EpaperKHI_2020-09-21

Monday, 21 September, 2020 I 2 Safar, 1442 I Rs 25.00 I Vol XI No 82 I 52 Pages I Karachi Edition

OppOsitiOn calls fOr immediate resignatiOn Of pm imran ISLAMABAD

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staff report

He opposition parties, after hours of discussion at the All Party Conference (APC), have demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, which is stated in a 26-point resolution passed by the multiparty conference.

The forum is named Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and terms itself as an “alliance structure which will lead and guide nationwide protests against the anti-public and anti-nation

government in a disciplined and integrated manner”.

At a press conference held after multiparty conference late on Sunday evening, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman read out the resolution, which stated that the incumbent government has been granted “fake stability by the same establishment” that rigged the elections to bring these rulers to power.

It further expressed “extreme concern” over the increasing interference of the establishment in internal affairs of the country, calling them a “danger to the

nation’s stability and institutions”.

The forum called for transparent elections and reforms in the electoral policies to ensure fairness.

PDM presented a six-point action plan to remove the incumbent government. The plan is to be implemented in phases, and the first phase starts in October, wherein opposition parties will hold joint rallies in all four provinces.

The second phase, in December, involves the opposition holding “huge public demonstrations” across Pakistan.

In January next year, the opposition will set out on a “decisive long march” to-

wards Islamabad.

According to the statement, the opposition will use “every legal and constitutional option in and out of parliament, which include moving no-confidence motions and collective resignations from assemblies at an appropriate time”. Furthermore, the PDM plans to enlist lawyers, traders, farmers, students, media as well as members of the civil society in its movement.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said during the conference that all the options presented in PDM’s action plan and resolution are

constitutional and legal, including protests and demands for resignation.

Answering a question regarding rumours that some members of the opposition voted in favour of the government to ensure the passage of Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-related bills last week, Bilawal said that votes fell short because some lawmakers could not attend the session due to different reasons. He assured that the opposition parties were on the same page and had demanded a vote recount.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PTI top guns slam joint opposition’s APC ISLAMABAD staff report

The government on Sunday slammed the opposition’s All Party Conference (APC), with the top brass of the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI), including Federal Minister for Marine Affairs Ali Zaidi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill, and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, condemning the opposition.

Zaidi said, “Today, Nawaz Sharif has declared war with the entire Pakistani nation! He says that his feud is not with Imran Khan, it is with those who brought [him] to power. [PTI] has come to power with the votes of 17 million people … not with the help of a ‘chit’!”

SAPM Gill slammed the opposition leaders while addressing a press conference, saying

that they are allowed to organise all parties conferences (APCs) as many as they want, however, NRO will not be given to the corrupt.

“The present government has an agenda to provide all facilities to the deserving nationals and accountability of corrupt elements. Accountability will continue and NRO will not be given,” he added.

“Why are they all making the

cOrOnavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

305,671

anti-money laundering legislation an issue? Obviously, the AML laws will become an issue for smugglers and corruption persons. This APC is actually an all parties thieves’ association and its ideology is based on lies. They have always termed the accountability process as political revenge against them,” he said while calling the APC an attempt to save loot.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Nawaz comes down hard on ‘undemocratic forces’ for derailing democracy STORY ON PAGE 02

LAST UPDATED AT 9:19 AM ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

1

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

640

DEATHS:

292,303 6,416 SINDH:

133,626

PUNJAB:

98,368

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

37,317

14,269

2,517/3,450 16,124

Two soldiers embrace martyrdom in North Waziristan STORY ON PAGE 03

US defies world to say Iran UN sanctions back in force STORY ON BACK PAGE in today’s issue

attention Some readers have complained that they are not getting the magazine with their newspaper copy. Please call or WhatsApp us at the following number to register a complaint.

Contact: 0307-7338168 irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Monday, 21 September, 2020

NEWS

Nawaz comes dowN hard oN ‘uNdemocratic forces’ for derailiNg democracy PML-N SUPREMO SAYS STRUGGLE ISN’T AGAINST PM IMRAN, BUT ‘THOSE WHO BROUGHT HIM INTO POWER’ ZARDARI LASHES OUT AT PM IMRAN, URGES PEOPLE TO STAND UNITED TO SAVE DEMOCRACY IN THE COUNTRY ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

CONFereNCe of the mainstream opposition parties, dubbed as the All Parties Conference (APC), was held Islamabad on Sunday to devise a unanimous strategy to oust the government of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing the conference through video-link, former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, who stayed in the background for more than a year, thanked Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Cochairman Asif Ali Zardari for “love with which he spoke to him a day earlier”, saying he would not forget it.

“I am thankful to the organisers of the conference for giving me the opportunity to talk. even though I am away from my country, I know very well what condition the country and the people are in. I believe this is a decisive turn; it is necessary to protect democracy […] and take fearless decisions,” he said.

In an all-encompassing address, which centred on criticising the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Nawaz spoke on the “poor state” of Pakistan’s economy, “deteriorating” international relations, “muzzling” of media and “corruption within the PTI”. Similarly, Zardari criticised the government in his welcome note for not “allowing” Nawaz’s speech to be broadcast, he said they showed former president Pervez Musharraf’s interview.

“The country’s leader keeps harping on about accountability but he himself is involved in raising sugar prices. Will no reference be filed against him?” the former PM asked.

He also repeated the opposition’s allegation that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), with the connivance of PTI, was carrying out only “selective accountability”.

Sharif has been residing in London since November last year on the pretext of medical treatment and has since maintained a distance from political activities. His party insists that despite being summoned by the courts, who declared him a proclaimed offender in a corruption probe, the former premier will only return after the completion of his medical treatment.

“If we do not do it [take a step] today, when will we?” asked Nawaz. “I agree with Maulana [Fazlur rehman, chief of JUI-F] that we need to make this conference purposeful or people will be disappointed.”

“Pakistan has been constantly deprived of a democratic system […] When the vote

is dishonoured, the entire democratic system becomes meaningless. When it is decided before the election process as to who will win and who will lose, then it can be guessed how the public is betrayed and how the public’s mandate is stolen,” he added. Nawaz also hinted at the presence of a parallel justice system. “When a dictator was first brought into the courtroom for violating the Constitution, you saw what happened,” he said.

“Court gave dictators the right to play with the Constitution and acquitted someone who broke the Constitution twice […]

Whereas the ones who follow the Constitution are still in jail,” he added.

The PML-N supremo said that former prime minister Yousuf raza Gilani once pointed to “a state within a state” in Pakistan.

“It is saddening that the situation has escalated to a state above the state. This parallel government illness is the root cause of our problems,” he said.

Speaking about the 2018 general elections, Nawaz said that the primary reason for the current problems were those people who “hijacked the people’s mandate by putting inexperienced people in power”. “This is a violation of the Constitution. Has anyone given a thought to what a grave crime it is to steal the people’s mandate?” he asked.

“Can I ask why the results Transmission System (rTS) was closed for hours during the election, why polling agents were thrown out during counting? Why was rigging done, on whose saying and why? The secretary of election commission should answer and all those responsible will have to answer,” he remarked.

‘MARTIAL LAW HAS BEEN IMPOSED’: Nawaz alleged the government has enforced a “martial law”. “Criminals are allowed to make amendments to the Constitution […] the people’s premier is expelled and his family is insulted. This conference should bring forth a concrete plan of action for saving democracy, a concrete policy should be made for solving the problem of ‘a parallel state’,” he said.

“Our foremost priority should be removing this selected government and this system. Our struggle is not against Imran Khan.

Today, our struggle is against those who installed Imran Khan and who manipulated elections to bring an inefficient man like him into power and thus destroyed the country,” Nawaz said. “If change is not brought, it will bring irreversible loss to this country. It is very important that our armed forces stay away from our governmental system according to our Constitution and the Quaid’s speech, and not interfere with the people’s choice. We have made this country a joke in

our own eyes and internationally as well.”

“I again urge this all-party conference to go beyond its traditional ways and form a plan of action,” he added.

Concluding his speech, the former PM once again thanked the PPP and reminded the leaders that now was the time to unite.

“We have to decide that we are one and if the APC is succeeded in doing so, then this conference is successful,” he added.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that dictatorships in the country’s history had not only put a black mark on democracy but also damaged the judiciary.

Addressing the APC, Shehbaz talked about the 2018 elections, saying, “remember when a selected government came into power and the selected prime minister promised the nation that the discrepancy in the elections, the disappearance of the rTS system, and the pre-engineering of election results would be investigated.”

Shehbaz claimed that the committee formed to investigate has not made even “an inch of progress”.

“The government alleges that the opposition did not cooperate. I am ready for a probe so what bigger lie can there be?” he remarked.

Former president Zardari in his welcome address said that the PPP believes in democracy.

Zardari thanked the attendees, noting that the APC should have taken place quite a while ago. The ex-president also especially welcomed PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, saying, “My solidarity is with Maryam Nawaz Sharif; she’s like my daughters, she has suffered a lot in her struggle, and we stand by her.”

The PPP co-chairman said that the present rulers are not familiar with the norms of politics and termed them political dwarves.

“The thinking pattern of the selected prime minister is that of a major. Since the very beginning we have been speaking against the fake mandate and this manipulation. Bilawal is probably the first leader to raise concerns that the government is selected,” he said.

The former president said, “We have tried to save democracy in the country for the past two years. The first necessity to run a democratic state is democracy. We have raised voice for Balochistan and have been speaking for Punjab, especially South Punjab.”

The PPP leader said he would inform the Foreign Office (FO) about developments during his tenure instead of the other way round and asking them for permission.

“When I was asked by authorities during my tenure as the president if I ‘asked the Foreign Office’, I used to reply that I have ‘informed the Foreign Office’,” he stated.

“My message to Pakistani people is that we have to be united together to save democracy in the country and with the press, we will win through this,” he added.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari hailed the PML-N founder for giving a comprehensive speech and demanded a levelplaying field in not only elections but in courts, media forums, and in the parliament as well.

Addressing the APC, Bilawal said, “As

Nawaz Sharif has summed it all up that the failure of a democratic system is the failure of the society.” He added that everyone has seen that if the leaders are not elected through the public votes, the public welfare is always neglected.

“Instead of facilitating the doctors and health professionals, the government targeted them and did not support them the way they deserved,” Bilawal said. The PPP chairman also criticised the government over the state of media freedom in the country.

“When the political leaders are not permitted to present their viewpoint, if media is punished and censored of what they broadcast, then how do we expect that a common man can speak his mind?” he asked. earlier in the day, the PPP chief, in a tweet, welcomed the APC where “Pakistan’s opposition parties will unite to hold this regime to account.” “[Two] years of this selected experiment has had disastrous consequences for Pakistan, our citizens, democracy, economy & foreign policy. Democracy is the best revenge,” he added.

Sharif was invited by the PPP chairperson on Friday during a phone call made by the latter to inquire after the former’s health.

Subsequently, on Saturday, Bilawal’s spokesperson Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar revealed that Sharif has accepted his invitation to virtually attend the conference.

Leaders of PPP started arriving at a fivestar hotel in the capital, where the conference was held, in the morning. Senator Sherry rehman while speaking to the media said

20m more girls may never go back to school: Malala ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistani education activist, Nobel laureate and UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai warns that as many as 20 million girls may never return to schools even after the global Covid-19 crisis is over, according to media reports.

Speaking at a side event of the UN General Assembly on Friday afternoon, the youngest Nobel Laureate acknowledged that Covid-19 had been “a striking setback to our collective goals”, such as educating women.

“On education alone, 20 million more girls may never go back to the classroom when this crisis ends [and] the global education funding gap has already increased to $200 billion per year,” she said.

Malala went on to remind the international community that sustainable the global goals set by the UN five years ago represented the future for millions of girls who wanted an education and were fighting against inequality. She asked the world body, “when are you planning to do the work?” while noting that little had been done in the last five years.

“When will you commit the necessary funding to

give every child 12 years of quality education? When will you prioritise peace and protect refugees? When will you pass policies to cut carbon emissions?”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who also addressed this virtual event, underlined the need to “strike out for a world of dignity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet”.

“We must look beyond the current crisis and set our sights high…to show that transformation is possible and is happening right now”, he said.

The UN chief urged rich nations to address the immediate, medium and longer-term needs of developing

that today’s would a “historic all-party conference”.

From the PML-N side, an 11-member delegation led by party president Shahbaz Sharif attended the conference. The delegation included party’s Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Pervaiz rasheed, rana Sanaullah Khan, Amir Muqam and Marriyum Aurangzeb. reportedly, Maryam was attending the moot on the instructions of her father.

IMRAN ‘ORDERED’ UNINTERRUPTED COVERAGE: earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz termed the multiparty conference “a flimsy attempt to put pressure on the government to back off on accountability”.

“PM Imran Khan will never compromise on his commitment against corruption.

Hence no NrO,” he said ahead of the event.

Following news of Nawaz’s address, Gill had warned that “the Pakistan electronic Media regulatory Authority (PeMrA) and other legal options” would be used if the PML-N supremo’s speech was aired by TV channels.

The speech, however, was aired by TV channels as well as live-streamed on social media platforms. Gill told a media house that PM Imran said that Nawaz’s address should be aired so that “his lies could be exposed” to the nation.

“Nawaz Sharif will lie so let him lie,” PM Imran said, according to reports. “The people should be allowed to decide for themselves.”

countries and to support a UN debt service suspension initiative to at least the end of 2021.

He also stressed the need for a transition to a more equitable and sustainable economy, ending fossil fuel subsidies and placing women at the centre of building back. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed noted that this “transformation” was already “happening everywhere and must not leave anyone behind”.

The head of the UN Development Fund (UNDP), Achim Steiner warned that for the first time in 30 years, the march of progress in human development was expected to go sharply into reverse.

“Building people’s resilience against vulnerability, risk and deprivation, and helping them to get on their feet if they falter, defines social protection in the 21st century,” he said.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

NEWS

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islamabad rejecTs indian media rePorT on envoy’s visa ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday termed a report of Indian media regarding assignment visa for senior Indian diplomat as Charge d’ Affaires at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, as fake.

In a statement, the FO spokesperson said that leaking misleading information and twisting facts is not only contrary to diplomatic norms but is also not helpful in the conduct of diplomatic relations.

“The news in certain sections of Indian media, quoting sources in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, regarding assignment visa for senior Indian diplomat Jayant Khobragade proposed as Charge d’ Affaires at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad is misleading,” said the spokesperson.

It may be recalled that following India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), Pakistan took a number of steps, including the downgrading of diplomatic relations with India.

The purpose of downgrading the relations was to register Pakistan’s strong protest and condemnation of India’s il-

legal, inhuman and unacceptable actions in IOK. Pakistan believes that by proposing a senior diplomat, who has already served as ambassador in another post, India is trying to circumvent the effect of downgrading of diplomatic relations, which is obviously not in line with Pakistan’s decision.

However, keeping in view the diplomatic norms, Pakistan has counselled India to nominate an officer with seniority commensurate with Pakistan’s decision of downgrading the diplomatic relations.

As for the veiled threats in Indian media reports that the issue of grant of assignment visa to Khobragade will

‘Pakistan to have Covid-19 vaccine in 2Q 2021, hopefully’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan gears up for anti-polio drive starting today ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The federal government has decided to launch an antipolio campaign in the country from Monday. The duration of the campaign is different in different provinces. A five-day anti-polio campaign will be started in Punjab from Monday. During the campaign, more than 19 million children up to the age of five years will be administered anti-polio vaccine across the province. Punjab Health Department has constituted 48,000 teams for the campaign. The anti-polio campaign in Karachi will continue for seven days in the city. A review meeting for the drive, chaired by Commissioner Karachi Suhail Rajput held on Sunday to overview the arrangements for the anti-polio drive. The commissioner will launch the campaign at a health centre on Monday. All preparations for the polio vaccination drive have been completed. It was decided in a meeting to send special teams at eight sensitive union councils of the city. In the anti-polio campaign 2.2 million children will be administered polio vaccine drops in the city, the Commissioner said. Over 6,000 teams with more than 2,000 supervisors will participate in the polio vaccination campaign. The meeting also decided to provide maximum security to vaccination teams. The campaign would be launched in all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and GilgitBaltistan (GB). The sources in the health ministry said that there would be two catch-up days during the campaign aimed at vaccinating children left behind during the drive. Overall, 39.6 million children would be administered polio drops during the campaign, they said adding 270,000 polio workers will take part in the drive. Strict adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) would be ensured in the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak under which it will be essential to wear face masks and use hand sanitizers.

recruitments for diamer-bhasha dam project start ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has commenced recruitments of grade-6 to 16 officials for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam project. The WAPDA spokesperson said on Sunday that the authority has advertised the recruitments on 124 vacancies for the grade-6 and 16 employees for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam. It added that the residents of Diamer and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) will be appointed on the positions. Moreover, 179 vacancies of grade 14 to 20 officials and 317 security positions were also advertised. The spokesperson said that the nationals belonging to GB and the project’s area will be prioritised in order to ensure the economic progress of the locals. In July, Prime Minister Imran Khan had inaugurated the construction work of the mega hydroelectricity project, Diamer-Bhasha Dam, which is being termed as “a historic milestone” in the country’s development. Accompanied by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt General Faiz Hameed, the Prime Minister had visited the reservoir site and got a detailed briefing on the project. Federal Water and Power Minister Faisal Vawda and Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur were also present on the occasion. The dam has a capacity to produce 4,500 megawatts of electricity and could help in saving $2.48 billion annually in terms of fuel charges. The project is likely to be completed in 2027.

Prime Minister’s Task Force on Science and Technology Chairman Dr Attaur Rahman has said that the clinical trials of the proposed Covid-19 vaccine produced by a well acclaimed international company will be started in the country from this week.

Hopefully depending on the success of the trials, Dr Rahman said that the Covid-19 vaccine will be available in the country between the months of April and June. Dr Rahman said that the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences based in University of Karachi has been approved for conducting clinical trials of the vaccine. He said that after successful completion of all the trials the Covid-19 vaccine will be available in the country between the months of April and June coming year.

The application for conducting clinical trials of this vaccine was submitted to the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for approval a few months ago. Dr Rahman said that usually it takes two to three months to complete clinical trials of the vaccine. “In Pakistan, the clinical trials in the first phase, likely to start this week, will be completed in around three months,” he said.

“The second phase of the clinical trials has already

APP

In order to speed up the process of issuing domicile certificates, the authorities have now given permission to a naib tehsildar in addition to tehsidar to grant such certificates in the territory, in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). This has been done by introducing amendment in the Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020, Kashmir Media Service reported.

In this regard, an official spokesman said, the amendment in Rule 5, Clause 1 authorises both tehsil-

Two soldiers embrace marTyrdom in norTh wazirisTan RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

been done in China. While the third phase of trials will start after completion of the first phase and it will also take three months,” he added.

The whole process of clinical trials (Phase-I and Phase III) will take six months after which the country will be able to manufacture the vaccine, if the results of the clinical trials come positive, he said.

About the price of the vaccine, he said the price of the vaccine cannot be predicted now. “We can only know about the price of the vaccine after the manufacturing process starts,” he added.

Dr Rahman said, “We were in contact with several international companies for vaccine production after which one of the major international companies agreed to conduct clinical trials of their vaccination in Pakistan.”

Process of issuing domicile certificates being expedited in IOK ISLAMABAD

“further destabilise” India-Pakistan relations, it must be clear that the relations between India and Pakistan are inextricably linked to the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, he said.

A just and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is critical for durable peace and stability in South Asia. Accordingly, India is once again reminded of its international obligations with regard to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. India must listen to the voices of the Kashmiri people and the world community, said the spokesman.

dar and naib tehsildar for issuing the domicile certificate to Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) holders and their children, while naming the deputy commissioner as the appellate authority.

“The applicants of this category (PRC holders) shall have to attach PRC Certificate, while their Children need to attach the PRC of parent and the birth certificate issued by a competent authority,” he added.

Kashmir watchers are of the view that India is doing all this only to expedite the process of granting domicile certificates to non-locals to change the demography of IOK in the shortest possible period.

Two security personnel embraced martyrdom in an exchange of fire during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Miranshah area of North Waziristan, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR, in a statement late on Saturday night, said that the operation was conducted in Spalga village of Miranshah. The martyred personnel included: Havaldar Tajbar Ali, 38, resident of Swat; and Sepoy Rashid, 22, resident of Parachinar. The troops cordoned off the area for area clearance, the ISPR added. The development comes hours after security forces gunned down four terrorists in an exchange of fire during an IBO in the Awaran district. The ISPR said that security forces also destroyed the terrorists' hideout and seized a huge cache of arms, ammunition, and communication equipment during the operation.

islamabad police recover foreign diplomats who lost way during hiking ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Two staffers of the Hungarian Embassy, who lost their way while hiking in Margalla Hills of Islamabad, have been rescued, the Islamabad Police said. According to the police statement, upon receiving the information, the police sprung into action and found the second secretary and a press attaché safe and sound from the area. Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Amir Zulfiqar Khan appreciated the timely assistance of deputy inspector general (DIG) operations and commended the entire police team for the prompt response.

‘I don’t want to be helpless’: Sale of protective gear goes up KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Pepper sprays, pocket knives and other forms of protective gear are flying off the shelves as anxious women take personal safety in their own hands after the motorway rape incident.

Many Pakistani females took to social media in the days after the incident to find out where they can buy pepper spray. Now, stores are also stocking up on the equipment and selling it next to other essential items.

“It is probably for the first time in decades that we are selling pepper sprays at our store — that too, after scores of women, especially young girls of school-going age, asked for this item in particular at our counters,” said a shopkeeper in Karachi’s Saddar area, adding that pepper spray was selling “like chewing gum”.

Huma Naz, a resident of Rawalpindi and a mother of four daughters, said that she ordered pepper spray from an online store for each of her daughters to keep in their school bags once they resume going to school. She added that she was scared by the sudden increase in rape crimes, and this had motivated her actions.

“My husband and I have also searched for a self-defence instructor for

our daughters who will teach them at least the basics after school so that they don’t have to wait for help in case [God forbid] they meet an unfortunate and unexpected situation,” Naz said.

Speaking on the recent series of events, the founder of an online organic store, Mehak Ali started introducing these pepper sprays at affordable rates and added that this was to get rid of the misunderstanding that self-defence education or items such as pepper sprays are limited to a particular class or segment of society.

“All women – irrespective of their age and social strata – should be protected from the monsters of this world,” Ali said, adding that the proceeds from the sales of pepper spray bottles were being used to provide bottles to those that couldn’t afford them, such as domestic workers. There has been a 45 per cent rise in the sale of pepper spray bottles, she added.

“The response is indeed overwhelming, giving us hope that no matter how grave and brutal the circumstances are, we will fight through this together,” Ali said.

Speaking to a local media outlet, a manager at another online store, Ahmed, said that queries regarding pepper sprays were increasing with each passing day.

However, in the past week, not only have sales shot up to 100 units a day, but peo-

ple are also panic-buying, and purchase the items en masse.

Baneen Rizvi, 23, who works as a communication associate at an international firm, shared how her father recently handed over Swiss Army knives to both of his daughters.

“My dad handed us these Swiss knives when he was at his wits’ end while looking at the threatening situation in the country, especially for working and school-going girls who have to step out of their houses every day,” Rizvi explained, stressing on the need for self-defence education for girls in the light of recent sexual assault cases.

Terming it an “unfortunate necessity”, Nimrah Javed, 23, who works at a local audit firm, said that the motorway incident prompted her to learn — and to encourage others to learn — self-defence techniques or to keep items like pepper sprays or pocketknives on hand.

Javed, talking about her situation after the incident, said: “The anxiety of stepping outside now just to go to my workplace and back has doubled. I have to frequently turn around to look back and see if somebody is following me or attempting to get close and harass me.”

Along with the sale of these protective items, there has also been an uptick in the demand for self-defence classes

such as boxing. Some kickboxing schools have seen an increase in admission of about 30 per cent, said a trainer.

“Women should learn self-defence techniques to protect themselves from any unfortunate situations and also empower themselves to access public spaces without fear or anxiety.”

“I have encountered multiple dirty glances by men but as it is frequent, I just choose to ignore it,” another woman commented regretted.

Marium Aslam, 21, a student at a private university in Karachi, believes that women can “never feel safe again” until the rapists are brought to justice. “I am forced to keep protection gear with me so that I can use it as a weapon,” she added.

A Karachi-based journalist, Bismah Mughal, 23, said that she chose to carry a pepper spray as she had encountered several incidents of misconduct in the past.

“There have been multiple incidents, not only those that I have encountered but those that every woman around me have, since a very young age. So instead of limiting my mobility, putting barriers around myself, or letting someone control my freedom, I chose to be prepared in case anything unfortunate happens,” she shared.

“I don’t want to be helpless,” Mughal stressed.

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Monday, 21 September, 2020

NEWS

Are rAPe cASeS reAlly on The rISe In PunjAb? PUNJAB PUNCH

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SHAHAB OMER

FTER the recent motorway incident, the number of sexual harassment and abuse cases being reported has gone up, while the public collectively protests these conditions and demands a sense of safety for the women of the nation.

According to a report obtained from police sources, 2,523 cases of sexual abuse have been registered this year. Moreover, 149 cases of gang-rape were registered last year while 132 cases of gang-rape have been registered this year.

While the number of registered cases of gang-rape in Punjab appears to be less than last year, police sources also believe that many victims of rape do not report their cases due to lack of trust in the police department.

Unfortunately, in many rural areas of Punjab, rape is considered as a routine matter; not only that but often after the rape itself, the victim faces blackmail by rapists starts and lack of support and cooperation from the police.

A few days ago, a similar incident took place in Khairpur Tamiwali Tehsil, in which a rape victim committed suicide due to a delay in her case being registered by the police.

It has been reported that a 19-year-old girl was allegedly raped and tortured in Khairpur Tamiwali Tehsil of Bahawalpur while the registration of first information report (FIR) was allegedly deliberately delayed by the police.

According to sources, the police had received an application from the victim and her parents against the accused but did not take any action and allowed the accused to roam freely. Later, the incident was reported on the media, the police arrested the accused on the orders of Bahawalpur district police officer (DPO) as well as arresting the staff, including Khairportamiwali police station SHO Rana Anwarul Haq, for not registering the case and not giving justice to the victim.

Similarly, on Thursday, September 17, Lahore police arrested two accused in two cases on charges of sexual harassment and rape.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan and Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Omar Sheikh said during a joint press conference that a young man had been arrested for threatening to rape a girl for several years.

It is pertinent to mention here that the girl posted several photos and videos of the accused on social media in which he was brandishing a heavy weapon.

The girl’s father was also present at the press conference. He said that the accused

TikTok craze claims three lives in Karachi KARACHI TLTP

Three youth drowned in a huge pond while making a TikTok video in Karachi’s Rais Goth on Sunday. According to the details, three friends, residents of Kaimari Town, went to Rais Goth for a picnic. They were shooting a scene for their TikTok account at the bank of a pond situated near a stone-crushing plant in Rais Goth. Meanwhile, one of the friends slipped and fell into the pond. In an effort to rescue him, his friends jumped into the pond but unfortunately, they all drowned. On being informed, police and rescue officials rushed to the spot and retrieved their bodies from the pond. Rescue officials shifted their bodies to the hospital for medico-legal formalities. The deceased were identified as Shehzad, Sajjad and Zubair. Earlier on July 21, a youngster lost his life after he drowned in the Khanpur Dam while trying to take a cool selfie, an act that had claimed several lives globally.

Five of family killed in motorway accident GOJRA STAFF REPORT

At least five people, including a woman, were killed, whereas an eight-year-old was injured in an accident on the M4 motorway on Sunday. The family, belonging to Layyah, was on its way back from the airport when their car collided with a tractor on the motorway in Gojra. The bodies and the injured were shifted to the hospital by rescue workers. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and sought a report from the administration. He said the child should be provided with the best medical facilities. Further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.

Sindh launches SMS service to get vehicles information KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Sindh Excise Department has launched an SMS service to get information about the vehicles registered in the province. Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla in a statement on Sunday said that the message service will facilitate the general public in case of illegal use or theft of vehicles. The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department has started an SMS service through which any person can obtain a number of vehicles registered in his or her name. A citizen can text his or her ID card number to 8147 to find out the number of vehicles registered on their names and their details. A taxpayer could also receive verification of tax receipt on the message service, the excise minister said in a statement. He said that Sindh excise department striving to provide facilities to the people and they should take full advantage of this facility.

had been harassing not only his daughter for the last one and a half years but also threatening him and his family.

He said, “After the motorway incident when my daughter raised her voice on social media, the government took action and now the accused has been arrested.”

Police have also arrested two suspects who raped a woman during a robbery on September 3 in the Raiwind area.

CCPO Sheikh said, “This Raiwind incident was not less serious than the motorway incident in which the accused also raped the woman during the robbery. The suspects have also been arrested through geo-fencing, DNA and call data records.”

In response to the question of whether the incidents of rape have increased in the province, Omar Sheikh said, “It is too early to say now, and I do not think it has happened but reporting has increased after the motorway case.”

While the police continue to make claims of success and control, the main culprit of the rape on the motorway has not yet been caught.

According to a statement issued by CCPO Sheikh, no information about the accused can be shared with the media yet.

A senior member of Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), who was part of one of the raid teams set up to arrest accused

Punjab police form 8 teams to arrest prime suspect in motorway rape case LAHORE APP

Punjab police on Sunday formed eight special teams to arrest the prime suspect in the motorway rape case which outraged the entire country.

According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) head, DIG Shahzada Sultan, the combined teams of CIA, CTD and Special Branch have been constituted to arrest Abid Ali, while rapid response teams are also active in the field.

Sultan further said that efforts were underway to arrest Abid and added that so far two suspects have been arrested in the heinous crime.

He added that hiding the identity of the rape-victim was essential and vowed to arrest Abid at the earliest.

APP

The Punjab government has decided to take strict action against substandard cosmetic manufacturers and sellers across the province, it emerged on Sunday.

According to APP, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has approved Drug (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Sarwar, Ismail say nation supports PTI’s accountability drive LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Police on Saturday detained two more relatives of Abid, one of the two prime suspects in the case, who still remains at large.

On September 9, the woman along with her children was waiting

for help on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway after her car ran out of fuel when she was forcefully brought out of the car at gunpoint and gangraped in the Gujjarpura area of the metropolis.

Punjab govt announced crackdown on fake cosmetics LAHORE

but the accused will be arrested. The accused is currently fighting for his survival and doing his best not to be caught by the police.

But when you are socially cut off from friends and relatives, then your efforts may not last long because no one else will give shelter to this accused even if he has links with any other criminal elements.”

Elaborating on the efforts made to arrest the accused in the last few days, a senior CTD official added, “All the travel records of the accused so far and every person related to him have been reached by the police.

Even in other provinces where he has visited once, the police have reached there. His ID card has been revoked. In other words, along with the steps taken to arrest the accused, the police have also set up a social blockade, which has yielded some results.”

Police sources spoke on the need to create more order within the department. They believe that in addition to stopping political interference in the police department, it is also important to stop the process of appointing junior officers to senior posts. The 36th and 38th common officers of the police service have recently been promoted and given the charge of DPOs, which has deprived the deserving officers of their rights. Instead of focusing only on eradicating corruption in the police, the whole culture should be kept transparent.

Abid Malhi, said, “Unfortunately, his [Abid] arrest was not carried out because when police first arrived at his home in Sheikhupura, he had fled two hours earlier.

The second time we were informed of a secret location on September 17, he had already left before the raid. There is no significant help from technology at the moment because the accused is no longer using his mobile phone and even if he is so he does not use the phone or SIM again after only one use. We have also been informed that he has changed his outfit a bit and is now cleanshaven but let us tell you that he cannot stay out of the sight of the police for long because he also needs money to live in hiding like this which he no longer has. Police informants are also on his lookout.”

According to CCPO Sheikh, more than two dozen police raid teams are mobilized to nab accused Abid Malhi, as well as the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, CTD and intelligence agencies.

The deputy inspector general (DIG) informed this scribe, “I do not think there is any shortcoming in the work of the police.

Such accused are eventually caught. If this case had not become so high profile, this accused would have been arrested by now. Due to excessive reporting on the media, the accused came to know, and he is in hiding. My experience is that there may be a slight delay,

Buzdar, according to a statement, said that in the past, concerned departments failed to take any strict action and fraudsters continued looting masses, adding that the bill was passed in the wider interest of the public.

He said that bill will help in producing cosmetics according to the international standard.

The CM assured that the government is taking practical steps against

this counterfeiting mafia. The availability of original and branded products will also be ensured, he added.

Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), responsible for checking the quality of the cosmetics products, in December last year, had issued notices to beauty cream and cosmetics manufacturers over serious health concerns and has termed a major health hazard.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said that the nation supports the incumbent government for accountability of the corrupt and opponents will face failure.

Sarwar expressed these views while having a meeting with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail who called on him on Sunday. Both governors discussed the current political scenario and matters related to government affairs. Ismail thanked Sarwar over the relief package to the affected citizens in flood-hit areas of Sindh. Sarwar said that the All Parties Conferences (APC) of the opposition parties will continue till 2023 but the incumbent government led by Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) will complete its five-year term.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has always turned impossible into possible. The Punjab governor said that the present government is working for the development of weak segments of the society and nobody could criticise the honesty of PM Imran. The country has successfully built up a global and diplomatic reputation, added Sarwar.

The Sindh governor said that PM Imran Khan gave a vision of a prosperous and stable Pakistan and those spreading hopelessness and chaos will get nothing other than disappointment. He said that the nation supports the government in its efforts against corrupt mafia. He added that the policies of the federal government to cope with different challenges are meeting successes.

Ozone depleting substances’ import halved under Montreal Protocol: Amin ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has achieved another milestone in its environment friendly ambitions to protect the entire region and globe from man-induced climate change and ecological degradation by reducing Ozone layer depleting hazardous chemicals import to 50 percent.

These remarks were made by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam in an exclusive interaction with state-run media.

He said that Pakistan has surpassed its pledged target under Montreal Protocol to contain 35 percent import of HCFC causing Ozone layer to deplete and controlled 50 per cent of the total hazardous material import.

In his message on World Ozone Day, he said, “Today marks the 35 years of

Montreal Protocol formation which Pakistan signed in 1992. The day reminds us that the only thing that stops the earth from getting fried is the ozone layer. Let’s act

together to protect [Ozone Layer] it and protect ourself. Happy World Ozone Day.” Amin said that the main purpose of this protocol is that the world is getting

affected due to Ozone layer depletion that protects harmful ultraviolet rays from reaching the earth.

“Due to breaching of the Ozone layer the life itself was getting affected due to harmful ultraviolet rays,” he added. Amin noted that this was one of the success stories as Montreal Protocol had become a success internationally which was implemented with a clear target, plan and financing available for conversion.

The SAPM told that in 1992 agreement Pakistan pledged to control 35 percent import of the HCFC where it had achieved 50 per cent and maintained over targeted performance in compliance with the Protocol.

Pakistan, he said, remained committed to all internationally committed agreements and was a responsible partner among all international protocols especially Montreal Protocol in which it had exceeded its performance.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

NEWS

NaTIONal arT Gallery reveals reMOval Of sHeMza's PerMaNeNT cOllecTION Of PaINTINGs LAHoRe

W

SHAHAB OMER

ITH the connivance of the management and staff of Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), it has been revealed that ten permanent collections of paintings of the eminent artist A J Shemza have been removed illegally from the National Arts Gallery Islamabad and artwork worth billions has been stolen.

The National Artists Association of Pakistan (NAAP) has demanded of Federal Minister for Education, National Heritage and Culture Shafqat Mahmood to recover stolen and removed paintings from the National Art Gallery and take actions against those responsible.

NAAP Chairperson Mian Ijazul Hassan also wrote a letter on August 27, 2020, to Shafqat and made it clear that the PNCA was a national institution tasked with caring and custody of valuable artworks (paintings, sculptures, ceramics, etc.) in the ownership of the government.

“These valuable treasures have over the years either been gifted to the GOP [Government of Pakistan] or have been acquired by the GoP as part of the ‘Permanent Collection’ housed at the National Art Gallery (established as part of PNCA) located at P-5/1, Islamabad. PNCA however, has been unable to keep this Perma-

nent Collection safe and secure. In the year 2016, it surfaced that artworks worth crores were missing from the Permanent Collection. These artworks were invaluable and irreplaceable assets and a part of our cultural heritage and their disappearance due to sheer negligence of PNCA management and staff is a national loss.

To date, no concrete action has been taken against the culprits who were involved and responsible for what amounts to outright theft,” the letter states.

The NAAP chairperson also revealed that he had recently learned that ill-intentioned efforts were being made to remove the 10 paintings of the famous Pakistani artist, the late Shemza, from the collection under the guise of his wife demanding their return even though these paintings have been part of the Permanent Collection of National Art Gallery since 1985.

“Late A J Shemza’s Exhibition of ‘The Roots’ series comprising of 100 paintings, was organized by the Lahore Art Council in 1985 at NAAP’s initiative.

At the close of the exhibition, PNCA, Islamabad was requested to hold Shemza’s Exhibition at the National Gallery Islamabad but the permission was declined.

Upon completion of Shemza’s exhibition at Alhamra, I along with some other prominent artists and members of NAAP have personal knowledge that ten paintings were selected by Mr Shemza’s wife (Ms Mary Katrina) and gifted to the Na-

tional Art Gallery so that her late husband be on permanent display as a prominent Pakistani artist who had moved to the United Kingdom in the sixties. It is indeed a matter of record that these paintings have been on display and part of the Permanent Collection for almost 33 years now,” he said in the letter.

The letter went on to ask the federal minister to intervene immediately in this matter to ensure that all paintings and other artworks comprising the Permanent Collection at the National Art Gallery at PNCA are preserved and safeguarded, including Shemza’s works.

“You would agree that every effort should be made by PNCA to protect and preserve these national treasures that constitute our national heritage and any removal of Shemza’s paintings would constitute misappropriation of public property with strict legal consequences for all involved. The reputational harm caused to PNCA would also be immense as this illegal attempt at removal of our cultural heritage has all the makings of an international scandal.”

The artist community, in the letter, demanded that any attempt to remove the paintings of the late Shemza from the permanent collection be stopped, and demanded assurance that the Permanent Collection be catalogued so that the complete list can be made public on PNCA’s website.

The artist community has also assured their full support and said that they can help with this essential documentation and cataloguing effort, which they claim can easily be achieved.

The letter also demanded that all lost or stolen artworks be identified from the permanent collection and legal and administrative actions be initiated for the recovery of these artworks. The letter went on to demand legal action against the management, staff members of PNCA, and all others who were responsible for this misappropriation of public property.

Furthermore, it stated that the clear guidelines should be established for the display, handling, removal, movement and storage of all artworks.

“Establish a clear chain of custody for the artworks so that in case of any missing artwork, the custodian is easily identifiable and held responsibly and establish clear guidelines for the security of artworks from theft and other misappropriation,” the letter added.

In the letter, the chairman expressed hope that the federal minister would take immediate action on the matter. “I hope that you will take urgent action in this matter of great national and public importance.

If we do not hear back from your office delineating how you intend to respond by Friday September 11, 2020, then we will be constrained to initiate legal action on our own,” the chairman added.

05

Opposition calls for immediate resignation of PM Imran ContInued on pAge 01 He said that the passage of laws during the joint session of the Parliament was made possible through “rigging”. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, in his statement at the press conference, said that the incumbent government’s survival is a “threat to Pakistan’s existence”. Earlier, Fazl protested that his speech had been “censored”.

“The government stops our voice from reaching the public as it is, but today the APC also prevented our speech from airing,” the JUI-F chief complained. At this, PPP’s Bilawal said that it was “at the request of one of your MPAs that we kept an in-camera session”.

“We will have a press conference after this,” Bilawal added, in an attempt to soothe his outrage. PPP’s Sherry Rehman interjected to say that the party was told that the JUI-F had requested an in-camera address, which the party chief denied. “We did not request such a thing,” he said. Later, PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Fazl’s address was broadcast on social media. He said that they had informed the JUI-F chief that electronic media was to tap into the social media stream to broadcast it on television.

Tender for construction of important M-8 section issued LAHORE: China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Chairman Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday announced that the tender for the construction of an important section of the M-8 has been issued. In a tweet, Bajwa said that the M-8 would “improve the connectivity of Gwadar Port, revolutionise socioeconomic development of the region and bring prosperity through addressing the long term deprivation”. According to Bajwa, the highway, situated in the remote districts of Kech, Awaran, “is a beacon of light for the impoverished people of South Balochistan and will change their lives”. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to launching and completing all projects in Gwadar, “in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision”. The Ratodero Gwadar Motorway (M-8) will start from Ratodero in Sindh and enter Balochistan passing near the towns of Khuzdar, Awaran, Hoshab, Turbat before joining the Makran Coastal Highway just east of the port city of Gwadar. The M8 will have 4-lanes and a total length of 892 km. STAFF REPORT

Handicrafts of Pakistan, Turkey reflection of historical, cultural heritage: envoy

LAHORE: A tractor trolley carrying wheat grains overturned in Karim Block area of Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore, due to the negligence of the driver. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

FPCCI disapproves cut in import duties for steel KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Sunday said the reduction of import duties on steel should not be made as it goes in favour of the foreign industry at the expense of local industry which will result in business closures, loss of jobs and a steep fall in revenues within the country.

The decision to reduce duties on import of steel should be reviewed as it will damage the local industry which is already struggling to survive, FPCCI Vice Pres-

ident Qaisar Khan Daudzai said.

Talking to a group of large steel producers, he said that giving relaxation to the local industry will attract investment and foster competition, reducing prices for the end consumers.

Daudzai said that the local steel industry cannot compete with the steel producers of other countries as the overall situation and cost of doing business in the top ten steel-producing countries are lower than Pakistan. These countries include China, India, Japan, US, South Korea, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Brazil and Iran.

On the other hand, he said, steel producers in Pakistan are facing many problems such as high tariffs, extraordinary energy cost, competitiveness, and lack of structural reforms and institutional support, etc.

He said that giving free hand to foreign companies will not only bankrupt many local producers who have made huge investments and cost additional $1 billion for the imports.but also stoke unemployment and uncertainty, reduce revenues and halt further investment.

The overall situation must be improved before exposing the local industry to compete with foreign players, he demanded.

RAWALPINDI: Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul has said that handicrafts of Pakistan and Turkey are a reflection of the historical, cultural heritage of both the countries. Speaking during a meeting with Handicraft Association of Pakistan Chairman Fahad Barlas on Sunday, he said that promotion of bilateral trade and exchange of delegations can maximize trade and investment between Pakistan and Turkey. Former chairman of the association, Khurshid Barlas, and senior members were also present on the occasion. The envoy said that Turkey and Pakistan have a lot in common in their cultural traditions and deep friendly relations have been established between the two countries. Over time, trade cooperation has grown stronger, he added. Fahad said that Pakistan was proud of the strong brotherhood of Turkey and would improve bilateral trade as well as promote cooperation in the field of handicraft. Khurshid appreciated the Turkish Ambassador's deep love and goodwill towards Pakistan and said that increasing trade volume in both the countries could create business and trade opportunities, and in this regard, handicraft has a huge potential for cooperation and mutual trade in the sector. INP

PTI top guns slam joint opposition’s APC ContInued on pAge 01 Senator Faraz on Sunday said that Nawaz had made similar speeches in his ‘Mujhe Kyun Nikala’ rhetoric during the 2018 election campaign.

He said that Nawaz claimed that polls were rigged but before making such statements he should remember that he remained prime minister for three times while Imran Khan has been elected premier for the first time.

“All is fine for them during their tenures but democracy is suddenly endangered when they assume a role in opposition,” the minister said, adding that Nawaz looked healthy and fine during his virtual address during the

all parties conference (APC) and had mocked the judicial system after the court allowed him to go abroad for treatment. “Instead of asking the money trail of others, Nawaz should appear before courts,” he added.

Furthermore, Faraz said that the premier allowed the broadcast Nawaz’s address and had exposed the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader himself. “We believe in the independence of the media, that even criticizes the incumbent government,” he said.

Similarly, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar slammed Nawaz and said that the the PML-N leader must recognise that the “people actually did respect the vote in the 2018 election and used it wisely”.

“The result was that as soon as [Nawaz]

was relieved of power, he had to hatch a scheme and flee the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said, “One more episode of the ‘Abu Bachao’ [save our fathers] campaign has flopped. What better proof of media freedom than the fact that Nawaz’s speech was shown live?”

Chaudhry, responding to Nawaz’s remarks regarding Pakistan being subjected to military rule for 33 years, said the PML-N supremo “was himself a part of the system for 15 years and served as a puppet”.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar said that the “nation just heard, against the law, the live speech of a convicted criminal”.

CMYK

“And then they claim that the media is not free in Pakistan! They say ‘vote ko izzat dou’ [respect the vote] and as usual, as soon as the wind blows, they abandon the voters and flee to London,” Akbar said.

The adviser also criticised Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stating that since the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader could “only read out from a scripted speech, he is claiming ‘the former prime minister is not being allowed to speak'”.

“The whole nation is watching the real face of your former prime minister, as well as you! It seems that Sherry [Rehman] is sitting far away and was unable to correct the written speech. The opposition tried to blackmail the [government] over the FATF [Financial Ac-

tion Task Force] bill,” Akbar added, terming the APC as “nothing more than a gang of fugitive criminals and accused individuals”.

Meanwhile, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail said that he has now “understood the nature of Nawaz’s illness” and that the disease “befalls those who loot the nation’s wealth and flee”.

“The patient instead of providing a money trail lashes out at NAB,” he said, adding, “Imran Khan appears in [such patients’] dreams and leaves them in a fearful state”.

Listing “signs” of the opposition’s “panic”, Senator Faisal Javed said that the government has worked to uplift several sectors of the country and that the PTI had inherited the “worst economic crisis”.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

06 COMMENT

Bad Things; Good Things

Rethinking the reopening There should be no re-judgement

F

Some good things for Pakistan

EDERaL Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood seemed to be painting himself into a corner when he tweeted on Saturday that the schedule for reopening schools would be maintained. Considering the upward ticking of new coronavirus cases, with 645 new cases reported on Saturday, it seems that the reopening of schools has, as expected, led to a reversal of the effort to end the pandemic in Pakistan. There are obvious arguments in favour of reopening. Children have lost a term because of the six-month closure, and should not be made to lose further education. There is also the dropout ratio to consider, as the longer a closure, the fewer children return to school. Then there is the economy of the individual schools, with parents reluctant to pay fees if holidays are prolonged. This in turn makes schools not happy about paying teachers. If the economy is to get moving, schools need reopening.

But at what cost? The rise in the number of cases will inevitably translate into more deaths and more patients straining health facilities. It is not as if this was a bolt from the blue, because all countries, which have reopened their schools have undergone a sudden rise in infections, with the result in Israel of a re-imposition of a lockdown, and school closures in such countries as South Korea and Hong Kong. It might be mentioned that they had been held up as an example of how successful strict lockdown measures were, but schools reopening reversed some of the gains made.

The government has claimed it has been interested in protecting livelihoods, but the second wave is forcing governments to reimpose restrictions affecting the hospitality industry. Thus, the apparent recovery must not be jeopardized by the reopening of schools when it can easily be helped. While the coronavirus does not affect children that severely (though they are not entirely invulnerable), they are almost as effective carriers as adults. The reopening of schools is subject to review, with a meeting supposed to review the reopening. The PPP-run Sindh has already decided to close down again. There are lives at stake, not so much of children, as of the adults among whom they move and thus may infect. a shutdown decision should not be an ego problem for anyone, and the decision must be made on health professionals’ advice, as Mr Mahmoood himself tweeted.

Humayun GauHar

M

any bad things are happening in many countries which are causing their economies to nearly go down the drain, like the massive resurgence of covid-19 in Europe. The UK is on the cusp of going into another national lockdown which will not help productivity and the army of unemployed will grow. Ditto for many other European countries. The USa cannot yet talk of a covid-19 resurgence because covid-19 never really went down in the USa, and this will be probably the most important issue in its forthcoming presidential elections. a much-respected american Supreme Court judge has passed away and the process of her replacement could throw the US elections into a tailspin. The racial protests and riots there show no signs of going away. and, needless to say, as he faces the possibility of defeat, President Trump’s rants are increasing and he is threatening to put both feet into his mouth. But Joe Biden doesn’t fill one with excitement either. So it’s Trump the wouldbe fascist or Biden the fuddy-duddy. How exciting.

Mercifully, Pakistan has been the recipient of some good news. Covid-19 has receded largely and we are in the process of beating it, which we will do entirely once a viable vaccine is found. The Prime Minister has announced a terrific rehabilitation plan for Karachi and the opposition, as predicted, in particular the People’s Party, as expected, is yelping and yowling mouthing absurdities, like Sindh is paying Rs 800 billion out of the Rs 1.3 trillion earmarked for the plan. apart from the fact that this is a load of poppycock, the question arises, who cares where the

Paying the piper

money comes from as long as it comes? Isn’t it all Pakistan’s money whether it comes from Tom, Dick or Harry? Sindh’s money largely comes from the federation and is also earned by the other provinces though they keep on repeating the canard that Karachi provides 70 percent of Pakistan’s revenue. That’s another load of poppycock. This includes customs duties charged at the port for goods that are largely imported by other provinces. But that matters not either. But again it matters not for it’s all Pakistan’s money. We are not four countries fighting over the spoils of taxation and it is the responsibility of the centre to ensure that it is distributed equitably between the four provinces. another breath of fresh air was Imran Khan threatening to come down hard on rapists and child molesters. The very worst of them he would first chemically castrated and then hanged publicly. He should do a serious rethink about public hanging for it only brutalizes society. Otherwise a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye is how it goes and I don’t mean that some demented life prisoners should be let loose on the rapists so that they can be raped. This is a universal sickness to which there is not yet any universal cure but they have to be made to pay for their crimes.

Imran Khan and his party have managed to pass legislation against money laundering, which is a vital aspect for the Financial action Task Force comprising a number of countries whose decision can put a country in a grey list or a black list, meaning completely beyond the pale. Pakistan is in the grey list and has made considerable strides to meet all the FaTF’s concerns. But wait a minute. Money laundering and money launderers are largely enabled by the West, particularly the UK, the USa and their stupid tax havens. They also give refuge to our criminals, money launderers, murderers and prevent them from getting into the not so long arm of Pakistan’s law.

Think of altaf Hussain of the MQM who has not only been given refuge in the UK for over two decades but also British citizenship which means protection by the UK. Despite many murder cases against him and charges of money laundering, the UK has still not let him back to Pakistan. not to forget nawaz Sharif, who escaped to the UK under false pretences thanks

Bankruptcy of Leadership

PTI government’s failure to reform tax structure shown

Why the Muslims have declined

T

HE most important feature of the recent disclosure by the Federal Board of Revenue of the taxes paid by the members of the two houses of Parliament, and the provincial legislatures, shows that the tax structure of the country remains unreformed. This was one of the core promises of the ruling PTI, which flowed from its argument that one of the methods of corruption practiced by the elite was to bend the tax laws so they could claim exemptions, and also to make sure that the tax machinery did not press them. That criterion seems to apply to the PTI, where both Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Federal Water Resources Minister paid no tax whatsoever. Either the tax machinery is going lightly on them, or the law favours them. It is also interesting that ex-PM Shahid Khaqan abbasi, who has been repeatedly accused of corruption, has turned out to be Parliament’s highest taxpayer, having paid Rs 241,362,329 in tax year 2018. That compares favourably with the Rs 282,449 paid

by Prime Minister Imran Khan that year.

Instead of reforming the FBR, the government seems to be turning it for use against political opponents, as is shown by the order showing back taxes of Rs 35 million against Mrs Sarina Isa, the wife of Mr Justice Qazi Faez Isa, against whom the government proceeded in the Supreme Judicial Council. This might show that the government will lessen its reliance on naB, against which the Supreme Court recently passed strictures.

The failure of Mr Buzdar to pay taxes is probably because he availed the exemption of agricultural income from federal income tax. Some small amount is charged per acre, but if agricultural income was duly taxed, with cultivators allowed to claim exemptions for their expenses, a huge amount could be raised, and a large number of people brought within the tax net. However, not only has the PTI government failed to reform this loophole, but it seems that its members are still using it. It is also subject to abuse, as people with both agricultural and non-agricultural income, show money otherwise earned as agricultural income. The FBR seems destined to remain unreformed, being useful that way.

Sirajuddin aziz

I

S there anything wrong with human beings? If so, what is? With the expanse of knowledge growing by the nanosecond, the regrettable progressive decline of human behaviour and response, is increasing with even greater speed.

Human history is essentially a record of faults and follies. The brief interregnum of peace and growth is more an aberration than a consistent pattern.

Humanity is at the mercy of nature, and hence is expected to be modest, in thought and action. Scientific and technological advancements have given mankind the tools to cool the Sahara deserts and warm the arctic icecaps. But this ability perhaps should have led to more inducement of modesty and not arrogance. a cyclone can bring flooding; an earthquake can decimate skyscrapers and an unseen, invisible virus can claim several hundred thousand lives. yet, mankind has ceased to be humble, conveniently forgetting its origins, of “From dust, it begins its journey and ends it in dust.”

Islam is the purest of pure religions; its essence is a message of peace and tolerance, towards one and all, regardless of any distinctions of colour, creed, race, nationality or linguistic preference. The practitioners, or ratherthose who claim to be its adherents, are usually referred to Muslims; and together they are called an “Ummah”. The religion believes in universal brotherhood of man. Here, I will relate to “Muslims” and not “Islam”─ the two by centuries of violation of its spirit, are no more synonymous. They are poles apart─ Islam is pure; Muslims are not. at least, generally speaking.

If there is something wrong with humanity; then obviously Muslims, most of whom claim to be humans too, also have something wrong with them.

What is wrong with Muslims? What is wrong with the “Ummah”? There is much wrong with Muslims and Muslim leadership today, than ever before. Let me explain. at some rare points in history, Muslims represented and were catalysts when it came to issues relating to character, literature, science and modesty; art and architecture and above all in the development and practice of a high moral code, with strong accompaniment of a deep sense of justice and ethics.

Without dwelling upon the table of character elements; as pronounced by aeril and Will Durant, it suffices to quote them, “Society is founded not on the ideals but on nature of man…..” We just have to compare the White House of FDR, Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy with the current occupant; or the Down-

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ing Street of Churchill, Harold Macmillian, Harold Wilson and Margret Thatcher with the present tenant to discover the decline and decay, in the world of politics.

Moral Codes of the Muslim Ummah have undergone radical changes, the unthinkable has become the norm and the unacceptable has been christened and baptized, more for expediency, than actual need. We seem to have in the last three decades, more so, than ever before lost economic footing and moral stability. a glance over 55 or so Muslims nations states gives a clear picture of the horrifying consequences of political machinations and diabolical intrigues of selfpreservation, in the form of civil strife, poverty, homeless and shelter-less, downtrodden multitudes, who live in close embrace of general unhappiness. This leisurely decay of Muslim societies and particularl of our own Pakistan, is not a discovery of now; it is being enacted in full public view, by all successive governments. This transition of Pakistan of the 1960s to the current mire of quicksand of corruption has been of delight to the “few” who have greased themselves quite liberally, with blatant disregard to even basic standards of morality and financial propriety.

Many societies have sought the aid of religion to discipline. We have the advantage of calling ourselves Muslims, yet we remain chaotic, unruly and hence unblessed. On the self-proclaimed piety of the many, from the ordinary to the famous; from the poor to the filthiest rich and from manipulative politicians to the innocent voters; my reaction is to quote Joseph de Maistre, “ I do not know what the heart of a rascal may be; but I know what is in the heart of an honest man; it is horrible”.

Society and social decay litters human history. all growth follows with decline and vice-versa. But that’s to put a large stake in the future.

If we were told by the noble Prophet(PBUH) to learn from China 1400 years back, let’s start to do it now at least. as the Italians say, “never too late”.

Like China, we must first and foremost concentrate on the economy and become fully self-sufficient in all aspects. Internal stability and power will make available external strength, acceptability and respect. at least two, if not three, generations of Mainland Chinese gave personal sacrifice─ they lived in abject poverty while they enriched the country. Today’s China is a tribute to the generations of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. For us to be a nation to be counted amongst economically rich countries, we will have to embrace the concept of “sacrifice”.

Sacrifice must come from top; the fish rots from the head and the ice melts from the top. It was pure amusement to learn that a mere sum of Rs 360 million was spent on PM’s House ─ with this attitude, how can we ever become or even aim to be like the state

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to a weak judiciary and a confused executive. His bail has long since run out but there doesn’t seem a chance in hell that he will return as a convict to complete his prison term. His health is fine despite the manufactured excuse of a low platelet count and he is certainly nowhere near death’s door. But he refuses to return. a desperate and frustrated opposition has called an all Party’s Conference (aPC) to form a united front against the government because it did not let them get away with money laundering and other crimes. I believe it will come to nothing because it is a last ditch attempt by losers to get away with their loot. There is much in- fighting within each party. For example, nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam is trying to rub out her uncle Shahbaz. The Jamat-i-Islami with its massive street power and network of mosques has refused to join the aPC. Since it is being held a day before I write, I hesitate to proceed further but I would love to see how these eleven cats trying to tie their tails together will arrive at a minimum common platform.

Local bodies elections shall soon be upon us. If the ruling PTI wins them they are already a considerable way towards winning the next national elections. In March, the Senate elections will begin and senators will be selected by the size of each party in the provincial assemblies. In these too, the ruling PTI is likely to get more seats and ultimately a majority in the Senate. This will make it easier for it to legislate. We could be in for seminal change because Imran Khan might then go for a change in the Constitution and the system for a presidential system. I hope it will also include making numerous administratively capable provinces in Pakistan with their own financial viability. and a presidential system on the basis of being cleared of qualification and disqualification clauses in the Constitution before they are eligible to contest elections. The same should go for all parliamentarians, federal and provincial and so forth.

Then see how the mare goes round and cleanses our body politic of all looters, plunderers, money launderers, criminals and what have you.

Humayun Gauhar is a veteran columnist in Pakistan and editor of Blue Chip magazine.

of Medina?

The pathetic attitude of the global Muslim community towards the continued persecution of Palestinian and Kashmiris is abhorrent, to say the least. If we raise the issue of genocide of Kashmiris, accompanied by the hollowness caused by internal strife that gnaws at our roots, what reaction can we expect from humanity at large; Imran Khan gave a soul-stirring speech at the Un last year, which the world community heard and quite rightly forgot, because we have no wherewithal to back our words with any suitable, tangible, punitive action. So, India rules the roost with impunity, largely due to lack of unity and cohesion in the Muslim world. It gives two hoots for world, or more appropriately tly Muslim nations’, opinion; which unfortunately are also actively engaged in trading sovereignty of thought by compromising on age-old held principles of seeking justice against tyranny. a friendly Muslim country that has since the 1990s or earlier has maintained direct relations with a common foe of the Muslim world and has very decent bilateral trade running into $3-4 billion; has the impudent audacity to refer to a few brethren Muslims states, who are now engaged in building bridges with the enemy, as a “sellout” of the Palestinian cause. What a travesty of principles of common diplomatic decency!

We talk of building a state, similar to a noble one in history, but cannot imagine even, what the reaction of any of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs would have done, if the heart wrenching incident of the motorway had happened in their time. no brownies for guessing─ strictest punishment, with swift speed, without being enslaved to prosecution, hearings , adjournment: justice would have been delivered. a killer driver is let off the hook, because of “blind justice” that couldn’t find ”compelling evidence”. a clear video wasn’t sufficient.

The premise of this piece is to argue a case for economic development of the Muslim countries for only then will they be counted amongst the comity of respected nations. Focusing on own economic situation, let me examine a single aspect, that of SMEs. The SEZs are dying of neglect. They are just not picking up. Of critical value is the understanding that SMEs can flourish only under a dynamically growing industrial and manufacturing base. The SMEs globally are part of the peripheral industry to the main industries. Do we have a mid-term or long-term industrial policy? nay! SMEs create a middle class, which in turn has proven in other economies, to be the backbone of economic growth.

Muslim countries, including us, are weak because of lack of faith and of economic strength.

Muslim’s leadership had faith and economic wellbeing as its main constituents and that led them to the gates of Vienna.

Political will has to be first cleansed of its filth, only then can we march forward towards building our dream country.

Sirajuddin Aziz is a freelance columnist.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Monday, 21 September, 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

Greece-Turkey disputes TURKEy and Greece clenched very upset ties during the recent decades in spite of multitudinous bilateral and trilateral negotiations, still the consequences reflect the declining circumstances of the year 1987 and early 1996. The natural resources are essential for any country to run the wheel of the economy but there are pacts signed by the countries and breaking them is illegal while in these both countries north atlantic Treaty Organization (naTO) and the European Unions (EU) are trying to resolve the disputes between the countries. Recently the German Foreign Minister (Heiko Maas) narrated that both countries should maintain peace through diplomatic solutions and sending military and warships would worsen the situation more in the Mediterranean in an EU conference on Thursday in Berlin. Furthermore, the Turkish President (Recep Tayyip Erdogon) sworn the search for energy in the Mediterranean Sea with the discovery of More than 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas. according to the sources Turkey sent a drilling ship to the Mediterranean Sea in May 2019 which violates laws and Turkey was sanctioned by the EU to reduce the preaccession financial assistance to the country for 2020 with approximately 145.8 billion Euros.

MEhraj altaf hErronk

Gas explosion

The comeback the country isn’t an honorable step. after a prolonged silence, these statements are tainted with mala fides. In order to push forit quite clear that the PML(n) supremo has no in- ward self-serving interests, the opposition parties tentions of returning to the country anytime soon. have gathered around each other and are hudThe hardhitting criticism of the establishment dling together to find out an escape route. These and the dictatorial regimes in the past as well as are the same parties who have been blasting each the tenures of elected prime ministers cut short, other on every given occasion and have now it appears that a vocal tirade from the safe con- united to save their respective skins together. In fines of the avenfield apartments is going to con- the end, the intentions are not for the greater good tinue for some time. Both his sons have already of the country. Had it been the case, then the peomade their intentions of not returning quite clear; ple of Sindh would not having been dying from nawaz seems to be following in their footsteps. hunger and there would have been better medical He is fit enough to facilities in Pakistan go around for a stroll in which would not have the streets of London forced Mian nawaz however, but when it Sharif to fly abroad in The intentions are tainted. comes to medical care, order to get treatment.

Pakistan isn’t well To stay politically Sincerity towards the general equipped to cater to his relevant, nawaz has public is not reflected only needs. The Sharif famfrom time to time ily, even in the past, is played the role of a vicby calls for ending the not used to facing actim who is targeted in countability all toan apparent attack on accountability drive against gether. Even though the democracy. amidst this previous one was at the them being made. The calls victim playing, the hands of a dictator, supreme leader tends to for the plan of action will be however, they were not forget his own goverwilling to sacrifice in nance which had gone half-hearted if he himself the name of democracy. on for a long period of Exile abroad was a time. Most of the isn’t going to be able to much more convenient predicaments which the participate. Pretty soon the option while many country currently faces party leaders and memare due to the earlier modus operandi of MNS is bers faced the brunt of decisions and policies Musharraf’s regime. of the nawaz-led govgoing to be synonymous to This time around, ernment in the past.

Altaf Hussain’s earlier days nawaz lambasted the Simply because quesestablishment by blamtions have been asked when he controlled Karachi ing them for bringing about the exorbitant Imran into power and wealth accumulated by from London. A similar model allegedly stealing the the Sharif family, the mandate of the people is being eyed by Nawaz. victim card is immediby manipulating the ately flashed. If the However, under the elections. While Mian conscience is indeed nawaz seemingly porclear then he should circumstances, his fiery trays himself as an instay back and fight and nocent victim of state his sons should face the speech and plan of action atrocities, he should not courts with the purwill remain meaningless and ported evidence they forget the humble beginnings from where he have in their custody. may only cause a rift within himself started off. atnawaz’s speech tempting to create dismaybe an attempted the country, nothing else. cord by taking a jibe at comeback, a bold one the military establishtoo. However, the intenment isn’t desirable. On tions are tainted. Sincerthe contrary, it is a danity towards the general gerous move which has the potential of creating public is not reflected only by calls for ending the institutional rifts within the country. accountability drive against them being made. The Sitting in London and trying to incite the calls for the plan of action will be half-hearted if people in these sensitive times will not bode well he himself isn’t going to be able to participate. for nawaz and company. Currently, the country Pretty soon the modus operandi of MnS is going faces many obstacles on the international front to be synonymous to altaf Hussain’s earlier days and raising sensitive internal issues at this stage when he controlled Karachi from London. a simcan be chaotic. There is no denying the fact that ilar model is being eyed by nawaz. However, the Imran-led government is miserably failing in under the circumstances, his fiery speech and plan almost all areas of governance and has been un- of action will remain meaningless and may only able to govern effectively. Keeping Punjab in the cause a rift within the country, nothing else. hands of Usman Buzdar speaks volumes about the government’s competence. However, given Syed Kaswar Gardezi is a lawyer and a the scenario on the international front, raising columnist. He can be contacted at such allegations while not even being present in kaswargardezi@gmail.com

Is Nawaz trying to do politics from London?

Syed KaSwar Gardezi

A

MIDST a tirade of accountability, alleged health complications and a prolonged silence, Mian nawaz Sharif returned to the foray with an address to the opposition parties’ conference organized by the Pakistan People’s Party. Connecting virtually from London, nawaz broke his silence and gave an outspoken speech, targeting many while at it.

For the most part, nawaz lambasted Imran Khan and his bad governance. The incompetence of IK’s government and the devastating loss it has caused to the country remained at the forefront of nawaz’s tirade. While the PTI government is considering options to bring nawaz Sharif back in order for him to face accountability, the former from the comforts of his son’s office, lambasted the PTI government labelling them as ‘selected’ and ‘installed’. While keeping his cases at the backseat, nawaz also highlighted the sugar crisis which had been caused by the PTI government itself and raised the notion of selective accountability once again.

The veiled criticism on the face of it seemed to be against the incumbent government however, nawaz, while moving a step ahead, took a jibe at the military establishment and hinted at their involvement. He went on to openly declare that the real struggle is against those who have ‘installed’ Imran’s government over the people.

Declaring the government’s tactics as a martial law in itself, he went on to highlight the predicaments being faced by the country owing to Imran’s government. nawaz broke his silence in an unanticipated manner whereby he not only criticized the failing policies of Imran Khan, but launched a veiled attack at the establishment. The focus of his speech remained on those who brought Imran to power, hinting at the military’s alleged role in bringing Imran to power. Even though nawaz reiterated his stance in a bold manner and targeted his perceived rivals openly. However, the speech made

On Friday late night a gas explosion took place in Mithakhel bazaar which damaged two adjacent outlets. according to the resources there was no loss of life but the shopkeepers will face financial problems because of this blast. It is my request to the government that shopkeepers must be financially supported and gas filling shops should be established in separate areas to minimise damage in case of any explosion in future.

IMtIaz alI kEch

Skyrocketing prices Day by day, things are being expensive in our country despite of long hours of talks to improve the raising inflation. Poors are completely smashed under inflation. Every common man is worried for two times meal and other basic necessities. The crimes are raising due to increasing poverty and inflation. Unemployment is also on peak in Pakistan. now the empty pockets is leading everyone towards robbery amd pillage.

Government is requested to stop the inflation and be the reason of ease for public rather than adding into their miseries.

Sanya rahEEM turbat

Single national curriculum THE incumbent Government under the chairmanship of federal education Minister Shafqat Mehmood constituted a committee in line to frame “ Single national Curriculum “ (SnC) for Primary, High and Higher Secondary classes and vows to implement the above throughout the country with enthusiastic slogan of “One nation, One Curriculum “. Some days ago, the Minister made announcement that Single Curriculum will be introduced throughout the country for primary classes in the beginning of new session from 2021 in phase one, for middle classes from 2022 and for high and higher education classes the same would be implemented from 2023 in phase 2 and phase 3 respectively. at the drop of a hat, different opinions erupted and debate has been started pointing out the positive and negative aspects in connection to the devised strategy. I am not here to present the arguments in favour or against the SnC but would like to elaborate the essential issues which are much needed to be addressed by federal as well as provincial Governments.

Pakistan ranks 164th in the world for its investment in education as measurements of its commitment to economic growth, states the first-ever scientific study ranking countries for their levels of human capital. The country is placed just behind Rwanda (ranked 163rd) and is just ahead of Tanzania (ranked 165th). a systematic analysis of 195 countries and territories, 1990 to 2016,] the study was published in the international medical journal ‘The Lancet’.

Pakistan stands at 94th in quality of education while India at 34th in the world according to the published report of World Economic Forum in 2018 titled “ spectator index”.

The above researches reflect the miserable situation of education from school level to university. In Current era the nations are utilizing their all resources to uplift the education system and standardised with international requirements but in Pakistan the response is different.

The whole education system of country is interlinked with the primary education system but they are facing pathetic consequences in this regard. a large number of primary schools in Punjab are being run by just two teachers and there are also many schools which are being run by a single teacher. There are no permanent head teachers and clerks in primary schools and all such non teaching functions are being administered by concerned teachers. If we look the sanitation condition in these primary schools this is also in danger. no permanent sweeper is appointed by higher authorities in primary schools and this function is also carried out in some schools by teachers and students or made arrangements on privately hiring.There are only two classrooms in most of the primary schools for six classes. Remarkable number of schools especially in rural areas are being run without the basic facilities of clean drinking water and washrooms. In such miserable situations, the dream of quality education is vague. There are permanently six classes in primary schools and should functional by six teachers as “ One Class , One teacher “ policy to run the educational process smoothly. There must be a permanent head teacher in primary Schools along with clerk and sweeper to run non teaching functions smoothly.

By adopting SnC we cannot uplift the quality of education whenever we will never address these issues on priority basis. There are legal hurdles to implement SnC in country after passing 18th amendment but there are no hurdle to make better quality of education in Schools according to the international standards , there is dire need to resolve much needed issues first in this regard.

Mahtab alI khan bahawalnagar

Monday, 21 September, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

SCENARIOS FOR POST-AMERICA AFGHANISTAN Defence Priorities

O

Christopher Mott

n February 29, 2020, U.S. and Taliban negotiators announced an agreement that would withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan within 14 months in exchange for the Taliban renouncing Al-Qaeda and preventing any of its members from launching, or otherwise cooperating to launch, anti-U.S. terror attacks from Afghan soil. In a nod to reality on the ground, this deal does not address Taliban relations with the internationally recognized government in Kabul beyond requiring a commencement of talks between the sides. More than six months later, these talks have yet to commence, but the U.S. is edging closer to ending its participation in Afghanistan's civil war.

The White House recently announced the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will soon be reduced to between 4,000 and 5,000, from a peak of 100,000 in 2011.

Given the costs of staying and the failure of the occupation to achieve its ends, this drawdown should be quickly completed—no later than the April 2021 deadline—without waiting for a negotiated peace settlement in Afghanistan, which may never come.

Yet a number of obstacles could disrupt the plan and prevent the full U.S. withdrawal. One is the tendency of U.S. analysts to conflate nation building with counterterrorism and to argue against withdrawal on the grounds that terrorist safe havens will remain. Another hurdle is that some U.S. leaders might use the failure of the Afghan parties to cut a peace deal as a rationale for keeping U.S. troops as leverage to induce one. A third impediment is the fear that foreign powers will keep chaos roiling Afghanistan without U.S. help, preventing the country from stabilizing. This paper addresses that third worry, arguing that U.S. withdrawal will instead likely encourage nearby powers to do more to limit violent chaos in Afghanistan.

There are two likely scenarios for Afghanistan after the U.S. withdraws: 1. stability through unification of the country under one power or through factionalism under a power-sharing arrangement, or 2. instability due to state failure and the collapse of any unified authority.

The first scenario includes several forms of peace—only the scenario of state failure and collapse presents a net decline in stability for Afghanistan and potentially the surrounding region. none of these likely outcomes would directly harm U.S. security, and thus should not deter a full U.S. withdrawal from the country. As the U.S. steps back, regional powers such as Russia and China—which would be more directly harmed by a collapse of order in Afghanistan—would likely intervene diplomatically, and perhaps through military aid, to broker some form of security equilibrium in Afghanistan.

Because the Afghan military depends heavily on U.S. assistance, withdrawal will likely exacerbate Afghanistan’s turmoil.

Afghanistan's future is unpredictable and tragic results are likely in any event (even if the U.S. stays for two more decades). But even the worst-case scenario will have little impact on U.S. security. It is worth remembering U.S. troop withdrawal does not eliminate the U.S. military's ability to provide aid, gather intelligence, and launch targeted strikes at specific anti-U.S. threats. The U.S. can achieve its counterterrorism objectives under almost any circumstances.

Moreover, neighboring countries will, by necessity, do more to mitigate trouble when U.S. forces leave. They have a greater interest than the U.S. in containing disruption created by ongoing strife in Afghanistan, and they will help suppress it if necessary.

There is no regional actor, save perhaps Pakistan, that is content working with a major state failure or an expansionist Taliban movement in Afghanistan. Most powers may be willing to tolerate a range of outcomes, but safe havens for non-state militants are not on that list.

The U.S. presence is suppressing the efforts of local powers to work toward stability in Afghanistan by dividing those who first want the U.S. out of the region from those willing to work with anyone who holds the Taliban at bay. As an added benefit, the U.S. no longer doing the heavy lifting means the burden will be transferred to other countries—including several U.S. rivals.

HOW AFGHANS WILL RESPOND AFTER US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL Under no scenario after a U.S. withdrawal is Afghanistan likely to create a new "safe haven" to terrorists.

With its spy network, regional contacts,

WITH ITS SPY NETWORK, REGIONAL CONTACTS, ABILITY TO TRADE INFORMATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES CONCERNED ABOUT ISLAMISTS MILITANTS, IMPROVED TECHNICAL SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITY, AND THE STRIKING POWER OF BOTH SPECIAL FORCES AND DRONES, THE US RETAINS THE ABILITY TO DISRUPT OPERATIONS BY NON-STATE ACTORS IN AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT GROUND DEPLOYMENTS WHILE THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO BRINGS TOGETHER MANY US RIVALS, IT DOES SO IN A WAY THAT MINIMIZES THE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE FALLOUT OF US WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN ability to trade information with other countries concerned about Islamists militants, improved technical surveillance capability, and the striking power of both special forces and drones, the U.S. retains the ability to disrupt operations by non-state actors in Afghanistan without ground deployments.

A second reason is that the Taliban have strong reason to police against international terrorists. True, the Taliban is decentralized, so enforcement of any deal’s anti-terrorism provisions may prove uneven at best, with rogue commanders not necessarily following central direction. But the Taliban have a distinct self-interest to avoid provoking a return of U.S. forces after they withdraw.

Given the existing hostility between the Taliban and radical elements like ISIS-K, it is unlikely such groups would thrive even if the Taliban were to dominate the country.

The mainline Taliban seems capable of enforcing its edicts on recalcitrant elements if sufficiently motivated.

Third, after U.S. departure, whatever one fears of the Taliban, they are unlikely to take over the country entirely. A U.S. withdrawal would weaken the Kabul government, but its collapse is hardly guaranteed. It is certainly possible that the Afghan state will retain partial control over the bulk of the country either in alliance with other non-state actors or as a result of patronage from other regional states. Should

aims. Any independent groups seeking to set up terrorist networks in this environment would lack state sponsorship and thus defense from outside powers.

U.S. departure will change the Taliban's priorities. As the Taliban transitions from an insurgency to a formal political movement, it would be able to access official revenue streams and outside support to battle its more radical offshoots. Existing Taliban hostility to ISIS’s presence in the country could increase. The two groups have already fought openly, and without the strain of battling the U.S., the far larger Taliban is likely to eradicate the ISIS presence over time.

HOW OUTSIDE POWERS WILL RESPOND TO EVENTS INSIDE AFGHANISTAN Following U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan's neighbors are likely to coalesce around similar strategies to deal with the aftermath. Their preferred outcomes are peace through unification or a power-sharing arrangement.

A Taliban amenable to negotiation would also be an outcome that regional powers could adapt to and contain. The least desirable path for the region is the total collapse of centralized authority in the country or a Taliban unwilling to pursue normal relations and returning to its pre-9/11 international stance. As previously noted, this final outcome is unlikely because the Taliban

U.S. talks in exchange for loans. Because these countries want Pakistan on their side as part of a containment strategy against Iran, it is likely they will seek to reorient Pakistani policy away from Afghanistan as a primary focus.

Russia, while seeking to oust the U.S. from a region it considers its backyard, is also alarmed by the spread of Islamist insurgencies in Central Asia, and it would welcome a stable government in Afghanistan.

Currently, Washington is serving Moscow's interests by expending its own resources to battle radical insurgents in the region.

The U.S. and Afghan governments have both suggested that Moscow developed indirect ties to the Taliban in order to sow division between that group and ISIS (as well as make the U.S. position more difficult).

Even if these suspicions are true, they will cease being relevant upon U.S. departure from Afghanistan, as Russia's position toward Afghanistan will adapt to the new reality. U.S. withdrawal would likely compel Moscow to play a more constructive role in the country—Afghanistan's stability is more important to Russia's long-term interests than it is to the U.S. This also comes with the added benefit of taking Russian resources away from potential Moscow-directed meddling elsewhere in the world.

Should Kabul achieve stable governance, the post-Soviet Central Asian states

this happen, the internationally recognized government will be the primary recipient of foreign aid. With no more U.S. presence to complicate the calculations of other powers, the odds of Kabul finding increased patronage from Beijing, Moscow, or both increase dramatically. Due to geographic proximity alone, these countries would be invested in the fate of a government that could show its continued survival, even if in a reduced territorial capacity.

On the other hand, should Kabul fall, the resulting patchwork of forces—including internal divisions in the Taliban itself—do not make the conquest of the entire country by the Taliban inevitable. The Taliban are as likely to face regional warlords and rebellion as the Kabul government has, especially in non-Pashtun areas. A power vacuum could also lead to a fracturing of the dominant coalitions and the collapse of alliances only kept together by the existence of U.S. forces, a common enemy.

A full takeover by the Taliban, while unifying the country, would likely prompt outside containment. neighboring powers would likely either support armed rivals to the Taliban to extract concessions or use pan-regional diplomacy to curtail Islamist movements from spreading further in Central Asia.

Even the worst-case scenario—a complete state collapse—would not necessarily prompt a rise in non-state extremists' ability to operate in Afghanistan. Anarchic environments often spur armed groups to focus more on survival than on plotting sophisticated acts of terrorism, and subnational authorities in Afghanistan are unlikely to find global jihad—or being on the receiving end of American, Russian, or Chinese responses to it—a welcome addition to their autonomous fiefdoms.

Should the Taliban become the dominant actor among many in the country, their control will likely be regionally limited and locally challenged, demanding an internal focus and leaving few resources for broader

would not want to invite additional intervention by either the U.S. or other great powers.

SCENARIO 1: STABILITY THROUGH UNIFICATION OR POWER-SHARING The best feasible outcome for the U.S. is the survival of the Kabul government in more or less its present form. Most of Afghanistan's neighbors would agree. Diplomacy and business would continue as normal and the country would enjoy some measure of security and international support.

China, which is linked to Afghanistan not only by a short border, but also by its deep suspicion of Islamist radicals, could well find it expedient to support the current government. Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)—which includes expanding infrastructure projects in Afghanistan—as well as ongoing projects in Badakshan Province, give China an economic reason to avoid political disruption. Beijing could well find itself backing and brokering any Kabul-Taliban negotiations, especially following the U.S. departure—leaving would pressure China to take on those burdens.

Only Pakistan, a key supporter of the Taliban, would likely welcome its victory.

Should that fail to materialize, however, Islamabad's past behavior implies it would likely seek to avoid a total collapse of governance in Afghanistan, which would diminish its ability to influence events and create a power vacuum that others might exploit.

Furthermore, Pakistan's dire financial situation means that it is easily influenced by wealthier patrons, like China, which already exercises a large degree of sway over Islamabad and has little interest in facilitating Islamist militancy.

China might apply pressure on Pakistan to either rein in the Taliban or aid negotiations between the Taliban and Kabul. Chinese policymakers fear the consequences of an Islamist Afghanistan, which could disrupt order in their restive Xinjiang province.

Additionally, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia recently managed to extract concessions from Pakistan on Taliban-

will be the first to seek more trade with their neighbor. Uzbekistan, as the most influential of these states, often takes a quite independent line in the region and could be expected to want to play a major diplomatic role in bringing Afghan factions together. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will utilize as much diplomatic outreach as they can muster to support a peace considering their fear of instability bleeding over the borders and into their own struggles with anti-government groups. A Taliban takeover would be a massive danger worth balancing against in a regional coalition but could also present an opportunity for negotiation.

Uzbekistan has cultivated informal relations with the Taliban just in case this scenario comes to pass.

In Afghanistan, the U.S. is fighting Iran's enemy for them. Iran and the Taliban were foes in the 1990s, then gradually became very reluctant associates against a common enemy as the U.S. occupation dragged on and U.S.-Iran relations worsened. But the expediency of this relationship would not continue at the same level upon U.S. departure.

Tehran's goals are to maintain security for its porous eastern border and prevent Sunni extremists from operating in its territory. It would likely work with any non-Taliban government that is divorced from U.S. support. Taliban takeover is Tehran's worstcase scenario, even though Iranian-Taliban relations have improved in recent years as a partnership of convenience to thwart U.S. goals in Afghanistan.

Iranian interests are more focused on its proxy conflicts in Iraq and Syria, so Tehran’s primary goal is simply a stable border region free of a U.S. presence or militant Sunni Islamists. Therefore, Tehran could either leverage the goodwill it gained with the Taliban to help restrain them, or, should these relationships break down, act as another anti-Taliban containment force via logistical support of proxies in the region, as it has done in Iraq and Yemen. new Delhi has become Afghanistan's

most consistent supporter, though to limited effect. India has committed $3 billion of developmental assistance to Kabul over the years to promote stability, but its ability to mold events on the ground is limited due to a lack of ability to project hard power. A stronger, more stable Afghanistan under the present Kabul government or a coalition arrangement is the best outcome for India. A relative peace holding between different autonomous factions is also acceptable to India, as it diminishes Pakistan’s influence and guarantees India could still invest and play some role in Afghanistan's future. A Taliban takeover, on the other hand, is undesirable to new Delhi. But it still presents potential opportunities should the new government seek to distance itself from Pakistan.

In the best-case scenario, a U.S. withdrawal would spur regional powers to engage in constructive diplomatic engagement with whatever government is dominant in Afghanistan. China, wanting to achieve the most favorable conditions for BRI, would facilitate the diplomatic normalization of any dominant government in Afghanistan.

Russia most likely would be far more reticent but would want to follow a course that maximizes its influence with its smaller Central Asian partners. no matter which faction comes out on top, however, a dominant domestic power in the country of any type, even the Taliban, is an outcome that could be tolerated by the U.S. Achieving minimal counterterrorism goals and letting neighbors do more will allow the U.S. to leave and focus on more rewarding endeavors.

SCENARIO 2: STATE FAILURE AND COLLAPSE In Afghanistan, Pakistan is a possible wrench in a sustainable peace under either one controlling power or a stable factionalism. Overwhelmingly, the consensus in the region is that state collapse is both a possibility and a negative outcome. This implies that neighboring states would take action to either contain chaos in Afghanistan through regional security measures, and erect hard borders around the country, back more moderate factions to battle the radicals, and potentially directly employ forces to counter non-state actors through joint actions.

Afghanistan's neighbors would have a slew of options for dealing with non-state and rogue actors that are not presently available with the current U.S. presence. Russian special forces teams operating out of their bases in Tajikistan would be able to gather intelligence and launch targeted missions against radical groups deemed threatening.

Chinese and perhaps even Indian financial contacts could be set up with specific warlords and autonomous regions in order to pursue localized development projects and combat opium production.

All of this could increase the odds of regional foreign investment in Afghanistan on a time scale that the distant and overextended U.S. never could. While foreign spending is no more likely to ameliorate Afghanistan’s political strife than U.S. spending, it can at least help prop up the national or local authorities. Should this not work out, a worst-case scenario where the neighboring Central Asian countries could coordinate a common containment policy in partnership with Russia and China is feasible. no power in Afghanistan would be strong enough to meaningfully object.

While this worst-case scenario brings together many U.S. rivals, it does so in a way that minimizes the potential negative fallout of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Yet even if regional powers and their proxies in Afghanistan compete rather than cooperate, that competition would keep them fixated on nearby goals, not the distant target of the U.S. For instance, Iranian backing of a potential warlord running afoul of a Russian backed faction simply means more difficulty for Tehran and Moscow, more regional problems for Afghan actors, and no negative security result for the U.S. Christopher Mott is a fellow at Defence Priorities.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

buSinESS 09

UNlICeNCed MoNey ChANgers go oFF rAdAr As AMl bIll pAssed

corporate corner

U

JS BANK An Award Ceremony was held by JS Bank to applaud team members who went above and beyond thecall of duty to ensure the safety of their fellow colleagues during the urban flooding in Karachi.Seen in the picture (L-R): Hasan Shahid, CFO, JS Bank, Jamil Memon, Head of Administration, JS Bank,Suleman Lalani, CEO, JSCL and Kamran Jafar, Deputy CEO, JS Bank. PrESS rElEASE

FINCA participates in 13th Annual Mobile Commerce Conference

MONITORING REPORT

NLICENSED money changers have vanished from markets as the Senate and National Assembly (NA) passed an anti-money laundering (AML) legislation, which was a key demand from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to remove the South Asian nuclear state from its grey list, earlier last week.

This has been followed by a 30 to 40 per cent increase in the counter sell-

India passes farm bills amid protest from opposition parties NEW DELHI: India’s parliament on Sunday passed new bills the government says will make it easier for farmers to sell their produce directly to big buyers, despite growing protest from opposition parties and a long-time ally of the ruling party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the new laws will reform antiquated laws and remove middlemen from agriculture trade, allowing farmers to sell to institutional buyers and large retailers like Walmart. The bills also makes contract farming easier by providing a new set of rules. But Modi’s food processing minister from an alliance party resigned on Thursday in protest, calling the bills “anti-farmer”, and the opposition parties have said farmers’ bargaining power will be diminished by allowing retailers to have tighter control over them. On Sunday, some opposition lawmakers raised slogans, tore documents and tried to grab the speaker’s microphone in Rajya Sabha, before two controversial bills were passed by a voice vote. “The passage of both the bills in parliament is indeed a landmark day for Indian agriculture,” one of Modi’s senior cabinet ministers, Rajnath Singh, said on Twitter. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Modi’s former food processing minister, is from a regional party which has a strong base in the northern state of Punjab and believes the bills will increase farmer suffering in the breadbasket state. Her party believes the laws will destroy wholesale markets which ensure fair and timely payments to farmers, weaken the state’s farmers and the overall state economy. Many farmer organisations have in recent days held street protests in Punjab and the neighbouring Haryana state near New Delhi. AGENCIES

$6 to $7 million per day which usually is on average about $4 million per day,” said Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP) President Malik Bostan, explaining that liquidity decreases in the market when thousands of unlicensed money changers help in the illegal transfer of foreign currencies from the country.

The fear among illegal businesses doers has helped counter this issue with an arrest in Peshawar that has also served as a warning. Former general secretary of Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan Zafar Paracha said

Zero tax paid by bulk of return filers in 2018 MONITORING REPORT

KARACHI: The 13th Annual Mobile Commerce Conference, exclusively sponsored by FINCA Microfinance Bank, was conducted virtually on Wednesday, September 16. The event was attended by notable figures from various industries across Pakistan including, finance, retail, utility and by representatives of the national regulators.Mr Farid Ahmed Khan, acting CEO of FINCA Pakistan, represented the bank on this forum while he spoke about the future of digital banking, revamping the customer experience for the digital era and defining the ‘new normal’ of digitization in the country. He further elaborated about FINCA Pakistan’s various initiatives in promoting financial inclusion and economic development of Pakistan, through the introduction of digitized yet convenient measures and products curated specially to meet the needs of existing and potential customers. PrESS rElEASE

ing of US dollars, according to currency dealers, who added that according to the amended bill, an investigating officer (IO), with the permission of the court, can conduct covert operations to detect terrorism funding, track communications and computer system by applying latest technologies in 60 days.

The new law suggests punishment for money laundering including smuggling and illegal trading of currencies for up to 10 years.

“During the last two days the dollars selling at the counters reached around

As many as 1.004m or 36.6 per cent taxpayers of the country’s total 2.743 million individual taxpayers did not pay any income tax in the tax year 2018, data released by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) shows.

According to the details, the above-mentioned individuals fall under the non-tax bracket with a declared annual income that is less than Rs400,000. Interestingly, the number of people in this tax bracket has continuously increased over the past few years to avoid higher tax rates one is subject to as a non-filer.

In the case of association of

persons (AOPs) 29,480 or 45.82pc citizens are return filers but were exempted of paying any income tax as their declared assets fell short of the taxable limit.

The number also increased significantly as junk filers popped in to the system during the government’s efforts to document the economy.

Junk filers and those who fall under the least taxable brackets make up around 2.3m or 84pc return filers as evidenced by the first three taxable brackets in which around 1.296m or 47pc taxpayers file their income tax returns.

A nominal sum of Rs1,000 for individuals in the income brackets

ranging from Rs400,001 to Rs800,000 while Rs2,000 is collected from individuals falling in the bracket of Rs800,001 to Rs1.2m.

Only 22,593 individuals declared their annual income over Rs6m.

International donors have urged Pakistan, a country known for its low compliance to tax rules, to widen its tax base instead of looking elsewhere for financial aid.

Province-wise data shows that bulk of return filers belong to Punjab at 1.696m, followed by 779,771 in Sindh, 171,303 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 151,204 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 52,101 in Balochistan and 1,437 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB).

Pakistan’s interest rate expected to remain at 7pc NEWS DESK Experts have said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is expected to keep the interest rate at 7 per cent for the next two months when they release a statement on the upcoming monetary policy on September 21 in order to ease the availability of finance for businesses which are still recovering from the disastrous impact of Covid-19.

CFA Society Pakistan released an MPS survey suggesting that 91 per cent of the research analysts such as fund managers, security analyst, and economic experts, have said that the SBP will not change the interest rates, however, 9 per cent have expressed that interest rates will further decline by 25 to 50 basis points to 6.75 per cent or 6.5 per cent subsequently.

SBP revises its policy rate every two months, affecting the actual interest rate in the market as the important lending and borrowing rates such as Karachi Inter-bank Offer Rate (KIBOR) are asserted on its basis. Hence, a change in the policy rate is positively correlated with the rates ultimately offered to the borrowers by the commercial banks. A low-interest rate provides an incentive to borrow and invest rather than save and deposit money and vice versa.

Earlier, owing to the economic implications of the Covid-19, SBP had reduced the policy rate from 13.25 per cent on March 17, 2020, to 7 per cent to facilitate investment and provide ease of access to finance.

Hence, if the interest rate remains the same, the economic entities including government, business and individuals will borrow more in order to restore their financial position.

“Inflation rate in August fell on a year-on-year basis and there is a chance of it falling more,” Intermarket Securities Director Research Raza Jafri said, adding that “it should allow the SBP to cut the interest rate but as the economy is recovering there is also a chance of prices increasing due to the increase in demand. Because of the uncertainty about the inflation rate, the SBP most probably would keep the interest rate constant.”

Experts also expect the interest rates to increase by 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent next year, cumulatively.

Former Pakistan Stock Exchange Research Officer Muhammad Munir said that “KSE-100, the benchmark rate of PSX. has also risen by almost 5,000 points since the last two months and the government would not want to slow down the market by increasing the interest rate.”

Rashakai SEZ a useful tool for luring in FDI: BoI MONITORING REPORT: The Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will play a significant role in luring Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country as it holds a unique competitive advantage due to its proximity to the first juncture of CPEC route. This was stated by a spokesperson of Islamabad Board of Investment (BoI) who added that the SEZ is also close to the Peshawar airport and ML-I. He said the zone comprises 1,000 of acres land and will be developed in three phases with an expected FDI of $128 million. Earlier on September 14, Pakistan and China had signed a historic agreement for the development of Rashakai SEZ. Meanwhile, Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister for Industry and Commerce Abdul Karim also agreed that the Rashakai SEZ agreement was a landmark development that would benefit the country's economic and industrial development.

the legislation will “definitely bring change in the currency market.”

“There is a clear threat for the illegal trading and smuggling of the currencies in Pakistan and I believe the government would not tolerate this illegal business which has put Pakistan in the grey list,” Paracha said.

He said the passage of legislative amendments would not only aid in exiting the grey list but also establish a stable exchange rate market based on a true valuation of currencies, yielding higher remittances.

Textile sector production revs up as virus spread decelerates NEWS DESK The country's textile sector has dramatically increased its scale of production, restoring it to pre-corona levels of maximum capacity as the containment of coronavirus has significantly improved in the country, leading to a higher international demand for its products. The textile industry boasts a significant presence in Pakistan, being the largest manufacturing industry and the largest export earning sector, it contributes 8.5 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the economy and employs 45 per cent of the labour force in the country.

The criticality of the industry meant that the Covid-19 impact upon it had to be effectively countered to save millions of jobs and economic value on an emergency basis. The recovery in the textile production has been made possible through the import of raw materials such as cotton and man-made yarn as the supply of domestically-produced cotton was severely hampered by the torrential rainfall and pest attacks. All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) former ViceChairman Asif Inam while speaking to a local news outlet said, "Textile industry has revived to pre-corona levels, as precautionary measures to safeguard people from the virus and industry-specific economic measures by the government have helped at length to resume production to full capacity." He said that the textile industry was operating at its full capacity, apart from the textile-producing units that closed down due to the pandemic. They are few in number and are trying to return to work gradually. However, the number of the affected units remained unknown, he said.

Pakistan's textile industry is operating marginally well as compared to its regional competitors. International buyers are placing their orders in Pakistan rather than China, India, and Bangladesh due to factors like USChina trade war and the worsening impact of Covid-19 in India. The future also looks bright as once the international market in the west primarily dominated by US and European countries recovers from the pandemic, the export orders are expected to surge. The countries are currently fighting against the second wave of the pandemic. The industry’s encouraging performance was also bolstered by the government’s supportive policies such as rationalization of energy prices to a regionally competitive level, consistent supply of raw materials, and subsidization of finance injected to expand production and establish new production units. "All these were the long pending demands of the industry to become competitive at the regional and international level. We had put such demands in front of several previous governments time and again, but this government has kept its words and delivered to the industry," Inam added.

Common Expo Centre to be established in 4 cities of Punjab ISLAMABAD APP

A ‘common expo centre’ will be established for Sialkot, Gujrat, Wazirabad and Gujranwala cities, for which the Punjab government will be approached to allocate land.

This was agreed in principle by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, during an official visit to Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) on Saturday.

The advisor recognised and appreciated the role of industry in those cities for their contribution in overall exports of Pakistan

and assured full support to the exporters and industrialists.

He underlined that for sustainable growth in exports, we need to diversify our products, into the developmental sectors, and find new markets, including Africa and Middle East etcetera.

During the visit, the commerce advisor discussed the development of fans, furniture and pottery industries with the representatives.

Dawood also visited the Pakistan Electric Fan Manufacturers Association (PEFMA), where the representatives shared different issues related to the export of fans and discussed practical and constructive so-

lutions for the development of industry and resolution of problems.

The association members appreciated commerce ministry for various measures and interventions for boosting exports and promoting engineering sector, especially the recent move for revision of rates of duty drawbacks for electric fans.

In addition, the problems related to Mandi Bahauddin were also raised by the chamber representatives. The advisor assured that the government would play its facilitative role in finding solutions to their issues.

In the meetings with industry representatives, he said Pakistan had been able to

CMYK

successfully deal with the health and economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic because of the effective coordination between the federal and provincial authorities, as well as the private sector.

Dawood underscored that due to those joint efforts and proper implementation of the standard operating procedures, Pakistan was able to bounce back quickly, in terms of exports, as compared to its regional competitors.

He apprised the representatives of the industry of various cost reduction measures, like tariff rationalisation on raw materials and intermediaries, taken by the commerce ministry to enable the industry to manufac-

ture their products on globally competitive rates and ensure value-addition.

He reiterated that those measures were essential for strengthening of the economy by promoting ‘Made in Pakistan’, export-led growth and import substitution.

The advisor informed that the government had already done tariff rationalization for 41 per cent of the raw materials and intermediaries, while the next measures were also under consideration for different sectors, including chemicals, engineering, pharmaceuticals, leather, food processing and textiles, under the three years’ tariff rationalisation plan of the commerce ministry.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS envelope with poison ricin addressed to white house intercepted WASHINGTON: An envelope addressed to the White House and intercepted by US authorities contained ricin, a deadly poison that appeared to have been sent from Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. A spokesman for the force said it received a request for assistance from the FBI in connection with "a suspicious letter sent to the White House". The force said analysis from the FBI found the substance in the envelope was ricin. The envelope was intercepted at a government mail centre before it arrived at the White House. The FBI said it was investigating the incident with support from the US Secret Service and the US Postal Inspection Service. "At this time, there is no known threat to public safety," the FBI said. The White House and US Secret Service declined to comment. Ricin is found naturally in castor beans but it takes a deliberate act to convert it into a biological weapon. People can die within 36 to 72 hours if they are exposed to an amount as small as a pinhead. No known antidote exists. There have been numerous incidents involving envelopes containing ricin being sent to US officials. AGENCIES

Trump accuses russia of stealing us hypersonic weapon tech MINNESOTA: US President Donald Trump has accused Russia of stealing information about hypersonic weapon technology from the Barack Obama administration. Russia claims it began discussing the weapons almost 20 years ago. “You know, they have a super-duper hypersonic missile… it is five times faster than a normal missile,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Minnesota. “Russia stole that information. You knew that, you knew that? Russia received this information and then built [the rocket].” However, Washington claims that it has a significantly faster missile, which, according to Trump, is envied by Moscow and Beijing. “We have weapons that are so advanced that [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping], [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, everybody, we’re the envy of the world. But they don’t know quite what we have, but they know that we have stuff they have never even heard of before,” the President said. Despite Trump's statements about US superiority, other parts of the government have recognized that the country is lagging behind Russia and China in producing hypersonic weapons. Last year, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced that the Pentagon is “planning catchup” and “investing every dollar it can” to advance towards hypersonic weapons. AGENCIES

australia heads for lowest virus count in three months SYDNEY: Australia looked set to record its lowest daily increase in new coronavirus cases in three months on Sunday as a hard lockdown in the city of Melbourne brought the country’s virus epicenter down sharply. The second-most populous state Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, reported 14 new infections in the 24 hours to Sunday morning, down from 21 new cases the day prior and its lowest since June 19. That put Victoria, which has spent months under lockdown to slow a second wave of infections, on track to meet a target of keeping average daily increases below 50 by Sept. 28 when the authorities have said they may lift restrictions. Australia’s biggest state New South Wales, which has Sydney as the capital, reported two new cases, while the Queensland state also reported two, bringing the national total to 18, the lowest national tally since June 23. The five other states and territories had not reported daily case numbers by Sunday morning, but have reported no increases most days for weeks. “There will of course always be debates about timing and whether we’re on schedule, ahead of schedule, all of those things, (but) ultimately these numbers are cause for great optimism and positivity,” Victorian state Premier Daniel Andrews told a televised news conference. AGENCIES

Turkey may resume Talks wiTh Greece, warns aGainsT eu sancTions ISTANBUL

T

AGENCIES

URKEY and Greece could soon resume talks over their contested Mediterranean claims but European Union leaders meeting this week will not help if they threaten sanctions, Turkey’s presidential spokesman said on Sunday.

The NATO members and neighbours have been locked in a bitter dispute over the extent of their continental shelves in the eastern Mediterranean. Tensions flared last month when Turkey sent a vessel to survey for gas and oil in contested waters.

European Union member Greece condemned the move as illegal and pressed, along with Cyprus, for a strong response from EU leaders when they meet on Thursday.

Ankara withdrew the Oruc Reis vessel last week. It described the move as a routine maintenance stop but later said it opened up the chance for diplomacy to reduce tensions with Athens.

“At this point, the climate has be-

come much more suitable for negotiations to begin,” presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told Dogan News Agency. “…Exploratory talks may start again.”

Last month Greece and Turkey were

on the verge of resuming those “exploratory” talks, suspended in 2016. But Turkey broke off contact and sent Oruc Reis into disputed waters after Greece signed a maritime demarcation deal with

Britain is at Covid-19 tipping point, health minister says LONDON AGENCIES

Britain is at a tipping point on Covid19, health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday, warning that a second national lockdown could be imposed if people don’t follow government rules designed to stop the spread of the virus.

Covid-19 cases have risen sharply in recent weeks to more than 4,000 per day. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called it a second wave and stricter lockdown measures have been introduced in areas across the country – with London possibly next in line.

“The nation faces a tipping point and we have a choice,” Hancock told Sky News. “The choice is either that everybody follows the rules … or we will have to take more measures.”

Hancock later told the BBC that a second national lockdown was a possible option.

“I don’t rule it out, I don’t want to see it,” he said.

Johnson announced fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($12,900) on Saturday for people in England who break new rules requiring them to self-isolate if they have been in contact with someone infected with Covid-19.

In addition to tighter rules on social gatherings across the country, several cities and regions in Britain have had ‘local lockdowns’ imposed, limiting even more strictly when, where and how many people can meet up socially.

Asked about comments from London mayor Sadiq Khan, who said

on Friday new restrictions were increasingly likely in the capital, Hancock said: “I’ve had discussions this week with the Mayor of London, and the teams are meeting today to discuss further what might be needed.”

Hancock was also asked on Times Radio about the possibility of Londoners being told to work from

home later this week, and said: “Well, I wouldn’t rule it out.”

The opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said he would support whatever measures the government brings forward, but criticised the government’s testing system for not having the capacity to deal with increased demand as schools returned.

POLICE CLASH WITH PROTESTERS AT ANTILOCKDOWN DEMONSTRATION IN LONDON LONDON: More than a thousand people gathered in central London on Saturday to protest against lockdown measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, before the event was broken up by police. The protest, which led to 32 arrests, came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering whether to reimpose some lockdown restrictions across England. Demonstrators carried banners saying “Covid is a hoax” and “My body, my choice: No to mandatory masks”, as well as chanting at police: “Choose your side”. Police said protesters were ordered to leave Trafalgar Square on the grounds that the demonstration was putting those taking part and other members of the public at risk. “This, coupled with pockets of hostility and outbreaks of violence towards officers, means we will now be taking enforcement action to disperse those who remain in the area,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Under laws introduced to slow the spread of infection, people in England are not allowed to gather in groups of more than six. There are exemptions for political protests, but only if organisers follow guidelines to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. Organisers of previous anti-lockdown protests have been fined up to £10,000 ($12,914). Some of the protesters at Saturday’s event voiced opposition to compulsory vaccines, as well as more general mistrust of the government, the media and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Britain has suffered Europe’s highest death toll from coronavirus, with more than 41,000 deaths on the government’s preferred measure. National testing for the disease have not kept up with demand since schools reopened this month. Rising case numbers in parts of Scotland, Wales and northern England have already led to local restrictions on people inviting friends to their homes, and reduced pub and restaurant opening hours. AGENCIES

Egypt, angering Ankara.

SANCTIONS THREATS: Erdogan has had talks with EU Council president Charles Michel, who chairs the meetings of EU leaders, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is seeking to ease the crisis.

But Cyprus, protesting the presence of two Turkish exploration vessels in waters off the divided island, insists on sanctions against Ankara and has blocked EU action against Belarus for alleged election fraud until its demands are met.

“Threats of blackmail and of sanctions against Turkey does not give results,” Kalin said. “European politicians should know this by now.”

Erdogan tweeted at the weekend that Turkey believed the dispute could be resolved through dialogue while still defending its rights in the region.

“We want to give diplomacy as much space as possible, by listening to every sincere call,” he tweeted. “With this vision, we will continue to defend any drop of water and area of our country to the end.”

Thousands rally in Bangkok to curbs powers of monarch BANGKOK AGENCIES

Openly challenging the rule of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, thousands of protesters have marched in Bangkok for the second straight day to present demands that include a call for reforms to curb his powers. Protesters have grown bolder during two months of demonstrations calling for reform of the monarchy, as well as for the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former military government leader, and a new constitution and elections-dominated establishment. Criticising the monarchy has long been taboo, and is illegal under lese-majeste laws. The king is not in Thailand, and the Grand Palace made no immediate comment. The marchers were blocked by hundreds of unarmed police manning crowd-control barriers, but protest leaders declared a victory after saying Royal Guard police had agreed to pass on their demands to police headquarters. "Our greatest victory in the two days is to show that ordinary people like us can send a letter to royals," Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak told the crowd. The police made no immediate comment. Protesters also announced on Sunday that they will hit the streets anew on Thursday, and mount a major strike on October 14, the anniversary of the 1973 student uprising. Shortly after sunrise on Sunday, protesters cemented a plaque near the Grand Palace in Bangkok in the area known as Sanam Luang, or Royal Field. It reads: "At this place, the people have expressed their will: That this country belongs to the people and is not the property of the monarch as they have deceived us." Police did not intervene.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the police would not use violence against protesters and it was up to the police to determine and prosecute any illegal speech.

"Down with feudalism, long live the people," protesters chanted.

UK's Labour begins virtual bid to regain support LONDON AGENCIES

UK opposition leader Keir Starmer launched a digital edition of his Labour party's annual conference Sunday, promising to move on from years of bitter ideological infighting and stinging electoral failure.

The three-day "Labour Connected" event, held in place of the traditional conference because of coronavirus, is the first major gathering of members since the former chief state prosecutor and human rights lawyer took over in April. Starmer, 58, is trying to turn Labour around after its worst election defeat since the 1930s in December, when Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson swept to office on a promise to get Britain out of the European Union.

Under his hard-left predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, the party of former prime minister

Tony Blair was plagued by splits over policy, particularly on Brexit, as well as claims of widespread anti-Semitism.

Starmer said Sunday the election defeat was "devastating" for the entire Labour movement, and promised "new leadership" focused on winning power at the next sceduled election in 2024. "I've spent the last six months listening and asking for conversations with people that are difficult rather than easy, and changing and focusing on the future," he told Sky News television.

'LOST CONTROL' OF VIRUS TESTING: Starmer has won plaudits for trying to win back Jewish members who left in droves because of accusations -- strongly denied -that Corbyn and his top team turned a blind eye to anti-Semitism.

He has also seen a surge in popularity for his efforts to hold Johnson to account for his response to the coronavirus outbreak, which

has killed almost 42,000 people in Britain -the worst toll in Europe.

A new YouGov poll for The Times put Labour level with the Tories for the first time since Johnson took over last summer.

Starmer said Sunday he backed government efforts to tackle a new surge in cases of Covid-19, including new fines of up to £10,000 (11,000 euros, $13,000) for people who failed to self-isolate when told to do so.

But he condemned the lack of mass testing, saying Johnson should apologise for failing to anticipate a surge in demand for tests this month as schools reopened.

"The government's now effectively lost control of testing, it doesn't necessarily know where the virus is," he said.

Starmer's forensic attacks on the government appear so far to have won over nonLabour voters and helped unite his party.

"He's not particularly charismatic. His

authority comes from looking like a competent person," Professor Simon Usherwood at the University of Surrey told AFP. But Professor Steven Fielding of the University of Nottingham warned many Corbyn supporters were still uneasy about what exactly Starmer stands for.

"He's managed to unify the party only because he hasn't tackled any of the big issues in the party," he told AFP. 'DELIVER BREXIT': As well as quelling dissent in its own ranks, Labour needs to tackle the scepticism of voters in its former "Red Wall" heartland in northern England, who backed the Conservatives over Brexit.

Their support helped give Johnson an 80-strong majority in the House of Commons and allowed him to break years of parliamentary deadlock to take Britain out of the EU in January. Starmer opposed Brexit, but has not focused on the issue, except

again on the issue of competence.

Trade talks with the EU are moving painfully slowly towards a mid-October deadline, while the government has sparked outrage in Brussels by trying to unpick part of last year's Brexit agreement.

"The prime minister said he had got an oven-ready deal, he has to get on and he needs to deliver it. if he fails to do so, he needs to own that failure," Starmer told BBC television Sunday.

Labour said more than 26,000 people had signed up to its digital event, which is mainly members-only meetings, but includes a few keynote addresses including Starmer's big speech on Tuesday.

Blair was Labour's most successful leader with three general election victories.

Corbyn's appointment as leader in 2015 led to a surge in party membership, but he lost elections in 2017 and 2019.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

SPORTS 11

NADAl crASheS ouT, DjokovIc bATTleS INTo ITAlIAN opeN SemI-fINAlS

c

AGENCIES

LAY court king Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Italian Open on Saturday, falling to a straight sets defeat to Argentine Diego Schwartzman in a tournament the Spaniard had won nine times.

Eight-seeded Schwartzman meted out a punishing 6-2, 7-5 loss in Nadal's final warm-up before his bid for a 13th French Open, and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam in just over a week.

Top men's seed Novak Djokovic also stumbled on the Roman clay but recovered to win through 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 against German qualifier Dominik Koepfer.

"It was not my night at all," said Nadal, who had won all nine previous meetings against 28-year-old Schwartzman, but could not match his rival's stunning game on the red clay of the Foro Italico. "He played a great match, not me, when this happens you

have to lose," continued the 34-year-old.

"It's not a moment for excuses. I've spent a long time without competing, I played two good matches." The two-time defending champion was making his comeback after a six-month coronavirus-enforced break having skipped the US Open ahead of Roland Garros with its first round on September 27.

"Losing as many serves, you can't expect to win a match, it's something that I have to fix, I know how to do it," he warned.

"It's a special and unpredictable year, I'll probably go back home and let's see."

Schwartzman next plays Canadian 12th seed Denis Shapovalov for a place in the final.

"Today I played my best tennis," said the Argentine. Djokovic, meanwhile, let his frustrations spill over in a two-hour battle with his 97th-ranked German rival.

Two weeks after his US Open default for accidently hitting a line judge with a ball, the Serb struggled to contain his emotions, throwing his racket after a lost service game,

Not the first nor the last racket I'll break in my career: Novak Djokovic Less than two weeks after being disqualified from the U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic's frustration boiled over once again as he smashed his racket in a fit of rage during his 6-3 4-6 6-3 win over Dominik Koepfer in the Italian Open quarter-finals on Saturday. The top-ranked Serb was broken to love in the sixth game of the second set following which he threw his racket on the ground, drawing a warning from the chair umpire. "Well, let me tell you it's not the first nor the last racket that I'll break in my career," Djokovic, 33, told reporters. "I have done it before, I'll probably do it again. I don't want to do it, but when it comes, it happens. "That's how I guess I release sometimes my anger. And it's definitely not the best message out there, especially for the young tennis players looking at me. "I don't encourage that, definitely.

But, look, we're all people. We all do our best. There were times and periods when I don't do that, and there are periods when I do," he said. The Serb was disqualified from the US Open after inadvertently hitting a ball into a line judge's throat during his fourthround match against Pablo Carreno Busta. Djokovic, who apologised at the time and vowed to take away valuable lessons from the incident, reiterated that he was working on his "mental and emotional health" to try and help keep a lid on his emotions. "It's always been part of my, I guess, training and recovery, as well, developing strong character and understanding myself on different levels, holistic approach to life," the 17-time Slam champion said. "That's just me. Of course, I'm not perfect. I'm doing my best." Djokovic, who faces Norway's Casper Ruud in the semi-finals, will fancy his chances of sealing a record 36th Masters 1000 crown following nine-time champion Rafa Nadal's shock exit at the hands of Diego Schwartzman. AGENCIES

Serious doubts raised as Tottenham's Dele Alli dropped for Southampton fixture Dele Alli's Tottenham future is in doubt after he was dropped for their Premier League match at Southampton on Sunday as Jose Mourinho claimed he has "too many players". Alli was substituted at halftime of Tottenham's defeat against Everton last weekend and was missing from the squad for their Europa League qualifier against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on Thursday. The England international was expected to return against Southampton, but Tottenham manager Mourinho did not include him in the matchday squad.

Alli has endured a difficult period over the last two years, with his form dipping badly.Mourinho was seen accusing him of being "lazy" in training during the All or Nothing documentary that captured life behind the scenes at Tottenham last season.Alli was linked with a move to Real Madrid as part of the deal that eventually saw Gareth Bale join Tottenham on loan on Saturday, while Manchester United are reported to be interested in the 24-year-old.Asked if Alli had been left out for fitness reasons, Mourinho's response suggested there was no guarantee he would get back in the team any time soon."No. We have a huge squad, a squad with numbers that are very difficult to manage," Mourinho told BT Sport."I never had it, I don't like to have it and it's not easy for me. I start with Son, with Lucas and with Harry Kane and on the bench I still have Moussa Sissoko, Erik Lamela and Steven Bergwijn."We have too many players for some positions and some of them are paying the price for this." AGENCIES

with shouts of anger resounding in the silence of the empty Central Court.

"Well, let me tell you that it's not the first nor the last racquet that I'll break in my career. I have done it before," he warned.

"I'll probably do it again. I don't want to do it, but when it comes, it happens.

"That's how I guess I release sometimes my anger." Djokovic was broken four times before advancing to his 11th semi-final in Rome, where he reached the final nine times and won four titles.

The 33-year-old next plays Norway's Casper Ruud who also needed to fight to get past Italian fourth seed Matteo Berrettini 46, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5). "Clay is definitely Casper's preferred surface," said Djokovic of his first meeting with the 34th-ranked Norwegian.

"This is where he feels most comfortable. It's semi-finals and it is anybody's game. I'll do some homework and be ready for that one." Ruud -- son of former player Christian Ruud -- becomes the first Norwe-

gian to reach the last four of a Masters tournament. Ruud, 21, was relishing "a great opportunity for me to play against one of the big three". Berrettini's elimination ended home hopes in the tournament which will be open to 1,000 spectators from Sunday's semi-finals. In the women's competition, Simona Halep remained on track for a first Rome titles, advancing to the semi-finals after Kazakh rival Yulia Putintseva retired while trailing 6-2, 2-0.

Halep has twice finished runner-up in Rome in 2017 and 2018, and "really wants

to win" the tournament.

"It's one of the biggest goals now," said Halep who is on a run of 12 consecutive victories after winning in Dubai in February and in Prague after the lockdown.

She will play Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, the ninth seed, for a place in the semifinals after the Spaniard ousted US Open finalist Victoria Arazenka.

Defending champion Karolina Pliskova, the second seed, will play fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova, last year's French Open runner-up.

Bowling to Virat Kohli is ‘proud moment’, says Rashid Khan AGENCIES IPL’s SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) legspinner Rashid Khan on Sunday said that bowling to Virat Kohli is a "proud moment" and he enjoys the challenge of bowling to someone of his his stature as it brings out the best in him. He also said that he can give his best performance with the bat in hand during the death overs of an innings. SRH will face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their opening match of IPL 2020 on September 21 at the Dubai International Stadium.

"I think I always have the thing in my mind, whenever there are three or four overs left in the innings, I think I can give the best performance with the bat. It depends on how the situation is, when I play the Big Bash, I have been told by the coaching staff as to how I need to go after the 15 overs mark. When you get such a positive response from coach and captain, it is really good," Rashid replied to an ANI query during a virtual press conference on Sunday.

"I should not be thinking much about I can bat, I should just focus on what I can do in the entire match, I will try my best to do well for the team," he added. Talking about his battle with Virat Kohli in the upcoming match against RCB, Rashid said: "I think whenever you are bowling to anyone, you are under pressure. Virat is a world-class player in all three formats, I love it when somebody like him is batting against me, it is the best competition and you want it as a bowler, I will enjoy bowling to him, it

will be a proud moment bowling to him. As a bowler, I will try to bowl the best deliveries."

The 22-year-old spinner also said that he has not developed any new deliveries for the upcoming tournament and his focus would just be to remain consistent for the Hyderabad-based franchise.

"I have been working hard on all my deliveries, I haven't developed any new delivery to a 100 per cent so I cannot afford to try new balls in a match like situation, I have been working hard, bringing new balls to a game would be hard for me. I need to be smarter compared to the last few years.

The more consistent I bowl, it will help me," said Rashid.

"Spinners will be key in this competition as it goes on, wickets might get better for the spinners as the tournament progresses, the grounds are bigger as well and that helps as a spinner. Sharjah is a small ground but the wicket would be good for the spinners," he added.

Rashid was last seen in action for the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020 and he has to come to UAE from a bio-secure bubble.

Talking about his extended stay in a bio-secure bubble, Rashid said: "Living in a bubble is something new, it is a requirement, you have to follow rules if you want the tournament to go ahead smoothly, it has been tough as a player, you have to be strong mentally. We are used to it now and we spent 15 days in quarantine when we went to play CPL,

luckily we just had six days of quarantine in the UAE, we are happy that cricket is back. We need to focus on what we need to do on the ground. It hopes that bubble life does not stay longer and we go back to normal soon."

Lastly, Rashid was quite impressed by the crowd noise technology used by the IPL organisers and the spinner said that it will help players to remain fresh in the middle.

"Playing without a crowd was a bit tough in the CPL, I was reminded of club cricket initially, the crowd noise helps you on the ground, the best idea from the IPL organisers has been to have crowd noise to keep players fresh in the middle. The crowd gives you extra energy in the ground but we know they are watching us from television," said Rashid.

Warner Hopes "At Least 25 Per Cent Crowds Will Be Allowed" When India Tour Australia Prolific Australia opener David Warner wants to see "at least 25 per cent crowds" inside the stadiums when they host Virat Kohli's India in a highprofile tour later this year. Warner said he was looking forward to the big-ticket assignment against one of their biggest rivals. "Well, I am looking forward to the tour which will be a great battle between two very highly competitive teams. And, I hope at least 25 per cent crowds will be allowed as was the case with some football matches. That will be fantastic," Warner said during a virtual media interaction.

Earlier this week, Victoria state

Premier Daniel Andrews said his government is negotiating with Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia to have crowd attendance for the city's iconic sports events -- Boxing Day Test and the Australian Open.

Warner is currently bracing up to lead SunRisers Hyderabad in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE. Talking about the challenges of playing the IPL in a bio-secure bubble and without crowd, he acknowledged that it is a very different and difficult job.

The ongoing IPL is being played under strict health safety guidelines and protocols, with players and support staff set to be tested every five days throughout the tournament.

"It is difficult for some to be away from their families for such a long time.

But, I do believe once the event starts, the players will be more focussed on the game. I think the BCCI and the hosts here have done a fantastic job to get the IPL going.

"All the players have to do is to be smart, look after their mental aspect well by doing small things to be fresh for any challenges," said Warner, one of the tournament's leading scorers in recent years.

"You play the game as the rest of things are being taken care off in these testing times during the pandemic. With no crowds at the ground which any team would miss, everyone will stay in a competitive frame of mind once the event gets along."

When Tendulkar accepted a ‘challenge of patience’ on Australia tour AGENCIES Sachin Tendulkar has played many memorable knocks in his illustrious career. He has almost every batting record in cricket and was pivotal to India’s success in the 90s and 2000s. As rare as it way, there was a time when Tendulkar wasn’t able to get going despite timing the ball well. His masterful innings of 241 not out against Australia stands out as one of his most crafty ones keeping in mind a strong of low scores that had followed Tendulkar in the first three Tests.

Tendulkar had scores of 0, 1, 37, 0 and 44 in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, and heading into Sydney, the batsman was fiercely dedicated to make it count. Tendulkar explained how he was aware of being mentally strong in order to get runs against a formidable Australian bowling department.

A conversation with his brother ensured Tendulkar concentrate hard on staying at the crease rather than scoring runs. He took up the challenge of not getting out in Sydney and eventually managed to get a solid

CMYK

double century. The striking feature of that knock was the fact that Tendulkar did not play a single cover-drive during his innings, which by the way, Tendulkar clarifies, was not part of his initial plan.

“I had a discussion with my brother. We normally used to discuss the reason behind my dismissal. He

told me ‘I don’t think there’s any flaw technically. But mentally there is a flaw in the shot selection. You’re pressing he pedal too hard. There’s no need to accelerate so much. Which shot is dismissing you, you need to analyse that’. He challenged me to stay not out because he felt no bowler could get me out. So, I accepted it,” Sachin told Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel.

“Not playing the cover drive wasn’t part of my plan but the moment I went out to the ground and I saw that the Australians are trying to play with my patience and are bowling all balls outside off. That’s when something inside me triggered. ‘Ok, you are challenging me by playing with my patience. Let’s see who loses it first - me or you 11’. And then I started leaving everything. Even if I’m batting on 150 and you bowl outside off, you get a maiden, but I’m not going to play what you want me to play.”

India posted a colossal 705/7 decl. with VVS Laxman also scoring a century. The match was drawn with Simon Katich getting the runs for the home side.

Monday, 21 September, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

Us defies world to say iraN UN saNctioNs back iN force WASHINGTON

t

AGENCIES

hE United States unilaterally proclaimed on Saturday that United Nations sanctions against Iran were back in force and promised to punish those who violate them, in a move other major countries — including its allies — said lacked legal basis.

The so-called snapback — announced last month — also drew a sharp rebuke from Tehran, which called on the rest of the world to unite against US “reckless actions”. “Today, the United States welcomes the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. he said the measures were back in effect from 8:00 pm Washington time (0000 GMT Sunday). The Trump administration also promised to “impose consequences” on any UN member state which does not comply with the measures.

The sanctions in question were lifted in 2015 when Iran signed on to an international agreement not to seek to build nuclear weapons. But President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the landmark accord in 2018, saying the deal — negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama — was insufficient. he then renewed and even strengthened Washington’s own sanctions. At the moment, the US is insisting it is still a participant in the agreement that it stormed out of, but only so it can activate the snapback option, which it announced on August 20. Virtually every other member of the Security Council disputes Washington’s ability to execute this legal pirouette, and the council has not taken the measure any further.

On Sunday, two permanent council members — France and Britain — issued a joint statement along with non-permanent member Germany saying Pompeo’s “purported notification” was “incapable of having any legal effect”.

Russia’s foreign ministry also said in a statement that Washington’s state-

IRAN SAYS IT EXPECTS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STAND AGAINST THE ‘RECKLESS ACTIONS’ OF US ments lacked legal authority. “The illegitimate initiatives and actions of the United States by definition cannot have international legal consequences for other countries,” it said.

‘RECKLESS ACTIONS’: Meanwhile, Iran on Sunday called on the rest of the world to unite against the “reckless actions” of the US. “We expect the international community and all the countries in the world to stand against these reckless actions by the regime in the White house and speak in one voice,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a news conference in Tehran.

“The whole world is saying nothing has changed,” Khatibzadeh said, adding sanctions were in place only in the “imaginary world” of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “This is much ado about nothing, and I believe these are the most

bitter days and hours for the United States,” he added. Calling Washington “isolated” and “on the wrong side of history”, Khatibzadeh said Tehran’s message for it was to “return to the international community, to your commitments, stop rebelling and the world will accept you.”

‘CONSEQUENCES’: Pompeo had promised in his announcement that measures would be announced in the coming days against “violators” of the sanctions.

“If UN member states fail to fulfill their obligations to implement these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures and ensure that Iran does not reap the benefits of UN-prohibited activity,” he stated.

With 45 days to go until the November 3 election, Trump could unveil those measures in his speech at the UN General

Assembly on Tuesday. In mid-August, the US suffered a resounding defeat at the UN Security Council when it tried to extend the embargo on conventional weapons being sent to Tehran, which was due to expire in October.

Pompeo made an unusually vehement attack on France, Britain and Germany, accusing them of “siding with Iran’s ayatollahs,” and on August 20 announced the snapback. The Trump administration, however, is acting as if the international sanctions are in place, while the rest of the international community continues to act as if nothing has changed. Washington is hammering home that the arms embargo has been extended “indefinitely” and that many activities related to Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs are now subject to international sanctions.

Some observers said Washington’s latest announcement was counterproductive. “I don’t see anything happening,” said one UN diplomat. “It would be just a statement. It’s like pulling a trigger and no bullet coming out.”

No actioN oN UN iraN saNctioNs dUe to 'UNcertaiNty': GUterres NEW YORK: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Saturday that he cannot take any action on a US declaration that all UN sanctions on Iran had been reimposed because "there would appear to be uncertainty" on the issue.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last month that he triggered a 30-day process at the Security Council leading to the return of UN sanctions on Iran on Saturday evening that would also stop a conventional arms embargo on Tehran from expiring on October 18. But 13 of the 15 Security Council members say Washington's move is void because Pompeo used a mechanism agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that the US quit in 2018. "There would appear to be uncertainty whether or not the process was indeed initiated and concomitantly whether or not the [sanctions] terminations ... continue in effect," Guterres wrote in a letter to the Security Council. "It is not for the Secretary General to proceed as if no such uncertainty exists," he said.

UN officials provide administrative and technical support to the Security Council to carry out its sanctions regimes and Guterres appoints independent experts to monitor their introduction. He said that pending clarification of the status of the Iran sanctions, he would not take any action to provide that support. Washington argues it triggered the return of sanctions, known as a snapback, because a UN resolution that enshrines the pact still names it as a participant. Diplomats say few countries are likely to reimpose the measures lifted under the 2015 deal, which aimed to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

"If UN member states fail to fulfil their obligations to implement these sanctions, the United States is prepared to use our domestic authorities to impose consequences for those failures," Pompeo said on Saturday.

He said that in the coming days Washington would announce additional measures to strengthen the introduction of the UN sanctions and hold those who breach them accountable. AGENCIES

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:04

12:26

4:48

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11 civiliaNs killed, 10 iNjUred iN twiN air strikes oN talibaN base KUNDUZ: At least 11 civilians were killed and more than 10 others wounded in twin air strikes on a Taliban base in the northeastern Afghan province of Kunduz, a provincial official said. The Taliban issued a statement accusing Afghan forces of killing at least 40 civilians in the air raids. The armed group did not comment on casualties among its fighters.

Defence ministry officials in Kabul, who said more than 40 Taliban fighters had been killed in the strikes, did not confirm any civilian casualties. They said an investigation was underway into the incident, which comes as the warring sides hold peace talks. "The first strike hit the Taliban base but the second one caused civilian casualties as they had gathered at the bombed site," said Fatima Aziz, a member of parliament who represents Kunduz.

"This morning, Taliban fighters attacked [Afghan army] positions in ... Khan Abad district in Kunduz province," the defence ministry said in a statement on Twitter. The military "intercepted the attack in accordance with 'active defence' procedures", the statement added, noting the dead included two commanders. Aziz said 11 civilians were killed and five people were missing in the Khan Abad district of Kunduz province. According to another witness, the air raids killed 12 civilians, including children, and wounded 18 others and Taliban fighters were also among the dead. The attack came shortly before President Ashraf Ghani again called for a humanitarian ceasefire "to protect our people, prevent violence and terrorist incidents and to achieve a dignified and lasting peace". Fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban has continued even as representatives of the government and the armed group gathered in Qatar last week for historic peace talks aimed at ending about 20 years of war. The negotiations are a result of a deal between the Taliban and the US signed in February, which also paved the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces by May 2021. AGENCIES

india's coronavirus infections surge to 5.4 million MUMBAI: India’s coronavirus case tally surged to 5.4 million as it added 92,605 new infections in the last 24 hours, data from the federal health ministry showed on Sunday. The country has posted the highest single-day caseload in the world since early August, and lags behind only the United States, which has 6.7 million cases in terms of total infections. A total of 1,113 people died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said, taking mortalities to 86,752, which is a relatively low 1.6 per cent of all cases. AGENCIES

G20 trade ministers meet this week to discuss economic growth RIYADH AGENCIES

Trade and investment ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies will meet this week to discuss trade policies to boost inclusive and sustainable economic growth amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

G20 ministers will also deliberate on ways to support the necessary reforms of the World Trade Organisation, the G20 said in a statement late on Saturday evening. These discussions will focus on improving the international competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), increasing economic diversification and strengthening international investment, the G20 said. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce Majid Al Qasabi and Minister of Investment Khaled Al Faleh will lead the September 22 meeting. The kingdom holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year.

Progress made on the organisation’s action plan on supporting world trade and investment in response to Covid-19 will also be discussed during the online session. In May, the G20 laid out short and long-term responses to alleviate the impact of the coronavirus that included a plan to support "the necessary reform of the WTO and the multilateral trading system, build resilience in global supply chains and strengthen international investment”, the ministers said at the time. Short-term collective actions recommended by the G20 Trade and Investment Working Group include removing trade barriers, facilitating trade, improving transparency, enhancing the operation of logistics networks and supporting MSMEs. Global trade is expected to decline 27 percent in the second quarter of this year, compared with the previous three months, according to data by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.

Global production and manufacturing output are set to decline by 9 percent compared with a year ago, UNCTAD said in May. 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