EpaperKHI_21-05-20

Thursday, 20 May, 2021 I 8 Shawwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 319 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

NCOC apprOves reOpeNiNg Of eduCatiONal iNstitutes, OutdOOr diNiNg g

GOVT TO AllOW TOuRIsM ACTIVITIEs, OuTdOOR WEddINGs FROM MAy 24 ANd JuNE 1, REsPECTIVEly

file photo

iSlaMaBad staff report

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HE National Command Operation Center on Wednesday announced to lift of a number of restrictions, including the reopening of educational institutions, in districts where the positivity rate is less than five percent and the resumption of outdoor dining, imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

DEATH TOLL NEARS 20,000: Earlier in the day, the death toll from coronavirus infections neared 20,000, according to official data published on Wednesday, as the pandemic appeared to be raging again with the authorities reporting more than 3,000 new infections for a second day, up from 1,531 last week.

Epidemiologists say excess mortality — deaths from all causes that exceed the fiveyear average for the time of year — is the best way of gauging deaths from a disease outbreak because it is internationally comparable.

The government portal keeping track of

the outbreak also registered 3,256 new infections after testing 41,771 samples, receiving back a positivity rate of 7.8 percent.

New infections came down to a twomonth low of 1,531 on May 14, the second day of Eidul Fitr, but have since grown to cross the grim milestone of 3,000 cases, signaling another rise in the third peak of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, recoveries increased by 4,440 to 799,951, or 90.3 percent of total infections.

There are currently 66,377 active cases of Covid-19, with 4,549 of them in critical care units, NCOC said. B.1.617 — the highly contagious united Kingdom variant of coronavirus — now accounts for up to 70 percent of nationwide Covid-19 infections, a research centre studying the disease in the country reported earlier this month.

“There is a 60 percent to 70 percent prevalence of the uK variant in Pakistan (today),” Professor dr Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry, director at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological sciences, university of Karachi, told Reuters, adding that this

COrONavirus iN

pakistaN

CONFIRMED CASES:

886,184

LAST UPDATED AT 7:26 AM ON MAY 19, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

104

3,256

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

799,951 19,856 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

301,247

329,913

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

127,609 AJK/GB: 18,360/5,439

24,064 ISLAMABAD:

79,552

figure was 2 percent in January.

The ICCBs works on Covid-19 samples and provides research and data to the government.

Over the weekend, the government allowed the reopening of inter-provincial and inter-city public transport, which has remained shut for a week during the Eid holidays from May 9 to 15.

A meeting of the NCOC also allowed the reopening of all government and private offices with 50 percent attendance from Monday (May 17).

However, despite allowing normal life back on track, the body made it clear that the ban on tourism activities will continue until further notice. All tourism sites including the northern areas will remain closed in the light of the decision.

However, tourists were still seen travelling towards tourist points during the Eid holidays.

But they were not allowed to travel further and were returned by the authorities mid-way.

The government launched a nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive for the general public, starting with older people, in March. The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80.

The authorities began the vaccination with Chinese sinopharm and Cansino jabs. Private hospitals in major cities are using the Russian sputnik-V vaccine that has been imported by a local pharmaceutical company.

The government has also approved the emergency use of Oxford-AstraZeneca and China’s CoronaVac vaccines. It received its first shipment of AstraZeneca doses through the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) facility earlier this month.

The government is aiming to ramp up the immunisation campaign in the summer and expects to receive 13.2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of June.

Tareen pledges allegiance to Imran laHOrE staff report

A day after estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen announced parliamentary leaders of his posse, formalising the split in the ruling party, he refuted the claim of a divide in the party on Wednesday and said he had done so only after the Punjab government resorted to “revengeful actions” against his loyalists.

In a new twist to the tale of the emergence of a disgruntled group in the ruling party, the sugar baron announced parliamentary leaders of his group in the National and the Punjab legislative assemblies, signaling parting ways with the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, his once close friend.

However, he today denied reports of forming a forward bloc in the party. “We were part of the PTI […] are part of [it] and […] will continue to remain its part,” he said while speaking to reporters outside the lahore High Court where he appeared for a hearing in cases against him.

In March, the Federal Investigation Agency regis-

Government displays EVM prototype, seeks opposition’s cooperation Jawad Zulfiqar As the government displayed a working prototype of the type of electronic voting machines it wishes to use in the upcoming election, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry once again invited the opposition for a discussion on the matter.

Elections have a history of becoming controversial in Pakistan, with allegations of rigging being common after every election. While successive governments have been urged to undertake electoral reforms time and time again, nothing significant has been done.

The incumbent government has occasionally expressed its desire to bring electoral reforms, even inviting the opposition to sit with it for a dialogue on the way forward. However, last week, the Free and Fair Election Network cautioned the government against moving with haste in this matter and called for a public debate and political discourse on electoral reforms. It highlighted the country would need to address structural and systematic issues in order to strengthen democracy.

On Wednesday, FAFEN once again issued a statement,

tered two cases of money laundering and corporates fraud against Tareen and his son Ali Tareen under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating of public shareholders), and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code with sections 3 and 4 of the AntiMoney laundering Act, 2010.

The cases were opened in the light of findings of the sugar inquiry commission that had accused several sugar producers — including Tareen — of “underreported sales and fraud”. Tareen had rejected the “fabricated” charge sheet and denied any wrongdoing.

Today, the court extended the pre-arrest bails of Tareen and his son until May 31 after the agency said it needed more time to view records provided by Tareen’s JdW-Group.

Tareen was accompanied by his posse. during the conversation, he said his MPs in his group have decided to “raise our voice in the Punjab Assembly”. The entire responsibility [of this development] lies on the shoulders of the Punjab government, he insisted.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

more inside

PM inaugurates low-cost flats for labourers in Peshawar STORY ON PAGE 03

Israel must be held accountable for Palestine attacks, Qureshi says urging the government to review the first-past-the-post system and adopt a proportional representation system to improve public representation in legislatures. It added that since 2002, the proportion of unrepresentative votes in total polled votes has been on the rise, with an all-time high being recorded in the general election held in 2018.

Referring to frequent allegations of rigging, Fawad said that it was the habit of some political parties to level allegations following every election. He said that the greatest problem with traditional methods of voting was that it takes time to count votes before official re-

sults are announced. The minister also said that EVMs would help achieve transparency and efficiency as the results are announced soon after voting.

He said that while the initial demonstration was given to reporters at the Parliament House, other media and legal associations would also be given briefings on the matter.

Fawad said that the opposition would be informed about these as well and their feedback would be taken into consideration. For this purpose, he added, the government had played a prototype of the machine at the Parliament House.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

STORY ON BACK PAGE

Israel says it has no ‘timeframe’ for end to Gaza attacks STORY ON BACK PAGE

IHC dismisses petitions seeking to stop auction of Nawaz’s property STORY ON PAGE 02

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Thursday, 20 May, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

IHC dISMISSeS PetItIoNS SeekINg to StoP auCtIoN of Nawaz’S ProPerty ISLAMABAD APP

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division bench of Islamabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed the petitions seeking to stop the auction of property owned by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and declare them as non-maintainable.

The decision said that the IHC could not hear the case under section 199 when the petitioners had others forums for relief. The litigants should have filed the application to the trial court to stop the auction, it added.

A division bench comprising Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri announced the decision which was earlier reserved after listening to arguments from the petitioners’ counsel against the

property auction in the Toshakhana reference.

The three separate petitions were filed by Mian Iqbal Barkat, Aslam Aziz and Muhammad Ashraf Malik through their counsel Qazi Misbah to IHC. During the course of proceeding, the petitioners’ lawyer contended that an Accountability Court of Islamabad on April 22, ordered the authorities concerned for auctioning of the property owned by the former prime minister. He said that the property in Sheikhupura was purchased before the filing of reference against Nawaz.

The lawyer also gave references to the decisions of the Supreme Court and Indian courts in similar cases and said that a session court of the area concerned would decide the matter if the property was situated in other districts.

The lawyer prayed the court to stop the property

auction scheduled for tomorrow. Justice Farooq asked the lawyer that why the petition was filed in delay if the auction was scheduled for tomorrow.

Qazi Misbah said that the petitions were delayed due to the Eid holidays in the country. To a query by the bench, the lawyer said that they could file a civil suit but it could not stop the property auction. The lawyer said that the petitions had objected to the auctions owning to land purchase deed, lease and family settlements.

The petitioner had been given the said house under a family settlement in 2007. He further said that the said land was agricultural and a cemetery of the Sharif family was also there.

The lawyer pleaded that the three petitioners had invested their money in the property and it was their right to recover the same.

Zubair in hot waters over statement about ‘Sharifs’ settlement with Pindi’ ISLAMABAD MIAN AbrAr

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif is furious over a statement by his spokesperson, Mohammad Zubair, and has directed to reconstitute the party’s media team after Zubair’s “irresponsible statement” about a deal between the party leadership and the powers that be.

Informed sources in the PML-N have informed Pakistan Today that Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif were unhappy over what the source called the “reckless statement” on a private television

channel.

“Although, party leader Maryam Nawaz is trying to pacify the party leader but Zubair is in hot waters over these days,” a source said. Zubair, who has also served as Sindh governor, made a statement of alleged reconciliation between the PML-N and the military establishment on May 11, 2021.

Zubair had said in a show that there was no more fighting and peace has been reached with Rawalpindi. “I don’t know about ceasefire or peace but we have good relations,” the PML-N chief’s spokesperson hastened to add.

The source said that following the

Imran architected economic collapse, Bilawal claims kARACHI INP

Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday said that the country cannot be developed under the supervision of a corrupt leader. In a statement, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan cannot hide his corruption by deflecting blame on his ministers and advisors. He claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf bigwigs were indulging in corrupt practices by leaving people at the mercy of inflation. “Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is the ‘architect’ of the country’s economic collapse, could not hide his ‘incompetency’ and ‘corruption’ by making his ministers and advisers scapegoats,” Bilawal said. The premier has to be made accountable for every penny of the nation, he added. The PPP chairman said the “worst corruption” committed during the PTI government was responsible for the country’s present economic plight. “The country whose chief executive is corrupt could never progress economically,” he remarked. He accused the government of extorting billions of rupees from consumers by sending inflated electricity and gas bills. “Mr Prime Minister! These are the people of Pakistan who have the right over the national exchequer, and that you will be held accountable for each and every penny,” Bilawal said. First Imran looted people by levying heavy taxes on them and then he committed corruption in the development projects which were funded by people’s own money, he claimed. Bilawal said that frequent increases in taxes had made PTI government’s integrity in the eyes of people suspicious. He further said that international organisations had laid bare the prime minister’s image of “Mr Clean” by making startling disclosures about corruption scandals during his tenure. “PM Imran is so ‘incompetent’ that now he has even lost the trust of members of his own party,” he claimed. He said that a man who made false promises to the nation only to come to power could never be sincere to the country and its people.

statement went on air, Nawaz Sharif took note of it and sought clarification from Zubair. The source said that Mohammad Zubair told Nawaz Sharif that he had made a mistake and it will not happen in the future.

According to the sources, Nawaz expressed displeasure over making such an irresponsible statement while Zubair has also apologised to the PML-N supreme leader for making a statement about the reconciliation.

Moreover, Nawaz had started consultations on removing Zubair as spokesperson, but then the matter was diluted over the personal request of

Maryam Nawaz after Zubair admitted his mistake and sought an unconditional apology. The source said Zubair’s statement was also taken seriously by party president Shehbaz Sharif who raised it with Nawaz.

Futhermore, Maryam is trying to handle the matter amicably. It emerged that Zubair also remained in Jati Umra one day before Eid just to convince Maryam. The source said that Zubair also explained to Shehbaz but could not satisfy him. Pakistan Today tried to contact Zubair for a comment on the matter, but no response was received by the time this report was published.

Covid infections rate increases threefold after Eid: Dr Azra Pechuho kARACHI APP

Sindh Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechuho Wednesday said that after the Eid holidays, the rate of coronavirus infections increased by threefold. The minister was giving details of Covid infection patterns from last year to the National Command & Operation Centre meeting which she attended via zoom link here. Secretary Health Dr Kazim Jatoi and Deputy Secretary Dr Mansoor Wassan were also present. The minister said that she expects this pattern to hold this year as well, however the baseline is much higher this time around and so the numbers will be significantly larger. Due to people travelling back and forth for Eid Holidays, the risk of spreading infections is already considerable and we will see covid positive cases rising. In regards to the relaxing of standard operating procedures, Dr Azra Pechuho stated that allowing 70% occupancy in railway carriages should be reconsidered and that Sindh would urge railway operations to be curtailed for at least next 7 to 10 days and the situation should be reviewed again thereafter. The minister also observed that there have been over 25 Covid positive cases confirmed through airline travel and that Sindh Health department will be conducting genomic sequence studies on the samples found to determine which variants are found. International travel is exacerbating and spread of infections and that we have to be more stringent at airports with rapid antigen testing as well as PCR. It is also probably that international travelers may not exhibit symptoms till a week-10 days after landing and would be spreading the virus within their communities as quarantine on international travelers is not being implemented. The minister concluded that NPI’s should be maintained and not doing so will make things worse in regards to Covid.

The court subsequently dismissed the petitions while declaring them non-maintainable.

It may be mentioned here that the petitioner Mian Iqbal Barkat adopted the stance that House No 135 Upper Mall Lahore belonged to Itifaq Group, which was jointly owned by Mian Muhammad Sharif, Mian Muhammad Shafi, Mian Mirajuddin, Mian Barkat Ali, Mian Abdul Aziz and Mian Idrees Bashir families.

Petitioner Muhammad Ashraf stated that the Sheikhupura administration had fixed May 20, a date to auction the confiscated property of Nawaz Sharif.

He said that he had already purchased 88 Kanal land from Nawaz Sharif and had paid Rs75 millions against it. He, however, added that the deed couldn’t be implemented due to the arrest of the former prime minister.

He further said that he had approached the civil court for implementation on the selling deed. Aslam Aziz said that the district administration was confiscating 105 Kanal land for auction.

He said that he had invested heavy amount on agriculture project at the said land. There was a risk of wastage of his investment if the land was auctioned, he said. The petitioners prayed the court to set aside the decision of the accountability court for confiscation and auction of the above property.

LHC seeks replies from federal government on Shehbaz contempt pleas by May 26 NewS DeSk The federal government and other parties have been notified by the Lahore High Court to submit a reply

by May 26 on a petition against not allowing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif to travel abroad despite the court’s earlier orders. The petition was heard on Wednesday by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, while the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly was represented by Advocate Amjad Pervez and Azam Nazeer Tarar. On May 8, Shehbaz, who is also the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, was to board a flight to Qatar when he was stopped by immigration officials at the Lahore airport. He was told his name was still on a no-fly list titled, the Provisional National Identification List. On Monday, the government also added his name to the Exit Control List, after it was removed by court order in 2019. In his petition, Shehbaz states that the LHC order which allowed him to leave the country one-time was announced on May 7 in front of the deputy attorney general and two Federal Investigation Agency officials. The above order had become a matter of public knowledge, he argued, as various representatives and federal ministers had discussed its contents on social media and during talk shows. “Is this petition admissible after Shahbaz Sharif’s name was added to the Exit Control List?” the court asked at the outset of the hearing on Wednesday. The court asked if the petition is admissible after the interim order of the LHC was challenged in the Supreme Court. Justice Najafi asked how can the interim order be implemented after Shehbaz’s name appeared in ECL. Lawyer Tarar suggested the court summon a reply from the government to provide clarity. The court ordered the government’s lawyer to check and tell the court whether Shehbaz’s name is on the no-fly list or not.

The deputy attorney-general said Shehbaz is the leader of the Opposition and the president of a major political party. Whenever anyone comes to this court, they come as a petitioner, Justice Najafi responded.

Read more: Shahbaz Sharif permitted to fly abroad for medical treatment The deputy attorney-general said court orders had been implemented. He said Shehbaz had not submitted his court order to any concerned authorities. “Shehbaz Sharif went straight to the airport and gave a court order to the staff,” he said, adding that it was Shehbaz’s responsibility to submit the court order to the relevant authorities.

PML-N seeks SC probe of road scandal ISLAMABAD INP

Bakeries, milk shops allowed to remain open until midnight by Sindh government NewS DeSk The Sindh government is allowing bakeries and milk shops across the province to remain open till midnight, according to the official notification issued on Wednesday.

“Bakeries and milk shops are allowed till 12:00 am (midnight),” the communique informed.

Restaurants and food streets will remain closed and no indoor or outdoor dining is permitted at this stage, the notification added. However, home delivery, takeaway and drive-through

facilities are allowed.

Earlier this month, as the third wave of the Covid-19 swept across Sindh, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced the closure of all shops, including grocery stores at 6 pm. He also directed that restaurants may not be permitted to offer takeaways after sunset but may continue home deliveries.

“We would further tighten enforcement of SOPs and close Hawkesbay, Seaview and other recreational facilities for visitors,” he said while chairing a meeting of the coronavirus taskforce at the CM House.

On the same day, the government announced that all commercial activities across the provinces will be allowed to operate on Friday and Sunday from 6 am till 6 pm.

Markets and businesses of the province remained shut till May 16 on Eid-ul-Fitr. Only grocery stores and essential services were permitted to remain open during the closure.

So far, over 15,000 people have been vaccinated during the last two month at the Arts Council’s Covid-19 vaccination centre jointly established by the Sindh Health Department.

A large number of Arts Council of Pakistan members, including prominent personalities like Zia Mohyuddin, Anwer Maqsood, Imdad Hussaini, Javed Sheikh, Humayun Saeed and others got the dose of covid vaccination the council’s vaccination centre.

“The ongoing vaccination process has been started from March 17, 2021, at the Arts Council.

“Arts Council is organizing digital activities for the member whereas all the physical activities has been postponed as per the government instructions,” Ahmed Shah stated.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice of the Rawalpindi Ring Road scandal.

Talking to a television channel, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb called “corruption” in the project a robbery committed in the broad daylight. At the same time, she also demanded that not only Prime Minister Imran Khan should resign but that he should also be arrested since she claimed it was on his order that the alignment of the project had been changed to benefit Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf stalwarts. She said that her party rejected a National Accountability Bureau inquiry into the scandal since it could not question the prime minister. “PM Imran should first be kept in prison, and then he should be questioned in connection with his role in the corruption scandal,” she asserted. And above all, she demanded the apex court also find out where the prime minister was hiding the wealth he had accumulated through financial scandals.

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

kaRaChI

PM InauguraTes lOw-cOsT flaTs fOr laBOurers In Peshawar IMRAN SAYS CAPACITY PAYMENTS TO REACH RS1,455BN BY 2023 DUE TO EXPENSIVE POWER AGREEMENTS WITH IPPS SAYS GOVT CONSIDERING ABOUT NATION’S FUTURE, NOT NEXT POLLS PESHAWAR

P

Staff RePoRt

RIME Minister Imran Khan has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf government is committed to facilitating the lower segments of society as per the vision of the State of Medina. The prime minister said this while inaugurating low-cost family flats for labourers at Regi Lalma in the provincial capital. The prime minister was accompanied by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan during the inauguration of the Labour Complex.

The prime minister said that no attention was paid to the poor class by successive regimes in the past. He said that PTI is the first government, which is focussing on the welfare of the oppressed and neglected people through the provision of health cards

and housing facilities.

PM Imran said that it was the responsibility of the state to support underprivileged segments of the society and after completion of their five years, he would like to revisit how much they have been able to lift these segments. “A UNDP report highlighted that KP witnessed improvement in poverty index from 2013, with most among any province witnessing people going beyond the poverty line,” he said.

He said that the law is equal for all and mafias are trying to get NRO from him, however, they would not succeed in their efforts. “I will never give NRO to them,” he said and vowed to bring them under the accountability net.

Talking about the construction work on Mohmand Dam, the prime minister said that this reservoir will be completed by 2025 and it will irrigate 17,000 acres of land, provide

300 million gallons of water to the residents of Peshawar and generate cheap electricity.

PM Imran said that 10 smaller and bigger dams will be constructed in the country by 2028 to take care of electricity needs and food security of the country.

It is pertinent to mention that 2,056 family flats will be distributed among registered workers of the province through balloting. 3 percent quota has been reserved for widows and 2 percent for differentlyabled people. The project also includes a school comprising 30 classrooms.

Following his address at the Labour Complex inauguration, Prime Minister Imran paid a visit to the Mohmand Dam construction site where he said the previous governments instead of building dams for affordable electricity generations, signed exorbitant agreements to make money off the top. “With these expensive agreements we are bound by, we have to pay them off whether or not we buy electricity from them due to which our capacity payments will jump to Rs1,455 billion by the year 2023,” the PM said while talking to media persons there. However, PM Imran said that his government is concerned about the future of

Tareen will vote for Imran during budget: Rasheed RAWALPindi INP

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Wednesday said that estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen, who formed a separate parliamentary group within PTI, will vote in favour of Prime Minister Imran Khan during budget the next fiscal year.

While reviewing development works at a hospital

Tareen pledges allegiance to Imran ContinuEd fRom PAgE 01 “We have not yet formed a forward bloc […] but have appointed a focal person to represent us in the House,” Tareen added. Saeed Akbar Niwani, who was named the group’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, will “lead the discussion” against the “revenge tactics” of the provincial government in the House, he announced. “I have submitted the money trail to the FIA, which is now verifying it with the banks,” he disclosed and reiterated that the investigation was not related to the sugar scam. “I will repeat that none of the three cases mention sugar [probe]. The investigation and the scandal are not related at all,” he said, implying political victimisation.

Speaking about the inquiry into his allegations against certain quarters in the government led by Senator Ali Zafar, Tareen said he had met him and given a detailed explanation as well. “I am confident the report [and my explaination] will be given to the prime minister as well,” he said.

“However, the Punjab government has started taking vendetta against members of my group,” he added. He also accused the government of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar of transferring officials loyal to Tareen “left, right and centre” and putting pressure on them to part ways with Tareen. Tareen further urged the Punjab government to “stop with their actions”, adding his loyalist legislators are “your MPAs and you [Buzdar] became the chief minister with their votes”. Recalling that Prime Minister Imran had met the group and assured them that justice would be served and no revenge would be exacted, Tareen expressed confidence in the premier’s assurance.“But the Punjab government also needs to stop [unjustified] action against our group and address our concerns,” Tareen said, reiterating that they would raise the issue in the provincial assembly as it was their constitutional right. In response to another question, he said the government has also taken revenge from members of his group in other matters as well but he will not go into details.

When a reporter asked Tareen that some lawmakers of his group had said they would not let the Punjab government pass its budget, he responded: “It is every individual’s right to express his or her opinion. The group will take decisions [taking into account everyone’s opinions],” he added.

in Rawalpindi along with Minister of State for Health Dr Faisal Sultan, Tasheed said that small arguments and disagreements occur within parties, however, he was sure that Tareen will vote for Imran during the budget.

“This is not even a thing to be discussed or given importance as it occurs regularly within parties,” he said. He said that the prime minister’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia has remained successful and the country has never before witnessed better

the nation and not the win in the next elections alone for which they have put 10 projects underway for cheaper electricity that will complete by 2028.

“We are revisiting the agreements with the independent power producers (IPPs) and have signed some new ones which will benefit us with cost-cutting.” He said that at

relations with the Kingdom.

Rasheed further expressed his gratitude towards Sultan for upgrading the 200-bed hospital with the donation of 200 additional beds and said that they were also establishing a cancer treatment department in it.

Sultan assured that the hospital would be completed by end of this year as bids have been invited for procurement and construction purposes.

The interior minister also announced to hold a public gathering at his residence on Friday to express solidarity with Palestine, which have been witnessing Israeli violence that has so far killed over 200 Palestinians including children.

“We have announced relief aid for the Palestinians and the cabinet has approved it,” he said adding that it was now up to the Foreign Office to make arrangements for its delivery.

Government displays EVM prototype, seeks opposition’s cooperation ContinuEd fRom PAgE 01 Talking about the locallydeveloped prototype, the minister said that it fulfills the 36 conditions laid out by the Election Commission of Pakistan a few years ago. He added that the machine was as easy to use as a mobile phone.

While demonstrating the operations of the machine, Fawad was accompanied by Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan, Senator Faisal Javed and Nasir Malik, the representative of Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable

Development in the South.

Babar also spoke about the EVMs proposed to the Election Commission. He said that the government has imported three models while two were being manufactured in Pakistan. He, however, added that the ECP would make a final decision on which machine to use. It is worth noting that recently, the government empowered the Election Commission to introduce electronic voting in general elections.

The adviser said that the machines would identify voters through their identity cards, while their credentials would be verified

with the National Database and Registration Authority.

He said that it was on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s instructions that the government was going for this approach. He also cited the allegations of rigging by opposition parties in the recent NA-249 by-election as an example of the “cancer” that has been plaguing Pakistan’s electoral system.

Electronic voting machines are not without controversy either. Due to the possibility of hacking, these machines are more susceptible to large-scale electoral fraud when compared to paper ballot.

32 airport officials contract Covid-19 PESHAWAR INP

As many as 32 frontline officials of the Civil Aviation Authority posted at Baccha Khan International Airport in Peshawar contracted coronavirus as the number of Covid-positive passengers returning from Gulf states at the airport increased to 80.

The airport manager confirmed that 32 workers have tested for Covid-19, mainly including members from vigilance and airport services. Bridge operators and officials from the human resource and medical department are also among the affectees.

The authorities at the airport cited an increasing number of coronavirus-positive passengers’ arrival from Gulf monarchies as the main reason behind the spread of the infection among their staffers. So far, 80 passengers have turned out to be Covidpositive at the airport after undergoing on-arrival

testing. “The airport premises is being disinfected properly and a regular spray is being carried out to avoid a spike in cases among those serving at the airport,” the manager said. The National Command Operation Centre on May 1 devised new protocols for the inbound travellers, imposing a condition of Covid-19 testing at airports.

The NCOC in a handout said that in view of prevailing global and regional disease trends, Pakistan has decided to reduce inbound international travel from 5 May to May 20 by 20 per cent.

Besides this, the passengers will undergo rapid testing at the airports and would stay in quarantine for 10 days at their homes.

If positive, the passenger will be shifted to a quarantine facility, where they would be re-tested on the eighth day. The guidelines stated that the passenger would bear the expense of the isolation facility and in case of testing positive for the second time, would be shifted to a hospital.

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present the full cost of power is not borne by people but they are paying less than the real amount of electricity they are consuming.

He added that with the construction of dams, the country can produce up to 50,000 megawatts of power and it will also help the country with water allocation and agricultural land irrigation.

Met Office forecasts drizzling, dusty winds in Karachi KARACHi INP

Chief Meteorological Officer Sardar Sarfraz on Wednesday forecast light rainfall with dusty winds in Karachi and other parts of Sindh. “Karachi will experience maximum temperature between 38-40 degrees Celsius,” the official said. Karachi received rainfall with a dust storm under the influence of Arabian Sea Cyclone Tauktae on Tuesday. It received 7mm rainfall at Masroor Base and 6mm rain at Surjani, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The rain lashed Surjani Town, New Karachi, Yousuf Goth, Taisar Town, and Khuda Ki Basti as well as other parts of the city. A spell of severe hot weather ended late in the evening after rainfall with dusty winds.

The met office had warned that the sea conditions will remain rough until evening and fishermen of Sindh were advised to avoid going into the deep sea. They can resume their activities from tomorrow, the weather alert added. Arabian Sea Cyclone Tauktae, packing ferocious winds and threatening a destructive storm made landfall in western India on Monday. Cyclone Tauktae, according to reports, is the biggest to hit western India in 30 years, swept over the Arabian Sea with Gujarat state. The cyclone has now weakened into a “cyclonic storm” and will gradually become a “deep depression” as it moves northwards, according to a weather report from India.

Murdered PakistanBritish woman felled by bullets in face, neck: autopsy LAHoRE Staff RePoRt

The preliminary autopsy into the murder of a Pakistan-origin British woman in the Defence Housing Authority neighbourhood earlier this month suggested she received two bullets: one in the face and the other in the neck. The postmortem also found marks around Mahira Zulfiqar’s neck but ruled out rape angle. It also found bruises on both her hands and elbows while her teeth were broken due to the bullet shot. The examination also revealed that her head was swollen either from having her hair pulled or being dragged by the hair, and found her hair on clothes. Zulfiqar, 24, was found dead on May 3 after four attackers reportedly barged into a bedroom in the home of her friend where she was staying the night. Zahir Jadoon and Butt were two of the four accused of being behind the murder in the first information report filed by Mohammad Nazeer, a relative of Zulfiqar. Nazeer said Zulfiqar had told him she had become embroiled in a dispute with two male friends after she had refused their marriage proposals, and that they had threatened her with “dire consequences”.

The case was registered under sections 302 and 34 — premeditated murder and common intention, respectively — of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

04 NEWS

KARACHI

IHC oRDERS NADRA to REStoRE HAfIz HAMDullAH'S CNIC ISlAMABAd APP

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday set aside the decision of National Database and Registration Authority about blocking the computerized national identity card of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Hafiz Hamdullah and ruled that the authority acted in an "arbitrary and reckless" manner.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah announced the decision on a petition filed by Hamdullah, challenging the blockage of his CNIC. The chief justice said that nationality is someone’s basic human right and the NADRA was not authorised to remove it. He further questioned that how NADRA could view the report of intelligence agencies.

The bench asked the NADRA representative to provide the details of other cases, in which it had taken the same decisions on the basis of such reports.

Expressing annoyance, the chief justice asked the NADRA representative that whether they know what could be the results of blocking CNIC of someone even for one day.

Justice Minallah also asked that under what law the NADRA had established district committees.

However, after detailed arguments, the court dismissed the NADRA’s decision, blocking Hafiz Hamdullah’s CNIC. The judgement stated that Hamdullah was born in a remote town of Balochistan "and this crucial fact has not been denied" by the government. His father Qari Wali Mohammad was employed by the government of Balochistan.

"He and his father have lived in Pakistan all their lives. They own properties and the petitioner has held various public offices as an elected representative," the order said, noting that his son had the distinction of having been accepted as a commissioned officer in the armed forces of Pakistan.

"There could not have been a more glaring example of arbitrary and reckless action by [NADRA] of purportedly depriving a registered citizen of his citizenship and that too when [it] had no jurisdiction under the ordinance of 2000 to do so," it added.

Hamdullah had lost his citizenship in October 2019 when NADRA declared him an "alien". He had subsequently challenged NADRA's notification of revoking his citizenship in the IHC. NADRA, in its written reply, had referred to intelligence reports, claiming that Hamdullah was not a Pak-

istani national. It had taken the stance that intelligence agencies had claimed that Hamdullah’s credentials were

also fake and subsequently his computerised national identity card (CNIC) had been cancelled.

IMB lauds Pakistan's progress in controlling polio ISlAMABAd TLTP

LAHORE: People protest against Israel’s barbaric attacks on Palestinians outside the Lahore Press Club. ZubAiR MEhFOOZ

K-Electric condemns mob attack on Gadap office KARACHI PR

The K-Electric strongly condemned the mob attack by miscreants on its office located in Gadap Town, which not only damaged its property but also blocked streets and created distress within the city. It is pertinent to mention that residents of a nearby vicinity have outstanding electricity dues of around Rs600 million, which are yet to be cleared. The power utility expressed its intention to pursue legal action in line with prevailing laws and regulations against the miscreants for their actions. The KElectric also appealed the residents to clear their dues for the power utility to resume electricity supply.

RDA revenue surged during Isani’s tenure RAwAlpIndI STAFF REPORT

The Rawalpindi Development Authority’s revenue was surged into unprecedented levels during the tenure of outgoing RDA Director General Captain (R) Abdul Sattar Isani, Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday.

On Monday, Punjab’s Services and General Administration Department had directed Isani to report to Lahore as he had closed the offices of a housing society, based in the twin cities, for not complying with the authority's directions. Isani relinquished the charge of director general position on Wednesday. According to details, the department recovered Rs80 million in the last three months from different housing societies and approved 320 maps. Moreover, the land wing of RDA under the leadership of Isani not only solved audit paras, involving Rs32 billion, of different housing societies but also recovered Rs21.86 billion. It was the biggest recovery in the RDA’s history and its officials are optimistic that the Public Accounts Committee will soon remove the audit paras.

Isani, during his tenure, also gave approval of converting the empty plot in Civil Lines Rawalpindi into residential apartments for the RDA staff.

China wants Kashmir resolution for peaceful region: Masood MUZAFFARABAd TLTP

Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has said that like Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, China is also concerned over the actions India has been taking in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK) since August 2019.

In an interview with state-run radio channel on the topic of "Pakistan-China Defence Cooperation", he said that China wants a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue to bring peace and stability in the region and the country is opposed to the approach of a military solution to the dispute.

He said that China on one hand, befittingly responded to Indian Army’s adventurism in Ladakh while on the other, it helped Pakistan convene an informal session of the UN Security Council to discuss the Kashmir issue after more than 50 years.

The AJK president said that China is the only friend in the world, which has remained stuck to the stance on Kashmir it had adopted in the 1960s. When India abolished the old status of the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir after August 5, 2019 and declared the region Indian union territory, China had expressed a strong reaction to it.

Talking about multidimensional defence cooperation between Pakistan and China, Sardar Masood Khan said China and Pak-

istan share close military relations as China is providing a range of modern technologies to Pakistan for strengthening its defence system, helping Pakistan in the peaceful use of nuclear energy and both countries are making concerted efforts to forge deeper strategic ties for a shared future and security.

He said that China has been supporting Pakistan in defence matters since the 1960s and expressed the hope that its position will remain unchanged in the future.

The state president said that China had no direct concern with the ceasefire reached between the armed forces of Pakistan and India on the Line of Control, but being a friendly country, China supports every measure and step in the interest of Pakistan.

"A reason for India's willingness for a ceasefire at the LoC may be the advice of Indian Army commanders to their government following an armed clash with China in Ladakh that the Indian Army cannot afford to fight on two fronts simultaneously. However, nothing final can be said in this regard,” Khan said.

To a question about the formation of a four-nation alliance against the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor, the AJK president said that the CPEC and Belt and Road Initiative are aimed at bringing people of the region together and resolving their economic problems. No bloc should be formed against such human welfare projects, he asserted.

The International Monitoring Board has appreciated Pakistan's progress in controlling the poliovirus despite complex challenges faced by the immunisation programme. The appreciation came at a virtual meeting of the IMB that was attended

by IMB Chair Sir Liam Donaldson and its members, and all international experts in polio eradication and public health. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan, in his inaugural speech at the meeting, said that despite the complex challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan is optimistic about controlling polio before the end of next year. Earlier in August, the IMB in its assessment of the global polio eradication programme warned that if Pakistan does not adopt transformative measures to eradicate poliovirus from the country in the next six months, the situation could become dire. The 18th report of the IMB, which comprises global experts, is hopeful that Pakistan still has a chance to root out the crippling disease. “There is a new impetus for change and for rapid progress to be made,” it highlights. “If that does not happen in the next six months, if those changes do not get rolling, the wheels will come off the Pakistan bus.” Citing modelling data, the report notes that Pakistan is at the risk of wild poliovirus cases reaching 500 by the end of 2020 and vaccine-derived poliovirus cases reaching 1,000.

NAB shuts inquiry against Safdar nEwS dESK The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday approved three references, and nine inquiries, including one against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Amir Muqam, besides shutting a matter related to Captain (R) Safdar Awan. The decision was taken in an executive board meeting of the NAB, which was headed by Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal and attended by the deputy chairman, prosecutor general accountability, director general operations and some others. The accountability watchdog decided to shut cases against Captain (R) Safdar Awan, husband of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, former inspector general Mujeeb ur Rehman and former petroleum minister Amanullah Jadoon. The executive board approved three references, including one against former KP Board of Revenue senior member Ehsanullah Mehsud for illegal allotment of 1976-kanal of land in Dera Ismail Khan. Another reference was approved against former district nazim Maqbool Lehri, former Quetta mayor Kaleem Ullah and others for leasing out 529 square feet of government land on minimal charges that led to a loss of Rs529 million to the national exchequer. The third reference was approved against former Balochistan excise minister Amin Umrani and others over assets beyond means and excessive use of authority.

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

05

TaRin calls foR eliminaTinG middlemen To Raise faRmeRs’ ReTuRns By 40Pc ISLAMABAD

f

STAFF REPORT

INANCE and Revenue Minister Shaukat Tarin on Tuesday highlighted the importance of curtailing the role of middlemen effectively, which he said would enable the growers to get 35 to 40 per cent higher returns of their agricultural produce.

The finance minister was speaking at a meeting with Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, according to a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry. SAPM on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, Secretary Finance Division and Additional Secretary, Ministry of National Food Security and Research also participated in the meeting.

The meeting reviewed the existing farm gate price mechanism and the problems faced by the farmers in transporting the perishable commodities particularly vegetables and fruits to the nearest market or first point of sale.

The meeting discussed role of middlemen who make money at the expense of farmers particularly with small and marginal land holdings.

Tarin said that achieving economic sustainability

Report warns Pakistan of $3.8bn yearly loss due to climate change

BUDGET FOR FY22 DELAYED AS TARIN SEEKS MORE TIME TO PRESENT ANNUAL BUDGET was the biggest challenge in the field of agriculture and highlighted the importance of boosting farm productivity by facilitating farmers through interest-free agri loans so that they get fair share of their produce and stressed the need to empower farmers by offering interest-free loans.

He discussed modalities for provision of microcredit to farmers enabling them to purchase fertilisers, pesticides and other basic inputs through syndicate of banks and microfinance institutions.

The provision of interest-free loans to the small farmers would transform the agricultural sector and end exploitation by the middlemen.

The underlying rationale is to pave the way towards sustainable farming by offering interest-free loans with maximum flexibility. He directed to work out a mechanism for disbursement of microcredit to farmers with

smaller land holdings and discuss in the next meeting.

The minister also discussed a multi-dimensional approach to streamline agro-industry and underlined the need to build commodity warehouses and cold storages facilities for farmers throughout the country, enabling them to transport perishable commodities (kitchen items) to the point of sale in time.

He stressed the need for building strategic reserves for essential commodities.

Meanwhile in a separate development, Shaukat Tarin has sought more time from the National Assembly speaker for presenting the annual budget for fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22).

According to a report by a local media outlet, the delay is a result of continual rolling of heads at the Ministry of Finance as the ruling party’s indecisiveness has affected daily operations.

The report claims that the government wanted to present the budget in the second or third week of June; however, opposition parties have asked the government to hold the budget session in the first week of June.

They said the budget session will continue for at least three weeks and if the session starts in the mid of June, it cannot be concluded by the end of the month.

Govt mulls setting up national food authority to monitor inflation

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB) in a joint study titled “Climate Risk Country Profile” for Pakistan have estimated that Pakistan is facing up to $3.8 billion in annual economic loss due to climate change as temperatures are likely to witness an increase of up to 2.5 degrees Celsius over the next two decades. It findings have put Pakistan among the top risk-prune countries in terms of increase in average temperatures and resultant economic and social losses. “Pakistan faces increases in average temperatures significantly above the global average with a potential rise of 1.3°C4.9°C by the 2090s over the 1986-2005 baseline,” the study said, noting that Pakistan faced “some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world, ranked 18 out of 191 countries by the 2020 Inform Risk Index”. The global average by 2080-99 is estimated at about 3.7°C under the highest emission estimates.

Projections also “suggest yield declines in many key food and cash crops, including cotton, wheat, sugarcane, maize, and rice”, while a rise in the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events will increase disaster risk, particularly for vulnerable poor and minority groups. The study found that cities in Pakistan’s northern regions will be strongly impacted. The study said that “changes should be seen in the context of the increasing impact of the urban heat island effect, driven by urbanisation, and identified in cities such as Lahore and Peshawar”. MONITORING REPORT

Replicating the models of the USA, UK, Australia, and India, the government is thinking of different options, including the establishment of the Pakistan Food Authority (PFA), to monitor rising inflation.

Presently, the government of Pakistan does not have a regulatory authority for food control.

According to The News, the authorities are considering different proposals of which one is the establishment of a national regulator to have one food market and one law.

The report also highlights that globally, food standards are regulated by the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius (Codex). The Codex is a collection of internationally adopted food standards that is managed by a Commission comprised of 187-member states, including Pakistan. The Codex provides

Builders decry rising steel prices, demand removal of duties Builders and developers have demanded a waiver from regulatory duty and additional regulatory duty on the import of steel to stabilise prices as prices of steel bars increase drastically in the local market. As per a local media outlet’s report, prices of steel bars were around Rs117,000 per tonne in November 2020, which have now surged to Rs142,000, threatening to halt the construction sector’s progress despite government initiatives. In this regard, Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) urged the government to abolish the regulatory duty and additional regulatory duty on steel imports to maintain stability in steel prices. Similarly, a member of the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction and Development (NCCHCD) requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to allow import of steel bars to improve competition and check cartelisation. However, experts are of the view that a duty waiver would not make much difference as prices were surging due to a hike in international prices. MONITORING REPORT

Govt urged to grant traders concessions in upcoming budget PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

member states with the opportunity to collectively develop international food standards and provides member states with standards that can form the basis of national food standards.

In 1995, Codex became the WTO standards for which the inter-

national trade in food would be regulated. Since the recognition of Codex as the international standard for food and the trade in food, most countries of the world have established a national regulatory authority for food that oversees national food control systems. MONITORING REPORT

Gem exports increase 67.4pc in 9MFY21 ISLAMABAD: Gems exports during first nine months of the current fiscal year (9MFY21) grew by 67.38 per cent upto $5, 850 as compared to the exports worth $3, 495 of the corresponding period of last year. According to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the exports of jewellery increased by 103.48 per cent, worth $6, 544 thousand were exported as compared to worth $3,216 thousand of same period of last year. During the period under view, exports of handicrafts were increased by 100 per cent as $5, 000 worth of products were exported as compared to zero exports in the same period last fiscal year (FY20). APP

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has urged the federal government to provide traders with relief, including tax-exemptions, and waiving off property rents, utility bills and slump sum rebate on overall taxes per case in the upcoming fiscal budget for 2021-22 (FY22). The demand was made

by SCCI President Sherbaz Bilour who said that the chamber’s proposals had been presented before the federal government, according to a statement issued here on Wednesday. He said the SCCI has sought the financial relief package especially for Covid-19 hit businesses and to build a favorable business climate and competitive environment among local and foreign investors. Emphasising the termination of double taxation and a cut in the ratio of number of taxes, the SCCI chief said that special exemptions which are being offered to foreign investors, need to be reviewed to keep local industries and investors competitive, and to enhance revenue by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Bilour said that policies need to be changed while keeping prevailing economic conditions in mind. In the proposals for the upcoming budget, the SCCI chief said they have asked for National Database Registration Authority’s (NADRA) data to be utilised for identifying potential taxpayers. To encourage taxpayers, the chamber’s president said that they have proposed special tax concessions with a ratio of 15 to 20 per cent.

Global Road Safety Week - 2021 The 6th Global Road Safety Week is being observed from 17-23 may 2021 with new global plan for the decade of action for road safety 2021-2030 in accordance with UN Resolution 74/299 to improve global road safety. The new global plan as guiding document would provide an opportunity to connect the successes and lessons of previous decade to prevent at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. Road safety has become the global concern due to alarming increase of road traffic crashes as the cumulative toll of road traffic injured and causalities is truly terrific. Road safety within 5 pillars of activity in global plan includes road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.

6th UN Global Road Safety Week focuses on streets for life, low speed streets save lives and are the heart of any community. 30 km/h (20 mph) speed limits where people and traffic mix make for streets that are healthy, green and livable, in other words, streets for life.

Each year, approximately 1.3 million people die world over and over 54% of deaths are associated with motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians. It is also an interesting fact that Low Income Countries have 1% of the World’s vehicle but 13 % of all deaths.

On the contrary, High Income Countries

have 40% of the World’s Vehicles but 7% of all deaths. World over, every 24 seconds someone dies on the road as per World Health Organization.

The pre-hospital Emergency Care System commonly known as Rescue 1122 has been established under the Emergency Rescue Services Legislation in more than 70 percent of Pakistan to provide the right to timely emergency care to the victims of accidents, emergencies and disasters without discrimination. This is an integrated model of Emergency Management which includes Ambulance, Fire and Rescue services and trained community responders. Rescue 1122 Emergency Care System since its inception in 2004 has rescued over 9.2 million victims of emergencies including 2.8 million road traffic crashes without discrimination with average response time of seven minutes. The Motorbike Ambulance Service was also introduced in 2017 to provide timely emergency care to road crashes victims in traffic congestion. Similarly Rescue 1122 also provide manages the shifting of serious/ critical patients from primary/ secondary healthcare facilities to specialized healthcare facilities through Patient Transfer Service. In order to improve bystanders response in road crashes volunteers as community emergency response teams have been trained by Rescue Service for management of emergencies and

safety promotion. Furthermore, this Rescue 1122 Emergency Care system is flexible enough to deal with multiple or mass causality incidents at any time and has been managing all the floods, earthquake, building collapse and on-going COVID 19 Pandemic.

Rescue 1122 is also established Trauma Registry System for evidence based research and to provide data to the policymakers for safety promotion and prevention of emergencies.

According to statistics, Emergency Service Rescue 1122 responded to over 2.8 million road traffic crashes in Punjab since inception in 2004 and 83% road traffic crashes are associated with motorbikes. An average 970 families got traumatized daily when their solely responsible person approx. age from 21-40 years gets injured or died in the road crashes. The grief and distress experienced by the road crashes may not be measured in digits. WHO in collaboration with Emergency Service Rescue 1122 and concerned organizations reviewed the contributing factors of road traffic crashes and found that an accident occurring every 1.6 minutes and Rescue 1122 alone is managing an average 970 road traffic crashes daily in Punjab. Evidence based priority steps to improve Road Safety were recommended including Reduce the maximum Speed Limit of Motorcycle to 50 km/ hr, Dedicated Motorcycle Lane, Standardize User Friendly

CMYK

Helmet & Ensure Enforcement, Provision of safe economical, dignified light public transport and implementation of standardized Driver Licensing Program.

Dear Readers, we all need to promote safety in all fields especially road safety as the civilized nations are recognized by the organized traffic. Everyone should be road wise, abide by traffic rules, discourage underage driving, drive in left lane with ap-

propriate speed limit, wear properly strapped helmets, fasten seat belts, do not use mobile during driving, maintain your vehicle and keep a safe distance from next vehicle during driving because it’s better to be late than never. We as responsible citizens must do commitment that we will play our positive role and behave responsibly to prevent road traffic deaths and injuries in Pakistan. PRESS RElEAS

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

Perils of Khana aur Lagana

The rise of the likeminded group May not be the last threat to the PTI government

We must learn to live within our means

W

Hen Prime minister Imran Khan decided to contest national elections he was told by all those who mattered, both inside the party and in the echelons of power, that he will have to win over the electables if he wanted to be the Prime minister of the country rather than the leader of a small and ineffectual cadre party. recruiting the electables required exertion of pressure from the right quarters along with offers of ministries, development funds and promises of appointment of bureaucrats of their choice in their constituencies. Imran Khan agreed to the plan and met with open arms the turncoats that were bought to him one by one or in groups without them suffering any pang of conscience. meanwhile he harboured the misconception that they would be loyal to him rather than to those who had brought them to the PtI-led alliance. He got the first shock of his tenure when about 30 of the like-minded mnas and mPas swore allegiance to Jahangir tareen while still professing loyalty to the Pm to keep the door for talks open. the PtI’s factional infight played no small role in the case initiated by the FIa against mr tareen. this sent a negative signal to all those who had contested as independents but were persuaded to join the PtI by mr tareen. What appears from the statements of the likeminded group is that Chief minister Buzdar overplayed his hand by getting the case registered against mr tareen while simultaneously exerting pressure on them by blocking their funds, transferring friendly officers from their constituencies and registering fake cases against their family members and friends. meanwhile leaders of the anti tareen faction in the PtI are advising the Pm to sit on the opposition benches rather than succumb to the like-minded group’s pressure. allied parties and groups like the mQm, PmL(Q) and GDa too were persuaded to join hands with the PtI to form the ruling coalition. While the Pm must be looking over his shoulder these days, he has to realise that in politics favours are never one-sided and are supposed to be returned. Practicing realpolitik has benefits as well as risks.

Dr FariD a Malik

T

He concepts of Khana (skimming) and Lagana (spending) have to be understood for honest decision making. skimming of public funds is a cardinal sin as it seriously effects investment decisions. Project selection based on kickbacks or KB (Khan Bahadur of raj days) result in disastrous consequences. the Orange train project of Lahore is a prime example of such flawed approach. the annual interest payments to be made till 2036, amount to rs 6.28 billion, then there are overheads including electricity bills. the three Punjab metro Buses (Lahore, Islamabad, multan) are highly subsidized mainly because of high fuel costs. By contrast the Peshawar metro despite technology glitches of electric Vehicles (eV) is self-sustainable. Lahore had a functional public transport system called LOs (Lahore Omnibus service) that was modeled after the London bus system. then came the process of Khana and Lagana, and the entire network was dismantled. the properties and assets of LOs were squandered. One such property is located on Ferozepur road in Garden town, which was advertised as a direct foreign investment during the Chief ministership of Chaudhry Pervaiz elahi but was then stopped by shahbaz sharif. It now stands abandoned with a huge unsafe dug up area. remember, KBs are not transferable. my late father, the honest businessman and entrepreneur, always talked about clean book-keeping,

Slot filled at last Moeed Yusuf’s becoming NSA raises crucial questions

Harassment must be faced squarely

aks-e-Zainab

H

arassment is a breach of basic human rights. It deprives the victim of social empowerment. When this kind of behaviour is experienced at the workplace, it reduces productivity, lowers workers’ motivation and lowers their morale. It has highly negative consequences on the economy as well. a research report published in the journal of general education suggests that about half of the female workers are harassed by their co-workers and more than half of males are subject to the same treatment by their coworkers. these respondents claim that this is because of the inefficiency of the management. the nineteenth amendment grants the security to both male and female, which provide them relief from harassment at the workplace. this law applies to every kind of employee either permanent, contractual, or apprentice. now the question is whether this law is seriously implemented by all the authorities and institutions of Pakistan in reality.

Beginning with the idea of harassment, let’s claridy our perceptions of harassment. there are so many types of workplace harassment like power harassment, discriminatory harassment, personal harassment, verbal harassment, physical harassment, sexual harassment, and so on. so, harassment is not only sexual and physical as it is understood commonly, but verbal harass-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

Harassment by the same gender

s

aPm moeed Yusuf’s being named national security adviser not only represents a leg up for him, but also has the PtI government filling the slot for the first time during its tenure. this delay of half its tenure should not make it seem that the post is in any way redundant. the nsa is crucial to the use of nuclear weapons, but Dr Yusuf’s predecessor, Lt Gen (retd) nasser Janjua devoted his energies to two pressing issues.

He was an important component of the backchannel diplomacy with India, which was also handled by his Indian counterpart. With the back channel picking up steam, it probably felt appropriate to have an interlocutor at this end. another portion of the nsa’s remit is to do with afghanistan; that is at the moment entering the endgame of a Us exit, and a fulltime nsa would play a crucial role in this. this raises the question of whether all interested parties are on board with this appointment. the government cannot really describe itself as on the same page with the military, which may explain why a civilian has been chosen for a post last held by a retired lieutenant general, and for which a former Joint Chiefs Chairman was considered. However, as Dr Yusuf will find out, it is not only the military which might be wary of his input, but reservations are also expected from the Foreign Office, which had previously opposed an appointment as unnecessary. another difficulty that Dr Yusuf might face are questions about his nationality. He has Us permanent residency, as well as property there. His post seems to be the one the supreme Court had in mind when it banned foreign nationals from contesting elections or holding Cabinet office. In the afghan endgame, can he be expected to take Pakistan’s side if it ever clashed with the Usa? then there is the question of the country’s nuclear arsenal, where the Usa and Pakistan still have disagreements. With all these question marks, will Dr Yusuf get the security clearances that he needs to do his job properly?

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

and the concepts of bebarkati (lack of prosperity), beghairati (dishonourableness), besharmi (shamelessness) and muftbari (freeloading). I must admit that I tried all the juvenile tricks of dishonesty to skim off change for my small needs to satisfy my taste buds for sizzling Kebabs, spicy Channa Chat, Kulfi and so on.

He would always check the expenses and balance the allocated amount. even fudged receipts were carefully checked and corrected if need be. Once the account was settled, he would then reward me for my efforts with a small token amount to cover my childhood worldly distractions. He was a kind man but when it came to spending money, budgetary discipline had to be followed. as secretary Finance of Ludhiana muslim League he narrated stories how he carefully managed party funds and kept the record updated. How he released funds against indents to the party workers, which were all documented.

Public money is sacred and must be handled with utmost care. there is no room for Khana or muftbari.

Once bebarkati sets in, spending becomes disorderly. since 1985, hardly any project has been completed without cost escalation. the prime examples being the new Islamabad airport and the neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project in aJK. most IPP (Independent Power Producers) and the LnG (Liquefied natural Gas) deals were done on very unfavorable terms resulting in circular debt as the costs are beyond the reach of the common man. the nandipur Power Project produces electricity at the cost of rs 45 per unit, perhaps the highest in the world. Instead of going after the muftbars of the two previous governments, references were filed against engr m.B.ahmad (Late) who as CeO of PePCO blew the whistle against the ministers invloved in corruption and kickbacks. Finally they are now being investigated for assets beyond means, and one of them is in custody. this culture of ‘qeema naan ‘ is a direct result of this ‘Khana approach ‘ perfected bythe PmL(n). the net result is mufbari, and be-izzati (disgrace) for the workers. the way food is attacked after political gatherings is inhuman and disgraceful. as an emerging democracy, Pakistan was relatively clean till 1958. Political leadership and the bureaucracy consisted of honest and able individuals who tried their best by living within means and protecting state resources. there was no question of ‘ khana ‘, the few who tried were marked and then sidelined. the country was debt-free, and though the progress was slow

it was on solid foundations of internal revenue generation. the dictator then decided on a loan-based fast-track growth model. Favourites were doled out loans on easy terms as if it was free money. ‘Khana’ was built in with ‘Lagana’.

Honest businessmen like my father were delibrately kept out. Over- and under-invoicing, together with tax evasion and loan write-offs resulted in concentration of wealth into a few hands, mostly those who practised the art of ‘Khana aur Lagana’ benefitted. another approach was introduced which has continued till today, in Punjabi it is called; “Kha Vand Kay” (share the loot). today nothing moves in the land of the pure without the supporting wheels of Quaid-e-azam, and the principle being followed is “no Gain no Pain”. thank God the Prime minister has finally decided to lessen the pain of the suffering masses instead of the rulers as has been the case. Currently the Foreign Office and our missions abroad are under scrutiny. today the major chunk of the budget is consumed by interest payments. after defence expenditure there is nothing left for development. additional borrowing followed by ‘khana’ further sinks the economy. this vicious cycle has to be reversed. money must be earned before it is consumed. In the year 2000, I was involved in preparing a shadow Budget in which the earnings and expenses were balanced. Budgets must be carefully prepared and then religiously followed, it was a lesson I learnt early in life, thanks to my father the tehreek-e-Pakistan Gold medalist. as secretary Finance of Ludhiana muslim League he kept the books updated. today all the three main stream political parties (PtI, PmL-n, PPP) are under scrutiny due to lack of records and book-keeping of their finances. the only difference being that in case of the PtI the complainant is an ex-party office holder, otherwise all of them are in trouble mainly due to serious allegations of khana. nations are built through honesty of purpose and clear direction. the phenomenal growth of China is a prime example of this approach. austerity, simplicity and living within means is the way forward. this approach of ‘Khana aur Lagana’ will get us nowhere.

We must open our eyes and watch the broader picture to come out of this spell of bebarkati cast upon us by the neghairat, besharam, beizzat, muftbars, luteras and thugs who have been at the helm for the last 40 years. no more ‘Khana’ only ‘Lagana’. after all, it is public money only to be spent on their welfare.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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ment also plays a vital role to lower the morale of a person at the workplace. the aggressive attitude of bosses often creates a humiliating working environment for employees. When an employee is yelled at and scolded publicly, it hits the self-respect of the employee and indicates the lack of dignity and worth of that individual.

Verbal abuse includes yelling, making belittling comments, cursing, name-calling, and threats. recently in Pakistan, a video went viral on the social media became an issue for the traditional media as well. In the video, a well-known special assistant to the Cm Punjab was yelling at and scolding the assistant Commissioner sialkot in public for not properly inspecting ramazan Bazaars, as there the saCm saw that damaged fruits were being sold. the aC was trying to explain the issue and was giving the reason that due to the bad weather it happened, but the saCm was not listening to her and kept on scolding her until she walked away to end the rant. this kind of behaviour is highly unbearable in this democratic country as no one has the right to humiliate anyone in public. the right decorum for this issue is to sort it out privately in offices. these kinds of visits are for on-ground observations only. the outcomes of the observations must be conducted with decorum and decency, not to yell unprofessionally at the government employee in public. the saCm should have reported the issue to the other superior authorities of aC rather than questioning her designation. this was an act of verbal abuse by the same gender and hence it comes under the rubric of verbal harassment. normally, an act of harassment is considered as coming from the opposite gender. But this is not always the case, sometimes one could be harassed by the same gender too. People are fighting to eliminate gender biases from the world and for this, the suffering gender tries to give a helping hand to each other to empower themselves.

If it is seen with the eye of the Feminism school of thought, females are taking a stand for other females to make them empowered, eradicate the acts of discrimination they are facing, and protect their basic rights. For this, a woman must take a stand for a woman and talk about their rights until those rights are granted. But if a woman starts to scold and yell at another woman in public this is the humiliation of the gender as a whole. no one has the right to ask for justification for the position that one is having. the above incident portrays the brutal attitude of ministers towards civil servants. such type of incidents have occurred in the past but the action was not

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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taken properly to end this type of behavior of superior authorities with civil servants. It can be also a bureaucrat harassing his or her lower staff in the same manner. It is always the common people who suffer the most. Why are all the obligations for common people, not for bureaucrats and politicians? though Pakistan is a democratic state, the attitude of authorities has always remained like that of a proud and brutal monarch. It is still a mystery that either the history is linked with this as in the region many proud kingdoms have ruled, or it is an inherited trait of bureaucracy from British rulers. most of the time they don’t consider that these codes of conduct are also an obligation on them. In advanced countries, bureaucrats and ministers consider themselves public servants, whose duty is just to serve the people and the state. every individual of the country is equally responsible to follow the law, constitution, social values, and other courses of conduct.

It is high time this behaviour is sorted out, and the government should devise a policy to deal with such kind of behaviour. the government must be aware of some alarming consequences of this kind of behaviour. research suggests that workers are involved in very negative acts in the organization when they become subject to harassment. the government is required to go for strategic leadership to solve this issue. a research study by H. Williams suggests some techniques for strategic leadership to maintain a harassment-free workplace. these techniques could be implemented by the government on broader terms to ensure the attitude of a government worker with another worker to enhance productivity and efficiency. to stop workplace harassment issues, first of all, there must be a policy statement, in which there should be clear and obvious actions mentioned to deal with these kinds of unethical course of conduct. moreover, there must be a proper training system for all employees, including the bureaucrats, which would sharpen up their minds and build a good attitude towards the general public and other coworkers. secondly, if there occurs any issue of harassment, those responsible must be punished according to law. all reputable institutions like the national Institute of Public administration, Pakistan administrative staff College, Civil services academy, and other departmental training institutions should conduct the training. these pieces of training must include psychological training related to human relations.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 20 May, 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

Covid-19 and its impacts on the world

Israel and India on self-destructive path

sajjaD shaukat

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ePeatInG the scenario of the war of 2014, in its worst form, since may10 this year, Israeli airstrikes and ground shelling have martyred more than 200 Palestinians, including 50 children and 60 women, while injuring more than 1500 innocent civilians in Gaza in particular and the West Bank in general. entire families in Gaza enclave are sleeping on one bed at night, so that if they are struck by the Israeli air raids, they all die.

Unmatched with Israeli heavy and modern weapons, freedom fighters of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group abu Ubaida had no option except firing rockets inside of Israel.

Israeli Prime minister Benjamin netanyahu had stated: “Israel will respond very forcefully.

We will not tolerate attacks on our territory…

Whoever strikes us will pay a heavy price.” tensions have been running high since dozens of Jewish settlers marched to the sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and watched as Israeli forces assaulted Palestinian residents and protesters.

Israeli police stormed the al-aqsa mosque in occupied east Jerusalem and attacked the Palestinians during special night prayers for the fasting month of ramadan. thousands of Palestinians staged protests in the al-aqsa mosque complex, located in the Old City of Jerusalem. according to Israel’s Channel 12, “Israeli Prime minister Benjamin netanyahu has been waging two wars… Opposition lawmakers acknowledged that the prospects of a non-netanyahu government still being formed were remote. Instead, Israel was likely to hold yet another general election… the netanyahu era was coming to an end, with naftali Bennett, a rightwing lawmaker, poised to lead Israel. netanyahu… has led Israel for 12 straight years and is standing trial on multiple corruption charges… But he now appears to have neutralized the political threat, thanks in part to the escalation with the Palestinians.” meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the foreign ministers, recently held by the OIC, called for an immediate halt to what it described as Israel’s barbaric attacks on Gaza.

Pakistan’s Foreign minister minister shah mahmood Qureshi condemned Israel for its tyrannical measures.

Un secretary-General antonio Guterres pleaded for an immediate end to the violence, warning a security Council meeting that the

fighting could plunge the region into an “uncontainable” crisis. earlier, called by China, the security Council held an urgent meeting on the unrest in Jerusalem. the three sessions of the Un body also failed after the Usa’s moves to block a joint statement that would condemn Israel for the violence and call for a ceasefire.

Like the past administrations, Us President Joe Biden and Us secretary of state antony Blinken reiterated that Israel has the right to defend itself.

Biden also sent Linda thomas-Greenfield, the Usa’s Un envoy, who continued to engage in diplomacy at the highest levels to try to deescalate tensions. However, it is part of the double game of Washington. now, Us-led major Western countries, including egypt, are pushing both sides, Hamas and tel aviv, to cease fire to prevent a full-scale war, which Israel has already started.

Prime minister netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he will continue military operations against Gaza. He also rejected the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute which the Us also stressed. there have also been clashes between Jews and Israel’s minority arab community in mixed cities across Israel. these clashes which started in Israeli city of Lod, spread to other cities and towns. Protesters waving Palestinian flags burnt cars and properties, including a synagogue, and clashed with Israeli police.

Israeli Prime minister netanyahu who declared a state of emergency in Lod, equated it with dangerous civil war.

In this backdrop, a lot of anti-Israeli factions in the region, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be aiming to put more pressure on Israel and the Biden administration for non-intervention in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Hezbollah leader Hassan nasrallah praised Hamas for confronting Israel. In case of a wider war in the region, the Israeli forces would be in a weak position to defend their homeland.

In the mean time, large protests by proPalestinian activists are, again and again, being held in solidarity with Palestinians in Pakistan and various Islamic countries, including turkey, and in major cities of the Western countries, urging the international community to take notice of Israeli continued state terrorism in Gaza. taking cognizance of the inaction of the UnO, OIC and the Us-led West, Pakistan’s Prime minister Imran Khan and turkish President recep tayyip erdogan who have strongly condemned Israel’s heinous crimes on the alaqsa mosque as well as on Gaza, vowed to work together especially at the UnO, in jointly mobilizing the international community to help stop these strikes.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move that has never been recognized by the UnO or the international community. notably, the Balfour Declaration of 2 november 1917 which was a conspiracy of the american and the British rulers against the Palestinians was implemented. On 14 may 1948, the UnO acted upon the 1947 Un Partition Plan and established the state of Israel. similarly, during the partition of the subcontinent, the people of the state of Jammu and Kash-

mir, which comprised a muslim majorit,y decided to join Pakistan according to the British formula.

But, the Dogra raja, sir Hari singh, a Hindu who was ruling over the state in collusion with Indian Prime minister Jawaharlal nehru and Governor General Lord mountbatten, joined India. the security Council adopted a resolution on 21 april 1948, which promised a plebiscite under Un auspices to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine whether they wished to join Pakistan or India. On 5 February 1964, India backed out of its commitment of holding a plebiscite. Instead, Indian Parliament declared Kashmir an integral part of the Indian Union.

Indian cruel actions against the Kashmiris reached climax on 5 august 2019 when the Indian extremist government led by Prime minister narendra modi, the leader of the fanatic ruling BJP, revoked articles 35a and 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave a special status to the disputed territory . new Delhi unilaterally annexed Indian-Held Kashmir into the Indian Federation and took additional steps to turn the muslim majority into a minority.

Implementing the ideology of Hindutva, Indian prejudiced rulers have issued over 1.8 million domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris to change the demographic structure of IndianHeld Kashmir. and deployment of more than 900,000 military troops in Indian-Held Kashmir, who have martyred thousands of the Kashmiris through brutal tactics like fake encounters, while the closure of mosques, shortages of food, medicines for patients and coronavirus-affected persons have proven the worst form of India’s state terrorism. now, more than 18 months have passed.

But the Indian strict military lockdown in Indian-Held Kashmir continues.

Besides various human rights violations, India denied medical treatment to the Kashmiris and their leaders who are in jails. the Indian Citizenship amendment act 2019 (Caa) and the national register of Citizens (nrC) further exposed the discriminatory policies of the modi-led government against the muslims.

Despite criticism of the rights groups, foreign leaders, the Un and moderate Hindus in wake of violent protests which killed hundreds of persons, mostly muslims, by the police and prejudiced Hindus, modi’s regime has not withdrawn the Caa/nrC. In fact, new Delhi is following the Israeli model of ethnic-cleansing of the muslims in India as part of Hindutva ideology and to divert attention from internal issues and the scandals in wake of mishandling of the Coronaviurs pandemic. modi regime has been also using brutal force mercilessly in repressing various separatist movements, including maoists’ insurgency, while its counterinsurgency strategy to crush these movements has badly failed.

In these terms, Israel and India who are in collusion, especially against the muslims, are moving on the self-destructive path, like the former Ussr.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations and can be reached at: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

I believe that the world is the strongest place where people fight their battles everyday. and considering the current situation, right now we all are fighting a battle from Covid-19 for more than a year now. the battle which startled the entire world completely. Initially, it was perplexing to watch everything turning over to a cliff edge. the implications of lockdown were immediately enforced globally for the safety measures and it was strongly insinuated to the public to be quarantined although these defensive containments caused major economic, social and mental meltdown all over the world. We all were a part of this flare up because it wasn’t just the couple of countries who were ruffled into this pandemic, it was the whole world. this pandemic was spreading like Wi-Fi. We all have heard people using the phrase that it was a silent storm when they want to emphasize on their ordeals and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say that this pandemic did come as a silent storm. the destruction went all the way to every aspect of life and world. It was the bolt from the blue. a perfect storm which swamped everything. the rate of poverty increased like the temperature in summer. travel, trade, agriculture and globalization was muddled, people lost their jobs due to the lockdown and this unforeseen pandemic also challenged the healthcare systems. moreover, mental health, the issue which is considered taboo in our society was and is on stake. Quarantining halted and extricated people from getting physically hurt but it gave rise to the mental meltdowns. so, after everything we went through this year because of covid-19, it wouldn’t be absurd to say that sadly it broke the whole world and system. We saw everything falling apart from out of the frying pan and into the fire. the fear and anxiety that this virus precipitated was overwhelming, brooding about the health of your family and your loved ones was stressful and the dilemma social distancing caused was beyond our understanding. It is the distressing series of untoward situations that has been hanging over our head like a sword for more than a year and God knows when it is going to end. all we can do is to hope for the best because every cloud has a silver lining and try to be that silver line in other people’s life in such situations.

Dawam-E-ZEhra Karachi

A new world tHe pandemic has reshaped the core faith, politics and economic structure of world societies. It is re-writing international relations, as the nations kept attention inward and saved their economies as well as people. One thing can be said with certainty that despite advances in science and technology we are not ahead of such disasters. Pandemic has accelerated the probability of shifting global dominance from west to east, indications are also being generated towards China that it has won the ground, yet it is not about government but about efficiency of governance, quality of leadership and public trust. at last, brand democracies failed and suffered a grave blow to this crisis. moreover, the selfish attitude was inimical of self-serving political leaders towards nature, alarming threats were ignored and collected responsibility was in dire need to be taken. If we don’t change our way of life we will continue to face a similar crisis. Our future depends on decisions we make today, global politics requires responsible leadership which makes sensible decisions, something needs to change before another future outbreak occurs, but it seems as though our world health leaders are not eager to take serious actions to improve the relationship between nature and humankind.

Shafi ahmED Khowaja hyDErabaD

Resistance to occupation sIr, When France surrendered to nazi Germany on 22 June 1940, the French resistance known as maquis emerged to fight the occupation.

Charles de Gaulle on 18 June 1940 called upon French to continue the fight even though their army had surrendered.

Britain, Usa and all other allies supported maquis with arms, ammunition, intelligence and logistic support. In response, nazi Germany vowed to rule with an iron fist, including collective punishment of innocent civilians. the Un recognizes this right to resist for countries under occupation. those involved in French resistance were termed as terrorists by nazis but for the rest of the world they were freedom fighters and heroes. today we witness the leaders of the free world, reversing their stance and justifying an occupying force to target civilians as collective punishment, killing children, women and elderly as Israel’s right of selfdefense. Other than Bernie sanders, there is no other voice of reason or sanity that dares to talk about the rights and safety of Palestinians, as vital, as the safety of Jews. If occupying land where Palestinians lived for centuries can be justified on the basis of Zionist arguments misquoting their religious books, then this opens the doors for extremists of all shades to embark on aggression and unleashing miseries upon millions of innocent citizens living in any part of the world. the irony is that many elitists in Pakistan who are affiliated with Free masonry and in other muslim majority nations have assumed the role of apologists for Zionism.

Jews have a right to live in peace and security, so do others, including Palestinians, Kashmiris, rohingyas etc. as long as Zionist mindset does not accept that all human beings have equal rights, including their right of private property, justice etc. the world must be careful. maliK Tariq ali lahorE

Unemployment as we know Unemployment imposes a negative impact on individual lives and society as well. Due to no or low origin of income, people face hardships in their lives being unable to create proper living for themselves and their families. Particularly, youngsters (15-25 years old) are struggling to find jobs. Lack of necessary sources such as food, clothes and shelter gives rise to devilish heat. It may also be a reason behind increased robbery and snatching cases. ascribed to COVID-19 pandemic unemployment rate has been increased to 5.1% this year that has triggered the economic values greatly.

Talbia SyED Karachi

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

IndIA’s holIest rIver GAnGes Is swollen wIth CovId vICtIms TRADITIONALLY, HINDUS CREMATE THEIR DEAD. BUT MANY COMMUNITIES FOLLOW WHAT IS KNOWN AS “JAL PRAVAH” - THE PRACTICE OF FLOATING IN THE RIVER THE BODIES OF CHILDREN, UNWED GIRLS, OR THOSE WHO DIE FROM INFECTIOUS DISEASES OR SNAKE BITES

BBc

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GEEta PandEy

NDIA’s holiest river, the Ganges, has been swollen with bodies in recent days. Hundreds of corpses have been found floating in the river or buried in the sand of its banks. Those who live close to where they have washed up, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, fear they are Covid-19 victims.

India has been overwhelmed by a devastating second wave of the pandemic in recent weeks. It has recorded more than 25 million cases and 275,000 deaths, but experts say the real death toll is several times higher.

The bodies on the river banks, taken together with funeral pyres burning round-theclock and cremation grounds running out of space, tell the story of a death toll unseen and unacknowledged in official data.

The BBC spoke to local reporters, officials, and eyewitnesses in some of the worst affected districts of Uttar Pradesh and found that behind the story of the floating bodies lies traditional beliefs, poverty, and a pandemic killing people at lightning speed.

The horror in Uttar Pradesh first came to light on 10 May when 71 corpses washed up on the river bank in Bihar’s Chausa village, near the state border.

Neeraj Kumar singh, superintendent of police for Buxar, where Chausa is located,

told the BBC that autopsies were carried out on the mostly decomposed bodies, DNA samples were taken, and the bodies buried in pits near the river bank.

Officials said some of the remains could be body parts which had found their way into the Ganges after routine cremations on the banks, but they suspected the corpses had been dumped in the river. The police installed a net across the water to catch any more.

A day later, six miles (10km) from Chausa, dozens of heavily decomposed bodies were found strewn on the river bank in Gahmar village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district, with feral dogs and crows feasting on them.

Local people said the bodies had been washing up on embankments for several days, but authorities had ignored their complaints about the stench until the news about the corpses found downstream in Bihar hit the headlines.

Dozens of bloated and decomposed bodies floating in the river also greeted villagers in the neighbouring Ballia district when they went for their morning dip in India’s most sacred river. The Hindustan newspaper reported that police retrieved 62 corpses. In Kannauj, Kanpur, Unnao, and Prayagraj, the river bed is dotted with shallow graves.

Videos sent to the BBC from the Mehndi

Working from home: a new social divide A

ghat embankment in Kannauj show scores of human-sized mounds. Many look just like a bump in the river bed, but each one hides a body. At the nearby Mahadevi ghat, at least 50 bodies were found.

Traditionally, Hindus cremate their dead.

But many communities follow what is known as “Jal Pravah” - the practice of floating in the river the bodies of children, unwed girls, or those who die from infectious diseases or snake bites.

Many poor people also cannot afford cremation, and so they wrap the body in white muslin and push it into the water. sometimes, the bodies are tied to stones to ensure they remain submerged, but as many are floated without weights. In normal times, corpses floating in the Ganges are not an uncommon sight.

What is rare is that so many are turning up in such a short time, and in so many places along the river bank. A journalist in Kanpur told the BBC the corpses were evidence of a “massive discrepancy between the official Covid-19 death figures and the actual numbers on the ground”. He said officially 196 people had died from the virus in Kanpur between 16 April and 5 May, but the data from seven crematoriums showed nearly 8,000 cremations. “All electric crematoriums were running 24/7 in April. Even that was not enough, so the administration

graves” on the river bed. “The burials have been going on from 7am to 11pm,” he said.

“It is soul destroying.”

The discovery of the graves has triggered panic in the area. People fear that the bodies buried on the surface will begin to float in the river once it rains and the water levels rise.

Last Wednesday, the state government banned “Jal Pravah” and offered funds to poor families unable to afford cremations. In many places, police have been pulling corpses out of the river with sticks and recruiting boatmen to bring them ashore.

There, the decomposed bodies are either buried in pits or burnt on funeral pyres.

Vipin Tada, the superintendent of police in Ballia, said they were talking to village council leaders to make them aware that bodies should not be floated in the rivers and that those who could not afford a cremation could seek financial help. Ghazipur District Magistrate Mangala Prasad singh told the BBC that teams were patrolling embankments and cremation grounds to stop people from dumping bodies in water or burying them. But his team is still finding one or two bodies in the river every day. “We have been performing their final rites, as per rituals,” he said.

Additional reporting by Soutik Biswas and Vikas Pandey.

Israel destroyed offices of more than 20 Palestinian media outlets in Gaza

Guardian

intercept

Editorial

Shrouq aila and anna thErESE day

s Britain warily exits lockdown, the post-pandemic challenges that the country faces are looming large. On Tuesday, a study by the Resolution Foundation thinktank outlined some of them, including reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and managing the transition to automation in parts of the economy. The report also highlighted a new social divide, one that emerged in the context of Covid and is likely, in some form, to remain when the pandemic is behind us. In 2019, only 5% of employees worked mainly from home, but that number grew to almost 50% during the first and third lockdowns. Remote working has become particularly prevalent among the higher-paid and higher-educated, as a substantial part of the knowledge economy successfully migrates to affluent suburbs in London and elsewhere. Figures released by the Office for National statistics this week reveal that 70% of all staff in Richmond upon Thames worked from home at some point during the pandemic. The equivalent figure in Burnley was less than 14%.

The implications of this shift, and its social composition, need to be thought through. For millions of mostly better-off citizens able to work from home, a hybrid working week – part-home, partoffice – seems likely in the future. This will have a sizeable impact on the country’s economic geography. The Nationwide building society and santander UK, for example, have already announced the closure of swathes of urban office space. Nationwide has advised 13,000 staff that they are free to work at home from anywhere in the country. HsBC intends to cut office space, but require its staff to come in for part of the week. As other businesses follow suit, and the shift to online shopping continues, the decline of high streets and urban centres may accelerate. Providers of local goods and services, stranded in the physical economy, may struggle and may be forced to relocate. Places and individuals that could be losers in this process must be properly supported and provided with meaningful options and assistance.

For businesses, the main advantage of staying wholly or partly on Zoom is obvious: in one recent survey, 88% of organisations said that they made real-estate savings in 2020 through remote working; 92% expected further cost reductions in the next two to three years. For employees, the picture is more complicated. The loss of a stressful daily commute has certainly not been mourned.

But as a short-term novelty has turned into the new normal, there has been evidence of a sense of social disconnection, burnout and falling morale. Matthew Taylor, the author of a 2017 government review on work, warned this month that a high level of working from home risked creating “highly atomised workforces”, lacking the kind of solidarity and mutual support that should be part of a good working experience. Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s outgoing chief economist, has suggested that an online working world can become a long-term drain on creativity and collaboration. For young people starting out in their careers, the physical workplace provides crucial opportunities to bond with colleagues and get the feel of an organisation.

In some form, working from home is set to remain part of millions of people’s lives. But there must be careful thinking on how to mitigate its downsides, both for those in the virtual working world and those trying to make a living outside it.

allowed the grounds outside to be used for cremations using wood,” he said. “But they only accepted bodies that were coming from hospitals with Covid-19 certificates, and a huge number of people were dying at home, without getting any tests. Their families took the bodies to the outskirts of the city or to neighbouring districts like Unnao. When they couldn’t find wood or a cremation spot, they just buried them on the river bed.”

A journalist in Prayagraj said he believed that many of the bodies were either Covid patients who died at home without a test, or poor people who couldn’t afford a cremation.

“It is heartbreaking,” he said. “All these people were someone’s son, daughter, brother, father and mother. They deserved some respect in death. But they have not even become part of the statistics - they died unknown and were buried unknown.” The discovery of the graves and rotting bodies, and the fear that they could be infected with the coronavirus, has sent shockwaves through the villages along the river’s banks.

Originating in the Himalayas, the Ganges is one of the world’s largest rivers.

Hindus consider it sacred, they believe that bathing in Ganges will cleanse their sins and use its water for religious rituals. In Kannauj, Jagmohan Tiwari, a 63-year-old villager, told a local channel that he had seen “150-200

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N 2008, Momen Faiz Quraiqea was a budding 21-year-old video journalist when an Israeli airstrike blew off his legs. The experience as a victim of what many considered a war crime only hardened his resolve to document the civilian costs of armed conflict.

“When the Israelis attacked me, I felt it is my life’s role to spread the truth about the crimes against other civilians and journalists in Gaza,” Quraiqea said. “Israel seeks to obliterate the Palestinian message, but each injury only makes us ready to expose their crimes. Our narration will never stop.”

Despite requiring a wheelchair, Quraiqea spent the next decade establishing himself as an internationally recognized photojournalist. His images from the occupied Gaza strip — a densely populated strip besieged by Israel’s powerful military — have appeared across international publications and in exhibitions abroad. He formed a small company called Idea Media and got an office space.

In spite of the challenges and threats he endured reporting in Gaza, Quraiqea says he had “built his dream” — until last week, when an Israeli airstrike blew up his life once again. “My colleagues called, said the IDF” — Israel Defense Forces — “just warned they were going to bomb the building, so I rushed to the office,” Quraiqea told The Intercept.

“But I didn’t make it in time. It was bombed before I arrived. Totally destroyed.” “I just stood in front of the rubble of my company,” said Quraiqea. “I saw my dreams, the long days of working, our archive and equipment, all in rubble. It is all gone now.”

Quraiqea’s agency is just one of more than 20 Gazan media outlets razed by Israeli airstrikes in the past week. Much attention has been focused on the airstrikes that destroyed international media organizations’ Gaza offices, but local journalists bear enormous burdens of not only their work for the foreign press, but also to tell the stories of their neighbors and kin. Unlike international colleagues, Gazan journalists cannot leave, for lack of Israeli permission, and, without the protection afforded by global media, take on added risks just by dint of being Palestinians.

Despite their unique risks — and the costs they pay — Gazan journalists continue to do their work, to tell the story of their people. The more they do so, the more the international press relies on them, the larger the targets on their backs become. And yet the attacks that have destroyed so many of their offices and equipment garner less attention than the very international organizations that rely on them taking these extraordinary risks.

“Every outlet that has been leveled to the ground is a loss for journalism and veracity,” Igna-

THE BOMBING OF GLOBAL MEDIA OFFICES IN GAZA CAUSED A STIR, WHILE FEW NOTED THE PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS LEFT TO WORK WITH TARGETS ON THEIR BACKS cio Miguel Delgado, the Middle East and North Africa representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, told The Intercept. “The relentless bombings of media outlets in the Gaza strip, along with the ban on the entry of foreign journalists to Gaza, is depriving not only the world of a muchneeded coverage, but it also raises the suspicion that Israel is deliberately trying to prevent coverage of the ongoing military operations in Gaza.”

Israel announced on Tuesday evening that it would be reopening the Erez Crossing to Gaza on Wednesday for international journalists. This week, human rights groups accused Israel of disrupting international coverage of the war on Gaza and referred Israel to the International Criminal Court, following saturday’s Israeli airstrikes on a 12-story tower housing international media, including Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

“Deliberately targeting media outlets constitutes a war crime,” Reporters Without Borders said in a sunday statement. “By intentionally destroying media outlets, the IDF are not only inflicting unacceptable material damage on news operations. They are also, more broadly, obstructing media coverage of a conflict that directly affects the civilian population.” since Israel launched its latest campaign in Gaza, the Israeli military has prevented foreign press and human rights groups from accessing the Gaza strip from Israel, despite the mounting numbers of civilian casualties and the magnitude of destruction. “When Israel restricts or threatens the press, it dehumanizes Palestinians,” Amnesty International’s sherine Tadros said. “The story of a ‘4year-old named Ahmed who loved Pokemon and playing with his older sister’ is much more powerful than a single line in a script ‘One Dead Child in Gaza’ or the death toll that is so often reported. Israel’s doing this intentionally, lest we forget where the international press is reporting from in lieu of access to Gaza: the Israeli border towns.”

A week ago, following Israel’s first round of airstrikes on Gaza, the Israeli Government Press Office announced that there would be “no passage for journalists through Erez Crossing until further notice.” The next day, the Press Office hosted a guided tour of Israeli towns near Gaza for foreign reporters — in coordination with the IDF. Erez is the only crossing of the Israel-Gaza barrier open to journalists and its weeklong suspension prevented international news media access to a major Israeli military

operation in Gaza for the first time since the 20082009 Gaza War. On the Gazan side, both the Government Press Office and Ministry of Interior of Gaza, which are controlled by the Hamas political party and militant group, confirmed to The Intercept that Israel alone was preventing access through the Erez Crossing. “Unlike the Israelis,” a spokesperson said, Hamas welcomes foreign press and human rights groups to monitor the escalating crisis.

All the reporting currently coming out of the territory is being done by Gazan journalists, many of whom describe a week of sleepless nights under Israeli bombardment and emotionally exhausting days of documenting civilian carnage. Last Thursday, Gazan journalists Mohammed Alaloul and Mustafa Hassona were hit by an Israeli airstrike while driving in a vehicle clearly marked “TV,” leaving Alaloul seriously injured. “Nowhere in the Gaza strip are journalists safe,” said CPJ’s Delgado. “Gazan journalists are taking life-threatening risks to report the news.” “When international access to a war zone is restricted, we rely on journalists inside reporting on the ground,” said Tadros, of Amnesty International. “In the grand scheme of accountability, they become the primary people that human rights investigators rely on for evidence, so the targeting of them is completely unacceptable — these are witness to potential war crimes for the international community.”

At the time of publication, 12 Israelis have been killed by rockets fired by Gazan militants, including two children. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 215 people, 61 of whom are children. More than 1,400 Gazans have been wounded and upward of 50,000 are currently displaced by Israeli airstrikes that have damaged or razed nearly 450 buildings. “For the Gazan journalists reporting inside now, it’s an incredible and unfair burden to shoulder,” Tadros said. “But if they can document what’s going on as precisely as possible, all of these facts matter.” Tadros added, “I hope they matter, and the only thing we can hold onto is, at the very least, that no one can claim that this didn’t happen.” Like all Gazan reporters, Quraiqea’s life beyond journalism is a uniquely Palestinian story.

Within hours of Idea Media’s destruction, Quraiqea had “resumed his work of documenting the Occupation’s crimes.” “We will rebuild what the army destroyed,” he told The Intercept, referring to the Israelis. “And we will keep documenting the Israeli crimes against the Palestinians.”

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

BusIness 09

KARACHI corporate corner Infinix NOTE10 Pro launched with flagship MediaTek Helio G95 and 90Hz display KARACHI: Infinix has launched NOTE10 Pro which offers flagship MediaTek Helio G95 flagship processor with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate and efficient touch responses at 180Hz and will now speed up the lifestyle of young people in Pakistan. Infinix NOTE 10 Pro will be available at an introductory price point of Rs29, 999/only along with sale offer Gift iRocker TWS Bluetooth Earbuds on Daraz. The original price of Infinix NOTE 10 Pro is Rs30, 999/- which will be available in only 8GB + 128GB variant in three appealing colour variants; 95° Black / 7° Purple / Nordic Secret. PRESS RELEASE

Dawlance signs MoU with WWF Pakistan to contribute towards environmental sustainability KARACHI: Having a vision to combine its technology leadership with preservation of nature, Dawlance has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Wide Fund for Nature- Pakistan (WWFPak) to contribute towards environmental sustainability.

This collaboration is a part of the organization’s “Dawlance for Humanity” initiative that propagates environmental and economic sustainability, along with a better quality of life, education and healthcare for the nation. Dawlance has entered into this exclusive longterm association with WWF to bring the holistic sustainability agenda of its global parent company Arcelik into Pakistan that has remarkably touched upon social, environmental and economic spheres in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under this partnership, Dawlance will initiate a plantation drive in Karachi, followed by a series of community development initiatives in which multiple stakeholders will be engaged in activities like mangroves plantation, corporate engagement, and several other social development initiatives. PRESS RELEASE

New shipping service CSC/SISII starts regular operations at Hutchison Ports Pakistan KARACHI: Hutchison Ports Pakistan, the country’s state-of-the-art deep-water port, welcomes a new regular shipping service brought by the consortium comprising of Global Feeders, Sinokor, Heung A, and Sea Lead. It strengthens trade links through providing ease of access to the booming markets of South-East Asia, China, and Korea. The service will provide much-needed extra capacity for Pakistani exporters through non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) as well as mainline operators. This service includes 5 ships operating on a weekly basis. PRESS RELEASE

KARACHI: The newly launched gaming beast from TECNO, the Spark 7 Pro is now available in offline markets at a price of Rs21, 999. On every purchase till June 3, you will get a special discount of Rs1, 000 and a chance to win 1000 LED TVs through a mystery box. PR

TIP ASkS TARIN TO REvIEW CORRUPTION AllEGATIONS AGAINST NBP ISLAMABAD

T

SHAHZAD PARACHA

HE Transparent International Pakistan (TIP) has requested Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin to examine the allegations against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in a case pertaining to the violation of PPRA rules.

According to the details, in its letter to the finance minister, the TIP highlighted the alleged violation of PPRA rules, 2004 in awarding a contract worth approximately Rs26 billion for

scanning and indexing of documents to a single bidder.

Documents state that NBP invited tenders for Document Management System (DMS) in August, 2018, which received eight bids on November 17 whereas bids were opened on the same day. The bank then posted the evaluation report on PPRA’s website after a lapse of 19 months, on June 15, 2020.

Three out of eight bidders did not submit bids while four were disqualified with the justification that they did not conform to the specified require-

ments, after which a single bid of M/s A.S C. First Solution Pvt. Ltd. was declared as the lowest evaluated bidder.

The bidder quoted Rs0.95 for scanning, Rs2.I5 for indexing; Rs115 to cover the cost of a box with seal, Rs30 cost of transferring to the warehouse; Rs19.50 per box as storage rental and Rs75 for retrieval.

The total cost of the contract has not been declared, but is estimated around Rs26 billion for all 1,450 branches of NBP based on mediumsized branches generating over 100,000 documents including cheques in a five

FBR introduces e-hearing of tax audit cases ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced online hearing of tax audit and assessment cases.

“The FBR has launched the software of electronic hearing of tax audit and assessment cases to facilitate the taxpayers,” said a press release issued on Tuesday.

“This has been done by enabling and functionalising the e-hearing module in FBR’s Iris portal.”

The module enables online hearing in the form of dedicated hearing rooms established in field formations and from the places of taxpayers.

E-hearing would be recorded and archived for further legal and administrative utilisation, it said.

In the first phase, the module has been launched and tested in the Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) Islamabad, Regional Tax Office (RTO) Rawalpindi, RTO Faisalabad and RTO Peshawar.

Online e-hearings through the dedicated e-hearing rooms and from the places of taxpayers have been enabled at these four premises.

In the second phase, e-hearings are being enabled and operationalised for all the remaining field formations.

The FBR has directed all the Inland Revenue chief commission-

ers to establish dedicated e-hearing rooms in their respective field offices by May 31, 2021. The module will allow the head office to join any hearing at any time without any prior notice for administrative appraisal of the system.

The release added that with introduction of the e-hearing module, the taxpayers would no longer be required to visit the offices for hearings and physical hearings in offices would be phased out completely.

Accordingly, no physical hearings will be allowed with effect from July 1, 2021 in any of the field formations and all hearings will be conducted through the ehearing module.

Bitcoin tumbles below $39,000 after China issues warning NEW YORK AGENCIES

Bitcoin plunged below $39,000 for the first time in more than three months on Wednesday after China said cryptocurrencies would not be allowed in transactions and warned investors against speculative trading in them, despite the country powering most of the world’s mining.

The comments sent the unit diving more than 10 per cent and dealt it another blow soon after being battered by comments from tycoon Elon Musk and his Tesla car company.

Trading in cryptocurrencies has been banned in China since 2019 to prevent money laundering as leaders try to stop people from shifting cash overseas. The country had been home to around 90pc of the global trade in the sector.

And in a statement, three state-backed industry associations said “cryptocurrency prices have skyrocketed and plummeted, and cryptocurrency trading speculation activities have rebounded”.

The price fluctuations “seriously violate people’s asset safety and disrupt normal economic and financial order”, said the statement, which was posted to social media by the People’s Bank of China.

The notice warned consumers against wild specu-

lation, adding that the “losses caused by investment transactions are borne by the consumers themselves”, since Chinese law offers no protection to them.

It reiterated that providing cryptocurrency services to customers and crypto-based financial products was illegal for Chinese financial institutions and payment providers.

Linghao Bao, analyst at Trivium China, said despite the ban Chinese investors can still find ways to buy cryptocurrencies through illegal vendors.

“There will always be a way to circumvent regulations,” he said. “The point of this order is to tell financial institutions to up their game to detect these crypto-related transactions.”

Bitcoin tumbled on Wednesday from $45,600 to $38,570, its lowest since early February, and well off the record high of $64,870 seen last month. It later edged back above $40,000 but analysts have warned it could test as low as $30,000.

“This is the latest chapter of China tightening the noose around crypto,” Antoni Trenchev, managing partner and co-founder of London-based crypto lender Nexo, said.

‘Here to stay’ Adam Reynolds, of Saxo Markets, added that avoiding use of cryptocurrency, which can be transferred out of the country, is “essential to maintaining capital controls” in China.

The levy is down so inflation can go low KARACHI ARIBA SHAHID

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) recommended the government to increase the price of petroleum products by Rs3.90 per liter, the government decided to maintain the prices, despite rising international prices. This has been done primarily by lowering the levy.

The government has reduced the levy on petrol from Rs6.39 per liter to Rs4.74 per liter.

Petroleum development levy is a surcharge and set as an absolute rupee amount per liter. It is used as an instrument to bring about stability in the price of petrol by offsetting the impact of drastically changing import prices and costs associated with fuel.

The levy, however, is often seen as a political and fiscal tool to either pass on ‘relief’ to consumers during an elec-

tion year or to generate more revenue in other years. Previously, the maximum levy was priced at Rs15 per liter but it has now been raised to Rs30 per liter.

Why is the government lowering its levy revenue?

“Every Rs5 increase in the price of petroleum results in a 20 bps rise in inflation. This means the impact of Rs1 rise in petrol price causes inflation to increase by 4 bps,” explains Arsalan Hanif, Analyst at Arif Habib Limited.

A major concern for the current government is to tame rising inflation. In April, Pakistan witnessed its CPI rising to double digits after a gap of 12 months. Inflation clocked in at 11.1 per cent in April from 9.1 per cent in March.

Based on this, one can say that that the decision to bring down the levy is to provide relief to consumers along with preventing a push in the inflation rate.

Can the government afford to bring down the levy?

The GST and levy incidence for 9MFY21 is roughly Rs40 per liter on petroleum. As a result of solid demand for petroleum and adequate levy and GST over the year, the government should be able to not only achieve but cross Rs700 billion in revenue, up from Rs580 billion in FY20. This reduction in levy, however, may result in the government missing out on its target by a meager amount.

The government has, however, aimed at a levy collection of Rs500 billion. The chances of that being realised are very slim.

Subsidizing fuel prices is frowned upon around the world, wherease subsidising electricity is encouraged. In Pakistan’s case, considering the strong relation fuel prices have with inflation and energy prices, the government is using a reduction in the levy as a means to have some control in the cost-push inflation environment, especially owing

CMYK

to the nature of shortages in food items.

A key factor behind the government considering this is due to the fact that petroleum prices are also a means of favor from public, something governments in the second half of their term look towards.

Is petroleum very cheap in Pakistan compared to the world?

The average price of gasoline around the world is approximately $1.16/ liter as at 10 May 2021. Generally, richer countries have higher fuel prices, whereas poorer countries and countries that product and export oil have cheaper fuel prices.

As per Globalpetrolprices.com, there are 27 other countries including Venezuela, Iran, Kuwait, Nigeria, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Sudan, Egypt, Afghanistan, UAE, KSA, Russia, have cheaper fuel prices than Pakistan. Most of these countries are exporting nations.

year period.

TIP has alleged that prima facie, NBP, has violated the PPRA rules 26, 35 and 47 and awarded a contract to a single bidder, adding that undeclared total evaluated cost in the evaluation report is proof of collusion under PPRA Rule 2(f) is dubious. The civil society organisation has said that the contract must be cancelled if the bank is found guilty.

The senior management of NBP was approached for their comments on this matter but no reply was received till filing of story.

Gold prices jump

by Rs1, 250 within two days KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Prices of the precious commodity rose in international markets owning to the instability in other asset classes, pushing gold prices to Rs107,250 per tola as prices jumped by Rs1,250 in the span of two days. A correction in crypto currency can be cited as one of the reasons. Bitcoin, if used as a benchmark for crypto currencies fell from $58,000 last week to $45,000 earlier today after hitting a low of $43000. Another reason behind the price of gold rising is the increase in US inflation as a result of the $9 trillion stimulus injection made. As a result, the value of the dollar declined, making safe haven assets more lucrative as an investment.

Pak-Qatar Takaful Group posts Rs225m PBT KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Pak-Qatar Takaful Group, which comprises of Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited and PakQatar General Takaful Limited, reviewed and approved the financial statements of both companies for the year ended December 31, 2020. The group achieved an aggregate turnover of around Rs8.56 billion. The group posted a net profit after tax of Rs182.6 million for the year 2020. Participant Takaful Fund generated the net consolidated surplus of Rs113 million. Profit before tax of PQFTL increased to Rs208.1 million as compared to rs84.1 million last year, a growth of 147pc despite all challenges economic and political and the global pandemic caused by Covid-19.

The company has increased its balance sheet footing through impressive growth in its investments and financing portfolio. PQGTL posted the profit after tax of Rs19 million.

Earnings per share (EPS) were recorded at Rs1.25 while Rs0.37 for Pak-Qatar General Takaful Limited which also declared 7.5 percent dividend for its shareholders.

Bank of America raises minimum wage to $25 an hour NEW YORK AGENCIES

Bank of America announced plans to lift its minimum wage to $25 an hour and said Tuesday it is requiring US vendors to pay employees at least $15 an hour. The salary hike for employees will take place by 2025, the company said. In March 2020, the giant US bank lifted its minimum wage to $20 an hour from $17 an hour. “A core tenet of responsible growth is our commitment to being a great place to work which means investing in the people who serve our clients,” said Sheri Bronstein, chief human resources officer. “That includes providing strong pay and competitive benefits to help them and their families, so that we continue to attract and retain the best talent.” The announcement on vendors means more than 2,000 contracter firms and some 43,000 workers from these companies are now paid at least $15 an hour, the bank said.

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

IndIan daTa SUggESTS rUnaway CovId InfECTIonS aS dEaThS hIT daIly rECord BENGALURU

n

AGENCIES

EARLY two-thirds of people tested in India have shown exposure to Covid-19, a chain of private laboratories said on Wednesday, indicating a runaway spread of the virus as the daily death toll rose to a record 4,529.

India reported 267,334 new daily infections on Wednesday, taking its tally to 25.5 million, the world's second highest after the United States, with a death toll of 283,248, health ministry data showed.

For months, nowhere has been hit harder than India by the pandemic, as a new variant discovered there fuelled a surge of up to more than 400,000 new infections a day.

Only the United States has had a worse single day death toll, when it lost 5,444 people on Feb. 12, a Reuters tracker shows.

And with hospitals and crematoria overflowing and the health system overwhelmed, it is widely accepted that the official figures grossly underestimate the real impact of the epidemic, with some experts saying infections and deaths could be five to 10 times higher.

There are fears that the new, highly infectious variant is out of control and that many cases are going unreported because of lack of testing, particularly in the vast countryside.

Data from Thyrocare, a chain of private laboratories, appeared to back up those fears, showing that 63.5 percent of people tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies on average over the last seven days, up from 45 percent a

month ago. The data from 25 states included individuals infected in the past, vaccinated, uninfected and those who had not been vaccinated, the company's Chief Executive Arokiaswamy Velumani said on Twitter.

Criticism of Prime Minster Narendra Modi has been rising but M. Govinda Rao, a former member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, said the rate at which the virus was spreading had caught everyone by surprise.

"The unprecedented speed at which the second wave of the pandemic spread completely took the (state) governments as well as the people off guard," Rao told the Hindu newspaper.

FEW TESTS IN THE HINTERLAND: Daily testing hit a record 2 million on Tuesday, figures from the staterun Indian Council of Medical Research showed.

But that still falls short of India's claimed daily testing capacity of 3.3 million, said Rijo M John, a professor

Trump Organisation faces criminal probe in New York state WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The Trump Organisation is being investigated in a “criminal capacity”, the New York state attorney general's office said on Tuesday, as prosecutors advance their probe into former president Donald Trump's business dealings.

Since leaving the White House in January after his defeat to Joe Biden, the former businessman and reality TV star retains a strong hold on many Republican voters — despite losing his powerful social-media megaphones of Twitter and Facebook.

He denies wrongdoing, and has described a parallel criminal investigation by Manhattan's district attorney as “a continuation of the greatest political witch hunt in the history of our country.”

The attorneys general in both Manhattan and New York state are Democrats.

“We have informed the Trump Organisation that our investigation into the organisation is no longer purely civil in nature,” said a spokesman for the state's attorney general Letitia James.

“We are now actively investigating the Trump Organisation in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA,” spokesman Fabien Levy said. The organisation is the holding company for hundreds of Trump entities, ranging from hotels to golf courses.

James's office has otherwise been investigating allegations of bank fraud and insurance fraud through civil proceedings.

The district attorney's investigation initially focused on hush payments made to two women who alleged they had affairs with Trump, but had expanded to allegations of tax evasion, and insurance and bank fraud. Two assistant attorneys general will join the district attorney's efforts, according to

at the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences in the southern city of Kochi.

John also questioned how useful the results of the tests were.

"Many of these tests are being deployed in urban centres, where cases may have peaked and so it doesn't serve much purpose," John said.

"It's time they were diverted to more rural areas, but I doubt that is being done."

Modi's approval has fallen to a new low, two surveys showed.

Polling agency CVOTER found that for the first time in the seven years Modi has been in office there were more people expressing dissatisfaction with his government's performance than satisfaction.

Hospitals have had to turn patients away while mortuaries and crematoria have been unable to cope with bodies piling up.

Photographs and television images of funeral pyres burning in parking lots and corpses washing up on the banks of the Ganges river have fuelled impatience with the government.

India is the world's largest vaccine maker, but criticism has also mounted over its slow vaccination campaign, plagued by a lack of supplies.

The government said about 98 percent of the population of 1.3 billion remained susceptible to infection.

India halted vaccine exports a month ago after donating or selling more than 66 million doses, and government sources told Reuters it was unlikely to resume major exports of vaccines until at least October as it prioritises domestic needs.

Turkey slams US for claiming Erdogan's remarks ignited 'anti-Semitism' ISTANBUL AGENCIES

sources familiar with the matter cited in The New York Times, as James's office continues its civil inquiry.

REPUBLICAN SUPPORT: Bolstering its legal team, the Trump Organisation in early April hired a veteran criminal defence attorney, 84-year-old Ronald Fischetti.

Six months after Trump lost the election, millions of Republicans still look to the one-term expresident as their leader, despite his repeated baseless claims that Biden prevailed in the vote because of fraud.

The only leader in US history to be impeached twice, Trump lost his Twitter and Facebook accounts following the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Yet his messaging appears to still be resonating, with a CBS News poll released last

weekend finding that 67 per cent of Republican voters believe Biden is not the legitimately elected president. “Look at the facts and the data,” Trump urged Americans in a statement on his website on Sunday. “There is no way he won the 2020 Presidential Election!”

Some Republicans fear that failing to reject Trump's rhetoric about voter fraud could hurt the party, even if motivating Trump's fiercely loyal base is key to high voter turnout.

Republicans recently elevated staunch Trump defender Elise Stefanik, who opposed certifying the election results from some swing states won by Biden, into House leadership.

They booted conservative stalwart Liz Cheney from the post for refusing to bolster what she calls Trump's “big lie” of election fraud.

Ankara on Wednesday slammed the US for alleging that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made "anti-Semitic" remarks while hitting out at Israel over its strikes in Gaza. The latest tensions could further sour the relationship between two NATO allies Turkey and the United States. "The US statement about our President Erdogan's remarks on the Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians is absolutely unacceptable," Erdogan's press aide Fahrettin Altun tweeted.

The US State Department on Tuesday sharply criticised Erdogan for what it called "anti-Semitic" remarks, urging him and other Turkish leaders to refrain from incendiary comments, "which could incite further violence".

"The United States strongly condemns President Erdogan's recent anti-Semitic comments regarding the Jewish people and finds them reprehensible," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Erdogan has championed the Palestinian cause during his 18year rule. He has called out Israel for its "terrorism" against the Palestinians.

Earlier this week he called them "murderers, to the point that they kill children". Erdogan weighed in later Wednesday, defending his comments and vowing to "cry in the highest volume wherever we see cruelty". "If a price is to be paid to... speak up for the innocent, we will never hesitate to pay it," he said in a televised speech.

Before the latest row, Erdogan had spent the past few months trying to mend relations with Washington and reaching out to other Western allies after a year of sharp disputes.

But he lashed out at US President Joe Biden for his diplomatic support for Israel and his reported approval of a new arms shipment to the Jewish state. Erdogan has been waging a diplomatic campaign to impose sanctions and other punishments on Israel for a military offensive that has claimed the lives of at least 219 Palestinians in Gaza since May 10.

Nepal, Bangladesh scramble to secure Covid-19 shots as India curbs exports DHAkA AGENCIES

Nepal and Bangladesh are making frantic diplomatic efforts to secure Covid-19 vaccines to prop up their faltering inoculation drives as their stocks run out and supply prospects have become clouded by a prolonged Indian curb on vaccine exports.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that India was unlikely to resume major exports of Covid-19 vaccines until October at the earliest as it diverts shots for domestic use, a longer-than-expected delay set to worsen a shortage of supplies coming through the COVAX global vaccine sharing scheme, designed to help low-income countries.

Bangladesh said it urgently needed 1.6

million doses of AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine to provide second doses and it had approached several countries for help, including the United States and Canada.

"Bangladesh foreign minister urged the Canadian High Commissioner to pursue with his government so that Bangladesh receives at least 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from Canada on an emergency basis," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said its diplomats were also hoping to secure 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the United States, which plans to share up to 60 million doses of the vaccine.

Bangladesh has an agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures the AstraZeneca shot, for 30 million

doses, but has received only 7 million.

Bangladesh has also turned to China and Russia for supplies of China's Sinopharm and the Russian Sputnik V vaccines after India curbed vaccine exports in April.

Bangladesh has been relying on the AstraZeneca vaccine but only 2 percent of its 170 million people are fully vaccinated.

'BACK-DOOR DIPLOMACY': Nepal, which started its vaccination drive in January with 2.35 million doses of the AstraZeneca shot provided by India and COVAX, also said it has no stocks and more than 1.55 million people were waiting for their second dose.

"People above 65 and others in risk groups who received their first shots of the Indian vaccine are waiting for their second," Jhalak Gautam, head of the vaccine section

of the Ministry of Health and Population, told Reuters.

"It's already overdue," he said, adding the SII had yet to deliver one million shots that Nepal bought.

The SII said on Tuesday it hoped to start supplying COVAX and delivering to other countries by the end of the year.

Nepal had asked Indian authorities for an early delivery of more shots, said Sewa Lamal, a spokesman for Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Despite their own problems, we hope India can consider emergency requirements," she told Reuters.

India's foreign ministry did not comment on Nepal's request.

The head of the UN children's fund, which is helping supply Covid-19 vaccines

through COVAX, on Monday asked G7 countries to donate supplies to COVAX as an emergency measure to address the severe shortfall caused by disruption to India's exports.

"There's a lot of back-door diplomacy happening to get extra doses from USA, EU and other 'rich' countries to make up for the backlog created by India," a source at UNICEF told Reuters.

The source said a lot of efforts were underway to resolve the supply disruptions and it could be too early to gauge the long-term impact of India's export curbs.

But the short-term impact of the reduced supply was already pronounced. UNICEF said this week that COVAX would deliver its 65 millionth vaccine dose this week, far behind its original target of 170 million.

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

SPORTS 11

KARACHI PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea beat leiCester to boost top-four ChanCes, brighton stun City LONDON

C

AGENCIES

HELSEA are on course to qualify for the Champions League after a crucial 2-1 win against top-four rivals Leicester, while Brighton staged a superb fightback to beat champions Manchester City as fans returned to the Premier League on Tuesday.

Supporters have been allowed back into Premier League matches this week for the first time since December following the UK’s easing of coronavirus restrictions. Around 8,000 fans were at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea moved into the third place at Leicester’s expense, while 7,900 saw Brighton’s dramatic 3-2 victory against City. There were 10,000 United fans at Old Trafford for their 1-1 draw with relegated Fulham and 8,000 at Southampton for their 2-0 defeat against Leeds.

Chelsea avenged Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup final defeat against Leicester to steal a march on the Foxes in the race for the top four. Thomas Tuchel’s side broke the deadlock in the 47th minute when Antonio Rudiger bundled home after a corner was unwittingly flicked on by Leicester’s Luke Thomas. Jorginho doubled Chelsea’s lead with a 66th-minute penalty after VAR ruled Wesley Fofana fouled Timo Werner.

Kelechi Iheanacho set up a tense finale when the Leicester striker slotted home in the 76th minute. But Chelsea held on and emotions ran high in stoppage-time after a brawl erupted featuring virtually every player and members of both teams’ coaching staffs. Chelsea will be guaranteed to finish third if they win at Aston Villa in their last game of the season on Sunday.

“The fans made a huge difference. The speed in our game, the hunger, the ambition.

It was a very strong performance,” Tuchel said. “The job is not done but it’s still in our hands. We need another huge performance at Aston Villa.” Having won the FA Cup for the first time, fourth-placed Leicester could

hbl psl 6 postponed for indefinite period: report The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021, which was earlier suspended due to positive coronavirus cases among the players, has now been postponed indefinitely, according to a news outlet. A day earlier, reports were emerged that the league’s remaining matches will be held in the United Arab Emirates as the Emirates Cricket Board had given clearance to the Pakistan Cricket Board. However, as per the report, the decision to postpone the league was taken due to operational hurdles. As of writing this story, the meeting of the PCB with the league’s franchises was underway. The PCB claimed that its Chief Executive Wasim Khan, who is in England, was chairing the meeting. NEWS DESK

asia Cup t20 tournament called off COLOMBO AGENCIES

be denied a top-four finish on the last day for the second successive season. Brendan Rodgers’ team are three points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, but the Reds would go above them on goal difference if they win at Burnley on Wednesday.

Leicester’s final match is at home to Tottenham, while Liverpool host Crystal Palace. “We’re obviously disappointed with the goals. We conceded a needless corner and didn’t pick up well enough. The penalty is very harsh,” Rodgers said.

“We’re still in that top four and we’ve got one more game to go. If we win it and it’s still not enough for us we have to accept that. It’s still been a great season.”

CITY STUNNED: With the title wrapped up, Manchester City are fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the Champions League final against Chelsea in Porto on

May 29. But Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten for the second time in their last three games after a second-half collapse at the Amex Stadium.

Ilkay Gundogan headed City into the lead from Riyad Mahrez’s second-minute cross. Joao Cancelo was sent off in the 10th minute after the City defender hauled down Danny Welbeck. Phil Foden increased City’s lead in the 48th minute with a fine solo effort, only for Leandro Trossard to get one back moments later.

Adam Webster equalised with a thumping header in the 72nd minute before Dan Burn grabbed the winner from close range four minutes later.

“Congratulations to Brighton and their fans. I didn’t see the red card. The nicest thing is we have won the Premier League on the pitch already,” Guardiola said. The

return of fans to Old Trafford was peaceful despite fears of more angry protests against United’s owners the Glazer family.

Many fans wore green and yellow scarves in the colours of United’s predecessors Newton Heath, which became a symbol of protests against the Glazers when they bought the club in 2005.

Some held up signs reading “Glazers Out” and chanted against the Americans, but the discontent was drowned out by songs of praise for Edinson Cavani in the 15th minute. Bruno Fernandes flicked David De Gea’s long ball into Cavani’s path and the Uruguay striker, spotting Alphonse Areola off his line, lofted a gorgeous 40-yard chip over the Fulham keeper. Joe Bryan headed the equaliser from Bobby Decordova-Reid’s cross in the 76th minute.

The Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament due to be held in Sri Lanka in June has been called off because of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the region, a top organiser said Wednesday. The tournament was already held over from last year in Pakistan due to the pandemic. “Due to the prevailing situation, it will not be possible to play the tournament in June this year,” Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva told reporters. He said the event may have to be put back until after the 2023 50-over World Cup because most teams had already planned schedules for the next two years. De Silva said the Asian Cricket Council would soon make a formal announcement. Coronavirus infections have spread rapidly across South Asia in recent weeks with many nations banning flights from the region. Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced a 10-day ban on airline passengers coming into the country. However, Sri Lanka’s national team is currently in Bangladesh to play three one-day internationals.

Federer says he cannot even think of winning French Open DOHA AGENCIES

Roger Federer said he is not playing well enough to have a chance of winning the French Open after the Swiss' preparations for the claycourt Grand Slam were cut short in Geneva on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old was up 4-2 in the final set against world number 75 Pablo Andujar of Spain but lost the next four games to lose 6-4 46 6-4 in his only tuneup event on clay before the French Open starts on May 30.

It was Federer's first match since his comeback in Doha in March after sitting out over a year due to two knee surgeries. "I think when you played so little and you know where your level is at, and I think you saw that today, how can I think of winning the French Open?" the 20-times major winner told reporters.

"I'm just realistic that I know I will not win

the French and whoever thought I would or could win it is wrong.

"Of course, crazier things might have happened, but I'm not so sure in the last 50 years at the French Open, somebody just rocked up at 40-years-old, being out for a year and a half and just go on to just win everything straight."

Federer said the next few weeks were important for his season. "Regardless if you play tournaments or not, if you're back on the Tour or you're practising again with top guys that you go through the rhythm ... how it feels to be back on the Tour and this is then how you start taking better decisions.

"So when I walk out of a match like today, and I feel like 'My God, I could play so much better'. It feels strange and it's disappointing, but at the same time, this is the process I need to go through and that's why I can't get too down on myself and I need to go back to the drawing board."

Australia hoping for 'full crowds' for Ashes series SYDNEY AGENCIES

Cricket Australia is hoping for packed stadiums for this year’s Ashes series even if England’s “Barmy Army” of travelling fans are unlikely to get into the country, interim chief executive nick Hockley said on Wednesday.

The schedule for Australia’s 2021-22 home season was confirmed on Wednesday with a maiden Test against Afghanistan in November starting proceedings before five Ashes contests over five weeks around the New Year. Australia’s borders are still closed to all nonessential travel because of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, and the government said last week that might remain the case until the middle of next year.

CA said it had built quarantine peri-

CMYK

ods for touring squads into the schedule but it is unlikely at this stage that England fans will be able to travel to support their team as they look to win back the Ashes. “We’re all hoping for a summer of full crowds and an Ashes atmosphere we’re all accustomed to,” Englishman Hockley said in a statement.

“In a perfect world, we would welcome the Barmy Army back to these shores for a summer of singing and sportsmanship. Of course, we will be guided by the Australian government on all things related to international travel.”

The inaugural Test against Afghanistan was called off last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic but will now take place from November 27-December 1 at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

The Ashes series will open at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 8 before

moving on to a day-night clash at Adelaide Oval followed by the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and New Year’s match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In a change from recent Ashes series in Australia, the fifth and final Test will take place at the 60,000seater Perth Stadium from January 14-18.

Australia will also play three onedayers and a Twenty20 match against New Zealand in late January and early February followed by five 20-over matches against Sri Lanka to round out the 2020-21 home season.

The women’s Ashes will open with the Test match in Canberra from Jan 2730, followed by three T20s and three one-dayers in February. The world champion Southern Stars will also host India in a one-day series with dates yet to be confirmed.

Thursday, 20 May, 2021

prayer timings

NEWS

ISrael MUSt be held accoUNtable For PaleStINe attacKS, QUreShI SayS ANKARA/ISLAMABAD

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staff report

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said Israel should be held answerable for its “high-handedness” in Palestine and that it “should not go unaccountable”.

The foreign minister arrived in Ankara on Tuesday on a diplomatic mission to establishing contacts with different countries in a bid to pressure Israel to stop attacks on Gaza which entered a second week on Monday.

At least 219 Palestinians have been killed in indiscriminate airstrikes, including 63 children and 36 women, with 1,530 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, The Associated Press reported.

In an interview with Turkish staterun Anadolu Agency, Qureshi said Islamabad is banking on the United Nations General Assembly to play its role to evolve a consensus that leads to a cease-fire, de-escalation, and an end to atrocities in the occupied region.

Qureshi is excepted to leave for New York tonight with his counterparts from Palestine, Turkey, and Sudan.

During his New York visit, the foreign minister will hold “important meet-

ings” with different dignitaries and will “raise a voice [for] oppressed Palestinians in the UNGA”, a statement said.

He told Anadolu Agency that he has learned some foreign ministers won’t be able to attend the UNGA session in-person and “some will be there virtually.” “But it’s going to be a hybrid kind of a meeting […] I expect quite a few foreign ministers will show up and they ought to,” he said.

The government in Pakistan has taken initiatives to “forge unity within the country”. “You know, politics is polarised to have everybody on the same page and we have succeeded in that — the unanimous resolution has come out [from the National Assembly],” he added.

He further informed on May 21, the government will celebrate “a day of solidarity all over the country expressing, showing, exhibiting solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemning the atrocities of Israeli security forces”.

“Pakistan played an important role in building, steering the discussion and building a consensus […] then the BR meeting in Jeddah which led to the foreign ministers’ emergency session on the 16th of May, where I participated and articulated Pakistan’s point of view,” he recalled.

“The same day, the Security Council was beating which could not reach a consensus [and leading] to the OIC foreign ministers making a request to the president of the general assembly to convene a special session that will take place on Thursday.”

When asked if there’s any initiative to form a “smaller and more active organisation” to replace the “non-functional” OIC, Qureshi there is “no desire on our part to have a parallel organisation to the OIC”.

“We feel the OIC can do things differently,” he said.

In 2019, then-Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad called for a conference to gather scholars and activists from across the Muslim world together, describing it as “[a] first step […] to help Muslims recover their past glories, or at least to help them avoid the kind of humiliation and oppression that we see around the world today.”

The summit focused not only on political issues but also on the need for sustainable development in the Muslim world. The declaration almost immediately sparked rumours and fears that the countries — Malaysia, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Qatar — were trying to form a new bloc of power to rival the Saudi-led OIC.

ERDOGAN LAUDS PAKISTAN FOR HIGHLIGHTING DISPUTE: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday (late Tuesday night in Pakistan) lauded Pakistan’s stance on the Palestine dispute and its efforts to highlight the plight of oppressed Muslims at the hands of Israel at the global level.

The Turkish president expressed these views in a meeting with Qureshi who called on him at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

During the closed-door meeting, issues related to bilateral ties and the situation in Palestine were discussed, APP reported.

Erdogan said Turkey will soon host a meeting of a joint high-level strategic cooperation council to discuss cooperation in diverse fields.

Qureshi conveyed to Erdogan a message of goodwill from President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran.

He said a similarity in the position of the leadership of Pakistan and Turkey on the Palestine dispute and otherwise had strengthened bilateral relations between the two countries.

Qureshi thanked the Turkish president for his “strong and unwavering support” to Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir dispute.

Israel says it has no ‘timeframe’ for end to Gaza attacks TEL AVIV agencies

Israel said on Wednesday it was not setting a timeframe for an end to hostilities with Gaza as its military pounded the Palestinian enclave with airstrikes.

In a sign of diplomatic movement, however, an Egyptian security source said the two sides had agreed to a ceasefire in principle after help from mediators, but details were being negotiated in secret amid public denials of a deal to prevent it from collapsing.

Palestinian medical officials said 219 people had now been killed in 10 days of aerial bombardments which have destroyed roads, buildings, and other infrastructure, and worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Regional and US-led diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire have intensified but so far failed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no mention of any halt to the fighting in public remarks at a briefing to foreign ambassadors to Israel, saying his country was engaged in “forceful deterrence” to prevent future conflict with Hamas.

In remarks reported by Israeli media from a closed question-and-answer session, he was quoted as saying: “We’re not standing with a stopwatch. We want to achieve the goals of the operation. Previous operations lasted a long time so it is not possible to set a timeframe.”

In a 25-minute attack overnight, Israel bombarded targets including what its military said were tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip used by Hamas, the group that governs Gaza.

Some 50 rockets were fired from the enclave, the

Israeli military said, with sirens sounding in the coastal city of Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv, and in areas closer to the Gaza border. There were no reports of injuries or damage overnight but days of rocket fire have unsettled many Israelis.

Nearly 450 buildings in densely populated Gaza have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary-care health centres, and more than 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced, the UN humanitarian agency said.

The damage has left large craters and piles of rubble across the coastal enclave, and deepened longrunning concerns about living conditions in Gaza.

“Whoever wants to learn about the humanity of the [Israelis] should come to the Gaza Strip and look at the houses that got destroyed on top of those who

lived in them,” said university lecturer Ahmed alAstal, standing by the rubble of his house in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

He said there had been no warning before his home was destroyed in an airstrike before dawn.

Israel, which blames the latest hostilities on Hamas, says it issues warnings to evacuate buildings that are to be fired on and that it attacks only what it regards as military targets.

“We try to target those who target us. With great precision,” Netanyahu told the foreign envoys.

“As surgical an operation as it is, even in a surgical room in a hospital, you don’t have the ability to prevent collateral damage around affected tissues.

Even then you can’t. And certainly, in a military operation, you cannot.”

Biden tells Israel he expects 'significant de-escalation' in Gaza violence United States President Joe Biden told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he expects “significant de-escalation” on Wednesday in the violence with the Palestinians, amid intense efforts to reach a ceasefire. Deafening air strikes and rocket fire once more shook Gaza in the violence that has since May 10 claimed 219 Palestinian lives according to the Gaza health ministry and killed 12 people in Israel according to Israeli police. “The president conveyed to the prime minister that he expected a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,” the White House said after a fourth phone call in a little over a week. As diplomatic efforts intensified to stem the bloodshed, Germany said its top diplomat was heading to Israel for talks on Thursday. Netanyahu earlier on Wednesday issued a tough threat against the Gaza Strip's rulers Hamas, who Israel says has fired around 3,700 rockets at Israel since May 10. “You can either conquer them, and that's always an open possibility, or you can deter them, and we are engaged right now in forceful deterrence,” he told foreign ambassadors. “But I have to say we don't rule out anything.” But an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in a separate briefing that Israel was assessing at what stage it may stop its military campaign. agencies

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US eyes international effort to help secure Kabul airport after withdrawal WASHINGTON: The United States and its NATO allies are exploring a possible international effort to help secure the airport in Afghanistan’s capital after American troops withdraw from the country, the top US general said. US Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a secure airport would be essential to ensuring that the United States and European allies could maintain embassies in Afghanistan. “We are working out the details of how to secure the airport, how to support the Afghan military securing the airport, and what countries are willing to contribute to do that,” Milley told reporters shortly before landing in Washington after talks with NATO allies in Brussels. President Joe Biden’s April order to pull out all troops by September 11 could inflame Afghanistan’s internal conflict between the internationally backed Afghan government and the Taliban insurgency. The Biden administration has stressed that the United States will remain committed to Afghanistan, shifting its focus to diplomacy while continuing robust financial support to Kabul. But such diplomacy — including efforts to foster a so-far elusive peace agreement between Kabul and the Taliban — would suffer greatly if the United States and its European allies can’t keep embassies open because of security threats inside Afghanistan. Milley said of the airport: “That is one of the keys to maintaining a diplomatic presence.” He said NATO chiefs of defense discussed the issue in Brussels on Tuesday. But decisions about any security force deployments by individual countries for the airport would be made later by political leadership, he said. He noted the upcoming NATO summit in June.

Milley declined to speculate about the size of any international force at the airport. “I think NATO and others are working that in various working groups to see what the exact number is going to be. Those numbers aren’t known right now,” he said. agencies

US deems UN Mideast action unhelpful, France pushes UN resolution NEW YORK: France called on Tuesday for a UN Security Council resolution on Israel’s attacks on Palestine, as diplomats said the United States told the body a “public pronouncement right now” would not help calm the crisis. The 15-member Security Council held its third private meeting in a week on the worst violence in years. The council also met publicly on Sunday, but has been unable to agree a press statement, which needs consensus support, due to the objection of the United States. “We have not been silent and neither have you,” Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Tuesday, according to a UN diplomat familiar with her remarks. “With regard to further Security Council action, we must assess if any given action or statement will advance prospects for ending the violence,” she said. “We do not judge that a public pronouncement right now will help de-escalate.” During the same meeting, diplomats said France raised the possibility of a Security Council resolution on the conflict. The French presidency then confirmed it was calling for such a move. Diplomats said no draft text has been put forward. “The UN Security Council must take up the subject and we have also called for a vote on a resolution on the subject,” the presidency said after talks between Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah.

Thomas-Greenfield told the council that Washington’s focus would continue to be intensive diplomacy to try and end the violence, noting there had so far been 60 high-level calls by senior US officials, President Joe Biden. She added: “President Biden expressed support for a ceasefire.” agencies

Analysis: Biden sticks to Israel-Gaza playbook, irking progressives and allies WASHINGTON agencies

With his muted response to the Gaza conflict, President Joe Biden is largely sticking to a time-worn US playbook despite pressure from progressive Democrats for a tougher line toward Israel and from America’s allies for a more active role to end the violence.

By citing Israel’s right to defend itself against a rocket barrage from the Hamasruled enclave and only nudging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward a ceasefire, Biden has effectively given Israeli forces more time to press their offensive against Palestinians there.

US officials hope both sides will reach a point when they will be ready to wind down their attacks in the coming days and that quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving regional players such as Egypt will help achieve an end to the hostilities, people familiar with the matter say.

However, Biden’s effort to cautiously navigate the crisis in the Gaza Strip will be put to the test if in the meantime the fighting increases and the civilian death toll rises sharply.

“There’s a playbook that’s being followed,” said Aaron David Miller, a former US Middle East peace negotiator for Democratic and Republican administrations. “But there’s always room for the unpredictable.”

When Biden took office in January, he made it clear that he wanted to focus on the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn at home and challenges such as China, Russia and Iran abroad.

Tackling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that has bedeviled US presidents for decades, was not a top priority, though he had promised to revise some policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump, that were widely considered heavily biased in favor of Israel and which alienated Palestinians.

It was weeks before the new president talked to Netanyahu, a right-wing leader who cultivated strong ties with Trump.

The latest eruption of Gaza violence caught the new administration off guard, and it has responded so far in accordance with a familiar pattern.

Biden, a longtime supporter of Israel from his decades in the Senate and the vice presidency, began by backing Israel’s right to self-defense against the cross-border

rocket attacks, something successive presidents have always said of Washington’s chief Middle Eastern ally.

This comes at a time when the Biden administration has sought, to little avail, to assuage Israeli concerns as it negotiates over a possible return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

It took Biden until Monday, after Israel’s destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera news organisations but which Israeli officials said also sheltered Hamas fighters, to voice support for a ceasefire.

But the White House, apparently reluctant to antagonise, made clear he was not demanding that Israel agree to one.

PRESSURE FROM PROGRESSIVES: The current hostilities are the most serious between the fighters group and Israel in years, and in a departure from previous Gaza conflicts have helped to fuel violence in Israeli cities between Jews and Arabs.

Gaza medical officials say 217 Palestinians have been killed, including 63 children, and more than 1,400 wounded since the fighting began on May 10. Israeli authorities say 12 people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

Taking note of the disproportionate casualties, some progressive Democrats, a group that helped Biden win the Democratic nomination and the presidency, are pushing for him to be more assertive with Israel.

“We need to have a ceasefire. The president should demand it, not just say he supports it,” US Representative Ro Khanna said.

Biden so far has shown no signs of giving much ground, and left-leaning Democrats may not be ready to confront him head-on.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee met on Monday, after which some members said its chairman, Representative Gregory Meeks, planned to send a letter asking Biden to delay a planned $735 million smart bomb sale to Israel. However, Meeks had decided by midday on Tuesday not to send the letter.

Republicans have sought to use the Gaza conflict to hammer Biden and his fellow Democrats. Pro-Israel voters are a major part of the Republican political base and many are also Democrats and independents.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said anyone who advocates for a ceasefire is “basically suggesting that there

is moral equivalency” between Israel and Hamas, which the United States views as a terrorist group. “There are a significant number of Democrats who want to throw Israel under the bus,” he said.

At the same time, the Biden administration, which has touted its multilateral credentials, has found itself isolated over the Gaza issue at the United Nations. The United States has blocked any Security Council action on the issue, saying it would not help calm the crisis and would continue intensive diplomacy.

Biden, however, has not yet named an ambassador to Israel and dispatched to the region a mid-level official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr, instead of a more senior envoy.

The administration would like to get on a path in the coming days leading to what a source familiar with the situation called a humanitarian pause in the violence to let relief assistance be delivered to Gaza and build a sustainable calm.

The Biden administration was also believed to be preparing significant initiatives on Gaza humanitarian reconstruction, the source said.

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