EpaperKHI_21-12-1

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 I 25 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 153 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

ECP law-bound to hold nExt by-Polls through EVMs: Fawad

ISLAMABAD

t

Staff RepoRt

WO weeks after passage of bills related to electoral reforms from joint sitting of the Parliament, the Federal Cabinet on Tuesday viewed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was bound to hold all the next elections including bypolls through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“The Federal Cabinet while discussing the most important decision on the EVM opined that after amendment in the [election] laws, it is mandatory for the election commission to hold all next by-polls through EVMs,” Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain told the media persons after the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“If elections are not conducted through the EVMs, there is another opinion that the government will not be able to fund them,” he said, explaining the existing election laws that only gave legitimacy to the polls via the machines.

He said Federal Minister for Law and Justice Dr. Muhammad Farogh Naseem was of the view that on prima facie, the government could only give funds to the ECP for elections if that were held through EVMs. The government had formed a committee in that regard and the law ministry would give its opinion on the matter,

Fawad added.

The minister said the ECP should ensure use of the EVMs in all the next elections as the Parliament had given mandate in that regard.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan and Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Asad Umar briefed the federal cabinet on new variant of the coronavirus (Omicron).

It was told that new variant’s transmissibility was fastest among other kinds of the coronavirus and spreading at tenfold pace in those countries where it had been reported.

Lethality of variant and efficacy of vaccine against this variant was yet to be known, he said, adding the federal Cabinet was told that those factors would be determined by next two to three weeks.

The Federal Cabinet has requested the provincial governments to revamp their vaccination drives and appealed to the public to get inoculated at the earliest so that this new variant could be dealt in a way as those of its previous kinds that were tackled in an effective way.

He said the arrival of Omicron was imminent as the steps taken by the government could only delay it for a brief moment of time.

Most important thing to deal with this variant was mask wearing and vaccination of the leftovers, he added.

Fawad said the Federal Cabinet had expressed serious reservations over the videos circulating on the social media networking sites showing that votes were being bought for the upcoming by-election in Lahore.

He said such illegal activities did not come to the fore in the by-election, if steps were taken by the ECP against horse trading in the recent Senate election.

The free and fair polls were lifeline of a democratic system where elections were the basis for formation of government, he said, highlighting the national election watchdog’s effective and important role in that regard.

He urged the ECP to take the matter of purchase of votes by specific political parties in Lahore to a logical conclusion.

Fawad said the Federal Cabinet was briefed by Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz in detail about total number of required EVMs for the elections.

He said formalities for receiving $3 billion dollars in safe deposits and $1.2 billion worth of oil supplies on differed payment from Saudi Arabia had been completed.

The ITFC (International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation) had given additional $762 million to Pakistan which would ensure stability of rupee against dollar, he added.

The minister said a presentation on weekly prices of kitchen items was also given to the Federal Cabinet and it was noted that there had been a steady decline in commodities prices.

Price of sugar had seen substantial decrease in the last one month, he said, lashing out at the Sindh government for delaying crushing of sugarcane’s crops which caused increase in the price of sweetener.

He said prices of essential commodities in Karachi and Hyderabad were quite high which required urgent attention of the Sindh government.

It was Karachi which played major role in fluctuation of the Sensitive Price Index, he added. Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that with the increase in rice production, the country was likely to earn $4.75 billion foreign exchange.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Former GB judge distances himself from ‘leaked’ affidavit ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court (SAC), Tuesday distanced himself from a purportedly signed affidavit claiming former chief justice Saqib Nisar did not want former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to be released on bail ahead of the general elections in July 2018.

The two were convicted in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference related to their ownership of four multi-million-dollar London apartments weeks before the elections on July 25. When their counsels moved the high court for suspension of the conviction, the case was adjourned until the last week of July.

Nisar had travelled to the mountainous region for vacations in 2018, the affidavit of Rana Muhammad Shamim, a former office-bearer of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-

N), read. On one occasion, the then top judge appeared “very disturbed” while speaking to the Supreme Court registrar on the phone, asking him to get in touch with a high court judge.

Once able to get in touch with the judge, Mr Nisar ordered him that “Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif must remain in jail until the general elections are over. On assurances from the other side, he [Nisar] became calm and happily demanded another cup of tea.”

The other judge was not named in the affidavit. Shamim appeared in person as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday took up the contempt of court case against the suspects.

During the hearing, Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan, Islamabad Advocate General Niaz Ullah Niazi, Jang Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mir Shakeel ur-Rehman, The News Editor Aamir Ghouri and newspaper’s reporter Ansar Abbasi.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

02

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

NEWS

Kinnow exports to decline by 35pc in cy21 ISLAMABAD

t

Staff RepoRt

he export of kinnow is likely to be limited to 300,000 tonnes with an anticipated decrease of 35 per cent compared to the previous year due to the significant increase in sea freight cost, illeffects of climatic changes, and reduction in the production of kinnow.

Due to this crisis, the export of kinnow to the markets of Russia, Canada, Ukraine, Indonesia, and Philippines is likely to decrease significantly this year since Pakistan exports 50pc of its total export volume of kinnow to these countries.

According to a statement by All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) on Tuesday, kinnow exporters are in a state of uncertainty during the current season as large-scale preparation for the fruit’s export has not yet

emirates warns omicron could cause ‘significant traumas’ for aviation industry

started even though the season is due to commence from December 1.

Last year, the export of kinnow was 450,000 tonnes against the target of 350,000 tonnes, when the cost of sea freight to Russia, an important international market was $2500-3000 per container which has now been enhanced to $7000 per container.

Similarly, the sea freight cost to the Philippines, Indonesia which was $2000 has now increased to $40005000. Simultaneously, with an exorbitant increase in the cost of sea freight, the shipping companies do not have any definite schedule while the cost of packing material has also increased by 40pc.

Due to the perishable nature of fruits coupled with a short shelf-life, there is no guarantee that the fruit consignments would reach their destinations in time.

Therefore, at present, there only a handful of factories in Sargodha that are preparing for the export.

The development comes in as as the country’s trade

deficit is ever increasing.

Commenting on the situation, PFVA Patron-in-Chief Waheed Ahmed lamented that although land routes were a better alternative to export Pakistani kinnow via Iran and Central Asian states, the cost of transportation via land routes is the same as the cost of sea freight despite the TIR convention, under which Pakistan is availing the privilege to transport trade goods via land routes. he claimed Pakistani kinnow used to be sold in the Russian market due to being cheap compared to the same from Morocco and Turkey. The cost of a 10kg carton used to be $5-6 cheaper than the cost a kilogramme of the same fruit from the two foreign countries. however, now due to a sharp increase in the cost of sea freight, the price would almost be equivalent to prices of the fruit from other countries, making it very difficult to remain competitive.

On other hand, the Turkish kinnow can be sent to the Russian market via land and sea routes as well which has

Oil gains on bets OPEC+ will pause output hike

DUBAI agencieS

A major hit to the peak December travel season because of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus would cause “significant traumas” in the global aviation business, emirates airline President Tim Clark said on Tuesday. Clark said emirates was working on the basis the newly discovered variant could be dealt with effectively by vaccines, but acknowledged the next few weeks would prove critical for the industry as scientists assess the risks. “I would say probably by the end of December, we’ll have a much clearer position,” Clark said in an interview for the Reuters Next conference. “But in that time, December is a very important month for the air travel business,” he added. “If that is lost, or the winter is lost to a lot of carriers, there will be significant traumas in the business, certainly the aviation business and the periphery.” The World health Organization (WhO) warned on Monday that the heavily mutated Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection surges that could have “severe consequences” in some places. Omicron was first reported on Nov. 24 in southern Africa, where infections have risen steeply. It has since spread to more than a dozen countries, many of which have imposed travel restrictions to try to seal themselves off. Japan on Monday joined Israel in saying it would close its borders completely to foreigners. “It’s likely to arrest, inhibit, but not stall the uptick in demand that we’ve all had the benefit of in the last month or two,” Clark said. he noted, however, that it could also “go the other way”, with more draconian measures in response to a greater threat from the variant. Clark said the airline’s decision to close down flights out of South Africa and a handful of surrounding countries was difficult, given strong demand for the December period. however, he said bookings generally remained strong despite the reintroduction of measures in some european markets such as track and trace, quarantine and PCR testing. “People haven’t made that decision to cancel or pull off, so we’re hoping that it doesn’t worsen, that the border procedures for re-entry are not so draconian that it prevents them from travelling at all,” he said.

Fleet plans: emirates Chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said just two weeks ago at the Dubai Airshow that the airline planned to deploy a further 60 A380s in response to improving demand, adding to the 47 currently in operation. “That will be tempered by whatever form this variant takes,” Clark said on Monday. “If it’s mild and its accepted as being mild in its effect and the efficacy of the vaccine shield is able to deal with it, then we hope to have all our aircraft flying, including all the 380s by the summer of next year.” Clark said re-embedding cabin crews, pilots and engineers and re-training them for safety and other procedures was currently the “greatest inhibiter” for the airline.

further enhanced challenges for the Pakistani kinnow in the Russian market.

“Though Iran is a promising international market for our kinnow, this important market has been closed for the last 10 years due to non-issuance of import permit

by Iranian officials. Last year, Iran had issued import permits for a limited period but this year nothing has been done at all,” Ahmed informed. he stressed the need to negotiate with Iran to get the Iranian market to issue import permits for the export of 80,000 tonnes of Pakistani kinnow for neutralising the damage of other international markets.

“On the other hand, old orchards of kinnow are unable to resist the effects of climate change. Pakistan usually produces 2,400,000 tonnes of kinnow; however, during the current season, the production is likely to be restricted to 1,700,000 tonnes, 30pc less than the previous year,” he added, suggesting that the government of Punjab must focus on developing new varieties of Citrus.

MeLBOURNe/SINGAPORe agencieS

Oil prices climbed on Tuesday, extending a rebound from last week’s plunge on growing expectations major producers would pause plans to add crude supply in January amid uncertainty over the severity of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Brent crude futures climbed 43 cents, or 0.6%, to $73.91 a barrel at 0418GMT after gaining 1% on Monday. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures jumped 73 cents, or 1%, to $70.68 a barrel, adding to a 2.6% rise on Monday.

Oil plunged around 12% on Friday along with other markets on fears the heavily mutated Omicron would spark fresh lockdowns and dent global growth. The World

health Organization said on Monday Omicron posed a very high risk of infection surges, and several countries stepped up travel curbs.

It is still unclear how severe the new variant is and whether it can resist existing vaccines. With the demand outlook under a cloud, expectations are growing that the Organization of the Petroleum exporting countries, Russia and their allies, together called OPeC+, will put on hold plans to add 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of supply in January.

“We think the group will lean towards pausing output hikes in light of the Omicron variant and the oil stockpile release by major oil consumers,” Commonwealth Bank commodities analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.

Pressure was already growing within OPeC+, due to meet on Dec. 2, to reconsider its supply plan after last week’s release of emergency crude reserves by the United States and other major oil-consuming nations to address soaring prices.

“Following the global strategic reserve releases and the announcement of dozens of countries restricting travel to and from South Africa and neighbouring nations, OPeC and its allies can easily justify an output halt or even a slight cut in production,” OANDA analyst edward Moya said in a note.

Still, Citi analysts expects OPeC+ to continue to add more barrels in January.

“Citi calculates that OPeC+ actual monthly additions have averaged 262,000 b/d rather than 400,000 b/d, given the inability of so many OPeC+ countries to producer up at the level of their benchmarks as they have lost capacity for lack of investment,” the bank said in a note.

“The discrepancy means that withholding that amount would be largely meaningless in the global supply/demand balance for oil.”

Also weighing on the market is the prospect of a resumption of oil exports from Iran, following upbeat comments from diplomats as talks resumed on Monday between world powers and Iran on reviving a nuclear pact.

Choosing Governor’s House as venue for son’s venture was ‘poor judgement’: President Alvi NewS DeSk President Dr Arif Alvi has stated on Tuesday that selecting Governor’s house as venue for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between son’s venture, Alvi Dental and an American company was “poor judgement”.

The president took to Twitter to state that hosting an event for the signing of an agreement between his son Dr Awab Alvi and Bringing Smiles USA at the Sindh Governor’s house “was a matter of poor judgement”.

It is pertinent to note that president Alvi’s statement came after several citizens and politicians probed why a private event that was hosted at the Governor’s house.

As per the details, the event was held on Monday in which an agreement was inked to provide affordable dental care to the citizens of country. The MoU was signed by Awab Alvi of Alvi Dental hospital and Dr Anas Athar of Bringing Smiles USA, which was witnessed by President Alvi and First Lady Samina Arif Alvi.

It must be noted that earlier, the president had wished his son good luck on his new venture. “Wish you success in this collaboration with your friends who are also bringing in foreign investment,” he stated on Twitter. however, the event was quick to spark controversy.

Activist Asad Ali Toor wondered whether the president was using his official position to benefit his family

business. PML-N’s Ayesha Raza Farooq also raised several questions about the event. “Why is this signing off taking place at the Governor’s house? Why is the president of Pakistan promoting his family’s business?

Isn’t this a violation of his oath? Conflict of interest?” she asked. PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique said that despite politics, the two had a relationship based on mutual respect. “But after you became president, a lot of complaints have arisen,” he said, adding that Alvi should not have sacrificed his principles Meanwhile, Awab Alvi was quick to defendhis father by stating that president Alvi had resigned from Alvi Dental when he assumed office. “This venture is between me and my Pakistani US diaspora dentist-alumnus friend,” he stated. he stated that President Alvi encourages all startups and is “on record to have hosted a startup in dentistry at the presidency last year”. “his love for dentistry will not end whether it is toothbrushing directions from the Presidential Office or his effort for international standard quality dental care in Pakistan,” he stated.

Awab added that the original venue for the event was Alvi Dental. “But to avoid inconvenience because of security to APS school right next to us, it was changed,” he said. “In retrospect we could have avoided it but any catering that was done was paid by me, personally,” he concluded.

FBR exceeds tax collection target set for 5MFY22 ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected Rs2,314 billion tax during the first five months of the current fiscal year 2021-22 (5MFY22), exceeded the target of Rs2,016 billion by Rs298 billion and representing a a growth of about 36.5 per cent over the collection of Rs1,695 billion during the July-November period last year.

As per details, the tax department’s collection included Rs760 billion income

tax, Rs1,047 billion sales tax, Rs121 billion federal excise duty (FeD) and Rs383 billion Customs duty.

While chasing the target of Rs408 billion fixed for the month of November, the net collection totaled realised Rs470 billion with Rs62 billion in excess of the assigned monthly target, an increase of 35.2pc over Rs348 billion collected in November FY21.

Out of Rs470 billion revenue, FBR collected Rs137 billion income tax, Rs216 billion sales tax, Rs24 FeD and Rs92

billion Customs duty.

On the other hand, gross collections increased from Rs1,783 billion during 5MFY21 to Rs2,437 billion in the same period of the current fiscal, showing an increase of 36.7pc while the amount of refunds disbursed during 5MFY22 was Rs123 billion compared to Rs88 billion paid last year, showing an increase of 40.5pc.

A handout issued by the tax department stated that after collecting over Rs4.7 trillion and exceeding its assigned

revenue targets set for tax year FY21, FBR has successfully maintained the momentum set in July, 2021.

“This spectacular performance in the first five months of the current financial year clearly shows that FBR is well on its way to achieving the assigned target of Rs5,829 billion for the year despite daunting challenges, compelling constraints posed by the pandemic, and sporadic tax cuts announced by the government as relief and price stabilisation measures,” the statement concluded.

customs chief collectors empowered to conduct regular inspections of record ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The federal tax ombudsman (FTO) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to grant chief collectors the power to conduct regular inspections of field formations, besides recommending to streamline recordkeeping with regard to seizures, adjudication, disposals, and litigations. A handout issued

by FTO in this regard on Tuesday states that on receipt of numerous complaints of incompetence as well as inefficiency and exercise of powers for corrupt and improper motives, an own motion investigation was initiated by the FTO, who constituted an inspection team to probe the complaints. The inspection team unearthed many irregularities on its visit to various sections of the Model Customs Collectoarte (MCC) Quetta where it inspected records of the seizure, law, audit/PAC cell, refund and rebate branch, adjudication branch, MTO, and the auction cell. Following this, the team has made recommendations for improving the Collectorate’s functions to forestall the chances of malpractices and corruption. It recommended that the chief collector of Customs may be empowered through a Customs general order issued by the FBR, to conduct regular inspection and audits of subordinate offices in their jurisdiction. After every inspection, a report is to be submitted to the member Customs with recommendations for how to improve work and increase efficiency. The FTO has also directed that sufficient and trained staff is provided to the Model Customs Collectorate, Quetta (Appraisement) and Adjudication while trained staff from other Collectorates is posted for a fixed tenure to cover for the current staff’s inefficiency. Moreover, a committee of appraisers and principal appraisers headed by assistant and deputy collector Auctions may be constituted to ensure proper assessment of vehicles and goods.

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

OGRA ANNOuNCeS RS14.31 PeR KG CuT iN LPG PRiCe fOR DeCemBeR 11.8 KG DOMESTIC CYLINDER TO BE AVAILABLE FOR RS2,390 ISLAMABAD

T

stAff rePort

HE Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Tuesday announced a Rs14.31 per kilogramme cut in the prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for the month of December.

The new price of LPG will stand at Rs202.57 per kg while the price of a 11.8 kg domestic cylinder will be

Rs2,390.44 after witnessing a Rs168.90 decrease.

Similarly, the price of a commercial cylinder has decreased by Rs650.

According to a notification in this regard, the decreased price of LPG will remain effective throughout the last month of the year.

It is pertinent to mention here that the LPG price of a 11.8 kg domestic cylinder was nearly Rs2,559.35 during November.

Lawmakers set to be briefed on national security situation on December 6 ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Tuesday summoned an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on December 6 at the Parliament House. According to reports, the parliamentary committee has issued invitations to Leader of the Opposition of the NA Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other parliamentary leaders to the meeting. Earlier, on November 8, the top military leadership, including Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the then Director General of InterServices Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, briefed lawmakers of the Senate and the National Assembly on matters pertaining to national security, foreign affairs, as well as internal and external challenges faced by the county. An official statement released after the meeting stated that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security met under the chairmanship of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser at the Parliament House.

National parliamentary and political leadership, members of the National Assembly and Senate, provincial leadership, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister and military leadership participated in the meeting. The statement added that the participants were comprehensively briefed about matters pertaining to national security, foreign affairs and internal and external challenges faced by the country. They were also briefed about regional and political challenges, especially the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir and Afghanistan. News Desk

ISLAMABAD AgeNcies

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday reserved its decision after hearing a petition of Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA-G) for October, under the monthly fuel cost adjustment mechanism.

The decision of the public hearing, presided over by Nepra Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi, would be announced after reviewing the statistics in that regard.

The chairman said advancement is being made to settle the matter related to demand and supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). He observed that it is unfortunate consumers are switching over to costly imported fuel instead of using inexpensive electricity in the country. The chairman said the country is bearing the brunt of wrong policies adopted by the past regimes.

During the hearing, CPPA-G authorities informed that Rs134 billion payments had been made to Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

According to the petition submitted to NEPRA, the CPPA-G maintained that actual cost remained Rs9.926 per unit against the reference fuel charges of Rs5.173 per unit during October.

A total of 11,296 GWh electricity was generated worth Rs 105.06 billion during the said period while 10,982.86 GWh net electricity was supplied to the

power distribution companies (DISCOs).

Out of total generation, as many as 23.26 percent electricity was generated from hydel, 16.69 percent coal, 0.51 percent high speed diesel, 10.88 percent furnace oil, 9.67 percent local gas, 23.93 percent RLNG, 12.33 percent nuclear and 1.64 percent wind.

Earlier, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), in a plea to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), requested an increase of Rs4.75 in the power tariff. The request for the increase was made for the month of October, keeping in view the fuel adjustment prices.

Earlier in October, Nepra had approved Rs1.595/kWh (unit) tariff for the delivery of electricity at Annex-I of the Shishi hydropower project of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation.

The authority approved the price of Rs1.595/kWh against the requested tariff of Rs4.723/kWh by Pedo, along with the approved cost of Rs245.905 million EPC, non-EFC cost of Rs23.401 million, including the land acquisition cost of Rs6.779 million and the owner administration of Rs16.622 million. The 1,875MW project is located at Darosh, Chitral executed by the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization, funded through an annual development programme of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Power Department, with the total project cost of Rs330.720 million.

National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000: Senate body approves amendments

News Desk

A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Communications was held under the chairmanship of Senator Prince Ahmed Omar Ahmadzai on Tuesday.

The meeting reviewed in detail the private member's bill for amendment in National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000 which was introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz in the Senate session.

Amendments to the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 Amendment Bill introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz have been approved.

In which new rules will be made for people driving under the influence of drugs.

Under which the National Highways and Motorways Police can impose a fine of up to Rs 25,000 or one month imprisonment or both.

03

SC orders NAB to probe corruption in Thar coal project ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the allegations of corruption in the Thar coal project. NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal should review the report of the office of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) concerning the corruption in the project and submit a preliminary report within three months, the court ordered.

The bench further remarked the 2018 audit report of the AGP office shows the funds of the coal project were not spent in a transparent manner, RO plants were not set up as per the requirement. Solar generation plants were also not established for water filtration plants in the area. The court remarked that people of Thar are deprived of basic facilities including pure drinking water, but neither the Sindh government nor Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah is interested in looking into the matter. The Sindh government failed to take any action in line with the report of the attorney general of Pakistan, it said. “All the money transferred from one to another, no one is interested anymore,” remarked Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed. The court subsequently adjourned the further hearing of the case. iNP

KP govt approves residential colony for working journalists

Nepra reserves verdict for October electricity tariff

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

If the same person is caught driving under the influence of drugs again, the fine will be increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 and one month imprisonment will be increased to six months, said Senator Mohsin Aziz.

The committee has directed Senator Behrmand Khan Tangi and Senator Dinesh Kumar to hold a detailed consultative meeting on the bill in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications.

The committee was informed that section of National Highway (N-35) from Havelian to Shahina Jamil Hospital passing through Abbottabad city has been widened and rehabilitation plan has been reviewed in detail.

The plan includes widening of 17 km from Havelian to Abbottabad, said Secretary Communications. However the issue of land acquisition is coming up in the project.

The committee also reviewed the progress report on repair / construction of remaining part of local link road from Forest Check Post Sehlad, Abbottabad to Dheri Makra.

The committee has received a request from the locals stating that the local road was used during the construction of CPEC and it was not repaired later, the committee chairman said.

All the local roads used during the construction of CPEC were repaired.

The petitioner should be summoned in the next meeting of the committee and the matter should be reviewed in detail by bringing both the parties face to face, said Senator Kamil Ali Agha.

The committee chairman said the petitioner should be summoned in the next committee meeting. The meeting was attended by Senators Kamil Ali Agha, Mohsin Aziz, Dinesh Kumar, Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Muhammad Akram, Abida Muhammad Azeem, Secretary Ministry of Communications, Chairman NHA and other senior officials.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally approved a residential colony for Peshawar’s 564 working journalists in the New Peshawar City project. A meeting of the provincial cabinet was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, in which a 21-point agenda as well as seven additional items were discussed. According to KP Minister Kamran Bangash, the provincial cabinet also approved provision of 10-marla plot to each member of the Peshawar Press Club. Bangash said the present government is taking all possible steps for the welfare of journalists, adding that the provincial cabinet has approved the KP Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Book Registration Amendment Act 2021. “The chief minister also directed the concerned authorities to expedite the legislation process to make the former FATA project employees permanent as promised by the government,” Bangash said while addressing the news conference. He said the provincial cabinet has approved KP Child Protection and Welfare Amendment Act 2020. In view of increase in sexual offenses against children in KP, the KP Assembly speaker had constituted a special committee. The special committee had proposed amendments to the KP Child Protection Act, 2010. Aziz BuNeri

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

04 NEWS

WOMaN PurPOrTedly gaNg-raPed iN lahOre WiThdraWs cOMPlaiNT

a

NEwS DESk

woman who was allegedly raped by three men in Lahore has withdrawn her case on Tuesday, stating the first information report (FIR) registered on her complaint was the result of a “misunderstanding” It is pertinent to note that the FIR was registered on November 28 at Lahore’s North Cantt police station against three suspects on rape charges.

However, a day later, on November 29, she recorded a statement before Lahore Cantt Judicial Magistrate Shahid Ali Khokhar saying: “I got the FIR registered against the accused persons due to misunderstanding. No one committed zina (rape) with me. I do not want to pursue the FIR [and] the same may kindly be cancelled.”

It merits mention that earlier, the 18 year-old woman had also declined to get herself medically examined.

The woman in her complaint stated that she was a resident of Karachi’s Quetta Town Society. She said she

PTM MP secures bail in incendiary speech trial

used to play the online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) during which she befriended a man named ‘H’. “He told me to come to travel to Lahore and said that we would get married,” the victim said, adding that she arrived in the city on Nov 23 by train. She said ‘H’ took her to the Rose Hotel where he raped her for three days. He also refused to marry her and dropped her off at the train station on Nov 26 and left, the FIR stated.

The victim said that while she was waiting at the station, two men named ‘W’ and ‘Ha’ met her and promised to find her a job.

She further stated that the two took her to a house on Sarwar Road where two more men helped them take her into a room. The victim said that ‘W’ and ‘Ha’ then raped her several times, but she was eventually able to escape.

Punjab CM Usman Buzdar had also taken notice of the incident and sought a report from the Lahore capital city police officer. He had also directed officials to arrest the culprits as soon as possible and assured the victim of justice.

Federal Capital: Irate residents vow to resist shifting of Govt school

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

stAff RepoRt

HAmid KHAn WAziR

The Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) MP Ali Wazir and directed the police to release him immediately. Wazir has been behind bars since December 16 last when he was arrested at the request of Sindh police on charges of hatching a criminal conspiracy and passing derogatory remarks against the state and its institutions, among others, during an incendiary speech he delivered at a public meeting in Karachi.

The MP was arrested in response to a first information report (FIR) registered under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 505-B (statements for inducing a person to commit offence against the state), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 188 (disobeying order of public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Apart from Wazir, others nominated in the FIR included PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen and fellow MP Mohsin Dawar, among others. In June, the Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed his bail application in the case. He had moved the high court after a trial court had turned down an identical application. The top court observed today, however, the other accused in the case had been granted bail, which was not challenged, so Wazir could not be kept in jail as well. It directed Wazir to deposit surety bonds worth Rs400,000.

The alleged plan to shift Islamabad Model School for Girls from Mohalla Qazi Abad to Mohalla Dhoklus, Bhara Kahu, triggered a shocking concern in the locality and the residents vowed to the resist the move, come what may.

The dwellers of the locality, in letters written to Director Schools Education Islamabad, Director P&D, DG Education Federal Areas Islamabad and Secretary Ministry Federal Education & Professional and Training seen by Pakistan Today, pleaded they came to know that some people in league with few teachers are planning to shift the said school set up in a rented building in Qazi Abad in 1985-86.

They were of the view that the school is located at an ideal place in a well-furnished seven-room rented building and around 95 percent students belonged to Qazi Abad and the suburb areas. The lo-

Nepra reserves verdict for October electricity tariff ISLAMABAD Agencies

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Tuesday reserved its decision after hearing a petition of Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA-G) for October, under the monthly fuel cost adjustment mechanism. The decision of the public hearing, presided over by Nepra Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi, would be announced after reviewing the statistics in that regard. The chairman said advancement is being made to settle the matter related to demand and supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). He observed that it is unfortunate consumers are switching over to costly imported fuel instead of using inexpensive electricity in the country. The chairman said the country is bearing the brunt of wrong policies adopted by the past regimes. During the hearing, CPPA-G authorities informed that Rs134 billion payments had been made to Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

According to the petition submitted to NEPRA, the CPPA-G maintained that actual cost remained Rs9.926 per unit against the reference fuel charges of Rs5.173 per unit during October. A total of 11,296 GWh electricity was generated worth Rs 105.06 billion during the said period while 10,982.86 GWh net electricity was supplied to the power distribution companies (DISCOs). Out of total generation, as many as 23.26 percent electricity was generated from hydel, 16.69 percent coal, 0.51 percent high speed diesel, 10.88 percent furnace oil, 9.67 percent local gas, 23.93 percent RLNG, 12.33 percent nuclear and 1.64 percent wind. Earlier, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), in a plea to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), requested an increase of Rs4.75 in the power tariff. The request for the increase was made for the month of October, keeping in view the fuel adjustment prices.

cals said that if the elements succeeded in their nefarious plan to shift the school, it would deprive around 400 students from getting education.

They said that the proposed building is of five rooms and is too costly, besides it located in the area where there are al-

China urges US to lift ‘illegal sanctions’ on Iran as talks on nuke deal resume VIENNA Agencies

Talks on the Iran nuclear deal have resumed here in Vienna after a five-month hiatus as a Chinese representative urged the US to lift illegal sanctions on Iran and third parties in order to help with the negotiations.

Representatives of Iran, China, Russia, the UK, France and Germany convened in the Austrian capital on Monday while messages were relayed to the US representatives as Iran refused to hold direct talks with the US since the US is no longer a member of the pact signed in 2015.

The US left the pact three years ago during former president Donald Trump’s administration and had imposed more sanctions on Iran.

Chinese negotiator Wang Qun, who is also Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations, said that dialogue and negotiations are the only right way to solve the Iran nuclear issue, and the US should lift all illegal sanctions against Iran and third parties, including China.

The Iranian foreign ministry said Iran is serious about reaching a “fair agreement” that would secure Iran’s legitimate interests, Al Jazeera reported Monday.

“So long as the US’ maximum pressure campaign breathes, reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is nothing more than exorbitant talk,” top Iranian negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani was quoted as saying. i Weijian, director of West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global

Times on Tuesday that Iran’s new government has played down conflicts with neighboring countries and eased tensions with them, and has been enhancing relations with China and Russia. Improving the regional and international environment allows Tehran to better manage the situation.

The Biden administration, however, cannot return to the issue easily despite President Biden’s pledge before taking office, Li said.

The Trump administration not only left a mess with the Iran nuclear pact, but also polarized party politics, making it difficult for Biden even if he wants to take action on the topic, Li said, adding that the US diverted most of its resources to deal with China, while moving its strategic focus away from nuclear negotiations.

The European Union’s Enrique Mora, who is chairing the talks, sounded optimistic, telling reporters he felt “positive that we can be doing important things for the next weeks.”

Russia’s top negotiator, Mikhail Ulyanov, confirmed on Twitter that participants agreed on further immediate steps in the new round of talks, which “started quite successfully.”

Tehran has made clear its bottom line and requirements of lifting sanctions to return to the accord, while the international reputation and credibility of the Biden administration would further suffer if it fails to fulfill its previous pledges of returning to JCPOA negotiations, experts said. Li pointed out that the US is building up recognition of the new Iranian government, but the low mutual trust will affect the talks.

CMYK

ready several schools.

The locals stated that there is no other school in the Qazi Abad that is why morning and evening shifts are being held in the schools to meet the need of both of boys and girls.

Therefore, they requested the author-

ities concerned that the school should not be shifted to another place to save the future of their children.

Talking to this scribe Malik Farooq, whose daughter is studying in the school, said that the Mohalla Dhoklus is far away from their locality and if the school has been shifted there, he would be left with no option but to drop her daughter from the school, which would be a great loss.

Another resident of the locality, Rashid Hazarvi expressed similar concern and said that shifting of the school to a remote area is tantamount to deprive their children of education, which they would resist at all costs.

Muhammad Abrar said that providing education to the masses is the topmost priority of the incumbent government; hence they attached high hopes with Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood to take notice of this unjust move and would take steps on war-footing basis to reverse it.

Myanmar court delays verdict in Suu Kyi incitement trial YANGON Afp

A Myanmar junta court on Tuesday postponed giving a verdict in the incitement trial of deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the first judgement from her many cases that could see her jailed for decades.

The Nobel laureate has been detained since the generals ousted her government in the early hours of February 1, ending the Southeast Asian country’s brief democratic interlude.

More than 1,200 people have been killed and over 10,000 arrested in a crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.

The court, which had been due to rule on her trial for incitement against the military — a charge that carries a three-year prison term — adjourned the verdict “until December 6,” said a source with knowledge of the case.

Journalists have been barred from proceedings in the special court in the military-built capital Naypyidaw and Suu Kyi’s lawyers were recently banned from speaking to the media. There was a heavy security presence on the streets leading to the special court in the capital Naypyidaw on Tuesday morning, an AFP correspondent said.

The courtroom will remain offlimits to reporters for the verdict, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun recently told AFP. Days after the coup Suu Kyi was

hit with obscure charges for possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies, and for violating coronavirus restrictions during elections her National League for Democracy (NLD) won in 2020.

The junta has since added a slew of other indictments, including violating the official secrets act, corruption and electoral fraud.

Suu Kyi’s long spells of house arrest under a previous junta were spent at her family’s colonial-era mansion in Yangon, where she would appear before thousands gathered on the other side of her garden fence.

Min Aung Hlaing’s regime has confined her to an undisclosed location in the capital, with her link to the outside world limited to brief pre-trial meetings with her lawyers.

In recent weeks, the trials of other ranking members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy have wrapped up, with the junta doling out harsh sentences.

A former chief minister was sentenced to 75 years in jail earlier this month, while a close Suu Kyi aide was jailed for 20.

The military, which has dominated life in Myanmar for decades, has defended its power grab, citing fraud allegations in last year’s general election, which Suu Kyi’s party won comfortably.

International pressure on the junta to restore democracy swiftly has shown no sign of knocking the generals off course.

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

NEWS

05

Economic uPliFt oF AFGhAns will EnsurE rEGionAl PEAcE, stABility: coAs

Alvi to sign bill for protection of journalists, media persons tomorrow

raWaLpindi

iSLamaBad staff report

President Dr Arif Alvi is expected to sign the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill, 2021 — aimed at protecting journalists and media professionals — on Wednesday (tomorrow).

Tabled by a ruling MP in May, the National Assembly and Senate have passed the legislation on November 8 and November 19, respectively. The bill is meant to promote, protect and effectively ensure the independence, impartiality, safety and freedom of expression of journalists and media professionals.

The law would offer journalists and media professionals the right to carry out their work in conflict-hit areas within the country, without threat, intimidation, harassment or fear of persecution or targeting. Under the bill, the government would take all possible steps to protect journalists and media professionals from all forms of abuse, violence and exploitation at the hands of any person, institution (private or public) or authority. The bill authorises the government to establish a commission that will inquire into complaints against threats or acts of torture, killing, violent attacks, forced disappearance, and arbitrary arrests. The reports of the commission would be laid before parliament through the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR). It’d also enable active investigation, prosecution and punishing of the acts of violence and any threats to journalists, ensuring the protection of their lives. According to the statement of objects and reasons, the protection and promotion of rights of journalists and media professionals are central to safeguarding the right to freedom of expression. In fact, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has emphasized: “Work of a free, independent and impartial press constitutes one of the basic foundations of a democratic society.”

There is, therefore, an urgent need to ensure accountability for all forms of threats, coercion, and violence against journalists and media professionals.

As per the bill, the government shall ensure that every journalist and media professional’s right to life and security of person, as contained in Article 9 of the Constitution, is safeguarded and that no such individual is subjected to ill-treatment. No person or institution, whether private or public, shall engage in any acts that violate the right to life and security of any journalist or media professional. All journalists and media professionals must also respect the rights or reputations of others and not produce material that advocates national, racial, ethnic, religious, sectarian, linguistic, cultural, or gender-based hatred which may constitute an incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence.

They also must not engage in the dissemination of material known by such an individual to be false or untrue, it says.

Punjab reports 74 new dengue fever cases, two more deaths iSLamaBad staff report

Punjab reported 74 new cases of dengue fever and two more deaths during the last 24 hours, an official said. Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch told the media both deaths caused by the mosquito-borne disease were reported from Lahore. According to the official, the province has recorded 143 deaths of dengue fever and 25,013 cases since the start of this year. Lahore, which is the hotspot of dengue fever in the province, confirmed 60 out of 74 cases, which took its tally to 17,848. A decrease in daily new cases has been witnessed over the last few days during which the number of new cases dropped to less than 200 from the earlier tally of over 500 in the province. Consistent preventive and curative activities by the provincial health department and the temperature drop have contributed to the decrease in new cases of the disease.

c

staff report

HIEF of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has emphasised the need for global convergence on Afghanistan for regional peace and stability, urging coordinated efforts for economic uplift of the Afghan people, the military said.

The army chief made these remarks during his meeting with Major General

Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Saud Al Khalifa, Chief of Staff of Bahrain National Guard (BNG) who called on him at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

It added that the visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in the Afghan situation, special efforts for border management and role in regional stability.

According to the military’s media wing, matters of mutual interests, the current security situation in Afghanistan and

bilateral cooperation in various fields were also discussed during the meeting.

The ISPR further said that Major General Abdul Aziz acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and vowed to enhance cooperation in various fields.

“Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement and wish for long-term and multi-domain enduring relationship with Bahrain,” Gen Qamar was cited by the ISPR as saying.

On November 19, Speaker of the Coun-

ECP law-bound to hold next by-polls through EVMs: Fawad

cil of Representatives of Bahrain Fawzia Bint Abdullah Zainal called on the army chief and discussed the Afghan security situation besides matters of mutual interest.

During the meeting, the COAS reiterated the need for global convergence on Afghanistan to avoid humanitarian crises and coordinated efforts for the economic uplift of the Afghan people.

He said that Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement, and wished for a long-term and enduring relationship with Bahrain.

Former GB judge distances himself from ‘leaked’ affidavit

continued from page 01

continued from page 01

The weekly presentation of kitchen items given to the cabinet transpired that the prices of essential were on declining trend, he added.

He said it showed that 0.67 percent decrease had been registered in prices of essential items of daily use in recent days.

In only month period sugar price had come down to Rs 60 per kg, he added. He blamed Sindh government for increase in Sugar price.

“Inflation is rampant in the cities like Karachi and Hyderabad,” he said adding that PTI government was being portrayed as inexperienced party but the party governing the province for over 30 years had failed to check food inflation.

The 40 percent upward trend in sensitive price index (SPI) was due to inflation in Karachi and Sindh, he said adding that the price of tomato had registered 15.4 percent decrease, onion price by 7.4 percent and chicken price had decreased by 6.6 percent recently. Wheat flour bag price had decreased by one percent, he added.

He said Liquefied Petroleum Gas price had decreased by 0.7 percent.

Also the country has produced 9 million matric ton rice this year. The cabinet observed that the Kitchen items were cheapest in Pakistan as comparing to the entire region. The government was doing utmost to minimize the impacts of global inflation, he said.

The minister said in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad a flour bag was available at Rs 1,100 per bag, and same was available at Rs 1,404 per bag in Karachi and Rs 1,443 at Hyderabad due to bad governance of Pakistan Peoples Party’s government.

He said in international market, a sack of urea was available at Rs 10,500 per bag, adding that it was available at Rs 1,700 per bag in Punjab.

A smuggler fetched upto Rs 7 million for smuggling a truck of urea from Pakistan to any other country, he added.

The minister said it was noted that the consumption of urea had abruptly increased in Sindh by 53 percent in last six months. It showed that hoarding was rampant in the province and smugglers were being facilitated in the province, he said, adding that due to this reason Punjab’s farmer was suffering and buying urea from black market. The Sindh

All four respondents were in court. Except Shamim, all had submitted their written responses to the court.

During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked Shamim whether he confirmed the affidavit released by Abbasi in his story is his? “Yes the statement is mine, I endorse [it],” responded Shaim.

On being asked how the statement got leaked, Shamim said he was unaware of it and added the original affidavit is saved in the United Kingdom with his grandson.

When Justice Minallah asked what purpose Shamim’s affidavit would have served and whether he had given it to a newspaper, the former judge responded, “My affidavit is sealed in a locker in the UK. I don’t know how it was leaked.”

The judge again pressed Shamim, asking him whether he had or had not given the affidavit concerned to the publication. “You must have recorded the affidavit for some purpose. You will inform in the written response how the affidavit was revealed after three years.”

Justice Minallah directed him to submit his original affidavit in the court along with his written response in the case within five days and adjourned the hearing until next week.

We have to confirm if the contents of the affidavit and the report published in The News are the same, the judge said. “Any difference between their contents will raise serious concerns [about the report’s authenticity].”

Justice Minallah said the case was related to “my court and its accountability”, adding, “along with media freedom, this case is also about the independence of the judiciary.”

government must check the hoarding to provide solace to farmers, he said.

The minister said PTI government had launched a crackdown against hoarders in Punjab, which helped decreasing the price of urea by Rs 400 per bag in the province. Some 347 FIRs were registered against hoarders and 244 were arrested, 21,101 inspections were conducted and 480 warehouses were sealed and Rs 30 million fine was imposed on hoarders in Punjab, he added.

Fawad said in contrary, Sindh government did nothing to check hoarding due to involvement of members of the sitting government.

Divulging cabinet decisions, he said Petroleum Division briefed the cabinet about vacant posts of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officers in the division and attached departments and appraised the cabinet that the appointment process on four vacant posts was continuing.

The cabinet tasked Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam to devise a long term policy to control smog on permanent basis, he added.

The minister said the cabinet okayed enhancing visa duration of Tablighi Jamat from 120 to 150 days, besides providing them E-Visa facility.

Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that Rana Shamim had stated in Islamabad High Court that the circulated affidavit was not issued by him.

The question was that how affidavit was published in newspapers, he said, adding it was assumed that Nawaz Sharif was involved in the publication of Shamim’s affidavit.

He said some media persons were involved in the campaign launched against judiciary and army and hoped

that the court would take the issue to the logical conclusion.

To a question, the minister said the protest campaign of opposition was seasonal and indeed their own workers did not toeing the line of opposition.

He said the price of lentils including Chana and Mong were Rs 115 and 142 per kg respectively in different cities. The same lentil (Chana) were available in Karachi at Rs 195 per kg and Rs 159 kg in Hyderabad.

Giving comparison of tea prices, Fawad said tea was available in Pakistan at Rs 1,309 per kg. Whereas the per kg of tea in Bangladesh was Rs 897, India 1,203, Srilanka Rs 1,170.

The minister warned that our gas reserves were fast depleting and we had to evolve an alternative strategy to deal with the situation.

He said under the gas load management plan, gas supply to the CNG sector would remain suspended from December 1 to February 15, 2022.

He, however, said gas supply would be fully provided to the Independent Power Producers, fertilizer companies and export oriented industries.

The minister said five percent additional gas would be provided to the power plants being operated on the LNG. He said the gas saved from the CNG, cement and Captive Power Plants would be provided to the domestic consumers.

Fawad said the use of electricity was also being encouraged in the winter season and its tariff had been reduced for domestic consumers in order to entice them to shift their appliances such geysers and heaters to electricity.

24 hurt as fog causes motorway pile-up iSLamaBad staff report

At least 20 people were injured on Tuesday morning after 30 vehicles piled up due to dense fog at three different locations, police said.

An official from the patrolling police told local media that the vehicles piled up on the M-2 motorway at Kala Shah Kaku and Qila Sattar Shah towns in Sheikhupura district due to dense fog.

Several cars also collided with one another on the M-1 motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to dense fog, leaving more than six people injured.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the sites and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.

Media quoting hospitals’ officials said at least 10 of the injured got serious wounds and are being treated at the intensive care units.

Pakistan calls for increase in funding for peace efforts in conflict-hit nations united nationS app

Lauding the role of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in supporting peace efforts in conflict-hit zones, Pakistan called for enlarging funding for the 31-member body’s activities aimed at economic and financial stabilisation of affected nations.

“Pakistan, as a troop-contributing country for six decades, has observed first-hand how the UN peacebuilding can act as a catalyst to

mitigate violence and restore peace and stability in conflict-affected countries,” Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative at the UN, told the body’s annual session on financing for peacebuilding.

Pakistan’s troops, he said, have often mobilised their own resources to complement peacekeeping efforts with peacebuilding initiatives, calling the benefits of such endeavours “profound and far-reaching.”

In his remarks, Akram stressed the need for sustaining the existing funding streams to the

Commission, while referring to the programmatic funding earmarked for peacebuilding activities in several peacekeeping missions. “This vital funding stream must not disappear,” the envoy said. “It should, in fact, be enlarged through the Security Council’s legislation of the appropriate mandates and the resources for appropriate mandates which should cover this peacebuilding aspect as well.”

Akram said that specific needs and priorities of the selected countries should ideally be identified by the governments of the

cmYK

countries concerned in order to mobilize additional resources for peacebuilding.

“These needs should then be transformed into specific projects and the financial support then mobilized for such projects from bilateral and multilateral sources, including the Peacebuilding Fund.”

He said Pakistan supports the expansion of the Peacebuilding Fund through all possible means — larger contributions from existing donors, contributions from new donor countries especially countries which have a

national security interest in stabilising a particular country coming out of conflict, and contributions from institutions especially the international financial institutions (IFIs)/Multilateral Development Banks in particular.

“Peacebuilding and humanitarian support to distressed populations should not be nullified by sanctions and asset freezes which contradict or undermine the objectives of peacebuilding and security stabilisations or humanitarian assistance,” the envoy stressed.

06-07 Comments - 1st December 2021_Layout 1 11/30/2021 11:53 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021

06 COMMENT

Fighting Dengue Differently

It’s the economy, Mr Imran Khan Chickens coming home to roost

O

ne can expect little from a self-opinionated politician who before becoming PM said he would commit suicide rather than go to the IMF. Mr Khan also wanted to fill the national exchequer by selling buffalos and fleets of cars maintained by his predecessor and provide jobs to millions by distributing poultry, goats and cows. Mr Khan believed he could bring back millions of dollars hoarded by politicians abroad and that the Pakistani diaspora would send millions more to enable him to make the country prosperous. this showed that Mr Khan had little understanding of how the national economy is run, relied more on rhetoric, made blunders, subsequently taking u-turns which he described as a hallmark of great leadership.

Mr Khan depended more on hopes than on a sound economic policy. He didn’t take into view the economic picture as a whole, highlighting instead what looked like positive developments and using them for political benefit. He was jubilant over the growth of remittances forgetting that the resumption of cross border travel in the world could lead to a slowdown in growth with a month-onmonth decline which seems to have set in. Khan was enthralled by the growth in exports, forgetting that with exports at only 32 percent and imports at 66.3 percent the current account deficit had widened by $1.6 billion in October, rising to 4.7 percent of GDP. Meanwhile the rupee continues to fall. to ward off pressures on its foreign exchange reserves, the State Bank of Pakistan has signed an agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development for a $3 billion deposit which will become part of the central bank’s foreign exchange reserves. the loan is being criticized for higher than global market interest rates and tough conditions that amount to surrendering Pakistan’s sovereign immunity. reportedly the Attorney General of Pakistan has also cautioned the Finance Ministry that waiver of the sovereign immunity may carry serious implications for the country.

Knee-deep in economic woes as Pakistan presently is, it is still difficult to believe that Islamabad has entered into an agreement with provisions as reported by media. the way to remove the apprehensions is to make the agreement public.

Dr. Zeeshan Khan

D

enGue has evolved as a global lifethreatening public health concern. recently, loads of dengue cases are being reported. It seems to have replaced covid19. It was back in 1994 when dengue was first reported in Pakistan, but it was not until 2005 when the first epidemic occurred in Karachi. Since 2010, Pakistan has been experiencing an epidemiclike situation in three provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh. In fact, Lahore and Karachi continue to battle the dengue virus.

Dengue-related infections have gripped Pakistan with an unprecedented intensity and magnitude.

Dengue fever has touched lives adversely, leaving behind tears and fears, scarring the psyche of the nation for at least a short time. A nation that is already fighting war on multiple fronts, dengue-related morbidity and mortality could not have occurred at a more difficult time.

Instead of giving up to this adversity, the state must decide to stand up and take the challenge head on. Since dengue-related infections are a relatively new disease in this part of the world, doctors’ training and guidance is of paramount importance. For this very purpose, the Dengue expert Advisory Group was formed for the provision of advanced clinical advice for management of difficult dengue cases, development of national guidelines and capacity building for medical and paramedical staff. Dengue

Foreign funding case After the Scrutiny committee finally presented a report, movement is possible

The banning obsession

t

HOuGH the PtI did its best to prevent it happening, the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) got the scrutiny committee it appointed to make a report in the foreign funding case, which had embroiled the PtI since it was filed in november 2014

by PtI founding member Akbar S. Babar. the scrutiny committee was constituted to examine the PtI’s banking transactions in March 2019, after the PtI pleaded banking secrecy for its accounts. the committee itself filed the report six months late, after the last deadline given to it by the eCP. If taken at the value the PtI seems to place on it, the case is explosive. It shows the PtI’s tendency for criticism from its own members, it being a source of embarrassment for the PtI that one of its own had initiated the case. the case raised suspicions that the PtI and the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital may have mingled funds. there was also speculation about whether the PtI wished the identity of any donors concealed. the PtI might have been forgiven if it thought that Mr Khan’s becoming PM, and the PtI leading the government, after the 2018 election, would mean the dismissal of the case. However, the eCP was in no mood to give anyone a free ride, and so the case moved to the scrutiny committee stage. that represents progress, for it might well mean that the Damocles’ sword hanging over the head of Mr Khan and the PtI will be removed. However, it might also mean that the opposition’s fondest hopes, and the PtI’s worst fears, may be realized. At the same time, it should be remembered that the PtI has not just defended itself, but also accused other parties of malfeasance. the eCP should display even-handedness by going after all parties and examining the role of foreign funding. But for that to happen, it must first make sure that case reaches a logical conclusion.

The recent tiktok ban is an example

F

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

MariaM FariD Khwaja anD YahYa FariD Khwaja

requent bans of social media applications and streaming services without a calculated impact analysis has become a norm.

What we cannot "presumably" control, we unapologetically ban. even more ironically, the gag order does not even sustain. Such policy steps have unintentional though real and deeply damaging consequences for the country. We think the damages from such policy blunders should be assessed by those at the helm of power. there is no denying that power to regulate is the executive's domain. Yet, regulation is not the same as prohibition. Added to this, there can be no real-time prohibition of social media applications. there are multiple ways to go around online prohibition. One has to be living in an illusion to treat prohibition of an application as a solution to a problem which is a deep-rooted cultural and societal attitude. tiktok, an application with almost 11.8 million users in Pakistan was banned on 20 July by Pakistan telecommunication Authority (PtA). no order was passed. Only a press release was deemed enough to block an application that firstly, generates income for citizens of a "low-income" country and secondly, provides an innocent source of entertainment for people who are entertainment deprived. the writers filed a petition before the High Court of Islamabad challenging the arbitrary and whimsical way the application was banned by PtA. there is a draconian regime available to the regulators to ban online content in the form of Pakistan electronic Crimes Act, 2016. Yet, PtA went even more draconian by banning tiktok by not even doing the needful. It is a well-settled principle of law that any order passed by the executive has to be a "speaking order" and "backed by law". Yet, in the case of tiktok, leave the rest, there was not even an order passed. the Federal Government and PtA argued before the Court that tiktok was banned for immoral and obscene content which tiktok had refused to remove and for failure in "pro-actively monitoring" the content. It was surprising that PtA requested for proactive monitoring considering that in the age where

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

is an endemic disease in Pakistan while rising population densities and climate change have made Punjab one of the epicentres for the country's largest dengue fever outbreak. In the wake of these regional threats, being ever-vigilant with ready responses to dengue outbreaks are key to lowering fatality rates. Additionally, even curative action coupled with vector control remains the backbone of dengue control. the Dengue expert Advisory Group served as a platform for dengue experts from across the Punjab to discuss the issues that surround dengue disease management and propose strategies that can enhance dengue control.

Proactive management of dengue involves a multidisciplinary effort with team training, rehearsal of skills from triage to ICu team, and early recognition, monitoring, and management of fluid therapy. though the last trainings were held in 2020, while the private sector is in complete ignorance. the spread of dengue from Karachi to Lahore and from Lahore to different parts of the Punjab and then to relatively temperate zones of KP in recent years indicate that the aedes mosquitoes have gone through adaptation to relatively temperate zones. Climate change, along with a runway population, urbanisation and increase in travel and transportation, is stoking it further. the severity of the disease has increased, but the government’s input is inconsistent and without any long-term disease control strategy.

While mortality is high among patients who come in late in the course of the infection. It was important to keep a close eye on the patient while keeping a “balance” between giving just enough fluid but “not overloading” them with it.

Healthcare professionals are emphasising for the city administration to clean up the city of garbage and pools of water from rain or overflowing gutters and broken pipelines.

Otherwise, warned experts, there is going to be another health disaster for the public!

Bad governance, the inability to understand the mosquito’s behaviour or habitat, and refusal to allow research or use established scientific methods in other countries were some of the barriers to controlling the aedes mosquito population in Pakistan.

Sporadic recurrence of dengue each year and emergence of chikungunya and zika point towards the failure of existing strategies, if any, to control the vector population. the government, for its part, continues to spray insecticide across the cities and has, over the years, got better at strengthening treatment and diagnostics.

But, the use of insecticides has led to insecticide resistance. Open-air fumigation drives are a mere “cosmetic” and a “least effective” measure. As for

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

millions of videos are published on a daily basis, proactive monitoring is just not possible.

Moreover, Section 38(5) of Pakistan electronic Crimes Act, 2016 disallows any obligation on the service provider in doing a "proactive" monitoring of the content.

Since no facts were available on record, the writers wrote to tiktok and asked a few queries as to the content which created a thaw between tiktok and the regulator. the information shared by tiktok was damning for the stance taken by Federal Government and PtA. It was informed by tiktok that the total number of videos from Pakistan on the tiktok platform as of 30 June were 1.3 Billion. the number of videos removed by tiktok from 1 January to 30 June are a staggering 18.57 million. total number of takedown requests received by tiktok from PtA i this period were 29,391. 28,674 requests were complied by tiktok. the issue only pertained to 717 videos/urLS which were never disclosed by PtA while banning the App and neither was the company ever informed. Only 717 videos out of 1.3 billion!

Yet, PtA had the audacity to inform the court that tiktok was not compliant.

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

treatment and diagnostics, it still did not address tackling the “source” of the dengue infection, the mosquito itself.

A combination of chemical (insecticide spraying), mechanical (mosquito traps placed near and inside hubs of transportation such as airports and bus stations) and biological (with biological a major component) strategies would be best in combating vector-borne diseases in the long run.

If In 2010 billions of mosquitoes in labs were prepared, which when released in the wild, could reduce the spread of dengue virus, but with little luck. the released genetically engineered male (only) mosquitoes, when they mate with Aedes females (also the carrier of the virus), would produce offspring that would die while still at larvae or pupae stage. In addition, genetic modifications can also shorten the lifespan, cause sterility and even death of the transformed Aedes species.

However, those who can decide have dawdled for too long with the result that the virus has gone out of control. While the government was frightened, if word got out that the government was fighting the virus by letting loose even more mosquitoes, it would have to confront the wrath of the public!

Any biological intervention altering the environmental ecosystem has to be very carefully weighed for its pros and cons. unforeseen consequences of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes cannot be ruled out outright.

Field trials of genetically modified mosquitoes have successfully been carried out in various countries including Malaysia, French Polynesia, Brazil, Australia, Vietnam and Singapore, adding the methods have not had any significant impact on human and animal health or the ecosystem.

But many remain unconvinced. Moreover, this tampering with nature could potentially enhance the risk of other mosquito-borne diseases or become a source of another nuisance or environmental challenge, that the country may not be ready to battle with. Indeed, there is no specific treatment for dengue fever yet. Vaccination should be considered as part of an integrated dengue prevention and control strategy.

One of the major issues is the lack of management skills which is adding insult to injury.

Additionally, Govt. must provide training on clinical management, diagnosis and vector control at the regional level regularly with some of its collaborating centers and formulate evidence-based strategies and policies.

Dr. Zeeshan Khan is a professional Pharmacist, WHO Certified professional and Social analyst and commentator with Certification ‘’CCRP” in clinical research from Canada based in Lahore. He can be reached at Twitter: @DrZeeshanKhanA1 and dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com Mobile # +92-3214811934

the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court.

Mr Justice Ather Minaullah on 25.10.2021 declared the ban on tiktok as illegal and unconstitutional and gave a last opportunity to the Federal Government and PtA to show cause why Court shall not suspend the order. to everyone's relief, the services of tiktok were restored by the government on november 21; after a ban of almost six months. now that the drama of banning and unbanning is over for the moment, it is high time we question this regulator's obsession with banning as a solution.

Banning a social media application is a useless and counterproductive exercise. the world is moving towards digitalization; customers and businesses have moved from traditional mediums of market to digital arena. In the era of digitalization, banning an application means restricting firstly, the economic growth of a country and secondly, restricting income of content creators. In the past, Youtube was banned for three years. Whole new industries of content creators were wiped out. regulators and the government need to understand that immoral content is not a technology problem. It is a cultural issue; a value system problem and requires a cultural solution. It is more imperative now to understand the psychological nuances than to opt for the option of ban. the onus would always remain on the user to behave in a socially acceptable manner. If this societal and cultural problem is not resolved, the content would shift to a new platform. How many applications would need to be banned if the root cause is not determined?

Regulators and the government need to understand that immoral content is not a technology problem. It is a cultural issue; a value system problem and requires a cultural solution. It is more imperative now to understand the psychological nuances than to opt for the option of ban. The onus would always remain on the user to behave in a socially acceptable manner. If this societal and cultural problem is not resolved, the content would shift to a new platform. How many applications would need to be banned if the root cause is not determined?

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

The writers are partners in Farid & Farid Law Firm

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 1st December 2021_Layout 1 11/30/2021 11:53 PM Page 2

Wednesday, 1 December, 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

Preventation of Child Abuse through CCTV cameras

The Hindutva controversy Hindutva carries the concept of just war

aMjeD jaaveD Congress leader Salman Khurshid's book Sunrise Over Ayodhya has irked not only the Hindu extremists but also some moderate leaders like Ghulam nabi Azad. the bone of contention is his comparison of Hindutva to terror outfits with ISIS and Boko Haram. Some people pelted stones on Khurshid's nainital residence, before trying to set it afire. In viral videos, Khurshid says,'If you want to see what Hindutva does, see the burnt door in my nainital home’.

Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister of the occupied Kashmir, and rahul Gandhi supported Khurshid’s observations in the book. Mehbooba said, `those who make Hindus and Muslims fight in the name of religion can be compared with ISIS or any other (terror group) because both of them kill people in the name of religion’. referring to 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family, as taught by Hindu scriptures), she said: “Sanatan Dharma teaches us that the world is one family. What BJP and rSS are trying to teach us is neither Hindutva nor Hinduism.”

She said Sananatan dharam teaches inclusivity and BJP is antithesis to that. Mehbooba clarified that the real Sanatan Dharma doesn't teach communalism. She accused rSS-BJP combine of hijacking Hinduism and Hindutva, and making people fight against each other all over the country. rahul Gandhi was questioned, ‘Is Hinduism about beating a Sikh, or a Muslim? And then answered ‘Yes, Hindutva, of course, is’. the ‘Hindus’ were persons inhabiting the Indus valley area and beyond. the territory inhabited by them was Hindustan. But the communalistic Hindu calls the territory Hindustan (the Hindu’s place). the suffix ‘-stan’ being of non-Hindu origin is obnoxious to the communalists. the communalists find Bharatvarsha more palatable. this word originated from an ancient Hindu king Bharatvarsha. the communalists’ outfits like Sangh Parivar use this name preferentially as it emphasizes Vedic roots of the country and its original people.

According to the bulk of literature on the subject, `Hinduism’ is not a closely-knit or bounded faith or collection of doctrines. It is a religion (mazhab), not a deen, or a way of life without a founder. According to encyclopedia Britannica 1994-2001: “Hinduism is both a civilization and a congregation of religions: it has neither a beginning nor a founder, nor a central authority, hierarchy nor organization. every attempt at a specific definition of Hinduism has proved unsatisfactory in one way or another…”.

Hinduism does not have One Church, One Pope, One Prophet, One Holy Book or One ritual. One can be a Hindu as well as a believer or

an agnostic or an atheist!

Hinduism does not prescribe one system of marriage or one system of succession/inheritance. the Hindu law reforms (1955-1956) tried to bring about uniformity but diverse practices continue. Hinduism allows a Hindu to worship other gods and saints. thousands of Hindus go to worship at the shrine in Velankanni or pray at the Golden temple in Amritsar or offer obeisance at the Dargah Sharif in Ajmer.

Hindutva is controversially defined in Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his book Hindutva and adopted by Hedgewar as the basis of his ideology (An Indian parliamentary committee resurrected him as a hero by allowing his portrait to be hung in Indian Parliament). the rSS’s aims are a mix of cultural, religious and political objectives – to serve Hindu dharma (religion), sanskriti (culture) and rashtra (nation).

Sarvarkar distinguishes ‘Hinduism’ from ‘Hindutva’. He clarified that the `Hinduism’ was concerned with `relevance of life after death, the concept of God and the universe’. ‘Hindutva’, on the other hand, was ‘Hindus being a nation, bound by a common culture, a common history, a common language, a common country and a common religion’. two camps the book has brought into limelight the bitter reality that the majority of India wants a minority- India. the feeble voices about peaceful existence are fading. the rSS, BJP and their ilk speak the same language.

Mohan Bhagwat (rSS) who shouts ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, actually prefers the term “Hindu” to “Bhartiya,”. Bhagwat equates “Hindu” and “Bhartiya/Indian”. While speakingmukt on the occasion of launching the Krishnanand Sagar’s book ‘Vibhajan Kalin Bharat ke Sakshi’ (the Witnesses of Partition-era India), Bhagwat said, ‘India's suffering at the time of Partition should not be forgotten and that it will go away when the Partition is "undone”. this is India of 2021 and not of 1947’. He spoke in the same vein as had Pandit Jawahar lal nehru and Vallabha Patel. Before his final flight (Aug 7, 1947) from Delhi to Pakistan, the quaid sent a message to the Indian government: “the past must be buried and let us start as two independent sovereign states of Hindustan and Pakistan, I wish Hindustan prosperity and peace.”

Bu, Vallabhbhai Patel replied from Delhi: “the poison has been removed from the body of India.” even nehru, an ostensibly liberal leader, regarded the creation of Pakistan as a blunder.

His rant against Pakistan reaches a crescendo in his remarks: “I shall not have that carbuncle on my back.” (D. H. Bhutani, the Future of Pakistan, page 14). there is marked similarity between Bhagwat’s speech and narendra Modi’s speech earlier.

While delivering the Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the red Fort on August 15 earlier this year, PM Modi declared, ‘August 14 will be observed as the 'Partition Horrors remembrance Day'. He described partition as "one of the biggest tragedies" of the last century. the Indian government is making all-round preparation to wage war on China and Pakistan.

Modi has inaugurated several airfiels in forward areas. the IAF is practising to take off from strategic roads in border areas. Besides, while protraying Pakistan as hub of terror India is itself fomenting insurgencies in neighbourhood. even the enlightened Hindu and the military writers believe that India’s prosperity during various periods of history, for example during the Maurya and the Gupta periods, rose or fell pari passu with rise or fall of military leadership. Verse 193 of the Gita is no different from what Krishna taught Arjun. How is this any different from Lord Krishna telling Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita to fight as his dharmic duty?

BG 2.33: “O Arjuna! If you do not fight for this religion and turn away from your religion, then you will lose your fame and glory.” Surely, Hindus will know the context. the ramayanas and the Mahabharata wars elucidate various types of yuddha (wars). In ancient India there were three schools of war. Bhishma’s school of warfare belonged to dharma yuddha (ethical or just war). two other schools, Brihaspati and Krishna’s school of warfare belonged to koota yuddha (all-out war) or maya yuddha (war by tricks or stratagems). there is too much of negative publicity about Islamic jihad (struggle). But, there is little limelight on koota yuddha in India’s history. Koota yuddha signifies all-out, no-holds-barred or unethical warfare.

Bhishma stressed chivalry and ruled out surprise and deception. But Brihaspati recommended that the king should attack an enemy only if the enemy’s strength is one-third of his own (`udyog Parva’). He suggested that the king should never trust the enemy or spare him, no matter how old or virtuous he may be. the world is unconscious about the undercurrents of Hindutva or Hindu jihad in Indian politics. It is manifest from lynching minorities and legislativive steps to gag voice of minorities struggling for rights. Some political parties are exploiting Hindutva concept to hoodwink masses and win elections. Political gains are uppermost in BJP’s mind. It has agreed to withdraw controversial farm laws but will never withdraw anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act and the national register of Citizenship.

The world is unconscious about the undercurrents of Hindutva or Hindu jihad in Indian politics. It is manifest from lynching minorities and legislativive steps to gag voice of minorities struggling for rights.

Some political parties are exploiting Hindutva concept to hoodwink masses and win elections. Political gains are uppermost in BJP’s mind.

It has agreed to withdraw controversial farm laws but will never withdraw anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizenship

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

rAMPAnt cases of child abuse are being surfaced and reported these days which is pathetic and shows regression of our society that even pupils of seminaries and academic institutions are not saved from this menace. Culprits are punished later on once the sad incident is taken place and the culprit is arrested while unknowingly how many cases go unreported and how many cases do not come to knowledge but in all situations, the child has suffered and been abused which leaves a bad impact on their mental and physical health. the need of the hour is to impede such cases from happening in future. the only way to curb such cases from happening of child abuse in academic intuitions and seminaries is to monitor the academic activities through CCtV cameras and it should be made mandatory for all seminaries as well as academic institutions, coaching centres and technical and vocational training institutions to install functional CCtV cameras in all the classes, outside area of toilets, play area and main gates of the institutions and at reception and access should be given to guardians/parents of the kids to view online activities of their kids as well as of the institutions’ staff and teachers so that parents might see their kids are being taught in safe environment. registration of such seminaries and academic institutions which fail to install functional CCtV cameras should be cancelled and they should not be allowed to operate until and unless functional CCtV cameras are not installed in their intuitions. Bio-metric attendance should also be encouraged in all institutions of the kids and message ought to be sent to parents’ cell numbers once the kid reaches and leaves the institutions. the sooner we act accordingly, the better we protect our children.

FAISAL ANSAR Karachi

Mental health of Men in Pakistan

ACCOrDInG to the Pakistan Medical Association, 34% of people in Pakistan suffer from mental illnesses. there are only 500 psychiatrists for 220 million people due to which mental illnesses are either not treated in time or not treated at all. Statistics have revealed that 90% of mental illness cases are not treated at all. these illnesses include depression, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. According to a survey, 36% of people in Pakistan suffer from anxiety and depression. the main reason for this is not being able to tell family or friends about their condition because of the shame and judgment. In addition, they worry about being isolated from society if they disclose their inner state. unstable economic conditions, unemployment and poverty further add to the suppression. Globally, men are stereotyped as tough and resilient, which is why men are often reluctant to reveal or confront mental health issues. the stigma against mental health in our society further adds to the predicament and puts men suffering from mental illnesses at a greater risk. Instead of seeking help, most men resort to extreme measures such as substance abuse, which further harms them.

A study conducted in Pakistan revealed that suicide is more common among men than women. According to WHO, 13,000 to 14,000 people commit suicide in Pakistan every year, while the number of unsuccessful suicide attempts is in the millions. From 2002 to 2019, the suicide rate among men was 13%. Among women, the rate fell to 4.3% from 4.9%.

Men should be encouraged to share their mental illnesses and offered therapy and rehabilitation. As a society, we need to break down stereotypical barriers and offer help to those who are vulnerable.

BABAR ALI ISLAmABAd

Mughal system of social welfare

tHe Mughal dynasty was one of the world’s largest and strongest empire during the reign of greater Mughals. It lasted from 1526 to 1857 A.D. Most of the historians, especially the Hindu ones, consider Jalal-ud-Din Akbar as the greatest Mughal but in my opinion, this notion hinders the greatness of other Mughal emperors like Babar, Shahjehan and Aurangzeb Alamgir. the great strength of this dynasty, no doubt, was its military power but their reign was also exemplary in other fields like education, economy, social development and judiciary. the social welfare system adopted by them was very strong capable of fulfilling the needs of the time. the society was multi-religious society in which the Hindus were in majority. the sizeable population of other religions like Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism was also present there. the Muslim population was not more than ten percent at that time. In such a multi-religious society, it was tough to build a balanced social welfare system that would be acceptable for all. the Mughals were successful in this concern. this policy was mainly based on the principle of equality. the people were allowed to enjoy full religious freedom. no one was forced to convert his religion forcefully. Business opportunities were for all and at an equal level. Muslims were a privileged class but at the same time, Hindus were also encouraged to get social progress as high as possible.

Hinduism is an old religion which had its origin and development within subcontinent. It became a regional entity and its followers did not try to spread it out. Since the last century, this religion was limited to this region only. the most prominent feature of this religion is its caste system which allows a small class of religious pundits to have full control over it.

As a result, the social welfare system developed by this religion was very weak and did not provide social justice to the people. that is why the local people were attracted towards Islam and accepted it and hence Islam became a popular religion in this region. It confirms that the social welfare system of Mughals was successful. During British era, Hindu revival movements gained momentum which mainly focused to compete the Islamic values. these movements were reactionary in their nature and they started opposing policies of the Mughals and criticized them negatively.

Different segments started accepting their propaganda. It created the social, political and religious among two religions. British exploited the both of the communities by using these differences. they used the policy of divide and rule. All these circumstances ultimately lead to the partition of the subcontinent. So it is wrong to blame the Mughals especially, Aurangzeb Alamgir, for the partition of subcontinent as some Hindu historians blame.

TARIQ mAHmOOd KHAN FAISALABAd

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

israeli military readying for 'Plan B' if iran nuclear talks fail JerusAlem Post

i

anna aHROnHEIm

SRAel’S military is continuing to develop its ability to conduct a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program should circumstances demand it. After a five-month hiatus, indirect talks between the United States and Iran are set to resume on Monday, with the other parties to the nuclear deal mediating in hope of reestablishing an agreement to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions.

The defense establishment does not see a war breaking out with Iran or its proxies, such as hezbollah in lebanon, but the IDF has been keeping an eye on the North and on the South.

It held large-scale exercises in the North in October and November, and there are plans to hold 50% more drills next year than in 2020, and 30% more than in 2021.

The increased exercises set for 2022 follows years of stagnation, and will be the

MILITARY DRILLS WITH TROOPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES COULD HELP THE IDF BE READY TO FIGHT AS PART OF A MILITARY COALITION IN THE FUTURE, COL. AVIRAN LERER SAID largest training operation in five years, especially for reserve forces.

Following the signing of the Abraham Accords, the IDF has also begun conducting drills with Gulf Arab states.

In a subtle message to Iran, Israel took part in a multilateral maritime security drill in the Red Sea with the United Arab emirates, Bahrain, and US Naval Forces Central Command’s (NAVCeNT).

The drill in early November was the first of its kind, and showed what kind of naval coalition Israel might join should there be military action against Iran.

“It is exciting to see US forces training with regional partners to enhance our collective maritime security capabilities,” V-Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCeNT,

US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces said at the time. “Maritime collaboration helps safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade, which are essential to regional security and stability.”There are also hints of an aerial coalition that could come together.

Israeli jets recently escorted a B-1B strategic heavy bomber and KC-10 refuelers on their way to the Gulf. Jets from egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also escorted those planes while flying through their respective airspace. Israel’s Blue Flag air drills, which become more popular as the years go on, also provide a clue as to what other countries could fly alongside Israel when push comes to shove.

This year’s Blue Flag saw aircraft from

Germany (six eurofighters), Italy (five F-35 jets and five G550 planes), Britain (six eurofighters), France (four Raphale jets), India (five Mirage jets), Greece (four F-16 jets), and the US (six F-16 CJ jets) take part.

During the drill, forces practiced aerial battle as well as surface-to-air battle scenarios, advanced surface-to-air missiles combat outlines in enemy territory, and more.

The exercise focused on “broadening and enhancing the operational capabilities of the participating forces,” with a focus on air-toair and air-to-ground attacks, as well as evading ground-based air defense systems “and various operational scenarios in enemy territory,” the army said at the time of the drill.

While Israel has never joined a regional military coalition, Marom Division com-

mander Col. Aviran lerer told The Jerusalem Post that there could be a time that Jerusalem might be part of such a partnership. lerer, who spoke to The Post after a two-week drill with 500 troops from NAVCeNT’s 51/5th Marine expeditionary Brigade, said that the IDF has to be ready to fight with other troops.

The drill, he said, was to strengthen ties with Israel’s main ally and the Marines who “are a significant force in the US military with whom we have a lot of shared interests.

The United States always fights as a coalition, and it could be that will be part of a future coalition. We, as an army, have to do everything we can to be ready for a future conflict; we see the Americans as a strategic ally, and there could be a time when we will work and fight together.”

While Israel’s diplomats are working around the clock to influence the United States, the UK and France on the Iran talks, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that the “best-case scenario” would be a deal that not only focuses on uranium enrichment but also on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its regional hostility.

“Concerning Iran, we must influence our partners and have ongoing discussion with them,” Gantz said. “Our other obligation is to build a military force, which is an important issue by itself. I ordered [the military] to improve its force build-up, in parallel to our discussions with our strategic partners.”

india’s farmers have exPosed modi’s BJP Why there are no grand THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT WILL CERTAINLY PUNCTURE THE IMAGE OF INFALLIBILITY THAT THE ACOLYTES OF MODITVA SEEK TO CONVEY

indePendent

i

sHasHI THaROOR

NDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi’s decision to repeal three controversial farm laws that had been the subject of nationwide protests has sent shock waves through Indian politics. An administration that had rushed legislation through parliament, using its brute majority to stifle disagreement, and then stubbornly resisted all criticism of its laws, even in the face of major farmers’ agitation that besieged the national capital, had suddenly turned tail, reversing course for the first time on any issue in recent memory.

At one level, the reason for the government’s retreat is obviously political. Five Indian states are expected to go to the polls in February and March, and three of them – Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and to a lesser extent Uttarakhand – have been deeply affected by the agitation on the farm laws. Modi’s BJP party realised it was in grave difficulty, as farmers and civil society mobilised against them en masse. The political imperative to stop the haemorrhage of voters from the BJP dictated the move. Some believe it could yet save the day in the latter two states, where the BJP hopes it will help neutralise widespread anti-incumbency.

There may also be a strategic calculation with regard to Punjab’s Sikh farmers, a constituency Modi targeted during his recent visits to gurudwaras (Sikh places of worship) and by making the announcement on the most sacred day in the Sikh calendar, Gurpurab, the birthday of the faith’s founder, Guru Nanak. Many had expressed concern that the alienation of Sikhs, and the foolish attempts by ruling party apologists to demonise them as “Khalistanis”, could help revive the ashes of the old separatist movement, with which Pakistan has been seeking to stir up trouble through its sponsorship of Sikh militancy abroad.

This may help heal the breach, especially with the Punjab elections looming.

Some saw in the prime minister’s statement a belated admission of error. But that is excessively generous to an administration that had attacked, arrested, and vilified the farmers, restricting their entry into Delhi through barricades, trenches and water cannons, and describing them as dupes, knaves and antinationals. The nation has not yet recovered from the brutal mowing down of four farmers by a union minister’s car during a recent farmers’ protest.

Previous attempts to make up for the government’s earlier failure to consult farmers – including promising to increase farm subsidies and minimum support prices for crops, plus reopening the Kartarpur corridor to a holy Sikh temple just across the border in Pakistan – failed to adequately reverse the damage done by its legislative haste in parliament.

Modi’s BJP used its majority to ride roughshod over disagreement, imperiously deal with farm unions and defend the laws with stubborn inflexibility. In the end, repeal was the only way out to prevent irreversible political damage.

The prime minister’s apology to the nation for his failure to convince farmers that the laws were in their interest comes at a time when the government has been faltering on all fronts. India is a price-sensitive country, and inflation has been rising steadily, in no small part because of the government’s extortionate taxes on fuel, which has had a knock-on effect on other commodities. Unemployment is at the highest levels ever recorded. economic growth is still sputtering despite the government’s rhetoric.

This latest development will certainly puncture the image of infallibility that the acolytes of Moditva seek to convey. But it also shows how, on most big-ticket reforms, the BJP has proved unable to convince the nation or persuade the opposition of its initiatives, from labour laws to land acquisition. Its style of bulldozing laws through, with minimal discussion, no consultation with stakeholders, no reference of bills to the standing committees of parliament, and none of the persuasive lobbying that previous governments have sought to undertake to get new policies passed, has again come a cropper on the farm laws. economic reformists are concerned that the farm laws retreat signals one more failure of reform efforts in the face of the shortterm expediency that characterises Indian politics. In their view, it is a problem for India that a determined group of agitators defending their own vested interests can derail reforms that would benefit the economy as a whole. “Anyone who can assemble a few thousand people to block a national highway indefinitely can get their way against a majority government,” they grumble.

It is true that various development projects, from dams to high-speed railways, have been scuttled or interminably delayed by political opposition in various parts of the country. land acquisition laws were already scrapped when even the ruling party’s supporters balked. Nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels faces intractable opposition from the people of every area where such plants are proposed to be installed. Construction activities face serious challenges from opponents of quarrying and sand mining. environmental activists frequently file cases against new construction initiatives, which receive a sympathetic hearing from the judiciary and especially the National Green Tribunal.

But these challenges are inevitable in a fractious democracy where multiple political interests must be accommodated in a consultative process before any meaningful transformation is accomplished. The lesson the Modi government has learned is that democracy is not just about winning elections and assuming that gives you a licence to do as you please. Democracy is about what happens between elections – the constant process of contact, consultation and compromise through which democratic change is engineered. This is what the ruling party has proved inept at.

It is a pity that the Modi government learned this lesson in seven years is too late. The farm laws can be repealed, but no one can compensate for the 700 lives lost by protesters during their year-long satyagraha (resistance). And other egregious mistakes, ranging from the feckless folly of the disastrous demonetisation, which knocked two and a half per cent off India’s GDP growth, to the hasty and botched implementation of a muchneeded Goods and Services Tax, which stalled subsequent efforts at growth, all had damaging consequences that cannot be undone.

It is also far from clear that repealing the laws will really restore the confidence of the farmers in the Modi government and arrest Sikh disaffection. It might at best slow down a steady slide in the ruling party’s popularity, with the 2024 general election just two and a half years away.

That a government that refused to retreat – even in the face of overwhelming evidence of its mistakes – has now done so, might embolden the opposition into demanding the repeal of other unpopular decisions, such as the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act which was widely seen as disempowering India’s Muslims.

The remaining two and a half years of the Modi government’s term promise to be challenging – and fraught.

Shashi Tharoor is an Indian former international diplomat, politician, writer and public intellectual who has been serving as member of parliament for Lok Sabha since 2009.

alliances in asia AustrAliAn FinAnciAl review

t

Evan Laksmana

he outlines of the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy are emerging. Public comments from administration figures indicate that the US is seeking to build more bespoke or ad hoc regional coalitions – such as the Quad and AUKUS – to balance China’s military power and buttress the ‘rules-based order’.

At the heart of the US–China contest in the Indo-Pacific region is a competition for influence in Southeast Asia. But beating the drum of the ‘rules-based order’ or sounding the alarm on Chinese military and economic coercion has less resonance among south-east Asian post-colonial elites than Washington thinks. Regional countries don’t want to subscribe to some exclusive vision of regional order, regardless of whether it is from Washington or Beijing.

Some Southeast Asian countries view ‘rules-based order’ talk as a necessary diplomatic veneer for defending shared principles but most see it as hollow chatter. And some privately assess it as just a snipe against China.

China’s behaviour is certainly detrimental to the region. But the United States must reckon with its own responsibility for the fraying of regional order. This did not begin and end with the Trump presidency. Many regional elites still remember how the US trampled on the order in the name of the global war on terror.

At best, the ‘rules-based order’ narrative is under-defined and unappealing. At a time of economic flux, how many regional policymakers would make decisions based on an abstract and broken ‘rules-based order’ rather than on concrete interests such as economic recovery and ‘collective welfare’?

Nor should Washington assume that regional states will coalesce to prevent Chinese dominance and create a european-style balance of power. In Asia, hierarchy, rather than power balance, has historically been the structure of regional order.

At the moment few Southeast Asian leaders view China as the primary threat – militarily or otherwise. There is no regional concurrence over a ‘China challenge’, nor that any one power is ideologically or morally superior.

A european-style power arrangement would only be likely to arise after the region is effectively polarised and China is excluded from all regional policy arenas. The cost of getting there would be high.

For a true balancing coalition to emerge in the region China would have to become significantly more threatening to every Southeast Asian state. Why would China become so threatening? Probably only if it saw ‘core interests’ such as Taiwan being threatened or if it felt excluded from the region. either way, the cost of ‘getting China angry’ so that a balancing coalition emerges would be too costly for everyone involved.Regional states are, of course, more likely to buy in to a regional order they deem legitimate. But there is no ev-

idence that all Indo-Pacific states have ever perceived a single unifying source of regional legitimacy. There is no single actor with a preponderant legitimacy, let alone a full-blown Pax Americana or Pax Sinica. The absence of a universally accepted ‘operating system’ is a feature, not a bug, of regional order.

Regional states are accustomed to living without a grand legitimate order and to working through different organising principles for different policy ends. Their strategic histories attest to the selective enforcement and uneven implementation of international rules.

Regional order begins and ends with domestic legitimacy. Asking regional countries to ‘decouple″ from China is a tall order, for both practical and political reasons. They are increasingly and painfully aware of their supply chain vulnerabilities, but simply cutting off ties with China without a viable alternative would be strategic malpractice.

Regional countries will continue circumnavigating regional hierarchies rather than allow themselves to be pushed into some european-style balancing coalition.

They won’t accept Chinese hegemony willy-nilly, although some seem to be behaving like vassal states. Rather, they will continue engaging both sides and hedging their bets. They will choose the options that enhance their domestic legitimacy and strategic autonomy.

This leaves the more difficult question of, if not the United States or China, then who?

Middle powers such as Japan, India and Australia are already taking sides in the US-China strategic competition. Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are unlikely to offer a concrete alternative that workably accommodates all powers.

So we may be left with managing different functional orders with different actors offering different structures and rules. ASeAN might, for example, form a normative multilateral diplomatic order, while the United States sustains the region’s military-security order and China buttresses the economic order. Mini-lateral groupings such as the Quad and AUKUS will probably further fracture this picture.

Regional order depends firstly on how regional elites define and defend their domestic legitimacy. The domestic legitimacy of many regional elites in Southeast Asia now significantly depends on the private benefits and public goods China provides. A regional order that excludes one great power over the other may make sense geostrategically, but be unpalatable politically.

It’s time to spend more time figuring out the local drivers of regional order. Rather than reinventing the wheel on new policy initiatives, the United States could work with and support regional powers such as Japan and multilateral institutions under ASeAN. Genuinely co-operating with these actors might take the wind out of China’s narrative that the West is still stuck in a colonial mindset.

Evan A Laksmana is senior research fellow with the Centre on Asia and Globalisation at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

corporate corner Automobile Sector needs more improvement: Senator Faisal Subzwari

CUrrEnT moDEl For PAY AnD PEnSion ‘UnSUSTAinAblE’: TArin ISLAMABAD

KARACHI: Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production said the Automobile Sector needs more improvement. The Committee visited Toyota Indus Motors Company, Lucky Motors Company, KIA Motors Company, Samsung Manufacturing Company and Export Processing Zone Authority Karachi on November, 30, 2021. The Committee assured their full support to Auto Companies for betterment. In the Briefing of Indus Motors Company (IMC) Ali Asgher Jamali, Vice Chairman Shinji Yangi and Manager Faisal Meghani, informed the committee that the company was purchasing auto parts of 25 crores daily. IMC is on the top 07 list globally, participating in the growth of Pakistan by paying billions of rupees tax.

Mr. Asif Rizvi, Chief executive, of Lucky Motors Company in his briefing said, KIA motors and Samsung Mobile which are the parts of Lucky Motors Company have expanded their work, and the company will increase its capacity for producing auto parts locally. Mr. Umer, Director Samsung Pakistan informed that Samsung is at first number globally. Mobile production of Mobiles locally will strengthen the economy of the country. Dr. Saifuddin Junejo, Chairman Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) in his briefing informed that, the Authority has exported 292.160 million US dollars in July & October this year; contributed 12 million US dollars to FBR account as a tax. Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari, Chairperson presided over the meetings, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Niazi, Senator Fida Muhammad, Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt and Senator Atta ur Rehman were also present. PR

Webinar stresses to engage private sector to ensure skilled workforce ISLAMABAD: Endorsing the pivotal role of private sector in the country’s sustainable economic development, experts at a webinar have emphasized on the importance of private sector’s inclusion in the TVET sector to ensure productive as well as skilled workforce.

The webinar was organized by the TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP) titled “Private Sector Engagement: A Way-forward to Decent Economic Opportunities for Skilled Graduates and a Sustainable TVET Eco-System” in Islamabad. The TVET SSP has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), provincial Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVTAs) and other private sector organizations. Purpose of the webinar was to aware masses on the private sector’s participation in technical and vocational education & training (TVET) as an essential for the success of technical and vocational education and training as well as labour market growth.

Hospitality & Skills Sector Expert Azam Jamil, Vice President HR Engro Fertilizers Ltd Arshia Ahmed Saqib and Cluster Coordinator for Training, Sustainable Growth and Decent Employment Opportunities, GIZ-Pakistan, Mr. Olaf Handloegten were the panelists. Omair Abubaker, Private Sector Engagement Expert and National Coordinator, GIZ-Pakistan, moderated the webinar. He discussed about the importance of PublicPrivate Partnership in TVET sector and technical and vocational trainings for creating opportunities for youth of Pakistan with the panelists. The speakers highlighted how collaboration of public & private sectors in TVET from designing of curriculum to TVET delivery and workplace-based trainings is indispensable to create economic opportunities for trainees, TVET graduates and to create sustainable socio-economic environment.

Giving expert opinion in the webinar, Chief People Officer, KIA Lucky Motors Corporation, Ashaar Saeed, said that the SSP’s engagement of private sector is the need of the time for ensuring the country’s sustainable development and achieving sustainable eco-system. He also said the TVET SSP is committed to empower youth of the country, however, it can’t be achieved until industry is involved in the programme and share its role for development. While speaking about the empowerment that could be attained through skills enhancement, Arshia Ahmed Saqib remarked that seeing rapid entrance of youth in labour market and not getting jobs was very stressful, however, TVET emerged as a turnaround for youth. “When private industry engages with the TVET SSP, this enhances and creates the best career opportunities for the youth,” she asserted. In her remarks, Head of TVET SSP, GIZ-Pakistan, Iris Cordelia Rotzoll, said inclusion of private sector in TVET is a way forward for decent employment opportunities. P R

A

stAff RePoRt

DvISEr to the Prime Minister on Finance and revenue Shaukat Tarin has said that the current model for pay and pension is not sustainable and there is a need to rationalize the salaries, allowances, perks on the basis of performance and quality work.

He stated this while addressing a virtual meeting of the Pay and Pension Commission. The Commission is headed by Zafar Ahmed Khan and is composed of senior professionals from public and private sectors as well as serving Federal and Provincial Secretaries, AJK and GB and other senior officers of the

governments also attended the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, the Adviser underscored that the current model for pay and pension is not sustainable and there is a need to rationalize the salaries, allowances, perks on the basis of performance and quality work.

The performance of the employees may be assessed on the basis of setting targets and KPIs and simultaneously best performers may be compensated with rewards, he added.

The Adviser stressed for removal of anomalies in basic pay structure and suggested uniform basic pay structure for all the organizations. He suggested adoption of internationally accepted practices in the matter of pensions.

The Adviser emphasized

that there is a need to work out ranges for linking compensation with performance.

This will ensure meritocracy in the recruitment and result in improved service delivery in the public sector. The Adviser further extended his full support and cooperation to the Commission.

Chairman, Pay and Pension Commission thanked the Adviser to the PM on Finance and revenue on his keen interest and ownership of the work of Pay and Pension Commission.

He assured that the Commission will do its best to come up to the expectations of the government and would present an actionable set of recommendations to the Government for rationalizing the pays of the public servants.

Pakistan will never recognise Israel: Palestinian students

LAHORE AnAdolu Agency

Hundreds of students recently gathered at a university in Lahore to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The diaspora of Palestinian students from Gaza who are studying at various universities in the city organised the event.

According to the United Nations General Assembly, in 1977, UN members called for the annual observance on November 29 of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Since then, the day is widely observed around the world, which encourages UN member states to continue their support for the Palestinian people.

The students appraised Pakistan’s strong stance toward Israel and always standing with the people of Gaza.

“We know there is huge pressure on Pakistan to recognise Israel, but we know that Pakistan will never do this. Due to Pakistan’s strong stance, we have a special love for its people,” said Ali Hassan, a Palestinian computer science major at the University of Lahore.

Hassan’s father, who is a doctor, sent him to Pakistan to complete his studies.

“My father got to know about Pakistan’s education system through a neighbour, and I am here on a scholarship. My features are very similar to the Pathans (residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Many times, people address me as Lala (elder brother),” said Hassan.

Mentioning the struggles of Muhammed Ali Jinnah, Ibrahim Abu Hassan, a civil engineering major, said: “Quaid-i-Azam is my idol.

He made a nation from scratch. We need that kind of fresh leadership which can tell people

the idea of freedom.”

Most of the students want to go back and serve their nation. Abu Hassan’s father and uncle also came to Pakistan 20 years ago and completed their studies in the city of Peshawar.

Now they are back in Palestine working with their people.

“I am waiting for my degree to be completed so I can go back home and serve my own nation. My people need me. The love we have always gotten from Pakistani people is indispensable,” said Abu Hassan.

Pakistan on many occasions has been very blunt about its stance on Israel.

In January, in an interview with a Turkish channel, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan cannot recognise Israel for what it has done to Palestine.

While presenting the case in more clarity, he said the situation in Kashmir and Palestine is absolutely similar. Khan said that recognising Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land would be the same as recognising India’s atrocities in Kashmir and Pakistan would lose moral standing.

In May, thousands of people took to the streets in Pakistan and protested Israel’s aggression toward the people of Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

There are more than 200 Palestinian students in Pakistan studying at various universities and colleges. They also have a Palestinian student union that connects them all.

“I am from the West Bank, and I know two more people from my village here. We will also have a friendly football tournament in the coming days between different cities. We planned it earlier, but due to the (coronavirus) pandemic, we could not execute that,” said Abu Hassan.

NEWS

09

City School (TCS) PAF Chapter Karachi organises TEDxYouth@TCSPAF

KARACHI: The City School (TCS) PAF Chapter Karachi organised TEDxYouth@TCSPAF under their global TEDx license on 23rd November. The theme selected for this year’s conference was ‘Catalyst for Change’ which allowed all our speakers to share the multitude of experiences and struggles that they endured but kept going to ensure that they become the change-makers that society needs. Along with developing organisational and leadership skills in the students, TCS believes in providing platforms to its students where they can publicly voice their opinion. Not just that, but we aim to host this event annually to expose our students to the struggles and success stories of renowned figures so that they remain motivated and encouraged as they pursue their dreams. This year, TCS PAF Chapter managed to create a solid blend of speakers targeting personalities from a variety of industries and professions. We were pleased to have onboard Sarwat Gilani- a renowned actress, Kazim Saeed- an economist and author, Moiz Shaukat- a disabled author and humanitarian, Muhammad Zeeshan- an internationally acclaimed artist, Sabina Khatri- founder of Kiran Foundation, Uzma Fatima- life coach, Riffa Asim- a student of TCS PAF Chapter, and Ghazi Taimoor- an educationist heading LUMS School of Education. Mr. Jehangir Firoz, CEO of City School Holdings International & member of the Board of Directors of The City School Group, has expressed immense contentment at The City School’s initiative of arranging TEDx events. He believes that events such as these will allow our students to not just polish their organisational skills, but will help them in becoming the future leaders of tomorrow by setting their aspirations right. PR

Foundation University workshop to be held on Kinesio-Taping today Foundation University Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (FUIRS) has always endeavored for the professional development and uplift. The Institute aims to produce skillful and competent Physical Therapists by enlightening their minds and upgrading their skills through different workshops held periodically. By carrying its legacy, FUIRS is planning to conduct two workshops in December 2021, as per academic calendar 2021-2022. The first workshop is scheduled to be held on 1ST December 2021 (from 10 am to 1 pm) entitled, “Kinesio-Taping: Basics and Common Applications”. This workshop is best suited for Physical Therapists, Undergraduates, Rehab House Officers and other healthcare professionals. The resource persons are two expert manual Physical Therapists, Dr. Furqan Yaqoob (PT) & Dr Muhammad Osama (PT). The former is serving as HOD post-graduate program, while the latter is a senior lecturer at FUIRS. They are highly-qualified professionals, academicians, and researchers in their respective fields. The workshop aims to equip the students and professionals with the basics of kinesiology taping along with its effects and practical application for common musculoskeletal disorders. PR

Amir Ramzan, Country Director British Council Pakistan giving the welcome note on Youth in Climate Action Summit by British Council. PR

TCS (Pvt) Limited partners with Serene Air (Pvt) Limited as CGSA to expand tailored supply chain solution. AVM (R) Muhammad Safdar Khan, CEO, Serene Air (Pvt) Limited, Khalid Nawaz Awan, Founder and Chairman, TCS (Pvt) Limited. PR

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ChIna-RussIa govt heads stRess stRategIC Consensus to joIntly deal wIth exteRnal PRessuRe BeiJing

C

Agencies

hINESE and Russian governments agreed to further deepen mutual trust and cooperation, as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held the 26th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of governments with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin via video conference on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Li noted that China and Russia, both major economies and emerging markets, share strategic consensus on upholding multilateralism and safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, and the international order based on international law.

Mishustin said the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is at an all-time high and continues to develop rapidly. The two countries should jointly cope with external challenges on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, and that Russia supports China in hosting the Beijing Olympic Winter Games. They jointly announced a Joint Communiqué and cooperation

Purity or power: India’s coal quandary AFP Thick grey dust hangs in the air and vast chasms are gouged into the land in the Indian coal hub of Singrauli, where giant machines scoop up dirty fuel to power the country’s growth while worsening its pollution blight. The open-cast mines of Singrauli epitomise the economic and environmental dilemma faced by the world’s second-most populous nation, which led the opposition to phasing out coal at this month’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. India’s resistance on the issue is driven by its desire to distribute the benefits of development more widely among its 1.3 billion people.

sive and high-level China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

During the first 10 months of this year, bilateral trade reached $115.6 billion, over 30 percent higher than the same period last year. Before the year ends, it is expected to reach a new high, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a routine press conference on Monday. On military cooperation, the two countries recently signed a roadmap for closer ties, which, according to military experts, indicates that Russia and China have common interests and views on strategic stability and regional security, especially in the Pacific region. Such enhancement of cooperation in the defense sector is also viewed as a reaction to the West’s pressure on Russia and to the alarming signals that China received from the US and its allies, experts said.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference on Thursday that the Chinese military expects an even better relationship with its Russian counterpart, and is willing to play a bigger role with it in safeguarding world peace and stability.

The signing of the road map for closer military cooperation reflects the high-level mutual military trust between China and Russia, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times.

Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks via video link with Russian Defense

documents.

Chinese observers said as the two sides celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation this year, China and Russia have taken bilateral ties to new heights, with fruitful results in multiple spheres including defense, people-to-people exchanges, and economy and trade, as well as comprehensive strategic coordination and all-round practical cooperation.

China and Russia have been working closely together to overcome the impact of the pandemic, conduct cooperation in innovative ways, and advance the steady and orderly development in overall practical cooperation in various sectors, demonstrating enormous resilience and the strong internal drive of their cooperation.

Vice Premier hu Chunhua, who co-chaired the 25th session of the committee for regular meetings between Chinese and Russian heads of government on November 25 via video link, said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a video meeting in June and spoke again on the phone in August, when they reached a new consensus on major issues such as strengthening China-Russia comprehensive strategic cooperation and all-round practical cooperation. hu said thanks to the joint efforts, cooperation on trade, investment, agriculture and other fields has achieved fruitful results, which reflects the comprehen-

Minister Sergei Shoigu on November 23, and a Chinese Ministry of National Defense statement on the event said that this year, the Chinese and Russian militaries deepened cooperation in various fields, with new breakthroughs in joint exercises and training in particular.

China and Russia have conducted three joint strategic air cruises and their first joint maritime cruise this year. Song said the frequency and intensity of such cruises will continuously increase and serve as the main military cooperation between China and Russia.

Cooperation on major projects has steadily advanced and virtual and in-person people-to-people and cultural exchanges remain popular. The success of the ChinaRussia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation injected fresh impetus into deepening our all-round cooperation, Wang noted on Tuesday.

Energy cooperation, as an important part of bilateral relations, has also seen new progress.

Major cooperation between the two countries includes units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu Province, and units 3 and 4 of the Xudapu Nuclear Plant in huludao, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, the largest ChinaRussia nuclear energy cooperation project to date. As of Monday morning, the first batch of Russian-supplied large-scale equipment cleared Customs and is on their way to the construction site in Liaoning.

Russia says NATO deploying ‘significant’ hardware near its borders Agencies Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused NATO on Tuesday of deploying a significant amount of military hardware near Russia’s borders and said Moscow could respond to security threats from Western countries and Ukraine if necessary.

U.S., NATO and Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm in recent weeks over what they say are unusual Russian troop movements near the border with Ukraine, and have suggested that Moscow might be preparing to launch an attack. Moscow has denied any plans to do so.

Lavrov said Ukrainian military manoeuvres and use

of drones in the country’s east, held by pro-Russian separatists, posed a threat to Russia, and it was ready to respond if needed. “We simply cannot rule out the possibility that Kyiv will set out on a military adventure,” he told a news conference in Moscow.

“President Putin stressed that we do not need conflict but if the West cannot hold back Ukraine – and on the contrary encourages it – of course we will take all the necessary steps to ensure our security.”

Responding to concerns about its troop build-up, Russia has repeatedly said it is free to move its troops on its own territory and that such movements should not be a cause for alarm.

World closing its doors to African countries due to omicron JOHAnnesBURg AnAdolu Agency

A number of countries have imposed travel bans on African nations amid fears over the new Covid-19 variant omicron. Travel restrictions have been imposed on eight southern African countries after the potentially more contagious variant was first detected earlier this month in South Africa and Botswana.

The bans apply to South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi,

Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

The UK immediately added South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe to its red list of countries deemed high risk after omicron was detected. The European Union announced on Nov. 26 that it will block flights from these countries. The US, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Israel, India, Australia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Italy, Malta, Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman have also imposed similar travel restrictions.

Afghanistan’s tumultuous year and uncertain future Agencies Few nations endured as tumultuous a year as Afghanistan in 2021, and the country’s woes are far from over as a bitter winter draws in. The Taliban’s astonishing return to power caught everyone on the wrong foot — not least the hardline Islamists themselves — and Afghans are stumbling to make sense of what happened, and what the future holds. For the Taliban, the biggest challenge remains being able to transform from an insurgent force into a political and administrative body that can manage so complex and diverse a nation as Afghanistan. For Western nations such as the United States and its NATO partners, the fear is twofold: that conditions will deteriorate so much it will lead tens of thousands more Afghans to flee and seek shelter abroad, and that terror groups such as AlQaeda will again find safe haven. And for ordinary Afghans, food, shelter and employment are a priority — with women in particular bearing the brunt of the Taliban’s oppressive social policies. Afghans gathered on August 20 near Kabul airport, hoping to flee the country as the Taliban returned to power Afghans gathered on August 20 near Kabul airport, hoping to flee the country as the Taliban returned to power Wakil “The consequences of the takeover were calamitous and immediate,” Kate Clark wrote in a special report for the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN). The Taliban, she argued, “had no plans for how they would run the Afghan state without aid, an entirely predictable outcome of their decision to push for a military victory”.

“In opposition, they taxed the population under their control effectively, but were able to leave public services entirely up to the government, NGOs and ultimately donors,” Clark added. “Now, in power… (they) find government revenues greatly reduced and they PID (I) 3605/21 have an entire population to look after.”

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021 | KARACHI

sPoRTs 11

PaKisTan uPBeaT aBouT winning 2nd TesT maTch againsT Bangladesh

P

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in first Test CHATTOGRAM The AssociATed Press

Opener Abid Ali missed out on back-to-back centuries by nine runs but Pakistan comfortably chased down a 202-run target to beat Bangladesh by eight wickets on Tuesday in the first Test. Abid and Abdullah Shafique put on a 151-run partnership for the first wicket, their second consecutive 100-plus stand in the match to give Pakistan’s chase a powerful start. Abid, who hit 133 in the first innings, struck 12 boundaries and scored 91 off 148 deliveries in the second innings. “Abdullah Shafique was making his debut, so we tried to stay on the crease, waited for bad balls and succeeded in putting those away,” Abid said. “I had done well in domestic cricket and carried that positive mindset here too. Abdullah played really well, I gave him more credit. “I am a bit disappointed that I got out for 91 in the second innings but at the same time I am happy that we won the match.” Resuming Day 5 at 109 without loss, and just 93 runs away from the victory, Pakistan’s openers appeared to be in full control until off-spinner Mehidy Hasan struck. Shafique followed his first-innings half-century to reach 73 before Mehidy (1-59) trapped him lbw. Seven overs later, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (1-89) had Abid out lbw, baffling him with a sharp turn to make Pakistan 171-2. Azhar Ali then combined with captain Babar Azam to complete the inevitable, hitting consecutive boundaries off Mehidy to finish off the game. Azhar was unbeaten on 24 and Azam was not out on 13. Liton Das’ maiden Test century helped Bangladesh post 330 in its first innings, then Taijul Islam claimed 7-116 to bowl out Pakistan for 286 — giving the hosts a 44-run first-innings lead. Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi was instrumental in Pakistan’s rally, returned figures of 5-32 to wrap up Bangladesh’s second innings for 157. The second Test starts Saturday in Dhaka.

— With additional input from Reuters

Karachi Kings leave fans wondering by hinting at a ‘big announcement’

News Desk HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings have teased their fans with news of a ‘big announcement’ on their social platforms. HBL PSL 7 is expected to start in the last week of January while the players’ draft will be held soon. Meanwhile, Karachi Kings posted news of big announcement and the fans are wondering what the fuss is. Kings’ fans think that the news will be related to Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam. Some are expecting that the country’s leading batsman will be announced as the new captain of the franchise in place of Imad Wasim. It is pertinent to note that Babar is all-time leading run-scorer of HBL PSL. He has scored 2070 runs in the 56 innings and was instrumental in giving Kings their first title in 2020.

News Desk

AKISTANI opening batter Abid Ali Tuesday revealed that the team is looking forward to winning the second Test match as well.

“We are trying to rise on the World Test Championship points table,” said Abid. He further vowed to keep up his momentum for the second Test match against Bangladesh, after Pakistan thrashed the hosts by eight wickets to win the first Test match of the series.

Speaking about his performance in the first Test, the cricketer said that he is pleased to have won the Player of the Match award, adding that the domestic cricket he played before the Test series helped him in confidence.

Abid Ali said that he couldn’t score a century in the second innings but “this performance is now a matter of the past”. “[I] have to play with the same positivity in Dhaka now,” Abid said.

Commenting on his partnership with Abdullah Shafiq, Abid congratulated his opening batting partner for his international debut, praising him for playing with confidence.

“Our plan was to stay on the wickets,” Abid said, adding that the duo kept helping each other out by pointing out their mistakes.

It is pertinent to note that Ali scored a century on Day 1 and then followed it up with a half-century on Day 4 of the same Test match. With scores of 133 and 91, he was declared Player of the Match for the Chittagong Test.

Ramiz congratulates Pakistan team on victory in first Bangladesh Test News Desk Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja on Tuesday congratulated the national cricket team on victory in the first Test against Bangladesh.

In a Twitter post, Ramiz appreciated the national side for winning the match on a wicket that offered a lot to spinners. “Congrats boys! chasing 200 on a turning pitch was a test of sorts. Great that the chase was executed perfectly. And winning away from home is always more special,” he tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan comfortably chased down the 202-run target to beat Bangladesh by eight wickets.

Abid and Abdullah Shafique put on a 151-run partner-

ship for the first wicket, their second consecutive 100-plus

stand in the match to give Pakistan’s chase a powerful start. Abid, who hit 133 in the first innings, struck 12 boundaries and scored 91 off 148 deliveries in the second innings. Resuming Day 5 at 109 without loss, and just 93 runs away from the victory, Pakistan’s openers appeared to be in full control until off-spinner Mehidy Hasan struck.

Shafique followed his first-innings half-century to reach 73 before Mehidy (1-59) trapped him lbw.

Seven overs later, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (1-89) had Abid out lbw, baffling him with a sharp turn to make Pakistan 171-2. Azhar Ali then combined with captain Babar Azam to complete the inevitable, hitting consecutive boundaries off Mehidy to finish off the game. Azhar was unbeaten on 24 and Azam was not out on 13.

Messi’s brilliance rewarded with another Ballon d’Or PARIs Agencies

Some might question whether Lionel Messi really deserved to win his latest Ballon d’Or prize ahead of other worthy candidates, but the Argentinian has been rewarded for continuing to be so good for so long.

The most turbulent year of Messi’s glittering career, in which he was forced to tearfully bid farewell to Barcelona, ends with him — at the age of 34 — claiming a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world.

In Germany, they thought it had to be Robert Lewandowski’s year after he missed out 12 months ago when the 2020 edition was scrapped due to the pandemic.

Karim Benzema might have had plenty of support in Spain for his remarkable performances with Real Madrid, and Jorginho could stake a claim following a year in which he won the Champions League with Chelsea as well as Euro 2020 with Italy.

Yet it is the enduring brilliance of Messi — who won the last award in 2019 — which stays in the minds of the jurors when it comes to voting.

Having joined Paris Saint-Germain in August, he is the first male player to win the award while with a French club since Jean-Pierre Papin of Marseille in 1991, although it was his achievements with Barcelona and with Argentina that counted towards him effectively retaining his crown.

Messi tried unsuccessfully to force his departure from Barcelona in August 2020 but he showed no signs of rancour as he stayed put at the Camp Nou and ended last season with 38 goals in 48 games for his boyhood club.

These are the kind of remarkable figures that he has made so mundane over the course of his career — indeed he had actually scored more goals than that in 10 of his previous 11 seasons.

Messi was the top scorer in La Liga for the fifth consecutive year with 30 goals and won the Copa del Rey, scoring twice in the final as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0.

This will always be remembered as the year his long association with the Catalan giants came to an end, after 672 goals in 778 appearances, a record goal tally for one club.

However, 2021 was also the year he finally won a major international title, captaining Argentina to victory in the Copa America with a 1-0 win against Brazil in the final at the Maracana.

He scored four goals in the tournament as Argentina won the South American championship for the first time since 1993.

“I think I won this trophy thanks to what we did at the Copa America so I dedicate this to my teammates,” he said after being handed his latest Ballon d’Or at the Chatelet Theatre in central Paris.

However the shame was that hardly any fans were in the stadium to witness Argentina’s Copa America success due to coronavirus restrictions, only adding to the sense that, despite all he has achieved, Messi still has unfinished business.

Not least at PSG, where he has so far played just 11 games since arriving in August, and scored just four goals.

Messi did provide three assists for the Parisians in a Ligue 1 match on Sunday but it remains to be seen how motivated the Argentinian is by the French league. He has other priorities.

“My dream is to win another Champions League,” he said at his unveiling in August, with the last of his four European Cups coming in 2015.

Then there is the really big one: the World Cup in Qatar will be underway this time next year and Messi will be 35 by then. That will surely be his last chance to win the greatest trophy of all, and you imagine he would swap his seven Ballons d’Or to get his hands on it.

Ronaldo hits back at claim he wants to beat messi’s Ballon d’or haul LONDON AFP

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at a “disrespectful” claim that his only remaining ambition is to win the Ballon d’Or more times than Lionel Messi. Paris SaintGermain forward Messi won the prestigious award for a seventh time on Monday. Ronaldo, who finished sixth in this year’s voting, has earned the Ballon d’Or five times. The Ballon d’Or, given to the best male and female footballers of the year, is voted on by 180 journalists and presented by France Football. Pascal Ferre, the editor in chief of France Football, was quoted in the New York Times recently saying Ronaldo told him his primary motivation was to retire having won the accolade more often than his old rival Messi. Ronaldo, 36, took to Instagram to deny that suggestion.

“Today’s outcome explains Pascal Ferre’s statements last week, when he said that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Ballon d’Ors than Lionel Messi,” Ronaldo wrote. “Pascal Ferre lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for. “It is unacceptable that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d’Or. “The biggest ambition of my career is to win national and international titles for the clubs I represent and for the national team in my country. “The biggest ambition of my career is to be a good example for all those who are or want to be professional footballers.

“The biggest ambition of my career is to leave my name written in golden letters in the history of world football.” Ronaldo, who did not attend Monday’s prize-giving event in Paris, last won the Ballon d’Or in 2017.

Wednesday, 1 December, 2021

pRayeR tiMiNgs

NEWS

MilitaRy landS Can only Be uSed foR defenCe PuRPoSeS: CJP

t

HE Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Tuesday conducted hearing of a suo moto case pertaining to commercial use of military lands.

During the proceedings, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed asked Defence Secretary Lt Gen (R) Mian Mohammad Hilal Hussain to return those lands to the government where activities regarding defence are not being carried out.

Cinemas, petrol pumps, housing societies, shopping malls and wedding halls have been constructed on the lands reserved for defence purposes, he remarked.

The apex court said that all cantonment

boards’ lands are facing the similar issue.

The court said that a retired major had given the land of Global Marquees, a wedding venue near Gora Qabristan, on lease to a private party, and asked whether he had the authority to do so.

The CJP further asked about the action taken against the responsible people.

Your army officials purchased the land and then sold it. How we can recover this area now, he asked from the secretary, according to a Dunya News report.

The CJP also rejected the report submitted by the defence secretary and said that the report claims buildings on the said land have been demolished, but these constructions are still standing there.

“This is an embarrassing situation for us and the army,” the CJP remarked.

To this, the defence secretary said he will visit the area in person and compile a fresh report along with pictures.

The secretary also said that the term ‘strategic defence’ is a broad term and the commercial activities on the military land are also part of strategic defence, adding that such activities promote welfare and boost morale of the army deployed on borders.

According to a news outlet, the top judge also said that the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) was turned into an commercial departmental store and buildings were erected overnight in the

cantonment.

“Let us know what do you intend to do [to end commercialisation],” the chief justice asked.

The secretary responded that an inter-services committee has been formed to take notice of violations on the military land.

“All the land of cantonments must be restored to its original condition,” the top judge said, adding that the SC will also review all of the army rules and laws in light of the Constitution.

“The army is there for the country’s defence, not for doing business,” the CJP remarked. The hearing was adjourned for four weeks. News Desk

PM Khan forbids ministers from traveling abroad ISLAMABAD MiaN abRaR

SC turns down K-P govt’s request to alter schedule of local body elections The Supreme Court (SC) has turned down the KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P) government’s request to change schedule of local body elections.

Supreme Court’s three-member bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the K-P government’s appeal against the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order to hold local body elections in the province on a party basis.

“There is no provision in the law for the order passed by the PHC, if the court does not grant restraining orders, then allow the date of election to be changed,” he requested.

The advocate general K-P pleaded that elections were not the only matter and true representation was required.

The SC maintained that the local body elections in K-P will be held on a party basis as per schedule.

Justice Bandial said that elections on a party basis lead to disintegration in communities.

“It is necessary to strengthen political parties to strengthen democracy in the country, political parties cannot be excluded from the political process,” the judge said.

“We strongly oppose changing history,” he added.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah maintained that no political party came to the court, nor did they indicate that the PHC decision caused them harm.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case indefinitely.

It stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken all the necessary steps to implement the decision of the PHC and that the issue of the local body elections schedule had already been delayed for two years.

Earlier, the PHC had declared the provision of the K-P Local Government Act for holding elections of village and neighbourhood councils on a non-party basis as unconstitutional.

Adding to that, the SC issued a notice to the ECP, last week in a case pertaining to the PHC’s decision regarding local body elections in K-P. News Desk

Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday banned cabinet members from carrying out foreign visits due to ‘key decision-making’ and ‘important legislation’ in next few months.

Sources have informed this scribe that the prime minister’s direction came during debate on an argument between Advisor to the Prime Minister on climate change Malik Amin Aslam and State Minister Zartaj Gul at a recently held conference in Glasgow, USA. The matter brought to the public eye by MNA Riaz Fatiana who also attended the conference through an NGO. The PTI later issued show cause notice to Riaz Fatiana for violating

party code of conduct.

The federal cabinet meeting discussed the matter Tuesday prompting Prime Minister Imran Khan to direct that no minister should visit abroad in next three months. According to the sources, the Prime Minister also took notice of the statements made by the cabinet members and MNA regarding the Glasgow Conference.

The sources said that Imran Khan asked how cabinet members were visiting US without seeking prior permission from his office while there were clear instructions that no minister is allowed to travel abroad without seeking permission from PM’s Office.

The sources quoted Imran Khan telling the cabinet members that during next few months

are critical and key decisions would be taken regarding the economic affairs. Hence, the sources said, the premier said that the government is facing various challenges and hence the ministers should remain in the country.

Moreover, the sources further said that the Prime Minister had taken strict note of the remarks of some PTI leaders regarding the climate change debate in Glasgow and called the remarks regrettable. Khan also congratulated climate change adviser Malik Amin Aslam and said that thanks to his efforts, Pakistan’s performance at the conference remained at the top. Khan also called out party leaders who made controversial remarks regarding the Glasgow conference.

Pakistan clinches G77 top slot at UN Pakistan has been elected the next chair of the ‘Group of 77’, which is the largest intergovernmental grouping of developing countries in the United Nations.

The development comes during the 45th ministerial meeting of Group of 77 and China, held in a virtual format on Tuesday, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed the meeting and thanked the 134 members of G77 and China for reposing their trust in Pakistan to lead the group in 2022.

He highlighted that the world is confronted with a triple crisis: the Covid pandemic and its consequences; the challenge of real-

ising the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development; and the existential threat of climate catastrophe – which has had a disproportionate impact on the developing countries.

He added that an inclusive and equitable recovery from the current crisis would only be possible if the developing countries are provided with adequate means, especially financial resources, to return to the path of sustained and sustainable economic growth.

FM Qureshi also emphasised that the developing countries needed to promote a “Common Development Agenda” to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) by 2030.

He underscored that, as the next chair of the Group of 77 and China, Pakistan would work with the members of the group to promote such a development agenda, including debt restructuring; redistribution of the $650 billion new SDRs to developing countries; larger concessional financing; mobilisation of the $100 billion in annual climate finance by the developed countries; ending the billions in illicit financial flows from the developing countries and the return of their stolen assets; and the creation of an equitable and open trading system and a fair international tax regime. MoNitoRiNg RepoRt

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:39

12:21

3:22

6:58

5:42

7:03

PPP will pave way for ‘real democracy’, says Bilawal on party anniversary ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said only his party can pave the way for democracy in Pakistan having struggled for long and giving unprecedented sacrifices.

Only PPP’s manifesto and strategy can make the homeland of 220 million people a truly democratic and welfare state, he said, according to a statement from his media office.

On the occasion of the 54th foundation day of the party, Bilawal said the PPP is a revolutionary movement based on the ideology of deposed prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the philosophy of slain former prime minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and the struggles and sacrifices of many generations.

Bilawal said that even in face of the most difficult circumstances, PPP has given the country and the nation a rich strategic gift, including its first unified constitution, nuclear programme guaranteeing invincible defence and missile technology, provincial sovereignty, and agrarian and economic reforms.

Other hallmark achievements of PPP include making Pakistan the political hub of the Islamic world by organising Islamic Summit and Pakistan-China friendship, the CPEC project.

“Today, I salute all the jiyalas who sacrificed their lives for the cause of democracy, endured the hardships of imprisonment, deportation, and undemocratic forces, and also faced sponsored media trials,” said Bilawal.

He said that party officials and workers possess the unwavering courage and determination to carry out the unfinished mission of Quaid-e-Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. “They are the ones who are breathing a new life into their struggle.”

“Today, we renew our commitment to continue fighting for the rights of the people, the emancipation of women, the inclusion of minorities in the national mainstream, the empowerment of democratic institutions, the rule of law, and the well-being of the people of this nation,” promised the PPP chief.

Bilawal further said the leadership of the party and the tireless struggle of the jiyalas will soon bear fruit. He said the dream of eradicating all forms of discrimination from the country and establishing a society based on equality was about to become a reality.

He emphasised that the time has come for real democracy to be established in Pakistan and for the end of the reign of selected regimes.

Petrol price to remain unchanged at Rs145.82 PRICES WILL BE EFFECTIVE UNTIL DEC 15 The government of Pakistan on Tuesday announced that it would maintain the prices of petroleum products including petrol, kerosene, and light diesel unchanged till December 15.

Following the prime minister’s decision, the petrol price will remain unchanged at Rs145.82 per litre, and the price of diesel will remain Rs142.62 per litre as before, a notification from the Finance Division read.

The prices of kerosene oil and light diesel will stay at Rs116.53 and Rs114.07 per litre, respectively.

According to the notification, the new prices will be effective from December 1.

It is pertinent to mention here that on November 5, the government had jacked up the price of petrol in Pakistan by Rs8.03 per litre. News Desk

Inflation rises to 11.5pc in November, highest in 21 months ISLAMABAD ghulaM abbas

Inflation during November has registered the highest rise in 21 months with an 11.5 per cent jump on a year-on-year (YoY) basis compared with an increase of 9.2pc in the previous month and 8.3pc in November 2020.

According to the Monthly Review on Price Indices released by the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Tuesday.

The report shows that country’s consumer inflation accelerated at a fast pace in November due to rising food and energy prices as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) had last peaked in February 2020 after clocking in at 12.40pc.

The Ministry of Finance has also admitted that rising inflation and external sector pressure were major challenges the incum-

bent government was facing following an acceleration of worldwide inflation.

“External pressures have begun to materialise mostly due to the compound impacts of increased economic activity, an expansionary macroeconomic policy mix, and rising international commodity prices”, said Economic Adviser’s Wing (EAW) of the Ministry of Finance in its Monthly Economic Update & Outlook released on Monday.

Earlier in November, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) lifted the interest rate by 150 basis points, in part due to surging prices.

The interest rate now stands at 8.75pc, the highest level since April 2020.

As per economists, although increased consumer demand was the reason for higher commodity prices, imported inflation included high energy and other commodity prices played a big role in putting pressure on the economy.

The data shows that CPI took a leap of 3pc in a span of one month. It was also the fastest inflation rate since last May when the CPI was recorded at 10.9pc whereas the five-month (5MFY22) inflation was recorded at 9.3pc compared to 8.8 percent in the same period of last year. The government had set the target of keeping inflation under 8pc in the current fiscal year.

While excluding the food and energy components, the core CPI also increased for urban and rural areas. As per the data, urban core inflation was 7.6pc YoY in November 2021 and rural 8.2pc against October’s reading of 6.7pc for both urban and rural areas.

The data shows that the prices of food and non-food items including egg, cooking oil and ghee, wheat, wheat flour, vegetables, pulses, electricity, and petroleum products witnessed a significant increase during the period under review.

On month-on-month (MoM) basis, the CPI increased by 3pc in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 1.9pc in the previous month. On a YoY basis, the CPI for November 2021 increased by 11.53pc compared to the corresponding month of the last year i.e. November 2020.

The CPI inflation urban increased by 12pc on a YoY basis in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 9.6pc in the previous month and 7pc in November 2020. On a MoM basis, it increased by 2.9pc in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 1.7pc in the previous month and an increase of 0.6pc in November 2020.

The CPI inflation rural increased by 10.9pc YoY in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 8.7pc in the previous month and 10.5pc in November 2020.

On a MoM basis, it increased by 3.1pc in November 2021 as compared to an in-

crease of 2.2pc in the previous month and an increase of 1.1pc in November 2020.

Furthermore, the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) inflation on a YoY basis increased by 18.1pc in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 15.2 percent a month earlier and an increase of 9.9 percent in November 2020. On a MoM basis, it increased by 3.6pc in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 2.1pc a month earlier and an increase of 1.1pc in November 2020.

Moreover, registering a major jump, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on a YoY basis increased by 27pc in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 21.2pc a month earlier and an increase of 5pc in November 2020. WPI inflation on a MoM basis increased by 3.8pc in November 2021 as compared to an increase of 4.2pc a month earlier and a decrease of 0.9pc in corresponding month i.e. November 2020.

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