EpaperKH_2020-06-4

CMYK

Thursday, 4 June, 2020 I 12 Shawwal-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 335 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

ECC approvEs firing all pakistan stEEl Mill workErs g

finance ministry to release rs20Bn compensation package for 9,350 employees

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ecc forms Body to hedge oil prices, asks finance division to release rs23Bn to pay ipps

ISLAMABAD

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shahzad paracha

he economic coordination committee (ecc) on wednesday approved firing all employees of the pakistan steel mills (psm), reasoning that the mills haven’t been functioning for years and the employees haven’t been doing anything. there are 9,350 employees who will be fired within a month and another 250 will be let go within three months. the ecc meeting, chaired by pm’s adviser of finance and revenue abdul hafeez shaikh, also approved a rs20 billion package for the employees, which amounts to rs2.3 million per person. though the mills have been closed for years, they are running a rs550 billion deficit and billions are being spent on debt servicing. however, the move will not be finalised until it is approved by the federal cabinet. sources said that psm stopped its commercial operations in June 2015 without formulating any human resource (hr) plan for its 14,753 employees, now reduced to 9,350. presently, the per month net salary bill of psm employees is approximately rs350m, adjusted as a loan in the financial accounts of psm. since 2013, an aggregate loan of rs34bn has been extended to psm by the government on account of net salary payment.

HEDGING OIL PRICES: the ecc also set up a body to explore options to hedge oil prices. the ecc decided to set up a committee headed by pm’s special assistant on petroleum nadeem Babar and representatives from the state Bank of pakistan (sBp), pakistan state oil (pso), finance division, petroleum division, law division and planning division to explore options for 15 million barrels of oil for one or two years – divided in 12 equal monthly amounts — for different stock prices above the current

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Brent as long as the fee is within acceptable range. under the tors, which can be readjusted by the committee in the light of future developments, pso will act as the counter-party while the ministry of finance shall give a guarantee of performance by the pso, according to a finance ministry statement. the oil and gas regulatory authority (ogra) would also be given the policy direction to include the monthly price of the option in the cost of lng or any other oil product chosen in announcing the monthly prices. the ecc also discussed the reported shortage of petrol in some cities and asked the ministry of energy, competition commission of pakistan and ogra to ensure that requisite stocks were maintained by the omcs and the supply to the fuel stations across the country was regular. on another proposal by the ministry of energy, the ecc considered and approved reimbursement of operational

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

83,247

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

77

DEATHS:

28,923 1,729 SINDH:

32,910

PUNJAB:

29,489

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

11,373 284/779

ispr dg says any military adventurism By india will Be met with ‘uncontrollaBle and unintended conseQuences’ newS DeSk

Coronavirus in

RECOVERED:

‘do not play with fire’, pakistan army warns india

5,224 3,188

cost of single point mooring (spm) installed

by Byco. under the decision, Byco would submit the actual audited operating cost of the spm (excluding wharfage/fotco charges/crude saving) to ogra for inclusion in ifem subject to a cap of parco rate, while ogra shall determine the actual impact for inclusion in the ifem on the ongoing basis. consequently, with the implementation of the above decision, Byco will withdraw its case from the supreme court and would also provide an undertaking that the ecc decision conclusively closes the pending matter of spm’s costs. on another proposal by the ministry of energy, the ecc asked the finance division to release an amount of rs 1 billion to meet the cost over and above the criteria for supply of gas to villages and localities falling within 5 kilometers radius of gas-producing fields as per instructions of the supreme court.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

pakistani military’s chief spokesman major general Babar iftikhar on thursday warned india to “not play with fire”, and said that any military adventurism from the neighbouring country will be met with “uncontrollable and unintended consequences”. in an interview with a private news channel, the director general of interservices public relations (ispr) said that this year alone, 1,229 ceasefire violations have taken place at the line of control (loc), seven civilians have been martyred and more than 90 have been injured. “many times, their [india’s] quadcopters have intruded on our side [of the loc] and in the past we have downed some of them, and it has been covered in the media. “despite this, senior indian military leadership talks about alleged intrusion from different launchpads, which i think leaves a question-mark on their capabilities — despite such a well-guarded loc and counter-infiltration measures, how can someone infiltrate one of the most militarised zones in the world?” gen iftikhar went on to say that the artillery deployed by the indian military during the past few days was in civilian populations so that, in

No allegation of corruption or dishonesty against Justice Isa, SC observes g

Justice Bandial asks govt’s counsel to explain why sc Judge was Bound to disclose family properties ISLAMABAD staff report

the chief judge of the supreme court full court hearing a plea challenging the filing of a presidential reference in the supreme Judicial council (sJc) against sc Justice Qazi faez isa on wednesday observed that there was no allegation of corruption or dishonesty against the senior apex court judge. in response to the federal government’s counsel, dr farogh naseem’s argument that Justice isa had not provided the money trail for the properties of his family members, Justice umar ata Bandial observed that there was no allegation of corruption or money attained through illegal means against Justice isa. he noted that undeclared foreign property comes under the purview of the tax law, and asked dr naseem to explain the legal reasons on the basis of which Justice isa was bound to disclose his family properties.

Justice Bandial asked whether the accused judge had carried out any misconduct. he further

said that the reference cannot be filed on tax violation and the case came under the purview of article 209 of the constitution of pakistan – which pertains to action against a judge when he has been guilty of misconduct.

Justice Bandial observed that Justice isa had declared enough income to justify the acquisition of these properties in 2008-2009. the federal government’s lawyer maintained that proceedings were initiated against a judge in india when the properties of his family members

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were not declared. however, Justice Bandial asked dr naseem to point towards pakistani law which puts a legal obligation on the accused judge to disclose properties of his family members. on being questioned on proceedings under the tax law, the federal counsel maintained that officials of the federal Board of revenue (fBr) were too afraid to proceed against Justice isa and his family members. he stated before the court that fBr officials refused to act until the conclusion of the supreme Judicial council’s proceedings. another judge on the bench, Justice maqbool Baqar inquired what prompted the federal government to file the reference against Justice isa. he observed that there was a concern by the petitioner that the reference was filed because certain quarters were unhappy with one of the verdicts authored by Justice isa. review petitions were also filed against the ruling of Justice isa and questions of misconduct were raised.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

case of counter-bombardment, it would target kashmiris living in the occupied valley. “the pakistan army is responding [to indian aggression] in the same area, and with the same calibre along the loc. But we are always trying not to harm civilians living on the other side. “the people of occupied kashmir are becoming targets of indian aggression. women and children are also included in them. indian security forces have also not spared innocent seven year olds.” commenting on the international day for innocent children victims of aggression — which will be celebrated on thursday — gen iftikhar said: “looking at this through this lens, thousands of children and young people are becoming targets of indian pellet guns in occupied kashmir.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

pm imran visits isi hQs, vows no compromise on security, sovereignty STORY ON BACK PAGE

more inside

NAB can’t arrest Shehbaz Sharif till June 17, court rules STORY ON PAGE 02

cement sales plunge 37.6pc in may STORY ON PAGE 03

Ineffective hand sanitisers flood markets in absence of regulatory oversight STORY ON PAGE 05

six omcs issued show cause notices for not maintaining fuel stocks STORY ON PAGE 09

02

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

news

NAB CAN’T ARReST ShehBAz ShARIf TIll JuNe 17, CouRT RuleS PML-N PRESIDENT OBTAINS PRE-ARREST BAIL IN MONEY LAUNDERING AND ILLEGAL ASSETS CASE FROM LHC NAB TELLS COURT HAS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO TAKE NA OPP LEADER INTO CUSTODY; SUMMONS SHEHBAZ ON JUNE 9 LAHore

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STAFF REPORT

EADER of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday obtained pre-arrest bail till June 17 from the Lahore High Court (LHC), a day after a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided his Model Town residence to arrest him in cases related to money laundering and assets beyond known sources of income.

During the hearing, Shehbaz’s lawyers claimed that even though the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was summoned by NAB on June 2, warrants were dated May 28, implying that the watchdog had already decided to arrest him. To this, NAB’s counsel responded by saying that warrants were issued when there was enough evidence to make an arrest.

However, the court granted bail to Shehbaz till June 17 on submission of a surety bond worth Rs500,000. The PML-N leader had filed the pre-arrest bail petition on June 1, a day before he was required to appear before a combined investigation team of the NAB. However, the bail petition could not be fixed for hearing before the bench on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, Shehbaz had refused to appear before NAB for a third time, citing health concerns. In a statement submitted to the bureau, he said: “It has been widely reported in the media that some NAB officials have tested positive for Covid-19.

“Please appreciate [that] I am a cancer survivor and 69 years old. I have been advised limited exposure on account of the peculiar background of low immunity,” he said.

He added that he was available to answer any queries by the investigation team via

Shehbaz accuses PM Imran of using NAB for political victimisation National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of using the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as a political weapon, adding that NAB’s unjustified raid on his Model Town house the other day put many lives in danger. In a statement released on Twitter, Shehbaz said, “In view of the number of coronavirus victims in NAB, Imran’s sole purpose seems to be to endanger the life of anyone who talks about his incompetence”.

“Yesterday’s unjustified actions endangered countless lives, including our party supporters and police personnel,” he said. “Today the leaders and workers of my party and the policemen who were just performing their duties were all fully exposed to the coronavirus,” he said, adding that this was just a manifestation of the “fire of hatred” inside Imran Khan. NEWS DESK

SC extends stay order in Peshawar BRT project case ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday extended the stay order which barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Qazi Amin conducted hearing of the case. During the course of proceedings, Justice Umar Atta Bandial remarked that the apex court would examine the process under which the construction contract was granted. The court did not want to keep the case under stay order for long, he added. He said the court had to analyze specific things, including repeatedly redesigning the project at public’s expense, delay in its completion, mistakes committed in it, as well as transparency. He asked: “Was there any conflict of interest in the BRT project? Was it launched without groundwork and had the provincial government spent billions of rupees on an incomplete project?” The court adjourned the case hearing for an indefinite period over a request by the KP government counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan. It is pertinent to mention here that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had ordered the FIA to conduct the interrogation of the BRT project after which the KP government moved the apex court. STAFF REPORT

Sindh CM to appear before NAB on Thursday Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday in relation to the Sindh Roshan programme case, said officials of the anti-corruption watchdog.

NAB said that security arrangements for the chief minister’s visit have been made to ensure nothing untoward happens when he appears to attend the hearing.

The NAB officials had earlier shared that they have recovered Rs298 million in the Sindh Roshan Programme, adding that the company’s four employees and two companies had agreed on a plea bargain. They added that Abdul Sattar Qureshi, Abdul Rashid Chana, Aslam Pervaiz Memon and Baldev took a plea bargain.

The Sindh Roshan Programme case is one of the many ones pertaining to the fake accounts case. It is related to the installation of solar-powered streetlights in various districts of Sindh. NEWS DESK

Skype. After he did not appear for the NAB hearing, a team of officials from the accountability watchdog and police raided Shehbaz’s residence in Lahore’s Model Town to arrest him but left on learning that he was not present there.

If Shehbaz had been arrested by the NAB before the LHC hearing on his pre-arrest bail, his petition would have become infructuous. Speaking to the media after the hearing, PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that despite accusing Shehbaz of a host of corruption-related crimes, NAB has yet to prove a single allegation.

“You must have heard a lot about 56 companies, what happened to them? You must have also heard about the Saaf Pani case, what happened to that? What happened to Ashiyana [case]?” he asked.

“The last resort for NAB are accusations of assets beyond means, benami assets and money laundering.”

Abbasi proposed NAB to interrogate Shehbaz Sharif in front of the people, saying that “a man who spent his life amongst the public should be interrogated in front of them as well.”

“Countries become hollow if institutions resort to dishonesty,” Abbasi said. “I ask the NAB chairman, on what grounds did you sign Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest orders?”

Party leader Ahsan Iqbal, who was alongside Abbasi, said that instead of focusing on the locust attack that was ruining crops and distressing farmers, the government was worried about Shehbaz Sharif’s arrest. Iqbal claimed that NAB’s attempt to arrest Sharif was a “tactic to keep him from attending the upcoming budget session”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Abid Saqi and Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Haroon Dogal submitted a petition requesting the LHC to grant Shehbaz

Bilawal says PPP to resist layoffs of workers of govt enterprises ISLAMABAD INP

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Wednesday warned the federal government not to remove workers of state-owned enterprises, saying his party would resist any such action.

In a statement, Bilawal alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan and some of his cabinet members were “involved in a plot to unleash a wave of unemployment and chaos and create a situation to sell off state-owned enterprises to their invisible partners”.

The PPP chairman added that PIA and Pakistan Steel, two of Pakistan’s biggest assets, have been targeted by the PTI government from day one of its induction.

He said the federal government imposed the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952, on the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and banned the employees union, a blatantly unconstitutional move that lays bare their conspiracy to deprive the rights of the workers and unveils their plans for privatisation.

Bilawal also pointed out that it was Imran Khan who had stood at the gates of Pakistan Steel Mill and promised that he had experts who would restore Pakistan Steel to its former glory and bring its operations to full capacity, but now he had gone back on his word and was advancing the agenda of those who planned to sell it to their friends and benefactors. Bilawal said that the PPP would not allow any lay-off, right-sizing or downsizing in any sector and warned that PPP would resist these steps at any cost.

No allegation of corruption or dishonesty against Justice Isa, SC observes ContInueD froM pAge 01 Justice Baqar further asked whether the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) had checked the credentials of the journalist, Abdul Hameed Dogar, who had first given the information on these properties of the apex court’s judge’s family.

“Have you asked who gave him this information and what was his background,” asked Justice Baqar.

Many things happen through the divine in this country, he observed.

Dr Naseem replied that Dogar had refused to disclose his source, and argued that journalists could go to any lengths to protect their sources.

Meanwhile, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah questioned Dr Naseem’s argument that Justice Isa had revealed everything except the source of funds to purchase these flats

and how those funds were transferred to the United Kingdom. Justice Shah asked why Justice Isa should have to reveal the money trail. Tell us which law bounds him to reveal the source of these funds? he asked.

Justice Shah said that the petitioner was maintaining that his family members were independent and they should be approached about the source of funds.

He further asked the federal counsel to furnish details of complaints of individuals which are received by the ARU against public office holders and the actions which are initiated against such.

The federal lawyer read out the Supreme Judicial Counsel’s showcause notice stating that Justice Isa had filed the reply over the notice therefore his petition against the reference was not maintainable. The court later adjourned the hearing till Thursday.

permission to reach the court.

The petition said police had “set up obstacles” on the way to the court to prevent [Shehbaz from reaching it].

Shehbaz Sharif submitted a petition for pre-arrest bail in the LHC two days ago and reaching the court [for it] is his legal right, the petitioners argued.

A similar petition was also filed by Azam Nazeer Tarar, a member of the PBC. NAB SUMMONS SHEHBAZ ON JUNE 9: Meanwhile, NAB Lahore has re-summoned Shehbaz Sharif on June 9 in the two cases.

Article 62(1)f doesn’t apply if a person doesn’t return bank loan in time, SC says ISLAMABAD APP

Justice Umar Ata Bandial, while hearing an election matter along with Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, said on Wednesday that Article 62(1)f did not apply to a person who obtains a loan from a bank and does not return it in time. He said that delays in bank loan refunds could be for any reason. The court granted permission to the respondent to appoint a lawyer at the request of petitioner Yaqub Sheikh. Justice Bandial asked does the decision of the tribunal state that 62 (1) F applies to the petitioner. He asked the petitioner whether he cleared his financial issues. The counsel for petitioner said that his client obtained four loans from different banks and three of which had been paid off.

He said the tribunal had written against his client that he was not ‘righteous and trustworthy’ according to Article 62(1)f. He said that Rashida Yaqub was disqualified under Article 62(1)f but his client was not. Justice Bandial said that the Supreme Court (SC) had already given its verdict in this regard.

Justice Ahmed said that it was impossible to get permission to contest re-election after the apex court’s decision. Tariq Akram, a respondent in the case, pleaded the court to grant time to hire a counsel as he could not hire a lawyer due to coronavirus pandemic.

The court adjourned hearing till date in office after allowing Akram to hire a counsel.

Moot says budget must put people first ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan had 60 million people unemployed even before the pandemic, while the current crisis has added an estimated 20 million more, said former finance minister Sartaj Aziz during an online conference held on Wednesday by the Institute for Policy Reforms.

Aziz stressed the need for a comprehensive 'Corona Revival Plan', adding that the agriculture sector needed special attention since it was the economy's backbone.

He also highlighted the need for "efficient water policy and better water management".

"The government must support SMEs as they employ a large number of people," he stated, lamenting that the government was yet to announce a support package for the informal sector, small vendors and traders.

"They have a large share in the GDP and must be supported." Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Humayun Akhtar Khan said, "We have pursued stability for decades but with no success. We should now think in terms of growth and exports. It is no surprise that economic reforms move one step forward and two steps backwards."

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Khan stated that the budget was important only if it was part of a larger growth strategy, adding that "fifty years of ‘focus on stability and austerity’ has left us with no strategy for growth".

Pakistan Business Council CEO Ehsan Malik said that Covid-19 was an opportunity to revisit economic policymaking and to develop a national economic plan with broad consensus. The government must prioritise the welfare of the common man with basic supplies and services, he added.

Meanwhile, former commerce minister Dr Zubair Khan said that the economy was crumbling even before the pandemic. "Fiscal deficit was high, interest rates were exorbitant with no economic logic, macroeconomic issues largely stayed unattended and there was no fiscal adjustment."

Eminent expert and LUMS professor Dr Bari said that reforms were needed at the microeconomic level, whereas the country's policy space focuses only on macro indicators. "We must rethink the government's role so that they better provide education and health services to the people." Bari further said it was not so much a lack of funds, it was more a matter of priorities, as “we prefer road projects over schools and hospitals”.

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

NEWS

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Govt warns of another locKdown if PeoPle don’t follow soPs INFO MINISTER SAYS COVID-19 CASES IN PAKISTAN LESSER THAN ESTIMATED NUMBER DUE TO GOVT’S ‘WELL-ORGANISED AND COORDINATED’ STRATEGY ISLAMABAD APP

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HE federal government on Wednesday said that it would impose another lockdown if the people did not follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for protection from coronavirus. Addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz expressed disappointment at the way people ignored protective measures after the government eased restrictions, and once again urged them to follow the SOPs to curb rising Covid19 cases, because failure to do some would prompt the government to reimpose a lockdown.

University students demand waiving of semester fees ISLAMABAD: University students from across the country gathered outside the office of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Wednesday demanding their full semester fee be waived. They also wanted varsities to stop their online classes and promote students to the next semester without any examinations. With placards in their hands, the students shouted slogans and blocked the capital’s Service Road for traffic. These students have not just been protesting on roads but have also voiced their concerns on Twitter and other social media platforms. They say that the pandemic has affected them severely. In a thread on Twitter, Aswad Shiraz, a student at Iqra University, called out varsities for charging full semester fees during the coronavirus pandemic, declaring it “immoral” and “unfair”. “It is not just a piece of cake for everyone to bear the financial burden of their academics as some [students] do part-time jobs and give home tuition to pay off their expenses,” he said. Shiraz stated that due to the pandemic, they could no longer work, leading to difficulty in paying fees. The online classes that the varsities conduct only include daily lectures and recordings for which students use their own resources such as WiFi and mobile internet. The student explained that their university fee covers all the student services and facilities such as clubs and societies and campus facilities which have not been utilised since educational institutions were closed. Owing to this, we demand that the universities reduce their fees by 50%, Shiraz said.

Following Shiraz’s tweets, several other students from all provinces expressed their concerns and have requested the HEC to consider their demands. Schools, universities and colleges were closed down by the government in late February as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus spread. Following this, educational institutions resorted to online classes. STAFF REPORT

The minister said that the government eased the restrictions to provide livelihood opportunities to the weaker segments of the society. He said that the government also launched the social welfare initiatives like Ehsaas to facilitate the disadvantaged segments of the society. Talking about the government’s strategy, he said that they were pursuing a very well organised and coordinated strategy to curb the spread of the contagion. “This is the reason why the coronavirus cases are less than our estimates,” he said.

Faraz said that the relevant departments are working in close coordination to address the issue of locusts. He said that a well thought out strategy like the government’s Covid19 strategy is being followed to make the fight against the crop munching pests successful.

Alluding to the political situation of the country, the minister dispelled the impression of victimisation of political opponents. He made it clear that the accountability process would go ahead as the future belongs to parties who believe in public service. The minister said that action would be taken against mafias who held the national economy hostage for their own vested interests. Parliamentary Secretary for

Covid-19 claims lives of two more lawmakers LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Two provincial lawmakers, one from Punjab and the other from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, passed away from Covid-19 on Wednesday, a day after Sindh minister Ghulam Murtaza Baloch died from the deadly virus.

In KP, ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Mian Jamshedud Din Kakakhel died at Islamabad’s Kalsoom Hospital. He was on a ventilator after having tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week. Kakakhel, 65, was elected to the provincial assembly from Nowshera in 2018.

Later in the day, PML-N MPA from Punjab’s Wazirabad, Shaukat Manzoor Cheema passed away from the virus. Cheema had been undergoing treatment at the Pakistan Kidney And Liver Institute (PKLI) in Lahore.

Two more MPAs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly also tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. Both

the MPAs belonged to the Awami National Party (ANP).

The ANP confirmed that Faisal Zeb Khan and Salahuddin Khan had tested positive. KP Director General

Families of PIA plane crash victims receive Rs1m each KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday said it has started to pay compensation to the families of the Karachi plane crash victims.

According to a spokesperson of the national flag bearer, families of 82 victims of the ill-fated flight have been given Rs1 million each while the two girls who were injured in the plane crash have been handed Rs500,000 each.

PIA flight PK-8303 suffered a tragic air crash in Karachi last month, killing 97 people on board while two passengers survived miraculously.

During the ill-fated flight, the pilots made a first landing attempt and the plane briefly touched the ground multiple times, before attempting to land for a second time.

Separately, the federal government last month had an-

nounced it would bear the expenses to compensate Model Colony residents whose houses and cars were damaged when the plane crashed inside the locality.

The PK-8303 tragedy has become the third most-catastrophic aviation disaster in the country’s history.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a report issued on Tuesday had alleged the pilot of the PIA plane had violated landing protocols.

According to the report, the pilot disregarded air traffic control’s (ATC) direction to lower the altitude.

In his letter to the general manager (safety), the additional director of flight operations has stated the plane’s altitude and speed were higher than the required limit for landing. The ATC had cautioned the pilot twice but he disregarded the warning.

Experts say the pilots likely tried to land the Airbus without lowering the wheels, damaging both engines so badly they soon failed.

Cement sales plunge 37.6pc in May ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The impact of construction package announced by the government is yet to be seen, as domestic cement uptake declined by a massive 37.63pc to 2.27 million tonnes in May 2020, as compared to 3.64 million tonnes in May 2019.

Meanwhile, cement exports from the country also decreased by 24.81pc, from 0.483 million tonnes in May 2019 to 0.363 million tonnes in May 2020.

According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), cement despatches clocked in at 2.63 million tonnes in May 2020 for both export and local consumption, as against the despatches of 4.12

Railways Farrukh Habib, in his remarks, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has exposed the ‘mafia’ and the money plundered by the corrupt elements would be recovered and spent on the poor people. Earlier, Minister for Planning Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said the government would not tolerate violation of the SOPs that were placed to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Chairing the meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the minister discussed the compliance of SOPs in detail with the provincial chief secretaries. He said there should be a clear message conveyed to the masses that the government would “ensure social distancing and compliance of safety guidelines in public places and high-risk areas” at all costs. “The National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting minutes have been approved with the emphasis on ensuring voluntary compliance of SOPs and strict administrative action against violators. The NCC is fully supporting the provinces to ensure strict compliance of safety guidelines,” he added.

million tonnes during the corresponding month of last fiscal, showing a decrease of 36.12pc. The decline in cement despatches was mainly due to the slowdown in construction activity caused by Covid-19 outbreak, the holy month of Ramzan and Eid holidays.

Domestic cement consumption in the northern region was recorded at 2.001 million tonnes, as against 3.05 million tonnes in May 2019, while consumption in the southern zone of the country declined to 0.269 million tonnes from 0.589 million tonnes in May 2019.

Similarly, the exports from the north declined to 7,520 tonnes during the month under review, as compared to 0.164 million tonnes last May. From the south, which is the hub of cement exports, there

was a nominal increase in exports, from 0.319 million tonnes in May 2019 to 0.356 million tonnes in May 2020.

During the first eleven months of FY20, total cement despatches were recorded at 43.189 million tonnes, as against 43.327 million tonnes during the same period of the last year, posting a nominal decline of 0.32pc. Domestic consumption during the period under review declined by 2.72pc to 36.13 million tonnes from 37.14 million tonnes last year.

On the other hand, cement exports increased by 14.07pc in 11MFY20, from 6.188 million tonnes last year to 7.059 million tonnes during the period under review.

Domestic despatches by the northbased mills stood at 30.94 million tons during July-May 2019-20, as against 29.61

million tonnes during the same period of last year, posting a less than anticipated growth of 4.49pc. However, exports from the north declined by 19.24pc during the period under review, from 2.38 million tonnes to 1.924 million tonnes.

Despatches from south-based mills were recorded at 5.18 million tonnes during the first 11 months of this fiscal, declining by 31.09pc from 7.53 million tonnes during the same period last year.

Exports, however, registered a healthy increase of 34.92pc during the period under review, from 3.81 million tonnes last year to 5.13 million tonnes.

“The cement sector has been in dire straits for the last few months. It posted a growth of 31pc in domestic cement consumption until February this year, however, since then, there has constant decline; -16.69pc in March, -18.97pc April and now almost double in May,” said the APCMA spokesperson.

Health Services Dr Tahir Nadeem went into quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus a day earlier. A notification from the health department confirmed that Nadeem had gone into quarantine and stated that Additional Director General Dr Niaz Mohammad would assume charge until the former returned. A day earlier, Ghulam Murtaza Baloch, Sindh’s minister for human settlement, died after testing positive for coronavirus more than three weeks ago, officials and his family sources said.

The 55-year-old senior member of the PPP, who was elected member of the Sindh Assembly from the party’s stronghold of PS-88 (Malir), tested positive for Covid-19 on May 14. His condition from day one, the officials said, remained critical and he was even shifted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital.

Some half a dozen members of the Sindh Assembly belonging to both the opposition and ruling parties have tested positive for Covid-19 during the last one month.

KP millers threaten protest if ban on wheat supply is not lifted PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) flour millers on Wednesday threatened to start a protest along with their workers across the province from next Friday if the ban on inter-provincial wheat supply was not lifted forthwith. Despite the availability over 10 million tonnes of wheat in the open market of Punjab, the imposition of Section 144 on wheat supply from Punjab was unjustifiable and incomprehensible, and violation of Article 151 of the Constitution of Pakistan, they said during a press conference. The millers said that the KP is wheat-deficient province and mostly dependent on Punjab to fulfil food requirement. They informed the media that total wheat requirement of the province is around 4.4 million tonnes against the local production of 0.8 million tonnes. They said 3.6 million tonnes of flour is supplied in the shape of wheat to KP from Punjab. KP mills have completely run out of wheat stock and are forced to shut down as the provincial food department has failed to provide wheat to mills from the past six months, they added. The millers said that price of a 20 kg flour bag has surged up at Rs1,200, and if the ban on wheat supply was not lifted, the flour prices would further escalate in coming days.

Muhammad Iqbal, the provincial chairman of the All Pakistan Flour Mills Associations, said that smuggling is not a valid and genuine reason for restrictions on wheat transportation from Punjab to KP, but rather the “hatred among federating units” is to blame. He claimed that Punjab’s bureaucracy is behind the restrictions on wheat supply. The APFMA provincial chairman said that the restrictions were imposed to shut flour down mills in KP. He said that the closure of flour industry would render hundreds of workers jobless and affect their families, besides wasting investment of millions of rupees. He also said that the prices would go up in the open market in case the flour mills were shut down in the province, and it would affect the poor masses who would be compelled to buy wheat flour at high rates amid rising inflation, he added. He further demanded permission for KP mills to purchase wheat from open market of Punjab. The flour millers demanded of the Prime Minister Imran Khan and KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to take immediate notice of the ban on inter-provincial transportation of wheat from Punjab and save the KP flour mills from closure. AZIZ BUNERI

04 KARACHI

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

WEATHER UPDATES THURSDAY

360C

280C

FRIDAY

360C

280C

SATURDAY

350C

290C

PRAyER TimingS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:14

12:30

3:53

5:41

7:18

8:46

Four KIllEd, ovEr 15 pEoplE InjurEd AS duSt StorM hItS CIty KARACHI

A

after the roof of his house collapsed, while a 60-year-old woman died in a wall-collapse incident in Saadi Town Block 5, according to the Chhipa Information Bureau.

According to Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, various parts of the city witnessed dust storm caused due to strong western winds. “This weather system of strong winds coupled with dust storm will last in the city for two hours till 10:00 pm,” he said. The sandstorms have a speed between 54 and 74 kilometres per hour, said the met department.

The winds plunged the city into darkness, which K-Electric termed as a precau-

STAFF REPORT

T least four people were killed on Wednesday evening as parts of Karachi were gripped by gusty winds accompanied by a dust storm that led to power outages and infrastructural damage.

Two people died while as many were injured after walls collapsed due to the strong winds in two separate incidents in Gulistani-Jauhar and Gulshan-i-Maymar areas, a spokesperson for the Edhi foundation said.

In Taiser Town, a 45-year-old man died

CM Shah expresses disappointment with Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj

tionary measure, as various incidents of electric poles falling to the ground were also reported from the city. The areas that witnessed power outages included Malir Halt, Tariq Bin Ziyad Society, Model Colony, parts of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Defence, Mehmodabad, Qayyumabad and other areas. K-Electric spokesman confirmed that electric supply in parts of the city remained suspended amid incidents of electric poles and wires coming to the ground. Electric supply in parts of the city remained suspended keeping in view the preventives measures, the spokesperson said.

Sindh ramps up testing amid rising number of coronavirus infections

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed his disappointment with Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani during a session on Wednesday. The minister said that the speaker had broken the tradition of the province by calling a session in the Assembly, instead of conducting one over the phone call. “Last night, a member of the Pakistan People’s Party passed away,” Shah said. “Many people here haven’t even have gone and said prayers for him.” He reiterated that he had called the speaker and requested him to conduct a session online or on call, but that did not happen. “This is a sad day for the Sindh Assembly. This was a tradition and it has been broken today,” Shah added. Assembly sessions in Sindh were being conducted through calls ever since the coronavirus cases in the province spiked. Record 1,824 new coronavirus cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the provincial tally to 32,910. Total fatalities had amounted to 555. STAFF REPORT

K-Electric hints at increased load shedding this summer NEWS DESK Due to the ease in lockdown and a spike in business activities, the surge in demand of electricity has made load shedding inevitable in Karachi, said a K-Electric spokesman on Wednesday. According to KE, in the current situation, an increase in load shedding can be expected. The KE spokesman said that the power supply company is not getting the required amount of furnace oil and it is affecting the production of electricity. This can lead to load shedding in Karachi and the adjacent areas, said the KE spokesperson. As soon as the supply of furnace oil is regulated, the production of electricity will increase as well to meet demand, said the company’s spokesman. Meanwhile, citizens have expressed anger over the preexisting situation of power supply, saying that the KE is causing an ‘artificial’ crisis. The citizens lamented that in Karachi, power is out for several hours regularly. According to a resident, every year in summers an artificial crisis of fuel is created to get funds from the government, while the corporation charges double in bills from the public.

29 MORE PATIENTS OF CORONAVIRUS DIE DURING PAST 24 HOURS, BUMPING UP THE GRIM TOTAL TO 555 — 1.6PC OF TOTAL CASES

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Sindh government has ramped up testing amid a rising number of infections in the province, with the chief minister expressing concern over the fact that most cases are local transmissions.

The highest number of tests yet — 7,547 — were conducted in the last 24 hours against which 1,824 (24.2%) were diagnosed positive.

“Whenever, we have conducted more tests, we have detected more cases — it means local transmission has spread throughout the province of Sindh,” Shah said, according to a statement by the Chief Minister House on

Wednesday.

So far, the government has tested 200,093 samples of which 32,910 case were diagnosed positive, which translates to 16.5% of total tests conducted.

Shah, according to the statement, said that 29 more patients of coronavirus died in the past day, bumping up the grim total to 555 — 1.6% of the total cases. Currently, 16,333 patients are under treatment in the province. Of these, 15,070 are isolating at home, 111 are at isolation centres and 1,152 at various hospitals.

“367 patients are in critical condition, of which 56 have been put on ventilators,” said the chief minister.

According to Shah, 487 patients recovered in the last 24 hours and “returned to their normal life”. With this, the total number of recoveries reached 16,022, which constitutes 49% of cases.

He said that out of 1,824 cases recorded in the past 24 hours, 1,284 belong to Karachi. This includes 323 in district East, 299 in district South, 256

in district Central, 227 in district Korangi, 120 in district Malir and 59 in district West.

Among other districts in the province, Hyderabad has 73 new cases, Ghotki 36, Shikarpur 24, Jasmhoro and Kashmore 13 each, Qambar-Shahdadkot 10, Khairpur and Dadu nine each, Mirpurkhas and Sujawal eight each, Jacobabad seven, Nawabshah and Badin four each, and Sanghar has three.

The chief minister warned people to be more cautious now that the lockdown has been eased further and public transport permitted.

PIA PLANE CRASH: Speaking of the identification of bodies from the PIA plane crash, the chief minister said that 89 bodies identified so far have been handed to over to their heirs. He added that out of 89 bodies, 53 have been identified through DNA. At present, eight bodies, including two at Chhipa and six at Edhi, have been kept in mortuaries. Three DNA samples are yet to be cross-matched.

Intra-city transport, ride-hailing services resume across Sindh KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Intra-city public transport and ride hailing services on Wednesday resumed in Karachi and other parts of Sindh on the condition of standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the provincial government.

The new development came as the Sindh government on Tuesday allowed the transport services to resume operation from today. These services were closed from March 24 due to lockdown to control coronavirus spread.

Transporters will have to follow SOPs and board a low number of passengers with masks and clean hands with san-

itizers besides ensuring three feet distance among passengers. All the buses will run from designated stations and only two people will be allowed to sit in a ride-hailing service. However, in case of emergency, three passengers will be allowed to sit.

They will have to ensure cleaning and disinfecting surfaces of buses, bus terminals and waiting areas besides ensuring social distancing during ticketing, boarding, travelling and disembarking with a minimum of 3-feet distance.

The transporters will have to ensure checking the body temperature of every passenger including that of the driver and conductor before boarding the bus while boarding of anyone with a cough or fever will not be allowed.

Citizens hail resumption of public transport in Karachi KARACHI APP

Karachiites were largely relieved finding buses and wagons on roads Wednesday as this not only helped them avoid unnecessary delay to reach their workplace but was also light on their pockets.

The government had allowed the facility after a lull of more than two months but with strict conditions regarding implementation of SOPs encompassing mandatory use of face masks by commuters, conductors and the drivers besides proper distancing and ready availability of sanitizers in every vehicle.

It was definitely a pleasant surprise for many but there was also no dearth of people who were more concerned about not missing the bus to their respective destination

KCCI opposes giving more teeth to tax collectors

with little realisation about their mutual responsibility to avert any possible risk.

“I was glad to see that conductors, against the practice ensured that buses are not overloaded and that passengers were helped to keep proper distance from each other,” said Amina a domestic help.

The women with her residence in New Sabzi Mandi vicinity and workplace being Hasan Square had been previously compelled to travel on a rickshaw shared by no less than four to five at a time.

“I knew the risk sitting very close to other women and although used faced mask but was scared,” she said hinting that fare was also on higher side - more than double to what she is paying for a bus journey.

Ashad Ali, a senior transporter talking to APP said adherence to SOPs ought to significantly add to the expenditure in run-

ning the bus and wagon services, however, realizing their relevance in protecting people against the Covid-19 pandemic the cost seems to be irrelevant.

According to him all stakeholders need to accept ground reality, particularly that large majority of commuters are little positioned to realize intensity of the situation and even if they do understand they find themselves unable to follow rules.

“There had been dearth of large size vehicles (omni buses) in Karachi for quite some time and despite the fact that they provided masses affordable means of transportation little effort was made by the government to address the situation,” he complained.

In the given situation, the transporter said it should not have been of any surprise to see people getting desperate to have

some space in the vehicle and simply refusing to follow the instructions of conductors.

Many of the citizens were but hopeful that people would gradually learn to ensure safe spacing, must use of mask besides and, to an extent, the importance sanitizers.

There were also who feared that transporters presently keen to follow and implement SOPs may soon turn their back on the same under the pretext of commuters being indifferent. The representative of bus owners’ association, without negating the stance, urged media to take public awareness and sensitization about relevance of precautions against the viral infection as its top priority. “Law and rules cannot work in the absence of people being duly motivated and fully conscious about their importance,” he said.

KARACHI: Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) President Agha Shahab Ahmed Khan has expressed serious concern over reports that Income Tax officials are seeking more powers to probe and reopen cases of taxpayers within the past 10 years. In their proposals for budget 2020-21, the officials of Tax Department have recommended that they may be authorised to issue assessment orders for up to 10 years instead of 5 years, under Section 121 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. The KCCI President pointed out that KCCI has contested for years to curtail discretionary powers of tax officials, which are a source of harassment to the taxpayers and have prevented a majority of business persons to register in the tax regime.

“Such powers are a deterrent to broadening of tax base which remains around 1 percent despite all kinds of coercive tactics,” he said.

He said that contrary to stated goal of reforms in FBR and Taxation regime, the government is being misled into taking measures in the Budget 2020-21 which will further discourage documentation and result in misuse of discretionary powers. In a letter addressed to Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor to PM on Finance and Revenue, Agha Shahab urged the Ministry of Finance to avoid taking any measures that will be counter-productive to an already sluggish economy and negative GDP growth. “Instead the government must undertake large scale reforms in FBR, revisit entire taxation policy and jurisprudence and curtail unbridled discretionary powers in Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Sales Tax Act 1990, Federal Excise Act and Customs Act”, he added and further emphasised that amendments in tax laws and rules should not be inserted through a finance bill. He was of the opinion that it has been the usual practice by tax authorities to sneak in discretionary powers in the Income Tax Ordinance, Sales Tax Act, Federal Excise Act and Customs Act etc. every year through the Finance Bill. He stated that any changes in taxation and customs provisions and rules should be presented through separate bills in the parliament so that a proper debate can be held in parliament and the senate before such major changes are introduced in the law.

Agha Shahab expressed the disappointment that much needed reforms in FBR could not be carried out by the present government and a status quo is maintained. “The officials of Inland Revenue are trapped in the same old mindset supported by colonial era tax provisions. They are seeking more powers to squeeze the existing tax payers and business entities which are already documented, rather than enhancing their competency level and exert more efforts to bring the undocumented entities and major tax evaders into the tax net.

The net result of this state of affairs is continuing dependence on indirect taxes and loans from IMF and World Bank, “ he lamented. STAFF REPORT

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

InEffECtIvE hAnD SAnItISErS flooD MArkEtS In AbSEnCE of rEgulAtory ovErSIght FEDERAL CABINET BYPASSES DRAP’S AUTHORITY TO MANDATE MOST FOR REGULATING HAND SANITISERS’MANUFACTURING iSLAmABAd

M

GHULAM ABBAS

OST hand sanitisers available in the local market are ineffective against coronavirus as they contain 30 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) as compared to the required 70 per cent ABV, and the lack of oversight has permitted this practice to go unchecked for a while.

Recently, the federal cabinet bypassed the rules of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and mandated the Min-

istry of Science and Technology (MoST) to monitor the manufacturing of hand sanitisers, which paved the way for the supply of substandard products to local pharmacies and stores.

Globally, pharmaceutical companies are leading the way in the manufacturing of hand sanitizers as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO), but in Pakistan, a large number of cosmetic companies and even shopkeepers have started manufacturing hand sanitisers with less alcohol content. The global health body recommends that only qualified and authorised companies should make hand sanitisers because substandard products can not only be ineffective against germs and viruses but they can also cause skin burns.

Well-informed sources told Pakistan Today that soon after the coronavirus outbreak, cosmetic companies in Pakistan wanted to get into the manufacturing of hand sanitisers and to avoid strict oversight, they wanted a weak organisation like the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to handle the licencing and monitoring instead of DRAP, as the

Minor girl tortured to death for accidentally freeing employer’s exotic parrots RAWALPINDI: The murder of an eight-year-old domestic help has sparked outrage on social media with people demanding justice for the minor girl who was allegedly tortured to death by her employers for accidentally setting their exotic parrots free. Zahra, a domestic worker at a household in Rawalpindi, was brought to the Begum Akhtar Rukhsana Memorial Hospital on Sunday in an injured state by her employer. According to the police, the suspect admitted that he and his wife had beaten Zahra after she let his “expensive pet parrots escape from their cage”. Zahra succumbed to her injuries soon after she was brought to the hospital and both her employers were arrested the same day. They were remanded into police custody until June 6. The first information report (FIR), that was registered in Rawat police station on behalf of the station house officer (SHO) soon after the victim was brought to the hospital and was still alive, said that she had injuries on her face, hands, below her rib cage and legs. The FIR further stated that she also had wounds on her thighs which suggested that she might have been sexually assaulted.

Police have sent samples for forensic examination to confirm if an assault took place and are yet to receive a report. The report was filed under Sections 302 (punishment for qatl-i-umd [intended murder]), 376 (punishment of rape) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Zahra’s body was handed over to her family after a post-mortem examination, which revealed that the victim had died due to her injuries. The girl hailed from Punjab’s Kot Addu city and was employed by the couple four months ago to take care of their one-year-old child, police said. When employing her, the suspect had promised to provide her an education. The incident has reignited a discussion over the exploitation of minors and child labour laws in Pakistan. Opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman, in response to a tweet, vowed to take the case up, adding that child labour “has to stop”. STAFF REPORT

latter has legal powers to impose heavy fines or award punishment for selling substandard items. PSQCA, an attached department of MoST, has no legal powers in this regard and it can only report violation of standards to relevant police stations and file cases before the judicial magistrate.

On the condition of anonymity, an official of the MoST told Pakistan Today that in order avoid punishment and fines, the Cosmetic Association of Pakistan approached political figures, who finally handed over the mandate to PSQCA, which itself is questionable, because as per the DRAP Act, 2012, the federal cabinet does not have the authority to intervene in the domain of DRAP. The official said that since licencing and monitoring of such items involves kickbacks and corruption, the high-ups of the MoST convinced the federal cabinet to hand over the subject to PSQCA despite the fact that it has been unable to ensure the quality and standard of 120 items which fall under its domain.

The official also said that not a single pharmacist or qualified person is avail-

NEWS able to test hand sanitisers at PSQCA and this has allowed cosmetic companies to continue manufacturing them without regulatory oversight. Besides, the official added, most of these cosmetic companies manufacture their original products without qualified staff and they definitely lack the infrastructure and qualified chemists and pharmacists to manufacture hand sanitisers.

According to experts, hand sanitisers are regulated as over-the-counter (nonprescription) drugs under DRAP Rules, 2012, and relevant regulatory authorities across the world. For using alcohol-based hand sanitisers, it is important to read and follow the drug facts label, particularly the warnings section.

To address their supply shortage, WHO recently developed multiple guidelines for emergency preparation of hand sanitisers by pharmacies and other companies, and in line with their guidelines, DRAP also issued a notification outlining how they need to be manufactured. Noteworthy among all these guidelines is that it is not recommended that cosmetic companies and general public without expertise manufacture their own sanitisers.

It is important to note here that recently the Young Doctors Association also expressed serious concerns about substandard production of hand sanitisers because of the risk they pose to public health.

Sources told Pakistan Today that Federal Minister of Sciences and Technology had been taking special interest in the subject and had convinced the federal cabinet to transfer the subject from DRAP to PSQCA.

Book review

Transgressions: Poems inspired

by Faiz Ahmed Faiz LAHORE ABDULLAH NIAZI

Transgressions, by Mir Anjum Altaf, is a book of poetry that is a comment on the nature of translation more than anything else. This commentary is made all the more poignant since the book is not a work of translation in the first place, but is rather reflections on the poetry of the late, great master of Urdu poetry, Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Described on its cover as a book of ‘Poems inspired by Faiz Ahmed Faiz,’ Anjum takes on the task of picking different poems by Faiz, and writing poetry inspired by those poems. He insists, and correctly so, that these are not translations. Instead, it is a very humble offering.

The act of making another poet your muse is not just rare, but also a nod and an acknowledgement towards the greatness of the poet of inspiration.

This is, of course, not an unheard of exercise, the Russian poetess Anna Akhmatova famously wrote about literature, including haunting poems titled ‘Reading Hamlet’ and ‘Dante.’

Her poetry was also inspired by the literature of another language, since she was also a Russian poet, and perhaps the only poet capable of rivaling the great Pushkin. Others have written poetry in which they have borrowed lines from the old masters, including Iqbal.

Recently, the second collection of

poetry by upcoming Pakistani poet Afshan Shafi titled ‘Quiet Women’ featured a poem titled ‘Buried Amongst Flowers in Pakistan,’ a piece brilliant composed entirely of verses from Rumi, Browning and Nabokov. But what Anjum Altaf manages to do is one by one pick poems, and systematically presents his reflections on them in poetic meter.

A career academic whose discipline is economics but true love is literature, a subject he has read deeply and with great care, there is a hint of academia in how Transgressions is structured. However, it is clearly a work of heart, soul, and respect.

Faiza Ahmed Faiz was the last great Urdu poet, or at least the last great, era defining Urdu poet. The strength of his words, however, was international. Edward Said in his essay Reflections on Exile, describes an evening where himself, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and the late Pakistani intellectual giant Eqbal Ahmed sat in a cafe in Beirut and recited Urdu poetry. Said writes that “After a time, he and Eqbal stopped translating the verses for my benefit, but as the night wore on, it did not matter. What I watched required no translation.”

This goes to the core of Anjum Altaf’s book of poetry. Faiz’s words do not require translation at times, their strength and musicality going beyond language, and thus beyond translation. Translating Faiz might be

futile and purposeless, at least trying to translate the poetry might be. Because while the meaning is there, the flow of the words can only be felt in Urdu. This is where, perhaps, Anjum Altaf manages a bold stroke quite prudently. If one is to grapple with Faiz in English, it might as well be in the form of honouring his poems and reflecting on them in the poetic meter instead of in the form of an essay.

It is also a little strange for a poet to publish an entire uniform collection meant to be printed as such with a singular theme. The most famous work of such a nature is perhaps Pable Neruda’s Cien Sonetos de Amor (100 Love Sonnets). It is even more strange for the entire collection to be dedicated to the work of another poet. But Anjum Altaf manages to make it an honest tribute.

Even the title, Transgressions, seems respectful in nature. Almost as if Altaf is afraid he is transgressing by commenting in a way upon the work of Faiz, and that too in English. But his poems manage to capture some of the essence of Faiz despite being in English. It reflects exile and hope simultaneously. It is a book of poetry that stands on its own merits, but most of all is an important read for any fan and scholar of Faiz, particularly since it is such a unique concept. Translations are a dime a dozen and a google search away, but this collection has a heart and a soul.

05

‘Do not play with fire’, Pakistan Army warns India COntinuEd fROm pAgE 01 He said that Indian security forces, in an effort to squash dissent, were killing young Kashmiris and not handing over the dead bodies to the families. “They have also levelled strange allegations against Pakistan. It started with, them saying that corona-infected terrorists were sent via the LoC and that is how the virus spread in occupied Kashmir.”

He maintained that all of these actions were indicative of a “stage being set” for the next few months for adventurism with Pakistan.

“Our prime minister and the chief of army staff have both conveyed […] that a false flag operation is being planned in India,” he said.

Elaborating the reasons behind this, he said: “Lately, India has faced embarrassment on several fronts. The situation along the LAC between India and China […] they are facing embarrassment over there and want to downplay it. “On the India-Nepal border, they have faced embarrassment. Then, internally there have been many issues with their Covid-19 management; the migration of labourers — the whole world has seen how it was managed, the virus is spreading and the economy is in doldrums.

“Further, all the steps taken by India in occupied Kashmir since August 5 have backfired. You can relate this to the citizenship act introduced by India, which gave birth to a wave of Islamophobia, that was felt by the whole world. “They are facing massive embarrassment and failure at every level.” He said that according to the current Indian leadership, the best way to divert attention from all these issues was through adventurism with Pakistan. “Being a military spokesperson, let me say this: Indian aggression aimed towards Pakistan will be responded [to] with full might, there should be no doubt about this. We are ready, we will respond and we will respond with full might.” He said the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has access to areas within Pakistan’s territory, adding that international media has also been allowed access. “Access in Pakistan has not been denied, and if this access is given — to international observers and the media — on India’s side, then many things can be cleared. “The allegations that they have levelled [against Pakistan], there is no issue of collecting empirical evidence of these. All these options are available.” He reiterated that there will be consequences in case of any military adventurism by India.

ECC approves firing all Pakistan Steel Mill employees COntinuEd fROm pAgE 01 The ECC also took up a proposal by the Ministry of Energy for payment of unrecovered fixed costs of Rs43.7bn to the IPPs and asked the Finance Division to release Rs23bn while the issue of remaining payments would be resolved by all the stakeholders within one week and would be taken up in the next ECC meeting. During the meeting, the ECC also took up and approved 12 separate proposals for technical supplementary grants of various amounts from different divisions and departments, including Interior Division, NAB, Revenue Division, Cabinet Division, National Heritage and Culture Division, Finance Division, Federal Education and Professional Training, Communications Division and Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Division.

CCP identifies challenges to competition in LPG sector COMMISSION RECOMMENDS GOVT TO INTRODUCE POLICY REFORMS, REMOVE REGULATORY BARRIERS, AND PUT IN PLACE COMPETITIVE LPG PRICING FRAMEWORK TO CREATE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN THE SECTOR iSLAmABAd SYEDA MASOOMA

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has prepared a draft competition assessment study of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sector in Pakistan with solid recommendations for the government to introduce policy reforms, remove regulatory barriers, and put in place a competitive LPG pricing framework to create a level playing

field and promote competition in the sector.

On Wednesday, the commission announced that it seeks public comments on the draft -- already published on the CPP website -- within 30 days.

Competition assessment of the LPG sector shows various barriers to entry and expansion that restrict/reduce and distort competition in the sector at various levels. These highlighted natural barriers include high capital costs and financial requirements in the upstream LPG

production and extraction, along with illiquid market and seasonal fluctuations in LPG demand. The regulatory barriers pointed out are said to arise due to certain contradictory clauses in the LPG Policy, 2016.

"Under Section 3.4.3 of the LPG Policy, public sector companies will import LPG to meet the domestic demand as per the quantity decided by the federal government, whereas section 3.5.1 of the same policy contradicts this section by allowing any party having valid OGRA marketing license to import LPG," the CPP noted. "Since there is no petroleum levy and there is lower GST on LPG import, the private sector finds it profitable to import LPG without the need/demand assessment."

Additionally, the study revealed, the gains of importers – in the form of a better imported LPG price – are not passed on to the end consumer, as the marketing compa-

nies match the indigenous LPG price.

The study recommended the government to remove the above ambiguity by undertaking a proper assessment of demand in consultation with the private sector and the sector regulator. It also suggested rationalising the GST and import duties on LPG. Strategic and other barriers include substandard LPG import through land route, under-invoicing, use of hundi and hawala system in LPG import through land route, no LPG quality testing lab for land imports, issues of decanting and cross filling, use of substandard cylinders, illegal use of LPG in public service vehicles (PSVs) and anti-competitive and illegal business practices carried out by LPG dealers.

Based on the data analysis through questionnaires, industry reports, international best practices, and meetings with relevant stakeholders, the study suggested the re-

moval of regulatory barriers created by contradictory clauses 3.4.3 and 3.5.1, amendment in section 3.6.9 in the LPG Policy, and amendment in Public Procurement Rules, 2004, for ease in importing LPG by public sector companies.

Moreover, it recommended a competitive LPG pricing framework for both indigenous and imported LPG to create a level playing field, and the monitoring of land imports to prohibit black economy and the import of substandard LPG. Other key recommendations included the establishment of a quality lab for testing of LPG through the land route, stringent qualification criteria for awarding LPG marketing license, prohibition and strict penalty for illegal activities of cross filling and decanting, monitoring of LPG dealers by OGRA or any third party nominated by OGRA.

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

06 COMMENT

Pressing the button amidst pressler

Interrogations in days of pandemic Skype is the way out

The decision 20 years was a choice between sanctions and security

O

N Tuesday Leader of the Opposition in NA Shahbaz Sharif declined to attend the NAB interrogation on health grounds. The NAB responded by sending a police team to his residence which was highly unfair. Mr Sharif is no absconder. He had voluntarily returned from the UK to lead the Opposition while also facing the cases against him. The NAB had arrested Mr Sharif in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal Housing case in October 2018. A reference was also filed against him in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. Despite keeping him in custody for four months, NAB failed to prove any charge against Mr Sharif. He was granted bail by the Lahore High Court in February last year in both the cases. The verdict noted that NAB had failed to prove the charge of misuse of authority against the accused. He was therefore innocent in the eyes of law. Soon after the bail, the federal cabinet presided over by the PM expressed dissatisfaction over the LHC’s decision and urged the NAB to file an appeal against the verdict. Finding it difficult to prepare a convincing case, the NAB decided instead to initiate a new case in order to appease the government by keeping Mr Sharif in custody in the name of questioning for a few more months.

Summoned to seek details of his property within and outside Pakistan, the PML(N) chief appeared before the accountability body on May 4 and was interrogated by NAB’s joint investigation team. He was directed to report again on June 2. In view of the prodding by the federal cabinet to get Mr Sharif behind the bars , he suspected that he might again be nabbed and made to spend months in captivity before proving his innocence. Mr Sharif therefore decided not to appear personally before NAB while expressing willingness to answer questions through Skype. Meanwhile he sought pre-arrest bail from the LHC, which was granted till June 17.

Mr Sharif, being the National Assembly Leader of the Opposition, enjoys the position of the shadow Prime Minister in the Westminster-style democracy practiced in Pakistan. He is already over 60, and is a cancer survivor who can fall victim to covid-19 while answering questions personally or while in NAB custody. Instead of insisting on personal appearance, his plea to answer questions via videolink should be accepted.

Kamil ahmeD

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FTeR the nuclear tests conducted by India on 11 May 1998, Pakistan’s nuclear testing in response to its neighbour was a foregone conclusion. A country much smaller in geographical, military and economic terms than its neighbour which had a far-right BJP government in place, was left with little or no option but to follow the path of its rival to establish parity.

There were hawks in the cabinet as well as pro-restraint members but as the fourth week of May approached pro-restraint members of cabinet lost ground.

It is interesting to note that in later years pro-restraint members of cabinet suddenly joined hawks to cash in on the political capital which the bomb had to offer.

Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, who was the head of test team, was invited by the Prime Minister to his office and was asked to initiate preparations for the test.

When Samar asked about the no of detonations ,Mian Sahab responded in Punjabi: “Tussi ik ziada karna ai” (You are supposed to do one more).

Pakistan had already done cold tests as early as 6 October using high-density tungsten alloy as target instead of Uranium 235 to purposely not obtain yield.

A year after cold tests in August 1985, the Pressler Amendment was passed by Congress banning most military and economic aid to Pakistan unless the President certified on annual basis that Pakistan did not ‘possess’ a nuclear bomb which was continuously provided by Ronald Reagan till he stayed in the office.

However on 28 May 1998 Pakistan detonated five nuclear devices at Chaghi Hills to level the score with India and one nuclear device on May 30 at Kharan site inside a vertical well to go one up, as the PM advised. The nuclear device detonated at Kharan site was a miniature bomb and it went on to become the warhead of Shaheen-1. Shaheen-1 is a solid-fuelpowered short-to-medium range surface-to-surface guided ballistic missile.

For Pakistan what followed after 11 May was a security vs sanctions scenario. Hence to project better understanding of the decision making, here is a brief rundown of the US sanctions and their vconsequences on Pakistan.

The US imposed its very first sanction (military) on Pakistan in 1965 when Pakistan used US-manufactured military equipment against India. Again in 1971 the USA imposed another executive military sanction on Pakistan for violating human rights in east Pakistan.

Then came the Symington Amendment (to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961) in 1977. This was a

Corona casualties about to rise?

The government must move beyond reports

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He report to the government, showing that there could be as many as 700,000 cases of covid-19 in Lahore alone, did not prompt the imposition of a stricter lockdown and a ramp-up in the number of tests, as it should have, but a lifting of the lockdown and gradual opening of all sectors of business. The report, which had been completed and submitted to the Chief Minister in the middle of May, was released through unofficial channels two days ago, indicating that it was kept under wraps until now and quite possibly has been leaked. It brings to light the government’s fecklessness in dealing with the current pandemic, and its casual attitude towards the human lives that will be lost. If indeed there are about 700,000 cases (based on a testing figure extrapolated for the whole population), that would imply about 7000 people dying in Lahore alone. even the national figure is nowhere near that number, which means that these deaths, if indeed they occur, are going to occur in future. Does either the federal or Punjab government think that the best policy of dealing with a time-bomb is to sit on it and wait for it to blow up?

Instead of conducting tests and hoping against hope that the results come out as wanted, the government should buckle down to preparing hospitals and medical staff for the avalanche of sick people that is about to hit.

Of course, one important motive for the government is to show that its anti-lockdown stance was right. Not only did it decided on easing without adequate testing facilities, but now it transpires that it has been told that its decision to ease has led to the spreading of infection.

It seems that Lahore is becoming the disease’s new epicenter. That will be confirmed only when the death toll begins to rise. The worst thing the government could do would be to try and conceal the figures, for the shaky credibility of the government would only mean the spreading of false information and of panic. The government appears trapped between its desire to flatten the curve and the reality of its not doing so. As long as it takes the little child’s way out, which is to lie, it will achieve nothing.

Rising above ourselves

Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby

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’ve been deeply distressed by the growing political backlash to the restrictions that many states and local governments have put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Most troubling is the extent to which the pandemic has become a partisan football, with polls showing Democrats and Republicans as divided on this issue as they are on other hot button political matters.

Reports of armed demonstrators demanding that governors open up their states, conservative church leaders insisting that they be able to reopen their houses of worship, and rank and file Republicans refusing to wear masks at work or public events, mimicking the behavior of President Trump and vice President Pence– all have caused me to despair. I had begun to feel as if the “better angels of our nature” had fallen silent.

Like many of you, I’m working from home. Meetings have become Zoom calls or Google chats– and there are plenty of them. For example, because we’re

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Kamil Ahmed is a political activist and a research analyst based in Lahore. He can be contacted at beingkamil@yahoo.com. His Twitter handle is: @beingkamil

A hopeful vision of service

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

legislative sanction and banned both economic and military assistance in response to Pakistan’s unabated pursuit of the French uranium-reprocessing plant deal.

France as a consequence halted the supply of nuclear equipment for a reprocessing facility at Chashma after Pakistan refused the french offer of co-processing of uranium instead of a reprocessing unit. Although despite the sanctions Pakistan continued to receive $50 million annually coupled with the food aid programme.

In 1979 the most stringent set of sanctions, Glenn and Symington were imposed.The Symington amendment prohibits US economic and military assistance to any country delivering or receiving nuclear enrichment equipment, material, or technology not under International Atomic energy Agency safeguards.

But fortunately for Pakistan, the USSR invaded Afghanistan and all sanctions on Pakistan were lifted beginning a decade-long alliance between unequal partners.

Immediately after the Cold War ended, the Pressler Amendment (Section 620e(e) of Foreign Assistance Act of 1961) sanctions were imposed on Pakistan when George W. Bush didn’t provide annual certification regarding possession of nuclear device

by Pakistan.

I talked to Mushahid Hussain Syed who was a key cabinet member of Mian Nawaz Sharif and discussed the prevailing situation at the time. Mushahid said, “The paramount consideration was security, as India’s tests had changed the balance of power from a conventional to a nuclear scenario. Another consideration, which I underlined to the Prime Minister when he sought my advice while we were together in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 11 May 11, was the timing and context. Since India had already taken the first fateful step, it was, in my view ‘a golden opportunity’, a situation of ‘now or never’ for Pakistan, to respond in kind to what India had already done. And the world would be ready and willing to accept a Muslim nuclear power as we were going to follow India’s lead.”

When asked about possibilities of further sanctions Mushahid said, “In a situation of more sanctions versus greater security, the debate for greater ‘impregnable’ security via The Bomb won out. After all, Pakistan had been working on the Bomb Project for a quarter of a century with relentless, singleminded determination. The fruit of that hard work was finally going to get results with Pakistan becoming a nuclear power.”

He further added, “We were banking on our friends to alleviate the pain of the sanctions that we expected would come. Saudi Arabia, for instance, gave generous help with their assistance for deferred

oil payments, approximately $2 billion relief. President Clinton offered a financial quid pro quo, of approximately $5 billion, which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejected, as the decision to go nuclear had already been taken. Secondly, the assumption was that the nuclearisation of South Asia would be accepted as a fait accompli by the international community, given the high stakes of peace, security and stability involving Pakistan-India relations.”

Pressler by far was the longest serving sanction imposed on Pakistan and it was amidst Pressler that Pakistan decided to go ahead with its nuclear tests.

Immediately after that Glenn amendment sanctions were imposed which prohibits US economic and military support to any country that acquires or transfers nuclear reprocessing technology, or explodes or transfers a nuclear device.

Within a span of three months from May to July of 1998, the Pakistani rupee devalued 28 percent in the open market and fell from 45 to 63 rupees. Foreign exchange reserves fell from $1.3 billion to $500 million. The Karachi stock exchange fell by 34 percent while GDP growth was revised down from 6 percent to3 percent.

Though Pakistan again had its way around the sanctions when Bill Clinton on 7 November 1998 waived the economic sanctions on Pakistan for one year using the Brownback amendment but till date Pakistan couldn’t get its way around its socio-economic worries.

Our economy is shrinking as GDP growth rate is expected to be negative 1.5 percent this year, mostly due to covid-19 but we weren’t doing great otherwise. Unemployment has been on the rise. The country repeatedly flirts with the possibility of bankruptcy and is dependent on foreign aid/loans/grants. We have failed to allow democracy find roots in Pakistan so much so that the contemporary government formed by Imran Khan in the center is at best a hybrid regime with military appointments at key government positions (PIA, NDMA, Information Ministry, WAPDA, among others). Pakistan is yet to reap benefits of civilian spin-offs of military technology. Our socio-economic indicators are anything but promising.

That even the nuclear umbrella couldn’t rid Pakistan of its security anxieties and our defense budget has been on a rise since, suggests that Pakistan’s problem and its solution lies elsewhere, which I am leaving to my readers’ imagination. U we recognize and deal with that problem, our common man doesn’t stand a chance in the race for growth, dignity and stability.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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preparing our community for the November elections and mobilizing them to ensure a full count in the 2020 Census– in the past few weeks, I’ve had organizing calls with Arab American activists in several states.

I’ve joined planning meetings with ethnic leaders on immigration reform. And I had two national Zoom calls to launch my newest book. All of these efforts proved to be quite productive, making clear the power of new technology to bring people together.

One call, in particular, stood out both for its novelty and the lesson of hope I learned as a participant.

Because we cannot gather in groups, AMvOTe, a Chicago-based group (on whose board I sit) held a “virtual Iftar.” This in itself was novel because Iftars are important communal activities. Since, we can’t be together, in person, AMvOTe made the best of a difficult situation and the result was both informative and inspiring.

In attendance, via Zoom, were the Governor of Illinois, the Mayor of Chicago, the President of the Cook County of Board of Commissioners, and representatives of dozens of local Arab American and Muslim institutions. I was deeply moved as I listened to these organizations describing their remarkable work in response to the pandemic and heard the Governor and Mayor praising them for the hundreds of volunteers they mobilized to serve the needs of thousands of families and individuals in the Chicagoland area.

Since I was scheduled to give the “Iftar’s” closing remarks, I could not help but reflect on how moved I was to learn of all of the important work these groups were doing and how they had opened my eyes to a reality I knew was taking place in communities across the country– but to which I had not given the attention it deserved. Millions of Americans, and I’m sure this is happening all over the world, are in fact hearing and responding to the voices of their better angels.

The tweeting harangues of President Trump or the behavior of the armed militants or self-serving demands of conservative preachers may be getting the headlines. But in communities nationwide, doctors and nurses daily are putting themselves in harm’s way to serve the sick and dying. Thousands of young people are volunteering to buy groceries and run errands

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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for the elderly. And countless churches, mosques, and synagogues and social service agencies are providing essential services to those in need.

So while the noisy backlash to the pandemic is dominating the news and can be depressing, it is important to lift up all of these silent heroes whose efforts, though unconnected and not the subject of headlines, cry out to be recognized. What is needed is to lift them up, knit them together, and see them as a collective response to the crisis which we are facing.

A few days after my eyes had been opened by the “virtual Iftar” I listened to the homily given by a priest friend of mine, Reverend Percy D’Silva. Reflecting on the very same issue – the selfless service of millions – he concluded his homily in an unorthodox manner by quoting the words of “We Are the World,” a 1985 song by a number of popular recording artists to raise funds to combat African famine.

“There comes a time When we heed a certain call When the world must come together as one There are people dying Oh, and it’s time to lend a hand to life.

The greatest gift of all...

“We are the world We are the children We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving There’s a choice we’re making We’re saving our own lives It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.”

This vision of men and women acting selflessly to serve those in need is what is happening every day, in cities and towns across the country. By lifting it up and celebrating service we point the way forward to not only winning the battle against the coronavirus, but to emerging from this war as a stronger, more compassionate country.

Dr James J Zogby is President, Arab American Institute.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

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

Supposedly civilized A very sad and pathetic incident transpired in America where a black man was murdered by cops who was reportedly running away after stealing some valuables. Video of this sad incident went viral on social media in which it can clearly be seen that 2-4 cops have grabbed that black man who was laid down and one of the cops put his leg on his neck. Black man cried number of times that he felt difficulty to breathe properly but cops gave deaf ear to his plea and kept putting leg on his neck. As result, he succumbed to death in few minutes.

All the four cops who were involved in such a nefarious crime have been dismissed from their services. Undoubtedly this is sad incident which has taken direction of discrimination and being considered racism against black people. Riots have erupted in America which is considered to be one of the civilized nations. Where the civilization has gone after only one incident took place that their people are clearly be seen in videos made by their own people that people are robbing valuables from shops and putting police vehicles on fire regardless of their color and religion.

Peaceful protest and demonstration are the right of every nation if something happened wrong with them or their rights are violated but violent demonstration and protest in which peoples’ valuables are looted and putting vehicles on fire are no way shows the behavior of civilized countries and the nations.

FAISAL AnSAr Karachi

Surviving the lockdown A time to watch old movies and hit the books

M J AkbAr

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ooks talk. Writing talks back. It is a happy conversation in that tentative space called isolation. once reading is gently separated from immediate necessity or functional utility, it acquires a sui generis pleasure that rejoices in tangential glimpses of some reflected truth.

Witness: a long-forgotten biography of the architect of German unity with a Prussian face, otto von Bismarck by the great A.J.P. Taylor.

In 1838, the age of 24, Bismarck briefly contemplated coming to India in the service of the Raj, possibly inspired by a brief romance with the British lady touring Germany. Before a final decision Bismarck asked himself what must be one of the great rhetorical questions of the era: “What harm have the Indians done to me?”

Was Bismarck being Bismarck, or a German?

Interestingly, Germany never seemed as enthusiastic as spain or England or France or Netherlands about ruling distant lands. Instead, Berlin invested its energies on conquering those who had conquered the world. Within another generation, the centripetal forces unleashed by the united Germany of Bismarck and the centrifugal ambitions of fellow Europeans ended in a bloodsoaked heap that took over 150 million lives in two catastrophic world wars. All these “great powers” had one thing in common. A Prussian maxim controlled their strategic philosophy: “Unless we grow greater, we shall become less”.

DROP” If books are dialogue, the movies I prefer are much-loved chatter. Nearly every evening of lockdown has been lifted by an old classic in the splendid spectrum from Dev Anand to Cary Grant, or leavened by the restaurant-wit of a 1990s TV series like Seinfeld.

Paying Guest is the perfect movie for isolation angst. It wafts on the brisk breeziness that Dev Anand brought to all his films, taking it to memorable heights in Kaala Paani. Madhubala [at least twice in the role of a newspaper reporter] was Dev’s perfect foil, but stars like Nalini Jayant, kalpana kartik, Geeta Bali, Nutan and sadhana were equally in their element opposite him.

In Paying Guest Dev is a briefless lawyer who loses cases with a shrug and a smile. Naturally he has no money, which is bad news for his landlords. Fast forward. Poverty is never a barrier to true love. He woos and wins Nutan on a borrowed bicycle, but her father is not so gener-

ous when it comes to extracting rent from the penniless lawyer, who is also a paying guest, albeit disguised, in their house.

There inevitably arrives the dilemma-day when he must either pay the rent of be thrown out. Nutan’s solution is worthy of some high priest of the Reserve Bank of India. she loans Dev money her father gave for household expenses. But how will she then buy groceries for the day’s meals? he asks. That, replies Nutan, is not a problem. When her father gets the rent he will give the money back to her, and she can then buy the groceries.

The money re-enters the market under another name, but everyone is happy: the rent is paid and food is purchased. Everyone survives the crisis and waits for the moment when surplus earnings can be created through a paying client or a regular job. This monetary policy does not work when it becomes a gift; for a gift can only be a one-time solution. A loan buys time as well as food. The time can be used for job-creation.

Paying Guest was released in 1957, so production must have started around 1955. At the time government decisions were made which imprisoned the economy into state-controlled pseudo-socialism and extracted such a high price in the 1960s, when hopelessness promoted Naxalism, and actual famine devastated the second half of the decade. * * * * * * * * * The most boring comment on this dread-driven pandemic is that it will lead to a new world order. Well, long before any new order there is going to be some serious new disorder. But once we manage that peril, will some shining new Jerusalem rise up upon a hill? Is 2020 Year Zero of a new era? Will 2021 be 1 PC [Post-Corona]?

If so, then this will be the first age of mankind born of existential fear: of disintegration, isolation, and death (the ultimate combination of disintegration and isolation). Past eras have started with years of optimism. If the future of the 21st century is born of death, then the possibilities for the living become creative. Like the British artist David Hockney reducing the cause of all death to a simple fact: birth. order is the effort to shape the few decades in our life’s remit into rational, collective behaviour that does not extinguish life before its time, and makes survival as comfortable as possible.

What we do know now, is that fear is both the great equalizer and an extremely effective disciplinarian. Who would have thought that the lockdown would have brought as free-spirited a people as Indians to a voluntary halt? Indians not going to work may be par for the course, but Indians not going to marriages is about as superhuman as it gets. one of the more remarkable experiences was the discipline and concern with which the overwhelming majority of Muslims behaved during Ramzan.

A demonstration of a credible leader’s impact on the national mood came when Narendra Modi reminded Indians, and indeed the world, that the pandemic did not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste or creed or colour. It was time once again to unite in a crisis. The response was visible across the country, and even

during the turbulence faced by migrant labour rushing to villages, driven by poverty and fear of the unknown. There were thousands of stories of Indians helping one another in moving ways, evocative of our values.

If the people participate in the creation of a new world order, we might achieve something sustainable and democratic. India’s pride is its democracy, and it will be a template. If there is a new world order, authoritarian regimes will be shunted into the dustbin of the past. * * * * * * * * * Here is some glitter from one such dustbin.

British imperialists, and that special pedigree of empire bureaucrats, had one excellent trait. They knew how to laugh through their stiff upper lips. The British understood, and continue to, that you have no right to laugh at others unless you can laugh at yourself.

And so the term that they employed for cash to “native” worthies in their colonies was “king George’s cavalry”. This was king George V, grandson of Queen Victoria, whose long reign was between 1910 and 1936. The four Georges before him were colourful characters. When these Georges called out the cavalry, they meant the real thing, not its substitute in gold coin. But neither the sword of the 19th century nor the gold of the 20th saved the acquisition by conquest, sustained by collaboration with puppets within the “subject races”. * * * * * * * * * When the final mathematics is done, probably by next year, we may yet find that more people tired of the watery humour on social media than those who were enthused by it. However, I was grateful for one message sent recently by a friend. on 25 March one of the great actresses of the 20th century, Nawab Banoo, passed away, forgotten in the gloom and uncertainty of the first week of lockdown. she is better recognised by the screen name given in 1949 by her great colleague, Raj kapoor, for their first film together, Barsaat. Nimmi.

In popular cinema, you can never escape the stereotype, not just because casting directors make such decisions but also because audiences find their comfort zones in the familiar. Nimmi did occasionally try and elide the tragic village belle routine. Her looks were haunting, her eloquence was literary, her career was testimony to talent. she is among the last to leave us among a generation that dominated decades of screen presence. Raj kapoor, Dev Anand, Guru Dutt, Nargis, Madhubala, Nutan, sadhana, Johnny Walker and so many others: they must all be in the big theatre above the sky-bowl, surely having the time of their eternal lives.

Don’t expect them to be defeated by something as marginal as death Mobashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The sunday Guardian. He has also served as Editorial Director of India Today. He tweets at: @mjakbar.

COVID-19 and universities THE covid 19 pendamic has effected the educational sectore worldwide, 70% of students population has been effected globaly by the pendamic.

In my point of view, i think reopening of universites would be a good decision, becouse education sector has been worst effected due to the pendamic. For how long can we close them?, when the vaccine is not avilable for the pendamic yet. Might the pendamic live forever with us as world heath organization said, so literacy can’t be halted forever. There is already too much lose of students.

However, if we can opene the market, business sector and other places where mass of people u can see without following soPs, so why not to reopene education sectors? If they can’t take the risk of reopening schools, that is understable where children can’t follow AsPs properly, and they are in high risk. But if we talk about youngsters who can take care of theirselves and can be made to follow soPs properly. And extrem social distancing is much pretty intervention availible to be protected by the viruse, which shouldnt be a big deal for teenages. Indeed, study says, teenges, who face lower risk of severe illness. so, reopening of universities with the proper arrengments of soPs won’t be risky.

However, in pakistan we can’t go with online classes becouse, internet access issues are greater even the most greater in tribal areas. We could have seen the reaction of students against online classes. so, reopening of universities in-person would be desirable for students.

MAHnoor SIrAJ Awaran

Suffering children YoU know that how CoVID-19 will affect the mental health and psychological well-being of vast swathes of society.For many children, there’s no school, no meet-ups, no sports activities.Many even have to live through the severe distress of parents losing jobs, getting sick and feeling helpless.Even without an epidemic, 10-20% of youngsters and adolescents worldwide experience psychological disorders, with half beginning by the age of 14.

We know that this pandemic will have a long-lasting, though dangerously invisible, negative impact on children and their families. The longer this outbreak lasts, and therefore the more restrictive response measures are, the deeper the effect is going to be on children’s learning, behaviour and emotional and social development. Now, quite ever, UNICEF is looking for collective action among governments, donors, and practitioners to deal with the complex and ranging mental-health and psychosocial needs of youngsters and families. This starts with taking note of children’s concerns and prioritising their needs both within the short and future.

USAMA SArFrAz rawalpindi

PIA hemorrhaging money THIs country can no longer afford continuous hemorrhaging of tax payer’s national exchequer by state owned enterprises like PIA, steel Mills etc. Pakistan needs safe reliable commercial airline to cater for passengers and export of perishable goods and maintaining fast-reliable link with rest of world. However, status quo cannot continue, nor can choice of men placed at helm, who have driven it to dismal state of technical insolvency.

The rot in PIA started when Nur khan resigned because of intervention

by Zia junta. AM Nur, an ex PAF, was an exception, who understood that commercial aviation is different ball game than military aviation. The very fact that shaheen Air, a project of shaheen Foundation could not survive as commercial airline should be enough to deliver the message loud and clear. Damage has also been inflicted on PIA by gross irregularities in recruitment of pilots, engineers, marketing and finance executives by successive political and uniformed governments and lease or sale of aircrafts and procurement of technical spare parts, starting from Zia junta to present date.

Can PM Imran order that Ministry of Defense appointed AVM Mushaf Ali Mir Investigation Report into gross irregularities in recruitment of pilots be made public and criminal proceedings initiated against those responsible. It was criminal on part of Defense Minister/ secretary Defense who despite knowing facts appointed this man as MD PIA in 2008 and under whose watch airline suffered highest loss ever and thousands of fake degree holders were recruited in an overstaffed airline. Investigation report into sale of new DC-10 and replacement by aged B747-200 by Viqar Azeem former MD, and mysterious A310 that went to Germany and judgment by Us Federal judge which quashed illegal purchase deed in 2000 regarding the hotel in New York in favor of PIA etc be released.

CzAr M Malaysia

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

the futuRe of the dollaR WHEN IT COMES TO THE PRIMACY OF THE DOLLAR, THE MAIN RISK STEMS NOT FROM CHINA BUT FROM THE UNITED STATES ITSELF

ForEign aFFairs

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Henry M Paulson Jr

N late March, global financial markets were collapsing amid the chaos of the novel coronavirus pandemic. International investors immediately sought refuge in the U.S. dollar, just as they had done during the 2008 financial crisis, and the U.S. Federal Reserve had to make huge sums of dollars available to its global counterparts. Seventy-five years after the end of World War II, the primacy of the dollar has not waned.

The enduring dominance of the dollar is remarkable—especially given the rise of emerging markets and the relative decline of the U.S. economy, from nearly 40 percent of world GDP in 1960 to just 25 percent today.

But the dollar’s status will be tested by Washington’s ability to weather the COVID-19 storm and emerge with economic policies that allow the country, over time, to manage its national debt and curb its structural fiscal deficit.

The stature of the dollar matters. The dollar’s role as the primary global reserve currency makes it possible for the United States to pay lower rates on dollar assets than it otherwise would. Equally significant, it enables the country to run larger trade deficits, reduces exchange-rate risk, and makes American financial markets more liquid. Finally, it favors U.S. banks because of their enhanced access to dollar funding.

That the dollar has maintained this stature for so long is a historic anomaly, particularly in the context of a rising China. The Chinese renminbi (RMB) has by far the greatest potential to assume a role rivaling that of the dollar. China’s economic size, prospects for future growth, integration into the global economy, and accelerated efforts to internationalize the RMB all favor an expanded role for the Chinese currency. But by themselves, these conditions are insufficient.

And China’s much-touted successes in the realm of fintech—including its rapid deployment of mobile payment systems and the recent pilot project by the People’s Bank of China to test a digital RMB—will not change that. A central bank–backed digital currency does not alter the fundamental nature of the RMB. Beijing still has major hurdles to overcome before the RMB can truly emerge as a

primary global reserve currency. Among other transformative measures, it needs to make more progress in moving to a marketdriven economy, improve corporate governance, and develop efficient, well-regulated financial markets that earn the respect of international investors so that Beijing can eliminate capital controls and turn the RMB into a market-determined currency.

Washington should be clear-eyed about what is actually at stake in the competition with China. The United States should maintain its lead in financial and tech innovation, but there is no need to exaggerate the impact of a Chinese digital reserve currency on the U.S. dollar. Above all, the United States must preserve the conditions that created the dollar’s primacy in the first place: a vibrant economy rooted in sound macroeconomic and fiscal policies; a transparent, open political system; and economic, political, and security leadership abroad. In short, sustaining the dollar’s status will not be determined by what happens in China. Rather, it will depend almost entirely on the United States’ ability to adapt its post-COVID-19 economy so that it remains a model of success.

CHINESE COMPETITION IN FINTECH: Many who return from China breathlessly remark on how cashless the country has become. From buying snacks at the corner store to giving money to panhandlers, everything is now conducted through smartphones and QR codes (scannable square-shaped barcodes). ATM lines are a fixture of the past. Chinese companies are increasingly competitive in fintech, and Chinese consumers are its largest users.

These facts regularly lead pundits to opine that Chinese fintech dominance could soon jeopardize the dollar’s global status. That is not a serious concern—nor is it clear that the United States is actually falling behind in matters of fintech. China was not a pioneer of fintech but rather a rapid adopter and scaler of the technology. The Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Tencent have led the way in creating services that make digital transactions much more efficient, while tapping into a large market of unbanked customers, particularly in rural China. The uptake of their services has been phenomenal. In 2018, for example, the volume of mobile payment transactions in China totaled $41.5 trillion.

This success was possible largely because China’s existing financial infrastructure was antiquated and its state banking system inefficient. Just as important, credit cards never took hold in China, so when smartphones became cheap and widespread, it made perfect sense to leapfrog from a cash-based economy directly to mobile banking.

What’s more, for all of how “cashless”

China has become, many Americans, too, would be hard-pressed to recall the last time they used cash for anything other than a minor transaction. They can move money from one bank account to another instantaneously and seamlessly. Mobile payment services such as Venmo and Apple Pay work just as well as Alipay and WeChat. But by and large Americans still prefer credit cards, because using them is as convenient as using a phone and the existing financial infrastructure is safe, robust, and trustworthy.

Chinese tech companies have ramped up innovation to meet consumer demand and compensate for the country’s inadequate financial infrastructure. Moreover, they have begun to deploy these technologies in developing markets, whose nascent economies encouraged the immediate acceptance of smartphones and thus offered an enormous opportunity for Chinese companies to gain market share.

Although the Chinese central bank could launch a digital currency as early as this year, the headlines exaggerate how transformational it will actually be. Those who worry that this development might herald the end of U.S. dollar primacy misunderstand that while the form of money may be changing, its nature has not.

A digital RMB would still be a Chinese RMB. No one is reinventing money. The token used for transactions may be different, but China’s prospects for reserve currency status depend on the same set of factors that apply to the issuer of that currency. And although the Chinese government has promoted use of the RMB to settle trade transactions as part of an effort to internationalize its currency, oil and other major commodities are still priced in U.S. dollars.

The privilege conferred on the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency was hardly preordained. The dollar’s preeminence came about only through a combination of historical happenstance, geopolitical conditions after World War II, U.S. Federal Reserve policies, and the sheer size and dynamism of the U.S. economy. Today, the “natural monopoly” of the U.S. dollar may seem like a fixture of the international system, but during the first half of the twentieth century, the U.S. dollar and the British pound sterling were essentially head-to-head as reserve currencies.

Over time, the international monetary system will likely once again give relatively equal weight to two or more global reserve currencies. The RMB is a chief contender, as it is already a reserve currency along with the yen, euro, and pound. And short of a major catastrophe, the Chinese economy is on course to becoming the world’s largest in the foreseeable future. It will also be the first major econ-

omy to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Still, that the RMB can join the U.S. dollar as a primary reserve currency is not a foregone conclusion. To achieve such a status, China will need to reform its economy and develop its capital markets in ways which are difficult and involve complex domestic political considerations. Recent Chinese ambitions that required similar transformations—such as establishing Shanghai as a full-fledged global financial hub by 2020—have so far been deferred: a financial hub simply is not viable when capital controls are in place and the currency is not market determined. The same holds true for the RMB’s prospects as a major reserve currency.

Although a Beijing-backed digital currency in and of itself is unlikely to undermine the dollar’s supremacy, it could certainly facilitate China’s efforts to internationalize the RMB. In countries with unstable currencies, such as Venezuela, a digital RMB is an attractive alternative to the local currency. Chinese firms such as Tencent, which already have a sizable presence in developing countries in Africa and Latin America, could scale up their presence there, leading a future digital RMB to gain market share. This could help enhance the RMB’s global status and become part of a broader strategy to project Chinese economic and political influence abroad.

ENCOURAGING US INNOVATION: For the time being, the United States should worry less about the end of the dollar’s supremacy as a global reserve currency and more about the ability of its private sector to deploy new financial technologies. Digital currency is not just a Chinese idea, nor is it solely the province of central banks—financial innovation in digital currencies and mobile payments is taking place in the U.S. private sector, too.

At the same time, these new technologies contain inherent risks. Without the assurance of robust data privacy, wide adoption of these technologies will prove difficult. Moreover, these new technologies could facilitate money laundering and other illicit financial activities, all legitimate causes for concern.

Silicon Valley and Wall Street have long led the way in creating financial innovations, new digital platforms for transactions, and new forms of money. If the fruits of those innovations are realized, U.S. companies could create the world’s best, safest, and most secure digital currency, with robust controls against illicit finance. The resulting gains in efficiency and reduction in transaction costs would yield tangible benefits to consumers.

Policymakers, then, need to strike a careful balance between mitigating the risks of these new technologies and supporting the ability of private U.S. companies to innovate.

The danger is that overzealous U.S. regulators might raise the entry barrier for U.S. firms to serve those who prefer digital finance over conventional banking in the United States and unbanked consumers around the world— about two billion people, according to the World Bank, the bulk of whom reside in developing countries with weaker financial mar-

Russian influence gRows in centRal asia IT IS NOT LIMITED TO INCREASING ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Eurasia Daily Monitor Kseniya KirillovaJune

The Russian Federation is strengthening its economic integration with several Central Asian states. At the beginning of April, the authorities of Uzbekistan and Russia agreed to set up an economic cooperation program in May that would take into account the influence of the novel coronavirus pandemic on their trade. According to the official joint declaration, enterprises of the two countries plan to implement projects worth $7.3 billion over the short term. At the end of 2019, bilateral trade turnover had already increased by 17 percent compared to 2018 (Sputnik-Uzbekistan, April 3).

By the end of last month, Uzbekistan began the process of joining the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) as an observer. The formal signing of the agreement most likely will take place during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s upcoming visit to Moscow, planned for June (Komm-

ersant, April 29). At the same time, Russian experts are advising Uzbekistan’s authorities to consider not only full membership in the EEU but also returning to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which is also dominated by Moscow (Forbes—Kazakh service, October 4, 2019).

Russian influence in Central Asia is not limited to increasing economic integration.

As early as October 2015, experts at the Minsk Center for Strategic and Foreign Political Research insisted that Russia was preparing a destabilization scenario intended to encourage conflict among the key governments and forces of the region.

In their words, regional destabilization would permit Russia to strengthen is military-political sway over Central Asian governments, especially over members of the CSTO, thus formalizing its sphere of influence by completing the “belt of instability” (Krymr.com, October 27, 2015).

A year later, the same experts posited that Moscow’s active stirring up of conflicts was intended to raise energy costs by hampering local production in Central Asia and allow Russia to become the sole supplier of energy recourses to the region, thus further limiting competing outside influence from China and the United States. The analysts opined that to trigger such destabilization, Russia has been exploiting its relationship with the Afghan Taliban,

building off the two sides’ cooperation against the Islamic State in the war-torn South Asian country (Krymr.com, May 16, 2016).

Some of these warnings from the Belarusian specialists were ultimately confirmed by other sources. In 2017, U.S. General John Nichols revealed that Russia was actively supporting the Taliban in an effort to undermine the influence of the U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the region. At the same time, Russian diplomats confirmed that they supported contact with the Taliban in order to seat the militants at the negotiating table with Kabul (BBC News—Russian service, February 10, 2017).

In the autumn of 2019 Russia acted as intermediary in negotiations between the Taliban and the U.S. That September, a Taliban delegation arrived in Moscow to meet with the Russian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov. On this occasion, the parties noted that Russia and the Taliban were “on the same side of the barricades” in these negotiations, and the representative of the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, declared that “a complete curtailment of foreign military presence is an essential condition for sustainable peace in Afghanistan” (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 15, 2019).

The United States began to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan following the

February 29, 2020, signing of a peace agreement, which was officially supported

by Russia (Mid.ru, March 2). U.S. experts suggest that the withdrawal of forces will lead to the strengthening of the Taliban, the aggravation of the civil war, and the growth of the trans-border terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan (Rand.org, January 21, 2019). However, this does not mean that Moscow is quite ready to use all the levers available to it to wholly disrupt Central Asia.

On the one hand, the Russian goals enumerated by the Belarusian analysts several years ago are still relevant. Competition among Russia, the U.S. and China in Central Asia has sharpened since then. Last September, the Russian media admitted that Russia is losing ground in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Namely, a piece in Gazeta.ru argues, although most governments in the region still rely greatly on Moscow, the significance of China as a trade partner and source of investment has enjoyed notable growth. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are part of the Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative,” and Armenia, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and others are seeking to develop technological ties outside the former Soviet Bloc (Gazeta.ru, September 20, 2019).

China is the most valuable supplier of foreign direct investment, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors, while the Russian contribution in this sphere is small and shrinking in the region’s largest economies, as noted in the above-mentioned article. “Russia is losing in this area

kets and volatile currencies.

US DOLLAR PREEMINENCE BEGINS AT HOME: To be sure, the United States needs to take China seriously as a formidable economic competitor. But when it comes to the primacy of the dollar, the main risk stems not from Beijing but from Washington itself.

The United States must maintain an economy that inspires global credibility and confidence. Failure to do so will, over time, put the U.S. dollar’s position in peril.

The dollar’s status is a proxy for the fundamental soundness of the American political and economic system. To safeguard the dollar’s position, the U.S. economy must remain a model of success and for emulation.

That, in turn, requires a political system capable of implementing policies that will allow more Americans to flourish and achieve economic prosperity. It also requires a political system capable of maintaining the country’s fiscal health. History knows of no country that remained on top without fiscal prudence over the long term. The U.S. political system must be responsive to today’s economic challenges.

The United States’ economic policy choices abroad also matter greatly because they affect U.S. credibility and, to a large extent, determine its ability to shape global outcomes. To sustain that leadership, the United States should champion an initiative to adjust and update the global rules and norms that govern trade, investment, and competition in technology to reflect twenty-first-century realities.

Washington should also be mindful that unilateral sanctions—made possible by the primacy of the dollar—are not free of cost.

Weaponizing the dollar in this way can energize both U.S. allies and foes to develop alternative reserve currencies—and maybe even to join forces to do so. That is precisely why the European Union has been pushing to further promote the euro in international transactions.

By the same token, whether the RMB joins the dollar as a major reserve currency will be determined entirely by how China reshapes its own economy. But if Beijing successfully implements the needed reforms, it will create an economy that is more attractive for the export of U.S. goods and services and establish a more level playing field for U.S. companies operating in China— changes that will benefit the United States.

The value of a national currency to its holders is ultimately a reflection of the country’s economic and political fundamentals.

How the United States emerges in the years following the COVID-19 crisis will be an important test. First and foremost, the country must foster macroeconomic policies that put it on a sustainable path to manage the national debt and the trajectory of the structural fiscal deficit, and it must not squander the fundamentals that have sustained its economic might, all of which are rooted in a spirit of innovation and effective government. If Washington adheres to this course, there is every reason to have confidence in the dollar.

HENRY M. PAULSON, JR., is Chair of the Paulson Institute. From 2006 to 2009, he served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

to international oil companies, including Shell (Netherlands), British Petroleum [BP] (Great Britain), Chevron and ExxonMobil (USA),” the Gazeta.ru authors admit (Gazeta.ru, September 20, 2019). At the beginning of this month, the new president of Kazakhstan, Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev, called his country’s partnership with China natural and mutually beneficial, declaring that the republic is in no danger of excessive dependence on a neighboring power (RIA Novosti, May 1, 2020).

Instability in the region, particularly if clearly linked to Russian actions, and the latter’s continued open cooperation with Taliban militants could finally drive the countries of Central Asia away from Moscow and into the arms of its competitors. Russia, it seems, understands this and for the moment is trying to portray itself instead as a peacemaker and guarantor of regional stability. It is extending economic support programs to its Central Asian neighbors and offering to be the arbiter of interstate disputes, for example in the conflict between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (Kommersant, September 20, 2019). However, in the event that Russia’s regionalist economic integration plans collapse and the Central Asian and South Caucasus states refuse Moscow’s “mediation” assistance, Russia may again seek to use its built-up leverage to exacerbate the underlying conflict dynamics in the region.

Kseniya Kirillova is an investigative journalist and analyst focused on analyzing Russian society and mechanisms of action of Russian propaganda (including in the U.S.) along with Russian “soft power,” “active measures” and foreign policy.

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

BUSINESS 09

anti-tobacco activists demand rs20 increase in fed on cigarettes ISLAMABAD

Six OMCS iSSued ShOw CauSe nOtiCeS fOr nOt Maintaining fuel StOCkS ISLAMABAD

AHMAD AHMADANI

Anti-tobacco activists on Wednesday demanded the government to increase federal excise duty (FED) on cigarettes by at least Rs20 in the upcoming annual budget, as it would enhance the government's revenue and discourage the use of tobacco in the country. The demand was made during a pre-budget press conference held at the National Press Club on Wednesday. The conference was jointly organised by Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (SPARC), Human Development Foundation (HDF) and Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH). Speaking on the occasion, SPARC Executive Director Sajjad Ahmed Cheema said, "Considering that increase in dollar price has had an effect on the prices of basic goods, the prices of tobacco products are still the same, which makes it accessible to minors." "Civil society organizations are anxious for the better future of Pakistan and are seriously concerned as to why heavy taxes are not been imposed on the tobacco industry," he stated. Cheema opined that heavy taxation on tobacco products would not only reduce tobacco consumption and its accessibility but would also keep minors away from smoking.

"Besides, this will also reduce the government's health bill and contribute to a clean and healthy environment for future generations." Meanwhile, Human Development Foundation (HDF) CEO Azhar Saleem noted that the country is facing a severe shortage of funds to combat coronavirus. He maintained that through multiple changes in the taxation structure, the tobacco industry has been evading taxes at the cost of the lives of people. "The government needs to keep in mind the growing inflation rate while finalizing the taxes on tobacco products for FY21," he said, urging the government to increase FED on tobacco products by Rs20 for each slab of the tax structure. In his address, Pakistan National Heart Association Secretary General Sanaullah Ghuman said the government needs to adopt a futuristic approach and channelise the additional revenues into managing adverse situations such as the coronavirus pandemic.

razak dawood urges exporters to exploit global market for PPe ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood has urged the local exporters to supply Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the potential world markets as its demand has risen significantly following the outbreak of Covid-19. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday, the federal cabinet has already approved the export of PPE (woven and non-woven) to provide the exporters with an opportunity to cater to the demands of world markets. The adviser emphasised the need for exporters to capitalise on the emerging opportunities in the global healthcare industry by exporting protective masks, gloves, sanitizers, clothes, helmets, goggles, and other innovative equipment designed for protection from the Covid19 pandemic. He informed that a committee has been formed to manage the local demand of PPE, and in this regard, a notification would be issued in the coming days. "However, the ban on Tyek suits, N95 masks and surgical masks will remain in place until further orders." Dawood said that the government's decision to allow PPE export is part of its 'exports diversification' strategy, which is to expand the country’s services in new segments, explore new markets and to connect local exports with global value chain. "I have already received information that some exporters from the United States, Canada and the European Union have placed large orders for face masks with their Pakistani counterparts," he mentioned. The adviser further informed the exports to different regions had increased; export to the Middle East surged by 36pc, Africa by 10pc, while that to Central Asian are also on the rise.

t

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Wednesday issued show cause notices to six oil marketing companies (OMCs) for not maintaining the required stocks of fuel, which caused a disturbance in the smooth supply of petroleum products across the country.

The OMCs, namely Shell Pakistan Limited, Attock Petroleum Limited, Total Parco Pakistan Ltd, Gas & Oil Pakistan, Puma and Hascol, have been directed to submit a reply within 24 hours, authority spokesman Imran Ghaznavi said in a statement.

He said the action against OMCs had been initiated after review of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan's report and complaints received through PM's Citizen Portal about fuel shortage at retail outlets.

On Tuesday, the authority had directed the chief executives of 33 OMCs operating in the country to ensure the

availability of POL products at their retail outlets.

"Several print and electronic media outlets, as well as the HDIP, had reported that several outlets are running dry, affecting product availability to the consumers," OGRA observed in a letter sent to OMCs. The OMCs had also been directed to ensure the availability of petroleum products on an immediate basis at their retail outlets, keeping in view the demand and to avoid any inconvenience to the commuters.

Earlier, the HDIP was tasked to physically verify product availability at refineries storages, OMCs depots and retail outlets randomly.

Accordingly, in a meeting held recently at the Ministry of Energy, OGRA had submitted the HDIP's preliminary report, wherein slight/minimal variations had been observed in the product availability against the position as reported in the Daily Stocks and Supplies Position (DSSP) by Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAS).

"It has been noted that few OMCs

are maintaining a very healthy stock position at some locations, especially in the south, as against low inventory at mid and upcountry, whereas few OMCs are operating at critically low volumes throughout the country, thus threatening the continuity of supplies to retail outlets," the HDIP report stated.

HDIP had further reported that sufficient product was not being supplied to retail outlets in a timely manner, which had affected the product availability in the market.

It had suggested the Petroleum Division direct OMCs to ensure requisite stocks build-up throughout the country aimed at providing uninterrupted product supplies at the retail network to avoid any dry-out situation.

According to OGRA officials, the authority can impose fine, suspend or revoke the licence of OMCs after issuing a show cause notice. Similarly, OGRA can impose Rs10 million worth penalty in case of contravention of concerned rules. However, the authority, while imposing a penalty on account of contravention of rules, shall keep in

Businessman charters private jet to import Covid-19 medicine Remdesivir from Bangladesh LAHORE STAFF REPORT

A Karachi-based businessman, Tarek Moinuddin Khan, Chairman of AGP Pharmaceuticals, in his personal capacity, chartered a private jet to import Remdesivir — the anti-viral drug that has shown promising results in treating critical Covid-19 — from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A local Bangladesh-based pharmaceutical company, Beximco, agreed to sell 48 vials at a cost of USD 65/vial of Bemsivir IV Infusion (Remdesivir) to Tarek Khan. The injectable vials were procured for the treatment of four patients who were suffering from coronavirus and had entered a critical stage of the lethal infection.

All patients have reportedly recovered since being treated with Remdesivir.

Documents available with Pakistan Today show that DRAP (Drug and Regulatory Authority Pakistan), under Rule 13 of Drug (Imports & Export) Rules, 1976, issued a no-objection certificate to Mr Khan to import of the ‘unregistered drug Inj.Remdesivir’.

According to supporting docu-

ments, DRAP approved the import of the drug within 24hours of Mr Khan’s request to DRAP CEO Dr Asim Rauf.

The aircraft that was provided by Princely Jets (Pvt) Ltd, a Pakistan based Private jet Charter Company, sought special permission to fly over India’s air space into Dhaka to collect the medication and bring it back to Islamabad, where the patients in question are being treated.

Remdesivir was originally developed to help treat hepatitisC but has since shown considerable promise in helping to treat a wide variety of other viral conditions. It has previously been

demonstrated to show some promising results against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and the Ebola virus, though it is not an approved treatment yet for any of these conditions.

Given the rising death toll around the world and especially in the US, the country’s Federal drug regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), issued an emergency use authorization for Remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease on the 1st of May.

view the principle of proportionality of the fine to the gravity of contravention.

Shortage of POL products was witnessed on Tuesday in major parts of the country due to limited supplies of fuel to retail outlets by OMCs, while there was no let off in the prevalent crisislike situation even on Wednesday.

Upon contact, the Petroleum Division spokesman said "sufficient stock of petrol is available to cater to the country's demand, adding that 240,000 Metric Tonnes of unseable petrol stock was available as on 3rd June to meet the demand for 11 days.

"A petrol vessel carrying around 61,000MT berthed at Port Qasim yesterday, while more than 60,000MT of Mogas imports are planned by OMCs for the month of June."

He said the division was vigorously monitoring the situation and had directed all OMCs to keep their retail outlets wet, and to move the product from Karachi to high consumption depots/location. Accordingly, the situation will get normalize soon, the spokesman added.

MARKET DAILY

Stocks fall flat amid lacklustre trade KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) moved in a narrow range on Wednesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index retreating all gains accumulated in early trade and closing the session flat. “The banking sector continued with the ascend today, although profit booking was also witnessed.

On the other hand, the fertilizer sector fell back on the government’s decision of ‘no subsidy’ on fertilizer products,” said Arif Habib Ltd’s daily market report.

“Pharma, cement and steel sectors also remained in the red throughout the session, whereas exploration and production sector benefited slightly from an increase in international crude oil prices.” Gaining 249.68 points, the KSE-100 index recorded its intraday high at 34,657.73 during early trade. However, failing to hold its ground, the index closed flat (-6.63 points) at 34,401.42. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index lost 69.52 points to end at 55,236.09, whereas the KSE All Share Index added 8.83 points, settling at 24,677.11. Of the total traded shares, 128 advanced and 173 declined. The overall volumes declined from 221.04 million in the previous session to 129.95 million (-42pc). Average traded value also fell by 21pc, from $52.2 million to $41.5 million. TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG +0.43pc), Pak Elektron Limited (PAEL +0.79pc) and Pak Petroleum Limited (PPL +0.60pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 7.76 million, 7.39 million and 6.96 million shares, respectively. Sectors that dragged the index in the red included fertilizer (-30.81 points), cement (-17.73 points) and pharmaceutical (-16.57 points).

Among the companies, Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO -20.38 points), Habib Bank Limited (HBL 18.21 points) and Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited (DAWH -12.76 points) dented the index the most. The automobile assembling sector lost -1.42pc from its cumulative market capitalization, with Atlas Honda Limited (ATLH -3.91pc), Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL -2.39pc), Millat Tractors Limited (MTL -1.35pc) experiencing a rough day at the bourse.

Dairy industry’s woes multiply as Covid-19 disrupts supply chain LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI

Already dealing with many deep-seated issues such as financial insecurity, untrained manpower, unregulated market, fragile production base, seasonality of milk production and lack of quality assurance, the dairy industry now finds itself on the verge of bankruptcy owing to the supply chain disruption caused by Covid-19.

This was stated by Sulaiman Mannoo, Chairman Pakistan Dairy Association (PDA), while talking to Profit.

Comprising an important component of Pakistan's economy, the dairy sector contributes significantly to the national economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP).

The agriculture sector contributes 23pc to Pakistan’s GDP, with livestock and dairy sub-sector contributing 60pc in terms of value addition to the agriculture sector. Individually, the livestock and dairy sector contributes 11pc to Pakistan's GDP.

"The livestock & dairy sector is also an important source of employment, as more than 35 million people, including rural women, are engaged in this sector,” Mannoo said. "Around 34pc of total female employment is employed in the livestock sector."

MAJOR CHALLENGES: Despite being the most lucrative livestock product, milk tends to be the least commercialized enterprise, the PDA chief noted, adding that dairy farming in Pakistan remains poor owing to the considerably reduced milk yields of dairy animals.

"Local cows and buffalos produce five litres of milk per day on an average as opposed to 35 litres in the developed world," he lamented. "This suggests that a dairy animal in Pakistan yields six to eight times less milk than a dairy animal in other countries."

He informed that the dairy industry is dominated by unregulated suppliers "who don't have the required equipment to store milk" and normally discard or sell the excess

milk in substandard forms.

The PDA chairman maintained that some 20pc of total milk production in Pakistan goes to waste due to lack of storage, transport, calving and proper cooling facilities. "In case of low milk supply, these unregulated milk sellers go to the extent of adding water and other adulterants to increase the milk quantity, which poses serious public health threat to the population consuming loose milk."

Mannoo highlighted Pakistan is one of the leading milk-producing countries with estimated annual gross milk production of about 60 million tonnes in 2018-19, adding that around 6pc of the country's gross milk production is being processed in 25 milk processing plants operating under the private sector and producing approximately 3.5 million tonnes of processed dairy products per annum.

According to University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences former vice-chancellor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, about 90pc to 95pc of the people in Pakistan consume loose milk.

"This suggests that the dairy industry in Pakistan is dominated by loose milk sellers and informal distribution and retailing networks. Its entire value chain suffers from poor sanitation of livestock sheds, unclean animals, milking by hand, collection in small quantities from milk producers and use of non-recommended additives and preservatives such as formalin, cane sugar, glucose, benzoic acid and alkaline products," he explained.

Dr Pasha said that quality assurance is the most neglected aspect of the informal dairy market as it creates health hazards for consumers and raises indirect system costs in terms of poor health outcomes. In addition, high taxes and duties on the packaged dairy industry have further encouraged the informal market.

LOOSE MILK vs PACKAGED MILK: Contrary to the widespread belief, loose milk is natural and fresher in terms of taste, but it tends to be highly unhealthy, PDA Chairman Mannoo stated.

Citing a survey by the University of Agriculture (Peshawar), he said that loose milk is a source of various diseases “because of filthy housing system at dairy farms, unhygienic milking practices, dirty utensils, transportation and water adulteration”.

"Raw milk can carry dangerous bacteria that can cause foodborne and milk borne illnesses, besides other stomach-related problems," he said. "In addition, no scientific procedures are followed during milk collection, storage and transportation."

As adulteration in loose milk has been going on without any check, loose milk has also emerged as the most unsafe drink with the least nutritional value and is considered simply harmful to health.

The PDA chief maintained that the dairy sector must ensure that it follows internationally-acclaimed best practices to supply quality milk, adding that loose milk suppliers must also be forced by law to avoid malpractices and ensure hygienic practices across the supply chain.

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

BrAzil deAth toll topS 30,000 AS itAly reopenS BorderS SAO PAULO

B

AGENCIES

RAzIL surpassed 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak as the disease continued to rip through Latin America, while Italy — at one point the hardest-hit country — prepared to reopen its borders in time for the European summer. After chalking up devastating human losses in Europe, the virus has now taken a firm grip in Latin America, where Brazil surpassed a chilling landmark late Tuesday.

The latest official Covid-19 death toll of 31,199 is the fourth-highest in the world, after the US, Britain and Italy. The figures come as some Brazilian states began to emerge from weeks of economically-stifling quarantine measures despite warnings from the WHO and epidemiologists it is too much, too soon. “In the current situation, relaxing the measures is adding gasoline to the fire,” Rafael Galliez, an infectious diseases expert at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told AFP. SURF’S UP AGAIN IN RIO: Yet surfers and swimmers streamed back to the beach in Rio de Janeiro as the

Anxiety rises over attacks on media covering US protests WASHINGTON: A wave of attacks on journalists covering US protests is driving growing anxiety in the media, with some blaming President Donald Trump for creating an atmosphere that encourages violence. Over the past week media watchdogs have logged scores of incidents of police violence against journalists — with crews shot at, beaten, kicked, pepper-sprayed or arrested — with many incidents captured on camera. An open letter to law enforcement endorsed by 18 press freedom organizations including the National Press Club and Committee to Protect Journalists called for a halt to “the deliberate and devastating targeting of journalists in the field.” A tally by media watchdog groups cited 192 press freedom violations during the latest wave of protests including 131 assaults, of which 108 were by police. The tally included 31 arrests, 46 firings of rubber bullets, 30 cases of damage to equipment, 30 incidents of tear gas and 17 pepper sprayings. Some media advocates say Trump’s persistent bashing of the mainstream press has opened the door to attacks by undermining the credibility of journalists covering the protests following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota last week. “This definitely creates an atmosphere where you are likely to see attacks on reporters,” said Len Downie, a former Washington Post executive editor who is a professor at Arizona State University and authored a study earlier this year on the Trump administration and the media. Downie said that while Trump may not explicitly encourage violence against the press, his harsh rhetoric “deepens the divide” over credibility. “The country is split between those who believe the president and those who believe the press,” he said. Some stunned journalists took to Twitter recounting mistreatment, while others posted videos. “After showing my badge and yelling ‘I am with the press’ a @RichmondPolice officer sprayed pepper spray in my face and shoved me to the ground. AGENCIES

Sweden should have done more to combat Covid-19, health chief says STOCKHOLM: Sweden should have done more to combat the coronavirus and prevent a much higher national Covid-19 death rate than in neighbouring countries, the man behind the Public Health Agency’s pandemic strategy said on Wednesday. Nearly 4,500 Swedes have died in the outbreak, a higher mortality rate than in Denmark, Norway and Finland, and criticism has been growing over the government’s decision not to impose lockdown measures as strictly as elsewhere in Europe. Anders Tegnell, the chief epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency, said that in hindsight Sweden should have done more. “If we were to run into the same disease, knowing exactly what we know about it today, I think we would end up doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Tegnell told Swedish radio. “Yes, I think we could have done better in what we did in Sweden, clearly.” While most of Europe, including Norway, Denmark and Finland, closed schools, shops and businesses, bringing much of society to a halt, Sweden has relied more on voluntary measures, social distancing and common sense hygiene advice to stem the outbreak. It shut care homes to visitors in late March, but around half of the deaths in the country have been among elderly people living in care facilities. Tegnell said it was hard to know which measures taken elsewhere might have been the most effective in Sweden.

“Maybe we will find this out now that people have started removing measures, one at a time,” he said.

“And then maybe we will get some kind of information on what, in addition to what we did, we could do without adopting a total lockdown.” Earlier this week, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said the government would launch an inquiry into the handling of the pandemic. AGENCIES

city started easing lockdown measures, allowing the reopening of places of worship and water sports.

“I think that here, in the water, there is no risk. It’s not like in the stores,” said Cesar Calmon as he delighted in the waves off Ipanema beach. In Europe, most countries have flattened their initial infection curves and are gradually easing out of confinement as they try to curb the economic fallout of the shutdowns.

Italy reopens its borders to travellers from Europe Wednesday, three months after the country went into lockdown, with hopes for economic revival pinned on reigniting its tourism industry. But there were fears many foreign tourists will be put off visiting a country where 33,000 people died of the disease.

“Come to Calabria. There’s only one risk: that you’ll get fat,” the southern region’s governor Jole Santelli said as the race began to lure big-spenders — or any spenders — back to Italy’s sandy shores.

SYMBOLIC VICTORY: In a symbolic victory in the French capital, Parisians reclaimed beloved cafe terraces that were allowed to sprawl across pavements to accommodate social distancing measures. “Coffee on a terrace, that’s Paris!” said Martine Depagniat, among those enjoying the new freedom after 10 weeks of closures.

Schools, swimming pools, pubs and tourist sites are steadily reopening across the continent to ease the economic pain, and stock markets rose on European optimism, despite fears of a second wave of infections.

Greece suspended flights to and from Qatar on Tuesday after detecting multiple infections on a flight from Doha to Athens.

The respiratory disease has claimed nearly 400,000 lives and infected more than 6.2 million in its rampage around the globe, upending life for billions since it first emerged in China late last year.

The focus now falls on Latin America, which passed one million cases this week.

Brazil has more than half of that caseload — 555,383 — making it the second most affected country after the United States, where experts fear mass demonstrations over the police killing of African American George Floyd could reignite the spread of COVID-19. The World Health Organization has warned that healthcare systems could soon be overwhelmed with Peru, Chile and Mexico also seeing big daily increases in infections.

Mexico has also started rebooting the economy after more than two months of shutdown, allowing activity in the car, mining and construction industries to resume.

JOURNALISTS DIE: In Venezuela the virus forced political rivals to come together, with the government of Nicolas Maduro striking a deal with opposition leader Juan Guaido, who claims the presidency, to seek resources to address the disease’s spread, all parties confirmed Tuesday.

Clashes at Paris protest against racism and deadly police violence PARIS AGENCIES

Clashes broke out between police and protesters in Paris on Tuesday after around 20,000 people defied a ban to rally over the 2016 death of a black man in police custody, galvanised by US demonstrations against racism and deadly police violence.

The protesters used slogans from the American protest movement to call for justice for Adama Traore, whose death four years ago has been a rallying cause against police brutality in France.

The demonstration, which came after the release of two differing medical reports into the cause of Traore’s death, had been prohibited by police citing a coronavirus ban on gatherings of more than 10 people. The protest started in the late afternoon outside the court in northern Paris, before projectiles were thrown and the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, AFP journalists witnessed.

Sporadic clashes broke out near the city’s main ring road, with stones thrown at the police, who responded by firing rubber bullets. Some protesters burned bins, bicycles and scooters to set up

flaming barricades on the streets.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner responded by saying that “violence has no place in a democracy”.

“Nothing justifies the behaviour that took place in Paris this evening, when protests on public streets are banned to protect everyone’s health,” he tweeted.

Many of the protesters drew inspiration from the protest movement raging across the United States over the police killing last week of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, holding up slogans in English such as “Black Lives Matter” and “I can’t breathe”. Earlier in the day Traore’s elder sister Assa spoke to the large crowd. “Today we are not just talking about the fight of the Traore family.

It is the fight for everyone. When we fight for George Floyd, we fight for Adama Traore,” she said.

“What is happening in the United States is an echo of what is happening in France.” Other protests were held across France, with 2,500 people attending a rally in the northern city of Lille, 1,800 in Marseille, and 1,200 in Lyon.

MEDICAL REPORTS: The Traore case has long been controversial in France.

Following a dispute over an identity

check, Traore, 24, was apprehended in a house where he hid after leading police on a 15-minute chase in 2016.

One of the three arresting officers has told investigators that they pinned Traore down with their combined bodyweight. Traore lost consciousness in their vehicle and died at a nearby police station. He was still handcuffed when paramedics arrived.

On Friday, French medical experts exonerated the three police officers, saying that Traore did not die of “positional suffocation”, ruling out the officers pinning him to the ground as the cause of his death. Instead, the experts found Traore died of heart failure possibly brought on by underlying health conditions in a context of “intense stress” and physical exertion, as well as the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol — the active ingredient of cannabis — in his body.

The findings, the third official report to clear the officers, dismissed a previous medical report commissioned by the young man’s family that said he had died of asphyxiation. But on Tuesday a new probe commissioned by the Traore family said that his death was caused by the arrest technique used by the officers. The con-

tradictory medical reports also echoes the case of George Floyd, whose preliminary autopsy said he died from pre-existing heart problems, while an autopsy arranged by his family found he died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure.

Floyd’s official autopsy then confirmed he died in a homicide involving “neck compression”.

NOT VIOLENT, NOR RACIST: Paris police chief Didier Lallement, who banned the protest, earlier on Tuesday wrote a letter to police officers defending their conduct. He said he sympathised with the “pain” officers must feel “faced with accusations of violence and racism, repeated endlessly by social networks and certain activist groups”.

The Paris police force “is not violent, nor racist: it acts within the framework of the right to liberty for all”, he insisted in an email to the city’s 27,500 law enforcers. Several French officers have also been investigated for brutality against members of the public at long-running “yellow vest” anti-government rallies, and more recent anti-pension reform strikes. Scores of protesters were maimed by rubber bullets or stun grenades, some losing an eye or a hand.

Workers’ condition under govt’s measures to control Covid-19 in Thailand BANGKOK PAtChANEE KumNAK

Coronavirus outbreak started in Thailand when tourists travelled to the country from China and when the Thai people returned from to China and Japan. The Chinese government had not banned all international flights by then and subsequently, it spread across the country.

The government imposed a state of emergency from March 26 until April 30, followed by partial lockdown measures in various provinces which led to the closure of businesses, reduction of public activities, restrictions on domestic travel and ban on non-Thai nationals travelling into the country. The partial lockdown of Bangkok began on 22 March and when 26 different businesses closed, 80,000 migrant workers returned to their hometowns in various provinces 7,000 Myanmar workers returned to their country. Then the government announced the nationwide night-time curfew on April 3.

When the authorities imposed a state of emergency and lockdown, they did not sufficiently support workers who were affected by the shutdown of businesses.

The above-mentioned measures dramatically caused the reduction of workers’ income in general, especially in the private sector, such as self-employed, freelancers, independent contractors, factory workers, urban poor, and migrant workers. There are also many lay-offs, with 140,000 people laid off in March alone, leading to a cumulative total of 700,000 unemployed people. The Social Security Office revealed that up to 4 million formal workers affected by the Covid-19 outbreak were eligible to apply for unemployment benefits, and 1.2 million formal workers registered for unemployment benefits as of 21 April, and out of them, 500,000 had been examined and verified. The Social Security Office anticipated the number of applicants to soar to between 3 million and 4 million if the Covid-19 situation worsens.

A number of labour unions called on the government to improve relief measures for all workers because they were the ones who paid the price for the lockdown and emergency decree in order to control Covid-19.

The government launched financial aid programmes

CMYK

to provide relief to informal and formal workers hit by the pandemic. However, the programmes cannot really help the workers.

The cash relief of 5,000 baht/month for three months (from April to June 2020) for informal workers who are not members of the Social Security Fund under Ministry of Labour such as motorcycle drivers, taxi drivers, small vendors, farmers, and so on, including 5 million self-employed/freelance workers who are members of social security fund, but only nine million people out of 21.7 million who registered are eligible for the 5,000-baht ($156) financial aid because the government has set rules and conditions causing many problems.

The government has used a registration website and artificial intelligence to screen applicants. The matrix is considered unfair and delayed distribution of the cash.

Hundreds of informal workers, whose applications for 5,000 baht were turned down and delayed, were angry and protested the Ministry of Finance. Besides, tens of workers committed suicide as they experienced starvation.

In addition, the matrix limits some occupation groups such as self-employed farmers because the gov-

ernment will launch another one measure to support which the payment of 15,000 baht ($468) per family for 9 million households. It is much delayed. One more group which excluded is construction workers. The government claimed that they are still working. As for migrant workers, they are excluded from the cash relief measure despite the fact that many migrant workers stop working. They do not have sustained income to survive because most of them work informally across Thailand.

The Social Security System (SSS) compensation covers members (about 11 million formal workers such as factory workers) in the event of loss of employment or suspension from work due to the outbreak. Currently, workers in different enterprises are facing job termination without receiving compensation from employers under the Labour Protection Act. For job termination which does not result from force majeure or the pandemic, the employers must follow the labour law.

Recently in late April, the government approved the extension of 5,000-baht cash handout scheme to cover 16 million people instead of the present 14 million and agreed to a proposal to provide financial aid to 10 million farmers (15,000 baht/household) and farmers must register online.

In addition, students who work part-time will get cash relief the same as informal workers.

The total budget of the financial aid program is 550,000 million baht. Another 14 million people will belong to the vulnerable group. They include people eligible to aid for child care, senior citizens eligible for elderly allowances, registered handicapped people and the homeless. They will get 39 billion baht initially from the budget of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

Workers should not sacrifice their lives to bankruptcy or death to bring the outbreak under control. The government must improve the compensation package to cover all workers right now. Labour and democracy activists want an end to the state of emergency as well because workers are starving and the coronavirus situation appears to be under control. The state of emergency violates freedom of expression, the right to organise and rally.

The writer is a labour activist in Thailand

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

SPORTS 11

THree WeST INdIeS CrICkeTerS TUrN doWN eNglANd ToUr TRINIDAD

V

AGENCIES

ETERAN batsman Darren Bravo was among three West Indies cricketers to turn down a place in the squad for next month’s threeTest tour of England, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced Wednesday.

Also missing out are fellow batsman Shimron Hetmyer and fast-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul.

“Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul all declined the invitation to travel to England for the tour and CWI fully respects their decision to choose to do so,” CWI said in a statement.

“As previously stated, CWI will not hold this decision against these players when con-

sidering future selection.”

Jason Holder will skipper a 14-man squad that features two newcomers in fast bowler Chemar Holder (no relation) and middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner.

The squad also includes Shai Hope, who during the West Indies’ 2017 Test match win at Headingley became the first batsman to score hundreds in both innings of a firstclass match at Yorkshire’s headquarters.

This year’s three back-to-back Tests, rescheduled because of the coronavirus outbreak, which the UK government says has claimed at least 39,000 lives in Britain, will be played behind closed doors.

But a series that will span just 21 days remains subject to final approval from the UK government.

The touring party, who will all be tested

for COVID-19 this week, are scheduled to fly to England on private charters on June 8.

The West Indies squad will live, train and play in a “bio-secure” environment during the seven weeks of the tour, as part of the comprehensive medical plan to ensure player and staff safety, CWI said.

UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT As the health protocols will restrict movement in and out of the venues, the selectors have also named 11 reserve players who will travel to train and help prepare the Test squad, while ensuring injury replacements are readily available.

“The new cricketing environment will take some getting used to,” said CWI chief selector Roger Harper.

“However, being in England and working together for four weeks before the first

Test will give the squad the opportunity to get acclimatised and hopefully, mentally and technically adjusted to the demands of the new environment.” Harper, himself a former Test off-spinner, added: “I think we have a squad that will be very competitive.

“More than half of the squad were involved in the victorious Test series against England in the Caribbean last year so they

will bring that experience, that knowledge and belief with them and marry it to the enthusiasm and vitality of the newcomers.”

Going ahead with major matches is seen as vital in reducing the virus’s financial impact upon cricket, with the England and Wales Cricket Board estimating it could lose £252 million ($316 million) if there are no fixtures at all this summer.

Asian football getting ‘closer’ to return, official says SEOUL AGENCIES

eSports ‘icon’ Uzi retires with stress, obesity, diabetes, injury BEIJING: A top eSports player with a vast following in his native China announced his retirement on Wednesday with a litany of health problems related to professional gaming.

The premature end to the career of Jian Zihao, better known by his gaming name “Uzi”, shines a harsh spotlight on the lifestyles and training of eSports players. Uzi is a star League of Legends player for the Chinese team Royal Never Give Up (RNG) and his decision to quit was a top trending topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo. Chinese media said that he was born in 1997 and experts called him one of the best players in the history of League of Legends, a popular multi-player battle game. “I regret to tell everyone that I am retiring,” Uzi wrote to his nearly five million followers on Weibo.

“Because of chronic stress, obesity, irregular diet, staying up late and other reasons, I was found to have Type-2 diabetes during a physical examination last year.” Uzi also said that he was suffering a hand injury, a common complaint in eSports. RNG said that Uzi, who made his debut in professional eSports in 2012, suffered “injuries accumulated over eight years of high-intensity training”. They described him as “not only the heart and soul of RNG, but also an icon in the eSports world as a whole”.

“In addition to doing everything we can to assist him in his future endeavours, we will also be by his side to help him on his journey to injury recovery,” RNG added. “We are here to help him recover 100 percent.” There are potentially huge financial rewards in eSports, a fast-growing industry. But players can pay a high physical and mental toll because of sedentary lifestyles, long hours in front of screens, poor diets and repetitive hand and arm movements. A record $33.5 million was up for grabs at The International in Shanghai last year, where teams competed in the multi-player battle game Dota 2 for thousands of fans in an arena. AGENCIES

Asia’s Champions League is getting closer to a return but it will have to wait until domestic competitions are back in action, a senior football official told AFP on Wednesday.

Football is gradually resuming around the world after closing down because of the coronavirus, although most leagues are still yet to return.

Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said: “We

are approaching closer to the return of football.” “We have to wait for all the domestic leagues to start first,” added John, when asked about the return of the AFC’s club tournaments.

The AFC Champions League, Asia’s top club competition, and the second-tier AFC Cup have both been on hold since March, along with World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.

Of the 12 countries involved in the Champions League, South Korea is the only league back in action, with four more restarting in June or July and

Thailand scheduled for September.

John said the AFC was “still in discussion” about when its competitions will restart, declining to reveal a possible date. Time is tight for both club tournaments, with the 32-team Champions League needing to complete four rounds of group-stage matches before reaching the knock-out phase. The Champions League and AFC Cup finals are both scheduled to take place in November.

Asked if there were any proposals to change the tournaments’ home-andaway format to avoid potential infections, John said talks were ongoing.

John said it was a “positive sign” that sport was beginning to return around the world, adding that the AFC had several contingency plans to cope with travel restrictions.

“We know that all our stakeholders, including our passionate fans and loyal sponsors are eager for the AFC’s competitions to resume,” he said.

“Our players too are equally motivated to return to the pitch to entertain and excite fans. “But as the AFC has reiterated from the start of this pandemic, the health and wellbeing of everyone continues to remain our absolute priority.”

Former Man City defender Onuoha feels unsafe in US SALT LAKE CITY AGENCIES

Real Salt Lake defender Nedum Onuoha says he has a “fear and distrust” of police in the United States as protests against racial injustice sweep across the country following the death of George Floyd.

Onuoha moved to Major League Soccer in 2018 after spells at Manchester City, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers. “I am always very wary of how I behave and how it could be viewed by people who have power,” Onuoha, 33, told the BBC. “For me personally, overall I don’t like to say it but I have a fear and distrust towards police.”

Onuoha highlighted America’s gun culture and the widespread use of armed police as reasons why he felt less safe in the United States. “In the UK, I am more comfortable because if something happens it probably will not be deadly — but over here because of their rights it is more common that al-

tercations become deadly,” he said.

“When it comes to any kind of brutality, if it’s from the police, if they read me the wrong way then my life could be taken. I feel that every single day. It is not just me but everybody else as well.” Onuoha said he was trying to avoid being over-critical of the police and admitted there were good officers. “But the fact is over here they are just people from society with a badge and a gun and a lot more power,” he added.

“If you worry about the man next door, why would you not worry about the person patrolling the streets who now has more power, more guns but the same views?

“I never go out and feel 100 percent safe.” Newcastle defender and US international DeAndre Yedlin has also revealed his grandfather is glad he is playing in England because he would fear for his life back home. “A couple days after George Floyd’s death, my grandfather texted me and told me he’s glad that I am not living in the US right now because he would fear for my life as a young black man,” Yedlin posted on Twitter.

India’s Mohammad Shami indifferent to saliva ban NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India’s fast bowler Mohammed Shami said he will reverse-swing the ball even if saliva is banned during the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to next week order a temporary ban on using saliva, as part of measures to get the sport started again while reducing the risk of spreading the virus. Bowlers traditionally get the ball to move in the air, deceiving the batsman, by shining one side using sweat or saliva. “There will be difficulties. We have been accustomed to using saliva since childhood,” Shami said in an online discussion.

“If you are a fast bowler, you instinctively apply saliva to shine the ball. But yes, if you can maintain the shine of the dry ball, it will definitely reverse.”

The 29-year-old, renowned for his reverse swing, of-

fered no alternative but insisted that sweat is not a viable replacement. “Sweat and saliva work differently. I don’t think it will help. I never tried bowling without saliva,” he said. “Now because of COVID-19 pandemic, it’s very important to stop using saliva.”

Australian ball manufacturer Kookaburra is developing a wax applicator to shine the ball, but the world body is reluctant to allow artificial aids.

Cricket, like nearly all sport, was halted in March when India and many other nations ordered lockdowns.

With the ICC due to make a call next week on whether the Twenty20 World Cup will go ahead in Australia in October-November, Shami said players would need at least two weeks to prepare. “We are not machines, can’t just switch on and off. As a sportsman, your body needs to get into rhythm,” he said. “No one has touched bat and ball in this period. So a 10-15 days camp or a couple of series before the World Cup will be helpful to get back the momentum.”

CMYK

FIA summons Shoaib Akhtar over PCB adviser’s complaint NEWS DESK The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing has reportedly summoned fast-bowling great Shoaib Akhtar in connection with his spat with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) legal adviser, Tafazzul Rizvi.

Sources in the FIA told a local media channel that Akhtar has been ordered to appear before the agency on Friday at 11am. However, Akhtar’s team has denied receiving any notice from the FIA. “My client has not received any notice from the FIA,” his lawyer, Abuzar Salman Niazi said. “If a notice is received, we will respond with a reasonable answer.” In April, Akhtar and Rizvi had clashed after the former posted a rant on YouTube, accusing the latter of profiteering by creating protracted legal wrangles between the board and its players and describing him as “an inept person of highest order”. The PCB had expressed its “disappointment” with Akhter’s outburst and termed it “highly disrespectful”. It had also clarified at that time the legal notice sent to the cricketer did not involve the board’s backing but had hinted that it could change. The cricket board — which was also allegedly accused of “lending cover and condoning match-fixers” by the fiery former fast bowler — further said: “The language used

by Shoaib Akhtar was highly inappropriate and disrespectful, and cannot be condoned in any civilised society.” The board, however, said that the lawsuit filed against Akhtar does not have PCB as a plaintiff, although that could change, it hinted. Akhtar, however, had said he stood by his remarks about the PCB’s legal adviser and would send a “befitting legal reply” to his defamation lawsuit as well.

Cricketers have to re-train brain to adopt new cricket rules: Nasser Hussain LONDON: Playing in empty stadiums is not ideal but a bigger challenge for players during England’s home series against West Indies will be changing the way they shine the ball and keeping a lid on celebrations, former England captain Nasser Hussain has said. Subject to government approval, the three-test series will take place in July behind closed doors, with the use of saliva to shine the ball likely to be banned as part of measures to prevent spread of the new coronavirus. Hussain, 52, told Sky Sports News the teams would have no choice but to create their own atmosphere in the empty venues, though other aspects of postshutdown cricket would be harder to get used to. “Some of the stuff they have trained their brain for 10 years to do, shining a cricket ball, celebrating a wicket, will be the difficult thing for them,” he added. “They are used to putting saliva on a cricket ball and can’t do that anymore, so they will have to re-train the brain.” AGENCIES

Thursday, 4 June, 2020

NEWS

PM IMran vISItS ISI HQS, vowS no coMProMISe on SecurIty, SovereIgnty

Imran wants benefits of low petrol prices to reach public ISLAMABAD APP

APPRECIATES ISI’S ‘TIRELESS EFFORTS AND SACRIFICES’ FOR PAKISTAN’S DEFENCE ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday categorically stated that there will be no compromise on national security and sovereignty. the prime minister said this during his visit to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters here on Wednesday along with Chief of army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

PM Imran said that no effort will be spared on national security and sovereignty. He appreciated the sacrifices and tireless efforts of the ISI for the defense of the country.

On the occasion, the prime minister was given a comprehensive briefing encompassing complex regional and domestic challenges with special focus on Pakistan’s efforts for restoration of peace and stability.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives asad Umar and Special assistant on National Security Moeed Yousuf were present on the occasion. earlier, Director General ISI, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed received Prime Minister Imran on his ar-

rival at the ISI headquarters. the prime minister’s visit to ISI headquarters comes at a time when he has been repeatedly saying that Indian government’s policies are seriously threatening peace and security in South asia. He has expressed his concern over the continuing “double lockdown” in occupied Kashmir, intensification of military crackdown by occupation forces in occupied Kashmir, and changes in

domicile law, which would enable non-Kashmiri Indians to settle in the disputed area.

Imran has said on many occasions that India is altering the demographic structure of the occupied territory in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention. He has said that India’s relations with all of its neighbours including Pakistan, China, Nepal and others are tense.

Govt’s measures helped contain Covid-19 damage to economy, says SBP governor ISLAMABAD

S

STAFF REPORT

tate Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir on Wednesday said that the coronavirus outbreak had delayed but not derailed the recovery process of the country’s economy. addressing a webinar, the governor said that Pakistan’s pre-coronavirus performance on economic front had helped in containing the huge damage that could have been done otherwise.

He said that the pre-coronavirus improvements in fundamentals, the prudent policy response during the outbreak, and fully funded external and fiscal positions supported resilience. the webinar titled “Pakistan economy – Post COVID-19 – Central Bank’s Perspective” was organised by the Institute of Chartered accountant of Pakistan (ICaP), said a press release. the SBP governor said that before Covid-19, the country’s external and fiscal fundamentals recorded significant improvement, Current account Deficit (CaD) went down unprecedently, foreign exchange reserves had increased, fiscal deficit was reducing, tax revenues were on upward trajectory while Pakistan’s stock exchange performance was extraordinary.

He said that due to this performance, the outbreak’s impact on financial mar-

kets had been relatively contained in Pakistan compared to many other emerging markets.

“Proactive and prudent fiscal and monetary policy measures, in coordination with international financial institutions have also been helping to cushion the impact of Covid-19,” he remarked.

Recalling the worst economic situation in 2018 and early 2019, the SBP governor said that had the Covid-19 surfaced at that time, our economy would have been on its knees by now.

He said that the government had to face criticism over taking difficult decisions to streamline the country’s economy but those decisions were bearing

fruits now.

He also said that in order to minimise the impacts of lockdown in the country, the central bank took number of measures, including Rozgar scheme, relief package for household and businesses, supporting health sector to combat the virus, relaxing credit requirements for exporters and importers, and facilitating new investment.

Dispelling the impression that only big industrialists and businessmen were taking benefit of it, the SBP governor maintained that around 95 per cent of beneficiaries of these schemes were small borrowers. He said that liquidity relief of over one trillion rupees

had been provided so far by the SBP during Covid-19.

Replying to a question, he said that the subsidy announced by the central bank on loans was still significant despite reduction of interest rate. However, he assured that the bank was also considering to further reduce the subsidy keeping in view the reduced interest rate. to another question, he said, “We are still confident that in the months to come, the inflation will further decrease.”

With respect to complaints by Small and Medium Sector (SMe) that the commercial banks were not providing them the required loans, he said that the SBP was focusing on bringing about a stick and carrot policy for the banks to provide maximum loans to small businessmen.

He also assured to inject further liquidity to increase loans for the SMe sector.

With regard to policy rate, the SBP governor remarked that monitory policy committee would be ready to revise down the policy rate subject to further reduction of inflation rate.

Replying to another query, he said that the exchange rate Pakistani rupee was stable as the country’s resources were sufficient. “there is no need to worry if the exchange rate fluctuates,” he said, adding that “this is not unusual from our own experience as well as from the world experience”. this was just like a commodity of which the price fluctuates on daily basis, he added.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday took notice of the shortage of petroleum products in most parts of the country and directed the authorities concerned to take “necessary action” to put an end to this. He also took notice of the upward trend in the prices of essential commodities despite a reduction in the petroleum prices and ordered the National Price Monitoring Committee to monitor the prices on a weekly basis. there is a need to devise a mechanism to bring down the prices of essential commodities, the PM said. In a letter addressed to chief ministers and chief secretaries of four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan along with adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr abdul Hafeez Sheikh, the PM stressed that the benefit of price reduction of fuel should be passed on to common man. “the prime minister has desired that the chief ministers/chief secretaries of the provinces shall personally look into the matter and make every effort to ensure that the impact of the reduction of fuel prices must correspondingly reflect in the prices of essential commodities on daily basis,” an excerpt of the letter read, as shared by PM Media Office. “the PM has taken a serious view of the fact that while the federal government had reduced POL prices drastically in the past few months, there is no corresponding reduction in the prices of essential commodities rather these are showing an upward trend,” it added. Imran mentioned that “there is no logic as to why flour prices should increase when harvesting of the wheat crop has just recently been concluded”.

govt abolishes 48hour quarantine policy for air travellers NEWS DESK: the federal government has abolished the 48-hour quarantine condition for Pakistanis returning home from abroad, and they would now be sent to their homes after a medical check-up and test at the airports, according to a news report on Wednesday. the report stated that the government changed the standard operating procedures (SOPs) because the capacity at quarantine centres had been contracting due to an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases. according to the new SOPs, all passengers would undergo a complete medical check-up at the airports, while the staff deputed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and provincial health departments at the airports will test the travellers for coronavirus. after the medical check-up and the coronavirus test, the passengers will be allowed to go their homes, instead of the quarantine centre, if they do not show any symptoms of Covid-19. the decision about suspected coronavirus patients has been left on the discretion of doctors. Under the new policy, all the passengers will be checked at the health counters of the airports. the record will carry the names and addresses of suspected coronavirus travellers and will be quarantined at home upon not showing any symptoms. On Wednesday, the NIH team conducted medical check-ups and coronavirus tests of all the passengers including 281 travellers coming from the US and 253 travellers coming from Saudi arabia in a special PIa flight at the Islamabad airport, after which all the travellers were permitted to go to their homes, the report said.

US protests defy curfews as Trump faces backlash for violent crackdown WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Protesters defied curfews across the United States tuesday as leaders scrambled to stem anger over police racism while President Donald trump rejected criticism over his use of force to break up a peaceful rally.

Standoffs between police and demonstrators stretched into the night in cities from New York to Los angeles over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed african-american man whose killing has brought once-ina-generation protests to the nation for the past week.

But there were fewer reports of the looting and violence that had soured street demonstrations in previous nights. tens of thousands gathered earlier in Houston to pay a hometown tribute to Floyd, who grew up in the texas city and is to be buried there next week. “today is… about George Floyd’s family — we want them to know that George did not die in vain,” Mayor Sylvester turner told an estimated 60,000 people. a tearful Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyd’s six-year-old daughter, told a news conference she wanted “justice for him be-

cause he was good. “No matter what anybody thinks, he was good.”

In New York, which on tuesday prolonged its first curfew since World War II for the full week, aFP reporters saw hundreds refusing to go home after the 8:00 pm cutoff, instead chanting slogans and peacefully walking the streets in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Protesters attempting to cross the Manhattan bridge were pinned there for an extended period by police on both sides, but were finally allowed to return to Brooklyn, according to a New York times reporter on the scene.

Minnesota took one of the first concrete actions to address the grievances behind the uprising, which began after Floyd’s death on May 25 in the state’s largest city Minneapolis. the state launched a civil rights investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department, looking at possible “systemic discriminatory practices” going back 10 years, Governor tim Walz tweeted. and in Los angeles, one of dozens of cities hit by unrest, police officers and Mayor eric Garcetti dropped to their knees in a symbolic act of solidarity as they met marchers led by african-american Christian groups. “a black face should not be a sentenced

to die, nor to be homeless, nor to be sick, nor to be underemployed, nor to be under-educated,” Garcetti told them, inviting the leaders into City Hall for a discussion about the issues.

But protesters gathered outside Garcetti’s residence late into the evening. an aFP reporter witnessed a group of at least 200 refusing to disperse and subsequently arrested.

In Washington DC, thousands returned to the streets tuesday for a peaceful “Black Lives Matter” march.

Hours after the 7:00 pm curfew protesters could be heard chanting, as National Guard troops stood on the streets near the White House and helicopters hovered above.

Broadcast footage showed police firing tear gas shortly after midnight, but the situation

appeared to be calm overall.

“I’m just tired, essentially, of being scared of police, of not getting justice,” said Jada Wallace, an 18-year-old protester outside the White House earlier who said she was ready to risk arrest.

In the same place on Monday, federal police had abruptly opened tear gas and fired rubber bullets to break up a non-violent protest, clearing a path for trump to stroll outside for a photo-op at a historic church damaged the previous night. the move was loudly condemned by religious leaders, the president’s political rivals, and onlookers around the country.

But trump, who has rejected the traditional presidential role of healer, voiced glee on twitter over the response in Washington and accused the leadership of New York — led by the rival Democratic Party — of succumbing to “Lowlife & Scum.”

“Overwhelming force. Domination,” he wrote, adding: “Washington, D.C, was the safest place on earth last night!”

He pushed back against the criticism later on twitter, writing: “You got it wrong!

If the protesters were so peaceful, why did they light the Church on fire the night before? People liked my walk.”

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