EpaperKHI_20-12-29

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020 I 13 Jumada Al-Awwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 180 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Govt ready for talks with opposition in parliament: faraz g

SayS MaryaM, Fazl to be excluded FroM dialogue For not being MPS

ISLAMABAD

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Staff rePort

ederal Minister for information and broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has said that opposition parties’ campaign against the government is aimed at creating chaos in the country to protect their looted money. addressing a press conference along with Minister for Science and technology chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Minister for Water resources Faisal Vawda in islamabad on Monday, Faraz said that those who desire to topple an elected government can never be in favour of democracy.

He said that in Sunday public gathering of Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM), no single word was uttered in the praise of the soldiers who got martyred in balochistan.

He said that PdM is seeking resignation of the government on the allegation of electoral rigging but has said “nothing about electoral reforms.”

“if they [opposition] had won [the election], they would have said the elections were free and fair,” he added. the senator went on to say that it was unfortunate that those who were facilitators in the killing of the former prime minister and PPP founder zulfikar ali bhutto and tortured former premier benazir bhutto were sitting on stage with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership.

He said that events to mark death anniversaries are not used for delivering political speeches normally but they “utilised the event for political point-scoring”. He said it was strange that the enemies of zulfikar ali bhutto and benazir bhutto were given space to share the stage with PPP leadership.

Faraz said that the government is ready for dialogue with “serious” leadership of the opposition and the forum will be parliament as it represents the people’s will. He said that national dialogue is part of politics but both Pakistan Muslim league-nawaz (PMl-n) VicePresident Maryam nawaz and Jamiat ulema-e-islam-Fazl (Jui-F) chief Maulana Fa-

zlur rehman are not part of parliament and will be excluded from the process.

He further said that the government has also given the agenda of the dialogue which would be reforms in the electoral system.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Water resources Vawda said that Maryam’s frustration is just to get power. He said that the opposition is talking about rigging in general elections after two-and-a-half-year. but they have not filed any petition at any forum. the minister said that it is the incumbent government which introduced the first textile policy of the country. He said that textile, cement and automobile industries are booming due to prudent policies of the government.

Vawda said that “the armed forces are our guardians”. Further lambasting the opposition’s narrative, the minister said that the armed forces have always stood by democratic governments. “neither has the army got anything to do with a democratic government, nor does the democratic government have anything to do with the army’s affairs,” Vawda added.

Minister for Science and technology Fawad chaudhry said that PdM’s platform is being used against Punjab, federation and state institutions. He said that the government is ready to hold talks with only senior and mature leaders from the opposition.

Fawad also slammed the opposition leaders for not “uttering even a word against the terrorist attack”. He said the country’s armed forces and judiciary are constantly being attacked. to a question about internal rifts in the JuiF, Faraz said that those who termed Fazl “selected” were insiders and enjoyed good reputation and status in the party. He added that Maulana Shirani and Hafiz Hussain ahmed have stated that Fazl was selected whereas they were the real leaders of the party.

Pakistan fails to meet IMF’s conditions regarding reforms in SOEs ISLAMABAD Shahzad Paracha

Pakistan has failed to meet the international Monetary Fund's (iMF) demand regarding structural reforms in Stateowned enterprise (Soes), a condition set to restart the $6 billion loan programme, which has been stalled for about ten months now. according to the details, the international financial institution had asked Pakistan to submit a new law in the parliament, aimed at modernising and defining the role of the state as owner, regulator and shareholder of Soes, by September this year. the lender had also asked to sort Soes into companies for sale, liquidation or retaining under state ownership. although the federal cabinet, after the cabinet committee on State-owned enterprises' (ccoSoes) approval, had ratified the Soes governance and operations act, 2020 draft law on September 16, neither was the law submitted to parliament nor was the triage of Soes carried out before the deadline.

However, responding to

Profit, Secretary Finance Kamran ali afzal said that the law and triage are in the final stages and would be submitted soon.

Sources who spoke to Profit said that the law proposes that commercial state-owned enterprises maintain independent procurement policies, complying with chartered institute of Procurement (ciP), with the federal government's approval. this draft law was prepared after the iMF technical mission carried out a detailed diagnostic study which identified key governance issues in the management of Soes in the country. as the iMF talks stall, Pakistan remains under serious economic pressure, exacerbated after Saudi arabia demanded a $1 billion loan repayment and froze an oil credit facility worth more than $3 billion in august. earlier in the month, media reports stated that the government is likely to increase the power tariff by rs3.30 per unit before december 31, to qualify for the restoration of the loan programme.

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Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

NEWS

ML-1 tO SPeeD PaKIStanI exPOrtS, IncreaSe revenUe: PM ISLAMABAD

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TLTP

RIME Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that the CPEC’s Main Line -1 (ML-1) project is set to shape road networks amongst sea ports of Pakistan and expedite exports by reducing at time of delivery, while the speedy delivery of exports to international markets will translate into revenue generation for Pakistan.

Chairing the project’s project survey session in the federal capital on Monday, the premier expressed satisfaction on the progress made so far.

The PM was briefed at length about the

Opposition to meet on January 1 ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

PM FOR MOBILISING RESOURCES TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE ELECTRICITY TO CONSUMERS, TAKES NOTICE OF GAS LOAD SHEDDING project by the Ministry of Railways and CPEC Authority chairman among other authorities concerned while Federal Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati expanded on the integration plan of ML-1.

The premier said that the ML-1 project will lay the foundation of an industry that will guarantee prosperity for Pakistan and employments, adding that it is by far the costliest project of CPEC. Later in the day, the premier took notice of gas load shedding across the

Seven die as passenger van plunges into gorge in DG Khan DG KHAN: At least seven people, including a father and his son, died and several others got injured on early Monday when an over-speeding passenger van lost control and plunged into a deep gorge near Rakhi Gaj area of Dera Ghazi Khan. According to details, the passenger van was en-route from Fort Monroe to DG Khan and was travelling on a frail road when the accident occurred. Victims of the accident have been identified as Riaz Ayub, Mohammad Waqas Islam, Wazir Sher Dil, Imtiaz Ahmed Bakhsh, Qismat Khan Farooq and his son Mohammad Arba Qismat. One person could not be identified till the filing of this report. Bodies were recovered by rescue efforts of local residents and border police. The driver of the vehicle, Mehrabanul Abdur Rehman and the injured were pulled out of the deep ravine. Earlier, at least five people died and 10 others sustained injuries when the passenger jeep they were travelling in fell into a gorge in Abbottabad on December 15. TLTP

Institutions working for national development within domains: PM ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that all pillars of the state are working for development of the country within their respective domains. The prime minister said this while talking to his Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan on Monday. Describing strengthening of institutions vital for a strong and vibrant democracy, he said that those pointing fingers at the institutions for their political gains can never be champions of democracy. Dr Awan termed the government's policies for economic stability and control of Covid-19 as important successes. He said that politicians, who are striving to push the country into an age of darkness for personal interests, have no future of their own. STAFF RPEORT

'Illegitimate government is a product of fraud,' says JUI-F chief Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the current government was both "illegitimate" and "incompetent", and claimed that it was made through fraud tactics. "This illegitimate government is a product of fraud," he said, adding that its supporters should also be held liable for the problems faced by the public. He asserted that the country did not belong to the rulers but to the people. Fazlur claimed that the incumbent government was attempting to defame him using the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) questionnaire. He said that NAB was trying to attack his party, but that would not accept it. "We don't accept pressure, we exert it," Fazl maintained. Fazlur said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had pulled the teeth from the institutions and that it had weakened them. He asserted that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had said the annual growth had never been so low and predicted that it would fall lower in the next two years. NEWS DESK

country while chairing a review meeting on the energy sector summoned after receiving public complaints pertaining to the suspension of gas supply to domestic and industrial consumers.

Federal ministers, special advisers to the prime minister and other concerned officials attended the meeting.

It is pertinent to mention here that gas supply disruption had hit industries after residential areas in Sindh, halting the production of a large number of industrial

units in Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), Korangi, Landhi and Federal B Area.

Furthermore, the premier was briefed about the improvement in the power distribution system Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan, Special Assistant Tabish Gohar and Secretary Energy, after which he expressed satisfaction and said that the government is working on the targeted subsidy to provide cheaper electricity to the consumers.

Pakistan extends restrictions on UK passengers till Jan 4 ISLAMABAD TLTP

Pakistan on Monday extended travel restrictions on inbound travellers from the United Kingdom till January 4, 2021. On December 21, Pakistan announced travel restrictions for inbound travellers from the UK, after infections from a more contagious strain of the novel coronavirus started surging in the European country.

Previously, the CAA had announced that the ban would remain in effect till December 29, 2020. A notification from the Aviation Division earlier had said that the curbs would remain in place from December 2229, and will apply to persons who originate travel from the UK and are in, or have been in Britain over the past 10 days (from the date of the issuance of the notification).

Several countries around the world banned air travel to and from the UK, fearing the new passengers will bring

the new strain of the virus to their soil as well.

The Pass Track App — which records the basic information of passengers arriving in Pakistan — was made mandatory for people coming into the country.

On December 22, Pakistan announced it had updated the travel restrictions, relaxing them for Pakistani passport holders. The CAA had announced that Pakistani passport holders who have been issued Business, Visitor or Transit visas by British authorities could return to the country provided they had a negative PCR test.

The test, however, must have been taken 72 hours prior to the start of their travel to Pakistan, the aviation authority had said. The government had also allowed Pakistanis who hold study, family, work and settlement visas in the UK to return to Pakistan "if their visas are expiring within the next 30 days from the issuance of this letter while holding negative PCR Test Reports conducted within the 72 hours prior to commencement of travel to Pakistan".

Pakistan records 1,974 fresh infections, 55 fatalities ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The country on Monday recorded 1,974 fresh infections of the novel coronavirus, taking the number of active cases to 39,488.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data, the authorities conducted 32,205 tests in the last 24 hours, receiving a transmission rate of 6.13 percent. A province-wise breakdown showed 12,021 tests conducted in Sindh, 11,859 in Punjab, 4,885 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 2,609 in Islamabad, 258 in Balochistan, 230 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and 343 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Some 1,760 people recovered from the contagious disease. With a recovery rate of 89.6 percent, total recoveries soared to 423,892.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate stood at 2.1 per cent

after 55 patients -- 50 of whom were under treatment at various hospitals and five under domestic quarantine - passed away from coronavirus-related complications.

Punjab topped the chart with 21 fatalities -- half when compared to its Sunday's toll of 42.

Of the total 50 who died in hospitals, some 35 patients were on ventilators. No Covid-positive person was on a ventilator in AJK, Balochistan and GB in comparison to 321 ventilators occupied elsewhere in the country. In a province-wise breakdown, Multan and Islamabad occupied 45 per cent of artificial oxygen tanks each followed by Peshawar 36 per cent and Lahore 34 per cent. Oxygen chambers were also utilised in four cities: Islamabad 31 per cent, Rawalpindi 32 per cent, Peshawar 62 per cent and Multan 38 per cent.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak in March, a total of 473,309 infectious cases have been detected to date, comprising affected, deceased and recovered patients

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman has summoned a next meeting of the antigovernment alliance on January 1 (Friday) in Lahore, it emerged Monday. Reports citing sources suggest the meeting will take place at the estate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz in Jati Umra at 1:00 pm. The reports come days after Fazl, also the leader of his faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), declined the invitation extended by former president and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari for the power show at the death anniversary of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Sunday due to "certain engagements". Zardari had telephoned Fazl and invited him to attend the programme but he excused himself from attending it.

However, a five-member delegation of the party comprising Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Abdul Raziq Abid Lakho, Maulana Siraj Ahmad Shah Amroti, Maulana Saud Afzal and Maulana Abdullah Mehr participated in the event. Meanwhile, sources attributed the development to the expulsion from the party of four senior leaders for revolting against Fazl. Last week, the JUI-F expelled the members who had disapproved of the decisions taken under the president's leadership as part of the opposition's antigovernment movement. The four ousted members include senior party leader Maulana Mohammad Sherani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and Maulana Shujaul Mulk. In its Sunday's meeting, the opposition renewed its threats of a long march on Islamabad if Prime Minister Imran Khan does not step down by January 31. Sources said that the Lahore meeting will consider the future strategy of the movement, resignations of its lawmakers from the National and provincial assemblies and the trump card of the long march.

including AJK 8,215; Balochistan 18,082; GB 4,850; Islamabad 37,272; KP 57,467; Punjab 136,147 and Sindh 211,276. Some 9,929 deaths were recorded, including 3,491 in Sindh; 3,921 in Punjab; 1,609 in KP; 407 in Islamabad; 182 in Balochistan, 101 in GB and 218 in AJK. A total of 6,589,317 coronavirus tests have been conducted, while 615 hospitals are equipped with coronavirus-related facilities.

PRIVATE SECTOR PERMITTED TO IMPORT VACCINE: Meanwhile, Dr Faisal Sultan, special assistant to the prime minister on national health services, last week said that a coronavirus vaccine will be available in Pakistan in before March 2021.

According to him, the government had yet to finalise deals with any vaccine manufacturers, noting that negotiations were ongoing with China and Russia to ensure frontline workers and senior citizens would be inoculated first and foremost.

The government has approved $250 million in funding to buy vaccines, initially to cover the most vulnerable 5 percent of the population.

China, Pakistan resolute in promoting CPEC construction: Zhao Lijian BEIJING APP

China and Pakistan are resolute in pushing forward the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the prospects of the CPEC are bright, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday.

He made this remarks at his regular briefing when asked to comment on a report that China will gradually end its financial support of Pakistan pledged under the CPEC. “Such reports are groundless,” said Zhao, adding that as an important pilot

project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the CPEC has maintained positive development momentum since 2013.

He remarked that after Covid-19 broke out, the projects under this corridor showed no withdrawal of staff and there was no jobs cut and no halt in construction. Lijian said that the batch of major projects were completed, handed over or became operational, offering a strong support to Pakistan in its fight against Covid-19 and economic recovery, adding, “My colleagues have talked about this as well.”

He informed that last Friday, the CPEC International Coordination Cooperation Working Group’s second

meeting was held in Xinjiang.

During the meeting, the two sides reiterated their consensus to implement our leaders’ agreement and make sure the corridor will focus more on industry, agriculture, science and technology and livelihood besides focusing more on underdeveloped region. So, it will become a high quality demonstration project under the BRI. He said that other Working Group meetings will be held to prepare for the joint cooperation working meeting.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan and China were firmly resolved to advance progress under CPEC which had bright prospect.

He stressed that against the global economic recession, China’s input in the BRI, including CPEC, had not reduced but rather increased against the odds.

“Over the first three quarters, China’s direct financial investment in BRI countries increased by around 30 per cent, offering China’s support to many BRI partner countries in their effort to fight the epidemic and recover their economy,” he added.

Lijian also termed the certain media reports as groundless which suggested that China was seeking additional guarantees from Pakistan government for releasing additional funds for ML1 project.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

PTI seT TO eMeRge as laRgesT PaRTy afTeR seNaTe elecTIONs ISLAMABAD

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MIAN ABRAR

PCOMING elections of Senate of Pakistan are set to see the majority of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to shrink into a minority as the ruling Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) is set to become majority party with almost 28 seats.

In the upper house of 104 members, 52 are about to complete their term and retire, including 11 senators each from Sindh and Punjab as well as 12 senators each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. The PML-N would be

losing 17 of its senators in this manner.

Similarly, seven senators of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) are also going to retire, as well as four senators of Mutahidda Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P) from Sindh, and two senators of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). All seven PTI retiring senators are from KP. Three senators of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), one senator each of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and Awami National Party (ANP) will also retire.

Four independent members from erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), including Aurangzeb Orakzai, Momin Afridi, Sajid Turi and

PMl-N retains Islamabad mayor slot ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) candidate Pir Adil Shah has won the election for the vacant seat of Islamabad’s mayor, according to unofficial and provisional result. Shah bagged 43 votes, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Sajid Mahmood was able to secure 26 votes. Out of a total of 73 votes, 69 were cast. The PML-N candidate enjoyed a clear majority over his two rivals. The polling process started at 9:00am and ended at 5:00pm. There were no breaks in between. The offices located in the building, which have been declared as polling stations, remained closed. Three candidates were contesting the by-polls on Mayor Islamabad’s seat which included Pir Adil Shah from PML-N, Malik Sajjad from PTI and Azhar Mahmood as an independent candidate. It is pertinent to mention here that Mayor Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz on October 6 resigned from his post, months after he was restored by the Islamabad High Court after being suspended over corruption allegations. Sheikh Ansar Aziz, who belongs to PML-N, resigned from his post four months ahead of the completion of his tenure.

Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation spokesman confirmed receiving the resignation from the mayor, however, he expressed his unawareness regarding the reasons behind the move. TLTP

govt, PDM engaged in 'Track-II' dialogue: Durrani ISLAMABAD: Former minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Secretary General Muhammad Ali Durrani on Monday claimed the government and the opposition alliance was involved in a "TrackII dialogue" to defuse the confrontational political landscape. A diplomatic practice, Track-II or backchannel dialogue brings together unofficial representatives on both sides, with no apparent government participation. Speaking to a private television, Durrani, while underscoring the need for defusing the heated political situation, the former minister said a dialogue [between the government and the PDM parties] has begun and it can clearly be seen. Durrani, who remained minister for information and broadcasting during the tenure of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf and is considered close to the military establishment, said that the nation wanted a dialogue between the two stakeholders, adding there are people [on both sides of the aisle] who can defuse the political heat. STAFF REPORT

Parliament abusers formally begged parliament for NRO today: Marriyum Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb has termed the federal ministers' press conference the last shrieks of the petrified and dying corrupt government that had lost at all fronts. In a statement, Marriyum said that the defeated rented mouthpieces had once again stooped even lower than their previously set records of foul language, indecency, misconduct and crass talk to set new world records. The former information minister said that the government spokespersons had gathered to push for an NRO for the corrupt Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

She said that those who ranted against and cussed at the parliament from the container were begging the parliament for an NRO to bury their terrible crimes against the country and its people. NEWS DESK

Taj Afridi, will complete their six-year term. Furthermore, two senators – Raheela Magsi and Sardar Yaqub Nasir – will retire from Islamabad.

After the retirement of these senators and the new elections, JUI-F is likely to have five seats and MQM-P to have three seats.

The ANP and the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) will have two seats left. The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) will have two seats and the BNP-M will have two seats and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) is also likely to get two seats. After the retirement of Senator Sirajul Haq, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will have one

seat in the Senate.

As many as 52 senators, including Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, will retire on March 11, 2021. The outgoing members would also include Senator Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Mushahidullah Khan, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz and Senator Sherry Rehman.

As such, after the election process is held in March next year, the ruling coalition is likely to emerge as a minority in the upper house with 49 seats, while the opposition parties will still have an edge over the ruling coalition with 51 seats.

SC bar writes to CJP to ban public gatherings ISLAMABAD HAMID KHAN WAZIR

Owing to the alarming resurgence of the coronavirus, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed to ban public gatherings across the country.

“As your lordship knows that Article 9 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan gives protection to the health and safety of the public at large, therefore, the government has to provide better health facilities to the general public. As we observe that such facilities are not up to the mark even in normal conditions, rendering it nearly impossible to cater to such a deadly pandemic," the letter stated, "Hence, it is requested and very humbly submitted, that being the custodian of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and while exercising the powers under article 184(3), suo motu notice may kindly be taken while imposing a ban upon every kind of public gathering in the larger interest”, wrote Punjab Vice President Chaudhry Muhammad Arshad Bajwa, in his letter to the

CJP on behalf of the SCBA. According to the SCBA VP, the second wave is deceptive in numbers but having a more fatality rate while this deception is hindering in taking the firm steps to safeguard the people of Pakistan.

This relaxed attitude at the time of giving the final blow to such menaces adds political confusion to the nationally and globally agreed-upon issues; it is reflective of an ongoing struggle to eradicate polio and bring down the population growth rate. The SCBA VP wrote that if the pandemic also enters that lingering phase, it will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of the already gasping health system of Pakistan.

"In the context of these facts and figures and for the safety and the health of the people of Pakistan, I, being the Vice President (Punjab) of Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan, and on behalf of the 23rd Executive of SCBAP, feel greatly concerned that our political leadership, inside or outside the government, are continuously conducting public gatherings while neglecting the prevailing pandemic situation in the country," he wrote.

Unarmed Kashmiri youth are being subjected to state terrorism: FM Qureshi NEWS DESK Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said that “unarmed Kashmiri youth are being subjected to state terrorism in fake encounters" in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

The foreign minister was referring to a recent case filed in an Indian court, wherein an army captain and his two accomplices had killed three local labourers and called them as 'militants' in the charge sheet.

The minister said that these young Kashmiris are being presented as terrorists and fake cases are registered against them to misguide the world.

Earlier, Qureshi had said that India was conspiring to destabilise Pakistan as the government has solid evidence of Indian involvement in patronizing terrorists and other banned organisations in order to create unrest in Pakistan.

He had expressed these views while addressing a

ceremony at Union Council Multaniwala.

On November 14, during a joint Press Conference with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the government had informed the international community about the involvement of India in terror activities by sharing dossier.

FM Qureshi had said that India had earmarked billions of rupees to damage China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Similarly, the FM had added that India was also sabotaging the peace process in Afghanistan.

“Disinfo Lab had exposed India’s conspiracies also.

Due to inhuman measures by the Modi government, the voices are also being heard against the fascist regime from inside India," he had said.

FM Qureshi had said that Pakistan was taking practical as well as diplomatic steps to foil conspiracies of the enemy. Armed Forces were successfully abolishing the menace of terrorism, he had added.

Maryam Nawaz visits Bhutto family mausoleum NAUNDERO PPI

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, accompanied by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, visited the Bhutto family mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bux on Monday morning.

She showered rose petals on the graves of Zulfikar

Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Mir Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto and offered Dua for their departed souls.

She also went through the martyrs gallery. Bilawal himself drove the vehicle from Bhutto House Naundero to Garhi Khuda Bux and took her to the Bhutto mausoleum. Sherry Rehman, Maryam Aurangzeb, and Captain (r) Safdar also accompanied them and offered Fateha at the graves of members of the Bhutto family.

PDM pressuring army after failure to secure NRO from me: PM ISLAMABAD TLTP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said that opposition parties are putting pressure on the army because they know he will never grant them any national reconciliation ordinance (NRO).

Presiding over a meeting of the government and his party spokespersons, the prime minister reiterated that the government will not bow down before the opposition parties’ blackmailing tactics. He said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) should have supported the government on electoral reforms if they are on the streets against any polls-related issue.

The opposition did not take part in any legislation during the past two-and-a-half years, the PM said, adding

that they used the parliament for their personal interests.

He further said that they could never misguide the masses by telling lies. The premier said that the opposition would have ended its protest if the governed had accepted their proposals pertaining to the amendment in national accountability laws. Earlier on Saturday last, PM Imran predicted a forward bloc in opposition parties if they resign from the assemblies.

“I can give you in writing that there will be a forward bloc in opposition if they move to resign from assemblies,” he had said while speaking to media persons in Chakwal. “Why would elected representatives who spent millions on their election campaign will resign on their orders,” Imran Khan had said, adding that the opposition leaders wanted their lawmakers to sacrifice for them to hide their looted wealth.

NEWS

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seven-year-old girl gang-raped, killed; accused arrested LAHORE: A seven-year-old girl in Mohlanwal area was gang-raped and murdered allegedly in connivance with her cousin, police said on Monday.

The prime suspect Rizwan, the cousin of 7-year-old victim, and his alleged co-conspirator Allah Ditta took the minor to nearby fields where they sexually abused her and then murdered her. The police said the accused have been detained. On insistence by Allah Ditta, Rizwan abducted his cousin and then after rape, she was murdered. After the incident, the suspects acted naive and pretended to look for her with the grieved family, police noted. Earlier on Sunday last, police claimed that a rape-accused in Pattoki, a city of Punjab’s Kasur district, is already booked in two more cases of sexual assault and murder. The police found a criminal record of the man, who is blamed by people for raping six girls in the city. The accused, identified as Yasin, had tried to rape a 12year-old girl, a resident of Phoolnagar. He remained imprisoned in the case and was later released. The accused had also remained behind bars for nine years over allegedly murdering his paternal aunt. TLTP

Pakistan in contact with six firms to get covid vaccine ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is in contact with six international Covid-19 vaccine producing companies for procurement of the vaccine. These six companies include two from China and one each from Russian and the United Kingdom. According to sources, the government is in talks with CanSino and Sinopharm from China, Oxford University in UK and Sputnik V from Russia. The sources said that they are also mulling over the profiles of the six coronavirus vaccines. “We have two major demands from the companies providing Covid-19 vaccine which include that it should have an emergency use authorisation [EUA] certificate from WHO and should provide it on an immediate basis to the country,” they said. TLTP

Opp stole billions of rupees from Punjab, says fawad Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Monday accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of antiPunjab practices, saying that the parties of the anti-government alliance had stolen billions of rupees from the province. The "so-called nationalists have swindled billions of rupees and abuse Punjab to deceive their supporters," he said, and added: "On average, Rs400 billion are transferred to Balochistan every year. Balochistan's population is just 10 million, where did the money go?" A day earlier, Fawad had said that the incumbent government was committed to eliminating corruption from the society while talking to a private news channel. The minister had said that the government would carry out across the board accountability against corrupt elements and plunderers. He had said that the government was ready to initiate dialogue with the opposition parties on all issues except the national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) and corruption cases. NEWS DESK

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

04 NEWS

BiASeD PRomotionS ReDuCinG eFFeCtiveneSS oF et&nC PUNJAB PUNCH SHAHAB OMER

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HE Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Department (ET&C) is a department where complaints of corruption, misuse of powers and nepotism have always been common, and even some responsible ET&NC officials have often had to admit that previous governments and officials have not been able to significantly reduce these complaints.

Apart from corruption, the ET&MC department is currently facing major complaints of nepotism, wherein many of the officers appear to be expressing dissatisfaction over the practice of junior officers receiving undue boons. It appears that not only are these junior officers promoted to senior

posts quickly but, in order to increase their powers, they are also given a ‘look after’ charge for any post.

An official of ET&NC, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the post of Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO) in the department is BPS-17 officially, but in practice, the department has a large number of officers who have been posted as assistant excise and taxation officers (AETOs) in BPS-16 and they are working as the ‘look after’ charge as ETO in BPS-17.

The official opined that the appointment of junior officers to senior posts has created many problems, such as the disenfranchisement of senior officers as well as increased complications in administrative matters. Furthermore, he highlighted that the most pertinent issue which arises through these appointments of junior officers to senior posts is that of legal competence.

Firdous congratulates newly-elected officer bearers of press club LAHORE: Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, while congratulating the newly elected body of Lahore Press Club, expressed hope that it would play its role for the welfare of journalists. In a statement issued on Monday, Firdous felicitated the newly-elected President Arshad Ansari and other office bearers, and said that it is obligatory for the newly elected body to resolve the problems of the journalist community. The new body would come up to journalists’ expectations and play its role for their prosperity, she added. The SACM said that freedom of expression was essential for strengthening democracy in the country. She said that media is an important pillar of the state and it is hoped that the new body will fulfill its responsibilities in a professional manner. STAFF REPORT

KP CS forms bodies to keep close eye on sugar, flour mills PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz has formed separate committees to keep a close eye on sugar and flour mills for unstoppable crushing as well as availability of flour at markets at stable prices across the province. He formed these committees while presiding over a meeting of administrative secretaries, divisional commissioners and regional police officers along with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr sannaullah Abbasi on Monday. The committees comprise secretary home, secretary industry and concerned commissioners. The chief secretary directed all the commissioners to adopt best strategies to deal with the second wave of coronavirus in their respective divisions and in collaboration with the health department to ensure accurate and scientific statistics of corona cases, adding that lockdown should be tightened where the cases are highly rising. Encouraging the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), the chief secretary said that the second wave of coronavirus is very dangerous so the implementation of SOPs in all public and religious places should be further ensured. The religious scholars had played an active role in the first wave and ensured the implementation of SOPs in mosques and religious places, therefore, to deal with the second wave, all the divisional commissioners should seek the services of the Ulema. The chief secretary directed the commissioners to make all food items including flour and sugar available to the public at reasonable rates and said that the siege against hoarders should be tightened. He said that precautionary measures should also be taken to control dengue. Expressing satisfaction over the visible reduction in polio cases as compared to last year, the chief secretary said that eradication of polio would be ensured in the province. TLTP

S&GAD posts Dr Abdul Rahman as PL&DD DG LAHORE: Dr Abdul Rahman has been posted as research director-general of the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Department (PL&DD). Dr Rahman, who previously served as the director of the Rawalpindi Poultry Research Institute, has been posted as DG under Order No SO (EI) 1-24 /2020 of the Punjab Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD). Earlier, Veterinary Research Institute Director Dr Sajjad Ahmed had been assigned the additional charge of research director-general of PL&DD. Dr Rahman graduated from the College of Veterinary Sciences, Lahore in 1985 and obtained his MSc (Animal Nutrition) degree in 1988 and has been associated with the field of research for over 30 years. STAFF REPORT

According to the official, there is no legal provision for look after charge in the Civil Servants Act and Civil Servants Rules of 1974 and the word ‘look after’ is also not mentioned anywhere. In such cases, extralegal measures can create problems for the department which are likely to affect the reputation of the department.

Officers promoted to an illegal position such as the so-called ‘look after’ job are limited in their authority to only oversee the matters and do not have the powers to make any decisions or issue any orders.

This conflicts with the efficient working of the department as orders are required in matters such as property tax, excise duty, issuance of permits and licenses, motor registration, entertainment tax and professional tax, which are legally impossible in a ‘look after’ charge.

Similarly, other sources also informed

Pakistan Today that a large number of AETOs in the ET&NC are exercising full ETO powers under the guise of the 'look after’ position.

As a result, the promoted officer, the director and other officers who endorsed his decisions, have started violating the law.

According to documents shared with Pakistan Today, ET&NC has given ‘look after’ charge to most of the Assistant Excise and Taxation Officers (AETOs) of the department, and among them are Qaiser Karim, Tariq Pervez, Mohammad Shahid Ata, Mohammad Ijaz Aslam, Amir Majeed, Mohammad Akram and Ansar Abbas Naqvi.

Furthermore, some of the staff members of the provincial excise minister and an ETO working in the head office of the ET&NC are very much interested in appointing junior officers to senior positions on look after charge.

“Doing so not only ignores the seniority

list but also raises many question marks over the rule of law,” the anonymous source said.

The ET&NC was asked by the provincial government to provide details of all the officers who are performing their duties in the ‘look after’ position but no report has been provided so far.

However, a high-ranking official of ET&NC, while speaking to Pakistan Today, conceded that it is true that there is no scope for the ‘look after’ charge in the law, but added that sometimes such steps have to be taken urgently due to unavoidable delays in departmental promotion committee (DPC) and technical issues of On Pay Scale (OPS).

He further added that care is taken that only senior-most officials are deployed whereas the details of all the officers performing duties on ‘look after’ charge have been sought from the head office of ET&NC and after which further steps will be taken.

World’s silence over Indian repression in IOK condemnable: Masood ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has regretted the silence of the so-called human rights champion even after the Indian occupation army itself has confessed that it had killed the ordinary civilians in fake encounters in occupied Kashmir and declared them terrorists.

While reacting over the confession of the Indian authorities that three Kashmiri youngsters who were martyred in a fake encounter in Shopian district of occupied Kashmir in July this year, were not terrorists but the common civilians, he said that “we already knew that most of the encounters taking place in the held territory were fake and staged in which the Kashmiri youth and the common civilians are killed by declaring them terrorists”.

Masood said, “Fake encounters in IOJK are a common, systematic occurrence. The Shopian incident is being highlighted to give a false impression of the occupation army’s accountability. Such incidents are endemic especially during staged encounters, and cordon

and search operations."

It was no longer a secret that the Indian Army was engaged in terrorism and ethnic cleansing of the innocent Kashmiri people in the occupied region, the state president said, adding that the daily life of the common folk in the held territory has been crippled at the hands of the aggressor and an alien army, all the civil liberties of the Kashmiri people have been usurped.

“The life in IOK has despoiled, civil liberties have been stamped out, the will of a chained nation under brutal assault. Indian autocrats and fascists selling killings and plunder in the name of national interest. This must be stopped. This is every citizen’s responsibility.”

The AJK president lamented that the big democratic powers of the world have given up the concept of rule of law and left the oppressed people at the mercy of oppressor and occupying powers which wanted to run the world as per their own dictates.

“World’s democracies are discarding the rule of law and are leaving oppressed nations at the mercy of autocrats and occupiers. They urge the world to accept this as a new normal. This new architecture of injustice will crumble down, and a new order will emerge

from its ashes,” he hoped.

Masood maintained that a new system based on greed, oppression and repression is being imposed on mankind because its perpetrators believe that they would succeed in establishing their evil empire on the bones of these oppressed people. Therefore, it is the foremost obligation of those who believe in justice, equality and the high human values, to rise up against this evil plan.

The AJK president regretted that the institutions responsible for the protection of human values and human rights in the world were doing nothing except for lip service. They are neither providing resources for the protection of peoples' lives and rights in the world nor are they expressing any political will for the protection of human rights, and it appears as if the whole world order has come to a halt.

“World forums pay lip service to human values and human rights. They neither allocate resources nor demonstrate political will. We are facing a ‘crisis of insincerity’ globally. When it comes to addressing real crises, the international system clams up,” he concluded.

LAHORE: Citizens shop for LPG cylinders as gas shortage makes lives miserable in the provincial capital. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

Flight operations disturbed as cold wave hits country NEWS DESK Harsh weather and heavy fog continued to disrupt Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operations across the country on Monday, while the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared a weather emergency.

Reports quoting PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Niazi as saying flight schedules in the cities of Lahore, Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad and surrounding

areas would be disrupted in the next few days due to dense fog.

“Fight schedules may be disturbed due to winter weather conditions, causing fog and smog,” the national carrier said on Twitter, urging passengers to check the status of their flights prior to leaving for the airport.

In a separate development, the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement (RRS) department of KP declared an “extreme

cold weather emergency” as rain and snowfall lashed several districts.

“Since an extraordinary cold wave has hit [the] whole of the province and is likely to continue; therefore, in [the] exercise of powers conferred under Section 16(A) (1) of National Disaster Management (KP) Act 2010, the RRS department hereby declare extreme cold weather emergency in [the] whole of KP with effect from December 27,

2020, till further orders,” RSS said in a notification.

It also authorised deputy commissioners across the province to establish temporary shelters that served breakfast and dinner to the needy and supplied them with bedding.

The notification also said people whose houses had been damaged due to weather would be provided cooked food three times a day.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

NEWS

Govt releases Rs319.5bn for uplift projects ISLAMABAD APP

The federal government has released Rs319.5 billion for various ongoing and new social sector uplift projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21. The released funds include Rs206.5 billion for federal ministries, Rs87 billion for corporations, Rs25.25 billion for special areas, and Rs750 million for the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform. It is pertinent to mention here that PSDP’s total allocation for ERRA for the year 2020-21 is Rs1.5 billion.

Similarly, Rs55.2 billion out of an allocation of Rs118.67 billion has been released for the National Highway Authority (NHA), Rs31.8 billion out of Rs158.3 billion for the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), and Rs45 billion out of Rs81.2 billion for the Water Resources Division.

Likewise, Rs14 billion out of the allocated fund of Rs29.4 billion has been disbursed to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), while the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority will receive Rs175 million out of an allocation of Rs350 million.

Further, the Railways Division has received development funds of Rs11.7 billion, the Interior Division Rs7.38 billion, and the National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Division Rs7.4 billion, the Revenue Division has received Rs4.6 billion, and the Cabinet Division was given Rs38.2 billion. It may be noted that the government has also released Rs13.99 billion out of PSDP’s allocation of Rs27.24 billion for development projects in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Rs11.26 billion out of Rs25 billion for development projects in Gilgit Baltistan (GB).

Steel industry rejects allegations of cartelisation

PAkiStAn ‘dEEPly concERnEd’ ovER hEAlth of jAilEd kAShmiRi lEAdERS: fo ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

P

AKISTAN has expressed deep concerns over the continued incarceration of political leaders in Indian-occupied Kashmir amid deteriorating health conditions. New Delhi on Saturday detained at least 75 political leaders and activists to forestall political unrest after an alliance of the regional political parties won a domestic election.

The District Council election was the first such exercise since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in August 2019 revoked the semi-autonomous status of the Muslim-majority region. New Delhi then cracked down on the opposition and rounded up hundreds of people to preempt protests and violence.

The new detentions, including pro-freedom leaders and members of the Jamat-e-Islami group, were for pre-

ISLAMABAD The Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) has rejected allegations of cartelisation by the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), stating that the most recent increase in the prices of steel bars is a result of a drastic increase in steel melting scrap prices in the international market. In a statement, PALSP said that the phenomenon is not confined to Pakistan. “Prices have increased world over due to the shortage of scrap in the international market caused mainly by Covid-19 related supply chain disruptions, in addition to heavy snowfall in many countries, which reduces the collection of scrap.” It may be mentioned here that the prices of raw material have shot up from $305 in August to current bookings of $470. According to the steel association, this price may further rise in the international market. “An industry with over 300 manufacturers of steel bars cannot collude to fix prices.

Due to intense competition, prices are normalised efficiently and this is evident in industry margins, which are as low as 3 per cent at present. The entire aim of cartelisation is to have abnormally high profit margins, which is clearly not the case in the steel industry,” an industry expert said. Further, a senior official of PALSP said that over the past two years, steel manufacturers have absorbed massive cost increases on account of rupee depreciation, energy costs and taxation measures that have brought industry profit margins to the bare minimum and even in the negative territory many times, in order to provide cost effective material to the government and housing projects. The PALSP official further said that the latest increases in raw material are too large to absorb and will have to be passed on to the consumer. “We will file defamation cases in the honorable courts against members of ABAD if such false and baseless claims continue. In fact, we believe construction projects of national importance will only be achieved if all stakeholders support each other,” he warned. However, he added that the current hike in raw material prices is expected to be temporary and may go back to normal after the next three to four financial quarters. “However, PALSP has approached all the concerned ministries to take cognizance of this issue and suggested temporary measures to reduce import tariffs on raw materials and sales tax in order to mitigate this temporary phenomenon,” he concluded.

ventive custody, said a senior police official, who asked not to be identified in line with official policy.

Commenting on the development on Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) said that Islamabad was “deeply concerned” over the move.

Among the jailed leaders are prominent leaders like Yasin Malick, Masarat Alam Bhat, Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie and others. Many other senior Kashmiri leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq remain under house arrest.

“These Kashmiri leaders have been illegally arrested over malicious, false and fabricated charges by the Indian government through invoking draconian laws,” the FO said.

“Imprisonment and torturing of Kashmiri leaders on the basis of their political ideology […] is a true reflection of the extremist mindset.”

“Pakistan calls upon the international community, particularly the United Nations, ICRC and human rights

Pak-Afghan trade to boost regional economic integration: Dawood THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL ALSO DISCUSS SETTING UP ECONOMIC ZONES TO ENHANCE BILATERAL INVESTMENT, TRADE DURING THE THREE-DAY APTTA NEGOTIATIONS ISLAMABAD APP

STAFF REPORT

05

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce on Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, on Monday said trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan would maximise chances of regional economic integration and enhance the connectivity among neighbouring countries. He was addressing the opening session of the 8th round of the three-day talks over the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). Afghanistan’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani was also present on the occasion.

While addressing the meeting, the adviser said smooth transit trade for enhancing connectivity with Central Asian Republics (CARs), connecting regional trade with Gwadar Port, and finalising the APTTA and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Afghanistan in February 2021 are the main agen-

das of the trade negotiation between the two neighbouring countries.

He said Pakistan has allowed Afghanistan to use Gwadar and Bin Qasim ports for their transit trade as a goodwill gesture to enhance the economic ties and hoped that investment-related matters would be resolved in the bilateral dialogue.

The adviser informed that the two countries would also discuss excess of Indian trade items through mutual borders in three days’ negotiation, as well as the potential setting up of economic zones to enhance bilateral investment and trade opportunities. ” Further, he hoped that trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which was affected due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, would also be revived in the coming months as both sides were reviewing the use of technology for the smooth functioning of bilateral trade.

While addressing the session, Ghoryani said that the government

of Afghanistan under the leadership of President Ashraf Ghani was committed to providing Pakistan with all facilities for increasing trade and investment opportunities on both sides of the border.

The Afghan minister said that through the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Afghanistan wants to export its products to the South Asian market via Pakistan for connecting the regional economy and trade.

Later, Federal Secretary for Commerce Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqi and Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal highlighted issues related to trade and mutual cooperation between both sides and gave proposals for the resolution of the problems.

It is pertinent to mention here that the two countries, in the previous seven rounds of negotiations, signed a document titled “A Shared Vision between Afghanistan and Pakistan, to Support Peace and Stability” in wider regional interest.

Dawood said that both the countries had agreed to keep the shared vision, its commitments, and previous commitments under regular review, to ensure measurable, clear and irreversible steps towards more productive economic and trade relations between them.

NEPRA increases power tariff as govt moves to implement IMF conditions National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Monday announced a hike in power tariffs for three state-owned power distribution companies as the federal government decides to implement the IMF condition to increase electricity rates.

According to a report by ARY News, the government would be able to collect a revenue of Rs916 billion under the increased tariff for power supply companies in Multan, Gujranwala and Sukkur.

Although the final decision in this regard would be made by the federal government, the authority has stated that the move would help in the implementation of a uniform tariff throughout

the country.

According to the details, the average tariff for Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) for the year 2019-20, would be Rs16.52 per unit. “We have given an approval to collect an additional amount of Rs555 billion from Multan region’s consumers,” the regulatory body said.

Similarly, average power tariff for Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) would be Rs15.69 per unit for 2019-20. “GEPCO consumers will pay an additional amount of Rs334 billion,” it said.

Moreover, Rs16 billion would be collected from the consumers of Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) under distribution tariff. NEWS DESK

and humanitarian organizations, to take notice of the Indian government’s inhuman treatment of the Kashmiri leaders and raise its voice for their immediate release.”

India and Pakistan have claimed all of the Kashmir region since the Partition in 1947. Two of the three wars they have fought have been over the Himalayan region.

The detentions undermine the verdict of the people, said Imran Nabi Dar, spokesman for the National Conference, a regional party and a key member of the alliance.

The alliance’s victory shows the people of Kashmir have not accepted Modi’s decision to end the region’s special status, said Omar Abdullah, a former chief minister and head of the National Conference.

After their release from lengthy detention, Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party, announced the alliance in October to seek a peaceful restoration of Kashmir’s autonomy.

Etihad Airways starts charter services for passengers, cargo ABU DHABI AGENCIES

Pursuing a new revenue generation programme amid the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit hard air travel demand globally, Etihad Airways is expanding its business operations with the start of charter flight services.

According to a statement issued to TLTP on Monday, Etihad Airways said it will offer leisure and business travellers options for passenger, cargo-only and combined freight and passenger flights. “While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact the commercial aviation industry, charter flights provide a convenient alternative to travel, providing customers with the flexibility to choose the departure time, destination and routing,” Alex Featherstone, vice president of network planning and alliances at Etihad Airways, said.

Global private jet travel has benefited during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering well-heeled passengers the option to continue travelling while reducing the risk of contact in crowded airports and offering alternatives to commercial flights. Etihad Airways did not provide further details on its charter flight services. The state-owned carrier has flown more than 500 charters including passenger, government and humanitarian flights this year.

It carried more than 3.8 million tonnes of cargo for the government of Abu Dhabi as part of the national aid programme using charter services. Some 147,353 business aviation flights have been operated globally in the first half of December, dropping to 20 per cent below the same period last year as demand stutters in the face of renewed lockdowns in North America and Europe, according to a December 15 report by Wing X, a data research and consulting company. “Business aviation is navigating turbulent waters with the renewed lockdowns, and in what is already a fallow period of the year for leisure travel, the hollowed out corporate travel market is offering little support,” Richard Koe, managing director of Wing X, said. While the overall market for chartered flights declined in December, leisure getaways are still in demand, the report showed. “Trending activity hasn’t drastically dropped from the post-spring highs in October, and the leisure market, especially to getaway sun and ski destinations, may be picking up as we approach Christmas,” Koe added.

Alibaba leads tech stocks’ frenetic selling as China cracks down on monopolies HONG KONG AGENCIES

Internet giant Alibaba’s stock dropped by as much as eight percent, leading a tech selloff in Hong Kong on Monday, amid the ongoing investigation by China’s antitrust regulators.

Alibaba Group Holding led a second day of frenetic selling among China’s largest tech firms, driven by fears that antitrust scrutiny will spread beyond Jack Ma’s internet empire and engulf the country’s most powerful corporations.

Shares of Chinese shopping platform Meituan dived 5.3 percent, while multina-

tional technology holding Tencent plunged 4.8 percent. The broader Hang Seng Tech index declined by 4.33 percent.

Alibaba’s stock price extended previous losses, plunging to the lowest level since early July, despite the corporation’s decision to raise a proposed stock buyback program, launched earlier this quarter. On Sunday, the online retailer announced plans to increase repurchasing from $6 billion to $10 billion in company stock and to extend the buyback through 2022.

Last week, the company’s US shares slid 13 per cent shortly after the Chinese authorities announced a probe into the e-commerce

giant as part of a broadened anti-monopoly crackdown on tech companies.

According to the State Administration for Market Regulation, the country’s top market watchdog, Alibaba had been subject to formal investigation for its “choosing one of two” policy for allegedly putting pressure on its sellers not to offer their goods on rival services.

Alibaba and its three largest rivals – Tencent Holdings, food delivery giant Meituan and JD.com – have shed nearly $200 billion over two sessions since Thursday.

On Sunday, the central bank ordered Mr Ma’s other online titan – Ant Group – to return to its roots as a payments service and

CMYK

overhaul adjacent businesses from insurance to money management, spurring talk of an eventual breakup.

“The Chinese government is putting more pressure or wants to have more control on the tech firms,” Jackson Wong, asset management director at Amber Hill Capital, said. “There is still very big selling pressure on firms like Alibaba, Tencent or Meituan.

These companies have been growing at a pace deemed by Beijing as too fast and have scales that are too big.”

It’s unclear what concessions regulators may try to wring from Alibaba. Under the existing Antitrust Law – now undergoing revi-

sions to include the internet industry for the first time – Beijing can fine violators up to 10 per cent of their revenue. In Alibaba’s case, that could mean a levy of as much as $7.8bn.

Ma, the flamboyant co-founder of Alibaba and Ant, has all but vanished from public view since Ant’s IPO was derailed last month. As of early December, the man most closely identified with the meteoric rise of China’s private sector was advised by the government to stay in the country, a source said.

Investors remain divided over the extent to which Beijing will go after Alibaba and its compatriots as the government prepares to roll out the new anti-monopoly regulations.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

06 COMMENT

Liquid wisdom

The all too familiar cycle of rallies And demand for civilian supremacy

Something available to only a select few

F

or more than two years the mainstream opposition parties tried to resolve their differences with the government in parliament rebuffing suggestions to take recourse to extra-parliamentary means to confront the government. What the opposition got in return were provocative statements from the PM who maintained that there could be no talks with the opposition as it wanted an Nro which he would never concede. he even dared it to lead protest marches against the government promising to provide containers to the protestors. The PTI’s hotheads in NA hurled insulting remarks forcing the opposition to hold several walkouts.

The PM’s numerous spokespersons meanwhile continued a non-stop barrage of character assassination of the opposition leaders.

The opposition is now holding rallies to demand the PM’s resignation and fresh elections. After the first stage of protests when it held six rallies in the major cities of the four provinces, it has initiated a warm up exercise for the next stage of its agitation. The PdM organised a rally in Mardan which was one of the largest ever held in the city. It was followed by the PPP inviting all the PdM leaders to address its annual gathering to mark the death anniversary of benazir bhutto. So far the opposition has managed to maintain pressure on the PTI government despite several internal differences which are common in alliances. The government is hoping that the PdM would break up on account of prevailing dissentions. It remains to be seen if the alliance’s components are able to sort these out at the meeting convened for the purpose on Saturday.

The ongoing confrontation does not bode well for the national economy, security and the attempts to control the pandemic. While it is for the PTI’s patrons to decide whether to withdraw the crutches provided to the government, there is little chance of an end to the agitations of the sort unless there is a national consensus on all institutions working within the scope provided to them by the constitution. even if the ongoing movement fails, agitations like the Mrd, Ard and the civil society’s anti Musharraf movement led by the lawyers would continue to rock the country. What needs to be noted is that over time these movements have radicalised an otherwise proestablishment Punjab.

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

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verybody has his thumb rule when it comes to trusting and mistrusting individuals. Some make it a point never to trust women with moustaches; some always view bald men with suspicion. For my part, I have severe trust issues with those who do not acknowledge the superiority of tea over all other beverages and (worse) who do not have the foggiest idea what does and does not qualify as tea. Pinero famously said: ‘Where there is tea, there is hope.’

That is all very well, but what hope can there be if people have no clue what tea is; and more importantly, what it is not?

The levels of ignorance on the subject are sufficient to obliterate one’s faith in humanity and evolution alike. It is beyond the capacity of words to describe the atrocities both the elite and the masses consume under the impression (or pretence) of drinking tea. If this were a cognisable offence almost the whole population would be behind bars.

And to think that it could be so very different provided the right kind of education! (It cannot be rocket-science-difficult surely?) In the spirit of better late than never, here is an effort to put the record straight on the subject by addressing some

Rising terrorism in Balochistan Need for a fresh approach

Significance of the region cannot be ignored

RAjA FuRqAN AHmED

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he Asia-Pacific region is considered as one of the most important regions on the global map. Asia Pacific region mainly consists of east Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Pacific ocean and oceania. As there is no exact definition or area defined, this political term changes by the states according to their own national interests and need. The significance of this region is primarily economic but due to the serious interest of major power such as the United States of America (USA), russia, China and other developing state's, it gains more importance. This region also confronts many major issues but the region is also resourcerich. It is also said that the twenty-first century would be the "Asia-Pacific Century."

The region is characterized by a larger population and stronger economic growth than any other, a rich diversity of both socio-economic and natural environment, and an abundance of natural resources including tropical rain forests and marine products.

The Asia-Pacific region is becoming a larger player in the global economy. This region is home to about half of the world's population. China and India, alone have a combined population of around 2.8 billion, are evidently two economical hubs. other countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and vietnam have also large numbers of consumers and investors. on the other hand, the Association of Southeast Asian

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

When referring to green tea, pink tea, or tea of any other colour for that matter, one bears the responsibility to come absolutely clean by saying ‘green tea’, ‘pink tea’, and so on. (Let me explain using a parallel: You are no Government College old boy if your alma mater is Government College Qaboola, Government College Jhang, or what have you. There is only one ‘Government College’ and it happens to be in Lahore.

The Asia-Pacific Century

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errorISM continues to rise in balochistan with the latest incident claiming the lives of seven FC soldiers as militants attacked a checkpost resulting in an intense exchange of fire. A majority of these attacks are targeted at security personnel, which shows the enemies’ clear intent to weaken the effectiveness and morale of law enforcement agencies in the province. Parallel to this, attacks on civilians, like the one that took place on the same day as the one on paramilitary troops where a bomb blast killed two people and injured several more, continue unabated. Although security forces regularly carry out intelligence based operations in various districts of balochistan, like the one in Awaran district a week back in which ten terrorists were killed, the enemy still manages to find space from where it operates quite effectively to inflict considerable damage. one of the more prominent groups responsible for the violence is the baloch Liberation Army (bLA), which also carried out the attack on the PSX back in June in Karachi, showing how the terrorist outfit is capable of hitting targets outside balochistan as well. The PSX attack was thwarted due to the timely action of security guards and police present at the scene who lost their lives, otherwise it could have easily turned into a bloodbath had the attackers penetrated the gates of the compound.

Pakistan also continues to highlight how India’s intelligence agency rAW is supporting groups such as the bLA to create chaos in balochistan. In the past, insurgents from Iran have crossed the border and carried out attacks on Pakistani soil as well. A weak provincial government with limited funding and expertise to improve the civilian side of the security apparatus only adds to the problem. Given the volatile security situation in balochistan and the ability of terrorist outfits operating in the region, aided by foreign powers, to carry out violent attacks, despite efforts to control it; a revised strategy is required because clearly the present one is not working. however, the first step in this exercise would be for both the federal and provincial governments, along with relevant security and intelligence agencies to recognize that there is a problem, only then can a solution be devised and implemented.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

grave misconceptions about tea and tea drinking. even if one individual benefits by realising his errors and mending his ways, my effort will have been more than worthwhile.

Let us first get the preliminaries out of the way.

The first thing to know is that the word ‘tea’ is reserved exclusively for black tea. That is, the variety where the tea leaves have been made to undergo oxidation. When referring to green tea, pink tea, or tea of any other colour for that matter, one bears the responsibility to come absolutely clean by saying ‘green tea’, ‘pink tea’, and so on. (Let me explain using a parallel: you are no Government College old boy if your alma mater is Government College Qaboola, Government College Jhang, or what have you. There is only one ‘Government College’ and it happens to be in Lahore. of course, the same goes for exotic (and rather childish) varieties such as apple, orange, mango, and mentholated teas. If you must, that is. It is best to desist because even a mention of these abominations does not belong in cultured circles.

The author is all too aware of the youngsters who gamely try to behave responsibly in this regard but whose every effort is thwarted by their elders. because as certain as taxes, there are elderly ladies in every household whose principal concern is the preservation of fair complexion by the youngsters of the family. Although one can be quite certain that political correctness can go suck an egg as far as these charming ladies are concerned, they rarely deign to explain why skin colour is such

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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a consequential matter. Now, this demographic is convinced that drinking strong tea makes one darker (apparently because it is dark in colour). (If this argument is extended, it would imply that drinking water should render one transparent!) These ladies do not take kindly to anybody who fails to conform to their uncompromising views on the strength of the blend. I have spent countless hours politely trying to argue that these theories are a lot of hogwash, but to no avail. Mercifully, the future will be built by today’s youth and my message to it is this: There can only be a tinge of milk in the tea. Anything more, and it stops qualifying as liquid wisdom.

It is up to you whether you want to please those who represent a bygone era or do right by the tea gods.

As for doodh patti, the best argument in its favour that the author is aware of is that there is no legislation against drinking it. It is obvious that this is rather low on the list of legitimate reasons to associate oneself with anything. Surely there are aesthetic considerations over and above those of legality.

Most of the doodh pati crowd indulge in the activity because of half-baked ideas about the benefits of milk. A little consideration should make it crystal clear that milk is for babies (both human babies and calves) and that grown-ups should in due course graduate to adult modes of nourishment. besides, any ‘milk’ that one has not directly observed coming straight from the udder of the cow is suspect to say the least.

The root cause of the problem is the failure to recognise tea drinking as an aesthetic, cultural experience like listening to good music or reading quality literature. It must enrich one spiritually. Lowly utilitarian benefits like health (even if well-founded) or timepass are neither here nor there.

Nations (ASeAN) member states have more than 622 million people.

The numbers are even more impressive in economic terms. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for almost 39 per cent to the global market. With over 21 economies, having a GdP which comprises of about 56 per cent of the world’s economic output, the Asia Pacific region has become the key engine for the global economy. Moreover, it also comprises some of the most dynamic economies in the world.

The Asia-Pacific region as a whole remains diverse in terms of standards of living.

The region, which has immense potential, is contributing to global prosperity.

The countries of the region are at various levels of economic growth. While China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Singapore are categorized as highly industrialized countries, bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Pakistan, and vietnam are regarded as low-income countries. Whereas Indonesia and Philippine could be categorized as middle-income countries, and Thailand and Malaysia be as high-income countries.

Some of the largest cities in the world can also be found in the Asia-Pacific region such as Tokyo, New delhi, Shanghai, dhaka, Mumbai, New york, beijing, bangkok, Los Angeles and Kolkata etc.

These cities have grown considerably in size in recent years as a result of profound economic transformations and massive migrations from rural areas. Most of the busiest airports of the world are also operational in this region.

Another majority industry in the Asia Pacific region is the Ship Industry. This shipbuilding industry of 43 billion dollars enjoys a 66 per cent global mar-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

ket share. Ship repairing and maintenance is valued at US$15billion which is 45 per cent at international level. Shanghai Port is considering as one of the biggest port in this region which handing about 600 million tonnes of goods.

Strait of Malacca also presents in this region which has been part of major shipping routes since the earliest days of trade between the Middle east and China. While the Strait of Malacca remains crucial for shipping, it is not ideal. bordered by three nations—Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia the strait can be subject to international disagreements.

The Significance of this region can be seen as the world superpower USA shifted its policy from the Middle east to the Asia Pacific. With this tectonic shift in the world economy and the rapid rise of China, the first obama administration in the latter half of 2011, announced that the US would be stepping up its role in the Asia Pacific region. The former US President obama was known as the first Pacific president. obama stated that the US is going to play a leadership role in Asia for decades to come as the US ‘rebalancing strategy’ demands an enhancement of US diplomatic activism within the Asia Pacific region. The formation of new partnerships and alliances remains to be one of the major agendas of the rebalance, as they continue to be crucial in handling traditional security challenges and primary to tackling non-traditional security challenges in the region.

Asia Pacific region has its own significant not only in the field of politics and economics but also as a great historical, cultural, and ethnic diverse region. due to the emergence of china which also raises the question whether China will overthrow the existing order or become a part of it?

The Significance of this region can be seen as the world superpower USA shifted its policy from the Middle East to the Asia Pacific. With this tectonic shift in the world economy and the rapid rise of China, the first Obama administration in the latter half of 2011, announced that the US would be stepping up its role in the Asia Pacific region.

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The writer is a student of International Relations and Freelance journalist currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan. He can be reached at furqanraja1122@gmail.com or @furqanraja1122 on Twitter.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 29 December, 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

Sorrowful December In the history of Pakistan many sorrowful and heartbreaking accidents occurred like attack on Army public school Peshawar, martyrization of benazir bhutto and etc which make the month of december black and sorrowful for the public of Pakistan. Among those days 27th december is really heartbreaking day on which we lost our great leader the prime minister of Pakistan benazir bhutto who was martyred on 27th of december 2007. She was the only female prime minister of Pakistan in the history. besides, she was a brave and honest leady who struggled a lot for Pakistan and its public but unfortunately, the cruel killers killed her but the killers were deprived from the awareness that by killing her only her body will be departed from us but her ideology, efforts are alive and present in the history of Pakistan as well she is alive in everyone's heart.

ImtIaz alI abSor

Media and politics

A world of peace Macron’s anti-muslim agenda panders to the growing far-right jAvARiA NiSAR

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oU don’t expect a wise man to sow the seeds of violence and await peace in return. but Macron is not wise. In fact, he has given us enough proof to expect otherwise. After hate-filled statements that provoked worldwide anger, the French President has now come up with a charter of “republican values” for its Muslim community. In reality, the charter is neither republican nor has much to do with values. If anything, it is only a political gimmick aimed at luring far-right voters.

A few years ago, Macron became President of France on the basis of moderate, centrist credentials. he defeated the far-right candidate Marine La Pen and gave hopes of rescuing the country from a populist onslaught. Not many had imagined that the so-called voice of reason would soon deteriorate into a voice of polemic.

A person who was to bridge differences across the aisle is now driving a wedge among communities. his continuous hate-mongering and insults at Islam are fanning Islamophobia and driving social intolerance. Pandering to the farright is a political imperative that the French President doesn’t want to miss out on.

In recent years, the far-right has become stronger and more popular in France. With less than two years remaining for the next Presidential election, Macron is counting on far-right support. his worldview is obscured by electoral considerations and therefore, his tirade against Islam must be assessed in this context. one of the clauses of the Charter requires Muslims to accept Islam only as a religion and not as a political movement. Instead of issuing a piece of paper, it would have been far more sensible to work with the Muslims to address their genuine grievances and to win over their hearts. Sadly, the French government has opted to discriminate against its largest minority community and treat their religion with disrespect.

This aggravates the discontent among Muslims which in turn feeds into the extremist narrative. That Muslims are unsafe in France and their religion is ridiculed is reason enough for terrorist organizations to exploit and recruit

MedIA'S main function is to harness the masses with reliable and up-todate news from every nook and cranny of the world. For this purpose media's freedom and autonomy matters, media can't perform it's job wantonly unless it is self-reliant.

It is said that in a democratic country everyone is free to speak whatever he wants, but it is only restricted to the extent of speaking in our country. In actual practice, you can't speak freely in Pakistan. Many peoples are severely murdered and punished for telling and supporting truth. In this era, you can't point out the faults of the regime you just have to accept it whatever it is. you just have to put yes in their yes and if you ever tried to be honest and stand by truth, be rebellion to corrupt government, you will lose you life.

Many reporters, journalists and columnists are killed for speaking against the country and military. our system is never ready to accept it's own flaws but it's always ready to assassinate the people who are speaking against it.

Communicating against army and government is akin to inviting death to your doorstep.

Media should be free to do reporting, the matter should be stated as it is.

Unfortunately, our politicians use to buy off news channels before elections as they work for them, support them, create a good image of them in public, speak in their favour, and increase their reputation. The political party which does corruption before coming in power, buys votes of the people, buy press, how can we expect a good and sincere governance by that party after coming into power? That's what which happens in our country, that's why our democracy system is failed. democracy is the best form of politics, if the peoples realize it.

Media should support none but always be on the side of fairness and justice. The press can lead the country towards amendment or illiteracy and evil. Therefore, it utterly depends on press how it is doing its job.

Without fair and trustworthy journalism we can't head towards good morality and politics. Media has a great role to play in the progress and prosperity of the country. muzaffar KhoSo, SuKKur

Global disturbing disparities

more followers. yet, Macron doesn’t seem to care. because right now he has politics to care about. Societal peace can wait till after the next election. but that might be too late.

Muslims in France are embroiled in a crisis.

They are confronted with fewer jobs, little economic prospects, and many problems. France’s more than 5.7 million Muslims comprising 8.8% of the population are not treated well.

And this is wrong. yet, instead of righting its wrongs, France is making more mistakes to top previous mistakes. It had earlier placed a ban on the hijab and burkini. It also barred some schools from providing pork-free meals and forbade outright expression of religious sentiments.

Ironically, wearing the hijab is considered an outright religious expression but wearing the holy Cross is not.

Macron has also called for reforming Islam. Such provocative statements from the head of a state only aggravate the problem instead of solving it. “Instead of addressing the alienation of French Muslims……the government aims to influence the practice of a 1,400year-old faith, one with almost 2 billion peaceful followers around the world, including tens of millions in the West.”, James McAuley (2020) wrote for The Washington Post.

What France really needs is a charter of universal values stipulating respect for every religion. The road to social tolerance cannot be paved with derogatory policies and derisory statements against Islam. In fact, such irresponsible behavior only adds fuel to the fire

What France really needs is a charter of universal values stipulating respect for every religion. The road to social tolerance cannot be paved with derogatory policies and derisory statements against Islam. In fact, such irresponsible behavior only adds fuel to the fire. In the end, Macron may go on to win the next election, but France will be a loser in terms of achieving social peace and harmony.

In such a scenario, europe would also be faced with what is presently going on in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and yemen. Men, women, and children will be harassed, mauled, and murdered for belonging to a different community, for practicing a different religion, and for thinking differently. The edifice of european civilization built on democratic values will begin to crumble under the weight of a populist resurgence.

Scapegoating one community or group for problems afflicting the country is not an advisable approach. It is, in fact, counter-productive. branding Islam as an extremist religion only serves the agenda of extremist groups. Moreover, religion is not to be blamed for crimes perpetrated by a few. otherwise, Christianity, Judaism, hinduism, or any other religion shall be equally culpable. Instead, the appropriate approach is to show tolerance towards every faith and not hurt the religious sentiments of people adhering to a particular faith.

Therefore, the French government must change course. It must try to win over hearts instead of provoking sentiments. but for this to happen, Present Macron needs to exhibit visionary leadership and a willingness to prefer public interests over personal political ambitions.

Let’s be wise enough and sow the seeds of peace. We can then yearn for peace in return.

The writer is a student of Development Studies from NUST. She can be reached at javnisar@yahoo.com

AMbASSAdor volkan bozkir, the President of United Nations General Assembly has put forth an ambitious agenda during his maiden speech before the world body on September 14, 2020, “It is not only a health crisis, but a social and economic crisis, which has exacerbated existing challenges the UN is seeking to overcome through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development and the Sustainable development Goals (SdGs).”

Let us try to analyze some of these SdGs set out by the United Nations. It is a fact that while citizens of some African and Asian countries are starving, the rich countries are beset with obesity. discrepancies of these types are morally disturbing. The United Nations is ideally suited to ending these shocking inequalities because it hosts all the nations of the world and endows each with identical voting power in the General Assembly. The poorest and the weakest are equal to the richest and the strongest.

The most urgent approach to promoting global partnership for sustainable development is the ending of warfare. War, whether intramural or international, wreaks havoc on the elements necessary for health, housing, education, employment, the rule of law, the environment, and happiness generally.

I admit that denunciation of warfare is easier than prevention. but if mankind can assemble knowledge to send men to the moon and Land rovers to Mars, the knowledge necessary to end wars cannot be far behind. As is said in the Song of Solomon, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Prophet Muhammad appealed to the conscience of the human beings by saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword."

The second urgent global sustainable development objective should be universal literacy and education. As Socrates explained, the unexamined life is not worth living. or as philosopher Sam Johnson amplified, there is the same difference between the learned and unlearned as between the living and the dead. And as the Quran says, “Are those who know equal with those who know not?” These observations are made not to deride or degrade the uneducated, but to underscore the criticality of education to making life morally meaningful and fulfilling between ashes to ashes and dust-to-dust.

There is nothing inherently mischievous about these development yardsticks. but they should never distract from our recognition that the highest in sustainable development consists of non-quantifiable characteristics.

These would include acts of charity, humility, courage, benevolence, magnanimity, self-restraint, and non-vindictiveness. It would seem to me to turn logic and morality on their heads to award higher sustainable development acclaim to a nation whose citizens were universally economically prosperous, literate, healthy, long-lived, non-polluting, but also mean-spirited, selfish, and egotistical than to a nation whose citizens were impoverished, plagued by disease, but were generous in time, effusive in hospitality, austere in habits, and selfless for the community.

These goals seem to be ambitious but we will have fulfill our responsibilities for the sake of future generations.

Dr Ghulam NabI faI WaShINGtoN DC

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

POWERFUL MOBILE PHONE SURVEILLANCE TOOL OPERATES IN OBSCURITY CELLHAWK HELPS LAW ENFORCEMENT VISUALISE LARGE QUANTITIES OF INFORMATION COLLECTED BY CELLULAR TOWERS AND PROVIDERS

intErcEpt sam ricHards

Until now, the Bartonville, Texas, company Hawk Analytics and its product CellHawk have largely escaped public scrutiny.

CellHawk has been in wide use by law enforcement, helping police departments, the FBI, and private investigators around the United States convert information collected by cellular providers into maps of people’s locations, movements, and relationships. Police records obtained by The Intercept reveal a troublingly powerful surveillance tool operated in obscurity, with scant oversight.

CellHawk’s maker says it can process a year’s worth of cellphone records in 20 minutes, automating a process that used to require painstaking work by investigators, including hand-drawn paper plots. The webbased product can ingest call detail records, or CDrs, which track cellular contact between devices on behalf of mobile service providers, showing who is talking to whom.

It can also handle cellular location records, created when phones connect to various towers as their owners move around.

Such data can include “tower dumps,” which list all the phones that connected to a given tower — a form of dragnet surveillance.

The FBI obtained over 150,000 phone numbers from a single tower dump undertaken in 2010 to try and collect evidence against a bank robbery suspect, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU. Police use CellHawk to process datasets they routinely receive from cell carriers like

AT&T and Verizon, typically in vast spreadsheets and often without a warrant. This is in sharp contrast to a better known phone surveillance technology, the stingray: a mobile device that spies on cellular devices by impersonating carriers’ towers, tricking phones into connecting, and then intercepting their communications. Unlike the stingray, CellHawk does not require such subterfuge or for police to position a device near people of interest. Instead, it helps them exploit information already collected by private telecommunications providers and other third parties.

CellHawk’s surveillance capabilities go beyond analyzing metadata from cellphone towers. Hawk Analytics claims it can churn out incredibly revealing intelligence from large datasets like ride-hailing records and GPS — information commonly generated by the average American. According to the company’s website, CellHawk uses GPS records in its “unique animation analysis tool,” which, according to company promotional materials, plots a target’s calls and locations over time. “Watch data come to life as it moves around town or the entire county,” the site states.

The tool can also help map interpersonal connections, with an ability to animate more than 20 phones at once and “see how they move relative to each other,” according to a promotional brochure.

The company has touted features that make CellHawk sound more like a tool for automated, continuous surveillance than for just processing the occasional spreadsheet from a cellular company. CellHawk’s website touts the ability to send email and text alerts “to surveillance teams” when a target moves, or enters or exits a particular “location or Geozone (e.g. your entire county border).”

On its website, Hawk Analytics claims this capability can help investigators “view plots & maps of the cell towers used most frequently at the beginning and end of each day.” But in brochures sent to potential clients, it was much more blunt, claiming

that CellHawk can help “find out where your suspect sleeps at night.”

Hawk Analytics CEO Mike Melson, whose bio on the company website describes him as a former NASA engineer, offers free trials to law enforcement organizations to which he hopes to sell his product. Additionally, Melson has worked as an expert witness, ready to testify on behalf of prosecutors. His testimony sometimes appears in local news outlets without mention of the fact that he is the CEO of the company that could stand to financially benefit, albeit indirectly, from a conviction. Hawk Analytics failed to comment on the record after multiple attempts were made over the phone and by email.

In December 2013, Heather Elvis went missing from her South Carolina home after becoming embroiled in a lovers’ quarrel.

Several years later, an 11-day trial resulted in two 30-year sentences for one Tammy Moorer. During the second day of that trial, Melson made an appearance as “an expert witness when it comes to analyzing cell phone data,” according to WBTW News 13.

The station did not include that Melson was intimately involved in the creation of software that helped connect the dots in this case.

Additionally, according to reports from Northern Virginia, Hawk Analytics was reimbursed for their expert services which led to “the prosecution of a man convicted of

Give it up, Mr President — for your sake and the nation’s Editorial Board

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95 murder victims recorded this year in Israel Editorial

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New York Post

r President, it’s time to end this dark charade.We’re one week away from an enormously important moment for the next four years of our country.On Jan. 5, two runoff races in Georgia will determine which party will control the Senate — whether Joe Biden will have a rubber stamp or a much-needed check on his agenda.

Unfortunately, you’re obsessed with the next day, Jan. 6, when Congress will, in a pro forma action, certify the Electoral College vote. You have tweeted that, as long as republicans have “courage,” they can overturn the results and give you four more years in office.In other words, you’re cheering for an undemocratic coup.

You had every right to investigate the election. But let’s be clear: Those efforts have found nothing. To take just two examples: Your campaign paid $3 million for a recount in two Wisconsin counties, and you lost by 87 more votes. Georgia did two recounts of the state, each time affirming Biden’s win. These ballots were counted by hand, which alone debunks the claims of a Venezuelan vote-manipulating Kraken conspiracy.Sidney Powell is a crazy person. Michael Flynn suggesting martial law is tantamount to treason. It is shameful.

We understand, Mr. President, that you’re angry that you lost.

But to continue down this road is ruinous. We offer this as a newspaper that endorsed you, that supported you: If you want to cement your influence, even set the stage for a future return, you must channel your fury into something more productive.

If republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win, they will prevent Biden from rolling back what you have accomplished. A republican Senate can pressure Biden against returning to the old, failed Iran deal, can stop him from throwing open our southern border, will prevent him from packing the Supreme Court.

Now imagine a government controlled by your nemeses — Nancy Pelosi in the House, Chuck Schumer in the Senate, Biden in the White House. How high will taxes go? How many of your initiatives will be strangled? And, on a personal note, do you think they won’t spend the next four years torturing you with baseless hearings and investigations?

Consider this. You came out of nowhere to win the presidency.

Not an elected official, not a lawyer, not beholden to any particular

first-degree murder in the 2017 shooting death of a … CVS store manager.” For their “cellular data analysis and two days of expert testimony,” Hawk Analytics was paid $8,175. That certainly isn’t a windfall, but it rivals the amount made from the sale of a small number of CellHawk subscriptions, and it effectively compounds revenue streams from multiple sides of the criminal justice system.

CellHawk is not the only technology that investigators in the Twin Cities use to process intelligence about suspects and others. Hennepin County and their law enforcement partners use automated license plate readers; stingrays and competing, similar devices; aerial surveillance; and social media intelligence, among other spy tech. CellHawk alone is powerful — but added to the area police’s already expansive arsenal, it tips local law enforcement toward becoming more like intelligence agencies than municipal cops.

Lengthy data retention policies and the power of these surveillance tools create a litany of frightening possibilities for overreach and abuse. While HCSO has acknowledged its use of some of these tools, it has not released any public reports on its use of CellHawk. rachel Levinson-Waldman, deputy director of the Brennan Center’s liberty and national security program, who reviewed Hennepin County’s policy said, “The refer-

faction of the swamp. You took on the elites and the media who had long lost touch with average working people. You changed politics, which is something few in American history can say.If Georgia falls, all that is threatened. You will leave your party out of power, less likely to listen to what you have to say or to capitalize on your successes, such as expanding the Hispanic voting bloc for the GOP.Democrats will try to write you off as a one-term aberration and, frankly, you’re helping them do it. The King Lear of Mara-Lago, ranting about the corruption of the world.

Securing the Senate means securing your legacy. You should use your considerable charm and influence to support the Georgia candidates, mobilizing your voters for them. Focus on their success, not your own grievances, as we head into the final week.If you insist on spending your final days in office threatening to burn it all down, that will be how you are remembered. Not as a revolutionary, but as the anarchist holding the match.

ence to use is concerning, since that could significantly expand the time for retention.”

Minnesota state law requires an individual whose electronic device was subject to a tracking warrant be notified within 90 days if that evidence did not end up in court. This “tracking warrant” law has been on the books since 2014 and yet, judging from press reports in recent years, it’s not clear any one in the state has ever received such a notice or if a tracking warrant has ever been unsealed by the courts. The law seems to have been thwarted in part by police avoiding warrants and obtaining instead court orders under the much lower “reasonable suspicion” standard. This, despite the fact that Minnesota law clearly states, under a subdivision titled “Tracking warrant required for location information,” that “a warrant granting access to location information must be issued only if the government entity shows that there is probable cause the person who possesses an electronic device or is using a unique identifier is committing, has committed, or is about to commit a crime.”

Julia Decker, policy director for the ACLU of Minnesota, said that “there doesn’t seem to be oversight” for the use of CellHawk in the state, even though surveillance should get oversight of “the highest standard possible.” She also said that Hennepin’s policy to retain CellHawk and similar data for five years raises the potential for harm to civil liberties.

“I think this highlights how the rapid development of surveillance tech outstrips existing laws, and how that can be really problematic,” said Decker. “Without oversight/regulation, powerful surveillance technology is integrated into already-existing investigatory frameworks, instead of being examined and considered beforehand for its potential to actually expand or push the limits/bounds of those frameworks and encroach on civil liberties. … In this moment of talking about police reform, use of surveillance tech needs to be part of the discussion.”

Hawk Analytics has many clients around the United States. This reporter conducted a survey using the Freedom of Information Act to collect invoices for CellHawk subscriptions from agencies referenced on CellHawk’s website, referred to in CellHawk’s training sessions, or mentioned in local news reports. He found numerous agencies fielding the technology: Atlanta and Fayette County, Ga.; Kansas City, Kan.; Franklin County, Va.; Utah County, Utah,; Fort Collins, Colo.; Hidalgo County, Texas; Orange County, Calif.; and, of course, the FBI all have paid for CellHawk in the last several years. The Madison, Wisconsin, police department appears to have thousands of potential CellHawk records from 2018 alone but has demanded close to $700 to examine and provide them.

Haaretz

HE Knesset dissolved without advancing the government’s plan for combating the rampant violence in Arab society. Foot-dragging in approving this plan got the upper hand and Arab citizens were the losers yet again. All of this, despite the fact that 2020 was the most lethal year in the last 20, with 95 murder victims. It appears that as far as the government and Knesset are concerned, the Arab public has to make do with empty promises.

Over a month ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while wooing a political partner who might enable his continued rule, participated in a meeting of the Knesset committee charged with addressing the violence in Arab society. The committee was chaired by MK Mansour Abbas (United Arab List). Netanyahu said at the meeting that he would submit a plan addressing the problem for cabinet approval. However, nothing has happened since then. It has been said that the plan is being dealt with, along with other excuses, but in the absence of a state budget, there was no chance of implementing a plan. As everyone waited patiently, the Knesset was dissolved.

With Arab citizens again pushed to the bottom of the list in terms of national priorities, their protests against violence in their society returned to the streets. A protest convoy left KafrQara in the north for Jerusalem on Monday. However, given

the current situation, with coronavirus infections on the rise, with economic woes and lockdowns, it’s not clear that this protest will go anywhere and have any impact.

The public, both Arabs and Jews, must wake up and understand that this is an elementary civil and human demand: The state must guarantee the personal safety of its citizens. To do this, illegal weapons must be confiscated and criminals apprehended and imprisoned. Crime gangs in Arab cities must be broken up, just as the state acts when it comes to Jews.

The violence in Arab communities requires urgent action. It’s not an internal problem beleaguering Arab society, although the authorities’ handling of it suggests that this is how it’s perceived.

The gap between the number of solved murder cases in Arab cities and in Jewish cities is huge. Since the beginning of this year, 53 percent of incidents that ended with fatalities in Jewish communities have been solved, whereas the number in Arab communities stands at 21 percent.

These figures point to criminal negligence. The personal safety of Arab citizens is of no interest to cabinet members. As long as the victims were Arab, the assailants were not important targets for the police, and the general public remained indifferent. This attitude to the Arab minority must change immediately. The change must include a fair allocation of resources and budgets. The government, any government, must approve forthwith the plan for combating violence in Arab society and allocate resources for its implementation. Any further delay will result in more victims.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

BUSINESS 09 corporate corner GB chief minister calls on waPDa chairman, discusses projects in province

islamabad: Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Minister Muhammad Khalid Khursheed on Monday called on the Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman Lt Gen (r) Muzammil Hussain. A briefing was made to him regarding water and hydropower projects being implemented by WAPDA in Gilgit-Baltistan during the meeting. These projects include Diamer Basha Dam, Harpo, Tangir, Thak, Shayok Dam, Basho, Attabad Lake, Skardu Dam, Tungus and Yulbo hydropower projects. Matters relating to the resettlement action plan, land acquisition and schemes under CBMs for Diamer Basha Dam Project were also discussed during the meeting while progress on other projects also came under discussion. Press release

Dawlance launches ‘biggest top-mount direct cool refrigerator’ of Pakistan

karachi: Dawlance has launched its Biggest Top-Mount Direct Cool Refrigerator in Pakistan. The new variant, comprises of 76 cm width and 177 cm length, to contain the biggest volume of 569 Liters. It is an extension of Dawlance’s innovative ‘Vitamin-Fresh Technology refrigerators which were recently launched. A vibrant unveiling ceremony was recently held at the company’s URIL factory in Hyderabad to celebrate the launch. Press release

OLX Pakistan partners with Red Bull in hosting ‘Red Bull Kart Fight’ tournament

GOvt uRGeD tO incRease wheat suPPORt PRice tO Rs1800 PeR 40KG ISLaMaBaD

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GHUlaM aBBas

HE National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research (NFSR) on Monday asked the Ministry of National Food Security to increase wheat support price to Rs1,800 per 40kg as wheat-producing countries in the region have substantially enhanced the support price.

The meeting was chaired by Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan.

Earlier, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had increased wheat support price by Rs50 to Rs1,650 per 40 kg, the second time in a short span after revisiting the estimated cost of production for farmers.

The Ministry of Food Security had estimated that the cost of production of farmers stood at Rs1,585 per tonne, but the government fixed wheat support price at Rs1,600 per tonne. After facing criticism, it decided to jack up the support price by Rs50 to Rs1,650 per tonne.

It may be mentioned here that Sindh had fixed the support price at Rs2,000

Oil rises to touch $52 after Trump signs aid bill WaSHINGTON aGeNCIes

Oil rose to hit $52 a barrel on Monday as US President Donald Trump’s signing of a coronavirus aid package and the start of a European vaccination campaign outweighed concern about weak nearterm demand.

Trump, whose presidency is set to end next month, had earlier threatened to block the $2.3 trillion aid and spending package. Europe, meanwhile, launched a mass vaccination drive on Sunday.

Brent crude was up $0.68, or 1.3%, at $51.97 a barrel at 1020 GMT, after trading as high as $52.02, reversing an earlier decline. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude added $0.69, or 1.4%, to $48.92.

“The signing of the US stimulus bill, with the possibility of an increased size, should put a floor under oil prices in a shortened week,” said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at broker Oanda.

Oil has recovered from historic lows reached earlier this year as the emerging pandemic hammered demand. Brent reached $52.48 on December 18, its highest since March.

But the emergence of a new variant of the

virus, first seen in Britain and now detected in other countries, has led to movement restrictions being reimposed, hitting near-term demand and weighing on prices.

Oil remains vulnerable to any further setbacks in efforts to control the virus, said Stephen Innes, chief global market strategist at Axi, in a note.

Also coming into focus will be a January 4 meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, a group known as OPEC+. The group is slowly tapering record oil output cuts made this year to support the market.

OPEC+ is set to boost output by 500,000 barrels per day in January and so far there is no sign of wavering on going ahead with the supply increase.

Bank Islami Pakistan Limited signs Master Credit Guarantee agreement with PMRC KaracHI Press release

Bank Islami Pakistan Limited has signed a Master Credit Guarantee agreement with Pakistan Mortgage Refinance Company (PMRC) to avail risk cover for low-income housing finance.

PMRC is setup as a mortgage liquidity facility that addresses the long term funding constraints in the banking sector, and ensures sound lending.

Risk coverage will assist Bank Islami and

lahore: OLX, Pakistan’s number one online marketplace, partnered with Red Bull to introduce the latest edition of tournament titled ‘Red Bull Kart Fight 2020’. More than 150 drivers from Lahore and Islamabad participated in the qualifiers. The top 20 lap times were shortlisted following which the top 3 finishers from each city booked a spot at the grand finals. Haider Khan, Yastoor Mirza and Shayan Aman from Islamabad bagged the first, second and third positions at the grand finals. The top three racers were awarded gold, silver and bronze trophies in the ceremony following the hard-fought competition. Pakistan is the fifth youngest nation in the World with 63 percent of its population between the age of 15 to 33 years. A healthy sporting culture can help promote an active lifestyle in the country which can also bring about many other benefits for the society at large. Press release

per 40 kg. National Food Security and Research Secretary Ghufran Memon informed the committee that the cost of production of wheat for FY2020-21 crops has been estimated at Rs1,586.88 per 40kgs at the market level in Punjab, based on field surveys carried out by the Agriculture Price Institute.

Memon further informed the committee that the minimum support price of wheat in India was reported at Rs1,925 in October 2019. "This price was been increased by 4.6 per cent from the previous year. In terms of Pak rupee equivalent, the minimum support price

PMRC in providing affordable housing finance to fresh homeowners in Pakistan and will help the bank to alleviate the credit risk, while ensuring affordable mortgage facilities to the low-income segments of the population.

The 10-year credit guarantee scheme has been classified as liquid security by the SBP, and will provide risk coverage for Bank Islami over 40pc of the eligible housing portfolio outstanding amount.

This step has been taken in line with the prime minister and the SBP’s efforts to make housing affordable by making financing more accessible.

VIS reaffirms corporate governance rating of Allied Bank Ltd at CGR-9+ KaracHI Press release

VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (VIS) has reaffirmed the Corporate Governance Rating of Allied Bank Limited (ABL) at "CGR-9+". The rating signifies very high level of corporate governance. The previous rating action was announced on April 2, 2020.

The rating reflects effective and proactive approach of the board for strategic alignment of the

bank's manifestos with implementation of the same by the management on both operational and tactical levels.

The ratings incorporate efficient and productive two-way communication amongst stakeholders, directors and management, for mitigation of any change adversely impacting the operating dynamics of the bank; the same has been imperative in maintaining ABL's risk profile during the current pandemic crisis.

works out at Rs1,725 per 40kgs; in China, the government has increased the minimum support price of wheat for the 2020-21 season at Pak Rs2,001 per 40kg," he added.

It may be recalled that the increased wheat support price was being offered to farmers for growing enough wheat to avoid the crisis faced this year. However, the Ministry of Commerce had recently suggested the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to refrain from importing additional wheat during March-April 2021, as local wheat would be available in Pakistan.

The government has estimated the arrival of 2.15 million metric tonnes of wheat by March-April 2021, which is already sufficient and does not allow accommodating additional demand.

Furthermore, the committee directed that the rate of electricity should be reduced from Rs9.35 to Rs5.35 per unit.

Pak-Qatar General takaful partners with al Baraka Bank for takaful coverage karachi: Al Baraka Pakistan has signed a “Service Level Agreement” (SLA) with Pak-Qatar General Takaful in a recently held signing ceremony which took place at its head office. The partnership will enable Bank to provide Takaful coverage for its “AL Baraka Business Plus” customers. This product is specially tailored to match all the daily needs of business class and individual customers along with Takaful protection. The SLA was signed by PakQatar General Takaful CEO Muhammad Nasir Ali Syed and Al Baraka Bank Pakistan CEO Ahmed Shuja Kidwai along with senior officials from both organisations. Press release

Bookme.pk, telenor Pakistan join hands to enhance customer experience karachi: Bookme.pk has partnered with Telenor Pakistan which will enable over 46 million users of Telenor Pakistan will be able to recharge their mobile balance and buy packages and bundles through the Bookme.pk app/website. “We’re continuously exploring new channels to facilitate our customers and this partnership is a testament to that commitment,” Telenor Pakistan Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Umair Mohsin said.

Bookme.pk CEO Faizan Aslam stated, “The ecommerce industry has boosted even more in 2020 and consumers look for a digital one-click solution for everything. With Bookme.pk’s 5.5 million customer base and Telenor Pakistan's 46 million + user base, our aim is to ensure contactless and digital services.” Press release

ufone ends year with reaffirmation of commitment to prioritise customers lahore: Pakistani telecom operator, Ufone has reiterated its commitment to ensure the safety, security and happiness of its customers as it ends the year 2020 on a positive note. In the course of these challenging times, Ufone adopted a multi-pronged strategy to facilitate its customers by providing convenience and satisfaction. As a principal approach, to curb the spread of virus, digital services to facilitate online transactions and subscriptions for customers via Ufone’s website were introduced. In parallel, Ufone undertook a comprehensive coronavirus relief and support effort worth Rs1.9 billion for the PM Relief Fund. The package aimed to help people across the country to stay connected and provide access to facilities, mainly food and healthcare, to the most vulnerable communities. The brand also collaborated with Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to create widespread awareness about coronavirus, and assisted in volunteer registration through its helpline 1030. Likewise, it partnered with MicroEnsure to bring financial security in times of need by offering financial safety net to customers against costs of hospitalisation at any hospital across Pakistan. During the course of the challenges brought on during this year, Ufone exhibited great determination and resilience to improve the lives and experiences of the people of Pakistan. Press release

Indian govt looking into whether protesting farmers sabotaged telecom infrastructure NEW DELHI aGeNCIes

Authorities in Indian Punjab are investigating whether protesting farmers were disrupting power supply to hundreds of telecom towers, a state official said on Monday, amid protests over new farm laws.

“We have told the police to track all those involved in sabotaging the infrastructure,” a senior official in the Punjab state government told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

A senior Punjab state police official said the power supply was disrupted to several telecom towers in the state, mainly ones owned by Jio, the telecommunications arm of Reliance Industries.

A source close to Jio said more than 1,400 of its 9,000 plus towers were affected as power supplies and fibre to the towers were cut but could not confirm whether farmers were behind the damage.

Some bundles of Jio’s fibre kept for laying were also burnt at one location, the

source said, declining to be named as the matter is private.

Jio did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

At least 1,600 towers were affected in total due to the power supply disruption and about 30 towers have been damaged, Tilak Raj Dua, director general of the Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA), told Reuters.

Dua said the association was trying to determine which companies were affected

CMYK

and had written to the police in Punjab asking for protection of the towers.

Representatives of two of the 31 farmers’ unions protesting against the laws rejected the allegations when contacted by Reuters.

They asked to remain unidentified pending a formal statement from all of the unions.

Tens of thousands of farmers are camping out on highways near the capital New Delhi in protest at three new laws implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government that they fear will dismantle reg-

ulated agricultural markets, threaten their livelihood and benefit large companies.

But Modi and his ministers say the laws will increase farmers’ income as it links potential bulk buyers such as WalMart Inc, Reliance Industries Ltd and Adani Enterprises Ltd directly with farmers, bypassing wholesale markets and commission agents.

Punjab’s state government is opposed to the new farm laws and a seventh round of talks between farmer unions and federal government officials is scheduled on Tuesday.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS China okays shipbuilding majors KSOE-DSME merger BEIJING: China’s antitrust authority has reportedly approved the planned merger between South Korean shipbuilding majors, Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), a shipbuilding arm of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) recently informed KSOE that the proposed business combination with DSME would not violate antitrust laws or endanger competition in the country, Yonhap News Agency reported, referring to unnamed sources. This is the third international antitrust approval granted to KSOE so far.

In October 2019, the deal got the first green light from Kazakhstan. What is more, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) cleared the proposed merger in August this year. The $1.8 billion merger still needs to secure approvals from South Korea, Japan and the European Union.

Since last year, the EU has been investigating the proposed merger due to concerns that the deal may reduce competition in various global shipbuilding markets such as LNG and LPG carriers, containerships and oil tankers. The coronavirus pandemic has slowed down the investigation, delaying the commission’s final decision. China’s approval is expected to have a positive effect on antitrust reviews being conducted by authorities in Korea, Japan and the EU, a KSOE official was cited as saying. In March last year, HHI signed a formal contract to take over the Geoje-based DSME. AGENCIES

UK army buys 30 nano bug drones to spy on targets 2km away LONDON: The British army has bought 30 “nano ‘Bug’ drones” for soldiers to spy on targets up to 2km away, in the latest step in the military use of controversial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The drones are small enough to be held in the palm of one hand, and weigh 196g, about the same as a large smartphone. Drones are already being used by armed forces around the world, in the form of high-altitude unmanned vehicles fitted with surveillance equipment or weaponry. Their use has been heavily criticised by human rights groups, with the US and Turkey among the countries using drones to assassinate enemies beyond their borders. The EU and the UK both have plans to use high-altitude drones to spot refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean sea and in the channel. However, the increasing capabilities of smaller drones, similar to those widely available to retail consumers, has led to their widespread use for monitoring in both civilian and military situations. At the same time, it has led to increased concerns about the lack of rules governing their use, as well as questions as to how they will actually be used by military forces. Chris Cole, director of Drone Wars, an independent watchdog, said: “Drone warfare is evolving in multiple ways including the increasing use of nano surveillance drones like these new ‘Bug’ UAVs by individual military units.

Such systems, however, can only give very sketchy intelligence and are likely to give a false sense of security and situational awareness to units on the ground. AGENCIES

Empress of the Seas sold to Indian startup MUMBAI: Royal Caribbean International's Empress of the Seas may be heading to a new cruise line based in India, according to a press release from Cordelia Cruises which said it had bought the ship. Of note, the news statement quotes Jurgen Bailom, president and CEO of Cordelia Cruises.

Bailom was most recently the head of Jalesh Cruises, overseeing an aggressive cruise line launch in India. Bailom said in the press release: "It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt Ltd. that recently acquired over the Jalesh Cruises brand, has decided to further capitalize the immense potential of cruising by entering in the Indian market with the Empress of the Seas, that belonged to the global giant Royal Caribbean International until recently. With an individual capacity of 2,000 passengers, she has sailed many coastlines and high seas in her glorious past. I look forward to your support in continuing the legacy of Jalesh Cruises in upholding the spirit, culture, and value of "Incredible India" and being the evangelist of Joy by curating memorable cruise holidays that delight customers." AGENCIES

TrUMp SIgnS COvID rElIEf bIll, hOpES InCrEASED pAyMEnTS TO InDIvIDUAlS WASHINGTON

U

AGENCIES

S President Donald Trump has signed into law a $2.3 trillion package, averting a partial government shutdown, after lawmakers rejected his proposal to increase direct aid to Americans while cutting out a slew of aid for foreign countries.

“I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed,” Trump said in a statement.

"I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill."

On Tuesday, Trump threatened to veto a $2.3 trillion spending package that allocates $900 billion for coronavirus relief, and $1.4 trillion in other govern-

ment spending, calling it a “disgrace” and demanding that direct payments be upped to $2,000 per individual from the current $600.

In justification of his sudden U-turn on Sunday, Trump explained he was “signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more.”

The House is set to “vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000” on Monday, and Trump hopes that the Senate not only “will start the process for a vote that increases checks to $2,000,” but also “repeals Section 230, and starts an investigation into voter fraud.”

The White House confirmed the outgoing president had signed the bill shortly after he tweeted: “Good news on Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow.”

White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said the president was “sending a strong message”

that “wasteful items” needed to be removed from the bill and added that a “redlined” version would be sent back to Congress with a requirement that such items be removed from the bill.

Other conditions include a review and possible repeal of Section 230, under which social media giants cannot be held legally responsible for objectionable words, photos or videos that people post to their platforms.

Deere says Congress also agreed to “focus strongly on the very substantial voter fraud” in the November elections. There is no evidence of such fraud and the courts have thrown out Trump’s efforts to bring legal action.

The financial package passed with wide margins in the House and Senate and with the understanding of members of both parties that Trump supported it.

The bill had to be signed by midnight on Tuesday (05:00 GMT) to ensure the federal government did not run out of money.

US bolsters support for Taiwan and Tibet, angering China BEIJING AGENCIES

China expressed anger on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law measures to further bolster support for Taiwan and Tibet, which had been included in a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and spending package.

China has watched with growing alarm as the United States has stepped up its backing for Chineseclaimed Taiwan and its criticism of Beijing’s rule in remote Tibet, further straining a relationship under intense pressure over trade, human rights and other issues.

The Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 and Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 both contain language objectionable to China, including U.S. support for

Taiwan’s meaningful participation in United Nations bodies and regular arms sales.

On Tibet, which China has ruled with an iron fist since 1950, the act says sanctions should be put on Chinese officials who interfere in the selection of the exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s successor.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China was “resolutely opposed” to both acts.

“The determination of the Chinese government to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering,” he told reporters.

The U.S. should not put the parts of the acts which “target China” into effect in order to avoid harming Sino-U.S. relations, he said, adding they were an interference in China’s internal affairs.

$200bn in fines: Mega US banks rack up penalties from illegal activities WASHINGTON: Top US banks have racked up almost $200 billion in fines and penalties over the past 20 years from illegal activities in 395 major legal cases.

Bank of America tops the list, followed by JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, according to a new report, which also covers Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo have collectively racked up $195 billion in fees and penalties, according to Washington-based advocacy group Better Markets. The fees and penalties from 395 major legal cases since 2000 were disbursed among government agencies, investors, and consumers harmed by the banks’ conduct.

The report finds that “the banks’ behaviour is deteriorating because it finds their conduct since the financial crisis has triggered more major legal actions than their behaviour before it,” the Financial

Times reported Better Markets chief executive Dennis Kelleher explaining this.

Between 2000 and the financial crisis, the banks were hit with 85 major legal complaints, the report details. During the financial crisis between 2008 and 2012, there were 110 major cases. Between 2012 and the present, there were 204 legal actions against the banks.

The types of financial crime banks engaged in include money laundering, bribery, “massive fraud in the sale of mortgagebacked securities,” credit card and checking account abuses, and foreclosure and debt collection violations, the report describes.

Also included were breaches of fiduciary duty, antitrust violations, market manipulation, enabling Ponzi schemes, and election law violations.

“They’re all major legal actions,” Kelleher was quoted as saying. “It’s not like it was a ‘broken windows’ theory post-crash

where prosecutors are fining every little violation.” The Beter Markets CEO remarked: “If they were held to higher standards they all would have been put out of business because the recidivism is really quite shocking.”

He pointed to some examples of the cases that emerged this year showing that banks repeated their past mistakes. While financial institutions generally do not admit or deny wrongdoing in most cases, guilty pleas have become more common.

In October, JPMorgan Chase was fined $920 million over its alleged manipulation of metals and treasury markets. The company “entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in 2014 after admitting anti-money laundering failings linked to Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and pleaded guilty in 2015 to criminal charges for manipulating foreign exchange markets,” the report notes.

Kelleher opined: AGENCIES

Iran exports $1.2bn cement & steel products to Afghanistan in 8 months TEHRAN AGENCIES

Statistics showed that Islamic Republic of Iran exported $1.2 billion worth of non-oil products to neighbouring Afghanistan in the eight months of the current year (from March 21 to Nov. 22). Accordingly, iron or steel bars, valued at more than $70 million, accounted for the maximum share of the country's non-oil exports to Afghanistan in this period. Based on the statistical tables of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), over 177.7 thousand tons of iron or steel bars, valued at over $72.6 million, were exported to Afghanistan from March 21 to Nov. 22. In addition, the country exported 798.1 thousand tons of white cement, valued at over $21.4 million, to Afghanistan in the first eight months of the current year. Another statistic showed that 9.4 thousand tons of iron and steel products, valued at $7.8 million, were exported from Iran to Afghanistan from March 21 to Nov. 22. Meanwhile, Iran’s non-oil foreign trade stood at $7.37 billion in the ninth calendar month that ends December 20, said the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA). According to Ruhollah Latifi, the figure indicates a 17% or $1.07 billion jump compared with the foreign trade in the preceding month (22 October – 20 November). The monthly export, during the month to December 20, reached $3.66 billion and imports stood at $3.73 billion, registering a respective jump of 13.5% and 20.5% compared with the preceding month. China was Iran’s top exports destination during the ninth Iranian month, with 2.47 million tons worth $1.08 billion, followed by Iraq with 1.48 million tons worth $568 million, the UAE with 1.5 million tons worth $564 million, Turkey with 333,000 tons worth $235 million and Afghanistan with 526,000 tons worth $199 million. Iran’s top exports during the same month were China with 354,000 tons worth $1.03 billion, the UAE with 506,000 tons worth $854 million, Turkey with 316,000 tons worth $367 million, India with 212,000 tons worth $229 million and Germany with 27,000 tons of goods worth $160 million. Iran’s foreign trade during the nine months of the current fiscal year (March 20 – December 20) reached 110 million tons worth $52 billion.

‘Brexit deal threatens UK labour and climate standards’ LONDON AGENCIES

The UK workers’ rights and climate and other environmental protections are at serious risk of being eroded under the Brexit trade deal, a leading think tank has warned.

The Institute for Public Policy Research said that under the agreement struck on Christmas Eve, to be debated by MPs this week, commitments on workers’ rights and environmental standards to maintain fair competition between UK and EU businesses were considerably weaker than expected and would make it hard to prevent standards diverging over time.

The “delicate compromise”, designed to

secure UK sovereignty while also ensuring tariff-free trade, will be especially difficult to enforce if the UK fails to keep pace with improved EU levels of labour standards or environmental protection, the thinktank said.

The IPPR’s analysis highlighted three important benefits from the deal, which it argued made the agreement preferable to a nodeal outcome: tariff-free and quota-free trade in goods, continued social security coordination between the UK and the EU, including healthcare coverage, and continued data sharing for security purposes.

There is a protocol with arrangements for the coordination of social security benefits for UK and EU citizens – for example, UK citizens living in the UK and working in the EU,

UK citizens temporarily visiting the EU, and UK citizens moving residence to the EU (and vice versa). This covers a range of benefits, including sickness, maternity and pensions.

However, the IPPR said the new process agreed for safeguarding a “level playing field” between UK and EU businesses after Brexit set such a high bar for proof that UK standards could easily be watered down.

Under the agreement, if the UK fails to keep pace on EU levels of labour, social or environmental protection and this affects trade or investment, the EU could take proportionate measures in response, such as introducing tariffs.

But there are strict criteria: any assessment of the impact of divergence must be

based on “reliable evidence” and not mere “conjecture or remote possibility”, the agreement states. Even then, proposed “rebalancing measures” – sanctions in the form of tariffs, designed to compensate one side for an unfair disadvantage – could be referred to an arbitration tribunal before they can be introduced if one side requests this.

The arbitration panels are likely to include foreign judges, but the European court of justice will not be involved after pressure from the UK. As a result, the IPPR said, “rebalancing measures are only likely to be used in a rare number of scenarios”.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European commission president, said there would be a review after four years to ensure that the

level playing field was working.

Boris Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph that the deal would provide new “legislative and regulatory freedoms to deliver for people who felt left behind”. However, Marley Morris, the IPPR’s associate director for immigration, trade and EU relations, said: “This thin deal is better than no deal at all, but still creates major trade barriers with our closest neighbour, which will inhibit growth and slow the economic recovery. “The protections it offers on labour and environmental standards are also surprisingly weak and appear to leave considerable scope for a UK government to weaken EU-derived protections. This leaves protections for workers, climate and the environment at serious risk of being eroded.”

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

SPORTS 11

Pakistan out for 239, avoids follow on in 1st test vs new Zealand MOUNT MAUNGANUI

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AGENCIES

EW Test captain Mohammad Rizwan made 71 and Faheem Ashraf 91 to help Pakistan weather a top-order collapse, then fight back on a day punctuated by lashing rain and hail to reach 239 before their last wicket fell in the last over Monday on the third day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand.

Rizwan came to the crease when Pakistan was 52-5 during a morning session in which it lost four wickets for 32 runs. He left when it was 186-7 in the final session, having done as much as a captain can to rescue his team from imminent peril.

With Faheem, who made his highest Test score and was the last man out, Rizwan put backbone into the Pakistan innings as it replied to New Zealand’s first innings of 431. Faheem outlasted Rizwan and played some elegant shots, some streaky to accumulate 15 fours and a six and ensure Pakistan avoided a follow on New Zealand likely

would not have enforced late in the day.

He carried Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 231 with a four from the bowling of Neil Wagner 15 minutes before stumps which also took him past his previous highest Test score of 83.

The seventh-wicket partnership of 106 between Rizwan and Faheem lasted 30 overs and begun to look almost unbreakable until a direct hit by Mitchell Santner from midwicket ran out Rizwan late in the day.

It was an unfortunate end for the Pakistan captain who proved his value as he stood in for the injured Babar Azam and who batted for three and a half hours and compiled his fourth half-century.

Rizwan and Faheem first had to establish themselves on a pitch which proved too difficult for most of Pakistan’s best batsmen, then keep their composure as three heavy rain showers and an abrupt hail storm interrupted their progress.

New Zealand had consolidated its strong position in the match during the first session in which it captured the wickets of Abid Ali (25), Mohammad Abbas (5), Azhar Ali (5)

Have sri lanka hit rock bottom as injuries continue to wreak havoc?

LITTLE OVER HALFWAY THROUGH THIS TEST, TOURISTS' SITUATION COULD HARDLY BE BLEAKER Is this rock bottom? Sri Lanka have played well for large portions of this game. They even put up what was by a distance their highest ever total in South Africa. But a little over halfway through this Test, their situation could hardly be bleaker. Part of this has been about South Africa's dominance with the bat - Faf du Plessis breezing to 177 not out as he and the lower middle order propel the team lead toward 200. But mostly, it is about injuries to Sri Lanka's bowlers. With Kasun Rajitha and Dhananjaya de Silva already ruled out of the Test, fast bowler Lahiru Kumara also appeared to injure his groin mid-over, and left the field immediately. At one point, legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga was also carried off in a buggy, which meant that four of Sri Lanka's bowlers in this Test were unavailable to captain Dimuth Karunaratne. Hasaranga did eventually come back to bowl the final over of the session, as his injury is likely to be no more than a painful bruise. But before he came back, Karunaratne had to resort to getting seven overs out of Kusal Mendis who was a wicketkeeper in his younger years and bowls… let's call it legspin. Karunaratne also bowled 4.5 overs of trenchantly innoccuous seam-up himself. Du Plessis was playing the most productive innings of his Test career (his previous best was 137), and was facing the kind of bowling that might have struggled to trouble a second-division club batsman hungover from the night before. Du Plessis earned the right to face this trash, of course, fighting through a short-ball barrage from Kumara in the first session, and seeing out occasionally testing spells from Vishwa Fernando as well. AGENCIES

SOUTH AFRICA 565 FOR 6 (DU PLESSIS 177*, BAVUMA 71) LEAD SRI LANKA 396 (CHANDIMAL 85, DE SILVA 79, SHANAKA 66) BY 169 RUNS

and Haris Sohail (3).

Pakistan resumed at 30-1 and Abid and Abbas defied the bowling for 12 overs before the first wicket of the day fell to Kyle Jamieson. Abbas took 37 balls to get off the mark but performed his role as the resilient nightwatchman.

Abid was the first man out Monday, bowled by Jamieson who first forced him back with a ball that reared just short of a length then beat him with a fuller ball as he hovered on his crease.

Trent Boult ended Abbas’s 79 vigil, bowling around and producing a ball which

took the edge and gave Ross Taylor his 150th Test catch at slip.

Tim Southee then claimed the wickets of Azhar and Sohail in the same over. Azhar’s nick to wicketkeeper B.J. Watling was too faint for the on-field umpire but couldn’t deceive the television replay and Sohail skewed a drive to Henry Nicholls in the gully. With Rizwan’s steady example, Pakistan lost only one wicket in the second session which was shortened by a rain break and hailstorm which drove the players from the field just before tea.

Fawad Alam and Rizwan were tested by a barrage of short-pitched balls from Neil Wagner and Fawad succumbed when he hooked and was caught by Watling. Wagner took his full turn at the bowling crese Monday despite suffering a broken toe when batting on the second day.

Faheem came to the last over of the day needing 13 runs for a first Test century. He hit out, striking the first ball for four but edged the next to wicketkeeper Watling, leaving the ground to unanimous applause from his teammates.

India in complete control as Australia drag MCG scrap to fourth day AGENCIES India put themselves on the doorstep of one of their finest Test victories as the bowling attack again came to the fore at the MCG to dismantle an increasingly fragile Australia top order. The success was shared equally, but Jasprit Bumrah could easily have had more than the one wicket for his efforts, while the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined with great effect.

For the majority of the time, they were without Umesh Yadav, who, after removing Joe Burns early, limped off with a calf injury and has since been taken for scans. The decision to pick five bowlers, therefore, paid off handsomely for India with Jadeja, following his vital half-century in the innings-defining stand of 121 with Ajinkya Rahane, taking two wickets as he and Ashwin allowed Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to not be overbowled.

At the close of play, Australia had yet to score a half-century in the match. Steven Smith fell for his third single-figure score of the series - bowled behind his pads by Bumrah - and in a 66-over innings they had managed just seven boundaries.

There was a dose of controversy thrown in for good measure when Tim Paine was given out caught behind by the DRS, which left the Australia captain fuming as he walked off. But the protocols were followed to the letter when Snicko provided a spike where Hot Spot had not shown a mark.

At that point, Australia had lost three wickets for one run in 23 balls and were lurching towards a three-day defeat, but that was at least avoided as Cameron Green and Pat Cummins ground out 34 in 18 overs to ensure India would need to bat again, although it remained a long way from being a recovery.

A deficit of 131 was sizeable, but less than it might have been for Australia after they claimed India's last five wickets for 32 - following the runout of Rahane when Jadeja chanced a single for his fifty - amid a barrage of short-pitched bowling at the lower order. However, it was a hefty enough difference that they would need at least 300 to give themselves a realistic chance in the fourth innings but again they produced a limp performance that will leave much head-scratching ahead of the third Test.

There will be increasing desperation that David Warner prove his fitness even though he would be coming in with very little cricket.

The Burns Question will again loom large, as it did at the beginning of the series, with the opener failing for the third time in four innings across the two Tests. Burns lived on the edge even during a tenball stay; he would have been run-out by a direct hit getting off the mark and was nearly pinned lbw by a searing inswinging yorker from Bumrah before edging an excellent delivery from Yadav. To make things worse, he wasted a review.

Matthew Wade battled against his natural instincts - impressively so - while Marnus Labuschagne scored most of the runs that were on offer but was undone by a wonderful piece of bowling from Ashwin, who slid one across him from around the wicket, which took an edge to slip.

Ashwin, getting the ball to drift, bite and

turn, nearly had Smith caught at leg slip in a repeat of the first-innings dismissal during another fascinating battle between the pair, but this time it was India's other leading man Bumrah - who pulled off a perfectly-worked plan when he bowled Smith behind his legs that many bowlers have tried before him. The ball just clipped the top of leg stump and Smith even set off for a run, scarcely able to believe what had happened. At 71 for 3, still 60 behind, with the two lynchpin batsmen gone, India had made their opening.

Ten overs later came the clatter that will surely decide the game. Wade's 137-ball defiance ended when he played back to Jadeja and was beaten by one that slid on. In another tick to Rahane's captaincy book, Siraj struck with his first ball back when Travis Head edged to second slip to complete twin dismissals of much similarity in the game.

Then there was the wicket that lit up social media, Paine playing a forcing shot off the back foot against Jadeja, which was given not out

by Paul Reiffel with Rahane quick to review. The third umpire, Paul Wilson, gave Paine out based on the spike on Snicko, which matched with the ball passing the bat but Paine could not hide his anger.

At 99 for 6, it was there for India to wrap up and they may have got close to doing so had Rishabh Pant gathered a thin edge off Cummins when he nicked Ashwin on 8. As it was, Cummins and Green clung on, taking Australia to parity but with just three bowlers left in the shed. What sort of target would make India nervous? It's been a crazy year, but surely this will be their Test match.

AUSTRALIA 195 AND 133 FOR 6 (WADE 40, JADEJA 2-25) LEAD INDIA 326 (RAHANE 112, JADEJA 57, LYON 372, STARC 3-78) BY TWO RUNS

Renowned cricketer Fakhar Zaman conferred rank of honorary lieutenant ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

In order to honour the achievements in cricket arena and association with Pakistan Navy, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi conferred renowned cricketer Fakhar Zaman the rank of honorary lieutenant in Pakistan Navy, and a special epaulette award ceremony was held at Naval Headquarters to mark the event.

According a PN statement issued on Monday, Zaman is an ex-Pakistan Navy serviceman. He joined Pakistan Navy in 2007 as sailor in Operations Branch. During early years in service, his excellent cricket talent was spotted and he represented Pakistan Navy in many tournaments. His performance in the game remained exceptional and he earned numerous laurels for Pakistan Navy. His International debut in cricket was in 2012

while he was serving in Pakistan Navy. He participated in International Defence Cricket Challenge Cup 2012 held in Australia and was declared best player of the tournament. His cricketing skills were recognised and he was rewarded with Sanad-e-Tahseen by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

Pakistan Navy observed profound cricket skills and extraordinary talent of Fakhar Zaman and graciously provided him the opportunity to continue his career in cricket and join Pakistan National Cricket squad. During the course of time, his major achievements in cricket field include match winning century against India in final of ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, in which he was declared as “Man of the Match”. Besides, he had scored 1000 fastest runs in just 18 ODIs matches in year 2018. He became first Pakistani to score double century in ODI match and had record opening partnership of 304

runs during 2018. Zaman made the World record by scoring 512 runs in five consecutive ODI series. In National T-20 Tournament 2020, he was declared best player and batsman.

Earlier, Chief of the Naval Staff Niazi in his address congratulated Honorary Lieutenant Fakhar Zaman for his remarkable achievements for Pakistan in the field of cricket. He underscored that Pakistan Navy has been supporting various sports, including Squash, Sailing, hockey, football, and has produced number of professional players that represented Pakistan and earned laurels for the country. He highlighted that Pakistan Navy will continue patronage the sports culture at both national and international level.

The epaulette award ceremony was attended by civil, military and dignitaries from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as well as ex-cricket players and Zaman’s family members.

Tuesday, 29 December, 2020

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‘THey polisHed ZiAUl HAq’s booTs’: RAsHeed RebUkes opp’s ClAims oF ARmy’s iNTeRFeReNCe iN poliTiCs

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NEWS DESK

EPLYING to the claims the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders made during the Larkana rally, Interior Minister Shiekh Rasheed Ahmed said that the opposition leaders are “a product of General Headquarters gate number four” and that “they polished Ziaul Haq’s boots”.

The above was said during a press conference in the federal capital, wherein the interior minister rebuked the opposition’s claims of the Pakistan Army interfering in local politics. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during his speech had said that the PDM would put an end to the business of selection and selectors.

Similarly, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz had said: “When political parties started completing their terms, some forces to whom ‘divide and rule’ suited started getting restless. Then we saw [former ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja] Pasha set up a party by collecting political trash named the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and that party was then used in dharnas and conspiracies against your elected government.”

Rasheed pointed out that the PDM lead-

ers did not take the name of General Ziaul Haq during their rally.

Regarding PDM’s proposed long march, Rasheed jibed that it needs to be a long march, and not a “lone march”. The interior minister further said that the opposition’s true battle was not with Prime Minister Imran Khan but with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and that their only goal was to escape the corruption cases.

He said that the opposition had been silent for two years in the hope that they would get an NRO, but now they had “suddenly remembered everything”. “Yesterday they said [Member of the National Assem-

bly] Murtaza Javed Abbasi will give his resignation. You will see [him say] ‘I did not send this.'” Rashid said in response to a question about the en masse resignations. He further said computerised and typed resignations were “illegal” and they should instead be handwritten.

Yesterday, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, while talking to a private news channel, had said that the incumbent government will complete its five years constitutional tenure due to timely decisions and positive political approach of PM Imran. He had added that the opposition parties are divided on the issue of resignations, but they

Chinese markets new destination for Pakistani exports, says envoy CPEC MEDIA FORUM TO COUNTER PROPAGANDA WITH FACTS; CPEC OPEN TO 3RD COUNTRIES ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong on Monday said that the high-quality development of China’s economy will certainly provide important opportunities for the development of the countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including Pakistan, and other countries all over the world and during the next 5 years, China will steadfastly expand all-around opening up and explore more opportunities for Pakistan to expand its exports to China.

“With a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of more than 400 million, China’s domestic retail market is expected to exceed 6 trillion US dollars this year, and its cumulative import volume is expected to exceed 22 trillion US dollars in the next 10 years. After the entry into force of the second phase of CPFTA this year, the proportion of zero-tariff products between the two countries has increased to 75 per cent. This is conducive to Pakistan’s expansion of exports

to China, promoting economic recovery and resolving the issue of trade imbalance in the course of development,” said Ambassador Rong while addressing the participants of the 6th China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Media Forum.

The forum was jointly organised by the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) and China Economic Net (CEN) in cooperation with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Pakistan. The forum is conducted as an annual event in Beijing and Islamabad in alternate years. Due to Covid-19, this year’s forum was held virtually and was themed “Post-Epidemic China-Pakistan Media Cooperation”.

The forum conducted indepth exchanges and discussions on topics including the opportunities for digital media, media as an engine for the high-quality development of CPEC, and ChinaPakistan media cooperation.

Zheng Qingdong, president and editor-in-chief of Economic Daily, and Mustafa Hyder Sayed, executive director of PakistanChina Institute gave the welcome

addresses.

Ambassador Rong said that in the next 5 years, China will uphold the concept of openness, cooperation, solidarity and win-win spirit to help Pakistan achieve its development.

“We appreciate the efforts of Pakistan’s government to build ‘Naya Pakistan’, and will deepen exchanges with Pakistan on governance, share experience in poverty alleviation and reduction, help Pakistan develop industrial manufacturing, attract more foreign investment, promote the alignment of development strategies between the two countries, and work together to build a Closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the new era,” he added.

Qingdong highlighted the importance of the CPEC media forum and said that since its launch, it has contributed a lot towards building a positive public opinion on CPEC. He said that in the face of the complex international environment, the media of China and Pakistan should take joint actions and form synergies in firmly op-

posing the negative propaganda against CPEC. Moreover, he said that the year 2021 will be the 70th anniversary of PakistanChina diplomatic relations which will be celebrated with zeal and zest in both countries.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, in his keynote speech, said that CPEC has achieved significant milestones through joint efforts of the governments, enterprises, and peoples of both countries.

“The first phase of CPEC, which focused on energy and infrastructure projects met its successful completion and now, the second phase is set to boost Pakistan-China cooperation in agriculture and initiate an era of industrialisation through the establishment of Special Economic Zones,” he added.

Sanjrani commended the role of the media and said that it has played a very important role in the dissemination of facts on CPEC which has resulted in CPEC becoming a household name in Pakistan.

Through events like the CPEC media forum, he said, both

countries get an excellent opportunity to consolidate the existing all-weather friendship. He also highlighted Pakistan's medical and moral support to China during its fight against the pandemic.

Moreover, he said that the Senate passed a resolution that acknowledged China’s robust measures to deal with coronavirus and commended their efforts to make Pakistani there, mainly students in Wuhan, feel at home during this critical time.

“As China-Pakistan cooperation proceeds to a greater depth, the Senate of Pakistan shall play a greater role in extending all possible cooperation to the media of both countries to develop greater understanding and cooperation on the issues of common interests. The 10th JCC on CPEC will be held soon,” he added.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moinul Haq said that in this digital age, the media is playing a pivotal role in bolstering the friendship and solidarity between the peoples of Pakistan and China. He said that the media has rightly guided the public about the true significance of the CPEC project, which has resulted in creating a national consensus on CPEC.

are pretending as united in order to pressurise the government.

Rasheed had said that the opposition wants to destabilise the country for protecting its personal interests, but the state would never allow them to do so at any cost. He had also expressed his optimism that the opposition would take part in the Senate elections and would not tender resignations.

The minister had said that the opposition alliance is using the issue of the resignation as a political stunt. Replying to a question, he said that the politics of Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is based on a personal vendetta.

UNGA condemns terrorist attack on FC personnel in Harnai ISLAMABAD TLTP

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir has condemned the attack of terrorists on a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpoint in Harnai district of Balochistan. In a tweet, Bozkir expressed his condolences to the people and government of Pakistan over the sad incident in which seven brave soldiers were martyred on Sunday last. Meanwhile, acknowledging the condolence of Bozkir, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Munir Akram said that Pakistan has paid a heavy price in blood and treasure in the fight against externally sponsored terrorism. He said that despite these losses Pakistan’s resolve to defeat terrorism remains unwavering. Earlier on Sunday, seven FC personnel embraced martyrdom when terrorists targeted their checkpost in the Shahrag area in Harnai, Balochistan, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The military's media wing said, "The brave soldiers embraced shahadat while repulsing raiding terrorists." The martyred FC soldiers were identified as Naib Subedar Gulzar, resident of Mianwali; Sepoy Faisal, resident of Hafiz Abad; Sepoy Abdul Wakeel, resident of Pishin; Sepoy Sher Zaman, resident of Kohat; Sepoy Jamal resident of Dera Bugti; Abdul Rauf resident of DG Khan; and Faqeer Muhammad. resident of Muzaffargarh. "Such cowardly acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces will not be allowed to sabotage hard earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan," the army's media wing maintained. The ISPR added that, "Security forces are determined to thwart their nefarious designs at all costs."

Militancy, instability pose vaccine challenges in poor nations DAR MANGI AGENCIES

Arifullah Khan had just administered another polio vaccine when the gunfire blasted from the nearby hills.

“It happened so suddenly. There was so much gunfire it felt like an explosion,” he said, recalling details of the attack five years ago in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal region near the Afghan border.

A bullet shattered his thigh and he fell to the ground. His childhood friend and partner in the vaccination campaign, Ruhollah, lay bleeding on the ground in front of him.

“I couldn’t move,” Khan said. “I watched him lying right in front of me as he took his last breath.”

In Pakistan, delivering vaccines can be deadly. Militants and radical religious groups spread claims that the polio vaccine is a Western ploy to sterilize Muslim children or turn them away from religion. More than 100 health workers, vaccinators and security officials involved in polio vaccination have been killed since 2012.

The violence is an extreme example of the difficulties many poor and developing countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America face as they tackle the monumental task of vaccinating their populations against Covid-19.

It’s not just the problem of affording vaccines or being at the back of the line behind wealthy countries in receiving them.

Poor infrastructure often means roads are treacherous and electricity is sporadic for the refrigerators vital to preserving vaccines.

Wars and insurgencies endanger vaccinators.

Corruption can siphon away funds, and vaccination campaign planners must sometimes navigate through multiple armed factions.

“The most challenging areas ... are conflict settings, where outbreaks of violence hinder vaccinations, and areas where misinformation is circulating, which discourages community participation,” said UNICEF’s deputy chief of global immunization, Benjamin Schreiber.

Many nations are relying on COVAX, an international system aimed at ensuring equitable access to vaccines, though it is already short on funding.

UNICEF, which runs immunization programs worldwide, is gearing up to help procure and administer Covid-19 vaccines, Schreiber told The Associated Press. It has stockpiled half a billion syringes and aims to provide 70,000 refrigerators, mostly solarpowered, he said.

The agency aims to transport 850 tons of Covid-19 vaccines a month next year, double its usual annual monthly rate for other vaccines, UNICEF’s executive director Henrietta Fore said in a statement.

The situation can vary widely from country to country.

Mexico is expected to start immunizations soon. The military will handle distribution, and the government has promised free

vaccines for Mexico’s nearly 130 million inhabitants by the end of 2021.

Meanwhile, Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, has yet to announce any vaccination plans. Health experts worry that widespread rumors could set back vaccinations — including claims that hospitals will give fatal injections to inflate Covid-19 death figures and receive more foreign aid.

The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is leading a continent-wide effort to vaccinate Africa’s 1.3 billion people in 54 countries. The agency is coordinating efforts to obtain doses and seeking World Bank help in funding — estimating it will take $10 billion to acquire, distribute and administer the vaccines.

The aim is to vaccinate 60% of Africa’s population within two years — some 700 million people — more than the continent has done in the past, said John Nkengasong, director of the African CDC. “The time for action is now,” said Nkengasong. “The West cannot defeat Covid-19 alone. It must be defeated by all over the world, and that includes Africa.”

Congo underscores the obstacles the campaign faces.

The country has overcome Ebola outbreaks with vaccination campaigns. But it struggled in eastern Congo, where Allied Democratic Forces rebels stage frequent attacks and other armed groups vie for control of mineral riches.

Rough terrain and insecurity meant vaccinators had trouble getting to all areas.

Some came under attack.

Rumors flew about the Ebola vaccines, including the idea they were meant to kill people, said Dr. Maurice Kakule, an Ebola survivor who worked in vaccination campaigns. Education programs overcame much of the resistance, but similar suspicions are spreading about the Covid-19 vaccine, he said.

In Beni, the area’s main city, Danny Momoti, a trader, said he would take the vaccine because of his work. “I need this Covid-19 vaccination card to be accepted in Dubai and elsewhere where I go to buy the goods for Beni,” he said.

Civil wars present perhaps the greatest obstacles.

In Yemen, the health system has collapsed under six years of war between Houthis who control the north and government-allied factions in the south.

Yemen saw its first outbreak of polio in 15 years this summer, centered in the northern province of Saada. Vaccinators haven’t been able to work there the past two years, in part because of security fears, UNICEF said. Agencies rushed to give new inoculations in parts of the north and south in November and December.

Cholera and diphtheria have been rampant, and once again, Yemen faces a new surge in hunger. UN officials have warned of potential famine in 2021.

No plans for Covid-19 vaccinations have been announced yet, whether by the Houthis, southern authorities or WHO and UNICEF. Only half of Yemen’s health facilities remain functional. Roads, power networks and other infrastructure have been devastated.

The Houthis have hampered some programs, trying to wrest concessions from UN agencies, including blocking a shipment of cholera vaccines amid a 2017 outbreak.

“Even the mildest and normally preventable diseases can prove fatal due to a lack of health care access in a conflict setting,” said Wasim Bahja, the Yemen country director for International Medical Corps.

In Pakistan, public distrust was fueled when the CIA in 2011 used a scam vaccination program to identify the hideout of alQaida leader Osama bin Laden, leading to the special forces raid that killed him.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the only countries in the world where polio is still endemic. There have been 82 new polio cases this year alone, largely because vaccinations were suspended due to the pandemic, said Dr. Rana Safdar, who coordinates the polio vaccination campaigns.

The Bajaur region, where Khan was shot, remains one of the more dangerous areas, Safdar said.

Khan tried to explain the deep mistrust in his region. Deeply conservative tribal elders “believe the vaccine is the reason the young people who were given it as children are disrespectful and show little concern for

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk