Saturday, 7 May, 2022 I 5 Shawwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 307 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Imran says he wIll gIve call for Islamabad long march any day after may 20
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staff report
ORMER prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Friday told his party’s workers to remain prepared for the long march to Islamabad, saying he would announce the final date any day after May 20. Addressing a gathering in his hometown, Mianwali, he said a sea of people would reach the capital to demand only one thing – elections. “Let people decide who will rule us. We will not accept any imported government.” Imran told his workers that neither containers placed on the route could stop them from their march nor Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who he claimed had committed “18 murders”. He vowed that the nation would not bow before anyone as long as he was alive. The PTI chairman is conducting a whirlwind series of rallies, starting from today to May 20. According to a tweet by party leader Azhar Mashwani, the next rally will take place in Jhelum on May 10, followed by Attock on May 12, Sialkot on May 14, Faisalabad on May 15 and Chakwal on May 19.
Referring to his former aide Shahbaz Gill’s recent accident, Imran, during his address today, said he was warning the government that if it touched any PTI worker in the future, he would hold “three stooges and their handlers” responsible. Addressing the loudly cheering crowd, Imran said he had not seen such a huge rally previously. Talking about his government’s achievements, he said it had reduced the current account deficit for the first time in 11 years, adding that Pakistan was among a few countries which protected their people from the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, there were record remittances and crops, he said. “[Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif, you lodged a false FIR against me, and jailed [MNA] Rashid Shafique [in connection with the Madina incident]. Our women and children will take part in the march in Islamabad. If you try to stop it or lodge a similar FIR, then you will be responsible for what will happen,” he warned. Since all party workers would not be able to reach the capital on the day of the long march, they should instead protest in Mianwali, he said. “I am calling my sisters, brothers, youth and mothers to the capital be-
cause this is the matter of Pakistan. I want everyone of you to come to Islamabad to tell this boot-polisher that slavery and imported government is unacceptable and [demand that he] hold elections.” He said it was the nation that would decide who would form the government instead of the US. The PTI’s Punjab government was toppled through bribery, he claimed, adding that the then-opposition should be ashamed of paying people to switch loyalties. He also asked the judiciary why it had not taken suo motu action over the events. “If our courts can be opened at midnight, why can these thieves not be disqualified? If these looters come to your constituencies, you have to decide about them. These people who betrayed their country, Constitution, nation and voters should be taught a lesson by you so that in future, they should be afraid of repeating such actions.” He said Allah had ordered to people to take action against evil and not to remain neutral. Only an animal could remain neutral, he continued. The PTI chairman expressed confidence that people would take what he called the right decision, adding that it was the right time to wage jihad against “dacoits” and achieve real freedom. The ex-premier said he had started his political career from Mianwali and it was where he was launching his movement for real freedom as well. “I am foreseeing a golden period for Pakistan and we are heading towards a point we should have reached 75 years ago.” He slammed the incumbent prime minister, saying the country had never seen a “slave like the one at the helm right now”. Shehbaz’s son, son-in-law and brother had fled abroad while he had been “imposed” as the prime minister, Imran said. Imran vowed to continue “jihad” against the leaders of the incumbent coalition government, who he termed “looters”.
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Maryam rubbishes Imran’s claim of foreign conspiracy attock staff report
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Friday dismissed allegations by former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan that a “foreign conspiracy” was hatched to topple his government. Addressing a public gathering in Fateh Jang, Attock, Maryam said the letter Imran has been referring to as an evidence of foreign conspiracy “does not even exist”, adding that the PTI chief has “lost his mental balance” after losing power in the wake of the no-confidence motion. She accused Imran of “repeatedly changing his narrative” about the conspiracy. “Sometimes he cries about conspiracy, sometimes he cries about the letter… Now, he will seek money on roads by showing that letter,” she said. “He [Imran Khan] said the letter was delivered in March [2022] but now he says he knew about the conspiracy since July [2021],” she added. Maryam said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is exposing the inabilities of Imran Khan to the nation each day. “Imran Khan did not work himself nor did he let anyone else work,” she added. She also said that the PTI chief
Never meddled in Pakistan Army’s affairs, says ex-PM islamabad news desk
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan said he never wanted to bring his own army chief and that he never meddled in Pakistan Army’s affairs. In a podcast with Junaid Akram, Muzamil Hasan and TCM Originals on Thursday night, he spoke on reports of a “disagreement” between him and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, particularly related to the posting of the former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt General Faiz Hameed. He was responding to a question by one of the hosts, who asked him “what went wrong” with the former premier ’s relationship with the establishment. “Up until a few months ago we were hearing the ‘one page narrative’. So what happened all of a sudden. Was there an event that flipped things?” Talha Asad asked Imran. “It is said that there was some unpleasantness over Gen Faiz’s appointment and [they said] he wants to make Gen Faiz the army chief. This is where it started,” Imran said.
Imran then went on to give the example of former premier Nawaz Sharif, who according to him, was controlling all institutions of the country and wanted to control the army as well by appointing his own army chief. “I have never had an issue with army because I have never interfered [in their matters]. I never wanted to bring my own army chief. I always wanted to make the institutions of army, police and judiciary strong,” Imran went on to say. “I had only one problem. I got to know [last summers] that there was a possibility of a civil war in Afghanistan and I was afraid that if the US left Afghanistan, it would have repercussions for Pakistan,” he said, revealing that he wanted Gen Faiz to stay during the “vulnerable winters” that followed. The PTI chairman also said that he had started receiving news of PML-N’s campaign against him last July which was another reason why he wanted to continue with the intelligence chief, who in difficult times is the “eyes and ears” of the government. “To date, I have never done anything against merit,” he said. “So I can’t even think of going against merit for the [ap-
pointment of] the army chief.” Last year, reports had surfaced of an alleged standoff between the military and the government over the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as the new chief of the ISI. The army had announced on Oct 6, 2021 that the former ISI chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, had been appointed the Peshawar corps commander, while Lt Gen Anjum was appointed in his place. But the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had not issued an official notification of Lt Gen Anjum’s appointment until three weeks later, leading to frenzied speculation of strains in civil-military relations. After delays, the PMO had eventually notified the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as the new ISI chief on Oct 26. According to experts in defence matters, the procedure for appointment of the ISI director general is neither mentioned in the Constitution nor the Army Act, and all previous appointments were made as per traditions under which the army chief proposes three names to the prime minister who then makes the final decision. ‘Independent foreign policy doesn’t mean I’m anti-America’
shut down the electricity power plants installed during the tenure of PML-N. “When Usman Buzdar departed after ruling for four years, there was no electricity in Punjab. The PTI said there was no need for the power plants … if there was no need why did we have loadshedding,” she questioned. The PML-N leader hit out at the ex-PM for his plan to march towards Islamabad, saying Imran’s actual aim is to save Farah Khan — a close friend of his wife Bushra Bibi — against whom the National Accountability Bureau has begun an ‘assets beyond means’ inquiry. “As soon as Imran realised the impending success of the no-trust motion, he paved the way for Farah to leave the country within a day.” She asked why Farah left the country if her real estate business was thriving and flourishing in the country, as Imran has claimed. She hinted that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah would take measures to bring the woman to the country to face corruption charges. PML-N has been accusing Imran and the PTI government of using Farah as their “frontperson” to secure bribes in different projects on behalf of the ruling elite. Maryam also alleged that Imran was more annoyed at Shehbaz becoming the prime minister than his own ouster.
more inside
The ex-premier, while talking about his ouster and events leading up to that, said that the sole reason behind the entire no-confidence saga was an independent foreign policy. “But what is wrong in it? An independent foreign policy doesn’t mean we are anti-America. In fact, I would say I am not even anti-Indian. I am against the racist policies and Kashmir policies of BJP and RSS. Even in America, I had good relations with the Trump administration.” The reason US turned “against me”, Imran said, was that he was unwilling to compromise on the policies that benefitted the 22 billion people of Pakistan. “They [the US] wanted us to cancel the Russia trip, stop trade with them, and limit [our] relationship with China. They are asking for bases here to stop international terrorism in Afghanistan,” he continued, asserting that he would never let Pakistan sabotage itself in someone else’s war. “They thought they could use Pakistan like a tissue paper, like they did during the war on terror,” the former PM said. “This is the number one reason why they conspired [against me] and then they found receptive people.”
Rasheed challenges Abbasi’s appointment as SAPM
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STORY ON BACK PAGE
STORY ON PAGE 02
Fawad expects CJP to decide on judicial commission regarding ‘foreign conspiracy’ this week STORY ON PAGE 03
Govt has decided to crack down on people spreading ‘immoral videos’ on social media: Sanaullah
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saturday, 7 May, 2022 | IsLAMABAD
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Rasheed challenges abbasi’s appointment as sapm a NEwS DESk
WAMI Muslim League (AML) chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday, challenging the appointment of PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi as a special assistant to the prime minister. The federation of Pakistan through the Cabinet Division secretary and the PML-N leader have been named as the respondents in the petition filed through Rasheed’s counsel Sajeel Sheryar Swati. The development comes days after the newly appointed SAPM had announced a reward of Rs50,000 to anyone who brought him Rasheed’s wig, a statement over which PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar had expressed concern. In the petition, Rasheed said that Abbasi hadbeen appointed the SAPM through a notiication dated April 27. “Both the
notiication and [the] appointment are illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and violative of the principles of good governance and the rule of law,” he said. The AWL chief noted that a first information report dated July 21, 2012 was registered against Abbasi in Rawalpindi under Sections 9(c), 14 and 15 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997. “The brief facts alleged in the said FIR are that [Abbasi] (along with others) obtained 500kg of the medication ephedrine for his firm i.e. Gray Pharmaceutical. Thereafter, [Abbasi] instead of using ephedrine for lawfully authorised medical/industrial purposes sold it to drug smugglers and profited illegally.” The petitioner also said that Abbasi had been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life in 2018 by a trial court. It went on to say that Abbasi later challenged the sentence in the Lahore High Court (LHC)
and also filed a separate plea seeking suspension of the sentence and bail. He said that on April 11, 2019, the LHC only suspended Abbasi’s sentence and not the conviction. Rasheed argued that the office of the special assistant carried high prestige. “Admittedly, a person with a criminal conviction, particularly a conviction for dealing in narcotics which is an offence involving ‘moral turpitude’, cannot be someone suitable or fit to hold such high office.” The former minister also argued that the LHC had only suspended Abbasi’s sentence which meant that he “still carries the conviction”. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had misused his authority and made “a mockery of the rule of law and the Constitution” by making the appointment. Rasheed called on the court to direct the respondents to show under what authority of
law Abbasi was appointed as SAPM. The ephedrine case surfaced in March 2011 when then federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the National Assembly that the government would investigate the alleged allocation of a quota for the production of 9,000kg of ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies — Berlex Lab International and Danas Pharmaceutical Limited. According to the rules, a company cannot be allocated a production quota of more than 500kg of the drug, a limit fixed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had eventually registered a case in June 2012 against nine suspects, including Abbasi. In 2018, he was found guilty of selling 500kg of ephedrine to narcotics smugglers. He had obtained the controlled chemical for his company, Gray Pharmaceutical, in 2010. However, instead of using it for
Gill suspects Sharif, Sana are behind car crash ISLAMABAD Staff report
Shahbaz Gill, chief of staff to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, said he suspected the prime minister and the interior minister “must be behind the attempt on my life” — a car crash on the Lahore-Islamabad motorway on Thursday in which he was injured. “Shehbaz Sharif, along with Rana Sanaullah Khan and [his] other friends, must be involved in this accident,” he told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Gill, who was travelling from Lahore to Islamabad, said the accident took place near Khanqah Dogran of Sheikhupura district. Apparently, it occurred when a speeding vehicle, a Toyota Yaris, struck his car from the rear side. He was immediately shifted to Islamabad after receiving medical treatment. In a tweet later on Thursday, Gill claimed that the accident was “planned”. “I want to tell those who attempted to have me killed that I am alive because of prayers. My car was deliberately hit, it was planned,” he wrote. Recalling his statement from Wednesday, he said “I had said just a day ago the most you could do is to get us killed. Do it. But, I will not betray [my
cause].” On Friday, Gill said the elements behind the incident harboured similar intentions for Khan. “As his chief of staff, I fear an attack on him [as well],” he added. While he refused to divulge the names to reporters at the moment, he said he would be sharing the names with the “few independent voices in the media” in Pakistan. SUSPECT ARRESTED: Muridke police claimed to have arrested the man who hit Gill’s vehicle and said it later handed him over to Hafizabad police for interrogation early Friday morning.
Karachiites to pay additional Rs1.4 per unit in may electricity bills NEwS DESk The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Friday gave the K-Electric (KE) go-ahead to increase the power tariff by Rs1.3863 per unit for the residents of the metropolis on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for February 2022. The FCA for February 2022 will be charged with the bill of May 2022, which will be paid by all consumer categories except lifeline consumers. KE had initially requested the regulator to charge an FCA of Rs3.452 per unit but after a hearing on April 4, NEPRA asked the utility company to charge Rs1.4 as FCA. The Rs1.4 increase will put a burden of Rs1.8 billion on consumers, including GST. On the other hand, Central Power Purchasing AgencyGuarantee Limited (CPPA-G) requested an FCA of Rs3.2 per unit for the month of March 2022 for XWDISCOs. The regulator had held a hearing on April 27, after which the authority approved an Rs2.8680 per unit power tariff hike. “The FCA of March 2022 shall be charged in the billing month of May 2022 to all consumer categories of XWDISCOs, except lifeline consumers,” said NEPRA. It also added that the FCA would remain applicable for only a month and does not apply to KE consumers. The Rs2.9 increase will put a burden of over Rs32 billion on consumers, including GST.
In his initial statement to the Central Investigating Agency (CIA) wing of the police, Wajahat Ali, the driver, said that he, along with his family, was traveling to Islamabad on Thursday in the car which he claimed he had rented from a dealer in Muridke. “When I reached the motorway, my car collided with Gill’s vehicle by mistake,” he said, and regretted that the incident was given a political angle. The Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a probe into the incident, directing his
administration to “ensure justice”. BAIL EXTENDED: Meanwhile, the high court extended until May 9 his protective bail in connection with a case involving sloganeering against Sharif and his delegation in Medina. Chief Justice Athar Minallah also exempted Gill from the appearance at the next hearing before ordering his staff to club his case with other identical petitions. Speaking before the judge, Gill said his only crime was that he belonged to a middle class, and not a landlord, family. “I give tit-for-tat reply to criticism against my leader Imran Khan that is my crime,” he said. “I am the first victim of the coalition government’s vengeance. Only recently Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) vice president Maryam Nawaz has said that PTI leaders should be crushed. I am afraid I may not be able to appear in the court on the next hearing given the political victimisation by the present government.” Cutting him short, Justice Minallah told him not to utter such “ominous” words in the court. Gill further said he was a lawabiding citizen and had always respected the courts be they are in his favour or against him. “I never even got a case registered against any of my opponents, did not exploit PECA,” he added.
FIA warns action against ‘doctored’ obscene videos’ makers, circulators ISLAMABAD Monitoring report
Taking notice of “doctored” obscene pictures and videos of women being shared on social media platforms, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced it has launched an inquiry into the matter. The agency warned it would take stern action against those involved in making and circulation of such content and asked internet users to refrain from becoming part of such malicious campaigns. It is pertinent to mention here that former minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that a character assassination campaign to tarnish the image of former prime minister Imran Khan through photoshopped content has been launched. In a video statement on Twitter, Chaudhry said the “imported government” of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties tried to use blasphemy cases against its political opponents.
medicinal purposes, Abbasi sold it on to narcotics smugglers. A fine of Rs1 million was imposed on the PML-N leader along with the life sentence. Seven others were acquitted in the case. The CNS Court of Rawalpindi had sentenced Hanif Abbasi to life in prison just before the July 25 general elections. Subsequently, the PML-N leader had filed an appeal against his conviction before the LHC Rawalpindi bench. Later, two judges of the LHC’s Rawalpindi Bench had recused themselves from hearing the PMLN leader’s appeal in the ephedrine case. The case was eventually shifted to the LHC’s Lahore bench. In April 2019, the LHC had suspended the life sentence handed to Abbasi and ordered for him to be released on bail. A two-member bench, headed by Justice Alia Neelum, accepted Abbasi’s plea to suspend his sentence but declared that it would continue to hear the case.
ahsan iqbal orders monthly security review meeting on cpec NEwS DESk Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced on Friday that a security review meeting will be held every month on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). A statement issued by the Planning Ministry said that the directives were issued by Iqbal while chairing a meeting to review the security progress on CPEC projects. The meeting was attended by the secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the secretary Ministry of Interior, the secretary Ministry of Information, and other relevant stakeholders. Iqbal urged the need to build a “safe and secure environment for CPEC and to effectively tackle kinetic and non-kinetic challenges”. “CPEC is a flagship project of Pakistan & China Economic Cooperation which can enable Pakistan to become an industrial economy. It is unfortunate that the momentum of 201318 could not be sustained,” said the minister. He also expressed concern that Pakistan’s side of CPEC’s Joint Working Group on Security was also not holding meetings frequently. He directed the Interior Ministry to regularly convene its meetings on a monthly basis. The planning minister also emphasised that National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) should function as per its laid role and objectives so the government can be provided with an “in-depth assessment of security challenges that are grounded in the socio-economic of the country”. “It will help the government to expand its security lens by addressing socio-economic grievances of the people that may if left unaddressed translate into security challenges. Our security lens must also focus on limiting the vulnerability of our youth towards violence, extremism and propaganda,” said the minister. Iqbal also directed all line ministries to ensure that laid down security protocols are followed by the Chinese nationals working on the CPEC. Furthermore, the Minister stated that propaganda against CPEC is an attempt to deny people of less developed regions in Pakistan from positive socio-economic externalises that will stem from CPEC. The orders for holding monthly security meeting comes after four people, including three Chinese nationals, were killed while four others sustained injuries in a car explosion on the premises of the University of Karachi. According to the CounterTerrorism Department (CTD), it was a suicide blast and was carried out by a burqa-clad woman. The explosion occurred at 1:52pm in a van near the Confucius Institute — a Chinese language teaching centre at Karachi University. Following the blast, rescue and security agencies rushed to the location and cordoned off the areas, initiating rescue operations. The deceased Chinese nationals have been identified as the director of the Confucius Institute Huang Guiping, Ding Mupeng, Chen Sai, and their Pakistani driver, Khalid.
tareen may join pml-n LAHORE Staff report
He said the government will also start a major character assassination campaign to target Khan, adding that these are the last weeks of the “dummy” government and the freedom movement is not going to stop.
Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Jahangir Tareen is likely to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, it was learnt on Friday. He is expected to announce his decision within a week as the lawmakers of his posse, who voted in favour of Hamza Shehbaz during the election of Punjab chief minister, are also in the talks with the PML-N. Salman Naeem, a member of the Punjab Assembly from Multan, is also likely to join the party. However, Ghazanfar Rehan, an aide to Tareen, said there was no truth to the news.
saturday, 7 May, 2022 | IsLAMABAD
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Fawad expects cJp to decide on Judicial commission RegaRding ‘FoReign conspiRacy’ this weeK
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NEwS DESk
TI’S senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry said on Friday that he expected Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to take a decision this week regarding the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the party’s claims of a “foreign conspiracy” behind former prime minister Imran Khan’s ouster. The PTI leader claimed that Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, whom he called “misinformation”, had accepted in her press conference yesterday that the cable — purportedly containing details of the “conspiracy” — was a “reality”. “[The incumbent government] said we will set up a commission of our choosing. We rejected it obviously,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. The PTI wanted a judicial commission instead, Chaudhry said, adding that he expected the CJP to take a decision in this regard this week. At the start of his press conference, he claimed the incumbent government was hanging by a thread and the country’s biggest province was facing an administrative crisis but nobody was concerned or willing to take responsibility. The Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP) had adjourned a hearing related to the disqualification of dissident PTI lawmakers till Tuesday and declared it would take decisions in time, he noted. However, there was a need to take immediate notice of the crisis in Punjab, he said, asking the ECP to not treat the case as “business as usual”. “You have fixed the hearing for Tuesday, hold it tomorrow instead. End this matter in Punjab,” he urged. He was referring to the prevailing political situation in the province where recently sworn-in Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz had yet to announce his cabinet while Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has asked the army chief to take action against the “illegal, unconstitutional and counterfeit” CM. Chaudhry noted that the Supreme Court would resume hearing the presidential reference seeking its interpretation of Article 63-A, related to the disqualification of lawmakers over defection, on May 9 and termed it a very positive step. He appealed to the apex court to announce a concrete decision so it could be implemented. “I believe the sooner these decisions are announced, the sooner there will be political stability in Pakistan. “In my opinion, Punjab’s administrative crisis has risen above our shoulders and the Centre’s administrative crisis is also increasing,” he said.
hearing against defectors adjourned after pti sought time to proceed ISLAMABAD Staff report
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday adjourned the hearing in a case involving dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPs in National Assembly until Tuesday after the party’s counsel sought time to respond to replies submitted by the lawmakers. A three-member bench of the agency headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja led the proceedings which witnessed the lawmakers submitting their responses in the case. Faysal Chaudhry, the counsel for PTI, said he could not respond to all the replies at once and it would be appropriate that counterarguments be given on Tuesday. At this, the ECP directed the counsel to complete their arguments as soon as possible so that the commission could decide on the matter before May 14. It is pertinent to mention here that the election commission under Article 63-A of the Constitution — which is related to the disqualification of MPs on grounds of defection — is bound to decide on the matter within 30 days. Article 63-A, the law on floorcrossing, provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party. Article 63-A reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill (budget) or a Constitution (amendment) bill”. “There should be no delaying tactics in the case,” the ECP said after Chaudhry said that he had to appear before the high court at 11:30 am. The commission later adjourned the proceedings for Tuesday.
5.1-magnitude quake hits balochistan district: usgs HONG kONG Monitoring report
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 jolted 49 kilometres south of Dalbandin city of Chaghi district at 00:48:02 GMT on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The epicentre, with a depth of 10.0 kilometres, was initially determined to be at 28.4517 degrees north latitude and 64.3204 degrees east longitude.
The PTI had informed the Supreme Court that people were not being allowed to vote in Punjab, he said, claiming that as a result, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government only had the support of 173 lawmakers. “You need the consistent support of 172
people to remain the prime minister. According to the latest information I have, of the 173 [lawmakers supporting PM Shehbaz], three have refused to do so any further so the strength at the moment is 168 or 169. A minority government has been imposed.”
As soon as the Supreme Court announces its decision, the coalition government would have to hold a vote of confidence, Chaudhry said, claiming that it did not have the required support of 172 lawmakers. “I fully believe the Punjab government will be sent home before May 12 and the federal government before May 20. The public’s rule will be restored in Pakistan. The people have to ultimately decide who will be in power and that will be done through elections,” he said. Chaudhry also shared that PTI Chairman Imran would launch the second phase of rallies today from his hometown, Mianwali. The rallies would be held in different cities from May 6 to 20, he said, adding that Imran would announce the final date for the party’s long march to Islamabad between May 20 and 29. “All workers should prepare. A sea of people will be seen coming towards Islamabad. Such a big revolution has not been seen by anyone.” He said leaders of other parties had been questioning how long party workers would be able to sit out in the open in the searing heat, adding that it remained to be seen whether it was the PTI workers who would sit outside or those who were currently parliamentarians.
nePRA imposes Rs50m fine on nTDC over 2021 blackout NEwS DESk The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) slapped an Rs50 million fine on National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) over its “failure to restore power supply in a timely manner” when the system collapsed in January of last year, said a statement issued by the regulator. The regulator noted when the power system collapsed on January 9, 2021, the NTDC took close to 20 hours to restore the system. NEPRA said that it had taken “serious notice” of the power failure and had formed an inquiry committee to “thoroughly investigate the matter” under the body’s laws, rules and regulations. “The committee conducted the said inquiry and presented a detailed report to the authority, on the basis of which the authority initiated legal proceedings against NTDC,” said the regulator. NEPRA said that it had sent the company an explanation on April 1, 2021 “under Rule 4(1) of the NEPRA (Fines) Rules 2002” and a showcause notice as well on August 25, 2021, under “Section 27B of the NEPRA Act”.
“Moreover, an opportunity of hearing was also granted to NTDC on January 12, 2022, however, NTDC failed to provide any satisfactory response and was found guilty of violating relevant provisions of the Grid Code. Therefore, the authority has imposed a fine of Rs50 Million on NTDC,” said the statement. The regulator also said that they have “initiated legal proceedings against the power plants concerned for their lapses, deficiencies and failure” when the breakdown occurred last year. It added that the power plants were being dealt with separately under the same process. On January 9 of last year, a major power breakdown had plunged the entire country into darkness, the then federal minister for energy Omar Ayub Khan had confirmed in a statement. The blackout occurred minutes before midnight across the country, and citizens had taken to social media to report outages. As outages hit major cities, mobile and internet services were also affected. The energy minister had said back then that the power breakdown occurred when the frequency in the NTDC suddenly fell from 50 to zero.
Met Office predicts ‘severe heatwave conditions’ in most parts of Pakistan next week
The power was restored across the country gradually when the breakdown occurred.
govt employees to continue working six days a week NEwS DESk
NEwS DESk The Pakistan Meteorological Department on Friday forecast “severe heatwave conditions” across Pakistan during the next week, stating that high pressure was likely to grip the upper atmosphere from Sunday (May 8). “Due to this high pressure, day temperatures are likely to increase gradually in most parts of the country from Sunday,” the department said. It added that the temperature during the day was likely to remain between 7-9 degrees Celsius above normal in upper Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir. Meanwhile, the temperature during the day
In upper and central Sindh, central and south Punjab and parts of Balochistan would likely remain 6-8 degrees Celsius above normal. The Met Office also warned of the possible impact of the heatwave, saying very hot and dry weather could put stress on reservoirs, crops, vegetables and orchards. “High temperature may cause increased energy demand,” it said, adding that it may also increase the “base flow in the rivers during the next week”. The department advised farmers to manage water for crops accordingly, and urged the general public to avoid unnecessary exposure to direct sunlight and to use water judiciously in “all aspects of life”.
The federal government on Friday announced that government offices would continue to function six days a week. According to a notification issued by the Establishment Division, the timings from Monday to Thursday and for Saturday would be from 8am to 3pm while the prayer break would be from 1pm to 1:30pm. On Fridays, office timings would be from 8am to 1pm. Earlier today, PM Shehbaz urged the nation to “get back to work” after enjoying the Eid holidays. “Hope you all had wonderful time with your families during Eid holidays and rested well … Let us get back to work now!” he said on Twitter. Soon after assuming charge, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had abolished the twoday weekend and revised the country’s official work timings for Ramazan. Speaking at an iftar dinner at the PM House, he had explained his rationale, saying he had taken the decision based on the economic situation of the country. “Even developed countries cannot afford two weekly holidays [Saturday and Sunday], so how can we, with our economy in crisis, avail two holidays in a week,” he had asked, adding that the economic situation his government had inherited from the PTI-led regime required everyone to work hard even on Sundays. The government had also asked the State Bank of Pakistan to apply the decision in the banking sector which led to bankers across the country protesting the move. At the time, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail had justified the move by saying that Ramazan had fewer working hours in a day and that several days would be non-working due to Eid holidays. He had said that he would request the prime minister to revisit the decision post-Eid, adding that he was “hopeful”.
Saturday, 7 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
04 NEWS
MilitaNt attacks iN PakistaN rose 24Pc iN aPril: study ISLAMABAD
t
Xinhua
HE number of militant attacks in Pakistan increased by 24 percent in April, but deaths and injuries decreased by 53 percent as compared to March, a think tank said. In April, the militants carried out 34 attacks in which 55 people were killed, including 34 security personnel, 13 civilians and eight militants; while 25 people injured, including 11 personnel and 14 civilians; according to figures released by Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS). The militants carried out 26 attacks across the country in March, in which 115 people were killed and 288 people injured, it added. Last month, most of the attacks took place in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), followed by other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to the report. In April, PICSS recorded 16 militant attacks in erstwhile FATA in which 31 people were killed, including 21 security force per-
sonnel, seven militants and three civilians, while 10 people were injured, including six security force personnel and four civilians. In KP, militants carried out 10 attacks, in which 17 people were killed, including 12 security force personnel and five civilians; while injuring six people, three civilians and three security force personnel; according to the report. In Balochistan, four attacks were witnessed, in which one security force personnel and one civilian were killed; while five people were injured, including one security force personnel and four civilians; the report added. In Sindh, four attacks took place, in which four civilians and one militant got killed, while injuring four others, three of whom were civilians and one security force personnel, according to the PICSS report. In Punjab, no such attack took place in April. Meanwhile, the security forces carried out 22 actions against the militants, in which 11 suspected militants were arrested and 27 militants were killed, PICSS said, adding that most of the arrests took place in Punjab.
Chinese employees of CPEC sow seeds of love during Eidul Fitr ISLAMABAD Xinhua
17 children injured as swing boat collapses in North Waziristan ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt
17 children were injured when a swing boat collapsed in the former tribal district of North Waziristan on Eid ul-Fitr, rescue sources said. A local company installed the swing in a village in the district during the festival, and many kids and adults thronged the site to take a ride, the sources said. The swing collapsed apparently due to overloading and poor installation, said the sources. Rescue teams rushed to the site to shift the injured kids to a nearby hospital where all of them were in stable condition. The people protested against the swing owners after the accident. They appealed to the district administration to cancel their decision to install swings in the district in the future.
The multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has helped sow the seeds of love among young Pakistanis. During the festival of Eidul Fitr, Chinese workers at various CPEC projects across the country felt the delight their Pakistani colleagues did and made the day very special for them. Syed Farukh Shah, an employee of the Engro Thar Coal Power Project in the Tharparkar district of Sindh, spent the festival at the workplace due to doing his duty. Shah was overwhelmed with emotions when his Chinese fellow workers from the China Machinery Engineering Corporation greeted him in the morning — just like his family did during the festival at home. “I was away from home and missing my family, but the way they greeted us and celebrated our festival was incredible. They shared sweets with us, gave us gifts, and hosted a dinner party for us.”
The coal power project is one of the major power plants in Pakistan to help the country meet its electricity demands. The project has completed the second phase of mining, allowing it to generate 660 MW of power using locally available coal. In the coming years, its production capacity will be able to reach 5,000 MW. To celebrate Eid, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the local personnel with the 1,320 MW Sahiwal coal-fired power plant in the Sahiwal district of Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province received gifts from their Chinese colleagues. Muhammad Bilal Chaudhry, manager of human resources, told Xinhua that receiving goody bags from Chinese colleagues had made the festival more enjoyable for the local staff. “It was a wonderful gesture … because it demonstrates that the Chinese recognize the significance of the festival for us and extended their congratulations at the festival to make us feel unique,” he said. Ikram Ullah, a local engineer at the
Lahore station of the Matiari-Lahore transmission line project, never expected that one of the most memorable Eids in his life would take place at his workplace far away from his home. “My family resides in Quetta, which is 974 km from where I work, but it was with no doubt one of the best Eids of my life. My Chinese coworkers took excellent care of us on Eid and we shared the joy to the fullest.” The day at the Lahore station started with a special breakfast for locals, followed by meetings and greetings and a luncheon to celebrate the festival, the engineer said. “The best part started in the afternoon when Pakistanis and Chinese played Pakistan’s favourite sport cricket as part of the celebrations, and distributed Eid gifts among the players,” he said. The project of the 878 km-long power transmission line has been completed by the Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company (Pvt) Limited, on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis for a term of 25 years. The project
will transport power from the new generating units located in the south, including Thar coal-based projects. The flagship project under the CPEC started commercial operation as scheduled in September 2021. Local experts praise the CPEC project as beginning with the goal of increasing economic cooperation and strengthening Pakistan’s financial situation and serving as a bond of friendship between Pakistan and China. “Both Chinese and Pakistanis are learning about each other’s culture and values as a result of the CPEC,” Muhammad Abdul Mateen, a Chinese language teacher at the Confucius Institute in the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, told Xinhua. Mateen said the interest shown by Pakistani students in Chinese culture and language has astounded him from time to time, and he is convinced that the CPEC has not only shown Pakistan the way to prosperity, but also helped sow the seeds of love for Chinese culture in the hearts of young Pakistanis.
Pakistan bus network gives women a ticket to work and study PESHAWAR ReuteRs
Pakistani student Mah Jabeen credits a new public bus system in her home city with saving her from being stuck at her parents’ house doing chores – or even having to get married. Thanks to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Peshawar, 23-year-old Jabeen said she had been able to continue her master’s degree – keeping alive her dreams of becoming a botanist. “My parents had decided to stop my education … because they didn’t like me travelling in the dishevelled Mazda wagons,” Jabeen said, referring to the city’s privately run minibuses while sitting on a shiny BRT bus en route to college. They relented, she said, because the new bus stop was just a few minutes from her front door and dropped her off at the university gates. Launched in 2020, the BRT has proved hugely popular among women in the city, where burqas and veils are standard female dress and 90% of women reported feeling unsafe using public transport in a 2016 sur-
vey. Sexual harassment such as staring, whistling and touching is widespread on buses or at bus stops in Pakistan, making many women wary about travelling alone and putting many off looking for paid work, according to the World Bank. But in Peshawar, a quarter of seats are reserved for women on the fleet of dieselelectric hybrid buses, which are equipped with CCTV cameras, guards and have welllit stations, making female passengers feel more at ease. About 15% of the BRT’s 2,000 employees are female, too, said M. Umair Khan, spokesman for TransPeshawar, the government-owned company that operates the BRT. He said such changes helped explain why women now account for about 30% of bus travellers in the city, up from just 2% two years ago. Bikes and rickshaws: Pakistani women rely more on public transport than men, who are more likely to have cars, bikes or motorcycles, meaning they are “severely mobility constrained” without a good service, said Lala Rukh Khan, project manager at the Lahore-based Centre for Economic
Research (CERP). That makes it harder for them to work or study outside the home, or build professional networks, socialise and take part in leisure activities, said Hadia Majid, director of Saida Waheed Gender Initiative at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. “Safe, reliable and affordable public transport makes it possible for workers to engage in a more extensive job search and find jobs more suited to their particular skill-set,” Majid added. Women rarely ride bicycles or motorcycles in Pakistan, and taking rickshaws is considered unsafe. Buses or shared vans packed with men put many women off, or – like in Jabeen’s case – lead family members to stop them from travelling on them. Such issues help explain why Pakistan’s female labour force participation rate is among the lowest in the world, dipping to 23% in 2019 from about 24% in 2015, World Bank data shows. But with frequent buses, dedicated lanes, subway-like stations, and improved connectivity across the city, the BRT has made travel cheap and quick, as well as safer. Maximum fares cost about 30 Pakistani
CMYK
rupees ($0.16), making the service especially popular among women from low-income households. TransPeshawar employee Umme Salma said she used to spend 280 rupees to commute to and from work each day by rickshaw and private minibus. Not only does she save a fortune in fares, her daily commute is shorter. “I also save a total of 30 minutes each day on travel time,” Salma said. ‘Last-miLe proBLems’: But there is still room for improvement, CERP’s Khan said. Salma, like many passengers, has to walk the 15-minute distance between her
house and the bus stop – a “last-mile” connectivity problem that must be overcome to ensure women’s travel is completely secure, she said. “Investments in high-quality public transit also need to be complemented by other policies that make it safe for women to get all the way from door to door,” she added. Poor street lighting, a lack of police patrols in secluded areas, and scant pedestrian infrastructure and public toilets can make that last stretch of travel dangerous, women’s rights activists say. For Madiha Shakir, a new commuter on the BRT system, the buses alone have been a life-changing improvement.
Saturday, 7 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
Never meddled in Pakistan Army’s affairs, says ex-PM continued from page 01 Separately, in response to a question, Imran also said that he believed Pakistan should never become a part of any bloc. During the war on terror, he recalled, Pakistan earned so much disrespect, more than 80,000 people in the country died and yet the country was never valued. “I want us to have an independent foreign policy like India. It is a strategic ally of the US but at the same time maintains good relations with Russia,” the PTI chief said. “Why can Pakistan not do the same?” he questioned. “America was never used to Pakistan standing up for itself so when we did, they hatched this conspiracy. And these stooges are now helping them in this.” Subsequently, Imran rejected the commision formed by the Shehbaz government to probe the cipher which he had claimed contained evidence of the foreign conspiracy against the PTI government. “The only commission we will accept is that of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan. And the condition is that an open hearing should be held on what happened from the start to the end,” he demanded. Public mobilisation and future Plans: Meanwhile, revisiting his ouster, Imran said that the feelings inside him were bittersweet. “I am sad but I am also happy because I have never seen the nation take to the streets like this. There were record rallies in three main cities within 10 days and I wasn’t expecting it.” The people, the former premier pointed out, were angry because of three reasons: a foreign conspiracy was hatched to topple a democratically elected government, thieves were imposed on them, and defectors. He claimed that the “conspirers” were not expecting the public to react in such a way. “They weren’t expecting that the public would stand up and come out this way. They are in shock. They weren’t even expecting that the people in the institutions will stand up like this.” “… I think when I will give the date of the Islamabad freedom march, this is my contention that record-breaking people, in the history of Pakistan, will take to the streets,” Imran professed. Sharing PTI’s plans if it came to power again, the party chief said that foreign experts will be appointed for every ministry, party tickets would be given to committed and idealistic people, and a tighter crackdown would be imposed on the corrupt. fallout with Jahangir Khan tareen and aleem Khan: The PTI chairman also revealed the reason for his fallout with PTI members Jahangir Khan Tareen and Aleem Khan. “Both of them joined the party 11 years back and contributed greatly,” he said. “But did they join politics for the same ideals as me? I came to politics for idealism, for change and to work for a new Pakistan, a welfare state. Unfortunately, they [Tareen and Aleem] came to power not for the ideals I had. And it is clear now because they are standing with people who I have been calling out from day one.” The differences with Tareen, Imran said, arose when the government started inquiring the sugar scandal. “Whereas Aleem Khan wanted to the legalise 300-acre land he had bought along the bed of the River Ravi, which was illegal.” The former prime minister added that both his former allies expected him to do the same things Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari did when they came to power. “So the differences started then. And now, the side they have taken clearly shows that corruption doesn’t mean anything to them.” maJority government: Imran also revealed that he wanted to form a majority government if he won the elections. “When you come to power with a majority, you can amend the laws that are saving these corrupt people. I am convinced that if I don’t get majority, I won’t want to come to power,” he said, regretting that his government’s “hands were tied this time”.
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IMrAN sAys he wIll gIve cAll for IslAMAbAd loNg MArch ANy dAy After MAy 20
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continued from page 01
e lashed out at the United States, saying the “conspiracy” had originated there. “The biggest conspiracy was that Americans joined hands with Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs here to oust a government that inherited a bankrupt Pakistan.” Terming the new coalition government’s leaders as dacoits, he claimed they had looted money from the country and built palaces in London. “These were the people who had been looting the country
for the last 30 years and bankrupted it.” “We do not bow down before any power. We are the ummah of the greatest leader Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). There were two superpowers at the time in Iran and Rome. Did my Prophet try to ask for alms or loans or did he surrender before anyone? He did not.” Imran said it was the nation’s choice whether it wanted to take to the skies or become a “boot polisher”. The nation’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, would never have served the US like these rulers are doing, he added. Stressing that Pakistanis were independent peo-
ple, he said the public did not accept “looters” like PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz. “We will not let these thieves be imposed on us. You (the government) lodged an FIR against me, claiming we managed the incident that happened in Madina,” he said, referring to pilgrims who had hounded and chanted slogans against PM Shehbaz and his delegation at the Masjid-i-Nabwi last month. Calling the coalition government’s leaders as “liars”, he said wherever they went, they would face chants of thieves and traitors.
Anti-government protest strike in Sri Lanka shuts schools, businesses coLomBo REUTERS
Thousands of shops, schools and businesses closed on Friday as public and private sector workers in Sri Lanka went on strike, demanding the president and the government step down for their mishandling of the island's worst financial crisis in decades. Hit hard by the pandemic, rising oil prices and tax cuts by the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka has been left with as little as $50 million in useable foreign reserves, the country's finance minister said this week. Shortages of imported food, fuel and medicines has led to more than a month of sporadically violent anti-government protests. On Friday, shops were shuttered in major cities around the country and commuters were left stranded as private bus and train operators joined the strike. The main train station in Colombo's commercial capital was closed on Friday morning and only public buses were operational at the terminal nearby. Healthcare workers also joined the strike, though emergency services remained operational. Hundreds of university students and other protesters remained camped outside the main road to parliament where they started a sit-in on Thurs-
day. Some hung their underwear on the barricades as an insult to the political leadership. Messages like "Gotta go home" - a rallying cry from the protests - were scrawled on some of the underpants and vests. "We are here because we are sick and tired of politicians lying to us. We want the president and this govern-
ment to go home," said Purnima Muhandiram, a 42-year-old advertising professional. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa told parliament on Friday the opposition wants to move a no-confidence motion against the president and the government next week. Rajapaksa has refused to step
down, instead repeatedly calling for a unity government led by him. "We have called multiple times for the formation of a unity government or an interim government but it is the opposition that has refused to extend support," chief government whip and public security minister Prasanna Ranatunge told parliament on Friday.
Explainer: What is at stake in Philippines election? A two-horse race for the Philippine presidency has emerged ahead of Monday's election between incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of a notorious dictator whose 20-year rule ended in a 1986 uprising. Below is a look at some of the issues at play. Marcos is unlikely to rule like his authoritarian father, although strongman-style leadership could be expected. This approach proved popular under incumbent Rodrigo Duterte, who cultivated an image as a ruthless, no-nonsense leader who got things done. If elected, Marcos would likely use his family's influence to consolidate power through transfers, appointments and connections in the bureaucracy, judiciary and other key bodies, replacing potential obstacles with members of his extensive political network. He could expect a more favourable congress and senate than Robredo. A Robredo victory would see a more liberal approach and focus on education, healthcare, poverty and gender equality, while strengthening institutions and oversight and boosting market competition. She has pledged to improve social welfare, like unemployment benefits and family support. However, a Robredo presidency would likely suffer turbulence. She has already been a prime target for hate and disinformation campaigns as a vice president who dared to challenge Duterte.
Neither candidate will advocate a significant economic restructuring and both have promised to prioritise pandemic recovery and could target investment reforms, like cutting red tape. Robredo has pledged to increase investment in climate change adaptation, level the playing field for businesses and promote public-private partnerships. Marcos has revealed very little about policy and has steered clear of presidential debates and tricky media interviews, focusing his campaign on a simple but ambiguous message of unity. Continuity from Duterte is expected, including on major infrastructure projects. Some economic risk consultants have noted a higher chance of corruption and nepotism under a Marcos presidency, however, and the scope for score-settling and retaliation against businesses linked to the family's opponents. The Philippines' longstanding ties to former colonial power the United States are unlikely to be threatened by either candidate, having remained steadfast throughout Duterte's years of very public hostility towards Washington. The defence alliance is crucial for the Philippines' internal security and military capability, and preserving it is vital for a president's relationship with the armed forces. Marcos is seen as the candidate closer to China and could benefit from its business interests. He is in favour of a bilateral approach
to China, which suits Beijing better but will frustrate advocates of a multilateral approach, which Robredo would likely pursue. Marcos has been pragmatic in recognising the Philippines is no match militarily, so a tough stance should not be expected. Robredo would oppose Chinese provocations, and remind Beijing that an international arbitral court ruling in 2016 invalidated most of its South China Sea claims. Duterte has had a testy relationship with
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Robredo but has been characteristically mercurial over Marcos, having both praised him and questioned his suitability to lead. Duterte has not endorsed Marcos - nor any other candidate - but crucially he has not sought to move against him or damage his reputation. A big win for Marcos was securing the president's daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, as his vice presidential running mate, helping him to absorb some of the incumbent's cult-
like following, particularly on social media, and make inroads in new voter territory. The dynamic between their two families has spurred speculation of a quid pro quo that helped secure the presidency for Duterte, who in turn smoothed the way for Marcos. Notable was Duterte publicly thanking politician and Marcos Jr's sister, Imee, for funding his campaign - which she later dismissed as a joke. He also occasionally praised the late dictator and controversially allowed his body to be moved to a "heroes" cemetery in Manila, after years of failed attempts by the family. Political vendettas are common in the Philippines and former presidents are often hit by legal action or even jailed. Duterte has made a few enemies. Though they left no dent on his popularity, Duterte's presidency was fraught with scandals involving allies or appointees, some of which could re-emerge later. Activists and lawyer groups hold Duterte accountable for thousands of alleged executions of drug pushers and users during his war on drugs and could launch legal action when he leaves office, or lobby the International Criminal Court to resume its investigation. Robredo has been a staunch critic of the president's lethal methods of fighting drugs and crime and would be more likely to enable investigations into Duterte. But with his daughter as vice president and Marcos in charge, he would be well insulated. REUTERS
06-07 Comments - 7th May 2022_Layout 1 5/7/2022 12:03 AM Page 1
Saturday, 7 May, 2022
06 COMMENT
Harassing political opponents
Ruling alliance’s future Need to control divisive tendencies
T
he PML(N)-led alliance has yet to complete its first month in power. It would therefore be premature to make an assessment of the ruling alliance’s performance at this stage. The media normally suspends judgement about new administrations during their first one hundred days. That said, there is still a need to point out certain negative tendencies with the hope that the government would curb them in time. Within days of coming to power important alliance leaders had promised that they would concentrate on healing the wounds of the nation and would not send innocent people to jail nor take revenge. Further, the law will take its course without interference from above. The way the government is dealing with Farah Gogi case does not endorse the promise. In case the government has any evidence of criminality against her, it should get a case registered against her and let the law take its course. What the government is doing reminds one of media trials of PML(N) leaders conducted by Shahzad Akbar and others that were widely criticized in the country. One can understand that some of the PML(N) members have suffered badly under the PTI government and they consider certain powerful PTI leaders responsible for what happened to them. however, hanif Abbasi did not act maturely when he announced a reward for bringing Sh Rashid’s wig, as this constituted an open invitation to violence. One can expect a statement of the type from a mischievous youngster, but not from a responsible PM’ Advisor. The statement was duly condemned by the PPP’s Secretary General. The registration of a blasphemy case against Imran Khan and several PPP leaders was criticized by the human Rights Commission of Pakistan and prominent rights activists. What amazed many was how a party which had itself suffered from weaponization of religion in the past could resort to the tactic against its opponents. even Federal Minister Khursheed Shah opposed registration of cases against PTI members and asked Rana Sanaullah to rethink the issue seriously It is time the PML(N) realised the need to control the desire for revenge that is leading it to rely on highly condemnable practices. Among other things, voices are being raised against it by its allies.
The Masjid-i-Nabwi incident was typical
Dr QaiSar raShiD
O
N April 28, in a corridor of the Masjid-iNabwi in Madina, the chant, “Cheekooye, ha haha!” articulated the depth to which the political culture in Pakistan had sunk. The festering partisan antipathy refused to respect the sacred place, Masjid-i-Nabwi. The yell followed the foul language inflicted upon Maryam Aurangzeb and Shahzain Bugti. The shout was uttered by the person who was making a video on his mobile phone to record the maltreatment. Incidentally, his own voice got recorded. Led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s entourage was on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Just a day before the visit, former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed publicly prompted the expatriate Pakistanis to shame the pilgrims. Reportedly, a group of British Pakistanis arrived from the United Kingdom and made an arrangement to accost and deride members of the retinue who were making a pilgrimage to the mosque. The intent was to record the whole shaming episode on mobile phones to spread through social media. The project was so successful that excitement took over one cameraman who mistakenly laid bare the name of the mastermind nicknamed ‘Cheekoo’ belonging to the Pakistan Tehrik Insaf (PTI). This was the anticlimax of the sleazy spectacle enacted to discomfit the entourage.With that, the obnoxious face of the perpetrators got exposed. Political hatred that was infused into the body politics during the electoral campaign of 2018 has marred
Sarfraz Cheema’s outburst
Pakistan’s political culture. Decency and decorum are wanting. Fake news has taken over society. The PTI’s followers, especially the youth who had been fighting the fifth-generation warfare unremittingly,have turned the guns on their benefactors. One of the reasons for the about-face was the expectation that the favours would be returned: We defend you on the social media; you must defend us in the political arena. This could not happen unfortunately. The same page got torn up. The constitution intervened and corrected the course. What the two mainstream political parties, the PML(N) and the PPP, had abandoned years ago to show maturity is coming back to force them to reassume the discarded ways. Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman of the JUI(F) has shown the utmost patience in enduring invective thrown at him publicly. The PTI’s followers are no match to the JUI(F)’s followers. Any Madina-like incident involving the maltreatment of the JUI-F’s leadership publicly would not get a subdued response. Instead, there would be serious repercussions. The PTI is all desperate to redeem the political position that went astray. From the power corridors, the departure of the PTI’s government on 10 April 2022 through a chastening notrust motion is hard to stomach by its followers. To find a new place and seek some facesaving, the PTI has unleashed an all-directional campaign sparing none. The party is relying on pathos to catch at any straw available. In the dying days of its government, the PTI tried to revitalize the issue of making South Punjab a new province. Not many listeners got ready to buy the narrative that the party was serious. In 2018, it was easier to befool the voters, as the party’s credentials were unchecked. Voters failed to test the waters. They relied on the party blindly and recklessly, and then got disillusioned. Generally, the voters did not know that the ways of prosperity lie in the yield of unbranded calf or yearling (called bachhrha). The bachhrha policy to revive the economy failed miserably. The same was the case with the egg and chicken policy to develop mini -poultry farms at the household level to eke out the resources. In the digital modern age, the methods of the medieval age to live life at the sustenance level failed to work.
The langarkhana project depicting a public dining hall was not a substitute for offering skills training to the masses to help them live their lives honourably. The langarkhana did support the down-trodden in survivinge a day but this was already being done by the private sector. The PTI’s government should have come up with better futuristic projects, especially related to the youth. Other than delivering speeches, holding press conferences, and running social media campaigns with the use of robots, the PTI’s government under-performed in swaying voters for the forthcoming elections. This is the dilemma the party has been confronting. The PTI has found scapegoats in everyone other than its own people. The party has maligned the judiciary, the military and the political opponents for the ouster on the pretext that they jointly conspired against the PTI’s government and played a role in its downfall, which was backed by foreign powers demanding a regime change. The misplaced assumption is that the PTI’s government was performing well and, before it could meet the touted political objectives, which had been promised in the run-up to the 2018 elections, it was ousted. This is a classic example of how delusion is generated to serve a purpose. Instead of brooding on its own flaws, which had kept the PTI’s government stymied, the PTI is pointing an accusing finger at others. The same also means that the PTI has refused to improve and perhaps mature. The refusal outclasses all other failings the party has been faced with. Self-denial is a defect unpardonable. It is the most destructive of all the insufficiencies. Instead of opening itself to a number of pledges it had made in 2018 to woo voters, the PTI has launched a campaign to cash in on the emotions of the masses. The assumption is that the strategy would help the party paper over its drawbacks and divert the attention of the masses towards the issues not in their control such as refashioning the foreign policy. In short, the Cheekoos of the PTI have been serving it less and destroying it more. By the way, the real revealing work was done by the mobile video capturing cameraman who got his excitement recorded as well to share with all the viewers that he was praising a PTI’s Cheekoo loudly for the job well done.
Instead of opening itself to a number of pledges it had made in 2018 to woo voters, the PTI has launched a campaign to cash in on the emotions of the masses.
The writer can qaisarrashid@yahoo.com
be
reached
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Appeal to COAS shows what PTI wants
Pupils’ excuses threaten pedagogues’ regard
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UNJAB Governor Sarfraz Cheema’s appeal to the COAS, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, to intervene in the affairs of the province is an attempt to get the military to end the neutrality which it has begun to observe. Mr Cheema accompanied this appeal by the pledge to move a reference to the Supreme Judicial Council against Mr Justice Jawad hasan of the Lahore high Court for his judgement ordering the National Assembly Speaker to administer the oath to the CM-elect, Mr hamza Shehbaz. Mr Cheema’s own tenure of office is only because the President has refused to act on the advice of the Prime Minister, and if he will not be served by the Chief Minister, the only honourable option for him is to resign, not write letters without advice from the CM. Mr Cheema at the moment is on shaky ground, because not only has he refrained from obeying LhC orders telling him to swear in Mr Shehbaz, or to appoint someone to do so, he is also now acting without the advice of the Chief Minister. he is free to write a letter to the COAS, but not as Governor, unless he has been so advised by the Chief Minister, or other competent authority (one of the provincial ministers, for example). Apart from the letter to the COAS, the reference to the SJC cannot be preferred by the Governor unless he has been so advised by the CM. Apart from the flagrant impropriety of acting without the CM’s advice, the appeal to the COAS may well reveal that the PTI wants the Army, not so much to ensure fresh elections, as to take over. If the Army is observing a policy of non-interference, does the PTI perceive that as a bad thing? Rather than appeal to the Army, perhaps Mr Cheema should seek more time-honoured methods of protest, like leaving an office the federal government does not want him to hold. Creating a constitutional mass may earn him brownie points with his party leader, but it does nothing to enhance the prestige of the office he occupies.
Students’ excuses demoralize teachers
Shahjehan Sarwar almani
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he authority in a class and the value of a teacher’s presence looks dwindling in the educational institutions. The lame excuses of students are challenging for the teachers. For decades, we have been taught to show admiration and respect for teachers, regardless of which discipline of studies one belongs to. Meanwhile, the current scenario in schools, colleges, and universities seems to appear as something shying away from those traditional or antique yet ethically right injunctions, often disseminated among the students by their parents or family members. Now, the problem, worsening by leaps and bounds, is that “The pupils’ lame excuses are acts of defiance against the discipline of the educational system and against the respect of teachers?” Making an excuse of any type during an ongoing class is an open resistance to both the authority of a teacher and the discipline of an educational institution, no matter whether it is a school, college, or university. “Almost in every class I go, the excuses are sure to confront the knowledge I am delivering to students. Sometimes, I feel that I am being mocked, which dwindles my morale to stay in a class and deliver the rest of the lecture and 0akes me stop teaching as a result of being disowned by the own students. Not only does that provoke my anger but also an unnecessary excuse challenges my authority to maintain discipline in a class. Any excuse, no matter whether true or false, spoils the flow of the lecture and it can somehow break a teacher’s connectivity of thoughts psychologically.” A teacher at a top public sector university in Lahore expressed his views on students’ excuses.
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One of the most common excuses, according to Professor Mansoor Malik, a media educationist serving in the University Of Central Punjab, is “Sir! My parents are ringing me up and it’s urgent to pick the call as there must have been an emergency”. Don’t the student’s family members know that he 6r she is in a class and liable to attend the lectures properly and need not be given a call, or is one oneself making a dishonest excuse for certain reasons? In most cases, students make lame excuses to leave class and cover up their other friendly, entertaining, and outing related tasks. It has also been observed that a small percentage of excuses are true and students have real-time emergencies to deal with. The excuses can be valid but the negative side is in the majority. Upon asking a student leaving a class in University about what he had to do outside and has left the class for, he replied that he was going to meet his friend and sip coffee in a café. “I am going to the toilet, I have to purchase a pen, I forgot my notebook outside and need to bring it in, I have to submit my fee and today is the last day for submission, I had an emergency for which I could not submit the assignment before deadline, I am feeling unwell and cannot participate in discussions, and I did not remember to memorize the lessons” are some common excuses, often proven false, as the result of students’ lack of interest in attending a lecture or performing well in studies. It seems because of an irresponsible attitude that students show no or negligible respect for teachers and have taken showing reverence to teachers for granted. The teaching profession is a nation-building
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occupation that ought to be given due regard. The veracity of excuses is another issue that all teachers face and that they cannot scrutinize the facts is a matter for worry. Neither teachers can stop the students from making excuses nor can they validate the reasons pupils have held accountable for any disruptions, no matter what kind of excuse is involved. Sometimes, teachers have to allow students to leave a class, to do what has been undone, and to arrange what has been unarranged, but other times teachers become stubborn to give such leniency and let anger and stress be heavy on them, ultimately propelling them towards morale downfall. Back in previous decades, parents were reluctant to say a single word against the esteem of a teacher, even if the teacher may have beaten their child. That was all because everybody had a realization of how graceful personality a teacher had and how he played a mainstream role in the dynamics of society. Nowadays, the student psyche seems t6 have chosen the wrong direction of interrupting teachers during lectures for something that is useless or unproductive in most cases. The burgeoning lame excuses are indicators of disrespect for teachers’ authority and institutions’ discipline. To curb such a psyche is essential to preserve the utmost respect for pedagogues, which they certainly deserve. The unwavering commitment to respecting teachers has to be made with a stepped-up responsibility lest teachers should lose the importance the culture has bestowed upon them.
The burgeoning lame excuses are indicators of disrespect for teachers’ authority and institutions’ discipline. To curb such a psyche is essential to preserve the utmost respect for pedagogues, which they certainly deserve.
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The writer is a freelance columnist
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
06-07 Comments - 7th May 2022_Layout 1 5/7/2022 12:03 AM Page 2
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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
Deteriorated health system I want you to pay attention towards the condition of hospital in the area I live. My village name is Walgun Sohail and the hospital there is in miserable condition. The walls and roof of hospital has fallen down and there is no medical material to help the patient i.e., machinery, bandages, medicines etc. Doctor came here and after completing his work hours left the hospital. As village is far away from city, so it takes time to bring patient to the city hospital. To remove this undesirable situation, I request the following steps: The government herself should take notice of hospital condition and direct the health department to improve the hospital condition. Proper machinery and emergency medical material should be provided in the hospital. The case is of vital importance because it concerns the general betterment. I hope that something will be done immediately to improve the hospital condition and it will meet the standard of general hospitals. ZAHA BATOOL NANKANA SAHIB
Menace of smoking
Taliban on the verge of an in-house fight
maniSh rai
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he Taliban now have firm control over Afghanistan. At this point in time, the Taliban have no opponents capable of undermining their positions in terms of military, political, or even economic resources. Also, there have been no meaningful changes in the radical ideology of the Taliban. They are still militants ruling over a UN member state. During the 2021 summer offensive, the Taliban demonstrated their ability to function as a cohesive military-political entity. There was no doubt that the movement was commanded by a single command and control centre. With highly disciplined units that obeyed the instructions of the centralized leadership. At that time every faction within the Taliban had acommon goal, which was to take full control of the whole country. But that’s not the case now as two main groups, the first one led by Sirajuddin haqqani, Interior minister in the Taliban interim government, And the other one led by Mullah Yakoob, Defence Ministe, ars at loggerheads with each other. Sirajuddin haqqani is the son of a famed commander from the anti-Soviet jihad and the founder of the haqqani network, Jalaluddin haqqani. Is currently the deputy leader of the Taliban and head of the powerful haqqani network. The haqqani network is a US-designated terror group long viewed as one of the most dangerous armed groups in Afghanistan. The group is infamous for its use of suicide bombers and is believed to have orchestrated some of the most high-profile attacks in Kabul over the years. The capital Kabul is under the firm control of over 6,000 members of the haqqani network supervised by Anas haqqani, brother of Sirajuddin haqqani. The network is considered very close to the Pakistan intelligence service, the ISI. Mulla Yakoob is the son of Taliban founder and its late supreme leader Mullah Omar. he first came to prominence in 2015 when, in an audio message released after his father’s death, he called for unity within the militant group.
Mullah Yaqoob has been consolidating his power since losing a bid to succeed his father when Mullah Omar’s death, kept secret by a coterie of close aides for more than two years, was revealed in July 2015. Yaqoob is popular among the battlefield commanders and is also known to have links to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is believed to be funneling money to him to help him consolidate power. Yaqoob has gained the loyalty and operational resources of the most vigorous Taliban factions in the south mainly referred to as Kandaharis where haqqani has been unpopular. Also veterans like Mullah Baradar are now believed to be in Yakoob’s camp as they believe that only can effectively counter the haqqanis. he mostly operates from Kandahar, birthplace of the Taliban movement. Among the reasons responsible for the animosity between haqqani and Yakoob are: Pakistan interference: The Kandahar faction of the Taliban led by Mullah Yakoob resents Pakistan’s involvement in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and the functioning of the Taliban government. Kandaharis believes that Islamabad is trying to keep the new Afghan regime under control through its backing of the haqqani Network. As the haqqanis have close relations with Pakistan, they are seen as proxies of Pakistan and the ISI. suPPort to foreign Jihadi grouPs: The haqqani Network, with its track record of supporting overseas jihad, is even more ideologically and operationally aligned with global jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Afghanistan than the Taliban. Mullah Yakoob doesn’t want other foreign groups to operate and set up their bases in Afghanistan, as he believes that this will isolate them further from the international community. different religious ideology: In terms of ideology, the haqqani network under Sirajuddin haqqani tried to change the Taliban into a radical Sunni militant group inspired by the Salafi interpretation of Islam and jihadi group’s terrorist tactics, including suicide terror-
ism. It was, while under the southern Kandahari Taliban leadership in the 1990s, that the group was dominated by Deobandi Islamic thoughts and hanafi sectarian practices. tribal disPutes: Afghanistan’s tribal configurations and age-old Pashtun tribal rivalries are also playing a role in the widening of the gulf between these factions. Mullah Yakoob is from the hotak tribe, which in turn is a branch of the larger Ghilzai tribe mainly based in southern Afghanistan. Sirajuddin haqqani is from the Zadran tribe of the Ghilzai confederacy. Its power base is in Southeastern Afghan provinces like Khost and Paktia. disPute over leadershiP: In terms of leadership, the haqqanis want to change the power centre from the Taliban’s traditional Kandahari base. even many analysts tracking Afghanistan for a long time have started believing that, now in practice, Kandahar no longer is the stronghold of Taliban power, but it is Kabul under the haqqanis which is the de facto capital of power that decides the group’s grand strategy, tactics, and the path forward. It seems that the Taliban are following the footsteps of Afghanistan’s mujahedin government following the 1989 Soviet withdrawal from the country. At that time different factions fought each other resulting in the destruction of the capital Kabul. The USA has left a large inventory of armaments in Afghanistan, so each group has enough ammunition to fight each other for at least a decade. It is just a matter of time before these two powerful rival groups fight each other openly on the battlefield and this will initiate a new phase of civil war in the worn-torn country.
It seems that the Taliban are following the footsteps of Afghanistan’s mujahedin government following the 1989 Soviet withdrawal from the country. At that time different factions fought each other resulting in the destruction of the capital Kabul. The USA has left a large inventory of armaments in Afghanistan, so each group has enough ammunition to fight each other for at least a decade.
(Manish Rai is a columnist for the Middle East and Afghanistan-Pakistan region and Editor of the geo-political news agency ViewsAround) Mr. Hashim Wahdatyar an Afghan journalist based in Washington DC provided valuable input for the article. He tweets at @HashimWahdatyar
I would like to use your prestigious paper’s column to draw the attention of higher authorities to the serious problems of smoking among adolescent students. Youth and adolescent smoking is a concern that affects countries all over the world. Smoking addiction is on the rise, particularly among young people and students, and has become a popular pastime for many students. They eventually become addicted to it. everyone is aware that smoking is harmful to one’s health. Millions of people die each year from smoking-related diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, and heart attacks, all of which are on the rise. Stress relief, pleasure, and friends who encourage them to try cigarettes and keep smoking are all reasons why people smoke. They see smoking as a way of demonstrating independence, and finally, if their parents smoke, teen students are more likely to smoke. I urge the respective authorities to enact legislation prohibiting such adolescent students from smoking. Tobacco cultivation and manufacturing should be prohibited in industries. They may also act as a check and balance for the tobacco industry and sellers to ensure that drugs are not being sold to teenagers. Parents can also keep a close eye on their children to see who they spend their time with. I hope that both the authorities and parents will take drastic measures to curb this trend among adolescent students, and I am confident that my letter will inspire them to write about it. ADNAN AHMAD KHAN LAHORE
Pathetic education system ONe of the reasons for Pakistan’s poor literacy rate is the absence of educational reforms and the lack of decorum in institutes. Cheating, deception, fraud are commonplace in most examination boards of the country — especially amongst the high schoolers during board examinations. even university students are promoted based on forged results. Although rote learning, memorising and cheating allow students to progress from one academic level to another, they cannot achieve much in life without any real knowledge or skills. Often students cheat or rotelearn because of lackadaisical teaching. Teachers either simply read the content of the textbooks or assign tasks to students without any proper instructions. Resultantly, students’ grasp of concepts is weak and quells their creativity and curiosity. Poor teaching outcomes often compel students to opt out of education and start working to support their families. however, they usually end up in low-skilled jobs and cannot move up the social ladder later. Our weak education system is the chief reason behind Pakistan lagging in overall societal and economic development. There are fewer individuals that are equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute back to the economy, which will continue shrinking if the education system is not reformed. The government must overhaul the entire system from primary schooling up to the university level. Strict measures should be enforced to alleviate cheating and bribes in institutes. There should be regulatory checks on administration and teaching faculty to ensure that they are fulfilling their duties. ZAKIR ULLAH MARDAN
Servants of the nation DURING my service as an upper-division clerk in the commissioner office of Rawalpindi, I saw that an honest and hardworking officer who cares for people would always focus on discharging his/her duties at the best rather than appeasing higher-ups. One such officer that I had the honour to work with was Mr Wajihuddin who was appointed commissioner Rawalpindi at a time when the movement against the martial law of General Ayub Khan was at its peak. The public was protesting, taking out rallies, and staging sit-ins in Rawalpindi and other parts of the country on a daily basis. The commissioner was appointed after two of his predecessors failed to control mobs and reinstate law and order. When he took charge, I was working in the control room responsible for collecting the information from various sources and presenting it to the commissioner. he changed the process and kept close contact with the DIG and deputy commissioners asking for daily progress. he frequently went on visits to various parts of the city to make sure everything was under control. he did not let the police use a heavyhanded approach and advised the administration to refrain from violating the rights of people and would only allow the use of force if the red line was being crossed. The commissioner discharged his duties with full honesty and served the public in a true sense unlike the civil servants of today who are more interested in keeping the higher-ups and politicians happy instead of performing their job. My purpose in recalling his service is meant to inspire today’s civil servants to adopt a similar demeanour and be honest and upright in their service. RAJA SHAFAATULLAH ISLAMABAD
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08 WORLD VIEW
How THe Greek revoluTion made THe modern world
New statesmaN nick Burns
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S Ukraine the new Greece? The wave of proUkrainian sentiment unleashed over past weeks by Russia’s invasion, manifesting not just in economic and financial sanctions undertaken by governments, but also in the blue-and-yellow flags draped in businesses and Twitter bios, calls to mind a similar phenomenon from almost exactly two centuries ago, as Greek rebels rose up against Ottoman rule in the 1820s. Foreign support for the Greek uprising has served ever since as the blueprint for campaigns in favour of intervention abroad, argues British historian Mark Mazower in his sweeping new history, The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe. Could today’s discourse around Ukraine still be following a pattern set in the early 19th century? In question then, as now, was the fate of a territory at the periphery of Europe with regard to a declining but still imposing power straddling Europe and Asia. As Ottoman forces clashed with Greek rebels for years after the outbreak of revolution in 1821, European liberal opinion was impressed by the Greeks’ pluckiness in resisting a much larger force on their home territory – and horrified by reports of Ottoman atrocities. The Greek cause suited Romantic ideas then in vogue in Europe, enticing many “philhellenes”, as supporters of Greece were called, including Lord Byron, to join the struggle. There was real bravery on display by Greeks throughout the revolution – but there were darker tendencies at play, too, and many philhellenes, encountering shocking brutality on both sides, quickly lost the simple sense of moral clarity they had set out with. Ukraine achieved its independence after a referendum was held in 1991 as the Soviet Union collapsed. In 19th-century Greece, however, there was neither the infrastructure nor the appetite on the part of Ottoman rulers to hold a vote. Greece’s journey to independence began instead with a popular uprising – planned by a secret organisation called the Friendly Society, which drew its ideas from the French Revolution and harboured a vision of restoring the grandeur of ancient Greece. But the uprising soon spiralled out of the society’s control as Greeks took matters into their own hands. For most of the Greek people, largely made up of illiterate peasants, revolt against the Ottomans did not reflect hopes for an independent national state – something that one would have struggled to explain to them – but rather a chance to “make the romeïko”. The romeïko, in popular conception, was an event with eschatological religious connotations that involved throwing off the Ottoman yoke and taking back Constantinople, reinstating not Athenian democracy but the Byzantine Empire. Part of what is so remarkable about the Greek revolt is how it managed to fuse popular Orthodoxy and the vanguard Hellenism of the Friendly Society into a syncretic popular nationalism – the first of a kind that would soon sweep the world. As the revolution went on, Greeks
RIGAS VELESTINLIS, A FASCINATING EARLY FIGURE OF GREEK NATIONALISM KILLED BY THE OTTOMANS IN 1798, HAD CLAIMED THE MANTLE OF THE ANCIENT GREEK LEGACY FOR ALL THE INHABITANTS OF GREECE, WHETHER ETHNIC GREEKS OR ALBANIANS, CHRISTIANS OR MUSLIMS. FOR VELESTINLIS, THEY OUGHT TO BE UNITED IN RESISTANCE TO THE OTTOMANS began crying “Ellas anesti” (“Greece is risen”) – a twist on the Orthodox Easter refrain of “Christos anesti” (“Christ is risen”). After hoped-for Russian support failed to materialise and the prospect of taking back Constantinople faded away, popular sentiment remained in favour of revolt, the goal of which slowly transformed from romeïko to independence. But borrowing from traditional religion to guarantee mass support meant raising the spectre of inter-confessional violence. Rigas Velestinlis, a fascinating early figure of Greek nationalism killed by the Ottomans in 1798, had claimed the mantle of the ancient Greek legacy for all the inhabitants of Greece, whether ethnic Greeks or Albanians, Christians or Muslims. For Velestinlis, they ought to be united in resistance to the Ottomans. The uprising itself was less broad-minded. Greeks slaughtered Muslims in 1821 during the fall of Tripolitsa (now Tripoli), the Ottoman capital of the Peloponnese (the mountainous southern peninsula in what is now Greece), revolting European philhellenes who saw the bodies of women and children abandoned in the streets. The killings horrified the bulk of the Christian population of the city that had lived together with Muslims for as long as they could remember. They were motivated in part, Mazower argues, by a desire on the part of Greek rebels to raise the stakes of the revolution. Once Muslim blood had been shed, the Ottomans would have revenge on the whole Christian population – giving previously uncommitted Christians a reason to make the revolt a success. And collective punishment did come, in successive waves of bloodshed ordered and approved by the Sultan and his commanders. At the outbreak of revolution in 1821, the Ottomans hanged and mutilated the body of the 84-year-old Orthodox patriarch – who had been doing his best to dissuade the Greeks from revolution. Mazower estimates that, during an infamous massacre on the island of Chios in 1822, the Ottomans killed 25,000 Greeks and sold another 45,000 into slavery, of a pre-revolutionary population of 100,000. The island’s population never recovered, and today is half that number. There were massacres too in Naoussa and Aivalik, and on Samothraki and Psara, from which the Ottomans carried away 500 heads and 1,200 ears. The Ottoman Empire was ailing by the early 19th century, but it was still one of the most powerful states in the world, and the Greeks’ ability to resist it on their own for so long was accordingly breathtaking. Not only was most of the populace illiterate, but the territory that later became
the Greek state was so astonishingly undeveloped that there were no roads in the Peloponnese. Messages were carried on horseback, on narrow mountain paths difficult even for horses to navigate, or more often by messenger boy. And the Greeks made do throughout the entire course of the war without a “unifying personality” in the mould of Napoleon or Washington – or a clear political leader like Zelensky. Instead, Mazower’s narrative is a bewildering array of multisyllabic names like Kapodistrias, Kolokotronis, Kountouriotis and Karaiskakis. Yet disorganisation, bad and dispersed leadership, narrow-mindedness and clashing regional and class interests hamstrung the Greek cause from the outset. Plans to launch the revolt in spring 1821 were thrown into chaos when the rash leader of the Friendly Society, the Danubian prince Alexandros Ypsilantis, launched a premature and quickly suppressed uprising in far-off Moldavia – an abortive first chapter of the revolution that is left out of most official histories. When the revolution reached the Peloponnese, the Ottomans were swept away in a week as spontaneous, simultaneous uprisings detonated across the peninsula. The Greeks were beyond the control of the Ottomans, but also of the revolution’s leadership itself. Peloponnesian landowners tried to keep their privileges over a peasantry that began to see their rule as equivalent to that of the Turks; regional warlords wanted to preserve their arrangements with the Ottomans; the mercantile elite of the shipping islands wanted to protect commerce. Greeks complained of endless, meaningless pronouncements by a feeble revolutionary government – a veritable “diarrhoea of ministers”, as one of them frankly put it. No one could agree on how to spend the money that started to come in from a loan organised in London. The Ottomans reorganised, conquering the town of Missolonghi – where Byron had died in 1824 – in a long and dramatic siege that drew the attention of Europe, during which an Egyptian army was despatched to lay waste to the Peloponnese and bring the restive Greeks to heel. The Greeks held out for six-and-a-half years, until the autumn of 1827, when the patience of the long-suffering Greek peasantry was finally beginning to wear out. Then, in a stunning deus ex machina for the Greeks, the Ottoman fleet was wiped out by an Anglo-Russo-French coalition in a single battle at Navarino – and Greek independence became a fait accompli. Support from the great powers did not come from nowhere. Even as liberal sections of civil society across Europe promoted the cause of independence, governments remained leery of intervening in the conflict,
The beginning of a new era WHATEVER THE REASONS, THE ERA THAT BEGAN IN 1991 IS COMING TO AN END, AND A NEW ERA IS BEGINNING
Geopolitical Futures GeorGe Friedman
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week ago, I wrote a piece on the stages of history, pointing out systemic shifts that have taken place for more than 200 years. In the last century, these shifts took place roughly 30-40 years apart with the last occurring in 1991, or about 30 years ago. That year, the Cold War ended, the Maastricht Treaty was signed, Operation Desert Storm began, and the Japanese economic miracle ended, opening the door for China’s rise. The world in 1989 was very different from the one in 1992. We are now in an era in which shifts occur. Being in an era doesn’t necessarily mean the shift will immediately come; the change between the epoch of world wars and the post-Cold War world took almost 50 years, solidified as it had been by the U.S.-Soviet rivalry. It is un-
certain why some eras last longer than others. It might well be simply chance. An alternative to consider is that some eras are based on single, very solid realities, while others are based on multiple and more fragile ones. Thus, the 1945-1991 era was based on the solid foundation of the U.S.-Soviet confrontation, while 1991-2022 was based on multiple forces – the global war on terror, the European Union, China emerging, Russia asserting itself, and so on. It was less coherent and therefore more fragile. Our current epoch began with more fragmented shifts, creating a less stable platform. Whatever the reasons, the era that began in 1991 is coming to an end, and a new era is beginning. All the major northern entities or nations – China, the U.S., Russia and Europe – are undergoing profound changes. For Russia, the invasion of Ukraine is only the latest and most important attempt to reverse the events of 1991. But with a per capita gross domestic product ranking of 86, the turn away from communism may not be as profitable as was once thought. And with a military being outperformed by Ukrainian forces, it can hardly be considered a major military power. Put simply, Russia hasn’t lived up to its own expectations, so it will either undergo the revolution expected in the prior period, continue its aggressive moves using limited military capability, or end up as a minor power, albeit one with nuclear weapons. The war in Ukraine has also changed Europe. NATO has reemerged as a primary, parallel system with the EU,
one with somewhat different members, a different agenda and differing budgetary costs. More important, the trans-Atlantic relationship has been given new life, along with a greater commitment to military expenditures. This takes Europe into a fundamentally different configuration. First, as government expenditures rise and economic performance contracts under the pressure of conflict, the stresses within the EU will get worse. And with increased U.S. dependence, Washington may again be seen as an alternative economic partner to Germany. The European Union, already under centrifugal pressures, will have to redefine itself once again. China is also in transition. It has undergone a period of breakneck economic growth. Like Japan before it, and the United States long before that, China has been in an extraordinary economic expansion. When Japan reached the limits of double-digit growth in 1991, its decline led to its replacement by China. Japan had surged its economy on a combination of low-cost exports, followed by advanced technology growth. It had financed this through a financial system that allocated capital on both an economic and political basis – through keiretsu, or families of companies. It surged on a disciplined workforce. It ran into intensive competition for low-value goods that undersold its own, as well as political resistance by its consuming countries, particularly the United States. This intensified with high-value goods like autos. As volume or margins declined, the fragility of the financial system revealed itself,
which could provoke a general war or upset the balance of power after the post-Napoleonic settlement. The eventual intervention was the result of a sustained campaign of public pressure waged by intellectuals, politicians and activists, as well as, Mazower argues, fears about unrest in Europe if the Ottomans were not prevented from crushing the Greek rebels. During an age of conservative dominance in Europe, support for Greek independence provided an outlet for liberal sentiment and an opportunity for cultural figures to exert a new form of influence over foreign policy. Rossini composed an opera, The Siege of Corinth, in support of the Greeks; Eugène Delacroix painted pictures of the siege at Missolonghi and the massacre on Chios. Conservatives got in on the fun, too: Romantic reactionary Chateaubriand wrote a hit pamphlet defending Greek independence from a right-wing point of view, which helped turn France away from its previous pro-Ottoman position. In London, a newly erected system of loans to sovereign powers helped guarantee Greek and Latin American independence – yet its successors would later radically constrict the freedom of precisely these countries, as the conditions of multilateral loans became a powerful tool to wield over sovereign leaders in debtor countries. American humanitarian aid for the Greeks was a training ground for habits of administration and a cast of mind that have since been expanded across the globe with the rise of the US to the status of world hegemon. A precedent for “intervention” in other countries’ affairs, outlined in France’s invasion of Spain in 1823, was firmly established, with far-reaching consequences still felt in debates now over Ukraine. The Greek Revolution’s half-chronological, half-thematic organisation is justified by the several levels on which the book must operate – explaining the shifting currents of support for the Greeks in Europe, intrigues in the Ottoman world, politicking among Greek leaders and the fighting itself. But it also makes an already dizzying set of characters and events seem even more confusing, as battles and sieges are narrated several times over. Mazower’s treatment of the revolution, in the works for over a decade and published to coincide with its 200th anniversary, surely takes its place as the authoritative single-volume account in English, but it feels slightly unfinished in places – the index, for example, is often off by a couple pages. Is it possible that, like the revolution which is its subject, a long gestation and preplanned schedule did not wholly prevent the author’s great salvo from detonating prematurely?
and in the lost decade, it had to transform itself. But now China’s low-end exports are eroding under competition, as are its high-end products, to say nothing of resistance to exports by consuming markets. An expansion that began 40 years before can’t sustain its growth rate. Exports come under pressure, and the financial system does too. In China’s case, this happened in the real estate sector, which is used as a failsafe. Failures in this sector, including defaults, inevitably destabilize the economy and thus create political tension. Dramatically slower growth in China is likely, with large numbers of Chinese citizens who never fully benefitted from previous growth, a dangerous situation. The United States is still the strongest power in the world despite domestic discord and economic pressure. That discord is cyclical, and it presages an economic surge built on new technology. But for now, American economic power, seen most recently through the use of the dollar against Russia, still stands tall. The United States is the least likely of the four majors to require institutional change, which has helped it to maintain its position since 1945. The prior assumptions about Russia and China as emerging powers are now questionable at best. Things change, but today it’s hard to see a Russian resurgence or a rapid end to China’s economic problems. So if we are at the beginning of a cyclical shift, as I think we are, the U.S. will be one of the pillars of the transition to the new era. It is hard to visualize the rest. Who would have thought in 1991 that China would surge, or in 1945 that Europe would rebuild itself as it did? The easy part of this project is done, I think, and it is time to look for the unimaginable that exists in any epoch. George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs and the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures.
Saturday, 7 May, 2022 | iSlaMabad
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Federal govt wIthholdS trIBal dIStrICtS’ develoPMeNt FuNdS IslAmAbAd
FPCCI urges PM to reduce interest rate Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Friday urged PM Shehbaz Sharif to decrease the policy rate, fearing any more hike would lead to stagflation and adverse effects on industrial growth in the country. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the FPCCI has stated that increase in policy rate has sharply increased the cost of production. “The former government increased 250bps in the interest rate without reviewing the ground realities,” the letter read. Meanwhile, the sources within the government said that the business community has been assured of some relief in the upcoming monetary policy. The government will support every move for the business activities in the country, the sources said. Pakistan’s current interest rate is 12.25 per cent, which is the highest in the region. Earlier, FPCCI president added that the policy rate in Pakistan was comparatively quite higher than regional countries such as Malaysia at 2 per cent, China at 3.7 per cent, India at 4 per cent, and Bangladesh at 5 per cent. Monitoring report
New SBP boss assumes charge KARACHI staff report
Murtaza Syed on Friday assumed charge as “acting” State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor following the completion of the three-year tenure of predecessor Reza Baqir, Radio Pakistan reported. It was not immediately clear if Syed would be a long-term replacement or an interim appointment by the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which came to power last month after ousting Imran Khan through a noconfidence vote. The government had the option of offering another term to Baqir, who was appointed by Khan in 2019. Syed is an eminent economist with some 16 years of experience with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He takes over at the end of the three-year term of Baqir, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail announced on Twitter. According to the SBP, Syed has more than 20 years of experience in macroeconomic research and policymaking and worked with the IMF before resigning to join the State Bank. He has a PhD in economics from Nuffield College at the University of Oxford and has delivered lectures on public policy at Cambridge and Oxford universities. The appointment comes as Pakistan faces a number of economic challenges, including ballooning deficits and depleted foreign exchange reserves. Pakistan’s new government has sought an increase in the size and duration of the IMF programme, which has been slow moving forward. Increased autonomy for the central bank was among reforms agreed upon between the lender and Pakistan as part of the programme that began in 2019. Legislation to ensure greater autonomy was passed earlier this year and includes insulating the central bank’s policymaking bodies from government interference and increasing the governor’s fixed tenure to five years from three. As a result, the next governor, whenever formally appointed, will have more autonomy and a longer fixed tenure than his or her predecessors.
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HE federal government has stopped the fourth installment of development funds to the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). After a month’s delay, there seems to be little chance that the federal government will release Rs15 billion as fourth installment of tribal districts’ development fund. According to sources in the KP planning and development department, a development program of Rs60 billion had been formulated for the tribal districts jointly by federal and provincial governments. The central government had to release its share in four installments. According to sources, the last installment of more than Rs15 billion was to be paid by the federal government in the first week of April, which has not been released. According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department, the move will create further problems for KP which is already facing financial difficulties. Almost all the major development projects in KP are facing delay due to non-availability of funds for ongoing development projects. Sources said that the federal government has not yet informed KP about the status of funds. The government has also contacted the federal government but has not received any response in this regard. Confirming the non-receipt of the fourth install-
ment, the provincial finance minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said that the provincial government will use every platform to secure the rights of tribal districts.
He said that the opposition in KP and the parties in the federal government should play their role to secure the rights of tribal people.
Govt to initiate regulatory measures against auto companies IslAmAbAd ghulaM abbas
While taking serious notice of frequent price hikes by the local car manufacturers, the Ministry of Industries has warned the private companies of initiating regulatory measures against the historic increases in car prices. “The government may take regulatory measures which may include fixation of prices under the Price Control Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977,” said the ministry in a statement. According to the ministry the local car assemblers have been frequently increasing prices of automobiles during the past few months. The ministry has expressed concern over price surge and has taken a serious view about the frequent price increases by local automobile manufacturers/ assemblers. The ministry, through the statement, said that the situation was unacceptable, and the government might consider initiating regulatory measures which may include fixation of prices under the Price Control Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977. Furthermore, it said that the cost structure and justification of price increase had been sought from local manufacturers and assemblers. Meanwhile the ministry, through a notice issued to at least 11 auto firms in the country, has directed the CEOs and heads of the companies to be personally present in a meeting scheduled to be held on May 20, 2022 to respond to the queries.
The automobile companies are also directed to share the cost structure and provide justification for the recent price increases by May 7, 2022. Companies to which notices have been issued included Indus motors, Honda Atlas, Pak Suzuki, Lucky motors, Al Haj Automotive, Al Haj FAW motors, United motors, Regal Automobile Industries, Mastar Changan motors, Hyundai Nishat motors and Sazgar Engineering Works.
It may be recalled here that last month the ministry of industries had announced to carry out forensic audit/analysis of the price hike. During a meeting of the monitoring committee for automobile industry presided over by Federal Secretary for Industries and Production Jawad Malik, the committee had expressed concerns over massive price hikes in the past 5-6 months and safety features in automobiles.
The Ministry of Industries and Production had decided to hire the services of private firms or experts to probe the matter. After due deliberations, the committee directed to carry out forensic analysis of car prices in comparison with factors indicated by the industry as a reason for price change through independent professional expertise. Secretary Industries, sources say, has instructed to complete the forensic analysis within two weeks.
Pakistan’s exports to China increase in first quarter IslAmAbAd app
Pakistan’s export to China crossed $1.039 billion in the first quarter of 2022, recording nearly 17 per cent increase from January to March this year, as per General Administration of Customs of the People Republic of China (GACC). According to data from GACC, in the first three months of this year, China’s exports to Pakistan also increased 28.69 per cent amounting to $6.058 billion as compared with the previous year which was $4.70 billion. Badar uz Zaman, Commercial Coun-
selor of Pakistani Embassy in Beijing told China Economic Net (CEN) after the implementation of the second phase of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement in 2020 – which allowed Pakistani manufacturers and traders to export around 313 new products to the Chinese market with zero duties – and with the deepening of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, bilateral trade is increasing every year. “Now Pakistani traders can export overall more than 1,000 items to China at zero tariffs which helped enhance Pakistan’s exports to China”, he stated. He further said that the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
with a special focus on agriculture, science and technology, and socioeconomic development also assisted expansion of cooperation. Besides, the enhanced agricultural cooperation for the last two to three years between the two countries, especially in hybrid seeds, latest technologies, pesticide, and urea, helped increase the production of crops and this surplus yield helped increase export to China. Among the growth of trade in major products between the two countries, textiles, seafood, and agricultural products have increased year on year, which has promoted Pakistan’s economic recovery and increased its exports to China.
Saturday, 7 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
10 FOREIGN NEWS
China building Collapse deaTh Toll rises To 53 BEIjING
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AFP
IFTY-THREE people died in a building collapse in central China, authorities said Friday, announcing the end of the rescue mission in a disaster which has been blamed on illegal construction. The commercial building in Changsha city caved in last Friday, prompting over six days of painstaking attempts to pull survivors free from the mass of rubble and twisted metal. “The search and rescue work at the Changsha building collapse site has been completed,” state broadcaster CCTV quoted city officials as saying. “The trapped and incommunicado people from the accident scene have all been found… ten people were rescued and 53 people died.” The tenth person pulled alive from the rubble just after midnight on Thursday had been buried in debris for nearly six days, state media reported earlier. Local official Wu Guiying apologised for the accident during the briefing, mentioning her “extreme distress” and “unparalleled self-blame”, as well as offering a “sincere apology to society”. The toll from the collapse rose from twenty-six as of Thursday evening. The block had contained apartments, a hotel and a cinema. The flattened structure, which has left a gaping hole in a dense Changsha streetscape, created a mess of debris and crumbled concrete beams. Another woman who survived around 88 hours in the debris told state media that she was studying on her bed at the time of the collapse and managed to stay alive by holding on to a small amount of water and using her quilt to keep warm. Rescuers have been able to find live vic-
tims with the help of sniffer dogs, life detectors and drones, as well as shouting and knocking survivors, according to Xinhua. Eleven detained: Eleven people — including the building’s owner and a team of safety inspectors — have been detained in connection with the
collapse, including two people suspected of engaging in “illegal alteration” of the building, according to Changsha authorities. Officials have alleged that surveyors falsified a safety audit of the building. State media have identified the building as a “self-built residential structure”, mean-
ing built by individuals or companies with no state funding. The Ministry of Housing and UrbanRural Development on Sunday announced a safety inspection drive for “self-built housing” nationwide. President Xi Jinping last week or-
dered a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse, an indication of the severity of the disaster. Building collapses are not uncommon in China due to weak safety and construction standards, as well as corruption among officials tasked with enforcement.
Pentagon denies helping Ukraine ‘target’ Russian generals WASHINGTON AFP
Trump asked about bombing drug labs in Mexico: ex-defence chief WASHINGTON AFP
Donald Trump asked about the possibility of bombing drug trafficking labs in Mexico while he was US president, former defense secretary Mark Esper says in a book set to be released Tuesday. According to excerpts cited by the New York Times, Trump believed the United States could pretend it wasn’t responsible for launching missiles across its southern border, Esper, who was Pentagon head between July 2019 and November 2020, writes. In 2020, Trump reportedly asked twice if the military could “shoot missiles into Mexico to destroy the drug labs,” Esper writes in his book titled “A Sacred Oath.” According to the Times, Esper was left “speechless” at the requests. Trump dismissed Esper in November 2020, just days after the results of the US presidential election were announced, in which President Joe Biden won. Trump and Esper’s relationship had been strained for months, ever since the defense secretary had publicly opposed deploying the military to quell anti-racist protests that gripped the country that year. According to reports about other excerpts from Esper’s book, Trump, in discussing the demonstrations in June 2020, had asked about the protesters: “Can’t you just shoot them?”
The US Defense Department denied Thursday that it provided intelligence on the locations of Russian generals on the battlefield so that Ukrainian forces could kill them. Reacting to an explosive New York Times report on US support for Ukraine’s military, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said it was true that the United States supplies Kyiv’s forces with military intelligence “to help Ukrainians defend their country.” “We do not provide intelligence on the location of senior military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian military,” Kirby said. In a separate revelation, US media reported later Thursday that the United States had shared intelligence that helped Ukraine sink the Russian warship Moskva last month, in a huge blow to President Vladimir Putin. However, a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the United States does not “provide specific targeting information on ships.” “We do provide a range of intelli-
gence to help the Ukrainians understand the threat posed by Russian ships in the Black Sea and to help them prepare to defend against potential sea-based assaults,” the official said. In a story first published by NBC, anonymous officials said Ukraine asked Washington about a ship sailing in the Black Sea, whose location the United States helped confirm, in addition to identifying it as the Moskva. However, the United States did not know that Ukraine would target the flagship vessel, the officials cited by NBC said. Ukraine has been particularly successful in attacking Russian command positions, and, according to reports, came close last week to striking a location near the front lines in the Donbas region where Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, was believed to be visiting troops. Ukraine forces may have shelled the location just a few hours after Gerasimov had left, the unconfirmed reports said. ‘They make their own decisions’ The New York Times article that Kirby refuted said that of the approximately dozen Russian generals killed by Ukrainian forces, “many” had been targeted with the help of US intelligence. The newspaper said the United
States had provided details on the Russian military’s mobile headquarters, which frequently changes location. It also reported that Ukrainian forces used that information in tandem with their own to conduct attacks on senior Russian officers. Kirby said Ukraine makes its own decisions on whether to target a Russian leader or not. “Ukraine combines information that we and other partners provide with the intelligence that they themselves are gathering on the battlefield,” he said. “Then they make their own decisions, and they take their own actions.” The White House National Security Council slammed the New York Times report as “irresponsible.” “The United States provides battlefield intelligence to help the Ukrainians defend their country,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. “We do not provide intelligence with the intent to kill Russian generals.” Washington is supplying billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment and munitions to Ukraine and is training their forces on how to operate them. It is also providing Kyiv with information garnered from satellites, elec-
tronic surveillance operations and other sources of intelligence. But the White House and Pentagon have sought to limit knowledge of the full extent of the US assistance, hoping to avoid provoking Russia into a broader conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders. Even so, Washington’s support for Ukraine has only grown, and become more forthright, since the Russians invaded on February 24. At the beginning of the conflict, the United States said it wanted only to help Ukraine survive.
Journalist murdered in Mexico, ninth this year MEXICO CITY AFP
A journalist has been murdered in northwestern Mexico, authorities and activists said — the ninth such killing so far in a particularly violent year for the country’s press. The body of Luis Enrique Ramirez was found on a dirt road in Sinaloa, the state’s attorney general Sara Quinonez said on Twitter. Sinaloa is the stronghold of notorious narco kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s cartel, and one of the Mexican states
most affected by drug-related violence. The body of Ramirez, a columnist for the local newspaper El Debate and founder of the news site Fuentes Fidedignas, was found on the outskirts of the state capital Culiacan, a day after he went missing. “It was definitely a murder,” said Balbina Flores, representative of media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), adding that the corpse was found wrapped in plastic. Ramirez is the ninth journalist killed so far this year in Mexico, according to RSF. The Latin American nation
is on course for one of its deadliest years yet for the press, prompting calls from rights groups for authorities to end a
culture of impunity. More than 150 journalists have been murdered since 2000 in Mexico, one of the world’s most danger-
ous countries for the media. The United States and the European Parliament have urged Mexico to ensure adequate protection for journalists following the recent string of killings. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed “zero impunity” for the crimes. Last week the government blamed drug traffickers for the January murders of journalists Lourdes Maldonado and Margarito Martinez in the northwestern border city of Tijuana that triggered international condemnation.
Saturday, 7 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
SPORTS 11
AsiAn GAMes postponed As ChinA BAttles Covid
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AFP
HE Asian Games due to take place in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in September have been postponed indefinitely because of Covid-19, organisers said on Friday. The Games were scheduled to be held from September 10 to 25 but have now been delayed as China tries to stamp out a large resurgence in infections in several parts of the country. Hangzhou lies less than 200 kilometres from the country’s biggest city Shanghai, which has endured a weeks-long lockdown as part of the ruling Communist Party’s zerotolerance approach to the virus. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said in a statement that the decision to postpone “was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the Games”. New dates for the Games, which typically attract more than 10,000 athletes from
across the region, will be announced “in the near future”, the statement said. Organisers said last month that Hangzhou, a city of 12 million in eastern China, had finished constructing some 56 competition venues for the Asian Games and
Asian Para Games. At the time, they indicated that they planned to hold the event under a virus control plan that “learns from the successful experience” of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which were held in February in a strict
Covid-secure bubble. Hangzhou was poised to become the third city in China to host the continental competition after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010. Some events were due to be held in other provincial cities including Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, Shaoxing and Jinhua. The OCA also said that the Asian Youth Games, scheduled to be held in December in the Chinese city of Shantou, would be cancelled having already been postponed once. The World University Games, scheduled to begin next month in Chengdu and already delayed from last year, are also expected to be postponed. ‘resolutely fight’: Almost all international sport has grind to a halt in China since Covid emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The Beijing Olympics was an exception but it was held in a strict “closed loop” with everyone inside it, including athletes, staff, volunteers and
media, taking daily Covid tests and not allowed to venture into the wider city or have contact with the public. China has stubbornly stuck to a zeroCovid policy, imposing strict lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing programmes even while other countries start to reopen as the threat of the pandemic recedes. The government has touted the strategy as proof that it values human life above material concerns and can avert the public health crises seen in many Western countries. Top Chinese leaders on Thursday again vowed to “unwaveringly adhere” to zeroCovid and “resolutely fight against” criticism of the policy, despite a growing public outcry against the measures. Anger is especially pointed in Shanghai, where 25m people have seethed under a patchwork of lockdowns since March amid complaints of overzealous lockdown measures and spartan quarantine conditions.
Frankfurt set up Europa final with Rangers FRANKFURT AFP
Eintracht Frankfurt reached their first European final for 42 years after a 1-0 home win on Thursday over 10-man West Ham sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory in their Europa League semi-final. West Ham had left-back Aaron Cresswell sent off early on and Ham-
mers manager David Moyes was also dismissed from the sidelines with 12 minutes left for a kicking a ball at a ball boy. “Really disappointed. Things didn’t go for us on the night,” Moyes told BT Sport. “Small things didn’t happen but I am really proud of the players. “How they played with 10 men was fantastic. They stayed in it.”
Colombia striker Rafael Borre netted the first-half winner on the night to book Frankfurt a place in the Europa League final on May 18 in Seville against Scottish giants Rangers. They are also now just one win away from qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since losing the 1960 European Cup final to Real Madrid.
“A dream has finally comes true,” said Eintracht club president Peter Fischer. “This city deserves it. And now we’re going to win this thing.” West Ham missed out on reaching their first major European final since 1976. “We just played a team that played a similar way to us and it caught us out. We’re gutted,” said Hammers captain Declan Rice. Borre scored just after Cresswell was sent off, leaving the visitors a man down for more than an hour and needing to score twice just to force extra time. Frankfurt had been dealt an early blow when key defender Martin Hinteregger limped off with a leg injury. When a long ball put Frankfurt’s Jens Hauge into space, Cresswell pulled back the Norwegian, who went down just outside the area. Cresswell, who was also sent off in the quarter-final first leg against Lyon, was initially only booked, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano brandished the red card after a VAR review. Moyes, who was angered by that decision, responded by bringing on defender Ben Johnson for Manuel Lanzini. Yet Frankfurt went ahead in the 26th minute.
Man City refocus on Premier League title push as Leeds sweat LONDON AFP
Manchester City must pick themselves off the floor for the visit of Newcastle in the Premier League after their painful Champions League exit or risk ending the season empty-handed, with Liverpool on the prowl. Pep Guardiola’s men, reeling after blowing a two-goal lead in the final minute of their semi-final against Real Madrid to lose 6-5 on aggregate, are one point clear of the second-placed Reds but have the disadvantage of playing after their rivals for the second consecutive weekend. At the other end of the table, Norwich have already been relegated and Watford look certain to follow, with Burnley, Leeds or Everton set to join them in the Championship next season. AFP Sport looks at some of the key talking points ahead of this weekend’s action. Bruised City: Manchester City were on course for a treble before Liverpool won last month’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. Now they have just one trophy to play for. Jurgen Klopp’s team have the chance to turn the screw on Saturday even though they have a tricky fixture against Tottenham, who are in desperate need of the points as they chase a topfour spot. Newcastle lost 1-0 to Liverpool last week but that came after four straight wins for Eddie Howe’s revived side, who are now safely in mid-table after
their early-season woes. City know the maths is simple — win their remaining four Premier League games and they will be champions for the fourth time in five seasons. Guardiola is confident his side can shrug off the agony of their European exit but he has no margin for error. “We need time now, one or two days, but we will rise,” he said. “We have to do it.” Leeds stare down BarreL: Leeds fans might have shrugged off Burnley’s last-gasp comeback win against Watford last weekend but Everton’s shock victory against Chelsea the following day left them sweating. After a sticky start under new manager Jesse Marsch, who took over from the sacked Marcelo Bielsa at the end of February, Leeds appeared to have turned the corner. But last week’s 4-0 drubbing by City leaves them in real danger of dropping back down to the Championship after just two seasons in the top flight. Leeds have 34 points — level with Burnley and just two ahead of Frank Lampard’s Everton, who have a game in hand — with a difficult match at Arsenal on Sunday followed by a home game against Chelsea. US coach Marsch said he knew the relegation battle would go to the wire when he took the job and believes his team are still up for the fight. But if results go against them this weekend they could be in the bottom three on Sunday evening. GoLden Boot raCe: Mohamed Salah remains the heavy favourite to win
a third Golden Boot but will be looking anxiously over his shoulder at in-form Son Heung-min and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Egypt forward, with 22 league goals, has only scored twice since netting against Brighton in mid-March even as Liverpool have kept up their relentless quest for an unprecedented quadruple. Since then South Korea’s Son has scored eight times, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa and two goals against
Leicester to take his tally to 19. Ronaldo, one goal behind Son, has the chance to end a miserable season with Manchester United on a high but the Red Devils have just two games to play while Liverpool and fifth-placed Spurs both have four left. Salah and Son will likely go head to head at Anfield on Saturday, with personal milestones an added element of spice in a fixture that could prove pivotal for both teams.
Biographer says Mickelson had $40mn in gambling losses in four years LOS ANGELES AFP
US federal auditors probing Phil Mickelson’s role in an insider trading case found he had gambling losses of more than $40 million from 2010 to 2014, according to an excerpt from Alan Shipnuck’s forthcoming biography of the US golfer. Shipnuck posted the excerpt from the unauthorized biography on the Firepit Collective website on Thursday. The book, “Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorised!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar,” is due to be released on May 17. That’s two days before the start of the PGA Championship, where Mickelson is the defending champion. Mickelson became the oldest major winner in golf history when he won the PGA at Kiawah Island last year at the age of 50, but it’s not yet known if he will defend the title at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mickelson has not played since an uproar in February followed Shipnuck’s publication of the player’s explosive remarks concerning the Saudibacked LIV golf tour spearheaded by Greg Norman. The six-time major champion called the Saudi partners “scary,” citing the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But he said he was willing to work with them if the breakaway tour provided “leverage” in efforts to force the US PGA Tour to alter policies that Mickelson said rob players of deserved money-making opportunities. Mickelson was a relief defendant in a 2016 criminal insider trading case that sent gambler Billy Walters to prison. Mickelson wasn’t charged, but repaid almost $1 million made in the deal. In the excerpt posted Thursday, Shipnuck, citing a source with direct access to the documents, writes that government auditors working on the case investigated Mickelson’s finances over four years from 2010 to 2014. “In those prime earning years, Mickelson’s income was estimated to be just north of $40 million a year,” Shipnuck wrote. “That’s an obscene amount of money, but once he paid his taxes (including the California tariffs he publicly railed against), he was left with, what, low-20s? Then he had to cover his plane and mansion(s), plus his agent, caddie, pilots, chef, personal trainer, swing coaches and sundry others. “Throw in all the other expenses of a big life — like an actual T. Rex skull for a birthday present — and that leaves, what, $10 million? Per the government audit, that’s roughly how much Mickelson averaged in annual gambling losses.” Mickelson’s management company confirmed in April that he had sought a release from the US PGA Tour to play in the first event of the LIV tour, the LIV Golf Invitational near London June 911. But in a statement Steve Loy, co-president of Sportfive management, stressed the player had not yet confirmed his participation.
Saturday, 7 May, 2022
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Govt haS decided to crack down on PeoPle SPreadinG ‘immoral videoS’ on Social media: Sanaullah
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NTERIOR Minister Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that the government has decided to launch a crackdown on those who defame people by sharing “obscene and immoral content” on social media. Following the directions of Prime Minister She-
hbaz Sharif, people spreading immoral content on the internet will be arrested, he said, adding that the premier has directed that such type of content should not be tolerated. The government’s announcement came following former prime minister Imran Khan’s statement as he said that his opponents have “hired companies that are preparing for his character assassination.”
“We will not allow people to use social media to humiliate someone,” said the interior minister, adding that such incidents will be curbed wherein the material is used for blackmailing. He said that the government will deal with those involved in a harsh manner. “We will wipe out those who spread this filth,” said Sanaullah, adding that instructions have been sent to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and relevant authorities in this regard. In an interview aired earlier this week, Imran Khan had claimed that the Sharifs have hired companies that are preparing for his “character assassination.” The chairman addressed repeated warnings by PTI-backed social media accounts regarding what it termed “deep fake videos”. Deep fake videos use a form of artificial intelligence, called deep learning, to create life-like but fake videos of people. “Now that Eid is over, you will see they are fully prepared for my character assassination. They have hired companies that are readying the material on this count,” he said, adding that he had to face mafias, the biggest of which was the Sharif mafia. Regarding the campaign against Jemima Goldsmith, he said: “My ex-wife was also targeted in the past and a campaign was run against her, accusing her of being part of the Jewish lobby. Likewise, a false case was filed against her, accusing her of exporting antique tiles from the country”.
Blinken congratulates Bilawal on becoming FM United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday telephoned Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari to congratulate him on becoming the country’s new foreign minister. Taking to Twitter, Bilawal confirmed that he received the call from his American counterpart and thanked him for the felicitations. Per the tweet, during the phone call, the two sides talked about strengthening the mutually beneficial and broad-based relationship between Pakistan and the United States. The two leaders also spoke about the promotion of peace and security in the country as well as the region at large. According to the tweet, the leaders also vowed to engage in a mutually respectful way moving forward. Bilawal had taken oath as the country’s youngest foreign minister on April 27, breaking the records earlier set by his grandfather and a party leader. President Arif Alvi had administered the oath to the PPP chairman, who is 33 years, seven months, and six days of age. NewS DeSk
SBP restores banks' Saturday holiday The State Bank of Pakistan as well as Banks shall remain closed on Saturday. As per the instructions of the State Bank of Pakistan, the banks will observe the below mentioned working days and timings with immediate effect. SBP, as well as banks, will be on working Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm with prayer/ lunch break from 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm whereas on Friday office hours will be from 9:00 am 6 pm with prayer/lunch break from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. Banks / Microfinance Banks (MFBs) may prescribe business (banking) hours for public dealing as per their business requirements provided the business (banking) hours being observed by the field offices of SBP Banking Services Corporation (SBP-BSC) are complied with as a minimum benchmark for this purpose, it stated in its Press release. Further, in order to ensure the availability of basic banking facilities to the business community and the public at large, banks / MFBs may open their selected branches situated in major cities/business centres / commercial markets & hubs/ports on Saturdays as per their business requirements. The collection booths of banks located at Custom Houses / Ports shall remain open 24/7 as per existing practice. However, banks / MFBs shall submit a complete list of branches that will be opened on Saturdays to the Banking Policy & Regulations Department and also place the updated list of such branches on their websites. For the information of customers, banks / MFBs shall prominently display in the concerned branch that this branch will remain open on Saturdays. The above instructions shall continue to remain in force unless modified or withdrawn. On April 13, the central bank had announced it was increasing the working hours of banks on the directives of the federal government by declaring Saturday — otherwise a holiday — as a working day. On the other hand, the federal government announced that government offices would continue to function six days a week. According to a notification issued by the Establishment Division, the timings from Monday to Thursday and for Saturday would be from 8am to 3pm while the prayer break would be from 1pm to 1:30pm. On Fridays, office timings would be from 8am to 1pm. Staff RepoRt
India, Pakistan must brace for even worse heatwaves The devastating heatwave that gripped India and Pakistan over the last two months is unprecedented, but worse, perhaps far worse, is on the horizon as climate change continues apace, top climate scientists told AFP. Even without additional global warming, South Asia is, statistically speaking, ripe for a "big one" in the same way that California is said to be overdue for a major earthquake, according to research published this week. Extreme heat across much of India and neighbouring Pakistan in March and April exposed more than a billion people to scorching temperatures well above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). The hottest part of the year is yet to come. "This heatwave is likely to kill thousands," tweeted Robert Rohde, lead scientist at Berkeley Earth, a climate science research non-profit. The number of excess deaths, especially among the elderly poor, will only become apparent in hindsight. Heatwave mortality in India has increased by more than 60 percent since 1980, according to the country's Ministry of Earth Sciences. But "cascading impacts" on agricultural output, water, energy supplies and other sectors are already apparent, World Meteorological Organization chief Petteri Taalas said this week. Air quality has deteriorated, and large
swathes of land are at risk of extreme fire danger. Power blackouts last week as electricity demand hit record levels served as a warning of what might happen if temperatures were to climb even higher. For climate scientists, none of this came as a surprise. "What I find unexpected is most people being shocked, given how long we have been warned about such disasters coming," Camilo Mora, a professor at the University of Hawaii, told AFP. "This region of the world, and most other tropical areas, are among the most vulnerable to heatwaves." The new normal: In a benchmark 2017 study, Mora calculated that nearly half the global population will be exposed to "deadly heat" 20 days or more each year by 2100, even if global warming is capped under two degrees Celsius, the cornerstone target of the Paris Agreement. To what extent is climate change to blame for the scorched earth temperatures just now easing up in India and Pakistan? Scientists at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute, led by Friederike Otto, a pioneer in the field of attribution science, are crunching the numbers. "How much more likely and intense this particular heatwave has become is something we´re still working on," she told AFP.
"But there is no doubt that climate change is a huge game-changer when it comes to extreme heat," she added. "What we see right now will be normal, if not cool, in a 2 degree to 3-degree world." Earth´s surface, on average, is 1.1 degrees above preindustrial levels. National carbon-cutting pledges under the Paris Agreement, if fulfilled, would still see the world warm by 2.8 degrees. In India and Pakistan, "more intense heat waves of longer durations and occurring at a higher frequency are projected," the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a recent landmark report. "Before human activities increased global temperatures, we would have seen the heat that hit India around once every 50 years," said Marian Zachariah, a researcher at Imperial College London. "But now we can expect such high temperatures about once every four years." Continued global warming, in other words, guarantees greater heat extremes in the coming decades. weT-bulb TemperaTure: But things may get worse even sooner, according to a new study in Science Advances. A team led by Vikki Thompson of Bristol University ranked the world´s most severe heatwaves since 1960. Their benchmark, however, was not maximum temperatures, but how hot it got compared
to what would be expected for the region. Surprisingly, South Asia was nowhere near the top of the list. "When defined in terms of deviation from the local norm, heatwaves in India and Pakistan to date have not been all that extreme," Thompson explained in a commentary. By that measure, the worst scorcher on record over the last six decades was in Southeast Asia in 1998. "An equivalent outlier heatwave in India today would mean temperatures over 50 degrees across large swathes of the country,"
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Thompson said. "Statistically, a record-breaking heatwave is likely to occur in India at some point." What makes extreme heat deadly is high temperatures combined with humidity, a steam-bath mix with its own yardstick: wetbulb temperature (WB). When the body overheats, the heart ups the tempo and sends blood to the skin where sweating cools it down. But above a threshold of heat-plus-humidity, this natural cooling system shuts down. "Think of it as a sunburn but inside your body," said Mora.