CMYK
Thursday, 9 July, 2020 I 17 Dhū al-Qa‘dah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 11 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
imran Calls for Combined strategy to helP labourers during PandemiC g
PM SAyS MANy COUNTRIeS, INCLUDING PAKISTAN, DePeND UPON ReMITTANCeS SeNT By OveRSeAS WORKeRS
ISLAMABAD staff report
P
RIMe Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday urged the international community to formulate a combined strategy to protect the most vulnerable segments of the society, especially labourers from the impacts of Covid-19. Addressing the online ILO Global Summit on Covid-19 and the World of Work, Imran pointed out that many countries, including Pakistan, depend upon remittances sent by overseas workers. “Though the host countries are also faced with many problems owing to the coronavirus, we need to convince them to
be more sympathetic to these labourers,” he added. Imran emphasised that the lockdown has hit these labourers the most. “The future is very uncertain, as we do not know how long the economy will take to recover from the impacts of the pandemic,” he stated, adding that till vaccines are found the world community will need to share their experiences and exchange ideas to protect the vulnerable groups. Sharing the initial lockdown experience of Pakistan, the premier said it rendered daily-wage earners and labourers unemployed. “Hence, we came up with the smart lockdown idea under which public gath-
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
239,729
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
83
2,980
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
140,965 4,954 99,362
83,599
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
29,052
11,052
1,419/1,595 13,650
erings were stopped, but we allowed other activities like reopening of construction and agriculture sectors,” he added. Imran also shed light on the ehsaas Programme under which the government is providing cash assistance to labourers after completing their registration process. “It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that such huge money was disbursed in such a short space of time,” he said stressing that this saved the country from the worst effects of the lockdown. “Never in the country’s history was so much money transferred to so many people in a short time,” he remarked. “This saved us from some of the worst aspects of the crisis. Unlike in India, where they imposed a curfew which pushed people into deeper poverty.” The prime minister continued, “No one is sure when the coronavirus will end. We are all praying a vaccine comes out for the virus soon, but, meanwhile, uncertainty prevails.” “The small and medium enterprises (SMes) are the most affected by the virus and these employ the most number of labourers, which is why we need to come up with the idea to solve their issues,” he said. Speaking about the overseas labourers, the prime minister said a collective strategy is needed to tell other countries to be sympathetic to these labourers. “We need some joint strategy on how we can ‘soften the impact’ on labourers across the world,” he said. “We would love to share ideas with the world; we would love to know what other countries are doing. Pakistan will keep other countries updated on the situation and how we intend to move forward,” he said. “The exchange of ideas will, I’m sure, help us to solve our problems.”
Jadhav refuses offer to file review plea against death sentence g
FO SAyS CONvICTeD RAW SPy HAS DeCIDeD TO FILe MeRCy PeTITION ISLAMABAD staff report
While refusing Pakistan’s offer to file an appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his conviction, Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav has decided to apply for a mercy petition, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday. Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel — a serving commander of the Indian Navy associated with Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan while attempting to crossover into Pakistan through the country’s border with Iran. Subsequently, in April 2017, a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) handed him death sentence on charges of espionage and terrorism. In a press conference here on Wednesday, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Ahmed Irfan and Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said that an ordinance was promulgated by the government on May 20, which allowed the Indian government, Jadhav and his legal representative to
Murad flays Centre over ‘irresponsible’ comments on Uzair Baloch JIT report KARACHI staff report
A day after the federal government accused the Sindh government of “tampering” the joint investigation team (JIT) report on Lyari ganglord Uzair Jan Baloch, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said Minister for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi “acted irresponsibly” in doing so. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi had presented what he said was the “original” JIT report on Baloch, which according to him accused the top leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), including its co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, of having been in contact and patronising the gangster. Speaking to reporters outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Islamabad after being questioned by the anti-graft agency, Shah questioned how the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) minister had obtained the purportedly “original” JIT report. “I think he revealed someone came to his house on a motorcycle and gave him that report. If he had said that some respon-
file a review petition in IHC within 60 days, which is due to expire on July 19. They said Indian authorities had requested to appoint an Indian counsel to advocate for Jadhav but if an appeal is filed in the IHC, only a lawyer that holds a license of the respective court would be able to represent the spy. Therefore, an Indian lawyer cannot advocate for the convicted spy but they may be allowed to assist Jadhav’s counsel. Pakistan had allowed consular access to Jadhav twice in the past and has offered to do so again, the officials said. Authorities have also offered to arrange Jadhav’s meeting with his father and wife, they added. The two officials expressed hope that the Indian government will respond positively to this offer. Both officials recalled that Pakistan had earlier allowed Jadhav’s mother and wife to meet him and said that the government had complied with the verdict of the International Court of Justice passed last year.
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CJP wants 120 new accountability courts for early disposal of cases STORY ON PAGE 03
All educational institutions to reopen in September sible man gave it to him and now he was revealing it, it might have made sense. But this was not appropriate for a man who is a member of the National Assembly and a sensible person.” Zaidi had said that the JIT comprised six members — one person each from the Special Branch and the Crime Investigation Department, from the Sindh government, as well as officials from the Intelligence Bureau, Rangers, Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence, from the federal government. He claimed, however, that the two members from Sindh had not signed what he called was the original report, which he said included findings that Baloch was working at the be-
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hest of senior PPP leaders. Responding to the claim, Shah clarified that the JIT had seven members and not six, adding that the report submitted to the Sindh home department had all seven signatures. He further said that this was the same JIT report that was “submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) in a sealed envelope, read by the honourable judges and then returned to the provincial government”. Shah further said JIT reports in “several forms were being circulated [on social media]” and since there is “no official seal” that is used for these documents, it might have confused many people.
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STORY ON PAGE 02
BRI moot lauds CPEC, seeks greater regional connectivity STORY ON PAGE 05
Shehbaz Sharif telephones Bilawal, agrees to hold APC soon STORY ON PAGE 02