EpaperKHI_21-07-15

Thursday, 15 July, 2021 I 4 Zil-Hajj, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 16 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

12, including 9 chinese engineers, killed in kohistan bus blast

IsLAMABAD AFP

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T least 12 people, including nine China nationals and two paramilitary soldiers, were killed after a blast sent a bus plunging into a ravine in a remote region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday.

While officials said the nature of the blast was under investigation, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad said its nationals had come under “attack”.

The bus was carrying Chinese engineers, surveyors and mechanical staff to the Dasu dam construction site in Upper Kohistan district, a government official who did not want to be named told AFP. “The bus plunged into a deep ravine after the blast and caused heavy losses.

The rescue operation is launched and the entire government machinery has been mobilised to rescue the injured by air ambulance,” another government official told Reuters, also requesting anonymity.

He said a further 28 Chinese nationals were injured.

KP Inspector General Moazzam Jah

Ansari said two soldiers and two civilians were also among the dead. Several people were injured.

Ansari told Reuters that police were investigating. “[It] looks like sabotage,” Ansari said as he left on a helicopter for the site.

“Police and the bomb disposal squad are at the site […] as soon as the report from the investigation comes, we will be able to tell you the factual position,” Arif Khan Yousufzai, a local official, told reporters outside the hospital.

A senior administrative officer of the Hazara division told Reuters the bus was carrying more than 30 Chinese engineers to the site of the Dasu Dam in Upper Kohistan district.

The Dasu Hydropower Project is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $65 billion investment plan under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative that is aimed at connecting western China to the Gwadar port in Balochistan.

Engineers and construction workers from China and Pakistan have been working on the project and several others for several years in the region where the blast took place.

Beijing has condemned the blast and asked Islamabad to thoroughly in-

coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

978,847

LAST UPDATED AT 8:47 AM ON JULY 14, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

24

1,980

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

915,343 22,642 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

349,586

348,725

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

139,710 AJK/GB: 21,392/7,044

28,434 ISLAMABAD:

83,956

vestigate the incident, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the ministry, in a news briefing, said China had asked Pakistan to protect the safety of its personnel, institutions and projects.

The dead and injured, including the Chinese engineers, were brought to the Regional Health Centre in Dasu, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the site of the blast.

The security of Chinese workers has long been an issue of concern in Pakistan. Large numbers of them are based in the country to supervise and build infrastructure projects.

In a statement, the Chinese embassy said that “a certain project of a Chinese firm in Pakistan suffered an attack, which caused the deaths of Chinese nationals”. It also urged Chinese firms to strengthen their security procedures.

In April, the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide blast at Zaver Pearl Continental hosting the Chinese ambassador, who was unhurt, in Quetta.

The Afghanistan-based group has recently claimed a string of attacks not only in tribal regions along the Afghanistan border but also in the cities, including Islamabad.

There have been signs in recent months that the TTP has been regrouping along the Afghan border, claiming frequent clashes with security officials.

Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan in recent years to boost the infrastructure. But Chinese-funded projects have sparked resentment, particularly among nationalist groups, who say locals see little benefit, with most jobs going to outsiders.

In 2019, gunmen stormed the Pearl Continental Hotel — which overlooks the deep-water seaport in Gwadar that gives China strategic access to the Arabian Sea — killing at least eight people.

And last June, militants targeted the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, which is partly owned by Chinese companies.

Reuters contributed to this report

Former president Mamnoon Hussain passes away News Desk Former Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain passed away in Karachi on Wednesday.

The former president was suffering from cancer and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for the last two weeks, his son said.

Hussain was the 12th president of Pakistan, who served from 2013 to 2018. He was one of the most senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leaders.

Originally a businessman, Mamnoon Hussain had started his political career as a Muslim Leaguer in 1969.

At the time, he was made the joint secretary of the Karachi chapter of the league when former minister of state for foreign affairs Zain Noorani was its president. The deceased had earned an MBA degree from the prestigious Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi.

He had been actively involved in the PML-N since 1993 when Nawaz Sharif was in the opposition. Before Hussain was appointed as the governor of Sindh by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999 to serve in this position for less than six months, he worked as an advisor to the provincial chief minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi for an insignificant portfolio.

After the promulgation of military rule in October 1999, Hussain firmly stood with Nawaz Sharif when multi-

Chaman border closed amid reports of Taliban capturing crossing on Afghan side kABUL AFP

The Taliban on Wednesday claimed they had captured the strategic border crossing of Spin Boldak along the frontier with Pakistan, continuing sweeping gains made since foreign forces stepped up their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“The Mujahideen have captured an important border town called Wesh in Kandahar,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson in a statement.

“With this, the important road between (Spin) Boldak and Chaman and Kandahar customs have come under Mujahideen control,” he said. Mujahid assured traders and residents there that their “security is guaranteed”.

Meanwhile, when contacted for a comment, Chaman Assistant Commissioner Arif Kakar told Dawn.com that security was on high alert.

“The Friendship Gate at the Chaman border has been closed,” he said. No comment has been made so far from Pakistan regarding the capturing of the crossing.

tudes of PML-N leaders simply abandoned their party.

Following the news of Mamnoon Hussain’s demise, condolences from the PML-N, other opposition parties, and government leaders started pouring in.

President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi expressed his condolences over the demise of Hussain and said that he is deeply saddened by the news.

PPP Senator Murtaza Wahab took to Twitter and expressed condolences. “Heard about the sad news of the death of president Mamnoon Hussain. He served his office with grace and dignity. May Allah SWT bless his soul and give strength to the bereaved family,” he wrote.

“May ALLAH SWT rest (former President of Pakistan) Mamnoon Hussain sab’s soul in peace and give his family and friends enough strength to cope with this huge loss,” tweeted PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan.

Similarly, the Emir of Jamat-i-Islami Sirajul Haq also conveyed his condolences and said a prayer for the departed soul. “I am deeply saddened to hear of the demise of former president Mamnoon Hussain. To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.

May Allah forgive him and grant patience to his family. Ameen.”

MQM’s Faisal Subzwari and PTI MNA Sher Ali Arbab, and several other politicians also expressed their condolences.

more inside

Pakistan, Russia agree to cement ties in all spheres STORY ON BACK PAGE

Imran for utilisation of latest technology to facilitate people STORY ON PAGE 02 The situation on the ground could not immediately be verified, but according to AFP, social media was abuzz with pictures of Taliban fighters looking relaxed in what appeared to be the frontier town.

The taking of Spin Boldak would be the latest in a string of border crossings and dry ports seized by the Taliban in recent weeks. Its seizure follows days of heavy fighting across Kandahar province, where the government was forced to deploy commando fighters to prevent the fall of the provincial capital even as the insurgents inched closer to taking the frontier crossing.

Afghan officials insisted they still had control.

“The terrorist Taliban had some movements near the border area […] The security forces have repelled the attack,” interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told AFP. Residents disputed the Afghan government’s claims.

“I went to my shop this morning and saw that the Taliban are everywhere. They are in the bazaar, in police HQ and custom areas. I can also hear the sound of fighting nearby,” said Raz Mohammad, a shopkeeper who works near the border.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Commissioners arrested in Rawalpindi Ring Road scam: ACE STORY ON PAGE 03

COAS, Tajik defence minister discuss situation in Afghanistan STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

IMRan foR utIlISatIon of lateSt technoloGy to facIlItate people IsLAMABAD

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APP

RIME Minister Imran Khan Wednesday underlined the need for utilisation of the latest technology to facilitate the public, expressing resolve that his government was fully committed to egovernance for improved performance and service delivery.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the Letter of Administration and Succession Certificates Initiative, the prime minister observed the information and technology sector had brought a revolution while also ensuring a hassle-free governance mechanism.

“The government is implementing e-

governance to end pencil-pushing and red tape. For the first time, the land record is being computerised to facilitate public,” he said, adding that in Islamabad, the initiative is scheduled to be launched in August.

Under the Letter of Administration and Succession Certificates Act, legal heirs can get succession certificates from the National Database and Registration Authority within 15 days without approaching the courts, Radio Pakistan said.

The ceremony was attended by Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem, Minister for Interior Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, Nadra chief Muhammad Tariq Malik and officials of the Punjab government. The initiative is part of

the prime minister’s vision to facilitate the public in getting their rights sans obstacles.

The approach is also being adopted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.

During his address, Imran observed that people often faced difficulties getting the job done on a daily basis but information technology had provided easy solutions to most problems.

He said that it was the job of the government to remove obscurities from the lives of people and serve them since it functioned on their tax money. On the other hand, the system decayed when people were made to serve the government, he added.

The prime minister also referred to the introduction of in-house developed software in the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer

Hospital and Research Centre digitising the operations. He opined that with the adoption of the latest technology, pilferage and corrupt practices could also be prevented.

The prime minister said that they expected Nadra to facilitate Pakistan nationals living abroad as the government wanted to enable them to take part in the general elections through a secure voting procedure.

He said about 9 million expatriates were an asset of the country as they had been serving the motherland by sending back hard-earned money in the form of remittances.

The prime minister further said that the introduction of electronic voting machines will eliminate most electoral problems. In

Sindh reimposes Covid-19 restrictions as Delta cases soar kARACHI stAff RePoRt

Following a surge in coronavirus infections of the Delta variant across the country, the Sindh government Wednesday decided to reimpose coronavirus restrictions, suspending indoor dining and closing down schools.

Classes for grades 9 and above will be suspended from Friday but assessments would continue, a meeting of the provincial task force on coronavirus presided over by Murad Ali Shah announced, the Chief Minister House announced on Twitter.

The ban on indoor dining will come into effect from midnight on Thursday.

Amusement and water parks, Clifton and Hawke’s Bay beaches, and Keenjhar Lake will be closed from Friday while cinemas, indoor gyms and indoor sports activities will close doors from tomorrow (Thursday).

Concerns of a fourth wave of coronavirus have grown amid the emergence of the Delta variant, a strain of the virus first identified in India. The mutation has been found in more than 80 countries since it was first detected. Experts say it spreads more easily because of mutations that make it better at latching onto cells in our bodies. Karachi has registered more than 40 cases of the variant during the current month alone. Whereas, 24 cases of the mutation were reported last month, according to the health department data.

Today, the meeting was informed that the positivity rate was 17.11 percent in Karachi until July 13. According to the weekly report, the positivity rate in Karachi East was 21 percent, 15 percent in Karachi South, 12 percent in Karachi Central and 8 percent in Korangi. The participants were further informed that the provincial positivity rate had increased to 7.4 percent. Shah observed that the positivity rate

Moeed gives in-camera briefing to Senate body on security matters ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf on Wednesday gave an in-camera briefing to the members of Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence about the matters related to the National Defence and Security Policy. He apprised the committee, which met here with Mushahid Hussain Sayed on the chair, that Pakistan would continue serious efforts for political settlement to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan.

He viewed that the Afghan government and the Taliban should settle their issues through dialogue, and the Afghan land should not be used against Pakistan. The adviser said the world community and neighbouring countries should devise a strategy for facilitation of possible Afghan migrants. APP

Restriction on religious conversion before 18 opposed by ministry News Desk A restriction on the conversion of religion before the age of 18 years was opposed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, who was reported by Dawn as saying that if someone aged 14 years wished to convert to some other religion, they could “not be stopped”. Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said the above during a meeting of the Senate parliamentary committee on minorities’ rights. “We do not support a restriction on religious conversion before 18 years of age,” Qadri, who is also a member of the committee, told the meeting. “There are several incidents where someone expresses the wish to convert their religion out of their own choice before the age of 18. There are several examples in Islam of religious conversion before 18,” he said. If someone wished to change their religion before reaching the age of 18, it was their choice, Qadri insisted, adding that a nikkah or marriage before 18 was “another discussion”. The minister said that the matter related to setting the minimum age limit for marriage had been sent to the Council of Islamic Ideology.

Qadri said that if someone was “forcefully converting [others] in Sindh”, then it would be investigated. Read: The strange case of the silent Hindu women in Sindh.

‘NEW WAY OF CONVERSION’: Meanwhile, Senator Danesh Kumar told the committee that a new “tradition” of converting people had started in Balochistan. “There is a religious leader in Dalbandin. Sweepers are being told that they [will not have to do] cleaning work if they convert to Islam,” he claimed. Earlier this year, the committee had recommended that only a mature person may be allowed to change their religion and that too after appearing before an additional sessions judge of the area.

going beyond 5 percent was a “dangerous situation” and deemed that the situation in Karachi was “very bad”. This spread comes despite the positivity ratio, which shot up to 9 percent in May, recently hovering between 2 percent and 4 percent.

Viruses constantly mutate and most changes are not concerning. But there is a worry that some variants might evolve enough to be more contagious, cause more severe illness or evade the protection that vaccines provide.

In the United Kingdom, the variant is now responsible for 90 percent of all new infections. In the US, it represents 20 percent of infections, and health officials say it could become the country’s dominant type as well.

Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan also called the variant “the biggest concern,” and urged the public to follow safety precautions. “After a downslide, infections are on the rise again.

‘Biggest money launderer’ lives in Bani Gala, says Maryam Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz asserted that the “biggest money launderer” is Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that he has now accepted that he is the choice of the selectors.

During an Azad Jammu and Kashmir rally in Hajira town, Maryam said: “I have read that recently Imran Khan was telling his people to not worry, as the selectors did not have any choice except for him.” “I want to tell [Imran Khan] that it is unfortunate that you have accepted that you are not the people’s, but the selectors’ choice,” the PML-N leader said, alleging this was PM Imran’s way of accepting he won through rigging in the 2018 election, Geo reported. He obeys the selectors without question, she furhter said. News Desk

the past, save the 1970 elections, opposition parties had raised objections over the results, he said. The public will also trust the machines, he said, observing that former United States president Donald Trump had contested the election results but could not prove his claims due to the use of modern technology. The prime minister also lauded the efforts of the law minister and Nadra chairman for the successful launch of the initiative.

Naseem, on the occasion, said that the initiative would benefit about 120 million population of Punjab as applicants would get the required documents within 15 days.

He said shortly after the introduction of this system in Islamabad, the authorities received 350 applications and out of which 317 applicants had been issued the required documents. He expressed confidence that the initiative will also reduce the load of suits in the courts by 25 to 30 percent.

Naseem said that they would expand the system to facilitates the expatriates living in the US, United Kingdom and the Middle East. He said it was made possible due to the guidance of the prime minister.

Govt considering new legislation to target land grabbers: pM IsLAMABAD stAff RePoRt

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said his government was considering introducing a new legislation to target land grabbers to ensure strict action against them. Addressing the groundbreaking of various development projects by Capital Development Authority in Islamabad on Wednesday, the prime minister mentioned the emergence of qabza (grabber) groups in the capital and the rest of the country, stressing a check against them. He said the mafia was acting with nefarious objectives to take through force the possession of properties. He pointed that the legal proceedings lacking sufficient evidence resulted in the bails of those accused of land grabbing and also the minor penalties did not act as a deterrent against the crime. “The new law will help mitigate the sufferings of people fallen victim to illegal dispossession and ensure strict action against the land grabbers,” the prime minister said. To counter the consequences impacts of rapid urbanisation, he said the government had chalked out a strategy to prepare city master plans, green areas and forestation, addressing traffic problems and eliminating land grabbers. He mentioned that the launch of Miyawaki forests in Islamabad and the rest of the country was aimed at the growth of green cover in a shorter period. Also, the conversion of brick kilns to zig-zag technology is a step in the right direction aimed at reducing the alarming pollution levels. Imran emphasised making Islamabad a model city for the rest of the country in terms of plantation. He expressed satisfaction that CDA had revamped several parks to provide citizens and families with a place for leisure. The prime minister lauded the performance of the authority for generating a revenue of Rs136 billion compared to the deficit of Rs5 billion at the time his government assumed power three years ago. On the occasion, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said CDA had revamped 200 out of 240 parks of the capital with four new to be established soon. He said an exclusive “Ladies Bazar” would be set up with women-only shopkeepers that would only allow visitors. He highlighted that an emergency help service like Rescue 1122 was required in Islamabad as a prompt response to any untoward incidents and accidents.

PPP stages protest against Ali Amin Gandapur’s statement News Desk Pakistan Peoples Party on Wednesday recorded a protest against the statement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur.

While addressing the members in the upper house of the Parliament, Senate, PPP leader Raza Rabbani said that no one is saved if such talks continue.

Meanwhile, Maula Baksh Chandio said the ministers of the incumbent government should think before speaking and that they should be ashamed of their remarks.

PPP leader and Senator Moula Bux Chandio said that yesterday an “abusive minister of this abusive government” called Bhutto a traitor.

“They are paving the way for a new confrontation,” Senator Chandio said.

PML-N Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar thought Gandapur, being a government minister, should be ashamed at the language used by him for Bhutto, Nawaz and Maryam.

During the speech of the Leader of the House for the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem, the opposition continued to

protest. If the opposition continues like this, it will be difficult for me to control my members, Dr Waseem remarked.

He said the top leadership of opposition parties used inappropriate language in the election rallies in Kashmir. If the opposition members did not change their ways, it would be difficult to stop the government senators, he said.

Dr Waseem asked the opposition leadership, too, to apologise for their inappropriate statements.

“Today, Pakistan is saying it has a

nuclear bomb because of Bhutto,” Rabbani said, adding that there are some leaders who sacrifice their lives and do not compromise on principle.

“Bhutto could have compromised with American imperialism but he did not,” he continued.

He [Bhutto] gathered all Islamic countries in Lahore and said that our army belongs to all Islamic countries and gave the air force to Palestine, Rabbani said “You want to call him a traitor. If such a political dialogue is to take

place, no one will be safe here,” the PPP senator said.

Senator Sherry Rehman also bashed the federal minister for calling PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto a traitor.

“How did he [Ali Gandapur] dare to say that Bhutto is a traitor,” Rehman asked, saying that there is a limit to the use of abusive language.

“Who are these people who give certificates of treason,” Rehman questioned and asked if Bhutto was a traitor because he brought in the nuclear programme into the country.

“Is Bhutto a traitor because he brought your troops back?” she asked.

Senator Raza Rabbani chanted slogans like “this government of bad language, the government of hooliganism will not work” in the House, but later apologised after the Senate chairman asked him to stop, reported Geo. Rabbani said that the politics of calling each other bad would lead to disaster.

During an election campaign rally on Tuesday, Gandapur had lashed out at the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

03

COmmIssIONers arrested IN rawalpINdI rINg rOad sCam: aCe LAHORE

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ORMeR Rawalpindi commissioner Capt (retd) Mohammad Mahmood and Land Acquisition Commissioner Wasim Tabish have been arrested by Punjab’s Anti-Corruption establishment for their suspected involvement in the Rawalpindi Ring Road scam.

ACe Director General Gohar Nafees announced this while talking to the media persons on Wednesday.

Nafees said that the case was forwarded to ACe on May 22 and that his agency completed its inquiry 15 days ahead of the deadline.

“We examined over 21,000 pages and the alignment (track of the project) was approved in 2018 by the previous government,” said Nafees. He said that the alignment was subsequently changed and the Attock loop was formed, adding that the construction cost of the project due to the changes rose to Rs40 billion.

The DG said that in March 2020, the construction company was directed to change the alignment of the project. He said that this changed caused the length of the road to increase from 22 to 68 kilometres.

“The approval (for the change in alignment) was not taken from the Punjab chief minister,” said Nafees about the investigation. He added that new interchanges were added in the project and no No-Objection Certifications (NOCs) were taken from the Capital Development

Authority and National Highway Authority.

The DG ACe explained that land cannot be acquired till the alignment is finalised. He added that land worth Rs2.6 billion was purchased without the approval of the new alignment causing the money to go down the drain.

Nafees said that the land in Rawalpindi was purchased at a lower rate and the one in Attock was brought at a higher rate. He added that the Rs2.1 billion were used to buy land in Attock.

The official said that Mahmood is suspected of misusing his powers, whereas Tabish is suspected of buying property worth tens of millions of rupees after corruption.

An inquiry into the benami assets of Mahmood is underway, he added.

Nafees said that changes were made in the project to benefit the contractor and this exposed the nexus of the bureaucracy and the property mafia. He said that PM Imran Khan asked former commissioner Mahmood about the change in the alignment but that Mahmood “provided him the wrong details”.

Nafees further said that benamidar accounts from aboard have emerged during the probe. Irregularities have also been seen in ten housing societies, he added.

He said that the main beneficiaries of the scandal were the housing societies involved in the project. Nafees said the new societies that were made were purchased in March 2020, adding that many people purchased the land in a hurry and launched the societies. He also added that the case regarding the housing societies will be referred to NAB.

PM will inaugurate PTV’s HD transmission on August 4: Fawad ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the high-definition transmission of Pakistan Television on August 4.

Responding to a query in the Senate during the Question Hour, the minister said PTV News had been upgraded to HD, PTV Home partially while PTV Sports will be converted in the next six months through a public-private partnership.

He said successive governments hired 1,800 daily wagers in the state broadcaster and later regularised their employment. They were being paid Rs320 million a month, causing financial imbalance to the organisation.

He expressed the hope from the next year PTV will not charge license fees.

Since 2018, the performance of the broadcaster has improved and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government will turn PTV into the profitable organisation it was once.

In a written response, Fawad said that the government had not allocated Rs200 billion for the project and in 2018, a public sector development programme-funded project — modernisation of camera and production equipment of Pakistan Television Corporation — was approved with an estimated cost of Rs555.59 million.

The project was being executed by procuring equipment through competitive bidding and the establishment of a letter of credit.

Indian woman spy shifted to hospital LAHORE Inp

A woman Indian operative was admitted to a hospital in Lahore after her health deteriorated while under captivity, reports said Wednesday. The spy, pseudonamed Asma Muskan, who had been kept under detention at an undisclosed location, was rushed to the hospital four days ago. The hospital’s management said that the patient was suffering from multiple diseases and the administration was waiting for a report from gynaecology and the medicine departments. Muskan is also facing a terrorism case registered against her in Narowal. In 2016, Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval commander, was arrested from Baluchistan and convicted of espionage and sabotage by a military court a year later.

Covid-19 kills 24, infects 1,980 in a day: NCOC ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan confirmed 1,980 new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Centre said on Wednesday. The NCOC, a department leading the campaign against the pandemic, said that the total caseload rose to 978,847, including 915,343 recoveries. According to the NCOC, 24 more deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 22,642. Sindh is the worst-hit province with 349,586 infections, followed

by Punjab with 348,725 confirmed cases. The NCOC said on its website that Pakistan has administered a total of 21,076,550 Covid-19 vaccine doses across the country, with 4,209,460 people fully vaccinated so far.

PM to leave for two-day visit to Uzbekistan today: foreign ministry ISLAMABAD anadolu agency

Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan on Thursday (tomorrow) at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the ministry said the prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other members of the cabinet, while a large group of leading businessmen will also visit the capital Tashkent with Imran.

Talks between the two leaders will cover the full range of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity, the statement said.

The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and are expected to sign several agreements and

memorandums of understanding aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in

diverse areas. Imran will also address the first Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business

Forum, attended by leading businessmen from both countries.

Leading up to the prime minister’s visit, the two sides will also hold the sixth session of the Joint InterGovernmental Commission and the inaugural session of the Joint Business Council on Wednesday in Tashkent.

The prime minister will also take part in an international conference on “Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity: Challenges and Opportunities.” The conference will be attended by ministers and high representatives from Central and South Asia as well as other important countries, international organisations, international financial institutions, thinktanks, and scholars.

“Pakistan has deepened its engagement with Central Asia through its ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy, with a focus on five key strands — political, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security, and defense, and people-to-people exchanges,” said the statement.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

04 NEWS

KARACHI

KamyaB PaKistan PRogRamme to Be launched on July 29: taRin ISLAMABAD

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EDERAL Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin has said that the government is all set to launch the Kamyab Pakistan Programme on July 29, which envisages pulling around four million families out of poverty.

During a meeting with Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs Usman Dar, the federal minister said that the prime minister has decided to pace up the implementation of public welfare programmes across the country.

Minister of State for Information and

Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib was also present in the meeting, according to press statement issued by the Finance Ministry.

According to the statement, the prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the programme at a function to be held at Convention Centre, Islamabad, and Usman Dar has been assigned responsibility to make preparations for the event.

“Kamyab Pakistan is the biggest programme on the government’s public welfare agenda,” the federal minister said. The minister said that housing projects, skill development and soft loans would feature in the programme whereas health cards and agricultural services would also be part

of the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Usman Dar

said that billions of rupees have been earmarked for the programme, under which the government would provide interest free loans up to Rs0.5 million.

In addition, under the Kamyab Kissan Programme, farmers would be provided interest-free loans while people would also be given loans for businesses.

In addition, the government would provide technical education to one member of each family while people would also be given the opportunity to be included in the low-cost housing scheme.

Dar said that a mechanism has also been devised to facilitate low income people with micro-financing.

Bear necessities: Rescued cub prepares for life back in Kashmir wild ISLAMABAD ReuteRs

When poachers shot and killed his mother, the future looked bleak for Daboo. Still too young to open his eyes, the black bear cub was put in a sack and had his ears cut off in preparation for being sold to baiters. But before the poachers could make the sale, he was rescued and taken to an animal sanctuary in Islamabad.

“He was a little baby bear that was stolen from his mother; in fact, his mother was murdered,” said Rina Satti, chairperson at Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, where he is being nursed back to health. Though banned, bear-baiting persists in some parts of Pakistan and, at the time of his rescue, two-month-old Daboo was half-starving and suffering from scabies and a severe ear infection. Now, two months on, filled out and with a glossy black coat, he plays in his wooded sanctuary, taking baths and nibbling at the fruit and vegetables scattered among shrubs as his carers try to teach him how to fend for himself. They hope to release him, microchipped, back into the wild when he turns one, near the heavily militarised Line of Control in Kashmir that separates the disputed Himalayan region between Pakistan and India, where he was captured. “We will take him to his habitat, but we will not just leave him there,” said IWMB caretaker Anees Hussain. “We will have to keep monitoring him for some time to ensure that he can survive there.”

ISLAMABAD: Senior officials of Capital Development Authority brief Prime Minister Imran Khan on various projects. INP

Another spell of monsoon rain to hit Sindh from today: PMD

KARACHI INP

Another monsoon low lies over Central India which is likely to influence lower Sindh from July 15, Met Office said in its latest alert on Wednesday.

Under its influence rain, wind or thunder-storm with a few moderate to heavy falls are likely to occur in all districts of lower Sindh till Friday and central and upper Sindh till Saturday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.

Moist monsoon currents from the North Arabian Sea continue to penetrate into lower Sindh, according to the weather report. Persistent rain may create water logging in low lying areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu and Nawabshah districts of Sindh during the period. Concerned district administrations were earlier advised to take necessary steps to avoid urban flooding in these areas. The rainfall that started in Karachi on early morning Monday lashed several parts of the port city.

Hyderabad, Thatta, Sanghar, Dighri, Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro, Tando Muhammad Khan and Tharparkar also received

rain with heavy falls at some places.

The rainfall submerged low-lying areas while causing power outages at several places after the power feeders tripped.

In Karachi, several areas suffered power outages after the rainfall as over 600 electricity feeders tripped. Power utility KElectric, however, claimed prompt restoration of electricity in the affected areas.

Moreover, heavy rain would continue for the next two days till Friday in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi including upper and Central Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Multan and in most areas of the country, said PMD Spokesman Dr Zaheer Babar on Wednesday. In an interview, he said urban flooding would occur in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Peshawar and Faisalabad, Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin during the week.

He said heavy rains may trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PMD spokesman further informed that heavy rain may generate flash flooding in Local/Barsati Nullahs of Sialkot, Narowal, hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, Balochistan, Shangla, Buner, Bagram, Upper Swat, Kohistan and Kashmir.

Suspects extorted Rs1.1 million from couple, police inform Senate committee NewS DeSK Rs1.1 million had been extorted from the harrassed Islamabad couple, ICT police told the Senate on Wednesday, adding that the suspects had both threatened to kill and blackmailed the victims.

The Islamabad police officials made the statement during an appearance before the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, according to a report by Geo. They revealed that the victims wanted to maintain a low profile and had rejected the offer to get security personnel for their protection.

The committee’s chairman, Mohsin Aziz, asked what actions were taken so far; why weren’t steps taken to prevent it from going viral, and is the video longer than five minutes?

Responding to the questions, police officials said the video was recorded in November 2020, but as soon as it went viral, a case was registered against the suspects.

“We have tracked the victims, and they want to keep a low profile. In their statement, they had informed us that the suspects had extorted money from them,” officials said.

Despite requesting them to be assigned with security guards, they refused, police said, adding that the victims cannot be forced.

“We even offered to provide security of plainclothes security personnel, but they refused.”

Police said they had seven to eight people in custody. The main suspect and two videomakers have been arrested, while a police team was sent to a province to arrest the remaining suspects. The committee was informed that no video of other victims was found so far through the forensic audit of the suspects’ mobile phones.

Further, they said the main suspect is reportedly rich and has political connections.

“However, investigations revealed that he is not that well-connected. He just wants to be famous.” The victims, in their statement to the police, said that they were engaged, according to the officials.

Meanwhile, DIG Islamabad informed the committee that sections, which might lead to

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life imprisonment or death, have been added in the first information report (FIR).

He further said that under the anti-rape law, a special joint team has been set up, which will conduct in-camera investigations.

During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat said that an investigation was being carried out into the case of a man who had brandished a weapon at D-Chowk.

The deputy commissioner said that according to the preliminary investigation, the man is not mentally fit, however, a medical board will have the final say.

A day earlier, another victim of Autoland co-owner Usman Mirza had spoken up, saying the main suspect of the Islamabad assault case had harassed and blackmailed her.

Mirza has been arrested by the Islamabad police along with his six accomplices for harassing and assaulting a young couple in Islamabad. He reportedly has a history of harassing women. “Usman Mirza had been harassing me for quite some time,” a woman from Rawalpindi told Geo News. “Usman Mirza sent me my home address and mobile number on social media.”

Islamabad couple ‘filmed in presence of 14 people for 2.5 hours’, police tells court The Islamabad couple who were subjected to harassment and torture by a property dealer and his accomplices were filmed for 2.5 hours, the federal capital’s police told a

court on Tuesday.

Three people filmed the assault in the presence of 14 people, the police added.

The police’s statement came during the hearing of the Sector E-11 assault case at a District and Sessions Court in Islamabad.

The police told the court they had registered a separate case against the main suspect, property dealer Usman Mirza, after they had recovered a pistol from him, at the I-9 police station. Two days earlier, during court proceedings, Islamabad police had said that they had registered charges of extortion and rape, among others, against the suspects.

Deputy Inspector General Operations Afzal Ahmad Kausar, addressing a press conference yesterday, said that the couple, in their written statement, mentioned that the suspects had sexually abused them.

The new charges brought against the suspects include Sections 375-A, 375-D, 384, 342, 114, 395, 496-A, and 377-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, The Express Tribune reported, citing DIG Kausar.

On June 8, Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of a social media video of a couple being harassed. The disturbing video kicked up outrage on social media with #ArrestUsmanMirza becoming one of the top trends on Twitter.

In the unsettling video, Mirza can be seen violently thrashing and harassing the young couple in a room full of other men.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

Bank deposits register 14-year high growth rate NEWS DESK Government, private sector and household deposits with banks in Pakistan grew 22 per cent – the fastest pace in 14 years – to touch an alltime high of Rs19.8 trillion in fiscal year ended June 30, 2021 in the wake of a turnaround in the national economy, according to a report by The Express Tribune. Bank deposits had stood at Rs16.2 trillion a year ago on June 30, 2020, according to Topline Research. Pakistan’s economy grew 4pc in FY21 compared to the negative growth of 0.5pc in the prior fiscal year.

The government has set the growth target at 4.8pc for the current fiscal year, which started on July 1. In addition to remittances, the government’s exorbitant borrowing from commercial banks – to bridge its budget deficit, shift to digital banking from conventional banking and excessive money printing all supported the increase in deposits over the year, the report states. Bank investments (risk-free lending to the government) in the sovereign debt securities like Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) and T-Bills soared 29pc to Rs13.7 trillion in FY21. The investment-to-deposit ratio (IDR) increased from 66pc in June 2020 to 69pc in June 2021, but it was down from 70pc in March 2021. On the other hand, advances grew 10pc to Rs9 trillion in FY21 as banks remained wary of overall economic conditions due to Covid-19.

Advances-to-deposit ratio (ADR) declined from 51pc in June 2020 and 48pc in March 2021 to 45pc in June 2021. Currency in circulation (CIC) increased 14pc during the same period.

CIC as a percentage of M2 stood at 29pc, above the past five-year average of 27pc, likely due to low interest rates and efforts to stay out of the sight of tax authorities

Boeing cuts 787 production, suffers 737 MAX cancellation SEATTLE AGENCIES

Boeing said Wednesday it would cut its 787 production rate as it works through a new production-related structural defect in its troubled twin-aisle airliner program. The company now forecasts delivering fewer than half of the lingering 100 or so 787s in its inventory this year – instead of the “vast majority” it had expected – as it continues forensic inspections and costly repairs to address quality flaws in the aircraft. Boeing did not disclose a new production rate for the 787 program, but said it would shift temporarily below the current rate of five jets per month.

For the year so far, the company has delivered 156 jets of all types, compared with 157 for all of 2020, it said.

Court issues notice on Khuram's plea NEWS DESK An additional session judge summoned Sadia Jamal Mazhar, mother of two children Ahmad and Hiba. According to details, Jeddah-born Sadia was married with Khuram Zahoor ul Islam. But later on differences between them arouse and her husband filled a complaint accusing her of adultery and theft.

05

KP PhArMA industry AnnounCes striKe AgAinst AdvAnCe tAX pESHAWAr

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AZIZ BUNERI

IKE other parts of the country, the pharma industry association in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has announced a strike, demanding that the government revoke advance tax on the sector.

In this regard, Pakistan Chemist and Drug Association (PCDA) central executive member, Aurangzeb, told that the federal government has added to the issues faced by the pharma industry by amending Income Tax Act 236-G and 236-H, which will lead up to a 50 per cent increase in the prices of medicines across the country.

Besides this, he said, it will force those involved in the industry to lose their jobs.

According to Aurangzeb, more than 0.1 million medical stores, 17,000 wholesalers and up to 1,200 distributors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are depositing their tax returns under the Sales Assessment System at present. He added that it was impossible for small medical store owners to get the services of a chartered accountant to provide documents to tax officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that cur-

rently, the government collects tax on one medicine at five places – from manufacturing companies, distributors, wholesalers,

medical store owners and the consumer.

The Pakistan Chemist Drug Association (PCDA) has demanded that the

federal government immediately withdraw the amendment otherwise the protest will continue.

Chaman border closed amid reports of Taliban capturing crossing on Afghan side coNTINuED from pAGE 01 The interior ministry insisted the attack had been repelled and government forces had control, but a Pakistan security source said the Taliban’s white flag was flying over the town.

“The terrorist Taliban had some movements near the border area. The security forces have repelled the attack,” interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told AFP. The particular border crossing is arguably one of the most strategically valuable for the Taliban.

It provides direct access to Balochistan along with an unknown number of reserve fighters who regularly enter Afghanistan to help bolster their ranks.

A major highway leading from the border connects to Karachi and its sprawling port on the Arabian Sea, which is considered a linchpin for Afghanistan’s billion-dollar heroin trade that has provided a crucial source of revenue for the Taliban’s war chest over the years.

With the United States just weeks away from wrapping up its final withdrawal from Afghanistan, the hardline group has swept through much of the country, and the government now holds little more than a constellation of provincial capitals that must largely be resupplied by air.

The sheer speed and scale of the insurgents’ multipronged offensives have stirred fears that Afghan security forces are being overwhelmed.

In Washington earlier this week, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said success fending off the Taliban would depend on the country’s leaders, and not so much what the United States does.

“They know what they need to do,” Kirby told reporters.

TALIBAN RESTORE OLD RULES IN NEWLY SEIZED AFGHAN TERRITORY: Days after the Taliban captured a remote district in Afghanistan’s north, they issued their first orders in the form of a letter to the local imam.

“It said women can’t go to the bazaar without a male companion, and men should not shave their beards,” said Sefatullah, 25, a resident of Kalafgan district.

The insurgents also banned smoking, he added, and warned that anybody violating the rules “will be seriously dealt with”.

The Taliban are making huge advances across the country as they capitalise on the final withdrawal of foreign troops — capturing districts, seizing key border crossings, and encircling provincial capitals.

In some areas, they are again introducing the harsh interpretation of Islamic rule that earned them notoriety until being overthrown by the US-led invasion that followed the September 11 attacks.

Last month, they took Shir Khan Bandar, a northern customs post that connected the country to Tajikistan over a US-funded bridge that spanned the Panj river.

“After Shir Khan Bandar fell, the Taliban ordered women not to step out of their homes,” said Sajeda, who told AFP she worked in a local factory at the time.

“There were many women and young girls doing embroidery, tailoring and shoe-making […] The Taliban’s order has now terrified us,” she told AFP by phone.

The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 according to a hardline interpretation of the Holy Quran.

Women were ordered to stay indoors unless accompanied by a male relative, girls were banned from school, and those found guilty of crimes such as adultery were stoned to death.

Men had relatively more freedom but were ordered not to shave, would be beaten if they didn’t attend prayers, and were told to only wear traditional clothing.

Afghanistan is deeply conservative and some rural pockets of the country adhere to similar rules even without Taliban oversight — but the insurgents have tried to impose these edicts even in more modern centres.

A statement purporting to come from the Taliban, circulated on social media this week, ordered villagers to

marry off their daughters and widows to the movement’s foot soldiers.

“All imams and mullahs in captured areas should provide the Taliban with a list of girls above 15 and widows under 45 to be married to Taliban fighters,” said the letter, issued in the name of the Taliban’s cultural commission.

It brought back bitter memories of the edicts issued by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice during the Taliban’s first stint in power.

Keen to project a softer image this time around, they have denied issuing any such statement and dismissed it as propaganda.

“These are baseless claims,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the group.

“They are rumours spread using fabricated papers.”

But people in areas recently taken by the insurgents insist there is truth to the social media buzz.

In Yawan district on the Tajikistan border, the Taliban gathered residents at a local mosque after taking over.

“Their commanders told us that nobody is allowed to leave home at night,” Nazir Mohammad, 32, told AFP. “And no person — especially the youths — can wear red and green clothes,” he said, referring to the colours of the Afghan flag.

Their orders didn’t stop there.

“Everybody should wear a turban and no man can shave,” said Mohammad.

“Girls attending schools beyond sixth grade were barred from classes.”

The Taliban insist they will protect human rights — particularly those of women — but only according to “Islamic values”, which are interpreted differently across the Muslim world.

For Sajeda on the Tajikistan border, just a few days of Taliban rule was enough — and she fled south to the nearby city of Kunduz.

“We will never be able to work in areas under the Taliban,” she said, “So, we left”.

China to import 300 tonnes of chilies from Pakistan BEIJING APP

China will import 300 tonnes of chilli picked and dried at a pilot chilli field in Lahore during August, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) General Manager of Pakistan Subsidiary, Wu Guang, said on Wednesday, adding that this is the first time Pakistani chilli would enter the Chinese market since 2020.

In July, a pilot Chilli farm project under the cooperation between Pakistani farmers and their Chinese partners – CMEC and Sichuan Litong Food Group – began to bear fruit, with a yield around three times Pakistani varieties.

The pilot project successfully completed 100 acres of plantation in the first half of 2021 in Lahore. For the 100-acre-pilot-project, the quantities of seeds are 380 grams

per acre, with a yield reaching 3 tonnes per acre. The total production is expected to reach 300 tonnes.

As per details, China brought a total of 13 varieties of Chinese chillies to Pakistan since 2019. It took them three years to conduct the pilot programme, and of all these 13 varieties, two varieties, namely, PJH-302 and PJH-407, have been certified for cultivation in Pakistan.

Advanced Chinese irrigation systems have also been introduced into the field.

Umer Diyal, a farmer who worked in the pilot Chilli farm in Qasbi, Lahore, said the Chinese introduced an irrigation system, and the expense of fertilizer has been reduced and every plant was getting water. “Watering of plants is not complex and expensive anymore,” he added.

Also, contract farming helps a lot when it comes to addressing farmers’ concerns

about marketing.

Agriculture-related economy is vulnerable, so “We’re conducting contract farming with Pakistani farmers,” Wu Guang said. That is, Pakistani farmers undertake to supply agreed quantities of chilli, based on the quality standards and delivery requirements of CMEC. In return, CMEC agrees to buy the chilli, at a price that is nailed down in advance.

“When the chillies are ripe, they are naturally dried and then shipped back to China for further processing,” Chen Changwei noted.

“This model generates employment in the rural economy, reduces risk for firms, and provides income for farmers,” Wu Guang said and further mentioned that in the next phase of the pilot Chilli farm project, as many as 3000 acres of land would be brought under chilli cultivation.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong

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Rong praised the chilli farming project, saying that the project is expected to produce more than 8,000 tons of dried chillies with a net income of more than 100,000 rupees per acre for local farmers.

“Our ultimate goal is to cooperate with our Pakistani friends on 200, 000 acres of land here,” Chen Changwei said determinedly.

Based on the planting, they will further develop downstream deep processing industries and create more employment opportunities in the future.

Wu Guang and Chen Changwei further shared their three-step strategy. Chen noted that in the first phase of Chilli Contract Farming Project, China-Pakistan Agricultural Cooperation Pilot Zone is to be set up in five years, forming an industrial belt from areas around Faisalabad, Multan, KPK and Lahore.

The second step is processing. A chilli

processing plant will be established in Pakistan within 3 years to extract chilli pigment and chilli essence, with an industrial output value of USD 200 million.

While in the third phase, a China-Pakistan food industrial park would be established in 5 to 10 years to help Pakistan boost processed chilli exports in days to come.

Wu explained, chilli is only the beginning and they are to plant more crops like garlic in Pakistan in days to come, so as to form a complete industrial chain to deep process raw material close by.

As per official statistics, Pakistan in FY2019-2020 exported 1,825 tons of chilli, worth Rs. 581.3 million, accounting for 63.6% of its peak in FY2016-17 of 5,905 tons worth Rs. 914.3 million for the last 19 fiscal years. Mostly Pakistan’s chilli and chilli products are exported to Middle Eastern markets like Saudi Arabia.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

06 COMMENT

Push and Pull of Tractors and Trolleys

Hooking the Leviathan Hopes of reducing NAB’s powers

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The Trolleys can become a deadweight on the Tractor

vER the last three years NaB has charged prominent politicians and senior bureaucrats with corruption and kept them in custody in cases for over a year without proving the charges, leading the courts to bail them out. as the cases filed against the politicians were seen by their fans as vengeful acts those released on bail were warmly greeted by crowds scattering rose petals on their cars. the bureaucrats had no such consolation. they lost their prestigious jobs besides being humiliated through media trial and prolonged incarceration. the PtI government meanwhile encouraged NaB to continue taking anyone suspected to be corrupt to task. the treatment created panic among the bureaucracy. Fearful of NaB senior government officers showed unwillingness to put their signatures on important files. the government machinery slowed down both at the federal level and the provinces. so strong was the desire for revenge that the federal government failed to rein in NaB. Despite the higher judiciary bailing out those arraigned without sufficient proof, and passing strictures against the shoddy cases, there is still no end to fresh cases and unwarranted arrests by NaB. Early this week a NaB board recommended the filing of references against former Finance Minister Dr abdul Hafeez sheikh along with two ex-chairmen of FBR . Earlier this year NaB had also gone into appeal against Finance Minister shaukat tarin’s ’s acquittal in the Rental Power references. Before joining the cabinet Mr tarin had wanted that NaB’s case against him be decided at the earliest. However he agreed to take over the responsibilities while the decision on NaB’s appeal against his acquittal was still pending before the IHC. On tuesday Mr tarin complained that the bureaucracy was not performing well on account of the fear of NaB. He said that earlier LNG was imported from Qatar at 13.7 percent above the Brent rate while later on at 10.4 percent above the Brent rate. Despite such a lower import rate, NaB had summoned the files of the agreement. Mr tarin believes NaB law will have to be amended. One has heard this so many times before also.

By the time this happens, a lot of harm would already have been done to the morale of the business community and the bureaucracy.

Dr FariD a Malik

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friend with an agricultural background, with whom I walk, came up with an interesting theory. according to him a leader of a political party is like a tractor while the followers are trolleys that he has to pull. I was indeed impressed by his clear thinking regarding the old traditional parties (PML(N), PPP) butt the PtI is an exception. as a tractor, Nawaz sharif has been pulling his trolleys in the direction of making money, there is clarity of mission. Bhutto and his daughter Benazir had a desire to serve the masses so their trolleys were different. as Chairman of PPP, asif Zardari has changed the direction of the party. Comrades like aitzaz ahsan, Raza Rabbani, Dr sadaqat abbasi are either sidetracked or kicked out of the party. the trolleys that Prime Minister Imran Khan is trying to pull are sluggish and deflated. the electables in his cabinet have their own direction, making the journey difficult and painfully slow. In fact this bunch of evergreen politicians has succeeded in stalling change. No tractor can pull these trolleys, as their wheels are jammed with the status quo. the 1970 electoral contest is repeatedly quoted as the only free and fair election, the rest being rigged. Recently in an interview, the Us-educated ExPM shahid Khaqan abassi proudly stated that they know how to steal elections. I am sure the ‘trolleys’ of thieves loaded with loot and plunder must be moving fast to cover their tracks with the ‘ tractors ‘ absconding after completing their mission. Free, fair and credible elections continue to be a challenge for

Banning books Malala’s picture cause for concern

The example of one rogue nuclear power Maha Qaiser

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ast asia’s regional politics tend to change the dynamics of international security. since the end of the Cold War, the geopolitical shift from multipolarity to bipolarity and from maritime security to the nuclear arms race, brought significant development and competition in the East asian Region. the involvement of the global powers and the regional key players in the East asian geopolitics were deeply intertwined, not just in the regional security dynamics but also the global security dynamics. some of the major issues such as the increased militarization, maritime issues, situation in the Korean Peninsula and nuclear arms race threatened the functional security structure of the East asian region, meanwhile increasing and decreasing the tensions at the same time. the countries in the East asian region tend to increase their national security in order to defend themselves from internal and external threats, meanwhile also increasing the competition with distrust between them. North Korea, a country which has a Juche philosophy, a defensive policy which emphasized military force for its national security for all threats, has an important major role in East asia’s regional security politics. North Korea’s threat perception about the Usa and its alliance with Japan and south Korea in the East asia, lead North Korea to raise its military strength to cope with the security dilemma caused by them, as North Korea perceives the Usa and its alliance as the challenge to its national security, just as south Korea perceives nuclear North Korea as a threat to its national security and international peace.

North Korea has been working on its nuclear missile programme since the 1950s and it performed its first nuclear test in 2006, which grabbed the attention of the world. North Korea’s production and testing of nuclear missiles was believed to destabilize the East asian region. Later on south Korea desired North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapon programme and also got the Usa to put a great pressure on it which resulted in a Us-south Korean alliance that further provoked North Korea in its defensive policy.

However, key world players such as China, Russia and other states also condemned North

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

For a fresh start, the new ‘Tractor’ should opt for untainted fresh ‘Trolleys’.

Expecting different results from the same people is a fallacy that has been repeatedly, but tried unsuccessfully. ‘Trolley’ change seems imminent as the ‘Tractor’s’ time is limited.

The next elections are not far away, and 2023 is round the corner. While the ‘Tractor’s’ direction is correct, the ‘Trolleys’ seriously lag behind

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

North Korea after closing the doors to denuclearization

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HE seizure of a Grade 7 social studies textbook by the Punjab Curriculum and textbook Board raises a number of disturbing questions, not just about the process of granting sanction, but of the place of Malala Yusufzai in the country. It is not clear whether the objection is to the placing of Ms Yusufzai’s picture next to that of Major aziz Bhatti shaheed, Nishan-i-Haider, as an example of a prominent Pakistani, or to her being included in the list at all. Ms Yusufzai is a Nobel Peace Laureate, indeed the only Pakistani to have won that particular award.

Is the objection merely a display of misogyny (it perhaps being deemed sufficient that Madar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah be shown, or is an acceptance of the narrative that she was not shot by the taliban, and that the entire episode was merely staged to create a justification for her promotion as a symbol of enlightened moderation? those who so believe, might also realize that banning her picture would only promote that narrative. the objection, if indeed there was to be an objection, should have been made clear at an earlier stage, before the book could be prescribed for the classes that will begin next month. the charge, technically, is not publishing Ms Yousafzai’s picture, but publishing without a no-objection certificate (NOC). this transforms the NOC from a mere recognition that the textbook does not deviate from the syllabus, to a Damocles’ sword over the publisher’s head. the publisher had submitted the required copies in July 2019.that the Board only carries out reviews after printing is iniquitous. at present, it seems, the publishers have to take on the additional risk of printing costs without any certainty that the Board will not step in. this is just asking for corruption to enter the process. the whole episode merely goes to show that the new process, introduced with so much fanfare, does not really work, and merely creates confusion and worry not just among he publishers, but among students and schools, who will be deprived of textbooks at the beginning of the new school year, and whose interests the Board was set up to protect.

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

the Islaimic Republic. Despite being a constitutional democracy since 1973, the sacred, consensual document is not followed. the ‘trolleys’ only carry the load that suits them, while the ‘tractor ‘ refrains from checking their merchandise. as a result the Islamic Republic of Pakistan remains directionless. the 1970 election was unique in many ways.

While the establishment remained neutral hoping for a split mandate, the two powerful ‘tractors’ had set their course right. Mujib in the Eastern Wing wanted autonomy while Bhutto in the Western wanted social justice. the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) had all the ‘trolleys’ but ayub Khan, their ‘tractor’, had been dislodged and discredited by street protests. the ‘trolleys’ were stuck, ideologies prevailed. Election campaigns were carried out on foot or on bicycles. some candidates managed to get refurbished old Willy Jeeps but nothing beyond that. Biryani and Qeemaywalay Naan had not been introduced. the ‘Comrades of Change’ worked long hours with bare minimum as they were impressed by Mao’s Long March of 1934-5 that liberated China.

Bhutto won big in the Western Wing with a clean sweep in Lahore. Dr Mubashir Hasan polled the highest number of votes.

Baba-e-socialism sheikh Rashid and Mairaj Khaild were also elected from the city. Pakistan was moving in the right direction but unfortunately, the establishment was unable to handle the unexpected dynammics of the election outcome. Quaid’s Pakistan was dismembered. as leader of what remained, Bhutto started the rebuilding process with new ‘tractors’ and ‘trolleys’.

While Imran Khan continues to be the ‘tractor’ of change, his ‘trolleys’ are pulling him backwards.

Clarity of ideology is required to determine the way forward. Pakistan needs a major course correction to bring the ‘trolleys’ on track so that the ‘tractor’ can march towards its cherished goal, the current push and pull cannot continue for long.

Bhutto termed his march forward ‘Islamic socialism’ while Imran is committed to building a Welfare state on the lines of ‘Riasat-e-Medina. ‘trolley’ change after his first term in office proved to be disastrous for Bhutto and his party. He was isolated from his ideological workers. there was no one to fight for him when he needed public support. His ‘trolley’s’ joined with the new powerful ‘tractor’ in uniform, leaving him to rot.

Yasin Wattoo stands out as the perfect transferable ‘trolley’. He was a Federal Minister in ayub Khan’s cabinet, later he joined Bhutto’s party to become its secretary General. then he managed to become Finance Minister in the Junejo Cabinet. such ‘trolleys ‘ have given a bad name to politics and have caused immeasurable damage to the ‘tractors’ that tried to pull them.

For a fresh start, the new ‘tractor’ should opt for untainted fresh ‘trolleys’. Expecting different results from the same people is a fallacy that has been repeatedly, but tried unsuccessfully. ‘trolley’ change seems imminent as the ‘tractor’s’ time is limited. the next elections are not far away, and 2023 is round the corner. While the ‘tractor’s’ direction is correct, the ‘trolleys’ seriously lag behind.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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Korea’s nuclear missile production and tests, and showed their concerns for regional stability and international peace. However the diplomatic relations of North Korea with the key world players, mainly China, played an integral part in the nuclear settlement process on the Korean Peninsula. However, North Korea’s nuclear production, tests, and research are still a concern for the international community, which also prompted the Usa, Japan and south Korea reinforce and improve their military technology against North Korea’s nuclear programme.

Japan, North Korea, and south Korea all agreed to emphasize their national security and defense structure in order to protect their territorial integrity from all the external threats, meanwhile creating a balance of power within the East asian Region. However, the arms race started in the East asia’s atmosphere, and has created a phase of surprised unintended escalation that can blow up from anywhere at any time, and a minor misunderstanding between the distrusted countries could lead to a surprise devastating incident. Howeverm here is somehow the involvement of the major key players such as China and the Usa, which are playing their role to prevent any misadventure. the interest of the Usa in East asia for its own interests is another factor to be kept in mind.

Due to the regional interdependencies among the states, North Korea, Japan and south Korea have had their national security policies impact each other and also on East asia’s regional politics.

North Korea’s foreign minister in 2012 also stated that North Korea would not denuclearize itself until the threat from the Usa from the east did not vanish. He also said that the Us threat included its al-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

liance with south Korea and Japan, the Us nuclear umbrella defending its allies in East asia and the presence of Us troops in south Korea.

From a realist perspective, a state’s main goal is to pursue its interests for the state itself, and being a rational actor it emphasizes its interests to pursue its goals such as in the case of North Korea. It perceives an existential threat from many countries so it pursues its economic, military and defense goals to accomplish its interests.

North Korea’s foreign minister also explained that if that threat is removed, North Korea would denuclearize itself in the next 1020 years and stated that nuclear arms talks should begin in a way between one nuclear power and another.

However, the 2012 strategy of North Korea changed in the current time with the changing Us policy towards it. Now the North Korean president emphasized the development of nuclear and missile capabilities due to the Usa’s harsh policies that results in ending the denuclearization of North Korea’s nuclear programme.

However, the relations between North Korea and the Usa changed after the recent shifts in Us policy.

North Korea now holds a new approach in its strategy, shifting from denuclearization talks to the discussion with the Usa and itself as a de facto nuclear weapon state – that illustrates a major shift of North Korea, openly saying that it must be considered a nuclear weapon state as well. the Biden’s administration’s policy towards North Korea will have a major impact on North Korea’s nuclear strategy and will probably impact the security dynamics of East asia. However, North Korea has stood firm on closing the doors of denuclearization and opening the doors to becoming a stable nuclear weapon state.

The Biden’s Administration’s policy towards North Korea will have a major impact on North Korea’s nuclear strategy and will probably impact the security dynamics of East Asia.

However, North Korea has stood firm on closing the doors of denuclearization and opening the doors to becoming a stable nuclear weapon state

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 15 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

Karachi drainage system I want to draw your attention towards an important issue that is with the monsoon season fast approaching so is the impending fear of what the state of Karachi will be, considering how unmanaged our drainage systems are. Last year, due to excess rainfall, many people had water flowing into their homes and shops making work and life hard for them. It is urgent that our municipal department cleans up the trash in our drainage system and make sure they are enough to handle any of the excess rain we could be facing this year-round.

Wania aShraf KaraChi

Child labour

Why did India eliminate Father Stan?

How the Modi regime silences its critics

aMjeD jaaveD

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N an early morning raid on his house at Ranchi (Jharkhand), social activist and Roman Catholic Father stan swamy, 84, was arrested under India’s notorious Unlawful activities Prevention act on 28 august 2018, accused of links with Maoist insurgents. the sole shred of evidence was an unsigned email from someone else’s confiscated computer using the word “comrade”, alleged to have been sent by swami. Us forensic agency arsenal Consulting termed the email “planted”. swami suffered from Parkinsonism. He could hardly walk or lift a glass of water. the jail authorities refused to provide him a straw with a sipper. thereupon he petitioned the court for a straw. It took the court a month to allow him one. swami on July 5, after almost three years in jail. His multiple bail applications were rejected.. swami’s death aggrieved not only international human rights organisations but also people from thall walks of life. at a briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights Commission spokeswoman Liz throssell said the agency had repeatedly urged India’s government to protect a robust civil society. the media called his death a “custodial death” and an “institutional murder.” Human rights activists and the Us religious-freedom organisation had called for his release along with others. the others included professor shoma sen, 71, head of Nagpur University’s English department, a cardiac and skin-disease patient, surendra Gadling, 53, almost blind, Mahesh Raut, 34, a patient of ulcerative colitis and others, mostly covid-19 patients. the jail authorities refused to provide them with oximeters and a folding chair for an easy toilette. the misuse of draconian laws and ill treatment of elderly prisoners call into question India’s claim of being a democracy respecting human values. In a statement issued through general secretary anindita Pujari, the Bar association of India said swami’s death ‘brought disrepute to the Indian legal system. stan swamy died due to cruel and unusual institutional mistreatment’. swami was a hard nut to crack for the government. He not only mounted campaigns against the government for rights of adivasis (tribals) but also lambasted the government’s lethargy towards implementing the tribals’ constitutional rights.

Jharkhand has over 40 percent of India’s

mineral resources, but 39.1 percent of the population is below the poverty line and 19.6 percent of under-five children malnourished. the state is primarily rural, with only 24 percent of the population in cities.

Jharkhand is rich in uranium. the government had embarked upon an ambitious programme to extract iy. It cared little for the hazards of radiation on the tribals. swamy associated himself with the Jharkhand Organisation against Uranium Radiation.

His campaign forced the government to stop building a tailing dam in Chaibasa. It would have led to displacement of adivasis in Jadugoda’s Chatikocha area. Encouraged by this success, swami then launched a campaign for rehabilitation of the displaced communities of Bukaro, santhal Parganas and Koderma. swami was rueful at arbitrary arrest of innocent people in Jharkhand and the miserable plight of the prisoners under trial on fabricated charges. In 2010 he published a book titled, ‘Jail Mein Band Qaidiyon Ka Sach’ (the truth about the prisoners in jails).

One point he highlighted was that youth were falsely implicated in case to send them behind the bars. One common charge was that they had links with the Naxalbari, a charge which was ultimately slapped on him also.

In his book, he highlighted the fact that 97 percent of those arrested were so poor they could not afford a lawyer. swami found that the family income of the arrested youths was less Rs 5000.

Incidentally it is pointed out that the UaPa had altered the maxim “innocent until proven guilty” to “guilty until proven innocent”. as such, a lawyer was necessary in each case. . .

In 2014, the government’s own nationalcrime reporting agency published a report pointing out 98 percent of the 3000 arrested youths were innocent. some had already served years in jail without trial. swami worked tirelessly to hire lawyers for the arrested persons and pay for their bail.

Fr swamy became a bête noire for the government when he began to question why the Fifth schedule of the Constitution relating to adivasis (tribals) was not being implemented. the schedule provided for a ‘tribes’ advisory Council’ composed solely of member of the adivasi community in each state. the Governor was empowered to look after the wellbeing and development of the adivasi communities. swami proved with facts and figures that since independence no governor reached out to the tribals to understand their problems. swami highlighted that Panchayats (Extension to scheduled areas) act [PEsa], 1996 was “neatly ignored” and “had deliberately been left unimplemented in all the nine states.” this act for the first time recognized the fact that the adivasi communities in India have had a rich social and cultural tradition of self governance through the Gram sabha (village council). He tirelessly organised the adivasis to fight for their rights under PEsa. this turned into the Pathalgadi movement in 2017, which played an important role in highlighting the state’s negligence on PEsa. In swami’s own words, “as for the Pathalgadi issue, I have asked the question ‘Why are adivasis doing this?’ I believe they have been exploited and oppressed beyond tolerance. the rich minerals which are excavated in their land have en-

riched outsider industrialists and businessmen and impoverished the adivasi people to the extent there are starvation deaths taking place.” swami bitterly criticised the government’s apathy to the 1997 of the supreme Court’s samadha judgement, which provided safeguards for the adivasis to control the excavation of minerals in their lands and to help develop them. swami questioned the lack of implementation of the Forest Rights act 2006. as per his findings, from 2006 to 2011, about three million applications were made under FRa countrywide for title-deeds, of which 1.1 million were approved but 1.4 million rejected and 500,000 pending. He also found out the Jharkhand government is trying to bypass the Gram sabha in the process of acquiring forest land for industry.

He bitterly criticised the recent amendment to the Land acquisition act 2013. He called it a “death knell” for adivasis, insisting it ended the requirement for “social Impact assessment” aimed at safeguarding the environment, social relations and cultural values of affected people. the most damaging factor, he said, was that the government can allow any agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

He also questioned the ‘Land Bank’ which he saw as the most recent plot to annihilate the adivasi people. swami’s death is bracketed with custodial deaths in India. India is yet to ratify the UN convention against torture. a recent report by an international human-rights’ body, the National Campaign against torture reveals as many as 1731 custodial deaths in India in 2019. victims were mostly from vulnerable communities, Dalits, Muslims and adivasis. this works out to five custodial deaths daily. More ominously, 1,606 died in judicial custody and 125 in police custody. the analysis reveals 75 of the total 125 deaths in police custody belonged to poor and marginalized communities, including 13 Dalits and adivasi, and 15 Muslims, while 35 were picked up for petty crimes. the report reveals that women continued to be tortured or targeted for sexual violence in custody. During 2019, the deaths of four in police custody were reported.

Fr swami’s death has once again brought into limelight use of India’s draconian laws to stifle dissent. Media calls swami’s death a “death in police custody”. thus, the world community is questioning why India has not yet ratified the convention against torture. swami never went to Bhim Koregaon, where he allegedly incited people to violence. the UaPa is brutally applied to incarcerate people for long periods. Bashir ahmad of srinagar spent 11 years in jail before being released as innocent. another Kashmiri, Nisar, spent 23. swami had been a vocal critic of the government’s attempts to amend land laws. During June 2018 thereafter, the BJP government jailed 16 in connection with the 2018 violence in Bhima Koregaon village in Maharashtra state. they included, besides swami, some of India’s most-respected scholars, lawyers, academicians, cultural activists, and an ageing radical poet, who then contracted Covid-19 in prison.

Indian government should haul up the officials responsible for swami’s death (as the Usa did over Floyd Patteraon’s suffocation) The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

NOW a days, Pakistan is having a lot of social and economic issues. One of these which is growing and putting a negative impact on our society is child labor. as a community and society, we must stop this act and put a barrier on this system of abusing children and their rights.

Every child has a right to education according to law of Pakistan but instead of getting basic education they don’t even have basic necessities which forces them to work in places like workshops, factories, road side hotels, peddling in streets, shops, tyre shops, begging for smuggling mafia, in mines, collecting garbage, housekeeping etc.

Most of the children are forced to work. It is against principles and law of justice. In most cases parents or guardians lead their children to work. Our society is also taking advantage of their innocence and circumstances. Children work to support and afford expenses or basic necessities for their families without taking care of themselves. this is the responsibility of the government to ensure the basic rights of their needs and education. also society should contribute and initiate certain types of campaigns for the sake of awareness to discourage child labor and smuggling. hamza Siddiqui raWalpindi

Closed schools It is an accepted and established fact that the state schooling sector in sindh has failed miserably. However, that same failed state regulator is now responsible for regulating private schools which have had an impeccable track-record spanning nearly 50 years, and is the sole reason a literacy rate in Pakistan has existed. When the state operates in such an illogical fashion, do we really have any faith in the merits of their decision making? the Directorate of Private schools is now on the verge of forcing private school closures which will leave hundreds of thousands of children without schools in the province. the directorates only purpose seems to be withholding registrations and renewals in exchange for guaranteed admissions for their cronies, and making decisions about fees without any understanding of the operating costs of a school. If they really possess the know how of operating successful schools, why don’t they use this to fix the government schools that need fixing and make education free and accessible to everyone in the province? maaz abbaSi KaraChi

Traffic mess OUR burgeoning population and lack of public transport has resulted in traffic jams becoming a part of daily life. the ever-increasing rush of heavy traffic on the roads often results in loss of human life. this traffic jams compelling people to drive recklessly in order to reach their destinations timely, increasing the rate of deadly accidents. Furthermore, the poor condition of the roads also contributes towards traffic jam and accidents, as ambulance get caught up in traffic, patients are often unable to get the urgent care they require. there is a need to have a serious consideration over these factors for improvement. I request the higher authorities and the department of traffic police for taking severe steps, so that everyone can travel with comfort and the problem of traffic jams can be handled properly. mamoona Ghaffar iSlamabad

Digital detox WHILE there’s no doubt technology has made our lives simpler from multiple points of view, research proposes that our dependence on it is also real. all the time we spend online means we have less time to spend doing real-world activities. also, we have less time to spend with our loved ones. as a result, our relationships suffer. Besides, digital media utilization influences both mental and physical health. Many researchers have reported a relationship between digital media consumption and numerous psychological maladies like depression and anxiety. Furthermore, excessive utilization of technology brings about sedentary behaviour. We end up sitting for extensive periods of time before a screen or looking at a cell phone. therefore, limiting screen time is fundamental to secure our well-being. Everyone needs to find a way to create a digital detox. a habit of regularly unplugging will reap a multitude of benefits. maryum Sardar iSlamabad

Transgenders in isolation forever tODaY our society is in total isolation, all of us are staying home in quarantine and not visiting our family and friends because of the corona virus pandemic. It seems like the world has stopped. this is the first time we have experienced isolation from the society countrr to what aristotle said “Human is a social animal”. But we forget the fact that our transgender community has been in complete isolation since their birth, they have not been accepted by our society even in the 21st century. they are a community which has been in isolation since forever. We must think about them and accept them as human beings, they are not a lesser child of God than we are. fatima KhoKhar Wah

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The AfghAnisTAn wAr lessons ThAT we cAnnoT forgeT

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lEON pANEttA

was on Capitol hill on September 11, 2001, when I first learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center. As I was driving away from the Capitol, I saw the smoke from the plane that struck the Pentagon. With air traffic halted, my flight home was canceled, I struggled to get a rental car to drive across the country to get home to my family in California. As I drove on I-80 through our nation, I witnessed the American spirit — homemade signs of God bless America, flags on display, and the strength and determination of the American people to never allow such an attack to happen again.

And for the past 20 years, America fought back — with its troops, diplomats, intelligence and development professionals working tirelessly to ensure that Afghanistan would never again be used as a safe haven to attack our homeland. The US has had successes in Afghanistan, including the establishment of a democratic government, expanded rights for women, improved education, and successful operations to decimate core Al Qaeda and bring osama Bin Laden to justice. And America has suffered losses, with more than 2,200 of its war fighters killed in action, seven CIA officers killed by a suicide bomber in 2010, and countless civilian deaths in a long and frustrating war.

President Joe Biden decided to bring America’s troops home by the end of August. At the same time, the President has also made clear that we will not take our eye off

IT IS UP TO THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE SURE THAT AFGHANISTAN DOES NOT COLLAPSE AND BECOME A BASE OF OPERATIONS FOR TERRORISTS AGAIN the terrorist threat. The problem, however, is that the situation is deteriorating rapidly: our country’s military commander in Afghanistan has warned of an imminent civil war; the latest intelligence assessment makes clear that once US troops leave, the Taliban could take control of Afghanistan in six to 12 months; and the Taliban is moving quickly to capture a number of rural districts and threaten the capital Kabul.

The Taliban cannot be trusted when it comes to terrorism. It is up to the United States to make sure that Afghanistan does not collapse and become a base of operations for terrorists again. Already in recent weeks we have seen senseless deaths at the hands of the Taliban, with the killing of 22 members of an Afghan Special Forces unit.

The fact is that the President has a wide array of military, diplomatic and intelligence resources that can be deployed to support Afghanistan at this critical time: MEANINGFUL ASSISTANCE TO AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES: The US and its NATo Allies should continue to fund and train the Afghan security forces. Yes, this has been an ongoing — and often frustrating — effort for many years, but ultimately, developing an effective military requires sustained educational, financial and security support. every time I went to Afghanistan, military commanders expressed confidence that the Afghan military could do the job — the consensus was clear: “These guys are fight-

ing and fighting tough.” But absent US support, the military will struggle against a motivated Taliban.

CONTINUE COUNTER TERRORISM OPERATIONS: There will be times when the US military may need to be more directly involved with the over-the-horizon strike capabilities — including the ability to hit targets with air-to-ground munitions, sea-based surface-to-surface missiles, and if necessary, a raid on particular terrorist targets by US Special operations Forces.

While some US forces will remain in the region after drawing down in Afghanistan, its diplomats should work to establish new or expanded basing agreements with regional partners. These bases could host remotely-piloted MQ-9 Predator UAVs and other reliable surveillance assets to provide situational awareness and to enable quick reaction forces to deploy when US interests are at imminent risk. US commanders will need the ability to call in strikes from these UAVs and other nearby air and sea-based assets, like F-16s, F-18s, and Tomahawk missiles, to take out terrorist infrastructure as well. As with elsewhere around the globe, America’s cyber forces will also remain a valuable tool to collect intelligence and disrupt enemy command-and-control.

MAINTAIN INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS: The ability of US national security professionals to understand the situation in Kabul and beyond will continue to rely on

Stream of Afghan asylum seekers reported in eastern Turkey

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IDeoS posted on social media this weekend reportedly showed a stream of asylum seekers entering Turkey through its eastern border with Iran, raising concerns among local officials and humanitarian agencies.

For years, Afghans, Pakistanis and asylum seekers from various other nations have made the irregular border crossing by foot in search of security and better work opportunities, usually making headlines only when hit by tragedy such as boat accidents in Lake Van or traffic incidents like one this Sunday that killed at least 12 migrants.

Local news reports are now linking an alleged spike in border crossings to the ongoing US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and territorial gains by the Taliban in the country, prompting rumors of a looming migration wave to Turkey.

“It is too early to talk about a mass influx, but there is an increase in the number of arrivals and there are unconfirmed news stories about an accumulation of people on the Iranian side” seeking to cross into Turkey, Metin Corabatir, president of the Ankara-based Research Center on Asylum and Migration, told Al-Monitor. he added, “We have to observe what will happen in Afghanistan to see what comes next.”

In a statement Tuesday, the Turkish Interior Ministry’s deputy minister and spokesperson Ismail Catakli claimed videos depicting a refugee influx were misleading and that Turkish borders remained under tight control following the construction of several border walls.

“We would like to reiterate that our fight against irregular migration continues without interruption,” Catakli said in the statement, adding that 62,687 irregular migrants had been detained on Turkey’s eastern border so far this year.

In response, Rusen Takva, a journalist documenting migration flows along Turkey’s eastern border, posted videos Tuesday showing

asylum seekers entering the country and stated that at least 1,500 people were making the crossing each day and that their numbers were increasing.

Turkey currently hosts about 4 million refugees, including about 3.7 million Syrians and an estimated 200,000 asylum seekers of Afghan origin. As US President Joe Biden calls for American troops to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by Aug. 31, reports indicate a growing number of Afghan nationals may seek refuge outside the country, with Turkey as a potential destination or transit country to europe for some displaced individuals.

According to the UN high Commissioner for Refugees, about 270,000 Afghans have been displaced since January 2021, primarily due to insecurity and violence, raising the total number displaced Afghans to 3.5 million. The developments come as Taliban officials claimed Friday they had taken control of 85% of the territory in Afghanistan.

“The UNhCR remains deeply concerned about the increase in violence in Afghanistan,” Selin Unal, a spokesperson for the UNhCR in Turkey, told Al-Monitor. “We are watching the developments closely and continue to assist displaced Afghans affected by the violence.”

Unal said people seeking international protection could file applications with Turkey’s provincial directorates of migration management after entering the country, where they can qualify for additional assistance while their claims are reviewed. She added UNhCR data has yet to reflect media reports alleging increased border crossings to Turkey.

Underlining the lack of credible sources and monitoring systems to confirm recent migration reports, Corabatir noted the profile of new Afghan arrivals in Turkey has changed in comparison to previous years.

The new arrivals “are educated and worked mostly in government bureaucracies and they fear if the government collapses, the Taliban would take revenge on them,” Corabatir told Al-Monitor. he added that some Afghan nationals had paid smugglers between $2,000-$4,000 to secure Turkish entry visas only to find they had been scammed, and then decided to enter Turkey by foot across its mountainous eastern border.

The developments come as officials in Washington and Ankara continue to discuss Turkey’s potential role in running and guarding Kabul’s international airport following the US withdrawal. Taliban officials called such plans “reprehensible” Tuesday and warned Turkish officials of possible “consequences” if Ankara maintains a troop presence in the country.

long-established human intelligence networks. The US will have to seek creative ways to maintain and grow those relationships as US government posture on the ground evolves. America’s intelligence professionals were the first into Afghanistan after 9/11, and they will have to remain long after our troops depart.

A STRONG DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE: Underlying this work will be an important element of the Biden administration’s national security team, the diplomatic corps. As Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has made clear, the US will remain invested in Afghanistan to help support peace and reconciliation, as well as to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to help the Afghan people. It is also important that the US continues to help strengthen Afghanistan’s civilian government capacity, not just its military. Core to this needs to be training its law enforcement and judicial officials to make them more effective and ensure they have proper training on rule of law.

PROTECT THOSE WHO FOUGHT WITH OUR FORCES: Finally, we must not forget the thousands of brave Afghans who risked their lives to help US security forces and diplomats over the past two decades. Much as with those who helped the US after we withdrew troops from Vietnam in the 1970s, and Kosovo and Iraq in the

1990s, the Afghans who served side by side with Americans deserve expedited visa consideration and other settlement assistance as they seek refuge from possible Taliban retribution. It’s not only the right thing to do morally, but it also sends partners around the world the message that if you’re there for America, America will be there for you.

I spent four years of my career as Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA, working intensely on elements of the war in Afghanistan, ranging from operations, to personnel, to policy. I commanded the operation to bring osama Bin Laden to justice. I understand the reasons Biden made his decision — the goal of stopping terrorist threats against the American homeland remains the critical objective, and we can achieve that objective with a combination of the on-the-ground and over-the-horizon capabilities to prevent Al Qaeda from reestablishing a safe haven there.

But there are lessons from this war that cannot be forgotten. The President understands the importance of maintaining our support for the Afghan people, so they can live in a pluralistic, democratic society that respects the rights of all its citizens, especially women. And he also understands that it was the Taliban that provided a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan and execute the 9/11 attack. Surely, we owe it to the victims and families of that attack and all those who fought and died in the wars that followed to make sure that another 9/11 attack never happens again.

Leon Panetta served as Secretary of Defense from 2011 to 2013 and is chairman of The Panetta Institute for Public Policy.

Jacob Zuma and the global battle against strongman rule Financial Times GIDEON RACHMAN

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he imprisonment last week of Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, underlined a fundamental truth. The survival of democracy depends on an independent judiciary.

International politics is currently disfigured by a plague of leaders who want to govern unconstrained by the law.

These would-be strongmen are not confined to autocracies such as China. They have also emerged in countries that hold free elections, such as India, Turkey, Brazil, Israel and even the US, self-styled “leader of the free world”.

The difference between successful strongmen and those whose ambitions are thwarted is, more often than not, the strength of the judicial system. If a ruler can eliminate the independence of the courts, the door is open to the destruction of democracy, untrammelled corruption and the suppression of freedom of speech. But if the courts can hold the line, political freedom has a chance.

Jacob Zuma was, in many ways, a classic strongman leader: charismatic, corrupt and contemptuous of institutions.

As president, he cultivated a close relationship with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Zuma also used Trumpian rhetoric, encouraging race-based conspiracy theories and denouncing judges.

Populist leaders often dismiss inconvenient facts as “fake news”. But in the courts, truth and accountability still matter.

The words of Sisi Khampepe, the acting chief justice who sentenced Zuma, carried real weight: “No person enjoys exclusion or exemption from the sovereignty of the laws of the republic. And Mr Zuma is no exception.”

The significance of independent courts is underlined by the contrasting fortunes of Donald Trump and Putin. Trump’s efforts to subvert US democracy were thwarted by court after court. even Supreme Court judges that Trump appointed in the hope that they would favour him chose to follow the law.

By contrast, when Alexei Navalny flew back into Russia to challenge Putin, he was immediately arrested, put on trial and imprisoned. When the Kremlin requires it, the Russian courts are willing to deliver absurd verdicts, such as convicting Navalny of violating his parole, when he was in hospital fighting for his life after being poisoned.

Strongman leaders and would-be autocrats understand the danger of independent courts. Before Xi Jinping took power in 2012, many Chinese liberals hoped the country’s legal system could gain some independence from the Communist party.

The destruction of judicial independence is a crucial step in the construction of an autocracy — which is why the eU is so concerned about legal “reforms” in Poland and hungary.

The political future of countries such as Turkey, India, Brazil and Israel may also hinge on whether the courts are strong enough to rein in the autocratic tendencies of their leaders. All four are democracies that have elected strongman figures who display disdain for democratic checks and balances.

In Israel, the court system held firm and corruption proceedings against Benjamin Netanyahu went ahead, even when, as prime minister, he denounced the judiciary. he has now lost office, after an election.

In Brazil, the courts are likely to play a crucial role next year if, as seems likely, President Jair Bolsonaro loses his bid for re-election and then claims, Trump-style, that the election was fraudulent. Fortunately, the Brazilian judicial system is robust and politically independent. In recent years, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was first imprisoned for corruption, and then freed after a court ruling. Both judgments were controversial but they were made without political pressure.

Turkey, by contrast, has seen an assault on its judicial system in recent years. Following a failed coup in 2016, thousands of judges and prosecutors were sacked or jailed. Free elections still take place but successful opposition politicians can end up in prison or on trial.

The Indian courts, meanwhile, have failed to check the authoritarian instincts of the Modi government. The death last week of Father Stan Swamy, an 88-year-old human rights activist who was repeatedly denied bail after being implausibly accused of terrorism, has highlighted the system’s failings.

Some senior judges stand accused of getting too close to the ruling party.

Losing an independent judiciary makes it impossible to hold leaders to account for corruption or abuse of power.

Zuma’s nine years in office saw a rapid growth in corruption and “state capture” by powerful interests. South Africa’s economy, infrastructure and reputation paid a heavy price. With Zuma’s imprisonment, the rebuilding can begin in earnest.

Because South Africa is a young democracy — with deep social and economic divisions — there was no guarantee the judiciary would survive the assault from Zuma and his allies.

That the former president is in prison is a tribute to the robustness of the country’s legal system. It should also serve as an inspiration for other troubled democracies.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

BUSINESS 09

KARACHI corporate corner Unilever Pakistan collaborates with Parks & Horticulture, KMC to set up public space for plastic awareness KARACHI: A A Unilever Pakistan has collaborated with the Parks & Horticulture Department, KMC to set up a public space at Frere Gardens to create awareness about plastic recycling in Pakistan. Unilever Pakistan has set itself the target to collect, recycle and repurpose more plastic than it produces by 2030.

The public space is set up as part of the continuing effort to recycle and repurpose plastic to reduce waste and give plastic a second life. The Public Space includes a play area and benches for the people of Karachi, which have been made from over 2,500 kilos of recycled plastic. This plastic was collected as part of Unilever’s ongoing commitment to recycle two million kilos of plastic across Pakistan in 2021.

Administrator Karachi Laeeq Ahmed said infrastructure improvement works were being carried out in the city with the coordination of civil society and welfare organizations. Tree plantation campaign was successfully going on in Karachi and thousands of saplings had been planted in parks and around major roads. Along with repair and maintenance of roads, streetlights are made functional to light up main corridors.

To learn more about the effort to recycling and repurposing plastic, join the conversation with @unileverpakistan on Instagram or visit www.unilever.pk. PREss RElEasE

Marketing Association of Pakistan holds elections KARACHI: A A Marketing Association of Pakistan (MAP), the country’s leading representative body of professionals involved in the marketing sector. MAP has been in existence since 1967 and has hundreds of members all over the country including a chapter in Lahore.

Election of office bearers was recently held in Karachi. Syed Imran Ahmad a veteran professional in the field of international media marketing has been elected as the President of MAP. He is the Chief Executive of Pace Media Limited in Karachi. He is also the founder of Mera Karachi Group and President of Bright Educational Society. He will be ably assisted by Vice President, Azfar Ahsan of Nutshell Communications, Honorary Secretary, Amer Pasha of Aladin Informatics and Honorary Treasurer, Mohammad Ali Habib of Habib Bank Limited.

Marketing Association of Pakistan plans to hold a series of industry specific seminars in the days ahead. MAP is also affiliated with the Asia-Pacific Marketing Federation APMF and also conducts examinations for the Certified Professional Marketer CPM program on behalf of the Asia-Pacific body.

Membership of the organization is open for all marketing professionals and institutions in Pakistan. PREss RElEasE

Ghandhara Nissan Ltd. sole distributer and assembler of Chery seeking applications for dealerships KARACHI: A A Recently @Chery Pakistan shared a post on its digital media platforms seeking applications for the potential 3S dealers nationwide. Chery and Jaguar Land Rover Motors jointly invested for the establishment of Chery Jaguar Land Rover Motors Co., Ltd., which is China's first Sino-British joint venture high-end automobile company.

Chery along with its local partner Ghandhara Nissan Ltd., is gearing up to enter into the Pakistan market very soon. Chery Automobile Co., Ltd was founded in 1997 is China’s No.1 passenger car exporter brand from past 18 consecutive years with exports in more than 80 countries and regions. The company has a diversified range of luxurious passenger cars including Arrizo Series of Sedans and Tiggo Series of SUVs. As per reliable sources, Ghandhara Nissan Ltd., has already started modifications into its car assembly plant and the company is most probably planning to launch Chery’s mid and premium range of vehicles by early next year.

The current global range of Chery cars is performing well in China and other international markets like Russia, Brazil and Latin America. With an increasing acceptability of Chinese origin cars in Pakistan, the venture might bring fruitful results for Ghandhara Nissan Ltd., The company has given its contact details for the interested individuals and business entities as below: Contact No.: 021-32556924-5 Email: cs@ghandhara.com.pk. PREss RElEasE

PAKistAN riCe exPorts Hit by 400PC iNCreAse iN freiGHt rAte ISLAMABAD

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HILE Pakistan’s rice export witnesses a declining trend, increasing freight rate threatens to further damage exports, especially that of highly valued variant, Basmati.

According to exporters, international shipping companies have increased freight rates to around 400 per cent during the past six months without any increase in capacity of lifting goods or number of ships as the international market has been opened for trade after a prolonged closure due to the pandemic.

According to data shared by Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), rice export faced a 14 per cent decrease during 11MFY21; however, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood claimed that the total decline was recorded 8 per cent in the said period.

“The freight charges for North America used to

TRADERS URGE GOVT TO OPERATE PNSC SHIPS TO AVOID INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COMPANIES be $100 per tonne. However, shipping companies are now charging $300 per tonne. The situation is the same in Europe and US where Pakistani rice is becoming noncompetitive at a fast pace,” REAP former Vice President Tuafiq Ahmed Khan claimed.

Speaking with Profit, traders said that the high cost of shipping consignments and non-availability of containers are posing a serious challenge to the outbound shipments. They said abrupt and steep rise in freight cost and non-availability of containers create an uncertain and risky environment, which will make it hard for exporters to meet delivery commitments of foreign buyers.

“Since these markets are crucial for Pakistan’s

Basmati, the government should operate Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) ships on these routes to avoid abnormally high freight rates and shortage of containers,” the former REAP official suggested.

He said that exporters will not be able to compete in international markets as they are afraid of cancellation of orders, which ultimately result in a loss of huge foreign exchange to the country.

It is pertinent to mention here that the overall impact of the high freight charges would be a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in cumulative export of rice of the country.

Exporters have also asked the minister for maritime affairs in particular, and the federal government in general, to take notice and intervene in the matter for providing relief to the country’s rice export sector, which is the second largest source of earning forex.

It may be noted here that Pakistan exported 3.3 million tonnes of both basmati and other rice varieties during 11MFY21, a fall from 3.87 million tonnes in 11MFY20.

LSM expands 14.57pc in 11MFY21 The large-scale manufacturing sector’s (LSM) output grew 14.57 per cent in the first 11 months (Jul-May) of the last fiscal year (11MFY21) compared to the corresponding period last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Tuesday.

The overall output of Large-Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) increased by 14.57pc in July-May 202021 compared to 11MFY20. However, on a month-on-month basis the industrial output shrank 3.93pc.

The LSM data released by the PBS after collecting it from the Provincial Bureau of Statistics (BOS), the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) and the Ministry of Industries showed that the OCAC recorded month-onmonth decline of 8.32pc in May against previous month, and 4.15pc growth year-on-year in May against May 2020.

The data showed that the Ministry of Industry-related sectors witnessed negative growth of 6.49pc month-onmonth in May, while on a year-on-year basis it registered a growth of 45.06pc.

The PBS data said that LSM-related data to the BOS month-on-month

witnessed 2.35pc growth in May against the previous month, and on YoY basis, BOS witnessed a growth of 29.59pc in May against May 2020.

The production in 11MFY21 as compared to 11MFY20 has increased in textile, food, beverages and tobacco,

coke and petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automobiles, fertilisers, paper and boards and iron and steel products, while it decreased in wood products, engineering products, electronics, rubber products, and leather products.

On the other hand, the LSM industries that witnessed negative growth in May 2021 included electronics at 283.09pc, leather products at 64.77pc, engineering products 88.39pc at rubber products at 25.42pc, and wood products at 126.52pc. NEWs DEsK

CAA increases international flight operations to 50pc The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), in view of a significant drop in daily cases of Covid-19 in the world, has granted permission to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to increase the number of international flight operations up to 50 per cent.

“In view of the recent improvement in Covid-19 situation in various parts of the world, the government of Pakistan has increased the international flight operation up to 50 per cent. This increase in flight schedule will be implemented W.E.F from July 15,” read the notification.

On May 2, the CAA had reduced international flights in the country up to 20 per cent in the wake of a rise in Covid-19 cases. MONITORING REPORT

Volkswagen shows confidence in electric future with higher margin goal BERLIN aGENCIEs

Volkswagen raised its long-term profitability target on Tuesday in a sign of the German automaker’s growing confidence in managing the shift to electric and self-driving vehicles.

Presenting its strategy until 2030, Europe’s largest carmaker also said it expected half of its global vehicle sales to be battery-powered by that date – joining rivals in setting ambitious goals to move on from the era of combustion engines.

The targets come ahead of a huge package of climate policies the European Union plans to announce on Wednesday, possibly including a de facto ban of petrol-based vehicles from 2035.

At Volkswagen, which aims to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) maker by 2025, battery EVs accounted for just 3% of global sales last year.

“We set ourselves a strategic target to become global market leader in electric vehicles – and we are well on track. Now we are setting parameters,” said Chief Executive Herbert Diess, whose contract was extended last week until 2025.

After reporting blow-out first-half

earnings, Volkswagen said it expected the strong performance of its existing business to help fund 150 billion euros ($178 billion) of investments by 2025 in areas such as batteries and software.

It added the synergies between technologies and brands, which span budget Seats and Skodas to upmarket Audis and Porsches, also gave it the confidence to increase its target for operating return on sales for 2025 to 89% from 7-8%.

SCALE AND STRENGTH: “We view the combination of scale and fi-

nancial strength as unrivalled,” said Marc Decker, head of fund management at Merck Finck. “Against this backdrop it’s just a matter of time until the Wolfsburg-based company will become the world leader in the market for electric mobility.”

Volkswagen fleshed out plans to build six large battery factories in Europe by 2030, choosing China’s Gotion High-Tech as a partner for its planned Salzgitter factory in Germany and looking at Spain as a location for another plant.

The plans mark the latest step by the world’s second-largest carmaker after Toyota to reinvent itself following a 2015 scandal over rigged emissions tests for diesel engines that has so far cost it more than 32 billion euros.

Announced via trailers and management tweets last week, the strategy day tried to recreate the success of Volkswagen’s Power Day in March, which caused its shares to surge and briefly made it Germany’s most valuable firm.

While still up 42% year-to-date, the shares have dropped 14% from their March highs, reflecting the challenge to convince investors that fat profits from combustion engine cars can be replaced with those from EVs. Carmakers have set an array of goals for an electric future. Last week, Stellantis said it was aiming for more than 70% of sales in Europe and over 40% in the United States to be lowemission vehicles by 2030. That includes hybrid vehicles, as well as all-electric battery cars.

Volkswagen said last month it would stop selling gas-guzzlers in Europe by 2035 and somewhat later in China and the United States as part of its shift towards EVs.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

In fIrsT for Gulf, uAE opEns EmbAssy In IsrAEl, hAIls TrAdE TIEs TEL AVIV

T

ReuteRs

HE United Arab Emirates on Wednesday become the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Israel, as its envoy hailed the trade and investment opportunities that closer ties would bring at a flag-raising ceremony also attended by Israel’s president.

Brought together by shared unease about Iran, the UAE and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year under the “Abraham Accords” crafted by the administration of then-US President Donald Trump Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel.

The opening of the UAE embassy, which is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, followed the inauguration of Israel’s embassy in the UAE last month.

“Since the normalisation of ties […] we have seen for the first time discussions on trade and investment opportunities,” UAE ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja said, after raising his country’s flag outside the building.

“We signed major agreements across various fields, including economy, air travel, technology and culture.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the opening of the embassy “an important milestone in our journey towards the future, peace prosperity and security” for the Middle East.

“Seeing the Emirati flag flying proudly in Tel Aviv might have seemed like a farfetched dream about a year ago,” he said. “In many ways, nothing could be more natural and normal.”

In the UAE last month to inaugurate Israel’s temporary embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai, Israeli Foreign Minister

Yair Lapid said bilateral trade since normalisation exceeded $675 million and he expected more deals.

The regional rapprochement has been

deplored by the Palestinians, who want their demands for statehood free of Israeli occupation addressed first.

The UAE has said last year’s US-bro-

kered accords, which challenged a decadesold allegiance to Palestinian ambitions as a major driver of Arab policy, would ultimately benefit the Palestinians.

Russia tells ‘hypocritical’ Afghan government to negotiate with Taliban MOSCOW ReuteRs

The Kremlin’s most senior Afghanistan official accused the Afghanistan government of hypocrisy on Wednesday and said it needed to start proper negotiations with the Taliban about the country’s future before it was too late.

Zamir Kabulov, President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan, issued the warning ahead of talks about the Afghan crisis in Tajikistan where foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation were meeting.

Kabulov, in an interview with Russia’s RIA news agency, said that while the Afghan government paid lip service to the idea of talks it was not doing enough to make them happen.

“It’s hypocrisy. It’s an attempt to close

their eyes to the reality which exists and these are empty words,” Kabulov told RIA when talking about the Afghan’s government’s stance on negotiations with the Taliban. “We need deeds.”

The only way out of the current crisis which has seen the Taliban make military gains on the back of an exit by US and NATO forces was for all sides to sit down together at the negotiating table in Kabul, Kabulov was cited as saying.

He said that Russia and other regional powers favoured a transitional government in Afghanistan.

A Taliban delegation in Moscow last week said that the group controlled more than 85 percent of territory in Afghanistan — an assertion dismissed by the government — and told Russia it would not let the country be used as a platform to attack others.

US charges four with plot to kidnap New York journalist critical of Iran

Twitter sees jump in govt demands to remove content of journalists, news outlets SAN FRANCISCO

WASHINGTON ReuteRs

US prosecutors have charged four Iranians, alleged to be intelligence operatives for Tehran, with plotting to kidnap a New York journalist and human rights activist who was critical of Iran, according to a Justice Department indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

In recent years, Iranian intelligence officers have tricked a number of overseas activists to travel to destinations where they were kidnapped and sent back to Iran, US authorities said.

While the indictment did not name the target of the

plot, Reuters has confirmed she is Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad, who has contributed to the US government-funded Voice of America Persian language service and reports on human rights issues in Iran.

Asked by Reuters to confirm that Alinejad was the target of the plot, the Department of Justice declined to comment.

But Alinejad, reached by phone by Reuters after the indictment was released, said she was in a state of shock.

She said she had been working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation since the agency approached her eight months ago with photographs taken by the plotters.

“They showed me the Islamic Republic had gotten

very close,” she said.

The four Iranians hired private investigators under false pretenses to surveil the journalist in Brooklyn, videotaping her family and home as part of a plot to kidnap her, according to prosecutors.

The four defendants planned “to forcibly take their intended victim to Iran, where the victim’s fate would have been uncertain at best,” Audrey Strauss, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, said.

The Iranian operatives hired private investigators in Manhattan to surveil Alinejad and her family, claiming that she was a missing person from Dubai who had fled the country to avoid paying a debt, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the Iranian operatives had researched how they might spirit the journalist out of New York on a high-speed boat headed for Caracas.

Iran directed the operation against the journalist with “the intention to lure our citizen back to Iran as retaliation for their freedom of expression,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. In 2019, Iranian intelligence officers lured Ruhollah Zam, a journalist living in France, out of the country, capturing and later executing him in Iran on sedition charges, prosecutors said.

Representatives for the Mission of Iran to the UN could not be reached for comment.

Alinejad said she had drawn the ire of Iran by publicising women in Iran protesting laws requiring head coverings, as well as accounts of Iranians killed in demonstrations in 2019.

Alinejad said Iranian operatives had tried multiple times to lure her to Turkey with threats and promises to meet family, she said.

FBI agents warned Alinejad earlier this year that Iran was planning to kidnap her, moving the journalist and her husband to a series of safe houses as they investigated the case.

She said she was still reeling from reading the indictment. “I can’t believe I’m not even safe in America,” she said.

ReuteRs

Twitter Inc saw a surge in demands over the course of last year from governments around the world to take down content posted by journalists and news outlets, data to be released by the social media platform for the first time will show. In its transparency report to be published on Wednesday and a copy of which was seen by Reuters, Twitter said verified accounts of 199 journalists and news outlets on its platform globally were subject to 361 legal demands from governments to remove content in the second half of 2020, an increase of 26 per cent from the first half of the year. It declined to elaborate on which countries submitted the demands, or how many of the legal demands pertaining to journalists or news outlets the platform complied with. The new details in Twitter's biannual report on its enforcement of policy rules and the information and removal requests it receives come as Twitter and other social media companies including Facebook and Alphabet’s YouTube are facing scrutiny from governments around the world over the content allowed on their platforms. On Monday, Cuba began restricting access to Facebook and messaging apps like Telegram amid widespread anti-government protests. Last month, Nigeria banned Twitter's service from the country and ordered television and radio stations not to use the platform to gather information. Twitter said in the report that India was now the single largest source of all information requests from governments during the second half of 2020, overtaking the United States, which was second in the volume of requests. The company said globally it received over 14,500 requests for information between July 1 and Dec 31, and it produced some or all of the information in response to 30pc of the requests. Such information requests can include governments or other entities asking for the identities of people tweeting under pseudonyms.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

karaChI

BaBar consolIdaTEs ToP sPoT aMong odI BaTTErs P News DesK

AkISTAN skipper Babar Azam consolidated his position as the No. 1ranked batter after his stellar performance against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday and Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie made a gain of 14 spots to move to No. 36, ESPNCricinfo reported on Wednesday.

Fabian Allen, meanwhile, entered the top ten among T20I bowlers after an impressive run against Australia at home, where West Indies are 3-0 ahead in the five-match series.

Azam’s career-best 158 in the final ODI against England at Edgbaston, which earned him eight rating points, kept him 16 clear of Virat kohli, who is at second place.

Following England’s series

sweep, there were two major movers low down in the tables.

James Vince, who hit 102 – his first century for England across formats – rushed up 85 spots to No. 113 among batters, while Saqib Mahmood, who picked up nine wickets in the three games, gained 89 places to be 63rd among bowlers.

Ireland’s historic maiden ODI win over South Africa in their second fixture, after the first game was washed out, also led to some of their players making progress.

Balbirnie’s 65 and 102 in the two games gave him a career-high 584 points as he gained 14 places to be ranked No. 36, while William Porterfield (up five spots to 74th) and Harry Tector (up 37 to 90th) among the batters, and Craig Young (up four to 78th) and Josh Little (up 22 to 86th) among

bowlers moved up.

It wasn’t just Allen, who rose 16 positions, but there were a number of West Indians who made big strides up the tables as their team won the third T20I against Australia.

Of the bowlers, Obed McCoy, who has five wickets from two matches – including 4 for 26 in the first T20I – has jumped 15 spots to No. 38. while Sheldon Cottrell and Dwayne Bravo, with two wickets apiece so far, have risen by two places to 22nd and seven places to 37th, respectively.

Meanwhile, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer and Lendl Simmons – all among the top five run-getters in the series at the moment – had their own gains too.

While Gayle and Russell were tied at No. 103 after rising 22 and 38 ranks, respectively, Hetmyer has raced up to No. 62 by climbing 37

places and Simmons moved to No. 64 after gaining six spots.

Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 220 runs in their one-off Test in Harare, and Mahmudullah, who announced midway into the match that it would be his last in the format, gained 19 spots to get to 44th place after his 150* in the first innings. Liton Das, who scored 95 in that innings, rose 15 places to get to No. 55.

The bowling star for Bangladesh was Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who finished with a match haul of 9 for 148. He gained six places to get to No. 24.

And though Zimbabwe lost the game, captain Brendan Taylor’s 81 and 92 pushed him seven spots up to No. 28, while Blessing Muzarabani’s 4 for 94 in the first innings took him up to No. 45 among bowlers, a gain of six spots.

Messi to sign new five-year deal with Barcelona: report

Morgan returns as England announces T20I squad for Pakistan series News DesK England announced T20I squad for Pakistan series on Wednesday. Eoin Morgan is one of the nine members included in the squad after completing the required period of self-isolation following the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Ben Stokes dropped out of the squad after leading the English side during the ODI series. The likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Mooen Ali, and Jos Buttler also made a comeback. Saqib Mahmood, Lewis Gregory, Dawid Malan, and Matt Parkinson retained their places from the ODI leg of series. Paul Collingwood will oversee the team as head coach Chris Silverwood will depart for a break. Speaking on the selections, Silverwood said, “We have selected a T20 squad that sees the return of many of our most experienced players after their period of isolation. “Additionally, we have rewarded some of the players involved in the 50-over series win with selection which allows us to manage multi-format players as we prepare for the much-anticipated Test series against India.” Silverwood was also effusive in his praise for Stokes, who led the side to a 3-0 clean sweep over Pakistan in the 50-over series. “I would like to express my thanks to Ben Stokes and the players for their efforts over the last week, and the counties for their support in getting this series on.” The T20I series will get underway at Trent Bridge on July 16 and conclude at Old Trafford on July 20. England squad: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey.

MADRID REUTERS

Lionel Messi is set to extend his stay at Barcelona by signing a new five-year deal, with the Argentine talisman set to take a wage cut, La Vanguardia newspaper and ESPN reported on Wednesday.

Messi, Barca’s all-time top scorer and appearance maker, technically ended his 21-year association with the club last month and is currently a free agent after his previous contract expired.

Since Joan Laporta took over as Barca president, the club has been trying to reduce their wage bill in order to keep Messi and stay within La Liga’s strict financial control rules.

La Liga chief Javier Tebas said last week that Barcelona, which has a total debt of more than 1 billion euros (US$1.18 billion), would not be shown any leniency.

Messi’s last contract, signed in 2017, was the most lucrative in world sport according to a January report in newspaper El Mundo.

The club have been trying to rebuild the squad with Junior Firpo, Jean-Clair Todibo and Carles Alena being sold to make way for free signings Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia.

Messi, 34, won his first major international title with Argentina over the weekend when they beat rivals Brazil in the Copa America final.

Messi was elected the tournament’s joint best player along with Neymar after finishing as the tournament’s joint top goalscorer with four goals while he also topped the assists charts with five.

Pakistani martial artist breaks record IsLAMABAD INP

Taekwondo black belt Ahmad Amin Bodla set yet another world record Wednesday by lifting 20 pounds weight on one leg and simultaneously doing 39 single-leg push-ups in 30 seconds, breaking the record of an Indian athlete. Ahmed Bodla set a new world record by lifting 20 pounds on one leg and doing 39 push-ups in 30 seconds simultaneously. The previous record was of 31 pushes set in March last. In 2015, Bodla broken two Guinness World Records for the most martial arts full contact knee strikes and most knuckle push-ups in one minute. He broke the Guinness World Records for the most martial arts full contact knee strikes and most knuckle push-ups in one minute with 108 knee strikes and 66 push-ups. He had in 2014 broken the record of American Master Raul Meza with 355 kicks in one minute — a world record that was set in 2011.

IOC's Bach confident of sporting success in Tokyo despite pandemic TOKYO REUTERS

The postponed Tokyo Olympic Games will create new “stars and legends” despite a one-year delay, fragmented preparations and the absence of fans in the stadiums, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Wednesday.

Postponed last year due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Games get under way next week, with all spectators banned from the venues of the 33 sports.

“These Games will have high sporting value under the circumstances,” Bach told an online media roundtable. “We have seen how the athletes persevered and adapted over more than one year...

“This challenge was the same for all

of them. There we will nevertheless see great sport and like in any Olympics new stars will be born there, and new legends will be created.”

As cases rose, the government declared a new state of emergency for Tokyo and surrounding prefectures last week and Olympics organisers announced no fans would be allowed at events in those areas.

Several big names will also be missing either through failure to qualify, doping cases, or other reasons including an unwillingness to travel to Tokyo because of the virus.

The Olympics have lost much public support in Japan because of fears they will trigger a surge on infections.

Bach said he was supporting the strict measures imposed on the Games and its participants, which were neces-

spOrTs 11

sary to help persuade the Japanese population that the Games would not become a superspreader event.

“We are trying to address the concerns,” he said.

“We always knew there was scepticism among the population and that there are very special circumstances about which the population is concerned and which transferred to the Olympic Games.”

He said a high vaccination rate among participants, an Olympic bubble with limited mobility for athletes and other stakeholders, banning spectators, and continuous testing were part of the organisers’ plans to minimise any risk.

“This message has to get across. The Japanese people have to gain confidence in this,” he said.

Thursday, 15 July, 2021

PrAyer TimiNgs

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:24

12:38

4:01

5:50

7:25

8:52

PAKIsTAn, RussIA AgRee To cemenT TIes In All sPheRes DUsHANBe

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TLTP

AKISTAN and Russia have agreed to work closely to further strengthen bilateral relations in all spheres. The understanding came at a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Dushanbe, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

Reaffirming strong desire to enhance bilateral relations, the two foreign ministers reviewed implementation status of the decisions taken during the Russian foreign minister’s visit to Pakistan in April this year.

The regional security situation, particularly Afghanistan also came under discussion. Qureshi briefed his Russian counterpart on Pakistan’s constructive approach towards the Afghan peace process.

Reiterating continued support, Qureshi emphasised close coordination between the two countries to help achieve negotiated political settlement.

The two foreign ministers agreed to remain in contact for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Separately, Qureshi along with foreign ministers of SCO member states called on President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on Wednesday.

During the call, the foreign minister congratulated the Tajik president on successful stewardship of SCO under its presidency, during which new areas were identified to further strengthen cooperation under SCO. Qureshi, recalling the Tajik president’s visit to Pakistan in June 2021, re-

Protests erupt as Indian troops kill 3 Kashmiris

marked that the visit provided fresh impetus to already strong bilateral ties and opened new vistas of collaboration.

The foreign minister highlighted the government’s Vision Central Asia policy to enhance outreach to Central Asian Republics.

Underlining that absence of connectivity impedes strong ties, Foreign Minister Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s interest to work with Central Asian Republics on rail, road and energy projects which would link Central Asia with Pakistan. The foreign minister added that the China-Pakistan Eco-

nomic Corridor (CPEC) provides an ideal opportunity in this regard.

On the regional security situation, the foreign minister emphasised that withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan has opened new challenges and opportunities. He expressed the hope that SCO would continue to play its due role in support of the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Later, in his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Qureshi held an in-depth discussion on the overall regional security situation, with particular focus on the evolving situation in Afghanistan, according to the Foreign Office.

The foreign minister briefed his Chinese counterpart on Pakistan’s consistent efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process.

“There was a consensus that in view of the latest situation, close coordinated approach was extremely critical to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan,” the FO statement said.

The foreign minister felicitated the Chinese foreign minister on the centenary celebrations of the Communist Party of China and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

COAS, Tajik defence minister discuss situation in Afghanistan

Indian government forces killed three Kashmiri men, whom they claimed to be fighters, in a shootout in occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, triggering anti-India protests and clashes between troops and residents. The Indian military said the fighters opened fire at soldiers and police as counter-insurgency troops surrounded a neighbourhood in the southern town of Pulwama on a tip that fighters were hiding there. Troops retaliated and trapped the fighters in a house, a statement by the military said. Three fighters were killed in an ensuing eight-hour-long operation and two rifles and a pistol were recovered from the site, the statement said. Locals said troops set fire to one house and blasted another with explosives, a common ‘anti-militancy’ tactic employed by Indian troops in the Himalayan region. Read: Pakistan urges UNSC to act immediately to protect children in occupied Kashmir Authorities issued a curfew in Pulwama town and cut off the internet on mobile phone services, a tactic aimed at making organising anti-India protests difficult and discouraging dissemination of protest videos. Shortly after the shootout, anti-India protesters threw stones at government forces and chanted slogans seeking the end of Indian rule over the occupied region. Government forces fired tear gas at the protesters. No one was reported injured during the clashes. Locals said government troops detained several people and forced them to sit in front of them as shields during the clashes. Wednesday’s fighting comes amid a surge in violence in the region. Last week, authorities in the region dismissed 11 Kashmiris from their government jobs for alleged links with fighter groups. They included two sons of a top Kashmiri commander and two police officials. The AssociATed Press

Defence Minister of Tajikistan Colonel General Sherali Mirzo Wednesday called on Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa here at the General Headquarters.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed matters of mutual interests, the overall regional situation including recent developments in Afghanistan especially the situation on the Tajik-Afghan border, and the measures to further enhance bilateral defence collaboration between the two countries, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said.

The COAS said that Pakistan valued its brotherly relations with Tajikistan, which were based on shared faith, culture and convergence on all important issues relating to regional peace, security and stability.

The COAS also appreciated Tajikistan’s efforts towards regional connectivity and its inclination to achieve the same through Pakistan.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s positive role for regional peace & stability, especially the Afghan peace process and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two brotherly countries.

On June 23, officials in Turkey and Azerbaijan appreciated Pakistan for its role in promoting peace in the region, especially the country’s efforts for bringing stability in Afghanistan.

They made such views during Gen Bajwa’s separate visits to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

COAS Gen Qamar had met Turkish Defence Minister General (retd) Hulusi Akar during his day-long visit, and discussed matters of mutual interest including the Afghan peace process, according to a statement issued by the ISPR. Turkish General Staff Commander General Yasar Guler and Turkish Land Forces Commander General Umit Dundar were also in attendance.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interests,

regional security situation including recent developments in the Afghan reconciliation process and bilateral defence and security cooperation in various fields were discussed,” the statement read.

Earlier on arrival in Azerbaijan, the army chief was presented with a guard of honour by a smartly turned out military contingent.

The COAS met senior military leaders of Azerbaijan during the two-day official visit to the country.

He called on Internal Affairs Minister Colonel General Eyvazov Vilayat Suleyman Oglu, Chief of State Border Service (SBS) Colonel General Elchin Guliyev, and Chief of State Security Service Colonel General Ali Naghi Oglu Naghiyev in Baku.

During the meeting, the military’s media wing said that matters of mutual interest, bilateral defence and security cooperation, regional peace and cooperation in energy, trade and connectivity projects between both countries were discussed. with additional input from APP. News desk

Taliban deny killing 22 captured Afghan commandos News Desk The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday dismissed a CNN report, claiming that the insurgent group had killed 22 commandos of Afghan special forces while they were surrendering, stated Tribune News. The report — which also included a graphic video — claimed that the incident occurred on June 16 in the town of Dawlat Abad in Faryab province, close to Afghanistan’s border with Turkmenistan. It stated that the commandos had run out of ammunition after a fierce battle to hold the town and were surrounded by the Taliban fighters. “A report of CNN claiming that the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate have killed enemy’s commando soldiers after surrendering is not true,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the insurgent group, said on Twitter shared by Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen.

He said that a fake scene has been montaged with another scene of 22 commandos who had been killed during fighting in Faryab province. “The two scenes have been photoshopped and montaged, for preparation of the report,” Mujahid claimed. The Afghan Taliban have also distanced themselves from what they called fake statements, videos, documents, threats and other letters which were not only being shared on social media but even being physically airdropped in some areas of the war-torn country. In a statement on Monday, Mujahid said that all such propaganda by the enemy is aimed at controlling their fear and anxiety, to distract common thinking, and to cover up their compounding failures.

“After the stooge enemy was exposed and suffered humiliating defeats across the country where thousands of soldiers defected and embraced the open arms of the Islamic Emirate, and nearly two hundred districts were cleansed from their malicious presence, the enemy has now reached for propaganda, fabrications, and other futile tactics,” he said. He added that fake statements, documents, threats and other letters are recently being circulated on social media and even physically airdropped into some areas that impose restrictions on locals, threatens them, specifies gender laws, regulates lives, beards, movements and even contains baseless claims about the marriage of daughters and other such issues.

Similarly, he said, fake videos and footage of multi-yearold video scenes showing activities of Da’ish militias are also passed on as recent actions committed by the Taliban.

“Spurious claims and propaganda is being conjured and handed over to media by the enemy about horrendous dealings by the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate with locals in the recently liberated districts.”

Afghanistan troop pullout a ‘mistake’, says former US president Bush Former United States president George W. Bush on Wednesday criticised the withdrawal of Nato troops from Afghanistan and said civilians were being left to be “slaughtered” by the Taliban.

“Laura (Bush) and I spent a lot of time with Afghan women, and they’re scared.

And I think about all the interpreters and people that helped not only US troops but Nato troops, and it seems like they’re just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people. And it breaks my heart,” Bush told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

Asked whether he thought the withdrawal was a mistake, Bush replied: “Yes, I think it is.” Read: ‘No smoking, no shaving’ — Taliban restore old rules in newly seized

Afghan territory The former Republican president, who sent troops to Afghanistan in autumn 2001 after the September 11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre, said he believed German Chancellor Angela Merkel “feels the same way”.

Bush said Merkel, who is set to retire from politics later this year after 16 years in power, had brought “class and dignity to a very important position and made very hard decisions”.

US and Nato forces began withdrawing from Afghanistan in early May and are due to completely pull out by September 11, some 20 years after they arrived in the wartorn country.

Most of the 2,500 US and 7,500 Nato

troops who were in Afghanistan when US President Joe Biden detailed the final withdrawal in April have now gone, leaving Afghan troops to fight an emboldened Taliban seemingly bent on a military victory.

The country is facing a crisis as the insurgents snap up territory across the countryside, stretching government forces and leading to a fresh wave of internally displaced families, complicated by a renewed outbreak of Covid-19.

The United Nations said on Sunday the rising conflict is causing “more suffering” across the violence-wracked country as it called for continuous financial aid.

Biden has insisted, however, that it is time for US involvement in the war to end and for Afghans to chart their own future. AFP

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