EpaperKHI_21-02-15

Monday, 15 February, 2021 I 2 Rajab, 1442 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XI No 228 I 52 Pages I Karachi Edition

CommerCial sale of Coronavirus vaCCines to begin shortly g

Private lab to receive russia’s sPutnik v vaccine within a week

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE STAFF REPORT

a

private laboratory will soon receive russia’s sputnik v covid-19 vaccine for commercial sale, a company official said on sunday, making Pakistan one of the first countries to market shots privately as it scrambles to secure supplies. last week, russia’s sputnik v became the third coronavirus vaccine to receive eua (emergency use authorisation) after china’s sinopharm and the one developed by astraZeneca and oxford university. despite concerns over fairness and higher prices, the government agreed this week to allow the commercial import and sale of vaccines without price caps, in contrast to most countries, which are importing and administering vaccines through government channels. “we are told the first shipment is expected within the next week,” chughtai lab director omar chughtai told reuters, adding it would be receiving several thousand doses.

Pakistan’s decision to allow private sales of vaccines without a price cap in a

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

563,029

LAST UPDATED AT 10:22 AM ON FEBRUARY 14, 2021

31

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

1,404 DEATHS:

525,087 12,307 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

253,511

163,833

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

69,778

Pakistan to get 17M doses of oxford-astraZeneca vaccine

lower-income country of 220 million people faces criticism. former special assistant to prime minister on national health services Zafar Mirza, while praising government efforts to procure and distribute the free vaccine, said that avoiding a price cap for private sales “will deepen inequality in society at a time when there is a need to have widespread coverage.” the government launched a vaccination drive this month with 500,000 doses of the sinopharm vaccine donated by longtime friend china. but aside from the donated chinese doses, islamabad has not completed any deals to buy vaccines.

PRICES WILL ‘APPEAR INFLATED’: sputnik v is one of four vaccines approved for emergency use in Pakistan, in addition to those by china’s sinopharm and cansinobio, and the astraZeneca-oxford university shot. chughtai lab aims to import the others as well, but sputnik v was the first to become available, chughtai said.

Minister of state for health faisal sultan told reuters in a message he was “not directly aware” of the deal. chughtai declined to specify import costs or prices but said the price would

Coronavirus in

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

g

18,929

9,448/4,940 42,590

“appear inflated” compared to what has been reported for sputnik v globally, given the smaller volume it was planning to sell relative to global procurement. sputnik v’s developers have said the two-dose vaccine would be sold at $10 per dose. “internationally there is very high demand, and i would not be surprised if the price points are higher today,” chughtai said, adding that prices will come down over the next three to four months as more vaccine becomes available. “the biggest challenge around the vaccines globally right now is the allocation to specific countries,” he said. chughtai said that his lahore-based pathology lab had turned down “grey market” offers from people in various countries who had “extra vaccine” not officially meant for re-export. the lab is importing sputnik v through ali gohar Pharmaceuticals Pvt ltd and the russian direct investment fund, which is responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad. chughtai said that he expected an official government decree in the next two days specifying rules on inoculations by the private sector, including on registration of recipients. the company expects to receive shipments every four to five days.

OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA VACCINE: Pakistan will soon 17 million doses of the oxford-astraZeneca covid-19 vaccine under the covax scheme, the british high commission said on sunday, which would therein guarantee the protection of 8 million people. according to a statement from the commission, the country will receive “17 million doses of the vaccine before april”. thereafter, “before June”, Pakistan will receive an “additional 10 million doses”, said the statement.

Previously, federal Minister for Planning, development and special initiatives asad umar had said that delivery would start in february and about 6 million doses would arrive by March.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

100 queue up for 49 Senate slots as election fever overtakes political landscape ISLAMABAD mIAN AbRAR

election commission of Pakistan (ecP) on sunday said that at least 100 candidates submitted their nomination papers so far with returning officers (ros) for contesting the election on senate vacant seats to be held on March 3. in Peshawar, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) candidate shazia tehmas and the ruling Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf’s (Pti) dost Muhammad Mehsud filed their nomination papers. similarly, in lahore, Pti’s aon abbas and Malik Zaheer abbas submitted their application for candidacy in the polls. according to officials, 17 candidates have filed their nomination papers from Punjab, 22 from sindh, 30 from khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP), 25 from balochistan and six from islamabad. as many as 23 nomination papers have been submitted for women seats while eight for nonMuslim and 18 nomination papers have been submitted for technocrats and ulema seats besides 51 for general seats.

Pakistan end South Africa's unbeaten Asia record with T20 series win LAHORE AGENCIES

tail-ender hasan ali hit two sixes in the penultimate over to help Pakistan clinch the twenty20 international series against south africa with a four-wicket win in the third and final match in lahore on sunday. hasan finished with a sevenball 20 not out as Pakistan overhauled a 165-run target in 18.4 overs to win the series 2-1, south africa's first t20i series defeat in asia. south africa had previously won five and drawn one t20i series in asia. south africa's late blip meant david Miller's robust 85 not out and spinner tabraiz shamsi's four wickets, which seemed to have put the tourists on the road to victory, were in vain.

Miller smashed seven sixes and five fours off just 45 balls to lift south africa from a tottering 48-6. he helped add 116 for the last four wickets, taking south africa to 164-8. shamsi then picked up 4-25 in four incisive overs and Pakistan needed 53 off the last six overs and 28 off the last three. with 16 needed off the final two overs, andile Phehlukwayo bowled a waist-high no-ball which hasan hit for six to ease the

he said that the commission had already extended the date for filing nomination papers for senate election from february 13 to february 15 on written and verbal requests from various forums to facilitate the candidates. he said that the ecP had appointed five returning officers for islamabad and four provinces while the candidates could file their nomination papers on saturday also with ros. he said that the polling will be held on March 3 on 48 seats, two in islamabad, 11 each in Punjab and sindh, and 12 each in kP and balochistan that will fall vacant on the expiration of the term of the members. he added that the polling would be held from 0900 hours to 1700 hours simultaneously in Parliament house, islamabad, and provincial assembly buildings in Punjab, sindh, khyber Pakhtunkhwa and balochistan. it is pertinent here to mention that the election commission of Pakistan has extended the date for submission of nomination papers for the senate elections till Monday.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Standard, affordable facilities for masses a priority: PM STORY ON PAGE 03

aMan-21 to promote cooperation against terrorism, crimes: cJcsc PAKISTAN 169 FOR 6 (BABAR 44, SHAMSI 4-25) BEAT SOUTH AFRICA 164 FOR 8 (MILLER 85 NOT OUT, ing two towering pressure. he then sixes, off 30 balls. hit a four and a MAHMOOD 3-40) BY Pakistan won six to seal victory.

FOUR WICKETS the first match by Mohammad nawaz finished with 18 not out, while skipper babar azam scored 44 and in-form Mohammad rizwan made 42.

Pakistan, who opened with haider ali instead of azam, raced to 51 off 6.1 overs before shamsi dismissed haider (15), removed rizwan leg-before and bowled hussain talat for five to halt the home team's progress. rizwan, who hit 104 not out and 51 in the first two matches, struck seven boundaries, includ-

three runs while south africa took the second by six wickets, both also played in lahore. south africa lost their first six wickets for 48 and their seventh at 64. nawaz dismissed reeza hendricks (two) and Jon-Jon smuts (one). then debutant Zahid Mahmood removed heinrich klaasen (nought) and Janneman Malan (27) off succesive deliveries in his first over.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

STORY ON BACK PAGE

Govt making all-out efforts for Karachi’s development, says minister STORY ON BACK PAGE in today’s issue

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02

Monday, 15 February, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

RasHEED says gOvt fiRED 'uNusED' sHELLs at PROtEstERs tO tEst tHEM

i

NEWS DESK

NTERIOR Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Sunday said that the firing of "a little tear gas" on protesting government employees had been necessary to test the gas as "it had been unused for a long time".

While a ceremony in Rawalpindi, the interior minister claimed that only a small amount of tear gas had been used. However, reports indicate 1,000 tear gas shells had been fired at the protesters to disperse them.

The protest of government employees for an increase in salaries and other demands near Pakistan Secretariat earlier this week saw the police arresting several protestors while those stuck in the Secretariat Block broke the door to escape.

The protest had ended a day after the incident when the government agreed to increase the basic pay of federal government employees from grades 1 to 19 by 25 per cent.

Demonstrations had been held at several points of the city, including Constitution Avenue, outside Secretariat Block, Cabinet Block and outside the National Press Club.

Later, the protesters had started a march towards the Parliament House to intercept which police placed containers on the roads, sealing off D-Chowk.

“Action will be taken against the ones who took law in their hands,” a statement by a police spokesperson had said.

At the time, Rasheed had said the government was continuously engaged in talks with the Federal government employees protesting here to resolve their salaries issues.

ECP serves notice on 20 MPs for attending PML-N Daska meeting ISLAMABAD

The government's parliamentary committee had already held negotiations with All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) and the committee had agreed to increase the pay of 16-grade employees in spite of the protest, he had said talking to a private news channel.

The minister had said that the protestors were now demanding to raise salaries of employees up to 22 scales which were impossible for the government as the country was already confronting financial crunch.

22-grade officials had been fully supporting and even inciting the employees to protest and create anarchy, he had added.

He had said that the incumbent government intended to increase salaries of the federal employees up to 16-grade.

He had added that, due to the 18th

amendment, the federal government was not bound to increase salaries of employees of the provinces. Rasheed had said that the police personnel had taken actions against violators of law during the protest.

PDM's LONG MARCH: During his address today, the interior minister had said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would be welcome as long as they followed the law. He said that if they did not stay within the limits of the law and the Constitution, then "Islamabad would be Islamabad".

"I want to tell the whole PDM that if you [remain] within the limits during the long march here, there will be no problem, no obstacle. If you want to come to Islamabad while remaining within the limits of the law, come 10 times because you will have to

return. You do not have the strength."

He also said that the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) 126-day sit-in had been the most difficult thing he had done in his life.

Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the country was nearly out of the woods now, stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the army had led a "jihad" against the novel disease. "People who utter bad words against this great army should have their tongues pulled out," he maintained, referring to the soldiers who were martyred in an attack in South Waziristan earlier this week. "No PMLN [Paksitan Muslim League-Nawaz] member can say anything against the army. If he does, he is not a [member of the N-League]."

The interior minister termed frequent martyrdoms of soldiers in terrorist attacks "a plot to destabilise the country from within".

Female students barred from sitting in front seats of vans in Mansehra

INP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday issued notices to 20 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers for attending the party's public meeting held a day earlier in Daska, Sialkot in connection with a by-poll on February 19. According to the regulations governing the election process, sitting members of the legislative assemblies are forbidden from campaigning during an election. Notices were served on Mariyyum Aurangzeb, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Ahsan-Iqbal, Mian Javed Latif, Hina Pervez Butt, Musaddiq Malik, Khurram Dastgir, Ali Zaid Fatima, Zeeshan Rafiq, Rana Muhammad Afzal, Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, Chaudhry Waqar Ahmed, Ghulam Raza, Rana Abdul Sattar, Chaudhry Naveed, Bilal Akbar, Muhammad Ashfaq and Khawaja Muhammad Waseem among others. The show cause notice was issued by the monitoring team of the election commission.

One injured as Haq's car rams into concrete blocks

NEWS DESK The Mansehra Traffic Police has issued controversial directives wherein they have barred female students and women from sitting in the front seats of Suzuki vans used by public transporters across the district.

According to a press release issued by the police department, the measures have been taken after listening to the complaints of concerned parents who reported the harassment of schoolchildren, particularly girls, at the hands of van drivers who provide them pick-and-drop services.

“We have imposed restrictions on the travel of the girl students in the front seats of school vans in pursuance of the local culture and tradition,” Muddasar Zia, the traffic police inspector, told journalists.

The media report suggests that the drivers use the fact that the front compartment of the van is usually partitioned, such that the rear passengers cannot see what happens in the front and vice versa.

The drivers involved in the violation will be fined and may face legal action. Traffic wardens have been directed to ensure that female students, except for minors, do not travel to school and back home seated in the front seats of the vans.

However, some social media users see the move as discrimination against women and female students.

In this regard, a press release by the traffic police read: “This is not a human rights issue. In fact, imposing a ban on students to share front seats with drivers is one of the measures being adopted by the Hazara police to protect the lives and dignity of the students.”

“We have conducted the screening of school van drivers to ensure that drivers, who used drugs, are not allowed to take children to schools,” it added.

Pakistan has been making more concerted efforts to tackle the harassment of females within the country. Earlier this month, Punjab Ombudsperson Rukhsana Gillani had said that 12 government

officers have been removed from service under the Harassment Act, 2020.

In a statement, she had said that workplace harassment has always challenged the autocracy of females as a workforce. To revitalise the energies of 51 per cent of the population ought to be the main agenda of every organisation, she had added.

“To provide secure environment to the females at the workplace, Punjab ombudsperson is on its toes to deal with every obstacle that comes in their way,” she had maintained, adding that during the year 2020, a number of cases of harassment were received, which is an alarming yet a positive sign that at least women are no longer afraid of anyone and are having serious concerns about their safety at the workplace.

After conducting detailed inquiries, fulfilling all the legal aspects of received cases and multiple hearings from both sides 12 officers were removed from service, which is the highest penalty, the ombudsperson had said.

Taliban deny chief Haibatullah was killed in Quetta

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The vehicle of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Chairman Abrarul Haq rammed into concrete blocks on a road near Gakhar Mandi city of Gujranwala district early Sunday morning, injuring his nephew. According to rescue officials, the singer-turned-politician, his nephew, and other family members were in the car when the accident took place. “The accident took place due to dense fog,” a traffic police official said. “The driver didn’t see the concrete blocks placed to divide the road.”

The injured was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was declared out of danger.

KABUL STAFF REPORT

Afghan Taliban rejected a report claiming the militant group's chief had been killed in a blast in Quetta.

Hashte Sobh, an Afghan daily, citing sources, reported on Sunday the explosion had occurred in a safe house several months ago, killing Haibatullah Akhundzada, the group's intelligence head Matitullah and finance chief Hafiz Abdul Majid.

“This report is utterly fake and far from reality," Arab News reported, citing Zabihullah Mujahid, a

spokesman for the Taliban.

"We reject this report [...] the enemy is under pressure and is trying to create worry through spreading such rumors,” he said. "Neither our leaders are in Pakistan nor such incidents can be kept hidden."

Haibatullah, an Islamic legal scholar and one of Mullah Akhtar Mansour’s deputies, was appointed leader of the Afghan Taliban in May 2016 after the latter's death in a US drone strike. Akhundzada, believed to be around 65 years of age and a member of the powerful Noorzai tribe, was a close aide to Omar and is from Kandahar, in the south of Afghanistan and the heartland of the Taliban.

In June, a report suggesting Haibatullah's death from the coronavirus had emerged but was refuted by Taliban officials. Foreign Policy, citing unnamed Taliban officials, had reported that the militant contracted Covid-19 and possibly died while receiving treatment abroad. The Taliban movement banned human images for breaching their strict interpretation of Islam when they governed Afghanistan.

Under their rule, women could only appear in public under a heavy veil and accompanied by a male relative, and they were denied a formal education.

Public executions were staged and sports banned.

CPEC shrugs off all odds, moving forward with new vigour ISLAMABAD APP

Despite the international propaganda move, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is moving forward by shrugging off all odds with lot of successes and new investments.

Although the year 2020 proved to be yet another period of misunderstanding about the CPEC, all such negative campaigns are gradually proving wrong.

The campaigners utilise “debt trap”, “slow pace of CPEC projects” and “withdrawal of Chinese investment” as their main weapons to misguide the people specially those livening in Pakistan.

A US based Magazine “The Atlantic” in its research article has termed the slogan of “debt trap” by China, a myth.

The debt trap slogan is definitely aimed at halting the flow of Chinese investment to Pakistan and it was first used in Sri Lanka.

Although the country is in debt crisis but China has nothing to do with the crisis.

Dushni Weerakoon of Sri Lanka’s Institute of Policy Studies and Sisira Jayasuriya, a professor of economics at

Monash University, highlighted that China’s share in the national debt was only 10 per cent.

Furthermore, over 60pc of this 10pc loan is at the concessionary rate of 2pc. It is only a myth that Sri Lanka has to cede Hambantota Port to China.

The same strategy has been adopted to malign CPEC without paying any heed to data or analysis on CPEC investment.

Such disinformation starts with reports of debt crisis in Pakistan and its weak foreign currency reserves. It is used to stir fear among people.

The US magazine said, “Chinese banks are willing to restructure the terms of existing loans and have never actually seized an asset from any country, much less the port of Hambantota, Sri Lanka."

It added the Sri Lanka never defaulted and it was only a myth that the Chinese firms had taken over the Sri Lankan port due to non-payment of dues.

Meanwhile another article published in a local daily newspaper, said Pakistan was indebted to a number of international financial institutions including World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Paris Club, but

the focus of international propaganda campaign was only on Chinese investment and debts.

The article added that they manipulate data in such a way that puts all the blame on CPEC, though the contribution of CPECrelated investment is only 5.6pc, which they intentionally ignore.

The same reports are highlighted and propagated through different media channels. Innocent minds of Pakistanis are trapped through these reports. Common people cannot understand the economic terminologies and the complicated debt data.

Talking about another false slogan- the rolling back of Chinese investment, the article added that the disinformation campaign has accelerated following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The pandemic and its impact on the global economy and investment have provided a greater opportunity to manipulate data. Thus, it is necessary to understand the global dynamics before discussing CPEC. Despite all odds and challenges amid the pandemic, China is not sitting back. While first half of 2020 saw some turbulence, later China recovered and accelerated its

investment.

Pakistan being the host to CPEC, the flagship project of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), got special focus. China started enhancing investment in CPEC and non-CPEC projects.

According to official sources, China and Pakistan recently launched two mega hydroelectric power projects valuing $1.93 billion. Further, the ML-1 railway project has also been finally agreed between the two countries and discussions are now at advanced stages.

The CPEC opponents are also trying to create confusion among the people about slow speed of the projects.

The evidences show that the CPEC is going on at a good pace, rather the project has expanded over the past two years.

The setting up of CPEC Authority gave a fresh impetus to the project with expansion in the areas of cooperation.

The M-4 motorway project was completed during that period. CPEC helped Pakistan to keep 40,000 of its workers engaged. Gwadar Port started functioning as a transit trade facility. The groundbreaking of Allama Iqbal Special Economic Zone

(SEZ) was performed and preparation for the groundbreaking of Rashakai SEZ has been finalised.

Pakistan and China also expanded cooperation under CPEC. First, social development was added to the basket and China committed more than $1 billion. The programme will focus on skills development, healthcare, education and job creation.

In 2020, two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed in the fields of agriculture and science and technology. Besides, China offered to donate a date processing plant for Balochistan. The plant will play an important role in creating livelihood opportunities for the local people and enhancing export earnings for Pakistan.

Hence, the campaign against CPEC is unjustified and does not have any sound footing. It is suggested that the government should take immediate steps to improve communication about CPEC benefits for poverty reduction, industrialisation and economic transformation.

The CPEC Authority is already working on it and it has improved the communication tremendously but there is a need to further accelerate the process.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

KARACHI

STandard, affordable faCIlITIeS for MaSSeS a PrIorITy: PM ISLAMABAD

P

TLTP

RIMe Minister Imran Khan has said that provision of standard and cheap health facilities to the people and social protection are foremost priorities of the government.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the premier said that the health cards system will not only protect the common man in respect of health but also revolutionise the health system. earlier on Friday, PM Imran had said that provision of quality and affordable healthcare and social security to the people, especially the lower class, is the top priority of the government. He was presiding over a high-level meeting which reviewed the progress on the programme of Universal Health Insurance.

The prime minister directed for continuous monitoring of the Universal Health Insurance Programme and assured all possible cooperation from the government in this regard.

The meeting was briefed that under a short term plan, health cards will be provided in seven districts of Sahiwal and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions by the end of the current financial year.

The meeting was further informed that by December this year, the entire population of Punjab will be given access to better treatment facilities through Health Cards under Universal Health Insurance Programme.

ONE BILLION SAPLING PLANTATION TARGET: Separately, Prime Minister Imran has set a target of the plantation of one billion saplings by August 2021.

The incumbent government has so far planted as many as 700 million saplings and it plans to plant 350 million more between February and August, thereby achieving the one billion sapling plantation target. PM Imran will himself take part in plantation drives in the four provinces by attending events to be organised in this regard to encourage plantation among people.

The sources said Special Assistant to the PM (SAPM) on Climate Change

Malik Amin Aslam has outlined a schedule for the prime minister’s visit to the provinces. The premier will soon attend an event to be held in connection with the launch of a mangrove plantation drive in Sindh and partake in olive plantation drives in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan.

The premier in a tweet on Saturday had said that the government has launched urban forestry on the lines of Japanese Miyawaki technique to fight pollution. The prime minister had added that 50 sites have been chosen in Lahore for this purpose.

He had noted that Miyawaki technique helps grow trees ten times faster and thirty times denser. He had said the first experiment of Miyawaki was done at Liberty Roundabout Lahore last year.

The Miyawaki technique was developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki and it helps in building dense forests. The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.

It involves planting dozens of native

species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years. The technique is alternatively known as the potted seedling method.

The method helps ensure a lowering of temperature, makes soil nutritious, supports local wildlife and sequestration of carbon.

The Miyawaki technique is used firstly by carrying out a soil survey. The survey helps in determining the soil texture in which plants should be planted. Under the method, there is also a need to identify all native species in the area and saplings with the highest height between 60–80 centimetres.

To ensure it is a success tree species are selected as per the three layers like shrub layer, Subtree layer, tree layer, and canopy layer. It is also pertinent to mention that the same species are not to be placed next to each other. Once the soil has been prepared and the trees are planted using the Miyawaki methodology the forest will be required to be monitored for three years. After three years the forest becomes selfsufficient.

Fazl cancels PDM protests to focus on election, long march preparations ISLAMABAD Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the alliance of 11 opposition parties, has decided to cancel its protest rallies scheduled for February 23 and 27 to better prepare itself for the March 3 Senate elections as well the planned long march.

According to a source in the PDM, the alliance chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday made telephonic contact with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The source said that both the politicians decided to cancel PDM’s rallies in Sargodha on February 23 in view of the country's Senate election and the opposition's long march. Both the politicians also decided to cancel the February 27 protest in Khuzdar, Balochistan, to focus on Senate polls.

The source said that Fazl later directed all parties to expedite preparations for the long march. He said that all parties should expedite the preparations for the Senate elections and the long march.

Meanwhile, National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser has decided not to issue production orders for all detained members of the lower house for the Senate elections until and unless the imprisoned politicians make a formal request.

According to an official source, Qaiser has said that voting is the right of every member and production orders of detained members will only be issued if the concerned lawmaker makes a formal request as per law.

Maryam suggests eggs sold by kgs, gets trolled LAHORE: A video of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz suggesting eggs are weighed and sold by kilograms has been viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter.

The clip is part of the speech Maryam delivered during a public meeting in Daska, Sialkot on Saturday in connection with a by-poll in the constituency on February 19. In the video, Maryam while confusing the metric and duodecimal systems asked the "per kilogram" price of eggs. WEB DESK

Qaiser said that due to blunders committed by the previous government, PML-N is now turning into a regional political party and added that slogans chanted by them are neither in the interest of the public nor in the interest of the country.

He stressed that they could not achieve their nefarious designs through chanting such hateful slogans.

He asked PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz to tender an apology to the nation over the slogans.

He said that talks of national development do not align with those who had played havoc with the country and they should feel shame for their misdeeds. He maintained that PML-N had ruined Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and other national institutions during their rule.

The NA speaker added that, due to best economic and political policies of the present government, the country has been put on the right track that is not digested by the flopped rulers of the past. He asked the opposition to refrain from making futile attempts of dividing the country and nation for the sake of achieving political objectives.

Meanwhile, the committee to investigate the alleged vote-buying in the 2018 Senate elections in its first meeting held on Saturday decided to invite the journalist who released the video on the media.

It also decided to request those who might have firsthand information or knowledge of the incident to share it with the committee either in writing or inperson.

It is pertinent to mention here that opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N parliamentary leader Khawaja Asif, Pakistan People's Party's (PPP) Khurshid Shah and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir are in jail.

The source said that the speaker would only issue production orders for the jailed lawmakers if the NA Secretariat received requests for issuance of production orders. <span;>It may be recalled that polling for the Senate elections will be held in the National Assembly Hall on March 3 and the detained members need to be shifted to Islamabad by the evening of March 2.

It may be recalled that the schedule of Senate elections in Pakistan has been released. A statement issued by the election Commission of Pakistan said that the Senate elections in the country will be held on March 3, according to the statement of the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP). earlier, while addressing a workers’ convention at Swabi, Qaisar said that the present government had come into power with a mandate against corruption. He ruled out a compromise with those who had sold their votes in Senate polls.

The NA speaker has said that he condemns such acts as he had always stood for honour and prestige and would continue it in future also.

He maintained that the tradition of the secret ballot in Senate elections should end now, so the people should know the actual situation. He said that in past some elected representatives have bargained their conscious.

MIAN ABRAR

Govt focused on development of S Punjab: Buzdar LAHORE INP

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Sunday said that the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is focused on the development of the south Punjab region.

In a statement, the chief minister said that the district authorities were ensuring the provision of basic facilities to the public.

The government will soon hold local bodies elections across Punjab to resolve the problems of the people at the grassroots level, he added.

Buzdar had earlier said he personally visited the

far-flung areas of the province to be aware of the problems being faced by the public, stressing he is the voice of all such areas and not just Dera Ghazi Khan, his hometown.

He said that the development of education, irrigation, and health sector is the top priority of the government and it is also working to provide the facility of drinking water to backward areas.

While criticising opposition parties, he said that there is mistrust in the ranks of the PDM alliance and predicted that the opposition will backtrack from the proposed long march to Islamabad just as it took a U-turn from the threat of en masse resignations.

NEWS

03

'PTI awards Senate tickets to candidates of all provinces to grip majority seats' ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Sunday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had awarded the Senate tickets to the candidates belonging to all the provinces to win the majority of the seats in the upcoming elections. Prime Minister Imran Khan, being a party chairman, has given Senate tickets to the candidates on recommendations of the parliamentary committee, he said while talking to a private news channel. The minister said that all the tickets had been awarded to the candidates after consultation. He added the tickets were awarded to those workers loyal to the party. He expressed hope that the PTI would emerge as the victorious party in the Senate. He claimed that all allied party members who would support the government in the forthcoming polls. He further said that the PTI government was committed to conducting the Senate election through open balloting to discourage horsetrading practice and to ensure transparency in the process. It was written in the Charter of Democracy (CoD), which was signed by two former prime ministers in 2006, that the Senate polls should be carried out through open voting, he added. Faraz maintained that PM Imran was taking all decisions in larger national interest to put the country on the path of development and prosperity. A day earlier, the information minister, who himself will contest the upcoming elections, had said that the government is making efforts to ensure transparency in the upcoming Senate elections. Talking to the media persons in Peshawar on Saturday, the information minister had said that a transparent electoral system strengthens democratic system in the country. APP

'Inefficient' govt officers issued show-cause notices ISLAMABAD: Government officers were issued show-cause notices and warning letters over their non-seriousness and inaction on public complaints registered at the Citizen Portal after Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of their inefficiency in a cabinet meeting on Sunday. According to the details issued by the Prime Minister's Office, the Punjab chief secretary had completed the scrutiny of 1,586 officers’ dashboards and submitted a report of the PM’s delivery unit to the premier. As per the report, 263 officers were issued warning letters, whereas show-cause notices were issued to seven others.

Around 833 officers were directed to be careful in future and explanation was sought from 111 others.

However, the performance of 403 officers was appreciated in the report. The secretaries of information, agriculture, excise and irrigation in Punjab had been written to about improving their performance. Letters were also written to 20 deputy commissioners of Punjab, including of Lahore, Gujrat and Sheikhupura. Moreover, show-cause notices have been issued to 43 assistant commissioners, including those in Raiwind, Jhang, Burewala, Sadiqabad, Nankana Sahib and Pindi Gheb. APP

31 more deaths from Covid-19 take nationwide toll to 12,307 ISLAMABAD: The number of people who have died in Pakistan after contracting the coronavirus rose on Sunday by 31 to 12,307, data showed. The number of people treated in hospitals for the coronavirus and the number of people in intensive care units (ICUs) continued to decline, it suggested. According to the latest data by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 1,404 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. Sindh remained the worst-hit province in terms of positive cases followed

by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Islamabad.

To date, 253,511 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh; 163,833 in Punjab; 69,778 in KP; 42,590 in Islamabad; 18,929 in Balochistan; 9,448 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 4,940 in GilgitBaltistan (GB). Furthermore, 5,037 individuals lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab; 4,212 in Sindh; 1,991 in KP; 485 in Islamabad; 281 in Azad Kashmir; 199 in Balochistan; and 102 in GB. INP

NCOC approached for vaccination of shelter homes' staffers ISLAMABAD APP

As part of the strategy to make shelter homes safe and secure and promoting healthy lives at the premises, Naseemur Rehman, focal person for the Panahngah programme, has sought the National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) support for the inclusion of the programme's workers in the priority list for Covid19 vaccination.

According to Naseem, a formal request for vaccination of over a hundred frontline team members managing food, shelter and provision of the sophisticated environment at the shelter homes of the twin cities of

Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been made to Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar who also heads the NCOC. “In a first leg, we are going to make sure that the service providers of twin cities are vaccinated, following which as part of the effort to expand this initiative to across the country, provincial authorities will also be approached,” he noted.

He said that such an initiative would send a strong message for vaccination’s efficiency and safety for all, particularly the vulnerable groups.

In a letter, Naseem underscored the need for inclusion of field staff, describing them as "among the most vulnerable groups" due to high exposure to the

potential sources of coronavirus at such congregated settings.

“Like the frontline health workers, they are also exposed to the looming threat of Covid-19 and deserve inclusion in the priority list in harmony with the government urgent and equitable roll out vaccination.”

Naseem further said that his office would look forward to facilitating the health officials for inoculation of the service providers including supervisors, shift manager staff, and security guards against the coronavirus. He also forwarded contact details of the services providers to the NCOC chief.

As per the roll-out plan, the vaccine will first be made available to more than 400,000 doctors and

frontline healthcare workers, teachers and social workers because they run the highest risk of exposure to the contagious disease. After that, the shots will be provided to citizens over the age of 65, who generally face a higher mortality risk from the virus.

Pakistan received its first tranche of the Sinopharm jabs, given by China as a “gift”, earlier this month. The shipment marked the first shots to be imported into the country where more than 563,029 cases of the disease have been reported since the outbreak in February last.

In addition, the government is due to receive a further 1.1 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine by the end of February, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had announced late last month.

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Monday, 15 February, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

CyBeRCRime Rate inCReased moRe than five times in 2020 PUNJAB PUNCH

FIA OFFICIAL SAYS THE CYBERCRIME RATE COULD RISE FURTHER IN NEXT TWO YEARS

SHAHAB OMER

t

He cybercrime rate in Pakistan was increased more than five times in the year 2020 despite technological innovation and existence of relevant laws, Pakistan Today learnt on Sunday.

The lack of enforcement of laws is said to be one of the major reasons of increased cybercrime in the country.

According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), its cybercrime wing handled around 94,227 complaints of online crimes, including financial fraud, sexual harassment, cyber stalking and access to unauthorised accounts last year.

As a result of the complaints, 621 accused from 22 different groups were arrested and more than 20,000 electronic devices were confiscated by the agency last year.

According to data, the cybercrime wing also conducted special investigations into financial, defamation and harassment of women, child pornography and other highprofile cases last year.

A senior official of the agency informed that since the enactment of the Prevention of

electronic Crimes Act (PeCA) in 2016, the FIA has received thousands of complaints from across the country and most of the cases have been registered.

The official said that there are a total of 24 sections in the PeCA and sections 10, 21 and 22 deal with non-bailable offenses. Section 10 deals with cyber-terrorism, 21 with spreading of porn images or videos of someone and 22 with making and disseminating porn images and videos of children, the official explained.

“The sale of illegal SIMs is an arrestable offense while illegal access to someone's computer or mobile phone, defining or refining crimes in relation to terrorism or banned organisations, hate speeches or writing, electronic fraud or tampering, stealing and illegally using the identities of others, including bank account and national identity card numbers, are also considered cybercrimes according to the Act. Cyber stalking, that is stalking or harassing someone by sending repeated messages on the phone or the Internet without the recipient’s consent, is also a crime under the Act,” the official added.

He informed that 6.1 million dollars

were flown out of the country in 90 minutes after the security breach of Bank Islami, adding that “During the lockdown, 8,000 complaints were received from Habib Bank alone. There are many kinds of crimes that can be committed with the help of gadgets.

We have adopted e-commerce but we have

not been made aware of it. Money transfer accounts have been opened but the relevant SOPs are not working.”

The official said, “The FIA has the highest number of cases of financial crimes, such as bank fraud, credit card and ATM card theft, and there is also an increase in

complaints about child pornography. The conviction rate in cybercrime cases is very low, which is one of the reasons for the increase in crimes. The cybercrime wing faces various difficulties. In the cases of complaints filed regarding social media, the data is not available as it is not handled properly by the mobile companies. The financial institutions, like banks, delay in providing information and there is no central data bank, from where all the accounts of an identity card can be checked.”

On the other hand, an assistant director (AD) of the agency, said one of the reasons for the rising rate of cybercrime is the growing public awareness of online crimes. “The cybercrime rate could rise further in the next two years. Where technology comes with facilities, criminals also start using it for negative purposes. In the days of lockdown, there was a fear that due to increasing reliance on online shopping and banking, cybercrimes would increase in the country as well as around the world. Fortunately, it did not happen. One of the major reasons for this was that we had issued timely instructions to consumers to be vigilant and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) had also warned that the people should avoid using public Wi-Fi as criminals can increase cybercrime by swindling coronavirus information,” he said.

“A special operation against child sexual abuse was launched last year as a total of 24 criminal cases were registered and 26 accused were arrested. Three major gangs involved in crimes were also arrested. The cybercrime wing is trying to create awareness among the public about cybercrimes through its social media accounts. Various guidelines are also issued on the FIA’s website.”

Balochistan govt spending Rs56b to promote education, says spokesman QUETTA iNP

Spokesman of Balochistan government Liaquat Shahwani has said that the provincial government is spending Rs56 billion to promote education in the province. Talking to a private news channel on Sunday, Shahwani said that a number of colleges and schools in the province have been upgraded. He further said that 459 senior science teachers have been appointed and appointment of 700 teachers is in process to fulfil requirements of teachers in education sector. The spokesman added that more colleges and schools would be upgraded in the province.

Punjab govt announces dates for matric, intermediate exams LAHORE iNP

The Punjab government on Saturday announced the dates for matriculation and intermediate examinations of all boards across the province. According to a notification issued in this connection, the annual matriculation examinations will begin from May 4 while the intermediate examinations will start from June 12.

The results of matriculation and intermediate examinations will be announced on August 31 and September 30 respectively.

Punjab rejects report on irregularity in uplift funds expenditure LAHORE TLTP

The Punjab government has clarified that no irregularity or incomplete information was pointed out in the audit of funds used for development expenditure. In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson of the finance department stated that some private channels had run a news that audit of all the funds used by the Punjab government for development expenditure has been carried out. “No irregularity or incomplete information was pointed out in the government expenditure. There is no veracity in the news on some private channels, which shows that the provincial departments do not have any record of the expenditure of development funds,” added the spokesperson. The spokesperson further said that all the government agencies are bound to keep a record of all expenditures and provide complete information to the auditors under a systematic public finance management system.

LAHORE: Citizens share flowers on the occasion of Valentine's Day in the provincial capital. ZUBAiR MEHfOOZ

AJK president pins hope on US President Joe Biden for Kashmir dispute resolution MIRPUR APP

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has said that the residents of Jammu and Kashmir expect new United States President Joe Biden to play the role of a true world leader and help resolve the Kashmir conflict.

Addressing the “Meet the Press” programme of the Karachi Press Club on Sunday, he said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were willing to accept any offer of thirdparty mediation for a peaceful and just solution for the Kashmir issue, provided the Kashmiris are included in the mediation process as the largest party in the dispute.

“We hope that the Biden government will ask India to stop the massacre in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir and to restore the human rights of the Kashmiris, including their right to self-determination which is obligatory by the United Nations,” he said.

The president of the AJK, while responding to several questions from journalists, said that the state of Pakistan will not compromise on the Kashmir issue as the hearts of 220 mil-

lion people in Pakistan beat with their Kashmiri sisters and brothers. “Our real concern is that our efforts are not fruitful, because the United States is silent, the British Parliament is talking, but its prime minister is silent, Russia is not talking about Kashmir. “We also firmly believe that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, regardless of the international situation and whatever India does, will continue their struggle to gain their freedom and liberty,” Khan said.

The AJK president said that the Kashmir people got rid of the slavery of the Maharaja government and now they have been fighting India for the past 73 years and shed their blood for freedom. No power on earth can stop them from seeking freedom and liberty, he added.

On the situation of the occupied Kashmir, the state president said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only waged a war against the Kashmir people but also imported hundreds of thousands of Hindus from all over India to settle in Kashmir.

Modi planned to add six to seven million Hindus to the existing 14 million Kashmir population to turn the Muslim majority into a minority, he added.

three women killed in road mishap KHAIRPUR iNP

At least three people were killed and one injured when an overspeeding passenger bus hit a motorcycle here on Sunday. According to details, Abdul Sattar, from Goth Din Mohammad, was taking his pregnant wife to a hospital for medical treatment along with two other women of his family when a passenger bus hit his motorcycle on national highway near Gambat area. All the three women, Mehtab, Heeran and Azeeman, were killed on the spot due the accident while motorcyclist Sattar was critically injured. The bus driver escaped from the scene of accident. The bodies and injured were shifted to a nearby hospital, where condition of the injured was also stated to be critical.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

100 queue up for 49 Senate slots as election fever overtakes political landscape continued from page 01 According to a press statement, the date has been extended to facilitate the candidates. As per the revised schedule, the list of contesting candidates will now be published on Tuesday (February 16).

The scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on February 17 and 18, followed by the filing of appeals against any acceptance or rejection of nominations which will be done by February 20. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the commission will scrutinise the credentials of the candidates through an online process. The documents submitted by the candidates would be verified by the Ministry of Interior, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The financial documents provided by the prospective candidates would also be checked by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

An election tribunal will dispose of all appeals by February 23. And finally, the ECP will publish a revised list of nominated candidates on February 24.

Any notified candidates wishing to withdraw their candidacy will be able to do so before February 25.

A total of 52 senators in the House of 104 are set to retire on March 11 on completion of their six-year term. The number includes four of the eight senators from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). As the seats representing FATA will not be filled due to the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in May 2018, the Senate strength will shrink to 100. Polling will, therefore, be held to elect 48 members: 12 each from KP and Balochistan, 11 each from Punjab and Sindh, and two from Islamabad. The legislators will also vote to elect seven members on general seats including two women and two technocrats in the four provinces. Besides, the election on one minority seat each in KP and Balochistan will also be conducted. More than 65 per cent of the senators due to retire belong to the opposition parties.

Pakistan end South Africa's unbeaten Asia record with T20 series win continued from page 01 When Phehlukwayo went for a duck, South Africa had lost four wickets for seven runs in just nine balls. Miller added 17 for the eighth wicket with Bjorn Fortuin (10) before adding a further 58 for the next in just five overs with Lutho Sipamla who scored eight not out. Miller hit four sixes in the last over bowled by Faheem Ashraf, which yielded 25. Leg-spinner Mahmood took 3-40, leftarm spinner Nawaz took 2-13 and paceman Hasan finished with 2-29.

05

KP PlAnS Three more induSTriAl eSTATeS islamabad

T

stAff report

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is planning to launch three industrial estates in Chitral, Ghazi (Swabi) and Bannu under its revised Industrial Policy 2020-30.

According to a report by Dawn that quoted officials privy to the matter, the projects are now in final stages and would witness groundbreaking soon.

According to Dawn, the government has also laid down a solid framework for the province’s industrialisation in the form of revised Industrial Policy 2020-

30 which the cabinet approved towards the end of December last year.

To foster industrial growth, the pol-

icy proposes to set up Rashkai Special Economic Zone and Nowshera Eco nomic Zone extension, Jalozai, Chitral,

Mohmand, Ghazi, Darband, Swat, Buner and Shakas area of Khyber district over next decade. It also proposes to set up two special economic zones under the public-private partnership in the province over the next five years.

Regarding closed industrial units, the policy proposes to revive at least 25 per cent of closed units over the next five years.

To boost the province’s competitiveness, the policy proposes to leverage the province’s natural resources to make the industrial sector competitive. To achieve this, the government will focus on hydel power generation; mines and minerals; oil and gas; food and beverages; processing and cottage industry.

Protesting on video about crops City Notes M A NiAzi

GETTING THE YOUTH VOTE IN YOUR 60S The conspiracy against the Kaptaan is obvious. There is no other explanation of the way that government employees ran amok in Islamabad last week, forcing the local administration to take strict measures. Obviously, the protesters were corrupt, as corrupt as wicket keepers.

The change was obvious, and as the wicketkeeper was stripped of the captaincy, the Pakistan team won, beating South Africa comprehensively in the tests. However, corrupt elements showed that they were still around. Did you see how Shaheen Shah Afridi took four wickets in the final South African innings? That was a clear attempt to win the future youth vote, and an attempt to knock Imran off his pedestal.

True, Shaheen has got a long way to go before he will be in a position to replace Imran. Not only has he got to take more international wickets (Imran took 544 test and ODI wickets; Shaheen has got 117 until Saturday in tests, ODIs and T20Is), but he’s also got to win a World Cup for Pakistan, and has to build a hospital. Having only organic food, fathering a daughter out of wed-

lock and undergoing multiple marriages are optional, but preferred. Otherwise, he will not get the youth vote while late in his sixties.

Another bunch of conspirators are those Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) MPAs who sold their votes for the 2018 Senate elections, and whose video turned up recently. It shows so vividly that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is the only party whose members are compelled to record everything on video. Try to find a video of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) members selling their votes. Not necessarily because they are more honest, but because somewhere they learned that you must hide your traces. Catch either Sarfraz Haider or Muhammad Rizwan making a video recording of their receiving money from Nawaz Sharif, which is why they led Pakistan to losses as captain.

But then, you could not turn to

some other sports, could you? In mountaineering, you had the desperate but ultimately fruitless search for Mohammad Ali Sadpara and two other climbers, in their attempt on K2, in what was to have been the first-ever winter ascent of the second-highest mountain in the world.

Why do it? I am reminded of the reply made by Edmund Hillary when asked why he had climbed Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, back in 1053: “Because it’s there.” I wonder how many people understand a sport (and make no mistake, mountaineering demands supreme fitness and immense athleticism) where the opponent is not another team, but a lump of inanimate rock? Actually, we should, since we received a reminder that we are in a mountainous zone from the earthquake on Friday night, which reminded us that the mountains are still moving, the tectonic plates still bumping up against

each other. The movement of the plates is what serves to create the Himalayas, in whose foothills or on whose alluvial plain we all live.

Living is what Indian farmers are not sure they will be doing after the new laws governing their sector, which is probably why they are besieging the capital, even though it means spending these cold winter nights in the cold. The weather seems to be getting better, which means the protests have probably turned the corner and can go on.

The protests have both become international and turned nasty. Environmental activist Greta Thurnberg and pop star Rihanna have both tweeted in favour of the protesting farmers, prompting a crackdown against the New Delhi police against the farmers.

I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that they’re not protesting over here. It might not be that far off, not to forget that RAW is seeking opportunities to do down the PTI. And just as the farmers’ protests are a conspiracy against Narendra Modi, so too are the protests against Imran. The PDM is merely trying to ruin the standing of Pakistan in the comity of nations.

I hope we do not see any protests as in Myanmar, where unpatriotic elements (which is probably the same thing as corrupt elements) are protesting against the boons of military rule, and in favour of those who had rigged the election, and prevented the pro-Army parties from winning.

Commercial sale of coronavirus vaccines to begin shortly continued from page 01 The remainder is expected to be received by the end of the year’s first half, he said on Twitter in Janurary of this year, reported Andalou Agency.

The COVAX facility is an initiative by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure fair distribution of the coronavirus vaccines around the world.

Islamabad “signed with COVAX nearly 8 months back to ensure availability,” Asad had added at the time.

The vaccination of frontline healthcare workers is underway across the country, wherein the national tally on Sunday showed the total of active cases recorded 25,635.

1,404 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 1,387 people recovered from the disease during the last 24 hours.

31 coronavirus patients have died during past 24 hours, 26 of them were under treatment in hospital and five in their respective quarantines or at their homes on Saturday, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

During the last 24 hours, most of the deaths had occurred in Sindh, followed by Punjab.

The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas, including 37 per cent in Multan, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 30 per cent, Peshawar 25 per cent and Lahore 37 per cent.

Oxygen beds (alternate oxygen provid-

ing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of the patient) were also occupied in four major areas, with a 61 per cent occupation in Gujrat, Peshawar 38 per cent, Multan 23 per cent, and Lahore 22 per cent. Around 264 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), GilgitBaltistan (GB) or Balochistan.

Some 34,475 tests were conducted across the country on Saturday, including 10,584 in Sindh, 12,586 in Punjab, 6,184 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 3,485 in ICT, 701 in Balochistan, 370 in GB, and 565 in AJK. Around 525,087 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan, giving the country over 90 per cent recovery ratio.

Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 563,029 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment Covid-19 patients so far, including AJK 9,448, Balochistan 18,929, GB 4,940, ICT 42,590, KP 69,778, Punjab 163,833 and Sindh 253,511.

About 12,307 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion.

Around 4,212 perished in Sindh among 13 of them died during past 24 hours.

Ten of them died in the hospital and three out of the hospital.

5,037 in Punjab had died with 11 deaths in past 24 hours. Nine of them died in the hospital and two out of the hospital on Sat-

urday. 1,991 in KP where five of them died in hospital on Saturday, 485 in ICT among one of them in the hospital during past 24 hours, 199 in Balochistan among one of them died in the hospital during last 24 hours, 102 in GB and 281 in AJK succumbed to the deadly virus.

A total of 8,434,098 coronavirus tests have been conducted so far, while 631 hospitals are equipped with Covid-19 facilities.

Some 2,125 coronavirus patients were admitted in hospitals across the country.

Separately, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar expressed her satisfaction over successful efforts of government to cope with pandemic and reaching out to the homes of 15 million labour class people affected by the pandemic.

In her visit to the provincial Election Commission office in Peshawar to submit her documents for forthcoming Senate elections, Dr Sania said that the situation created due to Covid-19 was extraordinary and had affected people all over the world, including Pakistan.

“We approached 15 million daily wagers and others in need through Ehsaas Kafalat Programme, delivered cash money to run their household affairs and feed their families.

Most of the laborers and daily wagers stuck far from their homes in other cities because of the closure of inter-cities transport,” she said.

“We are thankful to Almighty Allah and the team working under the leadership

cmYK

of Prime Minister Imran Khan to access these people timely and addressing their problem through Ehsaas Kafalat Programme,” she added.

Under the umbrella of the Ehsaas Programme, Prime Minister Imran Khan formed a labour expert group at the international labour day last year to prepare recommendations for addressing income, health and social security issues of workers in the informal sector, she explained.

In light of those recommendations, the government has taken practical steps to bring daily wagers and laborers into the mainstream, she added. She said that the group had conducted a consultations to establish labour-friendly social protection institutions.

The economy of Pakistan is large and workers have limited access to labor welfare services, she maintained. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Labour Force Survey 2017-18, the informal sector accounted for 71.7 per cent of the employment in jobs outside the agriculture sector. This number rose to 75.6 per cent in rural areas whereas it fell to 68.1 per cent in urban areas.

“I am grateful to the experts of the group for their suggestions. With their support we have been able to extend financial support to daily wagers through the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme and to expand it according to the ground realities,” said Dr Nishtar.

The Labour Expert Group members included the Social Security and Poverty Re-

duction Division, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, Planning Commission, all provincial labor departments, Pakistan Workers Federation, ILO and researchers, university professors, labor leaders and representatives of other relevant fields.

Dr Sania expressed her confidence that the efforts of the government would help free the poor from the vicious circle of poverty, as well as pave the way for them towards prosperity.

The special assistant said that a survey was being conducted in the country to identify the poor who deserve assistance and help, adding that now it was in completion stage.

She also lauded the role of teachers of the education department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Punjab from collecting the required data for the survey.

She said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking special interest in development of merged tribal districts to improve the living standard of the natives through providing modern facilities and financial assistance.

About the winter situation in the southern districts, North and South Waziristan, she said that people of these areas who migrated to other districts due to harsh weather would also be registered under Ehsaas Kafalat Programme.

Replying to a query, she said that the incumbent government was committed to fight against poverty and completed the work plan to achieve the target within the specified time.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

06 COMMENT

Rising oil prices

Judiciary under fire A clear understanding of recusal is needed

M

R Justice Faez Isa of the Supreme Court is no stranger to controversy, and even before he becomes Chief Justice of Pakistan, of which he has legitimate expectancy, his judgements have caused enough disturbance in certain circles for the government to attempt to remove him. though he surmounted that challenge, a new one has apparently been posed by the judgement of the incumbent CJP, Mr Justice Gulzar Ahmad, which says he should not serve on any bench hearing a case in which the Prime Minister is involved, as Mr Justice Isa has filed a petition against the Prime Minister.

Mr Justice Isa has written to the registrar asking why the order was released to the press before he was sent a copy, to the extent that a copy was provided to a junior judge before him. Chief Justice Gulzar should have remembered that the power of constituting benches and allotting cases should be exercised so as to avoid conflicts of interest. Only when the CJ, out of ignorance, fails to notice, is a judge then to recuse himself. Reasons for recusal might include having heard the case while on a lower court, or having been a lawyer in the case before elevation, or even having been a party’s advocate in another case. Whatever the reason, the judge is supposed to best know whether he can do justice or not. there is not supposed to be any compulsion in recusal. the Chief Justice should realise that a quiet conversation with Mr Justice Isa might have been more productive than the issuing of an order, which does seem, as Mr Justice Isa suspects, to be more aimed at getting favorable press than anything else.

One of the more unfortunate consequences of this episode would be to lower the prestige of the judiciary in the eyes of the public. the purpose of recusals is to avert charges of partiality. Now the possibility of subservience to the executive cannot excluded. the value of the judiciary being trusted by society at large cannot be overestimated, and anything tending to militate against this must be deplored. One of the most important, yet intangible, forces allowing courts to have their orders obeyed, is public trust. Any erosion of that trust must be deplored.

Handling the looming oil shock

Dr Omer JaveD

A

t the back of sharp decline, and from their lowest point in terms of prices when the pandemic was initially unfolding last year, whereby on April 21, 2020 Brent crude stood at $19.33 a barrel, and the WtI (West texas Intermediate) crude oil price had dipped a lot more at $11.57 a barrel, and both of them saw an overall steady increase till August last year.

Both Brent and WtI had peaked on August 26, 2020 at $46.16 a barrel, and at $43.39 a barrel, respectively, and after slightly steadying and somewhat falling the most by 30 October 2020– Brent stood at $37.94 a barrel, and WtI at $35.79 a barrel– both undertook a rising trajectory. On February 8, Brent broke the $60 a barrel barrier of the time just before the pandemic had impacted oil markets– which was on 20 February 2020 when Brent and WtI stood close to $60 a barrel, by being at $59.31 and $53.88 a barrel, respectively– whereby on this Monday Brent stood at $60.56 a barrel, while WtI had also closed in on by being at $57.97 a barrel that day.

Moreover, while reportedly downward risks to the outlook for oil prices remain in the short term, the outlook is expected to improve further over the medium term, as pointed out in a recent article ‘IEA says oil market recovery still fragile as virus persists’ published in Bloomberg whereby “Demand is running ahead of supply, and oil inventories are falling very, very sharply,” [toril] Bosoni [International Energy Agency’s (IEA) head for the oil markets and industry division] said. As the stockpile decline gathers pace after the summer, it “sets the stage for OPEC+ to start unwinding cuts even if producers outside the group ramp up faster than currently projected,” the

Air quality Tackling air pollution needs serious efforts

L

AHORE has only recently got the unwanted distinction of having the worst air quality on the planet. And with an Air Quality Index score of 244 on Saturday night, it achieved that unwanted distinction. At the moment, it is not the worst in the world, but it is up there with the worst, with only Dhaka in Bangladesh and New Delhi in India being worse off. the excuse of stubble burning by East Punjabi farmers should not disguise the fact that major contributors to Lahore’s pollution include burning of fuel by vehicles, by brick kilns and by factories.

Controlling stubble burning is something the Indian government can control, not the Pakistani. However, the Pakistan government can, and should, take initiatives to reduce air pollution caused by vehicles. though the present PtI government has been in office for well over two years, apart from the Zigzag technology in brick kilns, it can point to few ‘green’ initiatives. the ‘clean and green Pakistan’ slogan has been just that: a slogan. the ‘billion-tree’ tsunami might win brownie points abroad, but there have been enough problems with the programm to make it doubtful if it will actually make a difference.

One of the most important tools identified for combatting air pollution has been the introduction of electric vehicles.

However, there are powerful lobbies preventing the issuing of the cabinet –approved Ev policy, and not only has the PtI done nothing about overcoming it, but is guilty of lending too ready an ear to the car manufacturing lobby. the government needs to attract qualified professionals in a number of fields, and put them all to work to handle a problem that is merely the tip of the climate-change iceberg (and there must be no mistake: the urban pollution problem is merely part of the entire climate-change issue). the government needs to take a more proactive approach to this problem, which may be tough, but is not insoluble. Such cities as Beijing prove that proper policies can reverse the tide of pollution. though the havoc it wreaks is through natural weather phenomenon, it is but natural, but manmade, and as it results from poor or absent policy, just so can it be reversed by proper policy. that, it seems, the government is unable to formulate.

Modi improperly campaigned for Trump ali ashraf Khan

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INDUtvA supporters seem to have lost balance while dealing with the farmers’ protest since they joined hands with exresident Donald trump in manoeuvring with and interfering in the US and Indian elections alike, and trapped by trump in his own game, Indian PM Narendra Modi not only mobilised Indian-American citizens, even with a Democratic leaning, to come out in all-out support of Donald trump, then a Republican candidate in the 2020 elections bidding over two million Indian-American voters in support of trump’s election campaign, especially the “Howdy Modi” event in Houston, texas. that was not interference when the two leaders of India and the USA appeared together at a rally in which both delivered highly charged political speeches as the USA was heading towards an election year where Modi went and said: “Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar.” the phrase means, “this time it’s the turn of the trump Administration.” It is an adaption of the slogan the Bharatiya Janata Party used ahead of the general elections in 2014, ‘Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar.’

All this was simply because before becoming PM, the USA had imposed a travel ban on Modi for being involved in crimes against humanity in the shape of the Gujarat killings, as time is proving that both had certain hidden designs.

Another factor working in the garb of the IndiaIsrael-US nexus was to win support by doing down Pakistan, the US partner in the Afghanistan war, Pakistan when he was pampering Donald trump as a man of vision for his contribution across the globe by saying that “His name is familiar to every person on the planet. His name comes up in almost every conversation in the world on global politics.”

And he claimed trump’s praise and said that “When I met him for the first time, he said India has

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

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Executive Editor

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The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund.Prior to this, he did MSc. in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom), and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places. He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality, macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth’.He tweets @omerjaved7

Doing down Pakistan with US help

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

[IES’s monthly] report said. Over the course of 2021, about 60 percent of the demand lost last year should be recovered, according to the agency. World consumption will increase this year by 5.4 million barrels a day to average 96.4 million a day. In the short term however, market conditions face a temporary setback.

Demand will decline by 1 million barrels this quarter versus late last year, and the IEA now forecasts that stockpiles will increase during the second quarter, having predicted last month that they would remain broadly steady.’

While vaccine introduction has provided a significant boost to oil demand rise in recent months, but it was the cut in supply, especially by Saudi Arabia that has provided a major impetus to the price rise, even when stricter lockdowns are making way at the back of both the second Covid-19 wave overall, but in particular due to the severity being caused by variants, and time needed to prepare effective vaccine boosters.

Hence, months of oil supply cuts, primarily led

by Saudi Arabia had been the major reason, along with demand recovery in China in particular, where growth numbers and prospects have continued to improve for many months now, as reflected in rising oil demand in China, and also in India.

With regard to reductions in oil supply, Saudi Arabia, which is the largest producer of oil among OPEC+ (Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries, including Russia among other partners) alliance had reportedly reduced oil supply the most during May-December 2020. that being said, the recent boost to prices was received mainly at the back of drastic reductions in oil supply by the Kingdom.

Arab News recently pointed out in this regard that ‘the price of crude oil rose above $60 a barrel on Monday for the first time in over a year, fuelled by the “Saudi surprise” cut in output. Brent, the global benchmark, touched $60.20, up more than 15 percent since the start of the year. West texas Intermediate, the US benchmark that briefly fell into negative territory last April, leapt above $57 a barrel, also a 12month high. Analysts raised their price targets for 2021, and gave most of the credit for the recent rise to Saudi Arabia’s decision in January to cut an extra 1 million barrels a day from global oil supply for two months. Bassam Fattouh, director of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, said: “Since the announcement of the cut, the oil price rallied despite the reintroduction of lockdowns in many parts of the world… Christyan Malek, head of oil and gas research at US investment bank JP Morgan— who has predicted the surge in crude prices for some time— told Arab News: “I can see the oil price overshooting significantly all the way up to $100.” ’ While this is bound to help the economies of net oil-exporting countries, yet at the same time hold clear warning signs for macroeconomic stability for net oil importing countries, including Pakistan, which

has already seen significant rise in domestic oil prices over the past many weeks. this is building up of imported-inflationary pressures, and would likely force the hand of the government to provide a muchneeded stimulus in the coming months. Having said that, developing countries like Pakistan should not repeat the same mistake by over-sacrificing stimulus and economic growth for temporary relief on the macroeconomic front.

In case the same policy approach is repeated, it would most-probably bring disastrous economic consequences, especially for an economy in recession at the back of pandemic, with many being pushed below the poverty line for many months now. In this regard, the government should also remember that inflation is equally a fiscal/governance-related phenomenon in developing countries, and therefore, should not go into overdrive in terms of contractionary policies, but should focus on the governance/regulation aspect and correct market failures, and shape markets to block this significant inflationary channel.

At the same time, just like renowned economist Mariana Mazzucato recommends in her upcoming book Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism’, the government should target exports enhancement on a priority-basis and in a mission-oriented way, to allay resulting pressures on the balance of payments situation from rising import prices, especially oil. With regard to this approach Mazzucato points out ‘the pandemic has highlighted the cost of neglecting public investment, both in the welfare state and value creation. But the crisis has also created a huge opportunity to pursue industrial policies beyond traditional sectoral and technological silos, and to restore mission-driven governance in the public interest… As I explain in my new book Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism, landing a man on the moon required both an extremely capable public sector and a purpose-driven partnership with the private sector. Because we have dismantled these capabilities, we cannot hope to repeat earlier successes, let alone achieve ambitious targets such as those outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris climate agreement.’

Hence, an approach that asks for a multi-sectoral and a highly prioritized focus, needs to be adopted in these very difficult times for the economy, as the government would likely remain torn between providing stimulus, and managing the macroeconomy. Above all, this would require moving away from the usual neoliberal recipe, which should require among first important steps to re-negotiate the programme with IMF, in which the country is currently engaged in.

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a true friend in White House.” then from Houston to Hyderabad Modi went on to offer a silver platter with millions of Indians in the USA, and told trump, “You once introduced me to your family. today, I will introduce you to my family.”

In a veiled attack at Pakistan’s efforts to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums, Modi allegedly said his decision to abrogate Articles 370 & 35A of the Indian Constitution, thus ending Kashmir’s special status, “has troubled some people who cannot handle their own country well and are wasting energy in supporting terrorism in India as the conspirators of 9/11 and 26/11 belonged to the same country.”

Modi started taking things for granted and acting like an Asian bull in a china shop has pushed national unity into a dark tunnel. the BJP and RSS leaders’ mediocrity came to light when human rights in India were compromised in Kashmir, JNU, Shaheen Bagh and peaceful farmers were not allowed to take out a tractor rally earlier agreed on Republic day. those who conspired to achieve power by conspiring against the Muslim minority by organizing a mob attack to demolish the historical Babri Mosque and the massacre of thousands of people in Gujerat under an organized plot by BJP chief L.K Advani that he later repented when Modi sidelined him and A. B vajpai.

Like a mad cow he went on to unlawfully bulldoze the Constitution by scrapping Articles 370 and 35A, by the induction of CAA law, by crushing the Shaheen Bagh women’s protest and trying to defend the new farm laws to make farmers subservient to corporate groups, and opened a tirade accusing them of being anti-state elements. the farmers protest has already opened the eyes of the masses against the hidden agenda of Modi and his handpicked BJP resident Amit Shah trying to curb freedom in India.

As is said, khasiani billi khamba nochay (a cat caught redhanded tries to scratch the pole), Modi did the same in his address to Parliament in which he castigated all those opposing his policies as enemy agents and coined a new term Andolanjeevi, meaning parasites and foreign agents, not remembering his

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own acts of deeds and misdeeds by exporting terrorists into Pakistan to indulge in suversive activities and killing of hundreds of innocent people. A serving Indian Navy officer, Kulbhushan Jhadav, was caught travelling under a fake identity in Pakistan custody and confessed his criminal behavior and being responsible for killing civilians. Now when Modi is feeling the heat from within from the Indian people, he not only termed them Andolanjeevi but has resorted to “vigilantism” by announcing to raise an illegal police force, recruited as volunteers of BJP to check and control Cybercrimes, because social media except twitter has not surrendered by closing his adversaries’ twitter handle.

It is feared this BJP volunteer force will be misused to curb the voice of dissent and reports are appearing that these volunteers hack opponents’ computers, plant anti-government posts without knowledge of the computer owners and then lodge reports in a police station. the police swiftly arrests them and confiscates their computers and books them under cybercrime laws. that goes to prove the Modi government’s distrust in its own police institution. there is no justification for such black laws and forced detention of senior Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani and hundreds of other Kashmiri freedom fighters, and one young Girl Natasha Narival arrested in Delhi Students protest few months back with many other detainees of conscience, abducted as managed and organised abductions in India. the US Congress, meanwhile, had also drawn attention to the impropriety of an Indian prime minister campaigning for a US politician, but since it suited trump, so Modi continued his policy of victimisation in India to make it a Hindu state. It is a test for the Biden Administration if it chooses to protect human rights or the newly cultivated strategic partnership starting from the Kargil War of 1999 and going on to the present misadventure against China. In the South China Sea or the Ladakh region, it’s time to punish enemies of humanity even if they are needed to serve any strategic agenda without the backing of its civilian population united.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Monday, 15 February, 2021

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

Water shortage PAKIStAN is facing a serious threat due to the scarcity of water. As we know that water is essential for all living things. Living things cannot survive without water. Similarly, it is as important for agriculture sector, but Pakistan is facing tough times and losses all because of shortage of water in this sector.the biggest reason of shortage of water is the lack of dams due to which a lot of rain water go wasted in Pakistan. Most especially, Balochistan is facing problems water scarcity just because of lack of dams, broken canals, and climate change. It is requested to the government of Pakistan to take urgent measures on shortage of water and provide dams.the initiative will make Pakistan more greener as well.I hope my letter would not get unaddressed and federal and provincial government will do something.

Shayzanth Jummah turbat

Confusions about dual Nationality

Role and responsibility of Global Kashmiri Diaspora

Dr Ghulam nabi fai “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” —Winston S. Churchill.

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HE disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir stands apart as the most cantankerous of conflicts, with the catastrophic possibility of nuclear devastation. After all India and Pakistan have fought three wars and nearly began a fourth with the ever-present threat of nuclear exchange. Hence, the world powers need to reaffirm their commitment to the inalienable Kashmiri right of self-determination and help in resolving this long stand conflict to the satisfaction of all parties concerned.

Over 100,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives in the past 30 years. 8,000 to 10,000 people have disappeared. 2,700 mass graves have been discovered in the town of Kupwara alone. It is well documented that hundreds of thousands of Indian armed forces have made Kashmir the largest occupation on earth. the conditions in Kashmir have become so ugly with rapes, beatings, shootings and other crimes inflicted by the occupation forces that the people of Kashmir are condemned as a lot in the eyes of the world to be ignored and forgotten because, aside from any intentional bias in the press, no one wants to think about it. Kashmir has almost become a forgotten land and a forgotten people.

Ambassador Yusuf Buch, former advisor to the United Nations Secretary General, has described the agony of the people of Kashmir in these words, “Have we heard a word, even a whisper, about gardens being turned into graveyards, about young women being raped and their mothers being forced to witness the atrocity, about young men being crippled and maimed for life, about the great numbers of fake disappearances which are continuing to this day in occupied Kashmir? It will glibly be said that it points only to the failure of the media. But have not the media been influenced and deterred from an aggressive, truth-revealing course by official policies sedulously maintained?” these facts have become well known in Kashmir. the grassroots leadership and the

global Kashmiri diaspora leadership have acted frequently, as individual men and women, to these problems with calls to action, and the people have responded, as well they would, and have taken to the streets by the thousands, and on occasion by hundreds of thousands. the press has reported such events dutifully, with minimal fanfare. Indeed, the world also knows that a European parliamentary delegation, after visiting Kashmir, announced, “Kashmir was the most beautiful prison on earth.” An internationally known humanitarian lawyer, Dr. Karen Parker reported that “the presence of 700,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces has made Kashmir the largest army concentration anywhere in the world.”

Yet, despite these facts, these atrocities, and all the evidence, after 73 years of oppression by a foreign occupation, we stand like smoking overheated cars in a traffic jam on a Washington Beltway (freeway), miles from an exit ramp with nowhere to go, running out of gas, waiting for some miracle to happen.

It’s imperative at this stage for the global Kashmir diaspora to recognize that real change is needed and cannot happen without changing how that we do business. Foremost is needed a united front among the Kashmiri diaspora. A united leadership will demonstrate to them that we are Kashmiris first and foremost, and not simply members of some little political offshoot or an organization that has no real mandate.

Only a united Kashmiri diaspora can unite the people on the ground. Only a united people can bring about the change that will help us achieve our ultimate objective– self-determination.

Dr Syed Nazir Gilani, President, JKCHR, said “ It is much more important that Kashmiri diaspora does not use their activities to advertise their personal or group interests in the Webinar or at any other time. If we start using any one of these webinars in that manner, it will snowball into an abuse and there would be no end to it. A mischief by an individual or a group to seek an advertisement of any kind does not remain in the best interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. If there is a need for an appreciation, it should be general and in equity. therefore, Kashmiris need to hold their personal interests under control. We should keep in mind that the merits of our case and the various elements of our character remain under a microscope of the system.” the people of Kashmir, despite all the odds, have never lost hope in the right of self-determination. the diaspora needs to simply take the reins, open the doors, pave the road, and take advantage of those opportunities that become available to express that will. History has shown it has not been done, and will in all likelihood not be done unless there is unity not only at the bottom but also at the top.

Dr Farhan Chak, Canadian-Kashmiri scholar, has written that “there are few hundred Kashmiri organizations in the United Kingdom and hundreds elsewhere throughout the world. this level of multiplicity is not only unnecessary but counterproductive to Kashmir’s right to selfdetermination. Any close scrutiny of the rise and fall of nations proves that no one conquer a united house. Civilizations disappear by suicide, not murder.”

A survey by a London-based think tank Chatham House, released by BBC in May 2010, asked a simple question, what do you want? An overwhelming 85 to 95 percent of the people of the valley demanded Aazadi, (Freedom from occupation). the people know what they want. the challenge given by Mohammad Yasin Malik to the then chief minister of Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, to allow him to address a public rally in Lal Chowk (Red Square), if allowed, will be attended by more than a million people. I’m sure the call by Yasin Malik to go to Lal Chowk would have been attended by more than a million people had restrictions not been imposed by the government. Yasin Malik was able to obtain more than 1.5 million signatures from the people of Kashmir. there will be a similar response to a call by others. the Kashmiri diaspora leadership must work together to make the voice of the people strong and effective through such unity.

It’s time for a bouquet of flowers. It’s time to see all together, gleaming brightly in the sunlight of Kashmiri beauty. It’s time to fill that vase with all the flowers Kashmir has to offer. It’s time the diaspora gives all that flows from its heart, because only then will the people respond with theirs and demonstrate the power of their love for their country, Kashmir– the paradise on earth. the role of the global Kashmiri diaspora becomes much more pertinent and important after the developments since 5 August 2019 and because of the changes occurring globally. they need to understand a leader has to sacrifice his ego for the good of the people. A leader cannot be tossed about by the waves of the wind but must be able to correct his course accordingly.

Leadership always sets the pace. Leadership must always inspire. A leader cannot say and should not say something giving the impression he or she is the mouthpiece of the oppressive forces. A leader may be tired because he worked for so long. But he must understand that his assertion of fatigue may weaken the movement. the fact that more than a million people have taken to the streets of Srinagar on multiple occasions is living proof that the people are not tired. their enthusiasm and sacrifices will persuade both India and Pakistan and the rest of the world, as President Obama said in New Delhi on 9 November 2010, that “the resolution of Kashmir is in the interest of India, Pakistan, the region and the United States.”

I do not doubt for a minute that to regain much of what has been lost, the people of Kashmir are determined to present their peaceful objectives to the international community. their objective is to seek a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict through dialogue, with the participation of all parties concerned. their view is one of inclusion. they believe that there is nothing to be gained by isolating groups with varying opinions.

If sincerity is brought to the process in place of cheap trickery, the dawn of peace will glow as never before over the subcontinent – the home to one-fifth of total human race.

The writer is Secretary General of the Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum and can be reached at gnfai2003@yahoo.com

tHE Government of Pakistan has an agreement with 20 countries, including USA, UK, Canada etc. allowing citizens of Pakistan to hold their nationality, while simultaneously being eligible for NICOP and our passport. However, once a Pakistani citizen takes an Oath of Citizenship of the USA, or any other country, he is bound by oath to obey the laws of that country and pledge undivided loyalty to his newly adopted country and its constitution.

Recently the Ministry of Defense has suspended the pension and perks of former DG ISI, retd Gen Durrani after they had doubts about his interaction with his RAW counterpart. On the same logic pensions and perks of all former retired civil or uniformed officers who have renounced their previous loyalty to Pakistan when taking American/UK/etc Oath of Citizenship must be suspended and withdrawn. In any case they get welfare benefits from their new adopted country.

When an individual takes Oath of Citizenship of any other country, they are required as per law to perform whatever the state considers to be in its national security interest. In the USA they have a Patriots Act, which clearly makes it obligatory on an individual to uphold his pledge to the American Constitution, irrespective of his previous loyalty. the American Constitution debars any such individual who has taken an Oath of Citizenship to pledge his loyalty thereafter to any other state, including the country of his origin. It means that a US national cannot pledge an oath of loyalty to any other country, nor its constitution. the US Constitution demands undivided loyalty, which every country must ensure if they want to remain sovereign and independent. State sovereignty and national security interests are too sacrosanct and cannot be entrusted with individuals having divided loyalty. ali malik tariq lahorE

Punishing the victims? tHE traffic police of KPK Mansehra district barred females from sitting in front seats of school vans as they received complaints from parents about their children being harassed by drivers. the law of nature is to punish the one who is culpable. Dishearteningly, in our country the case is reversed.

Despite arresting and punishing the harassers and ensuring females to sit safely wherever they wish to sit, the females are barred to sit in front. As if instead of sentencing the culprit, the victim is punished. Similarly, when a female was harassed sexually in front of her children in the country; talking against the criminal, the public instead blamed the victim. the justice system in the country is not at the direction that it is supposed to be.

Can a country run if the victims are blamed instead of culpable ones?

Farahnaz turbat

Unwelcome summers WAvES of summer season in Pakistan with extreme heat are about to begin in coming month. Which is a very tough season for the people of some areas in Balochistan to abide, lacking fundamental facilities.Residents of turbat, Gawadar and Panjgur unwelcome summertime , because are subjected to the trouble the most owing to some geological reasons and crisis of rudimentary needs.

Despite being the host district of the mega project (CPEC), Gawadar confront with a profound scarcity of water and power throughout the city. In this sense, Summertime is a tough part of public lives in Gawadar. On the other hand, turbat city has been counted the hottest place in Pakistan last year. Wherein, people face 18 to 20 hours load shedding. Moreover, the residents of Panjgur are either sailing on the same boat enduring the torridity of rocky mountains and falling short of basic amenities. the fact can never be denied that , nature speaks in its own tone. However, human being is a slender-bodied creature needs active preservation by hock or by crock.

Finally, I urge the Chief minister Balochistan, Jam Kamal khan to become raucous and more vigilant against such growing issues. Our expectations will always await your valuable services. We wish a peaceful, prosperous and developed Balochistan in future perspective. Despite being the host district of the mega project (CPEC), Gawadar confront with a profound scarcity of water and power throughout the city. In this sense, Summertime is a tough part of public lives in Gawadar. On the other hand, turbat city has been counted the hottest place in Pakistan last year.

Wherein, people face 18 to 20 hours load shedding. Moreover, the residents of Panjgur are either sailing on the same boat enduring the torridity of rocky mountains and falling short of basic amenities.the fact can never be denied that , nature speaks in its own tone. However, human beings are slenderbodied creatures that need active preservation by hook or by crook. nabEEl huSSain kECh

Rizwan’s brilliant performance MOHAMMAD Rizwan I have no words how to praise you. Really it was one of the best innings of Mohammad Rizwan in his career. He scored 104 runs with 64 balls and it was the innings of him who helped Pakistan to register her first win against South Africa in this t20 series. I hope and pray to God that Mohammad Rizwan should be performing the way he performed in the last match.

Waqar Fazal turbat

Monday, 15 February, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

SwITzerland’S referendum on burqaS IS an InSulT To women’S rIghTS and dIgnITy

WasHIngton post

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Rabina khan

N March 7, Switzerland will hold a referendum to decide whether to ban full facial coverings such as burqas and niqabs. Polls show that more than 60 percent of Swiss voters favor the burqa ban. Although the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Ticino already have a ban on full face coverings following regional votes, the Swiss government has recommended voters reject the federal proposal, saying a nationwide constitutional ban would “undermine the sovereignty of the cantons, damage tourism and be unhelpful for certain groups of women.” Those “certain groups of women” are Muslim women.

It is ironic that the vote will take place on the eve of International Women’s Day on March 8, which strives for a gender-equal world. Removing a Muslim woman’s right to wear a face veil is not equality.

Why should a Muslim woman who chooses to cover her face because of her faith not be allowed to do so? People of different faiths adhere to different dress codes, yet it is Muslim women who bear the brunt of this policing around the world.

PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS ADHERE TO DIFFERENT DRESS CODES, YET IT IS MUSLIM WOMEN WHO BEAR THE BRUNT OF THIS POLICING AROUND THE WORLD Switzerland is far from the first country to propose laws limiting Muslim women’s choice of attire: France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Latvia, Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Republic of the Congo, Chad, Gabon and Sri Lanka all have laws prohibiting the wearing of religious face coverings. These bans are called a “security measure,” even though women’s role throughout history in political violence is not linked to the clothing they wore.

Although other countries have typically imposed the ban through legislative votes, Switzerland has approached the question through a public referendum. It is bad enough for politicians to bow to bigotry and introduce repressive laws on women’s dress, but there is something uniquely sinister about the notion of politicians whipping up popular outrage against an oppressed minority among the voting public.

So, what is the petitioners’ motive for wanting a burqa ban? The group behind the proposal — the egerkinger Komitee — includes members of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party who instigated a ban on

minarets in 2009, sparking the belief that this is motivated by religious bias. Supporters of the ban on minarets felt they were alien to Swiss traditions and values.

Switzerland is becoming more diverse; 5 percent of the population is Muslim. A survey conducted in the country in 2018 showed that mistrust of Islam was three times more prevalent than negative views of Muslims. If niqab-wearing women are being judged more negatively because of a perceived association to the extremist side of Islam, this is a false stereotype that we have to break down.

If the ban on burqas and niqabs comes into force, what message will this send to the world about Switzerland? A beautiful country that relies heavily on tourism needs to attract foreign visitors, not deter them — particularly given the dire effects of the pandemic on the country’s tourism industry.

As a recent article in the Conversation highlights, face-covering bans are especially hypocritical in this moment because “we are all niqabis now.” If we can become accustomed to communicating with each other while all parties are wearing face masks, then

TILAK TO GANDHI, THE LONG ARM OF SEDITION LAW

surely we can adapt to communicating with one woman wearing a niqab. And as Maria Iqbal, a niqab-wearing Muslim woman, wrote in Flare, niqabs and burqas do not have to inhibit communication because “our eyes play a big role in projecting happiness, and can even show more genuine joy than smiles.”

There are certain situations where it is necessary for a woman to remove her face covering, such as situations involving security, a courtroom or an emergency medical situation. But the legal normalization through laws banning Muslim women’s clothing paves the way for them to be discriminated against or harassed for following their faith. That is fundamentally wrong.

This problem extends well beyond Switzerland and the countries that have banned face coverings. As I describe in my forthcoming book, “My hear is Pink Under This Veil,” while running in a mayoral election in east London’s Tower hamlets in 2015, a White man asked me what color my hair was under my veil. I said it was pink.

Throughout my journey from my childhood in Kent in the 1970s — where my family

IndIan ExprEss

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Chakshu Roy

he Central hall of Parliament doubles up as a portrait gallery. On its walls hang portraits of leaders who shaped the destiny of India.

If a viceroy from British India were to walk into the hall today, his mind will find a different commonality between the portraits of M K Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

All seditious men, he would think, rightly jailed by the government of British India.

Governments past and present have used a colonial-era law to charge many more ‘seditious’ men and women, most recently during the farmer protests, when a series of cases were filed against journalists and politicians. The crime of sedition first found mention in the draft Indian Penal Code of 1837. englishman Thomas Macaulay was responsible for codifying the mishmash of laws applicable in different parts of the country into a draft code. Macaulay had studied law at Cambridge but never seriously practised it. he ventured into writing and politics and even after being elected to the house of Commons (twice), he found his political and financial future bleak. A yearly salary of 10,000 pounds was 34-year-old Macaulay’s incentive for coming to India as a member of the Governor General’s council and chairing the first law commission.

Macaulay’s draft code provided that anyone who by speaking or writing attempts to “excite feelings of disaffection” towards the government in the territories of the east India Company will be punished with banishment for life or with imprisonment for three years.

The clause did not use the word sedition and was loosely modelled on old english law. The draft code was finished in 1837 and the mutiny of 1857 catalysed its becoming into law in 1860, a year after Macaulay’s death. But the law missed out on including the clause related to sedition. The ‘mistake’ was rectified 10 years later by the insertion of Section 124A in the penal code.

With nationalist movements gaining ground, the government started using the sedition law as a tool for suppressing free speech and dissent. In 1897, Bal Gan-

Chakshu Roy is head of outreach, PRS Legislative Research.

Rabina Khan is a British writer and Liberal Democrat councillor. Her latest book, “My Hair Is Pink Under This Veil,” will be released in March.

HOW HAMID ANSARI VIEWS INDIA TODAY FROM A SECULAR COUNTRY, INDIA IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING A HINDU COUNTRY

OVER THE YEARS, POETS, STUDENTS, AND EVEN A VILLAGE HAVE BEEN BOOKED UNDER THE SEDITION LAW gadhar Tilak became the first political personality to be persecuted under the sedition clause for his writing and speeches. he faced three separate trials and was jailed twice. When Mahatma Gandhi was tried under Section 124A in 1922, he did not deny the charges. he said that “to preach disaffection towards the existing system of government has become almost a passion with me…’’. Maulana Azad and Nehru remained equally defiant at their sedition trials.

The sedition law came up for discussion during the framing of the Constitution. The draft Constitution included sedition as a restriction on the right of freedom of speech and expression. Members like Sardar Bhopinder Singh Mann, Sardar hukum Singh (who later became Lok Sabha Speaker), both from east Punjab, rallied for the removal of the word sedition from the Constitution. As a result, sedition was omitted and the Constitution restricted the freedom of expression on grounds like libel, contempt of court, morality and security of the State.

After the Constitution came into effect, judicial decisions interpreted the freedom of speech and expression in a comprehensive manner. It created difficulties for the government. In response, Prime Minister Nehru’s government in 1951 introduced the first constitutional amendment Bill in the provisional Parliament. This amendment added three new restrictions to the freedom of speech, one of them being “public order”. During the debate on the Bill, MPs again raised concerns about Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code.

Nehru responded to the debate by stating, “So far as I am concerned, that particular section is highly objectionable and obnoxious. It should be given no place in our Constitution for reasons both practical and historical. The sooner we get rid of it, the better. We might deal with the subject of this section in other ways, in more limited ways, as every other country does, but that particular Section as it is should have no place, because all of us have had enough experience of it in a variety of ways.” But neither his nor successive governments tried removing Section 124A. In 1962, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court held that Section 124A was constitutionally valid as it came within the limit of public order restrictions in the Constitution. It also protected speech that was critical of government action and limited the use of sedition law to cases of inciting violence and armed rebellion.

In 2011, D Raja as a Member of the Rajya Sabha made one of the last attempts through his private member Bill to remove the sedition law from the penal statute book. Over the years, poets, students, authors, journalists, cartoonists and even an entire village have been booked under the sedition law. And, Macaulay’s Section 124A in an updated form continues to be a part of the Indian Penal Code.

was the only family of color on our street — to my life today in London as a hijab-wearing Muslim politician, campaigner and writer, I have endured discrimination and worked to overturn stereotypes.

Muslim women do not need fashion tips and restrictions from lawmakers and the public. They need the world to know that they have the right to choose and have an equitable place in society.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #ChoosetoChallenge. The challenge for countries that impose bans on Muslim women is: how are these bans really helping to forge a truly gender-equal world?

I choose to challenge those who undermine Muslim women and attempt to write off our contributions, and I choose to challenge the structural inequalities that hold us back. As a Muslim woman, I challenge those who try to break us.

HIndustan tImEs

I

kaRan ThapaR

N a country where politicians rarely write memoirs — either to recall the details of their life or comment on the politics they were a part of — an autobiography by a recent vice-president (VP) is a very welcome development. however, what makes hamid Ansari’s book truly special is the candour and, at times, outspokenness with which he has written of the prevailing state of affairs. he was V-P for the first three years of the present prime minister’s tenure, and it’s only three more since his term ended.

Consequently, his book is not just relevant but also topical. Additionally, By Many A Happy Accident touches on many troubling aspects of Narendra Modi’s India that others have been reluctant to write about. So it’s unlikely to be universally applauded.

Let’s start with Ansari’s view of the 2019 election which, I believe, he sees as the real turning point and not 2014. he says it represents the “success of populism … assisted by authoritarianism, nationalism and majoritarianism”. This is both bold and unvarnished but, in fact, he is a lot more explicit when he analyses the outcome.

Today we have “a version of nationalism that places cultural commitments at its core and promotes intolerance and arrogant patriotism”. It has “take(n) over the political and cultural landscape”. It’s left the country with “an increasingly fragile national ego that threatens to rule out any dissent however innocent”.

The term Ansari uses to sum this up is particularly telling — “hyper-nationalism”.

If you read his book carefully, you will discover he also identifies the deeper consequences of such hypernationalism. First, it’s created “a subversion of core values”. The most worrying, perhaps, is that “the term secularism itself has almost disappeared from the government’s official vocabulary”. In its place, he says, “the politico-ideological effort now (is) to superimpose … the primacy of a religious majority.”

Ansari’s language is always careful and correct. he is not given to colourful adjectives or exaggerated suggestions. Yet it’s not difficult to tease out his real meaning, even if he hasn’t expressed it in so many words.

From a secular country, we’re increasingly becoming a hindu country.

There are two other consequences that Ansari identifies. “Our commitment to the Rule of Law seems to be under serious threat, arising out of the noticeable decline in the efficacy of the institutions of state.” Instead, we have lapsed into “arbitrary decision-making and even … . mob rule.” And he doesn’t shy away from blaming the

judiciary, although he does so delicately. “The approach of the superior judiciary … does little credit to an iconic institution and damages public confidence”.

The second consequence is more worrying. Ansari writes: “The fault lines in our society are visible.” he says “enforced homogenisation” and “a simplistic or motivated reading of our history” is “being attempted in a social milieu traditionally enriched by its diversity between communities and within them”. It seems he’s suggesting cultural nationalism could end up making India fragile. Unfortunately, he doesn’t say more. But did he need to? Surely, as a warning, this is enough.

So, is Ansari apprehensive about the future of India? he doesn’t answer the question directly. And yet there is a sentence in his last chapter — in fact, on the penultimate page — that suggests the light at the end of the tunnel is still glowing and could prove difficult to dim. “Strident nationalism and its illusory gains premised on falsehoods can also not be long-lasting”.

As I read those words I thought I could also hear his voice, gently but reassuringly, say: “This too will pass.”

But when? Will it be in my lifetime? Or is salvation a fruit that will only ripen for later generations to enjoy?

And by then how much damage will have been done? I draw comfort from the fact the India I love will rise again, but I’m saddened by the thought I might not be part of it.

Karan Thapar is the author of Devil’s Advocate: The Untold Story.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

SPORTS 09

KARACHI

west indies sweep banGladesH test series 2-0

DHAKA

r

AGENCIES

AHKEEM Cornwall took centre stage as spinners picked up all 10 wickets in the West Indies' 17-run victory over Bangladesh in the second and final Test on Sunday to complete a series whitewash.

Cornwall took 4-105 while Kraigg Brathwaite (3-25) and Jomel Warrican (347) grabbed the remaining wickets as Bangladesh were bowled out for 213 on the fourth day. Mehidy Hasan hit two sixes and three fours late in the day to add drama after the hosts lost their ninth wicket but the West Indies kept their cool to deny them a comefrom-behind win.

Gundogan nets brace as City thrash spurs to extend lead LONDON AGENCIES

Manchester City powered seven points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday as Ilkay Gundogan’s double inspired a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, while Liverpool’s problems mounted after a dismal 3-1 defeat at Leicester.

Pep Guardiola’s side stretched their English top-flight record run to 16 successive victories in all competitions.

They are unbeaten in their last 23 matches, since their last meeting with Spurs, and look odds-on to win the title for the third time in the last four seasons. Tottenham were no match for the red-hot leaders on a freezing evening at the Etihad Stadium. The 25th clash between old rivals Guardiola and Jose Mourinho was a mismatch from the moment Rodrigo put City ahead from the penalty spot.

Gundogan has been the main man during City’s winning streak and he finished off Tottenham with two ruthless strikes. Spurs have now lost five of their previous six matches in all competitions.

Amid Mourinho’s awkward rifts with Gareth Bale and Dele Alli, there is a growing feeling Tottenham’s season is spiralling out of control. They are languishing in ninth place, four points adrift of the top four. “A fresh team against a very tired team, but we hit the post and going 1-0 up could give us the fuel you need,” Mourinho said after Harry Kane’s early free-kick came back off the woodwork. “A team that is not united would give up and would be punished but I saw guys giving everything.” City went ahead in the 23rd minute after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tripped Gundogan with a trailing leg. After Gundogan made it three penalty misses for City this season in their thrashing of Liverpool last weekend, Guardiola had hinted goalkeeper Ederson might take their next one. City’s keeper did start moving towards the Tottenham area for a moment after the challenge on Gundogan, but he was sent back and instead Rodrigo stepped up and saw Hugo Lloris fail to keep out his spotkick. “I admire and love the courage to take it,” said Guardiola of the surprise choice of penalty taker. “But the taker was not good.

We were lucky.” Gundogan struck five minutes after half-time as his close-range finish eluded Lloris’s weak attempted save. The inform German midfielder wasn’t finished yet and in the 66th minute he sprinted onto Ederson’s long kick, gave Davinson Sanchez a subtle nudge and swivelled away from the stumbling defender before firing past Lloris. However, after scoring his 11th goal in his last 12 league games, Gundogan limped off with a concerning looking groin injury for Guardiola.

LIVERPOOL LOSE AGAIN: After sweeping aside City and the rest of the league en route to their first title in 30 years, Liverpool have lost their magic touch. They crashed to a woeful defeat at Leicester after Alisson Becker’s latest blunder sparked a stunning collapse. The calamitous nature of Liverpool’s late meltdown raises serious questions about their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Mohamed Salah had given the Reds the lead in the second half at the King Power Stadium. But James Maddison’s VAR-assisted equaliser turned the tide when his free-kick was allowed to stand despite Liverpool protests that Daniel Amartey was offside. That was followed by a howler from Liverpool keeper Alisson, whose miscued clearance was converted by Jamie Vardy. It was another miserable afternoon for Alisson following his two costly mistakes against City last weekend. Harvey Barnes’s goal put the seal on Leicester’s superb comeback. “The second goal is a misunderstanding obviously,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. “It is a situation where we should shout and I didn’t hear anyone shout. It is not that cool.”

The tourists, missing most of their top stars who feared travelling during the coronavirus pandemic, jumped with joy after Cornwall took a catch at slip off Warrican to dismiss Mehidy for 31 and end the innings.

Set a target of 231 runs, opener Tamim Iqbal hit a quickfire 50 and put on 59 with Soumya Sarkar (13). Brathwaite removed both openers before Cornwall and Warrican put the

MELBOURNE AGENCIES

Reigning champion Novak Djokovic came through a tough examination of his fitness as the top seed beat Canadian powerhouse Milos Raonic 7-6(4) 4-6 6-1 6-4 on Sunday to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.

Djokovic, who injured a side muscle during a five-set win over Taylor Fritz on Friday and suggested he might not be able to continue, showed hints of discomfort on the way to becoming the second male player to reach 300 Grand Slam match wins.

Fourteenth seed Raonic had never previously taken a set off Djokovic in three previous Grand Slam meetings so when he snatched the second set a surprise looked possible.

But Djokovic, bidding for a record-extending ninth title in Melbourne, responded by raising his level and improving his record over Raonic to 12-0. After the drama of Friday when Djokovic said he had sustained a "tear" and could not move, this was a relatively routine day at the office for the world number one who has been on painkillers for 48 hours.

"It was good enough to compete, to play, I wouldn't be standing here talking if I wasn't in sufficient condition to get on the court and give myself a chance to win a match," Djokovic told Eurosport.

3-0. Brathwaite broke through off his first delivery as Soumya departed with an edge ricocheting off the gloves of wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva before flying to Cornwall at slip. Tamim raced to a fifty off 43 balls – including nine fours – before giving Shayne Moseley a catch at short cover.

Warrican claimed Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque (26) and Mushfiqur Rahim (14), while Cornwall got rid of Mohammad Mithun (10) and Liton Das (22). "When you lose, it is always disappointing," said Mominul. "When Tamim was batting, we thought we will easily win it. But we lost wickets in the middle period and then Mehidy tried hard but fell short."

The West Indies smelled a win once Cornwall dismissed Taijul for nine. Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan defiantly put west IndIes 409 on 25 for the ninth (da sIlva 92, bonner 90, wicket, reviving home Jayed 4-98) and 117 (bonner hopes. But Brathwaite removed Nayeem (14) 38, IslaM 4-36) beat in the final over of bangladesh 296 (das 71, scheduled play, forcCornwall 5-74) and 213 (Iqbal ing an extension. Taijul earlier finished on 4-36 50, MIraz 31, Cornwall while Nayeem took 3-34 4-105) by 17 runs as Bangladesh bowled out West Indies in control. "I the West Indies for 117 in would say this is a team effort. their second innings. Bangladesh The one-day team didn't do well. But we took seven wickets for 76 runs in little had some plans and came on top," said Brath- over a session on the fourth day after the waite. "Coming over here with all the proto- tourists resumed on 41-3. Cornwall won the cols in place, it is huge," he added. "Very man of the match award for his nine wickets thankful for this opportunity. I'm very proud while Nkrumah Bonner was named player of of the boys. It means everything back home." the series. The West Indies won the first Test The West Indies had lost the ODI series by three wickets.

djokovic answers fitness doubts with victory over raonic "It's not ideal, I've felt better that's for sure. Didn't have much preparation and didn't hit a tennis ball since two night ago. There was a cloud of doubt whether I would play but it's a Grand Slam and I gave everything to

have a chance."

Djokovic failed to convert break points at 3-3 and 4-4 in the opening set and there was one moment of alarm when he was forced wide on the forehand side and struggled to put on

Halep battles past swiatek to set up serena sHowdown MELBOURNE: Second seed Simona Halep survived an early wobble to beat Iga Swiatek 3-6 6-1 6-4 in the Australian Open fourth round on Sunday as the Romanian avenged her shock defeat by the Polish teenager at the same stage of last year's French Open. After an error-prone opening set, Halep reeled off five consecutive games across the second and third sets before sealing her 100th Grand Slam match win to set up an eagerly anticipated quarter-final clash with Serena Williams. Swiatek, who knocked out Halep en route to her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, used her booming groundstrokes to save two break points in the seventh game before immediately breaking the Romanian to love on her way to claiming the opening set. World number two Halep roared back with an early break in the second set as her crafty baseline play frustrated her teenage opponent, who made a string of errors. Halep, who committed 10 of her 17 unforced errors in the opening set, said she initially struggled to cope with Swiatek's powerful forehands. AGENCIES

the brakes, hurdling a courtside advertising board.

CLINICAL FASHION: He won the tiebreak in clinical fashion, though, and when Raonic needed treatment on his right ankle early in the second set Djokovic appeared to be well in command. Instead, Raonic began to play some of his best tennis and secured the first service break of the match at 2-2 with a powerful forehand winner.

That proved enough for Raonic to bag the second set but his victory hopes were soon receding as Djokovic began to swing freely and accelerated through the third set.

The elastic-limbed Djokovic occasionally looked tentative when moving out wide on the forehand side and was stretched in the fourth set but he broke Raonic's serve at 4-4 when his opponent netted a backhand and clinched victory a game later to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne for the 12th time.

His 300th Grand Slam match win put him behind only Roger Federer (362) in the men's list.

India eye victory in 2nd test after ashwin spins out england CHENNAI AGENCIES

India built a commanding lead of 249 after spinner Ravichandran Ashwin helped skittle England for 134 on day two of the second Test on Sunday.

The hosts were 54 for one at stumps in Chennai with Rohit Sharma on 25 and Cheteshwar Pujara on seven. India are in sight of a victory that would level the four-match series after their crushing defeat in the opening Test.

Sharma, who hit 161 in India's first innings, survived a stumping chance on 20 when England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes failed to gather the ball to his left off Moeen Ali. Jack Leach trapped Shubman Gill leg before for 14 with his left-arm spin and the opener walked back after an unsuccessful TV review.

Ashwin had earlier claimed five wickets as England collapsed in response to India's 329, conceding a lead of 195.

England assistant coach Graham Thorpe said it

was one of the most difficult batting pitches he had seen. "The guys have plans but they didn't happen today for us," said Thorpe.

But Ashwin said batsmen have to adapt on a spinners' pitch like they do on tracks that favour fast bowlers. "It's about being very patient [on a turning track] like you play on a seaming wicket.

You need to really tide through the early phase and then start putting runs on the board," he said. "So I think the same kind of expectations and benchmarks need to be set on a challenging pitch."

It was the veteran off-spinner's second successive fivewicket haul and his 29th in 76 Tests. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel and fast bowler Ishant Sharma took two wickets each.

'EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO BAT': England's Foakes made an unbeaten on 42 off 107 balls. "It was extremely difficult [to bat] against a high-quality spin outfit and the pitch was playing tricks," Foakes told Channel 4 television. "I just tried to play within my limits and try to play the ball late. I think some balls are taking the top of the surface and I was trying to stick to my

IndIa 329 (Pant 58 not out, Moeen 4-128) and 54 for 1 lead england 134 (ashwIn 5-43) by 249 runs

CMYK

game plan." He added: "I think the wicket has plenty, if we bowl well we have a good chance of bowling them out."

England lost half their side for 52 when Ashwin bowled Ben Stokes for 18.

Foakes, taking the place of Jos Buttler who returned home after the opening win, put on 35 with Ollie Pope. The pair batted for over 50 minutes before pace bowler Mohammed Siraj struck with his first ball of the Test, removing Pope for 22. Patel then dismissed Moeen Ali for six.

England had crashed to 39 for four in a dramatic morning session that saw the fall of eight wickets, including skipper Joe Root for six. Ishant Sharma trapped Rory Burns leg before with the third ball of the innings. But it was Patel claiming Root for his maiden Test wicket that raised the roof in the stadium where fans were allowed for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic erupted.

Coming into his 101st Test with scores of 228, 186 and 218 in his previous three matches, Root mistimed a sweep and was caught at short fine leg.

Earlier, Rishabh Pant hit an unbeaten 58 before India's innings ended in the first hour of play. They had resumed on 300-6. Ali claimed four wickets, including two in his first over of the day. Fast bowler Olly Stone took three.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

banglaDesh to move more rohIngya muslIms to remote IslanD, DespIte outcry DHAKA

b

Agencies

ANGLADESH is moving 3,000-4,000 more Rohingya Muslim refugees to a remote Bay of Bengal island over the next two days, two officials said on Sunday, despite concerns about the risk of storms and floods lashing the site.

Dhaka has relocated around 7,000 to Bhasan Char island since early December from border camps in neighbouring Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where more than a million refugees live in ramshackle huts perched on razed hillsides.

The Rohingya refugees will be moved to Bhasan Char by ships on Monday (today) and Tuesday, Navy Commodore RashedSattar said from the island.

Bangladesh says the relocation is voluntary, but some of a first group to be moved spoke of being coerced.

The government has dismissed safety concerns over the island, citing the building of flood defences as well

as housing for 100,000 people, hospitals and cyclone centres.

It also says overcrowding in refugee camps fuels crime.

Once they arrive on Bhasan Char, the Rohingya, a minority group who fled violence, are not allowed to

leave the island, which is several hours’ journey from the southern port of Chittagong.

Bangladesh has drawn criticism for a reluctance to consult with the United Nations refugee agency and other aid bodies over the transfers.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says the agency has not been allowed to evaluate the safety and sustainability of life on the island.

“The process of moving the Rohingya will continue... they are going there happily for better life,” Mohammad ShamsudDouza, the deputy Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said by phone from Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh. “Our main priority is repatriating them to their homeland in a dignified and sustainable way,” he said.

Bangladesh has called on Myanmar to move forward the stalled process of voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees, as international pressure mounts on the military leaders following a coup, which reduces the refugees’ hopes of returning home.

“I don’t see any future for us,” said 42-year-old refugee, who chose to move the island. “The little hope we had of going back to our homeland was broken after the coup.”

Hundreds of thousands protest in Myanmar as army faces crippling mass strike NAYPYITAW Agencies

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Myanmar for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations on Sunday, as the new army rulers grappled to contain a strike by government workers that could cripple their ability to run the country.

Trains in parts of the country stopped running after staff refused to go to work, local media reported, while the military deployed soldiers to power plants only to be confronted by angry crowds.

As evening fell, armoured vehicles were seen in the commercial capital of Yangon for the first time since the coup, witnesses said.

A civil disobedience movement to protest against the February 1 coup that deposed the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi started with doctors. It now affects a swathe of government departments.

The junta ordered civil servants to go back to work, threatening action.

The army has been carrying out nightly mass arrests and on Saturday gave itself sweeping powers to detain people and search private property.

But hundreds of railway workers joined demonstrations in Yangon on Sunday, even as police went to their housing compound on the outskirts of the city to order them back to work.

The police were forced to leave after angry crowds gathered, according to a live broadcast by Myanmar Now. Soldiers were deployed to power plants in the northern Kachin state, leading to a confrontation with protesters who said they believed they intended to cut off the electricity to carry out nightly arrests.

“The military tried to control the electricity power sources since yesterday [Saturday],” said Awng Kham, a local politician. “They might be able to control the power during the night while they are doing their business at night.”

Several power departments in Yangon said in Facebook posts that they would refuse to cut the power and expressed support for the protesters. “Our duty is to give electricity, not to cut,” said one staffer, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, adding

that some colleagues were participating in the strike. The government and army could not be reached for comment.

Richard Horsey, a Myanmarbased analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the work of many government departments had effectively ground to a halt.

“This has the potential to also affect vital functions – the military can replace engineers and doctors, but not power grid controllers and central bankers,” he said.

MASS PROTESTS: Hundreds of thousands of people protested across the nation after a fearful night as residents formed patrols and the army rolled back laws protecting freedoms.

Engineering students marched through downtown Yangon, the biggest city, wearing white and carrying placards demanding the release of ousted leader Suu Kyi, who has been in detention since the coup and charged with importing walkie talkies.

A fleet of highway buses rolled slowly through the city with horns blaring, part of the biggest street protests in more than a decade.

A convoy of motorbikes and cars drove through the capital Naypyitaw.

In the southeastern coastal town of Dawei, a band played drums as crowds marched under the hot sun.

In Waimaw, in Kachin state, crowds carried flags and sang revolutionary songs.

Many of the protesters nationwide held up images of Suu Kyi. Her detention is due to expire on Monday.

Her lawyer, KhinMaungZaw, could not be reached for comment on what was set to happen.

More than 384 people have been detained since the coup, the monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said, in a wave of mostly nightly arrests.

“While the international community is condemning the coup, Min Aung Hlaing is using every tool he has to instigate fears and instabilities,” activist WaiHninPwint Thon from the UK-based rights group Burma Campaign UK said on Twitter, referring to the military ruler.

‘STOP KIDNAPPING PEOPLE’: Residents banded together late on Saturday to patrol streets in Yangon and the country’s second-largest city Mandalay, fearing arrest raids as well as common crime.

Worries about crime rose after the junta announced on Friday it would free 23,000 prisoners, saying the move was consistent with “establishing a new democratic state with peace, development and discipline”.

Tin Myint, a Yangon resident, was among the crowds who detained a group of four people suspected of carrying out an attack in the neighbourhood.

“We think the military intends to cause violence with these criminals by infiltrating them into peaceful protests,” he said.

He cited pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, when the military was widely accused of releasing criminals into the population to stage attacks, later citing the unrest as a justification for extending their own power.

Also late on Saturday, the army reinstated a law requiring people to report overnight visitors to their homes, allowed security forces to detain suspects and search private property without court approval, and ordered the arrest of well-known backers of mass protests.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in a November election that the army said was tainted with fraud an accusation dismissed by the electoral commission.

Dozens hurt by huge blaze close to Iran-afghanIstan borDer HERAT Agencies

At least 60 people were injured as hundreds of fuel vehicles exploded in a massive blaze that tore through a customs post in Afghanistan close to the Iranian border, disrupting power supplies and causing millions of dollars of damage. Iranian authorities sent fire engines and ambulances across the border, while scores of locals fought the blaze in the border town of Islam Qala before it was brought under control. Initial reports said the blaze had started after a gas tanker exploded. Officials said later that the cause was not immediately clear.

WaheedQatali, governor of the western province of Herat, said Iranian authorities and NATO-led personnel in Afghanistan were asked for assistance to help contain the fire, which damaged electricity infrastructure, leaving much of Herat’s capital city without power.

Thick plumes of black smoke and flames rose high into the air around the scene, television pictures showed.

Late on Saturday, Iran’s state news agency IRNA quoted JilaniFarhad, a spokesman for Herat’s governor, as saying the fire was brought under control but that about 500 vehicles had been burnt. Earlier, rescue workers and Afghan security forces moved hundreds of fuel and gas tankers from the area, while the international Resolute Support Mission was contacted with a request to provide aerial firefighting assistance, Qatali said. A Western official monitoring the situation told Reuters at least 60 people had been injured. Afghan officials gave a lower casualty toll, but said that number could rise.

Across the Iranian border, regional emergency official Mohsen Nejat told state television Iran had sent 21 ambulances and 20 fire trucks to the scene. More than 300 vehicles carrying gas, diesel and gasoline exploded, Hossein Akhundzadeh, a regional Iranian trade official, told Iran’s semi-official news agency ISNA. “It’s not known whether the drivers were able to escape or not,” he said. Wahid Tawhidi, a spokesman for power distribution company Da Afghanistan BreshnaSherkat, said 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity imported from Iran to Herat province had been disconnected because two pylons had burned down. He said 60 percent of Herat, one of Afghanistan’s largest provinces, was without power. YounusQazizada, the head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Industries, told Reuters the blaze had caused millions of dollars in damage.

“Preliminary investigations show that more than $50 million of damage has been caused by the fire so far,” he said. Seventeen injured people were taken to hospital and the number of casualties could rise, said Mohammed Raffia Shiraz a spokesman for Herat’s health department.

turkey says fInDs boDIes of 13 kIlleD by mIlItants In Iraq ISTANBUL Agencies

Turkish soldiers conducting an operation against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq have found the bodies of 13 kidnapped Turks executed in a cave, the country’s defence minister said. The identity of the 13 Turkish citizens was unclear and the minister, HulusiAkar, said their kidnapping had not previously been announced for security reasons. Turkey launched a military operation against the PKK in northern Iraq’s Gara region on February 10 to secure its border and find citizens who had been kidnapped previously, Akar said in a statement released by his ministry on Sunday. “In a search of a cave taken under control, the bodies of 13 of our abducted citizens were found. In a first inspection it was determined that 12 of our innocent and unarmed citizens were shot in the head and martyred and one shot in the shoulder and martyred,” Akar said. “According to initial information given by two terrorists captured alive, our citizens were martyred at the start of the operation by the terrorist responsible for the cave,” he said at the operation’s control centre near the Iraq border which he was visiting with military chiefs. The PKK has not issued a statement on the incident. Akar said 48 militants were killed in the operation and the region where they operated was taken under control, their ammunition stores and shelters destroyed. Three Turkish soldiers were killed and three were wounded in the operation, he said. The operation began with air strikes and a ground operation was then launched by soldiers who landed in the area by helicopter, the ministry said. Turkey has carried out similar operations in northern Iraq in the past. The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union, launched its armed insurgency in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. In the last couple of years, Turkey’s fight against the PKK has increasingly been focused in the mountains of northern Iraq, where the group has its stronghold around the Qandilmountains, along the Iranian border.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

BUSINESS 11

KARACHI NAB launches inquiry against illegal housing schemes in Peshawar PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an inquiry against the owners and management of four major illegal housing societies in Peshawar for alleged fraud.

NAB officials said that 32 illegal housing societies have been identified in Charsadda after the identification of 181 illegal housing societies in Peshawar on public complaints.

They said that an inquiry will be held against the owners and management of these housing societies for depriving the public of their earnings. It may be mentioned here that the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) had declared 181 housing societies illegal in Peshawar for failure to comply with the rules and regulations whereas the district administration has banned transfers and registries in these housing societies, including 123 societies in Shah Alam Tehsil, 25 housing societies in Peshawar City Tehsil, 24 societies in Saddar Tehsil and nine societies in Matni Tehsil area. Three years ago, the administration had identified 62 illegal housing societies in Peshawar, but due to lack of action; their number has raised to 181 now. However, the local government has approved rules and regulations for private housing societies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including Peshawar, under which action has now been initiated. Similarly, illegal housing societies have also been identified in Charsadda, with 32 schemes within the limits of TMA Charsadda alone.

Punjab CM directs timely completion of development projects in Bahawalpur Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has directed the authorities concerned for the timely completion of ongoing development projects in Bahawalpur. While chairing a meeting at Bahawalpur Aiport on Sunday, Buzdar was briefed about ongoing development projects in the area as well as the law and order situation. “Officials should monitor the pace of development work on the ground and ensure timely completion of the projects to benefit the masses, he directed, adding that no negligence would be tolerated. He said the government is also working to provide clean drinking water in backward areas of the province. BUsINEss DEsk

Govt estABlishiNG CANNABis fArMs As AlterNAtive to CottoN: ChAudhry FEDERAL MINISTER SAYS JOB MARKET WILL BE REVIVED WITH REVIVAL OF MANUFACTURING SECTOR LAHORE

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sTAFF REPORT

EDERAL Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that farms for cannabis production are being established in Jhelum, Peshawar, Chakwal and Islamabad, highlighting that cannabis was an alternative to cotton and its production would immensely benefit Pakistan’s economy.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) app for apple IOS and its upgraded website on Saturday, Chaudhry said that the government was taking several measures to strengthen the national economy.

It may be mentioned here that the federal cabinet had approved the first license for the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) for industrial and medical use of hemp, which the government says could result in a $1 billion market for Pakistan.

Per acre, hemp can produce crops three times the size of cotton, having a faster growing-time averaging at 90 to 100 days as compared to 150 to 180 days for cotton.

Fabrics produced from the hemp fibres tend to be more durable, stronger, and maintain their form in the stretching process whereas, in its textile form, hemp blends with other fibres and is used for various appli-

cations in construction, paper, oils, paints, adhesives, plastics, and cooking.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government has also claimed to be working on introducing hightech farms focusing on non-traditional agriculture including the production of exotic vegetables such as avocadoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, etc.

The federal minister also said that the government is making thorough efforts to revive the manufacturing industry of the country, noting that keeping up with technology was of paramount importance. “It is important to keep an eye on technological advancements besides observing which businesses have a good scope in the market and which are getting obsolete”.

The minister stressed that the country’s future was linked with technology and underlined that the merger of technology and biotechnology was vital.

He was of the view that 5G technology would bring about a massive revolution and the country needed stable internet to benefit from technological advancements.

The minister remarked that Pakistan had one of the most lucrative automobile policies for electric vehicles.

“In the next three years, electric vehicles will enjoy a significant market share in the main cities of Pakistan and they will definitely help reduce environmental pollution,” he hoped.

He announced that a leading global company would soon establish a manufacturing plant for dialysis equipment in Pakistan.

He lamented that in the past, power generation plants were set up without prior planning and as a result, the government was paying half the price of electricity even after the hike in power tariff.

Henan D.R. brings new hope to the Naya Pakistan Housing Project

PM Imran Khan inaugurating the Easy Prefabricated Homes (Private) Limited project

LAHORE sTAFF REPORT

Building a house. In Pakistan, it is an act that people belonging to middle and lower-middle income families aspire to take part in their entire lives. For most people, it is an aspiration not just towards comfortable accommodation, but towards permanency, tangible proof of social security, and feeling grounded. And for most of these people, it is a dream that either goes unrealised or they end up spending a lifetime of savings on.

It is a long, difficult journey. An average person would have to save up diligently all his life to be able to afford the luxury of buying a plot, even a small 2-5 marla plot, because of how inflated real estate prices are in Pakistan. And even if someone manages to do this, there is the high cost of building a house. There is no culture of contractors – and a house is built over years, with worries about finding the best bricks and labour at the cheapest price.

Homelessness is a huge problem in Pakistan. Out of a population of 220 million, at least 20 million people lack adequate housing and live in slums. As a young population comes into its years of maturity, building a house is becoming much more elusive. This fact has been one of the reasons behind Prime Minister Imran Khan making the Naya Pakistan Housing Program one of his flagship initiatives in government.

While the plan to make tens of millions of homes has been called ambitious, the entry of Easy Prefabricated Homes (Private) Limited, a Chinese owned prefabricated homes company, may be a major step towards realising this goal. The easy to assem-

Plaque marking the groundbreaking of Easy Prefabricated Homes (Private) Limited

Naya Pakistan Housing Authority Deputy Chairman Amir Aslam infront of the 3-marla double storey model house

WITH PREFAB ‘EASY HOUSES,’ HENAN D.R. TRYING TO MAKE HOUSING EASIER FOR PAKISTANIS ble, environmentally friendly and quality homes could be exactly what Pakistan’s homelessness epidemic might need. Currently, the company is in talks with the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority, as confirmed to Profit, and an announcement could be on the cards very soon in this regard. And the story of how the company arrived in Pakistan is heartening one.

A question of trust: Easy Prefabricated Homes (Limited) is a company wholly owned by a Chinese businessman named Huang Daoyoun. While this is the name of his company in Pakistan, he is the Chairman of Henan D.R. Construction, a privately owned company that has become huge in China, Africa, and other regions of the world. The company has a history of innovative design and a very unique approach to building problems. Their portfolio in the construction industry ranges from windows for skyscrapers to Nuclear chimneys. All of that is very impressive, and begs the question, why did they decide to set up shop in Pakistan?

According to well-placed sources, the seeds of this venture were sown when a person who was close to both Prime Minister Imran Khan and Huang introduced the two on the former's first visit to China back in 2018. They acted as an intermediary and a meeting between Imran Khan and the company’s Chairman was arranged.

The Prime Minister was immediately impressed by the technology that Henan

D.R. had to offer. Most people’s conception of prefabricated homes is that they are unreliable, flimsy, and only temporary structures.

But with their advance in technology, Henan D.R. was offering walls made of cold form steel slabs and reinforced styrofoam sheets.

Thick, sturdy, and as tough as nails, these houses require no bricks and no cement, are easy to assemble, and more importantly, are quick and cheap to assemble as well. Earthquake, fire, and most things nature proofed, these houses came with a 70 year guarantee, and the sort of 2-3 marla units that were needed for the Naya Pakistan Housing Project could be fully prepared in a week. It was a dream situation, and for Imran Khan, a way to prove his critics wrong.

However, this is where there was a slight impasse. The Prime Minister loved the idea of the prefab homes that Henan D.R. was offering, but fresh into the government, did not want to disturb his plan to fix the balance of payments and was wroth to see an increase in imports for his pet project’s sake. This is where he made an offer to Henan D.R. – accept an offer to set up a plant in Pakistan to produce their materials and build these houses. It was a bold offer. Why would Henan D.R. want to move to Pakistan and make a major investment in a country where they had no guarantee of orders or demand? Especially since they would be untrusting of how willing Pakistanis would be to live in prefab homes – a concept new to the country.

Despite this, Huang agreed to the Prime

CMYK

Plant of Easy Prefabricated Homes (Limited) at Faisalabad free zone.

Minister’s request and saw potential in Pakistan. In the end, it was the Prime Minister’s tact and diplomatic skill that has to be credited with this success. As one person close to both parties revealed, Huang was constantly impressed with the sincerity of the Prime Minister, and has since always held and said that Imran Khan “speaks from the heart.” With the promise of no bureaucratic red taping and a direct line to the Prime Minister’s office, Henan D.R. arrived in Pakistan. This was all they needed. After coming here, without any government assistance they bought six acres of land in the Faisalabad M3 Industrial Park so they could run operations in a Special Economic Zone.

Since then, they have built a number of sample houses and have been producing their core materials in Pakistan as well, which they could even export to regions like Africa where they already have a large existing market. While nothing has been finalised or announced as of yet, talks with the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority are underway and are expected to go positively.

How it will work: There have already been a lot of requests from the private sector to let them make use of this new technology. The offer is attractive. The houses can be built in a matter of a week, with no involvement of heavy machinery, no bricks, no cement, low labour costs. Other than being fast and cheap, the houses are also reliable. Made of reinforced sheets in metal frames that are 9-14 cm thick and 10×5 feet in dimension, the houses are completely secure. In addition to this, they are fireproof, soundproof, and insulated – with a noticeable six degree Celsius difference between inside and outside temperatures.

Add to this the fact that because there are no bricks or cement involved, there are no problems such as seepage and cracking walls or peeling paint. The houses, once assembled, are also delivered in refined conditions with the walls painted, lighting, electricity, heating, and plumbing all done. For the sample units made for the Naya Pakistan Housing Project, the company has made 3 marla houses that have two bedrooms, a washroom, and a living room was put together in three hours, which has reportedly highly impressed the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority. The total cost for a single unit like this comes up to a total of Rs2 – 2.2 million.

Henan’s goal is to be the go-to place when anyone in Pakistan thinks of making a general civil residential building with two stories or less, with the ideal size of the houses being 3-5 marlas. Low-rise buildings such as hospitals, schools, and barracks can also be made with these materials and model schools are already being developed for areas like Balochistan.

Since the eight months that it has been setting up in Pakistan, Easy Homes has now become fully operational in Pakistan. The recent model houses built by them that cover areas ranging from 3.5 marlas to 7 marlas.

Completely moisture proof because of there being no bricks and cement, the houses do not have problems such as peeling paint and are not a fire hazard. During natural disasters, their survival rate is more than 90%.

Their heat conductivity and energy conservation is also far beyond the national standard. Easy Homes is bringing to Pakistan a dynamic and possibly revolutionary change.

In times like these, it is a moment of hope and must be lauded as such.

Monday, 15 February, 2021

prayer tiMings

NEWS

AMAN-21 To pRoMoTe coopeRATioN AgAiNST TeRRoRiSM, cRiMeS: cJcSc staff report

Admiral Ahmed Bin Mohammad, Brazilian Surface Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Rogerio Da Rocha, in separate meetings.

Matters of defence collaborations and maritime security dynamics were discussed during the interactions.

The naval chief thanked the dignitaries for participation in Multinational Naval Exercise AMAN-21 to enhance the collaborative efforts for peace and maritime security.

An impressive International Bands Display was presented by bands of the participating countries of Aman 21, aiming to connect the countries through cultural legacies. The military bands from Sri Lanka, TriServices of Pakistan, Sindh Rangers and Coast Guard played traditional and military tunes. The fascinating melodies were appreciated by the audience.

Besides, an enthralling special rifle drill by Pakistan Marine was also a part of the event displaying excellent performance of spins and expert manoeuvres.

Additionally, the counter-terrorism demonstration was another forceful display of strength and specialized skills by Special Operations Forces to counter acts of maritime terrorism, refine special operating procedures, exchange of professional expertise and to enhance interoperability with participating SOF teams.

‘TROOPS BUSY PRACTISING ALL-ROUND DE-

FENCE, SURVIVAL IN DESERT’: Meanwhile, the troops of Pakistan Army’s Karachi Corps, during the ongoing exercise “Jidar-ul-Hadeed” in Thar Desert, were busy practising coordinated all-round defence and survival under challenging conditions.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday that the field exercise that commenced on 28 January has focused on enhancing operational preparedness, synergy amongst various components of forces and effective response measures under actual battlefield environment.

A day earlier, the ISPR said the troops of Pakistan Army’s Karachi Corps were practising in tactical drills and procedures as part of exercise “Jidar-ul-Hadeed” in Thar Desert. The military’s media wing said the four-week long defensive manoeuvre exercise is aimed at validating the concept of defence in deserts.

“The exercise is being conducted in extreme desert conditions, 74 kilometres ahead of Chhor, under conventional operations setting,” read the statement.

Earlier on Tuesday last, the opening ceremony of Pakistan-Turkish joint military exercise “Ataturk-XI” was held at the Special Service Headquarters, Tarbela.

Turkish forces and SSG troops are participating in threeweek long joint exercise.

Govt making all-out efforts for Karachi’s development, says minister islamabad staff report

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has said that the federal government has been making all-out efforts for the development of the port city, adding Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a personal interest in the development of Karachi.

Addressing a ceremony at Governor House in Karachi, the federal minister said: “[PM Imran] calls meetings, demands timelines and pressures all of us that we live up to the expectations of the people of Karachi for development projects.”

He maintained that the government had gone beyond its “personal responsibility” as Karach was not “an ordinary city”. “The Centre has stepped forward and is trying to address Karachi’s legitimate complaints and grievances,” Asad said.

Regarding the Karachi Transformation Plan (KTP), the minister said that the city for the first time would have a “modern transport system”, wherein the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) had started on the prototype for a bus which will be completed by March.

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US Senate acquits Trump as Republicans save him in impeachment again agencies

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trooPs busy PractisiNG all-rouNd defeNce, survival iN desert: isPr HAIRMAN Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza on Sunday said that naval exercise AMAN-21 would promote regional cooperation and stability, greater interoperability, and a united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Nadeem Raza witnessed the conduct of the maritime counter-terrorism demonstration as part of naval exercise AMAN-21. He lauded the professionalism of participants and appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Navy in conducting the multinational exercise in a befitting manner, the ISPR added.

“AMAN-21 successfully exhibits efforts made by Pakistan in line with our vision for regional peace and stability,” the ISPR quoted the CJCSC as saying.

The chairman JCSC also witnessed an international band display by navies from different countries.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi was also present on the occasion.

During Multinational Maritime Exercise AMAN21, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Niazi was called on by Royal Jordanian Naval Force Commander Col Hisham Khaleel Mubarak Aljarrah, Djibouti Coast Guard Commander Col Waiss Omar Bogoreh, Russian Navy HQ Deputy Chief Rear Admiral Oleg Apishev, Sri Lankan Fleet Flag Officer Commanding Rear Admiral YMGB Jayathilake and US NAVCENT Deputy Commander Rear Admiral Curt Renshaw.

In addition, chief of the naval staff was also called on by RSNF Eastern Fleet Deputy Commander Rear

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“We hope to start delivery of buses in the month of June,” said Asaf, adding that the target was to have the Green Line operational by the months of July and August.

Components of the project include 22 bus stations, escalators and elevators, a bus depot at Surjani Town and a command and control centre in Saddar.

Furthermore, a consultant has been brought on board for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and similar swiftness in removing encroachments from stormwater drains is expected.

Moreover, 52 state-of-the-art firefighting fire tenders provided by a Chinese company were handed over to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

The state-of-the-art firefighting vehicles were provided by a Chinese company and are different from traditional fire tenders that can only spray water.

The new fire truck products will greatly enhance the Karachi city government’s fire-fighting emergency rescue level and provide strong hardware support for the safety of the citizens, he said during the ceremony.

Elaborating on the types of deadlines they have to face, he informed the ceremony attendees that a meeting had been called for a revised schedule of the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme (K-IV proj-

ect) since the timeline given for October 2023 was not accepted.

Separately, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi on Sunday has said that under the cover of a plantation, the government of Sindh was trying to encroach Karachi Port Trust land, despite an order issued by Supreme Court in this regard.

In a tweet, he said: “As usual GoS abusing its authority & acting as land grabbers”.

“KPT has sent a legal notice to GoS & initiated contempt proceedings”, the minister added.

A day earlier, while talking to a private news channel, Asad had said that the government had moved a constitutional amendment bill to conduct the Senate elections through an open ballot to discourage horsetrading practice and to ensure more transparency, adding that the ruling party would accept whatever decision the Supreme Court (SC) makes.

Asad had said that Prime Minister Imran is committed to his promise from day one to make electoral reforms to ensure more transparency in the system.

He had maintained the opposition parties’ alliance is doing agitation and negative politics in the country to get the NRO, but the government will not give them any kind of concession.

The US Senate acquitted Donald Trump on Saturday in his second impeachment trial in a year, with fellow Republicans blocking conviction over the former president’s role in the deadly assault by his supporters on the US Capitol. The Senate vote of 57-43 fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection after a five-day trial in the same building ransacked by his followers on January 6 shortly after they heard him deliver an incendiary speech. In the vote, seven of the 50 Senate Republicans joined the chamber’s unified Democrats in favoring conviction.

Trump left office on January 20, so impeachment could not be used to remove him from power. But Democrats had hoped to secure a conviction to hold him responsible for a siege that left five people including a police officer dead and to set the stage for a vote to bar him from ever serving in public office again. Given the chance to hold office in the future, they argued, Trump would not hesitate to encourage political violence again. Trump’s attorneys argued that his words at the rally were protected by his constitutional right to free speech and said he was not given due process in the proceedings. Republicans saved Trump in the February 5, 2020, vote in his first impeachment trial, when only one senator from their ranks – Mitt Romney – voted to convict and remove him from office. Romney voted for impeachment on Saturday along with fellow Republicans Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey, and Lisa Murkowski. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted “not guilty,” offered scathing remarks about the former president after the verdict. “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said. “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.” The drama on the Senate floor unfolded against a backdrop of gaping divisions in a pandemic-weary United States along political, racial, socioeconomic and regional lines. The trial provided more partisan warfare even as Democratic President Joe Biden, who took office on Jan. 20 after defeating Trump in the November election, called for healing and unity after his predecessor’s four turbulent years in power and a caustic election campaign. Seventy-one percent of American adults, including nearly half of all Republicans, believe Trump was at least partially responsible for starting the Capitol assault, but only about half of the country thought Trump should be convicted of inciting insurrection, according to an Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters. Trump, 74, continues to hold a grip on his party with a right-wing populist appeal and “America First” message. The wealthy businessman-turned-politician has considered running for president again in 2024. Trump is only the third president ever to be impeached by the House of Representatives — a step akin to a criminal indictment — as well as the first to be impeached twice and the first to face an impeachment trial after leaving office. But the Senate still has never convicted an impeached president.

Democrats forged ahead with impeachment despite knowing it could overshadow critical early weeks of Biden’s presidency. The House approved the single article of impeachment against Trump on January 13, with 10 Republicans joining the chamber’s Democratic majority.

That vote came a week after the pro-Trump mob stormed the neoclassical domed Capitol, interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden’s victory, clashed with an overwhelmed police force, invaded the hallowed House and Senate chambers, and sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety.

Senator proposes 3-point plan for Pakistan’s maritime diplomacy Mushahid lauds PaK Navy’s MaritiMe diPloMacy islamabad Mian abrar

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has lauded Pakistan Navy’s Maritime Diplomacy as an example of Pakistan’s soft power outreach and ability to bring 45 diverse countries and navies on a common platform of peace in the Indian Ocean region.

He was delivering the Keynote Address at the International Maritime Conference organised by National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA), as part of the Pakistan Navy’s AMAN exercises.

Senator Mushahid quoted senior former Indian Ambassador MK Bhadhrakumar as terming AMAN 2021 ‘a spectacular display of Pakistan’s uniqueness as a regional power’ while he also criticised India for ‘a failed Pakistan policy’. He appreciated the Pakistan Navy’s positive regional role in

peacetime, particularly anti-piracy operations and humanitarian help to victims of conflicts and natural disasters in the Indian Ocean Region.

Referring to the geopolitical context, he talked about the resurgence of the ‘Asian

Century’ with an inexorable shift in the global balance of economic and political power from the West to the East. Senator Mushahid also analysed two contrasting visions for the future of Asia. There is China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), of which

CPEC is the flagship, which focuses on connectivity and cooperation, with over 100 countries signed on to BRI. Conversely, there is talk of a ‘New Cold War’ through policies that seek ‘containment’ of China, led by the Quad of 4 countries: US, India, Japan and Australia.

Talking of Pakistan’s foreign relations, he referred to Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of ‘peace within and peace without’, hence, Pakistan’s expanding role in regional connectivity.

He said that today Pakistan has ‘strategic space’ with CPEC, Pakistan’s pivotal role on peace in Afghanistan, India increasingly mired in its own problems due to Narendra Modi’s shortsighted policies and a less interventionist, more inward-looking United States under President Joe Biden.

Given this context, Senator Mushahid proposed a 3-point plan of policy doables to promote ‘maritime diplomacy’.

First, since 50,000 square kilometres has been added to Pakistan’s seabed territory, from 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles, thanks to a United Nations ruling of the Conference of the Law of the Sea, the government must initiate and implement a comprehensive Maritime commercial policy, with the continental shelf in the Indian

Ocean as the core, and Pakistan Navy in the lead role.

Second, Pakistan should be the bridge between CAREC, the 11-country cooperation forum for Central Asian countries, and RCEP, the 15-country free trade agreement in Southeast Asia. China is member of both CAREC and RCEP, while India is member of neither. That will open up huge economic opportunities.

Third, in the wake of this successful ‘maritime diplomacy’, Pakistan needs to take a regional initiative on related issues of climate change and cultural tourism, which can provide a basis for regional cooperation on areas of common interest. Pakistan is among the 5 top vulnerable countries to the vagaries of climate change, with South Asia’s 500 million people living along the coastline facing the challenge of global warming. On Cultural Tourism, he referred to opening of Kartarpur Corridor for the Sikh Community, the Buddhist historic sites in Taxila and Takhtbai as well as Hindu holy sites. Other speakers in the session included Naval leaders from Indonesia and Nigeria, as well as academic, Professor Huma Baqai.

There was an animated question/answer session at the end of the seminar.

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