EpaperKHI_21-07-12

Monday, 12 July, 2021 I 1 Zil-Hajj, 1442 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 13 I 52 Pages I Karachi Edition

Covid transmission rate surges to onemonth high, stoking fears of a fourth wave ISLAMABAD

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Staff report

aKistan on saturday registered over 1,980 new infections, highest daily increase in coronavirus infections since May 30, and up from 830 reported on July 5, the Ministry of national health services said sunday. a national command and operation centre update said the contagion rate rose to 4.09 percent in the last 24 hours. the body had recorded the rate at 4.05 percent on May 30. it further said 27 people died of the pandemic in the last 24 hours — taking the toll to 22,582 pandemic-related deaths. of the dead, 16 were on ventilators. the total caseload and recoveries stood at 973,284 and 913,203, respectively, the update announced. the number of active cases has risen to 37,499 who are under treatment across

the country, including 2,119 critical patients. punjab is the most affected province with 348,085 infections and 10,819 deaths, followed by sindh which has reported 346,360 cases and 5,599 deaths so far. sindh has 23,350 active cases while punjab has 8,499 active cases. pakistan has witnessed a sudden rise in daily cases in recent days. the number of daily cases dropped from four digits to three digits on June 25. the daily infections being reported remained close to 900 until June 27 and further fell to 735 on June 28. then the number of cases gradually started increasing and doubled in just one week. the positivity rate, which stood at less than 2 percent in June, crossed 3 percent after a gap of 20 days. on thursday, prime Minister imran Khan urged the nation to follow safety precautions, terming the Delta variant of the virus, which was first identified in

india, “the biggest concern.” “after a downslide, infections are on a rise again. we fear that the Delta variant could strike pakistan,” he said in a recent video message broadcast on television. “i appeal to the nation to wear masks, and take protective measures.” the premier also urged the masses to get themselves vaccinated. with 422,743 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours, at least 15.32 million people in the south asian country have received their first doses of a covid vaccine, while 3.74 million are fully vaccinated.

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Minister wants people aged above 50 to receive covid jabs on priority STORY ON PAGE 03

PTI faces strong challenge from PPP as electioneering enters critical phase in AJK g

Many heavyweights, hopefuls for pM’s slot face tough challenge in hoMe constituencies MUZAFFARABAD Mian abrar

campaigning for general election in azad Jammu and Kashmir is in full swing and top politicians are mobilising public support for their candidates. pakistan Muslim league-nawaz (pMln) vice president Maryam nawaz, pakistan people’s party (ppp) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Minister for aJK & gilgit-Baltistan ali amin gandapur are actively campaigning. prime Minister imran Khan is all set to join the electioneering process which would further intensify the political temperature.

elections in aJK are contested mainly with support of beraderi (clan) system as aJK population is dominated by Jaats, gujjars, rajas, syeds, abbasis, sudhans, afridis, sardars etc. a tough battle is expected between pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti), ppp and pMl-n. traditionally, the ruling party in pakistan wins as people tend to vote to the ruling party candidates due to their love for pakistan. pakistan today carried out a survey of all the constituencies of aJK as per its traditions to keep its readers abreast over the developing situation and electioneering process.

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Monday, 12 July, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

pakiStan adviSeS india to ‘run away’ from afgHaniStan RAwALPINDI

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INp

NTERIOR Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that Pakistan would accept whatever decision Afghanistan makes after the pullout of American troops, scorning Indian role in the Afghan soil which it has used to organize terrorism against Pakistan.

He said India has left no option but to run away from Afghanistan.

During a presser on Sunday, Interior Minister Rasheed said that Pakistan would agree to any decision taken by Afghanistan.

He said that Afghanistan had been fighting

for half of the century.

“Now new and suave Taliban have emerged. These Taliban do not sort things through a gun barrel,” he said and added that it was vital for the whole region to settle affairs with the Taliban through dialogue.

He was of the opinion that no Chinese and Iranian investment could be done without the restoration of peace in Afghanistan. The Uzbekistan train project is linked with the peace in Afghanistan, he added. The interior minister stated that it was Islamabad’s desire that there would be peace in Afghanistan. He hoped that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, former president Hamid

Karzai and Mullah Baradar became one.

Rasheed foresaw Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran in a changed region. “The situation in the region is going to be changed,” he added. He said that India had become the butt of a joke in the region. He said that India had no choice but to retreat from Afghanistan.

“India has organized terrorism in Afghanistan against Pakistan and disseminated false news to the world against Pakistan,” he stated.

He maintained that Pakistan stood with the rest of the world on the issue of peace in Afghanistan. He categorically denied providing military/airbases to any country

against Afghanistan. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision not to give bases was resolute. He said the Pakistani nation also wanted that we would not become a tool in this matter. He denied any pressure on Pakistan in this regard.

Interior Minister Rasheed stated that no superpower in the world could condone Pakistan. He opined that the government and Pakistan Army together would pave way for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan.

On stranded people in Afghanistan, Rasheed said that vaccinated people would be allowed to cross into Pakistan through the Torkham border. He said that Chaman and Torkham borders would remain open and FIA had been directed in this regard.

On the forthcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir general elections, the interior minister predicted that Imran Khan was going to form government in the AJK on July 25. He added that PM Khan would highlight the Kashmir issue in the world.

PTI contends SC’s acceptance of review petition closes door for judicial accountability NewS DeSK The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, in regard to the Supreme Court’s April decision to accept Justice Qazi Faez Isa review petition against its June 19, 2020 verdict, has contended the aforementioned decision closed the door of judicial accountability.

By a majority of 6 to 4, the apex court on April 26 accepted Justice Isa and others’ review petitions against the apex court’s June 19, 2020, split order in which the court had directed the Federal Board of Revenue to conduct an inquiry into foreign assets of Justice Isa’s family members, reported The Express Tribune.

The bench had also ordered the FBR to submit its report in the Supreme Judicial Council – the constitutional forum that can hold a superior court judge accountable – which theoretically could revive a presidential reference seeking removal of Justice Isa. However, on April 26 order, the SC also quashed the FBR’s inquiry report. Later, the government filed a “curative review” against the judgment on behalf of the federal government, President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Law Dr Farogh Naseem, Adviser to the PM on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar and FBR legal expert Ziaul Mustafa Nasim.

The SC Registrar Office, however, returned the

pakistan earned $10m from canSino phase 3 trials: niH KARACHI INp

Pakistan earned a whopping $10mn from conducting phase 3 trials of the Chinese vaccine CanSino, revealed Maj Gen Aamer Ikram. Maj Gen Ikram, who is the head of the National Institute of Health, was speaking at a function in the city where he disclosed that many countries wanted to hold their phase 3 trials in Pakistan. “These experiments can bring millions of dollars into Pakistan,” he said. He said Pakistan had also started co-manufacturing the single-dose Adenovirus-vectored Covid-19 vaccine with CanSino Bio at the NIH Islamabad, and claimed that within a year, they were hopeful of earning around $30 million through the joint manufacturing of the vaccine in the country. “And this successful venture has opened doors of numerous more such opportunities for Pakistan and now several biotechnological companies from the UK, Korea, Japan and of course China are willing to conduct Phase-III clinical trials of their vaccines in Pakistan,” he said. Pakistan on Sunday reported the highest coronavirus positivity ratio since May 30 when the country recorded the ratio at 4.09 percent. The NCOC, sharing the daily statistics on Sunday, said 1,980 coronavirus cases were detected from 48,382 tests conducted across the country in the last 24 hours. Twenty-seven deaths occurred in the last 24 hours, with the most recorded in Sindh followed by Khyber Pakhtunkwa, according to the NCOC’s data. The country has recorded a total of 973,284 cases, 22,582 deaths, 913,203 recoveries, the NCOC said, adding that there were 37,499 active cases. According to a province-wise breakdown, the total cases reported in Sindh so far are 346,360, Punjab 348,085, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 139,313, in Islamabad Capital Territory 83,647, in Balochistan 27,961, in Gilgit-Baltistan 6,851, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 21,067.

“curative review” after raising certain objections. Now the government functionaries have filed an appeal in chamber against the Registrar Office objections, mentioning dozens of grounds to review the court’s April 26 order.

Some government functionaries are not happy with the contents of the curative review petition which accused the majority judges of being biased. Harsh language is used in the appeal filed against the registrar office objections.

To make their case on bias, the government has referred to a newspaper article which claimed that two SC judges had written a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, asking him to make them a part of the larger bench hearing review petitions filed by Justice Isa against the June 19 order.

It said the additional attorney general on May 18 wrote a letter to the chief justice, asking him if such a letter existed. He had also requested the CJ to provide a copy of the letter, if it was ever written. However, neither the existence of such a letter has been denied nor its copy has been provided. “The said news report confirms the grounds of bias and reasonable perception of bias taken up by appellants in the petition,” said the government’s appeal in chamber.

The government stated that the April 26 order is unconstitutional, unlawful and against fundamental rights of the public at large and oppressive and therefore it is

liable to be revisited, revised and recalled. The order is against the independence of the judiciary and its accountability, it added.

“The impugned order of the majority in review has sufficiently closed the doors of judicial accountability generally and accountability of Justice Isa in respect of the allegations and information which has come on record,” said the review petition returned by the SC Registrar office. In its appeal in chamber, the government said the standards of judicial accountability are diluted and a shield is provided to the judges of the superior courts to hide behind the doctrine of judicial independence so as to evade judicial accountability.

“The concept of independence of the judiciary does not mean to protect the benefits of individual judges. The majority judgment in the review petition is against Islamic jurisprudence and moral principles of judges code of conduct.”

It said the majority order usurped the role of the SJC in clearing Justice Isa. The government said Justice Isa and his wife Isa did not come to the court with clean hands.

“By failing to answer the three questions posed by the bench to Justice Isa, a clear and sufficient connection of Justice Isa with his wife’s foreign currency bank account from which the payment was made to acquire the London properties has been established.”

On Maryam Nawaz’s election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he objected to the language she was using terming it irresponsible.

On Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s electioneering in AJK, he remarked he was holding the CV of Mr Bilawal as the Bhutto scion was dear to him.

He was of the view that the day when the losing party conceded to its defeat that day the democracy would be strengthened.

He said only the ‘Bat’ symbol would get maximum votes in the elections.

Rasheed said that the whole world knew how many bank accounts, the opposition had opened. He stated that Pak Army was the national Army of Pakistan and Tehreeki-Insaaf was the national party of Pakistan.

He said all political parties were with Pak Army.

He maintained that all political parties were agreed with the Army during its briefing in the National Security Committee meeting a few days ago.

Several trapped after exploSion in Quetta coal mine ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Several labourers were trapped after an explosion happened inside a coal mine in Balochistan on Sunday, reports said. The labourers were working inside the mine in the Marwar town of Quetta when the explosion happened due to the accumulation of toxic gas inside the mine, the reports added. Rescue work to retrieve the trapped miners is underway. Coal mines in the province are infamous for occasional blasts in which scores of people have lost their lives. Earlier in March, 13 people were killed in two coal mine explosions in the province.

pm decides to relaunch pti in interior Sindh to give ppp tough time ISLAMABAD

Education essential for inclusive growth: EU ambassador ISLAMABAD app

European Union Ambassador in Pakistan Androulla Kaminara said the body has continued to support Pakistan in her efforts to strengthen education and good governance for pursuing a path of inclusive growth and development in the country.

To materialise the concept of good governance and strengthening the education system, particularly in farflung towns, the union would fund the Balochistan Education Support, a five-year education development programme worth €17.4 million (Rs3.27 billion).

Talking to APP, Kaminara said: “An educated young generation is more imperative for Pakistan to pursue a path of inclusive growth and development.”

Terming education as a basic human right and key to ensuring that people do not fall behind in society and in life, she said: “The EU is committed to ensuring access to quality education for all boys and girls in Balochistan, which will enable them to follow their dreams and contribute to a better future for Pakistan.”

In response to a question about coronavirus and its impact on the education system, the ambassador said the pandemic had shaken the world economy and leaving the people in a lurch, however, the main focus of the union to address Covid-19 challenges and taking steps to reduce its significant impacts on education and others sectors.

Kaminara said: “The EU will continue to work closely with its partners including the Government of Balochistan and UNICEF to support and strengthen Pakistan’s education system.”

To another qurey, she said: “The union’s support on primary and secondary education is a priority area under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan, which serves as a guide for bilateral relations between the two sides and aims to further enhance engagement and work towards addressing emerging global challenges.”

While, she said, substantial progress was being made

under the Balochistan Basic Education Programme as the EU and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund have formally signed an agreement to launch the BES-II. “The overall cost of this project is €22.2 million and UNICEF contribution is €4.8 million. The new programme aims to contribute to supporting the government of Balochistan to build high-quality performance and management education systems in the province.” She said that the project would contribute to the overall objective of improving literacy, numeracy, skills and qualifications for the people in the province. It will do so through improving access to quality primary and middle-level education and by increasing accountability, reporting and transparency of the Balochistan Secondary Education Department.

UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Aida Girma-Melaku, in a statement, said: “The setback to educational activities due to Covid-19 must not deter us from trying to provide a better and brighter future for the children and young people of Balochistan.”

She expressed hope that under the leadership of the Education department, UNICEF would endeavor to translate children’s right to education into outcomes.

She said: “The BES-II will go a long way to help achieve the long-term targets set in BBEP and the new initiatives reflected in the programme.”

Melaku said: “To make up for the academic time lost due to Covid-19, additional activities have been included in BES-II. These include training of teachers on standard operative procedures for school health and safety, tailoring enrollment drives to ensure that children return to education and providing alternatives for children who drop out due to economic impact of the crises.” She informed that the EU provided Pakistan with about €100 million in annual grants in her efforts to tackle poverty, increase education, promote good governance, human rights, rule of law and ensure sustainable management of natural resources. EU-funded projects cover the entire with a special focus on Sindh and Balochistan, she said.

MIaN abRaR

In a major move, Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to open a new front against the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in interior Sindh and top leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) have been tasked to lure political bigwigs to join the PTI. Sources in the PTI have informed Pakistan Today requesting not being identified that the initiative is being spearheaded

by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Opposition Leader in Sindh Haleem Adil Sheikh. The sources say that either it is recent allegations made by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during electioneering in Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, Bilawal’s tirade against Shah Mahmood Qureshi or preparations of the upcoming elections, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the top leadership of PTI to initiate extensive contacts with other coalition parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to achieve the desired results. “Consultations are underway and important decisions will be taken after consultations. Former Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim is also holding meetings with important personalities. Former Sindh chief minister is considered a political expert on manipulating situation. Federal Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is also playing an important role,” the sources concluded. The sources said that Rahim may be appointed Governor of Sindh and tasked to lure towards PTI the political bigwigs and noteables of Sindh who had secured good votes in elections held in 2013 and 2018. The sources said that Arbab Rahim would not only contact the disgruntled party leaders like Liaquat Jatoi, Nadir Khan Leghari, Shehryar Khan Mehr, Jakhranis, Deros, Magsis and Mirzas of Sindh but he would also convince individuals with strong pockets to join the PTI. The sources said that the prime minister has decided to form Sindh Advisory Committee which will be headed by himself while other members of the committee would include Sindh Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, Federal Ministers Asad Umar and Ali Zaidi, Amir Bakhsh Bhutto, Nadir Akmal Leghari, MPA Ali Gohar Mehr, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Zulfiqar Mirza and others.

Monday, 12 July, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

‘BarreN hills turNiNg greeN’: PM lauds PlaNtatioN drive’s results

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News Desk

AUDING the incredible results of the Billion Tree Tsunami campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that the plantation drive had led to “barren hills turning green”.

“Matta in Swat – Barren hills turning green. Incredible results from our Billion

Tree Tsunami campaign in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa,” the premier said on Twitter “Insha’Allah we will leave a clean and green Pakistan for future generations,” he added. On June 27, the premier urged the nation to gear up for “the biggest tree planting campaign in our history”.

“I want all Pakistanis, esp our youth, to gear up for the biggest tree planting campaign in our history. We have a lot of

catching up to do,” the premier said on Twitter.

“And we will be gearing up this monsoon season for our plantation drive – the biggest in Pakistan’s history,” he added.

On June 3, PM Imran said Pakistan must achieve the target of planting 10 billion trees to protect future generations and play its due role in mitigating global warming.

“Pakistan is among the 10 most

vulnerable countries with regard to global warming,” he added.

“The country must play its part in saving the world from global warming,” the PM said, urging to grow more national forests, increasing the number of trees and investing in urban forestry.

Citing the example of China and Indonesia, he observed that Pakistan could learn a lot from these countries in terms of

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green innovations.

“Pakistan’s future lies in these efforts!

We have taken our natural resources for granted, but now is the time [to care for them],” he remarked. The premier termed the growth of mangrove forests a good omen for the country. “No other forests witnessed such growth,” he said.

“We started the billion tree initiative in 2013, now we have to raise awareness about it,” he added.

“Pakistan will take the lead in tackling the challenges of global warming and carbon emissions”. He warned that if the green cause was ignored today the country will reach a point of no return.

In August last year, the premier launched the largest tree plantation drive in the history of Pakistan as the ruling party commemorated the ‘Tiger Force Day’.

Minister wants people aged above 50 to receive Covid jabs on priority IsLAMABAD StAff RepoRt

Minister for Planning and Development and head of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar on Sunday called for vaccinating people in the age group above 50 saying that they are most vulnerable against Covid-19.

Taking to Twitter to make an appeal, the federal minister said that Pakistan has a population of 27.2 million falling under the category of above 50 age group.

“This age group is most vulnerable to serious health effects of covid,” he said while sharing that out of the total

population under this category, 5.6 million of them -which accounts for 20.6 percent of this group- so far have received at least a single Covid jab.

“Please encourage all in this age group to vaccinate as soon as possible.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government has currently allowed walk-in vaccination for people above the age of 18 in order to increase the vaccination process.

The government has also imposed restrictions on unvaccinated people, including barring their entry at cinemas, restaurants, and marriage halls besides also refusing to allow them to travel

Nearly two dozen suspects rounded up in couple’s sexual harassment case News Desk The main suspect, Usman Abrar, along with four other persons is already in custody regarding the couple sexual harassment case, while some 20 to 25 suspects have been rounded by the police, according to a report by Dawn. These 20 to 25 persons are relatives of other suspects who have gone into hiding and had been spotted in videos or photos recovered from the mobile phones and laptops of the five arrested men. The police also rounded up a relative of a man who is suspected of making the video of Usman Abrar and others while they held the couple at gunpoint, forced them to strip and beat them up. The relatives of the suspect told Dawn that the capital police raided a house in Shamsabad Rawalpindi three days ago. As the suspect was not present there, the police took away one of his relatives. He has been in police custody for three days without any legal proceedings, they said. On Saturday, they added, the suspect obtained bail before arrest from court and approached the police along with his family to join the investigation after which his relative was set free. The police officers said the investigation in the case was in the initial stage as the investigators were still busy identifying and tracing the suspects. Besides, they were also requesting the couple to submit written statements and become complainants in the case. The mobile phones and laptops of the suspects were also being analysed to find out if the suspects were involved in organised crime.

The officers said the suspects in police custody were yet to be properly interrogated as so far their statements have not been recorded.

Meanwhile, the officers said the investigators were also trying to establish the identification of the close contacts of the main suspect, Usman Abrar, with the help of his call and message records. Moreover, the police have found that three cases were already registered against him — one at the Sihala police station and two in Rawalpindi. The case at the Sihala police station was registered on April 30 under 506-ii (criminal intimidation) and other sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, Usman Abrar along with 15 armed persons in black uniform raided the office of Ahsan Mehmood and beat him up along with his staff and threatened them. The investigation officer of the case ASI Mohammad Hassan told Dawn that Usman Abrar was on bail in this case.

Details of other cases registered in Rawalpindi are being collected, the officers said.

abroad.

VACCINE CERTIFICATE MUST FOR TOURISTS: The NCOC announced on Sunday that Covid-19 vaccine certificate is now a must thing for all tourists going to GilgitBaltistanstst, Azad Kashmir, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The apex body to formulate policies for combatting the virus will also set up teams to check the vaccination certificates from the tourists and also form teams to ensure wearing facemasks, observing social distancing and following safety measures in northern areas.

Now all tourists who want to book

hotels in the hilly areas for tourism purposes would have to get vaccinated themselves first.

The body also made mandatory vaccination for all staffers and people and attending any gathering like cinemas, restaurants, gyms and wedding halls. It has been directed to ensure corona SOPs at bus stations, railways stations, intra-city and inter-city transport, mosques and markets. And for this, NCOC issued a check list.

The NCOC also directed the concerned departments to implement SOPs and take stern action against violators.

KP withdraws security from influentials PesHAwAR StAff RepoRt

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has withdrawn security protocol provided to influential individuals not entitled to official security.

According to a notification issued by the provincial government, eight policemen deployed for the security of Awami National Party leader and former chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti have been recalled.

The security provided to KP president of ANP, Aimal Wali Khan, and Mian Ifthikhar Hussain, another ANP activist, has also been withdrawn.

The policemen assigned to Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmad Sherpao and KP president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Amir Muqam have also been withdrawn.

Other prominent figures from whom the security has been withdrawn include: Nawabzada Amir Khan, ruling MP Malik Anwar Taj, Senator Ayub Afridi, ruling MPA Somi Falak Naz, ANP MPA Salahuddin Khan and KP director-general of National Accountability Bureau Nasir Farooq. In April 2018, then-chief justice Saqib Nisar had directed the inspectors general of police of the four provinces and Islamabad to withdraw security provided to “unauthorised persons”.

Pakistan fails to reap demographic dividend kARACHI AnAdolu Agency

Pakistan has many introductions – a leading cricketing nation, the land of several defunct civilizations and the sixth most populated country in the world.

The second most-populated Muslim nation, just after Indonesia, is home to over 200 million with rich ethnic and cultural diversity.

Yet, the South Asian country, experts say, has missed on reaping the dividend of its unique demography and large population.

“Pakistan is going through a phase of demographic transition, experiencing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of reaping the demographic dividend as the working-age population bulges and the dependency ratio declines,” said Durre Nayab, a joint director at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, a research institute and public policy think-tank in Islamabad.

She told Anadolu Agency that if appropriate policies are not formulated, the demographic dividend can, in fact, be a “cost,” leading to unemployment and an unbearable strain on education, health, and old age security.

“The country can make use of this opportunity through three mechanisms, which are labor supply, savings, and human capital,” she said.

For economic benefits to materialize, she argued, there is a need for policies dealing with education, public health, and those that promote labor market flexibility and provide incentives for investment and savings.

The increasing number of people entering workingage, she said, is acting as a “double-edged sword.”

“If they do not enter the labor force the very logic of demographic dividend is defied, but if they become economically active it poses a big challenge to the country’s economy to provide them gainful employment,” said Nayab.

“This is quite improbable in the absence of sound economic policies and educated and skilled workers,” she said, adding that the “poor” state of education and skill in the country is leading to high unemployment rates, especially among the youth, more so the educated

youth, which can lead to instability.

CENSUS DISPUTES: Population recording itself has been a long-running dispute in Pakistan, pitching provinces and communities against each other for their “due share” of national resources based on their numbers.

It also forced the government to delay the census, which, according to the Constitution, is scheduled every five years.

The sixth census, which was slated to be held in 1998, was held in 2017 after a gap of more than 18 years.

So much so, the definitive figures of the 2017 census were announced in May after more than three years due to objections from two provinces – southern Sindh and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – which accused authorities of deliberately reducing their numbers.

Pakistan’s population is now 207.8 million.

Northeastern Punjab remains the most populous province with slightly less than 110 million, followed by Sindh with 47.8 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 34 million and southwestern Balochistan 11.3 million.

The population of the northwestern tribal belt is slightly less than five million.

The commercial capital of Karachi remains the largest city with more than 15 million people, followed by northeastern Lahore with 11 million.

Experts and politicians, however, appear to be skeptical about population figures for Karachi, claiming the city’s actual population is somewhere around 25 million.

FERTILITY TRENDS: Raza Ali, a Lahore-based analyst who often writes on census issues, sees declining fertility trends in Pakistan with urban women having fewer children than rural.

The fertility rate, he said, also declines as educational and income level of women increases.

Punjab has the lowest fertility rate, mainly because of urbanization, followed by Sindh. Currently, northwestern Balochistan province, which covers 42% of Pakistan in terms of land, but lowest in terms of population, has the highest growth rate.

PakistaNis aMoNg 12 dead, 26 hurt iN turkey Bus crash Twelve people died and 26 others were injured when a bus carrying migrants crashed in eastern Turkey on Saturday night, local media reported, quoting authorities in the prefecture of Van. The bus was carrying Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Afghan migrants. Among the dead were 11 migrants and a person who helped organised their illegal transport, the authorities were quoted as saying on Sunday. The injured were taken to hospital and the owner of the bus was detained, they added. Situated near Turkey’s eastern border with Iran, the city of Van is used as a crossing point for migrants on their long journey to reach Europe, with many coming from Afghanistan.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), firefighters, gendarmerie and medical teams were sent to the scene after reports of the crash. The minibus caught fire and the flames were extinguished by firefighters. The injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. The identities of those killed in the accident were not immediately clear. In July 2020, a boat carrying up to 60 migrants sank on Lake Van. Turkey has been a key transit point for migrants aiming to cross into Europe. Migrants, mostly from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, regularly cross the Iranian border into Turkey on foot before being ferried west to cities such as Istanbul and Ankara. newS deSk

WoMaN fouNd dead iN lahore’s dha LAHORE: A 29-year-old model was found dead at her house in Lahore’s DHA Phase IV, the police said Sunday morning. The victim was unmarried and lived alone, according to investigating officer.

“Initial reports hint that she was strangled to death.” The woman’s step-brother told the police that he had been calling her for two days but her phone remained unanswered. “When I went to her house on Sunday, she was lying unconscious on the floor.” Muhammad Ali added that the window of her room’s washroom was broken. The police have registered an FIR against unidentified men under sections of murder. The body has been moved to the hospital for a post-mortem examination. The police have started collecting evidence from the crime site, while further investigations are underway. Inp

studeNt raPed at guNPoiNt iN lahore LAHORE: Lahore police on Sunday arrested a man for purportedly raping at gunpoint a student of a medical college at a home in the provincial capital. According to a superintendent of police (investigation), the incident occurred in the Nishter Colony neighbourhood. The victim later approached the police and on her indication, the suspect, later identified as one Habib Ullah, was arrested. The young woman will now undergo a medical test while the suspect has been shifted to a police station for further investigation, the police said. Inp

Monday, 12 July, 2021

04 NEWS

KARACHI

SECP monIToRIng HASCol PETRolEum’S oPERATIonS, InvESTIgATIng PoSSIBlE CoRRuPTIon ISLAMABAD

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SHAHZAD PARACHA

HE Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is constantly monitoring the affairs of Hascol Petroleum Limited in a bid to safeguarding the interests of minority shareholders as a corporate regulator.

Responding to a the query of this scribe, SECP said that it is aware of the current situation and the recent events disclosed by Hascol.

“SECP has already taken cognizance relating to the affairs of Hascol and requisite regulatory actions are in process under the relevant applicable laws,” the commission replied.

Sources said that the enforcement department of SECP had summoned of-

ficials of Hascol twice in the past few days as part of an ongoing inquiry.

It is pertinent to mention here that Hascol Petroleum Ltd. recently

Rs10.9bn property, motor vehicle taxes collected from Karachi NEWS DESK Almost Rs10.9 billion have been collected from Karachi in terms of the motor vehicle and property taxes during the last fiscal year 2020-21. According to details shared by the Sindh excise department, an amount of Rs8.521 billion was collected from the business hub of the country in terms of motor vehicle tax as compared to Rs494.174 million collected from Hyderabad, Rs233.420 million from Sukkur, and Rs92.363 million from Shaheed Benazirabad. Similarly, a total of Rs1520.132 million was collected in terms of property tax from Karachi, followed by Rs77.334 million from Hyderabad. It is pertinent to mention here that Karachi is a major tax contributor for the national and provincial exchequer and a report in September 2020 shared that Saddar Market, the port city’s commercial hub, remained the highest contributor of taxes during the Tax Year 2018 with as many as 72,339 filers of tax returns. According to the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Tax Directory for the year ending on June 30, 2018, the Saddar market paid a whopping Rs77.20 billion worth of taxes. According to the FBR, Sindh remained the highest contributor of taxes (45 percent) during the TY 2018, followed by Punjab that contributed 34.99 percent in the tax collection during this period.

informed the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) that the company’s internal auditor revealed evidence that in 2019, a series of false purchase or-

ders were created and entered into the company book.

Besides, the Board of Directors (BoD) in its last meeting had approved the resignation of its external auditors for the year 2020, Grant Thornton Chartered Accountant, Anjum Rahman.

In a statement, Hascol said that while there is evidence of fake purchase orders against the company’s fixed assets, it is not linked with oil imports, and the claims are entirely baseless as all oil imports are managed through a wellstructured duly regulated process.

It added that the pandemic has caused losses to the entire oil industry in Pakistan, including Hascol; however, it is making due progress towards ameliorating its financial position, and is hopeful that its outlook will be positive.

PSX likely to continue with lacklustre, range-bound performance KARACHI TLTP

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is likely to continue with range-bound activity in the week starting today (Monday) after two successive weeks of lacklustre and range-bound performance.

However, the factor of result seasons may keep the PSX away from plunging, which was witnessed on Friday last, and there is expectation that the market will remain in the green zone at the start of the week.

However, analysts are divided over the behaviour of the market. Analysts at Arif Habib Limited expect the stock market will pick up pace next week. “The results season is about to commence and we think that cyclical sectors can once again attract the limelight on the back of robust economic activity,” they said.

Moreover, oil prices have continued to remain downwards sticky with no outcome on the oil output increase, which could spur buying in E&P scrips. However, fears over the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic could keep the sentiments under check.

JS Global conducted a webinar last week to present the “Stock Market Monthly Outlook” which noted that the target of petroleum levy for the fiscal year 2021-22 and international rising oil prices are likely to continue pressuring the inflation numbers which will ultimately fuel the selling pressure across the local bourse.

During the previous months, the market witnessed positive sentiments on the back of resumed economic activities after lifting the lockdown situation. However,

the spread of new delta variant will likely take the economy towards widespread lockdowns which would keep the market consolidated. The benchmark KSE-100 Index index shed 0.25 percent, or 122.73 points, to close the week ended July 9, 2021 at 47,563.45 points. The KSE-30 shares index gained 0.05 percent, or 10.43 points, to close at 19,110.87 points.

The overall activity on the bourse dampened during the last week, as average traded volumes declined 22 percent to 486 million shares/day, while the average value of traded securities settled at $107 million, down 1 percent. Foreign selling continued during the outgoing week, clocking-in at $5.2 million, compared with the net selling of $8.4 million last week.

On the news front, the auto manufacturers slashed car prices across-the-board and announced to pass on the impact of the reduction in the federal excise duty to the customers. In the light of the rising international commodity prices, the local players increased the prices of rebars. Similarly, prices of DAP were also increased domestically to pass on the international surge in prices.

Moreover, uncertainty over how the geopolitical scenario pans out with regard to the US exit from Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s crucial role in this, has also kept the sentiments jittery.

Ali Zaidi at JS Global Capital said: “[The] foreign exchange reserves with the central bank jumped $1.1 billion to a multiyear high of $17.2 billion, reportedly due to flows from the World Bank and China. This does not reflect the $1 billion Eurobond that was floated this week.”

PIA to run extra flights for repatriation of stranded Pakistanis MONITORING REPORT The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Sunday announced that it will run extra flights to repatriate the Pakistanis stranded abroad due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. According to local media reports, the national carrier will operate 32 flights to bring back nationals before the forthcoming Eidul Azha. The management of the airline said that they would use Boeing 777 aircraft to repatriate those stuck in Kabul. The PIA will operate flights on July 12 and 16 for Afghanistan, with five special flights planned for the nationals stuck in middle eastern countries, it added. Those stranded in Dubai and Abu Dhabi will also be repatriated. PIA has added 10 more flights to its routine operation for Saudi Arabia to bring back nationals. The airline will also operate eight special flights for Tashkent, utilising Airbus 320 aircraft for the purpose, and it’ll operate a special flight to bring back students stranded in Bishkek.

WB holds webinar on Pakistan’s agricultural tax on Thursday NEWS DESK The World Bank will organise the 5th webinar of the Pakistan Development Policy Series 2021 on Thursday (July 15) titled ‘Closing the Agricultural Tax Gap.’ The Pakistan Development Policy Series 2021 is a series of policy talks inviting discussion and debate on key reform areas critical to Pakistan’s economic, social and development growth, said a statement issued on Sunday.

According to the statement, the fifth webinar of the series will focus on how Pakistan may close the agricultural income tax gap. While Pakistan’s large agrarian base contributes significantly to real sector and employment, the share of agricultural income tax in Pakistan’s total tax revenue falls short of its true potential. The webinar will begin with a panel discussion including leading specialists in fiscal and tax policy, followed by a Q&A session with the audience, said the statement.

Efforts under way to boost mango exports MULTAN: Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Saturday said that efforts were being made to improve production and export of mango for strengthening the country’s economy.

Speaking on the third day of the Mango Festival ceremony, Imam mentioned that mango production had stalled at 1.77 million ton for the last many years. He said that mango exports clocked-in at 110,000 ton in 2019, adding that it increased to 140,000 ton during 2020 despite Covid-19. The minister added that mango exports stood at about 5-7% of the total production, which should be increased. He said that in the current year mango exports have reached 67,000 ton so far. Imam maintained that most of the exports were being made in low-end markets as 49,000 ton of Pakistani exports were exported to Afghanistan, 35,000 ton to the UAE and 20,000 to Iran while only a few hundred tons were being exported to high-end markets like Europe. APP

S Asia must reform debt-accumulating banks, enterprises to avert financial crisis WASHINGTON TLTP

South Asia’s heavy reliance on state-owned commercial banks, state-owned enterprises, public-private partnerships and other national and sub-national public entities conceals its vulnerability to accumulating unsustainable levels of debt.

According to a recent World Bank report, ‘Hidden Debt: Solutions to Avert the Next Financial Crisis in South Asia,’ South Asia is more exposed to the risk of “hidden debt” from state-owned commercial banks (SOCBs), state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) because of its greater reliance on them compared to other regions.

But the report offers key areas for policy actions and concrete reforms that can help governments leverage public capital more responsibly through these types of entities to advance economic development.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted South Asia’s rising levels of public debt. The region is more exposed to the risk of hidden debt because it relies heavily on the governments’ involvement in markets to aid economic development, said Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for South Asia, said the report. “But the crisis demonstrates the critical importance of the judicious use of debt-financed public commitments and debt transparency to build back better, more sustainably, and more equitably.”

Hidden Debt studies the trade-offs between addressing development challenges directly through state presence in the markets and the risk of accumulating high levels of debt due to economic inefficiencies of

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off-balance sheet operations.

It focuses on SOBCs, SOEs and PPPs and their contingent liabilities—obligations incurred by governments off their balance sheets that have triggers for payment. Over time, part of the debt is revealed as it hits the central government budget and debt stock, but a large part remains hidden under the radar of existing financial disclosure standards. “The efficiency of South Asian state-owned banks and other state-owned enterprises is well below the international benchmark,” said Hans Timmer, World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia. “As governments rebuild from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and strive to avert future financial crises, they should clearly separate the social and commercial objectives of these enterprises in order to reduce inefficiencies, while maintaining socially beneficial investments.”

In Pakistan, the total liabilities of chronic loss-making SOEs have been 8 to 12 percent of GDP in recent years, several times more than the country’s public spending on education in FY19-20. In Sri Lanka, liabilities of loss-making SOEs have been around 4 to 5 percent of GDP. In every country studied, the top 10 loss-making SOEs account for more than 80 percent of the total losses in the SOE sector. Distressed public agents at the sub-national level also inflict substantial costs on the real economy and local business. When a subnational government is hit by a contingent liability shock, local investments suffer for several years. For example, local investments in the Indian states fall significantly in the year of a contingent liability shock, continue to decline in the year after, and remain significantly below the trend for three years after the event.

Monday, 12 July, 2021

KARACHI Covid transmission rate surges to onemonth high, stoking fears of a fourth wave continued from page 01 Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who also heads the anti-pandemic task force, said on Friday that “there are clear early signs of 4th wave.” In a tweet, he attributed the rise in cases to poor compliance of health guidelines, coupled with the spread of variants of concern. “Field reports are showing complete disregard of the condition of vaccination for those attending indoor weddings and going to indoor restaurants [and] gyms. If the owners of these facilities do not show responsibility [and] ensure compliance, there will be no choice but to shut them down,” he added.

BUSINESSES SEALED: Meanwhile, the district administration of Lahore sealed multiple restaurants and businesses over violation of guidelines. Model Town Assistant Commissioner Ibrahim Arbab, while reviewing the compliance, found violations of guidelines.

City Assistant Commissioner Faizan Ahmed Riaz also reviewed the compliance in markets, a press statement said.

G20 okays 15pc tax at multinationals to discourage profit flight to low-tax havens G20 finance ministers have announced they are supporting a historic shake-up in tax laws that target multinational corporations that move profits into low-tax havens. The support of the 19 biggest economies and the European Union (EU) will help ensure the tax revolution becomes a reality following eight years of intense negotiations. “We have achieved a historic agreement on a more stable and fairer international tax architecture,” the G20 finance ministers said in a final statement after the meeting in Italy. “We endorse the key components of the two pillars on the reallocation of profits of multinational enterprises and an effective global minimum tax.” The deal will change international rules so that large multinationals pay their share of tax in the countries in which they do business. It will introduce a global minimum rate that ensures multinationals pay tax of at least 15 percent on profit in each country in which they operate. A total of 131 countries representing 95 percent of the world's gross domestic product have signed up to a deal on global tax reform, building on the agreement reached when the UK hosted G7 ministers in London last month.

“The world is ready to end the global race to the bottom on corporate taxation,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. She added that the world “should now move quickly to finalise the deal". While tax campaigners point to loopholes in the proposals and wanted a more ambitious crackdown, the move is a rare case of cross-border coordination in tax matters and could strip many tax havens of their appeal. If all goes to plan, the new tax rules should be translated into binding legislation worldwide before the end of 2023. However, there could be a fight in the US where many of the multinationals were founded by people who now among the world’s richest, and there could be difficulties in the EU where Ireland, Estonia and Hungary have not yet signed up. The reforms aim to prevent countries competing to offer ever lower tax rates to attract investment, which has often resulted in multinationals paying tiny levels of tax. NEWS DESK

CiTy NoTES M A NiAzi

Y’

know. There was a lot of bad news coming out of India last week. First, we were told that the Lahore blast, the botched attempt to do in Hafiz Saeed, was let off by India. Then there was news of the passing of Dilip Kumar, who was actually Yusuf Khan from Peshawar.

Well, Hafiz Saeed lived, and Dilip Kumar did not. Of course, Hafiz Saeed, while no spring chicken, was nowhere near the 98 attained by Dilip Kumar. Another big difference is that he got to do two of what can only be described as archetypal roles: he was Devdas in the eponymous film in 1955, and he was Shehzada Salim in Mughal-e-Azam in 1960.

Devdas was originally a Bengali novel and depicted Bengali Brahmins at the turn of the 20th century. While Devdas has been

NEWS

05

IMF haIls G20’s support For MInIMuM Corporate tax rate Venice

I

TLTP

NTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has appreciated the G20’s support for the historic agreement on a minimum corporate tax rate.

In a statement issued on Sunday after the conclusion of the meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, she added, “This will help countries preserve their corporate tax base and mobilise revenue by ensuring that highly profitable companies pay their fair share everywhere.”

She commended the G20 for the focus on climate risks and role of carbon pricing mechanisms. She intended to follow up on a proposed international carbon price floor which could significantly accelerate the global economy’s transition to low-carbon growth.

The G20 recognised the urgent need to

MD COMMENDS GROUP’S FOCUS ON CLIMATE RISKS, ROLE OF CARBON PRICING MECHANISMS be better prepared for future health threats and welcomed the report of the High Level Independent Panel on Financing Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, committing to work with international financial institutions and relevant partners to develop proposals for sustainable financing to strengthen future pandemic preparedness and response.

“I also wish to express my profound appreciation for the G20’s and our membership’s support for a new SDR (Special Drawing Right) allocation of $650 billion—the largest in IMF history and a shot in the arm for the world,” she said.

Turning to the global economy, she said the recovery continues, broadly in line with IMF’s April projection of 6 percent global growth this year. Yet the divergence across economies is intensifying. Essen-

tially, the world is facing a two-track recovery, she further said.

She said that with a dangerous wave of a highly transmissible variant now making its way across the globe, the pandemic remains the fundamental risk facing the world, adding urgent action is needed in three key areas.

“First, accelerate vaccinations: to cover at least 40 percent of the population in every country by the end of 2021, and 60 percent by the middle of 2022. Second, implement sound macroeconomic policies: they continue to play a pivotal role in securing the recovery,” she maintained.

She suggested that fiscal policy should provide well-designed support, tailored to country circumstances, to protect the most vulnerable and minimise scarring. She said that monetary policy should remain ac-

commodative, as inflationary pressures are likely to be temporary.

“Third, step up support to vulnerable countries,” she said. The IMF’s new SDR allocation of US$650 billion will increase countries’ reserves, create additional space for vaccine financing, and boost confidence in the recovery. “To magnify the impact of the allocation, we will move quickly to explore options for economically stronger members to voluntarily use their SDRs to help poor and vulnerable countries,” she added.

“Scaling up the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) is a triedand-tested option that will enable us to provide zero-interest financial support to low-income countries through the medium term. We are also exploring the possibility of creating a new Resilience and Sustainability Trust for vulnerable members to build forward better, including through financing for greener, more resilient and sustainable growth over the medium-term,” the IMF chief further said.

PTI faces strong challenge from PPP as electioneering enters critical phase in AJK continued from page 01 On Sunday, Pakistan Today presented trends from around 13 constituencies starting from LA-1 Mirpur-I to LA-13 Kotli-VI. Now, we are covering LA-14 to LA-33 MuzaffarabadVII – bringing a complete picture for our readers. Though there are always possibilities that political trends may change by July 25, but this survey would at least give a clue to our readers to understand the trends prevailing in across AJK. The overview has revealed interesting facts. The ruling PML-N is facing a strong challenge from PTI and PPP. AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider is facing tough challenge from PTI and PPP candidates while the heavyweights of PTI including Tanvir Ilyas, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry are also facing strong challenge to win elections.

BAGH: Bagh district is traditional stronghold of Muslim Conference (MC) led by Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan. MC still holds power in Bagh and its candidates are leading in two out of three constituencies. But MC faces a challenge from PTI and PPP who may turn tables.

In LA-14 Bagh I, former prime minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan of MC is a favourite while PTI’s Maj (R) Lateef Khaleeq is trailing behind. PPP’s Khawar Qayyum and PML-N’s Raja Faisal Azad are also in the run.

In LA-15 Bagh-II, MC candidate Raja Yasin is leading so far. However, campaign for PTI’s Tanvir Ilyas is picking momentum and Ilyas may turn tables on Raja Yasin.

Tanvir Ilyas is also a candidate for election of the prime minister AJK from PTI. The PPP has fielded Ziaul Qamar and PML-N has given ticket to former information and sports minister Mushtaq Minhas.

In LA-16 Bagh-III, a tough competition is expected between PTI’s Mir Akbar and former minister Qamar Zaman of the PPP. MC has fielded Javed Khalil Abbasi while PML-N has put in Ejaz Kathana.

In LA-17 Haveli Kahuta Bagh-IV, PPP has fielded Faisal Rathore who is leading for now. Rathore is challenged by PTI’s Amir Nazeer and PMLN’s Chaudhry Aziz. MC has fielded Adil Kiani.

POONCH: In five constituencies of District Poonch, a tough battle is expected between PPP, PTI and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party (JKPP) of late Sardar Khalid Ibrahim.

For LA-18 Poonch-I, PTI’s Qayyum Niazi is leading the race while PPP’s Amjad Yousaf and PML-N’s Yaseen Gulshan are closely following him.

MC has put in Asghar Afandi. A close three-way fight is expected.

For LA-19 Poonch-II, PPP Saud Sadiq is leading the race closely being followed by PTI’s Arzish Khan and PMLN’s Amir Altaf. MC’s Sardar Kamal is trailing far behind.

In LA-20, Poonch-III, PPP’s former president Sardar Yaqoob Khan is leading the race while PML-N’ Mian Rasheed is trailing far behind. MC has fielded Haroon Rasheed while PTI put in Khatab Azam.

LA-21, Poonch-IV is heartland of Jammu & Kashmir People’s Party (KJKPP) where its chief JKPP Hassan Ibrahim is leading the race. PTI’s Nayyer Ayub however can pull a surprise as he is capable of winning it. PPP’s Sardar Yaqoob Khan and PML-N’s Tahir Anwar are trailing behind. MC has fielded Azhar Nazar.

In LA-22 Poonch-V, another close contest in likely between JKPP’s Asad Ibrahim who is leading so far but PTI’s PTI Mrs Shahida Sagheer may also win as momentum is building fast. MC’s Tahir Akram, PPP’s Dilawar Bukhari and PML-N’s Khaliq Wasi are trailing. Shahida Sagheer is widow of Chaudhry Sagheer who was drowned in a river during election campaign recently. Hence, Shahida is riding a sympathy wave and may win the contest.

In LA-23 Sudhnuti-I, PML-N’s Najeeb Naqi is leading so far while PPP’s Muhammad Raees, MC’s Abid Razzaq and PTI’s Sardar Hussain are trying to catch up with Naqi. Independent candidate Maulana Saeed Yousaf may pull off a surprise for the PM-N candidate.

SUDHNUTI: In LA-24, Sudhnuti-II, PTI’s Faheem Akhtar Rabbani is leading the race while PML-N’s Farooq Tahir, MC’s Abrar Minhas and PPP’s Inayatullah Arif are trailing.

NELLUM VALLEY: In LA-25 Neelum-I, PTI’s Sardar Gul-e-Khandan is leading with comfort while PML-N’s

Shah Ghulam Qadir was in clear trouble. However, after Maryam’s recent visit to the valley, a little sigh of relief form former speaker. MC has fielded Commandar Shafique while the PPP has awarded ticket to Mian Abdul Waheed.

For LA-26 Neelum-II, PPP’s Mian Abdul Waheed is leading in a comfortable position while PML-N’s Raja Bashir Khan who got ticket as Shah Gulam Qadir withdrew because of weak position is trailing. PTI gave ticket to Raja Ilyas at last moment because of a high court decision. MC has fielded Syed Yasir Kazmi.

MUZAFFARABAD: In LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I, PTI’s Mir Attique is leading the race while PPP’s Javed Ayub is trailing closely. The PML-N fielded Noreen Arif and MC awarded ticket to Saleem Awan.

For LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II, PTI’s Chaudhry Shahzad is leading the race while PPP’s Bazil Naqvi is trailing behind closely. The PML-N has fielded Murtaza Gillani.

For LA-29 Muzaffarabad-III, PTI’s Khwaja Farooq is in comfortable position to win the seat while PML-N’s Iftikhar Gillani is in second position. Independent candidate Mukhtar Abbasi is contesting for third position while MC’s Sajjad Abbasi and PPP’s Mubarak Haider are trailing.

In LA-30 Muzaffarabad-IV, PML-N’s Dr Mustafa Bashir is leading the race while PTI’s Muhammad Rasheed is closely trailing him. PPP’s Mubasher Munir Awan and MC’s Tasawwar Moosvi are also in the run.

For LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V, PPP’s Chaudhry Lateef Akbar is leadin while MC’s Raja Saqib Majeed is closely behind. PTI’s Raja Mansoor is at third and PML-N’s Raja Abrar Advocate are trailing far behind.

For LA-32 Muzaffarabad-VI, a neck-to-neck fight is expected between PML-N’s former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider and PPP’s Sahibzada Ishaq Zafar. Ishaq Zafar is leading the race at the moment. MC’s Raja Nadeem Tariq, PTI’s Syed Zeeshan Haider and Jamat-eIslami’s Dr Raja Mushtaq are trailing behind.

In LA-33 Muzaffarabad-VII, PTI’s Deewan Ali Chughtai is leading in a comfortable position while PMLN’s Raja Farooq Haider is trailing far behind. MC’s Liaqat Awan and PPP’s Shoukat Javed Mir are also in the run.

Naila Altaf Kayani contributed to this report.

Where are haItI’s patrIots? made repeatedly, no one attempted Mughale-Azam again. Devdas has been a vehicle for the great actor of a given generation: Kundan Lal Sehgal played Devdas before Dilip Kumar, and Shah Rukh Khan did so afterwards. Devdas was symbolic of the Indian lover, Shahzada Salim of the Mughal prince.

Dilip Kumar may have played these two defining roles within five years of each other, but he did have a long career. He did avoid playing fathers and the like, which was the usual fate of heroes grown old, which would have been a way of extending his career. His death must have saddened Imran. Dilip Kumar had been one of those who had helped raise funds for his cancer hospital. But I suppose Imran might be too concerned about the youth vote to admit he knew someone of that age. There’s a photo of Imran and Dilip Kumar, as part of a

group that included Manoj Kumar and Dev Anand, and Muhammad Ali the sole representative of Lollywood. Now all but Imran have passed on.

Still, I think the vicious person sending it around on social media didn’t have to point it out. I mean, there must now be a number of pictures where Imran is the only survivor. When he raised funds for the cancer hospital, he had to hang out with a lot of people older than him. Still, he should realise that he is increasingly something of an anomaly, and a lot of the people he knew are no more. Still, he’s got about 30 years ahead of him if he lives to Dilip Kumar’s age, and you can bet that he plans on going well past 100.

And getting the youth vote all along.

Even if anyone wins a World Cup again, it’s unlikely he’ll ever build a cancer hospital.

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And anyway, Imran has no intention of losing the approval of the selectors. Those who selected Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are not known for fickleness, so their support is his to lose. Imran thinks that Gladstone, who retired as British PM in 1894 at 85, and Churchill, who retired in 1955 at the age of80, both lacked guts, otherwise they would have carried on.

Of course, the recent assassination of the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, is not something that could happen here. It seems the killers just invaded the presidential palace, and offed him. The tragedy of that poor nation is that there was no move by the patriots to take over the country.

I mean, look at Myanmar. Their true patriots have shot 800 protesters dead since the coup on February 1, when the military carried out a coup after the fraudulent elec-

tion in December, in which the patriotic parties did not win. The police showed some efficiency, and three of the suspects have been taken into custody or killed. Because the killers include a lot of Colombians, the cocaine cartels are suspected. As anyone in Islamabad can tell you, cocaine cartels have a lot of good people.

Of course, three suspects were killed by the police. Not during the assassination, but afterwards. Now that is something we know about. The only time one of our PMs was assassinated, Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951, the assassin, Aziz Khan, was killed on the spot. In 1962, when JFK was killed, his killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, was shot dead by Jack Ruby, who died of lung cancer in 1967, after his death sentence had just been overturned. Ruby had connections to the drug business. I don’t think Aziz Khan did, and anyway, back then I don’t think drugs were very big over here.

But we should all remember that drugs are not just what you can sniff or smoke, they can be dangerous too.

Monday, 12 July, 2021

06 COMMENT

The New global realignment

More attention needed Islamabad case uncovers uncomfortable truths

The covid-19 vaccine’s politics

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HE case of Usman Mirza, the main accused in the Islamabad stripping case, seems to have taken a new turn. It seems that this was not an isolated incident, but one of a series. It seems that he and his accomplices made a practice of renting rooms to desperate couples, bursting in on them, and then filming them. However, perhaps more shocking has been his video, in which he boasts he will get off scot-free. This video, in which he boasts of his contacts, has gone viral as rapidly as the one of him grossly insulting the couple that came in his trap. It is worrisome, for it means that he has got at least skeleton electronic equipment in the lock-up. Also, is it possible that he was not shooting the videos for sexual gratification alone, but for commercial reasons? There have been two previous cases, in Kasur and Sargodha, where such videos were made so that they could be sold abroad.

While the authorities deserve praise for having acted promptly in this case, there seems a worrying trend of taking action only when proof of a crime goes viral on the Internet. This trend is worrying not because it reflects any technical savvy in the law enforcement agencies, but that they will not act until pushed to by their political masters. It seems that they in turn will only order action if they have a fear of public pressure.

Obviously the emotions with which the investigations are carried out will not be propitious for a conviction.

There is also a problem in the attitude of the police, which was revealed by the then DPO Lahore, who victim-shamed the woman criminally assaulted in front of her children. With an attitude like that, investigations are going to be skewed in favour of the criminals. The purpose of carrying out ironclad investigations, providing proof that not even a clever defence lawyer can shake, is not just to provide victims justice in that case, but to ensure that any future perpetrator thinks twice before committing a crime. Instead of being so sure of his invulnerability as to boast of it on social media, he must feel the inevitability of being caught.

Dr Umair ashraf

A

few days back while addressing the budget session of National Assembly Prime Minister Imran Khan loudly and clearly stated his foreign policy regarding the USA. He said, “We can be partners in peace with America, but we cannot be partners in conflict anymore.”

Two days after the statement,2.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine arrived in Pakistan under the COVAX program. COVAX is co-led by CEPI, Gavi and WHO, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF. And this initiative was taken to help the developing countries in vaccine procurement to inoculate their population and fight back against Covid-19.

Pakistan has been procuring vaccines since January this year from multiple sources, mainly China and the COVAX program. The sources of these vaccines are multiple including the Chinese, British and US governments. Pakistan also worked to procure Russian Sputnik-V vaccine but its administration has not started on a mass level. As per NCOC sources, almost 10 million first doses have been injected to Pakistanis till now and the mass vaccination programme is continuing uninterrupted.

The global vaccination drive is also going in a full fledged manner and many developed nations have almost three quarters of their populations inoculated. The world has again shown its commitment to integration and globalization amid a global crisis.

Just as it did in the post-1940s and 1970s economic disruptions, and the world witnessed new eras of globalization. But how far the statement stands true today? The other side of the picture needs to be assessed too.

As the world is apparently trying to contain a pandemic and re-open the economy to mitigate the devastation, the global realignment seems to be taking place along too on the basis of conservatism, protec-

Best and Worst Case Scenarios

Cricketing woes PCB needs to look at itself, as well as the team

The Afghanistan dilemma

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AKISTAN was not expected to be so pusillanimous in its losses to England in the One-Day Internationals. Pakistan has nothing left to play for in the final match of the series but pride, because it has already managed to lose the series, having lost the first two matches, in what is technically known as a ‘dead rubber.’ That is bad enough, but what makes it worse is that England could only put up a ‘B’ team. After a spurt of coronavirus infections forced England to drop several of its regulars, it was forced to give caps to no less than five players in the first ODI. The wrecker-in-chief of the Pakistan innings, Saqib Mahmood, with 4-42, was playing only his sixth match for England. Pakistan’s total of 141 was hardly a challenge, and England knocked off the runs in the 22nd over, for the loss of only one wicket. The new-look team had wiped the floor with Pakistan.

As if to prove this was not a flash in the pan, England won the shortened second match by a handy 47 runs. The target England set, of 242 in 47 overs, was gettable, the heroics of Hassan Ali with 5-51 keeping the England score within reach. However, Pakistan’s upper order fumbled badly, and when Hasan came in at number 9, the score was 118. He used the long handle to some effect, and made 31 off 17 deliveries, before he was inevitably dismissed. That left the question open as to why the specialist batsmen needed a bowler to come to the party. Of the top order, only Saud Shakeel, scored a fifty, and that too on debut.

The Pakistan Cricket Board needs to consider what it is doing. It let batting coach Younis Khan resign, after he spoke of interference by the High Performance Academy, and handed over his task to chief coach Misbahul Haq. Obviously, that experiment is having the same sort of result as letting Misbah combine the chief selectorship and the coach’s role. There is a need to step back and view the last ODI as an opportunity for rebuilding.

arslan ashiq

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T midnight on 5 July, the US forces silently left the Bagram airbase without notifying the Afghan military forces. They left behind hundreds of armoured and non-armoured vehicles and stockpiles of weapons that people looted that night. The Afghanistan government came to know this after two hours of electricity shutdown at about 7 AM. The matter of concern is what does this midnight departure mean for US policymakers? How will the world look at this? And was it a sign of victory for the Afghans and the Taliban?

The new US administration was no longer interested in forging and enlarging the war with the rising of the Taliban’s power. Joe Biden has had the view since 2008 of settling the matter with political dialogue. However, the last deadline was in September to withdraw all the remaining troops. Now it seems like an early run-up. The US policymakers were not keen to invest more in war, as they already wasted $2026 billion.

Moreover, the world has been seeing this deadly war since 2001. Pakistan since 2006 or2007 has asked the USA to resolve this conflict with meaningful dialogue to save military and civilian lives. Along with this, the European Union was also least concerned and little invested in NATO and war. Thus, the sudden withdrawal is thought of as a “Failed US War”.

The Afghan Taliban, who have been in the region since the USSR’s invasion, were controlling almost 150 districts and 50-plus areas of Afghanistan in July 2021. Comparatively, it is more than they controlled in 2001. They are running to control the entire Afghanistan’s politics, economy, and military affairs.

Nevertheless, the Afghan government is looking helpless, weak, and indicating that it will lose the country overall into the hands of the Taliban.

The WorsT-Case sCenario: The sudden leaving of the Bagram base may enhance the Taliban’s motivation for success in the region. Because they have the latest weapons, with manpower to manoeuvre the government. The government is in peril and looking for foreign aid.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami

1-resisTanCe of The afghan Civilians

Editor

The people of war-torn Afghanistan once again may face a civil rift. Many people are leaving the Taliban’s controlled districts to find peace living in neighbouring countries as refugees. Pakistan is already housing

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Managing Editor

Joint Editor

tionism, nationalism and autarky. The leading nations fo,r Chinese-made vaccines got pushbacks a number of the world are trying to use the pandemic to realign of times due to geopolitics and thus the rate of vactheir global support and create new alliances. This has cination throughout Europe has remained slow.

Similarly, trade protectionism and political conled to the emergence of vaccine nationalism. The world’s leading nations which contributed to the de- servatism has increased too and thus reintegration is velopment of vaccines are now using their supply to facing disintegration instead. And many people are take over the support of developing nations in Inter- questioning the future of globalization. The world may face hurdles to its masnational geopolitical arena. sive rebuilding efforts if the One example to underreversal of globalization ocstand this situation is of curs.

Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia But amid all this, the real As the global demands has again decided this conundrum is faced by the for goods have also yearng on principle to not changed, people are looking allow pilgrimage for Hajj. developing and other for new visions and new And for people trying to leadership and powerful enter the country, it has only developed nations. countries, mainly the USA allowed those who are vacThe US and NATO forces and China, are pushing cinated by US- and UKthemselves to take on a leadmade vaccines including are hastily leaving ing role to assert their ecoPfizer, Moderna and AsAfghanistan and concluding nomic and strategic traZeneca, while disallowi Chinese vaccines including their War on Terror efforts in prowess.

But amid all this, the Sinopharm and Sinovac. Alreal conundrum is faced by though the WHO has the region in a chaos. They the developing and other degranted emergency use to are thus leaving behind veloped nations. The US both Sinopharm and Sinoand NATO forces are hastily vac many countries are still another space to be taken leaving Afghanistan and not accepting it including over by the countries that concluding their War on TerSaudi Arabia, based on prejror efforts in the region in a udice and their support in are looking to create new chaos. They are thus leaving disguise for their geostratebehind another space to be gic partners. This policy has alliances regionally taken over by the countries created a huge problem for and globally. that are looking to create Pakistan as many expats new alliances regionally and who were vaccinated with globally.

Chinese vaccines are now And thus PM Imran stranded.

Pakistan, already facing geopolitical and economic Khan’s statement in National Assembly is thus an enconstraints, has found herself in the midst of another tailment to a shift in foreign policy to catch up to the dilemma. It has procured and administered Sinopharm regional and global realignment. The fragmentation, and Sinovac to most of its population till now. And in- multilateralism, confrontation and disruption are thus ternational travel as it seems, is going to get difficult ensued. Is there an emergence of “Nebulization” — - globalization vanishing in a viral haze? for many citizens in future.

Vaccine Nationalism has also created similar The writer is a freelance columnist problems for the European Union as its procurement

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

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around 2.8 million Afghan people documented and undocumented, a ber numsecond to Syrians in Turkey in the world. It cannot host another influx of people.

Because Pakistan after about two decades is moving towards resting the war wounds. As National Security Advisor Moeed Yousuf said in a statement last week, “Time has come for Afghan refugees to go back to their homes. But the Afghan government sources have confirmed that around 500,000 people may leave the country to save themselves from a civil war between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

mostly from the Hazara community group. Along with this, they had killed many officials working with Hazara leaders in 2018-19, including the abduction and killing of Abdul Samad Amiri, a Hazara and provincial director of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AICHR) . Therefore, women, as well as minorities, are reluctant to accept the new Taliban regime.

The BesT Case sCenario: To avoid anarchy in Afghanistan, the following measures should be taken: A Comprehensive Rebuilding and Development 2- a Civil War is inComing Plan: It is the duty of the US policy makers along with the NATO member The Taliban, despite everystates and other world organthing, are not willing to be izations like the World Bank, ruled under a western-led IMF, and USAID to provide government. They want an It has never used the wherewithal to the Islamic rule under pure Afghan government for the shariah Compliance, namely Afghanistan’s land to avoid construction of infrastructhe ‘Islamic State of any military aggression ture and to uplift poverty in Afghanistan’. The people of the country. It could only be the Afghan territory could since the 1965 major war. possible when all the stakeno longer live under strict holders will work together. and harsh Islamic rule.

The military establishment A role to play for Russia Thus, if dominating, the Talmust understand this to and China: The Eastern superiban would have clashed powers Russia and China with the Afghan government build cordial relations with would leverage by investing where Taliban are controlthe Afghan government and in Afghanistan’s development ling densely populated and As China has made busiest land routes of the a soft image in the hearts of projects.

Kabul a part of its Belt and country. As “the US state Road Initiative, more is department has warned that the Afghan people. As for needed for the projection of the region will face chaos in India, it must not use soft power along with smart the coming 6 months”. The Russia, instead of worst-case destabilization Afghanistan’s land for future power. dwelling in conspiracies to get could damage the whole adventures against Pakistan US soldiers out, must force South Asian region’s peace. them to elect a new democratic government to save 3- Women and micivilians from devastations. noriTies righT aT Pakistan and India need to avoid using Afghan sTake It is expected that with the plotting of the Taliban’s soil against each other in future: Pakistan’s policy of government in the country, the rights of women and “strategic depth” which gained vogue in the 1980s in minorities would be at stake. The implementation of the Zia era, has provided nothing except creating vithe sharia law could jostle the rights of the liberals olence and terror.

It has never used Afghanistan’s land to avoid any and working women and men. Hitherto, in the 1990s, the Taliban brutally imposed social restric- military aggression since the 1965 major war. The miltions on women such as Burqa covering, and re- itary establishment must understand this to build corstricted their access to health care, education, and dial relations with the Afghan government and a soft jobs. They also prohibited women from appearing image in the hearts of the Afghan people. As for India, in public spaces. Avoiding the prohibitions would it must not use Afghanistan’s land for future adventures be a daunting task for women and minorities’ rights against Pakistan. Because the ISPR has lamented many times that India is plotting terror acts in Pakistan commissions.ntntt Additionally, Afghanistan holds up to 82.7 per- through Afghanistan. Finally, for a peaceful and stable cent to 89.7 percent Sunni majority and it also in- South Asian region these steps must have a special cludes Shia Muslims up to 10 to 17 percent, with 0.3 place in the above-mentioned International actors. percent other minority groups. Previously, in 1996, The writer is a freelance columnist the Taliban had executed many Shiite Muslims,

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Monday, 12 July, 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

Useless temptation IN today’s modern world all of us have an approach to online shopping sites.

But not everyone feels inclined towards online shopping because of different reasons. I always receive reminders and messages from different brands and companies that encourage me to visit their sites to avail of seasonal sales and discounts. Instead of developing my interest these untimely and unnecessary messages are becoming a headache for me. Whenever my notification tone rings, I check it up because I don’t want to miss an important message from my fellow students or teachers: as online classes are being conducted by universities. But when I find out such lame message related web shopping, it disappoints me. Not everyone has time and necessity to read and follow such message. I accept that most people find these messages useful for them because they differ in their interests but not all of us are the same. Interested people can visit the websites of these brands on their own because most of them are from elite class and they know how to explore their point of interest. But let’s not forget, that still there are people who use mobile phones just as a tool of communication especially the old people who contact their children through mobile phones. One cannot Denny that these messages are troublesome fro such people. Brands and companies should think over this and plan their strategy accordingly.

ArSlAn KhAn rAwAlpindi

Suicide Prevention other such demographics. Therefore, we have to these behaviours are subtle cues of suicide rely on statistics collected in small surveys or re- which often go unnoticed.

A few other common red flags include social search studies. A review article indicated that in Pakistan the prevalence of suicide mortality is withdrawal, increased irritability, aggressive outtwofold in men as compared to women. It also breaks, giving away valued personal possesindicated that more single men and married sions, losing interest in previously cherished women commit suicide and the most common activities and drug abuse. You might also notice sleep disturbances, loss of appetite and constant reason for suicide is family conflicts.

There can be different underlying reasons complaints of body pains. Searching for poisons, for developing a suicidal ideation (thinking medicines or firearms online is another important warning sign. Over about taking one’s own indulgence in social life). In many cases media and taking interpeople who attempt suiest in firearms availcide have a history of Most importantly we have to able at home should mental illness, specially also be checked. depression. Some other remember the teachings of Suicide can be common causes include family conflicts, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and fatal but it is preventable. The efforts for strained relationships try to make sure that in our preventing intentional with the spouse, stress nabila ChaUDhry personal harm can be at the workplace, failure neighborhood no one is made at personal, famin studies, over indulhungry or deprived of basic ily and community gence in violent video young boy took his life after fail- games, drug abuse and needs. Remember, service to level.At the personal ing in exams”, “an unemployed being the victim of bulman shot himself after taking lying. In midst of covidothers is the rent you have to level it is important to lives of his wife and kids”, “a 19, the fear of getting include physical exerpay for your room on this mother threw herself and her infected, deprivation of cise in your routine and kids in front of a train”. These are few samples of social interactions, the earth. Every act of kindness spend time with yourhorrific news we get to read almost daily. self. Listen to your stress of being isolated helps in making this world a inner calls of distress It is alarming that people have started opt- and the trauma of losing ing for suicide as a permanent solution for their a dear one to the coronand make sure that you better place. temporary problems. Life is too precious to be avirus have further inconsider your mental ended like this. We as a community need to ed- creased the risks of health as important as ucate ourselves on the importance of mental developing depression your physical health. health, the red flags for suicide and strategies and other psychological Do not feel shy of sharfor suicide prevention. ing your personal fears, stress and depression problems.

Suicide has taken the form of a menace. It In countries like Pakistan, economic reces- with close friends and family members and do has become a monster that is eating precious sion has made things more miserable for many not hesitate to take professional help for solving human lives. It has become a global threat to unskilled and skilled workers. Layoffs, salary mental health issues. public health and safety. The WHO (World cuts and closure of businesses have even hit the At family level make sure that you do not Health Organization) reports that 700,000 peo- white-collared segment of society very badly. approve of the social isolation of a depressed ple take their own lives Many cases of suicides family member. Always ensure that you mainevery year. It means reported in newspapers tain good communication within your family. one person commits these days, indicate fi- Remember, the mind is a dangerous neighborsuicide every 40 secnancial challenges as hood, and if you leave your stressed or depressed Suicide has taken the form of an important underly- family member alone in this neighborhood he or onds.

This epidemic of she can get swollen by it. Non-judgmental active ing factor. a menace. It has become a suicide is affecting unIn most incidents, listening and reassurance can encourage your derdeveloped and defamily and friends of dear one with suicidal ideation in gathering the monster that is eating veloping countries victims are left sur- courage to reach out to you. precious human lives. It has prised because they had alike. In 2018 suicide On community level, establishing online suiwas the 2nd leading cide prevention platforms, suicide help hotlines and no clue that their dear become a global threat to cause of death in United family member or pro bono virtual consultations with professionals public health and safety. The friend was planning to can be very effective, especially for the youth.

States for children and young adults. In AusGreat opportunities to help others seldom take his or her life. PsyWHO (World Health tralia it was the leading chologists say that peo- come, but small ones surround us every day. cause of early or premaple with suicidal Help an old neighbour in purchasing groceries.

Organization) reports that ture death. thoughts start giving If a family is in isolation, check on them by call700,000 people take their Sadly almost 75 certain subtle warning ing to drop a hot supper for the family in distress. percent of suicides Amy Leigh said that kindness can transform signs before actually own lives every year. It occur in low and middle committing suicide. If someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. means one person commits income countries and family members and ac- You’ll never know how much your caring matPakistan is no excepquaintances keep a ters. So, if a friend or colleague reaches out to suicide every 40 seconds. tion. According to the close watch, they can you for emotional support, make sure that you World Bank the suicide pick up these red flags don’t hesitate to lend an ear. mortality rate for PakMost importantly we have to remember the and provide help at the istan is 8.9%. It means teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and try right time. that in a year almost 9 people per 100,000 of the In many instances the family members of a to make sure that in our neighborhood no one is population die of suicide. This prevalence is suicide victim report that a few days before at- hungry or deprived of basic needs. Remember, alarmingly high. tempting suicide the person started behaving service to others is the rent you have to pay for Availability of reliable data on suicide is a strangely. These reported strange actions in- your room on this earth. Every act of kindness formidable challenge in Pakistan. We do not get volve avoiding social interactions, greater si- helps in making this world a better place. significant information on suicide based on age, lence than usual, loss of interest in life, sadness sex, marital status, socioeconomic class and and depression and talking about death. All The writer is a freelance columnist

We must watch for the red flags

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Petrol pumps unleashed AS consumers across the country face difficulties due to petrol shortage, the government is currently contemplating completely deregulating pricing and marketing of petrol.

According to a report published in Dawn, the government is considering doing away with uniform pricing of petrol and deregulating it in line with other petroleum products like HOBC which are already deregulated. Recently OMC’s have come under severe criticism for their alleged collusive behavior that has seen the price of hi-octane blending component (HOBC), to increase to Rs148-160 per litre.

While the government slashed petrol prices to Rs74 per litre in line with the decrease in international oil prices, no such reduction was seen in the price of HOBC. According to the report, the government has also decided to deregulate the Inland Freight Equalisation Margin (IFEM) that currently ensures uniform prices throughout the country. As a result, consumers that are close to ports and refineries will be able to buy petroleum products at a cheaper price that may differ anywhere from Rs1 to Rs5 depending on the transportation cost.

Earlier, on June 4, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) had taken notice of public concerns and complaints about the shortage of petroleum products in the country and had initiated an inquiry to see whether such a shortage is the result of any anti-competitive activity. The CCP’s inquiry will determine the possibility of the existence of any anticompetitive practices causing the shortage of fuel in the country and the undertakings involved in it. The inquiry will further examine why the impact of the reduction in the prices of oil have not resulted in the corresponding reduction in the prices of the lubricants and other oil-based products, including the prices of hi-octane, which are primarily deregulated products.

ASfAndyAr KhAn iSlAmAbAd

Pakistani lives should matter THERE is an uproar in USA “Black Lives Matter” over brutal torture following police officer’s knee chokehold resulting in death of George Floyd.

I wonder what more will it take for authorities in Pakistan, to realize that lives of ordinary citizens should matter and transparent meaningful investigations following air crashes involving commercial airlines in Pakistan, or burning alive of 79 citizens in train fire, or massacre involving 279 citizens burned in Baldia Factory, or 4 members of a family brutally killed near Sahiwal etc deserve thorough investigation and justice, not cover ups.

The most recent incident is PIA A320 crash near Karachi on Jumatul Wida, in which over 100 have perished and controversial composition of 4 member Accident Investigation team, with three members junior in rank of PIA CEO and CAA ATC officer to investigate crash in which CAA negligence may have aggravated accident. The A320 has capability to execute a Go Around as low as 15 Feet above ground, although Decision Height is higher. It has capability for Auto Approach and Go Around. The leak of an edited audio clip of conversation between pilot and control tower, within hours is intriguing followed by release next day, of video showing runway scratched by two engine pods. Based on video and audio clips, what is missing is action taken by ATC after they witnessed engine pods impact runway, and instructions they gave to pilots and preparations made for subsequent crash landing, such as laying foam and placing fire tenders and activating relevant departments, involved in possible rescue.

Emergency and Abnormal Procedures are evolved by manufacturers in consultation with ICAO, to cater for average pilots and human errors and technical faults. Obstacle height restrictions around 15 KM periphery of active civil airports exist to cater for such abnormalities and emergencies. mAliK TAriq Ali lAhorE

Illicit cigarette LTE against the published advertisement. It makes sense that higher taxation rate on cigarette manufacturers may persuade smokers to switch to low-priced, tax-evading products if they are freely available, which they indeed are. Hence, higher taxes may encourage and create a heavier burden on the public-health expenditure.

Civil society should realize that the tobacco industry in Pakistan is among the highest taxpayers in Pakistan, while a much larger number of unregistered cigarette producers are not paying any taxes and selling their product at lower prices than the minimum rates set by the government.

One holds no brief for cigarette manufacturers but while we should look at raising taxes on the few companies that pay, the smarter thing would be for government and civil society to also take effective measures against those that are undermining the whole purpose of taxing cigarette makers to begin with. We hope that a stop will be put soon to illegal trade of cigarettes.

SirAj munir KArAchi

Monday, 12 July, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

In ThEsE TImEs

t

sarah LaZare

HERE are plenty of reasons to criticize the foreign policy of President Biden: his failure to fully end U.S. participation in the Yemen war more than five months after he pledged to; his staffing out of his foreign policy to a shadowy consultant firm called WestExec whose clients include military contractors and powerful corporations; his support for Israel’s brutal bombardment of Gaza.

But when it comes to U.S. press outlets, they’re more likely to critique Biden when he steps away from militarism. This reality was on full display following the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Bagram Air Base, which began in late June as part of the Biden administration’s broader exit from Afghanistan (which, it is important to note, does not constitute a full withdrawal and is likely to result in the farming out of the war to the CIA).

A wave of media coverage followed Biden’s evasive outburst at a July 2 press conference. He was responding to questions from reporters implying that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was irresponsible or harmful to Afghans, including one reporter who asked whether the U.S. exit would touch off a civil war. “I want to talk about happy things, man,” the president said, cutting off the journalist. The president continued, “I’m not gonna answer any more questions on Afghanistan… it’s Fourth of July [weekend].”

While the president’s remarks are certainly eyebrow-raising, given his responsibility for waging and shaping that war over the past two decades, they do not constitute a meaningful departure from Biden’s numerous other incidents of lashing out. Except in this case he was chafing at journalists’ questions that came from a seemingly pro-war perspective. And it did not take long for media segments criticizing the president’s remarks to start rolling in.

CNN’s The Lead ran a segment on July 2 titled, “President Biden grew visibly frustrated after reporters asked him about the Afghanistan withdrawal” that used the press conference as one hook for

US media oUtletS are Still banging the drUmS for the afghaniStan war MAJOR PRESS OUTLETS ARE TRYING TO GOAD BIDEN INTO STAYING IN AFGHANISTAN

a broader story about the U.S. exit. In the segment, correspondent Kaitlan Collins painted a grim picture of what a U.S. departure would mean. “Although the official drawdown from Afghanistan isn’t over yet, the departure from Bagram air base sends a strong signal that U.S. operations are…This sprawling compound was often visited by U.S. leaders and became the center of military power in Afghanistan after being the first to house U.S. forces following the 2001 invasion.

The U.S. is handing the air base over to the Afghan government amid new concerns about what they’re leaving behind.”

Nowhere does the segment mention that Bagram Air Base was once the site of grisly U.S. torture, where prisoners were held in dismal conditions, deprived of sleep, subjected to sexual degradation and humiliation, and suspended from ceilings — all while being held in legal limbo without charge, much like those detained at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay. But beyond that omission, the segment fails to wrestle with a single tough question about the war itself, which is an undeniable failure even according to the military’s own stated logic, and has brought 20 years of occupation, death and displacement to the Afghan people. According to a September 2020 report from Brown University’s Costs of War Project, 5.3 million people in Afghanistan have been displaced (either internally or externally) by the U.S. war since it began in 2001. Where are the probing questions about whether the war ever should have been waged in the first place, or whether some of those people would still be in their homes if the United States hadn’t invaded? Instead, Collins postured as if she was being oppositional to power, when she was in fact siding with the Pentagon — the easiest thing on Earth for a journalist to do. (Jake Tapper, host of The Lead, knows this better than anyone. The war in Afghanistan has been a major boon to his career, the subject of his book about an “untold story of American valor” that will

soon be turned into a Hollywood movie.)

NBC Nightly News, hosted by Lester Holt, struck a similar tone in its July 2 broadcast, with correspondent Richard Engel saying that Biden “did not want to draw attention” to Afghanistan when pressed about the “impact of the withdrawal.” Engel continued, “but not talking about it won’t stop this. As U.S. troops leave, some Afghan security groups are collapsing…Most Afghans do not want the Taliban to return.”

Despite Engel’s claim, there’s no evidence after nearly 20 years of war that U.S. presence erodes the Taliban’s power.

In fact, all evidence suggests the opposite: Since 2001 the Taliban has significantly expanded its foothold in the country (yet the role of the U.S. occupation in strengthening the Taliban has been scrubbed from much media coverage). While polling is notoriously difficult in conditions of war, a survey from the Institute of War and Peace Studies from January 2020 found 80% of Afghans surveyed believe that peace can only be obtained through a political solution, not a military one. (The poll received funding from the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.)

The survey also found that 46% of Afghan respondents wanted U.S. and NATO militaries out of the country after a peace deal, compared to 33% who wanted them to stay. While such a definitive peace deal never came, this survey data does not show that the Afghan people want U.S. troops to remain in their country indefinitely. Yet, the framing from NBC Nightly News gives the impression that Afghan public opinion is in favor of an indefinite American presence.

These aren’t the only examples of major media outlets criticizing Biden over the withdrawal. “This July Fourth, America will leave Afghanistan independence in its death throes,” reads a July 1 piece by USA Today’s editorial board. Other outlets recirculated 2001 talking points from Laura Bush by declaring that the U.S.

withdrawal will harm women and girls.

“We don’t have to wonder what will happen to Afghan women when the U.S. leaves,” reads an opinion headline in the Dallas Morning News. Yet the same pundits who supposedly care so deeply about the wellbeing of people in Afghanistan have been remarkably silent about the at least 47,245 civilians who have been killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan as a result of the war, a rate that has been disturbingly high for years. And they’ve had little to say about the fact that only 1.2% of people in Afghanistan have been vaccinated against Covid-19, portending a much broader humanitarian crisis to come.

Since it began, the war in Afghanistan has been met with protests around the world, and those protesters have had to contend with a bipartisan pro-war U.S. consensus — both in Washington, and in the press. The system functions by ensuring that anyone who steps out of line — even slightly, and even 20 years too late — is disciplined. This was apparent as early as September 30, 2001, when the New York Times ran the headline, “A NATION CHALLENGED: Protesters in Washington Urge Peace With Terrorists.” And it persists to the present — even amid signs the war is deeply unpopular among the U.S. public.

There are manifold other ways that U.S. media outlets could frame American withdrawal. They could examine the rampant corruption and war crimes of the U.S.-backed Afghan military, air the voices of people who want the United States to leave, or ask hard questions about what a complete American exit — and U.S. reparations to the Afghan people — could look like. But after two decades of occupation, bombings, home raids and drone strikes, we’re still a long way from a free press that asks difficult questions when it comes to war and militarism. Instead, it’s relying on rote, self-serving cliches about a supposed humanitarian mission that simply never existed.

SARAH LAZARE is web editor and reporter for In These Times.

don’t let religion prevail over science hIndusTan TImEs editoriaL

Both Uttarakhand and UP are governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and are scheduled to go to the polls early next year. The party sees these yatras as important to its political base. But in the light of the devastating Kumbh experience, limited State capacity to conduct a mega pilgrimage and ensure that everyone follows Covid-19 protocols, vaccination status, and the impact that any surge will have on the under-equipped health care sector, both states must realise that going ahead with the yatras is fraught with danger.

On July 7, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government allowed the annual Kanwar Yatra from July 25. Reviewing its preparations, chief minister Yogi Adityanath warned officials that there should be no slackness regarding the safety and successful organisation of the yatra, and that Covid-19 protocols must be strictly followed. The yatra is an annual pilgrimage of Shiv devotees who collect water from the river Ganga (usually at Haridwar in Uttarakhand) and offer it at Shiv temples in their home states. While Uttarakhand is yet to take a final call, the administration seems keen to allow it. On July 6, it said pilgrims won’t be allowed to enter the state. But, two days later, it promised to review the decision.

There are ample reasons to be worried.

While the second wave of Covid-19 has abated, the pandemic is far from over. The last Kanwar Yatra was held in 2019 and roughly 30 million pilgrims congregated in Haridwar. Experts warn that the Kanwar Yatra will be even more dangerous than the Kumbh Mela, since 30 to 40 million pilgrims may visit Haridwar in a fortnight compared to the seven million who came during the 30-day Kumbh. There are also reports that tourists are flocking to Uttarakhand and many are not following Covid-19 protocols, putting a question mark on the ability of the local administration to enforce norms. In addition, the Uttarakhand government also seems to be adamant about holding the Char Dham Yatra. Despite a stay by the Uttarakhand High Court till July 28, the state has moved Supreme Court against the order.

Requiem for Dilip Kumar and a small complaint HE WAS TRULY MATCHLESS AT CREATING A DEMAND FOR HIMSELF, SOMETIMES AT THE COST OF THE FILM HE WAS IN — A LEGACY THAT WEIGHS HEAVIER ON THE HINDI FILM FRATERNITY THAN HIS NUANCED PERFORMANCES IndIan ExprEss NaseeruddiN shah

Nainital, 1954. Escorted by two maternal aunts, four-year-old me was walking home, having just watched Insaniyat, starring Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Tarzan’s chimp from Hollywood, Zippy, who upstaged all the human actors in the film, puzzling over the tongue-clicking by the two ladies. “Why does he always die in the end?” they lamented. Some years on, the younger, more smitten aunt was complaining about Kohinoor, a swashbuckling caper which I loved, and later still went completely ballistic on seeing Leader, a satirical attempt that didn’t quite come off. “Why does he clown like that all the time?” was now the gripe. Obviously, Dilip Kumar was better off dying in movies than having a good time in them.

Now that the great man has in reality “melted into the sun and mingled with the wind”, the aunts who, had they not faded away themselves, would have shed bitter tears. As did I, but more at the thought of how much more Dilip Kumar sahab could and should have achieved while he lived. “Death is not half as important as what you do with your life” is an aphorism that has stayed with me a long time. So, the reader will forgive me if instead of lamenting his passing, I dwell on his contribution while he lived.

The holy grail of acting that he is in

commercial Hindi cinema, his achievements supposedly unsurpassable, I trust that, now that all the tributes have been paid, I will not be putting my foot in my mouth if I talk not only of the undoubted greatness of some of his performances but raise a question – perhaps, provoke a debate — on whether his example as a star was worthy of emulation and whether he helped push the envelope toward progress or whether he facilitated the downward spiral of popular Hindi cinema into the total star-centricity in which it wallows today.

There can be absolutely no dispute about the fact that, at least until Gunga Jamuna, the consummate characterisations, the dignified deportment, the mellifluous diction, the controlled but roiling emotionality in his performances were all unique. In the time of actors insistently sawing the air as if conducting a tune composed of words, his mesmeric stillness and impeccable poise established a paradigm for good acting in Indian films, when fake theatricality, arch voice-intonations, clenched jaw muscles, quivering lips, caterpillar eyebrows and, of course, constantly wagging hands were the accepted modes of expression. His economy of movement and gesture seemed to be little understood by his peers and even by those who came after, though many superficially mimicked his style.

Clearly no multi-tasker, his total output of perhaps 50 films is, even by yesteryears’ standards, absurdly small. Some of those

works doubtless will survive the test of time but, given the position he was in, it is more than evident he didn’t do enough apart from acting and being involved in social causes close to his heart. He produced only one film, didn’t direct any (officially at least), never passed on the benefit of his experience, didn’t bother to groom anyone, and apart from his pre-1970s performances, left behind no significant lessons for future actors; even his autobiography is but a rehash of old interviews. It’s baffling why a man as conscious of his place in history as he was should be reluctant to record his interaction with some of the admittedly great filmmakers of his time or say anything really informative about the nature of his work and technique. I wish, at some point, he had at least been forthright about the travails involved in retaining legions of devoted fans.

What he was truly matchless at was in creating a demand for himself, sometimes at the cost of the film he was in — a legacy that weighs heavier on the Hindi film fraternity than his finely nuanced performances. While other stars of his time appeared in two or more films annually, one project in two years was Dilip sahab’s average for a couple of decades. Each of these breathlessly anticipated appearances, meticulously crafted to create an aura of studiousness and sensitivity around him, were masterstrokes of strategy designed to place him above his peers, to distance but not alienate him from them. And his stock in trade — the poetic turns of

phrase, the thoughtful pauses, the carefully cultivated image of refinement in his acting and his life — had not, a la some of his contemporaries, been modelled on a mere actor but on Jawaharlal Nehru, Mr Sophistication himself. It’s ironic, however, that Panditji despite asking him to be a spokesman for Hindu-Muslim unity did not stand by him at perhaps the most trying time in his life, when he was facing the ludicrous accusations of being a Pakistani spy.

Whether his later attempts at an image makeover were deployed to extend his range or test his acting prowess or further ingratiate himself with an already adoring public no one will ever know, he himself reportedly claimed it was on a psychoanalyst’s advice.

It is, however, a moot point at what time in his career, and why, his commitment to meaningful cinema, which had resulted in such significant work with Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, K Asif and B R Chopra, deserted him, and the self-congratulatory phase took over. I believe it was post Gunga Jamuna — a performance which it seems he continuously and unsuccessfully strove to outdo. I could be wrong but three generations of Dilip Kumar fans each have their own theory, and this is mine.

Given the transitory nature of stardom in showbiz and particularly in our little pond, it’s incomprehensible why an actor of such immaculate craft, one whose very presence elevated any film he was in, one who just had to nod his head to set any proj-

ect he fancied into motion, one justly acclaimed as the finest in the country, one financially secure for several generations, chose to play safe the way he did. Anyone who doubts that massive insecurity and insularity is the lot of stars of Dilip sahab’s magnitude should read between the lines while perusing the description of his chance encounter with J R D Tata aboard a (presumably) Air India flight. That JRD did not recognise him is not as telling as the fact that the non-recognition was mutual. It is also no mystery why, instead of using his clout to encourage filmmakers deviating from the norm, to scripts depicting the truth of their times, and thus to films which may have altered his understanding of the actor’s contribution, he opted instead for a series of indulgent, clunky embarrassments some of which did set the box-office on fire, but also compelled many ardent admirers, myself very much included, to perceive him anew.

If being a star does curious things to people, being resident legend does even curiouser things I suppose.

Nothing quite matches the paradoxes of this acting business. You must simultaneously be totally oblivious to and keenly aware of your audience. You must pretend they are not there, yet they must be catered to. You must believe you are the character you are playing but remember that you are not. And strangest of all, the moment you become convinced you are a great actor, you cease to be one.

Be all that as it may, I am merely one of the millions who will remain eternally grateful to him for the magic.

“Flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”, sir. May the earth lie light upon thee.

Shah is an actor.

Monday, 12 July, 2021

BUSINESS 09

KARACHI corporate corner PSO okay with discontinuing fuel supply agreement with Pakistan Railway KARACHI: Reacting to the recent news report regarding Pakistan Railways’ consultant report, PSO spokesperson said “Pakistan State Oil has been fueling the national economy for the last 45 years, and has been catering to the POL requirements of Pakistan Railways (PR) for more than three decades, as both PSO and Pakistan Railways share the common goal of national progress and growth.

In addition, PSO is the only OMC that uses PR for fuel transportation as well, since no other OMC has the capability, or willingness, to do that”. Responding to a question regarding the recent news, he informed that PSO has always supported PR, both operationally and financially, in normal circumstances and in all national emergencies, at times at the cost of the company’s other commitments. Most recently during the ongoing Covid period, PSO continued to supply PR over and above its contractual obligations despite multiple payment defaults and delays. The company also doubled the credit limit extended to PR to Rs.3 billion during this difficult time.

Such news coming from them therefore is disappointing.

He added that both organizations have commercial and contractual obligations which can be reconsidered if required. As regards the Tax matters mentioned by the PR, PSO’s stance is “all deductions that PSO makes are in full compliance to, and in accordance with, the relevant Federal and Provincial Tax laws and we ensure that we follow all Tax regulations that apply to our business. We have continued to maintain that PR can get the required Tax exemptions from the relevant authorities so that PSO can act accordingly”.

Commenting on reported consultant review by PR, he said that “it is encouraging that PR is looking at measures to reduce costs in their system, which will benefit the national exchequer. All commercial organizations try to ensure that they are as cost efficient as possible. This applies to both PR and PSO, and both organizations have a right to review all elements of their business with a view to increasing their profitability.

Since PSO is also a national organization, we are equally obligated to review all our contracts and business relationships from time to time to ensure the best possible outcomes for PSO, and we will be conducting a similar critical review with regard to our multiple agreements with PR as well”. PRESS RElEASE

LAHORE: FINCA Microfinance Bank Ltd. launched a free vaccination drive for its employees at its Lahore Head Office, in collaboration with Health Department, Govt of Punjab. The one-day vaccination drive took place on July 8 under the leadership of the bank’s CEO Jahanzeb Khan along with rest of the management team. FINCA is taking various steps to make vaccine more accessible to its employees and through a vigorous inoculation campaign, the bank ensured vaccination of around 500 employees and will continue doing so to ensure 100 per cent employees are vaccinated. PR

‘EcOnOmic SUStAinAbility mAjOR iSSUE’ FAISALABAD APP

S

USTAINABILITY of economic growth is a major challenge for the government after stabilising and improving the economic indicators, said Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood.

Addressing the business community at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on Saturday, he announced that a series of meetings have been proposed in this regard with relevant stakeholders immediately after Eid. “One of the meetings will be held with Prime Minister Imran Khan so that exporters can highlight their core issues directly with the premier,” he said.

The adviser said that Pakistan’s economy was moving in the right direction and industry was reporting phenomenal growth.

During the last three years, the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) government attained growth targets and now the challenge is to ensure sustainability of economic growth, he added.

Dispelling the impression that exporters were continuously demanding more incentives, he said that market conditions were changing and new challenges were emerging.

“We have to handle the hurdles with wisdom and prudence in the fast changing business environment,” he said. Citing figures, the adviser said that export jumped to $31 billion in the previous fiscal year and lion’s share in this amount was contributed by the textile sector.

Talking about the tariff rationalisation measures, he pointed out that duty on various textile inputs including raw cotton, nylon, acrylic, viscos, wool, flock and hemp has been reduced to zero.

These measures have enabled exporters to explore new markets and he voiced support for continuation of tariff rationalisation in the coming years.

“Nearly 40% of our inputs are imported and levies on them have been eliminated,” he said and gave examples of engineering, pharmaceutical and footwear sectors.

Dawood recalled meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan and Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin to discuss

Chinese antitrust regulator blocks Tencent’s $5.3bn video games merger HONG KONG

Pakistan must prioritise population growth reduction, says Umar Planning Minister Asad Umar on Sunday said Pakistan should make population growth reduction one of its top national priorities to achieve impact in key development areas. “Let’s say Pakistan had enough capacity to provide quality education to only half its kids. If Pak population growth drops to that of Bangladesh, in 10 years we will accommodate every child in the country of primary school age and in 15 years in secondary school,” Umar said on Twitter. “With such a phenomenal impact in such short duration on key development outcomes, we should make population growth reduction as one of our top national priorities,” he added. NEWS DESK

AGENCIES

China’s market regulator on Saturday said it would block Tencent Holdings Ltd’s plan to merge the country’s top two videogame streaming sites, Huya and DouYu, on antitrust grounds.

Tencent first announced plans to merge Huya and DouYu last year in a tie-up designed to streamline its stakes in the firms, which were estimated by data firm MobTech to have an 80% slice of a market worth more than $3 billion and growing fast.

Tencent is Huya’s biggest shareholder with 36.9% and also owns over a third of DouYu, with both firms listed in the United States, and worth a combined $5.3 billion in market value.

Reuters first reported the State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) plan to block the deal on Monday, which came after the regulator reviewed additional concessions proposed by Tencent for the merger.

SAMR said Huya and

the issue in detail.

Talking about inflation, Dawood termed it a major issue for the elected government.

He said that the prime minister will fix export targets for the next financial year in an upcoming meeting. A separate meeting will also be held with the finance minister to resolve the issue of availability of yarn, he revealed.

“A policy has been prepared for payment of duty drawback of local taxes and levies (DLTL) and it was intentionally ignored in the current budget because it will be finalised after meeting with the finance minister,” he said. The adviser lamented the acute dearth of manufacturing units for shirts, suits and lady garments in Pakistan. He urged the exporters to focus on these sectors and assured complete support from the government in this regard.

He was of the view by tapping these segments, the total exports of Pakistan could jump to $200 billion within the next couple of years.

Discussing the manufacturing of mobile phones in Pakistan, he said that the country would begin their exports next year.

DouYu’s combined market share in the video game live streaming industry would be over 70% and their merger would strengthen Tencent’s dominance in this market, given Tencent already has over 40% market share in the online games operations segment.

Huya and DouYu are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, as China’s most popular video game streaming sites, where users flock to watch e-sports tournaments and follow professional

gamers. Tencent said in a statement it “will abide by the decision, comply with all regulatory requirements, operate in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and fulfill our social responsibilities.”

The deal termination comes amid an ongoing crackdown on Chinese tech companies from the government. Earlier this year, the anti-monopoly regulator placed a record $2.75 billion fine on e-commerce giant Alibaba for engaging in anticompetitive behaviour.

South Punjab set to get first Amazon facility Pakistan Post is set to inaugurate south Punjab’s first Amazon Fulfilment and Facilitation Centre (AFFC) in Multan after Eidul Azha. The facility will provide local handmade and cultural products access to the international market, according to a report by Dawn. As per details, the report quoted Post Master General (PMG) Zulfiqar Husnain saying most of the work has been completed on the AFFC at the General Post Office Dera Adda and it would be functional after Eidul Azha. “An Amazon warehouse would also be established at GPO Multan. Work was also in progress to set up Amazon centers with warehouses in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal and other districts of south Punjab.” In this regard, the Pakistan Post officials also held a meeting with the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) to jointly work to promote local products in the international market. MONITORING REPORT

Virus variants threaten global recovery, G20 warns VENICE AGENCIES

An upsurge in new coronavirus variants and poor access to vaccines in developing countries threaten the global economic recovery, finance ministers of the world's 20 largest economies warned on Saturday.

The G-20 gathering in the Italian city of Venice was the ministers' first face-to-face meeting since the start of the pandemic. Decisions include the endorsement of new rules aimed at stopping multinationals shifting profits to low-tax havens.

That paves the way for G-20 leaders to finalise a new global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% at a Rome summit in October, a move that could recoup hundreds of billions of dollars for public treasuries straining under the Covid-19 crisis.

A final communique said the global economic outlook had improved since G-20 talks in April thanks to the rollout of vaccines and economic support packages, but acknowledged its fragility in the face of variants like the fast-spreading Delta.

"The recovery is characterised by great divergences across and within countries and remains exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the Covid-19 virus and different paces of vaccination," it read.

While G-20 nations promised to use all policy tools to combat Covid-19, the Italian hosts of the meeting said there was also agreement to avoid imposing new restrictions on people.

"We all agree we should avoid introducing again any restriction on the movement of citizens and the way of life of people," said Italian Economy Minister Daniele Franco, whose country holds the rotating G-20 presidency through to December.

The communique, while stressing support for "equitable global sharing" of vac-

cines, did not propose concrete measures, merely acknowledging a recommendation for $50 billion in new vaccine financing by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Health Organisation and World Trade Organisation.

Differences in vaccination levels between the world's rich and poor remain vast.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called the divergence a "moral outrage" that also undermines wider efforts to tame the spread of the virus.

While some of the wealthiest countries

have now given over two-thirds of their citizens at least one shot of vaccine, that figure falls to well below 5% for many African nations.

Brandon Locke, of the public health non-profit group ONE Campaign, decried what he described as the G-20's inaction, calling it "a lose-lose situation for everyone."

"Not only will it cost lives in poorer countries, it increases the risk of new variants that will wreak havoc in richer ones," he said.

Italy said it the G20 would return to the issue of vaccine funding for poor countries ahead of a Rome summit in October and that new variants was an area that needed to be looked at. It did not give further details.

"We must agree on a process for everyone on the planet to be able to access vaccines. If we don't, the IMF predicts that the global economy will lose $9 trillion," religious development organisation Jubilee USA Network said.

It was referring to an IMF forecast that international cooperation on Covid-19 vaccines could speed world economic recovery and add $9 trillion to global income by 2025.

TAX HOLDOUTS: A Reuters tally of new Covid-19 infections shows them rising in 69 countries, with the daily rate pointing upwards since late-June and now hitting IMF Managing Director Kristalina

Georgieva said the world was facing "a worsening two-track recovery" partly driven by the differences in vaccine availability.

The biggest policy initiative at the talks was a well-flagged agreement on the global corporate tax rate, capping eight years of wrangling on the issue.

Setting a floor of 15% is intended to stop multinationals shopping around for the lowest tax rate. It would also change the way that companies like Amazon and Google are taxed, basing it partly on where they sell products and services, rather than on the location of their headquarters.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said any countries opposed to it would be encouraged to sign up by October.

"We'll be trying to do that, but I should emphasise it's not essential that every country be on board," she said, adding the deal included mechanisms against the use of tax havens anywhere.

G-20 members account for more than 80% of world gross domestic product, 75% of global trade and 60% of the population of the planet, including big-hitters the United States, Japan, Britain, France, Germany and India.

In addition to European Union holdouts Ireland, Estonia and Hungary, other countries that have not signed on include Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Barbados and St. Vincent and Grenadines.

Monday, 12 July, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

GanG boss wades into Haiti turmoil, sees conspiracy beHind president's killinG PORT-AU-PRINCE

o

REUTERS

ne of Haiti's most powerful gang leaders said on Saturday his men would take to the streets to protest the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, threatening to pitch the impoverished Caribbean country deeper into chaos.

Jimmy Cherizier, a former cop known as Barbecue who heads the so-called G9 federation of nine gangs, railed against police and opposition politicians whom he accused of colluding with the "stinking bourgeoisie" to "sacrifice" Moise this week.

"It was a national and international conspiracy against the Haitian people," he said in a video address, dressed in khaki military fatigues and sitting in front of a Haitian flag. "We tell all bases to mobilise, to mobilise and take to the streets for light to be shed on the president's assassination."

Moise was gunned down before dawn on Wednesday at his Port-au-Prince home by what Haitian authorities said was a unit of trained assassins comprising 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans.

The murder and the still murky plot behind it has caused further political instability in the long-troubled country, prompting the government to call for US and Un assistance.

Cherizier said his followers would practise "legitimate violence" and that it was time for "the masters of the system" -- business magnates of Syrian and Lebanese descent who dominate parts of the economy -- to "give

back" the country. "It's time for Black people with kinky hair like us to own supermarkets, to have car dealerships and own banks," he said.

Some of the magnates had been at loggerheads with Moise. Fears of worsening clashes had citizens on edge in Port-au-Prince, which has been racked by violence for weeks as gang members battled police for control of the streets. "They really don't have the capacity to handle security," city resident Benoit Jean said. "There aren't enough cops." Tension has been fanned by questions about the government's account of Moise's killing, with families of at least two of the Colombians saying they had been hired as bodyguards. earlier on Saturday, Moise's widow Martine Moise, who was wounded in the attack, accused shadowy enemies of plotting his assassination to thwart democratic

syria's president decrees 50pc salary hike amid harsh crisis

change. "They sent mercenaries to kill the president at his home with members of his family because of roads, water, electricity and the referendum as well as elections at the end of the year so that there is no transition in the country," she said. Jovenel Moise had spoken of dark forces behind years of unrest - rivals and oligarchs angry about what he called his attempts to clean up government contracts and politics - and proposed a referendum to change Haiti's constitution.

The referendum, scheduled for September 26 along with presidential and legislative elections, could abolish the prime minister's position, reshape the legislative branch and strengthen the presidency. Critics called it a power grab. Moise's killing has clouded those plans and led to political disarray in Haiti, triggering the requests for foreign help.

INVESTIGATION: Haitian officials have not provided a motive for the assassination or explained how the killers got past Moise's security detail. none of Moise's guards were injured in the attack, Mathias Pierre, the elections minister, told Reuters.

Seventeen of the men suspected of involvement in his assassination were captured after a gun battle with Haitian authorities in a suburb of Port-au-Prince, while three were killed and eight are still at large, police say. The detained Colombians said they were recruited to work in Haiti by Miami-based company CTU Security, run by Venezuelan emigre Antonio enmanuelIntriago Valera, the Miami Herald reported.

Calls and emails to CTU Security were not immediately answered on Saturday. Intriago could not immedi-

ately be reached for comment.

The sister of DuberneyCapador, 40, a Colombian killed in the firefight with Haitian police, told Reuters in a video call on Saturday that the retired soldier had been offered work in security for high-profile people.

Jenny Carolina Capador said her brother messaged her on the day of Moise's death, saying: "We got here too late; unfortunately the person we were going to guard [...] we couldn't do anything." Colombia's foreign ministry said late on Saturday it was providing consular assistance to the detained Colombians.

The ministry posted on Twitter that it would work with Haitian authorities to repatriate the remains of the two deceased Colombians, who died in what it called "confused circumstances."

POWER STRUGGLE: Late on Friday, the man Moise whom appointed prime minister just before the assassination claimed the right to lead Haiti, pitting him against acting head of state Claude Joseph, whose government has so far managed the response to the killing.

Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon who Moise named prime minister on Monday, told Reuters it was he who held power, not interim Prime Minister Joseph, and that he was forming a government. "After the president's assassination, I became the highest, legal and regular authority because there was a decree nominating me," he said. Henry said his government would create a new electoral council which would determine new dates for elections to be held "as soon as possible." But Henry has yet to be sworn in, and Joseph, who was named interim prime minister in April, has stayed put.

US considers intervening as legal battle between Saudi crown prince, former spymaster threatens to expose secrets

AP/AFP

AFP

Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree on Sunday giving hundreds of thousands of civil servants and military members a 50 per cent salary increase amid a harsh economic and financial crisis and price increases for vital products. The Syrian economy has been hard hit by a decade of war, Western sanctions, widespread corruption and most recently a severe economic and financial crisis in neighbouring Lebanon. The last salary increase was announced in november 2019. The decree released by Assad’s office put the minimum monthly income at 71,515 Syrian pounds ($22). It also granted military and civilian pension holders an increase of 40pc in the retirement pension. The US dollar is trading at about 3,200 pounds on the black market while the official rate is 2,500 pounds. Assad’s decision came a day after the state doubled the price of bread, the country’s main staple, and increased the price of diesel fuel by 180pc.

The price of subsidised bread increased to 200 Syrian pounds. The state-run Syrian Foundation for Bakeries said that the rising price of diesel fuel contributed to the increase, according to the official SAnA news agency. “This was all expected and now we fear further increases in the price of ... food and medicine,” Damascus resident Wael Hammoud, 41, told AFP while he waited for more than thirty minutes to hail a cab to take him to work. Mustafa Haswiya, of the state-run Syrian Company for the Storage and Distribution of Petroleum Products, said 80pc of Syria's hydrocarbon needs are purchased from abroad using foreign currency. “It was necessary to raise prices in order to reduce the import bill,” SAnA quoted him as saying.

'NO MONEY': Diesel fuel in Syria is used to power vehicles and private generators that run for up to 20 hours per day in some areas to supplement an ailing power grid hampered by fuel shortages. The pro-government Al-Watan daily on Sunday said the diesel fuel hike will lead to “an increase in the price of transportation within and across provinces” by more than 26pc.

The agriculture and industrial sectors will also see production costs rise, it noted. The cost of heating homes will also climb by 178pc, according to Al-Watan. An economist in Damascus who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the government will continue to raise prices as the crisis deepens. “As long as there is no money entering the treasury, the price increases will continue,” he said. The latest price hikes came nearly two weeks after the government in neighbouring crisis-hit Lebanon raised fuel prices by more than 35pc to combat shortages that authorities there blame in part on smuggling to Syria. The provision of basic services and staple goods in Syria has been battered by the country's civil war, which began in 2011 with government repression of protests. In rebel-held northwestern Syria, neighbouring Turkey — a key backer of anti-government forces there — has sought to plug the gap, building flour mills and supplying power. nearly 80pc of Syrians live in poverty, and 60pc are food insecure — the worst food security situation ever seen in Syria, according to the United nations.

Two lawsuits pitting Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler against a former intelligence czar threaten to expose highly sensitive United States government secrets, prompting Washington to consider a rare judicial intervention, documents show.

The cases in US and Canadian courts centre on corruption allegations levelled by state-owned Saudi companies against Saad Aljabri, a former spymaster who long worked closely with American officials on covert counterterrorism operations.

That marks the latest twist in a long-running feud between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Aljabri.

Aljabri's patron, Prince Mohammed bin nayef (MBn), is currently in Saudi detention after being deposed as heir to the throne in a 2017 palace coup.

The legal drama sheds light on Shakespearean rivalries in the top echelons of the Saudi royal family, but Washington fears that a bitter courtroom showdown risks exposing sensitive information related to its covert operations.

A rare US Justice Department filing in a Massachusetts court in April noted Aljabri's intention to “describe information concerning alleged national security activities”.

“The (US) government is considering whether and how to participate in this action, including if necessary and applicable, through an assertion of appropriate governmental privileges,” the filing said, without elaborating.

In a second filing a month later, the Justice Department asked the court for more time as national

security matters require “'delicate' and 'complex' judgements by senior officials”.

The filing said the government was prepared to “provide further information” to the court in secret.

Legal experts have said Washington could invoke the “state secrets privilege”, which would allow it to resist a court-ordered disclosure of information deemed harmful to US national security.

The CIA declined to comment to AFP. The Justice Department, which experts say only rarely intervenes in civil lawsuits, did not respond to a request for comment.

'VANDETTA': Last year, Aljabri alleged in another lawsuit that MBS sent “Tiger Squad” assassins to kill him in Canada, where he lives in exile, while detaining two of his children to pressure him to return home. The feud took a new turn this March when state-run company Sakab Saudi Holding accused Aljabri of embezzling $3.47 billion while working at the Ministry of Interior under MBn. It urged the

Massachusetts court to freeze his $29 million Boston property assets. This came weeks after multiple stateowned companies sued Aljabri in Toronto on similar allegations. A Canadian court subsequently announced a worldwide freeze of Aljabri's assets.

While denying any financial wrongdoing, Aljabri's legal team says he is caught in the rivalry between MBS and MBn, who has not been publicly seen since his detention in March 2020.

State-run Sakab, which court filings say was established in 2008 by MBn, was part of a network of front companies to provide cover for clandestine security operations with the United States.

In order to prove his innocence, the court would need to probe Sakab's finances, including how they were used to “finance sensitive programs” operated in partnership with the CIA, the US national Security Agency and the US Defence Department, said a filing

by Aljabri. “Dr Saad would never expose covert counterterrorism projects that saved thousands of lives, including Americans,” a source close to the former spymaster told AFP. “Unfortunately, MBS's blind vendetta against Dr Saad has cornered him in a position where he is compelled to do so in order to defend himself in court.”

'ENDANGER LIVES': While the Justice Department considers moves to prevent any disclosure of state secrets in Massachusetts, it remains unclear how it could do the same in the Ontario court, over which it has no direct sway.

The Aljabri source acknowledged any exposure could endanger “those who participated in (counterterrorism) operations, reveal sources and methods, and hinder [...] similar operations in the future”.

Jimmy Carter, wife Rosalynn celebrate 75 years of marriage WASHINGTON AP

Former US President Jimmy Carter on Saturday turned to his wife Rosalynn and thanked her for 75 years of marriage, telling her that she’s always been right for him.

“I want to express particular gratitude for being the right woman that I chose for my wife,” Carter said at a 75th wedding anniversary celebration in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

About 300 friends and family members attended the event at Plains High School, part of which was livestreamed.

Rosalynn Carter, sitting by his side, recounted how she didn’t care for dating young men while growing up and never thought she’d get married.

“I didn’t know how to talk to them, I didn’t want to go out with them,” she said. She added that she used to urge her mother to tell suiters calling for her

on the phone that she wasn’t around.

“And then, along came Jimmy Carter and my life has been an adventure ever since,” she said.

In a recent interview, the 39th president told The Associated Press that the couple’s marriage is “a full partnership.”

The two met in Georgia when Jimmy Carter, at the time a young midshipman, was home from the US navy Academy. His younger sister set him up on a date with Rosalynn, who was a family friend who already had a crush on the future Georgia governor and US president.

The two were married on July 7, 1946, in Plains, a town of fewer than 1,000 residents.

Their anniversary is the most recent milestone for the longest-married presidential couple in American history. Rosalynn Carter is 93. The former president, at 96, is the longest-lived of the 45 men who’ve served as chief executive.

Those who attended Saturday’s celebration included former US President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with US House Speaker nancy Pelosi. Country music stars Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks; and

media businessman Ted Turner also attended, the Carter Center said in a statement. Carter, wearing a dark suit jacket with a yellow flower on the chest, closed his brief remarks with six simple words to those gathered: “I love you all very much.”

Monday, 12 July, 2021

SPORTS 11

KARACHI

Many overrated players are part of Pakistan side: Ramiz Raja SPORTS DESK Former cricketer Ramiz Raja has criticised Pakistan’s selection committee for picking overrated players in the national team after England beat Pakistan by 52 runs in the second ODI at Lord's on Saturday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. While speaking on his YouTube channel, the former cricketer said that big changes are needed inorder to avoid further series defeats. “How much more time should be given to the coaches before their performance is judged? It was extremely awful selection. Some overrated players keep on playing for Pakistan,” Raja said. “I don’t understand how to back this team. We expect them to improve in some areas and learn from their mistakes. They have a chance to make big changes in the team otherwise it would be a tough season,” he added.

Raja also added that fans are losing patience with the team after continuous dismal performances from the Men in Green. “If you map this series defeat on the Richter scale, the value of shock will clock fifteen. It’s a massive blow and I don't understand how one can defend it.

It’s England’s No.2 team, in terms of talent,” he said. “The performance isn’t defendable. If the alarm bells don’t ring now, I don’t know when they will. It’s a World Cup year, though it’s a T20 World Cup, and such headlines are unbearable Pakistan fans,” he added.

Pakistan team is playing T20 cricket in ODIs: InzamamulHaq SPORTS DESK Former cricketer InzamamulHaq believes Pakistan is approaching ODI cricket with a T20 mindset after England's second-string side beat Pakistan by 52 runs in the second ODI at Lord's on Saturday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. While speaking on his YouTube channel, the former cricketer criticised Pakistan batsman for not taking their time at the crease. “Pakistan team is trying to play T20 cricket. They were going for big hits and were not rotating the strike. Pakistan played 151 dot balls and yet they didn’t bat 50 overs. Fakhar scored only 8 runs in 50 balls, so a bowler is bound to create pressure on you,” Inzamam said. “Every batsman is playing four dot balls and then going for a hit. You need to rotate strike and give time to yourself in ODIs otherwise you will only score 150 or 190,” he added. However, Inzamam lauded the temperament of young batsman Saud Shakeel, who scored his maiden ODI fifty in the second ODI. “Saud Shakeel was playing proper ODI cricket. He didn’t score at a high strike-rate but I found him confident and he scored under pressure, which is a good sign for Pakistan cricket.

There are areas in which he can still improve, but his confidence and technique are very good,” he said. Pakistan will take on England in third match of the series on Tuesday in Birmingham.

aRgenTIna beaT bRazIl 1-0 TO wIn COPa aMeRICa, fIRsT MajOR TITle In 28 yeaRs RIO DE JANEIRO

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REUTERS

RGENTINA won their first major title in 28 years on Saturday and Lionel Messi finally won his first medal in a blueand-white shirt when an Angel Di Maria goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil and a record-equalling 15th Copa America.

Di Maria, starting for just the second time in the Copa, justified his selection by scoring the opener midway through the first half.

Renan Lodi failed to cut out a long ball forward from Rodrigo De Paul and Di Maria lobbed the stranded Ederson with aplomb.

Brazil piled on the pressure in an exciting second half but even with five strikers on the field, they could not get an equaliser against an Argentine defence protected by the outstanding Rodrigo De Paul.

"First we have to congratulate our opponents especially for the first half when they neutralised us,” said Brazilian defender Thiago Silva.

“In the second half there was no contest - only one team tried to play football, the other just wasted time as we knew they would. It’s not an excuse, we didn’t do what we had to, principally in the first half.”

Argentina’s win was a particular triumph for Barcelona striker Messi, who picked up his first ever title in a blueand-white shirt after more than a decade of club and individual honours.

The Argentine players surrounded their captain at the final whistle. Goalkeeper Emilian Martinez celebrated what he called a Maracanazo, a remarkable win at the famous Rio stadium.

"I'm speechless," he said. "I knew my dream would come true, and where

better than the Maracanazo and giving the title to the best in the world and fulfilling his dream."

Messi finished the tournament’s joint top goalscorer with four goals and was elected joint best player along with Neymar.

But he was quiet throughout the game at the Maracana stadium and uncharacteristically missed a golden opportunity to wrap the game up with two minutes remaining.

When the final whistle went, Argentina TV declared “Argentina Champions, Lionel Messi Champion!”

The match itself was a disappointing one, with Argentina the better side in a cagey first half that featured 21 fouls.

However, Brazil came out more aggressively in the second period and as the time ticked on they threw more people forward - and at one point having five recognised strikers on the field.

Richarlison had a goal chalked off for offside seven minutes into the second half and then forced Emiliano Martinez into a good stop two minutes later.

But as Brazil poured forward gaps, opened up and Argentina missed two clear chances to score in the dying moments of the match.

The victory was Argentina’s 15th Copa America triumph and means they draw level with Uruguay as the all-time leading winners.

"This is a very big title," said Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni. "I hope that Argentines can enjoy it. The fans love the team unconditionally and I think they identify with this side that never drops its guard."

Their win extended their sequence of undefeated matches to 20 under Scaloni and handed Brazil their first competitive defeat since they lost to Belgium in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

MessI PlayeD COPa aMeRICa fInal wITH InjuRy, says COaCH RIO DE JANEIRO REUTERS Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni paid tribute to Lionel Messi on Saturday, praising his team captain and revealing he played in the Copa America win over Brazil with an injury. "If you knew the way that he played in the Copa America you’d love him even more,” Scaloni told reporters after Argentina’s 1-0 win at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. “You can never do without a player like him, even when he is not fully fit like in this game and the previous one.” Scaloni did not say what the injury was but he showered Messi with praise on a night Argentines took to the streets in huge numbers to celebrate their first international title in 28 years and Messi’s first victory with the national side. Messi, winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award a record six times, has won every club and individual honour with Barcelona but he had lost all four of his previous finals with Argentina. The 34-year old had shown his frustration with the defeats, retiring after losing the 2016 Copa America to Chile only to return to the international fold a few weeks later. “In the end, he did not throw in the towel and he succeeded,” Scaloni said. “We are talking about the best footballer of all time and everyone knew how important it was for him to win a title with the national team.” “I have a relationship that is different than the (usual) coach-player relationship,” Scaloni added. “It’s closer. We greet each other, we hug each other, and I am eternally grateful to him and his team mates.”

Djokovic eyes 20th Slam against heavyweight Berrettini LONDON AFP

Novak Djokovic admits "it will mean everything" to capture a sixth Wimbledon title and record-equalling 20th Grand Slam on Sunday but he will have to overcome Matteo Berrettini, the Italian slugger with the build of a heavyweight boxer. Djokovic will move level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on career majors with victory and also go three-quarters of the way to the first calendar Slam in more than half a century. The 34-year-old is in his seventh Wimbledon final and 30th at the Slams. Only Federer, with 31, has appeared in more championship matches at the majors but the fading Swiss star is more than five years older. "It would mean everything. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm playing," said Djokovic who has already captured a ninth Australian Open and second French Open in 2021.

The victory in Paris made him just the third man to win all four majors more than once. "I imagined myself being in a position to fight for another Grand Slam trophy prior to coming to London.

"I put myself in a very good position. Anything is pos-

sible in the finals. Obviously experience is on my side."

Djokovic needed all that experience and famed iron will to see off Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals where he saved 10 of 11 break points.

Shapovalov was so distraught at the failure of his allout assault that had pushed Djokovic to the brink that he left Centre Court in tears. "There is no holding back once you step out on the court, particularly in the later stages

of an event that I always dreamt of winning," said Djokovic after a 20th successive grass court win.

"The dream keeps going. I am trying to take out the maximum of my own abilities every single match and see what happens. Giving up is never an option."

Djokovic can also win an 85th career title on Sunday while his on-court earnings break through the $150 million mark. Berrettini, the 25-year-old world number nine, is the first Italian ever to make a singles final at Wimbledon. Victory will make him Italy's first male Slam champion since Adriano Panatta at the 1976 French Open.

He has lost both his previous encounters with Djokovic, including the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last month. But he is on a run of 11-0 this season on grass having won the Queen's Club event on the eve of Wimbledon. At the All England Club, he has blasted his way to the final on the back of a tournament-leading 101 aces.

Berrettini also boasts the second fastest serve so far, 223.7kmh in his first round win over Guido Pella of Argentina. Weighing in at 95kg -- the same as a heavyweight boxer -- Berrettini has also unleashed 254 winners so far to Djokovic's 190.

Australia gushes over Barty's Wimbledon win LONDON AFP

Fellow indigenous star Cathy Freeman and Australian tennis great Rod Laver led tributes Sunday to Ashleigh Barty after her breakthrough at Wimbledon, hailing her as inspirational.

The 25-year-old clinched her maiden crown at the All England Club by beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 on Saturday, adding to the French Open title she won in 2019.

Her victory came on the 50th anniversary of her "friend and mentor" Evonne Goolagong Cawley's first triumph at Wimbledon. She wore a dress inspired by the one Australian Cawley sported in the 1971 final and while the 69-year-old had no immediate reaction, Freeman said Barty had made indigenous people proud.

"Massive pride in our girl!," tweeted Freeman, who famously lit the cauldron at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and then became

the first Aboriginal Australian to win an individual gold medal in the 400 metres.

"Congratulations @ashbarty! We are all so very proud of you."

Barty spoke with Cawley prior to The Championships and said she was a role model to her.

"I think she has been iconic in paving a way for young indigenous youth to believe in their dreams and to chase their dream," said the world number one.

"She's done exactly that for me as well.

Her legacy off the court is incredible."

Laver, the only player to win all four majors in the same season twice, noted it was "a wonderful follow up to Evonne's win on the 50th anniversary".

"So happy for you @ashbarty, your dream comes true and what a fight. Congratulations on your Wimbledon victory," he added.

Barty, who has Aboriginal heritage on her father's side, will now head to Tokyo for a crack at Olympic gold, where she will be

hot favourite, before turning her attention to the US Open.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also paid tribute, calling her triumph "magnificent".

"Inspirational. Congratulations @ashbarty! A great Australian champion. Australia is bursting with pride. A generational achievement," he said.

Even Australian pop royalty Kylie Minogue got in on in the act, simply tweeting: "ASSSSSSSSHHHHBAAAARRRTYYYYYYYY!!!"

Australian media called the down-toearth Barty a "masterful performer" with the tabloid Sydney Daily Telegraph gushing that "the legacy Ash is creating is truly special".

"Olympic gold and a third slam title is more than achievable in the coming months," it added. "But Ash must also ensure she takes the time to look after herself and her team." The Australian broadsheet was equally effusive in its praise.

"Ash Barty dared to dream and had the courage and conviction to deliver a famous triumph on the biggest stage in tennis," it said.

"The most worthy of winners. A player universally respected and adored nationwide for her brilliance and sportsmanship."

Monday, 12 July, 2021

PRAyeR tiMings

NEWS

AT UN, PAkiSTAN PleDGeS To Work ‘hAND-iN-hAND’ WiTh ChiNA NEW YORK

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stAFF RePoRt

AKISTAN’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, has said that the founding of the Communist Party of China in 1921 was a “seminal” event in world history and Pakistan and China will continue to work “hand-in-hand” at the world body to advance the noble cause of peace and development.

In a recent video message to the UN

community on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the CPC, Akram said he is “honoured to convey our heartfelt felicitations to the Chinese people on the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. The founding of the CPC in 1921 was a seminal event in world history.”

“Over 100 years, the CPC has led the Chinese people from the depths of poverty and despair to the heights of achievement,” the diplomat said.

“China has undergone an astounding transformation and national consolidation,” he said, hailing poverty alleviation,

infrastructure construction, trade upgrading, industrialisation and technological breakthroughs as “unprecedented” achievements in the annals of history.

Noting that Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that China’s success “is something we hope to emulate in Pakistan,” Akram said that Pakistan supports China’s efforts to safeguard world peace, reinvigorate multilateralism, preserve international order and advance global development.

Pakistan’s “time-tested friendship with China,” and the China-Pakistan

Economic Corridor, which is a major project of the Belt and Road Initiative, provide an enduring framework for the continued strengthening of bilateral ties, said the ambassador.

“And, our All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership remains a strong anchor for peace, progress and prosperity,” he said, adding that “Pakistan will continue to work hand-inhand with China at the United Nations to advance the noble cause of peace and development not only for our countries but for all developing countries.”

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Djokovic wins recordequalling 20th Grand Slam and sixth Wimbledon title

Top US, Pakistan diplomats discuss Afghan peace process ISLAMABAD AnAdolu Agency

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke over the phone and discussed the peace process in Afghanistan. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qureshi received a phone call from Blinken. “As regards the situation in Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister [Qureshi] stressed that there was a fundamental convergence between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan,” the statement said. The phone call came on the day when the Taliban claimed to control 85 percent of the Afghan territory after capturing dozens of districts in recent days. Highlighting the steps Pakistan has taken in support of the Afghan peace process, Qureshi said that securing peace in Afghanistan is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders inside Afghanistan as well as key regional and international players. “It was imperative for all relevant stakeholders to press all Afghan parties to engage constructively towards achieving an inclusive, broad-based, and comprehensive political settlement,” he said.

LAHORE: A majestic view of sunset in the provincial capital. MuhAMMAd huzAiFA

Novak Djokovic won a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title and sixth Wimbledon on Sunday with a four-set victory over Italian slugger Matteo Berrettini, with rival superstar Roger Federer hailing the achievement as a “wonderful performance”. The world number one triumphed 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to move level on 20 majors with Federer and Rafael Nadal. His win also put him three-quarters of the way to the first calendar Grand Slam of all four majors since 1969. “I could definitely envisage that happening and I hope I will give it a shot. I'm in great form and played well and having my best form at Grand Slams is my number one priority,” said Djokovic. A sixth victory at the All England Club for Djokovic, who was playing in his 30th final at the Slams, added to his nine Australian Opens, two Roland Garros titles as well as three at the US Open. Should he win a fourth title in New York in September, he will become just the third man in history after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) to complete the calendar Grand Slam. “It was more than a battle. He is a true Italian hammer. I felt it on my skin,” said Djokovic of Berrettini.

Of sharing the record with Federer and Nadal, he said: “It means none of us three will stop. Roger and Rafa are legends, they are the reason I am where I am today.” AFP

India pulls officials from Afghanistan’s Kandahar as Taliban widens control MUMBAI ReuteRs

India said on Sunday it had temporarily brought back officials from its consulate in Kandahar, a major city in southern Afghanistan, as Taliban fighters continue to gain control amid the withdrawal of international forces.

“Due to the intense fighting near Kanda-

har city, India-based personnel have been brought back for the time being,” Arindam Bagchi, chief spokesperson at India’s foreign ministry, said in a statement.

“India is closely monitoring the evolving security situation in Afghanistan,” Bagchi said, adding that India’s consulate in Kandahar was being run by local staff temporarily.

Taliban officials said on Friday the insur-

gent group had taken control of 85 percent of Afghanistan’s territory, as the United States and others withdraw the bulk of their troops after 20 years of fighting. Afghan government officials dismissed the assertion as a propaganda campaign. India’s foreign minister on Friday called for a reduction of violence, saying the situation in the war-torn nation has a direct bearing on regional security.

With Afghanistan pullout, US ditches ‘forever wars’ WASHINGTON AFP

Joe Biden’s pullout from Afghanistan has stunned with its speed, but Washington already decided four years ago that it was fed up with “forever wars” and turned its attention to traditional great power competition with China and Russia.

Fighting stateless terror groups like Al-Qaeda and the socalled Islamic State consumed the US security establishment, and trillions of dollars, since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Biden predecessor Donald Trump came to office in 2017 promising to quit Afghanistan, calling the war there a “mess” and a “waste.”

The conflicts there and in Iraq had come to be characterized by unending troop deployments, persistent levels of violence, and no ability to conclusively defeat the enemy.

By 2020, Trump had overcome resistance and laid the ground for pullouts, leaving only 2,500 troops in each country by

the time he stepped down in January. Biden accepted that trajectory, announcing Thursday that US military involvement in Afghanistan would conclude by August 31.

“We are ending America’s longest war,” he said. “The United States cannot afford to remain tethered to policies created to respond to a world as it was 20 years ago.”

CHALLENGE FOR PUTIN, XI: The 9/11 attacks blindsided the US security establishment, forcing a whole-of-government to refocus and the launching of the “War on Terror.”

The US and NATO allies invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban government, which had protected Al-Qaeda.

And then-president George W. Bush took advantage to also invade Iraq to overthrow strongman Saddam Hussein, hoping to remake the Middle East and snuff out a broader threat.

The initial assaults largely succeeded quickly, with AlQaeda fractured and on the run in Afghanistan, and Saddam de-

posed and captured in Iraq.

But in both cases the United States and allies remained on the ground, hoping to rebuild each country, and unable to pull out without risking a return to the pre-9/11 situation.

Then, starting in 2013, US security leaders rebooted their views when new Chinese President Xi Jinping began aggressively expanding his country’s military.

Seeking to counter and surpass US military strength, China began building armed bases on disputed islets in the South China Sea, added a base in Djibouti and planned other bases around Asia and the Middle East.

Meanwhile in 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin sent forces to seize Ukraine’s Crimea and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Two years later Moscow mustered an aggressive campaign to influence the US presidential elections.

During the same period, young North Korean leader Kim Jong Un embarked on an ambi-

tious plan to develop nuclear weapons with missiles that could threaten the United States.

Trump’s 2017 National Security Strategy confirmed the pivot.

“China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity,” it said.

“They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence.”

NEW FLASHPOINTS: Reminiscent of the Cold War, the reorientation meant a Pentagon push to expand its navy, build stronger long-range bomber and submarine strike forces, and update its nuclear weapons.

It has also meant countering the Chinese and Russian challenge in new domains, with the Pentagon establishing both Space Command and Cyber Command.

The new priorities took root under Trump, and Biden confirmed them in March in his own national security policy.

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