EpaperKHI_21-09-8

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021 I 30 Muharram, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 69 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Taliban announce inTerim governmenT wiTh mullah akhund as iTs head g

mullah Baradar To serve as depuTy g TaliBan spokesperson says prime minisTer; siraJuddin haqqani 'no one will Be aBle To Becomes deFence minisTer inTerFere in aFghanisTan'

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ohammad hasan akhund will head the Taliban’s acting government in afghanistan while the group’s co-founder abdul ghani Baradar will be the deputy afghan leader, Taliban spokesperson zabihullah mujahid announced on Tuesday.

Taliban’s deputy leader sirajuddin haqqani will be the acting interior minister, amir khan muttaqi will be the acting foreign minister, political chief sher mohammad abbas stanikzai will be the acting deputy foreign minister and mullah yaqoob will be the acting defence minister, he announced during a press conference in kabul.

The heads of various other ministries will be appointed soon, mujahid added.

“all groups have been represented in the cabinet,” he said.

The Taliban spokesperson said afghanistan had “gained freedom”, stressing that “only the will of afghans” will be applicable in the country. “after today, no one will be able to interfere in afghanistan,” he emphasised. mujahid said that the Taliban had been in contact with various countries and their envoys had visited afghanistan. in response to a question, the spokesperson said the country will now be called the islamic emirate of afghanistan. mujahid said there was no fighting in panjshir, the last holdout of anti-Taliban forces in the country and the only province the Taliban had not seized during their blitz across afghanistan last month.

coronavirus in

PakisTan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,186,234

separately, in a written statement, acting prime minister mohammad hasan akhund congratulated afghans for the “withdrawal of all foreign forces, end of the occupation and complete liberation of the country”. a caretaker and “committed” cabinet had been announced which will start working at the earliest, he said, adding that the leaders will “work hard towards upholding islamic rules and sharia (islamic law) in the country, protecting the country’s highest interests, securing afghanistan’s borders, and ensuring lasting peace, prosperity and development”. all governance and life in the country will henceforth be in accordance with islamic law, akhund said. “we want to have a peaceful, prosperous and self-reliant afghanistan, for which we will strive to eliminate all causes of war and strife in the country, and [for] our countrymen to live in complete security and comfort.”

Furthermore, the Taliban wanted to have “strong and healthy” relations with all countries based on mutual respect, he said. “we are committed to all international laws and treaties, resolutions and commitments that are not in conflict with islamic law and the country’s national values,” akhund stressed. he also emphasised that the interim government will take “serious and effective steps” to protect human rights as well as the rights of minorities and underprivileged groups within the framework of the demands of islam. news desk

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Imran assures judiciary of support in speedy dispensation of justice ISLAMABAD app

Termed the rule of law a vital organ of a civilised society, the prime minister said his government will provide improved working conditions to the judiciary to help it ensure speedy dispensation of justice to the public. addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of a judicial complex in islamabad, imran khan said the project will facilitate all stakeholders: the bench, bar and petitioners.

The complex, a collaboration between capital development authority and Frontier works organization, is being constructed in sector g-11/4 at a land measuring 195,000 square feet and will be completed in six months.

For the last four decades, the district courts are housed in a rented structure and provide insufficient facilities to the stakeholders.

Terming dispensation of justice especially to the weaker segments a priority, the prime minister said he had also named his political party on the same title and vision. imran said he was proud to be part of the “epic democratic struggle” of the 2007 lawyers movement against a military dictator,

Journalists, politicians and friends pay tribute to late Arif Nizami g

Jahangir Tareen, FarhaTullah BaBar and aiTzaz ahsan among eminenT speakers ISLAMABAD staff report

LAST UPDATED AT 1:00 PM ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

98

3,316

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,067,589 26,330 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

439,119

405,005

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

165,512 AJK/GB:

32,411 ISLAMABAD:

32,873/10,065

101,249

Journalists, politicians, academicians and authors on Tuesday paid tribute to the founding editor of The nation and pakistan Today, arif nizami.

The memorial webinar was organised in the memory of renowned journalist and thinker, nizami, under the auspices of dr nadeemul haq, the vice chancellor of pakistan institute of development economics, islamabad.

Former minister Jahangir Tareen shared stories of nizami sahab going through tough times yet staying always composed. aitzaz ahsan remembered him as a professional journalist and loyal friend. senior politician Farhatullah Babar, special assistant for information rauf hassan, dawn news ceo hameed haroon, renowned anchorperson and senior analyst aamir matin and senior reporter mehtab haider attended as guests. at the beginning of the webinar, dr haq displayed a documentary film based on the

however, regretted that the targets could not be achieved. he mentioned the political elite in the country continued to seek a preferential treatment and considered itself above the law. “a country can never progress where two separate streams of justice prevail for the powerful and the weaker ones,” he said. he pointed out that lingering litigation, particularly in cases of land grabbing, was a big hurdle in the way to investment by overseas pakistanis.

The prime minister lauded islamabad high court chief Justice athar minallah for announcing landmark verdicts in the interest of society and environmental protection. he also appreciated the cda and Fwo for starkly bringing down the cost of pc-1 to rs1.5 billion from rs6.5 billion.

Justice minallah said access to inexpensive and speedy justice was the basic right of the public, which could be possible only “if all institutions continued to work within their ambits”. “supremacy of the law and the constitution, and abiding by the oath of one’s office is a guarantee to justice and ensures the rights of the nation,” he said.

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more inside

IED martyrs two soldiers in N. Waziristan attack: ISPR STORY ON BACK PAGE

several uk reservations on covid data ‘removed’ to exit red list: Fawad STORY ON PAGE 03 memoirs and photographs of nizami’s life in which various aspects of his life were highlighted. rauf hassan appreciated his valuable services to the country and the nation individually and collectively. Farhatullah Babar said that nizami is the name of a bright era of media, his services are unforgettable. aamir matin and hameed haroon highlighted the memorable events of the moments spent in the media family with nizami. They said that nizami will be remembered in the

media as a teacher and educator for a long time. his services are unforgettable. all the participants appreciated the nizami memorial webinar organised by pide and agreed that they would work together to carry out his mission and follow in his footsteps for free media and responsible journalism. his friends also said that he was always an editor and never a proprietor. dr haq endorsed that this webinar was to cherish the memories and legacy of nizami.

Cabinet okays new bosses for Punjab police, bureaucracy STORY ON PAGE 03

is single national curriculum implementable?

STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

bilawal’s souTh punjab sojourn proves To be a failure as no poliTical bigwig joins ppp ISLAMABAD

T

MIan abRaR

HE political sojourn of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to South Punjab has proved to be another political failure as the young party leader miserably failed to woo any political bigwig during his visit to Southern Punjab – a traditional stronghold of the party.

Over the past few days, Bilawal visited

Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffar Garh, Multan and Vehari districts but failed to attract any political bigwigs. Even the political gatherings he addressed were poorly attended.

Prior to the visit of Bilawal, PPP’s local leaders had made tall claims about joining of sitting lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), especially the parliamentary group of Jahangir Tareen.

However, neither a lawmaker nor a political heavyweight joined the party.

Taliban fire shoTs To disperse anTi-pakisTan proTesT in kabul KABUL afp

The Taliban on Tuesday fired shots into the air to disperse crowds who had gathered for an antiPakistan rally in the capital, the latest protest since the hard-line movement swept to power last month.

The Taliban have yet to announce a government, but Afghans — fearful of a repeat of the group’s previous brutal reign between 1996 and 2001 — have staged small, isolated demonstrations in cities including the capital Kabul, Herat and Mazar-iSharif. On Tuesday at least 70 people, mostly women, rallied outside Pakistan’s embassy, holding banners and chanting against what they claimed was meddling by Islamabad. Intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed was in Kabul at the weekend, reportedly to be briefed by the ambassador but is likely to have also met with Taliban officials. AFP staff witnessed Taliban members firing shots into the air to disperse the crowds. The previous day, a small group of women in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif gathered in a protest for their rights. Defiant women also came together in Herat last week demanding they be allowed to participate in the new government. Tuesday’s demonstration comes after the Taliban claimed total control over Afghanistan a day earlier, saying they had won the key battle for the Panjshir Valley, the last holdout of resistance against their rule. Following their lightning-fast victory in mid-August over the former Afghan government’s security forces and the withdrawal of US troops after 20 years of war, the Taliban turned to fighting the forces defending the mountainous Panjshir Valley. As the hard-liners claimed victory, their chief spokesman warned against any further attempts to rise up against their rule. “Anyone who tries to start an insurgency will be hit hard. We will not allow another,” Zabihullah Mujahid said at a press conference in Kabul. As they undertake a mammoth transition into overseeing key institutions and cities of hundreds of thousands of people, Mujahid said an interim government would be announced first, allowing for later changes. Afghanistan’s new rulers have pledged to be more “inclusive” than during their first stint in power, with a government that represents the country’s complex ethnic makeup — though women are unlikely to be included. Women’s freedoms in Afghanistan were sharply curtailed under the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule.

This time, women will be allowed to attend university as long as classes are segregated by sex or at least divided by a curtain, the Taliban’s education authority said in a lengthy document issued on Sunday.

No major political figure from these districts could join the party and the local leadership of the PPP, led by former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, failed to attract any influential political personality from Southern Punjab to join the party.

During the past few days, only three politicians joined the PPP. Only one among those who met Bilawal and announced to join the PPP had contested 2018 elections. Engineer Atif Imran who formally joined the PPP had only bagged

128 votes in the 2018 general elections by contesting from the platform of Future Pakistan Party.

“Engr Atif Imran is a miserable choice.

In the 2018 elections, the PPP could not even get any candidate from NA-155 Multan to contest against PTI’s MNA Malik Amir Dogar. Hence, now the PPP may claim that they have at least a candidate but it’s a poor choice,” said Malik Hamid Thaheem, a political commentator from Multan told Pakistan Today.

Pakistani companies at last pull in ship stuck near Karachi beach KArACHI Inp

The cargo ship which ran aground and stuck off Karachi beach finally started floating again in deep-sea on Tuesday.

The operation to retrieve the Hang Tong 77 from the port city was at last successful after over one and a half months. Two tugboats and a crane boat took part in the latest operation to salvage the cargo ship. The operation was completely carried out by Pakistani companies MAX and Ayyan Ship Breaking Company.

A foreign company would have cost the operation about $2 million but the Pakistani companies effort only

cost one-fourth of that amount.

The Hang Tong 77, manufactured in 2011, stuck in the sand near Seaview Karachi due to a broken hanger on July 21. Registered in Panama, the ship weighs 2,250 tons and is loaded with containers.

According to a Karachi Port Trust spokesman, the ship came ashore due to high waves and a weak engine.

A day earlier, the plan draft for the rescue attempt had been sent to the relevant department.

The salvage master details, crane barge, two tug ropes and all the required information had been maintained in the plan sent to KPT for approval.

The letter said an experienced salvage master has been sought to help refloat the stranded ship off the

Karachi coast. It also said more durable tug ropes have been sought to extricate the grounded ship back into the sea.

Since there will be high tide starting Sep 7, the new attempt shall take place today, it said.

Late last month, the salvage operation of a cargo vessel grounded at Karachi’s Seaview beach was put off to next month (Sep) after another rescue effort ended in failure.

In another effort to tug a stranded cargo vessel, three ropes tied with the ship were snapped after it was dragged by 12 to 15 meters. The vessel returned back to its previous position after iron and nylon ropes tied with it were snapped during the tugging effort.

The salvage operation of the ship has been deferred to the next month as the window of high tides in the sea has subsided with the waning moon, according to sources.

On July 30, the Pakistan Navy along with other maritime stakeholders had safely completed the defuelling process of a merchant ship that ran aground at Seaview.

FDE issues new dress code for educationists MonItorIng report The Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has issued a new dress code for the staff of educational institutions, whereby teachers working for federal government institutes will not be able to wear jeans and t-shirts.

In a notification issued on September 6, the FDE outlined in detail what men and women can and cannot wear. The FDE reasoned that research has proven that attire has an influence on people’s perceptions and is more than just about something you are wearing.

“At first instance, the outlook imposes a very positive expectation subjective to the likeliness and behaviour pattern of the students,” the FDE said in its notification ahead of its guidelines on the dress codes. The FDE has prohibited female teachers from wearing jeans or tights, while male teachers can’t wear jeans and T-shirts.

Teachers have been instructed to wear teaching gowns in class and lab coats in the laboratory.

For women, a “simple and decent shalwar kameez/trousers shirt with dupatta/shawl” has been recommended. Only formal shoes, which includes pumps, loafers and mules, are allowed. But owing to longstanding hours during teaching, comfortable shoes like sneakers and sandals can be worn as well.

Female teachers wearing headscarves will be allowed to wear scarves and hijab, the notification read.

Male teachers will not be allowed to wear shawls (chadars) during winter, but can wear sweaters, coats and jerseys. If a male teacher is coming in to work wearing shalwar kameez, he has to wear a waistcoat with it. If he is wearing a dress shirt, it should preferably be full sleeves with a tie and trousers. During the summers, a half sleeves dress shirt and/or bush shirt can also be worn. For shoes, men can only wear formal shoes, which includes dress shoes, loafers, Moccasins and boots. Sneakers and sandals can be worn too, but not slippers.

Cabinet okays new bosses for Punjab police, bureaucracy ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday gave its nod to a proposal seeking to replace Punjab chief secretary and police chief.

Kamran Ali Afzal, a BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, will replace Jawad Rafique Malik, also a PAS in the same grade, as the new boss of the provincial bureaucracy and Rao Sardar Ali Khan, a Police Service of Pakistan officer in BPS-22, will take Inam Ghani’s place to lead the force.

Last week, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had recommended three names each for the new chief secretary and the Inspector General of Police to Prime Minister Imran Khan for selecting any of them.

For the office of the chief secretary, the chief minister had recommended the names of Cabinet Secretary Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera, Kamran Ali Afzal and Board of Revenue Member Babar Hayat Tarrar. For police chief, his picks were Khan, Additional Inspector General of Police (South) Zafar Iqbal and Mohsin Hassan Butt.

Establishment Division is expected to issue a notification in this regard soon.

Village achieves what eludes most in developed world: Full literacy LAHore anadolu agency

Situated in the remote areas of Punjab, Rasool Pur, a small village, has created a model for a perfect civilisation for the whole world. A champion of 100 percent literacy rate and 0 percent crime rate, the village celebrated the International Literacy Day observed on September 8 annually with people congratulating each other and appreciating school teachers for their firm commitment towards education.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency exclusively, Mehtaab Jahan, principal of Government Girls High School Rasool Pur, said: “I was transferred here two years ago and got amazed by the remarkable sense of responsibility of the people. No one litters on the road; the whole village is a non-smoking zone.”

Rasool Pur has a population of 2,000-3,000 people, with most of its residents being ethnic Ahmadani Baloch.

Their ancestors migrated from Balochistan to Southern Punjab in 1933-34. At the time, they had no permanent source of income, hence, education became their tool to earn a source of living.

The village has two high schools and a primary school.

After students complete high school, they go to a college

Another significant joining came on Tuesday as the son-in-law of PTI’s former president of South Punjab Noor Khan Bhaba joined the PPP from Mailsi. Imran Khan Bhaba, the son in law of former MPA and former PTI South Punjab President Noor Khan Bhaba from Mailsi has no political background. However, the move could be seen significant as PTI’s Noor Khan Bhaba may have pushed him to join the PPP just to build pressure on the ruling party leadership who have notified Senator Aun Abbas Bappi as new president of the PTI South Punjab.

Another joining with the PPP is Mian Mazhar Abbas, who was inducted into the PPP two days ago with the PPP claiming him a ticket holder from PML-Q from NA-156 Multan. PML-Q leaders however have disowned Mazhar, saying he had never participated in the elections and claim that the PML-Q never gave him a ticket.

in the nearest township of Jampur city, which is 8-10 kilometres (5-6 miles) away.

“I have 300 girls in my school and there is almost the same number of students in the boys’ school. We do not believe in how the United Nations defines literacy — as the ability to sign one’s name — every person here has to finish high school, otherwise, the elders do not give them permission to participate in the society” said Jahaan.

According to the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey, the literacy rate of the population was stagnant at 60 percent in 2019-20 since 2014-15.

ALL WOMEN EDUCATED, NO CRIME IN A CENTURY: While explaining the social behaviour of the people, Jahan shed light on the most important factor which contributed to the achievement of a 100 percent literacy rate. “All the women of the village are educated here. This shows that they understand the importance of women’s education. This is the main reason that all the children, as soon as they reach the age of 4-5, start their education,” said Jahaan.

The village has its own league called Rasool Pur Development Society, which is responsible for collecting donations for the people who cannot afford education. The society also makes sure that no one drops out of school.

Jampur Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Farooq

also spoke of the importance of this village about how Pakistan is viewed around the world.

“This village is representing Pakistan’s actual image in the whole world. They contribute in making it possible for everyone to get an education and maintain a clean and friendly environment to live in.”

To encourage the children and their parents to continue this decade-old commitment towards education, a yearly function has been organized by the community in which they appreciate students who achieve positions in competitive and university-level exams. Dilawar Saleem, a resident of Rasool Poor, said: “Encouraging the students and showing them the success stories of their elder siblings make them achieve even higher goals.”

Meanwhile, a 100 percent literacy rate is not the only achievement of the village. The police station of this model village has not registered a single criminal case in the last 100 years, which shows how being responsible for other’s rights is everyone’s concern.

“We have a strong network of communication among us, which has been passed on by our ancestors. No one tries to cross the line when it comes to maintaining the law and order situation. This is the rule which has abled us to attain zero crime rate in our village,” Saleem told Anadolu Agency.

rashid Minhas remembered on air force day LAHore Staff RepoRt

Rashid Minhas, the national hero whose 50th martyrdom anniversary was celebrated in August, was remembered nationwide on the eve of Pakistan Air Force Day with tributes paid to his services. Born on February 17, 1951, Minhas remains the youngest officer to receive Nishan-e-Haider, the country’s highest gallantry honour and was the first recipient of the award for the Pakistan Air Force. He received early education from Karachi and on reaching the tender age of 17, he joined Pakistan Air Force Academy in Risalpur as a Flying Cadet. In 1971, Mauripur graduated from the academy as a general duty pilot and was posted to PAF base Masroor in Karachi’s Mauripur town to hone his skills as a fighter pilot. On August 20, as a pilot still under training, Mauripur was taxing out a T-33 Jet trainer for take-off, when a pilot instructor, Flight Lieutenant Mataur Rahman, forced his way into the rear cockpit. In mid-air, Rahman knocked Minhas out, seized control of the aircraft and headed towards India. With just 40 miles of Pakistan territory remaining, Mauripur regained consciousness and tried to regain control of his aircraft. Failing to do so, he did the only thing within his control to prevent the aircraft from being taken to India — he forced that plane to crash just 32 miles from the Indian border, deliberately sacrificing his life for the honour of Pakistan.

Mauripur was laid to rest on August 21, with full military honours. The young pilot’s entire family attended the funeral, along with senior PAF and other military personnel. Mauripur was posthumously awarded the country’s top military honour, announced by then-president Gen Yahya Khan. He became the youngest man and the only member of the air force to win the award.

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

KARACHI

SeverAl UK reServAtIoNS oN CovId dAtA ‘reMoved’ to exIt red lISt: FAWAd

M

NewS DeSk

INISTER for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that Pakistan has “removed” several reservations of the United Kingdom (UK) on Covid data as the country seeks to exit Britain’s travel red list.

While briefing the media about the decisions taken in the meeting of the federal cabinet held in Islamabad with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair, Fawad said that Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan has spoken at length about Pakistan’s coronavirus testing mechanism with Britain’s chief medical scientist.

“We hope that the British government will review its policy,” he added. Pakistan was retained on the

Britain’s travel red list despite diplomatic efforts by several top government officials. The British government had said that it had decided to keep Pakistan on the travel ban red list because the true number of Covid-19 cases were likely much higher than reported across the country, a leaked letter written by Britain’s health minister had revealed.

Fawad said that, during the cabinet meeting, the PM expressed serious reservations on the process for acquiring land of poor people in Islamabad to distribute plots among bureaucrats, journalists, and judges. Fawad said that the prime minister constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Planning Minister Asad Umar that will evolve a comprehensive policy to check exploitation of the poor people.

He said the policy will formulate a

system so that lands of common people cannot be acquired to appease bureaucrats, journalists and judges.

The minister said that the government is pursuing a policy to turn SOEs into profitable organisations.

He said that as a result of prudent policies of the government, all stateowned enterprises, except National Highway Authority, have become profitable. He added that SOEs earned Rs31 billion so far.

The minister said that the cabinet also approved a security plan for New Zealand’s cricket team during upcoming tour to Pakistan. He said that extraordinary security will be provided to the visiting cricketers.

He said that enforcement of Essential Services Act in Radio Pakistan was also approved. He added that the government

is also working on reviving the cinema industry for which import of foreign movies, except Indian films, will be allowed.

He said that the price of Remdesivir — a drug used to treat patients with Covid-19 — has been reduced from Rs5,680 to Rs3,967.

Fawad said that port charges on exports have been reduced by 50 percent.

He said that voluntary retirement and golden handshake scheme for the employees of Pakistan Medical Council also got cabinet’s nod. It was approved to establish a joint security commission between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, he added.

The minister said that the cabinet approved funds for the payment of outstanding expenditure of Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

NCOC urges masses to get vaccinated, follow safety protocols NewS DeSk The National Command and Operation Centre on Tuesday urged the masses to get second jab of their vaccination and follow safety protocols as it was the only remedy to avoid contracting deadly infectious Covid-19 virus.

The nerve center of the country in its fight against Covid-19 took to Twitter to announce the call for public compliance of the vaccination drive and standard operating procedures. The forum wrote on its official handle, “The best strategy against corona is complete vaccination, use of masks and social distance! Be sure to get a second dose of the vaccine!”

Separately, it emerged on Tuesday that the Pakistan International Airlines is continuing to airlift Covid-19 vaccines from China to Pakistan as its two special

cargo flights transported a new batch of 5.9 million doses of vaccines from Beijing Capital International Airport to Islamabad.

Special cargo flights – PK6852 and PK6853 took off from Beijing Capital Airport for Islamabad on Monday and Tuesday and transported 5.9 million doses, Qadir Bux Sangi, PIA country manager for China told APP on Tuesday.

One August 29, the national flag carriers airlifted around 12 million doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines through its four special cargo flights.

The PIA special flights PK-6852, PK-6853, PK-6854 and PK-6856 transported 12 million doses of Sinovac vaccine procured from China for vaccination of people under government’s ongoing prevention and control drive against Covid-19 pandemic, he added. He said that under

NCOC DAILY UPDATE: 3,316 NEW CASES, 98 DEATHS FROM COVID-19 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday confirmed 3,316 new Covid-19 cases and 98 more deaths, the National Command and Operation Centre said on Tuesday. The NCOC said that the number of overall confirmed cases had risen to 1,186,234, including 1,067,589 recoveries. The number of active cases has slightly dropped to 92,315 who are under treatment across the country, including 5,478 in critical conditions. According to the NCOC, the pandemic killed 98 people on Monday, increasing the overall death toll to 26,330. Sindh is the most affected province of the country in terms of the number of cases with 439,119 infections followed

by Punjab which has reported 405,005 cases so far. Staff report

able leadership of its Chief Executive Officer, Arshad Malik, the national flag carrier has so far airlifted over 63 million doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccine through 49 special flights. It is worth mentioning that the government under its mass

vaccination drive has set a target to vaccinate 75 million population by end of 2021. Chinese vaccines namely Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino besides other vaccines are being used in the mass vaccination drive.

Special envoys of neighboring countries discuss Afghanistan ISLAMABAD Monitoring report

Special envoys of several neighbouring states of Afghanistan met virtually over the weekend to discuss the evolving situation in the war-torn country amid a delay in the formation of a new government by the Taliban.

The envoys of China, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan attended a virtual meeting hosted by Pakistan, said a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Islamabad’s special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, chaired the meeting.

Welcoming his counterparts, Sadiq called for evolving a “regional approach” to address the common challenges and to realize the new opportunities arising

from a stable Afghanistan.

A prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan, he added, would provide impetus to economic integration, strong people-to-people linkages, enhanced trade, and regional connectivity.

“The special representatives of neighbours of Afghanistan agreed to remain in close contact,” the statement added.

Is Single National Curriculum implementable?

SHAHAB OMeR WHAT IS SNC? In 2018, on the suggestion of Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood, Prime Minister Imran Khan created a National Curriculum Council for the preparation of the single nation curriculum.

Last month, the SNC was finally launched in all provinces but Sindh from classes 1-5, with claims that it would end disparity within the educational system of the country as all private and public schools along with madrassahs would be teaching the same curriculum. The second phase of the SNC will start in March 2022 for classes 6-8 and the following year for classes 9-12.

The compulsory subjects for grades 1 to 5 are Urdu, English, Islamiyat, General Knowledge and Mathematics whereas from grade 1 to 12 the subject of Islamiyat is replaced with ‘Religious Education’ for minorities. There is basic education for all religions and English will be taught as a language rather than a subject.

Speaking to this scribe, PCTB spokesman Rana Tariq Mahmood said that under the new curriculum, subjects of English, General Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences and General Knowledge would be compulsory whereas non-Muslim students will be able to read Religious Studies instead of Islamic Studies.

An official of PCTB informed that they only prepare and publish textbooks whereas it was the Programme Monitoring and Implementing Unit which acquire books from PCTB in order to disburse them among public schools.

Despite extensive planning to implement its flagship education policy, the SNC, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has by and large failed in this endevour as a number of private schools still have not adopted the SNC, while public schools are clueless over how to teach the new syllabus using their current capacity and resources and there is resistance from madrassahs as well.

In this regard, it bears mentioning that the implementation and cross-checking of SNC is the responsibility of the Programme Monitoring and Implementing Unit. Moreover, a letter from the Punjab Education Department has directed

all heads of district education authorities and the District Registering Authority commissioners to ensure that all the registered private educational institutions must get approval from Punjab Curriculum and Text Book Board for textbooks, supplementary reading material, and any books they want to adopt.

With regards to ensuring that schools are in full compliance with SNC, Pakistan Today approached the Punjab School Education Department regarding enforcement and surprisingly the secretary not only refused to provide the required information regarding all the procedures and SNC but said that this was the duty of the PCTB. However, an official of PCTB informed this scribe that it would be very difficult to stop the violators as the human resource to monitor this was simply not available to them.

Schools wanting to teach from a textbook of their preference would have to get an NOC from PCTB before being allowed to do so. According to an official from the PCTB, hundreds of publishers have been approved by the board. For example, the Oxford University Press is approved by Board and the press has also approval to publish books like Mathematics, Economics, Fundamental Physics and many other books. Similarly, many books of Cambridge University Press are also approved by board and various books for English and Mathematics of Cambridge University Press are already approved as well. Not only that, but many other presses and their books have been approved.

Speaking on the matter, Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat Jamshed Cheema explained that the SNC only provides guidelines to all educational institutes. It is up to the institutions to impart education in accordance with the curriculum. The SNC is a curriculum plan and there is no book implementation restriction. Private schools are allowed to publish and teach from their own books. But for this, they will have to acquire NOC from the concerned body but the book should be in accordance with the curriculum set in SNC,” she maintained.

WHY ARE PRIVATE SCHOOLS RELUCTANT TO ADOPT SNC?

Private schools, those with sufficient budgets and resources to perhaps implement the SNC are currently the most reluctant to implement it.

According to sources, private schools — including Aitchison College Lahore, Beaconhouse School System, City Schools System, Lahore Grammar School, Roots, Educators Army Public Schools & Colleges and others — are having difficulty incorporating the SNC into their respective syllabi. For the smaller classes 13, the abrupt change in teaching language from English to Urdu for Science and Social Studies (clubbed as one subject to be called ‘General Knowledge’), is proving to be a difficult transition. For the more senior classes, up to grade 5, the books mandated by the SNC are yet to be approved by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB), even though schools have already opened and classes have commenced.

A source from within the Punjab government informed Pakistan Today that some private schools, who allegedly have access to and support of important government figures, have been asked not to create a hue and cry over the SNC and in return the education ministry is prepared to look the other way if they continue teaching the curriculum of their choice. However, a day ago, the Punjab government issued a stern warning via a letter to Aitchison College not to recommend books for grades 15 that had not received NOCs from the PCTB. Punjab government spokesperson Musarrat also admitted that a great number of students were affiliated with the private school system and there was a strong reaction from private school management over SNC. She alleged that private schools are a profit-motivated mafia that sells expensive education to parents who can’t afford it and that the SNC would provide an alternative.

Taimur K Bandey, an educationist, speaking to this scribe, commented, “It is a positive initiative but the methods for this approach are questionable. At this point, all stakeholders are questioning what exactly is the government aiming to achieve out of all this. Is the sitting government actually interested in the application of a SNC or [do] they just want to show that they are fulfilling their promise [made in recent election

NEWS

03

World to pay heavy price for ignoring India’s destabilising policies: NSA ISLAMABAD app

National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf on Tuesday said the world would pay a heavy price if it continued to ignore India’s destabilising policies, where its consequences were to go well beyond the region. The NSA Adviser took to the social networking site Twitter to slam Indian media for orchestrating false news and disinformation against Pakistan. Dr Moeed, on his official Twitter handle, wrote, “It is not a surprise that Modi’s fascist regime’s fake news industry has been caught peddling lies yet again.” The NSA shared two screenshots in his tweet comprising of UK Defence Journal and BBC news debunking the Indian news channel Times Now that broadcast a Wales based video clip of a US F-15 aircraft as a full fledged Pakistani invasion of Afghanistan. The fake news industry, he said, set up and patronised by Government of India, was one critical reason for the world being duped into blaming Pakistan rather than looking at internal failures in Afghanistan and India’s role in perpetrating terrorism in Pakistan.

Massarat Alam becomes new chairman of APHC NewS DeSk In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference have announced new office-bearers to spearhead the Kashmir freedom movement. According to Kashmri Media Service, Masarrat Aalam Butt has been appointed as the chairman of APHC, while Shabbir Ahmad Shah and Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar would be vice chairmen of the amalgam. Moulvi Bashir Ahmad Irfani will continue to work as general secretary of the APHC. The announcement to this extent was made by the APHC at an extraordinary meeting held at the Srinagar office of the amalgam. The APHC leaders paid tribute to late Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Gilani, and vowed to continue his mission.

campaigns of 2018]?”

While sharing his reservations over the SNC, he said, “We are living in the modern era. This is an era of science. The importance of science has also been emphasised by the sitting government at different forums, yet it has excluded science as a separate subject and integrated science with social studies in the name of general knowledge for grade 1 to grade 3.”

He also stated that the usefulness of using Urdu rather than English as the teaching language for this subject was questionable, adding that the fact that the mode of education would shift from Urdu to English at higher grade levels was potentially harmful.“Unfortunately, the government is treating private schools like ‘the enemy’ and English as a language of the non-believer. There is nothing wrong in promoting one’s own national language but this should not have priority over what is best for young students’ educational needs,” he added.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOT EQUIPPED TO TEACH SNC: There is general consensus amongst educationists that a severe capacity issue at public schools will hamper the implementation of SNC at this level. Schools understaffed and teachers do not have sufficient training to understand and execute the SNC effectively.

A headmaster of a government school concurred, admitting that it will take a long time for teachers of government schools to understand the new curriculum.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT SNC IN RELIGIOUS MADRASSAHS? Imran Masood, commenting on how religious madrassahs would react to the SNC, expects them to protest because students studying in these madrassahs get certificates from the federation of madrassahs.

But on the other hand, speaking to this scribe, Allama Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi, Nazim-e-Aala of Jamia Naeemia Lahore, said that SNC was a good initiative which will create uniformity.

POLITICS AND EDUCATION: Following the passing of the 18th amendment, education became a provincial subject, meaning that the federal government cannot formulate any new policy, especially a new national curriculum, and force a province to follow.

Sindh is therefore well within its right to reject and refuse the implementation of the SNC since the PPP is in power there, not the PTI.

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

04 NEWS

KARACHI

At UN, PAkiStAN demANdS iNdiA Allow bURiAl of GeelANi’S body iN SRiNAGAR’S ‘CemeteRy of mARtyRS’ UNITED NATIONS

P

APP

AKISTAN’S Ambassador to UN Munir Akram on Tuesday called for confronting the fascist ideology of Hindutva, led by the RSS, the parent organisation of India’s ruling BJP, that “most pervasively” purveys Xenophobia, violent nationalism and Islamophobia.

He was speaking in a high-level forum on the Culture of Peace, convened by the president of UN General Assembly, on the subject: “Transformative Role of the Culture of Peace: Promoting Resilience and Inclusion in Post-Covid Recovery”.

“If we all wish to promote a Culture of Peace, we must confront the culture of hate. I ask the Assembly to confront Hindutva,” the Pakistani envoy told the 193member body. On its part, he said that Pakistan has contributed to the objectives of a Culture of Peace, through the submission each year since 2004, along with Philippines, of the resolution on “Promotion of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace.”

“We have also continued to work closely with the UN Alliance of Civilisations and High Representative Miguel Moratinos.”

In his remarks, Ambassador Akram also called on the General Assembly, and the UN bodies dealing with the promotion of human rights, to demand that India allow the body of “great” Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani, who passed away last week while under Indian de-

tention, to be buried in the ‘Cemetery of Martyrs’ as he and his family desired; his funeral be held consistent with Muslim customs and traditions; and the curfew imposed on the valley be lifted to enable his family, relatives and admirers to participate in his last rites and honour his life and legacy.

Dealing with the impacts of Hindutva, the Pakistani envoy said, “India’s 200 million Muslim minority faces frequent lynching by ‘cow vigilantes’; pogroms by RSS thugs, with official complicity; discriminatory citizen laws to expel Muslims; and a concerted campaign to destroy Mosques, build temples in their place, rewrite history, and obliterate the rich Muslim heritage of India.

“Hindutva’s adherents in New Delhi are also embarked on the campaign to impose what they ominously call a ‘Final Solution’ for the Jammu and Kashmir.

“They abrogated Kashmir’s statehood; unleashed a reign of terror; abducted 13,000 Kashmiri boys and tortured many of them; killed hundreds in ‘fake encounters’; jailed all Kashmiri leaders; violently suppressed peaceful protests; imposed collective punishments, destroying entire villages and neighbourhoods; and are embarked on changing Jammu and Kashmir’s demography from a Muslim majority state to a Hindu majority territory.

Those responsible for these war crimes and crimes against humanity must be held accountable.”

“The most recent example of Indian barbarity”, Ambassador Akram said, was the treatment of mortal remains of Geelani, who was incarcerated for 50 years but never wavered from his demand for Kashmir’s freedom.

Despite his advancing age and failing health, he was now

allowed to seek medical treatment abroad.

“Even as his family mourned his loss, and prepared for his funeral, a heavy contingent of India’s occupation forces entered their home, and over the protests of family members, forcibly snatched Syed Geelani’s body, denied him the last rites of a Muslim funeral and buried him in a non-descript place rather than the ‘Cemetery of Martyrs’ as desired by Syed Geelani before his death.

“Geelani’s family members were charged for draping his body in the Pakistani flag – as he had wished. The Indian theft of Geelani’s body was accompanied by the imposition of a complete curfew in and the snapping of all electronic and other communications with and within the Kashmir Valley. “This is the cowardly and criminal conduct of India’s Hindutva colonisers of Kashmir,” the Pakistani envoy added.

Construction work on Pakistan Stream pipeline to start soon: envoy NEWS DESK

ISLAMABAD: A beautiful view of rain-washed federal capital. ONLINE

Crude prices keep drifting down on demand concerns

CPEC promoting economic development in Pakistan: Beijing

NEWS DESK Crude oil prices went down for the second straight day on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia cut crude prices for Asia by $1 a barrel last week amid demand concerns.

At 1030 hours GMT, Brent, the international benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil, shed $0.30 (-0.42 percent) to reach $71.92 a barrel. Similarly, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) reached $68.46 a barrel, down by $0.83 (-1.20 percent).

The price for Opec Basket was recorded at $72.58 a barrel with 1.31 percent increase, Arab Light was available at $70.88 a barrel with a 3.97 percent decrease, while the price of Russian Sokol slipped to $71.16 after shedding 2.16 percent.

Earlier on Sunday last, Saudi Aramco said in a statement that it will cut October official selling prices for all crude grades sold to Asia by at least $1 a barrel. The price cut comes at a time when lockdowns across Asia to combat the delta variant of the coronavirus have clouded the economic outlook.

According to experts, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies (OPEC+) has also announced to increase oil supply by 400,000 barrels per day and this will cause oil prices to struggle. They said that Non-Farming Payroll (NFP) data for August already was not impressive and all these are not good signs for crude prices.

BEIJING TLTP

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being an important priority project in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has strongly promoted economic and social development in Pakistan and also played an active role in regional connectivity.

This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin in a press briefing on Tuesday, saying: “The CPEC is

an important priority project in BRI. Since inception, it has made progress in many areas including energy.” He emphasised that the BRI started from China but its opportunities and outcomes benefited the whole world. “So far, there are 140 partner countries that have signed cooperative documents and BRI has already become the largest international cooperation platform benefiting the largest scale in the world,” he added.

The spokesperson said that China is ready to work with dif-

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ferent countries including Pakistan to build high quality BRI to deliver more benefits and share more dividends.

The first CPEC project in the power evacuation and transmission sector, the 660kV High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Matiari-Lahore transmission line, started commercial operations on Wednesday last on its scheduled date. The flagship HVDC line project achieved its commercial operation date (COD) successfully as per the timeline agreed between the NTDC and Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line Company (PMLTC). Prior to its COD, eight power tests on different voltage levels were performed successfully.

The 878-kilometre 4,000MW project has been completed by PMLTC (Pvt) Limited on BuildOwn-Operate-Transfer basis for 25 years. The project will evacuate power from the new generating units located in the south, including Thar coal projects.

Pakistani Ambassador to Russia, Shafqat Ali Khan has said that construction work on the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project is expected to start in the near future after several rounds of consultations. “After many years of negotiations, [Moscow and Islamabad] have finally signed an agreement and since then there has been significant progress, we’ve held several rounds of technical consultations, including financial issues,” the ambassador said in an interview with RIA Novosti. “As soon as the final details are agreed, we expect the start of construction. I think it will have a significant impact for future investments (in Pakistan) ... I cannot disclose details… we are very optimistic, “ he added. In late May, the two countries signed a deal on building a major gas pipeline linking Karachi and Gwadar to power plants and industrial hubs in Punjab. Spanning over 683 miles (1,100 kilometres), the pipeline, dubbed ‘Pakistan Stream,’ is expected to have a discharge capacity of up to 12.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Under the terms of the agreement, Pakistan would reportedly hold a 74 percent stake in the pipeline operator while Russia would own the remaining 26 percent. The initial deal to build the pipeline was clinched back in 2015. The project is expected to become the largest infrastructure deal between the two nations since the early 1970s, when the then Soviet Union built the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) at Port Qasim near Karachi.

Gold price slips for second day to Rs97,600 per 10gm NEWS DESK Gold price extends its corrective decline from twomonth highs into the second straight day on Tuesday, as investors expect an extended period of easy monetary policy that lowered demand for safe-haven gold.

At 1120 hours GMT, gold in the international market was available at $1,809.60 per ounce after shedding $14.40. The US dollar benefited from the rally in the Treasury yields, as higher yields tend to weigh negatively on the non-yielding gold. Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams of yellow metal in Pakistan decreased to Rs97,600 after shedding Rs300. The closing prices of the yellow metal in the country remained Rs97,900 on Monday last. From a technical point of view, the gold price is teasing the critical demand area at $1810, which is the intersection of the SMA200 one-day and pivot point one-day S3. Immediate support is then seen at $1808, where the pivot point one-week S1 aligns.

A sharp drop towards the previous week’s low of $1802 cannot be ruled out if the aforementioned support surrenders. Further south, the SMA50 one-day at $1797 could come to the rescue of gold buyers. Alternatively, a bunch of healthy resistance levels is stacked up around $1816. Gold bulls need to scale the latter to unleash additional recovery towards the $1821.

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

KARACHI

KP govt launches onlIne account system for admIn dePartments peSHaWar

t

AZiZ BUneri

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government introduced a central treasury system where all the administrative departments will deposit their revenues.

The program was launched on an experimental basis just for Peshawar under which an online account has been

launched for all administrative departments with the Additional Deputy Commissioner office.

All administrative departments will submit their revenue in the same account while departments will not be able to open any other account without permission.

According to KP Finance Department sources, the Peshawar district administration has implemented the Central Treasury system headed by the Addi-

tional Deputy Commissioner.

All the administrative departments will deposit their revenue and income in the same account under the online system for which one link system will be used.

Similarly, three parties have been included in the system, including the district administration, the State Bank and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority.

According to sources, no administrative department will open any other on-

line account without permission to collect its revenue and all the revenue will be credited to the same account.

The Treasury Department has instructed all administrative departments to enter into this joint venture and be part of this account.

The finance department has planned to introduce the said system in all the districts after it was started on an experimental basis in Peshawar.

MSCI decision causes KSE-100 to fall another 189 points On Tuesday, concerns were raised over Pakistan's reclassification by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and the benchmark KSE-100 Index drove up due to higher coal prices to an over three-month low with volumes registering a minor rise at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)

A cautious wait-and-see approach is adopted by investors ahead of the MSCI decision to re-classify Pakistan from the Emerging Markets Index to Frontier Markets that is expected early Wednesday.

The KSE-100 index that settled at 46,729.96 is the lowest since May 27.

It finished with a drop of 188.56 points or 0.40 per cent.

Accumulating 76.32 points, the benchmark KSE-100 recorded an intra-day high of 46,994.84 during the initial hour of trade. However, it found resistance at the 47,000 level yet again. Monitoring report

NEWS

05

textile exports surge in aug 21 Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood announces that exports of home textile, men’s garments, cotton fabric, jerseys, T-shirts, rice, fruits and vegetables are on a high growth trajectory.

As the exports of these products in August 2021 exceeded that of the corresponding month of 2020.

However, he also tweeted that the exports of surgical instruments, fish and fish products, cement, tents and canvas, wood and articles of wood decreased during the same period. He continued his series of tweets by stating, “In terms of geographical area, exports to the US, China, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain increased while those to Afghanistan, Denmark, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore and the Czech Republic decreased during August 2021 as compared to August 2020.” Moreover, Dawood mentioned that exports of services escalated by 6.4 per cent to $483 million during July 2021 against $454m during July 2020. According to Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) President Zulfikar Thaver, this surge in textile exports is due to the upcoming Christmas season. He also added that the decrease in exports of certain items was due to an increase in their transportation cost. Monitoring report

rupee weakens by 40 paisas against dollar The rupee continued to lose its ground against the US dollar as it depreciated by 40 paisas on Tuesday. The home unit had closed at Rs167.23 per dollar on Monday while on Tuesday the inter-bank market closing rate was Rs167.63. Pakistani currency depreciated by approximately 0.24 per cent on Tuesday.

Forex Association of Pakistan President Malik Bostan commented that the dollar upsurge against the rupee is linked to the inflow of dollars into Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Monitoring report

cryptocurrencies selloff widens: Bitcoin down nearly 4pc, ether 6pc

Imran assures judiciary of support in speedy dispensation of justice

THE WORLD'S BIGGEST AND BESTKNOWN CRYPTOCURRENCY WEAKENED 4PC TO $50,516 LAHORE: Army troops patrol the streets of the provincial capital on Defence Day. ZUBAir MehfooZ

continued from page 01 He said the goals of the lawyers’ movement were yet to be accomplished as its leaders had promised the people a journey towards “a state like a mother’, that protected and cared for its citizens. However, he stressed that such a struggle could not be limited to the judiciary alone. “Judiciary is a unit in the judicial system […] a society where truthful witnesses become extinct and the committing of crime is overlooked, even a strong judicial system loses its authority,” he observed. The judge said the efficiency of a judicial system relied on good leadership and proper prosecution by the investigating departments. He said district courts act as the guarantor to upholding the rule of law, however, the extension of facilities to the judicial setup and the public was ignored since the establishment of Islamabad as a capital. “The day is of utmost importance because for the first time a government has realised that people are the real stakeholders of the justice system,” he said. Earlier, CDA chairman Amer Ali Ahmed gave a briefing to the prime minister on the features of the judicial complex. Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and others were present. The multi-storey building will comprise four blocks of 93 district courts, an administrative block, a lockup for prisoners, a Nadra verification room, and separate waiting areas for lawyers and petitioners.

Taliban announce interim government with Mullah Akhund as its head continued from page 01 The Taliban who swept to power last month, have been expected to announce a government since the United States-led evacuation was completed at the end of August.

They have promised an “inclusive” government that represents Afghanistan’s complex ethnic makeup — though women are unlikely to be included at the top levels.

As they transition from insurgency group to governing power, the Taliban have a series of major issues to address, including looming financial and humanitarian crises.

‘INEFFECTIVE AND UNREASONABLE’: Mullah Akhund, the chief of the Taliban’s powerful decision-making body ‘Rehbari Shura’, was “considered one of the most ineffective and unreasonable Taliban leaders”, according to American intelligence records detailing his career.

Akhund, who is on the UN terror list, belongs to Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, and was among the founders of the armed movement.

He worked for 20 years as head of Rehbari Shura and remained close to Mullah Hebatullah. He had served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister during the Taliban’s previous government in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Although, he seems to have no power equation in Afghanistan or Taliban politics, he is a hardliner who is alleged to have supervised the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in March 2001 and been part of several militant killings.

Likely born in the village of Pashmul, in Kandahar province’s Argandab, Hassan is believed to have been educated at a seminary in Pakistan, before joining the Hizb-e-Islami’s Khalees faction during the war against the Soviet Union. Like others,

though, he retreated back to Pakistan in 1989-1992, as ferocious struggles broke out within the Mujahideen over control of revenues and territory.

He was also the governor of Kandahar, vice president of the Council of Ministers in 2001. According to the UN he is one of “30 original Taliban” According to Washington DC based, National Security Archive, “Akhund holds prejudices against both westerners and the mujahadeen.

Considered one of the most effective commanders. Studied at various madrassas in Pakistan.”

By 2001 he rose in the ranks, to supervise the ministries of defence, intelligence, interior, supreme court, culture and communications, academy.

He was also reported to have been captured in 2010. He is considered to be a relatively lesser known Taliban leader and is referred to as “lightweight” in several media reports.

London AgenCieS

A selloff in cryptocurrencies widened on Tuesday, with bitcoin weakening nearly 4 per cent while smaller rival ether fell more than 6pc. The world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency weakened 4pc to $50,516, having risen to a mid-May high above $52,000 earlier, in Asian trading. Bitcoin jumps above $50,000 for first time since May Ether, the coin linked to the ethereum blockchain network, fell more than 6pc to $3,666.

oPec+ keen to keep oil prices at $65-$75 a barrel, lukoil chief says MOSCOW: The head of Russia's No. 2 oil producer Lukoil said that oil prices of $65-$75 were "comfortable" for consumers and that the OPEC+ group of leading oil-producing nations was striving to maintain that price range by regulating output. In an interview with the Kommersant newspaper published on Tuesday, Vagit Alekperov said curbs on oil output would depend on market conditions. "Regulation (of output) can be different depending on the situation," Alekperov said. "For now September 2022 will mark a milestone when the restrictions should phase out.

The company has up to 90,000 barrels a day of idle production, which we hope will be needed by the market." Lukoil has said previously that it could reduce its stake in Iraq's West Qurna-2 oil project.

Alekperov said Lukoil remained in talks with the Iraqi government to stay involved in the project. Alekperov said the Yamama formation at the West Qurna 2 oilfield has proved difficult to tap because it contains high levels of hydrogen sulphide. AgenCieS

Gas & condensate discovered at Wali-1 (Hangu formation) iSLamaBad preSS reLeASe

By the grace of Almighty Allah, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) being the operator of Wali Exploration License with 100% working interest has made a gas and condensate discovery over Hangu Formation from its exploratory efforts at Wali # 01 well which is located in F.R.Lakki,

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Pakistan.

Wali # 01 well was spudded in on 2nd December 2019 as an exploratory well and drilled down to a total depth of 4727 meters (measured depth) inside Kawagarh Formation. Based on the good oil & gas shows during drilling, interpretation of open-hole logs data, successful testing was carried out in Kawagarh Formation, which proved to be gas & condensate discovery.

Now Drill Stem Test (DST) # 02 has been performed in Hangu Formation. The well flowed at the rate of 11.361 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) gas and 895 barrels per day (BPD) of condensate with wellhead flowing pressure (WHFP) of 2800 pounds per square inch (PSI) at 32/64 inch choke size.

It is highlighted that this gas & condensate discovery has further extended the hy-

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drocarbons play area on the southwestern part of the Bannu Basin. OGDCL being the leading Exploration and Production Company in Pakistan has adopted an aggressive exploration strategy which has resulted in hydrocarbon discoveries. This discovery will add to the hydrocarbon reserve base of OGDCL and the country. It will positively contribute to mitigating country demand and supply gaps from indigenous resources. We

will continue to strive for increasing shareholders’ value through a robust exploration program. We are thankful to the government of Pakistan for its support.

OGDCL considers local communities as important stakeholders. During the exploration stage an amount of PKR. 36.67 million has been spent on social welfare initiatives in the area and will remain committed to the betterment of local communities in future.

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

06 COMMENT

‘The path to stability in Afghanistan’

Underscoring the importance of democracy COAS’s message on Defence Day

C

The Taliban must ensure stability

OAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured the nation that the Army is well-prepared to face any conventional or unconventional threat and was ready to perform its duty at every moment on every front. he pointed out that Pakistan Army has always succeeded in defending the country because it enjoyed the support of the people. the Army, he said, was equally ready to fight internal threats. Further, nobody would be allowed to blackmail the state on regional and linguistic basis.

Parochialism, however, is no more a significant challenge after the passage of the 18th Amendment. it can raise its head only if attempts being made to repeal the Amendment succeed. Presently the real internal threat comes from terrorist groups like the iS and ttP. Despite the victory of taliban leading to the unraveling of the RAW-NDS nexus in Afghanistan, both terrorist groups continue to pose a serious threat. After the Quetta killings last week, the tehreek-e-taliban Pakistan (ttP) has issued a warning to national media to refrain from calling it a “terrorist outfit” or be prepared to be treated as enemies. it is equally important for those in power not to encourage or use extremist networks like the ttP for short term political gains. there is a need instead to urgently implement the National Action Plan.

General Bajwa has clarified that Pakistan’s strength and preservation lies in democracy. to make democracy more stable, according to General Bajwa, we will have to follow the principles enunciated in the Constitution that include justice, tolerance and equality. the Army Chief has called upon the nation to work hard to turn Pakistan into a progressive, peaceful and modern islamic and welfare state as conceived by the Founding Father. it is equally crucial to ensure that no institution transgresses the role allotted to it by the Constitution. the media is well aware of the unfounded indian propaganda against Pakistan, the latest example being the sharing of a picture on twitter of a fighter jet falsely described as a Pakistan Air Force jet downed in Panjshir.

Fact checking by independent Pakistani papers and journalists nailed the canard within hours. A media which is independent and thus enjoys more national and international credibility can better counter the enemy propaganda than a docile media.

MuhaMMad ali alvi

W

ith the fall of Kabul on 15 August, the taliban are now the de facto rulers of Afghanistan. their military gains amid little or no resistance from the Afghan force have come as a surprise to the world including the USA. the change in the US intelligence assessments shows how quickly the tables have turned. two months before the taliban takeover, the US intelligence reports estimated Kabul could fall in six to 12 months after the US withdrawal of troops. But, according to an intelligence report a couple of days before the taliban takeover, it was estimated that the taliban could take Kabul in 90 days. the hastiness with which the Afghan troops have surrendered undermines the claims of the US of a highly capable and resistant Afghan force. For example, according to the data shared by BBC, the taliban controlled 117 districts on 11th August but they were in total control of Afghanistan on 16th August facing resistance only from Panjshir valley, which they have now apparently also occupied.

For now, it is the taliban who are emerging victorious after 20 years of war and the USA has lost out in Afghanistan. here, it should be clear that the current victory is the victory of the taliban and not the victory of the people of Afghanistan. they will only get a sigh of relief when an inclusive government is achieved, socioeconomic development starts and human rights are protected. the taliban might have seized power militarily but the way ahead is far stiffer. Afghanistan, despite getting billions of dollars from the USA and its allies, remains dependent on international aid. According to the World Bank, more than 40 percent of its GDP is international aid. the state of people remains dismal due to extreme poverty, illiteracy and inadequate

A chaotic season of cricket ahead

The abrupt exit of two key coaches comes at the wrong time

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AKiStAN cricket never fails to offer an ample serving of controversy and disappointment on a regular basis. it is this trait, which is why on the field, we are considered an unpredictable side, able to play as abysmally as a street cricket team at an international level on one occasion and a seasoned wellbalanced, talented team on another. the abrupt resignations of head coach Misbah-ul-haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis, shortly after the announcement of the squad for the upcoming t20 World Cup displays a similar sort of uncertainty off the field as well. One feels embarrassed for both legends of the game who offered the same rationale for their respective departures, on the same day no less, that the precautionary requirements of COViD-19 meant too much time had to be spent away from home while anyone who has followed Pakistan cricket for the past few decades can smell the proverbial from a mile and understand immediately what the circumstances behind this development really are. the selection of what is widely believed to be a sub-par team that will compete in the t20 World Cup coupled with Ramiz Raja’s highly expected and mostly-confirmed hiring as PCB chief offers a better explanation as to why such a drastic change on the coaching side came about so unexpectedly. As with any controversial episode in Pakistan cricket, the details take time to come out and are slim, but much earlier than that it becomes apparent that it is very political.

No cricket coach wants a team that is immensely difficult to mould into a winning team to be simply enforced upon him, but for head coach Misbah, any collection of talent was apparently an unsatisfactory unit, displayed by his record of failing to win against moderately better teams while beating the amateurish ones was relatively easier. Misbah and Waqar weren’t perfect, but they were perhaps good enough. Pakistan faces a tough season of cricket in the coming months with two coaches gone and an incoming board chief whose appointment has largely displeased the cricketing fraternity and its various stakeholders.

MohaMMad JaMal ahMed

A

S Pakistan tehreek e insaf came into power, chants of tabdeeli (change) were shouted from every rooftop and reverberated in every heart. People looked forward to an era of change where events would break off from the shackles of corruption. Charmed by his charisma, people had started to view imran Khan as the epitome and the Peshawar BRt as the symbol of change. the PML(N) launched the Metro Bus project in 2015 and was the target of immense criticism by the now-in-power Pti. Condemned for being unnecessarily expensive, vast corruption, time-consuming due to incompetence, a burden on the treasury, the project was described as the epitome of how the PML(N) operated.

When in 2017, under the Peshawar Development Authority, the Bus Rapid transit (BRt) was announced, imran Khan made several promises to the people of Pakistan. From 2015 to 2018, he repeatedly claimed in his jalsas and interviews that this project would be economical, more efficient, will be completed in a record time of six months at under a mere Rs 14 billion without any loans, and would make a profit, hence not require a subsidy.

Sadly, as time progressed, the Peshawar metro bus too made a U-turn. the Pakistan tehreek e insaaf

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The last couple of weeks have revealed India’s discontent and uneasiness about the situation in Afghanistan.

The wrtier is a freelance columnist

The Peshawar BRT has gone down the path of the PML(N) Metros

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

an international consensus on the recognition of the taliban. And the decision should be mutual to make sure the world looks at Afghanistan from the same lens rather than being divided into two blocs. international media, human rights organisations and world powers should monitor the new regime and its rule for a specific period before taking any decision. the question of international recognition should only be considered if the taliban regime remains committed to their claims of protection of human rights, better treatment of women and security of other states.

An inclusive government is indispensable not only for political stability but also for the stability of the state. Because, if that does not happen there is a possibility of continuity of proxy war. the underrepresented groups might be backed and strengthened by some states ultimately resulting in destabilisation. the taliban should be realised that they no longer can rule the way they did in the past. the world has changed now. it is more connected through the internet and social media. According to the data provided by Datareportal, there are 4.40 million social media and 8.64 million internet users in Afghanistan therefore their actions will be watched and judged all over the world. the taliban might have announced control on Panjshir but its resistance has proved that a civil war can erupt at any time if ethnic groups are not given due representations and treated with kindness.

Currently, the world is divided on the Afghanistan issue. Some states are ready to cooperate with the taliban regime while some are sceptical about their promises. it is now on the taliban to act wisely and show responsible behaviour in dealing with their apprehensions. the last couple of weeks have revealed india’s discontent and uneasiness about the situation in Afghanistan. india, which has exploited the Afghan soil for the last 20 years to destabilise Pakistan, would never want a stable government in Afghanistan. And, if the taliban leadership is unable to shape an inclusive government and deal with the resentments of all ethnic and religious groups, it will allow india to play its dual game in Afghanistan. having said that, the repatriation of refugees will also be a concern for the new government. their settlement and economic integration will be a tough task. But, for lasting peace and stability it is imperative to repatriate them. to sum it up, the ultimate aim should be stability in Afghanistan as the path to stability in Afghanistan also leads to the stability of the entire region.

Peshawar BRT takes a U-turn

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

health care facilities.

For example, 47.3 percent of the population live below the national poverty line while around 90 percent find it difficult to live on current income.

Similarly, the healthcare system is also underdeveloped. According to the statistics shared by Statista, the infant mortality rate in Afghanistan in 2021 is 106.75 per 1000 making it the country with the worst mortality rate of all. Moreover, the UN World Food Programme has warned of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan with 14 million people at risk of acute hunger. it turns out to that 1 in 3 Afghans are at risk of severe hunger. having said that, the situation is likely to deteriorate further with the taliban assuming power. As a countermeasure to the taliban offensives, the USA has frozen the $9.5 billion Afghan reserves in the USA to make sure they do not get access to currency easily. Similarly, the iMF has also halted its $450 million aid because of the current situation. Because of limited resources and rising inflation, analysts are predicting an economic collapse in Afghanistan. the given circumstances ensure that the taliban cannot rule alone. they cannot survive without international recognition. the world is more globalized than ever and no state can live in alienation. taking stock of the looming crisis, their brutal rule in the past, and to make their image better internationally the taliban are posing as a changed entity. in their bid to get international recognition, they have pledged a general amnesty to all and promised better treatment of women including their participation in the government.

After 20 years of war, the ones who are at loss are the people of Afghanistan. those living in Afghanistan are going through extreme despair and pain while those living as refugees are striving for their identity.

For 20 years, Afghanistan lacked nation-building efforts. As pointed out by US President Joe Biden, nation-building was never a US goal in Afghanistan.

But now, the world should listen to the plight of the people of Afghanistan. the world must strive for peace, stability and an inclusive government in Afghanistan that is accepted by all.

Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual state where no single entity can rule and create peace. An inclusive setup with due representation for all ethnic groups is the only solution. it will bring stability to Afghanistan. As the taliban are also rooting for stability and the formation of an inclusive government, therefore, the formation of an inclusive government will be a litmus test of their claims. there should be

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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party failed to deliver on every single one of their promises regarding the BRt. the construction of the mass transit project was launched in November 2017 to be completed, within 6 months, by March 2018. Unable to fulfill the ambitious task, the launch date was postponed to the end of 2018. Not able to complete the project yet again, BRt was then to be inaugurated in March 2019. however, the failure to commence the project ultimately pushed the final date to 14th August 2020, 28 months later than the promised date. Although inaugurated, the project remains incomplete to this very date. When Shaukat Yousafzai, provincial minister KPK, was questioned about the completion of the project in Sept 2021, he was, yet again, unable to give a deadline. the BRt project, the flagship project of Pti, was to be completed under Rs 14 billion and put the initiatives by the opposing political parties to shame. however, the feasibility study of the project was different.

According to the report, the project could only be completed at the minimum cost of Rs 40 billion. the opposition now claims that the cost of the project has exceeded Rs 100 billion. According to the Asian Development Bank, when the project was granted the PCi in 2017, the total cost of the project was valued at $587 million or Rs 61 billion. however, the dollar, at that time, was valued at Rs 104.83. But as the Rupee depreciated to unprecedented levels, the actual cost of the project has exceeded the Rs 100 billion mark. instead of putting other mass transit projects of PML(N) to shame, it has become a source of shame itself for Pti. the construction of the 27 km route of the Lahore Metro Bus was completed in Rs 30 billion, the 23 km route of the islamabad-Rawalpindi Metro Bus in Rs 44 billion, and the 18.5 km route of the Multan Metro Bus in Rs 29 billion - adding up to a total of Rs 104 billion. Yet it still falls Rs 2 billion short of the current total cost of BRt. Pti also stated that the project would be completed without the aid of loans. But this also proved untrue, as several loans were taken from the Asian Develop-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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ment Bank. the government requested a $335 million regular loan to help finance the project. it also requested two $75 million loans from the AFD and EiB to finance civil works and equipment costs jointly. the loans were borrowed in US dollars. As the rupee depreciated, it has only exacerbated the situation.

Pti seniors remained adamant that the mass transit project will not run on a subsidy despite the contradictory claims of experts and journalists. imran Khan on several occasions, Pervez Khattak in 2019, and taimoor Saleem Khan, the finance minister in 2020, firmly supported the notion that no subsidy would be required. however, as time unfolded, a subsidy proved vital for the smooth running of the BRt. in the fiscal year of 2020-21, there was a loss of Rs 1.88 billion. to offset this loss, the Provincial Government subsidized the project by Rs 1.75 billion. in the same vein, the estimated loss of the Fiscal year 202122 is a colossal amount of Rs 2.78 billion. to which Kamran Bangash, the Special Advisor to Chief Minister KP on information and higher Education, stated that the BRt for the FY 2021-22 will be given a subsidy of Rs 2.8 billion; the government will reduce the subsidy to Rs 1 billion after the completion of feeder routes and the relaxation of COViD restrictions.

As it became clear that subsidy will remain an imperative instrument for the smooth running of BRt, the Pti has completely changed its narrative. in September 2021, the official account of Pti KP tweeted how apart from a couple of systems in Singapore and hong Kong, BRt all over the world runs on subsidy as the target is economic benefits rather than financial benefits– which was the argument presented by the critics all along. the Peshawar BRt did manage to break a few records. Although it could not become the cheapest project constructed in the record time of 6 months, it has turned out to be the costliest and most time-consuming project ever undertaken by a provincial government.

The wrtier is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 8 September, 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

Women’s rights

Act of ultimate inhumanity The way the occupying forces tried to blackout Ali Geelani’s funeral showed how oppressive they are

Malik MuhaMMad ashraf

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N icon of the freedom movement in indian-Occupied Kashmir and the leader of the All Parties hurriyet conference, Syed Ali Geelani, passed away last Wednesday while under house arrest. the indian security forces buried his body under their own supervision and prevented people from attending his funeral by clamping a total curfew. there was also a media black-out of the event. internet and mobile phone services were also disrupted. Geelani’s son accused police of taking his father’s body away to be buried in the middle of the night, hours after his death and even the relatives were not allowed at the burial. Reportedly police have also registered cases against family members of the deceased for raising pro-independence and pro-Pakistan slogans and wrapping his body in the Pakistan flag.

Snatching his dead body from his family and disallowing burial according to his will was an act of ultimate inhumanity by the indian security forces which also constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and the tenets of civil human rights. Reportedly the action of the indian authorities sent a wave of indignation and resentment across the occupied territory; particularly in the Muslim majority areas where people have held strikes, breached curfew and clashed with the indian security forces.

Funeral prayers in absentia have been held across the valley as well as Pakistan, a party to the dispute and an ardent supporter of the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir. the government of Pakistan has rightly condemned the indian indiscretion in regards to the burial of Syed Geelani and disallowing the people from participating in his funeral prayers. the indian action is glaring testimony of the fact that the situation in indian-Occupied Kashmir has not returned to normal which india has been desperately trying to make the world believe. it also strengthens the belief that the flame of liberty and freedom lit by leaders like Geelani continues to nurture the freedom movement.

Geelani was an indomitable leader of the freedom movement and never succumbed to the pressure tactics of the indian authorities and instead endured the rigours of repeated incarcerations. he was a staunch advocate of the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir as

enshrined in the UN resolutions.

Freedom movements have their own momentum and low and high phases, but they cannot be subdued or obliterated through the barrel of the gun. history is a witness to this undisputed reality. indian security forces have killed more than 96,000 Kashmiris, raped thousands of women and destroyed thousands of structures since the beginning of the freedom struggle in 1989. human rights violation in the state have been regularly documented by the international human rights organizations like Amnesty international as well as by the UN human Rights Commission. the discovery of mass graves at 30 sites also tells the story of the indian oppression on the people of indian-Occupied Kashmir. the killing spree continues unabated since 5 August 2019 and hardly a day passes without the martyrdom of Kashmiri youth. But all these brutal actions have failed to dampen the morale and determination of the freedom fighters supported by the masses. the reality about indian-Occupied Kashmir is that the whole valley has been converted into a brutalized internment camp by the indian authorities after 5 August 2019 when special status of the state was scrapped, it was bifurcated into two territories and annexed to the indian union followed by the promulgation of a law to change the demographic features of the valley. the indian government tried to sell the narrative that the action of the government in regards to indian-Occupied Kashmir was its internal matter but it is gratifying to note that the world community has not fallen for it, thanks to the diplomatic offensive launched by the Pti government, the reiteration by the UNSC that the solution of Kashmir dispute must be found in conformity with the UN charter and the relevant UN resolutions, and the role played by the international media in exposing indian designs and persecution in the Valley. indian attempts to divert the attention of the world by keeping the LoC hot and stage-managing acts of terrorism like Pulwama and blaming Pakistan for it, have also failed to mislead the world community. the actions by the Modi government in indian-Occupied Kashmir is tantamount to defiance of the UN resolutions, international law and the 4th Geneva Convention. the indian government has also adopted a

hostile posture towards Pakistan and its leaders have been repeatedly hurling threats to teach a lesson to the latter. it even tried to intimidate Pakistan by sending its planes across the border to bomb an imaginary terrorist camp at Balakot in February 2019. it was given a befitting reply

by Pakistan. thanks also to the international media which exposed the hollowness of the indian claims about existence of a terrorist camp by showing footage of the site where the indian planes off-loaded their bombs, felling some trees and killing a donkey. india is currently being ruled by a party inspired by the RSS ideology of ‘hindutva’ which is a racist philosophy like Nazism. Annexation of Kashmir was part of the election agenda of the BJP. Modi, speaking on the indian independence Day, had boasted that his government had done within nine months which nobody could do in the last 70 years and fulfilled the dream of Vallabhai Patel. the communal policies pursued by the Modi government, particularly against Muslims within india, are also a testimony of the BJP’s anti-Muslim agenda. No wonder that even a former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accused Modi of having turned india into a majoritarian state.

Prime Minister imran Khan has been warning the world about the ulterior designs of the indian government inspired by the hate philosophy of RSS. he dwelt at length on the subject in his address to the General Assembly and has also been vociferously sounding the warning at all the available international forums urging the world to stop india in her tracks before it was too late. india and Pakistan are both nuclear states and the Kashmir dispute surely is a nuclear flashpoint posing danger to regional and global peace. indian leaders must realize that they cannot keep the people of Kashmir under subjugation with the barrel of the gun. the flame of independence lit by Kashmiri leaders and sacrifices rendered by the people cannot be obliterated through persecution. india is also under obligation to honour her commitments as per the UNSC resolutions on the Kashmir dispute. it was also time for the international community and the UN to fulfill their obligations towards the people of Kashmir.

India and Pakistan are both nuclear states and the Kashmir dispute surely is a nuclear flashpoint posing danger to regional and global peace. Indian leaders must realize that they cannot keep the people of Kashmir under subjugation with the barrel of the gun.

The flame of independence lit by Kashmiri leaders and sacrifices rendered by the people cannot be obliterated through persecution. India is also under obligation to honour her commitments as per the UNSC resolutions on the Kashmir dispute.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

DUE to misinformation, misguidance and laziness of Pakistan Governments own Women Ministry, the youth of Pakistan are being incorrectly trained in Women Rights issues. Since anemia is the leading cause of women and new babies death in Pakistan, it would have made sense for Aurat March to demand free iron supplements for women, but instead they demanded freedom of wearing Western clothes. in reality the islamic System already provides the rights, respect and status to women, which is evident in our society by how mother’s, sisters, daughters, teachers and women are treated with respect in Pakistan. But this information is being overshadowed by highlighting specific cases in the media and ignoring the real data.

For example, Pakistan is bashed in the international media for 4200 women rapes per year and is even placed at the bottom of some fake Global Woman index Ranking. But if we look at the actual data than UK with a much lower population than Pakistan has reported more than 85,000 women rapes per year. Which means UK is 21 times more dangerous for women than Pakistan. it is the reality of Life that evil is found everywhere and cannot be eradicated completely. the islamic way of Pakistani life has defined rules for women, so to help them avoid these evils. But these women empowerment organizations are enforcing a Western culture without informing the people how badly women are treated in the Western countries. islam defines the most important role on this World as that of the Mother, which is a woman. Women are given instant access to heaven just for becoming a good mother. But the Women empowerment organizations are advocating women to work on jobs. Without highlighting the problem faced by mother’s who are working, the crimes against women at work or even the fact that countries like UK had to force their women to start working men jobs during World War One, when the UK lost many men and their factories did not have any workers. therefore i request the Government of Pakistan to get their own Women Ministry to start positively countering this propaganda of western women empowerment with real data. While also highlighting the importance of Pakistan social culture and islamic culture for women. the people of Pakistan and the people of the World should understand the benefits for women in islam. And Pakistan should not be bashed by other nations on Women Right issues. instead they should ask for our advice. Similarly the youth of Pakistan should be proud of our achievements in maintaining a good social and family lifestyle compared to Western cultures.

Shahryar Khan BaSEEr P Engr PEShawar

Misunderstanding Islam NOt a single religion on the planet supports brutality, bad form and contempt against the presence of various cultures and human advancement. thus, islam is one of the quick scattering religion which consistently confers the lessons of affection and harmony. islam is the main religion that elevates the norm of humankind and guarantees correspondence. Sadly, the current world delineates the helpless picture of islam. From pre 9/11 to post 9/11 islam has been accused for obliteration and springing up dread mentality on the planet. Be that as it may, the truth of the matter is that fear based oppression knows no religion. As of late, islam announced outrageous religion for stopping the development of hindu sanctuary in islamabad. Pakistan was made as islamic state and it is impermissible in islamic state to fabricate a sanctuary by the costs of Muslims. Now from over the world, turkey president, tayyab Erdogon is being censured for remodeling hagia Sophia as a mosque inside his domain. islam isn’t as inflexible as world consider. Spreading love, guaranteeing harmony and controling prejudice are the welcoming standards of islam. haya FaTIMa KaraChI

Corona tests for teachers PUNJAB School Education Minister Dr. Muraad in his latest press Conference which was held at QAED said , “ it is mandatory for all School teachers to conduct Corona test before joining the schools which will reopen on 15th September.”

Minister must be acknowledged that Govt. School teachers are the most vulnerable community of civil servants. their salaries are very low. they cannot afford huge fee of Corona test. Govt has already denied to increase salaries of its employees in budget 2020-2021 and has been deducting conveyance Allowance from teachers salaries since march 2020. the entire teacher community is worried on latest announcement of Minister. Did all others Govt. employees joine their respective offices after conducting Corona test? if it is necessary to curb the spread of this deadly virus then Govt should pay the fee of this test or sanction “ corona test fee allowance “ in upcoming pay so the teachers can conduct their tests before joining the school again. Minister should review his decision.

MahTaB alI Khan Bahawalnagar

Keeping informed NEWSPAPER which was firstly introduced in 16 century,in China,has become a supreme part in every individual’s life in the present age. however, it is not wrong to say that newspaper is a store house of knowledge. it provides current newses related the country and the world.

Further, it gives information about the governmental programs and it’s works for the country. Newspaper reading informs one about the latest science discoveries and technological changes about many industries.

Besides, now-a-days there are some pages in newspapers which are particularly printed for students. it not only acquaints them with all important happenings , but also supplies various knowledge about different subjects. newspapers have removed the global distance between the countries. in fact, one part of the world has been linked up with another through newspapers. in the modern world newspapers are the part of civilization and a product to facilitate human beings. So,we must accept the habit of reading newspaper regularly.

Farahnaz Farooq ahMEd TurBaT

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

9/11 and The MaInsTReaMIng of ConspIRaCy TheoRIes IT WASN’T JUST MARGINAL CRANKS WHO DABBLED IN TWIN TOWERS TRUTHERISM

spiked

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FrasEr MyErs

MAGInE if, after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, a significant proportion of Americans came to believe that their own government had somehow been complicit in the attack. Imagine if they believed that government officials or President Roosevelt did nothing to prevent the air strikes – or worse, that they deliberately killed thousands of their own people for nefarious ends.

Yet when it came to 9/11 – an even deadlier attack than Pearl Harbour – these kinds of responses were alarmingly common. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Twin Towers falling, it is worth reflecting on the deep sense of distrust that led so many Americans to disbelieve the official account of that horrendous day.

Many of them still disbelieve it to this day.

A poll ahead of the 5th anniversary of the attacks found that more than a third of Americans suspected that ‘federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East’. Just after the 15th anniversary of the attacks, a study from Chapman University in California found that more than half of Americans believed ‘the government is concealing the truth about 9/11’.

Of course, these polls do not say that a large number of Americans endorse the zaniest of the 9/11 conspiracy theories. But they do point to a large well of doubt and distrust about the official version of events.

Even today, 9/11 conspiracy theories are still skirting

close to the mainstream. Celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee had planned to include 30 minutes of interviews with 9/11 ‘truthers’ in the closing episode of his new documentary series, nYC Epicenters: 9/11 → 2021 ½. Following an outcry from critics, the section will now be cut before public release. Reports say the film gave credence to ‘truther’ activists who claim that the World Trade Center was destroyed in a controlled demolition. Lee has also expressed sympathy for this theory in interviews.

The ‘truthers’ are merely the most hardcore of the conspiracy theorists. The infamous Alex Jones was among the first to blame the Bush administration explicitly for the attacks. In fact, he did this before the attacks even happened. Six weeks before 9/11, he devoted several hours of his Infowars show to a history of ‘false flag’ attacks, building up to a warning that George W Bush was planning to commit an act of terror. When the towers fell, he claimed he was ‘98 per cent’ certain the government was to blame.

Arguably, the first mainstream figure to advance a truther-lite version of events was literary giant Gore Vidal. In a 7,000-word polemic, published in the Observer in 2002, Vidal accused the ‘Bush junta’ of setting out to deceive a ‘simple-minded’ public as a pretext for ‘our long-contemplated invasion and conquest of Afghanistan’. Osama bin Laden, Vidal claimed, was ‘chosen on aesthetic grounds to be the frightening logo’ for the war effort.

The 9/11 truther movement kicked off in earnest in 2004. The organisation, 9/11 Truth, released a statement calling for an investigation into 9/11, alleging that some in the Bush administration deliberately allowed the attacks to happen. It was signed by nearly 200 people, in-

Xi Jinping is aiming to redraw China’s social contract

cluding prominent political figures like Ralph nader and Van Jones (though he has since said it does not reflect his views).

As the truther movement grew, a divide emerged that can be expressed through two acronyms: LIHOP (let it happen on purpose) and MIHOP (made it happen on purpose). Within each strand, people believe in a range of motives for the attack: to start wars, to make money, to smear Muslims or even to initiate a Satanic ritual.

Truthers have collectively come up with a vast array of implausible explanations as to what destroyed the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. ‘Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams’ is a common belief, and so some explanation – other than the giant planes crashing into them – must be found for the towers falling in the way they did.

Leading British truther and former MI5 spy David Shayler used to describe himself as ‘no planer’. He argued that there were no planes involved in the attacks at all, even though practically everyone on Earth has seen video footage of the planes hitting the buildings. ‘The only explanation is that they were missiles surrounded by holograms made to look like planes’, he claimed in 2004.

The controlled-demolition theory is the most popular. The ‘smoking gun’ for this is WTC7 – the ‘third tower’ – which collapsed on 9/11 despite not being hit by a plane. (It was actually destroyed by debris from the falling towers, which also ignited a fire.) This theory was the basis for the film Loose Change, first released in 2005, though multiple editions and edits have been released since. Vanity Fair described Loose Change as the ‘first internet blockbuster’. Its director, Dylan Avery, estimates that over 100million people may have seen it.

The sheer scale of interest in 9/11 conspiracy theories

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EDitOriaL BOarD

HE blizzard of new regulations, speeches and policies emanating from China in recent weeks appears motivated by what Beijing calls “changes unseen in a century”. That is code for the rise of China and the relative decline of US-led western power. The instability that such a shift in the global order may trigger has prompted Beijing to strengthen itself pre-emptively, by addressing internal and external vulnerabilities.

At times, the rhetoric has sounded like a blast from China’s revolutionary past. This week, for instance, Xi Jinping, China’s authoritarian leader, advocated “struggle” in a speech carried in the People’s Daily newspaper. “It is unrealistic to expect a peaceful life without struggle,” he said. “We must uphold China’s sovereignty, security and development interests with unprecedented determination.”

The aim appears to be to advance several objectives at once, some of which overlap, and some of which do not. In advocating “common prosperity”, Beijing is signalling a campaign against social inequality. In stressing “dual circulation”, it is seeking to reduce reliance on foreign markets. In promoting family values, it is, in part, hoping that women will opt to have more babies. By cracking down on after-school tuition and video games, it wants to alleviate the financial and emotional stress on families.

Some of the moves are to be applauded. Outlawing the controversial “996” overtime policy, under which many tech sector employees work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, suggests Beijing may genuinely intend to improve the lot of China’s vast cohort of low-income workers. Limiting after-school tuition could reduce chronic stress for millions of sleep-deprived children.

The response to some of Beijing’s initiatives has so far been impressive.

On Thursday, Alibaba, the Chinese tech giant, pledged to invest $15.5bn in economic and social development by 2025 to support Beijing’s “common prosperity” agenda. The amount promised matched a similar undertaking by Tencent, its rival, last month.

But there are dangers too. Exhortations to “struggle”, twinned with the campaign-style nature of some policymaking, could shut down reasoned debate and whip up officials into empty displays of loyalty, damaging the quality of policymaking over time.

Already, some announcements appear simplistic. A rule that limits children to three hours of video games a week may be tough to enforce. The government’s credibility ebbs when mass disobedience goes unchecked.

A bigger risk is that in the various broadsides against the vibrant tech sector, a prejudice against private enterprise is nurtured. Almost all of the tech companies — such as Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan, Didi and others — that have fallen under regulatory scrutiny in recent weeks are privately owned.

A campaign-driven approach to policy can easily spill over into radicalism. Wealth redistribution, for instance, would be better achieved in China by legislation that tweaks the tax code. Levying tax on property sales, inheritance and some other expressions of wealth would be seen to be transparent and equitable. This is a path that Beijing may yet decide to follow.

Xi appears intent on redrawing China’s social contract. The old mantra that some will “get rich first” is giving way to a more equitable creed. That may ultimately benefit some 600m Chinese who live off a monthly income of about $154 or less.

But if such good intentions are derailed by radicalism, China will face a darker future.

Fraser Myers is assistant editor at spiked and host of the spiked podcast.

‘Radicalisation’ and the assumption of Muslim manipulability “NOTHING CAN RADICALISE SOMEONE MORE THAN FEELING THAT YOU ARE BEING LIED TO”

A CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS VULNERABILITIES RISKS A RETURN TO RADICALISM FinAnciAl Times

is remarkable. Of course, any major catastrophe is likely to provoke some conspiracy theories. But the post-9/11 landscape provided a particularly fertile ground for these ideas.

This was an era in which public trust in government slumped to record lows. According to the national Election Study, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, around 60 per cent of voters said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing most of the time. By the end of Bush’s presidency, this had fallen to less than a quarter. This broad base of mistrust provided a readymade audience for conspiracy theories.

9/11 conspiracy theories intensified following the launch of the Iraq War in 2003. The misinformation around Saddam Hussein’s links to al-Qaeda and his weapons of mass destruction led many to say, ‘I knew we were ruled by liars’. This showed how problematic conspiracy theories had become – what should have been a rigorous, rational critique of this war propaganda, which was nothing new in historical terms, descended into yet more conspiracy theories.

The distrust of institutions – of the government, of the media, of experts – that started to grow in that era, is still here to this day. It is no wonder, then, that we have numerous conspiratorial movements – from QAnon to anti-vaxxers – alongside more ‘respectable’ conspiracy theories about Russia controlling US elections or swinging the Brexit vote. Worse still, the authorities have absolutely no idea how to recover that lost trust.

Twenty years on from 9/11 and an alarming number of Americans are still more willing to believe madcap theories than their own government. That should provoke much more soul-searching among the political elites than it has up to now.

Al JAzeerA

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Patrick Gathara

n an insightful piece for Harper’s Magazine, Joseph Bernstein, a senior reporter at BuzzFeed news, questions the idea that disinformation spread on social media platforms in the last five years, rather than long-term societal conditions, is responsible for the crisis of faith in democratic institutions that has swept the West in the age of Brexit and Donald Trump. For example, he argues that “the mosaic of experiences that form the American attitude towards the expertise of public-health authorities” is a better explanation for vaccine and mask hesitancy, than the hypnotic power of Facebook. “Why have we been so eager to accept Silicon Valley’s story about how easy we are to manipulate?” he asks.

Bernstein traces the presumed power of social media companies to dubious mid-century academic studies, citing sociologist Jacques Ellul who in the 60s wrote that such studies tended to “regard the buyer as victim and prey”.

However, conspicuously missing, especially as the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, is the tale of how this view has been supercharged by America’s 20-year Global War on Terror. In a very real sense, this is chickens coming home to roost.

The idea of “radicalisation”, “counter-radicalisation” and “de-radicalisation” is built on a similar assumption of the manipulability of Muslim societies and people. Rather than consider that there could be specific grievances underlying the resort of a minority to terrorist violence, the US and the West preferred to blame it on “radical” preachers spreading antiWestern propaganda – the Facebook of the Middle East, one might say.

Faced with a rejection of the image of Western benevolence and, at worst, honest though tragic innocence, broadcast by mainstream media, governments and academics in Europe and north America found comfort in portraying Muslim populations as simpleminded and easily entrapped by the spells cast

by angry, bearded clerics in flowing robes.

This is the same view Bernstein is seeing being reproduced in the West itself to understand their own noncompliant populations, a minority of whom also pose serious terrorism threats.

Governments with an authoritarian bent in the non-Western world have also latched onto the idea of “radicalisation” to obscure the real grievances of their subjects over their policies. The Kenyan authorities, for example, who for the last six decades have continued the colonial policies of marginalising and oppressing the country’s Muslim and especially ethnic Somali population, paid little more than lip service to this history – which has been extensively documented by a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission which collected more than 40,000 witness statements – when confronted with discontent and terrorist attacks committed by local actors. Even though 90 percent of such attacks occurred after the invasion of neighbouring Somalia in October 2011, there was little acknowledgment that may have something to do with it. Instead, the history was flipped on its head and the invasion justified on the basis of what it inspired. Further, the government, with the media in tow, took its cue from the US and blamed “radical” preachers for the violence, even targeting some for extrajudicial execution.

This is not to say that radical preachers extolling violence have no effect – they clearly can influence a small minority of their followers to do terrible things. However, similar to disinformation on social media platforms in the West and elsewhere, their impact has been greatly exaggerated, and their audiences infantilised, by those with an incentive to do so.

Again citing Ellul, Bernstein argues that propaganda or incitement would not be effective without “pre-propaganda” – which he equates to the entire social, cultural, political, and historical context. One can think of this context as the soil in which the violent ideas spread by the clerics can take root in particular individuals.

Ignoring this and focusing solely on Fox news or radical preachers can lead to perverse “solu-

tions” that entrench problems and privilege “acceptable” propaganda.

In her excellent talk on the limits of media literacy at the 2018 SXSW EDU conference in Austin, Texas, Danah Boyd, founder of the research institute Data & Society, points out that “fundamentally, misinformation is contextual” meaning what constitutes propaganda depends on who is labelling it. “The difference between what is deemed missionary work, education and radicalisation depends a lot on your worldview and your understanding of power,” she says. She argues that the culture wars waged between “progressives” and “conservatives” in the US are actually arguments over epistemology – how you know what you claim to know – that cannot be resolved through fact-checking or compromise. She sees the efforts of many liberal elites to debunk the beliefs of Trump voters as “assertions of authority over epistemology” and the propagation of a single, acceptable truth or worldview.

On the global stage, where the Global War on Terror has transmogrified US culture wars and the methods used to wage them into what Samuel Huntington called “a clash of civilisations”, this assertion of a singular truth channelled through Western prophets that negates the experience of much of the rest of the world, has been at the root of de-radicalisation efforts.

Yet, they can have the opposite effect. As Boyd puts it, “nothing can radicalise someone more than feeling that you are being lied to.”

Patrick Gathara is a communications consultant, writer, and award-winning political cartoonist based in Nairobi.

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

BUSINESS 09

KARACHI corporate corner

TruCk IT In annOunCeS ClOSIng $3m In Pre-SeeD exTenSIOn rOunD TO SCale TruCkIng PlaTfOrm KARACHI

k

KARACHI: BankIslami was awarded the ‘Brand of the Year 2021’ accolade in the Islamic Finance category. The award was presented to President and CEO, BankIslami, Syed Amir Ali by the Honorable President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi. The organisation, has previously won the award in 2019 and 2020 as well. With its innovative and digitalcentric services BankIslami is revolutionising the Sharia-compliant banking space across the country. PR

LAHORE: Enhancing the e-commerce avenues, Foodpanda, has partnered with Servaid Pharmacy to deliver medicines and other pharmaceutical products via pandago, a rider on demand service. A signing ceremony took place in Lahore, attended by FoodpandaHead of New Verticals Raafay Munir and Servaid Chief Commercial Officer Tahir Abbas. PR

KARACHI: Carrefour Pakistan Country Manager Umer Lodhi and McDonald's Pakistan Chief Operating Officer Jamil Ahmed Mughal sign MoU to bring a new retail experience to customers in Pakistan by hosting each other's retail spaces. PR

Daraz debuts Pakistan’s first in-app shoppable livestream tech LAHORE: Daraz is introducing Pakistan’s first in-app shoppable livestream feature to elevate people’s user experience. With the livestream technology, Daraz’s realtime content will be available to customers from today and enable greater interactions between sellers and buyers. On top of this livestream feature thenewuser interface will allow consumers to engage directly with sellers via comments in real-time and feature a diverse range of content, including product showcases, trivia games and Q&A sessions. These new features are underpinned by Daraz’s commitment to support local businesses in adapting to new digital business models, as the pandemic continues to take a toll on brick-andmortar retail. By blending entertainment with instant purchasing, sellers will be able to deliver personalised shopping experiences and build trusting connections with customers. PRESS RElEaSE

TaIMOOR HaSSaN

ARACHI-based Truck It In has claimed to raise a $3 million extension to its pre-seed round, taking the cumulative raise to over $4.5 million. The truck-booking startup earlier raised $1.5 million in pre-seed in April this year. If true, the cumulative raise would be the largest round for this stage in the trucking space.

The extended round was led by Global Founders Capital and Fatima Gobi Ventures again, reposing their confidence in the team and the opportunity.

Global Founders Capital has earlier invested in notable tech companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, Trivago, Slack, and Revolut. The international venture capital firm manages over $1.2 billion of committed capital.

Germany-headquartered Picus Capital, which is an early-stage technology investment firm, and UKbased Zayn Capital also participated in the extension round. Previous pre-seed investors include Pakistan’s Deosai Ventures and +92 Ventures, and UK-based Zayn Capital.

Founded late in 2020 by Muhammad Sarmad Farooq, Raza Afzal, and Haider Navid, Truck It In is focused on streamlining road freight for more than three million businesses in Pakistan. In a primarily offline market, truck freight is a highly fragmented industry with solo truckers relying on brokers or big contractors for the supply of loads against arbitrary commissions.

Truck It In provides an app-based connectivity

ExtEnsion round brings cumulativE total raisEd to $4.5m solution whereby solo truckers can secure loads directly from corporations and haul them within the country. Corporations also have an online platform that allows them to schedule loads for delivery in a streamlined manner with transparent pricing, thereby increasing efficiency.

Truck It In co-founder and CEO Sarmad Farooq told Profit that the need for pre-seed round extension arose because of an encouraging response from the market that made the need for new funds imminent.

“We analyzed that we could scale faster with more funds because of the massive opportunity in Pakistan,” he adds.

According to a statement from the company, the extension will power the national expansion of Truck It In as it aspires to become the largest trucking platform in Pakistan. Truck It In has operations in six major cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Faisalabad, and according to the startup CEO, the plan is to further consolidate presence locally.

Truck It In will further utilize the funds to expand its services and product features to help it scale to a bigger level.

The startup says it has partnered with strategic investors who are helping Truck It In tap into local supply chains and also helping leverage their regional connections for the next growth phase.

Psx may be reclassified to Fm index The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) is highly expected to be reclassified among lesser advanced economies in Frontier Market (FM) index by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) on Wednesday.

According to a report by a local media outlet that quoted market experts, the MSCI’s likely decision would be a blessing in disguise for “PSX would come back into the limelight.

It may be recalled that

PSX has remained part of MSCI’s leading Emerging Market (EM) index since May 2017 when the benchmark KSE 100 Index hit all-time high close to 53,000 points, but failed to sustain the level and never returned back to that high level since then.

Initially, the PSX’s weightage (size) would be 5.8 per cent in FM index compared to 0.02% in EM index at present, according to the MSCI working.

The MSCI Pak FM would

have a weight of 2.pc in the MSCI FM Index and 5.8% in the MSCI FM 100 Index.

The market classification framework for MSCI FM is full market capitalisation of $1.17 billion, free float market capitalisation of $88 million and average liquidity market (ATVR) at 2.5pc compared to MSCI EM criteria of full market capitalisation of $2.34 billion, free float market capitalisation of $1.17 billion and ATVR of 15pc. MONITORING REPORT

“We’re at the very early stages of transforming a critical industry and aim to help over three million businesses save $1 billion annually in supply chain inefficiencies. Our long-term aim is to streamline and digitise the logistics sector to create a ripple effect across the economy,” said Sarmad.

“In only a few months since launch, we have seen an overwhelming market response to Truck It In’s offering,“ said Tito Costa, partner at Global Founders Capital. “We are honored to increase our commitment and support the team as they scale even faster to capture this opportunity in Pakistan.”

Fatima Gobi Ventures’ General Partner Ali Mukhtar, commenting on the follow-on investment, said “Our thesis has been well-placed in Truck It In’s team to streamline Pakistan’s legacy trucking sector and drive rapid growth in the business. We are confident in their ability to further scale across Pakistan and beyond.”

Truck It In’s prime competitors include Karachibased TruckSher and Trukkr, Egypt-based Trella which expanded into Pakistan in November last year, and Lahore-based Freightix. While Trella raised $42 million in Series-A round in June this year for operations in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, Truck It In is by far the most well-funded Pakistan-only trucking startup, followed by Freightix which raised $2.2 million in 2019.

On the other hand, Trukkr raised $600,000 in seed funding in July this year, whereas TruckSher raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding from Sarmayacar, a Lahore-based venture capital firm, in May this year.

BOP signs agency agreement with SBP for govt collections in Balochistan

Sindh govt begins registration of electric vehicles Sindh Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar on Tuesday announced that the registration of electric vehicles (EVs) and motorcycles has begun. The decision has been taken keeping in view the increasing demand of people buying electric vehicles and motorcycles while customers have been facing difficulties due to the delay in the registration process. Earlier in June, in order to implement the decision of the federal cabinet for incentivising electric vehicles, the government has notified exemption of registration fee and motor vehicle tax on two- and three-wheeler and heavy commercial vehicles and four-wheelers with immediate effect. MONITORING REPORT

FBR issues rules for licensing of IT service providers The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued Rules for licensing of IT Service Providers, rendering IT services to retailers undergoing integration with FBR vide SRO 1063 (I)/2021 dated 24th August. In a series of tweets, the FBR spokesperson said that the operationalisation of licensing regime may take some time to complete the licensing process. In order to facilitate the retailers and with seamless integration, the current IT service providers will continue to provide services to their client till such time the Board notifies the licensed IT service providers, the spokesperson added. NEWS DESK

LAHORE: On request of the government of Balochistan, SBP has declared BOP as agent bank for the collection of government receipts in Balochistan. Under the agreement, BOP will act as collecting agent of covering e-stamping and land record management information systems in the province. A signing ceremony was held at the State Bank of Pakistan head office to appoint the Bank of Punjab (BOP) as agent bank for the collection of Government receipts in Balochistan. The ceremony was attended by Jamil Ahmed-Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Zafar Masud-President & CEO, BOP. The ceremony was also attended by Saleem Ullah – Executive Director FRM and SBP Director Finance Qader Bakhsh whereas Waqas Mahmood – Chief Compliance Officer and Reza Asghar – Head Transaction Banking represented BOP. PRESS RElEaSE

Samsung experience stores open in Hafeez Center

In world first, Bitcoin becomes legal tender in El Salvador SAN SALVADOR aGENCIES

El Salvador on Tuesday becomes the first country in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, despite widespread domestic scepticism and international warnings of risks for consumers.

President Nayib Bukele's government claims the move will give many Salvadorans access to bank services for the first time and save some $400 million in fees on remittances sent home from abroad every year.

“Tomorrow, for the first time in history, all the eyes of the world will be on El Salvador. #Bitcoin did this,” Bukele said on Twitter on Monday.

He started the ball rolling on Monday evening by announcing El Salvador had bought its first 400 Bitcoins, in two tranches of 200, and promised more were coming.

The 400 Bitcoins were trading at

around $21m, according to the cryptocurrency exchange app Gemini.

Recent opinion polls showed a majority of El Salvador's 6.5m people reject the idea and will continue using the US dollar, the country's legal currency for the last 20 years.

“This Bitcoin is a currency that does not exist, a currency that will not benefit the poor but the rich,” said sceptic Jose Santos Melara, who took part in a protest by several hundred people in the capital San Salvador last week.

“How will a poor person invest [in Bitcoin] if they barely have enough to eat?” In June, El Salvador's parliament approved a law to allow the crypto money to be accepted as tender for all goods and services in the small Central American nation, along with the US dollar.

The bill, an initiative of Bukele, was approved within 24 hours of being presented to Congress — where the

president's allies have held a majority since March.

Experts and regulators have highlighted concerns about the cryptocurrency's notorious volatility and the lack of any protections for its users.

The government is installing more than 200 Bitcoin teller machines, some guarded by soldiers to prevent possible arson by opponents.

And Bukele has promised $30 for each citizen who adopts the currency.

“These are decisions the administration and lawmakers have taken without consulting” the population, said Laura Andrade, director of the Public Opinion Institute of the Central American University, which found in a poll that 70 per cent of Salvadorans opposed the move. “We see that people do not perceive a positive impact to significantly transform their living conditions,” she told AFP. Nearly two-thirds of Salvadorans

questioned for the poll said they had no interest in downloading the “Chivo” electronic wallet that will allow users to buy and spend Bitcoin.

Oscar Cabrera, an economist at the University of El Salvador, said the currency's high volatility will have a “negative impact” on consumers, affecting the price of goods and services.

The currency fell beneath $30,000 in June, less than half its all-time high of more than $64,000 just two months earlier. For its part, the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADE) said it was “unconstitutional” to make it compulsory for merchants to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment.

Economists and international bodies such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-American Development Bank have expressed concerns about El Salvador's Bitcoin adoption.

LAHORE: Samsung Pakistan announced the opening of two new stores; The Phone Shop and the Mobile Store in Hafeez center. Customers can visit the stores to get the full Samsung experience and to purchase their latest products. The stores will serve to give customers a centralized shopping space where they can truly experience the Galaxy Ecosystem. You can experience multiple Samsung smartphones across various smartphone series such as the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3, the Galaxy A series, the Galaxy S series and the Galaxy Note series. The stores also feature accessories along with smartphone devices such as the Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Buds2, Battery Packs, Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag+, Adapters and much more. PRESS RElEaSE

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

MyAnMAr ShAdow governMent cAllS for revolt AgAinSt MilitAry rUle YANGON

M

REUTERS

YANMAR’S shadow government, formed by opponents of military rule, called for a revolt against the junta on Tuesday, setting out a strategy that included action by armed militias and ethnic forces and urging bureaucrats to leave their posts.

Duwa Lashi La, the acting president of the National Unity Government, said in a speech that the shadow government, which is made up of members in exile or in hiding, was declaring a state of emergency.

Myanmar’s military toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a wave of protests by prodemocracy supporters, and hundreds of deaths as security forces tried to quell the demonstrations.

Some opponents of military rule have

formed armed groups, under the banner of the People’s Defence Forces, and have forged alliances with some ethnic militias

Qatar emir discusses Afghanistan with US secretaries of state, defence CAIRO REUTERS

Qatar’s ruling emir and the visiting US secretaries of state and defense discussed developments in Afghanistan and efforts to enhance security there, the emir’s court said on Monday. The emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after their arrival in Doha earlier in the day. The visit came as Washington sought support for the evacuation of Americans and at-risk Afghans left behind in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and for building a consensus among allies on how to respond to the new Islamist rulers. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement Blinken and Austin thanked al-Thani “for Qatar’s extraordinary support in facilitating the safe transit of US citizens, our partners, and other Afghans at-risk.” Price added they discussed other “bilateral issues and initiatives to promote regional security and prosperity.”

that have long seen Myanmar’s army as their enemy.

Declaring it was launching a “defen-

sive war”, Duwa Lashi La called for a “revolt against the rule of the military terrorists led by Min Aung Hlaing in every corner of the country.”

Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing last month took on the role of prime minister in a newly formed caretaker government and pledged to hold new elections by 2023. The junta has itself branded the NUG and People’s Defence Forces as terrorist groups.

Military-appointed administrators should “immediately leave your positions”, Duwa Lashi La said in his 14-point speech, in which he urged members of the security forces to join them and for ethnic forces in border areas to attack the military.

Soon after February’s coup, a civil disobedience movement was set up in a bid to undermine the military rule.

Hastily formed militias have also been involved in regular skirmishes with the

army though often appear to operate independently, while it is also unclear how much coordination there is among ethnic forces that have been fighting the army on and off for decades.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been leading diplomatic efforts to end the violence and open a dialogue between the military rulers and their opponents.

ASEAN’s envoy to Myanmar, Erywan Yusof, said in an interview with Kyodo news agency that the military had accepted his proposal for a ceasefire until the end of the year to ensure the distribution of humanitarian aid.

A pro-democracy activist and another member of the NUG said the junta could not be trusted to honour such a deal.

A military spokesman did not answer calls from Reuters to seek comment on the reported ceasefire or the speech by the NUG.

India ‘prepares for the worst’ ahead of possible Covid-19 third wave NEW DELHI REUTERS

As Covid-19 cases and deaths exploded in India in April and May, New Delhi's premier Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and several others ran so short of oxygen that many patients in the capital suffocated.

When Reuters visited the hospital on Friday, its last coronavirus patient was readying to leave after recovery - a remarkable turnaround health experts attribute to growing levels of immunity from natural infection and vaccinations.

But hospitals have learned from bitter experience during the second Covid wave, when funeral pyres burned nonstop and bodies littered the banks of the holy Ganges river, as India braces for another possible surge in infections around its September-November festival season.

Beds have been added at facilities around the country, and hospitals are working to ensure ample supplies of oxygen.

Ganga Ram is raising its oxygen storage capacity by 50 percent, has laid a onekilometre-long pipeline carrying the gas directly to Covid ICUs, and is installing

equipment to keep the oxygen flow high.

It has also ordered an onsite oxygengeneration plant, which are mostly made in Europe and can take months to arrive given the surge in demand globally.

"In light of the possibility of the emergence of coronavirus mutants, with higher transmissibility and immune escape, the hospital continues to prepare for the worst," said Satendra Katoch, medical director of the hospital, in between guiding colleagues doing an internal audit of its facilities.

The crowded private hospital, however, said it had no scope to add more beds. During the peak of India's second wave, Ganga Ram expanded its capacity by nearly 50 percent to about 600 beds, but even so, some 500 patients per day had to be put on a waitlist for admission, according to physician Varun Prakash, who managed its war-room during the crisis.

Nationally, India has added many more hospital beds in the past few months and imported more than 100 oxygen carriers to raise the total to about 1,250.

Companies such as Linde are planning to lift the country's overall output of the gas by 50 percent to 15,000 tonnes a day.

Linde told Reuters it had retained 60 of some 80 cryogenic containers - meant to hold super-cooled oxygen - it had brought in from the company's overseas operations, in case demand shot up again.

"The distribution infrastructure and logistics fell short during the second wave," Linde South Asia head, Moloy Banerjee, said.

The federal government, meanwhile, has approved the construction of nearly 1,600 oxygen-generation plants at hospitals, though fewer than 300 had been set up as of early last month as imports take time.

HIGH ANTIBODY LEVELS: Almost all states are readying special pediatric wards as some experts warn unvaccinated children could be vulnerable to any new virus mutations. States including Madhya Pradesh are also stocking up on anti-viral drugs such as Remdesivir.

But with a government survey estimating as many as two-thirds of Indians already have Covid-fighting antibodies through natural infection, and 57 percent of its adults with at least an initial vaccine dose, many health experts believe any new outbreak of infections could be much less devastating than the second wave.

"The number of susceptible persons will be less now, as many persons have been infected or vaccinated," said epidemiologist and cardiologist K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

"Even if reinfections or breakthrough infections occur, they are likely to be mild and mostly managed at home. The serious gaps in health-service delivery that were evident in the second wave are less likely to be seen." Kerala is seeing such signs already. The southern state currently has the highest number of infections, including many among vaccinated or partly vaccinated residents, but its fatality rate is well below the national figure.

At 33.1 million, India has reported the most number of Covid cases after the United States, with 441,042 deaths.

It has administered 698.4 million vaccine doses - at least one dose in 57 percent of its 944 million adults and two doses in 17 percent.

The health ministry, which wants to immunise India's entire adult population this year, did not respond to a request for comment on its preparations for a potential third wave.

What’s next for Japan’s political calendar?

TOKYO REUTERS

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has announced he would not seek a second term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, setting the stage for a new prime minister following a September 29 party leadership vote.

So far lawmakers such as former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, Covid-19 vaccine minister Taro Kono, and former internal minister Sanae Takaichi have expressed their ambition to run for the post.

Here are the next steps and important dates in Japan’s political calendar.

WHAT’S NExT fOr

THE LDP LEADErSHIP rAcE? Campaigning for the LDP leadership election starts on Sept. 17. Votes are counted on September 29. The top contenders of the race are currently Fumio Kishida, Taro Kono and Sanae Takaichi.

Former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba, who

often ranks high in popularity polls, decided against running for the post and will throw his support behind Kono, according to local media reports.

WHY DOES IT mATTEr? The winner of the LDP leadership race is expected to replace Suga as

premier of Japan given the LDP’s majority in parliament.

The new prime minister will face a Covid pandemic that shows no signs of abating and an economy beleaguered by emergency curbs in place due to the spread of coronavirus.

HOW DOES THE

VOTE WOrk? There will be 766 votes up for grabs for the LDP leadership race, with the candidate who takes the majority set to become party president.

Half of the 766 votes will be allocated to LDP lawmakers who will cast one ballot each.

The distribution of the

remaining 383 votes are determined by 1.13 million rank-and-file party members registered with the LDP. The votes cast by party members will be allocated according to a proportional representation system called the D’Hondt method.

If no one wins the majority in the first round of

voting, there will be a runoff vote between the top two candidates. 430 votes will be cast in the run-off, of which 383 lawmakers and 47 local party chapters will be allocated a ballot each.

WHAT’S NExT IN THE POLITIcAL cALENDAr AfTEr THE LDP LEADErSHIP rAcE? Once a new LDP leader is elected, parliament will be called into session to elect the country’s next prime minister.

The candidate who wins the majority of votes cast by the lower and upper houses of parliament will take the top job.

Given the LDP’s majority in both houses, the LDP leader will likely be elected as prime minister.

The new premier is also expected to form a new cabinet and reshuffle the LDP party executives in early Oct. When will the next general election take place?

The terms of the current members of the lower house of parliament run until Oct. 21, meaning a general election will be held this year.

Wednesday, 8 September, 2021

SPORTS 11

KARACHI

Djokovic overcomes flat start to reach Us oPen qUarter-finals NEW YORK

a

REUTERS

N out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic scraped his way to a 1-6 6-3 6-2 62 win over American wildcard Jenson Brooksby on Monday to move into the US Open quarter-finals and three wins from tennis immortality.

Chasing a 21st major that would seal a calendar year Grand Slam, Djokovic had difficulty getting into gear against the 99th ranked Brooksby, who for a moment looked capable of derailing the Serb.

For the second consecutive match the world number one came out flat and dropped the opening set, something he will not want to do in his quarter-final when he faces Italian Matteo Berrettini in a rematch of the Wimbledon final which he won in four.

The sixth seeded Italian will mark a big step up in quality for Djokovic, who has not faced anyone ranked inside the top 50, including a qualifier and a wildcard.

"He (Berrettini) loves the big stage," said Djokovic. "He's already an established top 10, top five player in the world.

"Big serve, just the big game overall.

"I've played him quite a few times on different surfaces, I know what to expect.

"We're going to play the third Grand Slam in a row against each other.

"Hopefully the result will be the same like the previous two."

VERY CRAFTY: The match got off to an extraordinary start as Brooksby took the first set with shocking ease.

Playing for the first time on Arthur Ashe Stadium against one of the all-time greats, Brooksby was unfazed while three-times champion Djokovic sprayed shots helterskelter, committing 11 unforced errors to just one by the young American.

"I must say that wasn't a great start for me, obviously," said Djokovic. "It's different stepping out on the court first time against someone that really has nothing to lose.

"He's a young, talented player that is very crafty.

"He's got the really all-around game. He was pumped.

"He played a perfect first set. Everything he intended to do he executed it perfectly."

That was the wake-up call Djokovic needed and he broke Brooksby at the first opportunity in the second set, letting out a mighty roar.

Djokovic would win the second but the 20-year-old American made him work for every bit of it, particularly in a grinding fifth

game that lasted close to 20 minutes before Brooksby would get the break.

The last American man standing and coming off his first ever five-setter, Brooksby began to fade in the third, going down a double break as Djokovic finally

began to dial in his game.

Leading 2-1, Djokovic continued to improve in the fourth and moved clear with a double break and offering zero break point opportunities to his opponent before sealing the win.

Buttler, Leach added to England squad for final India Test NEWS DESK England have added wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and spinner Jack Leach to their squad for the fifth Test against India at Old Trafford, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.

Buttler missed the fourth Test at The Oval to attend the birth of his child, while Leach has been recalled for the final match of the series.

Batsman Sam Billings, who did not feature at The Oval, has returned to his club Kent.

England could opt for two spinners, while Mark Wood, returning from injury, and Sam Curran, who was dropped for the fourth Test, are available to freshen up the seam stocks. Wood resumed bowling practice at the end of the third Test after injuring his right shoulder in the previous match at Lord's.

Chris Silverwood, England head coach, confirmed that Wood would come into contention for a place in the starting XI. "We have got some aching bodies, I'm not going to deny that," Silverwood said. "So we obviously have to keep an eye on that. He could come back and if he does, he will obviously add that pace for us. If the pitch is abrasive as it usually is at Old Trafford there should be reverse swing."

Silverwood also said he would liaise with Anderson about whether he needed to be rested.

"It'll be a discussion that he and I will have together," Silverwood said.

"He will have input into that, without a shadow of a doubt. James knows his own body. He will certainly give me an honest opinion of where he is at, and it's certainly something I will listen to.

"I know what it's like, he won't want to miss any cricket. We have to make sure we look after him. Although there is a gap between the final Test and what's in front of him, he's certainly someone I want to make

"The third and fourth set were really, really good from my side. I felt I was more dominant," said Djokovic. "Was a good finish. It wasn't a good start.

"But all in all, expected a battle, and I got that one."

Pele recovering in hospital following removal of tumour SAO PAULO REUTERS

sure is looked after."

Meanwhile, England will be seeking a sharper performance in the field if they are to secure a series-levelling victory in Manchester, having missed six chances at The Oval.

Their batting, as ever in recent times, needs to improve to an extent where they can drop their reliance on the in-form Joe Root - especially in the absence of Ben Stokes, who remains out indefinitely on a mental health break. While half-centuries to Ollie Pope and Chris Woakes in the first innings and openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed in the second were useful, England lost 10 for 110 in their second innings with no one from No. 5 down reaching 20 amid a pivotal spell from JaspritBum-

rah, who removed Pope and Jonny Bairstow cheaply as England lost 4 for 6.

"We have to recognise situations first and foremost," Silverwood said. "The spell from Bumrah was as good a Test bowling spell as you are going to see but at the same time if we want to be where they are we've got to manage those situations.

"He blew us away with that spell and made it very difficult for us but it is certainly something that we have to learn and that is what being ruthless is being all about.

England suffered a batting collapse on the final day of the fourth Test on Monday, sliding to a 157-run loss to give India a 2-1 series lead.

The fifth Test in Manchester starts on Friday.

Brazil soccer great Pele said on Monday that he was recovering in hospital from surgery to remove a tumour from his colon. Pele, the only player to win three World Cups, did not say whether the tumour was malignant but the 80year-old former Santos and New York Cosmos player said he was feeling good. "Last Saturday I underwent surgery to remove a suspicious lesion in the right colon," he wrote in a social media post. "The tumour was identified during the tests I mentioned last week." The Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo said in a statement that they were keeping Pele in intensive care but expected to transfer him to a room on Tuesday. The tumour has been sent for tests, it added. "Luckily, I am used to celebrating big victories with you," Pele wrote. "I am facing up to this match with a smile on my face, a lot of optimism and happiness for being surrounded by the love of my family and friends." The news came just hours after a Brazilian news outlet said Pele had spent six days in hospital after going in for his annual medical. It also came days after Pele refuted reports he had fainted and 18 months after his son Edinho said his father was depressed, something the star quickly denied. Pele was famous as a player for rarely getting injured but he has suffered from hip problems for years and cannot walk unaided. His public appearances were already being cut before the Covid-19 pandemic and since then he has made few unnecessary forays outside his house near Santos.

Team Europe beat US 15-13 to retain Solheim Cup TOLEDO REUTERS

Matilda Castren sank a final hole put to ensure Team Europe retained the Solheim Cup before they went on to edge the United States 15-13 at the Inverness Club on Monday and win for only the second time on American soil.

The Finn steered in a right to left par putt on the 18th to edge Lizette Salas as Europe kept hold of the trophy with three matches to complete before a half point for Dane Emily Pedersen secured victory eight years after they last won on US soil.

Europe started the day 9-7 ahead and sped to within touching distance of retaining the trophy before the Americans attempted a late comeback before faltering as the pressure mounted.

In the end, both teams won five singles with the other two halved. Pedersen sank a birdie on the 18th with the last stroke of a gripping day’s golf as Europe triumphed but

celebrations were already underway after Castren finished one up over Salas.

“It was an amazing team effort after we got off to a great start this morning,” said Team Europe captain Catriona Matthew.

“We knew it would be so tough with no European fans. I’m just so proud and happy for them.”

Rookie Leona Maguire beat Jennifer Kupcho five & four to pick up the first point of the final day and extend Europe’s overnight lead as she became the third player in Solheim Cup history to earn her team four or more points in a single competition.

It was quickly followed by MadeleneSagstrom bagging another point with a three & two win over Ally Ewing and then Celine Boutier completing a resounding five & four victory over Mina Harigae in a blemish free performance.

The much-anticipated contest between Anna Nordqvist and Lexi Thompson, who were the first singles pairing to tee off on the final day, was halved after 18 holes to take

Europe even closer, but then began the US fightback.

The first full point of the day for the Americans came from World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who beat Georgia Hall on the last hole at the end of a close contest that finally gave the partisan crowd reason to cheer.

Home momentum faltered as Austin Ernst missed a short birdie putt on the last and halved with Nanna Koerstz Madsen but then Megan Khang and Brittany Altomare revived American hopes to reduce Europe’s lead to 13-11.

Khang, who was six up at one stage, completed a three & two win over Sophia Popov while Altomare ended Carlota Ciganda’s unbeaten singles record in the Solheim Cup with a two & one victory.

But Salas faltered on the last to allow Castren to spark European celebrations and, while the Americans won two of the last three matches, Pedersen's lead over Danielle Kang was big enough to survive a late minicollapse and ensure cup success.

wednesday, 8 september, 2021

prAyer Timings

News

IED MArTyrS Two SolDIErS In n wAzIrISTAn ATTAck: ISPr

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WO Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred in an improvised explosive device attack in North Waziristan on Tuesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations informed. In a statement, the statement issued by the ISPR read that security forces were conducting a clearance operation in the district’s Dosalli area when the IED exploded. As a result, 25-year-old Sepoy Zia Akram and 20-year-old Sepoy Musawwar Khan were martyred, it said.

Akram hailed from Muzaffarabad while Khan was a resident of Bajaur, according to the ISPR. Pakistan Army troops immediately cordoned off the area to apprehend the terrorists who had planted the IED, the statement said.

During intense exchange of fire, one of the terrorists, who were trying to flee, was killed, it added.

The clearance operation was still ongoing to find and eliminate any other terrorists in the area, the ISPR said. There has been an uptick in attacks on security forces in recent months. Last week, four Frontier Corps officials were martyred and 18 others injured in a suicide attack near a checkpost on Quetta’s Mastung Road.

In August, three Levies personnel were martyred and as many injured when their vehicle hit a landmine in Balochistan’s Ziarat district.

Earlier that week, a Pakistan Army captain was martyred and two soldiers were injured when their

vehicle hit an IED planted by terrorists in the province’s Gichik area. news desk

Two decades after 9/11, Muslim Americans still fighting bias NEW YORK The AssociATed press

A car passed, the driver’s window rolled down and the man spat an epithet at two little girls wearing their hijabs: “Terrorist!”

It was 2001, mere weeks after the twin towers at the World Trade Center fell, and 10-year-old Shahana Hanif and her younger sister were walking to the local mosque from their Brooklyn home.

Unsure, afraid, the girls ran.

As the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks approaches, Hanif can still recall the shock of the moment, her confusion over how anyone could look at her, a child, and see a threat.

“It’s not a nice, kind word. It means violence, it means dangerous. It is meant to shock whoever […] is on the receiving end of it,” she says.

But the incident also spurred a determination to speak out for herself and others that has helped get her to where she is today: a community organiser strongly favoured to win a seat on the New York City Council in the upcoming municipal election.

Like Hanif, other young American Muslims have grown up under the shadow of 9/11. Many have faced hostility and surveillance, mistrust and suspicion, questions about their Muslim faith and doubts over their Americanness.

They’ve also found ways forward, ways to fight back against bias, to organise, to craft nuanced personal narratives about their identities. In the process, they’ve built bridges, challenged stereotypes and carved out new spaces for themselves.

There is “this sense of being Mus-

lim as a kind of important identity marker, regardless of your relationship with Islam as a faith,” says Eman Abdelhadi, a sociologist at The University of Chicago who studies Muslim communities.

“That’s been one of the main effects in people’s lives […] it has shaped the ways the community has developed.”

A poll by The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted ahead of the 9/11 anniversary found that 53 percent of Americans have unfavourable views toward Islam, compared with 42 percent who have favourable ones.

This stands in contrast to Americans’ opinions about Christianity and Judaism, for which most respondents expressed favourable views.

Mistrust and suspicion of Muslims didn’t start with 9/11, but the attacks dramatically intensified those animosities.

Accustomed to being ignored or targeted by low-level harassment, the country’s wide-ranging and diverse Muslim communities were foisted into the spotlight, says Youssef Chouhoud, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University in Virginia.

“Your sense of who you were was becoming more formed, not just Muslim but American Muslim,” he says.

“What distinguished you as an American Muslim? Could you be fully both, or did you have to choose? There was a lot of grappling with what that meant.”

In Hanif’s case, there was no blueprint to navigate the complexities of that time.

“Fifth-grader me wasn’t naïve or too young to know Muslims are in danger,” she later wrote in an essay about

the aftermath of 9/11. “[…] Flashing an American flag from our first-floor windows didn’t make me more American. Born in Brooklyn didn’t make me more American.”

A young Hanif gathered neighbourhood friends, and an older cousin helped them write a letter to then-President George W. Bush asking for protection.

“We knew,” she says, “that we would become like warriors of this community.” ***** But being a warrior often carries a price, with wounds that linger.

Ishaq Pathan, 26, recalls the time a boy told him he seemed angry and wondered if he was going to blow up their Connecticut school.

He remembers the helplessness he felt when he was taken aside at an airport for additional questioning upon returning to the United States after a college semester in Morocco.

The agent looked through his belongings, including the laptop where he

kept a private journal and started reading it.

“I remember being like, ‘Hey, do you have to read that?’” Pathan says.

The agent “just looks at me like, ‘You know, I can read anything on your computer. I’m entitled to anything here.’ And at that point, I remember having tears in my eyes. I was completely and utterly powerless.”

Pathan couldn’t accept it.

“You go to school with other people of different backgrounds and you realise […] what the promise of the United States is,” he says. “And when you see it not living up to that promise, then I think it instils in us a sense of wanting to help and fix that.”

He now works as the San Francisco Bay Area director for the nonprofit Islamic Networks Group, where he hopes to help a younger generation grow confident in their Muslim identity.

Pathan recently chatted with a group of boys about their summer activities. At times, the boys ate watermelon or played on a trampoline. At

Trial of accused 9/11 mastermind resumes, days before 20th anniversary Accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others appeared in court for the first time in more than 18 months on Tuesday as US military prosecutors seek justice two decades after the world-shaking terror attacks. Mohammed — with a dense, graying red beard — strode easily into the courtroom in the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, as the nine-year-old trial resumed after a long halt for the Covid-19 pandemic. The military tribunal courtroom was packed with prosecutors, interpreters, and five defense teams for Mohammed and alleged co-conspirators Ammar al-Baluchi, Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. In the audience, behind thick glass, were members of the families of the 2,976 people the defendants are accused of murdering almost exactly 20 years ago. Afp

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Air Force prepared to defend sovereignty, integrity: chief ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force was alive to the evolving regional situation and was fully prepared to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, the air chief said Tuesday. The air force observes September 7 as Martyrs’ Day at its bases across the country. On Tuesday, a ceremony was held at Air Headquarters in Islamabad.

Principal staff officers and a large number of airmen attended the event. The day started with special prayers and Quran recitation for the martyrs of the 1965 and 1971 wars and those who laid down their lives to defend the country since its birth. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu was the chief guest at the ceremony. During his address, Sindhu paid tribute to all heroes of the air force who responded to the nation’s call with unparalleled courage and put their lives ahead of others for a cause greater than life. He extended reverence to the generations of Kashmiris who have laid down their lives fighting for freedom. He assured the people of Kashmir of resolute commitment and steadfast moral, political and diplomatic support. Paying homage to the martyrs, the air chief laid a wreath at the Martyrs’ Monument and offered prayer. Senior air force officials attended the ceremony. Earlier in the day, a wreath-laying ceremony was also held at the grave of Rashid Minhas in Karachi. Air Vice Marshal Zaeem Afzal offered prayer and laid a wreath at the grave on behalf of Sidhu. Similar ceremonies were also held at the graves of PAF martyrs across the country. App

Taliban, Pakistan discuss counter-terror cooperation ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said they had discussed bilateral security cooperation with Islamabad, including measures needed at border crossings between the two countries to stem the movement of terrorists into Pakistan, Voice of America reported. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul that a delegation from Islamabad visited Kabul over the weekend for the discussions. Pakistan’s team was led by Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Mujahid said the visitors conveyed their concerns over multiple jailbreaks during the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the release of hundreds of prisoners — including members of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group based in Afghanistan and involved in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. He said the Taliban had assured the delegation that no one will be allowed to use Afghan soil against Pakistan. “It was also discussed that there shall be a check or scrutiny system at the (border) gates to detect individuals who want to harm Pakistan, as per their information, and we don’t know about them because we are dealing with this new situation where doors of prisons had already been opened,” he said. Mujahid said his side had stressed the need for not using this issue to close border gates to Afghanistan travellers, including patients, refugee families and daily wage workers who move across the border in search of work. Official sources in Islamabad told VOA the spy chief went to Kabul to discuss with Taliban representatives matters related to border management and “overall security issue(s) to ensure that spoilers and terrorist organizations do not take advantage of the situation.” The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan last month, nearly 20 years after U.S.-led international forces removed the Islamist movement from power for harbouring al Qaeda planners of the terror strikes on the United States on September 11, 2001. news desk

Blinken denies Taliban blocking Americans from leaving Mazar-i-Sharif US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied on Tuesday reports that the Taliban had blocked Americans attempting to fly out of of a northern Afghan city, but said the group had not allowed charter flights to depart because some people lacked valid travel documents. Reports have emerged over the past few days that 1,000 people, including Americans, had been stuck at Mazar-i-Sharif airport for days awaiting clearance for their charter flights to leave.

One organizer blamed the delay on the State Department.

Blinken was speaking at a news conference in Qatar, a US ally that has emerged as a key interlocutor to the Taliban, which seized power in Kabul on August 15 after the Western-backed government collapsed. reuTers

Pakistan participates in four-nation UN peacekeeping military exercise ISLAMABAD AnAdolu Agency

A multi-national UN peacekeeping field training exercise being hosted by China kicked off on Monday, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Soldiers from Pakistan, China, Mongolia and Thailand are participating in Shared Destiny-2021 at the Queshan County in

Henan province, which will run until September 15.

The personnel will be trained in battlefield reconnaissance, vigilance and patrol, armed escort, protection of civilians, response to violent and terrorist attacks, the establishment of temporary operating bases, battlefield rescue and epidemic control — the basic operations of UN peacekeeping missions.

The exercise is said to be the first multilateral UN peacekeeping field training exercise organised by the Chinese military.

It “aims to respond to the UN’s ‘Action for Peacekeeping’ initiative […] and to promote practical cooperation among troopcontributing countries to make concerted efforts in enhancing the peacekeeping standby forces’ capability of carrying out tasks,” said the readout.

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