged into poverty by the “puppet” regime of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PPP chief pledged his party will

Music goes silent in remote Bajaur town PESHAWAR: A disapproving jirga has banned the music in Solarzai tehsil of Bajaur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, announcing a social boycott of any person found arranging music ceremonies. The jirga also vowed that people won’t attend any function — whether it is a celebration or mourning — of the person, or family, who played music in any village of the tehsil. Even the clergy will not solemnise their marriages, the assembly of the elderly warned. The joint declaration called for a social boycott of people who invite musicians to the ceremonies in their houses. Like Afghanistan’s hardline Taliban rulers, many locals in former tribal regions see music as un-Islamic. Staff RepoRt

continue to be a thunderous voice for the voiceless for the PPP was founded to play a historic role in transforming Pakistan into a role-model Muslim nation with a peaceful, egalitarian and vibrant democratic society.

Bilawal reiterated the commitment of his party to enforcement and implementation of social justice for every strata of the society, adding ensuring social justice was key to a peaceful, progressive, and prosperous country.

He said social justice is the cornerstone

of the PPP’s ideology and struggle. “We have been working for the empowerment of women, labour, youth, and vulnerable segments of our population because.

Whenever the PPP is in power it delivers social justice to the people,” he added.

Bilawal said that through a long history of sacrifices against injustices his party has become a source of inspiration for the victims of social injustices in every sphere of society.

Our political and administrative

decisions, while in power have helped the weak and vulnerable to start dreaming a better future for themselves, he said.

Bilawal said PPP founder and former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto launched a movement against social inequality and won one-man-one-vote for the first time in Pakistan. His mother and slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto was dragged from court to court for providing employment to the unemployed youth.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari began Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) which has been internationally acclaimed as a model social security step, he recalled.

The PPP chairman further pointed out his party took various decisions politically.

“These decisions ultimately promoted social justice and empowered the segments who had been prey for exclusions in history,” he said.

Pakistan Covid-19 deaths pass 30,000 milestone, analysis shows ISLAMABAD/LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Since the outbreak in February 2020, more than 30,000 people have died from coronavirus across Pakistan, according to government data. The nation reported 33 new deaths during the last 24 hours, which took the toll to 30,009, data from National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) showed. Deaths due to Covid-19 have been falling since February, according to figures from the NCOC. Relative to many European nations and the United States, Pakistan has appeared to have a less severe experience of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, two years later, Pakistan broke through the grim milestone of 15 million positive tests for Covid19 after it reported 1,644 fresh cases of the disease on Saturday, according to a separate government tracker.

With the new infections, the total caseload has risen to 1,500,320 in the country, said the NCOC, the department leading the campaign against the pandemic. Coronavirus cases hit a fresh peak on January 21 when more than 7,000 new infections pushed the positivity ratio to 12.93 percent — the highest ever in the last two years.

Meanwhile, a total of 3,653 people were reported to have recovered from the pandemic over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to

1,402,653. The number of active cases has also dropped to 67,658 in the country, including 1,386 in critical condition. Sindh is the worst-hit province with 563,967 infections recorded, followed by Punjab, which has reported 498,724 cases so far.

Meanwhile, the government has fully vaccinated at least 94 million people and given at least one dose to 122 million people. It administered over 1 million jabs in the last24 hours. Some 3.8 million people have also received a booster shot. The government has also reached its target of offering at least first vaccinations to the four groups of people seen as most vulnerable to coronavirus.

India’s ruling party invokes opening of Kartarpur Corridor to woo voters

PTI unveils its plan to launch long march against Sindh govt

NEW DELHI: As India’s northern Punjab province is electing assembly on Sunday, Kartarpur — one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines situated a few miles away across borders in Pakistan — finds an echo in election campaigning. The radical Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules the country, is taking credit for opening the borders at Kartarpur to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit the shrine across borders in the Narowal district of Pakistan. According to an agreement enacted with Pakistan in 2019, pilgrims can cross the border and visit the shrine without a visa. Located some 115 kilometres (71 miles) from Lahore, the shrine known as Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara is one of the most revered places for the Sikh community as it hosted Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, for 18 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an election rally this week in Punjab, blamed the main opposition Congress party for failing to keep the Kartarpur temple within India’s territory at the time of independence and creation of Pakistan in 1947. “The opportunity to include Kartarpur Sahib in India’s territory was missed again during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan,” he declared. In another rally, Jagat Prakash Nadda, president of the BJP, while highlighting the initiatives taken for the benefit of Sikhs, said it was a demand since independence that people should be allowed to visit the shrine. He credited Prime Minister Modi for making the opening possible. “It was because of Prime Minister Modi […] he spoke to Pakistan and made it possible,” said Nadda, adding that ₹1.2 billion ($15.9 million) were spent on the construction of corridor from the Indian side. The distance between Kartarpur and the town of Gurdaspur in India is just 3 kilometres (2 miles). The pilgrims had to first visit New Delhi to procure visas from Pakistani missions and then take a circuitous route by traveling hundreds of kilometres to cross the border at Wagah, near Amritsar, and then travel to Lahore to reach Kartarpur. Others feel it is a non-issue Even as the ruling party is reminding people about the Kartarpur corridor, other political parties say it was a non-issue in elections.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Manpreet Singh, 66, contesting from Dera Baba Nanak seat in Gurdaspur district, from Samyukt Samaj Morcha, a new political party formed by a section of farmers, said it was not an election issue. He complained that real problems faced by the people in the border district are not being discussed. “The farmers whose land is located between the barbed wire fence and zero-line at the India-Pakistan border are not currently receiving the compensation. anadolu agency

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday announced the schedule of the party’s long march from Ghotki to Karachi that is set to take place on February 26.

While addressing a press conference, Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi announced that PTI’s ‘Haqook-e-Sindh march’ will begin from Ghotki on February 26.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PTI

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Sindh President Ali Haider Zaidi will lead the ‘Haqook-e-Sindh’ march.

According to a schedule, the long march would begin from Sindh’s Ghotki district on Feb 26 at 10:00 am and will reach the provincial capital Karachi in ten days after passing through 20 districts.

The protest rally would reach Shikarpur, Kashmore and Jacobabad on February 27, according to a schedule. On Monday (February 28), the PTI’s long march would be passing through Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze and would end at NawabShah.

The participants of PTI long march would reach Sanghar and Mirpurkhas on March 2 and will stay in UmerKot and Tharparkar on March 3.

The ‘Haqook-e-Sindh’ procession will reach Matiari district on March 4 after passing through Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando AllahYar districts.

The march will proceed to Hyderabad and will stay over there on March 5. The long march will end at Karachi on March 7 after passing through Jamshoro and other Sindh districts.

Rupee sheds 0.66pc against USD for 2nd week amid high commodity prices KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Rupee slipped 0.66 percent against the US dollar for the second straight week due to surging oil and commodity prices globally amid Russia-Ukraine tension.

The rupee slipped from 174.71 to 175.86 against the American currency in the interbank market last week after going 0.13 percent (23 paisas) down in the preceding week.

Overall, the rupee has depreciated by Rs18.43 during the ongoing fiscal year 2021-22, while the local unit has appreciated by 65 paisas during the current year 2022.

On the other hand, the cautious market mood helps the dollar stay resilient globally. The US Dollar Index is posting modest gains a little below 96.00.

Although a negative shift in risk sentiment could provide a boost to the dollar, another leg lower in US Treasury-bond yields on risk aversion could limit the currency’s gains. The big levels to watch on that side are 96.47 and 96.94, with a breach of the former level amounting to a fresh two-week-high.

It was a relatively quiet week for the US dollar in the international market, with the bid being pushed by threats of escalating tensions on the Ukrainian border.

The prospects of greater conflict in Europe can keep flows coming into the currency. However, if RussiaUkraine tensions de-escalate, the dollar’s weakness could come back that will ultimately benefit the rupee.

The rupee started last week on the back foot and remained under pressure for the first two days. It depreciated

by 76 paisas (-0.43 percent) on Monday and 31 paisas (0.18 percent) on Tuesday. However, the rupee remained firm for the next two days and gained 11 paisas (+0.06 percent) on Wednesday and 28 paisas (+0.16 percent) on Thursday, which eroded some of the losses of the previous two sessions.

The local currency came under renewed pressure on Friday, following the State Bank of Pakistan’s reports about a weekly decrease in foreign exchange reserves and a monthly decrease in foreign direct investment in the country, and shed 47 paisas (-0.27 percent).

The foreign exchange reserves of the country dropped by $230 million (-0.96 percent) on a week-on-week basis to stand at $23.49 billion. During the last 10 weeks, foreign exchange reserves have dropped for nine week.

Similarly, the foreign direct investment dropped by 50 percent to $110 million in January 2022 as compared to December 2021 on a month-on-month basis. Likewise, on a year-on-year basis, FDI fell by 34.6 percent when compared to $168.3 million in January 2021.

The rupee is bearing the brunt of increasing trade deficit, surging import bill due to rise in oil prices, shrinking reserves, Russia-Ukraine conflict, and speculative elements.

The oil import bill recorded a sharp increase in the first seven months (July-January) of 2021-22 from a year ago owing to rising prices on the international market and massive depreciation of the rupee. The oil import bill surged 107.35 percent to $11.7 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

Media JAC out-rightly rejects draconian amendments to PECA KARACHI pR

The media Joint Action Committee comprising of APNS, CPNE, PBA, PFUJ, and AEMEND, issued a statement out rightly rejecting the draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), stating it is a blatant move to stifle media independence, freedom of speech and dissenting voices.

The statement was issued on behalf ofPakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA); All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS); Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE); Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ);

APNS, CPNE, PBA, PFUJ, AEMEND TERM THE LAW A BLATANT MOVE TO STIFLE MEDIA INDEPENDENCE, FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND DISSENTING VOICES and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND). The statement further said that all media bodies will take any and all legal actions to challenge any attempt to curb media’s independence and its right to raise voice against any steps to curb freedom of expression as guaranteed in the constitution.

“JAC will if needed oppose any and all such moves

with the full might of its constituent bodies and individual members,” the statement said, adding, “it is evident that the Government is adamant to push through its ill-conceived and draconian Agenda through various Presidential ordinances”. All media bodies stand united to defend freedom of expression and people’s right to information, it added.

Pakistan hopeful engagement, dialogue will resolve Ukraine crisis ISLAMABAD MonitoRing RepoRt

The Foreign Office expressed hope and strong expectations that continued engagement and dialogue will lead to a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis as Russian forces continued their military buildup on the borders of its southern neighbour. During his weekly press briefing earlier this week, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said he believes a diplomatic solution is “the right way to go,” and Pakistan is closely following the developments in this regard. Ahmad’s comments came as President Vladimir Putin oversaw exercises held by strategic nuclear forces of Russia, and Washington accused Moscow’s troops massed near Ukraine’s border of advancing and being “poised to strike”. With Western fears of war rising, the White House said US President Joe Biden’s national security team told him they still believed Russia could launch an attack in Ukraine “at any time” and he planned to convene his top advisers on Sunday to discuss the crisis. Islamabad’s mission in Kyiv is in close contact with members of the Pakistani community, especially students, in Ukraine, Ahmad said when asked to comment on the situation. “They are taking care of their welfare and they are also, from time to time, issuing necessary advice and guidance to them keeping in view the evolving situation,” he added.

Russia ordered the military build-up while demanding North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) prevent Ukraine from ever joining the alliance but says Western warnings that it is planning to invade Ukraine are hysterical and dangerous. Moscow says it is pulling back, but Washington and allies say the build-up is mounting. Washington and NATO say Moscow’s main demands are non-starters, but in Ukraine, fears are growing over Putin’s plans. The spokesperson said Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to visit Russia next week at the invitation of the Russian leadership and its preparations are underway.

Monday, 21 February, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

Qandeel Baloch: Brother released over ‘honour killing’ of social media star MULtAN

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MAN who murdered his celebrity sister was freed on Saturday after a Lahore High Court (LHC) bench ruled it was not an instance of “honour killing”, allowing their mother to pardon him, lawyers said.

Qandeel Baloch was strangled to death in 2016 by her brother Muhammad Waseem, who described her suggestive behaviour on social media as “intolerable”.

In response to public outrage, the government passed legislation supposedly closing a legal loophole that allowed family members to forgive those behind so-called “honour killings”, imposing a mandatory life sentence instead.

But after less than six years in prison, an appeal judge ruled that Baloch’s murder could not be defined as a crime of honour, dismissing his confession.

In line with Pakistan’s other laws on murder, the

Sherry Rehman lashes out at govt for planned ordinances on social media, election campaigning StAff REpORt PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on Sunday slammed the government for cancelling a scheduled session of the National Assembly without an official announcement and planning to promulgate two ordinances regarding election campaigning and social media. A session of the National Assembly was scheduled for February 18 (Friday) only to be cancelled by President Dr Arif Alvi. The opposition had criticised the postponement as a move to stop PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif from avoiding his indictment in an alleged corruption case while a source said the session was shelved since the government wanted to promulgate some ordinances. The PTI government, which has promulgated over 70 ordinances since August 2018, has been facing strong criticism for heavily relying on ordinances for legislation. Senator Rehman added to that criticism, saying that the ordinance regarding campaigning would allow government ministers “unprecedented ability to misuse state resources”.

She said it showed how “far gone” the government was in its “fear of the people”. She described the social media laws as “sweeping and draconian” in scope which would be used to further clamp down on dissent. “Make no mistake, this is not about protecting the vulnerable from cyber predations; quite the opposite,” she said.

mother was allowed to grant his freedom.

In this photograph taken on October 8, 2016, Anwar Bibi (L) mother and Mohammad Azeem, father of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch, give an interview to AFP in Muzaffargarh.

“Waseem has been released from the prison in compliance with the order of honorable Lahore High Court,” his lawyer Sardar Mehboob told AFP. “He is a free man now,” he added.

Waseem, 38, was released from jail in Multan after being acquitted on Monday.

Maleeka Bokhari, a ruling MP, said the government was undertaking a review of legal options against the acquittal.

Earlier, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry had said the government will challenge the verdict at Pakistan’s top court.

“We as a nation should be ashamed of such (legal) system,” Chaudhry said on Twitter.

Baloch became famous for her flirty and defiant

540 million trees to be planted in on-going spring season drive, says PM’s aide ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Sunday announced that an overarching strategy for launching nationwide spring tree plantation campaign has been formulated in consultation with all provincial forest departments.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to kickstart the spring tree plantation campaign-2022 on February 22, which is also marked annually as #Plant4Pakistan Day. “We have set a whopping target of planting over 540 million plants all over the country during the spring season spread over February to April under PM Imran Khan’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP),” the PM’s aide elaborated.

Sharing details, Malik Amin said that 7,50,000 scout members of the Pakistan Boy Scout Association (PBSA) will join the plantation campaign.

The spring tree plantation drive would also witness members of all governmental and nongovernmental civil society organisations including educational institutions, political leaders, National Assembly and Senate members, Malik Amin added.

Spelling out provincial statistical break-up data regarding spring tree plantation campaign, the PM’s

President Alvi urges youth to focus on upcoming opportunities in IT sector

KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Advising the students, President Dr Arif Alvi said that they should work hard and focus on IT education in the country and once they have completed, they would avail thousands of opportunities in this sector across the world.

The President expressed such view while addressing the Presidential Initiative Artificial Intelligence and Computing (PIAIC) Grand Entrance Test 2022 organized by Saylani Welfare International Trust (SWIT) here at National Stadium on Sunday.

There is a need of 8 crore of people having expertise in IT sector across the world, the President told, saying that you would not have job opportunities but entrepreneurship opportunities. The government is extending all kinds of support to IT sector and the laws have been made to facilitate the growth of this sector, he informed. President Arif Alvi mentioned that besides, the government had initiated some programs like Digital Skill Program which was free and imparting the IT education through online classes and thousands of students had got benefits from this program and were

posts which flew in the face of the nation’s deeply patriarchal mores.

Waseem was arrested immediately after her death and later sentenced to life in prison for strangling her — brazenly telling the media he had no remorse.

The case became the most high profile “honour killing” of recent years — where women are dealt lethal punishment by male relatives for purportedly bringing “shame” to the reputation of a family.

The court’s verdict published on Friday said had been “acquitted from the case on the basis of compromise”, saying a confession from the killer “cannot be considered more than a piece of paper”.

In Baloch’s case, her parents initially insisted their son would be given no absolution, but they later changed their minds and said they wanted him to be forgiven.

A lawyer for the mother said she had given “her consent” to pardon him, according to her lawyer Safdar Shah on Monday.

earning in dollars.

After completing your training or education in IT sector, you might need the financial support to start entrepreneurship, he uttered and suggested that you don’t need to worry because the government has also launched Kamayab Jawan Program (KJP) to extend the financial support up to Rs.10 lacs.

Financial facility under KJP is very easy to avail and it is interest-free, Arif Alvi elaborated. In addition, the government has opened the way for foreign investors and China wants to invest in Pakistani IT industry.

He further added that the youth of Pakistan were striving for knowledge and this was a changing Pakistan. So let the youth forget other things and young people should only focus on their training and education, he mentioned.

Highlighting the achievements of Pakistan Tahreeke-Insaf (PTI) led government in the province, the President said that no polio case has been reported in the last year and it is because the government has taken some initiatives to control it.

Talking on the issues being faced by refugees across the world, the President told that the refugees had to suffer a lot because they were not allowed to enter the different countries but it was only Pakistan which allowed 40 lac Afghan refugees living there for the last 40 years.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman SWIT Maulana Bashir Ahmed Farooqui said that the main object of SWIT was to serve the people and the Trust was trying to do its best to support each person in the country.

In the education, we are working to train the youth in IT sector as it can help develop the country through promoting the entrepreneurship in the country.

The representative of Presidential Initiative Artificial Intelligence and Computing (PIAIC) Zia Ullah Khan also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of IT sector.

More than 25000 students from different parts of Sindh province participated in the Presidential Initiative Artificial Intelligence and Computing (PIAIC) Grand Entrance Test 2022.

aide said that out of over 540 million nation-wide spring tree plantation target for the Spring season2022, 194 million plants will be planted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, followed by Punjab 74 million, Sindh 140 million, Balochistan 13.50 million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 98. 76 million and Gilgit-Baltistan 20. 64 million plants.

As a part of the country-wide Spring Tree Plantation Campaign, as many as 674 events have been planned, which would be held on the #Plant4Pakistan Day, February 22. The events would be arranged and organized by the provinces with active participation of people from all walks of life including 7,50,000 scouts, Malik Amin added.

He said that around a single-day target of planting 3.943 million saplings on the #Plant4Pakistan Day has been set while the 12.239 million tree plants would be made available at various plantation sites all over the country for general public.

Besides, 249.64 million tree plants would be available at various officially-designated nurseries in all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and GilgitBaltistan.

SAPM Malik Amin has emphasised that threemonth (Feb-April) season provides an unprecedented opportunity to plant as many trees as possible all over the country for dealing with various environmental problems.

NEWS

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Gangster arrested by police in the Capital ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A notorious gangster involved in numerous cases of robberies arrested during an exchange of fire with police in Lohibher area of federal capital, informed a police spokesman on Sunday. However, three other accomplices of the gang managed to escape from the scene while taking advantage of the darkness, he said.

The detained criminal is identified as Irshad alias Uzme who is a recorded criminal in theft and possession of illegal arms and ammunition. A total of four cases are already registered against him in Shahzad Town Police Station. Police also seized weapons with ammunition in use of robber, he said. According to the details, a team of officials of Police Station (PS) Lohi Bher has erected a special check post near Jinnah garden to curb the crime (dacoitees) on the night between Saturday and Sunday when the cops spotted suspicious two bikes with four persons on board. The cops signaled the bikes to stop for checking but the bike riders started indiscriminate firing on police party and fled away.

Police team managed to stop the robbers after putting hectic efforts but the robbers again opened firing on the cops, he said adding that police also retaliated and held a accomplice in injured condition. The other three robbers managed to escaped from the scene while taking advantage of darkness, he said. Upon getting information about a gun battle between police and robbers, a heavy contingent of police rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. The police spokesman further stated that arrested accused involved in dacoity, theft cases and having illegal weapons. The gangster Irshad had a jail bird in four cases committed in areas of Shahzad Town. On the other hand, IG Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younas appreciated the efforts of the police party for hunting down a notorious dacoit and hand cuffing his close accomplice after an exchange of fire.

Monday, 21 February, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

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NEWS

Fawad criticises opposition for organising ‘rented show’ during Australia match ISLAMABAD app

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Sunday took the opposition to task for holding the protest against the government in Rawalpindi on March 23 when the Australian cricket team will be playing the third Test match of the tour.

In a tweet, Chaudhry said the team will be playing the first Test series against Australia in 23 years at home. The whole nation was celebrating the revival of quality cricket in the country, but it was only the “hodgepodge” opposition that felt uncomfortable and planning a so-called power show on “rent”, he added.

It merits a mention here the first leg of the tour will begin on March 4 and the opposition has also planned a series of protests during the same time.

Pakistan eyes 5G launch by 2023 ISLAMABAD MonitoRing RepoRt

The dream of digitalising Pakistan is coming to life as the government is planning to launch 5G technology by 2023, after the successful trials of the next-generation wireless network by telecom operators. The 5G, for Fifth Generation, is the latest iteration of cellular technology engineered to increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks. Global telecom giants are aiming at the commercial deployment of the latest networks. In 2019, South Korea beat their US rivals to become the first to roll out a super-fast 5G mobile network.

According to a June 2021 report of the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), 58 countries have launched 5G networks in their countries while others are deploying. According to statistics, more than 90 operators have deployed 5G networks globally, while more than 300 have been investing in it. It is estimated that 5G connections will reach 2.8 billion by 2025. In Asia, South Korea, Japan, and China are leading the race. On the other hand, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Sri Lanka are lagging behind as they have not yet implemented a 5G policy. China is spreading a vast network of 5G across the country. According to a plan issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of that country, the network will be spread to all cities and towns, as well as most villages, by 2025. Covid-19 has negatively affected all sectors of life globally except information technology. This is the only sector where investment did not decline due to the pandemic. Foreign direct investment in the technology sector of Pakistan has also reached more than $1 billion in the last three years. The IT exports increased by 46 percent during the fiscal year 2020-21. The telecom operators — including Jazz, PTCL, Telenor Pakistan, and Zong — have successfully made trials of 5G in Pakistan. The government is working to make policy and provide a platform for the commercial launch of 5G in the country. There is an excellent potential of 5G in Pakistan. The number of smartphone users is about 90 million and growing at a fast pace every year. The internet adaptation rate is 23 percent annually. The 5G technology will revolutionise all the sectors of the economy in Pakistan. Through modern technology and a fast internet, education is being provided remotely. 5G will help the people who belong to far-flung areas. Video animation and lectures would be available online through fast connectivity. In the health sector, 5G will revolutionise medicine.

Prof. Dr. TAnvIr AnjuM It is an oft-quoted opinion of Imam Ghazali that Islam and politics are born twins. In fact, in an exercise in elaboration rather than alteration, it would be more apt if it were said that Islam and justice were born twins. To put this into context: When once a poor Egyptian came to plead his case against the governor of Egypt, the second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar summoned the dignitary and reprimanded him with this question, “how can you enslave people when they were born free from the womb of their mothers?” Perhaps, of all the lengthy commentaries written on social justice and Islam, this line encapsulates the crux of the Islamic idea of social justice to its fullest.

Felicitations and remembrances are part of the human ethos and collective memory.

The purpose of such events and occasions is not only commemoration and association, but also a commitment towards its aspiration, propagation, and the realization of universally held ideals and norms. As people around the globe memorialize the World Day of Social Justice on February 20, it is imperative to first understand the implications of the constituents of social justice. Every individual must have access to inalienable rights of life, liberty, honour, happiness, and equality. The citizens of the world must have equal

IndIA AGAIn lAunChes ProPAGAndA AGAInsT PAkIsTAn AheAd oF FATF PlenAry meeTInG ISLAMABAD

I

staff RepoRt

NDIAN disinformation campaign is once again working against Pakistan ahead of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary meeting scheduled in Paris from 21 Feb-4 March.

Indian campaign against Pakistan is in play as its media is spreading propaganda that Pakistan may soon enter FATF’s blacklist.

India is trying to influence FATF to achieve its narrow political designs against Pakistan, it deplored.

The report said international experts have rubbished Indian claims that FATF may blacklist Pakistan. South Asian policy expert, Michael Kugelman recently said, “Don’t believe Indian press reports claiming FATF will soon blacklist Pakistan”.

Similarly, South Asian and Middle East strategic analyst Dr Claude Rakisits said Pakistan is more likely to be taken off FATF’s grey list, it added.

It lamented that India had long been using global forums for its narrow political designs against Pakistan and was trying to destroy credibility of global institutions like FATF for fulfilling its evil political designs.

The report maintained that the FATF should remove Pakistan from its grey list as it had completed all technical requirements of the international watchdog and there was no justification to keep Pakistan on FATF grey list as it has fulfilled most of its demands.

Pakistan struggles to quell violence on porous Afghanistan border ISLAMABAD ReuteRs

The military has stepped up operations along the Afghan border in recent weeks after a spate of militant attacks that has dashed any hope the frontier might see more peace and stability after the end of the war in Afghanistan.

Militant factions have martyred at least 14 soldiers in attacks over the past month, three of them carried out by fighters entering from Afghanistan, the military said.

Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers, struggling with a humanitarian crisis, have denied that Afghan territory was used in any of the attacks.

But despite such assurances, disputes linked to the border, which has been a bone of contention between the neighbours for decades, could undermine their relations.

The military said six insurgents were killed in the latest clash in resource-rich Balochistan on Wednesday.

“Operations to eliminate such perpetrators of terrorist acts in Pakistan will continue,” it said in a statement.

A top security official with direct knowledge of border operations told Reuters: “We have stepped up intelligence-based operations to ensure that we deny entry to militants.”

Large areas on Pakistan’s side of the border were out of the control of the government for decades, ruled by fiercely independent Pashtun tribes,

whose communities often straddle both sides of the unmarked border.

But Pakistan is determined to end all that, aiming to bring the rugged Pashtun lands under the central rule and to demarcate the border with a fence, and control who comes and goes with a tight border-control system, another Pakistani official said.

“We’re targeting anyone, whether separatists or militants, who is a threat,” said the second official, who also declined to be identified.

‘FRIENDS’: Pakistan has enjoyed cordial relations with the Afghan Taliban for years even though Pakistan was officially an ally of the United States during its 20-year occupation of Afghanistan.

But as Pakistan grapples with violence by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and groups active in Balochistan, its appeals to the Taliban to control their side of the border have not brought the action it hopes to see.

Increasingly frustrated, the officials have been pressing the Taliban to deny space and resources to the militants, an appeal repeated by National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf when he visited Kabul last month.

Yusuf’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

In Kabul, the Taliban reject suggestions Afghan territory is used for attacks into Pakistan and hope talks can solve the problem.

“We’re trying to solve such actions through diplomatic ways,” de-

Islam and Social Justice access to means of alleviating themselves from poverty and unemployment. They must also be free from the discrepancies of exclusionary social setups and ingrained discriminatory practices. Thus is the notion of social Justice: Man is born free, therefore, must be free to exercise without any external encumbrances and socio-political hindrances.

The universal ideals of social justice have taken millennia to pervade the consciousness of the world community and it is a process yet to reach its apogee. But it is the mark of Divine Providence and Prophetic excellence that Islam taught these lessons to the illiterate, war hungry and barbaric Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula. What the civilizational evolutionary progress took ages to formulate, the Prophet of Islam practiced and proselytized in less than a decade. It was that miraculous era of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the epoch of his faithful companions and the blessed State of Medina. And it is the reverberation of this dream, realized so long ago, which has become the passion, the pith, and the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

PM Imran Khan’s core ideology owes its originations and allegiance to the nomocratic state of Medina. The Islamic state, by defini-

tion, is a state run by law; hence Professor Majid Khadduri, a renowned academic, defined nomocracy, or the rule of law, as the cornerstone of Islamic political system.

However, it differs from the customary and precedential legal codices in the sense that Islamic law is the reflection of Divine guidance enshrined into political will, which in turn manifests itself in the absolute and total enforcement of social justice in society. The foundational pillars of the State of Medina were based on the principles borrowed from this conception of social justice. These pillars were: rule of law, accountability of the powerful, equality based on rights and duties rather than station and social hierarchy, and the elevation of spiritual purity as the most desirable moral and religious goal in the society.

To this end, the Prophet of Islam himself led by example. The Prophet’s warning that even if his own daughter were to commit larceny, she would be dealt with as any other ordinary Muslim individual, testifies to the commitment of the Prophet to the realization of these principles. In his last sermon, the Prophet (SAW) clearly demarcated the contours of an Islamic society. He declared the sanctity of human life and dignity, and de-

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fence ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khowarazmi told Reuters.

The Taliban tried late last year to facilitate talks between Pakistan and an alliance of al-Qaeda linked militants known as the TTP. But the talks fell apart after a few weeks.

Despite the frustrations, the officials rule out the chance of any serious deterioration in relations with the Afghan Taliban.

“We’re budding friends,” one of the officials said.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) did not respond to a request for comment about the scope of its operations and what the military would do if the attacks from Afghan soil continued.

Another source of friction is Pakistan’s determination to finish fencing the 2,600 kilometres (1,615 miles) border that was drawn by British colonial rulers with no consideration for the Pashtun tribes it divided. It has never been recognised by any Afghan government.

Taliban fighters have at times stopped forces from putting up the fence, just as forces of the old USbacked Afghan government used to do.

Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob says his government had not given anyone permission to fence the border.

“We’ve not taken any decision about the fencing,” he told Afghan state-owned RTA TV last week.

priving one of this right amounts not only to worldly abasement, but eternal perdition. He sanctified the dignity of women and their status in the Muslim society. The most effusive declaration by the Prophet was on the matter of economic inequality. Hardly anything is emphasized with more fanfare in the Quran as much as Prayer and Zakat: one for spiritual advancement, the other for material refinement. The poor always had a special status in the eyes of the Prophet so much so that he prayed that he spent the rest of his days and be risen in afterlife with them.

In the classical Islamic discourse, the conception of Islamic social justice is seen as a sacred amanah (trusteeship). Social justice is considered not only a consequence of the proper functioning of an Islamic state par excellence, but an integral pre-requisite for its legitimacy and establishment. Similarly, in the early modern period, the savant of Delhi, Shah Wali Ullah, incorporated social justice as one of the cornerstones of human socio-political harmony, culminating in the Islamic welfare state. In the modern period, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal’s thought recast Islamic social justice in the making of a modern Islamic polity. In his view, Muslims could only come head-to-head with the developed and prosperous nations of the world if they were to achieve the ideals of Islamic social justice. In his poetry, Iqbal constantly

It said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had also said Pakistan had completed FATF’s technical requirements and there was no justification to keep Pakistan on the grey list.

The report said that India must not be allowed to use global forums for political purposes, adding the FAFT will lose its credibility if it continues to toe the line of big powers and their favoured states.

Modi-led India will fail in its nefarious designs to push Pakistan into FATF blacklist, the report maintained.

Two students win cultural ambassadors title in Chinasponsored activity ISLAMABAD inp

The award ceremony for the 2022 China Soong Ching Ling Foundation “Junior Cultural Ambassadors” contest was recently held virtually, which was jointly sponsored by China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and China Cultural Centers abroad.

Two students Sukhen Fatima and Ali Shaheryar from the Millennium Confucius Classroom and the Confucius Classroom at Cadet College Petaro recommended by the China Cultural Center in Pakistan won the title of “Junior Cultural Ambassadors”.

All the contestants and some teachers of the Confucius Classroom and the College were invited to participate in the online award ceremony, said an official statement.

The “Junior Cultural Ambassadors” activity was officially launched in June 2021, with the theme of “Build a Dream for 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics”, inviting Chinese and foreign youth to carry out cultural exchanges online, which has attracted young people from all over the world to participate in the event.

China Cultural Center in Pakistan, together with the Millennium Confucius Classroom and the Confucius Classroom at Cadet College Petaro, responded positively and enthusiastically participated in the event.

Young people from 32 countries participated online and told their stories about the timehonoured Chinese civilization and Beijing 2022 through video, sending best wishes for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Among the 100 students selected for the primary selection, there are 6 students from Pakistan. After multiple rounds of selection by the event review committee and online voting, 30 winners of the global “Junior Cultural Ambassador”.

decries the disenfranchisement and exploitation of the poor and the weak at the hands of capitalists and imperialists of his age. He blames the greed and pride of nations and their individuals for abandoning the cause of human dignity and integrity. He calls his audience to the message of Islam – that is equality among all, catering to the needy, and the accountability of the powerful.

Pakistan as a nation carries a heavy burden on its shoulders. That burden is passed down to us by our predecessors leading all the up to the last Prophet of Allah Almighty.

It is not a burden we can shrug off; neither can we ignore it. For it is our identity, our duty and our salvation and our destiny. The burden that we must bear, and carry forward, is that of the fulfilment of the ideals of Islamic social justice in our times. The existence of Pakistan was the result of a desire for the fulfilment of ideals of social justice.

Its essence and its destiny is the propagation of the lofty ideals such as the eradication of inequality, mitigation of discrimination, elevation of human dignity, moral and spiritual uplift, and the attainment of social justice. It is high time that we rise to the challenge and cultivate an environment conducive to the development of a welfare state in sync with the Islamic principles of social justice.

The author is Member National Rahmatul Lil Aalameen Authority (NRA).

Monday, 21 February, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

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COMPrEhEnsIvE strAtEgy tO PrOvIdE lOAns FOr hOusEs ChAlKEd Out: FArruKh hABIB fAISALABAd

Mastercard expands its Business Intelligence Platform for Financial Institution MASTERCARD MARKET TRENDS IS AN INTERACTIVE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM THAT BRINGS TOGETHER UP-TODATE PAYMENTS DATA, CONSUMER AND INDUSTRY INSIGHTS KARACHI pr

Mastercard has announced the expansion of its new interactive business intelligence platform Mastercard Market Trends in the Middle East and Africa. The new platform provides a comprehensive view of payments insights, competitive intelligence and industry trends for banks and financial institutions across the world and now within the Middle East and Africa. In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), the platform enables a comparison of over 300 cards from five key markets, access to market reports, analysis of global and regional leading fintechs and thought leadership on key payment industry and technology trends, such as Open Banking and Blockchain.

Mastercard Market Trends provides a simple, curated view of reliable research – all in one place. “Access to relevant insights, data, and analytics to inform smart decisions is critical to business success. Mastercard Market Trends offers a one-stop shop for financial institutions to access key information, which will allow for better decision-making and results. The platform brings together the latest market, industry and consumer insights, enabling financial institutions to really understand their customers and confidently embrace the constant evolution in how people shop and pay,” said Dimitrios Dosis, President, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.

President Arif Alvi signs PECA, elections amendment ordinances ContInued fRom pAge 01 The new law allows a member of “parliament, provincial assembly or elected member of local government, including member holding any other office under the constitution or any other law, will be allowed to visit or address public meetings in “any area or constituency”.

Govt proposes changes in electoral, social media defamation laws A day earlier, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had confirmed that two important bills relating to the election commission’s code of conduct and social media have been sent to the federal cabinet for approval.

In a tweet, the information minister said the first proposal seeks permission to allow parliamentarians to run election campaigns.

The second law, if enforced, will make social media defamation a punishable crime.

“Insulting the dignity of another person on social media will be made a punishable offence and the courts will be bound to decide the cases within a period of six months,” he said.

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staff report

TATE Minister for Information & Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Sunday said the government had chalked out a comprehensive strategy to provide loans to each and every family with low income to enable them get their own shelter through different policies announced by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.

He was addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected members of Jhang Union of Journalists at Jhang Press Club.

He said the government had launched Naya Pakistan Housing Project and directions had already been issued to all banks to provide housing loans to the target groups so that the objective of adding new housing units could be achieved within the shortest possible time.

Under the scheme, people could get easy loans for construction of their 3-marla to 10-marla houses, he said,

adding that the banks had so far received applications for loans of Rs 260 billion, out of which, loans of Rs 130 billion were approved and Rs 40 billion were distributed so far.

He said that Kamyab Jawan programme was also linked with Housing

Project so that low income people could get housing loans for 3 to 7 years duration.

He said that past rulers only gave lollipop to people, however, the PTI government was taking practical steps for the welfare and betterment

of masses.

He said the government had started provision of interest free loans up to Rs 500,000 under Kamyab Jawan Programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and now the scope of this facility was extended to Punjab.

He lauded the health card scheme and said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had made every citizen of Pakistan a millionaire because the card holder could get medical treatment up to Rs 1 million from the best hospital of his choice.

He said that past rulers preferred to get treatment of their diseases from abroad as they failed to establish even a single quality hospital in the country.

Now, Prime Minister Imran Khan brought a universal health insurance system under which each family in Punjab would get Sehat Card by March 31 and the card holder would be entitled to get free treatment from any public or private hospital of the country. About 2 million people have so far availed the treatment facilities through Sehat cards, he added.

PTI govt feels jittery about Tareen’s meetings with opposition The PTI government appears to be jittery about Jehangir Khan’s purported meetings with the opposition amid their efforts to oust the premier.

Meanwhile, the nine-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, as well as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have agreed to bring a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan but are not currently considering a similar move regarding Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser or Senate Chair-

man Sadiq Sanjrani.

Though some government functionaries are playing down Mr Tareen’s supposedly clandestine meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif, a source privy to the development says the government is indeed wary of ongoing activities in the opposition’s camp, especially the flurry around Mr Tareen.

“The activities of Mr Tareen, members of his group and the government’s allies are being closely monitored by government agencies and re-

ported to the top man,” the source said.

In the case of Jehangir Tareen, particularly, he said the government faced a dilemma. “If the government grills him again through the Federal Investigation Agency in the sugar scam to pressure him, it may backfire in the form of a revolt by around 10 MNAs and 30 MPAs which Tareen claims to have the backing of.

If the government acts as an onlooker, the opposition may end up working things out with him.” news desk

MQM-P Khawaja Sohail Mansoor withdraws candidature Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Khawaja Sohail Mansoor has announced his resignation in favour of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nisar Khuhro in the Senate elections.

Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, while talking to media at the ECP office along with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Nisar Khuhro stated that “I am present here in personal capacity.

I have old relations with Nisar Khuhro. I will not submit my nomination papers for the Senate seat against him. Nisar Khuhro is a senator for me from today.”

He said that if the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) had not decided to field a candidate then there should be no disagreement.

“This seat belongs to the PPP and the PPP should get it,” the MQM leader said.

It is pertinent to note that Khuhro is the Advisor of Chief Minister of Sindh on Works & Services and also on Universities & Boards since 2019. with the status of a provincial minister. He is also serving as the Pro-Chancellor of all public universities in Sindh.

Khuhro is a Sindhi politician who is the President of the Pakistan Peoples Party for Sindh. news desk

Over 100 people robbed in Karachi’s Korangi As per the statistics, over 100 people on Saturday on the Korangi Causeway in Karachi. Ten to 12 robbers reportedly set up roadblocks to trap vehicles and proceeded to rob the people with relative ease and appeared to not be afraid of police and rangers.

According to the citizens caught in the roadblock, they had phoned the police helpline but it could not reach the location in time. Moreover, the police not only denied the incident but also failed to register an FIR. In this regard, a citizen said that the city “has been handed over to robbers” and that the performance of police, rangers and other law enforcement agencies responsible for the protection of life and property has been “reduced to zero”. Earlier this week, a senior producer working for a private TV channel was shot dead during a botched robbery in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area. As per the details, Athar Mateen was gunned down after he rammed his vehicle into the bike of alleged robbers who were looting a citizen, said police. As the alleged robbers fell down they fired shots at the vehicle, killing the media worker, said SSP Central Rana Maroof. The suspects managed to flee after the incident on a bike snatched from a citizen while leaving their bike behind, the SSP added. The Karachi Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon blamed drug addiction and unemployment for the spike in street crimes and said that the police have accepted the challenge to tackle this problem. news desk

Athar Mateen was robbed nine times before being shot dead, says brother KARACHI staff report

Tariq Mateen, brother of journalist Athar Mateen, on Sunday said the deceased journalist was robbed nearly nine times before being killed in Karachi while foiling a mugging bid.

Speaking during a special transmission of ARY NEWS over rising street crime incidents in Karachi, he said that not only Athar but they were five brothers and each of them have been robbed multiple times on Karachi streets.

“The robbers are roaming freely and it is Karachiites who need to hide their mobile phones and cash while going out over fear of getting robbed,” he said and added, “Our police and government has failed to deal

with the situation,” he said.

He asked as to why they had to pay the price of the government’s failure.

“The government functionaries only had to issue a condemnation after every such incident without taking concrete steps to deal with it,” he said.

He lamented that the spot where Athar Mateen was shot dead was less than a kilometre away from a police station.

“However, no one came from the station even after the robbers took their time to run away while continuously firing,” Tariq Mateen said and blamed that those who had to take action against these elements are allegedly their backers.

It is pertinent to mention here that

unidentified armed men opened fire on a vehicle in Karachi’s Nazimabad area, killing a local journalist identified as Athar Mateen as he tried to foil a mugging bid.

The police said that the journalist Athar Mateen tried to foil a mugging bid when the incident occurred.

“Muggers were looting a citizen when Mateen hit them with his vehicle,” they said and added that the suspects after being hit opened fire on him resulting in his immediate death.

“Athar Mateen was shot three times and we have recovered two empty casings of 30bore pistol,” SSP Central Maroof Usman said and added that a team of crime scene unit has also been dispatched to the spot.

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Monday, 21 February, 2022

06 COMMENT

Myanmar Junta’s ICJ defence is troubling

Self-interested legislation Instead of reducing distances, the govt seems to be preparing for a fresh round

T

He only thing in common between the two laws approved by the Cabinet is that they are ordinances. The problem with ordinances is that they are only valid for 120 days, but it seems that that is as long as is wanted for these new laws. There is an ordinance enhancing punishment for online defamation, enhancing the punishment and making it a non-bailable offence. why this was needed becomes clearer when the change in the elections laws to be made is kept in view: it allows legislators to take part in election campaigns.

This will stop the election Commission of Pakistan from taking action against ministers and others, including the Prime Minister and the chief ministers, from addressing election rallies and announcing goodies for the constituency.

These measures make sense when it is remembered that there is a maelstrom of elections coming, with one phase of the KP local body polls to be held, as well as both phases of the Punjab lB polls coming up. while the cybercrime law seems to duplicate existing provisions against criminal defamation, it does make it easier to sling behind bars anyone who criticizes the government. By making the offence non-bailable, keeping behind bars becomes that much easier.

The impulse to exert control over social media is not a new one, and it seems the government is trying to kill two birds with one stone. its previous attempts to control the press and electronic media were condemned by the international ngo Reporters without Borders, as attempts at censorship. But the second law seems a reaction to the eCP advising the PM not to visit his native Mianwali, because Punjab was going to have an election. it is also possible that the opposition’s threat of a no-confidence vote against the PM comes into the equation, for just as the opposition is upping its game against him, he will be equipping himself with a new tool of control. The government has long avoided one of the basic requirements of democracy, of the government and opposition maintaining a working relationship. instead of taking the initiative on this goal, the government seems to be equipping itself for a fresh crackdown.

The Rohingya genocide case Parvej Siddique Bhuiyan

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ollowing the military-led “clearance operation” that forced 750,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, gambia, a west African nation, in november 2019, brought a case to the international Court of Justice (iCJ), accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 genocide Convention. later on, in response to the court’s unanimously indicated legally binding provisional measures to protect the Rohingya from further atrocities, in January 2021, the then nlD government filed a preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the Court and the admissibility of the application. in this context, the iCJ recently announced that it will hold a fresh round of hearings on February 21–28 in the great Hall of Justice in which the regime’s leaders will be potential defendants, sparking speculation that the Court is implicitly taking a position in the ongoing civil war and legitimizing the unrecognized military regime. it is worth noting that the Junta-formed State Administrative Council (SAC) and the national Unity government (nUg) have been struggling for recognition from the international community since the coup d’état in February 2021. when Un investigators concluded that the military’s crimes against Rohingya Muslims in 2017 had “genocidal intent,” both the civilian government led

by Aung San Suu Kyi and the military denied the accusation. in 2019, Suu Kyi personally attended hearings to defend the military against charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. However, the army’s takeover has put an end to Myanmar’s “quasidemocratic process,” preventing her from representing the country at the iCJ. Meanwhile, the military administration has organized a new legal team led by its foreign minister, U wunna Maung lwin, to contest the genocide case.

Accepting representation from the illegitimate military regime under the Un system would contradict the Un. The general Assembly stance taken in December 2021 that firmly rejected the junta’s credentials, leaving U Kyaw Moe Tun (aligned with the nUg) as Myanmar’s incumbent permanent representative to the United nations, because it would imply that the iCJ acknowledges the Tatmadaw as the rightful representatives of Myanmar, despite the fact that no Un member state, Un agency, or other international organization has formally recognised the junta government. Though the iCJ has no jurisdiction to decide who lawfully represents Myanmar, Un gen-

Visit to Russia Prime Minister to cover a wide range of issues

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RiMe MiniSTeR imran Khan is to leave for Moscow on February 23 on the first bilateral visit of a Pakistani Prime Minister there since 1999, but information Minister Fawad Chaudhry’s claim that it will be a ‘gamechanger’ depends on whether or not the foreign ministry and its appendages have sufficiently prepped and effectively briefed Mr Khan on the visit to Russia and its significance. As Mr Khan may find himself arriving at a time when his hosts will have invaded Ukraine, he will do well to avoid deviating from the official line that Pakistan would not like to see war take place.

Mr Khan will have many other subjects to talk about without offending the USA. Perhaps the most pressing will be Afghanistan’s latest situation and how to prevent any terrorist threat from emanating from there. while Pakistan has a problem with the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan, Russia has had to deal with Chechens. They both have an immediate interest in ensuring that the Taliban control any potential terrorists. For this reason alone, the USA is watching this visit carefully. At the same time, it wants to see how far Russia is willing to go in its relations with Pakistan. There are two forces acting to make Russia inclined to Pakistan more than ever before. india was once a very close ally, but of late has been drawing closer to the USA. Apart from that, Russia is drawing closer to China, which has a close relationship with Pakistan. The USA-China conflict also impinges on this dynamic.

So far, Russia has remained supportive of india on all issues, including that of Kashmir. That issue is likely to come up, and while a reversal of its previous stance is not to be looked for, any softening of the Russian position will have to be accounted a success. Pakistan will need to engage india’s main ally if it wishes to counter india’s moves in the Middle east, symbolized by the visit to india of the Saudi army chief. if india believes that befriending its ally’s allies will reduce Pakistan’s friends, Pakistan is right to befriend india’s allies.

dr ShoaiB Baloch

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He deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan demonstrates Pakistan’s turbulent internal security environment. The recent spate of attacks on security posts in naushki and Panjgur are not just an accident, but have strategic timing and execution. it signifies the changing security landscape of the country with the shifting regional security paradigm and geopolitics. in a changing world, Balochistan appears to be the chessboard of a new great game between regional and global players. growing great powers competition will bring Pakistan into the eye of a geopolitical storm; it can deplorably change the internal security dynamics of the country.

The coordinated assaults in Balochistan at the time of Prime Minister imran Khan’s visit to China should not be considered a coincidence, but it signifies intensifying Sino-US tension, and Pakistan’s strategic hedging towards China.

To thwart Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China in the face of growing Sino-US competition and the evolving indo-US alliance, external players, both regional and extra-regional, will fan the flame of insurgency by providing logistic and material support to insurgent groups in order to unleash violence.

For achieving strategic advantage and intimidating Pakistan, hostile forces will galvanize both separatist and religious groups to escalate their conflicts in the country. it can disrupt the country’s internal peace and stability. As the security situation deteriorates in the province, it will increase China’s concerns and the insecurity of the CPeC project. in the face of great power competition, the CPeC has a strategic dimension. As China increases its economic footprint in the region through the integration of vital supply lines, it will try to get access to the in-

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However, it is unlikely that the NUG’s or junta’s representation in the ICJ has any direct practical ramifications in the court proceeding because defining the legal authority of Myanmar is not the subject of the Gambia v. Myanmar case. So, whoever represents Myanmar, the ICJ should proceed on substantive grounds that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and/or genocide have occurred in Rakhine

The USA and China will focus on Balochistan because of CPEC

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

that could give legitimacy to the junta and move forward with substantive hearings on the case.

The junta’s representation in the legal proceedings could further complicate the implementation of the iCJ ruling. Because the regime, however, lacks effective control over the administration of the Arakan state’s key functions like taxation, revenue collection, and territorial stability, the Arakan Army (an anti-junta ethnic armed organization based in Arakan) claims to control 60 percent of the Rakhine state administration and collects household revenues from both the Rohingya and the rest of the population.

The iCJ should also note the junta’s failure to uphold the “provisional measures of protection.” in a flagrant violation of the iCJ’s decisions, new evidence revealed in an order issued by the junta-run general Administration Department of Buthidaung Township in Rakhine State demonstrates the draconian denials of freedom of movement, preventing Rohingya from accessing livelihoods, health care, and other aspects of basic survival. The national Unity government (nUg), on the other hand, has proposed two realistic measures for a sustainable solution of the crisis. The first is agreeing to grant full citizenship rights to all Rohingya people, and the second is formally withdrawing all preliminary objections in the case by admitting past atrocities committed against Rohingya people.

However, it is unlikely that the nUg’s or junta’s representation in the iCJ has any direct practical ramifications in the court proceeding because defining the legal authority of Myanmar is not the subject of the gambia v. Myanmar case. So, whoever represents Myanmar, the iCJ should proceed on substantive grounds that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and/or genocide have occurred in Rakhine.

The writer can psbhuiyan92@gmail.com

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Balochistan: the new great game?

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

eral Assembly Resolution 396 (V) (1950) specifies that the decision of the Credentials Committee should be taken into consideration by other Un bodies when deciding on member state representation.

Again, the court cannot disregard the Un resolution passed in June 2021 that condemned the coup in the “strongest terms” and demanded a fully inclusive civilian government. whoever represents Myanmar must represent its people. However, following the junta’s mass killings and atrocities in the ethnic states of Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Shan, and Kayin since the February coup, the people of Myanmar have clearly rejected the regime, which could be charged with “crimes against humanity” by the international Criminal Court (iCC). So, allowing unlawful officials who overthrew civilian governments would thus undermine the Un charter and call the court’s role in promoting the rule of law into question. According to a recent statement issued by nUg, the Court risks setting a ‘dangerous precedent’ that would be detrimental to Myanmar and its people, including the Rohingya. it is understandable that the junta will leverage the hearings to gain substantial de jure recognition as the legitimate government of Myanmar within other Un bodies and beyond. As a result, the moral and strategic positions of international state actors to deny mass-murderous military acceptance will be weakened to some extent. Similarly, it would send a terrible message to the civil society groups that are demanding the restoration of democracy and human rights in Myanmar. in a joint letter to the iCJ president, legal Action worldwide (lAw), along with Fortify Rights and the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP), argued that the court’s acceptance of the junta to represent the country “would risk legitimizing the junta’s unlawful seizure of power.” importantly, in a letter, 807 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar camp urged the President of the iCJ to reconsider any act

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dian ocean Region (ioR) that enables Beijing to maneuver for maritime routes. it is obvious that CPeC provides China the shortest route to import oil from gulf countries and export manufactured goods to regional and global markets, but it also consolidates Beijing’s maritime security to escape the Malacca dilemma in a war situation.

The regional security landscape has occurred just after the USA’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and creation of a new security alliance, the AUKUS. it has dramatically changed the regional security environment with resurgence of violence. Just after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, a new wave of insurgency swept the region. owing to inimical ties with the new guards of Afghanistan, dislocated militant groups are trying to find new hideouts. They carry out deadly assaults where they operate. in this new great game, these militant groups can be used by hostile agencies for strategic coercion.

By the virtue of its geostrategic location, Balochistan will attract great powers’ attention. it plays a significant role for regional connectivity, resource exploitation of Central Asian and the Middle eastern countries, and maritime security. in other words, Balochistan is at the heartland of vast regional oil and energy resources, which are instrumental for big powers to maintain their clout on regional affairs.

To control connection between South Asia and Central Asia through Afghanistan, major players will continue their subversive activities in the province. in this context, Michael Kugelman’s article in Foreign Policy, “South Asia Has a Connectivity Disconnect”, is a timely appraisal of growing competition for regional connectivity between Pakistan and india.

He writes that “[n]ew infrastructure plans are playing out in subregions, with india pursuing initiative to its east and Pakistan eyeing opportunities in Afghanistan and Central Asia. This infrastructure development is

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becoming the latest battlefield for competition between islamabad and new Delhi”.

Against this backdrop, india will increase its regional outreach and foil Pakistan’s policy initiative to be the “zip of eurasia”. Along with other players, india will wage hybrid warfare through controlling narratives and perceptions. As long as Pakistan does not assess the internal dynamics of the Balochistan conflict, it will be harassed strategically by adversaries, making the Balochistan problem its Achilles’ heel. given the complexity of the problem, these attacks are just the tip of the iceberg. There will be dangerous security situations provided that great powers compete for control in the indian ocean Region (and Balochistan) for controlling the sea lines of communication and regional infrastructure for resources and strategic purposes. in this scenario, power politics and a new great game will revolve around Balochistan. with the increasing tendency of extremism and sub-nationalism, the security environment of the province will become extremely troublesome. To restore law and order, military deployment will be increased which results in deprivation and political crisis in the province.

For circumventing destabilizing forces, it is indispensable for policy makers to evaluate and understand the internal dynamics of Balochistan conflict.

Seeking a military solution to a political problem will aggravate the situation. As islamabad has persuaded the USA that there is no military solution to the Afghanistan problem, it needs to assess the Balochistan issue through political lenses, too.

Fair resource distribution, true political representation, replacement of Frontier Corps by police, allocation of special funds for infrastructure development, engagement with public, and improvement of education standards can be some remedial measures to improve state-society relations. it paves the way for reconciliation and enables Pakistan to play the new great game aptly—while not getting sucked into evolving great power competition.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Monday, 21 February, 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

Mandatory imposition of M-tag on the motorway AFTeR the mandatory registration of M-tags for vehicles on the motorway, queues of unregistered vehicles which do not possess M-tags started forming as traffic police did not let the cars through.

According to reports, citizens are facing severe difficulties getting Mtag. Motorway police launched a crackdown on vehicles without M-tags, preventing vehicles without M-tags from entering the motorway. Queues have formed at the M-tag booths making it a hassle for those wanting to arrive at their destinations on time. while talking to the media, passengers said that there are long queues wherever they go, all the booths of the lahore-islamabad motorway are full of traffic and it takes 2 to 3 hours to apply for an M-tag. Passengers said, “Many people are in an emergency but are not allowed to pass without M-tag.” However, motorway authorities said that the main purpose of the change is to reduce the time wasted in several kilometre long queues at the toll plazas. it will also help digitize the whole process and make it a lot smoother.

MUHAMMAD AHSAN KAMAL RAwALpiNDi

Afghanistan – Learning from Afghanistan’s history- anyone?

The USA made the same mistake as the USSR Bilal ahmed

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oRMeR British Prime Minister winston Churchill, once famously said “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” it is to imply that history teaches us all a lesson that we must learn in order to be successful in future.

Afghanistan, though a landlocked state, has undoubtedly enjoyed an eminent strategic location because of being located at the crossroads of Asia, Middle east, and the gulf. Because of its strategic location and proximity to the Arabian Sea, Afghanistan has been the battle ground of great-power rivalry for many centuries. owing to its difficult terrain (harsh weather, barren land and scattered population), tricks of the popular guerilla-style fighting, and strong belief systems, Afghanistan came to be famously known as the graveyard of great empires. History is witness to the fact that the Afghans have not let the foreign powers to control their land no matter how powerful they were.

Be it the Soviets for spreading and preaching of Communism or Americans for the alleged war on terrorism - the superpowers of their times, had to retreat one by one from Afghanistan.

They did not only end up unsuccessful in achieving their end goal, but also ended up losing precious lives, wealth, prestige and gained humiliation. As the history of Afghanistan reflects, it has now become obvious that the states that intervened in the internal matters of Afghanistan, whether to preach communism or seek regime change, faced more obstacles than benefits by interfering in the country and challenging the people’s values and belief system.

Afghan government and society is based on tribal cultural and conservative religious values.

Afghanistan is a multiethnic country composed of several ethnic groups predominated by Pashtuns, with between 40 to 50 percent of the population. They do not compromise on their cultural and religious sentiments as they have resisted several foreign aggressions which tried to meddle with their religious and cultural values.

Historically, the USSR and the USA had also tried their best to impose their will on Afghans with immense power and advanced technology of that time. However, after facing strong resistance from Afghans they were forced to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan.

Samuel P. Huntington in his book Clash of Civilizations mentions that the west has always wanted to impose itd culture and ideology to prevail and dominate over other cultures. The USA tried undertaking the same in Afghanistan after analyzing Afghanistan’s strategic importance and the perceived US interests in the region. in this regard, Afghanistan gained top priority in US foreign policy leading to its involvement in Afghanistan on two different occasions. For the first time, it indirectly got involved against the USSR during the Cold war with an aim to curtail the communist ideology.

The second time, following the September 11 attacks of 2001, the USA launched its war on terror against Al-Qaeda and other fundamentalist

groups. in the first instance, the USA accomplished its interests by indirectly defeating the USSR but in the latter one even after the acclaimed death of osama Bin laden, the USA seemed to have fallen back almost emptyhanded with immense monetary losses and strategic failures. The common factor in both times for Afghans was the foreign threat to their ideology, social and religious values.

The USA faced defeat where it was fighting against the ideology and set of rules of the natives.

The main reason for the Afghans’ victory against both the USSR and the USA was their will and resilience to defend their popular socio-religious sentiments. The western powers, such as the USA and its nATo allies, failed to defeat the Taliban as they mistook the Taliban as an isolated group, not as having an ideology that enjoys massive public support. The popular domestic support for Taliban cannot be ruled out after all as they have successfully captured Afghanistan twice now, and that too without weapons as sophisticated as held by their adversaries.

The most important lesson that the world could learn from the example of foreign intervention in countries such as Afghanistan would be to give some consideration and acknowledgement to the cultural and religious sentiments of the local Afghans. A thorough study of world history speaks volumes about the devastating effects of interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. Prima facie each and every adventure of the great powers has proven to be detrimental to development and stability in Afghanistan. The invading country seems to have achieved its interests by exercising its physical might as per their will but on the contrary such adventures have brought even more severe consequences for the invading party.

After 9/11, the USA has spent two decades in Afghanistan and is quite familiar with Afghanistan’s dependence on foreign aid and as-

sistance. Therefore, when the conventional military means have failed, the USA and its allies are now trying to compel the Taliban by using non-conventional tactics revolving around diplomacy and economy to bring the country to its knees. earlier the USA froze the Afghan Central Bank’s assets worth $9.5 billion. Since Afghanistan is already facing a severe economic crisis, such economic sanctions could worsen the livelihood of common Afghans leading to mass migration within and across borders. it appears that the big powers, such as the USA, in recent times have not learnt from its past mistakes and adventures in other countries by forsaking natives’ values, belief systems as well as their development. on the other hand, Pakistan is an immediate neighbor of Afghanistan and does not have the luxury to self-isolate and abandon its neighbor on a whim and has to make a twoway effort as a mediator between ‘The Taliban’ and the ‘west’. on the one hand, Pakistan should engage with the Taliban and try to generate a sense of realization regarding the importance of bringing inclusivity. Through moderate religious scholars and intelligentsia, the Taliban should also be compelled to consider a balanced approach regarding women’s role in political and domestic affairs which is the most prior task to sustain development in the modern world. on the other hand, Pakistan needs to make political and diplomatic efforts towards the rest of world for recognizing the new Taliban regime or else, keeping in view the economic dependency of Afghanistan, it would have severe consequences in form of humanitarian crisis, terrorist activities, drug trafficking and so on. in consideration of the past lessons, Pakistan should also play a significant role wisely and avoid any clash with the popular sentiments of the Afghan people.

Pakistan has an edge of sharing similar religious values with Afghans, so it would help Pakistan to achieve its interests in Afghanistan in a peaceful and more shielded way.

On the other hand, Pakistan needs to make political and diplomatic efforts towards the rest of world for recognizing the new Taliban regime or else, keeping in view the economic dependency of Afghanistan, it would have severe consequences in form of humanitarian crisis, terrorist activities, drug trafficking and so on. In consideration of the past lessons, Pakistan should also play a significant role wisely and avoid any clash with the popular sentiments of the Afghan people. Pakistan has an edge of sharing similar religious values with Afghans, so it would help Pakistan to achieve its interests in Afghanistan in a peaceful and more shielded way.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Stable currency and economic growth A stable currency is very important to achieve real economic growth for any country in the world. it appears that our honourable Prime Minister, Mr imran Khan does not understand this economic matter in the real sense because he is a cricketer turned politician.

Pakistan Rupee has depreciated about 45% during the last three and a half years since imran Khan came into power in the August of the year 2018. The exchange rate of Pak Rupee was Rs 120 = 1 US$ in August 2018 which is now Rs. 175= 1 US$. Forty-five percent of the depreciation of its currency is an economic disaster for any country. when a currency is depreciating and has a weaker outlook, the investment stops coming from abroad. A country like ours can’t achieve real economic growth without foreign investment. Secondly, a devaluation tends to cause inflation especially in our country which has huge imports of goods.

Since we have very sizeable imported contents in our consumption, the prices of goods and services increase immediately after devaluation making the life of a common man very difficult. Theoretically, devaluation should result in an increased demand for exports because our exports become cheaper abroad for the foreign buyers but we don’t get any noticeable increase in our exports after devaluation because we don’t have any significant exportable surplus. on the contrary, we make a loss in a real sense as our exporters are asked by the foreign buyers to reduce the prices of goods in US $ because our exporters get more Rupees of their export proceeds of US Dollars after devaluation. in view of the above, i suggest to the honourable Prime Minister, Finance Minister and governor of State Bank of Pakistan to take necessary steps stabilise Pak Rupee and stop it from further devaluation.

EJAZ AHMAD MAGOON LAHORE

Heart disease in Pakistan AT present, approximately 2380 deaths worldwide are caused by heart attacks every year. in the coronary heart attack deaths, Pakistan is ranked 18 out of 183 countries of the world according to global health rankings. in a conference, Dr naeem Malik, chairman of the Pakistan institute of Medical Sciences, said that 47 people die of heart attack every hour in Pakistan. According to cardiologists, the main cause of heart diseases is high blood pressure, smoking, and non-exercise. According to a global report, 17 million deaths occur every year in the world, and 19% of deaths in Pakistan are due to heart attacks, which has reached 29%.

Medical experts should immediately investigate this as part of their research paper, that what are the causes of the spread of the disease, which has been increasing rapidly every year. in Pakistan, The national institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (niCVD) has been gaining worldwide recognition for the establishment of satellite centres in every district of Sindh with all free treatment of heart diseases. niCVD is the first and largest flagship institute of heart diseases in Asia. The government of Pakistan should expand free heart care services overall the country by establishing medical institutions same as niCVD as well as providing information on prevention and treatment of this alarming disease through social awareness campaigns for healthy diet and lifestyle in the public. iMDAD JAMALi KARAcHi

Guns and butter All over the world, countries are spending an exorbitant amount of money on national security, while spending on human welfare is declining.

Millions of children are out of school in Pakistan because our government does not spend as many resources on the education sector.

The United States, whose gDP is very high, also ranks low in nonmilitary measures of human security indexes. Military-industrial complexes are lobbying congress to increase defence spending. one case in point is the difficulty that Joe Biden’s government faces in trying to get its “build back better bill” passed. Arms exports to countries with human rights problems e.g Saudi Arabia, UAe is fueling more war and misery in Yemen, Syria, etc. in Afghanistan, many people are facing food insecurity as the world spends hundreds of thousands of dollars per minute on military preparations. The number of people seeking refuge in developed countries has increased. Recently a stand-off between refugees and police at Poland and Belarus border is a testimony to human suffering. in Pakistan, poverty causes many people to join extremist outfits.

Youth bulge in pakistan may cause havoc if unemployment, inflation, poverty, etcetera is not controlled. every rupee spent on national security is a rupee not available for children education, human welfare, and other development projects. All over the world the frustration is rising. People want basic facilities and a high standard of living.

HALEEMA SADiA KALLAR SyEDAN

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08 WORLD VIEW

DefInIng european orDer STABILITY MUST NOT BE ACHIEVED AT CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE’S EXPENSE

RCW lászló boRhI

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He space between Germany and russia was the cradle of two world wars and the Cold War. Today it is the focal point of international conflict again. europe is living a moment reminiscent to the period before 1914, which eventually led to a complete overhaul of european order.

Middle europe sits on a major geopolitical fault line. it is a territory contested throughout history by major powers such as the Ottomans, the Habsburgs, and the nationstate of Germany. in the last hundred years, this space has been rearranged multiple times, with the tide of russian control expanding and receding. in 1914, the Vienna system of 1815 ended, and a world war broke out to settle the question of mastery in europe. The russian collapse and the defeat of the Central Powers created a power vacuum as austria-Hungary, which had guaranteed the balance between russia and Germany, disintegrated.

The peacemakers in Paris at the end of World War i cobbled together a new international system and erected a string of new, mutually hostile nation-states. These vulnerable countries sat on the ruins of the old empires. The successor states were supposed to form a protective barrier against soviet russia while also containing Germany, and thereby enhance stability. They did none of these things.

France and Great Britain were the architects of this peace, but they never committed military power to uphold it. They gradually abandoned their construct and left it to its own devices. Hitler and stalin took advantage of the emerging power vacuum in the region, where both tyrants hoped to construct their own, murderous, self-sufficient, anti-Western empires. in their brief honeymoon, they divided the northern part of the region into spheres of influence at the expense of Poland and the Baltic states. The soviet Union moved one step farther to its west. The Nazi-soviet condominium collapsed in the Balkans, and Hitler decided to attack its main strategic and ideological rival. Had Hitler won, the fate of Poland and Ukraine would have been disastrous: Pax Germanica envisioned genocide and colonization for them.

A PRECARIOUS ORDER: a new international system was forged at the conferences in Moscow in 1944 and Yalta in 1945. The system sought to secure Britain’s position as a global power and to ensure stalin’s participation in safeguarding european peace. This led to a new partition between Great Britain and the United states on one hand, and the emerging soviet colossus on the other. as a British Foreign Office paper stated, the

adjacent states would be “handed over to the wolves.” stalin noted that russia’s czars had known how to win a war, but not how to win peace. Now, each power would introduce its own system in the lands it had conquered. The West sought to placate stalin and earn his participation in ensuring an orderly europe. They wanted the soviets to keep Germany down, even if this cost the states of middle europe their independence. in contrast with 1918, soviet domination was regarded as a token of stability. in 1948, the U.s. discovered that the Moscow’s ambition to expand was boundless, witnessing the coup in Czechoslovakia in 1948 and the blockade of Berlin. By then, it was too late. soviet control of the region was a dagger at the throat of the West. Middle europe became a soviet political, economic, and military space. This was the token of Moscow’s position as a global power, and it was safeguarded by the Brezhnev Doctrine, under which the soviet Union reserved the right to use military force to uphold the communist system in Warsaw Pact states. instead of more security, the West ended up with less. soviet power extended well into what the National security Council described as the “heart of europe.” in the 1950s, the U.s. briefly promoted the restoration of national independence for the states behind the iron Curtain, but the soviet nuclear deterrent and West european reticence made that policy too dangerous to pursue.

The security order changed again in 1989. Gorbachev’s reform processes within the soviet satellite states created a new opportunity to reorganize this strategically crucial space. it is not that NaTO or the United states were eager to exploit the emerging power vacuum and end the Cold War. it was, rather, the eastern europeans themselves who rejected the revised order offered by Gorbachev and the West. They opted for a new order altogether.

By late 1989, it was becoming clear that europe’s east would be left with an enormous power vacuum and that the United states would need to stand between Germany and russia in Central europe. The power vacuum expanded further to the east with the collapse of the soviet Union in 1991. sovereignty was returned to former soviet satellites, and further still, new nation-states emerged on the ruins of the soviet Union itself. Moreover, Gorbachev agreed to German unification within NaTO. He thought he got something in return: a pledge that not an inch of NaTO’s present military jurisdiction would spread in an eastern direction. Current russian President Vladimir Putin has referred to this pledge and claimed that the West conned russia.

The loss of Ukraine involved a strategic setback for Moscow that was hardly even noticed in the turmoil. One of the most important fruits of soviet victory in World War ii were the Carpathian passes in Western Ukraine. Once an army crosses through the Carpathians into the Hungarian plains, the heart of europe is only a short leap away.

STABILIZING ORDER NOW: The post-soviet elite never resigned themselves to the loss of empire. russia saw itself relegated to the european periphery, back where it had started in 1939. From Moscow’s perspec-

tive, the situation was aggravated by the fact that the U.s. filled the gap in a paradigmatic shift of america’s commitment to europe.

The question now is where the boundaries between the russian and the Western spheres of influence will be stabilized. Moscow has started to push back on the postCold War status quo in europe. This pushback is facilitated by the unresolved status of Ukraine, and this status is what is waiting now to be settled.

Weak states are able to destabilize international politics by their weakness. They can use that very weakness as leverage on their great-power patrons, whom they are sometimes able to manipulate to prop them up. indeed, weak states are usually unable to fend for themselves. They require the support of powerful states to protect them from the encroachments of expansionist powers and to ensure their sovereignty and territorial integrity. The problem for eastern and Central european states, until they joined NaTO, was the lack of such protection, as evidenced by their subjugation to the Germans and later the soviets.

Ukraine’s position in international space is undefined. The possibility of NaTO membership has only served to increase Ukraine’s vulnerability, while simultaneously inviting russian aggression and causing anxiety among the former Warsaw Pact states.

NaTO membership for Ukraine may enhance stability between russia and the West and deter russian aggression. The negative effect would be to cement the current rivalry between russia and NaTO for the foreseeable future. Moreover, this scenario would push russia further toward China, the West’s main geopolitical rival. an austrian-type Ukrainian armed neutrality

Why Israel strikes Syria ISRAELI STRIKES ON DAMASCUS MAY HAVE BEEN MORE ABOUT HEZBOLLAH THAN SYRIA

RT RobeRt Inlakesh

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sraeli airstrikes reportedly targeted southern Damascus on Wednesday, causing material damage and reflecting a larger trend of what syria considers “israeli aggression” against it. But what does israel seek to achieve with these strikes? at around 11:35pm (local time) israel launched surface-to-surface missiles “from the direction of the occupied syrian Golan, targeting some points in the vicinity of Zakiya town,” according to syrian state media. syrian opposition media then claimed that a syrian military base used by pro-iran militias was struck. it was the third israeli strike within the past month, with the previous attack occurring just last week. On January 31, israeli airstrikes near Damascus reportedly targeted weapons belonging to lebanese Hezbollah.

Wednesday’s airstrikes came shortly after a speech delivered earlier that day by the secretary General of Hezbollah, sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in which he addressed the israeli attacks. He claimed that his group possesses the ability “to transform our thousands of rockets into precision-guided missiles” with the cooperation of “experts from the islamic republic of iran.” During his televised address, Nasrallah also said that Hezbollah has been developing precision missiles and “drones in lebanon for a long time,” jokingly adding “whoever

wants to buy them, submit an order.”

Nasrallah also threatened israel with “another ansariya,” which is the name for a 1997 operation in which Hezbollah ambushed and killed 12 israeli soldiers attempting to plant explosives in lebanon. after referring to a number of known engagements between Hezbollah and israel, labeled by Nasrallah as “the battles in between wars,” he remarked that “when it comes to the actual implementation of operations, they need to bring in commandos, generals, soldiers, elite groups… they bring them from the sea,” he stated, warning israel that “we are ready for them.” according to an alleged insider source found through journalist laith Marouf, Nasrallah’s speech referred to a thwarted israeli special forces operation, describing it but refraining from announcing it. The “resistance source” did not wish to be named for security reasons, claiming that on February 2, two israeli special forces teams had allegedly landed in the areas of Zouk Mosbeh (18km North of Beirut), and Jounieh (22km North of Beirut) attempting to reach beachfront safehouses. This information could not be independently verified.

“They [the israeli forces] had activated their local network of agents…they had two operations running simultaneously, because the israeli modus operandi is that they have one operation to distract from the other, which would go after the target. alternatively the second team could complete the operation if the other fails,” the source claimed.

“The communications opened up between the teams and their agents, revealing the agents and so they were captured [by Hezbollah], these were not those in the safe houses but those who were on the ground preparing for the action against the targets,” the source claimed. i asked whether any of those captured were israeli nationals and the reply was that only lebanese agents were arrested.

according to the source, Hezbollah had discovered only one of the teams, faced with the choice of engaging would mean killing or capturing them, but without the second team located this would have been costly. What then allegedly occurred, was that Hezbollah forces allowed for the israelis to withdraw to sea, after the teams’ cover was blown, in order to avert the possibility of war between the two sides. “They [the israelis] thought that they had located a manufacturing site for either missiles or drones,” according to laith Marouf, who alleged that this was the target of the israeli special forces teams.

Beyond the tensions between lebanese Hezbollah and israel is also the israeli fixation on cementing its presence in the Golan Heights, internationally recognised as an occupied territory belonging to syria. israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, speaking at the ‘Makor rishon Golan Conference’ on October 11, said that his government intended to quadruple the israeli settler population in the area. in December, israel approved a $317 million plan to double the settler population. since October, it has launched over 10 known attacks on syria, allegedly assassinated an ex-member of the syrian parliament, and bombarded the civilian port of latakia twice, directly targeting syria’s air defense systems, weapons storage facilities, and killing soldiers in the process. although the war in syria has come to a somewhat temporary halt, giving time for the syrian government to attempt to normalize ties throughout the region and reintegrate itself into the arab league, israel is making it clear that, without concessions, little will return to normal. in June 2015, it spoke of creating a “safe zone”, or buffer-zone, between it and the rest of syria in order to protect the Druze community that primarily live near or in the syrian province of sweida. israel even began forming strong relations with Druze opposition groups

within its current borders, guaranteed by the former World War ii allies, could be a solution to consolidate Central and eastern europe’s place in international politics. austria’s permanent neutrality resulted from the austrian state Treaty of 1955. The treaty was signed by the U.s., the UK, France, and the Ussr. it worked because austria pledged to protect it with all means at its disposal and because it is embedded in austrian constitutional law as well as international law. a similar solution for Ukraine would alleviate russia’s security concerns and its sense of prestige. Ukraine’s security would be enhanced, and the solution might diminish russian hostility. any violation of the border by the signatory powers – provoked or unprovoked – can be considered as a casus belli. The downside here is the question of russian reliability. a dialogue needs to begin on finding a lasting fix to the problem before it is too late and russia is found at europe’s doorstep again. This dialogue must begin with the proviso that NaTO’s current borders are not negotiable. a permanent fix is needed, otherwise this will remain a constant source of tension with the potential to escalate into a major war in europe. The model could be the Congress of Vienna, where allies and former foes sat at the same table. The result was a stable Central europe for a whole century. This time around, though, stability must not be achieved at the expense of the independence and sovereignty of Central and eastern europe.

László Borhi is Peter A. Kadas Chair associate professor at the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington.

in southern syria to achieve this aim. according to an investigation by The intercept, in early 2018 israel was at stage two of implementing a buffer zone – which was to be set up in southern syria – with the intention of solidifying its hold on the Golan Heights. However, this plan was ruined when syrian opposition groups and isis militants were defeated and the syrian government retook the south in an offensive in July 2018. rare anti-syrian government demonstrations erupted last week in sweida province over collapsing living conditions and corruption. Preceding these was the inauguration of the syrian al-liwa Party, a sectarian Druze party attached to the military enitity known as the Counter-Terrorism Force. speaking to al-Monitor, Nowras aziz, an independent journalist from sweida now living in France, said that “abo Kheer [syrian al-liwa Party leader] had contacted the [Us-led international] coalition forces at alTanf base in the second half of 2020, explaining his plan in suwayda [province]. abu Kheer had informed the forces that the steps would include declaring full control over the eastern villages [of suwayda] and removing any presence of the syrian regime or iran in that area.” This information, if true, indicates the threat the group poses to the syrian government and how it aligns with the goals of israel. There is no proof that israel is involved with the syrian al-liwa Party but, given its connection to the Us, it’s likely that the two groups’ alignment on strategy is not simply chance. israel similarly seeks to weaken Damascus and disrupt the movement of iran-aligned armed groups inside syrian territory and this includes attempting to eliminate the weapons of any such groups. although Hezbollah claims it is not affected by israeli airstrikes, the syrian government is most certainly being made to pay a price

by Tel aviv, both for threatening its presence in the Golan Heights and for facilitating the presence of Hezbollah and iran – real strategic threats to israel – in the country. although the syrian war has quieted down, israel is not letting go of its goal to force concessions on syrian President Bashar assad and its attempt to send a message to Hezbollah and Tehran.

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and currently works with Quds News.

Monday, 21 February, 2022 | islaMabad

news

corporate corner PSo continues to dominate the energy market - REPORTS PROFIT PKR 32.2 BN IN 1HFY22 The country’s largest energy company, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) continues to gain momentum and outperform the industry reporting the highest ever half year gross revenue of PKR 1.12 trillion and profit after tax of PKR 32.2 billion (1HY21: PKR 9.5 billion). The net profit translated into a healthy earning per share of PKR 68.56 vs. PKR 20.28 in 1HFY21. PSO’s Board of Management reviewed the performance of the company together with its subsidiary Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) for the first half of the financial year 2021-22 (1HFY22) during the meeting held in Islamabad on February 11, 2022. On a consolidated basis, the group collectively posted a net profit after tax of PKR 32 billion (1HFY21: PKR 9.3 billion). Chairman, Board of Management, PSO, Mr. Zafar I. Usmani said “This is a momentous occasion, we have once again made history, delivering strong financial performance in the first half of fiscal year 2021-22. Our operational excellence, financial strength and discipline underpin the transformation of the company. While mounting receivables continue to pose a serious threat to PSO’s financial health, we are actively pursuing the matter with the concerned authorities. Going forward, we have a robust strategy in place keeping our customers at its core and are well-positioned to expand our portfolio in-line with our future growth and diversification strategy”. PSO has been on a steady growth trajectory as the company’s profits increased by 238% over the same period last year. The company’s strong operational performance and strategic thrust is reflected in its market share which rose by 340 basis points over the same period last year. PSO continued to outperform the market, leading the downstream sector with volumetric growth of 20.8% in liquid fuels against the industry’s growth of 12.3%, capturing around 48% share of white oil and 60% of black oil markets of the country. Major contributions came from motor gasoline, high speed diesel and furnace oil, in which the company achieved volumetric growth of 15.5%, 18.3% and 30.4% against industry’s growth of 7.9%, 15.2% and 14.1%, translating into market shares of 44.0%, 48.9% and 60.1% against 41.1%, 47.6% and 52.6% as of the same period last year respectively. Managing Director & CEO, PSO, Syed Taha said “Our half-year results further reinforce the company’s growth story and our strong standing as the nation’s energy lifeline. I am extremely proud of our teams, who have adapted quickly to the evolving operating environment, while delivering on our long-term strategy.

We have ambitious plans to provide innovative and environmentally friendly products and services to our customers, keeping sustainability at the heart of our operations and a steadfast focus on maintaining high levels of safety, quality and customer experience.” PSO continued to boost innovation and increase its digital capabilities by embracing technology to drive growth and enhance efficiency. The company made significant strides on its journey of digital transformation and established a centralized command and control system as part of its robust digitalization strategy. This initiative will streamline the supply chain by connecting operational locations, retail outlets and logistics to the system for data gathering, monitoring, analyzing and controlling the company’s value chain nation-wide. pr

ieSco has introduced ‘ieSco light’ mobile application ISLAMABAD: Chief Executive Officer IESCO Dr. Muhammad Amjad Khan said that we purely believes to serve our valuable customers by providing quality services and keeping in view the advancement in technology IESCO is also switching towards digital application. By following same IESCO managements has introduced a mobile application having name “IESCO Light” which can be downloaded from play store.

By using this application valuable IESCO Customers can apply online for new Electricity connection, Change of Name, Change of Tariff moreover provision of duplicate bills, registration of complaints, Awareness regarding load managements schedule, bill estimators, call on helpline number 118 or SMS on 8118 are also the features of this application. Chief Executive Officer IESCO said that satisfy consumers is our achievement and we are utilizing all sources for provision of best services to valuable customers. pr

PSX faceS bumPy ride amid rollover weeK, faTf SeSSion KARACHI

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stAff report

FTeR snapping a threeweek winning streak by shedding over 400 points last week, Pakistan Stock exchange (PSX) seems on a bumpy ride amid rollover week, political uncertainty and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary session starting from February 21.

Moreover, surging crude oil and commodity prices amid RussiaUkraine tension, which have rattled the financial and equity markets across the globe, may continue to dent the investors’ confidence.

However, strong financial results, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Moscow and de-escalation in RussiaUkraine tension may turn around the bourse, which has made gains in nine out of the last 11 weeks.

Pakistan will once again present its case before the FATF when the body holds its plenary session in Paris from 21 February to 4 March 2022.

The main effort will be to convince the FATF that it has delivered on all the high-level commitments it had made, not just in terms of tightening the domestic laws and regulations but also in terms of successfully prosecuting and punishing people involved in money laundering and terror financing. If Pakistan is removed from the grey list, this will surely help PSX surpass at least 47,000 points level.

“We expect the market to remain positive in the upcoming week,” said a report by Arif Habib Ltd. “Prime Minister Khan is expected to visit Moscow next week, with agenda of two mega gas pipeline projects in order to cater depleting gas reserves.”

The report said the signing of a commercial agreement during this visit can

pr

Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued 2,163 fine tickets to road users over violation of traffic signals during last 45 days, a police spokesman said. Following the directions of IGP Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younis, he said that special campaign is underway to check violations while various squads headed by Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mazhar Iqbal are performing duties

catalyse positive market activities.

“Keeping in view the ongoing result season, certain sectors and scrips are expected to stay under the limelight,” it added. The market commenced on a negative note last week owing to fears of a full-scale military conflict in eastern europe along with rising local political temperatures.

The sentiment remained subdued after a massive increase in local petroleum prices which raised concerns over inflation. Furthermore, 93 percent yearon-year jump in trade deficit during the first seven months of the current fiscal year also fueled negativity further.

A Topline Securities said the investor participation declined in the market as well, as average daily traded volume dropped 7.7 percent to 191 million shares, while traded value plunged 36 percent to Rs5.2 billion on a week-on-week basis.

Foreign selling clocked in at $1.97

compared to a net sell of $5.9 million last week. Major selling was witnessed in technology ($1.5 million) and commercial banks ($0.5 million). On the local front, buying was reported by banks ($4.9 million) and individuals ($2.4 million).

Sector-wise negative contributions came from commercial banks (88 points), fertilizers (68 points), power generation & distribution (66 points), technology & communication (39 points), and cement (37 points). Major laggard stocks included HUBC (67 points), eNGRO (62 points), MeBL (36 points), SYS (35 points), and DAWH (34 points).

Sectors that pushed the index towards north were automobile assemblers (9 points), chemicals (9 points), and oil & gas exploration (5 points).

Stocks that underpinned the index included eFeRT (55 points), SNGP (24 points), and MTL (22 points).

AIOU celebrates the achievement of digital transformation milestone Govt completes verification of 82 percent fertilisers supplied to KP PESHAWAR Aziz Buneri

ISLAMABAD pr

Allama Iqbal Open (AIOU) has successfully accomplished its goal of digital transformation of entire academic, administrative and financial operations of the university ensuring transparency and accuracy.

The next target is to raise quality standards of the education imparted and strengthen academic structure of the university. We will exclusively focus on image building of the university', these views were expressed by Prof Dr Zia-Ul-Qayyum, VC, AIOU while addressing the participants of digital transforma-

tion celebration ceremony.

He, further, added that university is specifically focusing on establishing and strengthening students support system on the modern parameters. He admired and thanked the entire team of digital transformation project for their untiring efforts and unwavering support. Moreover, he highlighted the significance of faculty development program. Under the banner of this program, university academia will be provided opportunities to pursue their higher education in prestigious educational institutions of the developed world.

A huge number of participants

was present during the ceremony including Deans, academic and administrative heads as well faculty and staff. Speakers of the ceremony held Prof Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum in high esteem and congratulated him on successful completion of digital transformation. AIOU is ranked as the first Pakistani and second South Asian university which is fully automated. Globally, it is ranked in top two hundred universities with respect to its unique digitalization.

The ceremony was concluded by presenting research publication and project grants to the academia by the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation.

A group photo of participants of Canon Photography workshop with Company Manager Canon Pakistan and Trainer Irfan Ehsan. pr

2,163 citizens get fine tickets over signal violations during last 45 days ISLAMABAD

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at main roads of the city and taking action against the violators.

During the last 45 days, the police spokesman said that action was taken and 2,163 road users were fined over violation of traffic signals. The Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mazhar Iqbal said that efforts are underway to ensure disciplinary traffic system in the city and he also appealed the citizens to follow rules. He said that ITP personnel have been directed to ensure implementation on traffic rules and regulation

irrespective of status and rank and demonstrate patience and politeness while issuing traffic violation tickets to the road users.

He said that ITP is utilizing all available resources to facilitate the general public. The force issues traffic violation tickets not as a punitive measure but the purpose is to ensure safe road environment in the Capital and secure the lives of the people. The SSP (Traffic) also appealed the citizens to cooperate with ITP in maintaining traffic discipline in the city.

In order to end the fertilizer crisis, government has started verification of imported fertilizer in the province and so far verification of 82 percent of fertilisers supplied from Punjab has been completed. The KP government has issued instructions to the deputy commissioners to take action against the perpetrators of artificial crisis through hoarding as farmers are unable to have access to fertilisers on time. Abdul Rauf, a landowner from Mardan, said that because of lack of action on behalf of the administration, crops were severely damaged in KP due to lack of fertilizers. He further said that the agriculture department has not taken timely steps to ensure the supply of fertilisers. According to KP Agriculture Department sources, the process of verification of fertilisers supplied from Punjab to KP was started few weeks ago and now the verification process of 82% of fertilisers has been completed. The officials have also been directed to take strict action under the law to curb hoarding. Similarly the fertilisers received by the concerned district and its use will also be checked to ensure that the fertilisers received by the district was not hoarded. Due to lack of supply of fertilisers to farmers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wheat production is expected to decline by 40%, which will lead to shortage of flour in the province. The Home Department had suggested that the district administration, agriculture department and industry department at the district levels should jointly take action against the fertilisers hoarding. One of the steps was to verify the data fertilisers supplied by companies to the province.

Monday, 21 February, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Saudi arabia SeekS freSh round of talkS with iran DUBAI

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Agencies

audi arabia’s foreign minister said on Saturday the kingdom was looking to schedule a fifth round of direct talks with rival iran despite a “lack of substantive progress” so far, and urged Tehran to change its behaviour in the region.

Saudi arabia and iran, which cut ties in 2016, launched talks last year hosted by iraq as global powers sought to salvage a nuclear pact with Tehran, which Gulf states deemed flawed for not tackling iran’s missiles pro-

gramme and network of proxies.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud said if the 2015 nuclear pact was revived that should be “a starting point, not an end point” in order to address regional concerns, and that Riyadh remained interested in talks with iran.

“That will indeed require from our neighbours in iran a serious desire to address the underlying issues that exist …

We hope that there is a serious desire to find a new modus operandi,” he said. “if we see substantive progress on those files, then yes rapprochement is possible. So far we have not seen that,”

he told the Munich Security Conference.

Saudi arabia and iran are vying for influence in a rivalry that has played out across the region in events such as Yemen’s war and in Lebanon, where iran-backed Hezbollah’s rising power has frayed Beirut’s Gulf ties.

Earlier this month, iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran was ready for more talks if Riyadh was willing to hold them in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.

Tensions between the two countries spiked in 2019 after an assault on Saudi oil plants that Riyadh blamed on iran, a

charge Tehran denies, and continue to simmer over Yemen where a Saudi-led coalition is battling the iran-aligned Houthi movement.

Prince Faisal said iran continued to provide the Houthis with ballistic missile and drone parts as well as conventional weapons, a charge both Tehran and the group deny.

“This does not contribute to finding a path to settle that conflict, but we are committed and we are supportive of the united Nations representative,” he said, referring to stalled uN-led efforts for a ceasefire in Yemen.

Zaira Wasim voices support for hijab, calls it ‘religious obligation’ nEW DELHI stAFF RePoRt

Former Bollywood actress Zaira Wasim has said that any woman who has to decide between wearing either Hijab or pursuing her is an absolute injustice to the women in india. Zaira Wasim wrote on Facebook: “Stacking bias against Muslim women and setting up systems where they should have to decide between education and Hijab or to give up either is an absolute injustice”.

She wrote that there is an attempt to compel them to make a very specific choice that feeds your agenda and then criticizing them while they’re imprisoned in what you’ve constructed.

“There is no other option to encourage them to choose differently.

What is this if not a bias with people who confirm it acting in support of it? On top of all this, building a facade that all this is being done in the name of empowerment is even worse when it is quite exactly the opposite of that. Sad,” she wrote.

She said that the entire system where women are being stopped and harassed for merely carrying out a religious commitment. “The inherited notion of hijab being a choice is an ill-informed one,” Zaira said. “it’s often either a construct of convenience or ignorance. Hijab isn’t a choice but an obligation in islam. Likewise, a woman who wears the hijab is ful-

filling an obligation enjoined upon her by the God she loves and has submitted herself to.” “i, as a woman who wears the hijab, with gratitude and humility, resent and resist this entire system where women are being stopped and harassed for merely carrying out a religious commitment.” Zaira Wasim made her debut with dangal, with aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Sheikh and Sanya Malhotra. She starred in two films after that, including Secret Superstar and The Sky is Pink, and then announced that she would be quitting films since her acting career was at odds with her faith. The hijab row began on January 1 after six female Muslim students at Government Pu College in udupi weren’t allowed to enter the college premises in hijabs.

Farmer anger will test Modi as India’s ‘grain bowl’ votes APP

Students in iran protest against karnataka hijab ban TEHRAN: a large number of students held a protest demonstration in front of the indian embassy in iran’s capital city, Tehran against the ban on head scarp/ hijab in indian state Karnataka colleges and schools. The protesters called upon the iranian authorities to issue a statement and take measures against the hijab diktat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Karnataka state government, which has been campaigning for a uniform Civil Code (uCC) across the country, iran’s Press TV reported. Students held placards in the demonstration against the state’s head scarp/ hijab diktat and raised slogans demanding justice for the Muslim students in india.

The students described the new head scarp/ hijab restrictions as a violation of basic human rights and discriminatory against Muslims. The iranian students, who participated in the rally, described the new head scarp/ hijab restrictions as discriminatory against Muslims in india and called it a violation of the basic human right to freedom of clothing. The right to choose one’s attire and clothing is an important part of freedom of expression guaranteed under article 19 of the universal declaration of Human Rights, of which india is a signatory. Agencies

the price of love: Pandemic fuels romance scams WASHINGTON: For years, debby Montgomery Johnson didn’t tell anyone she’d been scammed out of more than $1 million by a man with whom she believed she was in a loving, though virtual, relationship. “it should not have happened to me,” the business owner and former air Force officer told aFP from her home in Florida, a common refrain among those defrauded by someone they met online and grew to trust. But many tens of thousands of people are targeted by cons dubbed “romance scams” every year, their numbers skyrocketing during the Covid pandemic when lockdowns sent people flocking to the internet seeking a salve for isolation. The uS Federal Trade Commission (FTC), tracking scams reported to its Consumer Sentinel Network, said 2021 saw a record $547 million stolen in romance scams. This marked a nearly 80 percent increase compared to the year before. Those figures cap an upward trend that leapt in the first year of the pandemic. People reported to the FTC losing $1.3 billion to the scams over the past five years, the most of any fraud category. But it is just the tip of the iceberg, the FTC notes, as the vast majority of cons go unreported.

Tim McGuinness, founder of the non-profit Society of Citizens against Relationship Scams (SCaRS), said numbers soared because of “the isolation, the loneliness and the utilization of the web as virtually the exclusive communication tool” during the pandemic.

COvId OffERS NEW RuSES: Cancelled dates over supposedly positive Covid tests and disrupted travel plans due to lockdowns are ruses that feed into the well-worn script of romance scammers, the FTC warned. AFP

amandeep Kaur dholewal rose from a traditional indian cot and began speaking to a small gathering of men and women who sat cross-legged in a park opposite a white-domed gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs.

The 37-year-old doctor was flanked by a dozen of her supporters, mainly drawn from the protesters who last year hunkered on the edges of the indian capital and demonstrated against now-repealed controversial farm laws. if elected, dholewal told the crowd, she’d fight tirelessly for the rights of farmers.

Her group of three cars then moved to another village along narrow, dusty roads that cut through thick wheat and mustard fields that stretched off into the distance. There, dholewal repeated a similar message.

“We have already defeated Modi once. Let’s defeat him again.” Her voice bellowed from a loudspeaker attached to an auto-rickshaw, displaying none of the flamboyance of a seasoned politician but drawing bursting applause from the audience.

The scene underscored the changing electoral landscape in india’s Punjab state, where more than 21 million voters will cast ballots on Sunday in polls that are seen as a barometer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party’s popu-

larity ahead of general elections in 2024.

The polls will indicate whether riding the crest of the yearlong protests that forced Modi to make a rare retreat could be enough to prevent his party from making inroads in a state considered the “grain bowl” of india.

Political newbies like dholewal are pinning their hopes on this very formula.

They are vying to convert the farmers’ anger into votes, arguing that a new party is the only path to change.

“People are asking me, ‘Why are you late? We were waiting for you,’” said dholewal, who ran a medical camp at one of the protest sites last year. She is now a candidate for Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a newly minted political party that includes some of the farm unions that organized the protests.

“People know their rights now,” she said. Modi’s party implemented the controversial farm laws in September 2020 using its executive powers and without any consultation in the Parliament.

His administration billed them as necessary reforms, but farmers feared the laws signaled the government was moving away from a system in which they sold their harvest only in governmentsanctioned marketplaces. They worried this would leave them poorer and at the mercy of private corporations.

Congress Party leader Priyanka Gandhi waves during a road show for the upcoming state assembly elections in amritsar, in indian state of Punjab on Feb. 15, 2022.

Congress Party leader Priyanka Gandhi waves during a road show for the

upcoming state assembly elections in amritsar, in indian state of Punjab on Feb. 15, 2022.

The laws triggered a year of protests as angry farmers — most of them Sikhs from Punjab state — camped on the outskirts of New delhi through a harsh winter and devastating coronavirus surge. in a major reversal, Modi withdrew the laws a year later in November, just three months ahead of the crucial polls in Punjab and four other states. The election results will be announced on March 10. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has a relatively small footprint in Punjab but hopes to form a government there with a regional ally and strengthen its fledgling voter base among farmers, one of the largest voting blocs in india. Punjab, where people are deeply proud of their state’s religious syncretism, also represents a test for his party’s Hindu nationalist reach, which has flourished in most of northern india since 2014.

Meanwhile, Modi’s party is running its campaign by trying to frame the incumbent Congress party government as corrupt. it is also making grand promises to create more jobs, provide farm subsidies and free electricity for farmers, and eradicate the drug menace that has ailed the state for years. Experts say the moves are intended to placate the angry farmers and that the elections were a major reason behind Modi’s sudden decision to withdraw the laws.

CPC Central Committee, State Council congratulate Chinese Winter Olympic delegation MIAn ABrAr The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and China’s State Council have sent a congratulatory message to the Chinese delegation for its “best in history” performance at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, scheduled to be concluded on Sunday.

The Chinese delegation won nine gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics, setting new records in both the numbers of golds and medals (15) since the country began to compete in Winter Olympics in 1980.

The Olympic delegation of the People’s Republic of China parades into the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, February 4, 2022. /Xinhua The delegation was praised for earning glory for China and the people and making important contributions to the success of hosting Beijing 2022.

The nation and the people are “proud of your achievements,” the CPC Central Committee and the State Council said in the message, adding that the morale and competitiveness demonstrated by Chinese athletes in the new era has vividly interpreted the Olympic spirit and the Chinese sportsmanship.

The performance of the delegation has further promoted the development of winter sports in China and inspired and united people across the country, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council said.

The authorities called on the delegation to make greater contributions to build China into a leading sports nation and to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Monday, 21 February, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

BeijinG 2022 ConCLudeS, PASSeS Winter oLymPiCS to miLAno-CortinA 2026

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MIAN ABRAR

HE 2022 Winter Olympic Games came to a close at National Stadium in Beijing on Sunday night after over two weeks of competitions in 109 events of 15 disciplines over seven sports in the three competition zones of Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the ceremony with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. China, as the host, won a record 15 medals in total including nine golds. They ranked third on the medal table, behind Norway which set a new alltime record by securing 16 golds, and Germany that dominated the sliding competitions to pocket 12 golds.

Athletes attend the closing ceremony of the 2022 Win-

ter Olympic Games at National Stadium in Beijing, February 20, 2022. A total of 2,871 athletes participated in the 2022 Winter Games and over 2,000 of them attended the closing ceremony. Chief director of the ceremony Zhang Yimou called the closing event a “big party” for athletes.

“The truly exceptional Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 were the beginning of a new era for global winter sport,” Bach said in his speech.

Of course, athletes wouldn’t be able to achieve their incredible performance without the support and assistance from the organizing committee.

Some 27,000 volunteers have been recruited for the 2022 Winter Olympics. They were always there, ready to help every participant in the Games. Many of the delegations spoke highly of the service from the volunteers.

“They have demonstrated the Olympic Spirit. They

have been ambassadors for friendship, understanding and peace,” Bach said in a previous interview with China Media Group.

Beppe Sala (C), mayor of Milan, and Gianpietro Gedina (R), mayor of Cortina d’Ampezzo, hold the Olympic flag at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Stadium in Beijing, February 20, 2022. /CFP As part of the tradition, the Olympic flag was lowered down in the middle of the closing ceremony, and then passed by Chen Jining, mayor of Beijing, to Bach who passed the flag to Chen’s counterparts in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Beppe Sala and Gianpietro Gedina, respectively, that will jointly host the next Winter Games dubbed as Milano-Cortina 2026.

The two representatives from the host country also

SPORTS 11

made an eight-minute introductory presentation to welcome the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Bach declared the curtain dropped for Beijing 2022 at the end of his speech.

Closing ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Stadium in Beijing, February 20, 2022. As the ceremony was coming to an end, a huge snow flake, which also carried the Winter Olympic flame, was lowered down and finally went out, marking the end of the Beijing 2022 time as well as the start of the four-year countdown for Milano-Cortina 2026.

Amir Khan hints retirement after crushing defeat against Kell Brook Wasim Akram formally inducted into PCB’s Hall of Fame NewS DeSk Former cricket captain and fast bowling icon Wasim Akram was formally inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Hall of Fame on Sunday. West Indies batting legend Sir Vivian Richards inducted Akram by presenting him with a commemorative cap and plaque before the start of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators in Lahore. In a press release, the PCB noted that Akram had taken a total of 916 wickets and scored 6,615 runs during his international career from 1984 to 2003. “Akram is one of the eight Pakistan stalwarts who are members of the PCB Hall of Fame. Others are Abdul Qadir, Fazal Mahmood, Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis and Zaheer Abbas, who will be formally inducted into the prestigious group in the coming days,” the press release said. Commenting on the achievement, Akram said: “I feel privileged to have received this great honour from Sir Vivian Richards, one of the most iconic figures in cricket, and at a venue that remained my home ground during my playing career.” He also appreciated the PCB for launching the initiative to “recognise and acknowledge the contributions of former cricketers”. “It has been an honour to represent Pakistan over 18 years during which I played in 460 international matches.

Every wicket and every run I scored in these matches was priceless,” he said.

Former cricketers demand stern action against Faulkner over payment row ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A day after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Quetta Gladiators refuted the “baseless claim” of fast bowler James Faulkner who accused HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) organisers of failing to honour his contract, former cricketers called on the board to deal with the Australian cricketer strictly. Faulkner quit the tournament midway on Saturday, claiming the cricket board lied to him during his six-game stint in the league. The PCB, in response, lambasted Faulkner’s conduct as “reprehensible”, announcing the player would be banned from future PSL drafts. It also accused him of misbehaving with immigration authorities and letting his side down. A joint statement by the franchise and the board said Faulkner’s agent sent British bank account details to transfer fee payments to, before sending revised bank account details the following month, this time for a bank account in Australia. By this time, the PCB had already transferred 70 percent of the money owed to the players, including Faulkner and “the receipt of this payment was acknowledged by Mr Faulkner”. The remaining 30 percent is transferred to players’ accounts within 40 days after the PSL ends. The statement also pointed out that no player had ever complained about the non-fulfilment of the contractual obligations in seven years of the tournament. “In spite of the money being transferred and received in his account, Mr Faulkner continued to insist that a second duplicate payment of the same amount be made to his account in Australia. This meant Mr Faulkner would have been paid twice.”

AgeNcIeS British boxer Amir Khan suggested that he is considering retirement from the sport after suffering a comprehensive defeat with a sixth-round technical knockout at the hands of Kell Brook on Saturday.

The 35-year-old Khan was outclassed by compatriot Brook from start to finish and looked to be in dire straits before the referee stepped in to save him from any more punishment.

Brook had courted a showdown against an opponent he has come to despise for several years only to be constantly rebuffed, but after being given an opportunity, he grasped it with both hands in the 149pound catchweight bout at Manchester’s AO Arena.

Brook shrugged off being vociferously jeered to the ring by a crowd largely in support of Bolton-born and raised Khan and repeatedly left his foe on rubbery legs with countless punishing shots to the head.

Khan refused to buckle and stayed upright throughout but he absorbed some vicious blows and his face was heavily marked when referee Victor Loughlin stepped in to wave off the fight 51 seconds into the sixth round.

Khan, fighting at the venue where he first won a world title in 2009, only showed flashes of the form that saw him become a unified light-welterweight champion more than a decade ago as his fellow countryman claimed the bragging rights.

He said he was hoping to spend more time with his family.

“It’s something to think about, definitely,” Khan

told reporters when he was asked about a potential retirement. “I’ve always said I never want boxing to retire me, I want to retire from boxing”.

“Punishment like that sometimes in boxing, I know I showed a big heart and took some big shots today, but sometimes too much of that can be harmful in the future.

“I’ve done more than I ever expected. Maybe I peaked too early, I was at the Olympics at 17, I won the world title at 22. I’m 35 now, I’ve been in the game a very long time, I’m an old man. I want to spend time with my kids and my family.”

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said he was looking forward to Khan’s win but said it was “nonetheless a great fight”. He wished the athlete best of luck for next time.

PSL is awesome opportunity to improve my game: Will Smeed LAHORe MonitoRing RepoRt

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is not only providing local cricketers with the opportunity to develop their skills but it has also become a learning opportunity for foreign cricketers who are participating in the league.

England’s uncapped cricketer Will Smeed is one of them. In an exclusive interview, England’s former U19 player said that PSL is an awesome opportunity for him to improve his game.

Smeed represented England U19 on tour to Bangladesh in 2019. PSL is his first franchise-based tournament outside England where he’s wearing the Quetta Gladiators jersey. He has also represented Somerset county and Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundreds.

The 20-year-old cricketer added that he’s enjoying his time in Pakistan.

“It’s been an awesome opportunity for me, I think it’s definitely allowed me to improve parts of my game that needed improving. And, I feel like coming out here fast tracks that improvement. The bowling standard is awesome, and it’s a different condition, I think everything sort of adds up to it being a great learning opportunity as well as a great opportunity to play,” said the Englishman who has yet to make his international debut for England.

“The first thing I noticed when I came here was the local talent and especially the fast bowlers, I think every team has people bowling, over 140ks. And, obviously, there are turning pitches. So, a bit playing spin over here is very different from back home and I think that’s where most of my learning take place has been that how can I become more effective against spin and what does an effective game plan against spin looks like for me,” he mentioned.

The Englishman also praised the arrangements in

Pakistan for the tournament and hoped for an amazing time for Pakistani fans when Australia tours here later this month. “From the moment I got here, I felt so welcome and so well looked after. I’ve felt completely safe the whole time. There have been no times where I’ve been wired or anything like that. And you can tell how passionate the country is about cricket as well. It must be awesome for people here to have cricket back here and especially with Australia coming soon that’ll be amazing for the country,” he said.

Will Smeed has impressed everyone with his aggressive batting skills, he came close to scoring a century twice but fell short on both occasions – both against Zalmi with scores of 97 and 99.

The youngster said that missing the century wasn’t frustrating for him, but losing the match was.

“For me, the frustration didn’t come from missing my 100, It came from losing both those games. I’ve never played cricket for individual milestones. It’s always been about winning as a team and to lose both those games was gusting. It made no difference whether I got 97, 99 or 100 to me as long as we were winning, I’d be happy,” he said. Replying to a question, the top order batter said that sharing a dressing room with legend Sir Viv Richards has been awesome.

“He’s a legend of the game. So, he’s been a great person to learn from and he’s awesome to have around.

He brings great energy. And if you just want to have a chat, you can have a chat with them. If you want to talk about cricket, he’s always happy to talk about that. So yeah, he’s a great man,” Smeed mentioned. The young batter was aware of the fact that many England cricketers played for the PSL before making their international debut for the country and hoped the same for himself but added that with England’s white-ball squad looking so strong, he’s not sure how quick he would be roped in the team.

HBL PSL 7: Quetta Gladiators hand Karachi Kings 23-run defeat NewS DeSk Quetta Gladiators thrashed Karachi Kings by 23 runs in match 28 of the Pakistan Super League at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today (Sunday). Openers Joe Clarke and Babar Azam gave their team a flying start and shared an 87-run partnership. Skipper Babar Azam scored 36 runs off 34 deliveries with three fours and one six but medium-fast bowler Khurram Shahzad dismissed him. Clarke smashed 50 off 34 balls and was bowled by Muhammad Irfan for 52.

Shahzad took his second wicket in the 13th over when he sent aggressive Sharjeel Khan back to the pavilion.

Khan added 16 runs to the scoreboard off just seven deliveries with one four and two sixes. Qasim Akram contributed just nine runs in the team’s total.

Quetta Gladiators’ inninGs Earlier, Quetta Gladiators set 167-run target for Karachi Kings in the match. Earlier, Gladiators’ skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bat first against Kings. Opener Will Smeed could not deliver in the match and lost his wicket after making just 10 runs off 11 deliveries. Kings pacer Usman Khan Shinwari drew first blood for his team. After Smeed’s dismissal Jason Roy and James Vince shared over a 60-run partnership. James Vince added 29 runs to the scoreboard off 24 balls with three fours and one six before being dismissed. Umar Akmal went to the pavilion after making just two runs. It was Iftikhar Ahmed and Roy’s partnership at the backend of the innings helped Quetta set a 167-run target for Kings.

Englishman Jason Roy remained the top scorer for Gladiators with 82 runs off 64 deliveries with 11 bounders. In its innings, Gladiators made 166 runs at the loss of four wickets. While, Kings’ Imad Wasim, Mir Hamza, Usman Khan Shinwari and Lewis Gregory took one wicket each. Gladiators currently have 6 points from nine games and another win will put them at the level of Islamabad United, who have 8 points from eight games, in the points table. However, merely a win won’t be enough for the Gladiators as they’re too below on the Net Run Rate (NRR), which is -0.917 as compared to Islamabad, who bear an NNR of +0.101. Moreover, the Quetta Gladiators not only need to beat Karachi Kings by a mammoth margin but also require Multan Sultans to trounce Islamabad United in today’s 2nd match. Karachi, on the other hand, has nothing to lose in the tournament.

They had lost 8 consecutive matches in the tournament before beating Lahore Qalandars in their last match, so they would want to avoid a 9th consecutive defeat today.

PlayinG Xis: Quetta Gladiators: Jason Roy, Will Smeed, James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Iftikhar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Hassan Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Naseem Shah, Muhammad Ashar Qureshi, Khurram Shahzad.

Karachi Kings: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam (c), Joe Clarke, Lewis Gregory, Tom Lammonby, Rohail Nazir,Qasim Akram, , Imad Wasim, Umaid Asif, Usman Shinwari, Mir Hamza.

Monday, 21 February, 2022

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No-TruST voTe agaiNST imraN PreSSure TacTic To Secure Nro: QureShi ISLAMABAD

T

staff RepoRt

He no-trust vote against the prime minister proposed by the opposition parties was a gamble and being used as a bargaining chip to secure an NRO-like deal

from Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said.

In a tweet to respond to the proposed move, the foreign minister said MPs from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and coalition parties will collectively defeat the attempt to evade financial accountability.

He said that Prime Minister Khan has always maintained the chances of him providing a safe passage to opposition leaders facing cases of mega corruption is zero.

His tweet came days after a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader confirmed it was in touch with the disgruntled ruling group led by former PTI

secretary general Jahangir Tareen to seek its support in ousting the government.

When asked whether PML-N was making efforts to woo the Tareen posse, the party’s vice president, Hamza Shehbaz, said: “We are in contact with everyone (including the group) as our sole target is removing Imran Khan.”

Security forces kill five terrorists in North Waziristan operation: ISPR RAWALPINDI staff RepoRt

A Pakistan Army soldier has embraced martyrdom and as many as five terrorists were killed in an IntelligenceBased Operation (IBO) in North Waziristan district.

The IBO was conducted by the security forces in the North Waziristan district on the reported presence of terrorists, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Five terrorists have been killed by the security forces after the exchange of fire. The killed terrorists were identified as Habib Nawaz aka Shakil, Waheedullah, Abdur

Rehman, Muhammad Ullah, Abdur Rehman while the identification of the fifth terrorist was in progress.

Security forces have also recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition including sub-machine guns (SMGs), hand grenades and a large number of multiple calibre rounds from the terrorists’ possession.

According to the ISPR, the killed terrorists were involved in terrorist activities against security forces, target killing and abduction for ransom.

During the intense firefight, Sepoy Shabbir Ahmed, 28, a resident of Quetta embraced martyrdom after fighting gallantly and inflicting casualties upon the terrorists.

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Shaukat Tarin says ‘Pakistan is the cheapest country’ Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Sunday shared a table from a crowd-sourced database, Numbeo, claiming Pakistan to be one of the “least costly” countries across the globe, days after the government increased the prices of petroleum products by up to Rs12. The website claims that a “family of four estimated monthly costs are Rs171,783.24 without rent”, whereas “a single person estimated monthly costs are Rs51,798.76 without rent.” It is pertinent to note here that the minimum wage in Pakistan is a mere Rs20,000. The table titled ‘The Cost of Living Index by Country 2021 Mid-Year’ showed Pakistan to be at the bottom of the list out of 139 countries. The table included the cost of living, groceries, rent, restaurant pricing and purchasing power. According to the table, India ranked at 138th while Afghanistan ranked at 136th. Bermuda ranked at the top being the most expensive country across the world, whereas Switzerland ranked at the 2nd place. However, in 2017, a report in a Swedish newspaper had stated, “Numbeo should hardly be considered stats, it’s more like reviews. Anyone, anywhere in the world can change the data, as many times as they want.” The website “uses wisdom of the crowd to get as reliable data as possible” and is easy to manipulate. The tweet by the finance minister came a few days after the government approved a massive increase in the prices of petroleum products on account of rising global prices. On Tuesday, the government okayed up to Rs12.03 per litre in the prices of petroleum products, taking petrol to a record level of Rs159.86 per litre effective from February 16. news desk

Bilawal says ‘selected, puppet govt is plunging people into poverty’ Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday stated that the ‘selected’ and ‘puppet’ government has plunged the people into poverty.

The PPP chief’s remarks came on World Social Justice Day where he stated that ensuring social justice was the “key to make the country peaceful, progressive and prosperous”.

He also stated that the PPP will begin its planned long march against rampant inflation from February 27, while adding that social justice was the conerstone of PPP’s ideology and struggle.

“We [PPP] are working to empower the weaker sections of society, including women,” he said, emphasising that the decisions of the PPP government had enabled the weak and vulnerable to dream of a better future.

Bilawal further claimed that his party would continue to be a powerful voice for “silent citizens”.

It is pertinent to note that the PPP leader on Tuesday approved the route plan for the party’s planned long march. The march will begin from Karachi and will reach Islamabad in 10 days after passing

through 34 different cities of Sindh and Punjab.

It will be led by the PPP chairman himself. The march will start from Mazar-e-Quaid on February 27 at 10 am and the protesters will reach Badin where they will spend the night. The protesters would resume their journey on February 28 passing through Hyderabad, Hala and Nawabshah and end its second day at Moro.

The long march would from Sukkur on March 2 from where the protesters will reach Rahim Yar Khan. news desk

Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Asif Zardari to discuss no-trust motion today As per sources, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) cochairman Asif Ali Zardari will meet Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Monday (today) to discuss the no-confidence motion against the PTI-led government.

Matters related to the no-trust motion against the PTI government, contacts with the government’s allied parties, and the country’s overall political situation will be discussed in the meeting.

Sources further revealed that the crucial meeting between the two leaders will be held at Fazl’s residence.

Following the meeting, a dinner will be hosted by Fazl in honour of Zardari, the sources added. earlier, PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and PTI’s disgruntled leader Jahangir Khan Tareen had met secretly to discuss ousting of Prime Minister Imran Khan, sources had revealed.

The sources further revealed that the two leaders

met a few days ago to discuss the fate of the incumbent government.

Tareen, when contacted, did not offer any comment on this critically important meeting in the wake of the Opposition’s announcement to move a no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan.

Without confirming or denying his meeting with Shahbaz Sharif, Jahangir Tareen had said that his group of estranged ruling party MNAs and MPAs had given him the mandate to make any political decision.

Tareen had said that being a politician, he believes in interaction with other politicians. “Such contacts are part of politics,” he had added.

Tareen had said that everybody was upset over the economic condition of the country and because of the growing price hike. He had said that his group’s MPs were of the view that they could not stay indifferent to the woes of the masses. In response to a question, Tareen had said that his group’s MPs are more than 30 in number. news desk

Economy growing at rate of 5.5pc, claims Hammad Minister for energy Hammad Azhar has claimed that the country’s economy is growing at the rate of 5.5 percent.

Addressing a public gathering on Sunday, the energy minister said that the present government is taking practical steps for the welfare and betterment of masses.

Highlighting the people-friendly policies of the present government, he said about 10 million families have been benefited by the ehsaas Programme. He said now people are able to get the best medical facilities of Rs1 million through Sehat Insaf card.

Azhar said Pakistan tackled the heinous impacts of coronavirus very smartly and Bill Gates acknowledged the efforts of Pakistan to curb the coron-

avirus. Terming youth as a great asset of the country, he said that the government will provide ample opportunities to youth so that they would be able to excel in all fields.

He said that the power production in the country increased 9 percent on a year-on-year basis in the month of January 2022 which suggests that the economic growth would be recorded at over 5 percent in the current fiscal year 2021-22. Power production is a barometer to gauge the pace of economic activities of the country. Robust economic activity is helping to create hundreds of thousands of jobs every year and enhancing the income level as well, he added. staff RepoRt

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk