EpaperKHI_21-12-9

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 I 4 Jamadi-al-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 161 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Pakistan to skiP Us sUmmit on Democracy g

apparent diplomatiC rebuke may trigger SeriouS impliCationS

ISLAMABAD

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Mian abrar

n a major diplomatic rebuke, pakistan on wednesday announced to skip the Summit for democracy being hosted by president Joe biden of united States of america. the virtual summit is set to take place on december 9-10, 2021. apparently, the decision is a diplomatic rebuke to the uS which may have serious implications for the already strained relationship between islamabad and washington. the uS had invited leaders from over 100 representatives to join the summit. pakistan was among four countries of the region which were invited to the summit. others included india, mal-

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Skipping moot attended by taiwan, pakiStan StandS by one-China poliCy

dives and nepal. however, analysts believe that pakistan has reaffirmed its support to China by skipping from the moot. the analysts believe the uS plans to use the summit to target China by inviting taiwan to the meeting excluding China from it. pakistan has time and again expressed its principled stance of supporting one-China policy and attending a summit with taiwan would have reflected otherwise. prime minister imran khan has also reaffirmed many times in recent past that future of pakistan’s economic development is linked with its friendship with China. according to a statement issued by the Foreign office in this regard, pakistan thanked the uS for the invitation but said that it would engage

with the country on a wide range of issues “at an opportune time in the future.” “pakistan is a large functional democracy with an independent judiciary, vibrant civil society, and a free media,” the statement said. “we remain deeply committed to further deepening democracy, fighting corruption, and protecting, and promoting the human rights of all citizens. in recent years, pakistan has instituted wide-ranging reforms aimed at advancing these goals. these reforms have yielded positive results.” the statement further said that pakistan values its partnership with the uS and wishes to expand it both bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation. “we remain in contact with the uS on a range of issues and believe that we can engage on this subject at an opportune time in the future,” the statement read. “pakistan will, meanwhile, continue to support all efforts aimed towards strengthening dialogue, constructive engagement, and international cooperation for the advancement of our shared goals,” it concluded. pml-n senior leader Senator mushahid hussain Sayed, pakistan’s top expert on China, pakistan relations, told pakistan today that this is a correct decision reflecting both the sentiments of the people of pakistan as well as our national interests. “the uS thought they’ll snap their fingers and we’ll come running! in any case, with participation of ‘democrats’ like modi, the so-called ‘democracy Summit’ becomes a farce,” said Senator mushahid who heads the China, pakistan institute, the country’s independent think-tank. “(this is) basically, weaponising ‘democracy’ as part of the new Cold war against China and russia. even uS own democratic credentials are suspected given what’s been happening, of late. the uS seems to be reverting to the rhetoric of the past, the previous Cold war which was billed as an ideological struggle,” concluded mushahid hussain Sayed.

Pakistan Army affirms ‘zero tolerance against extremist elements’ RAWALPINDI Staff CorreSpondent

referring to the heinous lynching incident in Sialkot, pakistan army on wednesday unequivocally affirmed “zero tolerance for such elements” and vowed to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country, the inter-Services public relations said in a statement. during the 245th Corps Commanders’ Conference, held at the general headquarters (ghQ) here in rawalpindi under the chairmanship of the Chief of army Staff (CoaS) general Qamar Javed bajwa, participants reviewed the global, regional, and domestic security milieu. the military’s media wing, in the statement, said the forum expressed satisfaction over security measures along the borders. the CoaS emphasised maintaining a high vigil to guard against any threat. referring to the brewing humanitarian crisis in afghanistan, the CoaS said continuous support and timely international humanitarian assistance is imperative for not only the peace and prosperity of afghanistan but also for the stability of the region at large. expressing satisfaction over the ongoing training activities in the army, gen bajwa said objective evaluation of doctrine and training is necessary to evolve and meet emerging challenges in a technology-driven future battlefield.

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Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

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Brother Gas of Uae to set Up plant in pakistan ISLAMABAD

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Project will lead to introduction of refrigeration gas, adnoc lubes for the first time in Pakistan

ghulAm AbbAs

ROTHER Gas, a United Arab Emirate (UAE) based gas company, is going to set up its plant in the Faisalabad Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with an initial investment of $15 million.

This was disclosed by Brother Gas Managing Director Kashif Maqsood while talking to Board of Investment (BOI) Secretary Fareena Mazhar during the Dubai Expo on Monday. The MG of Brother Gas had attended a seminar organised by the Pakistani pavilion with his five member senior management team.

The BoI had organized a hybrid investment seminar at the Pakistan Pavilion in the Dubai Expo on December 6. The event was attended by both the local and international business community physically and virtually. The business community was apprised on investment policies and potential in Pak-

They revealed that the first phase will include setting up a plant in the M3 industrial area in Faisalabad which will serve the local market and facilitate export to neighboring markets from Pakistan. The plant will produce industrial gasses, with more than a 1000 products.

In the second phase, the company will also install an Aerosol Propellant Gas (APG) plant which will be manufacturing much needed APG within Pakistan instead of importing the same. The investment will help reduce imports and bring in FDI through exports to neighboring countries.

The project will also lead to the introduction of refrigerant gasses and ADNOC lubes for the first time in Pakistan.

Secretary BOI has termed this potential investment as a major breakthrough for attracting FDI into the country.

istan with focus on technology as well as knowledge economy.

According to officials of BOI, Brother Gas UAE, a leading oil and gas companies in Dubai, was earlier assisted to get a plot in the Faisalabad SEZ for setting up the plant.

Brothers Gas is reportedly known as the best gas company in Dubai, contributing reliable and high-quality liquid gas services at an affordable price for all industrial needs.

Officials privy to the development said that BOI’s close coordination with the organisation has resulted in the organisation announcing it’s plan to invest in Pakistan as the company has confirmed its plan to set up a bottling plant at the SEZ. “The delegation representing Brother Gas UAE has shared that they will be investing in three phases, with an initial investment of $15 million,” they said.

General iftikhar Janjua remembered for 1971’s Battle of Chhamb

China-Pak diplomas for 100,000 Pakistani students in the offing

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

news Desk

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In the 1971 War, Gen Iftikhar Janjua was divisional commander of 23 Infantry Division.

He was assigned the task of capturing Chhamb, a strategically important town in Kashmir, which turned out decisive victory for Pakistan on the Kashmir front of 1971.

The fighting around Chhamb was fierce and took toll on both the advancing Pakistani troops and the fiercely resisting Indian regiments. Although Gen Iftikhar Janjua was advised by high command to try to take Chhamb from the south, General Janjua said it was a better to take Mandiala bridge his troops would outflank the Indians eventually forcing them out of Chhamb and all the area west of Tawa. After intense fighting Mandiawala was captured, then Pallanwala and Chak Pandit, and on 9 December 1971, the first Pakistani troops entered the surrounding area around Chhamb under the personal supervision of General iftikhar Janjua. In the middle of fighting around Chhamb , on 9 December 1971, General Janjua was martyred when his OH-13S (Sioux) light helicopter, in which he was travelling on to coordinate and position his troops, was attacked. His helicopter was shot down by an Indian shoulder-mounted weapon. He was badly burned and evacuated to the Combined Military Hospital Kharian Cantt. Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road is named after him in Rawalpindi, Cannt. Iftikhar Janjua was a brilliant and charismatic leader who inspired his troops to continue to fight. It was leading from the front for which General Iftikhar Janjua is remembered even today by the troops who served in 23 Division during the Battle of Chhamb. It was this quality which enabled him to arrive at a realistic appraisal of the actual situation without undue reliance on exaggerated reports from lower echelons and successfully take Chhamb.

To help students find jobs in a highly competitive job market, Tang International Education Group plans to launch Sino-Pak diplomas for 100,000 Pakistani students.

According to Gwadar Pro, Director and Chief Executive Officer Tang International Song Jianying stated this in a meeting with Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Minister of State

and Chairman Board of Investment (BOI) Muhammad Azfar Ahsan. Faisal Afridi, Chairman BOI was also present on the occasion.

Mr. Jianying said that regarding “SinoPak diplomas”, Tang Group is already in talks with Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA).

Faisal Afridi said that Haier was successfully operating Pakistan’s first privately owned Special Economic Zone in Lahore and his company plans investing in “health-

care, information technology and agriculture sectors”.

According to Mr. Afridi, his company was also looking for partners for a joint venture for their cow dairy farm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

According to BOI’s official statement, Faisal Afridi and Mr. Jianying also apprised about efforts to start “vocational training programs with China”.

Zafar Ahsan informed the visiting official that BOI was working to create a con-

Acquisition of 20m cotton bales vital for economic stability: Gardezi LAHORE inp

Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi Wednesday said that acquisition of 20 million bales of cotton is essential for the stability of the national economy for which all stakeholders have to work together.

While addressing a conference on sustainable solutions for cotton restoration here, the minister said that the incumbent government is taking steps for the revival of cotton and in this regard, approved varieties of cotton were promoted this year in collaboration with the Federal Government. Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi said that 19 new varieties of cotton have been approved with DNA fingerprinting as an integral part which will help prevent substandard cotton seeds in the future.

He said, “Cotton was planted on 31

lakh and 60 thousand (3,160,000) acre of land during 2021 and more than 5.168 million bales have been produced. Cotton production in Punjab has increased by 50 percent during 2021 as compared to the last year. Compared to the previous season, 71,68,118 bales f cotton have arrived in the factories till December 01, this year as against 46,48,118 bales of cotton in the same period last year.” The provincial minister said that 36 lakh 79 thousand sixteen bales were produced in Punjab while 26 lakh 34 thousand 487 bales came in cotton factories across the province.

Welcoming the increase in cotton production, he said that the surplus production of cotton over the last three years has brought a wave of happiness among the farmers and the textile industry. He urged the Ginners Association to use new technology for ginning and said that most of the ginning factory owners are using the

traditional method which has reduced the demand for our cotton in the international market. Hussain Jahania Gardezi stressed on the need of modernizing methods of ginning over traditional. He said that during the last financial year, the production of 06 other crops including wheat has increased in the province. It is hoped that next season cotton crop will also be included in the record Speaking on this occasion, Secretary Agriculture South Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel said that Department prepared 120 demonstration plots where IPM methods were fully practiced and this also become a model for cotton growers to follow the same. Cotton Commissioner Dr. Khalid Abdullah, Director Cotton Dr. Saghir Ahmad, Prof. MNS Agricultural University Multan Dr. Shafqat Saeed, President Kissan Ittehad Khalid Khokhar, Ginning Association and media representatives were

China is friend of people of Gwadar, says protest leader GWADAR Agencies

Maulana Hadayatur Rehman, the supreme leader of Gwadar sit-in protest, has termed China is a friend of Gwadar, saying that the protesters were not at all against China, China-led development, and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

In an interview with Gwadar Pro, Maulana Hadayatur Rehman said that Gwadar protest and sit-in was not against Gwadar Port being operated by the Chinese company China Overseas Port Holding Company. “Rather it aims to seek rights to live a life that every Pakistani deserves,” said the Maulana.

Sharing his views, the Maulana said that he rejected the western-backed agenda

trying to paint the 23-day-long sit-in as hostile to China.

“Let me tell you categorically that we

are demonstrating to reclaim our basic rights enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan,” he added.

Another protest leader said that during the sit-in, protesters did not block the Eastbay Expressway being constructed by Gwadar Port Authority under the CPEC and this gesture showed loud and clear that the protest never wanted to disrupt ongoing development work.

He shrugged off all conspiracy theories and spilled the beans that once demands put forth before the government was met, protesters would disperse peacefully.

China Overseas Port Holding Company officials said that the sit-in leadership had cleared in the beginning that protest would never pose any tension for China. “They consider China and COPHC as their friends,” they added.

Since the protest was launched, the port functioned as per routine and never got disrupted, they further clarified.

ducive business environment in the country and “will facilitate and support the company with its expansion plans”.

Tang International is also in talks with TEVTA-KP to launch skill programs for the youth of the province helping them to explore job opportunities within the CPEC framework and abroad.

Pakistan expects Tangs to shares its experience in advanced educational and vocational system to produce human resources via modern technology.

afghan Crisis: republic of korea is supporting afghan people through funding, says amb suh sangpyo ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

Ambassador the Republic of Korea Mr Suh Sangpyo said on Wednesday that the Republic of Korea is cognizant of the crises in Afghanistan and is supporting the Afghan people through funding various agencies of the United Nations. He expressed these views while addressing the participants of a seminar jointly organised by the Embassy of Republic of Korea and the University of Peshawar on the current situation in Afghanistan and the regional plans for peace-building at the University of Peshawar Campus. The Ambassador recalled the recent visit of Ramiz Alakbarov, the Deputy Special Representative, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan to Islamabad, where he briefed that as per the UN’s calculations, $8 billion are required to fund the essential services and commodities in Afghanistan in order to avert another crises and further instability. He further appreciated the role Pakistan was undertaking with Afghanistan’s neighbors. The panel of speakers comprised of notable former military officials and academics such as Lt. Gen (R) Asad Durrani, Brig (R) Mehmood Shah, Dr. Sumeira Iqbal of National Defense University, Prof. Zahid Anwar and Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Idreess of University of Peshawar. The panelists were of the common view that right now the biggest challenge that Afghanistan faces is humanitarian in nature and that all nations must put asides their political expectations from Afghanistan and save the Afghan people. More than 200 Masters and PhD students attended the seminar and held interactive discussions over lunch with the South Korean Ambassador and the panelists.

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

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karaChi teenaGer killinG: ViCtim’s friend refUtes Claims of fake enCoUnter

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NEWS DESk

RESH details of the alleged killing of a teenage boy, Arsalan Mehsud in Karachi have surfaced, after victim’s injured friend refuted claims of fake encounter on Wednesday. Arsalan was allegedly shot by Orangi Town police late Monday night during what appears to be a fake encounter, while Yasir was injured.

Yasir, in his statement revealed what happened that evening and refuted claims that Arsalan was killed in an “encounter”.

The victim’s friend told the police that the suspected constable, Tauheed, and his comrade Umair, were not in uniform.

Yasir said he and Arsalan were riding a new motorcycle on their way back from a coaching centre. He said they were driving at a low speed when they were stopped by plain-clothed men, who proceeded to fire shots at them.

“I was struck by the first bullet, after which we fell off the bike,” said Yasir, as he narrated the series of events that night. “The second shot missed us.

Arsalan was struck by the third, and he collapsed on the road,” he said.

Describing the shooter as a man dressed in pants and a shirt, Yasir said the man reloaded his pistol, upon which he fled from there and has no clue of what transpired next.

Yasir told the police that neither he, nor Arsalan, were armed.

The Orangi Town police had claimed

the shoot-out took place near the police station in Orangi Town No. 5. In the exchange of fire, they said, one unknown suspect was killed, while his companion fled. The police claimed they found one pistol with five bullets on the deceased.

Police had earlier claimed that they had tried to stop two men on a motorcycle at a picket. The two men, in response, opened fire instead of stopping, claimed police. Police said one of the suspects died while his accomplice managed to escape.

However, DIG West Nasif Aftab rejected the statement of the police officer who had shot at the victim, saying that the suspicious encounter did not take place at the picket. Rather, it took place at a distance from it, he said.

The DIG West said that one of the bullets hit Arsalan on his waist, which led to his demise. “The survivor, Yasir, was shot in the leg,” he said.

According to the DIG West, the onduty police personnel who fired at the youngsters was in plainclothes, not in his uniform. The police officer involved in the incident has been taken into custody, he disclosed.

“A police official named Tauheed and a man identified as Umair tried to stop the young men near Orangi police station,” he said. “When the boys refused to stop, Tauheed opened fire on them.”

The Orangi Station House Officer has been suspended over the incident, while a three-member inquiry committee comprising SSP Central, SSP Investigation Central and SP Gulberg has been formed to investigate the incident.

murad wonders if islamabad buildings can be regularised, why not nasla tower ISLAMABAD inp

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that instead of ordering to demolish the Nasla Tower, the Supreme Court should have found some intermediary way to regularise the multistorey residential unit in Karachi.

Talking to reporters outside an accountability court here where he had come to attend the hearing of Nooriabad Power Plant reference against him, Shah said his government did not want to raze the residential building but it was bound to abide by the court order.

He was of the view that the apex court should have found some middle way instead of ordering to bulldoze the entire complex. He said if somebody was sanctioned to construct the building on the encroached piece of land, then the wrongdoer should have been punished.

He asked why buildings in Islamabad

could be regularised but not Nasla Tower. He said his government would set up a commission under the chair of a retired judge to regularise buildings in the province.

Earlier, the accountability court adjourned the case without hearing it when it learnt that the record of the case was in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted its response on the acquittal application of accused Niaz Ali Sheikh.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Asghar Ali heard the reference. Chief Minister Shah and other suspects appeared before the court.

The NAB requested the court to declare accused Muhammad Ali as proclaimed offender. The judge asked NAB to submit details of the accused his assets to the court.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case until January 11.

Govt to establish Afghanistan Relief Fund to provide humanitarian aid ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

The federal government has decided to establish the Afghanistan Relief Fund to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

In this regard, the Finance Ministry on Wednesday communicated the same to the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) as well as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

All proceeds on the account of the relief fund and payment into the aforesaid fund will be received at all branches of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), all treasuries, all branches of NBP, and all other scheduled banks.

The fund may receive donations

from both domestic and international donors in addition to contributions from abroad which will be received at by the referred banks.

Contributions from donors in foreign countries will be received at the Pakistan Mission and remitted to the central bank, which would prescribe necessary procedures for their accounting.

All proceeds received in the name of the fund will be credited to the public account of the federal government under the head of special deposit fund, relief fund and Afghanistan Relief Fund.

Accounts of the fund will be maintained by Accountant General, Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), Islamabad, and will be administered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in consultation with the Finance Division.

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Visa launches crypto advisory service for financial institutions, merchants NEW YORK: Visa Inc, the world’s largest payment processor, on Wednesday launched a global crypto advisory service for clients such as banks and also merchants, as the adoption of digital currencies gains steam. The move by Visa comes against the backdrop of unprecedented investor demand

for crypto services and the company’s latest offering is geared towards financial institutions eager to attract or retain customers with a crypto offering, retailers looking to delve into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or central banks exploring digital currencies.

Visa’s services include

educating institutions about cryptocurrencies, allowing clients to use the payment processor’s network for digital offerings, and helping manage backend operations.

“We came to Visa to learn more about crypto and stablecoins and the use cases that are most relevant for our retail and

commercial business lines,” said Uma Wilson, executive vice president at UMB Bank, a regional US lender. A new global study by Visa showed nearly 40% of crypto owners surveyed would be likely or very likely to switch their primary bank to one that offers crypto-related products in the next 12 months. Agencies

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

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FM Qureshi, eu parliaMentarians discuss bilateral ties IsLAMABAD

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News Desk

OREIGN Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Wednesday met a group of influential Belgian Parliamentarians and Members of the European Parliament (MEP) in Brussels and exchanged views with the parliamentarians on a broad range of issues, including Pakistan-Belgium and Pakistan-EU relations, and regional and international developments.

The Foreign Minister briefed the Parliamentarians on Pakistan’s cordial and friendly relationship with the EU and all its member states, which were manifest in close and frequent engagements.

He underscored that Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP), signed in June

2019, had become the blueprint and roadmap for bilateral cooperation. He noted that Pakistan and the EU had multiple mechanisms and dialogue frameworks, where all issues of mutual interest were discussed in an open and candid manner, said a press release.

The Foreign Minister stated that trade and investment ties were a major component of Pakistan’s multifaceted relationship with the EU and Belgium. GSP Plus had been a mutually beneficial undertaking that played an important part in the growth of Pakistan’s bilateral trade with the EU countries. Pakistan remained committed to full implementation of the 27 international conventions related to GSP Plus.

Highlighting the role of Parliaments in providing vision and opening new vistas of cooperation, the Foreign Minister urged them to work with their Pakistani colleagues

ahsan iqbal lauds pMl-n for doing ‘exceptional development work during its tenure’

to further strengthen Pakistan-Belgium and Pakistan-EU partnerships.

The Foreign Minister briefed the Parliamentarians on Pakistan’s key role in evacu-

ation operations from Afghanistan post August 15.

He underscored the importance of the international community’s engagement with Afghanistan for stabilizing the situation, reviving the economy and facilitating lasting peace and stability. He stressed that international engagement and support were vital to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and fresh outflow of refugees as well as prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a terrorist safe haven.

The Foreign Minister also apprised the Parliamentarians of the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He urged them to raise their voice at the unabated atrocities and denial of right to selfdetermination to the Kashmiri people.

The Belgian Parliamentarians and the Members of the European Parliament thanked the Foreign Minister for his briefing on Pakistan’s relations with Belgium and the EU as well as regional developments.

They highly appreciated Pakistan’s assistance in the evacuation operations from Afghanistan and facilitating international efforts for provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. They also agreed to enhance parliamentary exchanges with Pakistan.

PPP turns Sindh into a Police state: Arbab Ghulam Rahim HYDeRABAD APP

News Desk PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday lauded his party’s accomplishments in terms of doing “unprecedented development work” during its tenure and claimed that “had the government not ended, the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway would have been completed too.” “To put the country on the path of development, the vote must be respected, and governments must be formed through free and fair elections,” he stated. According to Iqbal, the PML-N has had three finance ministers and the party does not have to “borrow” the services of a finance minister. Iqbal told lawyers that if the Constitution is not followed, the country’s fate will remain unchanged.“I hope the lawyers join us in this endeavour,” he said. Iqbal, while speaking at a lawyers’ conference in Matiari, Sindh, claimed that his party was sent packing as a result of a “rigged election” which, in turn, brought an incompetent government into power. He stated that the country’s economy has slowed down as the population has risen rapidly, adding that economic development and the rule of law are inextricably linked.

He further said that the PML-N “decisively defeated terrorism” during its time in power. While discussing opportunities for youth, Iqbal stated that revolutions occur when pathways for youth to progress are closed. While commenting on the byelection in NA-133, he stated that by-election in NA-133 will prove to be a referendum against the “three-and-a-half-year misrule of the PTI-led government”, adding that the PPP has also utterly disappointed the people of urban Sindh — especially the citizens of Karachi — following which the ruling party of Sindh has no competition with the PML-N. Similarly, central PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique while addressing a presser along with Ataullah Tarar, Khawaja Imran Nazir, and Ali Pervez Malik stated that “All those who voted for the PTI are completely disappointed with its anti-people agenda and even the committed supporters of PTI will also seal the deal with PML-N”.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Sindh Affairs Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said PPP led provincial government had turned Sindh into a Police state as well as for registering fake cases against the political opponents.

Addressing the participants of a protest sit-in organized by PTI at Phangario near Mithi on Wednesday. “As far as I have joined the PTI, the Sindh government has started taking action against innocent people of Tharparkar while fake cases are being registered against my colleagues, Dr Arbab Rahim said and vowed that

people will reject the PPP in the upcoming elections.

Dr Arbab Rahim said today’s large gathering was proof that people had become aware of the dirty politics of the PPP in Sindh where police and private mafia had been used to harass the general public.

He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan was on the right track of progress and prosperity adding that after use of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) no one will be able to gain power through rigging.

Arbab said if people wanted to get rid of PPP’s corrupt mafia, they should have to elect honest people during upcoming elections.

He said this sit-in was staged to record protest over

high-handedness and injustices of PPP rule in Sindh as legislators of this party were involved in brutal murders of the innocent people.

Giving examples of some incidents occurred in Larkana and Thatta districts, Dr Arbab said provincial Assembly members were found to have been involved in the murders of innocent people. He expressed hope that PPP’ s rule will soon come to an end and the PTI will form the next government in Sindh.

Earlier, on a protest call given by Dr Arbab Rahim, a large number of people holding party flags, placards and banners participated in the sit-in and chanted slogans against anti people policies and misuse of Police

by PPP leaders in Sindh.

Court adjourns Noor Mukadam case till Dec 15 News Desk A trial court in Islamabad on Wednesday adjourned further hearing till December 15 in the Noor Mukadam murder case after recording statements of witnesses.

27-year-old Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat, was found beheaded in a posh neighbourhood of Islamabad on July 20. Police had charged Zahir Jaffer, a US national and scion of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families, with murder on the complaint of the victim’s father, Shaukat Ali Mukadam.

After the arrest of the accused, the police had decided to add relevant clauses of the law in the case. Six officials of Therapy Works were also nominated in the case and they were indicted with six others, including Zahir Jaffer’s parents, in October.

The case of Noor’s murder had sparked nationwide outrage with thousands of people calling on the authorities to take the case to its logical end.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the testimony of the witnesses and their cross-examination continued before Additional District and Session

Judge Atta Rabani.

The court recorded the statement of Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Zubair Mazhar and Dr Sara — the medic who

conducted the postmortem of Noor.

The doctor told the court that she had conducted the postmortem of the former ambassador’s daughter on July 21 at 9:30am.

During the proceedings, the lawyer of Therapy Works CEO Tahir Zahoor — who is also accused in the murder case — requested to play the CCTV footage of the incident.

Last month, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had prohibited the telecast of footage from the CCTV cameras at the residence of Zahir Jaffer after the footage was leaked.

Horrifying scenes of what happened before and after the murder of Noor came to light after transcripts of the CCTV camera footage were submitted in court.

The court after the hearing allowed the mother of Zahir, Asmat Adamjee, to meet the accused. The judge also summoned Noor’s father, Shaukat Mukadam, on the next hearing for testimony.

FM Qureshi, Josep Borrel co-chair 6th round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue APP Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Vice President Josep Borrel co-chaired the 6th round of Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue here on Tuesday.

During the strategic dialogue, multi-dimensional bilateral relations between Pakistan and the European Union were discussed in detail.

Implementation of the project of strategic partnership agreed between Pakistan and EU was also reviewed during the dialogue.

Besides discussing in detail bilateral trade, investment and other related matters, the two sides also exchanged views about the matters concerning regional peace and stability including the situation in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said as the next year will mark 60th anniversary of Pakistan-EU friendship, his country desired to

celebrate this auspicious occasion jointly in Islamabad. He said today’s dialogue depicted the commitment to further strengthen and broaden the existing Pakistan-EU Strategic Partnership.

Pakistan and the European Union (EU) reaffirmed their resolve to protect human rights as well as fundamental freedoms, focusing on freedom of religion, religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and rights of minorities.

As per the details of the meeting, FM Qureshi expressed concerns at the rising trends of Islamophobic acts, xenophobia and religious intolerance in the world and the need for common resolve to counter them.

The EU official, on the other hand, raised concerns over the death penalty and the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws in the wake of a lynching of a Sri Lankan national in Sialkot over allegations of blasphemy. However, Borrell appreciated Pakistan for passing the Protection of Jour-

nalists and Media Professionals Bill and hoped that the Anti-Torture Bill and other human rights-related legislation would be adopted soon. Qureshi and Borrell also expressed a strong political commitment towards the GSP+ and the implementation of 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, protection of the environment and good governance that are linked to the trade treaty.

Furthermore, Qureshi and Borrell reviewed the ongoing cooperation between Pakistan and the EU based on the Strategic Engagement Plan.

“They agreed to further enhance EUPakistan mutual engagement, especially on security and regional cooperation,” the statement said, adding that they also agreed to hold the first meeting of the “new EU-Pakistan Security Dialogue with sub-groups on Non-proliferation and Disarmament, and Counter-terrorism in 2022,” the Foreign Office communique read.

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The EU official also welcomed the progress made by Pakistan to implement the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plans to get off the grey list and the ongoing efforts to address the remaining actions.

The EU representative welcomed the continued cooperation with Pakistan on electoral matters. “High Representative Borrell informed Foreign Minister Qureshi about the upcoming follow-up visit of the EU Election Observation Mission to Pakistan of 2018,” the statement read.

During the meeting, Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s deep concerns about human rights violations by India in occupied Kashmir, and efforts to change the demography of the disputed territory in violation of UNSC resolutions. Borrell underscored that the EU was monitoring the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir closely. He reiterated the need for restraint, de-escalation of tensions and resolution of the dispute through dialogue and constructive political and

diplomatic engagement.

The EU envoy welcomed the agreement of February 2021 between India and Pakistan for observance of ceasefire understanding at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and to engage through the established mechanisms.

Pakistan and EU envoys agreed on the importance of maintaining sustained engagement with Afghanistan to promote stability and countering narcotics as well as the threat of terrorism.

“They expressed grave concern at the potential for an economic collapse and significantly worsening humanitarian crisis and a fresh flow of refugees,” the statement said, adding that Afghanistan’s serious liquidity challenges were straining the legitimate banking services.

“They also agreed on the need for continuing urgent and unhindered humanitarian assistance and basic social services support to the Afghan people,” it added.

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

NEWS

SEZS TO ATTRACT FDI, ESTABLISH INDuSTRIAL uNITS, CREATE EMpLOyMENT OppORTuNITIES: OMAR AyuB ISLAMABAD

F

Mian abrar

EDERAL Minister for Economic Affairs, Omar Ayub Khan on Wednesday said that Pakistan and China are entering into the next phase of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in which Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are being established.

The SEZs would be helpful in attracting foreign direct investment, establishing industrial units, creating employment opportunities and boosting economic activities in the country.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan, graced the 15th Session of Pakistan-China Joint Economic Committee on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation with his opening remarks.

The Minister for Economic Affairs commended the government of China for hosting the 15th Session of JEC after a long gap of eleven years.

The virtual meeting of JEC was cochaired by Vice Minister of China Ren Hongbin, and Secretary, Economic Affairs Division, Pakistan Mian Asad Hayauddin.

Minister for Economic Affairs expressed his satisfaction on completion of seventy-years of everlasting and unprecedented bilateral friendship between Pak-

istan and China.

To highlight the significance of the event, the Minister referred to the Bilateral Agreement for establishment of Joint Committee for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technical Cooperation (JEC), signed in 1982, and called it the basis of bilateral cooperation.

Similarly, operationalization of Gwadar Port will also create momentum in the external trade. China has been Pakistan’s largest trading partner for six consecutive years since 2015. At present, China is Pakistan’s main source of imports and second-largest export destination.

The Minister for Economic Affairs further highlighted that Pakistan has immense investment opportunities in various sectors. Pakistan provides conducive and liberal investment environment to foreign investors and entrepreneurs.

All foreign investments are fully protected under Foreign Private Investment Promotion and Protection Act, 1976 and Protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are also being established to meet the global challenges of competitiveness with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and connectivity.

He said the SEZ incentive package includes exemption from income tax for ten-years and one-time exemption from all custom-duties and taxes on import of capital goods.

corporate corner Two members of Shari Gang held, cash and valuable items recovered ISLAMABAD: Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Islamabad Police has arrested two members of Shari gang involved in theft incidents, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. According to the details, Police team comprising Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Ishaq and officials apprehended two members of a former jail bird' shari gang involved in theft incident of different areas of the city and recovered cash, precious stones, gold ornaments total amount 1,1600000 from their possession. Case has been registered against the nabbed persons and further investigation is underway from them. The nabbed accused is identified as Zakar ullah and Rehim Ullah. This gang has confessed it's involvement in case FIR no 716/21 under section 380/411 PPC Ramna police station. DIG (Operations) has appreciated this performance of CIA police team and directed all police officials to ensure arrest of criminals at large and take effective policing measures in the city. p r

Textile, leather, pharmaceutical and surgical industries of Pakistan are considered as best in the world and our products are exported around the globe, he said.

Accordingly, Chinese investors can benefit from the huge potential of Pakistan’s industrial sector. In this regard, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Board of Investment of Pakistan can collaborate with Chinese counterparts for enhancing cooperation in industrial sector.

Furthermore, agriculture is another very important sector of the economy, especially for food security and rural development.

He emphasized that we looking forward for mutual cooperation in the areas of agricultural research, enhanced productivity, value addition and food processing through establishment of joint ventures and business-to-business contacts, he said.

The Minister for Economic Affairs expressed that Pakistan and China have always supported each other at every front. Pakistan was among the first country to show its solidarity with China at the time of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and Pakistan’s President paid a visit to Beijing amid this pandemic.

Similarly, the government of China has also been supporting Pakistan in pandemic mitigation measures from the very beginning of the pandemic.

In order to support the Government

of Pakistan’s drive for mass vaccination, Chinese companies supplied COVID-19 vaccine on priority. The government of China also provided over 4 million doses of vaccine to Pakistan free of charge.

Both sides also discussed the matters relating to development projects in energy, infrastructure and social sectors.

They also agreed to promote investment and industrial cooperation on fast track basis.

Secretary, EAD Mian Asad Hayaud Din, also shared views regarding promotion of bilateral trade cooperation, exchange of experience in the context of poverty alleviation, establishment of joint working groups.

The Secretary, EAD also appreciated the measured taken by the Chinese Government to tackle COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, strengthening of cooperation under multilateral framework was also discussed.

In his concluding remarks,Vice Minister of China Ren Hongbin commented that the fruitful discussions on bilateral economic relations between delegates of the two countries will meet the objectives of deepening bilateral relationship between the two countries.

He also hoped that the next session of Pak-China JEC will be held soon in Pakistan. He reiterated that Pak-China relationship is everlasting and bound to continue on good terms in the future.

PM launches registration drive of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat in KP PESHAWAR pr

Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Peshawar today to launch the registration drive of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat.

Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister said, “Ehsaas Rashan Registration is currently underway, nationwide. We have launched Rs. 120 billion Ehsaas Rashan Riayat to protect the 20 million underprivileged families from the effects of COVID induced inflation that has impacted not just Pakistan but the entire world. Overall, the programme will cover more than half the country’s population.”

At the Governor House KP, PM was joined by Mahmood Khan, Chief Minister KP; Shah Farman, Governor KP; Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM; Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for information and Broadcasting, Ministers and Members of Provincial Assembly KP. Senior Officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) along with represen-

tatives of Trader Associations and Kiryana Alliances were also present.

PM also urged the Provincial Government of KP particularly Chief Minister, Provincial Ministers and Members of KP Assembly to support the registration drive for the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat and create awareness about the programme among the poor and Kiryana merchants.

“Low-income families earning below Rs. 50,000 per month can enroll themselves under the Rashan programme through 8171. Kiryana shopkeepers can also be enrolled through the web-portal: https://ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk/”, he further added.

Earlier, in his opening speech, Chief Minister KP formally welcomed the Prime Minister to Peshawar and assured full support and cooperation in the registration and execution of Ehsaas Rashan programme.

PM also gave away need cum merit based Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships to female students of

University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar. It was followed by distribution of Kafaalat cheques among Ehsaas beneficiary women who had recently been enrolled through the Ehsaas survey. Later, PM also met with parents and children enrolled in Ehsaas School Stipends. Children in all classes, in every district, of all Ehsaas eligible families are eligible for Ehsaas School Stipends.

The provincial Governments of Punjab, KP, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK are participating in the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme, so far.

Later in the day, Dr. Sania chaired a meeting together with Chief Secretary KP at the Chief Secretary Office in Peshawar. The meeting was attended by DCs of all districts of KP. The meeting discussed engagement plan for district administrations to facilitate the enrollment of families and Kiryana merchants under Ehsaas Rashan Registration drive.

IESCO shutdown notice According to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO)’s spokesman, System Maintenance/Development Work is in process. Therefore power supply of below mentioned feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per given schedule: On 09th December, From 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM, Sanghoi, Nathwala, Safdar Shaheed Feeders, From 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM, Batter Feeder, From 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM, Kalyal, Gulshanabad, Dhok Noor, 502 Workshop, Adiala, Askari-14, Humayun, Humayun-1, Bank Road-II, City Center, Kashmir Road, NIH, Bhara Kahu, T&T, Territ, Golf City, Shagun, Adiala Jail, Shahpur, Khasala, Karyala, Burma. , Khanna Dak, Supermarket, Sports Complex, Waheedabad, Tufail Shaheed, F-10/2, G-10/3, Siddiqui Steel, Ittehad Steel, SH Steel, Old Exchange, Atwar Bazar, MPCHS, E-11/3, AQ Khan, Pindi Point, Nambul, Kotli Satyan, Golf City, Dhok Hakmadad, Iqbal Road-2, Jamia Masjid, Gawalmandi, Pirwadhai, Mohammadi Chowk, Katarian, Shamsabad, Gulzar Quaid, Tench.

Bhata, Charing Cross, Kamalabad, Nogazi, Fazahiya-1 & 2, F-17/1 & 2, Top City, Chakral, Siham, Range Road, BB Shaheed, Haider Road, Adam G Road, Rehmatabad-1, Media Town-1, X-Lair Colony, National Park, Humayun-1. Shahpur, Chahan, Gulshan Saeed, Jahura, Chowk Pandori, Mansoor Shaheed, Major Hanif, Abrar Shaheed. p r

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari addressing at the launch of NCSW report on Covid-19 Impact on Women with Special Focus on Access to GBV Services.

05

Air Chief Marshal condoles tragic death of Indian CDS Gen Bipin Rawat Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, NI(M) Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force, has expressed his condolences on the tragic death of Indian CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his spouse, and 11 other passengers/crew members in the helicopter crash. pr

CJCSC, COAS condole tragic demise of Indian CDS in helicopter crash RAWALPINDI: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Wednesday expressed condolences on tragic death of Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general shared the joint condolence message on his official Twitter handle.

Moreover, the county’s air chief and naval chief also expressed condolences to the bereaved families of Gen Rawat and others. news desk

TikTok Launches BrandNew Transparency Center as a Hub for Ongoing Transparency and Accountability • The Transparency Centre comprises the latest H1 2021 Content Removal Requests Reports alongside previous Transparency Reports • Information in the Transparency Reports will be more visual and offer machine readable download data, following invaluable feedback from civil society organizations and other experts • The Center forms an important step in TikTok’s commitment to ongoing transparency and accountability TikTok has launched today a dedicated Transparency Center, to reinforce its commitment to accountability to its audiences. The updated Center will house the platform’s historical annual and quarterly Transparency Reports, in addition to upcoming interactive reports. The launch accompanies the latest H1 2021 Content Removal Requests Reports, also announced today. The Transparency Center and Reports are available in Urdu language as well.

The platform diligently releases Transparency Reports, in recognition of the importance of staying accountable to the actions taken to safeguard the platform and protect its integrity. To build trust through transparency, TikTok began releasing reports in 2019 and have continued to evolve the studies and findings with new, deeper, and industry-first data disclosures. Key highlights include the volume of suspected underage account removals made, or the number of ads rejected for not meeting TikTok’s stringent standards.

To continue building on its transparency efforts, TikTok incorporated feedback from civil society organizations and experts to further develop refreshed report formats, now offering downloadable data in machine readable formats. Additionally, reports aim to be visually appealing, with interactive charts and graphs to better illustrate data and actions taken. To best reach its global audience, the reports will be published in 26 languages, including Urdu, English, French, German, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Russian and Arabic, amongst others.

Through the Center, TikTok aims to make the Transparency Center a one-stop shop to learn about how it moderates and recommends content, develops products, and safeguards people's information.

The latest H1 2021 Content Removal Requests Reports updates are a continuation of that goal. The Center also comprises previous reports including: • Community Guidelines Enforcement Report that offers quarterly insight into the actions taken to uphold Community Guidelines and Terms of Service

PM shares video of ‘massive’ attendance at talent hunt programme Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter Wednesday morning to share a clip of “massive youth attendance” at Monday’s Kamyab Jawan talent hunt programme at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad.

“Massive youth attendance at Kamyab Jawan talent hunt programme in Islamabad on Monday,” Prime Minister Khan wrote in the Twitter post, sharing the video.

In another tweet, he said, “We are reforming our sports structure and making more sports grounds so we

CMYK

can make Pakistan a great sporting nation.”

On Tuesday, the prime minister had visited a cricket ground on his way back to Bani Gala.

A video shared by the official Twitter handle of Prime Minister’s Office showed PM Imran Khan reviewing the arrangements made at the sports ground and meeting the youngsters who were there to play cricket.

Earlier on Monday, he had inaugurated the country’s historic Kamyab Jawan Sports Drive.

The drive is part of four projects worth Rs4 billion being started in the country to keep the youth engaged in extracurricular and sports activities.

The event, in its first phase, consists of 12 games including hockey, cricket, football, handball, wrestling, weightlifting, squash, volleyball, ski, judo, boxing and athletics.

Under this drive, sports competitions will be held for young people aged 11 to 25, including women across the country. news desk

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Thursday, 9 December, 2021

06 COMMENT

Biogas Potential of Pakistan

Holding a mirror up to the PTI government Transparency International’s 2021 Survey

Now is the time to exploit it

T

he PTI government’s narrative about rising prices, increasing unemployment and endemic corruption under its watch has been rejected by the majority of the people of Pakistan, as shown by Transparency International’s National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS) 2021.

The PTI’s ministers and spokespersons team have continued to deny that there was any shrinkage in people’s purchasing power by quoting the increase in demand for cars and motorbikes. They have also maintained that Pakistan was the cheapest country in the region. It was claimed that PTI’s polices, particularly its emphasis on the construction industry, had already created more jobs in the country than the 10 million promised by Imran Khan. Further that corruption had come down. The TI Survey reveals that a vast majority in Pakistan considers these claims as an exercise in disinformation.

The NCPS 2021 maintains that during the third year of the rule of ‘Mr Clean’ corruption has touched new heights with the result that Pakistan now ranks 124 out of 180 countries, dropping four spots over last year. Of those surveyed, 85.9 percent believed the federal government’s self-accountability was partial and unsatisfactory.

Over 80 percent of the surveyed maintained that their income had been squeezed under the PTI government, whereas 92.9 percent held that inflation and price hike have been the highest during the current government. They considered the PTI government’s incompetence the main reason behind the rising inflation and shrinking incomes.

Corruption is rife. People say they pay bribes unwillingly as these are extorted through tactics such as inaction or delay in the provision of public services. A large segment of the respondents, 72.8percent thought that corruption at the grassroots level had increased in the public sector due to the absence of local governments under the PTI rule. According to the Survey, Pakistanis perceived the police as the most corrupt sector (41.4 percent), followed by the judiciary (17.4 percent) This has led the Information Minister to remark that this should be a moment of reflection for the CJP, indicating the PTI’s indifference to the public image of its government.

The Survey tells how people look at the grave problems they face and who they consider responsible for them. The PTI might claim that what the Survey highlights are no more than perceptions; perceptions matter in politics particularly when elections are approaching and voters are comparing the performance of competing political parties on the basis of their perceptions.

Dr FariD a Malik

B

eING an agricultural economy with large herds of milk-producing animals, there is a tremendous potential of producing biogas from their waste. I was motivated to write this article after reading the news that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has been tasked to develop this energy resource. SSGC and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Company Limited (SNGPL) are two public sector companies that transmit natural gas across the country. SSGC covers Sindh and Balochistan while SNGPL distributes gas to Punjab and KPK. Both the organizations have no experience of producing or exploring gas, they only pump pipeline-quality natural gas mainly from the Sui Gas fields. Producing biogas is a totally different field for which very little local expertise is available, and it still remains an informal sector with very limited engineering design know-how.

The energy Group within the Lahore Think Tank of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) looked at various energy options for the country with pioneering work in SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) from coal, biogas from cow dung and solar tubewells. A PTI 0odel farm was also established on a farm on Multan Road where biogas was produced together with pumping water with the help of a solar tubewell. Dr M.S. Shafique, a member of the PTI Shadow Cabinet, had established an Animal Fattening facility where cow dung was readily available. A ground level biogas digester was built with brick and cement. It was like a shallow well with a concrete top. Cow dung and water in specified quantities were fed daily which was consumed by the enzymes or living insects that consumed it to excrete gas which was collected and then used as a fuel for cooking. The plant was not well engineered and posed several hiccups to run it on a regular basis.

Faisalabad outrage Naked parading yet another disturbing sign

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he stripping and parading of two women in Faisalabad reflects many things, none of them complimentary, about Pakistani society. Coming hard on the heels of the Sialkot lynching, it goes to show that mob bestiality is not aroused by religious fanaticism alone, but lies bubbling below the surface, ready to be evoked by even a small incident. The most noticeable thing about the Faisalabad incident is the lack of proportionality. Shoplifting may be a crime, but there is no way that being paraded naked is a due punishment. The two women were condemned unheard. That was another salient feature of the episode.

Apparently no one thought to hand over the alleged thieves to the police. It was not just possible for someone to collect a mob, but humiliate the women unhindered, it was perhaps inevitable that the incident was caught on camera, and then uploaded to social media, but it was still reprehensible. The persons busy uploading the videos could not be bothered to inform the police. The local police might not have been very conscientious, dismissive of what was being done to two gypsy women. They were presumably lower in the social hierarchy than the sisters-in-law and minor sister of a cobbler, who were beaten and stripped and paraded through Nawabpur in Multan district, in 1984. Though stripping a woman was made a capital offence, it is a shame that such incidents still recur. It is also noticeable that women are the victims. At least this case involves women who were accused themselves. The Nawabpur women were guilty of nothing but being related to someone who was supposed to have carried on an affair with a woman of a landowning family.

The corruption of the justice system works both ways. It makes people willing to take the law into their own hands, because they fear the criminal will escape. Also, they themselves think they can get away from the consequences of their own bestiality because of this vey corruption. This is one reason why the state must act to ensure that the criminals are caught and duly punished. The decline in the writ of the state was visible with the way the Tehrik-eLabbaik Pakistan was able to escape the consequences of their actions that is now leading to a more general unraveling of the bonds of society.

Impacts on society MuhaMMaD rizwan Bhatti

T

he gruesome manifestation of ghastly extremism in thet Sialkot lynching incident has shocked and shattered every sane Pakistani. The brutal killing of Sri-Lankan National Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanage has shamed humanity and undoubtedly made a deadly scar on the face of Pakistan.

The brutal killing of a foreign national on alleged blasphemy is not first one but brings a horrifying remembrance of the killing of Mishal Khan and the burning alive of Shama and Shahzad Masih. The youth in Pakistan have become erratic and frustrated.

The chanting of slogan with religious attributes makes them believe that they are doing right for the glorification of Islam and the finality of hazrat Muhammad (PBUh).

Persecution in the name of religious is forbidden and against the teaching of holy Prophet (PBUh).

Pakistan is diverse in its ethno-socio and religio-political dimensions. There is a strong need to reconstruct the misplaced religious thought by disseminating the narrative countering radical extremist ideologies. This uphill task can be done by the intellectual and enlightened response to critical ideologies, and revival of moribund cultural and social values.

The environment of intolerance and violence has wrought havoc and will continue to mangle Pakistan, unless measures are not taken to cripple the terrorists with all their vitriolic ideologues. Rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist elements can be done by creating environment, generating jobs, imparting vocational training, after care monitoring process, respectful involvement of parents and social reengineering of militants and terrorists.

The existence of law identifying the salient features of a rehabilitation programme give legitimacy and clarity to an otherwise makeshift desired outcome which requires the opposite or even both types of rehabilitation. The establishment of a legal framework has become indispensable. The administrators of Pakistan’s programme must evaluate the factors con-

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

but instead this animal waste is polluting the sea water while seriously damaging the mangrove swamps where the shrimp breeding takes place. My work on Gasification continues but the current focus is on producing SNG from Thar Coal as it can produce pipeline-quality Natural Gas. hammad Azhar is the current Minister for energy. he has solid political credentials and is a future hope of the party. I do want him to succeed but Islamabad has rocky grounds where batting is not easy. Despite several personal initiatives, I have not been able to meet him in order to appraise him of all the good work already done by the party ‘ Think Tanks ‘. Biogas is certainly a viable option like SNG but requires expertize which does not exist at a higher level. It may prove to be the proverbial; Truck ki Batti which gets nowhere.

In his last days in power Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) warned about the ‘Mullah-Military Alliance’.

Finally he was toppled.

Today the government of PTI faces the PML(N)-influenced ‘Bureaucracy-Judiciary Alliance’. On one hand it misguides the elected representatives, while on the other no one gets convicted through the legal system.

ZAB delivered through his party ideologues but then abandoned them for which he had to pay for his life.

Imran Khan (IK) came into power with the electables leaving the old guard behind. Instead of looking inwards to seeking guidance from the available professional expertise within the party, the current leadership relies more on external inputs which is often misleading. hot favourites in the bureaucracy of the previous regime continue to hold important positions.

With the current out-of-reach prices of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), SNG is a better option for the time being. Both SNGPL and SSGC can handle SNG as it is pipeline quality gas which can be transmitted and distributed by them. Localized biogas networks can be developed in Karachi starting from the massive available buffalo waste there. A lot of homework needs to be done to exploit the biogas potential of the country. Despite viable options, the gas crisis continues which has to be resolved ASAP.

With the current out-of-reach prices of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), SNG is a better option for the time being. Both SNGPL and SSGC can handle SNG as it is pipeline quality gas which can be transmitted and distributed by them.

Thriving extremism in Pakistan

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Under the Agricuture and Rural Development Committee (ARDC) headed by my friend the late Tariq Bucha, it was decided to pursue this technology to establish a sound technological basis. Some expertise existed at PCSIR (Pakistan Council of Science and Industrial Research) Lahore and NARC (National Agricultural Research Council) Islamabad but no operational plant existed at the commercial level.

ARDC proposed the formation of Biogas Development Authority (BDA) to scientifically develop this technology and then design pilot plants that were well engineered for long term reliability and sustainability.

BDA was to be chartered to transfer this know-how at the Tehsil Level through village co-operatives. A centralized biogas plant was proposed to be built in each locality quite like the Wasa tubewells, which was to be managed and maintained by the co-operative with the technical assistance of BDA. every morning fresh cow dung was to be collected from every dwelling, converted into biogas and then the residue fertilizer returned to the donor. The Biogas was to be distributed through a local low pressure gas distribution pipeline to be used as fuel for cooking.

Unfortunately the party under the control of the electables ignored all the good work of the Think Tanks. At the time of induction of the old political players, some of whom had tainted backgrounds, it was believed that they would follow the party guidelines but instead the entire movement for ‘Naya Pakistan’ was hijacked by them. The ‘Multan Trio’ was the most deadly: one was inducted as the Vice Chairman, another as President and the third as Secretary General. Their internal struggle ruined the party.

They worked together to push out the old guard, but then fought for their individual turf at the cost of change. Two have already fallen with one more to go for normalcy to prevail within the party. South Punjab has its own political dynamics which has not been conducive for democracy. This Takh-e-Multan and Lahore have to be dismantled to come out of the ‘ Zia Dark Ages ‘ as they are directly involved in strengthening the status quo and thwarting change. To move forward on solid foundations, a massive clean-up operation is needed across the parties.

The ‘ Bhains Colony ‘ of Karachi has enough cow dung to meet the fuel requirements of the city

tributing to radicalization and try to neutralize and prevent those factors and help in deprogramming the rehabilitees behaviorally and cognitively. It is really crucial to de-glamourize terrorists and foil the attraction that some terrorist groups seem to enjoy through projection of a valid and patent counter-narrative having a broad and all-embracing appeal.

It is important to de-legitimize the methods and goals practiced and proclaimed by fiery political and sectarian leaders, terrorist outfits, sympathizers and their supporters and debilitate the terrorists’ capacity of wooing others to follow their militant ways.

De-radicalization of society should be bracketed with a wide perspective of national reconstruction as a vigorous counter-narrative is essential in routing militancy and extremism.

The monopoly of religious thoughts and dissemination in private hands is risky and fraught with numerous divisive pitfalls. This is what we see happening in Pakistan, led by the five Wifaqs— Religious Boards of five Sects— and the prevalence of religio-political parties. Based on the experiences of Turkey, Malaysia or Indonesia, Pakistan’s mainstream political parties, perhaps, can help initiate the inculcation of patience and toleration among their adherents for sectarian harmony. This, however, must not be misconstrued as a move to infringe on religious freedom. everybody is, and must, remain free to practice faith and exercise the fundamental right of enjoying religious freedom. But that practice must not become an instrument of injustice, discrimination and intolerance. Through this endeavour of religious harmony and political pluralism, the menace of extremism can be eliminated and soft measures in the shape

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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

of deradicalization can be implemented.

The mosque is the place of congregation for prayers and a well-placed channel of mass communication for the Muslims, especially for the villagers. So, this sacrosanct institution can be used to disseminate the message of peace and reconciliation to de-radicalize and inculcate the diffusing dynamism of Islam which is inimical to violence, extremism and militancy.

Institutional reforms are paramount in importance.

The refurbishment of the criminal 1ustice system has become ineluctable to get rid of the rising scale of militancy. The threat is both mundane and predictable in nature. With the robust judicial reforms, the sentence rate will be increased and justice will prevail to get peace and prosperity in state and society.

The Government methods and statistics to deal with extremism, radicalization and de-radicalization should be exposed to veteran researchers to adopt a holistic approach and develop mechanisms for effective de-radicalization. There is a dire need to cultivate respect for diversity and intentional inclusion to promote harmony in society.

There are a number of factors that give forth fundamentalism in society, and there is a dire need to address the causes including economic disparity, illiteracy, religious dogmatism, unemployment, ineffective judicial system, bad Governance, ethnic and sectarian dichotomy, mass corruption and extremist narrative. NACTA needs to formulate short and long term strategies to combat the menace of extremism and radicalization that has led to militancy in society. education and reorientation of people can change the trajectory of extremism towards enlightenment.

There are a number of factors that give forth fundamentalism in society, and there is a dire need to address the causes including economic disparity, illiteracy, religious dogmatism, unemployment, ineffective judicial system, bad Governance, ethnic and sectarian dichotomy, mass corruption and extremist narrative.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is a Ph.D Scholar, Deptt of Political Science, Govt College University Faisalabad and can be reached at Rizwanbh79@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Thursday, 9 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

From history to impact

Socio-Economic inclusion of PWDs Towards an inclusive, accessible & sustainable Pakistan SyeD aSiM ali Bukhari, aSSoc. ProF. Dr. Fathyah haShiM anD ProF. Dr. azlan aMran

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N 1992, the United Nations declared 3 December the “International Day of Persons with Disabilities”. This year the day focused on the challenges, barriers and opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the fact that PWDs are among the most affected population amid this pandemic. Currently, the world population is approximately 7 billion and more than one billion people or approximately 15 percent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability. Among those one billion people, 80 percent are living in developing countries. PWDs often lack access to education, healthcare, communication, transportation, financial services and employment opportunities in developing countries. These challenges have been magnified during this pandemic due to the marginalisation, discrimination, vulnerability, reduced access to various public and private sector and financial exclusion of PWDs in developing countries.

Pakistan is also facing serious issues and lapses in creating a socio-economic inclusive society for the marginalised PWD segment of the community. Pakistan is lacking accurate statistical data of PWDs which intensifies the problems for this marginalized segment of society since it deprives them of their due rights according to their representation in society. every public and private organization should be required to report the number of PWD employees in order to improve the accuracy of this data. According to some estimates, Pakistan has approximately 20 million PWDs amounting to 10 percent of the country’s population. In line with the theme of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, it is time that Pakistani society transitions from a culture of sympathy or socio-economic exclusion of PWDs to a socially and financially inclusive system for this segment. The marginalisation of this critical societal segment is not only creating educational and social barriers for PWDs but also a financial burden for Pakistan. The country is losing US$12 million every day due to the exclusion of PWDs from the mainstream economy. PWDs are not being given their due rights in Pakistan which is apparent from their frequent protests for the attainment of their rights.

To ensure the formation of an inclusive society, we need to eliminate all forms of stigma and discrimination that prevent people with disabilities from achieving their true potential.

These members of society should be allowed to contribute to the country’s socio-economic development. The Government of Pakistan took an important step in this regard through the ‘Rights of PWD Act 2020’ to increase the access of PWDs to basic services, including health, education, employment, transportation, and communication. The State Bank of Pakistan has also taken a good initiative by issuing a policy to enhance the financial inclusion of PWDs. The Government of Pakistan has envisioned creating a societal structure based on the principles of ‘Riyasat-e-Madina’. Such a society requires the creation of a synergistic blend of various services

customized according to the needs of the PWDs through public-private partnerships. The Social Welfare Department should play its role in this regard by facilitating the development of PWDs units at the provincial and federal level. It can collaborate with the United Nations Organization to establish vocational training centres and other initiatives for the PWDs. The Government of Pakistan issues disability certificates for the PWDs through which they can have access to various services and benefits. however, the process of acquiring this certificate is not optimal if observed from the viewpoint of a person with a disability, or his or her caretakers. It requires physical visits, sometimes several, to even initially submit the certificate application. This process should be digital with online application submission followed by a single physical visit by the person with a disability for the assessment by the doctors’ panel.

Insurance health cards should be provided to registered PWDs on priority basis and targeted initiatives should be launched for assisting the PWDs under the “Pakistan ehsaas” programme. every public and private educational institute should provide a fixed admission quota and reduction in fees for PWD students.

Similarly, physical and assistive technological infrastructure should be made available for the facilitation of PWDs at educational institutions, restaurants, offices, public transportation and various public places. The construction of physical infrastructure for PWD facilitation can be ensured by mandating it in the building map approval process of commercial buildings. The Ministry of human Resources and Labor department should ensure employment opportunities for people with a disability. The employment quota for PWDs should be increased to ensure optimal economic participation of this societal segment.

The Government of Pakistan can provide special packages for PWDs in various government initiatives like the Naya Pakistan housing Scheme. The government can provide further concessionary rates to disable employees for availing of the Naya Pakistan housing Scheme.

A special budget can be dedicated to the various initiatives aimed at the socio-economic inclusion of PWDs. The banking sector of Pakistan can play a

pivotal role in the socio-economic inclusion of the PWDs. The SBP has led the way by taking the first step towards financial inclusion for PWDs. While some PWDs have challenges so severe that economic participation is not feasible and ill-advised, the vast majority have the capacity to utilize and benefit from banking services.

The banking industry can target such individuals with customized products and services such as personal and auto loans with concessionary interest rates, waiver of various bank service charges such as cheque book, ATM card issuance, locker rental charges, and so on for PWD account holders, attractive interest rates for deposit, assistive infrastructure and technology in branches and ATMs such as the construction of ramps, availability of essential forms and documents in braille and PWDsupportive mobile applications.

Green Banking through the adoption of digitalized banking products and services for PWDs can play an important role in this regard. Banks can facilitate PWDs through various green services such as mobile banking vans that can provide banking services at the customer’s doorstep. The SBP can launch financing schemes at concessionary rates such as the ‘Prime Minister Kamyab Jawan Scheme’ for PWDs customers to facilitate their financial inclusion and provide them earning opportunities.

These steps towards the socio-economic inclusion of PWDs can help in the attainment of UN-SDGs 2030 through reducing poverty, hunger, inequality, and climate change.

It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the country’s mainstream sectors and given the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable development of Pakistan. It is when all the segments of society work towards a common purpose, that countries can prosper in a sustainable manner. every organization will have to play its part in the creation of an inclusive, accessible and sustainable Pakistan for the PWDs by providing employment opportunities and services to this segment.

These steps towards the socio-economic inclusion of PWDs can help in the attainment of UN-SDGs 2030 through reducing poverty, hunger, inequality, and climate change. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the country’s mainstream sectors and given the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable development of Pakistan. It is when all the segments of society work towards a common purpose, that countries can prosper in a sustainable manner.

The writers, Syed Asim Ali Bukhari, Assoc.

Prof. Dr. Fathyah Hashim and Prof. Dr. Azlan Amran are all associated with the Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.

I would like to share some heroic history done by our past governments. In February 1992, China aero-generation import and export company invited Pakistan to make investments in the venture in change for a big switch of era and participation. The primary flight became planned in 1996; nevertheless, it got delayed because Pakistan favoured to improve the characteristics in response to India’s acquisitions of SU-30mki. The task began to stagnate.

In 1998, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s visit to China triggered the continuation of the programme. In 1999, sanctions on Pakistan brought about critical setbacks at the programme. Pakistan was hoping to install western avionics on the aircraft that had been now not viable. 2001 saw the adjustments in technique to increase to produce the fighter aircraft.

The development of the airframe turned into the development of avionics. The complete layout became completed in September 2002 even as the improvement of various aircraft structures stepped forward. The primary aircraft become assembled by way of May 2003. A contemporary redesigned prototype emerged in April 2006; this was in reaction to flaws that have been which having been located in advance flight assessments.

The key changes protected re-designed air intakes, large main area root extensions LeRX, longer ventral fins under a nook of the fuselage, a taller vertical stabilizer fin with a rectangular electronic conflict device housing on the tip. These are the investments and experiments our national heroes spend for us and for our brighter future. So, being Pakistani here I would also like to say thanks to the government of Argentina for showing interest to buy our Technology JF-17 Thunder. For me, it may be the impact of our selling power of technology to other countries like Nigeria too.

FAYYAZ ASHFAQ KArAcHi

Diet for radiant skin SKIN is the organ with the largest contact area between the human body and the external environment and is a barrier that separates the human body from the environment. It not only protects the body from external environmental damage and avoids water loss from the body, but also has a certain cosmetic effect. Diet primarily impacts the levels of varying hormones in the body, and hormones regulate many of the natural processes that occur within the body. This means the overall health and appearance of the skin are, closely related to hormone fluctuations that are influenced by diet.

Research on the best foods for healthy skin is limited. Still, antioxidantrich foods seem to have a protective effect on the skin. Consider these skin-friendly foods: Carrots, apricots, and other yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, spinach and other green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, berries, beans, peas and lentils, salmon, mackerel and other fatty fish and nuts are good for healthy skin. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C and all of the major carotenoids, especially lycopene. These carotenoids protect your skin from sun damage and may help prevent wrinkling. Soy contains isoflavones, which have been shown to improve wrinkles, collagen, skin elasticity, and skin dryness, as well as protect your skin from UV damage.

Dark chocolate has cocoa that contains antioxidants that may protect your skin against sunburn. These antioxidants may also improve wrinkles. riMSHA ArSHAD GojrA

Political maturity needed CAN you say that our political leaders receive more appreciation or accusations from the people who elect them for seats of higher authorities? If they receive more appreciation, the citizens feel that they fulfil their responsibility adequately. If they get more accusations, the conscientious citizens should assess his conscience and see if he has discharged his responsibilities in the best possible behaviour. Our government is not authoritarian. It should not be even an oligarchy. It presumably is a democracy — a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Occasionally it is that —when the people bother to vote. Sometimes it isn’t government by the people, but a government by a segment of the people whose special interests make sure that they will enrol a vote. Special interest groups are frequently respected with scorn by innocent citizens who stay away from polls. This kind of thinking is a little tough to pursue. Where can we disclose virtue in being a vote slacker? Because this concept is so prevalent, and it is quite absolutely a sign of immaturity, it would appear worthwhile to strive to examine it.

Mature people welcome privileges and assume responsibilities. It is good, of course, when they welcome both. But even though they may not welcome responsibility, mature people understand that responsibility is the other side of the shield of privilege. You don’t get worthwhile sans paying for it. If you refuse to pay, someone else has to do more than his share. If that doesn’t occur, there is the terrifying thought that the government of the people, for the people, and by the people may perish from the face of the earth.

Unfortunately, our political leaders have never tried to get lessons from their previous decisions and stupid activities, and they regularly delight at taking out the standing government just using the name of democracy. But our political leaders have been accusing one another of their ridiculous decisions and failures that put the nation from bad to worse. Besides the incapabilities of our political leaders, the coronavirus pandemic has brought out the terrible overwhelming reaction on the economy that resulted in inflation and several other problems for the people. Sans financial support, we can never develop and control inflation in any case. But sadly, our political leaders just have been protesting for their aims. Unfortunately, the PDM involves those political bodies which governed thrice in the country but we didn’t get fruit from their rule in the country. A far-flung trauma from the politicians of the country that destroyed the nation’s every basic and essential right from their lives which includes freedom of speech, right to education, equality of citizens, right to property, freedom of trade, business, and security of person which cause education ills, mental malaise, economic havoc, suicide contagion, void of learning and much more. The politicians on both viewpoints, besides the sitting government and opponents, look insensible of the truth that overrides an aching economy. Our political leaders should make such policies that must contain hard work, continuity in work, which can be done through a union on fundamental doctrines. The basic pillar of democracy is an electoral procedure, if it is imposed then the people could elect their own diplomats in unrestricted and adequate ways sans any extraneous distress. In order to rule out the increasing phenomenal mayhem from political leaders and transparent electoral process, the political domain should be brought up to a higher tribune of forbearance and collaborative accommodation.

DEEDAr ALi BANGWAr KANDHKot

08 WORLD VIEW 9th December 21_Layout 1 12/8/2021 10:24 PM Page 1

Thursday, 9 December, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

TIMe To overhaul The global fInancIal sysTeM FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO THRIVE, THE WORLD NEEDS NEW LENDING PRACTICES AND A CREDIT-RATING SYSTEM

ProJEcT SYNDIcATE jeFFReY d SaChS

a

T last month’s COP26 climate summit, hundreds of financial institutions declared that they would put trillions of dollars to work to finance solutions to climate change.

Yet a major barrier stands in the way: The world’s financial system actually impedes the flow of finance to developing countries, creating a financial death trap for many.

Economic development depends on investments in three main kinds of capital: human capital (health and education), infrastructure (power, digital, transport and urban) and businesses. Poorer countries have lower levels per person of each kind of capital, and therefore also have the potential to grow rapidly by investing in a balanced way across them. These days, that growth can and should be green and digital, avoiding the high-pollution growth of the past.

Global bond markets and banking systems should provide sufficient funds for the high-growth “catch-up” phase of sustain-

able development, yet this doesn’t happen.

The flow of funds from global bond markets and banks to developing countries remains small, costly to the borrowers and unstable. Developing-country borrowers pay interest charges that are often 5% to 10% higher per year than the borrowing costs paid by rich countries.

Developing country borrowers as a group are regarded as high risk. The bond rating agencies assign lower ratings by mechanical formula to countries just because they are poor. Yet these perceived high risks are exaggerated and often become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When a government floats bonds to finance public investments, it generally counts on the ability to refinance some or all of the bonds as they fall due, provided that the long-term trajectory of its debt relative to government revenues is acceptable. If the government suddenly finds itself unable to refinance the debts falling due, it likely will be pushed into default — not out of bad faith or because of long-term insolvency, but for lack of cash on hand.

This is what happens to far too many developing-country governments. International lenders (or rating agencies) come to believe, often for an arbitrary reason, that country X has become uncreditworthy. This perception results in a “sudden stop” of new lending to the government. Without access to refinancing, the government is forced into a default, thus “justifying” the preceding fears. The government then usually turns to

the International Monetary fund for emergency financing. The restoration of the government’s global financial reputation typically takes years or even decades.

Rich-country governments that borrow internationally in their own currencies do not face the same risk of a sudden stop, because their own central banks act as lenders of last resort. Lending to the United States government is considered safe in no small part because the federal Reserve can buy Treasury bonds in the open market, ensuring in effect that the government can roll over debts falling due.

The same is true for eurozone countries, assuming that the European Central Bank acts as the lender of last resort. When the ECB briefly failed to play that role in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, several eurozone countries (including Greece, Ireland and Portugal) temporarily lost access to international capital markets. After that debacle — a near-death experience for the eurozone — the ECB stepped up its lender-of-last-resort function, engaged in quantitative easing through massive purchases of eurozone bonds and thereby eased borrowing conditions for the affected countries.

Rich countries thus generally borrow in their own currencies at low cost and with little risk of illiquidity, except at moments of exceptional policy mismanagement (such as by the U.S. government in 2008 and by the ECB soon thereafter). Low- and lower-middle-income countries, by contrast, borrow in

foreign currencies (mainly dollars and euros), pay exceptionally high interest rates and suffer sudden stops. for example, Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio (83.5%) is far lower than Greece’s (206.7%) or Portugal’s (130.8%), yet Moody’s rates the creditworthiness of Ghana’s government bonds at B3, several notches below those of Greece (Ba3) and Portugal (Baa2). Ghana pays around 9% on 10-year borrowing, whereas Greece and Portugal pay just 1.3% and 0.4%, respectively.

The major credit-rating agencies (fitch, Moody’s and S&P Global) assign investment-grade ratings to most rich countries and to many upper-middle-income countries, but assign sub-investmentgrade ratings to nearly all lower-middle-income countries and to all low-income countries. Moody’s, for example, currently assigns an investment grade to just two lower-middle-income countries (Indonesia and the Philippines).

Trillions of dollars in pension, insurance, bank and other investment funds are channeled by law, regulation, or internal practice away from sub-investment-grade securities. Once lost, an investment-grade sovereign rating is extremely hard to recover unless the government enjoys the backing of a major central bank. During the 2010s, 20 governments — including Barbados, Brazil, Greece, Tunisia and Turkey — were downgraded to below-investment grade. Out of the five that have since recovered their investment-grade

rating, four are in the EU (Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Slovenia) and none are in Latin America, Africa, or Asia (the fifth is Russia).

An overhaul of the global financial system is therefore urgent and long overdue.

Developing countries with good growth prospects and vital development needs should be able to borrow reliably on decent market terms. To this end, the Group of 20 and the IMf should devise a new and improved credit-rating system that accounts for each country’s growth prospects and long-term debt sustainability. Banking regulations, such as those of the Bank for International Settlements, should then be revised according to the improved creditrating system to facilitate more bank lending to developing countries.

To help end the sudden stops, the G20 and the IMf should use their financial firepower to support a liquid secondary market in developing-country sovereign bonds. The fed, ECB and other key central banks should establish currency swap lines with central banks in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. The World Bank and other development finance institutions also should greatly increase their grants and concessional loans to developing countries, especially the poorest. Last but not least, if rich countries and regions, including several U.S. states, stopped sponsoring money laundering and tax havens, developing countries would have more revenues to fund investments in sustainable development.

Jeffrey D. Sachs, a professor at Columbia University, is director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and president of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Modern institution or madrassa?

AN EXCERPT FROM ‘ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY: THE MAKING OF THE MODERN INDIAN MUSLIM’ Scroll MohaMMed Wajihuddin

I

f you walk down the tree-lined road from Bab-eSyed at AMU’s southern periphery to Centenary Gate on the university’s northern boundary, you may bump into many young sherwani-clad bearded men. It is not that the sherwani or beard is a new fashion fad on the campus. They have always been there. In fact, sherwani and the Aligarh-cut white churidar for men have been a sort of uniform for formal occasions for ages here.

But in some quarters, the opinion is that they are more visible because of an increasing number of madrassa students joining courses at AMU. Many firsttime visitors may mistake the campus for an advanced madrassa. Maulvis who have already acquired some learning in the Islamic religious texts enter the mainstream secular courses courtesy a provision in the Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment) Act, 1981.

Section 5(2)C of the Act mandates the university to “promote educational and cultural advancement of Muslims in India”. A committee headed by a former pro-VC, Prof Mohammed Shafi, was set up in 1986 to recommend steps for implementation of this section. Among other things, the Shafi Committee suggested that a centre be established to carry out the mandate in the Act. The Centre for Promotion of Educational and Cultural Advancement of the Muslims of India (CPECAMI) was thus established in 1988. It was under the same Section 5(2)C that the Centre for Promotion of Science was established in 1985. Its primary objective was to create awareness among Muslims about the need to acquire scientific knowledge and promote science education in Muslim-managed educational institutions, including madrassas.

So, how did AMU, a modern institution over which founder Sir Syed had faced strong opposition from the maulvis in the last quarter of nineteenth century, become a magnet for madrassa-educated students? Many on the campus hold two former vice chancellors – Saiyid Hamid and Lt General (Retired) Zameer Uddin Shah – responsible for opening AMU’s gates wide for the maulvis.

Saiyid Hamid was an AMU alumnus and a retired civil servant. His term as VC (1980-1985) saw huge protests by students, one of whom was even killed in police firing at a demonstration. But Hamid introduced many changes too. farrukh Waris, an AMU alumnus and

family friend of Saiyid Hamid, remembers an interesting anecdote about him. She says that when the campaign against Saiyid Hamid became virulent and he too grew impatient and wanted to resign, he contacted then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. farrukh Waris says: “Indira Gandhi told Saiyid Hamid that ek Syed ne AMU qayam kiya aur doosre Syed ko AMU ko bachana hai (One Syed, that is Sir Syed, founded AMU and another Syed, or Saiyid Hamid, had to save it). And Saiyid Hamid left no stone unturned to not only rescue the university from going to the dogs, he also enhanced its stature.”

Ishtiaq Ali was an MA student when the agitation against Saiyid Hamid was at its peak. He was the convener of the Students’ Academic forum, a platform created to support Saiyid Hamid while the students’ union was opposing him. Ishtiaq Ali says that several senior students had been occupying the hostel rooms for years and would not vacate them even as the newcomers were facing difficulty in getting accommodation.

This problem had become acute during the time of Saiyid Hamid’s predecessor, the economist AM Khusro, who allowed laxity in admissions and other irregularities.

Sunil Sethi, then correspondent of India Today, had visited the AMU campus in february 1981 to report on the turmoil that was happening. He found that an interview given by the eminent historian Prof Irfan Habib, who was dean of the faculty of social sciences, had further stirred the agitators. Sethi reported: “Ostensibly, it was what Habib said in an interview with the Indian Express on January 13, 1981 that made them intensify their agitation and demand Habib’s immediate suspension not only as Dean of the faculty but also as professor. In the interview, Habib came out with some sordid home truths about his University, saying that ‘the criminal elements have intensified the problem by getting into the hostels where they not only get protection but concessions’.” Students began demanding the suspension of Habib for his “insults”.

“On January 23, the students carried out their protest further to demand an ‘assurance’ from the vice chancellor that Habib would not be allowed to attend the special convocation for visiting Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam.

Two days later the VC is gheraoed and the gherao continues, forcing the VC to close the University sine die.”

Saiyid Hamid believed that the students’ demand for sacking Prof Habib was unjust, even as he wanted many hostelers who had occupied room for years by virtue of their admission in one course or the other to vacate the rooms. The students, recalls Ishtiaq Ali, didn’t understand Saiyid Hamid’s intentions. He was a well-wisher of the university and not a corrupt man. He brought the university back from the brink, says Ali. Among the good steps that he took was the revival of the Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq, the magazine Sir Syed had

brought out soon after his return from England in 1870.

The magazine, as we have seen in the earlier chapters, had created a stir in the Muslim society. Saiyid Hamid aptly believed that the magazine was relevant even in these times.

“Saiyid Hamid was a man of modern thinking and scientific approach. He was a product of this university and had imbibed the spirit of the Aligarh Movement. He revived the magazine with a hope to reintroduce the scientific temperament among Urdu readers, especially the AMU community,” recalls retired professor of Urdu Asghar Abbas, who has written extensively on Sir Syed.

Abbas had seen Saiyid Hamid very closely and was among his ardent admirers. So, how does he assess Saiyid Hamid’s tenure as VC? He says: “Bus yeh samajh lein ke Syed Hamid ne ek girti huee deewar ko sambhal liya (Saiyid Hamid saved a crumbling wall). He infused new life into a dying institution.”

Professor Najma Mahmood, who taught English at AMU, was among those who supported Saiyid Hamid to the hilt when many on the campus wanted him to resign. In 1984, she wrote an essay in his support in Urdu, which was later included in her book Saiyid Hamid: Ke Gum Usmein Hain Afaaq. Describing Saiyid Hamid’s devotion to AMU, she had written: “Saiyid Hamid is an image of Sir Syed. He has great love for this institution and he can even give his life for it. This is our duty to recognise and respect the greatness of his personality.

This is our weakness that we don’t see the beauty which is visible to our eyes. Only a jeweller understands the value of a diamond.”

As an educationist, Saiyid Hamid was genuinely pained by the educational backwardness of Muslims. He wanted reforms in madrassa education. Since some of the leading madrassas in north India, like the Darul Uloom of Deoband in Uttar Pradesh, didn’t seek government support, they also resisted introduction of modern subjects in their curricula. Educationists like Saiyid Hamid favoured the idea that the degrees granted by some of the leading madrassas should be recognised by AMU for allowing them admission.

Students from Deoband, Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, and a few other madrassas found entry into the “bastion of modernity”. In the same way that all passouts from AMU are called Aligs, the products of these madrassas carry the name of their institution as a badge of honour. So, a product from Deoband is called a Qasmi, as Qasim Nanautvi (1833-1880) was one of the main founders of the Darul Uloom Deoband. A graduate from Nadwatul Ulema in Lucknow is called Nadwi.

Ariful Islam, a retired professor of statistics from AMU, has been noticing the “infiltration” of madrassa students into AMU for quite some time. “I too am for re-

forms in madrassa education. But instead of modernising the madrassas, they are turning a modern institution like AMU into a madrassa,” he says. He holds Saiyid Hamid responsible for giving an opening to madrassa students, which led to the floodgates being opened for the maulvis to occupy this premier institution of modern education.

If Saiyid Hamid gave a small opening to madrassa students at AMU, Zameer Uddin Shah, vice-chancellor from 2012–2017, opened the floodgates to let the maulvis in. Under CPECAMI, he introduced a one-year bridge course for madrassa students. The bridge course has an intake of 100 students, seventy-five boys and twenty-five girls. During the course they are taught English, the humanities, law and information technology. After successful completion of this course, the students are awarded certificates which are equivalent to the certificate of completing the twelfth standard in a standard school.

“The holders of bridge-course certificates can sit for entrance exams for various courses in universities like AMU, JMI and Jamia Hamdard. Many Hafizs (those who remember the Quran by heart) and other Maulvis have joined the mainstream secular courses. Since the madrassas oppose any modernisation attempt, this is the only way by which you can modernise some of those who pass out of madrassas. The madrassa students who do this course will enhance their employability in the job market,” says Zameer Uddin Shah, now president of Sir Syed Education foundation.

The foundation was created while Shah was still VC of AMU, and its purpose was to establish good, Englishmedium schools as feeder institutions for AMU. “The serving vice chancellor was supposed to be the foundation’s president, but that didn’t happen as according to the AMU constitution, it cannot open its schools beyond 25 km from the Jama Masjid at the university. So I remain its president and we have so far established four schools in Uttar Pradesh,” says Shah.

The biggest lacuna bedevilling AMU, says Shah, is the alarmingly poor quality of education at a couple of schools AMU runs. Shah had sacked thirty teachers who were found to be inefficient, but they got reinstated through the courts.

“I found that many teachers at these schools educate their own children at good convent schools but bring them back in the ninth and tenth standards so that they can become internal students and benefit by getting admission in professional courses. Upgradation of these schools is a must to ensure that a pool of good students is provided to the university,” he says.

Shah’s term as VC was not without controversies.

Among others, one related to denial of permission to girl students to visit the central library of the university, the Maulana Azad Library. It remained in the headlines for many days. At a function at the Women’s College, reacting to the demand from girl students for permission to visit the main library, Shah said: “If you girls are allowed, there will be four times more boys at the library.”

In his memoir, The Sarkari Musalman, Shah blames some “parasites” for recording this statement and feeding it to the media.

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

NEWS

corporate corner TPL Trakker to Power Masst Rides’ Next – Gen Transportation Service

KARACHI: TPL Trakker Limited, Pakistan’s leading IoT, Telematics, and Digital Mapping Company, has partnered with Masst Rides Private Limited, Pakistan’s first Network Transportation Company, to power their ride booking service with location-based digital mapping services.

With TPL Trakker’s mapping platform emerging local entrants in Pakistan’s digitization landscape especially ride hailing services are being enabled in their journey towards reshaping the national ecosystem. Ride hailing startups and established companies has created a global market worth $900 million giving rise to one of the biggest markets in the South Asia region that is expected to grow considerably over the coming years. As the segment revolutionizes with local players including startups entering into the market, TPL Trakker’s digital mapping services powered by an extensive database that provides maps for 400+ cities, 5 million geocoded addresses and 610,000+ kms. pr

MMBL Partners with VRG to equip non-smartphone customers with self-service banking Via the USSD channel

SEhAT KAhANI’S INITIATIVE TOwARDS CREATING A hEALThIER PAKISTAN

T

He tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. According to WHO Tobacco kills more than 8 million people a year around the world and remains the leading cause of preventable deaths. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Pakistan has 24 million active tobacco users and is one of the world’s top tobacco consuming countries. Sehat Kahani, the affluent telemedicine organisation has rolled out many successful public campaigns in the past that disseminate credible information about diseases and their prevention as well as methods of harm reduction.

Sehat Kahani has once again taken the initiative to launch a Quit Smoking campaign with the objective of encouraging people to give up cigarette smoking and to reach out to civil society organizations which are working towards the same aim which will be en-

gaged to promote their efforts to increase the reach of Sehat Kahani’s campaign.

To kick off the campaign Sehat Kahani held an online webinar on December 7th 2021, where prominent officials from the Tobacco Control Cell and ministry of health participated and shared their thoughts on how to curb the usage & their experiences on the harmfulness of cigarette consumption amongst a population of over 220 million Pakistanis.

COO & Co-founder Sehat Kahani, Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga, moderated the webinar which was graced by expert panelists; Dr. Nausheen Hamid Parliamentary Secretary on Health & Dr. Samra Mazhar- Deputy Director Programs - Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination and Professor Doctor Mr. Shahzad Ali Khan, VC Health Services Academy.

On this occasion, Ms. Nausheen Hamid - Parliamentary Secretary on Health Pakistan commented

“The ministry is actively working on ways to curb the consumption of tobacco by introducing various policies, reforms, as well as taxes to reduce tobacco consumption especially in the youth and we, are also working towards reducing illicit tobacco trade and look forward towards receiving support from the private sector in enhancing awareness around quitting cigarette consumption and collectively moving towards behavioural change” This statement was further cemented when Ms. Samra Mazhar Deputy Director Programs - Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination stated, “It is integral for the youth to stay aware of the hazards presented by smoking. Smoking not only impacts the economic sustainability of the Country/Government but also the financial viability of the individual & their families. At a governmental level, we are working towards creating smoke free zones and enabling the quitting smoking process by pro-

Unified society must for economic development, say religious scholars

ISLAMABAD pr

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has signed an agreement with Virtual Remittance Gateway (VRG), a veteran mobile financial services platform for banking customers, and Pakistan’s only commercial licensed Third-Party Service Provider (TPSP). Under this partnership, MMBL’s non-smartphone users will be able to use their bank accounts via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Channels. USSD is a widely accepted channel by customers for buying mobile bundles and checking prepaid balance amounts.

VRG, through its technical expertise, has embarked on enabling MMBL’s USSD channels, allowing MMBLs customers to use banking services 24/7 on their phones, that do not have 3G, 4G, WiFi, or Internet connections. With the help of USSD Channels, MMBL’s non-smartphone users will be able to check their bank balance, bank statement, transfer funds, pay utility bills, and recharge their mobile phone accounts without data or internet connection. The initiative will initially be piloted for a month’s period, followed by a commercial launch in January 2022. Sharing his thoughts about the partnership, Ghazanfar Azzam, President & CEO MMBL said, “We are committed to expanding our financial services to a wider pool of customers by targeting the underserved segments of the society. Over the years, MMBL has successfully been able to reach millions of customers across Pakistan through its wide array of innovative products and services specifically tailored to promote financial inclusion for all. With VRG’s partnership, MMBL plans to revolutionize Pakistan’s banking sector by bridging the financial gap and eradicating all barriers to access digital financial services.” Chief Finance & Digital Officer MMBL, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr said, “MMBL is dedicated to uplift the unbanked and underserved segments, particularly SMEs and women-led businesses, by providing them access to financial services through its expansive digital financial ecosystem. Through this partnership, we strive to accelerate further growth by merging USSD Channels with our tailored products and services that will not only enable individuals at a wider scale but will give them a chance to contribute positively to Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem as well.” Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Salman Ali, CEO VRG said, “Customer centricity is at the heart of banking and this collaboration is a significant step towards digital banking making its impact bigger on customer experience across business segments. Providing Unified USSD service to access banking will not only enhance the customer experience but also augment MMBL’s digital footprint to reach customers who were previously out of the digital banking net." p r

09

Religious and notable scholars from all walks of life have stressed upon the unity of society is essential for its development. The unity of society is only possible when they behaved humanly. The morality is not related to any religion, followings, sect or ideology.

This is such a practice that makes the world free from war and violence.

They also emphasized that the society sinks to its lowest level when there is no concept of sin or wrong. The Human can become great only thorough its deeds. We have to promote harmony and tolerance among the various fabrics of the society and also have to unite the majority and minority in the country.

“There is no room for violence and extremism in any religion. A peaceful society in any party of the globe can only exist by promoting interfaith harmony,” they added.

In a conference under the title of “Unity In Diversity” organized by All Pakistan Minorities Alliance of Dr Paul Bhatti at a local hotel the other, PM’s Special Assistance on Interfaith Harmony,

Maulana Tahir Asharfi in his key note address said, “Sialkot incident bring disgrace to Pakistan and also personally hurt from this tragedy.”

Dr Paul Bhatti, Chairman All Pakistan Minorities Alliance in his opening remarks said that the vision of country’s father Mr Jinnah was to make Pakistan a role model for the other Islamic countries.

Give rights to all the minorities residing in it and for this, he tried his level best to achieve it. All the minorities in General and Christian community in particular played a key role in every walks of life for its betterment and development.

“We have to unit all the minorities and majority as well. With this concept, APMA is moving ahead. Contrary to this, there is intolerance, violence, hatred and disrespect everywhere in the country. We have to eliminate these negative sentiments and have to include moral values in our priorities, so that we can eliminate these ills from the society,” Dr Paul added.

We have to focus on education. Also to give equal rights to the Minorities. If we did not give it priority, the continuation of such incident will continue to happen in fu-

ture, he anticipated.

Renowned religious scholar, Maulana Tariq Jamil said that the humans can only become great with their deeds not with their wealth. Quoting the Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad, Tariq Jamil further said that the only way to get eternally life better is to treat the non-muslim in better way.

The success of every Muslim lies on four things that include to speak truth, not to deceive, good manner and earn honestly, Maulana Tariq added.

Bishop Joseph in his address said that we are all human beings are creation of one God. Despite this fact, where we are going. He thinks that We all are going to the lowest and those values who teaches us love, respect and humanity where they have gone. We all have to work for the revival of these values.

Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khair Azad said that we have move forward with peace. Pakistan is a democratic state and it is our responsibility to protect the rights of minorities.

Other key speakers also address the conference and it was attended by some foreign dignitaries.

Jazz brings Pakistan’s first-ever Drive-in Concert to Islamabad ISLAMABAD: Jazz, Pakistan's number one 4G operator and the largest internet and broadband service provider, is partnering with Active Media to bring Pakistan’s first-ever drive-in concert to Islamabad on the 11th of December 2021 at Park View City. Being touted as this year’s biggest musical event, Jazz is looking to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDTM for the Most Cars in a Music Drive-In Concert. The major attractions include a star-studded artist lineup which includes Atif Aslam, Ali Azmat, and Bilal Khan, and one of the grandest fireworks show ever witnessed in the country. Apart from enthralling the audience with electrifying performances, next-level stage production and fireworks, the Jazz Drive-in Concert, will give the residents of Islamabad a chance to participate in a momentous event.

“The Jazz Drive-in Concert will be the first-of-its-kind music concert in Pakistan and is inspired by the success of our drive-in cinemas. These initiatives are a testament to Jazz being a lifestyle brand offering customers an entertaining experience, driven by innovation. p r

viding cessation centers. This is a project which we envision to fulfill in the next 5 years which would reduce the economic burden on the government/ the country” On this occasion, Professor Doctor Mr. Shahzad Ali Khan VC Health Services Academy addressed the audience on the harmfulness of cigarette smoking. “With a vast youth population in Pakistan, who are impressionable by the idols of the media. It is easy to get swayed by for a young mind therefore it is absolutely necessary for the media organizations to be mindful of the message that is being put across to the youth” Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga closed the session by giving the reassurance from Sehat Kahani to be the platform which works towards creating health education avenues for behaviour change and continue to work collaboratively with the Ministry, HSA, as well as other private sector institutes to reduce the cigarette smoking epidemic in the country.

GPAK, PIEDMC ink MoU to promote economic development

KARACHI: During the Expo 2020, the Government of Punjab, Pakistan held an International Business Conference, in which the honourable Mr. Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal (Minister of Industries and Skills Development - Punjab); Mr. Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht (Finance Minister - Punjab) and Dr. Erfa Iqbal (CEO - Punjab Board of Investment and Trade)stir the signing of an important MoU between the Punjab Industrial Estate and Development Management Company (PIEDMC) and Global Packaging Films (Private) Limited (GPAK)and Petpak Films (Private) Limited, both of which are the subsidiaries of International Packaging Films Limited (“IPAK”).

The agreement was signed between the Group CEO of IPAK Mr. Naveed Godil and Mr. Ali Muazzam Syed, CEO PIEDMC to set up a production facility for GPAKand PETPAK and promote rapid industrialization in the province along with sustainable GDP growth. p r

Pakistan is investment heaven for foreign businessmen: Naguib Sawiris, Chairman of Ora Developers

Naguib Sawiris, Chairman of Ora Developers, on his visit to Pakistan expressed high hopes for the real estate sector of Pakistan, adding that Pakistan is an investment heaven for foreign investors. He visited Eighteen, a luxury housing society located near Islamabad International airport, where he commented on the potential of the local housing sector and offered an optimistic outlook for future growth. Naguib Sawiris also met Prime minister of Pakistan Imran khan during his visit to Pakistan. While talking to journalists during his visit of Eighteen site, he appreciated the greater focus by the govt on the real estate sector and softening the construction policies and opening greater opportunities for businesses to flourish.

Such policies have helped to speed up the development of real estate projects and given a major boost to the industry growth. The Egyptian tycoon said that the development of Eighteen will revolutionize the real estate sector of Pakistan because it will cater to the tastes of an urban class like never before. Regarding the construction progress of Eighteen, he announced that the project is successfully moving towards its completion and from next year, the customers will be handed over their villas. p r

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS

China urges australia to take PraCtiCal aCtions to imProve ties BEIJINg

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Agencies

HINA has lodged stern representations with Australia over its “diplomatic boycott” of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

Wang made the remarks after the Australian government announced it was not sending officials to the Beijing Winter Games over concerns about China’s human rights record in Xinjiang.

China has not invited Australian officials

to the sporting event, Wang said. Australia’s move to connect the Winter Olympics with the so-called human rights issue in Xinjiang is a serious violation of the principle of political neutrality of sports enshrined in the Olympic Charter and also against the Olympic Motto of “together,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in Australia also responded to the issue, saying such move runs counter to Australia’s publicly pronounced expectation to improve China-Australia relations.

The embassy also urged the country to take practical measures to create favorable conditions for improving bilateral relations.

“According to Olympic rules, dignitaries are invited by their respective National Olympic Committee (NOC) to attend the Olympic Games. It is up to the NOC to decide whether to extend invitations or not,” a Chinese Embassy spokesperson said in the statement. “‘Mountains cannot stop the river from flowing into the sea.’ Australia’s success at the Beijing Winter Olympics depends on the performance of Australian athletes, not on the attendance of Australian officials, and the political posturing by some Australian politicians.”

The embassy spokesperson also wished Australian athletes an excellent performance at the Games.

20 Bangladesh students sentenced to death for brutal murder over Facebook post AFP

Putin terms talks with President Joe Biden ‘open and constructive’ RUSSIAN, U.S. OFFICIALS TO FOLLOW UP QUICKLY ON PUTIN-BIDEN TALKS AgENcIES Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that his talks with U.S. President Joe Biden had been open and constructive and there was a possibility to continue the dialogue. Russia would send proposals to Washington within a week to follow up their talks on Ukraine, according to Putin. He also reiterated that the suggestions that Russia was planning to attack Ukraine are “provocative.” Russian and U.S. officials will start discussions on what it called the “complex confrontational situation” very soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Peskov said the two leaders would need to speak again after the talks between their officials but that no date has been set for their next exchange.

A Bangladesh court sentenced 20 university students to death on Wednesday for the brutal 2019 murder of a young man who criticised the government on social media.

The battered body of Abrar Fahad, 21, was found in his university dormitory hours after he wrote a Facebook post slamming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for signing a water-sharing deal with India.

He was beaten with a cricket bat and other blunt objects for six hours by 25 fellow students who were members of the ruling Awami League’s student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

“I am happy with the verdict,” Fahad’s father Barkat Ullah told reporters outside court after the verdict. “I hope the punishments will be served soon.”

Prosecutor Abdullah Abu told AFP that the remaining five perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment.

All those handed death sentences were between 20 and 22 years old and attended the elite Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology alongside Fahad.

Three of the defendants are still at large while the rest were in the courtroom.

A lawyer for the defendants said the sentence would be appealed.

‘Highest punishment’: Fahad had put up

a post on Facebook that went viral hours before his death.

In it, he criticised the government for signing an accord that allowed India to take water from a river that lies on the boundary the two countries share.

Fahad had been seen — in leaked CCTV footage that went viral on social media — walking into a dormitory with some BCL activists. About six hours later, his body was carried out by the students and laid on the ground.

The BCL has earned notoriety in recent years after some of its members were accused of killing, violence and extortion.

In 2018, its members allegedly used vi-

UN chief isolating after Covid-19 exposure UNITED NATIONS AFP

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was exposed to the coronavirus Tuesday by a UN official who already had Covid-19 and is isolating for the next few days, diplomatic sources said.

Guterres, 72, has canceled his upcoming in-person engagements, sources told AFP. The UN chief was due to be the guest of honour of the UN Press Association at its annual gala in Manhattan on Wednesday. On Thursday, he was to participate in a UN Security Council meeting on the challenges of terrorism and climate

change, led by Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum.

Bazoum, whose country currently holds the council presidency, arrived in New York on Tuesday and is expected to stay until the end of the week, when he heads to Washington.

The spokesman for the secretarygeneral, Stephane Dujarric, declined to comment immediately on Guterres’s condition.

Dujarric indicated a few days ago that Guterres had recently received his third dose of the anti-coronavirus vaccine, after having hesitated for a long time about the advisability of receiving booster shots while millions of people throughout the world have yet to receive their first jab.

US think tank suggests hunger could kill more Afghans than bombs, bullets AgENcIES A US-based think tank has called on the international community to ease restrictions on Afghanistan to avoid “state failure and mass starvation”, according to a report issued on Monday.

“International actors must ease restrictions to avoid state failure and mass starvation in Afghanistan,” said the report issued

by Washington-based transnational think tank, International Crisis Group (ICG).

ICG projected that up to one million Afghan children could die of starvation this winter if not helped, urging the US, Europe, and other donor nations to find ways to keep Afghanistan from imploding without endorsing the Taliban regime.

The organization warned that hunger and destitution in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover could “kill more people than all the bombs and bullets of the past two decades”.

ICG, other think tanks and relief agen-

olence to suppress a major anti-government student protest. Those protests were sparked by anger over road safety after a student was killed by a speeding bus.

Protesters have called for the attackers to be harshly punished and for the BCL to be banned. Hasina vowed soon after the attacks that the killers would get the “highest punishment”.

Death sentences are common in Bangladesh with hundreds of people on death row. All executions are by hanging, a legacy of the British colonial era.

In August, a court sentenced six religious extremists to death for the brutal murders of two gay rights activists.

cies have asked for a “humanitarian-plus” approach to prevent the collapse of the Afghan state. The suggested “humanitarianplus” initiative includes providing salaries for doctors and teachers, sending hospital supplies and restoring electricity.

Other relief agencies have also warned that providing only humanitarian aid to Afghanistan was like a band-aid at best and that economic engagement with Afghanistan was necessary to prevent a collapse of the Afghan state, The report includes a statement by a UN health official in Afghanistan who warned that “stopgap solutions” will run out of money in early 2022.

“It is misleading to suggest that financial support to teachers, health care or food security workers in state institutions is somehow not entirely humanitarian,” the UN official argued.

But the report noted that a United States’ diplomat disagreed with the suggestion, say-

ing “funding with ancillary benefits to the Taliban government remains out of bounds.”

Other donors, the report added, were waiting for signals from Washington. ICG identified three main points of leverage that gave “the US an outsized role in shaping the policies of Western donors toward the Taliban regime: frozen assets, sanctions and influence in multilateral settings”.

The report pointed out that “the principal arbiter of Kabul’s economic relationship with the world remains the United States” and the Biden administration was “searching for, and not yet identifying, assistance options that will entirely circumvent the country’s Taliban rulers”.

Taliban officials told ICG that they were “negotiating” with the US for access to the frozen assets, but US officials said their conversations with the Taliban on the topic had been brief, as they “bluntly informed” the Taliban that the assets will stay out of their reach.

The US holds most of Afghanistan’s $9.4 billion in overseas assets — a major form of US leverage over a government whose central bank held few reserves locally and depended on US cash shipments.

Noting that the US and its allies wielded substantial influence at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the report said that “the donors must decide whether [and how] to continue supporting the basic services financed by international aid for the past twenty years.”

Responding to the appeal, the US State Department said while Washington was willing to provide more humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, it was not yet willing to establish economic ties with the Taliban regime.

“If the Taliban are looking for a deeper relationship with the international community, including the US, it’s their conduct that we will look to in terms of devising what that might look like,” State Department

Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters in Washington.

Urging the Taliban to respect human rights, educate women and girls and work for a more inclusive setup in Kabul, the US official said those were not preconditions for continuing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

The US has provided $474m worth of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan this year and would continue to do so, he said.

The ICG, however, insisted on some economic engagement with Afghanistan, pointing out that at a recent gathering, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iran and the five Central Asian states made a joint plea for a UN funding conference, saying the “main burden” of Afghanistan’s collapse should fall upon the countries that deployed troops.

Price pointed out that even before the Taliban takeover, “many structural impediments” impaired Afghanistan’s economy as the international community funded 75 per cent of Afghanistan’s public expenditures, which represented about 40pc of the country’s GDP. “In the lead-up to the Taliban takeover, we were very clear that if they pursued a military path, they would be making a choice that would … complicate our ability to continue to provide the same level of assistance that the US and the international community had delivered in the past,” he said.

Thursday, 9 December, 2021 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

PakisTan whiTewash Bangladesh By winning second TesT in a row

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AFP

AKISTAn defeated Bangladesh by an innings and eight runs on the final day of the second Test in Dhaka on Wednesday and concluded a flawless tour that saw them whitewash their hosts in both the T20I and Test series.

Sajid Khan was the undeniable star of the show as he added four more wickets to his tally of eight in the first innings to finish with a dozen for the match. Among the wicket takers was also a rarity as captain Babar Azam got a wicket in what was only the second over of his Test career.

Earlier, the tourists inched close to the win after ending the resistance of Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan.

Mushfiqur put two decent partnerships together, with Liton Das and Shakib Al Hasan, before an uncanny run-out on the stroke of tea on the fifth day.

Mushfiqur made 48 as hosts Bangladesh struggled to 146-6 in their second innings at the break, still needing 66

runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Shakib Al Hasan, who put on 49 runs with Mushfiqur for the sixth wicket, was their last hope but he also fall prey to Sajid Khan.

Liton earlier made 45 runs and put on 73 for the fifth wicket to defy Pakistan’s attack, before he was dismissed by Sajid Khan, who added to his 8-42 in the first innings.

After bowling out Bangladesh for a measly 87 runs in the first innings, the side’s lowest total on home soil, Pakistan were hoping for a quick kill after enforcing the follow-on.

Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi claimed two wickets in the morning session for the tourists, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 25-4 in their second innings, before Liton and Mushfiqur came up with resistance.

Shakib also showed some aggression, hitting Hasan for three fours off consecutive deliveries to raise Bangladesh’s hopes of salvaging a draw.

Only 63.2 overs of play were possible in the first three days because of rain and bad light.

DFA Charsadda, DFA Chitral qualify for Semi Finals of Ufone 4G Football Cup KP PESHAwAR News Desk

The iconic Tehmas Khan Football Stadium in Peshawar was rocked by thunderous applause and cheering from the crowd as DFA Charsadda and DFA Chitral registered impressive wins against their opposition in the Ufone 4G Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Cup to qualify for the Semi-Finals of the tournament.

DFA Charsadda faced DFA Abbottabad in the first match of the day, with both eyeing the cov-

eted slot in the Semi-Finals. The teams were equal match for form and vigor and appeared unstoppable in their pursuit of glory. DFA Charsadda player Zaid scored his team’s first goal in just 3 minutes into the match, which was equated in the 6th minute by DFA Abbottabad’s Yasir.

DFA Charsadda player, Saif consolidate his team’s position by scoring another goal in the 8th minute, while Zaid went on to seal the fate of the opposition by scoring two more goals that include the final goal at the 70th minute to clinch a win by 4 to 2.

Yasir from DFA Abbottabad returned for another goal in the 55th minute but his team fell short and bowed out of the tournament.

The second match of the day was played between DFA Chitral and Aatish Tank. The two teams showcased exemplary defensive and offensive tactics; however, being equal match of one another for the footballing prowess, they failed to impact the scorecard.

The ball didn’t see the net on either side during the entirety of the match, which was decided on penalty strokes. DFA Chitral ultimately emerged as the better side by downing Aatish Tank by 4 penalties to 2 to proceed to the SemiFinals. Today, December 09, DFA Karak will face DFA Mardan while DFA Bannu will meet Waziristan Combined for the coveted Semi-Final slots.

Both Semi-Finals will be played on 10th December while the Final match will be played on 11th December to decide the winner of the Ufone 4G Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Football Cup. The winner will then face Muslim Club Chaman, the winners of the Balochistan leg of the cup in a Super Final match, the grand finale played on 12th December at a floodlit Tehmas Khan Football Stadium Peshawar.

The winner will be the ultimate Champion of Ufone 4G Football Cup 2021. The Semi Finals, Final and Super Final matches will be broadcasted live on PTV Sports and the official social media channels of Ufone 4G.

Babar picks up first Test wicket of career NEwS DESk Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam on Wednesday surprised his fans by introducing himself in the bowling attack for only the second time in his Test career and taking his first Test wicket during the final day of the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Babar took the wicket of Mehidy Hasan Miraz in what was only the second over of his Test career. Babar’s rare feat with the ball drew immediate reactions from fans. Daniel Alexander, a cricket expert from Sri Lanka, hailed skipper Babar for his ability to perform multiple roles with precision. On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board was also surprised at the captain’s newfound prowess with the ball. “Babar Azam has a Test wicket,” the board said in a tweet.

Pakistan defeated the hosts by an innings and eight runs.

Australia swimmer Groves says she was molested as a teenager SYDNEY AFP

An Australian swimmer who pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics to protest “misogynistic perverts” said Wednesday she was molested from the age of 13 by someone still working in the sport.

Butterfly specialist Madeline Groves, who won two silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said in an interview with broadcaster ABC that she was sexually abused by a swimming official as a teenager.

She said she was speaking up after learning of an unrelated ABC investigation in October into former elite swimming coach John Wright, who has been accused of sexually abusing teenage boys in the 1980s and 1990s.

Wright was arrested in October on historical child sexual abuse charges and remanded in custody.

“I think seeing the report on the John

Wright case, there’s this attitude that that type of thing is a historical issue and it doesn’t happen anymore and that times have changed,” Groves said.

“But I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

Because when I was underage, on multiple occasions I was actually molested by an adult male.

“At the time I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could tell about that. And there’s no one in swimming that I would trust disclosing that to now, either.” She declined to identify the alleged perpetrator but said he still worked in swimming and said the abuse started when she was 13 and continued until she was 18. “I haven’t made a complaint about this individual,” she said.

“I guess my experience from trying to make complaints about other people in sport was so discouraging, it really didn’t leave me feeling that making a complaint about this person would be any different to the others.”

Groves stunned her teammates when she

withdrew from the Australian Olympic trials in June. She said at the time: “You can no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame or medically gaslight them and then expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus. Time’s UP.” Swimming Australia subsequently met with her and set up an independent panel to investigate issues relating to women and girls, while admitting “unacceptable behaviour” dated back decades.

It told the broadcaster for Wednesday’s programme that it was “resolute in its commitment to continually improve our sport to ensure it is a safe and thriving environment for all participants from the grassroots through to the elite level”.

“Swimming Australia has appointed an independent panel of experts to investigate issues relating to women and girls’ experiences in swimming,” it added. “The panel’s report and recommendations are expected early next year.”

Thursday, 9 December, 2021

prayer timiNgs

NEWS

InDIAn CDS GEn RAwAT AmonG 13 DEAD AS IAF ChoPPER CRAShES

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NDIA’s Defence Chief Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other people were killed after a military helicopter they were travelling in crashed in southern India on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force said.

“With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” IAF said on its official Twitter handle.

Rawat was travelling from an Indian Air Force base in Sulur to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to deliver a lecture. Hill station Coonoor is along the flight path.

“Around noon today, an IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter

ADB approves $603m loan to support Pakistan’s Ehsaas programme LAHORE staff report

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $603 million results-based lending programme to strengthen and expand social protection programmes in Pakistan.

Using conditional cash transfers, the programme will support the implementation of Ehsaas, Pakistan’s national social protection and poverty reduction strategy, according to an ADB statement on Wednesday.

“Under the Integrated Social Protection Development Program, ADB will provide a regular loan of $600 million and a $3 million grant from the Asian Development Fund, and will administer a $24 million grant from the Education Above All Foundation,” the statement read. Commenting on the development, ADB Director General (DG) for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov said that the programme marks a significant shift in ADB’s strategic engagement in the social protection space in Pakistan in line with Ehsaas priorities. “ADB’s support will transition from unconditional cash transfers that provide income support to a mixed-modality approach that focuses more on conditional cash transfers for education, health services, and nutritional supplies that will help reduce intergenerational poverty through human capital development,” he said. As per the statement, the programme supports the Ehsaas goal of expanding cash transfers to improve access to primary and secondary education up to grade 10 for children and adolescents of poor families, especially girls, and enhancing health services and nutrition for women, adolescent girls, and poor children. It also aims to initiate coverage of accelerated learning programs at primary education level for overaged out-of-school children under conditional cash transfers. In addition, the program supports improvements in implementation and fiduciary capacity for Pakistan’s social protection programs. This will build on previous ADB support to further improve grievance redress, risk management, financial management, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, and management information systems—functions which help to strengthen internal controls. Commenting on the ABD’s decision, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said that ADB is a trusted and longstanding partner.

“This program incentivizes parents to send their children to schools, particularly girls, and will help to provide specialized nutritious food and conditional cash transfers to children and mothers in the districts of Pakistan that most need it,” the Bank’s statement quoted Nishtar.

with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS and 9 other passengers met with a tragic accident near Coonoor, TN.,” IAF said.

Video footage showed rescue workers dousing steaming wreckage in a wooded area.

Rawat was on his way to Wellington in Coonoor from an IAF airbase in Sulur near Coimbatore, sources told Indian media and had left Delhi earlier today.

Tamil Nadu chief minister, MK Stalin, instructed the local administration to provide the best possible medical care to the injured. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have also been briefed over the incident.

Rawat was appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in late 2019. The position was set up with the aim of integrating India’s three services — the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Lauding his services for the country, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Gen Rawat worked on diverse aspects relating to the Indian armed forces including defence reforms as the country’s first CDS. “He brought with him a rich experience of serving in the army. India will never forget his exceptional service,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle. News Desk

Former GB judge placed on no-fly list: minister ISLAMABAD staff report

The government has placed the name of former Gilgit-Baltistan chief judge on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), thereby barring him from flying abroad, revealed Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed Wednesday.

Rana Muhammad Shamim, longassociated with the party of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in November opened Pandora’s box claiming former chief justice Saqib Nisar did not want former Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to be released on bail ahead of the general elections in July 2018.

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

Nisar had travelled to the moun-

tainous region for vacations in 2018, an affidavit Shamim purportedly signed in London during a trip to the British capital last month, said.

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

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

The other judge was not named in the affidavit. Shamim is now facing a contempt of court case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Addressing a press conference, Ahmed further the cabinet will hold a meeting to deliberate his placement on the Exit Control List (ECL) as well.

He said the government would introduce an e-passport system next year which would help people to avoid the hassle of the manual system.

The director general of immigration and passports at the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) had been directed to ensure the launch of e-passport in the three months, he told media.

He said the directorate was providing online passport facilities to over 190 countries. The facility for citizenship cancellation and others including emergency travel documents were also available online.

The minister urged the overstaying government officials in foreign missions to return to the country at the earliest, else they would be sacked from the service. He said the government was fully focused to ensure the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), adding those who had brought disgrace to the country would be dealt with iron hands.

The minister said the government was willing to provide emergency travel documents to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif within 24 hours if he was ready to return to Pakistan to face the courts.

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Transparency International survey suggest more than 90pc Pakistanis believe inflation is highest in PTI’s tenure According to a nationwide perceptions survey by Transparency International released on Wednesday, more than 90 per cent of Pakistanis believe that inflation and price hikes are the highest in the PTI government’s tenure compared to previous governments. As per the National Corruption Perception Survey 2021, 92.9pc of Pakistanis “consider inflation and price hike to be the highest in the current PTI government (2018-2021), compared to 4.6pc in the PML-N government (20132018) and 2.5pc in PPP government (2008-2013)”. A majority of the survey respondents — 85.9pc — believed the federal government’s self-accountability was unsatisfactory. Moreover, 66.8pc of them perceived the government’s accountability drive to be partial. In addition, 85.9pc of the people surveyed said their income had shrunk during the last three years. When asked about the reasons behind inflation and unemployment, 50.6pc of them cited government incompetence, 23.3pc said corruption, 16.6pc said lack of policy implementation and 9.6pc blamed undue interference of politicians in government affairs. The survey also looked at people’s perceptions about local governments, especially in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Centre’s measures to combat it.

Around 47.8pc of Pakistanis surveyed said the government’s campaigns to create awareness about the pandemic could have been launched in an “effective” manner if elected representatives of local bodies were present. A large segment of the respondents — 72.8pc — also perceived that corruption at the grassroots level had increased in the public sector due to the absence of local governments. The report stated that 89.1pc of Pakistanis said that they did not pay any bribe to a government official during the federal government’s pandemic-related relief efforts. According to Transparency International Pakistan, the survey sought responses from 1,600 people from four cities each in every province of the country. Pakistan ranked 124 out of 180 countries — dropping four spots over last year — in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International released in January this year, an annual index that ranks countries based on perceptions of public sector corruption. According to the survey, Pakistanis perceived police as the most corrupt sector (41.4pc), followed by judiciary (17.4pc) and contracting or tendering (10.3pc), citing weak accountability, the greed of powerful people and low salaries as the main reasons behind corruption in the country. News Desk

Former CJP audio leak: IHC directs petitioners to satisfy court on maintainability of petition ISLAMABAD News Desk

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday resumed hearing a petition seeking a probe into an alleged audio leak involving former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar.

In the leaked audio clip, an unidentified individual, allegedly Nisar, can be heard speaking of a collusion to punish former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in order to bring their political rival Imran Khan into power.

The former top judge had branded the audio as “fabricated”.

In the last hearing, the IHC had issued notice to Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan to appear in court and present his arguments on the maintainability of the petition.

In pursuance of the court notice, AGP Khalid Javed Khan turned up before an IHC single bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Wednesday.

Opposing the plea for formation of a

probe commission to ascertain the veracity of the controversial clip, the AG suggested that the matter be rather referred to Parliament.

“The path we are treading is extremely dangerous,” he opined. “There is no need to appoint a commission on the audio leak.

This matter should go to Parliament,” he suggested. Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed, one of the two petitioners, stated that the federal cabinet has already given its stance on the audio clip.

Justice Minallah remarked that judges should neither use social media nor come under the influence of anything.

The IHC chief justice observed that any audio or video could be constructed in today’s age of advanced technology.

“Anybody can make an audio and ask for investigation. What effect would it have on ongoing appeals if we order an inquiry into this audiotape?” he questioned.

“The people who have cases [which could be affected by it] have not brought the audiotape to the court. Why should we [take action]? Is there anyone to take ownership of the audiotape?” he questioned.

ECP bars Imran from visiting Peshawar ahead of LG elections ISLAMABAD staff report

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday barred Prime Minister Imran Khan from visiting Peshawar at a time when local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are days away.

According to a letter penned by the regional election commissioner, the prime minister has been asked not to visit the provincial capital ahead of the elections scheduled on December 19.

As the polls are being conducted in Pe-

shawar in the first phase, the reported visit of the prime minister will be considered as a violation of the code of conduct, the regulator said.

The president, prime minister and governors cannot visit the region after the announcement of the election schedule, the letter read.

If he nevertheless undertakes the day-long visit, Khan will launch the Micro Health Insurance Programme and meet the chief minister, governor and provincial leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party.

Under the Kamyab Pakistan initiative, the insurance initiative will provide free medical services worth Rs1 million annually to 7.5

million families in the province The ECP has also warned Khan of legal action in case of any violation of its code of conduct under Sections 233 and 234 of the Election Rules, 2017.

It merits a mention the candidates have started flexing their muscles for the campaign in 17 districts across the province.

As the polling day approaches nearer, campaigns in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, D.I. Khan, Tank, Haripur, Buner and Bajaur districts are heating up.

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