Sunday, 27 March, 2022 I 23 Shaʽban, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 268 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM slaMs oPPosition leaders, terMs March 27 ‘decisive day’ in country’s history
islamabad staff report
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rime minister imran Khan Saturday said that efforts of the opposition leaders to topple his government are focused on to evade the huge corruption cases and declared that he would not spare them, if his life is at stake. “Losing a government is a minor thing, i will not spare you (referring to opposition leaders), if my life is at stake,” he said while addressing a public gathering in Kamalia. The prime minister said that the three stooges (a reference he coined for the leaders of the main opposition parties) have been hatching conspiracy to pull down the government of imran Khan since they have not been getting any NrO. He appealed to all Pakistanis to reach islamabad for the march 27 public gathering as the opposition is giving millions of rupees to the members of the National Assembly to switch sides.
“it is the obligation for the whole nation to stand against evil and side with the good and support those people who have been waging war against these thieves and plunderers,” he told the gathering. The prime minister termed march 27, a ‘decisive day in the country’s history’ as the mammoth crowd would gather in the capital on his call to give a message to those criminals that the days of their plunder and loot are over. “The day will revive the nation. When a nation stands for the right, it is revived,” he said, adding that the whole nation should raise its voice to end evil and vice. The prime minister thanked Asif Zardari, maulana Fazlur rehman and Shehbaz Sharif, as after watching their faces, the people feared for their return to power, so they are galvanized and gathered behind PTi to counter the return of those plunderers and looters of the national wealth. First, these people tried to force imran Khan to give them NrO and after failure in their efforts, they are out to topple his
coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,523,590
LAST UPDATED AT 7:13 AM ON MARCH 236 2022
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
4
189
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
1,485,085 30,340 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
574,549
504,765
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
218,860
35,468
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
43,239/11,693
135,016
government, he observed. Governor Punjab Chaudhry muhammad Sarwar, Chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and other provincial leadership were also present. The prime minister said that Allah Almighty has ordained the people to stand with the good and wage jihad against evil while remaining neutral in this struggle has not been allowed. The biggest thieves have been plundering the country for the last thirty years, he said, adding one politician known as ‘diesel’ [Fazl] has been doing politics on the basis of religion while the other ‘biggest illness of the country, Zardari’, has been facing graft cases over his billions of rupees corruption. While in Shehbaz’s case, it was divulged that an amount of rs3.79 billion was transacted into the account of his peon maqsood whereas another amount of rs1600 crore was detected in the accounts of his other servants. The case is pending for adjudication. Shehbaz has realised that his time has arrived and he knew well if imran is in power, he would land into jail, the prime minister further said. He said the fourth actor [referring to PmL-N supremo Nawaz Sharif] is sitting in London, who has been declared as an absconder by the courts, adding that in the Panama leaks, four big palaces in posh areas of London were surfaced. These corruption tainted people have been maneuvering against his government after realising that his government has successfully steered the country out of the financial challenges and then the corona pandemic, he added. On inflation in the country, he said it is temporary and attributed it to Covid19. “it will reduce soon,” he remarked. The prime minister also emphasised that in order for the country to flourish, “we need to follow the teachings of islam, maintain justice and equality and ensure the rule of law”.
PML-N starts ‘Mehngai Mukao March’ from Lahore islamabad staff report
Pakistan muslim League-Nawaz’s (PmL-N) “mehngai mukao march” began from Lahore’s model Town area on Saturday. Under the leadership of PmL-N Vice President maryam Nawaz and Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz, the first phase of the march will take place in Gujranwala, where workers from Hafizabad and Sialkot will join. The next overnight stay of the marchers will be in Jhelum on march 27, where local workers from Pind Dadan Khan will join. The marchers will then leave from Jhelum on march 28. After that, the marchers will reach rawalpindi, where locals and workers from Attock, Sargodha, multan, DG Khan and Bahawalpur will join. Later, the caravan will reach its des-
Rasheed urges PM to cash in on popularity with early elections islamabad staff report
Amid a political turmoil that came as Pakistan faces a recurring economic crisis, minister for interior Sheikh rasheed Ahmed advised the prime minister to cash in on the public support which has only intensified after the tabling of the notrust motion and call early elections after presenting the annual budget in June. However, rasheed, who was addressing a press conference in islamabad, stressed the idea for early polls was his personal “opinion” and should not be taken as the position of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-iinsaf (PTi) party. Criticising the “foolish” opposition, the minister said the move to table the no-trust motion against imran Khan taken the prime minister to a level of popularity where “it is the right time [for him] to go for early polls”. He recalled he had also advised Khan to impose governor’s rule in Sindh and declare an emergency but the prime minister did not approve of the suggestion. To a question, he said the government was in talks with its
tination in islamabad. earlier, majority of the party’s leaders in Lahore and the mNAs were directed to reach model Town including the Khokhar brothers and the workers from Kasur, Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan. The party workers from Gujranwala will reach Lahore today. A reception camp for the party workers has been set up by Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmad and Ghazali Saleem Butt at Shahdara, where workers from Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib will arrive. moreover, the workers from Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Kala Shah Kaku, Chiniot and Ferozewala, muridke, Alipur Chatha, Wazirabad, Gujarat, Lalamusa, Kharian, Sarai Alamgir, mandi Bahauddin, Dina, Sohawa, Gujar Khan, Chakwal and Narowal have also been directed to join the march. However, all the mNAs will remain in islamabad.
more inside
Politics of PTI based on lies: Bilawal STORY ON BACK PAGE
Supporters moving towards islamabad to attend PTi’s historic rally: Fawad STORY ON PAGE 02 allies and estranged mPs. rasheed’s presser comes a day after the speaker of the National Assembly adjourned the motion, provoking opposition accusations he was buying time for Khan to muster support after a spate of defections from his party. The motion will now be tabled on monday after which seven days of the debate should take place before an actual vote. meanwhile, the threat of political turmoil is growing as the PTi and the opposition Pakistan Democratic movement (PDm) alliance have announced to
hold public shows in islamabad on march 27 and 28, respectively, prompting fears of violence and instability. But rasheed, while assuring the provision of foolproof security to the opposition meeting, categorically said no one will be allowed to block another party’s route. He said that 15,000 security men from rangers, Frontier Constabulary and police have been deputed for maintenance of law and order in islamabad. The administration of the Srinagar Highway has been handed over to the rangers and FC.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
6 BNA terrorists killed in Balochistan IBO: ISPR STORY ON BACK PAGE
Summary to dissolve Punjab Assembly prepared by Buzdar: report STORY ON PAGE 03
02
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
SupporterS moving towardS iSlamabad to attend pti’S hiStoric rally: Fawad ISLAMABAD
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INISTER for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Saturday that a huge crowd is moving towards Islamabad to attend Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s March 27 rally. Talking to media along with Governor Sindh Imran Ismail and Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi at Bani Gala, he
said that a 20-km long rally from GilgitBaltistan is reaching Islamabad. He said that people of Gilgit-Baltistan are not as active in Pakistan’s politics in the past as they are now. The minister said that the whole country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Karachi and Balochistan, are seemed to be in the colours of PTI. He said that more than one million people would attend the public meeting on Sunday to show solidarity with Prime
Minister Imran Khan. He said that those, who tabled noconfidence motion against the PM and tried to purchase loyalties of the people using illgotten money, would be rejected by the people in the rally. Fawad said that after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s era, today Pakistan’s foreign policy is independent because of Imran Khan’s courageous leadership. The wheel of Pakistan’s economy has begun to move due to policies of Imran Khan and the people of Pakistan will thwart
the conspiracy of those who conspire against the country’s development. All caravans are towards Parade Ground and all arrangements for the rally are complete, adding that media coverage is being provided to PTI caravans coming to Islamabad. News of local processions has started appearing in all televisions and newspapers from today, he said. He appealed to PTI activists to maintain public discipline and follow the guidelines of courts.
He said that roads and streets should not be closed anywhere. “Through a peaceful protest, we will pay tribute to our leader Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he added. “This will be the largest gathering in the history of Pakistan”, he said. To a question, he said that it is the right of all parties to hold meetings and people would also get comparison of meetings. The minister challenged the “thieves” to come together and hold a rally so that people can know how much support they enjoy. Replying to another question, he said that two PTI MNAs have assured that they would not violate party discipline. He said that fake news is very unfortunate as the words of Shehryar Afridi and Ghulam Sarwar are presented out of context in the media.
Two servicemen on civil posts get extension
Rasheed condemns infiltration attempt in N Waziristan
islamaBaD: The Establishment Division Saturday notified the appointment and tenure extension of two military officials serving on civilian positions. Major Aqib Shah was appointed as director of the Airport Security Force (ASF). He belongs to the Frontier Corps paramilitary force. The Establishment Division also extended the tenure of its Military Wing Director Captain Sheikh Faheem ud-Din for one year with effect from January 9. Both servicemen have been appointed as per the secondment rules and regulations, the division said. MonitoRing RepoRt
Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed strongly condemned the crossborder infiltration attempt by a group of militants in the Shah Hassan Khel town of North Waziristan. His statement came a day after four soldiers were martyred and another four wounded in an attack on a post in the border district late
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Thursday. The militants from Afghanistan attempted to infiltrate into Pakistan in the Shah Hassan Khel town, but “due to a timely response by troops at the border post, the infiltration attempt was foiled”, an InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said. While trying to cross the border, the terrorists opened fire on the troops, who returned fire. An exchange continued for some time,
forcing the intruders to flee. In a statement, the minister paid rich tributes to the security forces for foiling the attempt by the militants. Appreciating the sacrifices rendered by members of the armed forces, he said the nation is proud of the military for foiling terror bids. He also prayed to the Almighty to rest the departed souls of martyred in eternal peace and grant solace to the bereaved.
Railways ready to revamp centuries-old ‘coolie system’ ISLAMABAD anadolu agency
Pakistan Railways is set to change the centuriesold traditions of porters being hired by private contractors because the practice was exploitative and extorting contracts in the form of bonded labour. Coinciding with the World Railways Workers Day, celebrated March 27, Railways Chief Executive Officer Zafar Zaman Ranjha said: “The proposal that is titled ‘Madadgaars,’ that means a helping hand, is ready and will be presented to the authorities for the
approval in coming days.” “Because the private contractor exploits the wages of the porters through different and difficult contracts.” The history of the institution of a “coolie,” or porter, on the railways on the subcontinent, is still alive after hundred years. Their services are extremely pivotal for passengers at railway stations because the trains are designated to certain platforms and due to the old network of stairs and bridges in the stations, passengers cannot carry heavy luggage from one platform to another. “These railway stations are not upgraded as the railway stations in Europe or West. They have a
NCOC daily update: 189 new cases, four deaths from Covid-19 ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Pakistan has recorded 189 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Friday. With the new infections, the overall number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 has risen to 1,523,590 in the country, said the NCOC, the department leading the campaign against the pandemic. A total of 367 people were reported to have recovered from the pandemic over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,485,085, showed data from the NCOC. According to the official data, four more deaths were registered during the last 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 30,340. Sindh is the worst-hit province with 574,549 infections recorded, followed by Punjab, which has reported 504,765 cases so far.
history. These bridges and stairs are more than a hundred years old. The Lahore Railway station was made shortly after 1857 and was renovated over the period of time but its main skeleton was never changed, that’s why porters are the backbone of our facilitation to the passengers and they also deserve a good wage and better quality of life,” said Ranjha. The proposal to revamp the existing porter system in the railway network is modelled on Alfred Marshall’s renowned “Efficiency Wage Theory” which signifies that higher wages induce better service delivery. Digitalisation of porter
system: Along with new policies, a web-based mobile application will also be launched that will provide a database of all authorised and registered Madadgaars at a station along with their photographs and a specified file for complaints. “With all the updated features, people will be able to pre-book the Madadgaar before coming to the station and the approved charges will be paid to the Madadgaars for their services by the passengers that will save them time and also the Madadgaars could keep the track on their earnings,” Ranjha told Anadolu Agency. New uniforms and a
Madadgaar desk will be set up at stations. A GPSbased armband that could pinpoint the location of Madadgaars will be implemented and it will also record the conversation between the Madadgaar and the passenger. legacy of the porters: Muhammad Hanif, 85, came to the Lahore Railway station after partition and can still narrate stories of passengers who travelled on trains during the partition in 1947. “I came to Lahore from district Karnal, Panipat India and I started working as a porter on this railway station when I was 15 years old.
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
niSar SayS he haSn’t met imran in over a year ISLAMABAD
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Staff RepoRt
EFUTING rumours of him ending his political isolation by recently meeting the prime minister, disgruntled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said he hasn’t met his friend from high school in over a year. Nisar, long-time PML-N stalwart with his association with deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif spanning well over 35 years, parted ways with the opposition party in 2019 — a decision he said he took according to his conscience. He also contested the 2018 general elections as an independent candidate from four national and provincial assemblies’ seats in his hometown of Rawalpindi. But his name started to trend on the internet and in the press after the joint opposition, including PML-N,
VETERAN POLITICIAN SAYS HE ISN’T IN THE GAME FOR SHORT-TERM GAINS
submitted a requisition for a vote of no-confidence against Imran Khan. Reports quoting sources close to
the former minister claimed the prime minister has offered Nisar the office of Punjab chief minister — ostensibly to appease a group of estranged MPs led by former party secretarygeneral Jahangir Tareen who is demanding the removal of incumbent Usman Buzdar in return for staying by Khan’s side during the vote. But in an interview with BBC Urdu, when asked to comment on the reports, he said he “does not switch parties for short-term benefits”. He said he ran for the House in the previous election as an independent candidate and will
remain so for the time being. He further declared he “was not in a hurry to join [any political party] now”. Asked to comment on his rumoured meeting with the prime minister, Nisar said he has been in his constituency for the “last three or four days” and asked how he could have met Khan. “Where did we meet and if no [such] meeting took place in the last week, month or even year?” He said he did not meet people behind closed doors and even though Khan was an old friend, their politics were poles apart. The former minister also dismissed the report of him participating in the Sunday power show of the ruling Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) party, saying he has not received any invitation and neither does he plan to attend it.
Summary to dissolve Punjab Assembly prepared by Buzdar: report NEwS DESk Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has prepared a summary to dissolve the Punjab Assembly, Geo News reported on Saturday. According to the report, the CM House has developed the summary on Buzdar’s advice and he may sign the document if PM Imran Khan agrees to the suggestion. The report added that Buzdar is ready to resign if the PM asks him to do so. The development comes as the PM battles to save his seat against the no-confidence
motion submitted by the opposition in the National Assembly. The opposition had submitted the motion against PM Imran on March 8. The premier has been under pressure since then as many lawmakers within the PTI have shown indication that they would back the opposition during voting on the motion. The opposition had shown its inclination to move against CM Buzdar after they remove PM Imran via the no-confidence motion. Moreover, PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi had shared in an interview that the opposition has offered him the chief
minister’s post in return for his party’s support in the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan. Two disgruntled groups of PTI have also demanded the removal of CM Buzdar. Under Article 112 (1) of the Constitution, the governor has the authority to dissolve a provincial assembly on the advice of the chief minister. “The governor shall dissolve the provincial assembly if so advised by the chief minister; and the provincial assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty eight hours after the chief minister has so advised,” the article reads.
Court extends Shehbaz’s bail in money laundering case LAHORE Staff RepoRt
An accountability court in Lahore on Saturday extended the post-arrest bail of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in a money laundering case against his family despite his continuous failure to appear before the judge. In its written order, the judge, while deciding the bail extension petition, said
Sharif sought exemption from appearance during the hearing. The law requires the accused to appear before the court to secure interim bail, it said, adding that in case of failure to appear, the request is rejected. It, however, said since Sharif is in Islamabad to attend the National Assembly session in the capacity of opposition leader, therefore, the court allows him to perform his responsibility as an MP. Sharif should ensure his presence during
the next hearing, the court said, while adjourning the hearing until April 4. The court also said the counsel for another suspect has sought time to discuss the court’s jurisdiction in the case and they should also appear before the next hearing to give their arguments on it. Sharif and his family are facing charges of money laundering of billions of rupees using accounts operated in the name of their businesses and employees, according to the FIA.
NEWS
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PIA crew returns lost belongings to passenger Karachi: The crew aboard a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on Saturday returned a luggage bag, containing valuables, to a passenger who arrived at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi from London. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, left the bag in the boarding lounge from where the staff picked it up and handed it over to her after necessary procedure. The bag of the woman — who boarded the flight from London and was travelling to Peshawar via Karachi — carried British currency, jewellery and other valuables. This is not the first time the airline crew have returned lost valuables to the travellers. Previously, a PIA staffer returned a bag containing gold ornaments, foreign currency, a laptop and other valuables to the owner at Jinnah airport. MonitoRing RepoRt
Police kill IS-linked militant commander in Peshawar islamaBaD: Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has killed an Islamic State-linked terrorist commander during a raid at his hideout in Peshawar, it said. The counter-terrorism department of police carried out the raid at the hideout of the terrorist who opened fire at the police after being cornered. The terrorist was killed during the exchange of firing whereas his accomplice managed to flee, the sources said. Talking to the media, a police official said the terrorist was a local commander of the Islamic State (IS) group in the country, who was involved in multiple terrorist activities, including a recent attack at a mosque in Peshawar, that left dozens of people killed and hundreds of others injured. The sources said the terrorist was also wanted in the killing of a priest and policemen besides being involved in other incidents of targeted killings. Search for the fleeing accomplice of the terrorist is underway. Staff RepoRt
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
04
NEWS
IESCO releases power suspension schedule According to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO)’s spokesman, System Maintenance/Development Work is in process. Therefore power supply of below mentioned feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per given schedule: On Dated 27th March From 09:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Nawazish Shaheed, Sher Shah Suri, Army Brigade, Rohan Poliance Feeders From 08:00 AM to 07:00 PM, 132KV AW Grid Station From 06:00 AM to 08:00 AM, Sagri, New Kaliyam, RCC-4, Kaliyam, Sparco, Rawat, Chowk Pandori, HPT-III, RCCI-5, Kallar, Sehala College, New Rawat, Basali, RCCI 1,2,3, Redco, DHA Homes, Pind Jhatla, HPT 1&2, CWO, PAECHS Feeders, From 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM, RCCI 1,2,3,4,5, Chowk Pandori, Sehala, Park View, Pindi Board, Jail Park-1, Car Chowk, Mehboob Shaheed, FF Hospital, Morgah, Mecca Chowk, Gulistan Colony, MSF, Topi Imping, Murree Brewery, Bostan Road, Jhanda, Rawalpindi-3, CNC, VIP Humayun Road Feeders, From 09:00 AM to 04:00 PM Sugharpur, Abdullahpur, CWO. PR
QurEShI, KhattaK COnvEy PM’S MESSagE tO PML-Q LEadErS Islamabad
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staff RePoRt
OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak on Saturday met with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leaders and conveyed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s message ahead of voting on the opposition’s no-trust vote against the premier.
From the PML-Q, Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi, his son and Water Resources Minister Moonis Elahi and Housing and Works Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema were present at the meeting. With five seats in the National Assembly, the PML-Q is a key ally of the PTI in the centre as well as Punjab, and the opposition would require its votes in order for the no-trust move against the premier to succeed. After the meeting, Qureshi said
that today’s meeting was part of the PTI ‘s efforts “to approach its allies”. He said that the meeting was “fantastic”. According to a statement issued by the PML-Q, Khattak and Qureshi conveyed PM Imran’s message to the party’s leaders. However, the statement did not elaborate on what the message was. The statement further said Cheema apprised PTI ministers of difficulties being faced by his party over the past
APNS holds annual meeting The Annual Meeting of the APNS General Council held on March 26, 2022 at APNS House, Karachi unanimously elected Sarmad Ali as President, Jamil Ather as Senior Vice President, Shahab Zuberi as Vice President, Ms. Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani as Secretary General, Mohsin Bilal as Joint Secretary and Muhammad Awais Khushnood as Finance Secretary of the Society. The AGM was held under the chairmanship of Sarmad Ali, President. The Council unanimously approved the report of the Executive Committee for the year 2021-2022 as well as the Annual Accounts of the Society for the year 2021. The General Council attended by 151 members from across the country, formed an Election Commission headed by Dr. Waqar Yousuf Azeemi with Nasir Daad Baloch and Safdar Ali Khan as members. The Election Commission conducted the election of the Executive Committee for the year 2022-23. Following dailies and magazines were elected un-opposed to the Executive Committee of the
APNS for the next tenure : Daily Aghaz, Daily Business Recorder, Daily Deynat, Daily Dawn, Daily Jasarat, Daily Jiddat (Khi), Daily Abtak, Daily Dunya, Daily Jang, Daily Khabrain, Daily Pakistan, Daily Tijarat, Nawa-iWaqt, Daily Ausaf, Daily Sahafat, Daily Awam (Quetta), Daily Mashriq (Quetta), Daily Mashriq (Peshawar), Daily Wahdat, Daily Kawish, Daily Kaleem Daily Aftab (Multan), Daily Paigham, Daily Business Report, Daily City 42, Daily Pakistan Observer, Daily Halchal and Daily Sayadat. Monthly Dastak, Monthly Naey Ufaq, Monthly Centerline, Fortnightly Ibrat Magazine and Weekly Nikhar were elected on periodical seats. The President , Sarmad Ali announced Ms. Rameeza Majid Nizami MD Nawa-e-Waqt Group as special representative of APNS to handle Federal matters. The new Executive Committee elected Mrs. Zahida Abbasi of Daily Nau Sijj, Karachi on woman - publishers seat and co-opted Monthly Naya Rukh on periodical seat.
The newly elected Executive Committee appreciated the performance of the Election Commission. The members unanimously appreciated the efforts of Mr. Hameed Haroon for the reconciliation in the ranks of the newspaper industry and expressed their full confidence in his efforts. The General Council strongly condemned the use of Federal government advertisements as a tool to strangulate the voice of dissent and urged upon the Federal Government to withdraw the ban imposed on certain newspapers. The General Council also noted that the Federal Government has curtailed the release of advertisements to regional newspapers and periodical publications and demanded that the regional quota be observed in letter and spirit in the release of Federal Government advertisements. Earlier, the Extra-Ordinary General Council of the Society held a meeting in the morning and adopted Resolution to amend Article 1 Article 8 of the Articles of Association.
Sania takes notice of deductions from Ehsaas payments Islamabad PR
In a press statement, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM has caveated of strict actions being taken against fraudster agents involved in deductions from disbursements of Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries. Warning agents to refrain from deductions, Dr. Sania further reaffirmed that all those involved in deductions from payments of Kafaalat beneficiaries will be dealt with strictly according to the law. Ehsaas Kafaalat payments for the period January to June 2022 are underway across all Tehsils countrywide. Prime Minister has raised the six-monthly stipend amount of Ehsaas Kafaalat from Rs.12,000 to Rs.14,000. With this increase in the Kafaalat stipend by Rs. 2,000 all eligible beneficiaries of Kafaalat are now being paid Rs.14,000. Highlighting important pointers regarding defrauding activities, Dr. Sania emphasized on three things:
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three and a half years. For their part, the PTI ministers said PM Imran would be informed about the “situation” that Cheema had explained, according to the statement. The statement also quoted Parvez Elahi as saying that PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain would be taken into confidence with regards to today’s meeting and that the next meeting between the two sides would be held in Islamabad.
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
Rasheed uRges PM to cash in on PoPulaRity with eaRly elections
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continued from page 01
t was a positive sign that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) shifted its venue to the H-9 market from the highway, he said. He said a JUI-F Senator has given the government assurance the far-right party will abide by the laws. Permission was given to JUI-F for today’s rally only since the application for their Sunday’s rally is yet to be received, he said. the minister said PML-N has sought permission to hold a rally at the Srinagar Highway but was not allowed as the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court
(IHC) have already directed the Ministry of Interior and district administration to keep main thoroughfares, including Srinagar Highway, open. the courts’ directions will be strictly followed, he added. He said complete security will be provided to the rallies but no one will be allowed to enter the sensitive Red Zone, he added. Rasheed said the voting on no-confidence motion against Khan will most likely be held on April 4 if it was tabled in the House on March 28. He expressed the hope that Khan will
emerge victorious and the allies would vote in favour of the prime minister. Rasheed said Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Sanaullah Abbasi has been directed to arrest absconding Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MP Jam Abdul Karim on his arrival from Dubai. Karim was nominated for the murder of journalist Nazim Jokhio. On Friday, the Sindh High Court (SHC), which did not touch the merits of the case, granted him 10day protective bail against a solvent surety of Rs100,000. Following his arrest, the accused will be handed over to Sindh police for further legal
procedure, he added. Rasheed said Karim will not only be arrested but his name will also be put on the Exit Control List (ECL) and provided to Interpol. the minister, while congratulating the law enforcement and civil administration for successfully holding the meeting of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) — the main decision-making body of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)– and said anti-Pakistan elements wanted to sabotage the event. He urged all political parties to show maturity and shun the politics of confrontation. While there was no need to deploy the army at the mo-
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ment but under Article 245 of the Constitution, the military could be summoned with the approval of the cabinet and the prime minister. the minister claimed the courts have put the responsibility directly on me and the Interior Ministry for maintenance of law and order. He said he will also lead a procession from Rawalpindi to participate in the Sunday power show at Parade Ground. “I firmly stand behind Khan and will bring the biggest rally from Rawalpindi,” he announced. to another question, the minister said stern action will be taken against those who started the malicious campaigns against members of the armed forces on social media.
HBL, MCB launch RDA drive
riYadH PR
Leading Pakistani Banks HBL & MCB Bank partnered with the Pakistani Consulate (Riyadh, KSA) to launch
their upcoming Roshan Digital Account (RDA) drive, ‘Roshan Raho’ at the Pakistani Consulate’s Pakistan Day event. the ‘Roshan Raho’ drive will take place in Riyadh and Jeddah to create further awareness of State Bank of Pakistan’s Roshan Digital Account initiative. this initia-
tive allows non-resident Pakistanis to open bank accounts digitally from abroad for investment in Pakistan and take advantage of the saving schemes and investment opportunities in the country. During the event, guests were briefed on investment opportunities in Pakistan and the importance of Roshan Digital Accounts, particularly with respect to the economic contributions of the Pakistani diaspora to the progress and prosperity of their homeland. Participants were also apprised on HBL and MCB Bank's ‘Roshan Raho’ drive to propagate further awareness of the Roshan Digital Account and its associated services, i.e. Roshan Apni Car auto financing and Roshan Apna Ghar home financing amongst others, to the Pakistani community in the KSA. the event was graced by His Excellency Ameer Khurram Rathore, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and tipu Usman, Deputy Head of Mission (DHM). the attendees were also virtually addressed by Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO HBL and Shoaib Mumtaz, President & CEO of MCB Bank. Also in attendance were members of Pakistani professional communities, members of the senior management teams of both Banks, representatives of the Pakistani embassy, members of the Pakistani diaspora and other key dignitaries. Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO - HBL said: “HBL is honoured to be associated with the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) initiative. Over the course of the
Shabbir Hassan Mansha and Shaukat Ali Omerson, Vice Presidents FPCCI, attend an event in relation to International Women’s Day. PR
P&SHD fails to remodel biomedical workshop LaHore SHAHAB OMER
Despite the availability of funds, the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) could not complete the remodeling of the existing biomedical workshop even after a lapse of more than five years, Pakistan today learnt on Saturday. the documents available with this scribe showed that the project of remodeling of the workshop which was located at Quaid-eAzam Industrial Estate was started in 2016 with a gestation period of six years whereas the revised cost of PC 1 was Rs239.554 million. the documents also showed that the executing agency of the project was P&SHD. Main objectives of the project were to accommodate the increasing workload and to speed up the process of maintenance for biomedical equipment. It was also planned to enhance the strength and technical skill of the
staff through ongoing orientation and training programs in the country and abroad and to include new, precise and efficient equipment having new analytical techniques. However, the up-gradation, restrengthening of existing biomedical equipment repair facilities and the calibration and testing system through addition of high tech was also part of the objective. P&SHD was also given the task for training of human resources regarding usage of biomedical equipment in the public sector hospitals. According to documents, the planned physical progress of the project was 96 per cent while actual was only 69 percent showing a lag in progress during the overall course of the project. Similarly, documents also revealed that Biomedical Equipment Resource Center (BERC) MIS and complaint management information system has been run by a single resource person which showed a poor sustainability factor for the whole
cmYK
system as at controlling end presence of single person may pose risk for the organization. However, according to documents, the complaint management system revealed that the time interval between the lodged complaint and redressal of complaint has been found more than 3 months in some cases and generated complaints were all digital and there was no black & white record present for future reference and safety of Data. It was further revealed in the documents that preventive maintenance plan was not well established leading to frequent complaints and shut down of important laboratory equipment in routine whereas no training plan has been made for the maintenance team which is very important to cater the needs of hospitals with changing times. Moreover, there was no mechanism to monitor the client satisfaction level in the whole project, a compliance to which may yield more favorable results for the project.
last one and a half year, we have been an active partner and a leading enabler in the evolution of the RDA account as it moved from being investment-oriented to now an integral part of lifestyle banking for overseas Pakistani’s. Clients can now make investments, contribute to charities, purchase a car or a house using their RDA accounts. HBL is committed to support the vision of the State Bank of Pakistan, to reach out to overseas Pakistanis and offer them the best of the products and services, as we continue to invest in Pakistan’s economic growth.” Shoaib Mumtaz, President & CEO of MCB Bank also said on the occasion, “the Pakistani diaspora has always been an invaluable asset for Pakistan and their contributions to our economy by way of remittances can never be over appreciated. It is due to their wholehearted participation in the RDA initiative, that more than US$ 3.7 billion has been remitted to Pakistan through Roshan Digital Accounts today. MCB Bank looks forward to working closely with Pakistani communities abroad to facilitate even greater access to innovative financial services and opportunities of investment in Pakistan.”
Sunday, 27 March, 2022
06 COMMENT
Literature and Economy
Trump card? Futile attempts to shuffle the deck
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Role of Commercial Organizations
riMe Minister imran khan has no trump card that can save his government. like a drowning man, he is trying to clutch at straws. With every passing day, his options are getting limited. With less than ten days left for the fateful counting of no-confidence votes, Mr khan is desperately trying to woo back allies who have 20 seats in the National Assembly. Mr khan failed to get the MQM’s grievances related to the establishment resolved when the Pti and those who matter were on the same page. it is beyond him now to oblige the party. What is more, it is easier for the MQM to resolve matters with the PPP which has fewer claims to Sindh’s urban constituencies than with the Pti, which is the MQM’s main competitor there Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Pervez khattak dashed to lahore to meet the PMl(Q) leadership on Saturday. there was no joint presser, indicating the failure of the mission. While the Pti duo remained tight-lipped, ch Pervez elahi condemned the use of religion in politics, obviously referring to recourse to religious slogans by PM. . Despite ‘keeping doors to repentance open’ the tareen group is unwilling to accept any offer other than the replacement of chief Minister Usman Buzdar, which the government is reluctant to concede Provincial ministers belonging to the tareen group continue to boycott cabinet meetings. the group has announced it would not participate in imran khan’s rally today. At a time when the Pti government is facing the most serious threat of its tenure, it looks odd on its part to bring to the National Assembly a constitutional amendment bill for creating South Punjab. this in fact is a ruse to attract eight dissidents out of a list of 14 who belong to Seraiki districts, as some of them pointed out. On Saturday the PM addressed a well-attended and charged public meeting in kamalia after similar ones in Swat and Mansehra. in all these rallies he told the entire nation to come out of their homes and stand with the ruling Pti. With government resources at its disposal, the Pti can bring tens of thousands to islamabad. But Mr khan’s fate is going to be decided by 172 MNAs whom the opposition seems to have gathered. Mr khan may call the islamabad rally a referendum but it cannot save his government.
Zafar Masood
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NtUitively, the link between literature and the economy is not expressly apparent. Following an analysis of the two disciplines, my assertion is that these two fields are inextricably connected. literature serves as a reflection of the economic situation of a nation, and that it drives economic progression. Historically, and presently, the two disciplines of economic thought and literary Discourse have been directly intertwined, and proportionate. evidence for this can be found in the writings of the vedic peoples of indo-europe (circa 1500 Bc), the ancient texts of the Judaic civilization, and the documents from Greek history – all of which serve as the foundation for what is now referred to as “Humanistic economies” - a perspective that imbues elements of humanistic psychology, moral philosophy, political science, sociology and common sense into traditional economic thought. it would not be an overstatement of the significance of literature to say that the basis of civilization, as we know it, is rooted in literature. Speaking to the centrality of literature to the culture of a nation, one is reminded of the words of the American Author, ray Bradbury, who famously said, “you don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” literature has played (and continues to play) a pivotal role in the evolution of society. literary thought has served as the foundation for religions, philosophies, arts and culture itself. throughout contemporary history, literature has also served as a tool of revolution – think: Mao’s “little red Book”, that helped transport china from its “century of Humiliation”, all the way up to becoming the regional superpower that it is today. the history of the industrial revolution of Britain is also rife with its fair share of highly influential pieces of literature – writings such as “Hard times” by charles Dickens, “robinson crusoe” by Daniel Defoe, and Maria edgeworth’s “ennui”, that helped to shape the pub-
Unlikely suicide bombers Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Shehryar Afridi’s threats are making matters worse
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viAtiON Minister Ghulam Sarwar khan and kashmir Affairs committee chairman Shehryar Afridi may be expressing something of the rage felt by Pti supporters at Pti floorcrossers when they said they would have launched a suicide bombing on them had suicide not been banned by islam. However, this expression of rage would not improve matters. While it may have felt right to say it at a rally to prepare the party faithful, there are so many ways in which it was wrong to do so. First of all, it is morally wrong, and insensitive to boot, to speak thus favourably of suicide bombing, knowing that the victims’ families are all around us. Such casual references might not be appreciated by those who approve of, or even have facilitated, suicide bombings. they do consider it a form of holy war, and might not appreciate it being dragged into domestic politics. then there is the issue of proportionality. No matter how reprehensible one considers intending floorcrossing, it does not carry a death sentence. then there are the dangers of Pakistan’s opponents saying that the ministers’ statements merely show how dangerous Pakistan is under ‘taliban’ khan’, a title his critics gave to PM imran khan for the sympathy he lavished on the taliban. it is perhaps a pity that the aviation Minister spoke in this vein, with memories being revived of 9/11, and now the kashmir committee chairman, raising the prospect of the kinds of methods to be used to attain kashmir’s freedom from the indian yoke. it may well be that listeners dismissed these statements as mere hot air, as both were careful to include the caveat about suicide being forbidden in islam. to speak of such an abhorrent deed being somehow acceptable helps neither Pakistan’s image abroad, nor to keep their leader in office the pair may have scored a few brownie points with their leader, but they have not advanced the debate in any way.
Howzat! Is politics like cricket? Mustafa abdullah baloch
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ricket is a gentleman’s game where players are rated on their performances and sportsmanship. A cricketer gets cheered by thousands of spectators when he bowls out the stumps or pulls the bat to a wide angle and hits the ball out of the boundary. it's all about performance and grace that lasts long in cricket. there are some basic rules and etiquettes in cricket regardless of the passion and aggression involved in it. if a batsman gets out he walks away towards the pavilion gracefully without any hue and cry. An umpire plays a vital role in the match, and his decisions are to be accepted by everyone because of his neutrality. recently there has been excessive usage of cricket analogies in Pakistan’s politics like neutral umpire, wicket, pitch, kaptaan, and so on. this culture started when a former cricketer, imran khan, entered politics and often used the above mentioned cricket analogies. imran always portrayed himself as a mentor to his juniors and contemporaries, but the reality has been quite different. the kaptaan’s first victim in cricket was his own mentor (and first cousin) Majid khan, whom he axed from his team the day he became captain just like he axed Jehangir tareen from his party the day he became Prime Minister. in cricket his biggest support was Javed Miandad who used to take the pressure off each time the team was in crisis and was a match winner but imran khan made sure that Miandad didn’t complete his triple century and declared the inning when Miandad was well set at 280 runs on the scoreboard in 1983 at Hyderabad,. Miandad who could’ve easily scored a triple century (300 runs) had to walk back to the pavilion because he was playing under an insecure captain who couldn’t digest the record of his own team player. even in 1980 imran conspired a revolt against young captain Miandad which resulted in turmoil.
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lic discourse during that time of great upheaval. the same applies to the French and the russian revolutions.the revolutionary literature of the subcontinent during the British occupation – which needs no introduction – also followed the same pattern, where the consciousness of the public was roused through literature, through knowledge, through narratives, through inspiration; and following decades of determined struggle, lasting change was brought-about. the rest, as they say, is history. the literature indigenous to Pakistan, which has roots in the literary traditions of the subcontinent and South Asia, came into its own when Pakistan achieved nationhood. the new nation-state inherited a rich literary and cultural heritage, and within a few short years a considerable oeuvre of literary works began to take shape in all major Pakistani languages: Punjabi, Urdu, english, Pashto, Sindhi, Siraiki, Farsi, and Balochi. in the years immediately following the partition of the subcontinent, the literary output of Pakistan was centered heavily around the internalization of the prevailing socio-economic turmoil of the time. Gradually, narratives became more progressive, and Pakistani literature evolved to merge the various linguistic forms and literary styles indigenous to the region, shedding light on the complex class system, on social issues and concerns, and on the economic forces that continues to shape the lives of all Pakistanis. the rise of the economic powerhouses of today, America, Japan, Germany, over the last 3 centuries, occurred in no small part due to technological, social, and cultural innovation – which has roots in academia, and literature. the dilemma, however, is that economists and authors have often explored the same topics and concerns, but in disparate ways, almost as if they each have their own language. A study of economic history, through a literary lens, shows how large, complex forces shape the lives of ordinary people, and thereby the economy at large. literature serves as a window into the economic lives of humans, it provides illustrations of “economic theories at work”. literature enables audiences to connect emotionally to the experiences of the people, as they relate to commodities, markets, class divisions, and also their roles as consumers, workers, and producers. the novel itself evolved as a means to democratize information, by challenging inequality in a way, enabling the formally unlettered masses access to knowledge and insight in a serialized, bitesize format, not entirely dissimilar to the role of the internet in our lives today. My assertion today is that economic discourse is (and has always been) rooted in the thoughts of great literary authors; their far-reaching contributions still continue to shape current economic decision making. consider, for instance, the Base & Superstructure theory of Marxism, “Base” refers to the production forces (materials and resources that generate the goods needed by a society), while “Superstructure” describes all other aspects of society, such as ideology, culture, philosophy, art, and of course, literature.
He even made sure that Miandad was dropped for the 1992 World cup tournament but later had to include him. Miandad gave a stellar performance in the semifinal and final which ultimately resulted in a victory for team Green in the World cup. Actually it was a team effort but imran tried to capture all the credit in his victory speech which depicts his selfcenteredness and arrogance from his cricket days. even after kaptaan’s retirement his cronies treated Miandad, a legend, very badly and made sure he did not sustain the captaincy for long. imran brought personal likes and dislikes in sports and is doing the same in politics today; his criteria for merit has always been a pressurized and scared team where he could easily dictate and manipulate things in his favour. Here in politics he never let any one from his party (Pti) to reach to his level because deep down he has never been a democrat. Be it tareen, Shah Mehmood, Asad Umar, Pervez khattak, all the possible alternatives of kaptaan were sidelined but kaptaan himself. At one place imran was hellbent to make a mediocre player Mansoor Akhtar a Don Bradman and on other hand he destroyed the charismatic Qasim Umer’s career. Just like since past four years he has been rigid to keep the dull Bozdar as cM Punjab and portray him as Waseem Akram Plus, which was however an insult for the legendary fast bowler Akram, and on the hand ruined the career of tareen. But later it became obvious that kaptaan wanted a weak cM who could obey his orders without even blinking an eye. Sarfaraz Nawaz the pioneer of reverse swing who
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Marx astutely observed that the base shapes the superstructure, and that the superstructure maintains the base – thereby establishing a strong link between the economy of a nation-state, and its literary output. the influence of literature extends not just to the financial economy, but to the political economy as well. thought-leaders such as John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith, Max Weber gave rise to entire systems of political thought and discourse through their literary output. Further elaboration on the link between literature and the economy would be remiss without mentioning the concept of “Narrative economies”, by yale economist robert Shiller. Narrative economies is concerned with “the study of the spread and dynamics of popular narratives; the stories, particularly those of human interest and emotion, and how these change through time, to understand economic fluctuations.” literature provides a fresh perspective to economist’s questions by highlighting the socio-cultural context within which the public, and the economy, operates. Well-rounded professionals with backgrounds in the disciplines of humanities (particularly literature and art) grant new perspectives to businesses and their modus operandi. rather than adopting a purely theoretical stance, policies should instead be aligned with the experiences of the people they intend to serve. this way, policy frameworks will be tempered by a nuanced understanding of human behavior. And to this end, nothing is more valuable than literature. to understand (and thereby, change) existing economic realities, it is becoming increasingly apparent that technical expertise is not enough…..Storytelling, and narrative, give the insight and power to change the world. We, at the Bank of Punjab, remain committed in doing our part for anything and everything that is important in uplifting our future generations, and in ensuring the sustainability of welfare and prosperity of our society; in supporting all those activities that are important for the development of a community, and its socio-economic landscape – even those activities which are not conventionally perceived as having a bearing on the economy (and are, thus, not on the radar of commercial organizations). endeavors such as the esteemed literary Festivals in karachi and lahore are critical for the development of a society as a whole, and by extension, the development of its economy; the Bank of Punjab is proud to have been the title sponsor for these auspicious festivals, and would like to expand it’s support to such activities across the country for an even, and across the board, progress and growth. My thesis above is all about proving the fact that the promotion of literature, art and culture has a direct bearing on the economic well-being and sustainable growth of any nation, which ultimately benefits it’s commercial organizations; they just have to be patient and forward-looking about it. With this realization and recognition sinking-in, it is absolutely imperative that commercial organizations, like the Bank of Punjab, must step-up and support these literary activities wholeheartedly, for the character building and betterment of our future generations. The writer is a columnist President & CEO Bank of Punjab
bagged seven wickets for a run against Australia on its home ground of Melbourne. He.was a remarkable bowler and asset of Pakistan cricket team but even he was not spared. imran learnt reverse swing from Sarfaraz but later made him an example of his envy just like he did with many in his own political party, showing the ruthless nature of the despotic kaptaan from his cricket days. currently, the match between imran eleven and Opposition eleven has entered into the final over; with neutral umpires, few wickets in hand and spectators being disappointed at kaptaan’s performance. the experts predict that he will be defeated with a huge margin as his own players have lost confidence in him due to his weak captaincy and are willing to play from the opposite side. kaptaan is facing these consequences today because he entered the pitch without any plan; his arrogance and overconfidence landed him in hot water. this time the Opposition eleven is in form and looks confident. the nonstop yorkers and bouncers are becoming difficult for kaptaan to face, he is missing the shots. Seems like it will be impossible for imran eleven to cross the 172 score while the Opposition eleven is sure enough to put up 200-plus on the scoreboard. Perhaps, looking at the weak body language of kaptaan and smart play by the opposition. it has become evident that the game is over for kaptaan and the only way left for him is to accept his defeat and move on without creating any further embarrassment for himself.
Seems like it will be impossible for Imran Eleven to cross the 172 score while the Opposition Eleven is sure enough to put up 200-plus on the scoreboard. Perhaps, looking at the weak body language of kaptaan and smart play by the opposition. It has become evident that the game is over for kaptaan and the only way left for him is to accept his defeat and move on without creating any further embarrassment for himself
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The writer is a columnist and member PPP, and tweets @MustafaBaloch_
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Sunday, 27 March, 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
Does marriage guarantees happiness? iN Pakistan, marriages are considered compulsory for one’s happiness. But can it really make a person happy if it is done without one’s consent? According to Uk’s forced marriage unit, Pakistan ranked highest among the top four focus countries in 2018. According to human rights activists, 250 overseas Pakistani girls were forced into marriages with Pakistani relatives in 2002 alone. young girls are forced into marriages in the name of honour, money and even to settle the issues between families. the same girls have to face domestic violence after marriages. they suffer physically, emotionally, socially and sexually due to torture and trauma. if a girl wants to be free, her parents don’t accept her deeming it a disrespect to their family. Overseas and minorities girls are forced into marriages. Apart from ensuring strict enforcement to curb forced marriages, the government should also enforce laws against domestic violence to uproot this issue. HIRA SARDAR HASILPUR
Pathetic education system
Leaving the Sitara Far Behind The PAF K-8 trainer is much better bilal ahMad sheikh
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He indian defence production industry had wasted billions of rupees of the indian taxpayer on failed projects nearly every year, which continued for decades without any success. in January 2022, Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAl) has announced that the intermediate Jet trainer (iJt) also known as the HJt-36 Sitara carried out six turn spins to the right as well as left. After decades of modifications in its airframe, the HJt-36 was finally able to move the tailfin and tailplane further down to make its machine operational. Due to several failures of this project the indian Ministry of Defence was forced to consider for its closure and later on purchasedBAe Systems Hawkin 2015 to overcome acute shortage of jet trainers. in fact indian Air Force's much needed substitute of aging HAl HJt-16 kiran which served indian Air Force for the last fifty two year, was thus provided. the indian Air Force is one of few air forces in the world where pilots have completed only 180 to 250 flying hours annually, whereas internationally the average requirement or standard is of 700 to 800 flying hours. Apart from many other reasons, this is also a main reason behind many air crashes of iAF jet fighters in which it had lost hundreds of fighter jets and pilots. the iAF is number one in the world, in terms of air crashes. the iAF pilots were totally dissatisfied with HJt-16 kiran jet trainers due to continuous accidents of this very ramshackle technology, which was first introduced in 1968 and only 190 jet trainers were built. the production line of kiran jet was ended in 1989 and since then no upgradation programmes have been launched. the iAF retired 120 kiran Jets and only 70 remain in service and they mostly are in a non-operational condition. the HJt-36 project which started in 1997 produced a first and then a second prototype, labelled Pt-1 and Pt-2, which flew on 7 March 2003 and in March 2004 respectively. Since then, the programme had experienced a series of delays. the prototype, which was powered by a SNecMA larzac 04-H-20 non-afterburning turbofan producing 4.12 kN of thrust, was assessed to be “underpowered” by the iAF. Subsequently, the HAl sought to replace the French SNecMA engines with the russian NPO-Saturn Al-55i engines. After a serious impediment, the first Al55i engine was received from russia on 28 December 2008, 2 years later than committed. the programme took a backseat again due to two incidents in February 2007 and in February 2009, involving each of the prototypes, which grounded the aircraft for re-
pairs and investigations. it entered into a limited series production by 2010 but according to iAF officials it remained "unfit" for service due to technological issues. By 2014, the indian MOD submitted a statement that the development of iJt was in the advanced stages of certification, with the completion of more than 800 test flights so far, but on ground the story was poles apart. By 2017 many international defense analysts and experts suggested that HAl had failed to resolve core issues of this aircraft and indian MOD would soon close this project. the modified aircraft flew for the first time in April 2019 with the help of a USbased company as a consultant; the airframe was modified to move the tailfin and tailplane further down so an easier spin recovery was expected. On January 6, the iJt successfully demonstrated the capability to carry out six turn spins to both the left and right hand sides but the plane is not ready to serve as yet. this aircraft requires final tests for series production and induction into their own air force. On other hand Pakistan Air Force is using t-37 jet trainers since 1962, and they were upgraded from time to time. USAF was also using t-37s till 2009 and a total 1269 were built. the PAF inducted 63 jet trainers initially and 20 more were inducted in 2008. turkey, on 28 October 2015, gave PAF 34 t-37cs, including spares in an agreement between turkey and Pakistan. Pakistan Aeronautical complex (PAc) successfully overhauled and maintained these aircraft. the Jl-8 trainer project was initiated by china around 1986, and later became a joint effort with Pakistan in 1987. the name was changed on the suggestion of Pakistan's then President Zia ulHaq to karakoram-8 to represent the friendship between the two countries. the first prototype was built in 1989, with its first flight taking place on 21 November 1990. Flight testing continued from 1991 to 1993 by a Flight test team consisting of four chinese and two Pakistani pilots. the design finalization was in December 1992. thousands of on-land tests and flying tests revealed its combined properties that
were better than the other jet trainers all around the globe. later four prototypes were built and production of a small batch of 24 aircraft was launched in 1992. the chinese share out of these was 18, while the PAF received six k8s in 1994. the export-variant k-8 karakorum Basic common Advanced Jet trainer is co-produced by china National Aero-technology import & export corporation (cAtic) for export markets other than Pakistan, while later aircraft for Pakistan have been built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF), Pakistan Aeronautical complex. karakorum-8 or k-8 (Hongdu Jl-8 /Nanchang Jl-8), is an export success in the world market and more than 16 countries, including Pakistan and china, are using more than 600 aircraft all around the world. the latest Pakistani export variant is the k-8P version, which is currently operated by the PAF. the k-8P has an advanced avionics package of integrated head-up display (HUD), multi-function displays (MFDs) and comes equipped with MFDintegrated GPS and ilS/tAcAN systems. it also features hard points for carrying a variety of training and operational bombs up to 250 kg, pod mounted 23 mm cannon as well as Pl5/7/AiM-9 P launchers. in September 2011, NAMc rolled out another 12 k-8P for an undisclosed foreign client. Pakistan air force is evaluating even more advanced chinese trainer jets Jl-9 and Jl-10 for future upgrades and requirements after retirement of t-37s which is expected in 2030. Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAl) intermediate Jet trainer (iJt) HJt-36 Sitara still takes three to four more years to enter into active service if these trials are successful. the indian Air Force severely lacking advancement in its jet training programmes has caused numerous accidents and mishaps, meanwhile the Pakistan Air Force has always successfully upgraded and is continuing to upgrade its fleet for the future requirements and is designing training jets as a second defence line as well.
The Indian Air Force severely lacking advancement in its jet training programmes has caused numerous accidents and mishaps, meanwhile the Pakistan Air Force has always successfully upgraded and is continuing to upgrade its fleet for the future requirements and is designing training jets as a second defence line as well.
The writer is a Research Officer in Balochistan Think Tank Network, BTTN, Quetta
ONe of the reasons for Pakistan’s poor literacy rate is the absence of educational reforms and the lack of decorum in institutes. cheating, deception, fraud are commonplace in most examination boards of the country — especially amongst the high schoolers during board examinations. even university students are promoted based on forged results. Although rote learning, memorising and cheating allow students to progress from one academic level to another, they cannot achieve much in life without any real knowledge or skills. Often students cheat or rotelearn because of lackadaisical teaching. teachers either simply read the content of the textbooks or assign tasks to students without any proper instructions. resultantly, students’ grasp of concepts is weak and quells their creativity and curiosity. Poor teaching outcomes often compel students to opt out of education and start working to support their families. However, they usually end up in low-skilled jobs and cannot move up the social ladder later. Our weak education system is the chief reason behind Pakistan lagging in overall societal and economic development. there are fewer individuals that are equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute back to the economy, which will continue shrinking if the education system is not reformed. the government must overhaul the entire system from primary schooling up to the university level. Strict measures should be enforced to alleviate cheating and bribes in institutes. there should be regulatory checks on administration and teaching faculty to ensure that they are fulfilling their duties. ZAKIR ULLAH MARDAN
Servants of the nation DUriNG my service as an upper-division clerk in the commissioner office of rawalpindi, i saw that an honest and hardworking officer who cares for people would always focus on discharging his/her duties at the best rather than appeasing higher-ups. One such officer that i had the honour to work with was Mr Wajihuddin who was appointed commissioner rawalpindi at a time when the movement against the martial law of General Ayub khan was at its peak. the public was protesting, taking out rallies, and staging sit-ins in rawalpindi and other parts of the country on a daily basis. the commissioner was appointed after two of his predecessors failed to control mobs and reinstate law and order. When he took charge, i was working in the control room responsible for collecting the information from various sources and presenting it to the commissioner. He changed the process and kept close contact with the DiG and deputy commissioners asking for daily progress. He frequently went on visits to various parts of the city to make sure everything was under control. He did not let the police use a heavyhanded approach and advised the administration to refrain from violating the rights of people and would only allow the use of force if the red line was being crossed. the commissioner discharged his duties with full honesty and served the public in a true sense unlike the civil servants of today who are more interested in keeping the higher-ups and politicians happy instead of performing their job. My purpose in recalling his service is meant to inspire today’s civil servants to adopt a similar demeanour and be honest and upright in their service. RAJA SHAFAATULLAH ISLAMABAD
Pakistan’s loans investigation tHe honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr imran khan during his live question/answer session dated 23rd January 2022 with the public on national television mentioned and complained that half of the tax revenue collected by his government has to be spent on interest and repayments of loans taken by the last two governments Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PMl-N) (years 2013 to 2018) and Pakistan Peoples Party (years 2008 to 2013). that is why, he explained, not much money is left with the government to spend on education, health etc. this reminded me of Prime Minister’s address to the nation dated 12th June 2019 when he vowed to nab the “thieves who plunged the country in debt badly.” He further said: “i am constituting a high-powered enquiry commission with a one-point agenda: how they accumulated so much debt in 10 years”. the enquiry commission, the Prime Minister said will have representatives from the investigation Bureau, Federal investigation Agency, Federal Board of revenue, Security and exchange commission and inter-Services Agency. i would like to request the Prime Minister to share with the nation the findings of the above mentioned high-level commission and actions taken in this matter so far. EJAZ AHMAD MAGOON LONDON
Sunday, 27 March, 2022
08 WORLD VIEW
The compounding Trauma of afghan children in uS ShelTerS THE COMPOUNDING TRAUMA OF AFGHAN CHILDREN IN US SHELTERS AT ONE SHELTER, SOME CHILDREN REPORTED BEING HURT BY EMPLOYEES AND SEXUALLY ABUSED BY OTHER MINORS ProPublica
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Melissa sanchez and anna clark
even months after the fall of Kabul, shelters in the U.S. caring for children evacuated without their parents are experiencing unprecedented violence while workers at the facilities have struggled to respond to the young Afghans’ trauma. Some children have run away, punched employees and stopped eating. Others have tried to kill themselves. At one shelter, ProPublica has learned, some children reported being hurt by employees and sexually abused by other minors. At least three shelters in Michigan and Illinois have shut down or paused operations after taking in large groups of Afghan children, prompting federal officials to transfer them from one facility to another, further upending their lives. “This is not acceptable,” said naheed Samadi Bahram, U.S. country director for the nonprofit Women for Afghan Women, which provides mentors to children in custody in new York. These children “left their homes with a dream to be stable, to be happy, to be safe. If we cannot offer that here in the U.S. that is a big failure.” ProPublica reported in October on serious problems at a Chicago shelter that took in dozens of young Afghans. Since then, we’ve found that the troubles in the U.S. shelter system are more widespread. This account is based on law enforcement records, internal documents and interviews with nearly two dozen people who have worked with or have talked with the children in facilities across the country, including shelter administrators and employees as well as interpreters, attorneys and volunteers. Advocates for the children acknowledge that the Office of Refugee Resettlement — the federal agency responsible for overseeing the nation’s shelters for unaccompanied immigrant minors — is navigating an exceptional challenge. The haphazard evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan last year as U.S. troops pulled out of the country left little time to prepare ORR facilities, which are accustomed to housing Central American children and teens. The COvID-19 pandemic created additional complications. In all, some 1,400 unaccompanied Afghan minors were brought to the U.S. last year and placed in ORR custody. Of those, more than 1,200 have gone to live with sponsors, typically relatives or family friends. nearly all the remaining 190 are teenage boys with nobody here who can take them in. As of March 8, more than 80 Afghan children had been in ORR custody for at least five months, according to government data analyzed by the national Center for Youth Law. In a system that normally houses children for about a month, the young Afghans have been waiting in what seems like never-ending detention. It’s unclear how or when children will be reunited with their families. The State Department is working to obtain travel documents for parents who remain in Afghanistan, a spokesperson said, but coordinating departures from Taliban-ruled Kabul has proven challenging. The ORR said it has placed 56 of the 190 children in its custody into long-term or transitional foster care as of this week and is recruiting more families to take them in. An ORR official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the agency is doing its best to support the Afghan children by providing interpreters, mental health services, additional staffing and, in recent months, Afghan American mentors. But those efforts won’t “change the reality for a child that their parent is hiding from the Taliban or that their family has died or that they are grappling with some really terrible things that nobody should have to grapple with.” “I do struggle to know what else we could be doing that we’ve already not been trying to do.” And the ORR may soon face another challenge. With the Biden administration’s announcement Thursday that the U.S. will accept 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing war, people who work in the system are bracing for the children who may arrive without their parents. On a cold and cloudy evening in early January, 19 boys were shuttled in vans to a shelter run by the nonprofit Samaritas in Grand Rapids, Michigan. employees at the shelter had heard that they might receive Afghan children but thought they’d have two or three weeks to prepare for their arrival. Instead, they had 24 hours’ notice, according to one worker. (The ORR says it gave the shelter two weeks’ notice.) A federal emergency intake site that housed dozens of Afghan children almost 85 miles away in Albion, Michigan, had abruptly shut down, scattering children to facilities across the country, including Samaritas. The shelter was not ready. “everything from the food to the reading material [to the] grievance procedures and the rules — everything that we had was set up for Central American kids,” one Samaritas employee said. “And now we were really screwed.”
On a given day, some 10,000 or so children and teens are in ORR custody around the country, the vast majority of them from Central America. Facilities that receive them tend to have employees who know their language and culture. Workers often speak Spanish or are Latin American immigrants or children of immigrants. They understand what motivates Central American teens to immigrate each year: pursuing a better education, fleeing gang violence and earning dollars to support families. The children, too, often know what to expect because they’ve heard stories from friends and relatives who immigrated before them. They know it’ll be about 30 days in ORR custody before they’re sent to live with a sponsor. “The Afghan kids were a completely different story,” said a former worker at a Pittsburgh shelter run by the nonprofit Holy Family Institute. “I felt so sorry for them. They’ve been there three, four months, and they still did not know if they would ever see their families again.” The pivot to housing Afghan children left shelters
Hamidi-Azar, who visits children in ORR facilities as a volunteer with Afghan Refugee Relief, a community organization in California. “There is nowhere to pinpoint blame except for the manner in which Afghanistan is evacuated: way too fast. no one was prepared on the ground here. no one could have expected what happened.” In Chicago, ProPublica reported last fall on how the challenges involving Afghan children at a shelter operated by Heartland Human Care Services were exacerbated by the lack of on-site interpreters. After the story was published, lawmakers called for an investigation and Heartland received interpreters. But in the months that followed, police were called repeatedly to the facility. In January, officers arrested a 16-year-old boy accused of kicking and punching two workers. According to the police report, the boy said he was upset about being separated from his friends. In a statement, Heartland said it’s not equipped to
flat-footed. Many needed prayer rugs, halal meat and connections to local Muslims who could lead Friday prayers. even with interpreters who spoke Pashto or Dari, communication between children and employees was difficult, leading to misunderstandings and mistrust. In the hours before the Afghan children arrived in Grand Rapids, the Samaritas worker said staff members were scrambling: “OK, like, what language do they speak? ... It was a culture shock for them. It was a culture shock for us.” There were many “unexpected complications,” said Samaritas Chief Operations Officer Kevin van Den Bosch, but “we looked at the challenge, and said, ‘If not us, who is going to do it?’” employees at several shelters described the trauma among the youths as more severe than anything they’d seen. Children are desperate to call home to check on their parents and other relatives, some of whom worked for the U.S. government or for contractors and are now potential targets for the Taliban. Some feel guilty for being in the U.S. while their families fear for their lives in Afghanistan. After the Afghan children arrived at Samaritas, Grand Rapids police responded nearly every other day to calls for incidents like missing persons, suicide threats, fights and assaults. The police reports were unavailable, but internal shelter records document many of those incidents. One boy put a rope around his neck, “acting like he wanted to hang himself.” Another day, a boy tried to suffocate another child with a plastic bag. A few days later, a worker found a boy scratching his forearm. He told her that “when his body is in pain, it prevents his head from thinking about his problems.” Meanwhile, Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the state’s Children’s Protective Services, is investigating allegations related to Samaritas, though it’s not clear what the allegations involve. A department spokesperson, Bob Wheaton, said the agency was prohibited by law from disclosing details. Samaritas officials said that, while the nonprofit could not provide information about the allegations, the agency follows robust safety protocols to protect the youth in its care. That includes background checks, cameras at the facility and safety plans for children at risk of self-harm. “We take every, every allegation, or everything that a youth says seriously,” van Den Bosch said, “and everything gets reported.” Advocates said the struggles of some of the Afghan children should have been anticipated. “even children who have no prior traumatic experiences would begin to show signs of distress at this point, being in shelter care for this long,” said Saman
provide the mental health support some Afghan children need. “Heartland is not alone in our experience of how the severe lack of access to mental health resources dramatically impacted unaccompanied Afghan youth who arrived in this country last fall,” an official wrote. The official said it stopped taking in children “after the challenging past few months” to support front-line staff through team-building and training. Heartland recently resumed operations, though at a reduced capacity. Starr Commonwealth, the emergency intake site in Albion, seemed to get off to a better start. It offered a welcoming setting with residential cottages on a lush green campus when Afghan children arrived last fall. Unlike Heartland, it had Dari and Pashto interpreters on site from the outset. But attorneys who visited children at Starr raised red flags early on. The site was too restrictive, they said, and children complained about a lack of physical activity and phones to call their families. What’s more, because of its status as a federal emergency intake site, Starr wasn’t licensed by the state. Immigration advocates have long criticized the government’s use of these emergency facilities because they operate without independent state oversight. The federal government had begun leasing the campus from a nonprofit with the same name last spring in response to large numbers of Central American children crossing the border. Starr later shifted focus to housing Afghan children. As the children remained long past the short stays Starr was designed to accommodate, the local sheriff’s office started fielding calls about fights, runaways and suicidal behavior. A volunteer who often visited the facility — and asked not to be identified to avoid the risk of losing access to children in ORR custody — said children would tell her they “were crying all night long” and ask for prayers to help with depression. She told her husband the shelter reminded her of a prison. Before Starr shut down in early January, the sheriff’s office in Calhoun County received referrals for at least five child welfare allegations in the final three weeks, records show. In one case, a 16-year-old said two workers shoved and yelled at him. When interviewed by a deputy, one of the workers acknowledged yelling out of frustration but said he “does not put his hands” on the children. The other worker was separately suspended after being accused of kicking a boy who was praying, according to a report. neither led to charges. In the case in which the 16-year-old said he was shoved, the Calhoun County prosecutor’s office determined an assault did not take place. In the second, the child who said that he was kicked could not be located because he had been transferred elsewhere, Prosecuting Attorney David Gilbert said.
There were other troubles. Authorities responded to three allegations of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior between children, including one from an 8-year-old boy who told a counselor that a 13-year-old boy came into his room at night and touched him. “He is scared and does not feel safe,” according to a sheriff’s department report. But by the time the prosecutors got this case, too, the children were no longer at Starr and could not be located, Gilbert said. It’s unclear who employed the workers, as Starr was mostly staffed by PAe Applied Technologies, a federal contractor. A company representative declined to comment. Other workers came from a variety of federal agencies that loaned their services to the ORR. A spokesperson for Starr said the nonprofit “did share a number of concerns” with both ORR and PAe. But Starr was “purely serving as a landlord,” she added, and “the government, not Starr, is solely responsible for programming and caring for children through its ORR program.” Wheaton, from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, said the agency had no jurisdiction over Starr but forwarded allegations to local law enforcement and federal authorities. The ORR official said that the agency has a “zerotolerance policy for abuse of any kind” and that employees accused of abuse are immediately terminated or put on administrative leave. Facilities also send allegations to local law enforcement, child protective services, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general and the FBI. At Starr and shelters around the country, workers said that they were overwhelmed. Some expressed frustration, calling the youth “spoiled” for asking for more phone time and Afghan food — which, over time, they received. Other employees suspected their colleagues were afraid of the children. One volunteer called the situation inside a shelter a “pressure cooker.” Workers and others at several facilities said they heard children say they'd been told that if they misbehaved, they’d be sent back to Afghanistan. ORR officials said any threats against children are unacceptable, and employees accused of maltreatment are placed on leave until all the details of what happened are understood. Staffing shortages exacerbated tensions. In recent weeks, Samaritas administrators offered workers a $500 bonus if they picked up an extra shift, according to emails obtained by ProPublica. “The depth and breadth of the need, and the sudden nature of it ... put everybody in a really tough spot,” Sam Beals, Samaritas’ chief executive, said. “When I think of what these kids have gone through ... it’s shocking they don’t act out more.” Last week, Samaritas paused operations at the Grand Rapids shelter to hire and train staff. The decision was made by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, which holds Samaritas’ grant with the ORR, according to federal officials. Lutheran Immigration did not respond to requests for comment. Less than three months after they arrived at Samaritas, the Afghan children were on the move again, transferred to new facilities. employees made it a point to prepare the children by taking them on virtual or physical tours when possible. The last child left the Samaritas shelter last weekend. Melissa Adamson, an attorney with the national Center for Youth Law who is authorized to interview children in U.S. immigration custody, said the repeated transfers of the Afghan youth “further destabilizes their already fragile sense of security.” Last fall, the ORR began offering special training for staff at shelters serving Afghan children. The agency also began allowing volunteer mentors from the Afghan American community to visit and provide emotional support to children, federal officials said. In January, the ORR began sending Muslim and Afghan American mental health specialists to shelters through a program with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. The changes made a difference, said Hamidi-Azar — whose organization is part of a coalition of Afghan American community groups, advocates and others that mobilized last fall to assist evacuees in the U.S. “You have to give credit where it’s due,” she said. “From government agencies to community activists, we have all been trying to find a way to make the situation better.” After visiting children at one shelter in California, one Afghan American volunteer realized she could do more: She became a foster mom and welcomed two small boys — cousins — to her home. The woman, who asked not to be identified to protect the children’s privacy, took time off work to bond with the boys and enroll them in the neighborhood school. “They have adjusted well and are so happy to be in a home environment,” she said. “Being able to experience many firsts has been pretty special” — including a trip to the beach and a ride on a carousel. Theirs is the kind of story advocates around the country want for Afghan children languishing in ORR custody. But the foster care system is backlogged, and finding homes for teenage boys is especially difficult. Foster parents often prefer and are licensed to care for younger children. The ORR has partnered with organizations like the Muslim Foster Care Association to recruit more foster families. Approximately 80 Afghan families are awaiting licensing, a process that varies by state. The foster mom in California thinks often about all the children still waiting for what’s next. As happy as I was that these boys were placed [with me], there were kids at the shelter that were devastated,” she said. “I know that one kid was crying: ‘Why? Why didn’t a family want me? What did I do?’” Melissa Sanchez is a reporter at ProPublica who is focused on immigrants and low-wage workers. Anna Clark is a Detroit-based reporter for ProPublica, covering stories in Michigan and the Midwest. She is the author of “The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy.”
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | iSlAMAbAD
nEwS
corporate corner BoP, slIc sign agreements
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FBR collects sales tax oF Rs26.5Bn FRom suGaR sectoR islamabad
t The Bank of Punjab (BOP) and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLIC) have signed Bancaassurance and Bancatakaful agreements in a ceremony recently held in Lahore at BOP Head Office. Mr. Shoaib Javed Hussain, Chairman SLIC and Mr. Zafar Masud, President & CEO BOP were present at the ceremony. Senior officials from both organizations were also in attendance on the occasion. This is a landmark agreement which marks a first for both organizations in terms of Bancatakaful proposition. While BOP is already offering various Bancasurance (conventional) products, it will be for the first time that a Takaful proposition is going to be offered from BOP Islamic branches as well as from Islamic windows of conventional branches. Similarly, this agreement marks the first bancatakaful agreement for SLIC, whereas SLIC is currently offering only conventional products with other partner banks. Mr. Zafar Masud, President and CEO of the Bank of Punjab said, "At Bank of Punjab we strive to provide world-class financial services to our customers across Pakistan. We do this through innovative products and excellence in customer service. We are pleased to enter into an agreement with State Life Insurance Corporation. This agreement is just the first step towards a long and strategic partnership between the two public sector entities which will be explored in much wider areas covering other economic and social ventures”. Mr. Shoaib Javed Hussain, Chairman State Life, said at the event, “it is pleasure to announce the partnership between State life and BOP at the start of State Life 50th anniversary. The State Life is a leading insurer in the country and is also backed by sovereign guarantee. The partnership brings together two leading organizations of Pakistan with shared vision of ensuring inclusion and protection of people of Pakistan across all strata of society with the mutual goal of increasing economic activities in the country. We see this step as a beginning of a successful partnership between the two corporate entities”. pr
Govt increases profit rates on savings schemes
shahzad paracha
HE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected Rs26.5 billion sales tax from sugar sector in the current crushing season as against Rs19.9 billion collected during the corresponding period in the last crushing season, an increase of Rs6.59 billion showing 33 per cent growth. As per the information, FBR has achieved one more milestone through successful implementation of Track and Trace System(TTS) in the sugar sector during the current crushing season. The innovative digital monitoring system of sugar production has been implemented on 79 sugar mills, having 151 production lines nationwide. It is pertinent to mention that the Prime Minister had himself launched TTS on November 23, 2021 for the sugar sector. Thereafter, no sugar bags were allowed to be removed from the factory premises and sold in the market without tax stamps. Owing to this transparent electronic monitoring of production, all sugar mills had to declare their actual crushing and production during the current crushing season. Therefore, as a result of this digital intervention, the sugar mills have pro-
duced record high sugar i.e. 7.51 million tons as against 5.63 million tons produced during last crushing season, showing an increase of 34 per cent. In addition, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin has commended FBR for successful implementation of Track and Trace System which has made Pakistan a
sugar surplus country. FBR Chairman Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed has also appreciated the performance of Track and Trace System. He further reiterated that over the next few months, the system will be implemented on the tobacco sector as well as on other important sectors like fertilizers, petroleum, and cement.
It will result in digital monitoring of the large-scale manufacturing and production of these key sectors. Besides, preventing revenue leakages, it will help in minimizing human intervention and thus pave the way for a transparent and reliable tax compliance system across the country, he concluded.
Auditor general reports financial irregularities at PEDO islamabad aziz buneri
The Auditor General of Pakistan has reported that the Pakhtunkhwa Energy and Development Organisation
(PEDO) has incurred Rs125.2 million loss to provincial exchequer by purchasing four vehicles for Rs148 million, while their actual worth is Rs22.8 million. The Auditor General has recommended imposition of liability and recovery of the amount from the
The government has increased the profit rates on several National Savings Certificates and schemes by 48 to 100 basis points, according to a media report. The revision and increase in the rates have been made to adjust to the benefit of a boost in income from Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) in the current fiscal year. An increase of 11.04 per cent has been witnessed on Regular Income Certificates after they went up by 84 basis points. The rate of interest on the Behbood Savings Certificate (BSC) has gone up by 48 basis points to 12.72 per cent, and the profit rate on Defense Saving Certificates (DSC) has been increased by 60 basis points to 10.92 per cent. According to National Savings, the rate of profit on Savings Accounts has remained unchanged at 8.25 per cent, while Pensioners Benefit Account (PBA) also saw an increase of 48 points and went from 12.24 per cent to 12.72 per cent. Monitoring report
responsible PEDO officials. However, despite being discussed in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), so far no recovery has been made from the concerned authorities. According to the 2016-17 report of the Auditor General, PEDO was awarded the contract of constructing Koto Hydel Power Project in Dir district during 2014-15 at a cost of Rs12.59 billion although according to the documents, the cost of the project was estimated to be Rs12.49 billion. Similarly, four luxury vehicles were purchased for this project. At that time the price of one vehicle was Rs5.7 million but each vehicle was purchased at Rs35.2 million, incurring a loss of Rs125.2 million to provincial exchequer. The Auditor General report has pointed out to the “extremely weak” financial and administrative control and recommended that those who have caused damage to the exchequer should not only be held accountable but the loss should be recovered from them. After the report was unveiled, the KP finance department decided that the matter will be discussed in a PAC meeting. The issue was discussed in the meeting and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) held an investigation but so far no official has been brought to justice.
Food ministry orders reshipment of infested soybean vessel islamabad ghulaM abbas
The Plant Protection Department (DPP), an attached department of Ministry of Food Security and Research (MoFS&R) has caught an oilseed vessel heavily infested and ordered its re-shipment. According to official sources, a vessel ‘MV Yangze 6’ carrying 556,36 metric tons of soybeans worth Rs6 billion from Brazil was stopped at Karachi port after being found as heavily infested. As a result of quarantine inspection by DPP at Karachi’s port, the vessel was found heavily infested with aflatoxins, fungal diseases and live insect pests with bad smell. As per quarantine rules of Pakistan, the sample was sent to registered government laboratories for testing. As per documents available with this scribe, the HEJ industrial analytical center lab, after testing the samples, revealed that aflatoxin in the soybean was 25 parts per billion (ppb) which was much higher than the
maximum allowed limit of 20 ppb. Aflatoxin is a potent liver toxin known to cause cancer in animals. In swine, aflatoxin can cause reduced weight gain, reduced ability to resist diseases, hepatitis and death. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established action levels of 20 ppb for grain and feed products, and 0.5 ppb for milk. An official of DPP claims high levels of aflatoxins are causing cancers and other food safety issues in Pakistan. These will contaminate the whole food chain of the country including human health, edible oils, poultry industry, animal feed and spread diseases in agriculture. Following the lab results the DPP has issued the re-shipment order of the ship on March 22, 2022. As per the order, the consignment/container will be confiscated and destroyed or deported to the country of origin within seven days from the date of issue of the order for which the importer shall submit the re-shipping bills for necessary endorsement failing which the same shall be
arranged for destruction/confiscation at his own cost in manner prescribed by plant protection adviser. However, insiders informed, the importers and influential lobby are trying to get the vessel cleared through approaching the concerned ministries and authorities. Interestingly, according to sources, the infested consignment was detected after dozens of similar consignments were cleared this year which show how substandard oilseed are being imported and cleared for consumption in the country. “Influential importers groups generally buy substandard oilseed vessels at cheaper prices and manage to clear them. They are also trying to release this ship like they did in the past. This will be the success of the mafia and against national interests if this substandard ship is released,” said an official in terms of anonymity. According to insiders, no one at DPP, including its Director General Muhammad Tariq Khan was ready to take the risk of allowing the highly infested consignment
keeping the lab reports in view. The DG has ordered re-shipment of the vessel but it was
still at port Qasim anchorage as the importers were trying to manage the shipment.
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
10 FOREIGN NEWS
US callS for toUgher UN SecUrity coUNcil SaNctioNS agaiNSt North Korea UNITED NaTIONs
t
AFP
HE United States called Friday for tougher international sanctions against North Korea at the UN Security Council, accusing Pyongyang of “increasingly dangerous provocations” after it test-fired its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile. “The United States calls on all member states to fully implement the existing Security Council resolutions,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during the meeting convened to discuss North Korea.
“Because of DPRK’s increasingly dangerous provocations, the United States will be introducing a […] Security Council resolution to update and strengthen the sanctions regime” that was adopted in December 2017, she said, using the official acronym for North Korea. At the time “the council decided we would take further action in the event of a DPRK ICBM launch,” ThomasGreenfield said. “This is precisely what happened. So now is the time to take that action.” The unanimously adopted text was voted on a month after Pyongyang fired its last previous intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-15, which was
deemed powerful enough to reach the continental United States. Following Friday’s meeting, a group of 15 nations including permanent Security Council members Britain, France and the US — but minus China and Russia — released a joint statement condemning Pyongyang’s latest launch “in the strongest terms” and warning it “poses a threat” to the entire international community. “The DPRK is demonstrating its determination to continue advancing its weapons program as it escalates its provocative behaviour — and yet the Council has remained silent,” said the countries, which include non-permanent Security Council members
Brazil, Ireland and Norway, as well as Germany, Japan and South Korea. The statement urged UN states, especially Security Council members, “to join us in condemning this behaviour and in urging the DPRK to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs and engage in diplomacy toward denuclearisation.” China addressed the Security Council meeting and urged “prudence and reason” regarding North Korea. “All is not quiet on the international front. No parties should take any action that would lead to greater tensions,” China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun said.
Russia, for its part, warned against following Washington’s lead on tightening sanctions. Deputy Russian envoy to the UN Anna Evstigneeva said Moscow believes that doing so would “go beyond the framework of cutting off financing” for the DPRK missile and nuclear programs and would “threaten North Korean citizens with unacceptable socio-economic and humanitarian problems.” In 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un formalised a moratorium on nuclear testing and long-range ballistic missile launches, stating that his goals had been met and proclaiming his country a fully nuclear state. He nonetheless personally supervised Thursday’s launch, which state media outlet KCNA reported was meant to ensure the country is ready for a “long-standing confrontation” with the United States. The Group of Seven nations and the EU on Friday condemned what they said was North Korea’s “blatant violation” of its obligations under Security Council resolutions.
Joe Biden meets top Ukrainian ministers in Warsaw WarsaW AFP
Joe Biden on Saturday met in Warsaw with two Ukrainian ministers in the first face-to-face talks between the US president and top Kyiv officials since Russia's invasion began. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov made a rare trip out of Ukraine in a possible sign of growing confidence in the fightback against Russian forces. The meeting took place at the Marriott Hotel in the city centre — opposite a Warsaw train station where there has been a constant flow of Ukrainian refugees since the conflict started. Biden could be seen seated at a long white table between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, facing Kuleba and Reznikov, an AFP reporter said. There were Ukrainian and US flags in the background. Biden last met Kuleba in Washington on February 22 — two days before Russia began its assault. Since then, Kuleba has also met with Blinken in Poland next to the border with Ukraine on March 5. Biden is on the second and final day of a visit to Poland after he met with European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation leaders in Brussels earlier in the week. On Friday, he met with US soldiers stationed in Poland near the Ukrainian border and with aid workers helping refugees fleeing the conflict. He praised Ukrainians for showing “backbone” against the Russian invasion and compared their resistance to the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in China in 1989. “This is Tiananmen Square squared,” he said. He also referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a man who, quite frankly, I think is a war criminal”. “And I think we'll meet the legal definition of that as well,” he said. Biden said he would have liked to see the devastation caused by the conflict “first-hand”. “They won't let me, understandably I guess, cross the border,” he said. Speaking to the troops, he said: “You're in the midst of a fight between democracies and autocrats. What you're doing is consequential, really consequential.” Later on Saturday, he is due to meet with Polish leaders, visit a reception centre for refugees and give a major speech on the conflict.
Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now KYIV ReuteRs
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine pushed for further talks with Russia as Moscow signalled it was scaling back its ambitions, focussing on territory claimed by Russian-backed separatists in the east after attacks elsewhere stalled. FIGHTING/DIPLOMACY * Russia said the first phase of its military operation was mostly complete and it would focus on “liberating” Ukraine’s breakaway Donbas region. Reframing his goals may make it easier for Putin to claim a face-saving victory, analysts said. * Three hundred people may have been killed in the bombing of a Mariupol theatre, local officials said. Russia said 1,351 of its soldiers had died, while the UN said it had confirmed 1,081 civilian deaths in Ukraine. * It is “foolish” to believe Western sanctions could affect Moscow, as they will only unite Russian society, said ex-president Dmitry Medvedev. * Thousands of miles from Ukraine, Russia was conducting military drills on islands claimed by Tokyo, Japanese media said, days after Moscow halted peace talks with Japan because of its sanctions over the invasion. REFUGEES * About 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine, which had a prewar population of 44 million. * The UN is looking into allegations that civilians were forcibly moved from the besieged southern city of Mariupol to Russia.
Sunday, 27 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
SPORTS 11
ICC WoMeN’S World Cup: NeW ZeAlANd beAT pAkISTAN by 71 ruNS WELLINGTON the AssociAted PRess
S
UZIE Bates made 126 and became only the third woman to surpass 5,000 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) as New Zealand beat Pakistan by 71 runs Saturday in its last match at the
Women’s Cricket World Cup. Bates’ 12th ODI century and her fourth across four World Cups allowed New Zealand to make 2658 as it batted first after losing the toss at Hagley Oval at Christchurch, New Zealand. Hannah Rowe then took 5-55, her first five-wicket bag, as New Zealand held Pakistan to 194-9 in
reply. New Zealand came into the match with the faint hope that a convincing win over Pakistan and extraordinary results in the final matches of the group stage on Sunday between England and Bangladesh and South Africa and India might see it just qualify for the semifinals of its home tournament. Though it improved its net runrate, that no longer seems possible. Bangladesh would have to beat England and India would have to beat South Africa by enormous margins for New Zealand to retain any chance of qualifying.
New Zealand instead had to face not only the end of the tournament but the end of an extremely successful era. Several of its most senior players are expected to retire when the tournament ends. Bates said the past week in Christchurch, which was likely the team’s last together in its current form, had been emotional. “Knowing we’d lost that close match to England (last weekend) it was going to be tough to make the semis,” Bates said. “We probably got rid of our emotions in the first couple of days and realized as a team we had a job to do.”
Bates has not had the best of tournaments with only one half-century — an unbeaten 79 against Bangladesh. But she was in outstanding form on Saturday, dominating the Pakistan bowlers. When she reached 81 she passed her 5,000 runs in ODIs and she went on to a century from 110 balls. “I think I’m determined every game I play to score runs and it hasn’t gone my way this tournament but every time you get a chance to bat you want to make sure you get runs,” Bates said. Bates had sporadic support from Amelia Kerr who made 24 and
wicketkeeper Maddy Green who made 23 in what is likely to be her last ODI. Brooke Halliday hit 29 from 38 balls late in the innings to boost New Zealand’s total. Rowe conceded 27 runs from her first three overs during the power play but returned to take five wickets for 28 runs in an exceptional second spell. Her victims included Nida Dar, who was Pakistan’s leading scorer with 50 from 53 balls. “It’s a strange sport, cricket, going from the power play to ending up with five wickets,” Rowe said. “I was glad to do a job for the team.”
Australia’s Smith ruled out of limited-overs matches against Pakistan REuTERs Australia batsman Steve Smith will miss the one-day and T20 matches against Pakistan to manage a left elbow injury, the team said on Saturday. Smith experienced some discomfort during the latter stages of Australia’s 1-0 win in the three-match Test series against Pakistan, team physiotherapist Alex Kontouris said. “Given he had an injury with the same elbow last year, we felt it important to manage this proactively,” Kontouris said in a statement. “Withdrawing him … means Steve will have the necessary time to rehabilitate his elbow to ensure his continuing availability and performance for Australia.” Smith said he did not regard his injury as a major issue. “But by staying on top of things now, we can en-
sure that it doesn’t become something more significant further down the line,” he added. He will be replaced by Queensland legspinner Mitchell Swepson in the squad for the three ODIs starting on Tuesday in Lahore and the one-off T20 on
April 5. Swepson, who made his test debut in Pakistan, is uncapped in ODIs but played the last of his seven T20 internationals against Bangladesh in August. Chair of Selectors George Bailey said his panel had opted against a replacement batsman as they felt they had enough options in the squad. “We have decided to include Mitchell Swepson in the white ball squad because it will offer us additional options in the bowling department on surfaces that may well assist spinners,” he added. “Having been in Pakistan for the past month he is familiar with conditions.” Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa.
Sakamoto wins women's title at depleted world championships MONTPELLIER ReuteRs
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto claimed her maiden figure skating world title when she prevailed in the women's singles event in a depleted competition at which Russia's invasion of Ukraine still loomed large on Friday. Sakamoto, a bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympics, finished ahead of Belgium's Loena Hendrickx and American Alysa Liu, who were second and third respectively. In the absence of Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, the Beijing Games gold and silver medallists, after Russian skaters were banned from competing following Russia's military action in Ukraine, Sakamoto delivered. She improved her personal best in the free skate to 155.77 for a total of 236.09 for a deserved victory. "Four years ago, I didn’t compete at the worlds after the Olympic Games because I felt burned out. It wasn’t easy to get ready for this just a month
after the Games, but I’m glad I did. It was all worth it," she said. "It's difficult to find one person to thank. I want to thank all my coaches because without them it wouldn’t be possible. I like to think I managed to
repay them with this." Earlier on Friday, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, the only Beijing Olympic gold medallists at the world championships, beat their world record to lead the ice dance after the short programme with 92.73. Emotions ran high again as Ukrainian skaters took the ice. Oleksandra Nazarova and Maxim Nikitin wore a blue and yellow t-shirt respectively as they danced to the tune of 1944 by Jamala, a song written after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. The song concerns the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union in the 1940s. "This song is helping people in Ukraine at the moment," said Nikitin, who explained he and his partner needed more than a week to make it to France. "It was very complicated to leave Ukraine, it took us eight days by car to drive 600 kilometres and arrive in Poland," he said. The competitions at the world championships end on Saturday with the free dance.
Iga Swiatek becomes new WTA World No.1 with Miami win MIAMI AFP
Poland’s Iga Swiatek clinched becoming the new world number one in women’s tennis on Friday by defeating swiss Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-0 at the WTA Miami Open. Swiatek will move into the top spot vacated by Australian Ashleigh Barty after the three-time Grand Slam champion announced her retirement earlier this week. The 20-year-old Warsaw-born star had to win her second-round match at the South Florida hardcourt tournament to ensure she would replace Barty. Swiatek will be the first Polish woman to reach the rankings summit, eclipsing the old mark for players from her homeland she shared with former world number two Agnieszka Radwanska. Poland’s first Grand Slam singles title was won by Swiatek at the 2020 French Open. Swiatek has enjoyed a blistering start to the season, winning WTA titles at Doha and Indian Wells and is now on a career-best 12-match win streak. She’s also the first player since Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in 2009 to win five or more titles before turning 21. Paula Badosa could have taken over as number one had Swiatek lost, but the Spaniard would have needed to win the Miami Open title to do it.
Qatar hits back at ‘ridiculous’ World Cup attack by Van Gaal DOHA AFP
Qatar’s top World Cup organiser has hit back at Louis van Gaal for criticising the decision to hold the event in the Gulf state, saying the Netherlands coach has failed to understand the Arab world’s passion for football. Van Gaal said this week that it was “ridiculous” for the World Cup to be held in Qatar and that FIFA had only been motivated by money. In a rare outburst, Hassan al-Thawadi, chief executive of the World Cup Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, tore into van Gaal and insisted Qatar had no regrets over its efforts to stage the World Cup that kicks off on November 21. “For a person who has had many many years (as a coach) and who understands the power of football, it is ridiculous that he could actually make such a bland statement,” Thawadi said in comments from an interview released by Bein Sports TV late Thursday. “I am sure that he hasn’t spent a lot of time understanding what football means, not
only to Qatar but to the Arab world.” Thawadi said Qatar had shown at the FIFA Arab Cup in November and December, where many stadiums were packed, that it could host major events. Thousands of journalists and officials will be in the state on April 1 for the World Cup draw and to see the World Cup stadiums that Qatar has spent billions of dollars to build. It has also held the world athletics championships, a Formula One race and other top events. Its human rights record has been questioned, but Qatar says much of the criticism is unfair. “The passion of the people of the Arab world, what football means to us, I think it is not a ridiculous notion that an Arab nation hosts the World Cup,” Thawadi said. “It is the time for the Arab world and the Middle East to take a stand within the global football community and to be recognised as such.” Thawadi said Arab fervour for football was “unparalleled”. “Our ability to host major events as a state is unparalleled,” he added, stating that
it had been recognised by the Netherlands and other major sports nations. “They recognise our ability and our readiness,” he added. “Plain and simple, the Arab world deserves its right to be in the sunshine, in the spotlight. We have worked very hard to get to this stage and I don’t think we will make any apologies for it.” Thawadi said that fans in the Qatar would be “very welcoming to the outside world”. Van Gaal hit out at FIFA for saying that the World Cup was being played in Qatar to develop football there. “But it doesn’t matter – it’s about money, commercial interests. That’s the main motive of FIFA,” he said at a press conference. Qatar has also faced questions about its record on the treatment of migrant workers and gay rights. Homosexuality is banned in Qatar and England coach Gareth Southgate said this week it would be “horrible” if gay fans did not go to the event because they felt threatened. England captain Harry Kane said the
team would try to “shine a light” on issues in Qatar.
Organisers have not yet responded to their comments.
Sunday, 27 March, 2022
prayer timings
NEWS
FAJR SUNRISE
ZUHR
ASR MAGHRIB ISHA
4:45
12:15
3:44
6:08
6:22
7:45
PoliticS oF Pti BaSed on lieS: Bilawal ISLAMABAD
P
staff report
AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday said that politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is based on lies. Addressing a public rally in Parachinar, Bilawal said that he does not recognise the selected government, which came into power through rigging from day one. No one is willing to accept their mistake that these players do not know politics, he added. The PPP chairman further said that when Imran Khan assumed the office of prime minister, he talked about Riyasate-Madina but in reality he insulted the Riyasat-e-Madina. The Riyasat-e-Madina was founded on principles of good conduct but on the
other hand, PTI’s politics is based on propaganda as every promised they made to the masses was a lie, he claimed.
Bilawal Bhutto said that the economic policies of the government resulted in inflation and unemployment
and now poor masses of the country are drowning in the tsunami of price hikes. Imran Khan adopted economic policies that benefitted the rich and even the PTI government imposed tax on donations received for affectees of natural calamities, he added. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted state institutions to operate as his party’s Tiger Force. He made it clear that “we will not allow anyone to make our institutions controversial for one person.” He went on to say that PM Imran’s efforts have been directed towards making the judiciary also work like his Tiger Force instead of operating in a neutral manner. “Imran has been conspiring and making efforts to turn all institutions — be it the NAB (National Accountability Bureau), be it the ISI (Inter-Service Intelligence), be it our armed forces, be it our police — into his Tiger Force,” Bilawal alleged.
6 BNA terrorists killed in Balochistan IBO: ISPR Former Bangladesh MP sentenced to death for 1971 ‘war crimes’
ISLAMABAD staff report
DHAKA anadolu agency
A court in Bangladesh on Thursday sentenced two elderly people to death for what it declared were crimes against humanity during the war in then-East Pakistan in 1971. They include Abdul Khaleq Mandol, who is a district head for the opposition Jamaat-i-Islami party and a former lawmaker, and Khan Rokonuzzaman, who is absconding. A three-judge bench of the so-called International Crimes Tribunal announced the verdict. The tribunal was set up in 2010 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Awami League founder Sheikh Mujib ur-Rahman, when she returned for a second term. Her opponents say she is using the tribunal against the two biggest opposition parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami. Former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s arch-rival and leader of the BNP, has called the tribunal a “farce”. Rights groups have criticised it for failing to adhere to standards of international law. Matiur Rahman Akand, the lawyer representing the Jamaat leader, said they will file an appeal in the high court against the verdict. Mandol, a retired madrasa principal, was arrested in 2015. Later, he was charged with war crimes. When the trial started in 2018, there were four accused, but two of them died due to old age and health-related complications.
Pakistan condemns Houthi attack on Saudi oil facilities
ISLAMABAD staff report
The security forces on Saturday killed six terrorists of the proscribed terrorist organisation – Baloch National Army (BNA) – in an operation launched to apprehend the extremists involved in various terrorist activities. During the operation in Nagao Mountains near Sibbi, one soldier embraced martyrdom while two others got injured. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a news release, said that on information of presence of terrorists in Nagao Mountains, the security forces conducted an operation to apprehend them. When the clearance operation was underway, the terrorists tried to escape from their hideout and
opened fire onto the security forces. “These terrorists were involved in recent security incidents in Sibi and surroundings and were also linked to January 20 blast in Anarkali, Lahore,” the ISPR said. The terrorists including Naseeb Ullah Bangalzai alias Jahangir, Pir Jan, and Rakai Kalhoi were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire. In addition, arms and ammunition have also been recovered which were intended to be used by the terrorists for disrupting peace and security in the area, the military’s media wing said. “Security forces, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan,” the military’s media wing added.
Pakistan “strongly condemned” the latest Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities which hit oil giant Aramco’s petroleum products distribution station in Jeddah, causing a fire in two storage tanks but no casualties. The attack on Friday targeted the same fuel depot that the Houthis had attacked in recent days, the North Jiddah Bulk Plant that sits just southeast of the city’s international airport and is a crucial hub for pilgrims heading to Mecca. “Pakistan reaffirms its full support and solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement issued to the press. The statement called for an immediate cessation of these attacks which it observed violated international law and threatened the peace and security of Saudi Arabia and the region. Friday’s attack was part of a wave of assaults ahead of the seventh anniversary of a Saudi-led coalition’s military intervention against the Houthis in Yemen, a country in the grips of a major humanitarian crisis. The kingdom, which entered the war in 2015, has been internationally criticised for its airstrikes that have killed scores of civilians — something the Iranaligned Houthis point to as they launch drones, missiles and mortars into the kingdom. The coalition has repeatedly said it is exercising selfrestraint in the face of the attacks, but launched a military operation in Yemen early on Saturday saying it aimed to protect global energy sources and ensure supply chains.
US cancels talks with Taliban over U-turn on girls’ education WASHINGTON reuters
The United States abruptly cancelled meetings with the Taliban in Doha that were set to address key economic issues, officials said on Friday, after Afghanistan’s new rulers reversed a decision to allow all girls to return to high school classes. The cancellation of talks was the first concrete sign that recent Taliban moves on human rights and inclusivity could directly impact the international community’s willingness to help the group, some of whose leaders are under US sanctions. “Their decision was a deeply disappointing and inexplicable reversal of commitments to the Afghan people, first and foremost, and also to the international community,” a US State Department spokesperson told Reuters. “We have cancelled some of our engagements, including planned meetings in Doha, and made clear that we see this decision as a potential turning point in our engagement.” Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the series of meeting between US and Taliban administration officials were set to take place on the sidelines of a conference in Qatar’s capital on Saturday and Sunday.
Some of the meetings were to have included United Nations and World Bank representatives, the sources added. An Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed that a Taliban delegation, including the acting foreign minister, had been expecting to go to Doha. The talks were designed to cover issues including the independence of the Afghan central bank and the printing of Afghani currency bank notes. Also up for discussion were a humanitarian exchange facility to free up cash and hundreds of millions of dollars of funding currently held in a World Bank Trust Fund that is earmarked for Afghanistan’s education sector, according to the three sources. They declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak with the media. “The Qatari jet that was meant to collect Muttaqi’s delegation in Kabul has not turned up,” said a diplomatic source, referring to Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The Qatari government’s communications office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ‘Tragic’ consequences: The move shows the headwinds the Taliban administration faces in accessing foreign aid and freeing up the banking sector. Hard currency shortages have fuelled inflation and
worsened the economic crisis. The Taliban have also been unable to access billions of dollars in foreign reserves held overseas as governments including the United States refuse to fully recognise them. In addition to the crippled financial system, the sharp drop in development funding that once amounted to billions of dollars and helped the Afghan government to function has exacerbated food shortages and poverty. Roughly 23 million people are experiencing acute hunger and 95% of the population are not eating enough food, according
to the United Nations. Washington and its allies have insisted that the Taliban, who banned girls from school and most women from work the last time they ruled, improve their human rights record. The Taliban, who fought an insurgency that toppled the Western-backed government last August, have also been accused of suppressing free speech, violently breaking up protests and exacting deadly revenge on their former foes. The group says it will honour everyone’s
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
rights within its interpretation of Islamic law and has vowed to investigate specific allegations of abuse. The Taliban on Wednesday backtracked on their previous commitment to open high schools to girls, saying that they would remain closed until a plan was drawn up for them to reopen. The U-turn shocked many, leaving students in tears and sparking small protests by girls in Kabul. It also drew condemnation from humanitarian agencies and foreign governments.