EpaperISB_22-3-31

thursday, 31 March, 2022 i 27 shaʽban, 1443 i rs 15.00 i Vol Xii no 272 i 12 pages i islamabad edition

PTI loses majorITy In na as mQm jumPs shIP g

MqM joins oPPosition in larger ‘national interest’

ISLAMABAD staff report

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uttahida qaumi MovementPakistan (MqM-P) quit the ruling coalition on wednesday and joined opposition benches after reaching a pact with opposition parties seeking to oust him “in the national interest”. “today is a day for prayers. common people’s wishes have been fulfilled. i expect that this time we can [strive for] a democracy whose effects can reach the people of Pakistan,” party convener Khalid Maqbool siddiqui told a press conference. his press conference came hours after a top decision-making body of the pro-establishment party gave its approval to an agreement — outlining favours it’d get in return for its vote against the prime minister during the noconfidence motion — with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

telecommunication. i request you (the prime minister) to accept this.”

OppOsitiOn urges pM iMran tO step dOwn: the opposition parties finally managed to persuade the government’s coalition partner to go against the PM on the no-confidence motion, and now with the MqM-P’s support, the government has apparently lost its majority in the assembly. the MqM-P came in the position to make or break the government after PMl-q decided to side with the government when the premier took resignation from Punjab chief Minister usman buzdar and offered the same position to PMl-q leader chaudhry Pervaiz elahi in exchange for party’s support on the no-trust motion against the premier. though the resignation has not yet been accepted, MqM-P’s move has left both Pti and PMl-q red-faced as they have lost three crucial wickets — PM imran, cM buzdar and would-be cM elahi — on a single delivery. with MqM-P siding with the opposition, the opposition officially now has more than the required numbers to oust PM imran’s government through the vote of no confidence even without the Pti’s roughly two dozen dissidents.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

How MQM’s move would affect number game in NA? following MqM-P’s decision to abandon the Pti-led government just a day before the debate over the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister imran Khan, the numbers game has become more interesting. both sides need 172 votes to claim victory on the day of voting over the motion, which was tabled by leader of the opposition in the national assembly shahbaz sharif on March 28.

PakIsTan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,524,549

LAST UPDATED AT 7:13 AM ON MARCH 30-3-2022

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

2

194 DEATHS:

1,485,609 30,349 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

575,109

504,962

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

218,988

35,471

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

43,261/11,700

Khalid Mqbool asKs nation to observe ‘day of Prayers’ as coMMon Man’s wishes fulfilled

the party also removed its ministers — farogh naseem and syed amin ulhaque — from the federal cabinet. in his resignation letter, naseem wrote he was resigning under the direction of convener Khalid. while haque said he was “bound by my party’s decisions as a responsible worker”. “in light of my party MqM-P’s decisions, i resign as federal minister for information technology and

CoronavIrus In

RECOVERED:

g

135,058

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

pM imran says ‘letter carrying threat from foreign power was written by pakistani envoy’ ISLAMABAD staff report

Prime Minister imran Khan has said that a Pakistani envoy posted in a foreign country wrote the memo that he flashed on March 27 in a rally and termed it “threatening” the premier, while interacting with journalists, said the envoy had sent the letter to Pakistan after he met an official of a foreign country, according to sources.

PM imran Khan said the memo was shared with the military leadership, according to sources, and mentioned that the tone used in the cable was “threatening”. the prime minister said the memo would be shared with parliamentarians during an in-camera session, but noted that the name of the country that “threatened” Pakistan could not be shared — as national security laws are applicable.

Minister for Planning, development, and special initiatives asad umar, who attended the briefing, according to sources, told the journalists that the memo mentions that if the no-confidence motion passes, everything will be forgiven for Pakistan.

COas Bajwa says ‘unified response needed to defeat terrorism decisively’ chief of army staff (coas) general qamar javed bajwa on wednesday urged for a “whole of nation approach and unified response to counter extremism and defeat terrorism decisively” in the country. according to the inter-services Public relations (isPr), the army chief visited the corps headquarters in Peshawar today. during the visit, the army chief was given a “detailed briefing” on the prevailing security situation and the progress of development works in the newly-merged districts. gen bajwa appreciated the security forces for providing an enabling environment for the completion of socio-economic development projects in the newly-merged districts. he termed the projects “vital for enduring stability and sustainable progress of the area”. “there is a need for a whole of the nation approach and unified response to counter extremism and defeat terrorism decisively,” said the coas. earlier on arrival at the corps headquarters, the army chief was received by commander Peshawar corps lieutenant general faiz hamid.

umar further said that the letter mentions that “in case of its failure, the problems for Pakistan will increase.” in his March 27 address to a Pti rally, the prime minister had revealed that “foreign elements” are involved in the attempts to topple his government and said, “some of our own people” are being used in this regard. in a press conference tuesday, Minister for Planning, development, and special initiatives asad umar had said PMl-n supremo nawaz sharif joined hands with foreign powers and is involved in the “conspiracy” against PM imran Khan. the PMl-n supremo is in london and he has met officials from the “intelligence agencies of other countries”. the federal minister said the Pakistan democratic Movement’s (PdM) leadership is not “unaware” of the letter. the letter was waived by PM imran Khan in a public rally as he faces a no-confidence motion in the national assembly. the premier on wednesday had lost his majority in Parliament after MqM-P decided to party ways with the Pti.

more inside

supreme Court urged to probe ‘threatening letter’ to government STORY ON PAGE 02

cash-strapped Pso’s receivables reach rs509bn STORY ON PAGE 03

the isPr said that after visiting the corps headquarters, the army chief attended the funeral prayers of martyred captain saad bin amir and lance naik Muhammad irfan who were martyred while fighting the terrorists in south waziristan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor shah farman and provincial ministers were also present on the occasion. “coas reiterated the resolve of the Pakistan army to fight against terrorism till the elimination of this menace. coas vowed that sacrifices of

martyrs will not go in vain and complete peace will return to Pakistan,” said the isPr. capt saad and lance naik Muhammad irfan were martyred on tuesday during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Makin, south waziristan. a brief statement issued by the military ’s media wing said that “an intense exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists,” to which the Pakistani troops responded in a befitting manner. staff report

Faisal Vawda claims ‘conspiracy being hatched to assassinate’ pM imran Khan STORY ON BACK PAGE

aleem Khan’s faction refuses to vote for Pervez elahi as Punjab cM STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Thursday, 31 March, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

news

State officialS iSSuing Such threatS to diplomatS iS completely unheard of: amb baSit

a

staff RepoRt

FTER Prime Minister Imran Khan said that a Pakistani envoy posted in a foreign country wrote the memo that he flashed on March 27 during a rally and termed it “threatening”, former high commissioner to India Abdul Basit said that state officials issuing such threats to diplomats is completely unheard of.

“Incidents where state officials tell diplomats that they would sever ties if a country’s government is not sent packing has never been heard before,” he said while speaking during a TV talk show.

Basit, who was also the former ambas-

sador of Pakistan to Germany, said that “sensitive issues of foreign policies should not be discussed in public.”

He said that the memo the prime minister has been referring to most probably carries the minutes of the meeting between US officials and a Pakistani diplomat, adding that along with the minutes, the letter might also include the assessment of the diplomat regarding the future.

“The briefing provided by the prime minister to journalists does not make it clear whether the mention of the no-confidence motion in the letter was the Pakistani diplomat’s personal assessment or whether it was said by the officials of the foreign country in question,” he said.

mQm blames pti workers for harassing its leader

Basit said that if foreign state officials have said such a thing, then he would be “very, very surprised,” because this is unprecedented in state-to-state relations.

Regarding the supposed linkage of the “written threat” with Pakistan’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the former diplomat said that foreign policies take a lot of time and do not change overnight.

“There are other countries that had abstained at the UNGA and Pakistan was not the only one,” he said. “Pakistan’s relationship with Russia has not significantly deepened which could worry the United States.”

“In my view, the nub of the problem is to properly deal with diplomatic relations and foreign policy issues,” he said.

6 soldiers martyred as security forces foil attack on military compound in Tank

IsLaMaBaD Staff RepoRt

MQM leader Senator Faisal Subzwari claimed Wednesday that PTI workers harassed MQMP’s Kanwar Naveed Jameel at Islamabad airport as the political tensions escalate in the country. The claim comes hours after MQM-P announced to part ways with the ruling PTI and support the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. The MQM-P was a key ally of the government in the National Assembly and after it switched sides, the Opposition has enough numbers to easily oust the prime minister. “PTI workers encircled MQM-P Deputy Convener Kanwar Naveed Jameel and tried to engage in a brawl with him,” the senator said in a statement on Twitter. The MQM-P leader said after the incident, his party contacted the leadership of PTI to sort out the matter. “I respect the party workers’ spirit, but it is the party’s responsibility to keep their supporters calm,” said the senator.

News Desk Six soldiers were martyred after security forces foiled terrorists attempt to enter a military compound in the Dera Ismail Khan’s Tank area on Wednesday, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The military’s media wing said that during the encounter, the security forces responded in an efficient manner, encircled and killed the three terrorists — thereby

foiling the attempt to enter the military compound.

The martyred soldiers include Subedar Major Sher Muhammad, Naib Subedar Zubaid, Havildar Sohail, Lance Naik Ghulam All, Sepoy Maskeen Ali, Sepoy Mir Muhammad.

The ISPR said that despite the incident, the Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of the brave soldiers further strengthen its resolve.

Hours earlier, the ISPR had said that on March 29 two soldiers had embraced martyrdom during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Makin, South Waziristan.

The military’s media wing had said that “an intense exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists,” to which the Pakistani troops responded in a befitting manner and as a result, four terrorists were killed.

PPP, MQM-P sign agreement to develop partnership in various domains News Desk

Supreme court urged to probe ‘threatening letter’ to government

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have signed the “Charter of Rights for the people of Sindh” to develop a “long-term partnership” in various domains.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday after the MQM-P announced that it had formally decided to side

IsLaMaBaD

with the joint opposition ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the text of the signed document, the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the local government shall be implemented in letter and spirit within one month with the mutual agreement of PPP and MQM-P. The agreement further mentioned ensuring the implementation of the 60:40 urban and rural Sindh quota for jobs, addressing the issue of fake

domiciles, local policing, development of Sindh and Karachi in terms of infrastructure and transport, and investment in the health and education sectors of the province.

Meanwhile, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab decided to step down from his post, according to a news outlet. Wahab took the decision in line with the orders of the party’s leadership and he would be leaving his post within a day or two.

MonitoRing RepoRt

A barrister moved the Supreme Court to seek an inquiry into the threatening letter brandished by the prime minister during Sunday’s rally. At the Islamabad public meeting, Imran Khan brandished the letter claiming it to be evidence of a foreign plot to topple his government. Zulfiqar Bhutta requested the court to step in to reduce public anxiety over the matter. He pleaded with the court to issue directives for the authorities to hold a probe into the origins of the document. “The gravity of the situation needs the attention of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take an immediate step[s] to find out the truth about [the] subject matter,” the petition read. Earlier, Khan said the letter could not be shared publicly in view of the foreign policy, however, his government offered to share it with the chief justice. The prime minister said the letter was received on March 7, just one day before the tabling of the notrust move against him.

Sindh House attack: Non-bailable arrest warrants issued against accused News Desk A court in Islamabad has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members and workers accused of being involved in the attack on Singh House, a news outlet reported on Wednesday.

Earlier on March 18, PTI lawmakers – Faheem Khan and Ataullah – and workers had stormed the Sindh House in the federal capital in protest against the dissident members of the ruling party, who were staying inside the building.. The police in the federal capital had registered an FIR against the PTI workers for violating Section 144 imposed in the capital and also included sections for vandalising

government property. However, the workers who were involved in the incident were released on personal assurance, on March 20. A day earlier, Islamabad police had filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting the cancellation of bails granted to the accused involved in the attack. The federal police had also submitted a report on the case before the apex court. “Non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued for PTI MNAs involved in the attack on Sindh House,” Advocate General (AG) Islamabad had said. “The National Assembly is in session and both the members will be arrested. PTI worker Tauseef Khan had been arrested again. Some of the accused belong to KP and Sindh.”

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa braces for local body elections today app Local body elections are set to take place today (Thursday) across 18 districts of Khy-

ber Pakhtunkhwa, including Abbottabad, Mansehra, Swat, and Malakand.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed all arrangements to

hold a free, transparent and peaceful election for the second phase of the local bodies polls. Over eight million registered voters are expected to exercise their right to vote in these districts on Thursday, according to the Provincial Election Commission.

A total of 8,057,974 registered voters (male — 4,489,771 and female — 3,567,703) are all set to elect mayors and chairmen in 65 tehsils and candidates for different seats of 1,830 village and neighbourhood councils.

The local bodies’ elections in the second phase are being held in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan districts.

As many as 561 candidates are in the run

for 65 tehsil seats, 12,980 for general seats, 2,668 for women seats, 6,451 for farmers/labourers seats, 5,213 for youth seats and 57 minorities seats.

Similarly, 351 candidates have been elected unopposed on general seats, 533 candidates on women seats, 233 youth seats, 50 minorities seats and 151 labourers/farmers seats.

The ECP has set up 6,176 polling stations, including 1,246 for males, 1,164 for females and 3,766 combined for the facilitation of voters.

Similarly, 16,509 polling booths, including 9,218 for males and 7,291 for females are also established to facilitate voters including young and female voters.

Out of these polling stations, 1,646 are declared most sensitive while 2,326 are sensitive therefore elaborate security arrangements are made.

Foolproof security arrangements have been made for the second phase of local bod-

ies elections. Meanwhile, the voters are strictly prohibited to carry arms and ammunition inside polling stations.

The most sensitive polling stations would be monitored through CCTV cameras. The Election Commission has arranged a series of awareness workshops with the assistance of press clubs and media to mobilise voters for local government elections.

The election campaign would formally come to an end at midnight today (12am) after which no candidate would be allowed to address public meetings or hold rallies.

Under the supervision of Deputy Director Local Government Elections, Muhammad Nasir Khan and Assistant Director Mustafa Jalal, a control room has been set up at the office of Provincial Election Commissioner Peshawar for quick resolution of election-related complaints.

Thursday, 31 March, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

news

03

caSh-Strapped pSo’S receivableS reach rS509bn pso Staff RepoRt

Faced with serious financial constraints, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has asked the government to release funds to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), GENCOs (power generation companies) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) so that they can clear PSO’s dues.

Well-informed sources in the petroleum division informed that state-owned oil giant has been facing serious financial problems and it has requested the government to release funds to SNGPL, GENCOs and PIA so that they will be able to clear PSO’s dues.

They said that PSO’s receivables are Rs509 billion and payables Rs165 billion as of March 29, 2022. They said delay in the clearance of PSO’s dues has worsened the financial health of PSO. If the government does not release funds to clear PSO’s dues then the PSO may not be able to meet its obligation to suppliers, said sources.

Sharing details of PSO’s receivables position, the sources said that SNGPL has be-

come the top defaulter of PSO as it (SNGPL) is required to pay Rs278.844 billion, while the second biggest defaulter is the power sector which owes Rs167.737 billion.

As per details, GENCOs are required to pay Rs140.866 billion, the Hub Power Company (HUBCO) is to pay Rs21.705 billion, and the Kot Addu Power Company (KAPCO) is to pay Rs5.167 billion. Similarly, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has emerged as the third biggest defaulter that owes Rs22.483 billion. Likewise, the government is to pay Price Differential Claims (PDC) amounting to Rs8.934 billion for the period 1996-2014 and Rs12.311 billion for the financial year 2022 and Rs10.6 billion under the head of exchange rate differential on the FE 25 loan.

About payables position of PSO, sources told that the PSO’s payables under the heads of the Letter of Credits (LCs) for fuel imports from the Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) and the standby letter of credits (SBLC) for the import of LNG payments have soared to Rs123.260 billion.

The PSO’s payables to refineries have

rupee’s downward spiral continues against uS dollar MoNItoRINg RepoRt Pakistani rupee dropped to another record low on Wednesday, as it hit a new all-time low at Rs182.71 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market, according to media reports. According to forex dealers, the value of the greenback surged by 39 paisa and is currently trading at Rs182.71 in the interbank market. In the open market, the US dollar is trading at Rs183.20 against the local currency. On Tuesday, the domestic unit ended at Rs182.34 to the dollar in the interbank market. Experts say political chaos in the country and uncertainty surrounding the seventh review of the $6 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program are keeping the rupee under pressure.

two cia cops suspended for running torture cell LaHoRe inp

The district police officer (DPO) of Hafizabad on Wednesday suspended two officials of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) on charges of running a torture facility. According to the police, Mubashir Virk, an assistant sub-inspector, and a naib-moharrar were suspended by the DPO who also ordered Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Khalid Mehmood Tabassum to submit a report within 48 hours. “The policemen running the private torture cell will be brought to justice,” vowed the DPO.

also increased to Rs33.641 billion which includes Rs18.349 billion to the Pak-Arab Refinery Company (PARCO), Rs7.021 bil-

lion to Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL), Rs2.082 billion to National Refinery Limited (NRL), Rs5.146 billion to Attock Re-

finery Limited, and Rs1.043 billion to ENAR, said sources.

As per sources, PSO has planned to import 250,000 metric tons of Mogas, High Speed Diesel (HSD) 330,000 metric tons, High Sulphur Furnace Oil (HSFO) 260,000 metric tons, and 50,000 metric tons of Low Sulphur Furnace Oil (LSFO) during the month of April 2022.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan State Oil is the largest oil marketing company of Pakistan with a widespread network comprising 3,500+ retail outlets, 9 installations, 23 depots, refueling facilities at 10 airports, with two state-of-the-art lubricant manufacturing facilities and LPG storage and bottling facilities. The company has been actively involved in enriching the lives of people since its inception in 1976. PSO has a vast history of shaping the industry and bringing innovative fueling products and services to serve the nation effectively. The company takes pride in fueling the journeys across air, land, and sea for over four decades, and becoming the nation’s choice.

eCC approves revised Drawback of Local Taxes scheme for five years sHaHzaD paRacHa The Economic Coordination Committee of cabinet has approved revised Drawback of Local Taxes Scheme (DLTS) for the period of five financial years from July 1, 2021to June 30, 2026.

The meeting of ECC was held under the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Mr. Shaukat Tarin.

The Ministry of Commerce presented a summary on the Drawback of Local Taxes Scheme (DLTS) for the period 2021-26.

The ECC after detailed discussion approved revised/rationalized Drawback of Local Taxes Scheme (DLTS) for the period of five financial years from July 1, 2021to June 30, 2026. The Scheme will be subject to quarterly/periodic reviews to gauge its impact on

export performance of sectors as well as exporting firms. The estimated financial impact will be Rs79.27 billion for FY 2021-22, however, actual claims till June 30, 2022 are estimated to be around Rs50 billion.

The Ministry of Industries and Production submitted a summary on the operation of Fatima fertilizer (Sheikhupura plant) and Agritech. The ECC after discussion approved the proposal for provision of indigenous gas to two SNGPL based urea plants latest by March 31, 2022, resulting in saving of funds to be utilized on provision of RLNG to both these plants and continued operation throughout the year.

The ECC further directed to expedite the process of shifting the plants on system gas within one month.

The ECC also approved a technical supple-

POS invoice verification expands by 62.7pc in February app The invoices verified by customers, who shopped from outlets integrated with Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Point of Sale (POS) system, have increased by 62.7 per cent during the month of February 2022 as compared to last month (January).

During the month of February about 249,000 invoices were verified by customers who shopped from outlets integrated with FBR POS system as against 153,000 in January 2022, according to Monthly Economic Update and Outlook, March 2022 released by the finance ministry. According to the report, the ongoing campaign and the prize scheme continued to gain momentum as numbers kept growing up.

Meanwhile, the number of customers who successfully verified their invoices has also jumped from 27,000 in January to around 39,000 in February, showing growth of 44.4 per cent.

The report termed it as a phenomenal increase in public participation and expressed the hope that it was likely to grow further with every passing day.

It is pertinent to mention here that FBR had launched an intensive awareness campaign on the mainstream national media to educate and engage consumers to ensure that tax collected from them at the point of sale is deposited into the state exchequer and not pocketed by the retailers themselves.

The campaign also encompasses a prize scheme worth Rs53 million to be disbursed among 1007 lucky winners through a transparent computerized ballot being held on 15th of every month at FBR headquarters, Islamabad.

As a result of strong enforcement

by FBR Field Formations across Pakistan, out of around 4,200 identified as Tier-1 Retailers, over 3,600 have already integrated their business operations with FBR POS System.

Their 17,000 outlets with over 19,500 cash counters are fully integrated with POS system which lends FBR the facility to digitally monitor their sales and thus ensure that sales tax being collected from customers is being actually deposited into state exchequer, without fail, it added.

Meanwhile, FBR is all set to launch yet another out of box digital intervention for broadening of tax base.

FBR has already collected information from various sources about the assets and expenditures of persons who are outside the tax net. This information would be made available to such persons through FBR’s “Tax Asaan” portal.

The board has taken a further initiative to ensure facilitation in the filing of a tax return by new taxpayers for broadening of tax base by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Pakistan Tax Bar during the first week of February this year.

mentary grant of Rs16 billion for payment of SNGPL dues for the month of February and expected claims for the remaining months of March, April and May during the CFY 2021-22.

The Ministry of Industries and Production submitted another summary on provision of funds to Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) to pay liabilities on account of markup to Bank of Khyber (BoK). The ECC approved Rs23.309 million as markup for the period of October 2021 to March 2022.

The ECC also approved TSG worth Rs500 million in favor of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training for National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Rs681.046 million in favor of the Ministry of Housing and Works and Rs116.467 million in favor of Interior Division.a

nisab of Zakat set at rs88,927 for bank accounts aRIBa sHaHID According to a notification dated March 30, 2022, issued by the Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Pakistan, the “Nisab of Zakat” for the year 1442 AH is Rs88,927 (Rupees: Eighty-Eight Thousand Nine Hundred Twenty Seven only). No deduction of Zakat at source shall be made, in case the amount standing to credit of an account if they are less than Rs88,927. Deductions are made on savings, profit and loss sharing accounts, and other similar accounts. Zakat deductions are made on the first day of Ramzan which is likely to fall on 3rd or 4th April 2022, subject to the appearance of the moon.

04

Thursday, 31 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

UN boss expresses grief over peacekeepers’ death in Congo chopper crash UNITED NATIONS

U

app

NITED Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was “deeply saddened” over the loss of eight peacekeepers in a helicopter crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo, his spokesperson said.

Eight UN peacekeepers — six Pakistanis, a Russian and a Serb — were killed on Tuesday when a Puma helicopter crashed in the troubled central African region. The statement, released by the office of Stéphane Dujarric, said the bodies were

recovered from the North-Kivu region during a search and rescue operation launched by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

“The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the bereaved families and to the Governments of Pakistan, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Serbia, whose troops were among the casualties,” the statement said.

In a phone call with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Guterres assured Munir Akram of a

“comprehensive and transparent” investigation into the incident that has shocked the nation.

“The helicopter, operated by the Pakistani contingent, was on a reconnaissance mission in the area of Tshanzu, where there have been clashes between the M23 group and the Armed Forces of the DR of Congo (FARDC) in recent days,” the UN chief said in his statement.

The March 23 Movement, a rebel organisation, has regrouped after being routed nearly a decade ago by native troops and UN peacekeepers and it has launched attacks on the DRC military.

PTV earns ‘highest-ever’ Rs4bn revenue: minister ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

State-owned Pakistan Television Corporation achieved its “highestever” revenue target of Rs4 billion, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said Wednesday. In a tweet, Chaudhry said the PTV was bankrupt when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government took its reins. Since coming to power in 2018, the government digitalised two channels and introduced an effective business model for the state broadcaster, he added.

“Today PTV is among the [cash bleeding] state institutions [turned] into profit-making entities,” the minister said. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2021, a cabinet committee on state-owned institutions removed PTV from the list of the state-owned institutions included in a privatisation list. The committee took the decision at the request of the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting.

“A large-scale overhaul is planned by the government in the PTV,” the information secretary said, adding the overhaul would include financial and professional affairs, and other sections of the national television.

PPP MP, wanted in journalist’s murder, postpones return to vote against PM ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Jam Abdul Karim Bijar, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MP who is wanted by the police in the murder of a journalist, has changed his plan to return from Dubai days after the government placed him on the Provincial National Identification List (PNIL) which means once he lands in Pakistan, he won’t be able to leave the country. Bijar secured a protective bail from the Sindh High Court

(SHC) in the killing of young Nazim Jokhio to travel back to participate in the no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Bijar’s brother, Jam Awais Bijar, a Sindh lawmaker of the party, is also accused in the case.

According to a copy of his ticket making rounds on social media, the MP was scheduled to land in Islamabad Wednesday. He did not board the flight, however. This is the second time he has changed his mind. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said the legislator would be arrested on return and the

commitment to support the Congolese Government and people in their efforts to bring peace and stability in the eastern provinces of the country”.

Expressing his grief over the incident, Ambassador Akram said: “Today in an unfortunate spate of events, six brave Pakistani peacekeepers embraced martyrdom in a helicopter crash. They made this ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the UN contingent.

“My heart goes out to the families of the martyrs. They will always be in our prayers,” the envoy added.

Intense fighting between the group and the DRC forces was reported starting Sunday Congolese military authorities in North Kivu said the M23 rebel group had “shot down” the aircraft, a claim not yet confirmed by other sources, according to a media report.

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the resurgence of M23 activities in the tri-border area around Rwanda-DRC-Uganda as well as the ongoing impact of violence involving armed groups on civilians,” the statement said. It added: “The Secretary-General reiterates the United Nations’

immigration staff at the airports is keeping an eye on the watch list.

CONTEMPT PETITION AGAINST MINISTER: Meanwhile, Bijar has filed a contempt of court petition against Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and other officials in the SHC. In his plea, the MP said he secured protective bail on March 25 for his return but Ahmed’s office put him on the no-fly list. “Jam Abdul Karim wishes to appear [before the court] to surrender,” the petition read.

Punjab ombudsman provides relief to complainants LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan provided relief of Rs56.4 million in different cases filed by complainants from various districts.

While giving details, a spokesman of the ombudsman said that 25.19 kanal state-owned land of Rs33.84 million was retrieved from illegal occupants in Nankana Sahib, Hafizabad, Jhang, and Dera Ghazi Khan districts as a result of action initiated after the involvement of the office of ombudsman on different complaints.

Meanwhile, the spokesman added that a cumulative relief of Rs22.56 million has also been provided to 24 different complainants from Lahore, Vehari, Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Sargodha, Attock, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Chakwal, Khanewal, and Rajanpur who approached the om-

budsman office for receiving pensions, gratuity, financial assistance, arrears of salaries, leave encashment, payment of bills, group insurance, and CDRs. The spokesman pointed out the ombudsman office played its role to help two widows of a deceased government employee of Bahawalnagar district to get arrears of financial assistance valuing Rs1.2 million from the irrigation department after a hiatus of five years.

Alongside, the widow from DG Khan was also succeeded in getting group insurance for her deceased Naib Qasid husband after four years due to the intervention of the ombudsman office on her application, the spokesman mentioned and concluded that the own-motion notice of Ombudsman Khan has resulted in the release of arrears of monthly salaries to the staff of union councils of Burewala, Mailsi and Vehari along with the timely release of their pay.

Ulema propose to ‘ban anchorpersons, celebrities’ from hosting Ramazan shows APP In an unprecedented development, religious scholars and Ulema have proposed to “ban anchorpersons and any celebrities” who are “not wellversed with Islamic tenets” from conducting the special Ramazan transmission during the holy month to avoid any controversies.

During a meeting with Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri on Tuesday, they also expressed profound concerns about some unethical programmes telecast in the holy month of Ramazan in the past.

The scholars and Ulema extended full support to the minister’s letter written to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the matter.

They urged private television channels to stop broadcasting stuff in the garb of entertainment and recreational shows, which were directly in contradiction with Islamic injunctions. “Due to the inadequate knowledge of presenters on Islam, religious chaos could be created in the country.”

The religious leaders called on media owners to produce informative programmes which could create religious harmony and remove differences among the people of all segments of society.

They also pointed out that some advertisements being telecast on private TV channels were against social, cultural and religious norms.

It is pertinent to note that Minister Qadri had written a letter to PM Imran proposing that TV programmes pertaining to the Ramazan

transmission should be hosted by religious scholars in order to avert controversies.

On the occasion, the religious affairs minister said for the last few years, some anchors, who were not well-versed with Islamic teachings, had been conducting programmes during the holy month of Ramazan. “Due to lack of Islamic knowledge, they had created many religious controversies and social media hype that had negative impact on the people.”

Qadri maintained that there must be a dress code for the hosts and participants of programmes in order to maintain the sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan. “No controversial topics should be discussed in the programmes, while keeping the respect of all sacred personalities in view.”

Further on, the minister deplored that TV channels should avoid airing entertainment and recreational shows particularly during Sehr and Iftar timings.

“Moreover, such stuff should also be avoided in the religious programmes. Unethical stuff and advertisement should not be broadcast.” He emphasised that TV programmes should be based on such content which not only imparted true Islamic knowledge, but also promoted religious harmony across all sections of society.

Qadri urged the prime minister to direct the information ministry and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to issue relevant guidelines for all the TV channels.

Tareen group to finalise decision on no-trust motion today LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A disgruntled faction within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led

by Jahangir Tareen summoned a consultative session later today to make a final discussion on whether to support the opposition’s no-trust motion or side with the government. Sources privy to the development said key decisions — including the no-trust resolution and Pervaiz Elahi’s candidature for Punjab chief ministership — would be taken in the consultative session. The group has decided to continue talks with Elahi, the joint opposition and government team over the no-confidence motion. A delegation of the Tareen group will also call on Elahi.

Air Chief graces passing out parade of 145th PMA Long Course as Chief Guest RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt

Passing out parade of 145th PMA Long Course, 12th Mujahid Course, 19th Lady Cadet Course and 64th Integrated Course held at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. 17 Allied cadets from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Maldives, Azerbaijan and Nigeria were

also among passing out cadets including international Lady Cadets.

Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of Air Staff was the chief guest on the occasion. He reviewed the parade. The CAS congratulated the passing out cadets on achieving this milestone. The chief guest gave awards to distinguished cadets.

The coveted Sword of Honour was

awarded to Academy Senior under Officer ASUO Abdul Qahar of 145th Long Course. The President’s Gold Medal to Battalion Senior Under Officer Ubaid Ur Rehman of 145th Long Course, the Overseas Gold Medal to Foreign Country Senior Under Officer Issa Enad Al Masoodi from Iraq of 145th Long Course, Commandant’s Cane to Company Sports Sergeant Matee Ur Rasool of Integrated

Course, Commandant’s Cane to Company Junior Under Officer M Haseeb Khan of Basic Military Training Course, Commandant’s Cane to Company Under Officer Faizan Khan of Basic Mujahid Course, Commandant’s Cane to Company Sergeant Major Nida of Lady Cadet Course and Commandant’s Overseas Medal to Friendly Country Sergeant Hauwa from Nigeria.

Thursday, 31 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS corporate corner

FM SAyS ‘ChINA IS, wAS ANd wIll AlwAyS STAy PAkISTAN’S rElIABlE Ally’

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Team Bechlo.pk winners of the National UNDP-Jazz SDG Bootcamp, receiving the trophy from Fatima Akhtar, Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Jazz. pr

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, after a meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on Wednesday said Beijing had reaffirmed that it was and would always stay a close ally of Pakistan.

Qureshi reached China on Tuesday to attend the third round of talks of the ‘Foreign Ministers of Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan’.

In a video message after the one-on-one meeting with his Chinese counterpart today, Qureshi revealed that China had promised to strengthen Pakistan’s regional and strategic importance.

“I am immensely happy to share that the Chinese FM has given a nod of approval on the rollover of

commercial loan as well.”

The $4.2 billion debt, which was maturing this week, has been rolled over providing major financial relief to Pakistan.

“The procedural formalities are being completed by relevant authorities,” the foreign minister said. “An announcement will be made as soon as they’re sorted.”

He added that China has also assured to help the country to counter the international shortage of diesel.

Moreover, the Chinese government, the FM said, appreciated the Organisation of Islamic Corporation’s suggestion of peaceful dialogue for negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Foreign Of-

PTI loses majority in NA as MQM jumps ship continued from page 01 Pakistan’s largest energy company - Pakistan State Oil (PSO), signs Fuel Supply and Technical Services Agreements with TotalEnergies Aviation (TEA) at their headquarters at La Defense Paris France. The agreements were signed by Chief Supply Chain Officer, PSO - Mr. Abdus Sami and President, TEA - Mr. Joel Navaron. Senior officials from both companies were present during the ceremony. pr

State Bank grants Careem Pay IPA for EMI license KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has granted Careem Pay with an In-Principle-Approval (IPA) for an Electronic Money Institution license (EMI). Careem has launched Careem Pay, its fintech affiliate, in Pakistan as an independent entity which plans to invest $50 million to leapfrog the fintech ecosystem in Pakistan. It will be led by Noman Khurshid as its General Manager.

This paves the way for Careem Pay to bring convenient and accessible financial services to 9+ million Customers, 800,000 Captains and 3000+ merchants both on and beyond the Careem App, subject to SBP final approval.

Once Careem Pay achieves operational readiness from SBP, it will offer services ranging from bill payments including utilities, government and education fees, peerto-peer (P2P) transfer and wallet cash-outs. In subsequent phases and subject to approvals from SBP, Careem Pay aims to provide cards, inward international remittance services as well as services that will enable Customers and merchants to make and accept online or offline payments.

This adds to the existing services available through Careem Pay which supports payment across all Careem services including ride-hailing and food delivery, as well as P2P credit transfer and mobile top-ups within the app. pr

Pakistan's leading IT firm NdcTech positioned as a major contender by Global research firm KARACHI: Leading global research firm, Everest Group®, has recognized NdcTech, an award-winning partner of Temenos, as a major contender in its Temenos IT Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022. NdcTech is a leading service provider in the banking sector and has been a long-standing partner of Temenos for more than 20 years.

The PEAK Matrix® evaluates service providers on the dimensions of Market Impact, Vision & Capability. It also considers other relevant factors like competitive landscape, strengths, weaknesses and Temenos service capabilities. Based on these factors and the exceptional performance in the global market, NdcTech has been recognized as a Major Contender The report highlights the performance, role, and significance of NdcTech and other important strategic partners of Temenos who have played a vital role in carrying out large-scale digital transformations of Banks across the globe and have been a front runner in delivering maximum value to their clients.

NdcTech’s 20+ years of legacy of providing unmatched transformational services to the banking sector, skilled expertise on Temenos product stack, in depth knowledge of accelerated methodologies and tools, compliance to the central bank’s regulatory requirements, and focus on customer-centricity have been the key drivers towards achieving this recognition.

Ammara Masood, CEO & President, NdcTech shared her thoughts on this achievement: “This is a proud moment for everyone at NdcTech. This recognition is a testament to NdcTech’s market impact globally and ability to deliver successfully. Established 22 years ago, we started with the vision to build Banks of the future by harnessing the power of technology. This recognition is an incredible honor for us and will continue to give us the positive momentum going forward.” . pr

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The decision was announced in a press conference of the joint opposition front and MQM-P leadership after both sides reached written agreements, assuring MQM-P that all their demands would be fulfilled.

The MQM-P has been asking the government and the opposition to answer its demands in writing, saying the party would side with whoever would come up with a better response as it has to go back to its voters and supporters.

The demands included the opening of the party’s offices, recovery of “missing” party workers, discarding of “fake” cases against party leadership and workers, among other things.

Sources said that the opposition leadership, especially PPP, put a blank paper before MQMP and asked it to write down all its demands as they would all be accepted.

LATE NIGHT MEETINGS: The unified opposition and the MQM-P created a stir with a late-night meeting in Islamabad reportedly to put the finishing touches on the deal.

The meeting of the coordination committee of the party, a member of the ruling coalition, to decide on the matter was held at 2:00 pm, the party tweeted in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Interestingly, while the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) seniors tried with all their might to prevail on the party to announce a decision there and then, the party — which has seven seats in the National Assembly — avoided making a definitive statement and instead announced it would make its decision public today.

The PDM delegation which initially called on the party leadership at the Parliament Lodges included Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPs Khawaja Asif and Ayaz Sadiq, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Sherry Rehman and Naveed Qamar, and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal.

Later, PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PDM president Maulana Fazl ur-Rehman and PML-N

president Shehbaz Sharif also reached the venue at around 2:00 am.

The talks with MQM-P convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other leaders continued well into the early hours of Wednesday.

“The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement. Rabta committee MQM [and] PPP CEC will ratify said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow,” Bilawal tweeted.

In a tweet apparently confirming the claim made by the PPP chairperson, MQM-P leader Faisal Sabzwari said the “arrangement has taken shape”.

While many press outlets, including Geo News, were quick to declare the MQM-P has switched sides, some channels quoted Siddiqui and former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar as saying that “nothing conclusive has been reached”.

Citing sources privy to the meeting, media reported the participants of the meeting discussed clauses about a future agreement between the PPP and MQM-P involving administrative and local government issues in Sindh.

However, the draft agreement is not only with the PPP, but with the whole opposition, a source said, adding that Rehman and Sharif would ensure implementation of the agreement if it was approved by the coordination committee.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan tasked PTI leader Faisal Vawda to woo MQM-P. Reportedly, he called the former senator early Wednesday and asked him to immediately reach Islamabad for negotiations.

Vawda along with a government team will meet the MQM-P delegation at Parliament Lodges to get their support on the vote. no-trUst motion: The motion seeking the ouster of Imran Khan was submitted to the office of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on March 8. It accused him of mismanaging the economy and poor governance in the toughest challenge he has faced since taking power in 2018.

How MQM’s move would affect number game in NA? continued from page 01 PTI, including the alliance parties, had 178 seats, while the Opposition had 163 seats; however, due to the constant efforts of the joint Opposition to woo the allies of the government, the numbers have moved around.

According to sources, following MQM-P’s decision to join hands with the Opposition, PTI now has 164 members in its favour, while 177 members are expected to vote against PM Imran Khan.

Government PTI — 155 PML-Q — 4 GDA — 3 AML — 1 BAP — 1 total: 164

opposition PML-N — 84 PPP — 56 MMA —14 BAP — 4 BNP-M — 4 Independent — 4 ANP — 1 JWP — 1 JI — 1 MQM-P — 7 PML-Q — 1 total: 177 On Tuesday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had announced that voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan will take place on April 3.

Rasheed revealed the muchawaited date during a press conference, adding that debate on the motion will start on March 31.

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fice said that Qureshi assured Pakistan’s support to the One China Policy and to core Chinese interests.

“Both the Foreign Ministers agreed that quality development of second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and bilateral cooperation in areas such as industries, agriculture and information technology is manifestation of our multidimensional partnership,” it added.

It may be recalled that Pakistan had initiated the Neighbouring Countries format in September last year with a view to evolving a regional approach to the situation in Afghanistan. The first meeting, which was hosted by Pakistan, was held on September 8, 2021. staff report

Seven Pakistani miners killed, four missing in tragic mine accident in Oman The accident reportedly took place after a rockslide hit the marble quarry, crushing seven of the miners and possibly burying those missing. Another Pakistani was injured in the incident and is currently under treatment.

The Pakistani Embassy in Muscat said they were closely coordinating with Omani authorities for the search and rescue operation for the missing miners.

Authorities have deployed heavy machinery, sophisticated cameras and sniffer dogs for the search and rescue operation. Two officers of the embassy visited Ibri and met the affected families and workers.

The embassy offered complete support and ensured that the bodies would be repatriated to Pakistan at the earliest after the completion of relevant formalities.

Earlier this week, in a miraculous incident, three colliers, who were trapped inside a coal mine in Balochistan’s Harnai district for 110 hours (nearly five days) due to a gas explosion, were rescued. staff report

06-07 Comments - 31st March 2022_Layout 1 3/30/2022 11:50 PM Page 1

Thursday, 31 March, 2022

06 COMMENT

Reko Diq: the way forward

MQM tilts the balance Imran Khan blindsided by allies

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URING the last few days Prime Minister Imran Khan has continued to lose allies from the BAP, the PML(Q), the JWP as well as from independent lawmakers. This has brought down the total strength of the ruling alliance to 164. Meanwhile the number of those on the opposition’s side has continued to increase. With the National Assembly comprising 342 members, the opposition has to show the support of 172 lawmakers to get the no-confidence motion passed. With seven MQM members also joining the opposition, it commands 175 votes now. Mr Khan has thus lost his majority in the National Assembly before the final count of the no-confidence motion. The PM and his team had so far concentrated on targeting the PTI’s dissenting MNAs, accusing them of selling their souls for money taken from the opposition. PTI supporters had attacked Sindh house where some of the dissenters had taken shelter. The Attorney General took the issue of the PTI’s dissenting MNAs to the Supreme Court asking for their life-long disqualification as lawmakers. The PM had later written letters to each one of them to bar them from taking part in the no-confidence proceedings on pain of being disqualified. As things stand the opposition does not need the support of PTI’s dissidents to bring down the government.

The only honourable way out for Mr Khan is to accept the defeat and resign. This is what the joint opposition has demanded at a press conference where the leaders of the MQM were also present. The PM has however announced to fight to the last ball and even push other players out of the playground, which indicates confrontation. The PM has to realize that he is leaving behind a legacy of dire economic issues, a worrisome rise in terrorist incidents and serious foreign policy challenges. The no-confidence move is a legitimate way of government change in parliamentary democracies. As r Khan no longer possesses a majority in the National Assembly, he has no constitutional or moral authority to remain in power. Any attempt to disrupt a peaceful transfer of power would give birth to a new crisis which would be harmful for the country.

Where are the metals needed for progress to come from?

Dr FariD a Malik

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Y professional innings as a metallurgical engineer started with the advent of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) in the late 1970s. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) was in a hurry to put the pieces together.

After being exploited by the West for decades, the USSR (Russia) came to our rescue to build the facility at Zulfiqarabad (Port Qasim). A blast furnace was installed in which pig iron was produced based on imported iron ore and coal. The plan was to gradually replace the inputs by idigenous natural resources. The professional team of engineers worked hard to produce high-quality steel. At its peak production, the output of the facility was close to 3 MTPY (Million Tons per Year) against national demand of around 5 MTPY. Today the pride of the nation is shut down and the country is meeting its needs through imported steel. The local iron 6re deposits remain unutilized.

Pakistan also imports about 100,000 tons of copper every year while the same metal being mined at Saindak is sent to China where it is smelted and refined as a finished product to be sold in the open market. The Saindak Copper-Gold Project was launched in 1992

by Saindak Metals Limited (SML), a public-sector entity. It was my first project on my return to Pakistan.

As a professional, I tried best to save the project in larger national interests but it fell on deaf ears. As there was very limited large-scale commercial mining experience in the country it was a combination of mismanagement, incompetence, corruption and greed.

For the last 20 years the ore has been crushed and ground and the valuable metals separated from the gangue through flotation, which is an established process. The concentrate is then shipped with all its valuables (copper. Gold, silver) to China. After my professional advice was overruled, I decided to document and publish my experience with the SML management. On July 21, 1997 I published a detailed account of the debacle titled; “ Need to Save Saindak Project “. Unforunately I could not save it and as predicted it was leased out to the Chinese contractor,

Blasphemy in DI Khan Misuse of the law continues unabated

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particularly scary incident has taken place in Dera Ismail Khan, where female teacher of a girls’ madrassah knifed one of their colleagues dead. They did so because she had allegedly committed blasphemy in a dream which was seen by the daughter of one of the murderers. It marks a first in several ways.

First, it was the first occasion where a madressa teacher was accused. Second, though it was not the first case where the accuser and the accused were women (the reader may recall the Asia Bibi case, where women were on both sides), it was certainly the first case where the punishment was inflicted by women. however, it is almost certainly the first time that the allegation rests on someone else’s dream. The problem with such evidence is that, even if true, it is not the basis on which an FIR can be registered. A person’s actions in someone else’s dream may be of interest to psycvhologists, but it has not been accepted by any court as evidence.

It is possible that deeper investigation will uncover other, more mundane, motives which led to the fatal assault, but it should be mentioned that this may be the result of a society which has treated blasphemy not as a serious crime and sin, but as an excuse to bring an enemy into trouble. Blasphemy charges laid against members of the minority communities are common, even though the accuser often has some other, more personal, motive.

Blasphemy is a scary charge, with policemen not even willing to detain accused, and judges not even willing to conduct trials. even though there is a blasphemy law, it is an offence over which people are ready to take justice into their own hands. Indeed, saying that the law needs to be revisited is itself accounted blasphemous, as Punjab Governor Salman Taseer found to his cost in 2011, when he was assassinated in an egregious case of private vengeance. It needs to be considered why such cases keep on recurring.

Is there a problem in the way the law is implemented?

This new dimension, of dream-accusations merely adds to the dangers faced by, well, everyone.

A mutual voice of Muslim Ummah 48th Council of OIC Foreign Ministers Moot at Islamabad

Dr Saira aSaD

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he Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was established 53 years ago in 1969 comprising 57 Islamic countries nearly 2 billion people from four continents. Being the second-largest organization after United Nations, it is an honour for Pakistan to be its host again within three months on the theme ‘Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development’. In the past, Pakistan had an honor to host 5t on February 22-24,1974 (Lahore), March 23-24,1997 (Islamabad), December 19, 2021 (Islamabad), and now on March 22-23, 2022 (Islamabad) , this time conducting the 48th meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (FMs) in the presence of 46 FMs, and remaining represented through their staff members.

China had been invited as a special guest based on its long-lasting friendship and brotherhood.In the time of Covid-19, Beijing provided 1.3 billion vaccine doses to 50 Islamic countries, and was involved in different projects in various countries. The most important ongoing project is the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) for Pakistan, whose aim is to enhance geographical linkages via various projects.

The OIC is a mutual voice of the Muslim world for

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

MCC (Metallurgical Corporation of China).

As Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF2002 to 2005) and convenor of the Planning Commission Committee on Mining and Minerals, I focussed on developing the mineral sector of the country. With my professional experience in large scale commercial mining, I took upon myself the challenges faced in this area. The Thar Coal project was launched in 2004. It took 14 long years for me to touch the Black Gold which is now our energy future. Currently 660 MW of power is being produced while about 4000 MW is in the pipeline. Currently I am involved in producing gas from this deposit.

Work was also started on the Kalabagh Iron Ore deposit by revisiting the Krupp Wrenn process. Testing was carried out at the PCSIR (Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Lahore centre where Metal Luppens (80 percent] iron were produced to be used in the electric arc furnace as input.

After my term ended in 2005, I kept going in my individual professional capacity. While mining has started at Thar, the Kalabagh 6re is not being used.

Then came Reko Diq, another copper-gold project in Balochistan. In the year 1993 a joint venture between BDA (Balochistan Development Authority) and BhP (Broken hill Proprietary) a leading Australian Mining Company, called CheJVA (Chagai hills exploration Joint Venture) was signed. In 1996 BhP applied for an exploration licence which was granted on the basis of 75/25% (BhP, BDA respectively). BhP then sold part of its stakes to Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) which consisted of Antofagasta Minerals (37.5 percent) and Barrick Gold (37.5 percent). Before the expiry of its exploration licence in 2011, TCC applied for a mining lease which was not granted. In 2010 Constitution Petition No. 68/2010 was filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP).

Dr Samar Mubarakmand presented his expert opinion in which he claimed his involvement in several important mining projects of the country. The Supreme Court, under the restored Chief Justice, rejected all claims of TCC for the right to mine in the area. TCC then decided to approach ICSID (International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes) which decided in its favour. The award was around $ 6.2 billion together with some other claims the total penalty for breach of contract came to around $ 11 billion.

As I knew all the players, on my own initiative I decided to meet them for a negotiated settlement. And interacted with the government’s legal team to guide them. Since 2011, I had been trying to reach an agreement by bringing all stakeholders to the negotiating table. In 2018, I travelled to Toronto to meet one of the investors. On my return, I was informed that a Saudi Mining Company has agreed to take over the project.

A local consortium called National Resources Limited also got involved in the development of this resource.

Finally it has been reported that the dispute has been amicably settled on 50/50% basis with Barrick Gold and three state owned entities (SOe) namely OGDCL (Oil and Gas Development Corporation Lim-

ited), PPL (Pakistan Petroleum Ltd ), GhPL ( Government holdings Pakistan Limited ). Alas there has been a sigh of relief, the threat of award is over but the future raod map remains fuzzy as before. It seems no lessons have been learnt from the sell out of Saindak deposit.

The Copper import bill will continue. It seems to be a repeat of the earlier experience where the Chinese investors were allowed to ship the concentrate home for value addition leaving the tailings behind.

Several steps are involved in extracting Copper hidden under the soil at Reko Diq ( Mound of Sand in Balochi Langauage). First step is mining, followed by ore concentration, then smelting to produce impure metal which is then refined to produce a highpurity product (99.9 percent or higher).

A commercial entity enters into investment to generate wealth. According to TCC maximum value addition takes place with the first step of producing the concentrate which was then to be transferred through a pipeline (682 km) to Gwadar from where it was to be shipped for further processing by expert facilities not available within Pakistan.

There were two objections to the original contract, firstly it was poorly negotiated with clear signs of incompetence and corruption, secondly the 25 percent local share was also being sent overseas. Pakistan needed the finished metal for which downstream processing was required which TCC was unwilling to do.

Under the present agreement, the share of Pakistan/Balochistan has been increased to 50 percent with Barrick Gold holding the rest, but again there is no road map to produce finished metal in which the country will have to import to meet its needs. The agreement was negotiated by the Attorney General with technical assistance of a German Consulting firm, as usual local expertise was overlooked. Legal issues were covered while the domestic copper requirements were ignored.

Without the involvement of local and expatriate experts the country will not move forward. Both China and India benefited from this available human resource while in the land of the pure it has been blatantly overlooked. Capitalism allows exploitation which has to be checked by neutral experts for the common public good. At the time of Saindak there was no large scale commercial mining experience in the country. With the launch of Thar Project now this expertise exists, the same team under the former team leader is already positioned to start mining at Reko Diq. Our natural mineral assets have to be protected and used to meet our national needs. Unfortunately we have not been able to exploit our potential in this vital area. While we continue to import steel and copper our deposits remain untapped. It is an example of ‘the blind leading the blind,’ which must end.

Some of the decisions of the ex-CJP and his selected experts have been disastrous for the country.

While the Thar debacle is being investigated by NAB, the Reko Diq case should also be reviewed by the Supreme Judicial Council to avoid future hiccups inflicted by judicial activism. No nation can advance without the basic building blocks for which metals (ferrous, non-ferrous) play a dominant role. After Reko Diq comes on line, a steel mill can be set up based on the Chiniot iron ore deposit which is ready for exploitation.

A lot of homework as already been done by the Punjab Mineral Company. It is time to formulate a ‘ Mineral and Mining Road Map ‘ for the country to reduce our import bill together with achieving self reliance in this vital area. A fresh start has to be made.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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safeguarding and protecting the interest of the Muslims in respect to maintaining international peace and harmony among the international community belonging from other religions, and cultures. The Islamabad OIC moot had a focus on the economic, financial, scientific, Islamophobia, international terrorism, conflict resolution, cooperation issues with the Russian Federation, United Nations, european Union, and the social impact of covid-19, where 39 OIC member states faced a negative growth as well as be5ng affected by other factors.

Apart from this, humanitarian efforts for Afghanistan, Kashmir, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Palestine issues were the focal points on the platform. The African issues, including the Sahel region, the situation in the Republic of Mali, and Lake Chad, the sensitive situation of the region alongside Central Africa and the Republic of Guinea’s situation. The OIC reinforced the Muslim countries to contribute generously to the humanitarian Trust Fund for Afghanistan to avert the economical and humanitarian crisis there.

Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that the OIC must continue supporting Palestine and Kashmir for self-determination and liberation from foreign occupation. The call for resolving inter-Islamic disputes with the prevention of foreign intervention is strongly recommended for a strong bond among Muslim countries, he stated. The intolerance against Muslims in India was highly condemned that led to political, economic, and social marginalization.

In the last 47th extraordinary session for Afghanistan on December 22, again the Prime Minister raised the humanitarian and economic issues and suggested strongly developing effective strategies.

Regarding Syria, Libya, and Yemen, foreign interference was suggested to be excluded and the Muslim world’s cooperation in resolving their issues suggested to be placed on a fast pace.The recent Russ-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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ian-Ukraine conflict was also discussed and immediate intervention suggested.

A side-event of a brainstorming session on the theme of ‘Muslim World’s Role in Promoting Peace, Justice, and harmony’ held on the sec6nd day, March23. Secretary-General hussein Brahim Taha emphasized enhancing the noble human values of peace, tolerance, equality, compassion, justice, and human dignity.The OIC prov5ded a platform for Muslim countries to promote peace, justice, and harmony, and organizing another meeting within three months again by Pakistan was appreciable, where the objective was one of promoting the Islamic values. The OIC had touched all current affairs of Islamic countries with the positive hope of coming up with the strategies as one power. Additionally, the witnesses and attendees of the 23rd March parade and event have given a glimpse to all OIC guests of Pakistani culture, traditions, as well as its armed forces.

A successful OIC conference has been concluded with a positive hope and appreciation for the government where the no-confidence movement is hovering over creating a political disturbance in the country.

The meeting ended with the Islamabad Declaration with the resolution of sharing a global vision for security, peace, human rights, and development based on equity and justice. Additionally, focused on territorial integrity with no interference in the internal affairs of states at the international level.

Pakistan has announced to play as a bridge between the Muslim states and it can be seen how actively it was able to organize the conference session with a gap of three months. May Allah keep all Muslim states under one umbrella with one aim of peace, prosperity, harmony, brotherhood, and pillar of strength to each other.

The writer is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan and can be reached at saira.asad2011@gmail.com.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 31st March 2022_Layout 1 3/30/2022 11:50 PM Page 2

Thursday, 31 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

The Kashmir files

The Requirements of military diplomacy between Bangladesh and Myanmar Country-to-country ties will be helped JubeDa ChowDhury

M

ILITARY diplomacy has long been one of the essential constituents of international diplomacy and an effective method to foster bilateral and regional relationships.

Military training cooperation is an essential component of military diplomacy and helps to build close ties with other nations. Such cooperation also helps to strengthen strategic security relationships and address common security concerns.

Bangladesh and Myanmar are two neighboring countries having 271 km of a common international border. After the independence of Bangladesh. Myanmar recognized Bangladesh on 13 January 1972 as a sovereign state. On 13 August 1973, a general trade agreement was signed between Bangladesh and Burma. Three memoranda of understanding were signed on June 1989 to start border trade and economic cooperation.

There is a vast scope for the bilateral relationship between the Myanmar military and the Bangladesh military. There are a number of areas where the two countries may cooperate and work together; the key area being the improvement of relations.

As Myanmar is a country that was ruled by the military for several decades, the military-tomilitary interactions with other countries are important for it. Bangladesh’s military should also strengthen its ties with Tatmadaw. Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) should also foster ties with the Bangladesh military for ensuring common bilateral interest.

Myanmar’s military can work together with Bangladesh’s military to broaden the scope of its relations and can explore deeper cooperation in areas such as counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, Bangla-language skills, Burmese-language skills, joint naval and air exercises, and intelligence sharing in combating the traditional and non-traditional threats in the Bay of Bengal region. The two military forces can strengthen mutual cooperation such as training exchanges, intelligence sharing, joint patrolling along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border in countering trans-border crimes such as illegal arms trade, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and so on. exchanging military delegations can pave the way in resolving bilateral disputes. Both parties can exchange and share their experience and expertise in dealing with some common bilateral problems. exchanging military training between the two-armed forces can help enhance the operational capabilities of both parties. Combined military exercises, UN peacekeeping operation (UNPKO) training, and disaster management cooperation, exchanging programmes, senior-level visits and medical cooperation, sports events, adventure activities, military tourism, joint cycling expeditions, and adventure training are some kinds of sectors of cooperation.

For example, Bangladesh’s then Chief Of Army Staff, Gen Aziz Ahmed, began his fourday visit to Myanmar in 2019. The purpose of the visit was to improve the existing military ties of both countries and find out the scope of co-

operation with each other. General Aziz’s visit to Myanmar was a high-profile military visit from Bangladesh after more than five years. Former Chief of the Bangladesh Army Gen. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan visited Myanmar in 2014 to discuss issues including trans-border crimes and human trafficking between the two countries.

Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Muhammad enamul Bari along with his five officers left Dhaka for Myanmar in 2019.

On the other hand, U Ne Win, President of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma (Myanmar), arrived in Dhaka on 26 April 1974 for a four-day official visit. At the airport, he was received by Bangladesh President Mr. Muhammadullah and Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The then Commanderin-Chief of the Myanmar Air Force, Lt. Gen Myat hein, arrived in Dhaka on a six-day visit to Bangladesh in 2011. however, these types of visits of high officials are essential for both Myanmar and Bangladesh to foster the ties for better bilateral understanding.

Myanmar defense officers participated in different training institutions in Bangladesh such as the National Defense College and Defense Service Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in the past.

But these training exchanges must be resumed for ensuring better interest. Thus, Bangladesh and Myanmar should proactively offer more training facilities to each other.

Joint initiatives taken by the two militaries can pave the way to bolster the ties between the two neighbours. Improved ties between the Bangladesh military and the Myanmar military can smoothen the ties, resolving the long pending issues such as the crisis of displaced persons from Rakhine who are currently living in Bangladesh, the maritime dispute, and borderrelated trans-border crimes.

Basically, the members of the armed forces of both Myanmar and Bangladesh should have a frequent exchange of visits, training, and carry out joint exercise. These will reduce mistrust and enhance confidence and understanding. This can also help solve the long-oustanding Rohingya refugee crisis in the region.

On the environmental front, both Bangladesh and Myanmar should make sure that the climate conferences at the global stage should not just focus entirely on climate issues, but also should set practically applicable measures and a constructive framework, with the genuine intention to ensure reduction of environmental deterioration.

For Bangladesh, the only relevant thing that is to be taken into account is that there are immense economic opportunities for Bangladesh within Myanmar. There should be no concern on Bangladesh’s part as to the military running the show in Myanmar. Bangladesh must push for closer ties with Myanmar irrespective of who holds

Myanmar’s power. The military setup in Myanmar’s Constituent Assembly remains very strong.

Opportunities have emerged for Bangladesh to earn billions from exporting to, and investing in, Myanmar. Therefore, being one of the five neighbors of Myanmar, Bangladesh should try to grab such opportunities, should bolster its relations with Myanmar, and take the benefit of Myanmar’s economic potential through military diplomacy between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar, which are the major victims of climate change with the worst victimization still awaiting, may work together in order to address the issues related to global environmental deterioration. Besides the major problems of poverty and illiteracy, Bangladesh and Myanmar’s vulnerability to environmental deterioration is very alarming. Basically, the Tatmadaw and the Bangladesh military can work together to mitigate the risk of regional environmental degradation through joint disaster management systems, operations, and initiatives.

Cyclone Nargis in 2008 was the best example to understand it.

Both coastal countries were affected by this natural disaster. There are ample opportunities for both Myanmar and Bangladesh to work together in reducing the risk and loss of environmental degradation.

The relations between the two countries are the cross-border communication of general people from the two sides of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The people-to-people connection between two sovereign countries must be made the most effective way to progress together and to keep a peaceful relationship between the concerned countries. This factor is particularly important when the concerned countries are neighbours. There must be a smooth and vibrant relationship between the people of both Bangladesh and Myanmar. Basically, both militaries can promote trade and commerce with each other.

Bangladesh, one of the closest neighbours of Myanmar, both countries should maintain a friendly relationship with each other. The Bangladesh armed forces must take effective steps to improve the relations with Myanmar armed forces assuring the zero-tolerance policy of the Bangladesh government against terrorists, human traffickers, illegal drug traders criminals.

Myanmar’s military should take effective steps to foster the ties. It must understand that Bangladesh is a peace-loving country and a friendly neighbour. Bangladesh believes in peaceful coexistence. Thus, engagement with Bangladesh would be beneficial for Myanmar also. Military ties between the two neighbouring countries can assure peace, harmony, regional stability, regional greater interest, etc. in the whole regions (South Asia and Southeast Asia)

Myanmar’s military should take effective steps to foster the ties. It must understand that Bangladesh is a peaceloving country and a friendly neighbour.

The writer is a freelance columnist

ON the 11th of March, a controversial movie was released in India named “The Kashmir Files”. This movie displays that in 1989-90, Kashmir, Islamic militants storm and banish Kashmiri hindu pandits from the valley using the slogan “Raliv, Galiv ya chaliv” (convert (to Islam), leave or die).

The subject of the film was an exodus of Kashmiri pandits that took place between the late 80s and early 90s. Article 370 which grants nominally autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, is named as one of the reasons for the displacement of the Kashmiri pandits.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has endorsed and promoted the film. It was declared tax free in multiple BJP governed States such as Goa, Gujrat, haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand, with calls by several chief ministers and members of parliament for everyone to watch the movie.

The film has widely promoted Islamophobia in terms of Prime Minister Modi and director of the movie Vivek Agnihotri as the revelation of truth. After watching the film people were heated with anger and frustration, aggressively stepped forward to humiliate Muslims. The film Kashmir Files is a deep conspiracy and propaganda trapped for Indian Muslims. The movie exhibits Kashmir as an integral region that is a myth merely. Kashmir was never an integral part of India, however, after bullish accession of the Indian army into the valleys of Kashmir, it was promised by then, Prime Minister Mr: Nehru to announce plebiscite but plebiscite never ensued. By and by, with the passage of time, the Indian government elevated authorities and interposed central affairs including it in Kashmir.

Currently, Muslims are targeted and the hijab is outlawed in schools, colleges and offices for Muslim women. The constitution of India which maintained the umbrella of justice and protected rights of Muslims has now been torn apart, due to indolent and obsolete policies of the ruling government. The formation of the movie and its distribution was certainly looked after by the government. The film is so sensitive that it burns old wounds and hurts emotions not solely of hindus in particular but Muslims as well, who are demonstrated as the brand ambassadors of terrorism.

SAJID ALI NAICH KHAIRPUR

Lumpy skin disease TheRe have been reports in the media about a serious skin disease among the cows in the cattle farms across the province of Sindh, but no safety measures or regulations have been announced by the government in this connection. According to a news item, 20,000 animals, including 15,100 in Karachi alone, have been affected by the disease called Lumpy Skin Disease. This is a serious situation. But while people continue to buy and consume beef and dairy products, endangering their lives, the government is playing a silent spectator.

HAIDER SHAHID KARACHI

Women in Pakistan WOMeN in Pakistan are facing endless problems. Certainly, women’s empowerment and gender equality are the popular slogans of this century. however, third world countries including Pakistan do not pay much heed to this phenomenon. every time they try to stop Aurat-March. Protesting is a basic right of women in a democratic society. A month before the march, the religious minister expressed his opinion to stop women from highlighting injustices that are being done to them in Pakistan.

It is a tragic fact that women in Pakistan are at risk both domestically and at work zones. They are at large deprived of their basic constitutional and religious rights like the right of inheritance. They have to accept early marriages and gender discrimination is a usual practice in Pakistan.

Undoubtedly, there are many laws made to protect women in Pakistan including, the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Bill 2015, Amal Umar Bill and Zainab Alert to imbue security for women.

We have observed recently two developments regarding women in which one is welcoming; Noor Muqaddam’s killer is sentenced to death while the acquittal of the “honour killing” culprit is again ringing a bell of patriarchal dominance. Women are half the population; they cannot be limited to domestic chores only nor they should be subjected to brutality, economic dependence and harassment. To make Pakistan a prosperous country we should root out gender discrimination.

SYEDA HADIA BAKHTAWAR NANKANA SAHIB

Save Urdu IN a recent speech, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto unwittingly mispronounced a common phrase, which went viral on social media and garnered a lot of criticism from different political parties. however, this was just a slip of the tongue, which can happen with anyone — even with those that are counted as educated and learned. In the past, several political figures have struggled with the pronunciation of Urdu terms and phrases during public speeches. Therefore, Bilawal’s slip should have been treated as a common mistake, and not as something to make fun of.

This latest event has reopened the debate on the little importance given to Urdu, our national language. however, political figures alone cannot be blamed for the worsening state of Urdu. even though Urdu is compulsory in nearly all curriculums being taught across the country, after finishing school most students take little interest in reading or learning Urdu. They fail to enunciate words properly and merge Urdu terms with other languages. even students who have a degree in Urdu — or even a doctorate — fail to gain employment as most organisations prefer proficiency in english. If anything, this reveals our colonialist ideology that has contaminated our values and mindset. We still look down upon people that cannot speak english and disregard Urdu. Most developed countries today have prioritised their mother tongues to empower local culture and people.

They take pride in their national identity and language. We must learn from these countries and accord our national language the same respect. We must save our language from decaying and undertake initiatives to promote Urdu. educational institutes can play an important role by introducing Urdu literature in curriculums and holding cultural events.

SIRAJ AHMED ISLAMABAD

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Thursday, 31 March, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

A neW World of CUrrenCy disorder looms THE CHINESE RENMINBI CAN BE A CHALLENGER TO THE US DOLLAR, BUT IT WON’T REPLACE IT

FinanciaL tiMeS MarTIN WOLF

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t the end of January, russia held foreign currency reserves worth $469bn. this hoard was born of the prudence taught by its 1998 default and, hoped Vladimir Putin, also a guarantee of its financial independence. But, as his “special military operation” in Ukraine began, he learnt that more than half of his reserves were frozen. His enemies’ currencies ceased to be usable money. this action is not only significant for russia. a targeted demonetisation of the world’s most globalised currencies has big implications.

Money is a public good. a global money — one that people rely upon in their cross-border transactions and investment decisions — is a global public good. But the providers of that public good are national governments.

Even under the old gold exchange standard, that was the case. In our era of fiat (government-made) currency,

since 1971 that has been even more obviously the case.

In the third quarter of 2021, 59 per cent of global foreign currency reserves were denominated in dollars, another 20 per cent in euros, 6 per cent in yen and 5 per cent in sterling. China’s renminbi still made up less than 3 per cent of global reserves. today, global monies are issued by the US and its allies, including small ones. this is not the result of a plot. Useful monies are those of open economies with liquid financial markets, monetary stability and the rule of law. yet the weaponisation of those currencies and of the financial systems that handle them undermines those properties for any holder who fears being targeted. Sanctions on russia’s central bank are a shock. Who, governments ask, is next?

What does it mean for our sovereignty? one can object to the west’s actions on narrowly economic grounds: the weaponisation of currencies will fragment the world economy and make it less efficient. that, one might respond, is true, but ever more irrelevant in a world of severe international tensions. yes, it is another force for deglobalisation, but many will ask “so what?”. a more worrying objection for western policymakers is that using these weapons might damage them.

Will the rest of the world not rush to find ways of transacting and storing value that circumvent the currencies and financial markets of the US and its allies? Is that not what China is trying to do right now?

It is. In principle, one could imagine four replace-

ments for today’s globalised national currencies: private currencies (such as bitcoin); commodity money (such as gold); a global fiat currency (such as the IMF’s special drawing rights); or another national currency, most obviously China’s. the first is inconceivable: the market value of all cryptocurrencies is currently $2tn, a mere 16 per cent of world foreign exchange reserves, while transacting in cryptocurrencies directly is impossibly cumbersome. Gold can be a reserve asset, but is hopeless in making transactions. there is also no chance of agreeing on a global currency of sufficient weight even to replace reserves, let alone be a global transactions vehicle. this leaves another national currency. an excellent recent pamphlet by Harvard’s Graham allison and colleagues on the Great Economic rivalry concludes that China is already a formidable peer competitor of the US. History suggests that the currency of an economy of its size, sophistication and integration would become a global money.

So far, however, this has not happened. that is because China’s financial system is relatively undeveloped, its currency is not fully convertible and the country lacks a true rule of law. China is very far from providing what sterling and the dollar provided in their heyday. While holders of the dollar and other leading western currencies might fear sanctions, they must surely be aware of what the Chinese government might do to them, should they displease it. as important, the Chinese state knows that

an internationalised currency requires open financial markets, but that would radically weaken its control over China’s economy and society. this lack of a genuinely credible alternative suggests that the dollar will remain the world’s dominant currency. yet there is an argument against this complacent view, laid out in Digital Currencies, a stimulating pamphlet from the Hoover Institution. In essence, this is that China’s CrossBorder Interbank Payment System (Cips — an alternative to the Swift system) and digital currency (the e-Cny) might become a dominant payment system and vehicle currency, respectively, for trade between China and its many trading partners. In the long run, the e-Cny might also become a significant reserve currency. Moreover, argues the pamphlet, that would give the Chinese state detailed knowledge of the transactions of every entity within its system. that would be an additional source of power. today, the overwhelming dominance of the US and its allies in global finance, a product of their aggregate economic size and open financial markets, gives their currencies a dominant position. today, there is no credible alternative for most global monetary functions. today, high inflation is likely to be a greater threat to trust in the dollar than its weaponisation against rogue states. In the long run, however, China might be able to create a walled garden for use of its currency by those closest to it. Even so, those who wish to transact with western countries will still need western currencies.

What might emerge are two monetary systems — a western and a Chinese one — operating in different ways and overlapping uncomfortably. as in other respects, the future promises not so much a new global order built around China as more disorder.

Future historians may view today’s sanctions as another step on that journey.

The Us risks paying a high price for a nuclear deal with iran

How the West enabled war in Ukraine

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MAY REMOVE THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD’S TERRORIST DESIGNATION

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BLooMBerG BOBBY GhOSh

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oE BIDEn was keen to revive the Iran nuclear agreement long before the war in Ukraine began, but the rise in oil prices it has caused may have tipped the president’s eagerness into desperation. reports from Washington suggest the administration is about to cave to tehran’s most outrageous condition for returning to the deal: the removal of the Islamic revolutionary Guard Corps from the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations, or Ftos. the designation makes the IrGC subject to sanctions that tehran says must be lifted before it agrees to abide by the terms of the 2015 agreement, which was designed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It is currently enriching uranium to levels far in excess of any peaceful purpose. the IrGC oversees the nuclear program, as well as Iran’s foreign policy and security apparatus. the Fto designation has been the stickiest of sticking points during the latest round of negotiations in Vienna between Iran and the signatories of the agreement, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action. It’s not hard to see why tehran wants the designation dropped: It depends on the IrGC, known to Iranians as Pasdaran (Persian for guards), to suppress dissent at home as well as terrorize its neighbors. these tasks would be made easier if american sanctions didn’t put financial resources and the latest weapons out of the regime’s reach. now the Biden administration is hinting that delisting the IrGC is one of the “difficult decisions” it may have to make in order to revive the JCPoa. But this is hard to believe. after all, the original deal was struck without a commitment to take Iran off another of the State Department’s lists, as a state sponsor of terrorism, a dubious distinction it has held since 1984, and which it currently shares with Syria, Cuba and north Korea. as the principal instrument of the state’s terror, the IrGC has certainly earned its place on the Fto list. It is, in the words of Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of the U.S. Central Command, “the centerpiece of Iranian bad behavior” in the Middle East.

What’s more, the Pasdaran have american blood on

their hands: operating mostly through proxy militias, it is responsible for the deaths of more than 600 U.S. service personnel in Iraq. those militias have kept up attacks on american targets, including military bases and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. tardy though it was, the IrGC’s designation as a terrorist organization in april 2019 was welcomed in countries across the region that daily live under the menace of the Pasdaran and its proxies. this network of peril includes nodes in Lebanon and Gaza, where the IrGC operates through Hezbollah and Hamas, respectively, both Ftos of longstanding; in Iraq, home to Iran-backed Ftos Kataib Hizballah and asa’ib ahl al-Haq; and in yemen, where tehran’s catspaw, the Houthis, were on the list until Biden dropped them shortly after his inauguration last year. the delisting of the Houthis may represent the perfect pre-figuration of what will likely happen if the IrGC is removed from the Fto list. the Biden administration imagined the gesture would make the yemeni rebels more amenable to peace with the arab coalition that has been trying to restore the government the Houthis overthrew in 2015. Instead, the Houthis have kept up a daily barrage of rocket and drone attacks against Saudi arabia — and occasionally against the United arab Emirates. (the munitions are supplied by tehran.)

Unsurprisingly, Iran’s neighbors are alarmed by the prospect of Biden repeating his mistake with the IrGC. the loudest protests have come from the country that the Pasdaran’s commanders routinely vow to annihilate: Israel. “Unfortunately, there is determination to sign a nuclear agreement with Iran at almost any price, including saying that the world’s largest terrorist organization is not a terrorist organization,” Israeli Prime Minister naftali Bennett said at a cabinet meeting last week. “that is too high a price.” this is also the view of many republicans — and not a few Democrats — in Washington. Bipartisan complaints that Congress is being kept in the dark about the negotiations in Vienna have led to anxiety that the White House may be willing to make too many concessions to the Iranians in order to reach a deal — and potentially allow Iranian oil and gas into a global market to replace sanctioned russian exports. administration officials who have briefed the media say the IrGC would only be delisted if it promises not to attack americans and commits to curtailing its destabilizing activities outside Iran. If it doesn’t keep its word, it can be re-designated an Fto. this might have been reassuring but for the fact that Biden is currently ignoring requests, from members of Congress as well as from U.S. allies, to put the Houthis back on the list.

If he unshackles the Pasdaran, the president will open the proverbial Pandora’s box. Enhanced by unrestrained access to money and state-of-the-art weaponry, the IrGC’s capacity for violence and terror may require a whole new State Department designation.

Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering foreign affairs.

Project Syndicate Max Krahé

ontrary to what russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed, and what political scientists like John Mearsheimer believe, nato enlargement did not cause russia’s invasion of Ukraine. nor did a sudden descent into irrationality by Putin, who, starting with his Munich Security Conference speech back in 2007, has long telegraphed his irredentist intentions. the key enabler of russia’s invasion was European division and ambivalence, which left a void where there should have been a strategy. the contest for Ukraine commenced in early 2008. With oil prices high and Putin’s rule entrenched, russia began to turn to its near abroad. the summer war in Georgia demonstrated the Kremlin’s resolve and ambition, but the strategic prize was always Ukraine. at the same time, the West moved to attract Ukraine into its orbit, with the launch of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership and US encouragement for a nato membership bid.

From this point on, tensions over Ukraine were always likely to mount. But over the next 14 years, the EU and its member states pursued a dangerously confused set of initiatives. their failure to align legal, security, and financial policy created the context in which war became possible.

In legal terms, the EU pursued a strategy of attraction. through its Eastern Partnership, the Union encouraged slow but steady convergence of Ukraine’s legal, political and economic order toward European standards. Making its geopolitical intentions clear, the EU emphasised that Ukraine would have to choose between Brussels and Moscow: It could not simultaneously join russia’s Eurasian Economic Union and sign an association agreement with the EU. on security policy, by contrast, division reigned.

While the United States, the United Kingdom, and Poland had long favored Ukraine’s nato accession, Germany, France and Italy were opposed. From nato’s Bucharest summit in april 2008 to the training and supply missions that followed russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, the West continued to send mixed signals. these were too weak to deter russia, yet too threatening for the Kremlin to ignore. ambiguity became a formula for escalation.

Security ambiguity alone may not have been fatal, had Europe pursued an effective financial strategy to complement its legal approach. an economically and financially stable Ukraine might have continued to gravitate toward the EU’s orbit, up to the point where nato accession would have been bold but feasible, or perhaps even unnecessary. Domestic unrest, civil war, and with it the moment for russia’s invasion might never have come.

But the opposite occurred. at two crucial points when Ukraine most needed financial support, Europe left it out in the cold.

First, like most of Eastern Europe, Ukraine received scant attention during the 2008 global financial crisis. With half of all Ukrainian pre-crisis loans denominated in foreign currency, a dollar or euro swap line would have gone a long way toward preventing a financial collapse. But while the US was providing a dollar swap line for Mexico, the eurozone was unwilling to extend similar assistance to EU members Poland and Hungary, let

alone to Ukraine.

Desperate for dollars and euros, Ukraine had no choice but to turn to the International Monetary Fund and austerity. this fueled a 15 per cent decline in GDP, an inflation rate of 22 per cent, and an unabated crisis in Ukraine’s steel industry, which helped the pro-russian Viktor yanukovych win the 2010 presidential election. yanukovych immediately turned to the Kremlin for financial support, trading an extension of russia’s lease on the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea for a 30 per cent reduction in the price Ukraine paid for russian gas.

Second, in 2013, Ukraine was hit by the global fallout from US monetary tightening. When then-Federal reserve Chair Ben Bernanke signaled a tapering of the Fed’s quantitative easing program, dollars rushed out of emerging markets and back to the US. Ukraine’s borrowing costs jumped from 7-8 per cent to more than 11 per cent. at the same time, as Putin observed Ukraine inching ever closer to the EU’s legal order, he imposed sanctions on Ukrainian exports, starting with the now quaint “chocolate war.” By late 2013, Ukraine was facing insolvency and recession. recognising the opportunity, russia made Ukraine a strategic offer: $12 billion per year of subsidies and economic benefits if the country abandoned the association agreement, or an escalation of sanctions, should yanukovych sign the pact.

Europe’s economic and financial experts failed to register either russia’s seriousness or Ukraine’s predicament. German officials estimated the impact of potential russian sanctions at a puny $3 billion per year, a fraction of Ukraine’s figure, no doubt strategically inflated, of $160 billion per year. Blind to facts on the ground and to the geopolitical consequences of its penny-pinching, the EU made a counteroffer of €610 million, less than a tenth of russia’s proposed assistance.

Pressured by the Kremlin and low-balled by the EU, yanukovych abandoned the association agreement, instead accepting further gas discounts and a $15 billion concessionary loan from russia. this, too, might not have spelled war had Europe’s rejection been wholesale. But, while yanukovych was trying to navigate Europe’s financial stinginess, the Ukrainian people had been won over by the EU’s legal attraction.

Whether a bold financial offer would have been realistic at the time, given the EU’s internal divisions and corruption in Ukraine, is open to debate. Either way, the accumulated contradictions gave rise to the Euromaidan protests, which ousted yanukovych but paved the way for russia’s annexation of Crimea, its incursion into eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, and today’s war. In what was surely an understatement, then-European Parliament President Martin Schulz said, “I think we underestimated the drama of the domestic political situation in Ukraine.”

Europe’s offer to Ukraine was legally attractive, militarily ambivalent, and financially mean. It was too expansive for russia to be at ease, too weak on defense to provide effective deterrence, and too pennypinching to keep fickle Ukrainian elites on a pro-EU course when it mattered most. Devoid of an overall strategy, Europe’s approach was a recipe for disaster.

Max Krahé, a political economist, is a research associate at the University of Duisburg-Essen’s Institute for Socio-Economics and a co-founder of the think tank Dezernat Zukunft.

Thursday, 31 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS corporate corner oGrA conducts public hearing for determination of estimated revenue requirement of SNGPL for financial year 2022-23 LAHORE: A public hearing was organized by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) at a local hotel of Lahore on March 30, 2022 wherein Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) presented its case in support of its petition for determination of Estimated Revenue Requirement of the Company for FY 2022-23 while fully justifying the Company’s view point.

All the queries raised by the Honorable Authority were thoroughly elucidated. In the hearing general public was also invited and the queries raised by the interveners from the public were also responded by the Managing Director of SNGPL, Mr. Ali Javed Hamdani. The hearing ended with a vote of thanks to the Honorable Chairman OGRA and Authority Members. pr

Aiou organizes one day national seminar ISLAMABAD: A one-day National Seminar on "Traditions of Systematic Translation and Interpretation of Holy Quran in Subcontinent" is being held today (Thursday, March 31) at Allama Iqbal Open University. Explaining the details of the seminar, Dean of the Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Prof. Dr Shah Mohyuddin Hashmi, said that this would be the third event of the ongoing academic activities in the university for the promotion of Quran and Sunnah teachings and these activities would continue throughout the year.

The seminar will commence at 9:30 am in the Academic Complex of the University and will be chaired by Prof. Dr Shah Mohyuddin Hashmi. Among the speakers are Prof.

Abdul Haq, Translator of Nawa-e-Quran, Prof. Dr. Abdul Hameed Khan Abbasi, Dean, Faculty of Principles of Religion, International Islamic University, Prof. Dr. Taj Afsar, Chairman, Department of Islamic Studies, Mohayy-ud-Din Islamic University, Tarakhel (Azad Jammu and Kashmir).

Advisor Rector of Bahria University Islamabad, Prof. Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman Asim and Chairman of the Department of Qur'an and Tafsir AIOU, Dr. Sanaullah Hussain. This national seminar is being organized by the Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Department of Qur'an and Tafsir. pr

LeArNTech.Pk To oFFer Free AWS re/STArT cLoud SkiLLS TrAiNiNG ProGrAM iN PAkiSTAN To uPSkiLL iNdividuALS For Tech cAreerS

T

ODAY, LearnTech.pk announced a collaborative effort with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide free cloud computing skills development and job training through the AWS re/Start program in Pakistan. AWS re/Start is a 12-week training program that covers fundamental AWS Cloud skills as well as practical career skills, such as interviewing and resume writing, to help individuals prepare for entry-level cloud roles. This program is new to Pakistan, and the first cohort kicked off this month.

Research information from Forbes tells us that advanced cloud and security skills are in higher demand than ever before; however, there is a shortage of qualified and skilled professionals to support the growth and innovation for the industry. Cloud skills training will be a game changer and will further support industry requirement for cloud talent in Pakistan.

Together, LearnTech.pk and AWS re/Start are helping to build an inclusive, diverse global pipeline of new cloud talent by engaging individuals

experiencing unemployment or underemployment who otherwise might not have had access to this career path.

The program helps prepare unemployed and underemployed individuals for new careers in technology through scenario-based exercises, hands-on labs, and coursework, students build Linux, Python, networking, security, and relational database skills. The program also covers the cost for learners to take the AWS Certified Cloud Practioner exam, validating their cloud skills with an industry-recognized credential. Ultimately, AWS re/Start helps individuals prepare for roles in operations, site reliability, and infrastructure support. The AWS re/Start program is part of Amazon’s efforts to help 29 million people globally grow their cloud computing skills for free by 2025.

Nur Ali Tejani, Founder and CEO LearnTech.pk, said, “We are very proud to collaborate with AWS to bring AWS re/Start to Pakistan.

LearnTech.pk was created with the intention to bridge the gap between education and technology in the country, and this collaboration is a huge step in

Power suspension schedules for today ISLAMABAD: 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 31st March from 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM, A-Block, Sadiqabad, Affandi Colony, National Market, Asghar Mall, Mort, Kariala, Minara, Treat, KRL, Fazahia, Jinnah Camp, Falcon, STP, Industrial II. , Flour Mill, FHS, I-8/4, Hamza Camp, A Block, Khurram Colony, Kurry Road, Service Road, Muslim Town, Taxila, Industrial, Purmiana, Rashid Minhas, Shahia, Tin Mela, Gagan, Fateh Jang City, Laniwala, Sajjad Shaheed, Fateh Jang, Tramri, Lehtar Road, ISI, Industrial, Bank Road-II, Gulshanabad, Major Masood, BB Shaheed, Rata, Mangtal, DM Textile, Industrial, Railway Colony, Gulzar Shaheed, Sohawa Katchery, Lohi Bhair, Koral Feeders, From 09:00 AM to 04:00 PM Sugharpur, Abdullahpur, CWO, Jalalpur Sharif, Islamgarh City, Poona, Kakra, Poona-2, Sirka, Shadi Khan, Bestway Cement Factory Feeders, From 08:00 am to 02:00 pm, Angoori, T&T, Shahpur, Golf City, Desto, Treat, Mengial Feeders, From 06:00 am to 04:00 pm, Faizabad, New Malpur, Hyderi Chowk, E Block, Ghousia Colony, Wesa, F Block, A Block, Commercial Center, Farooq Azam, 4th Road, Shaheed M Din, Abu Bakar, Abdul Rehman, Cricket Stadium, T&T, Asghar Mall, B Block, New Malpur, Shakrial, Jamia Masjid Road, Affandi Colony, Syedpur Road, Faizabad, Sadiqabad, Noor Muhammad Road, Dhok Khaba, Malikabad, Sixth Road, Shamsabad, National Market. pr

the right direction. We believe that the next generation of tech entrepreneurs are growing up right now, right here in Pakistan, and we want to do our part to inspire their journey.”

Kevin Kelly, Director of Education Programs at AWS, said, “AWS re/Start brings ‘net-new’ talent into the workforce, which may result in a win-winwin scenario for individuals to launch successful careers in cloud, organizations to increase their competitive edge with in-demand talent, and communities to thrive and grow. We are proud to work with LearnTech.pk to build the diverse, robust cloud workforce of the future enabling organizations to accelerate their innovation with the AWS Cloud.”

Rozee.pk, Pakistan’s largest career platform, will be collaborating with LearnTech.pk to help AWS re/Start graduates find jobs. Shahid H. Kazi, CEO of Rozee.pk, said, “We appreciate the launch of the AWS re/Start program in Pakistan. Cloud computing skills are in high demand as many organizations are shifting to using cloud computing. Rozee.pk is excited to assist the graduates of this program find

OGDCL to be taken to new heights of success: says MD

SSP rewarded iTP officials on good Performance ISLAMABAD: Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Rai Mazhar Iqbal awarded ITP Officials for showing excellent performance. SSP (Traffic) Rai Mazhar Iqbal distributed cash prizes and commendation certificates to officers of ITP Officials for showing good performance. Those policemen awarded for showing good performance include Inspector Muhammad Hyat.Inspector Muhammad Kabir, Sub Inspector Khan Muhammad , Sub Inspector Muhammad Fayaz, ASI Muhammad Ramzan, ASI Zaheer Ahmed , ASI Arshad Mehmood, ASI Abid Mehmood, Head Constable Azhar Saleem, Head Constable Muhammad Arshad , Constable Sikanadar Hayat, Constable Rana Muhammad Zeshan Asghar, Constable Ansar Abbas, constable Aftab, Lady Constable Nadra Rehman, Lady Constable Bushra Rehman, Lady Constable Anam Noreen.

SSP (Traffic) said that accountability process would remain continue in the department and those showing good performance to be encouraged.

He said that special measures are being taken to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the city and make Islamabad accident-free city. Implementation on traffic rules is crucial to bring down accident rate, he said and committed to ensure safe road environment in the city.

Rai Mazhar Iqbal directed the officials for good command and control system of their subordinates and do maximum efforts for traffic discipline in the city. He urged all policemen o discharge their duties with honesty, hardworking and firmness.

He said that education teams should create awareness about traffic rules and ITP’s FM Radio 92.4 to disseminate public safety messages along with latest traffic updates. pr

09

ISLAMABAD pr

Managing Director and CEO of OGDCL Syed Khalid Siraj Subhani vowed to take the company on new heights by diversifying the company business. In this regard forum of top OGDCL management gathered. MD stated that company needs to set standards where employees can perform effectively and efficiently.

It has also been further decided that best possible effort will be

made to meet the targets set by the company in the current financial year.

According to the details, MD/CEO OGDCL briefed the senior officers of the company about the achievements and decisions made so far and discussed ways to deal with future challenges. The rapidly changing situation demands hard work and revisiting our strategy for other projects in the energy sector.

Khalid Siraj Subhani in his address further said that we

should keep the prevailing health & safety standards paramount while working at all levels and strictly enforce them.

During the decision making process we must protect company's interests at top priority.

Expressing his views further Mr Subhani stated that OGDCL is a leading exploration and production company of Pakistan and we need to work hard. Finally, a series of questions and answers session started in which the development of the company and the welfare of the employees were discussed. The meeting was attended by all the executive directors, general managers and managers of the company and expressed their views and resolved to further expansion of the company's exploration and drilling activities.

IPG Group Pakistan launched Roshan Digital Account drive in GCCto promote new investment opportunities in Pakistan KARACHI pr

The IPG Group Pakistan, a leading sports marketing and international events company and a renowned name in remittance initiative events is facilitating the launch of Roshan Digital Account (RDA) drive for overseas Pakistanis to promote new investment opportunities in Pakistan in collaboration with renowned banks on an international platform. Recently, in partnership with Bank AL Habib,

The IPG Group Pakistan conducted an event that was held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman and leading Pakistani Banks HBL & MCB Bank (in partnership with the Pakistani Consulate Riyadh,

KSA). The IPG Group Pakistan also successfully launched HBL & MCB Bank’s ‘Roshan Raho’ RDA campaign at the Pakistani Consulate’s March 23rd Pakistan Day event.

matching career opportunities”.

The AWS re/Start is a global program delivered in 39 countries and connects more than 90% of graduates with job interview opportunities. LearnTech.pk and Rozee.pk will work with industry partners to facilitate placement for the program graduates in Pakistan.

To know more about AWS re/Start, visit https://aws.amazon.com/training/resta rt/ For more information about LearnTech.pk and the re/Start program in Pakistan, visit https://learntech.pk/awsrestart.

ABOUT LEARNTECH.PK Established in 2015, LearnTech.pk works in education and corporate training sectors to meet training and development needs of Pakistani organizations. LearnTech.pk’s mission is to enhance capability by creating and developing both academic training and e-learning modules for a cohesive learning experience. LearnTech.pk partners with several international organizations and has a growing client base in Pakistan. pr

The 73rd AGM of National Bank of Pakistan Financial Statements2021 approved by the Shareholders The 73rd Annual General Meeting of National Bank was held today at Karachi and was also open for participation through online electronic means. The meeting was attended by the Chairman Mr. Zubyr Soomro and the President Mr. Arif Usmani along with other Directors and senior management of the Bank as well as a large number of the shareholders.

The Shareholders appreciated the Bank’s financial performance as total revenue for the year 2021 closed at PKR 134.6 Bn that included net interest income of PKR 97.6 Bn and non-fund income of PKR 36.9 Bn. Despite inflationary pressures, operating expenses dropped by 5% YoY to close at PKR 60.0 Bn. Also, loan loss and other provision charges reduced by 61% to close at PKR 11.9 Bn. Despite a civil penalty of PKR 9.8 Bn imposed on the Bank’s US operations, profit before tax amounted to PKR 52.9 Bn which is the highest ever in the history of the Bank. Total provision charge for the year 2021 amounted to PKR 11.92 Bn, which is significantly lower by PKR 19.0 Bn or 62% vs PKR 30.9 Bn for 2020. Due to the civil penalty, profit after tax closed at PKR 28.0 Bn reflecting a YoY drop of 8%. With PKR 74.4 Bn in after-tax profits during the last three years, net assets of the Bank stand increased from PKR 206.9 Bn at the beginning of 2019 to PKR 286.2 Bn at end of 2021 translating into Book Value of PKR 135 per share against PKR 97.2 at the beginning of 2019, when the new management took charge.

On the balance sheet side, total assets of the Bank have reached PKR 3.85 Trillion compared to PKR 2.80 Trillion in early 2019. Only in 2021, YoY growth was high at 27.9% as the Bank achieved the PKR 3.0 Trillion milestone in deposits which increased by PKR 600 Bn, of which 80% or PKR 477.4 Bn were customer deposits. The Bank’s liquidity coverage ratio stood at 164%, and the Net Stable Funding Ratio stood at 278%, well above the statutory minimums of 100%. Also the CET-1 ratio and Total CAR stood at 15.42% and 20.39%, respectively - the highest capitalisation level in the Bank’s history. The Bank enjoys highest local credit ratings of AAA / A1+ categories for long term and short term respectively as reaffirmed by both PACRA and VIS Credit Rating Company. pr

HBL partners with VISA to enable mobile-POS services for clients in Pakistan HBL, in its mission to expand the digital ecosystem in the country, has recently introduced mobile Pointof-Sales (mPOS), in partnership with VISA. With this launch, HBL becomes the first bank in Pakistan to provide on-site card transactions without the need of a physical POS machine. HBL signed the agreement in April 2021 to introduce mPOS to Pakistan, and the solution is now available in the market for adoption by courier services and e-commerce businesses. Pakistan’s leading retail and e-commerce merchants, have already signed-up for the product, thereby empowering their customers with an additional channel for payment.

Earlier, online purchases could only be paid for at the checkout or through cash on delivery. With the introduction of mPOS, HBL has embarked on a new payment journey, that will revolutionize the digital payment landscape of Pakistan.

Only a few e-commerce merchants give their clients the option to pay with card on delivery. This is because POS machines are expensive, heavy, and mostly immobile. HBL’s mPOS brings the POS machine into the rider’s smartphone by simply downloading an app. Clients who shop online can now make their payments at the time of delivery via using their Visa / Mastercard debit or credit card. As an al-

ternate to ‘Cash on Delivery’, HBL mPOS also enables customers to make a payment after receiving the goods, and to avail all card-related points and promotions. This new technology has the potential to become the industry standard over the next few years, thus, reshaping the e-commerce industry in Pakistan.

Commenting on the partnership, Abrar Mir, Chief Innovation and Financial Inclusion Officer said, “HBL prides itself in empowering its clients by increasing their choices while accelerating the digitalization of the Pakistani economy. Our collaboration with VISA will directly benefit online shoppers, enabling them with a convenient payment solution. pr

Thursday, 31 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FORIGEN NEWS

China-Russia ties withstand test of Changing inteRnational situation: wang Yi

C

MiAn ABRAR

HINA-RUSSIA relations have withstood the test of the changing international situation, ensured the right direction and demonstrated a strong momentum of development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when holding talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday in Tunxi, east China’s Anhui Province.

Lavrov arrived earlier in the day for the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, which was chaired by Wang.

Both sides are more determined to de-

velop bilateral relations and more confident in advancing cooperation in various fields, Wang said, adding that China is willing to promote bilateral relations to a higher level in the new era guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

For Russia’s part, Lavrov said that at such a critical moment, the two heads of state have maintained strategic communication and play an important role in promoting the steady development of bilateral relations and enhancing global multi-polarization.

Noting that Russia is ready to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthening

high-level strategic coordination and deepening mutual benefits in different fields, Lavrov stressed that Russia will actively promote multi-polarization, oppose hegemony and power politics, and uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

After briefing the current situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said Russia is dedicated to de-escalating the tension and will continue to hold peace talks with Ukraine and keep communication with the international community.

The world has entered into a new era of turbulence and changes, witnessing shifts unseen in a century, Wang said.

The Ukraine issue has a complex history and origins. It is not only the result of

the long-term accumulation of security conflicts in Europe, but also of the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, Wang said, adding that China will continue to make independent judgments based on the merits of the matter and in an objective and fair attitude.

China maintains that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis must be encouraged, Wang added.

China supports Russia and Ukraine to continue peace talks despite difficulties and supports efforts made by Russia and other

Muslims face frugal Ramadan as Ukraine crisis drives up food prices BeiRUT AFP

Russia’s Ukraine invasion, which has already exacerbated food woes in parts of Africa and the Middle East, is marring preparations for the holy month of Ramadan and forcing a turn to frugal iftar sunset meals.

From Lebanon to Tunisia and Somalia, Muslims who traditionally break a dawn-to-dusk fast with lavish family meals, are now struggling to secure even the most basic staples in light of skyrocketing food and fuel prices.

“High prices affect and spoil the spirit of Ramadan,” said Sabah Fatoum, a resident of the Israeli-blockaded Gaza strip, where consumer goods prices have climbed by up to 11 percent, according to Palestinian authorities.

“We hear that prices will rise even more… it’s a burden for people,” the 45year-old told AFP ahead of the holy month that starts this weekend with the sighting of the crescent moon.

Russia and Ukraine, with vast graingrowing regions that are among the world’s main breadbaskets, account for a huge share of the globe’s exports in several major commodities such as wheat, vegetable oil and corn. The disruption in

export flows resulting from Russia’s invasion and international sanctions has spurred fears of a global hunger crisis, especially across the Middle East and Africa, where the knock-on effects are already playing out.

The toll is most evident in countries such as Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest, where a devastating war since 2014 has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Food prices there have doubled since last year and the fact that Ukraine supplies nearly a third of Yemen’s wheat imports has heightened fears of a deepening famine. Mohsen Saleh, a resident of the capital Sanaa, said that every year prices shoot up ahead of Ramadan, “but this year, they have increased in a crazy way, people can’t take it”. “The economic situation is very difficult,” the 43-year-old told AFP. “Most people in Yemen are poor and exhausted.” ‘one dish’: In Syria, where a conflict since 2011 has plunged nearly 60 percent of the population into food insecurity, Ramadan to many has become a painful reminder of better, bygone days.

Cooking oil has more than doubled in price since the start of the Ukraine war and is sold in limited quantities.

The Syrian government, not spared

by its status as a staunch Moscow ally, is also rationing wheat, sugar and rice.

“I thought last Ramadan was going to be our most frugal,” said Basma Shabani, a 62-year-old Damascus resident, looking back at a year also marred by the Covid pandemic.

“But it seems that this year we will remove even more dishes from our spread.

“We can’t afford more than one type of dish on our table anymore and I am worried that in the future even this one dish will be beyond our reach.” In Tunis, Ramadan traditions have also been put to the test. Food donations, a common custom during the holy month, have dropped to a trickle, with former benefactors now struggling to source basics for themselves. Mohamed Malek, a 20-year-old student volunteer, has been collecting Ramadan food donations for years.

“Our donation cart is usually full within the hour but this year this is not the case,” he told AFP. “Some people are even telling us ‘let us find food for ourselves first’.”

In Lebanon, too, local charity networks are unravelling as the Ukraine crisis piles more pressure on a population hit hard by an unprecedented economic crisis since 2019.

“The strong solidarity which comes

into action, especially in months like Ramadan will be dramatically tested this year,” said Bujar Hoxha, Lebanon director for Care International. “Hyperinflation and soaring food prices in local markets make the long-awaited Ramadan month for many Lebanese challenging,” he told AFP. Many will “struggle to bring iftar meals to the table”.

‘Big problem’: In Egypt, a leading importer of wheat from the former Soviet states, Muslims are tightening their purse strings ahead of Ramadan — a time when spending usually rises.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in March ordered a price cap on unsubsidised bread after the Russian invasion triggered a 50 percent rise.

The local currency also lost 17 percent of its value that same month.

“If someone used to buy three kilos of vegetables, now they’re only buying one,” said Om Badreya, a street vendor in western Cairo. Somalia, which is grappling with an Islamist insurgency and its worst drought in 40 years, is also gearing up for a grim Ramadan as rising prices slash the purchasing power of the 15-million strong population.

Ramadan “will be much different as fuel and food prices are skyrocketing”, said Mogadishu resident Adla Nur.

relevant parties to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, Wang said.

In the long term, we should learn a lesson from the Ukraine crisis, respect all legitimate concerns in accordance with the principle of indivisible security and mutual respect, and seek long-term stability in Europe by building a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism, Wang said to Lavrov.

The two sides also exchanged views and coordinated positions on multilateral affairs, including the Asia-Pacific situation, Korean Peninsula issue, BRICS mechanism, the Conference on Interaction and ConfidenceBuilding Measures in Asia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Ukraine prays for peace as negotiations make slow progress while fighting continues Agencies Ukrainian negotiators have been in a war of words as well as a war of bullets and bombs. Now there’s a flurry of diplomacy and careful politics. On Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made another international appearance without leaving his Kyiv office.

He addressed Denmark’s parliament in Copenhagen.

He told Danish lawmakers that “the brutality is more violent than what we have seen during World War II.” He also repeated that what has and is happening in the southern city of Mariupol is a “crime against humanity.” Zelenskyy has made online speeches to parliaments in several countries, including the U.S., UK, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Japan, and the EU. He is maintaining pressure on Moscow and reminding Western governments to keep their international sanctions in place. “The sanctions against Russia have to be strengthened, all the time. One has to refrain from Russian oil. One has to block trade with the Russian Federation, one has to close one’s ports to Russian ships. This has to be the solidarity politics of the EU, of all member countries.”

An essentiAl ceAsefire: Ukraine wants a security guarantee system from the peace talks in Istanbul. A ceasefire is a must for Zelenskyy’s government. Minister and negotiators will keep reiterating military neutrality and not allow foreign military bases on its territory. Countries like Turkey, Poland, and Canada are seen as possible guarantors in this process. Negotiators added a referendum would likely be held over any Russian terms and that Ukraine would want full peace agreements in place.

Russia has simply described the talks as being “constructive.” Russian and Ukrainian delegates in Istanbul listening to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

AttAcks continue: Meanwhile, attacks have continued and there have been more casualties. At least seven people were killed after a missile struck a regional government building in the southern city of Mykolayiv. Twenty-two people were also injured, and a huge hole was left in the nine-story building.

PID (I) 6876/21

thursday, 31 March, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

sPorts 11

Disappointment as egypt lose WC shot AFP Heads in Cairo hung heavy as the Pharaohs lost their place in the Qatar World Cup to the Senegalese Lions of Teranga after a nailbiting penalty shootout on Tuesday.

Portugese coach Carlos Queiroz tweeted after the game that the “dream is over”, after once again finding his team in a shootout with the hopes of Egypt’s 103-million strong population hanging in the balance.

Tuesday’s match in Senegal was an eagerly awaited second chance for the Pharoahs to gain revenge after the Africa Cup of Nations final last month, which the Lions of Teranga won 4-2 on penalties in Cameroon after 120 goalless minutes.

But instead it was disappointment again.

“We didn’t expect this,” Emad Ramadan sullenly told AFP from a coffee shop in eastern Cairo where some 300 supporters gathered around televisions in a small garden, an urban phenomenon that has grown exceedingly rare over the past few years.

The sounds of the crowd were deafening – mothers teaching their children household cheers, fans playing red-white-and-black kazoos, and many a backseat-coach yelling instructions at the TV. Three hundred voices cheered as star goalkeeper Mohammed El-Shennawy blocked goal after goal.

A couple of botched penalties, including a wayward spot kick from Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, and one decisive kick

by Senegalese forward Sadio Mane later, the hundreds of voices went completely silent.

“We’ve always said that one team gets to be the African champion, the other gets to

go to the World Cup,” Ramadan said. “Now they’ve done both.”

Egypt is a seven-time African champion – a record on the continent – but has only qualified for the World Cup three times, the latest in 2018.

The first leg of the playoff in front of a 75,000-strong stadium in Cairo last Friday, proved a lacklustre victory.

Liverpool forward Salah was the architect of the only goal when he turned inside the box, slammed the ball against the cross-

Babar Azam surpasses Virat Kohli as fastest Asian to score 4000 runs AgENcIES Pakistan captain Babar Azam has surpassed India’s Virat Kohli to become the fastest Asian batter to score 4000 ODI runs.

The 27-year-old batter achieved the milestone during the first ODI against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

He took 82 innings to reach the feat, only one more inning than South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who holds the record by reaching the landmark in 81 innings.

The right-handed batter is also the first Pakistani to complete 4,000 ODI runs in less than 100 innings.

Previously, Mohammad Yousuf took 110 innings to achieve the feat.

bar, with the rebound hitting Saliou Ciss and rolling into the net.

Senegalese forward Boulaye Dia scored in the fourth minute Tuesday, making the aggregate score 1-1 for 116 nailbiting minutes.

For the third time in two months, the ti-

tans of Liverpool found themselves on opposite sides. Once again Salah’s club teammate Mane came out top.

EgyptAir chartered 300 supporters to the Senegalese capital Dakar on Tuesday.

Back home in Cairo, those not able to make the trip were cheering and groaning in unison.

What was once an urban tradition of large crowds gathering to watch football matches together has been reduced to small pockets across the capital Cairo in recent years.

In many areas of the city – particularly central Cairo – traffic and police officers regularly shut down gatherings, citing Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing requirements in a country where restrictions have been lax and unevenly enforced, but large public gatherings of any kind are discouraged by authorities.

A victory would have been a rare chance for Cairo’s streets to fill with the familiar sounds of cars honking and an air of celebration to cushion what has been a difficult month for Egyptians across the country.

Egyptians are gearing up for the month of Ramadan, which starts in April, with tightened purse strings.

Inflation is at a three-year high of 10 percent, a 17 percent currency devaluation bodes more price hikes, and the war in Ukraine threatens the country’s wheat – and therefore bread – in a country where a third of the population is under the poverty line.

“Football can make people so happy,” Abdelaziz Mohamed told AFP. “It could have brought us out of this terrible mood we’ve been in for a while.”

‘Babar azam has got a good tempo for oDi cricket’, says adam Zampa NEwS DESk

The Pakistani cricketer took only 14 innings to score 3,000s to 4,000s runs.

The only player who took fewer innings than Babar to jump from 34K runs was David Warner (12 innings).

Overall, Babar Azam is the 15th player from Pakistan to score 4,000 runs in ODIs. The list of players to score the fastest 4000 runs in ODIs Hashim Amla – 81 innings Babar Azam – 82 innings Viv Richards – 88 innings Joe Root – 91 innings Virat Kohli – 93 innings David Warner – 93 innings Quinton de Kock – 94 innings Shikhar Dhawan – 95 innings

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa on Tuesday said that the wicket of Babar Azam is always a huge wicket and added that the Pakistan skipper has got a ‘good tempo for ODI cricket’. Talking to reporters after the end of his side’s first ODI against Pakistan, the 29-year-old was delighted that all his teammates made most of their opportunities and outclassed Pakistan. “It’s obviously a huge challenge, (Babar Azam) has got an excellent tempo for ODI cricket. In particular, he broke a record tonight, (scored) 4000 runs pretty quickly, so he is great for this format. He is a big wicket, same as Virat Kohli is for India,” Zampa said. “It’s not ideal when a couple of guys go down, especially two guys that we are going to play, Ashton Agar and Josh Inglis, were looking forward to playing competitive cricket, but this is how the world is at this moment. The guys who have come in have all contributed,” he added. Zampa was satisfied with his spin bowling partner Mitchell Swepson as he showed some real nerves while making his ODI debut. “Swepson is obviously getting better and better. It’s been a really tough couple of years for Mitch. He has been running a lot of drinks and been waiting for his opportunity, obviously, he has played a couple of T20Is, but I think he bowled really well in Test series without much reward,” Zampa stated.

Portugal and Poland grab World Cup finals spots PARIS AFP

Portugal beat North Macedonia 2-0 and Poland saw off Sweden by the same score in play-off finals on Tuesday to book their places in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Bruno Fernandes scored both goals for Portugal to overcome the Balkan nation that had knocked out European champions Italy in a stunning result last week.

Italy’s shock exit had North Macedonia dreaming of their first ever appearance at a World Cup finals but Portugal proved a step too far in Porto.

Fernandes set Portugal on their way at the Estadio do Dragao by finishing off Cristiano Ronaldo’s pass in the first half and then put the victory beyond doubt in the second, connecting with a sublime cross from Diogo Jota.

The victory means Portugal extend their run of qualifying for all six of the World Cups since the turn of the century while Manchester United forward Ronaldo is on course for his fifth, aged 37.

Ronaldo’s best previous result was reaching the semi-finals in 2006, when Portugal were beaten by Germany.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos said: “I would like to congratulate the players

for their attitude and their quality. We controlled the match in a very clear way.

“Now, having already won the Euro and the Nations League we have a dream of bringing enormous joy to Portugal.”

Robert Lewandowski stroked home a second-half penalty as Poland booked their berth in front of a fervent home crowd in Chorzow. After the Poland captain converted a spot-kick, Piotr Zielinski completed the scoring with a superb second goal for the hosts.

Poland go into Friday’s draw for the

group stages of the World Cup finals, from November 21 to December 18, after dominating the second half.

The Poles were awarded the crucial penalty just after half-time when midfielder Sebastian Szymanski rolled the ball to substitute Grzegorz Krychowiak, who was fouled by Jesper Karlstrom.

The referee pointed straight to the spot and Lewandowski casually arced his run, waited for Robin Olsen to move and then slotted the ball to the left of the Swedish goalkeeper.

CMYK

It was his 75th goal for Poland and arguably one of his most important.

“It was really tough. I mean, this pressure!” Lewandowski said. “Even though I have taken many penalties in my career, this was one difficult. I knew this moment would have so much significance.

“We suffered, but now we can celebrate. I am proud and happy.”

Zielinski put the result beyond doubt when he capitalised on a slip by Sweden defender Marcus Danielson and sprinted clear. He slotted his shot past Olsen with 18 minutes left to spark wild celebrations from the home crowd.

Only a superb save from Olsen denied Lewandowski a second goal when the Poland striker was allowed a rare late chance in the area by the Swedish defence. Zlatan Ibrahimovic came on for the final 10 minutes, but the 40-year-old Sweden striker was unable to influence the course of the match and will miss out on a third appearance at a World Cup finals.

Twelve European sides have now clinched a place at the World Cup. Gareth Bales’ Wales will take part in the other playoff final but that is on hold until at least June because the war in Ukraine led to the postponement of the Ukrainians’ semi-final away to Scotland.

injured marsh ruled out of limited-overs series in pakistan LAHORE The AssociATed Press

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of Australia’s remaining limited-overs cricket matches in Pakistan because of a hip injury. Marsh will join Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to continue his recovery from the low-grade hip flexor injury he sustained during practice ahead of the ODI series in Lahore. “Being able to focus on my recovery without the travel and isolation break is the best approach,” Marsh said in a statement Wednesday, the morning after Australia’s under-strength squad beat Pakistan by 88 runs to open a three-game ODI series. The injury had put Marsh’s participation in the IPL in doubt for the third straight year. He missed the lucrative domestic T20 league in 2021 due to bubble fatigue and sustained an ankle injury early in the 2020 season. Marsh had been scheduled to miss Delhi’s first three IPL games because of his commitments with the Australian team’s Pakistan tour, which ends on April 5.

Thursday, 31 March, 2022

prayer tiMings

NEWS

Faisal Vawda claiMs ‘coNsPiracy beiNg hatched to assassiNate’ PM iMraN KhaN

P

TI leader Faisal Vawda, in a shocking claim on Wednesday, said that a conspiracy was being hatched to assassinate Prime Minister Imran Khan over his refusal to “sell the country”.

Vawda made the claim on ARY News show “Off the Record” in response to a question about a letter that Prime Minister Imran Khan brandished at the PTI’s March 27 power show in Islamabad and claimed it contained “evidence” of a “foreign conspiracy” to topple his government.

Federal ministers Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry had also shared during a press conference on Tuesday that the letter warned of “horrific consequences” if Imran Khan remained that prime minister.

Vawda today said there was a threat to the prime minister’s life but remained evasive when asked whether the purported conspiracy to assassinate the premier was mentioned in the letter.

While addressing anchorperson Kashif Abbasi — who was among the journalists with whom the contents of the letter were shared earlier today — Vawda said: “There is a serious threat to Imran Khan sahab‘s life. I don’t know whether you were read that part [in the letter]

about the consequences. That is lifethreatening.”

“There has been a mention of assassinating Imran Khan sahab,” Vawda added.

At that, Abbasi sought his confirmation.

“You are saying that the letter also mentions the assassination of Imran Khan?” he asked.

“The impression of assassination … killing,” Vawda replied with a vague remark, moving on to say that the prime minister was told multiple times that a bullet-proof glass needed to be installed

Nazim Jokhio’s widow gives into feudal pressure, pardons ‘killers’

before his dais at the March 27 rally.

“But as always and as usual, he said my [death] will come when Allah wills.

Don’t worry about it.”

Abbasi asked Vawda if the letter explicitly mentioned the assassination or was it implied.

Vawda, however, did not specify.

“Along with the vote of no-confidence, there is also a threat to his (PM Imran’s) life. There [has been a mention] of assassination,” he replied.

When Abbasi insisted that he clari-

fied whether it was mentioned in the letter, Vawda replied, “It is connected to this letter. This is not the only letter.”

After a brief pause, Abbasi remarked, “You are making a big [statement].”

“I am saying what I know,” answered Vawda, adding, “We are concerned and worried about our leader. A conspiracy is being hatched to assassinate Imran Khan.”

Vawda continued: “Imran Khan is a brave man. He will never sell off his country. He will not sell off his nation.

He will not take dollar[s]. He will not allow the use of bases and will not allow anyone to act as they will.”

“And its cost, till now, is the sarkar, that is the government, and his life,” Vawda added.

The PTI leader said that threats to Imran Khan’s lift existed even prior to his election as the prime minister. “[At big rallies], we used to stand before him as human shields. Agencies used to inform us that there are chances today [of Imran Khan being attacked],” he said.

Vawda further said: “We had asked the prime minister to share this (the threats against his life) as well but he is brave and does not want to present it as his weakness.” Monitoring report

Aleem Khan’s faction refuses to vote for Pervez Elahi as Punjab CM

The widow of slain Nazim Jokhio gave into the pressure of powerful feudal family of Sindh on Tuesday, saying that she was pardoning all suspects — including PPP MPA Jam Awais and his brother, MNA Jam Abdul Karim — accused of her husband’s murder. In a video message, Shireen Jokhio said she wanted to fight but had been left “all alone by her own people” adding that she had taken the decision to pardon out of compulsion and for the safety of her children.

“Only my brothers and sisters who have children can understand the pain I’m going through right now,” she said. “I haven’t received any offer for a deal… I’m not doing this for money… I’m not selfish. I’m an honest girl.”

Shireen said that she had left matters to Allah’s will but also remarked that “justice can’t be served in Pakistan.”

‘Pardon has no legal value’ Meanwhile, Advocate Mukhtar Junejo told media that Shireen’s pardon holds no legal value as she was neither the complainant in the case nor could she be considered Nazim’s legal heir.

Advocate Junejo, who is an eyewitness in the case and also represents the complainant — Nazim’s brother Afzal Jokhio — explained that Nazim’s legal heir was his mother.

“And since the mother is alive, no one else can reach a compromise with the suspects,” he said.

He further explained that terrorism charges had been added to the case. “Thus, it falls within the [ambit of] the anti-terrorism law and there is no provision for a compromise in such cases.”

Meanwhile, Shireen’s video was shared and commented on Twitter by several journalists and activists, who criticised the PPP to whom both the suspects belong.

“There was a tough competition between a widow and PPP’s provincial government. If the killer MNAs and MPAs had been jailed, democracy would have lost. Congratulations to all jiyalas,” lawyer Jibran Nasir tweeted sarcastically.

“Should we blame the poor widow or Bilawal Bhutto Zardari?” he asked. staff report

Members belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan’s faction refused on Wednesday to vote for Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as Punjab CM. Spokesperson for the faction, Mian Khalid Mahmood, said he could not even repeat the insulting names Prime Minister Imran Khan used to refer to Elahi with. He said the Aleem Khan faction would not dare repeat the mistakes of the past.

He said that a “dishonest and useless coward” was imposed as the chief minister of Punjab for the first three years – referring to Usman Buzdar who resigned from the post

two days ago – and now Pervez Elahi has been nominated for the position.

Mahmood questioned if none of the 184 PTI workers, who had helped Imran Khan achieve his dream of a Naya Pakistan, were capable of becoming the chief minister.

“Every sincere member of PTI has objected to Pervez Elahi becoming the chief minister of Punjab,” he claimed.

“Surprised to know that Pervez Elahi will now be making a Naya Pakistan. If he was capable of it, why was there even a need to create PTI; Elahi had already been in politics for the past 42 years,” the PTI leader said.

Mahmood emphasised that the

Aleem Khan faction would not make any compromises and would support the opposition for the no-trust move unconditionally.

“Today, when it came to saving the government, you nominated a person you called a thief and robber as the chief minister of Punjab,” he said while referring to PM Imran.

He hoped that the members of the Jahangir Tareen group will also support members of the Aleem Khan faction.

“Jahangir Tareen has made many sacrifices for the PTI, we pray for his speedy recovery,” Khalid concluded.

The spokesperson’s reply was also sent to Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s group. staff report

PM’s address to nation postponed: Faisal Senator Faisal Javed Khan on Wednesday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan has “postponed” his address to the nation.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the nation has been postponed today,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle without giving reason for the move.

Earlier during an interaction with the media, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed had said that Prime Minister Imran will address the nation in the (Wednesday) evening to take it into confidence in the light of the prevailing political circumstances and a no-trust vote against him.

Earlier in the day, Rasheed had addressed a ceremony to launch an e-passport facility in Islamabad alongside PM Imran.

During his address at the ceremony, Rashid had claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif through Saudi King Shah Abdullah had put pressure on the Pakistan Army to let him go to Saudi Arabia. The minister had claimed the army did not want Sharifs to go to Saudi Arabia.

“A similar drama took place in Attock and he fell ill after which the Army Medical Board reported that his health is critical and it was decided to let him go out of the country for treatment,” Rasheed had added.

He had said that he will stand by PM Imran like a rock, adding that the people are with Imran Khan even if those who allegedly took the money had parted their ways. staff report

FAJR SUNRISE

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No trust motion is a conspiracy hatched from abroad: PM Khan ISLAMABAD staff report

Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday dubbed the no trust motion as a conspiracy hatched from abroad.

“This crisis is a conspiracy hatched from abroad. The people who used to control Pakistan and get their demands accepted, just on a phone call, against Pakistan’s national interests, cannot tolerate, or not in a habit of having a government in Pakistan making decisions in the country’s interests,” the prime minister said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of e-passport is Islamabad.

He also said that he would be sharing the contents of the conspiracy letter with members of the ruling coalition and journalists, saying Pakistan’s refusal to bow before foreign pressure led to the “imported crisis” against his government.

He said he would share the document on conspiracy with top journalists to satisfy the people thinking it was a “political gimmick”.

“People think there is a drama going on. This is not a gimmick. Since we just want to protect our national interests, we cannot disclose who threatened us. As people claim Imran Khan wanted to protect his government [through the issue], so I decided to share it with journalists,” he added.

The prime minister said people are unintentionally becoming part of the conspiracy against the country.

“I will also invite representatives from allied parties and share [the letter] with them. […] This document is real. This is a conspiracy even bigger than what I said.

This is clear in the document,” he said.

The prime minister questioned whether the country got any single benefit from joining the War on Terror led by a country that did not even appreciate the sacrifices Pakistan rendered.

He said after joining the so-called war, Pakistan suffered huge human and economic blows and people lost their limbs and suffered paralysis, particularly those from tribal towns, due to drone attacks.

About 3.5 million people were displaced and the almsgivers turned into alms-seeker over night.

This is because we sacrificed our national interest to protect someone else’s.

He said the independent foreign was meant to keep the country’s own interests above.

He said the allies are independent to make their own decisions but while doing so, they should keep in mind whether they were becoming part of an international conspiracy against Pakistan.

Calling the no-confidence motion a genuine political way to remove a government, the prime minister said the crisis was usual in parliamentary democracies as sometimes, the political parties lose the confidence of the people.

The prime minister said the use of technology had eased the people’s lives besides curbing corruption.

He said 22 years ago, Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital introduced digital working which made a huge difference by doing away with corruption and bringing about transparency.

Khan said the road contracts involved huge corruption and exemplified the construction of roads by the incumbent government in 2021 with the cost of Rs230 million per kilometre lower than the contract agreements of 2013.

He said as per estimates, Rs1,000 billion were siphoned off from the road projects.

He also lauded the overseas Pakistanis for supporting the economy by sending a record $31 billion in remittances amidst skyrocketing oil prices. He said the expatriates deserved to be given maximum facilitation at the airport and other departments.

Appreciating the Ministry of Interior and National Databases and Registration Authority (NADRA), the prime minister said the e-passport facility will not only help end queues at airports but also ensure security.

“This will also help promote tourism which, besides remittances, was the other solution to bridge the trade gap.”

He said the construction of Skardu International Airport would enable the tourists to land directly at Skardu instead of waiting for days in Islamabad for the flights.

“We never declared tourism as an industry. There should be resorts and other attractions to make tourists spend money here,” he added.

China’s Wang Yi hails high-level strategic coordination with Pakistan ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday hailed the highlevel strategic coordination and solid mutual trust between China and Pakistan when meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

The two officials met in Tunxi, east China’s Anhui Province. The Pakistani diplomat came earlier in the day for the third meeting of the foreign ministers of

Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, which is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Facing complicated and volatile international and regional situations, the ChinaPakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership has withstood the test, Wang said, adding that China will continue to view and promote China-Pakistan relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.

As always, China will support Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and be Pakistan’s most reliable partner and

strongest backer, he added.

For his part, Qureshi spoke highly of Wang’s attendance at the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), saying that leaders of Islamic countries are all welcoming to lift their relationships with China.

Pakistan and China have shared weal and woe, and supported each other, he said.

The strong friendship between the two countries is the foundation for the bilateral relationship, he stressed.

The Pakistani side is willing to continue

to maintain good communication with the Chinese side and firmly support each other in safeguarding their core interests, he added.

Stance on Ukraine: The two officials also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, where Qureshi expressed concerns over the multidimensional challenges posed to developing countries.

He called to solve the crisis through diplomatic means, while advocating the international law and principles of the UN Charter.

Wang reiterated China’s position, urging dialogues and restoring peace. Under the

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

current situation, we must be especially alert to the negative impact of the spillover from the Ukraine crisis, Wang said.

We cannot allow the Cold War mentality to resurface in Asia, nor allow “camp confrontation” to repeat, nor allow small and medium-sized countries in the region to become tools or even victims of the game between great powers, Wang pointed out.

China is willing to work with Pakistan and neighboring countries to play a constructive role in regional peace, and world peace and stability at large, Wang said.