EpaperKHI_21-12-4

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 I 28 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 156 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Tarin upbeaT on economic revival as exporTs grow g

SayS import bill, inflation increaSed due to Surge in priceS of imported commoditieS

ISLAMABAD

a

staff report

dViSer to the pm on finance Shaukat tarin has claimed that the trade deficit will shrink and the national economy will further strengthen with an increase in exports and remittances. addressing a joint press conference along with adviser to the pm on commerce abdul razak dawood on friday, tarin said that the country is facing escalation in import bill and inflationary pressure due to surge in prices of imported commodities. “the inflation and import bills are connected and have the same cause and that is international commodity prices,” the adviser said.

He said that inflationary pressure is due to rise in international prices of

commodities which it is importing, citing that the prices of fuel, lng, coal, steel and edible oil rose in the international market and have an impact on inflation in pakistan. comparing the imports of october 2021 and november 2021, the adviser said that the import bill went up from $6.3 billion in october to $7.5 billion in november, showing around $1.2 billion difference. this difference, he said, was witnessed mainly due to import of four commodities, including raw materials, the imports of which grew by $252 million on a month-on-month basis while imports of petroleum products (oil, gas, coal) grew by $508 million, vaccine imports $400 million and edible oil $134 million.

He added that despite the fact the vaccines were totally funded by donors, it is reflected in the import bill.

coronavirus in

pakisTan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,286,022

He said all other countries are also affected by international commodity prices, adding that the import bill of neighbouring country india also doubled to $20 billion due to rise in international prices. the adviser said that the imports into the country have increased more in terms of value and less in terms of volume. He said there is 72 percent increase in imports of petroleum products in terms of value and only 11 percent in terms of volume. likewise, crude petroleum imports increased 86 percent in value and only 5 percent in quantity while palm oil and soybean increased 75 percent in value and only 5 percent in volume. Same was the case with pulses, which grew by 34 percent in value and only 5 percent in quantity. the adviser said that the situation will not last long and expressed the hope that this disequilibrium would end soon and commodity prices would come down in the international market and consequently have an impact on commodity prices in pakistan. on the other hand, he said that fundamentals of the economy are on strong footing as revenues have witnessed 36 percent growth, including 32 percent increase in income tax, which shows the growth is all across the board. likewise, electricity consumption increased along with growth in agricultural production, he said, adding as long as the economy is growing, there is no need to worry.

He said the agriculture products, including sugarcane, have witnessed enhanced production in the country. the adviser informed that prices of petroleum products are pushing back at the international market and the price of edible oil is also expected to come down next month.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Mob lynches Sri Lankan to death over blasphemy allegations in Sialkot “the horrific vigilante attack on factory a mob tortured a Sri lankan national, who was working as an export manager at a in Sialkot & the burning alive of Sri lankan factory, to death before burning his body manager is a day of shame for pakistan,” he said in a tweet. over allegations of punjab chief minblasphemy in Sialkot ister Sardar usman on friday. buzdar took notice of the incident the murder, terming it took place on as a “very tragic inciWazirabad road in dent”, while the Sialkot, where reportspokesperson for edly the workers of Sialkot police said deprivate factories at- ISLAMABAD: taking cognizance of the tails would be shared tacked the export mob lynching of a Sri lankan national with the media after manager and burnt in Sialkot for blasphemy allegations, his body after killing prime minister imran Khan and chief of initial investigation. buzdar sumhim. Sialkot district army Staff (coaS) general Qamar police officer umar Javed bajwa friday vowed to bring the moned a report from the inspector Saeed malik identi- culprits to justice. per government general of police fied the man as claims, 50 suspects have been arrested for involvement in the killing of and ordered a highpriyantha Kumara. level inquiry into the Videos shared Sri lankan manager of a factory in on social media Sialkot who was tortured to death by an matter. “every aspect of showed hundreds of angry mob of hundreds after lynching the incident should men gathered at over blasphemy allegations. prime be investigated and the site, with groups minister imran Khan vowed to punish a report should be of them chanting those responsible for torturing to death a Sri lankan national over blasphemy submitted. slogans. action should be prime minister allegations in Sialkot. staff report taken against those imran Khan vowed CONTINUED ON PAGE 05 who take the law to punish those reinto their own sponsible for the heinous act. He said he himself is oversee- hands,” the chief minister said. ing the investigations and arrests are being made.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PM Khan, Gen Bajwa vow to arrest killers of Sri Lankan national

Govt urges Opposition to review its decision to boycott top security huddle

LAST UPDATED AT 9:39 AM ON DECEMBER 3, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

8

391

RECOVERED: SINDH:

PUNJAB:

476,233

443,310

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

180,194

33,491

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

34,570/10,413

107,811

COAS for swiftly devising institutional mechanism for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan STORY ON BACK PAGE

DEATHS:

1,245,155 28,753

more inside

ISLAMABAD staff report

federal minister for information and broadcasting chaudhry fawad Hussain on friday deplored the decision of the opposition parties to boycott the upcoming in-camera briefing to the national security committee, terming the decision as ‘unfortunate’. the opposition parties announced on thursday their decision not to participate in the meeting to be held on december 6, citing the govern-

ment’s “dictatorial” behaviour as its reason. taking to twitter, fawad urged the opposition to review its decision and earnestly attend the meeting. “it is the first time in seven decades that a government is presenting its policy on national security in the parliament,” he wrote. “it is a matter of national security, not a political affair. the opposition should review its decision (of boycott) and attend the briefing earnestly,” fawad chaudhry added.

on thursday, a press release by parliament’s united opposition stated that parties that are part of the pakistan democratic movement anti-government alliance have always treated issues involving the constitution, law, national security and general public with seriousness and attached importance to them. the media release said that not only did the opposition parties and their leaders attend briefings on these issues, despite the absence of the prime minister, but also provided recommendations to solve the issues.

ecp ignores Swati’s written apology, directs him to appear in-person on dec 22 STORY ON BACK PAGE

NAB arrests Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

NEWS

PM diReCtS Shifting of induStRiAl unitS out of CitieS, PRoMote eVS iSLAMABAD

P

staff Correspondent

RIME Minister Imran Khan has directed the federal and provincial governments to shift industrial units away from cities and promoting the electric vehicles (EVs) “Major industrial units like brick kilns and steel furnaces should be relocated outside the cities with effective restrictions.”

Chairing a meeting held here on Friday to discuss the issues relating pollution in the country, Premier Imran Khan also called for incentivizing the use of quality fuel and gradual replacement of vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs).

He mentioned how developed countries had shifted to modern technology including conversion of public transport to electric vehicles (EV).

The prime minister directed that the new

buses for all metros in the country should be electric vehicles.

“Pollution was a silent killer but environmental protection had never been a priority of the past governments. Now there is no more room for negligence,” he remarked.

PM Imran Khan underlined the importance of saving our big cities from pollution as it has a huge social and economic costs.

“We must incentivize the industry for shifting their units out of the city and the use of modern technology for environment safety,” he added.

The prime minister directed the Punjab Government to adopt a comprehensive smog control policy at the earliest.

He directed the federal government and provincial governments of Punjab and KP to immediately work on a short, medium and long term comprehensive plan for forwardlooking policies with the timelines for

Rupee continues to take a beating newS DeSk The Pakistani rupee continued to slide on Friday as the currency dipped to a fresh all-time low at Rs176.77 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market. As per reports, the local currency was being traded at Rs176.80 to 176.90 against the greenback in the interbank market while banks were offering upwards of 177.30 to clients. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency had closed at Rs176.42 against the greenback on Thursday. It may be mentioned here that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in a statement, has said that the foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank declined by $244 million on a week-on-week (WoW) basis. Earlier on Thursday, the Pakistani currency had plunged to a low of Rs176.65 against the US dollar. In the interbank market, the local currency was available at Rs176.42 whereas in the open market, the greenback’s selling rate was recorded at Rs177.50 and buying rate at Rs177. The rupee has maintained the downtrend for the past six months. It has lost 16.08% (or Rs24.5) to date, compared to the 22-month high of Rs152.27 recorded on May 14. With a fresh decline of 0.20%, the rupee has depreciated by 12.20% (or Rs19.23) since the start of the current fiscal year on July 1, 2021, data released by the central bank revealed. Market analysts have attributed the record decline in the rupee’s value to the ever increasing import bill, widening trade deficit, dwindling forex reserves and the delay in arrival of funds worth $3 billion from Saudi Arabia under a support package which was expected to be received last week.

implementation.

Earlier, the PM was briefed that vehicles, industrial units, burning of waste material and burning of crops were the major sources of air pollution.

Stressing the need of dialogue with regional countries to protect the environment through collective efforts, he said, “We should also take all steps to increase the green cover of our cities through Miyawaki forest technique.”

PM Imran Khan also highlighted the importance of a massive public awareness campaign to bring behavioral change in people for environmental protection. The meeting was attended by SAPM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, Minister of State on Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and senior officers concerned. Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar joined the meeting via video link.

Property tax increased in KP PROVINCIAL TRADERS UNION WARNS OF PROTESTS AGAINST DECISION peSHAwAr aziz buneri

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has increased property tax as well as tax on the sale and purchase of property in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhywa (KP), including the provincial capital Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Abbottabad, Mansehra and others.

With the application of new taxes, the rate of tax on a residential property in Peshawar Saddar has been increased

by Rs500,000 per marla and by Rs1.2 million per marla for a commercial property. In Ander Shahr Bazaar, tax on residential property has been increased from Rs1.36 million per marla to Rs2.84, while the tax on commercial property in the area has been increased from Rs5.61 million to Rs10 million per marla.

Similarly, residential property in Budhni area, the outskirts of Peshawar, has been increased from Rs44,000 per marla to Rs97, 000 while the tax on commercial property in the area has been

increased to Rs165,000 per marla.

According to sources in the finance department, property tax had been increased 100 per cent in 38 major cities across the country, however, FBR has added more cities to the valuation list, increasing the number of cities to 40.

Commenting on the development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Traders Union (KPTU) President Mujeeb-ur-Rehman rejected the FBR’s new taxes, saying that businesses in KP were already affected by terrorism and the coronavirus pandemic which had constricted their financial ability to afford such expenditures. He lamented that the move will completely wipe out the property business in the province and leave millions of people jobless.

According to Mujeeb, the FBR has increased the PIP tax from 3 per cent to 4pc, while the new pricing will also require people to pay extra in term of CVT tax. “The government must reconsider this decision, otherwise we will be forced to launch a protest campaign,” he warned.

Audit finds massive irregularities in PSQCA finance dept iSLAMABAD Ghulam abbas

With the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), an attached department of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), under criticism for corruption cases, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has found massive irregularities in the authority’s finance department. According to the audit and inspection report on PSQCA for the year 2020-2021, proof of deposit of income tax amounting Rs93.047 million in a government account was missing. The audit was of the view that non-obtaining of the challan for tax deduction on profit is a lapse on part of the PSQCA management. It is pertinent to mention here that the income tax ordinance requires that when a banking company or a financial institution pays any profit on a bond, certificate, debenture, security or instrument of any kind, it is to deduct tax on 15 per cent of an amount exceeding Rs0.5 million, 30pc for non-active tax payers, minus the amount of zakat, if any, paid by the recipient under the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance, 1980 (XVII of 1980), at the time the profit is paid to the recipient. A gross profit of Rs310,158,726 income tax amounting to Rs93,047,617 at 30pc was deducted by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on the profit. In another para, the auditors identified that the finance department, while delaying reinvestment of billions had caused PSQCA a loss of Rs15.839 million. The management of delayed reinvestment of Rs2.741 billion in various branches of NBP in term deposit receipts (TDRs). The audit while holding the the PSQCA management responsible for the loss, recommended that the matter be investigated and responsibility be fixed on the exact person(s) who committed the corruption. The auditors also observed that the management of PSQCA headquarter in Karachi invested an amount of Rs727.256 million in TDRs of Karachi NBP High Court Branch for six months @6.55pc, while the profit on investment amounting to Rs16.672 million was not realised by the bank which is another lapse on the part of the management. Further, the auditors observed that PSQCA has made irregular and unauthorised investments worth Rs3.145 billion in violation of the instructions of the Finance Division.

Jul-Nov trade deficit widens 111.74pc YoY: PBS Monitoring report Pakistan’s trade deficit widened by 111.74 percent to $20.590 billion during the first five months (July-November) of current fiscal year 2021-22 as compared to $9.724 billion during the same period of FY21, as per data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The data which was compiled by Business Recorder shows that exports witnessed 26.68 percent growth during 5MFY22 and remained $12.344 billion compared to $9.744 billion during 5MFY21.

The country’s trade deficit widened by 133.99 percent on year-on-year basis and stood at $4.963 billion in November 2021 compared to $2.121 billion in November 2020.

The data also revealed that the country’s exports witnessed 32.84 percent growth on year-on-year basis in November 2021 and stood at $2.884 billion compared to $2.171 billion in November 2020.

Imports witnessed 82.83 percent growth on year-on-year basis in November 2021 and stood at $7.847 billion compared to $4.292 billion in November 2020.

The data further revealed that the

trade deficit on month-on-month basis widened by 27.01 percent to $4.963 billion in November 2021 compared to $3.908 billion in October 2021.

The country’s exports registered 17.04 percent growth on month-onmonth basis and stood at $2.884 billion in November 2021 compared to $2.464 billion in October 2021.

Imports increased by 23.15 percent in November 2021 and stood at $7.847 billion compared to $6.372 billion in October 2021.

Another report by Dawn shows that imports of top 30 items surged by over 142 percent year-on-year in November due to higher prices of commodities mainly petroleum on international market and depreciation of the rupee.

The import bill of energy, steel and industrial raw materials posted growth, while high import of vaccines also contributed significantly to the rise in the November import bill from a year ago.

The total import value of these 30 products in November reached Rs696.346bn from Rs287.131bn over the corresponding month of last year, registering a growth of 142.52pc.

The share of these products in total imports stood at over 53pc.

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

nAB ARReStS Sindh ASSeMBly SPeAkeR AghA SiRAj duRRAni

t

newS DeSk

HE National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday arrested Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the premises of Supreme Court (SC) in a case pertaining to owning assets beyond known sources of income and alleged corruption.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, took up a petition filed by the

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, seeking pre-arrest bail.

The court ordered Durrani to surrender before the NAB while rejecting his lawyer’s request to at least let his client surrender before the trial court.

The court ordered Durrani to comply with the Sindh High Court order first and surrender before the NAB. It fixed Durrani’s case for hearing next week.

The apex court said that the Sindh High Court rejected Durrani’s bail application on merit.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked

eCP to have last word on holding polls through eVMs: AgP Monitoring report Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed on Friday said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would have the last word on the issue of conducting the elections through electronic voting machines (EVMs) as the commission’s satisfaction is vital in this regard. AGP Khalid Jawed is part of the four-member Government Coordinating Committee, along with Azam Swati and Babar Awan as its members, and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz as its head to assist the ECP on matters of the voting machine and internet voting. “The election commission’s overarching and fundamental constitutional mandate is to hold free and fair elections and how it makes it possible — through EVMs or some other means — is a secondary issue,” he said while speaking during a television talk show. “ECP’s satisfaction as to which modus operandi it deems fit to conduct free and fair elections is highly important.” The ECP has not declined to conduct the elections through EVMs as it has formed three high-powered committees for the implementation aspect, he said. It is also incumbent upon the government to assist the ECP along with funds, the AGP asserted. “A controversy will be created when the ECP technically concludes that it can’t hold free and fair elections through EVMs,” he said replying to a query regarding objections of the Opposition parties that termed the machines “the government’s effort to rig the elections.” Khalid Jawed said the election law has been passed following the process enshrined in the Constitution. If someone does not believe so, they can challenge it, he noted.

that the apex court cannot hear Durrani’s case unless he complies with the SHC order first. He said when the SHC rejected his bail, he should be in jail.

“Why Durrani didn’t surrender? Why should we give him a special concession?” Justice Shah asked Durrani’s lawyer.

The apex court also rejected Durrani’s plea that he should not be arrested from the court premises.

Justice Shah remarked that the SC would take up Durrani’s bail plea once he surrenders before the NAB authority. He

wondered how it is possible that he submits his post-arrest bail application after rejection of his bail plea by the SHC. The judge said that the accused did not surrender before the NAB. Earlier, a team of NAB had raided the residence of the speaker following rejection of his bail from Sindh High Court but failed to arrest him due to resistance from his guard.

It is pertinent to mention that the NAB had approved an inquiry against Durrani over various allegations of corruption in July 2018.

Pak-UAE economic ties strengthening with $8bn trade volume: Qureshi iSLAMABAD app

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday said that economic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were strengthening, with trade volume between the two countries increasing to over $8 billion, making it Pakistan’s biggest trade partner in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

“The UAE is also considered among the biggest foreign investors in Pakistan,” he added.

The foreign minister, addressing the 50th National Day of the UAE here, said that economic and trade ties were the

cornerstone of the bilateral ties.

Mentioning the pace of work on projects under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the foreign minister said with the operationalisation of the Gwadar Port, Pakistan would be ready to connect the Middle East with Afghanistan and then Central Asia which would ultimately uplift all the people of the region.

Article continues after this advertisement Felicitating the UAE leadership on behalf of Pakistan’s leadership, Qureshi said the bilateral relations were bound in common heritage and multi-sphere cooperation.

Giving credit of UAE’s development to its founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan‘s far sightedness, Qureshi added that he said had great affection for Pakistan and also thanked him for taking interest in numerous economic and social projects.

The foreign minister said that Pakistan-UAE relations improved during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government whereas frequent highest level exchanges also helped widen economic cooperation.

Moreover, Qureshi also congratulated the UAE’s election to the UN Security Council for 2022-23 as well as the success of the Expo 2020.

Apple Inc iPhones of at least nine US State Department employees were hacked by an unknown assailant using sophisticated spyware developed by the Israel-based NSO Group, according to four people familiar with the matter. The hacks, which took place in the last several months, hit US officials either based in Uganda or focused on matters concerning the East African country, two of the sources said.

The intrusions represent the widest known hacks of US officials through NSO technology.

Previously, a list of numbers with potential targets including some American officials surfaced in reporting on NSO, but it was not clear whether intrusions were always tried or succeeded.

Reuters could not determine who launched the latest cyberattacks.

NSO Group said in a statement on Thursday that it did not have any indication their tools were used but canceled the relevant accounts and would investigate based on the Reuters inquiry.

“If our investigation shall show these actions indeed happened with NSO’s tools, such customer will be terminated permanently and legal actions will take place,” said an NSO

03

PSX closes flat in volatile session kArAcHi tltp

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed flat on Friday after witnessing the third largest decline ever a day earlier. The benchmark KSE100 Index shed 1.32 points (0.00 percent) to close the week at 43,232.83 points. The market opened on a negative note and shed over 600 points during the first few minutes. Overall, the market remained volatile throughout the session.

The KSE-100 Index moved in a range of 2,281.67 points, showing an intraday high of 43,590.52 points and a low of 42,752.76 points.

A total of 340 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 117 closed up, shares of 212 closed down while shares of 11 companies remained unchanged. Out of 92 traded companies in the KSE-100 Index, 42 closed up, 49 closed down and one remained unchanged. The overall market volumes decreased by 99.02 million to 287.73 million shares. Total volumes traded for the KSE-100 Index decreased by 74.11 million shares to 139.33 million shares. The number of total trades decreased by 12,686 to 119,097, while the value traded decreased by Rs3.78 billion to Rs10.28 billion. Overall market capitalisation decreased by Rs4.42 billion. Among scrips, WTL topped the volumes with 24.35 million shares, followed by TPLP (20.56 million) and BYCO (16.96 million). Stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes include WTL, TPLP, BYCO, UNITY, and TRG, which formed around 31 percent of total volumes. The major sectors taking the index toward south were cement with 179 points, technology & communication with 63 points, engineering with 35 points, textile composite with 31 points and refinery with 25 points.

nCiPh condemns Sialkot incident, asks govt to punish culprits newS DeSk

SNGPL agrees to waive off 66pc ‘Take or Pay’ clause for stated-owned LNG plants iSLAMABAD news desk

Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar on Friday said the Board of Directors of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) had agreed to waive of 66 per cent ‘Take or Pay’ clause for the government-owned Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants.

“In the long run, this will help in reducing the capacity payments that the government has to pay to power plants even when they are not supplying electricity,” he tweeted.

The minister said the board also

approved, in principle, the company’s pipeline capacity allocation for Energas for its upcoming LNG terminal that “will supply gas on a B to B [Business-toBusiness] basis.” Hammad said this would pave the way for private sector entities to supply the commodity to their consumers and ensure availability of LNG across the country. Meanwhile in another tweet, the minister for Energy underlined the need for exploiting the country’s full potential of bio-gas to meet energy requirements of consumers.

“Pakistan has till now ignored the huge potential of bio-gas for too long now.

SSGC has invited the expression of interest

for producing bio-gas in its franchise area.

SSGC is expecting to produce 4-5 MMCFD through this endeavour as a pilot project,” he said in a tweet.

The minister said Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had invited the expression of interest for producing biogas in its franchise area, adding ”SSGC is expecting to produce 4-5 MMCFD [Million Cubic Feet per Day] gas through this endeavor as a pilot project.”

The development comes amid a gas shortage in the country with the government deciding to priortise gas supply to the power and fertiliser sectors last month.

US State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware: sources AgencieS

NEWS

spokesperson, who added that NSO will also “cooperate with any relevant government authority and present the full information we will have.”

NSO has long said it only sells its products to government law enforcement and intelligence clients, helping them to monitor security threats, and is not directly involved in surveillance operations.

Officials at the Uganda embassy in Washington did not comment. A spokesperson for Apple declined to comment.

A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the intrusions, instead pointing to the Commerce Department’s recent decision to place the Israeli company on an entity list, making it harder for US companies to do business with them.

NSO Group and another spyware firm were “added to the Entity List based on a determination that they developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used this tool to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers,” the Commerce Department said in an announcement last month. NSO software is capable of not only capturing encrypted messages, photos and other sensitive information from infected phones, but

also turning them into recording devices to monitor surroundings, based on product manuals reviewed by Reuters.

Apple’s alert to affected users did not name the creator of the spyware used in this hack.

The victims notified by Apple included American citizens and were easily identifiable as US government employees because they associated email addresses ending in state.gov with their Apple IDs, two of the people said.

They and other targets notified by Apple in multiple countries were infected through the same graphics processing vulnerability that Apple did not fix until September, the sources said. Since at least February, this software flaw allowed some NSO customers to take control of iPhones simply by sending invisible yet tainted iMessage requests to the device, researchers who investigated the espionage campaign said.

The victims would not see or need to interact with a prompt for the hack to be successful. Versions of NSO surveillance software, commonly known as Pegasus, could then be installed.

Apple’s announcement that it would notify victims came on the same day it sued NSO Group last week, accusing it of helping numerous customers break into Apple’s mobile software, iOS.

The National Council for Interfaith Peace & Harmony (NCIPH) has condemned the killing of a Sri Lankan national reportedly over allegations of blasphemy in Sialkot on Friday. The incident took place on Wazirabad Road in Sialkot, where reportedly the workers of private factories attacked a manager of a factory and burnt his body after killing him. In a joint statement on Friday, Mufti Ashiq Hussain, Maulana Shakeel-ur-Rehman Nasir, Javaid William, Prof Dr Masood Ahmad, Prof Kalyan Sing Kalyan, Hafiz Samiullah, Reverend Amjad Niamat and other NCIPH leaders said that they are extremely shocked at the horrific incident. They asked the federal and provincial governments to investigate the incident and take stern action against all those responsible. They also urged leaders of different religions to include message of peace and social harmony, acceptance and coexistence in prayer sessions. They said that all religions should cooperate with each other to create peace and promote values of coexistence in the society. They asked citizens to restore compassion, respect and tolerance.

04 NEWS 4th December 2021_Layout 1 12/4/2021 12:58 AM Page 1

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

04 NEWS

ShAuKAT TARIN, SAIfullAh NyAzEE dISCuSS STRATEgy foR SENATE ElECTIoN ISLAMABAD

A

MiAN AbrAr

DvISOR to the PM on Finance & Revenue Shaukat Tarin Friday held a detailed meeting with Chief Organiser of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee and discussed strategy to help him win the Senate election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Per sources, Tarin and Nyazee detailed a strategy to help win the upcoming election of Senate against a seat vacated by Senator Ayub Afridi. Later, Tarin told media that coronavirus poses an extraordinary challenge to global economies and governments

around the world are trying to overcome the problem of inflation.

He said that the PTI government is taking steps to protect the people in general and the poor in particular from the deadly effects of global economic pressures. He said the prime minister has launched a scheme to provide food items to millions of families at below market prices under Ehsaas initiative.

He said he had held in-depth discussions with Senator Nayzee on important issues regarding the prevention of rise in prices of essential commodities, especially food items.

Senator Nyazee assured his full support to the finance advisor to curb inflation. He said that PTI as a party is ready to provide

full support to the advisor and his team to control inflation, adding that qualified and experienced workers have been made part of these teams, as per the procedure laid down in the scope of law. He said that it is very important to curb inflation, adding that it is necessary to control the trend of raising prices by controlling hoarding. The advisor thanked Nyazee for the offer of support in this regard.

Separately, Shaukat Tarin Friday greeted Ameer Khurram Rathore, Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and extended his felicitations to the designated ambassador on his new responsibilities and conveyed his best wishes for success.

The adviser further stated that the Min-

istry of Finance would continue to support his efforts for further strengthening brotherly relations between the two countries.

Rathore paid a courtesy call on Adviser to the Shaukat Tarin at the Finance Division,

14 Int’l Urdu Conference to start from Dece 9 KARACHI stAff report

The 14th International Urdu Conference, the largest festival in the world of literature, will be held in Arts Council Karachi from December 9 to 12.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmad Shah

said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah would likely to inauguratethe Conference on December 9, at 3 pm in Arts Council Karachi.

The conference included sessions in which scholars of Urdu world will have scholarly discussions on their subjects, said a news release.

Sham-e-faiz will be held on the first day of the conference along with a musical program.

Tareen made rebel group to avoid accountability: PTI leader Sahibzada Jahangir, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Imran Khan on Trade and Investment in the UK, has claimed that PTI leader Jahangir Tareen launched a rebel group when he was asked to explain his income from the sugar industry, The News reported on Friday.

Speaking at an event organised by PTI UK leader Aneel Musarrat in London for Punjab Governor Chaudhary Sarwar, the spokesperson said that thieves and dacoits rebel when the PM tries to hold them accountable.

“Thieves get bails from courts and return to live their normal lives.” He said that Tareen launched a rebel group within the PTI and threatened to bring down the government because he did not want to be held accountable. “Jahangir Khan Tareen was asked to approach the court in his sugar mills case and prove innocence but he didn’t do so. Instead, Jahangir Tareen formed a rebel group of 40 people,” he said. “Looters are getting bails from the courts and are living in luxury. Edgware Road and Park Lane are full of Pakistani rulers. Dacoits and plunderers live there. Nawaz Sharif, Yousaf Raza Gilani, and Asif Zardari are all living there.

When Imran khan tries to do something, then there is a rebellion, there’s a clamour for revolt,” he said. “Our ship is surrounded by a storm and it’s spinning but it’s our responsibility to save the ship. Our ministers and advisers took up flags and positions of the PTI, it’s their job to go out to their constituencies and explain the situation.” He also urged the PM to reject loans from the IMF and Saudi Arabia. News Desk

Representatives of sponsored Urdu Conference Bank of Punjab, Salam Takaful, and iTecknologi.

Director-General Culture Sindh Aleem Lashari, CEO Salam Takaful Rizwan Hussain and Salman Hussain, CEO of iTecknologi will also likely to attend the conference while those who will not come may join on the digital system.

Ahmad Shah said the conference had been attributed to the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence. Explaining the details of the conference, he said on the second day of the conference, sessions on the modern situation of Urdu novel, the situation of sacred literature, children’s literature and new world, the situation of translation, book launch, Iqbal, and the present, Sahir Ludhianvi, would be held.

“Years of Urdu and Media, Sheikh Ayaz, Kamran Khan’s Conversation, Seraiki Language and Literature, We Are All Hopeful, Ibn-e-Insha and International Poetry”, he added.

On the third day, Urdu Fiction Commentary, Form and Meaning of Urdu Poetry, Book Review Ceremony, Memoirs, Book Launch, SeventyFive Years of Education, Socio-Cultural Scenario of Pakistan, Punjabi Language and Literature, Book launch in Memory of Ada Jafri Mushtaq Ahmad Yousifi, Seventy-Five Years of Balochi Literature, Situation of Our Arts, International Poetry will be discussed.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer iTecknologi, Salam Takaful Rizwan Hussain said development was not possible unless the private sector comes forward for the promotion of culture.

UAE buys 80 Rafale jets as Macron starts Gulf tour DUBAI AgeNcies

The United Arab Emirates signed a record 14-billion-euro contract for 80 French-made Rafale warplanes and committed billions of euros in other deals as President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a Gulf tour on Friday.

The biggest international order ever made for the Rafale jets came as Macron held talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed at the start of a two-day trip which will also take in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The resource-rich UAE, one of the French defence industry’s biggest customers, also inked an order for 12 Caracal military transport helicopters for a total bill of more than 17 billion euros.

“This is an outcome of the strategic partnership between the two countries, consolidating their capacity to act together for their autonomy and security,” the French presidency said in a statement. Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala sovereign wealth fund also pledged eight billion euros in investments in French businesses, while the licence of the UAE capital’s branch of the Louvre art gallery was extended for 10 years to 2047.

The Emirates was the fifth biggest customer for the French defence industry with 4.7 billion euros from 20112020, according to a parliamentary report. France has faced criticism after some of these weapons were used in

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Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Iran-backed rebels in a war that has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

‘Historic contract’: The Rafale order signed on Friday, while Macron met with Sheikh Mohammed at Dubai’s Expo site, is the biggest made internationally for the aircraft since it entered into service in 2004.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly called it a “historic contract” which will contribute “directly to regional stability”. The F4 model Rafales, currently under development, will be delivered from 2027. By snapping up the fighter craft, built by Dassault Aviation, the UAE is following the lead of Gulf rival Qatar, which has bought 36 of the planes, and Egypt which ordered 24 in 2015 and 30 earlier this year.

The new order will replace the UAE’s 60 Mirage 2000-9 jets bought in 1998, and comes 10 years after failed negotiations held by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. The Rafale has since made a breakthrough on the international market despite competition from American and other European manufacturers. It now has six foreign clients including Qatar, India, Egypt, Greece and Croatia.

Later on Friday Macron will head to Qatar, where France will defend their football World Cup title next year, before ending his tour in Saudi Arabia, the globe’s top oil exporter, on Saturday.

said a press release issued here. The ambassador said that the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are deep rooted in history and would further strengthen in future.

China backs Pakistan for timely completion of CPEC: Amb Nong Rong

isLaMaBaD: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong has said that China is committed to working with Pakistan to promote high quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in a timely manner. In a tweet on Friday, the Chinese ambassador said that China highly appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan for his determination and leadership in steering the development of CPEC. “China will work hard with Pakistan to promote high-quality development of the CPEC in a timely manner, for the greater benefits of the two peoples”, he added. Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while reiterating his government’s commitment to the provisions of CPEC agreements, stressed upon adhering to timelines specified for the completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. The prime minister underscored that continuity of policies is essential for long-term projects in order to achieve maximum benefits for the country.

He said that China has been a time-tested friend of Pakistan and the government accords high priority to implementation and operationalisation of CPEC projects. MiAN AbrAr

1971 War veterans from Bihari Community paid tribute KaracHi: An investiture ceremony on Friday was held at Malir as a series to honour those who fought with bravery and courage in the face of challenges to pay tribute to the veterans from Bihari Community and retired officers who fought 1971 War. The ceremony was meant to acknowledge and honour the gallantry actions and sacrifices of soldiers particularly those from Bihari community who were part of Civil Armed Forces of erstwhile East Pakistan during 1971 War, said a media release issued here. Over 250 individuals including veterans and their relatives attended the ceremony. The awards were received by the veterans and their relatives. stAff report

Karachi: Woman critically injured in acid attack KaracHi: A man threw acid on his cousin after she refused his marriage proposal in Karachi’s Akhtar Colony, media reported on Friday. The acid attack victim is a 29-year-old divorcee and mother of two children. She was shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital’s burns ward. According to initial reports, doctors said 40% of her body had been burnt. Police said that the suspect, Shehzad, had brought his parents to the woman’s house to present a proposal for marriage, which ended up with him attacking the woman with acid when she refused to accept his offer. They said that a case has been registered against Shehzad on behalf of the victim’s father. Raids are being carried out to arrest the suspect. stAff report

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

FTO viOLaTeS iTS ManDaTe By SeeKinG LicenSe FOr OiL FirM iSLamaBad

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ShahzaD paRacha

HE Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has apparently lost its mandate by asking Secretary Petroleum for the issuance of a license to a private company. The FTO, on November 26, 2021, had requested the Secretary Petroleum Division (Ministry of Energy) to expedite the grant of permanent license to M/S HI-TECH. Under the FTO Ordinance, the FTO has the power only to take cognizance of the cases of maladministration in the FBR. The FTO, Dr Asif Mahmood Jah, informed the journalists during a press briefing on Thursday that he had only requested Secretary Petroleum to issue a permanent license of Hi-Tech as section 33 authorized him for informal resolution of the disputes.

It is pertinent to note that section 33 empowered the FTO for informal resolution of only cases of maladministration within the FBR. The FTO further stated that his office had received 636 complaints from the public complaining of maladministration of FBR officials during the past two

Tarin upbeat on economic revival as exports grow continued from page 01 Tarin said the government is fully cognizant of the problems being faced by the lower and lower-middle income groups due to price hike.

He said the government is taking measures to provide relief to the lower-class through Ehsaas Ration Programme and Kamyab Pakistan Programme. Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Razak Dawood said that national exports are increasing both in quantity and value. He said that record exports of $2.9 billion were registered during the last month, adding that exports will touch the $3 billion mark this month. Dawood said that the country’s exports are witnessing record increase and the reason for which is growth in raw material imports. He said that the country’s imports including cotton, yarn and home appliances increased both in quality and value to achieve the annual target of exports.

PM Khan, Gen Bajwa vow to arrest killers of Sri Lankan national continued from page 01 “The horrific vigilante attack on factory in Sialkot & the burning alive of Sri Lankan manager is a day of shame for Pakistan,” the premier wrote on his official Twitter handle. He revealed that arrests are being made and he himself is overseeing the investigation.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed condemned the “cold-blooded” murder of Sri Lankan national and vowed to extend all-out support to civil administration to arrest the culprits.

“The cold-blooded murder of Srilankan Mr Priyantha Kumara by a mob in Sialkot is extremely condemnable and shameful,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted Gen Qamar as saying.

Gen Qamar, as per the military’s media wing, said such extra-judicial vigilantism cannot be condoned at any cost. “[The] COAS directs all out support to civil administration to arrest perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice,” it added.

Meanwhile, Punjab government spokesperson Hassan Khawar said that at least 50 people allegedly involved in the grisly act have been detained thus far.

Addressing the media hours after the tragic incident, Khawar, flanked by PM’s aide on interfaith harmony Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi and Inspector General Police Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan, said Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar have issued directives to detain all accused involved in the heinous crime.

He said that officials were obtaining the CCTV footage of the incident to arrest the culprits and added that the Punjab police chief had directed the officials to submit the report within 48 hours.

months. Out of the total, 360 complaints had been either accepted by FBR or recommendations had been made to the FBR for redressal of complaints, he added.

When asked about complaints of the taxpayers against tax officers, the FTO said that the mandate of his office was to redress the taxpayers’ grievances, therefore, the taxpayers having complaints of harassment by the tax officials must lodge their complaints in the FTO office.

Dr Asif Jah said that the corrupt officers of FBR would not be relieved in any case. He was clarifying his November 22 statement when he had made a public statement that he will take no action against the FBR which had given him so many honours and the FBR officials which were his old friends and colleagues.

He said he had conducted investigations against around 15 tax officers and recently the FBR on the recommendation of FTO started investigations against one Commissioner.

The FTO said that he was actively engaged with the chambers of commerce and industries of all major cities besides holding meetings with tax bar representatives to ensure compliance with his recommendations.

When asked why Pakistan Tax Bar Association was

demanding his immediate removal, the FTO did not give any clear reply.

The FTO also said that, unlike past practice, he himself was overseeing the cases and trying to resolve the complaints as soon as possible.

To another question about the refund case of Pak Suzuki which had deducted sales tax from its customers at the rate of 17% despite the fact that the government had already announced a reduction of Sales Tax to 12.5%, the FTO informed that his office had categorically ordered Pak Suzuki to refund the difference to all customers.

When asked about the non-custom-paid vehicles, the FTO said that the government had recently impounded seven such vehicles from Sialkot and four from Lahore and an excise inspector had also been arrested on the allegations of forged documents.

While replying to another question with regard to his appointment, the FTO said that he met with President Arif Alvi twice prior to his appointment and that there was no role of the President in his appointment as FTO. Further, the FTO informed that on public demand, the FTO facilitation desks had been established at all the airports and Chaman and Torkham borders.

Pakistan allows Afghan trucks to transport wheat from India to Kabul via Wagah border The foreign affairs ministry on Friday said that with a view to further facilitate Pakistan’s decision to allow transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and life-saving medicines from India to Afghanistan via the Wagah border on an exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes, it has been decided to also allow the use of Afghan trucks for transportation.

In a statement, the ministry said: “This demonstrates the commitment and seriousness of the Government of Pakistan to facilitate the proposed humanitarian assistance.”

The decision was conveyed to the Charge d’ Affaires of India today at the ministry. The Indian government was also urged to proceed quickly to take necessary steps to ex-

peditiously undertake the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Earlier, according to a news outlet, Pakistan, as per modalities, had proposed that wheat should be transported through Pakistani trucks under the banner of the UN but New Delhi had suggested the wheat be carried either

by Afghan or Indian trucks. NewS DeSk

MQM-P rejects Sindh government new local government system bill: Kunwar Naved HYderaBad app

The Deputy Convener Mutahida Quomi Movement-Pakistan and Member Sindh Assembly Kunwar Naveed Jamil has said that his party has rejected the new local government system Bill which passed by the Sindh government.

Talking to employees of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation here on Friday, he alleged that newly passed Bill of local government systems was clearly indicating the dictatorial and ethnic acts of the rulers of provincial government and demanded the withdrawal of the said Bill with immediate effect.

He maintained that MQM-P would not tolerate any injustice with the employees of the local government and the citizens.

He assured full support to employees of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and demanded the regularization of services of all contract employees of HMC with immediate effect.

Among others, Members MQM (P) Rabita (Coordination) Committee Suhail Mashadi, Zafar Kamali and District Incharge MQM (P) Hyderabad Zafar Siddiqui were also present on the occasion.

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Mob lynches Sri Lankan to death over blasphemy allegations in Sialkot continued from page 01 Punjab Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan also took notice of the incident and directed the Gujranwala regional police officer to reach the location immediately. “The Sialkot DPO is present on the spot. All aspects of the incident should be investigated,” the IGP said. Special Representative to Prime Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi condemned the incident on “behalf of all ulemas” and said that it has “defaced Islam”. He said that the country has laws that deal with blasphemy and by taking the law into their hands, “the attackers have insulted our laws as well”. “The elements involved in the incident have tried to damage Islamic laws and teachings,” he said, adding that the culprits will be punished for the “barbarism”. He said that the country’s religious scholars will hold a joint press conference at a later date. “We will also go to the Sri Lankan embassy for condolences,” he said, adding that so far 50 people have been arrested and officials are working on identifying more culprits using CCTV footage, besides announcing that an FIR of the incident will be registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Meanwhile, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari termed the murder “horrific and condemnable”. In a tweet, she said: “Mob violence cannot be acceptable under any circumstance as state has laws to deal with all offences. Punjab government’s action must and will be firm and unambiguous.” Amnesty International’s South Asia division issued a statement, saying it is “deeply alarmed by the disturbing lynching and killing” of the Sri Lankan over a blasphemy accusation. It demanded that authorities should immediately conduct an independent, impartial and prompt investigation and hold the perpetrators accountable. “Today’s event underscores the urgency with which an environment that enables abuse and puts lives at risk must be rectified,” the NGO said. In a statement issued later in the day, Sialkot police said that officials have begun investigating into the matter and a case has been registered against unidentified people under sections 431 (mischief by injury to public road, bridge, river or channel), 427 (mischief causing damage amounting to Rs50), 149 (unlawful assembly of people), 147 (rioting), 297 (trespassing of burial places), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 302 (intentional murder) and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. A similar incident in Sialkot in 2010 had shaken the country when a mob had lynched two brothers in the presence of police, declaring them dacoits. The incident had sparked shock and horror across the country as cellphone footage of the heinous murders was uploaded to video-sharing sites.

Dr Junaid smashes myths about creation of Bangladesh KARACHI: Renowned writer and speaker, Dr Junaid Ahmad, on Friday gave an overview here at Suffa University over the creation of Bangladesh and myths attached to the event. Dr Junaid gave comprehensive review of the situation and discussed all myths in detail with counter facts and figures. The event was attended by renowned Anchors, opinion makers, Editors of the news papers, Defence analysts, senior reporters/ Bureau chiefs, intelligentsia, faculty members and students. Staff RepoRt

K-IV water supply project to be completed by Oct 2023 iSLamaBad app

The construction work of Greater Karachi Water Supply Project would start in 3-4 months and would be completed in October 2023.

This was informed in a meeting held here to review the progress of Greater Karachi Water Supply Project K-IV on Friday.

Minister for Planning and Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umer chaired the meeting while Additional Secretary Development Abdul Aziz Uqaili, Project Director Amir Mugal, and Project Consultants Dr. Bashir Lakhani and senior officials attended the meeting.

The project director briefed the minister about the revised PC-1 of the K-IV project, the project components, and design details. It was informed in the meeting that WAPDA has completed the revised design of 650 MGD K-IV to be

executed as phases.

The project work to commence in 3-4 months, to be completed by October 2023.

All planning, design, and procurement activities are as per the project timeline, and the construction of this project will be completed by October 2023.

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He also advised ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to operate the pumping stations and to supply water to the proposed reservoirs.

The project director informed the chair that the design of the K-IV project has been developed with a modular ap-

proach in which 5 pumping stations with 5 large mild steel pipes of 84 inches pipes each carrying 130 MGD with a total capacity of 650 MGD have been planned to be executed.

The chair was informed that WAPDA has submitted PC-1 with a modified design of 650 MGD K-IV Project with various options for execution of the project, which can be done in phases.

The minister directed the Planning Division to expedite the processing of this revised PC-1 to get it approved as early as possible from Central Development Working Party (CDWP) and Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The minister expressed satisfaction over the pace of progress and work on the development of revised planning and design of this project which is in line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensure water availability to the residents of Karachi in the shortest possible time.

Saturday, 4 December, 2021

06 COMMENT

Chinese Diplomacy in Afghanistan

Taking security issues lightly Opposition shirks National Security meeting

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HEn in power the opposition parties did not strive to develop working relations with one another. Three years in power and the PTi government has gone to the extreme of having the worst ever relations with the opposition. The joint opposition has now announced to boycott the presentation by national Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf on national security policy.

The foremost objection raised by the joint opposition is that the Prime Minister has himself devalued the institutions by remaining absent from their important meetings. PM imran Khan dodged a national Security Committee (nSC) moot last month; and was conspicuously absent from the previous sessions of the Parliamentary Committee on national Security; he even failed to attend an important national security huddle to review the situation in the indian illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (iioJK) on the frivolous excuse that the Leader of opposition would also be present in the briefing.

Another reason given for the boycott is the credibility of nSA Moeed Yusuf who, according to a senior opposition leader, had nothing to do with Pakistan two years ago and was now supposed to brief some of the seasoned parliamentarians. what is more the nSA doesn’t have the authority to take any decisions. in the previous nSC meetings, the top military leadership had briefed the lawmakers from the Senate and the national Assembly on matters pertaining to national security, foreign affairs and internal and external challenges faced by the county.

The opposition maintained that the in-camera briefing would merely provide the government another chance to put up a show that would have nothing to do with the critical issues facing the country today. The best way was to take the matter to Parliament with the government explaining and defending its national security policy. The govt avowedly didn’t do s6 because it was afraid of exposure and loss of face.

The direction the confrontation is taking is harmful for the country. The PM needs to realize that his refusal to sit with the opposition, and instead steamrollering important decisions, would lead to a no-holds-barred fight. The opposition too must not refuse offers for talks, especially if they come from the PM. important decisions related to the next elections, national security and the economy need to be taken through mutual consultations, with Parliament playing a meaningful role.

China has been careful in playing its cards

Dr rajkumar Singh

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rowing Chinese interest in affairs of Afghanistan with the active and determined support of Pakistan has surprised many recently, particularly in view of the rising power of Taliban in Kabul reflect5ng a mixture of national, regional and global politics in one stroke. in fact, the three decades 6f rivalry between China and the USA have resulted in shrinking US influence in the region of South Asia and elsewhere The USA remained powerful in the post-world war 2 phase and China became alert after the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in December 1979 followed by the aggressive attitude of the USA which formed militia groups heavily backed by Pakistan to fight against the Soviet Army which withdrew due to a decade of intense fighting, but it was a victory for none other than Taliban for whose formation a sound background was prepared as the Kremlin withdrawal paved the way for formation of Taliban,

by Pashtun students studying in Pakistan. in a further development the Taliban, taking advantage of anarchy and chaos prevailing in the country, took over the reign of administration in Afghanistan in 1996 which lasted for long five years or till the USA initiated the war on Terror in response to 9/11, leading to the toppling of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001. Ultimately, a US-supported democratic regime was installed in the country which continued for further 20 years or till the full control of Taliban returned on 15 August 2021. Months earlier the US and nATo forces fully withdrew from Afghanistan and a pro-Pakistan, pro-China, Taliban captured power in Kabul. For the present, the joint strategy of China and Pakistan who helped Taliban in capturing power compelled the single superpower of the world to leave Afghanistan in disgust and repentance.

OutlOOk Of the POlicy: Traditional relations between China and Afghanistan had never been strained in history and maintained throughout by a balance based on give and take, but with the growing of China in regional and global competition with the USA, particularly in the sphere of the economy, encouraged

Sialkot blasphemy The murder of a Sri Lankan is the latest example of a rising trend

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ven if the murder of a Sri Lankan in a Sialkot factory was not bad enough, the burning of his body showed a vindictiveness that reflects the rising of an odd spirit of intolerance. The burning of a police station in Charsadda last week, in attempt to get the police to surrender an accused to a similar mob, shows that the blasphemy accusation is not being left to the law enforcing authorities.

Did the Sri Lankan commit blasphemy? we will never know, because no court has pronounced on the question. was the Charsadda accused liable for trial? The crowd burning down the police station did not wait for a judicial decision The courts, unfortunately, are seen as places where blasphemers are let off, or where they escape and go abroad. Blasphemy is not the only provocation.

Ten years ago, two teenage brothers were beaten to death by a mob in Sialkot, the killers acusing them of dacoity and murder. True, people are ready to let the legal machinery deal with most crimes, but the lack of trust in the law enforcing machinery seems to be greater in blasphemy cases.

However, the entire purpose of making blasphemy a crime cognisable by the police and the courts is to prevent mobs taking the law into their own hands.

The role of such religious parties as the Tehrik Labbaik Pakistan, which provoke public anger by laying charges of blasphemy, but do not propose a reform programme or enunciate any policies driven by religious principles, is worth examining.They are quick to seize on the legal remedies afforded by the system, but do not seem ready to concede these protections to others. it is actually a matter of tolerance: Blasphemy may be intolerable, but it is supposed to be tolerated enough for the alleged blasphemer to be brought to trial. religious fervour and extremism have apparently gone so far that a remedy can only be provided by an inculcation of tolerance in people. Also, the state has got to enforce its writ. no one can be allowed to get away with murder, no matter how holy he thinks his cause.

Instead of fault-finding negotiators must find a solution nazim uDDin

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TS shameful exit from Afghanistan seems to have been the tip of the iceberg for the receding relevance of the USA in the world. The recent abortive effort to salvage the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the case in point.

According to the Un atomic watchdog, iAEA, despite the ongoing talks in Vienna, iran hasn’t been scaling down its nuclear advances. it is then a foregone conclusion that all these talks are doomed to fail and the USA is flogging a dead horse. while it took months of deliberations and discussions to come up with the deal back in 2015 under President Barak obama, President Donald Trump walked back from it in no time. Jumping on the bandwagon of hate-Democrat politics, President Trump left no stone unturned toundo away every single thing his predecessor had done. it allowed iran to not only resume its hankering to jack up uranium enrichment but also created a trust deficit in any dialogue and negotiation.

Against this backdrop, the stance of the iranian hardliner regime seems obvious: any permanent agreement that is part of the legislature and doesn’t change with the change of government can be reached. iranian President Ebrahim raisi doesn’t trust the USA anymore. Much to her chagrin, the USA has no advantage over iran or for that matter any other country in the Middle East compared to what it had, say, ten years ago.

As regards the recent not-giving-an-inch approach of iran, the fact is that the political, social, and economic dynamics of the world are changing by leaps and bounds, and iran is no exception to this new normal. For a start, regional tensions in the Middle East are petering out while the US allies are ready to fend for themselves provided that the USA dumped

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

For the present, Beijing has responded favourably and in a statement maintained that China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people and the Taliban takeover had been the result of a measured national opinion. Earlier to this development in July 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted Taliban leaders including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and discussed matters of mutual interests.

Negotiations in Peril

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Beijing to become active diplomatically in the region and specifically in Afghanistan where the USA was active against the USSr as a result of Cold war rivalry. once again, the installation of US- supported government in Kabul to fight the terrorists of the region and osama bin Laden’s group. it was also the beginning of warming of China-Afghan relations and in response, reflecting good gesture between the two. An exchange of visits by both sides took place in 2002 and signed the Agreement on Economic and Technical Co-operation of $30 million Chinese aid to Afghanistan.

By the end of the year China, along with five other neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, also signed the Kabul Declaration on good neighbourly relations and reaffirmed its commitment to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan to support the nation in peace process and reconstruction.

The pace of their understanding and good will strengthened further by exchange of visits and agreements signed between them from time to time. in addition, the Afghan Mujahideen in the period of Soviet-Afghan war were also in touch with Beijing and the Chinese Liberation Army trained them when their Pakistani camps moved to China. They provided them anti-aircraft missiles, rocket launchers and machine guns of hundreds of millions with Chinese advisors and army troops remaining ready for help and assistance. Thus, the Chinese authorities were in regular contact with Afghan government, public as well as various factions of Mujahideen. in January 2016, Donald Trump became the 45thU US President and reviewed US long continuing policy towards Pakistan and helping the country in the name of combating terrorism in Afghanistan and on its own soil. while reviewing, the new President found that islamabad was not working against the terror groups for which the country had been funded enough with arms and ammunitions. in response, Pakistan had used the funds for promoting the terror groups and strengthening them in Afghanistan where they f6ught the armies of the USA and other nATo countries. in the light of these facts, Trump accused Pakistan ofdeceiving the USA by telling a lie throughout the period. in 2017 and 2018, on several occasions the President reiterated his stand on Pakistan publicly, and

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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ultimately decided to withdraw from Kabul completely and the USA began to be involved in talks with Afghan government and Taliban groups on terms and conditions of withdrawal. on the other hand, the statement of the US President and the changed US attitude also hurt islamabad and it began trying to assemble concerned parties on the negotiation table. it also sought Chinese help in the work with the aim to sideline india from the process of peace negotiations in Afghanistan and took tacit help from russia whose enmity with the USA is well known. in the meantime, the graph of US image in Pakistan went down significantly and the general sentiment emerged in favour of China and Pakistan also accepted a number of military projects along with Beijing’s extensive economic support and huge investment. now, a clear-cut policy change occurred in the USA towards the Taliban and it recognised this group as a legitimate force to talk on the issue of withdrawal of US and nATo forces from the war-torn country. After a series of negotiations with Taliban and other allied forces they succeeded in getting an agreement done in early 2020 and with the coming of Joe Biden, the new President, only the final deadline for exit from Afghanistan was extended to September 2021. in the context the last six months proved very crucial and costly for the nation when the President of the country left the nation and an environment of anarchy, chaos, and brute use of force by Taliban and its allies began leading to the capturing of cities, one by one, the capital Kabul on 15 August 2021.

For the present, Beijing has responded favourably and in a statement maintained that China respects the wishes and choices of the Afghan people and the Taliban takeover had been the result of a measured national opinion. Earlier to this development in July 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister wang Yi hosted Taliban leaders including Mullah Abdul ghani Baradar and discussed matters of mutual interests. while it was a diplomatic/strategic victory for Beijing, it wasa humiliating defeat for washington to be revenged in future.

Afghanistan and wants to regurgitate the Asia Pivot with renewed force and ferocity. Although the options other than dialogue seem scary for both the countries and above all the world as a whole, Tehran has something else in mind.

To begin with, Tehran has enriched uranium at the 60 percent level, which is not too far away from exploding a nuclear bomb. According to some nuclear scientists, iran may be a few months away from such a position. To put it in perspective, when Libya abandoned its nuclear facility, the country didn’t get any better, thanks to US policies. north Korea acts like the King of the Jungle because of its nuclear power. The list of countries goes too long that were treated badly when they denuclearized their countries, especially in the Middle East.

Another most significant reason for iran not to care about any deal is the impending danger from israel. on november 1, the israeli Prime Minister naftali Bennett termed the ongoing negotiations ‘blackmail’ and urged the world ‘not to give in to the iranian blackmail''. israel has killed as many as the top four iranian nuclear scientists while wounding a couple of them since 2010. on February 10 this year, another iranian scientist was murdered by an israeli automated gun. All considered it doesn’t seem probable that iran can afford to leave the nuclear programme on the way.

For the USA the bar is profoundly low in spite of its rhetoric of ‘all options on the table’. Bluntly put, there are no options except two: more sanctions or some kind of confrontation. As regards the former, the USA left no stone unturned in putting sanctions in every conceivable way, to no avail. Even before the Trump Administration, Barak obama put almost 1600 different sanctions despite the 2015 Deal. Sanctions barely affect the regime, but their damaging impacts on the population are indisputable. As for

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The writer is head of the political science department and dean of the Social Sciences faculty of the B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

confrontation, it is the last thing the USA can think of, given the Afghan fiasco and fluid world politics.

Apart from the mutual trust deficit, another issue that plagues both from reaching any understanding comes from the domestic politics of both countries. whereas the iranians doubt any relevance of the deal with the change in the US administration, to make any long-lasting deal, the USA has to face domestic pressure as well. given the influence of israel on the white House and the American people, fulfilling all iranian demands, however legitimate they are, is out of the question. it was true when obama cut a deal, and it’s not very different now. if the USA depicts a desperation to strike a deal with iran, the latter is in no good position to turn away from any offer due to a host of problems it faces. The Middle East institute, for instance, concluded a few months ago that no less than a third of iranians didn’t meet their fundamental needs. Almost 10 percent of the adult population was unemployed.

As a result, the crime rates have been going up, poverty has become uncontrollable, and people are desperate to end their struggles.

The fact is that to this very day, iranians, who are tough negotiators, haven’t engaged with US officials directly. while the USA has to be blamed for all the wrongs, this is no time to close dialogues. There are only two ways: dialogue or confrontation. neither iran, the USA nor the region is ready to carry out yet another war. Sanity and good faith should prevail and instead of setting the bar very high, both should reach a settlement based on the principle of give and take.

For now, the very existence of dialogue is a blessing in disguise because, in the past few years, the iranians were allowed to ramp up their nuclear facilities while the people of iran have suffered and died. Both parties should realize that in case the negotiations fail in Vienna, all have to pay a heavy price for it. At best, the USA should ease some sanctions which are punishing the people and iran should also scale down its nuclear enrichment. Even though it seems not very easy, it is the only option to salvage the talks.

The writer can be nazim.parCwak@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Saturday, 4 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

Deep-rooted corruption

Myanmar and Bangladesh must strengthen ties It’s important for two regions Pathik haSan

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YAnMAr is one of the closest neighbo4rs of Bangladesh. Before the Second world war, many people from Bangladesh used to travel to Burma in search of livelihood.

Since then, its people have developed an economic and social relationship with Burma. Apart from india, Bangladesh shares a 271-km border with Myanmar. Bangladesh can use Myanmar by land for communication in Southeast Asian countries including China. road connectivity is possible through Myanmar. Maybe a new horizon of relationships and possibilities unfolds.

Myanmar can also use Bangladesh to reach South Asia specially nepal, Bhutan and mainland india. Bangladesh and Myanmar both share a common regional platform in ‘BiMSTEC’. on the other hand, Bangladesh is considered a hub between South Asia and South East Asia. it is true that Bangladesh is a South East Asian country geographically but South Asian country culturally, demographically and historically. This is an outstanding geostrategic characteristic of Bangladesh. Therefore,without the involvement of Bangladesh, any connectivity amongst the states of ASEAn and SAArC is absolutely impossible.

Myanmar is a country rich in natural resources. There are huge amounts of natural resources like tin, zinc, copper, tungsten, coal, marble, limestone, natural gas, hydropower and more . The major resource of this country are minerals. Myanmar can be a major source of energy for Bangladesh to ensure its energy security. Food and grains are produced in large quantities in Myanmar. Myanmar can also be a big helper of Bangladesh in the field of food security.

Myanmar has a huge potential for rice cultivation. But lands of Myanmar are unutilized for decades due to lack of human resource. Myanmar needs labourers. rice production in Myanmar accounts for approximately 43 percent of total agricultural production in the country, making it the seventh largest producer of rice in the world. out of 67.6 million hectares of land, 12.8 million are used for cultivation. in 2019 alone, Myanmar accounted for 13,300 million metric tons of milled rice production. rice production in Myanmar is heavily dependent on human and animal power, both traditional methods of cultivation. Myanmar has a lack of manpower and technology in this regard. But Bangladesh has these two things. Bangladesh has surplus human resources. Myanmar can utilize the human resource of Bangladesh for the maximum gain.

But Bangladesh has never been able to take full advantage of this opportunity. This country of 135 tribes and different ethnic groups has been under military rule for many years. That may be one of the reasons why the relationship is not deep. if Bangladesh had good relations with Myanmar, its dependence on india could be reduced in many cases. if contacts were made in Southeast Asia and China through

Myanmar, there would be immense potential for investment and trade.

Bangladesh and Myanmar are both on the way to be developed countries. Bangladesh is going to be a South Asian Economic Miracle.

Bangladesh can play a significant role in Myanmar, to some extent the whole South East Asia.

For this, Myanmar should increase its diplomatic relations with Bangladesh for the better mutual interest for the whole South Asia and South East Asia.The EU, China, india, russia and north Korea are becoming allies in Myanmar's oil, gas, mineral resources and military markets. Taking advantage of the US negligence, Myanmar's military junta extended a helping hand to China to invest. So, China is now the biggest investor in this country. According to Earth-rights international, a private group, more than 26 Chinese companies are investing in Myanmar's oil, gas, mineral resources and allied sectors. China has already become its biggest ally in building and supplying arms to Myanmar. Myanmar has developed relations not only with China but also with india. india and China are building trade relations with Myanmar. The USA is also changing its approach to the Myanmar question. That is why the USA, a strong economic country, has started taking new initiatives to develop relations. recently, a 41-year dispute over the maritime border with Bangladesh-Myanmar has been settled by the international Court of Justice.

As a result, the rights of Bangladesh have been established in an area of 111,000 square kilometers. Myanmar's waters have also been identified. The path of creating tension in the Bay of Bengal has been blocked.

Myanmar is rich in minerals, ores, oil, gas, precious stones and other natural resources. The country is a major supplier of natural wood to the world. while attracting foreign investment has been limited to the oil and gas sector, the country has recently shifted its focus to attracting production-based investment. The country is well ahead in power generation due to good investment in hydropower generation. The tourism industry is also a promising sector of the country. Myanmar's economy has so far been limited to extracting natural resources, said nobel laureate economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz, warned that the country would suffer a "curse of wealth" if it continued. Some resource-rich countries in Africa, including nigeria, Sudan and Benin, have been plagued by corruption, internal strife and poverty These countries could not adopt proper wealth management systems. Economists believe that if democracy is restored in Myanmar and corruption is reduced, it will not have to go to the level of countries that have failed in wealth management. Therefore, it can be assumed that Myanmar will become a country with rapid economic growth in a few years. The country's biggest economic advantage is that they are members of the ten-nation ASEAn. ASEAn is one of the three most successful trade blocs in the world. The trade consists of Singapore, Malaysia, indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and

Myanmar. The alliance controls about 24 percent of total world trade and their share in world trade is growing every year. Their trade relations with China, Japan and South Korea are deepening due to the increase in trade. ASEAn countries account for more than 50 percent of total trade between themselves and the three countries. As a result, Bangladesh has the opportunity to benefit by strengthening ties with this trade alliance, that is, Myanmar. Bangladesh and Myanmar are among the seven member countries of the Bay of Bengal initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BiMSTEC). Therefore, there is ample opportunity to increase trade and investment relations between the two countries through BiMSTEC. There are many opportunities to enhance Bangladesh's bilateral trade and investment relations with Myanmar. Through the import of gas and electricity, Bangladesh can get future energy security. The two countries can jointly explore for oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal.

Bangladesh can also contribute to the development of Myanmar's infrastructure.

The proposed construction of the Asian Highway, funded by the Asian Development Bank and other donor groups, could also increase land connectivity between the two countries. And there is ample opportunity to increase shipping. Besides, joint investment can be made in fertilizer, plastic, cement, furniture etc. Both countries will benefit if Myanmar produces raw materials and Bangladesh with skills, technical knowledge and labor. Because, Myanmar imports every product. Bangladesh can also export readymade garments.

Bangladesh produces medicines, electronics.

Myanmar can import these from Bangladesh. on the other hand, Myanmar is a source of agricultural products. Bangladesh can import these from Myanmar. During Bangladesh’s onion crisis with india in 2019, Myanmar provided onions to Bangladesh. Bangladesh understood the importance of bilateral trade with Myanmar at that time. on the other hand, Bangladesh is keen to provide assistance to Myanmar.

Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy, counter-terrorism approach for the regional security are some sectors. The rohingya refugee problem has made distance between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Myanmar should solve this problem to serve its own and regional interest. Myanmar should understand that it is the issue of the region. The whole 6f South Asia and South East Asia may become volatile and unstable 6ver it.

However, the two countries can also increase production in the agricultural sector through joint ventures. Apart from adopting joint investment projects, Bangladesh can increase imports of various agricultural products including pulses, spices, fish and rice. Thus, enhancing bilateral relations could contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAn and BiMSTEC countries. This will create an opportunity to solve the rohingya problem and stop militant activities.

Therefore, Myanmar should take effective steps to strengthen bilateral relations.

The writer is a Dhaka based NGO activist and Writer can be reached at pathikhasan1141@gmail.com

THE PTi government took charge in 2018 when Pakistan was already badly entangled in the debt trap. There was no way out except to take more loans to run the economy. Prime Minister imran Khan was and hopefully still is against seeking loans from international lending institutions. He believes that loans do little to strengthen the economy and only open the gates of corruption. He has tried to curb corruption, but with little success.

Corruption is deep-rooted in our society ever since the colonial period. we inherited it when we gained freedom from the British. i learnt of this firsthand while working as a lower division clerk in the office of the commissioner at the rawalpindi division before the partition. i used to share a room with two other clerks, one of whom was a senior clerk who attested the orders being issued to applicants. He used to openly take bribes and only facilitate those who paid him. one day, he took whatever money an appellant had to give him his required order copy. The appellant pleaded to the clerk that the money was for his return fare to Mianwali, to which this clerk suggested that he go back on foot. watching this, i lost my temper and slapped the senior clerk. i forcefully took the money from him and returned it back to the appellant. At this point two lawyers present there grabbed me to stop me from further roughing him up.

The HVC, Lala ram narain, entered the room and asked what had happened. He then took me to another room and told me that it was quite alright if people are willingly to give money as long as you don’t get caught. i refused to accept this principle and had myself transferred. i sometimes feel that the same philosophy transcends across our society today and corruption is only bad if you get caught. i wonder if our PM would ever be successful in ending corruption, especially with the kind of team he is working with.

AmnA ISlAm KArAchI

Rasoolpur - an embodiment of a perfect lifestyle MAnY people falsely believe that education can only be acquired in a progressive urban setting. They therefore fail to achieve any education at all.

The village of rasoolpur located in the rajanpur district of Punjab proves these claims wrong. The literacy rate in the village is almost 100% with zero crime rate. The village is populated by approximately 3,000 residents, majority of whom are ethnic Ahmadani Baloch.

All residents are supposed to finish secondary schooling otherwise they cannot live in the village, which has compelled women to study as well. residents who cannot afford education are provided donations via the rasoolpur Development Society. At present, the village has one primary school and two secondary schools. After finishing secondary school, most students go to college in the nearby town of Jampur. Despite having a small number of schools, the village has proved to be exemplary for the entire world. it is not just the literacy rate that is praiseworthy but also the good discipline amongst the residents — not a single criminal case has been registered in the last few decades. This shows the impact an educated environment can have on the well-being of the people as well as the society.

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

The village represents Pakistan’s actual image in the whole world.

They contribute in making it possible for everyone to get education and maintain a clean and friendly environment to live in.

To encourage the children and their parents to continue this decade-old commitment towards education, a yearly function has been organized by the community in which they appreciate students who achieve positions in competitive and university-level exams.

Meanwhile, a 100% literacy rate is not the only achievement of the village. The police station of this model village has not registered a single criminal case in the last 100 years, which shows how being responsible for other’s rights is everyone’s concern. it is indeed a commendable effort done by the community engagement where the importance of education is exercised with great vigilance and compassion. This is how we envision the expansion of modern civilization in which education is regarded as the fundamental right of every child and adequate steps are taken towards its expansion. we strive to implement the model in rural, remote rural and urban centers of Punjab rasoolpur is seldom discussed in the mainstream media, which is why many have remained unaware of the village and its accomplishments. There needs to be more attention towards the village in order to inform people of the benefits of education. rasoolpur must be used as an example to initiate educational reforms in other rural areas of Pakistan.

AlI ShEr hub

Traffic menace ToDAY Quetta’s population stands at approximately 1,001,205 million, which is much more than what the city was designed for. while the city’s population has constantly increased, there have been little to no advancements in the city itself to accommodate and facilitate the growing population. over the years, there have been minor modifications to the roads and routes in Quetta but most of them are the same as they were prior to Pakistan’s independence. The infrastructure of the city is in dire straits — one that needs immediate reformation. it is impossible for people to travel during rush hour because of extensive traffic jams in different parts of the city. The poor traffic system is an outcome of the crumbling infrastructure, many roads cannot be used at all because they are a safety hazard. Therefore, people are forced to take the same routes. The traffic jams have become severely distressing for the citizens because they often result in spat amongst drivers, cause delays in reaching destinations, and are tiresome.

Traffic signals on the roads do not work and there is an absence of sergeants to control the traffic. regular ViP movements cause further chaos. The city lacks management, which needs to be addressed by the governing bodies. Funds allocated for the development of the infrastructure should be used efficiently. roads, flyovers, and underpasses must be constructed to ease travel within the city, and traffic signals must be instated. Sergeants should be placed in commercial areas to control and regulate the flow of traffic. on more than one occasion, the citizens of Quetta have protested the poor traffic conditions. Unfortunately, their calls have fallen on deaf ears. Through this letter, i want to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to consider this matter in earnest.

ImrAn mohAmmAd ShAhI QuEttA

Saturday, 4 December, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

is india an asseT or a liabiliTy To america’s indo-Pacific alliance?

THE UNITED STATES AND INDIA NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CONTAINMENT OF HINDU NATIONALISM, WHICH IS A BIGGER THREAT TO THE VIABILITY OF THE QUAD AND AMERICA’S INDO-PACIFIC STRATEGY THAN INDIA’S SHOPPING HABITS NatioNal iNterest

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Muqtedar Khan

nDiA has begun receiving S-400 missiles from russia despite the risk that it will be sanctioned by the United States, its ally and trading partner. there is a possibility that in the longterm interest of maintaining good relations with india, the United States may find some way to get around this. Already U.S. senators John Cornyn (r-tX) and Mark warner (D-VA) are lobbying President Joe Biden to find a national security exemption. However, last year when turkey pursued the same path, the United States did impose sanctions on a longtime nAtO ally. the United States is in the process of building a robust indo-Pacific alliance to serve as a forward defense against China and

to keep the indo-Pacific region open for trade. the alliance is also projected as a bulwark of democracies against authoritarianism. A standard operating procedure of U.S. foreign policy to use the defense of democracy as a justification for liberal imperialism. it is the consequence of what during the Obama administration was touted as the “pivot to Asia.” the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a formidable alliance. it includes two nuclear powers (the United States and india), three of the world’s five most powerful militaries, three of the top six economies of the world and a combined GDP of over thirty trillion dollars—which is more than double that of China. if the alliance holds, it will not only prevent China from dominating its own neighborhood (South and east Asia) but also perhaps succeed in containing Bei-

jing and moderating its behavior.

Both india and the United States recognize the strategic advantages and economic benefits of a close india-U.S. partnership. For india, a military alliance with the United States can be a lifesaver given China’s increasingly assertive regional posture, which has already resulted in two military skirmishes in 2017 and 2020. For the United States, washington gains an ally that is a nuclear power, a trading partner that is an up-and-coming economic juggernaut, and one which is as highly committed to ensuring that China does not dominate the indo-Pacific region. while Japan and Australia have been U.S. allies for decades, india, the fourth member of the Quad, is a new member of the club of nations who can claim that they are U.S. allies.

But india is a problematic ally—one that could not only unravel the alliance but also undermine U.S. China policy. i am not allud-

ing to india’s tactics of purchasing russia’s S-400 missiles, which in itself is a signal that india is prepared to hurt its developing partnership with the United States. Contrast this with the decision of the other Quad partner, Australia, that has risked the ire of France to buy nuclear submarines from the United States and the United Kingdom. this move strengthened both Australia’s military capabilities and the bonds that tie Canberra to the United States. india’s S-400 decision clearly signals that it is not in the same league as a U.S. ally as is Australia. india as an ally brings a lot of baggage to the alliance besides its reluctance to become fully plugged into U.S. defense systems. india’s democracy is at risk of further backsliding: Hindu nationalism is undermining india’s secular and democratic credentials. the Hindu nationalists are on a warpath against india’s constitution and its minority population. How can a nation that wages war on itself be a good ally in a war of great powers?

Since coming to power for a second time in 2019, Hindu nationalists led by Prime Minister narendra Modi have made laws and policies that target indian Muslims with a clear purpose of politically marginalizing them and culturally rendering them invisible. the lives, property, and jobs of Muslims are in jeopardy, and they have become the new untouchables of india. indian Muslims number nearly 200 million and oppressing them requires enormous state resources. But above all, it moves india further and further away from democracy. Already india has slipped in democratic ratings and the U.S Commission on international religious Freedom has recommended that india be designated as a country of particular concern for its dismal record.

Biden envisions the Quad as an alliance

nuclear Talks: The game has jusT begun

of democracies; Australia, Japan, india, and the United States arrayed against the authoritarian system of China. But if indian democracy continues its downward spiral, the Quad will not be democratic, and the United States will struggle to justify its partnership with india. if the United States persists in casting the U.S.-China “competition” in terms of autocracy versus democracy, then it cannot ignore the decline of democracy at home or in allied nations. Just as Biden endeavors to rebuild democracy at home, he must also insist that india make a u-turn and return to its constitutional essence of a secular democracy. An undemocratic india will undermine the moral basis of the indo-Pacific strategy. the United States and india need to have a serious conversation about the containment of Hindu nationalism, which is a bigger threat to the viability of the Quad and America’s indo-Pacific strategy than india’s shopping habits.

U.S. foreign policy has a history of hypocrisy. For decades, it has claimed that democracy promotion and human rights are key elements of its foreign policy, but for decades it has supported and still supports monarchies, military occupation, and dictatorships in the Middle east. the United States has paid a heavy price in terms of blood and resources in the Middle east as a direct cost of its hypocritical policy. i hope it will not repeat the same mistake in the indo-Pacific theatre.

Dr.Muqtedar Khan is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. He is the author of the award-winning book Islam and Good Governance: Political Philosophy of Ihsan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019).

TwiTTer's new rule leTs iT selecTively ban informaTion

THE LAST THING THE PRESIDENT NEEDS NOW IS AN IRANIAN-ISRAELI BLOW-UP THAT DRAGS THE US INTO A WAR WITH TEHRAN

CNN

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aaron david Miller

AVinG spent a couple decades in and around failing Arab-israeli negotiations, i know a negotiation that's in serious trouble when i see one. the iran nuclear negotiations that resumed this week in Vienna after a suspension of almost five months are a case in point. indeed, right now, probably neither the Biden administration nor iran's Supreme Leader believes a mutually acceptable agreement is feasible. And it's not so certain that one of the parties -- iran, which seems to be using the talks as cover to ramp up its nuclear program -- believes that an accord is even desirable right now.

All of which is to say that the game has just begun, and the outcome will be neither a quick accord nor a collapse. indeed, today iranian representatives presented texts of their own on sanctions removal and their own nuclear activities, offering to stay in Vienna to continue negotiating. instead, we're likely in for a prolonged game of maneuvering and pressure by each side to achieve what they want, or failing that, to ensure that, if talks do crater, the other side takes the lion's share of the blame.

As a general rule, an impasse in negotiations is broken when there are sufficient amounts of pain and gain present to change the parties' calculations. As anyone who's been a part of a negotiation will tell you -- whether it's with the israelis, Palestinians, or russians -pressure and pain alone rarely if ever work, especially when a nation perceives its vital interests are at stake.

President trump's maximum-pressure campaign against iran is an example. Sanctions severely damaged iran's economy, but they didn't force iran to make concessions; in fact, trump's sanctions resulted in iran ramping up its nuclear program. the challenge facing the negotiations today is that the factors that led to the 2015 iran nuclear accord are all missing. As US Special envoy for iran robert Malley noted, the com-

bination of pressure and inducements that led to the previous accord are no longer in alignment.

Moreover, the unilateral US withdrawal from the accord; iran's breaching of the agreement by expanding its uranium enrichment, after initially adhering to the pact after the US abandoned it; additional US sanctions; iran's refusal to allow iAeA monitoring of sensitive nuclear sites have not only shattered what trust and confidence existed, particularly between the US and iran; but also raised serious questions -- with some key provisions due to sunset by 2025 -- about whether the original agreement was becoming obsolete and irrelevant. to make matters worse, since US withdrawal from the accord in 2018, the politics on both sides have hardened significantly. A new, harder-line iranian government came to power in June and the Supreme Leader -- clearly never a fan of the original accord -- has now publicly admitted it was a mistake. the uptick of withering criticism of the previous rouhani government by a new foreign minister and of the very process of negotiations by a new harder-line lead negotiator have created a set of fanciful demands that will be hard for iran to simply amend or drop without additional concessions from washington.

As for the Americans, the Biden administration's intention to rejoin the accord was complicated by the President's other priorities; the new web of sanctions imposed on iran by his predecessor; by Biden himself; and by growing opposition by republicans and some Democrats alike to an accord that didn't cover iran's efforts to spread its influence in the region, especially its support for pro-iranian groups striking US military bases in Syria and iraq and its burgeoning ballistic missile programs. indeed, even if, by some miracle, Biden was able to rejoin the nuclear deal anytime soon, it would likely be a political liability for a president whose approval ratings are tanking.

One can be forgiven for imagining Biden's political advisers urging him to delay any wouldbe reentry into the reviled (at least by some in washington) JCPOA. Suffice to say, things don't look good as a seventh round of negotiations between iran, the europeans, russians and Chinese opened in Vienna. (iran still refuses to meet directly with the US.) whatever else happens in Vienna this week, not a great deal of progress is likely to

be made. indeed, if iran comes back with new and fanciful demands, as its foreign minister and lead negotiator have recently outlined -i.e., that the talks have nothing to do with the nuclear issue, only removing ''inhumane" US sanctions, one can imagine a game of gotcha with each side trying to persuade its friends and the rest of the world that it's the other party who's being unreasonable. Former Secretary of State James A. Baker called this tactic ''dead cat diplomacy," where he'd lay the dead cat at the doorstep of the most recalcitrant party.

Malley, the US envoy, hinted at such an approach in a recent BBC interview where he suggested that if iran overplayed its hand, the world would come to see that tehran had a chance to strike a deal but chose not to. iran is preparing its own talking points to try and lay the blame at washington's door, asking how iran can enter another deal without a US guarantee that it won't bolt again. iran will be counting on russia and China to take its side in the gotcha sweepstakes. this round of negotiations may initially turn on what iran brings back to the table after a delay of five months. And it's likely that neither the US, iran or the europeans, russia and China want the talks to end. But if they do, we'll be lucky to escape with a game of gotcha.

Alternatives to reentering the JCPOA -- a smaller deal, less sanctions relief for fewer curbs on iran's nuclear activities or a longer and stronger accord that extends the curbs on iran's nuclear activities -- seem unrealistic. israel's so-called Plan B discussed with the Biden administration -- more sanctions; cyber war; and threat of military action against iran's nuclear sites -- is a plan that Biden, preoccupied with domestic priorities, doesn't want to embrace. the last thing the President needs now is an iranian-israeli blow-up that drags the US into a war with tehran. But if negotiations don't succeed, sooner or later that may be where we're heading. As one British journalist wrote, there's more snow in Vienna these days than optimism.

Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President." Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations.

Federalist

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Jordan Boyd

witter announced a new set of rules on tuesday that effectively bans the dissemination of memes and the mockery of public figures.the changes come one day after twitter co-founder and former CeO Jack Dorsey resigned to usher in a new era under freespeech foe and new CeO Parag Agrawal, who, while he served as twitter’s chief technology officer, expressed disregard for the First Amendment.

Under the new twitter policy, photos of public figures will be subject to removal based on the censorship platform’s desires.“this policy is not applicable to media featuring public figures or individuals when media and accompanying tweet text are shared in the public interest or add value to public discourse,” the policy states.

“However, if the purpose of the dissemination of private images of public figures or individuals who are part of public conversations is to harass, intimidate, or use fear to silence them, we may remove the content in line with our policy against abusive behaviour.” twitter clarified that exceptions would be made for content that — you guessed it — corrupt left-wing corporate media outlets deem acceptable.“we will always try to assess the context in which the content is shared and, in such cases, we may allow the images or videos to remain on the service. For instance, we would take into consideration

UNDER THE NEW TWITTER POLICY, PHOTOS OF PUBLIC FIGURES WILL BE SUBJECT TO REMOVAL BASED ON THE CENSORSHIP PLATFORM’S DESIRES whether the image is publicly available and/or is being covered by mainstream/traditional media (newspapers, tV channels, online news sites), or if a particular image and the accompanying tweet text adds value to the public discourse, is being shared in public interest, or is relevant to the community.”

As some twitter users pointed out, with this new policy, the Big tech company has carved out a way to justify removing or banning any content it deems “irrelevant” and effectively solidifies twitter’s role as a gatekeeper of information instead of the free-speech platform it once claimed to be. these tactics have, of course, been used by twitter in the past to justify stifling the spread of the Hunter Biden laptop story, subduing content about COViD-19 treatments and vaccine side effects, and intentionally deplatforming former President Donald trump.

But the updated policy suggests the Silicon Valley giant’s net is getting wider and seeks to stop even the smallest of accounts from sharing information that could damage Democrats or their propaganda narratives.

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist. She graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism.

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

NEWS

corporate corner Culture Health Festival celebrated at Foundation University College of Nursing

RAWALPINDI: A one-day Culture Health Festival was celebrated at Foundation University College of Nursing on 30th November, 2021 under the leadership of Dean/ Principal FUCN Capt Prof Yasmeen Saggu (Retd). The theme of the festival was to highlight the importance of cultural taboos related to health practices which served as barriers for providing quality care to the family in particular and community at large. All students of FUCN participated with full zeal and zest and showed various cultures of Pakistan identifying several myths associated with health practices in each of them. Every culture was beautifully presented from traditional costumes to lavish food. Rector FUI, Maj Gen Nasir Dilawar Shah HI (M) (Retd) along with Maj Gen Prof Dr. Jawad Khaliq Ansari HI (M) (Retd), Director FUIC and senior faculty members of FUIC visited the festival and appreciated the efforts of the students. He announced Rs. 10,000 for each cultural stall as a token of appreciation. p r

Asad Qaiser declares Parliament House disability-friendly, accessible for people with disabilities

ISLAMABAD: It has been a major development towards recognition of the rights and needs of people with disabilities (PWDs). The National Assembly Secretariat has made infrastructural adaptations to make the building of parliament house friendly and accessible for people with disabilities. On this International Day of People with Disabilities, Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly expressed his views regarding the significance of accessible and disabled friendly infrastructure and communication as a strong enabling factor for the people with disabilities. He said that this is the first ever such initiative in the history of Pakistan that one of the premier institutions of Pakistan (NA) has taken lead to demonstrate disability friendly solutions both for infrastructure and communication. He also anticipated that the government can replicate these solutions of accessibility in other such prime institutions as well. He also conveyed his appreciation for Sightsavers as a strong partner and commended on a successful example of public private partnership to achieve these milestones. Honorable Speaker further expressed that the empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities in the society is a priority and government would like to work with organisations like Sightsavers to accomplish to achieve the goal of an equal and inclusive society. In her remarks at the occasion, Country Director Sightsavers, Munazza Gillani, paid gratitude to honorable Speaker National Assembly for coming so fourth to support the inclusion and protecting the rights of people with disabilities. She said that provision of all these facilities at the Assembly building is part of the Sightsavers’ national initiative to mobilize efforts for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), the principle of ‘Leaving No One Behind’. She explained that Sightsavers is also mobilizing efforts for Pakistan’s effective participation in the second Global Disability Summit being held in Oslo, Norway, from February 15-17, 2022 (GDS22). The summit will stimulate efforts for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and disability inclusive Sustainable Development Goals. The inauguration event was joined by parliamentarians, government officials, civil society, organisations of people with disabilities as well as persons with disabilities. Sightsavers, a UK based international organization working for creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in 33 countries and working in Pakistan since 1985. pr

09

IAP, CDC-ITMINDS SIgN MoU For DIgITAl AggregATIoN oF INSUrANCe ProDUCTS KARACHI pr

U

NDeR the regulatory impetus of SeCP, Insurance Association of Pakistan (IAP) and Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the digital aggregation of Insurance products CDC’s emalaak Financials platform. Ms. Sadia Khan, Commissioner - Securities and exchange Commission of Pakistan (SeCP) presided at the MoU Signing Ceremony at the CDC House, Karachi.

At the occasion, describing the features of the platform, CeO-CDC Mr. Badiuddin Akber said that “This Fintech solution of “emlaak Financials” is indeed a landmark initiative of national significance, as it aims to become “Digital Financial Super Market” in Pakistan by leveraging the potential of technology to increase outreach for various financial products.”

Mr. Azfar Arshad, Chairman IAP applauded the efforts of CDC and SeCP and said that this initiative will pave the way for the growth of the Insurance Industry.

While addressing the occasion, Commissioner SeCP - Ms. Sadia Khan said that this digital transformation is expected to have an impact throughout the insurance value chain, from underwriting and pricing

of products, their marketing and distribution, through to claims processing and the ongoing customer servicing. The distribution of insurance products through the digital portal eMLAAK is expected to provide low-cost and centralized solution to policy holders by providing comparative cost benefit analysis of different products on a centralized platform. This will lead to a reduction in the protection gap as new market segments are accessed as well as an increase in the insur-

Asad Umar performs ground breaking of Golra Morr underpass ISLAMABAD pr

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Mr. Asad Umar performed ground breaking of construction of vehicular underpass at Golra Chowk here on Friday. Senior officers of Ministry of Communications (MOC), National Highway Authority (NHA) and Local administrations were also present.

Golra Morr underpass is located at the crossing point of GT Road (N-5) with local Capital Development Authority (CDA) road between Golra and Haji Camp in a

congested area of Rawalpindi.

The proposed underpass will provide easy access from Islamabad to new developing sectors of the CDA. The underpass will help discipline

traffic at this point and smooth flow of traffic will be ensured. The underpass will be completed at cost of more than Rs. 71 Crore and will be completed in one year period.

PTCL Group marks Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities with conclusion of flagship Justuju Program ISLAMABAD pr

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Group – PTCL and Ufone – has successfully concluded its flagship Justuju Internship Program, an exclusive development program for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, falling on December 03.

PTCL Group, in collaboration with the Network of Organizations Working with Persons with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP), introduced an exclusive six-week internship program aimed at providing equal internship opportunities to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) at their Headquarters and Zonal Offices.

The internship offered a sound structure and development features where PTCL Group directly mentored 20 interns based in the major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. The main objective of the program was to enable PWDs to be part of the country’s mainstream socio-economic system.

According to a report, about 371,833 people in Pakistan are disabled but that does not mean that they should be restricted in any way.

Persons with Disabilities have just as much right to live a normal life as anyone else. This includes earning opportunities and employability as well.

Based on this mantra, PTCL introduced Justuju, a one-of-a-kind internship program last year aimed at enhancing the employability of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) through skill development, mentoring, and training.

The program included a structured profes-

sional development plan for the interns, as well as several custom-designed webinars that focused on motivating the PWDs to overcome adversities and coming out on top.

The internship program was conducted digitally for the main part. However, it was also made possible for the PWDs to visit the offices of PTCL and Ufone to work alongside the employees on various projects in person and experience professional work setting.

Commenting on the successful program, Syed Mazhar Hussain, Group Chief Human Resource Officer PTCL & Ufone, said, “PTCL Group endeavors to enable PWDs in honing their skills so that they can be well-equipped for today’s competitive working environment.

Being the national company, we endorse and practice inclusivity where all individuals can contribute to business growth and the country’s economy. I am proud of this young and capable group of individuals, who are not only multitalented but also are eager to learn and grow. Moreover, it is an honor for us to provide them with this opportunity that will enable them to realize their full potential to work as professionals.”

ance penetration. The goal of the regulator is to enable the insurance industry to play its rightful role both in terms of providing the social safety net as well as development of the capital market. She commended the role of CDC in bringing this new initiative to life by capitalizing on its technological capability.

The event was attended by the senior members of IAP’s executive Committee and other high ranking officials of the Insurance industry.

Sania chairs international consultative clinic on food subsidy reforms ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recently introduced a targeted food subsidy programme, “Ehsaas Rashan Riayat” to compensate for prices increases in the food items which would affect the poor. To learn from the experiences of other countries, an international consultative clinic on food subsidy reforms was convened by the World Bank to inform the design of Pakistan’s targeted commodity subsidies reforms. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation chaired the event.

Speakers and experts from Washington, Cairo, Jakarta, Islamabad and Karachi joined the clinic. At the event, Dr. Sania was joined by Stefano Paternostro, Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice, South Asia Region, the World Bank; Ugo Gentilini, Global Lead, Social Assistance, Global Practice, World Bank; Dr. Ibtissam El-Gaafarawi, Advisor to the Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Minister and Professor at the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, Egypt; and Dr. Elan Satriawan, Chief of Policy Working Group in TNP2K, Indonesia. Lire Ersado, Human Development Practice Leader for Pakistan, the World Bank moderated the event. Other participants from the World Bank were Melis Guven, Amjad Khan, Gul Jamy, Zaineb Majoka and Ali Qureshi. Giving an overview of the programme, Dr. Sania said, “Learning from international precedents and pilot learning, the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat will enable small and medium Kiryana stores as well as government owned Utility Stores to disburse subsidies to the poorest families.

Ehsaas and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) have developed mobile point of sale Android application that is integrated with a central Ehsaas subsidy platform, and which enables processing of subsidies against the CNIC of a beneficiary through a real-time verification process.”

“The use of a digital platform in this program will enable us to track utilization of subsidy by each beneficiary at product and geography level which will provide much needed transparency in the process. Participating Kiryana store owners will be required to open bank accounts which will help further increase financial inclusion and will help increase scale of digital transactions in Pakistan”, she further added. pr

Traffic police directed to ensure smooth traffic flow on main avenues of Islamabad ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has been directed to ensure smooth flow of traffic at IJP road, Srinagar (Kashmir) Highway and Islamabad expressway and take strict action against those creating inconvenience for the road users. While reviewing the overall performance report about traffic related issues here on thursday , Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Muhammad Omar Khan directed to depute special squads at Islamabad Expressway, IJP road, Srinagar (Kashmir) Highway and other important boulevards to ensure smooth traffic flow there. Following the directions of IGP Islamabad Qazi Jamil ur Rehman, the SSP (Traffic) said that ITP is taking steps to ensure safe road environment in the city with maximum convenience to road users. He said that special squads have been constituted to ensure implementation on traffic rules and also smooth traffic flow in busy areas. He further directed to ensure traffic discipline in the city and take action against violators without any discrimination. The police spokesman said that efforts are underway to ensure smooth traffic flow in the city and cooperation of road users in crucial to overcome traffic related problems . pr

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS Europeans ‘disappointed’ at Iran nuclear talks VIENNA European diplomats expressed “disappointment and concern” on Friday after five days of international negotiations in Vienna on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Senior diplomats from the E3 group of Britain, France and Germany expressed “disappointment and concern after thoroughly and carefully analysing Iranian proposed changes to the text negotiated during the previous six rounds”, which took place earlier this year.

“Tehran is walking back almost all of the difficult compromises crafted after many months of hard work,” they said, adding that the Iranian delegation had demanded “major changes”. They went on to say it was “unclear how these new gaps can be closed in a realistic timeframe”. The latest round of talks began on Monday between the E3, Iran, China and Russia, with the US participating indirectly. Diplomats were aiming to revive the 2015 deal, which began unravelling in 2018 when US president Donald Trump pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to start exceeding limits on its nuclear programme the following year. The diplomats said the delegations needed to “return to capitals to assess the situation and seek instructions, before reconvening next week to see whether gaps can be closed or not”. “Our governments remain fully committed to a diplomatic way forward. But time is running out,” they said.

TAlIbAn lEAdEr dEcrEEs AfghAn wOmEn’s rIghTs musT bE ‘EnfOrcEd’

T

AFP

HE Taliban issued a decree on Friday in the name of their supreme leader instructing Afghan ministries “to take serious action” on women’s rights, but failed to mention girls’ access to schools.

The move comes after the Islamists seized power in mid-August and as they seek to restore Afghanistan’s access to billions of dollars in assets and aid suspended when the previous, Westernbacked regime collapsed in the final stages of a US military withdrawal.

“The Islamic Emirate’s leadership directs all relevant organisations… to take serious action to enforce Women’s Rights,” the decree states, quoting elusive supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The decree centres on marriage and widows’ rights, stating “no one can force women to marry by coercion or pressure” and that a widow is entitled to an unspecified fixed share of her husband’s inheritance. It instructs the Ministry of Culture and Information to publish material on women’s rights “to prevent… ongoing repression”.

Respect for women’s rights has repeatedly been cited by key global donors as a condition for restoring aid.

The decree crucially makes no mention of girls’ secondary education — which has been suspended for millions — or the employment of women, who have been barred from returning to jobs in the public sector.

Women’s rights were severely curtailed during the Taliban’s previous

stint in power, which lasted from 1996 to late 2001. were forced to wear the all covering burqa, only allowed to leave the home with a male chaperone and banned from work and education.

Akhundzada has maintained a very low public profile since becoming

supreme leader in 2016, after his predecessor was killed in a US drone strike.

The Taliban on 30 October released a 10-minute audio recording purported to be him addressing a madrassa in the southern city of Kandahar that day.

But some analysts believe he may have been killed one or more years ago.

U.S. democracy is river without source, tree without roots: Chinese Foreign Ministry BEIJING News Desk

Taking a jibe at the United States of America (USA) administration, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian Friday told a press briefing that without popular support, American democracy has long been a river without a source and a tree without its roots.

Zhao made the remarks in response to a survey conducted by Harvard University which found a striking lack of confidence in U.S. democracy among young Americans.

According to the survey, only 7 percent view the U.S. as a “healthy democracy,” 52 percent believe that democracy is either “in trouble” or “failing”, 35 percent anticipate a second civil war during their lifetimes, and 25 percent believe that at least one state will se-

Austria ruling party picks Nehammer for chancellor VIENNA News Desk

After 24 hours of political turmoil, Austria’s ruling People’s Party has chosen Interior Minister Karl Nehammer to take over as leader of both party and country.

Mr Nehammer will be the party’s third choice of chancellor in weeks, after Sebastian Kurz stood down in October.

Mr Kurz is under investigation after he was implicated in a corruption scandal. On Thursday he stepped down as party leader, prompting his replacement as chancellor to say he would resign too.

Alexander Schallenberg said he was convinced the country should be run by the same person as the ruling party leader. The People’s Party (ÖVP) is in coalition with the Greens, who withdrew their support for Mr Kurz when prosecutors said

they were investigating him.

Mr Nehammer told reporters it was a great honour and privilege: “Today I was unanimously appointed by the ÖVP leadership as party head and at the same time as candidate for federal chancellor.”

The Greens will not stand in his way, so he will become chancellor as soon as his swearing-in ceremony is agreed with President Alexander Van der Bellen.

He said the government needed to “state clearly what is necessary when it concerns the question of asylum and migration, when it comes to security for the Austrian people”.

In all there were three party resignations on Thursday, as Finance Minister Gernot Blümel also stood down, so Mr Nehammer had the immediate task of reshuffling the cabinet too.

The change at the top marks an

end to the whirlwind career of Sebastian Kurz, who was just 31 when he became Austrian chancellor in 2017.

Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz speaks at a doorstep prior to a cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Vienna on May 12, 2021 His first coalition collapsed in May 2019 when the far-right Freedom Party became embroiled in a political scandal dubbed Ibiza-gate which involved a secret video.

His position became untenable in October 2021 when anti-corruption prosecutors began investigating allegations that his entourage had previously used public funds for “partially manipulated opinion polls”. He denied wrongdoing but the Greens said he was no longer fit for office and demanded he step down. Mr Schallenberg will become foreign minister again as part of the shake-up.

cede.

Noting the report, Zhao said American democracy is a trick to fool its citizens at home and a tool to implement its hegemony abroad.

He also cited a poll commissioned by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in May which showed that 44 percent of respondents in 53 countries were concerned that the U.S. threatens democracy in their country.

Echoing U.S. film director Oliver Stone, who said the U.S. is a “totally corrupt” government that spends $14 billion to elect a president, Zhao said U.S. democracy is actually a money democracy.

The U.S. Congress riot in early January exposed the nature of American democracy and the U.S. hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan once again proved that imposing democracy on other countries is a dead end, the spokesperson added.

At least 17 suspected Omicron cases after Oslo party OSLO News Desk

At least 17 people who came down with Covid-19 after a Christmas party gathering over 100 guests here last week are suspected of having the Omicron variant, city officials said on Friday. The number is likely to grow as sequencing is carried out on other positive tests from party-goers. “So far 60 people have tested positive (for Covid) with PCR tests, and four with antigen tests,” the city of Oslo said in a statement. “Seventeen are probably Omicron, but that has yet to be confirmed.

So far, one case is confirmed to be Omicron after sequencing,” it said. Between 100 and 120 people — all of whom were vaccinated, including one who had recently travelled to southern Africa — had gathered last Friday for a Christmas party organised by their employer. “All of them had been vaccinated, none of them had symptoms and they had all done self-tests” before attending the dinner, city health official Tine Ravlo told media. “Everything was done in line with regulations and no rules were broken,” she said.

All of those who have tested positive have so far only had mild symptoms, such as headaches, sore throats and coughs, Ravlo said. The Omicron suspicions arose after screening was conducted on some of the tests, which have not all been fully analysed through sequencing yet. That means the number of confirmed cases could grow. Further results were expected sometime Friday. On Thursday, after fears of the suspected cluster emerged, the Norwegian government announced a slew of restrictions in greater Oslo which entered into force at midnight.

Saturday, 4 December, 2021 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

Pakistan announce squad for Wi series; Hasan ali rested as asif makes a comeback

P

AgENciEs

AKISTAN cricket selectors today announced the T20I and ODI squads for the home series against the West Indies, which will be played in Karachi from December 13 to December 22.

The 20-over matches will count towards the ICC T20I Rankings, while the 50-over games will be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

From the 18 players who were part of the recently-concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik have been left out, while fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain has been added to the 15-man squad.

Likewise, from the 17 players who were available for selection for the England ODIs in July, Asif Ali, Haider Ali,

Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Wasim Jnr have replaced Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the 17-member side, while Abdullah Shafique has been named as a traveling reserve.

Chief selector Muhammad Wasim: “As we have been playing T20Is since October and now have a pretty settled and balanced side, we have decided to reduce the number of players to 15. As such, we have not included Imad Wasim, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik.

“For the ODIs, which we last played in July, we have accepted the team management’s request and provided them two additional resources.

“In consultation with Hasan Ali and taking into consideration that he has been playing non-stop cricket since returning from a back injury, we have decided to give him time off from this series.”

T20Is

OdIs

Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab) Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern) Asif Ali (Northern) Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Haider Ali (Northern) Haris Rauf (Northern) Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab) Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh) Mohammad Nawaz (Northern) Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) Usman Qadir (Central Punjab)

Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab) Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern) Asif Ali (Northern) Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Haider Ali (Northern) Haris Rauf (Northern) Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan) Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab) Mohammad Nawaz (Northern) Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh) Saud Shakeel (Sindh) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) Traveling reserve: Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab)

Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Ejaz (team analyst), Col (retd) Muhammad Imran (Security Manager), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor) and Malang Ali (Masseur)

Series Schedule 13 Dec – 1st T20I, Karachi 14 Dec – 2nd T20I, Karachi 16 Dec – 3rd T20I, Karachi 18 Dec – 1st ODI, Karachi 20 Dec – 2nd ODI, Karachi 22 Dec – 3rd ODI, Karachi

PSL 7 to commence on January 27 NEws DEsk With fans eager to watch their favourite players in action, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced the schedule for the marquee event, Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022.

Following an opening ceremony on January 27, defending champions Multan Sultans will take on hosts and 2020 champions Karachi Kings at the National Stadium at 7pm. The PCB has decided to hold the PSL Draft 2022 at the High-Performance Centre in Lahore on Sunday, December 12, with the event to kick-off at 3pm.

Schedule Matches to be held at National Stadium, Karachi from January 27 to February 7 Matches to be held at Gaddafi Stadium, lahore from February 10 to Feb 27 27 Jan – Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans

28 Jan – Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi 29 Jan – Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars; Karachi Kings vs Quetta Gladiators 30 Jan – Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United; Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars 31 Jan – Quetta Gladiators vs Multan Sultans 1 Feb – Islamabad United vs Multan Sultans 2 Feb – Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars 3 Feb – Quetta Gladiators vs Islamabad United 4 Feb – Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi 5 Feb – Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars; Peshawar Zalmi vs Multan Sultans 6 Feb – Karachi Kings vs Islamabad United 7 Feb – Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars 10 Feb- Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi 11 Feb –Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans 12 Feb –Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators 13 Feb Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings; Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators

14 Feb – Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings 15 Feb – Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators 16 Feb – Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings 17 Feb – Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi 18 Feb – Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators; Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings 19 Feb – Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United 20 Feb – Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings; Multan Sultans vs Islamabad United 21 Feb – Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi 23 Feb – Qualifier (1 vs 2) 24 Feb – Eliminator 1 (3 vs 4) 25 Feb – Eliminator 2 (Loser Qualifier 1 vs Winner Eliminator 1) 27 Feb – (Qualifier v Eliminator 2) Final Match timings Friday’s double-headers – 3pm & 8pm Other than Friday’s double-headers – 2pm & 7pm All single-headers – 7pm

Pakistan allows full capacity stadium for Windies series LAHORE Agencies

The National Command and Control Center (NCOC) has reportedly allowed a full capacity crowd at the National Stadium in Karachi to watch the matches between Pakistan and West Indies.

This would be the first time since the

COVID-19 pandemic hit Pakistan that a full house will be permitted. Earlier, the NCOC had only allowed 25% crowd attendance in the stadiums with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The three-match T20I series is all set to commence from December 13, while the teams will then lock horns in the ODI se-

ries, which is part of the ICC World Cup Super League, at the same venue.

According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, the national apex COVID-19 body has allowed 100% capacity at the request of the cricket board. The Windies are scheduled to arrive in Karachi on December 9.

Ground shaking quarter finals, semifinals at DHA 38th National Boxing Championship 2021 LAHORE Press releAse

On fourth day, boxing enthusiasts at Captain Fasih Babar Amin (Shaheed) Sports Complex, Phase 6, DHA Lahore witnessed ground shaking 20 quarter finals bouts and 7 semifinals bouts in men categories and 6 bouts semifinals in women categories of DHA Lahore 38th Men & 2nd Women Elite National Boxing Championship at on 3rd Dec,2021.

Contenders of both genders in different weight categories displayed immense talent and professionalism in their respective bouts thus cementing their team and individual positions for second round.

In the Semi Final matches Saher of Punjab and Mehreen Baloch of Sindh emerged as victors and will enter the ring one more time in the final of DHA 2nd Women Elite National Boxing Championship on 5th Dec 2021.

Punch the face or face the punch, the motto of DHA 38th Men National Boxing Championship 2021

Kaleemullah of Punjab delivering a winning blow at DHA 38th Men National Boxing Championship 2021

PSL7: Shaheen Afridi eager to captaining Lahore Qalandars in Agencies Pakistan’s fast bowler shaheen shah Afridi said on Friday that he is looking forward to captaining Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan super League (PsL) if given the opportunity. He lauded the management of Lahore Qalandars during a virtual press conference, hailing it as “exceptionally good.” “it’s thrilling to perform for the Lahore Qalandars, i’ve been playing with them for a number of years,” he said.

Meanwhile, explaining the bowling challenges in Bangladesh he said that it is difficult to bowl on a slow pitch. The lanky left-arm pacer noted, “Bowling is good if the bowler is aggressive and strong.”

While speaking about attacking batters with bowling partner Hasan Ali, who is also in spectacular form these days, Afridi remarked that Hasan Ali is a fighter, and it feels great to bowl alongside him. He said that he would work hard in the second Test against Bangladesh and win the series.

“When the captain gives the ball, i strive to perform well and win for the team; i try to give my 100% by bowling strongly,” Afridi stated. He added that if a player fails in a match, he should not be deemed a failure, noting that Test cricket is tough. Pakistan cricket team is busy preparing to vanquish Bangladesh in the second Test match of the two-match series starting tomorrow [saturday] and complete another whitewash over the hosts.

Saturday, 4 December, 2021

Prayer timings

nEwS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:39

12:21

3:22

6:58

5:42

7:03

COAS FOr SwiFTly deviSing inSTiTuTiOnAl meChAniSm FOr humAniTAriAn ASSiSTAnCe TO AFghAniSTAn RAWALPINDI

g

staff rePort

ENERAL Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) fRIDAY emphasized on the urgency for swiftly devising an institutional mechanism for channeling humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

The COAS expressed these views while speaking to Mr Andrei Metelitsa, Ambassador of Belarus who called on the Army Chief here at the GHQ. During the meeting, matters of mutual interests, potential in defence cooperation, regional security, current situation in Afghanistan & collaboration

/ partnership in Humanitarian measures were discussed.

COAS said that Pakistan values Belarus’s role in global and regional affairs and we look forward to enhance our bilateral relationship. He also emphasized on the urgency for swiftly devising an institutional mechanism for channeling humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in order to avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation, special efforts for border management, role in regional stability and pledged to play his part for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

Twitter account of Pakistan’s embassy in Serbia hacked: ministry The ministry of foreign affairs on Friday announced that the social media accounts of Pakistan Embassy in Serbia have been hacked.

In a tweet, the ministry said that the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts of the embassy have been hacked and the messages being posted on those accounts are not from the embassy. Earlier, the official Twitter account of Pakistan’s embassy in Serbia tweeted criticism targeting Prime Minister Imran Khan, citing rising inflation and alleged non-payment of salaries for three months.

The tweet stated: “With inflation breaking all previous records, how long do you expect @ImranKhanPTI that we government officials will remain silent & keep working for you without been paid for past 3 months & our children been forced out of school due to non payment of fees. Is this #NayaPakistan?”

Under the above tweet, the account posted another tweet saying: “I am sorry @ImranKhanPTI, am not left with another option.”

The tweets have since been deleted.

Later, according to a news outlet, the embassy also said the account had been hacked and a “baseless” tweet was posted on it from a device in Karachi. “The Twitter account of the Embassy of Pakistan [in] Belgrade, Serbia (@PakinSerbia) was hacked and logged in from a Chrome desktop on a Windows device in Karachi, Pakistan at 05:59 hours local time (09:59 PST),” a statement issued by the embassy said, adding that a message was posted from the hacked account at 6:59am local time (10:59 PST), which was not from the embassy.

“After the hacking of the Twitter account, a baseless and unfactual post was […] made regarding the non-payment of salaries. This was totally false and far from reality.”

According to the statement, all of its employees are paid their salaries regularly, “and there is no disruption in the education of the children of [its] officers and staff.”

“The embassy is receiving funds from Islamabad on a regular basis,” the statement added. news desk

FTO orders special audit of steel sector cases TAX DEPT OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO BLATANTLY COMMIT CORRUPTION WHILE THROWING JUNIOR STAFF UNDER THE BUS

ECP ignores Swati’s written apology, directs him to appear in-person on Dec 22 ISLAMABAD news desk

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday ignored the written apology of Railways Minister Azam Swati, directing him to appear before the commission in person to extend his apology.

After Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, Swati also tendered his apology to the ECP through his chief counsel, Barrister Ali Zafar. But while setting it aside, the ECP ordered him to appear before the commission in person for tendering his apology.

During the hearing, Barrister Zafar Ali read the apology note writ-

ten by the railways minister. In his written statement, Sawti said that the government always tried to strengthen the ECP. “If I hurt somebody, I seek his forgiveness,” the railways minister stated. ECP Sindh member Nisar Durrani objected to it, saying all institutions should respect each other.

“Where is Azam Swati himself?” asked Durrani to which Zafar responded that the minister had to suddenly leave for Quetta.

Durrani said that the commission is doing its job honestly. He said today the commission exempted the railways minister from attending the hearing, but summoned him to appear before it on December 22 in person.

The commission also reserved its

verdict on Fawad Chaudhry’s written apology. The ECP Sindh member said that the commission would release a proper order on the information minister’s apology note.

The two ministers had criticised the ECP on September 10. During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Swati had accused the commission of “always” rigging polls and said that such institutions should be “set on fire”.

On September 16, the commission had issued notices to the two ministers, asking them to provide evidence within a week about the allegations of wrongdoing they had hurled at both the ECP and the chief election commissioner.

Oil rises on OPEC+ plan to meet if Omicron hits fuel demand MELBOURNE agencies

Oil prices climbed on Friday, extending gains after OPEC+ said it would review supply additions ahead of its next scheduled meeting if the Omicron variant dents demand, but prices were still on course for a sixth week of declines.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.19, or 1.8%, to $67.69 a barrel at 0453 GMT, adding to a 1.4% gain on Thursday.

Brent crude futures rose $1.19 cents, or 1.7%, to $70.86 a barrel, after climbing 1.2% in the previous session.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and allies, together called OPEC+, surprised the market on Thursday when it stuck to plans to add 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) supply in January.

However the producers left the door open to changing

policy swiftly if demand suffered from measures to contain the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant. They said they could meet again before their next scheduled meeting on Jan. 4, if needed.

That boosted prices with “traders reluctant to bet against the group eventually pausing its production increases,” ANZ Research analysts said in a note.

Wood Mackenzie analyst Ann-Louise Hittle said it made sense for OPEC+ to stick with their policy for now, given it was still unclear how mild or severe Omicron turns out to be compared with previous variants.

“The group’s members are in regular contact and are monitoring the market situation closely,” Hittle said in emailed comments.

“As a result, they can react swiftly when we start to get a better sense of the scale of the impact the Omicron variant of COVID-19 could have on the global economy and demand.”

ISLAMABAD shahzad Paracha

The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to conduct a special audit into cases related to steel melters.

As per details available with this scribe, the FTO while exercising own-motion power under has taken notice of gross misuse of sales tax special procedure rules after an initial inquiry confirmed glaring instances of organised fiscal fraud in the handling of cases of the steel sector.

The FTO’s report revealed instances of misuse of powers, negligence, inattention, delay, incompetence, inefficiency and ineptitude of FBR officers in the administration of duties while working on cases regarding steel melters at Lahore.

Initially, it was found that 881 exclusion certificates (ECs) in 39 cases of registered persons were issued against cheques without ensuring payment of tax. In addition, 347 cheques out of 881 were found missing for clearance while another 29 cheques had bounced.

The fate of other unattended cases can be judged from this scenario wherein the total number of cases is around 200.

Evidence on record proves that in addition to the issuance of ECs, original cheques were returned to the registered persons after the receipt of bribes in many cases while there are also examples of cheques submitted by one taxpayer being credited to others who availed ECs without paying any tax.

Despite having solid evidence of fraud in 39 cases, only eight FIRs were registered against the culprits. In fact, despite a solid documentary trail, so far only one formal inquiry has been initiated and that too against an upper division clerk (UDC).

The state of affairs of this particular inquiry can be judged from the fact that it was initiated by an officer who himself was part of the team alleged to have issued bogus ECs and is currently in Dubai after being granted an ex-Pakistan leave.

Furthermore, the fraudulent issuance of ECs, which is an exclusive domain of the commissioner IR, the department has held a UDC responsible, making a mockery of internal accountability.

“Despite all of the above, the department is portraying the whole scam as a minor procedural lapse,” the FTO stated in the report.

It may be mentioned here that the FTO has directed FBR to conclude the unending trail of ‘fact finding inquiries’ and formal administrative proceedings based on observations made by an external audit besides ordering an inquiry against the officers who have been wrecking havoc with the state exchequer.

In addition, it also directed the FBR to conduct a special audit of all steel sector cases at not only Lahore but also other stations to gauge the quantum of similar loss in other cities.

Govt firmly stands behind working journalists: Fawad ISLAMABAD aPP

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday said that the government and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting were firmly standing behind the working journalists.

Talking to the delegation of Rawalpindi, Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) led by its secretary general and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) Chairman Muhammad Siddique Anzar, the minister stressed the need of promoting responsible journalism in the country and urged the journalists to avoid filing news stories out of context.

Brushing aside the misconception that there was no freedom of media in Pakistan, he said, “we compare our media freedom with first world. Due to lack

of defamation laws, we have more freedom of media than first world.”

The minister said the responsibilities of media houses and government had increased manifold after the recent approval of Protection of Journalists and Media Professional Act, 2021. The input of all journalist organisations and journalsits were sought in the preparation of journalists and media professionals Act 2021, he added.

Fawad said favorite journalists and some media groups were awarded during the previous regime which was admitted by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz in her press conference.

He lamented that the use of government funds and powers by a private person was illegal. The minister said the government was conducting the inquiry of misuse of government funds by a private person and findings would be shared with the

people.

Criticizing previous governments, he said journalists used to face unchecked killings and injuries at the hands of mafia in the past.

The RIUJ delegation condemned Maryam Nawaz’s confession regarding awarding favorite journalists and special media houses in previous government. The minister listened the problems of journalists and assured their resolution.

The delegation lauded the efforts of the government, especially Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari for passing the Protection of Journalists and Media Professional Act, 2021 in protecting the rights of working journalists.

The members included RIUJ, Acting President Rana Rizwan, Usman Khan, Farhat Fatima and Media Workers Organisation President Kaleem Shamim were also present in the meeting.

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