EpaperKHI_22-3-2

wednesday, 2 march, 2022 i 28 rajab, 1443 i rs 15.00 i Vol Xii no 243 i 12 pages i karachi edition

PM Khan visits PML-Q Leaders to heLP consoLidate griP on Power g

Chaudhrys keep shehbaz sharif waiting for another meeting

LAHORE

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staff report

n an apparent bid to consolidate his grip over power, prime minister imran khan on tuesday called on the top leadership of pmL-Q to muster his key ally’s support amid opposition’s attempt to topple pti-led government through a no-confidence motion which is likely to be tabled later this month. the prime minister was accompanied by a delegation comprising punjab Chief minister usman buzdar, federal ministers hammad azhar, fawad Chaudhry, commerce adviser abdul razak dawood and pti lawmaker amir dogar among others. pmL-Q leaders including federal minister moonis elahi, punjab assembly speaker pervaiz elahi, Chaudhry salik hussain, shafay hussain and others were

also present. sources in the pmL-Q told pakistan today that Chaudhry brothers have assured imran khan of their support against no trust move of the opposition parties. per sources, pm imran khan during the meeting inquired after the health of former premier and pmL-Q chief Chaudhry shujaat hussain and discussed the overall political situation of the country in tuesday’s meeting. the premier was visiting Lahore on a daylong visit to the punjab capital. per an official statement issued by the pmL-Q, Chaudrhy shujaat hailed the recent relief measures announced by prime minister and advised imran khan to follow it up by ensuring strict monitoring of prices of daily-use commodities so as poor may not suffer at hands of inflation. pervaiz elahi hailed the package

for revival of industry and urged the premier to announce a similar package for revival of industrial estate in punjab province. per the handout, prime minister praised the idea and assured that a similar package would be announced by punjab government soon. elahi also lauded the successful foreign trips of the premier to beijing and moscow.

Chaudhrys keep shehbaz sharif waiting for another meeting: Chaudhry brothers are benefiting from the squabbling for power between the ruling pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) and the opposition parties and hence has stolen the limelight, of late. pmL-Q, which is the main coalition partner of the ruling pti both in punjab and at the Centre, has recently held several meetings with opposition parties including ppp, pmL-n and others. pakistan democratic alliance (pdm), the anti-government opposition alliance, last month announced bringing a no-confidence motion against pm imran khan. subsequently, pdm along with major opposition party – ppp – stepped up its efforts to garner support from ruling coalition for its no-trust motion. apart from wooing the government allies, the opposition has been banking its support on the ruling party’s lawmakers that they would revolt against their party and support the opposition on noconfidence motion. in a major development last month, pmL-n president shehbaz sharif after a hiatus of 14 years called on pmL-Q leadership to seek their support for no-trust vote against pm imran in national assembly.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

pakistan army to do all to provide peaceful environment for socioeconomic projects in balochistan: Coas ISLAMABAD staff report

general Qamar Javed bajwa, Chief of army staff (Coas) tuesday said that peace and prosperity of balochistan is the top priority and pakistan army will do all to provide peaceful environment for population centric socioeconomic projects in balochistan. the Coas expressed these views during his interactions with the a large number of representatives from all segments of society from district kech, including local leaders and notables, tribal elders, students, lawyers and women in turbat university.

Coas said that balochistan youth is very talented and must capitalize on the available opportunities being cre-

ated for their education and skill development. Coas also encouraged the youth to join local Leas and contribute towards the security and stability of the area. “the people of balochistan have given great sacrifices for development and stability. through Comprehensive national effort, true potential of balochistan will be realised,” Coas concluded. earlier, upon arrival at turbat, the Coas was given detailed briefing on security situation of balochistan and border management measures being ensured by Lieutenant general sarfraz ali, Commander Quetta Corps.

Coas appreciated the morale and operational preparedness of the troops and showed satisfaction on successful operations against terrorists.

coronavirus in

PaKistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,510,221

LAST UPDATED AT 9:11 AM ON MARCH 1, 2022

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

18

861

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,442,938 30,196 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

568,277

501,544

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

216,174

35,345

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

42,978/11,499

134,404

02

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

PM aPPears ‘MisiNfOrMed’ ON legislatiON tO Outlaw fake News: iHC ISLAMABAD

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Staff rePort

HE Islamabad High Court (IHC) said the prime minister appears to be “misinformed” on the legislation to outlaw fake news and punish offenders with a fiveyear prison sentence, in a move described by critics as an attempt to crack down on dissent.

The court was conducting a hearing on a petition challenging the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.

Among effecting other changes that have rendered the stringent law originally introduced in 2016 by the government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)

even more so, the ordinance makes online defamation a non-bailable, cognisable offence and increases the prison term to a maximum of five years.

In a letter to the prime minister, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin ul-Haque, suggested that the government withdraw or review the ordinance.

“It is through the media that the government is able to project its image to the public. By pushing forward with these amendments without consulting the relevant stakeholders, in this case, media practitioners, the government will stoke anger and resentment within the journalistic community,” he said.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed

the law appears to be targeting the dissenting voices.

Last night’s address of Prime Minister Imran Khan showed he was misinformed on the ordinance, he added.

On the admissibility of the petition, Justice Minallah said the court would surely hear a petition filed by a former president of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

The counsel for the petitioner, Hassan Irfan, said the plea contains two different points from the previously filed petitions against the ordinance.

“The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) doesn’t reserve the authority to deal with a matter between two private persons,” the lawyer said, adding the agency can only look into cases involving

the federal government.

In a previous hearing, IHC had declared the ordinance as “draconian law”.

While hearing petitions filed against the FIA for exceeding its authority in the arrest of analyst Mohsin Baig, the court said: “You are imposing censorship through this law.” Justice Minallah said non-implementation of already devised standard operating procedures (SoPs) is the worst thing. He said that whenever an ordinance is prepared, it has to get a green signal from both the Houses of Parliament.

At this, the attorney general said the approval can be obtained from even one House, the National Assembly.

Responding to the attorney general, the court said the ordinance stands rejected even if one House vetoes it.

National Security Policy: Test lies in implementation ISLAMABAD anadolu agency

A local elder of Turbat meeting COAS during his visit to Turbat. Pr

NCOC daily update: 861 new cases, 18 deaths from Covid-19 ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

The nation on Monday recorded 861 new Covid-19 cases and 18 more deaths, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Tuesday. The NCOC said the total caseload has surged to 1,510,221 cases, including 1,442,938 recoveries. There are currently 37,087 active cases in the country, including 988 patients in critical condition. According to the NCOC data, 18 more people died from Covid-19 in Pakistan, bringing the death toll to 30,196. Sindh is the most affected province in terms of the number of cases, with 568,277 infections, followed by Punjab which has reported 501,544 cases so far.

The recently-announced National Security Policy (NSP) is undoubtedly a “paradigm shift” from the traditional military-style strategy to economic security, nonetheless, experts say the real challenge will be in putting the ambitious plan into action.

Islamabad announced its first-ever national security policy in January, prioritising economic security over military security, though the state will stick to its traditional military security strategy in the face of rising tensions with India. Said Nazir, a retired officer and Islamabad-based security analyst, told Anadolu Agency that Islamabad, for the first time, is looking for “economic allies” in comparison to its decades-long policy of having military alliances, amid a string of economic compulsions. “It’s a paradigm shift from a traditional security-based policy to an economy-oriented policy,” Nazir said, adding: “The old mantra was the security, security hardware, and security allies, but now the focus is on the economy and development projects like BRI (Belt and Road Initiative).”

“Now we are looking for economic alliances as the economy has long been our weak point,” Nazir insisted, citing the example of the now-defunct Soviet Union, whose ultimate collapse was caused by a weak economy.

Islamabad and Beijing are pursuing a $64 billion ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which is part of Beijing’s ambitious BRI — the project aims to connect China’s strategically important northwestern Xinjiang province to the Gwadar port through a network of roads, railways, and pipelines to transport cargo, oil, and gas — which both US and India oppose for geopolitical reasons.

Syed Abrar Hussain, a former diplomat and vice chairman of the Institute of Policy Studies, an Islamabadbased think tank, holds a similar view, saying that the policy seeks to secure Pakistan’s interests through political and economic diplomacy. real challenge: The newly announced policy, Hussain argued, will provide policymakers with a “sense of

direction” in the future. However, the real test will be in its implementation.

“It will certainly provide some sense of direction and clarity of vision to the public in general and policymakers in particular, which was probably lacking in the past,” Hussain, who served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan from 2014 to 2017, told Anadolu Agency. Nonetheless, he asserted that the policy’s implementation roadmap is lacking. At least it has not been made public, he said, adding that only half of the 110-page policy has been made public, with the rest kept confidential. Echoing a similar view, Nazir said: “Keeping our track record in view, the real challenge will be the implementation of the policy itself.” The two experts’ apprehensions coincide with a “consistent” inconsistency that has prevailed throughout the nation’s 75-year checkered political history, wherein every new government tried to change the policies of the previous regime. In 2015, the government of then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif introduced a National Action Plan (NAP) to combat terrorism in the country following a terrorist attack that killed over 150 people, mostly students, at a military-run school in Peshawar. currently, the plan exIsts only on paper: “Out of 20 points (of NAP), 13 were fully addressed, but not implemented in letter and spirit, whereas seven were either partially or little implemented,” he asserted, claiming that counter-terrorism institutions such as the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and Joint Intelligence Directorate (JID) are “either in limbo or nowhere in sight.” regIonal securIty: Another highlight of the new security policy, according to Nazir, is that it is no longer “India-centric but economy-oriented.”

However, he said he does not believe that this shift will have a positive impact on the strained relations between the two nuclear neighbours. Citing the scrapping of Indian-occupied Kashmir’s decades-long semiautonomous status and a controversial citizenship law targeting Muslims, Nazir sees remote chances for the resumption of long-stalled talks between the two countries, particularly in the presence of Narendra Modi’s hardline Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Cabinet approves 100pc tax credit for resident or non-resident Pakistanis for investment into industry ISLAMABAD Shahzad Paracha

Federal cabinet has approved 100 percent tax credit for resident or non-resident Pakistanis on repatriating their declared foreign assets into Pakistan for investment into industry. According to the summary available with this scribe, the Cabinet through circulation has approved the Promotion Package for Industry (PPI) by Promulgation of Ordinance for Amendments in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 Via Income Tax Amendment Ordinance 2022. Incentivization of capital investment into various industrial sectors is common to most tax systems. Pakistan has also provided tax incentives to the industrial sector through the introduction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Processing Zones (EPZs), and Special Technology Zones (STZs). There may, however, be a need to extend similar benefits to all geographic areas in Pakistan and also envisage the entrepreneurs to invest in industrial undertakings out of their undisclosed assets so that employment is generated and sick industrial units are revived.

It is also Imperative to incentivize non-resident Pakistanis and resident Pakistani individuals to repatriate their foreign exchange into Pakistan and invest in the industry. The matter of extending a Promotion Plan for Industry (PPI) sponsored by M/o Industries & Production (MoIP) came under discussion in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on January 25, 2022, and approved in principle. The PPI has three strands including incentives for investment in new and existing industrial undertakings, incentives for revival of sick units and incentives for investment in industries by non-resident Pakistanis and resident Pakistani individuals having declared foreign assets.

IncentIves for settIng up new IndustrIes: Under the PPI, a 5% across-theboard tax rate will immune the investor from probe about his sources of investment as provided under the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (hereinafter “the Ordinance”). The investor will establish a new industrial undertaking through creation of a new company. Similarly existing units can avail the facility for balancing and modernization. The cutoff date for filing such declarations will be 31.12.2022 with a condition to start commercial production by the new unit by 30.06.2024.

IncentIves for revIval of sIck unIts: PPI provides that those companies returning a net loss in the last 3 years will be eligible to be acquired through acquisition (not amalgamation) by a healthy profit-making company, which will be incentivized to adjust the sick company’s tax losses for the next 3 years. tax IncentIves for foreIgn Investment: PPI further provides that if eligible non-resident Pakistanis and resident Pakistani individuals repatriate their declared foreign assets into Pakistan for investment into industry, they would be entitled to 100% tax credit for the next five years.

Government mulling proposal to establish new regulatory authority for oil & gas sector ISLAMABAD ahmad ahmadani

The government is mulling a proposal to establish the Pakistan Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority to promote and regulate the upstream activities in line with the international best practices in a planned, well executed, sustainable and cost effective manner.

According to documents, functions of the proposed Pakistan Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority will be to decide the matters of grants, regulations, annulment, revocation and monitoring of all petroleum rights and upstream activities.

Similarly, this authority will promote and facilitate the upstream activities by the holders of petroleum rights so as to ensure its execution in line with the international best practices in a planned, well executed, sustainable and cost effective manner.

Furthermore, the authority will be responsible for the monitoring, implementing and regulating the upstream activities.

The proposed Pakistan Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority will also have the mandate to exclusively issue gas price notifications for the producers. It will also monitor field development plans, operation and production (including environmental compliance, community engagements, health and safety compliance, and fiscal compliance), cessation of production and removal of facilities.

“The Authority shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power and function to enter into contracts, acquire, hold and dispose of property both movable and immovable and shall by its own name sue and be sued,” said the documents.

It is also learnt that the headquarter of the Authority will be in Islamabad and with the prior approval of the federal government set as many offices all over the country as when and where required.

The Authority will consist of a Chairman and four members (Member Exploration, Member Production, Member

Safety and Finance, and Member Legal and Compliance) who will be appointed on the recommendations of the respective provincial government on rotational basis.

The federal government will appoint a Chairman of the authority while the process for the appointment of a member or a Chairman, as the case may be, will be initiated by the Authority within one hundred and seventy days prior to the expiry of the term of the member or the Chairman.

As per document, the Authority will, in the performance of its functions act transparently and fairly. The government will from time to time, issue the policy directives as it may deem necessary, which will be binding upon the Authority.

And, the Authority will comply with the policy guidelines issued by the government in exercise of its powers and functions and in making the decision.

Moreover, the Authority will have the exclusive power to require notices and reports specified under the safety regulations.

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

NePra okays rs 2.90/unit power tariff hike for k-e consumers ISLAMABAD

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Staff rePort

HE National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Tuesday approved a tariff hike of Rs 2.90 per unit for the electricity consumers of K-Electric (KE) on account of Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) for the month of January 2022.

NEPRA’s hearing on the request of K-Electric to increase the power tariff by Rs 3.40/unit was held on March 1, 2022 under the chair NEPRA chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi. And, NEPRA after completing the hearing approved the power tariff hike of Rs 2.90/unit under head FCA of January 2022 which will add an additional burden of approximately Rs 3 billion on KE consumers. As per NEPRA, the Authority (NEPRA) will soon announce its detailed decision on FCA of January 2022 after scrutiny of the data submitted by the KE. During the NEPRA hearing, officials of KE said that expansive electricity was obtained from the national grid while the Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) supply to KE power plants was reduced and the KE had to depend on furnace oil for power generation. The officials of KE also said that KE’s current generation capacity is 1800 MW while the company’s 900 megawatt (MW) project is expected to start power production during the month of March.

They said that KE’s Bin Qasim Power Plant 3 is ready to start power generation as its first unit of 450 MW is likely to start power generation from March 7.

KE officials also assured the NEPRA that KE’s power generation would reach 3800 MW during this summer season.

Speaking on the occasion, NEPRA chairman said that the issue of low gas pressure is not likely to be resolved soon while NEPRA officials said that KE consumers would have to pay an additional Rs 300 million due to the low gas supply.

During the NEPRA hearing, KE officials also said that Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) has to invest more to supply additional gas to KE. They said that efforts are underway to settle the arrears with SSGCL as early as possible. However, SSGCL is not ready to give assurance regarding the gas pressure, said KE officials. Upon this, NEPRA chairman said it seems both companies (KE and SSGCL) are so far not ready to ink an agreement in this regard.

Present on the occasion the representatives of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries complained regarding unscheduled load shedding by KE and gas shortages issues. And, NEPRA chairman advised the KE to augment its system to give maximum relief to its consumers.

Responding to a question regarding the Prime Ministers’ announcement of Rs 5/unit electricity prices

reduction, NEPRA chairman said it is the government’s prerogative to give relief to the public.

He further said that NEPRA’s only role is to convey a fair price of the per unit of electricity to the government. He said it is upto the government either to pass it on to the consumers or to give relief to power consumers through the subsidy.

NEPRA will soon hold a meeting with Power Division officials for implementation of the PM’s announcement, said NEPRA chairman.

KE also sought reduction in the price of electricity

by Rs. 0.302 per Kilowatt hour (kWh) under the head quarterly adjustment for the quarter ending December 2021 under Multi Year Tariff (MYT) 2017-2023.

Earlier, K-Electric in a tariff petition requested the NEPRA to approve Rs3.40 per unit hike in power price on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for the month of January 2022.

As per details, the KE asked NEPRA to jack up the power tariff by Rs3.406 per kilowatt hour under the head FCA of January 2022 while KE also requested to decrease the base power tariff by 30 paisa under the head quarterly adjustment for the quarter October to December 2021.

It is relevant to note that the proposed FCA of January 2022 will be charged in the monthly electricity bill while the proposed negative 30 paisa per unit will be included in the base power tariff.

PPP hands over report on rigging in 2018 elections to CEC NewS DeSk The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has handed over its report on rigging in 2018 elections to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), asking him to take action under the law against the glaring theft of the entire general election of 2018, a news outlet reported on Tuesday.

A three-member PPP delegation, including Taj Haider, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari and Farhatullah Babar, handed over the report to CEC. “Crimes once committed are never

time-barred and in the background of the punitive actions that ECP has already taken against violations of Election Act 2017, we look forward to further punitive actions on the theft of general election 2018,” the letter accompanying the report stated.

According to the official statement, the report describes in detail the pre-poll, polling day and the post-poll rigging committed by persons belonging to the administration and the security institutions, the letter said.

“Unfortunately the polling staff appointed by the Election Commission

miserably failed to stop these crimes. It is also possible that some of the appointed staff became partners in these crimes,” it said.

The report also includes relevant extracts from the various reports on the General Elections 2018 prepared and published by various national and international observers who covered those elections, the letter said.

“There are hundreds of thousands of polling agents, candidates, representatives of print and electronic media, representative of election observers, workers of political parties,

members of civil society, election officials and those belonging to the general public who are witnesses to the fact that all polling agents were forcibly thrown out of polling stations at the time of vote count and preparation of results besides other crimes under the Law committed with glaring impunity,” the report said.

“In a very high number of constituencies and especially in constituencies where the candidates of PPPP were generally expected to win, the results took days and days to be announced,” it said.

Former GB CJ Rana Shamim challenges his indictment in affidavit case NewS DeSk Ex-Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice Rana Shamim filed an intra-court appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, challenging his indictment in the affidavit case.

The former CJ claimed that barring those who published the affidavit – accusing former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar of influencing the case against former premier Nawaz Sharif – in a newspaper and “indicting me alone is unconstitutional”.

Justice Shamim made journalist Ansar Abbasi, the bureau chief and editor-in-chief of the said publication parties to the case. He questioned how the court will ascertain how Ansar Abbasi got hold of the affidavit if the latter will be excluded from trial.

Justice Rana Shamim requested the court to quash the case by declaring the indictment order null and void, adding that there was nothing on record to prove that he provided the affidavit.

“The main accused in the case was discharged on the assurance of private persons. The law does not envisage doing so on the assurance of private individuals,” he added.

Furthermore, the former G-B chief justice stated that the individuals who confessed to publishing the document were not indicted but he was, “despite clearly stating that he had not provided the affidavit for publishing to anyone”.

POS verified invoices shot up as FBR’s prize scheme grows popular ISLAMABAD PreSS releaSe

Amongst various innovative digital interventions made

by FBR to maximize tax compliance through automation of its operations and facilitation of taxpayers, Point of Sale System is one key initiative which aims to monitor sales made by Tier-1 Retailers across Pakistan. Adding value to this critically important sector and plug revenue leakages, FBR has launched an aggressive awareness campaign on the mainstream national media to educate and engage consumers to ensure that tax collected from them at the point of sale is deposited into state exchequer and not pocketed by the retailers themselves.

Furthermore, the campaign also encompasses a prize scheme worth Rs.53 Million to be disbursed among 1007 lucky winners through a transparent computerized ballot to be held on 15th of every month at FBR Headquarters, Islamabad.

This is truly an unprecedented example of involving

citizens in tax compliance and raise their awareness about their national responsibility to not pay their due tax but also safeguard the same from being stolen on its way to national exchequer.

The ongoing outreach campaign and the prize scheme continue to gain momentum as numbers keep growing up. In January, FBR has witnessed that about 2,49,000 invoices were verified by customers who shopped from outlets integrated with FBR POS System as against 153,000 in January 2022.

Likewise, around 38 Million invoices were issued

by Tier-1 Retailers which are integrated with FBR POS System in February as compared to 37 Million in January, 2022, despite the current month being short of 3 days as compared to January. Approximately, another 4 million verified invoices would have been added to tally if 3 more days were available in February. The number of customers has also jumped from 27,000 in January to around 39000 in February who successfully verified their invoices.

The IHC on January 20, indicted former GilgitBaltistan chief justice Rana Shamim on contempt of court charges.

However, the court deferred framing charges against the media personnel involved in the case including investigative journalist Ansar Abbasi, editor-in-chief of a national daily, and its resident editor.

The high court had initiated proceedings against Shamim and the media personnel after an affidavit by the former G-B chief judge was published in a newspaper that accused former chief justice Saqib Nisar of influencing the case against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

IHC CJ Athar Minallah warned that if it came to light during the hearing that media personnel had done this deliberately, action will be taken against them as well.

NEWS

03

government taking measures to provide relief to public: fawad ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is taking a range of approaches to deal with the fallout of economic fragility and provide relief to the people, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said. Talking to reporters in Lahore, he said the industrial package will help in promoting the industrial sector and create new job opportunities, adding easy loans are being provided to youth for business. The minister said the government has put the economy on the right track. He said the government tackled the coronavirus situation successfully which has been appreciated by the world’s financial institutions. Chaudhry praised contributions by Pakistan nationals living abroad who sent remittances which helped the economy. He said the government has revived the textile industry while construction and agriculture have also been boosted.

Just 20% released for kP foreign funding projects PeSHAwAR aziz Buneri

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government said that the international financial institutions have provided just 20% of the promised funds during the first six months of the current financial year. The report said that the provincial government has also spent only 11% of the released funds on the proposed projects. For the current financial year, KP government had proposed 60 mega projects with the financial support of international aid agencies but all the projects are suffering of low pace of work. According to the KP Planning and Development (P&D), this year’s development program includes 60 projects to be completed in collaboration with international aid agencies. However, the aid agencies have released only Rs18.20 billion in the first six months of the financial year out of which the provincial government has used Rs9.75 billion which constitutes 11% of the allocated funds. According to the document, not a single penny has been released for seven projects of four departments, including four projects for clean water supply, one each of forest, interior ministry and labour department. Similarly, the departments to which funds have been released include Rs122 million out of Rs27.25 billion for two projects of the finance department, Rs5.97 billion out of Rs12.60 billion for seven energy projects and Rs2.78bn out of Rs10.74bn has been released for five road projects.

The documents show that Rs1.18bn out of Rs8.95bn has been released for 17 multi-sector development projects.

For one transport project, only Rs 221mn has been released out of Rs8.67bn. For three agriculture projects, Rs1.70bn has been released out of Rs4.89 billion Similarly, Rs2.16 billion out of Rs3.52 billion has been release for two projects of local government department, Rs3 billion out of Rs3.12 billion for two sports and tourism projects, only Rs70 million out of Rs3.11 billion has been released for four primary and secondary education projects. Rs451 million out of Rs1.98 billion were released for three projects in health sector.

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

04 NeWs

InflATIon SlowS yeAR on yeAR buT MonThly RATe juMpS KARACHI

T

reuterS

HE consumer inflation on Tuesday slowed slightly from a year earlier in February, though the monthly rate jumped on the back of higher food and energy prices and adds to growing political pressure facing Prime Minister Imran Khan. The consumer price index (CPI) was at 12.2 percent in February yearon-year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said, easing slightly from the previous month’s two-year high of 13 percent.

On a monthly basis, the inflation rate jumped by 1.2 percent in February compared with a 0.4 percent rise the previous month, the bureau said in a statement.

Prices of food and non-food items kept an upward trajectory though others like eggs, potatoes, onions and sugar registered a slight decrease, it added.

Surging food and energy prices have put Khan under increasing pressure, especially from his middle-classes support base.

Khan announced a cut in petrol and elec-

tricity prices on Monday despite a steep rise in the global oil market, pledging to freeze the new rates until the next budget in June.

The move comes as the opposition, already engaged in street protests over what they claim is the government’s mismanagement of the economy and rising inflation, says it is set to propose a no-confidence motion in parliament to oust him.

Given the country’s poor economic outlook with a widening current account deficit and depleting foreign reserves, the move is being termed as a popular decision by Khan that will need billions of rupees in subsidy in the next four months.

Khan has been against subsidies since he took office in late 2018, and reversing it also puts his government at odds with the IMF’s demands that Islamabad should cut subsidies and tax exemptions to bridge its fiscal deficit. The opposition has questioned how the government would fund the billions of rupees in subsidies.

Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar has said the money will come from a funded subsidy in the long term, without elaborating

on the specifics.

The finances are likely to be diverted

from elsewhere, including Covid-19 funds, subsidised fuel and reduction in expendi-

tures, said Saad Hashemy, executive director of BMA Capital.

World urges Pakistan to condemn Ukraine conflict at UN ISLAMABAD Staff report

Shab-e-Miraj observed with religious fervor LAHORE Staff report

The faithful on Monday night observed Shab-e-Miraj, the night of reverence and fervour, across the country with great religious zeal. With the setting of the sun, the faithful started gathering at mosques to offer special prayers for peace, progress and prosperity of the country, besides seeking forgiveness for their sins. The faithful also organized several gatherings and Mahafile-Naat to achieve the almighty’s blessing in the world and the life hereafter. They prayed for getting rid of the menace of economic insecurity besides showing the right path to disgruntled people, playing in the hands of anti-state elements. Clerics and religious scholars in their sermons highlighted the teachings of Islam and various aspects of the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) so that the followers could lead their lives in line with the Quran and Sunnah. Houses, streets and mosques were decorated with colourful pennants and buntings whereas at night these were well illuminated by means of electric lights, candles and oil lamps. Besides, people visited graves of their near and dear ones, seeking God’s blessings for the departed souls. Special security arrangements were made for peaceful observance of the Shab-e-Barat.

Six secure government employment under Rule 17-A LAHORE Staff report

On the orders of Punjab Ombudsman retired Major Azam Suleman Khan, applicants from Khanewal, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Vehari and Jhang have been provided government jobs in public sector departments under Rule 17-A of the Punjab Civil Servants (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1974. In a statement issued on Tuesday, a spokesman for the office of Punjab ombudsman explained one Muhammad Junaid Bilal has been recruited by district education authority Mianwali as a junior clerk in grade 11, Muhammad Junaid Jamil Ghouri and Muhammad Qayyum Shehzad of Khanewal have been hired as naib qasids while the primary and secondary healthcare department has posted another applicant Muhammad Ahmad Farooq of Jhang as lab attendant in THQ hospital, Shorkot. Under the direction of the ombudsman’s office, Muhammad Danial from Dera Ghazi Khan has been appointed as naib qasid in the education department while Sohaib Ahmad Khan of Vehari has also been recruited by the Auqaf Department in grade 9 as a dispenser in Mailsi dispensary, the spokesman added. The plaintiffs have thanked the provincial ombudsman for providing legal relief to them.

The heads of some 22 diplomatic missions stationed in Islamabad have urged Pakistan to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine during a rare emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, as the West steps up a diplomatic campaign to isolate Moscow.

The session of the 193-member body will vote on a draft resolution “to demand the end of hostilities, protection of civilians, and safe and unhindered humanitarian access to meet the urgent needs of the population”.

It is similar to a text vetoed by Russia in the 15-member Security Council on Friday. No country has a veto in the General Assembly and Western diplomats expect the resolution, which needs two-thirds support, to be adopted.

In a joint letter written to Pakistan on Tuesday, the ambassadors recalled the February 25 resolution vetoed by Moscow. China, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) abstained and the remaining 11 members voted yes.

The diplomats said the resolution was aimed at reaffirming the commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine

within its internationally recognised borders and would have deplored in the strongest terms the violence in Ukraine.

UN General Assembly meets again today in an historic Emergency Special Session: 🇪🇺🇨🇦🇬🇧🇦🇺🇯🇵 urge 🇵🇰 to join in condemning Russian aggression against 🇺🇦 #Ukraine and voice support for upholding the 🇺🇳UN Charter & founding principles of international law. #StandW i t h U k r a i n e pic.twitter.com/cGbij3L9HK — Wendy Gilmour (@gilmour_wendy) March 1, 2022 “In addition, the resolution called on Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine,” the letter read.

The violence “constitutes a clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations and presents a serious risk to global peace and security”, it added.

“We deplore the loss of life and humanitarian suffering as innocent civilians are being targeted and a mass exodus of women and children is underway into neighbouring countries from Ukraine, an independent and sovereign state and member of the United Nations. This is unacceptable in Europe, as it is anywhere in the World.”

The diplomats stressed the international community must work in solidarity and support and uphold the rules-based international order “in these extreme times”.

The letter is jointly signed by the ambassadors of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Japan, Norway and Switzerland as well as the head of the Delegation of the European Union in Pakistan.

The high commissioners of Canada, the United Kingdom and the chargé d’affaires of Australia are also signatories to the letter.

Quoting a diplomatic source, a report in Dawn said Islamabad had decided not to participate in the emergency session of the General Assembly.

“Pakistan has decided not to take sides on this issue,” the report said. “Islamabad supports a peaceful and negotiated settlement [of the issue].”

RUSSIA VOTE: The General Assembly is expected to vote on the latest resolution as soon as Wednesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

“Russia cannot veto our voices. Rus-

sia cannot veto the Ukrainian people.

And Russia cannot veto the UN Charter.

Russia cannot, and will not, veto accountability,” said Thomas-Greenfield.

While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight. The United States and allies see action at the United Nations as a chance to show Russia is isolated.

They will be looking to improve on the 100 countries who voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution in March 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region. That resolution declared invalid a referendum on the status of Crimea.

The draft resolution already has at least 80 co-sponsors, diplomats said on Monday. More than 100 countries are due to speak before the General Assembly votes.

The vote will come at the end of the emergency special session. It will only be the 11th such General Assembly session convened since 1950.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said of the Security Council votes on Friday and Sunday: “Any attempt to circumvent the position of a Russian Federation, any attempt to disregard it, undermines the very bedrock of the UN Charter.”

Chairman OGRA calls urgent meeting of OMCs, refineries to discuss oil price related matters ISLAMABAD ahMad ahMadani

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement to reduce petrol and diesel price by Rs 10 per litre, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman has called an urgent meeting of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and refineries to resolve their issues regarding oil prices.

OGRA Executive Director (Accounts), Muhamamd Murtaza Chaudhry in a letter dated March 01, 2022 addressed to Secretary Petroleum and Director General (Oil), Petroleum Division said that Chairman OGRA desired to conduct a meeting on Wednesday (March 02, 2022) to discuss the oil pricing issues with senior level officers well conversant with the pricing issues.

OGRA has also requested Chairman Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), Managing Directors of PARCO, Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL), Pakistan State Oil, Shell Pakistan, Gas and Oil, TOTAL PARCO and Chairman Cnergico PK Ltd to attend the meeting to discuss the matter in detail.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a big initiative to protect the masses from the impact of global inflationary trends, on Monday unveiled a major relief package, including Rs10 per litre reduction in petrol, diesel prices, Rs5 per unit cut in electricity tariff among other measures.

“The government has decided not to increase the prices of petrol and diesel as well as electricity tariff till

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the next budget,” Imran Khan said in his televised address to the nation.

According to sources, the OMCs and the refineries have serious concerns over the premier’s announcement to slash petrol and high speed diesel (HSD) price by Rs 10 per litre. And, to resolve their concerns the OGRA chairman has called an urgent meeting on Wednesday.

“This meeting would discuss in detail the ex-refinery price, ex-depot sale price etc and the measures to compensate the refineries and OMCs,” said sources.

It is pertinent to mention that reportedly the impact of Rs10 per liter reduction in petrol and diesel prices would mean a monthly impact of about Rs 15 Billion based on average sales of about 1.5 billion litres.

Two killed, six injured in Karachi firings ISLAMABAD Monitoring report

Two people were killed and six others were injured in separate firing incidents in Karachi on Monday. In one of the incidents, a factory worker was killed by unknown gunmen. In a separate incident, a student was gunned down by miscreants who fled the scene after the attack. Two security guards of a bank were injured while foiling an attack at a private bank.

According to the report, three pedestrians and one policeman were injured in separate firing incidents in the city during the day. Security has been beefed up in the city following the attacks. No group or individual has claimed any of the attacks yet. Police reports have been filed in concerned police stations, and the investigation process is underway.

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

PM Khan visits PML-Q leaders to help consolidate grip on power contInueD froM pAge 01 However, Federal Minister for Water Resources Moonis Elahi assured the PTI government that PML-Q was an ally of the government and would stand by it in any political situation as it had confidence in the leadership abilities of Prime Minister Imran. Per sources, a follow-up meeting between the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has been delayed. According to the sources, the PML-N president had invited PML-Q’s leadership for dinner, however, the latter are yet to confirm their availability. The sources further said that Shahbaz had invited PML-Q leaders Pervaiz Elahi and Moonis Elahi last week for a dinner-meeting, and the Chaudhrys had promised to get back in two days; however, no response has been received so far.

LHC turns down MPA Bilal Yaseen’s plea of transferring case The Lahore High Court (LHC) turned down Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Bilal Yaseen’s request to transfer his case from the court of a judge of an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) as he believed the current judge to be biased towards the accused.

The hearing for the transfer application was heard by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti. The MPA requested for his case to be transferred to a different judge stating that “the judge wants to give undue advantage to some of the accused persons”, adding that he believed the ATC judge to be “under some pressure and influence from the accused”.

Responding to the petitioner, Justice Bhatti stated that the order could be challenged if the verdict came against him. The PML-N MPA’s counsel then withdrew the petition which was later dismissed as withdrawn.

In his petition, Bilal Yaseen stated that he had registered a case on January 1, under section 324/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code with section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

Upon filing the case, his supplementary statement was recorded in which the plaintiff named Hamid Mahmood and Asad Hamid as the accused. The MPA further stated that the police did not arrest the accused and neither did the accused obtain bail.

Moreover, the MPA said that the ATC-III judge made remarks before hearing the complainant’s counsel, and thus remains doubtful of the judge’s impartiality.

The petitioner further argued that in contrast to other cases, the duration between the dates set for hearing bail applications was short, giving rise to the presumption of bias.

Within his transfer plea, Bilal Yaseen stated that he has lost faith in the trial court and if the case is not transferred, he shall suffer irreparable loss and injury.

On December 31 2021, MPA Bilal Yaseen was shot and injured by unidentified assailants in Lahore.

According to police officials, the men were on two motorcycles and opened fire on the PML-N MPA following his visit to a party worker in the Data Darbar area of the city.

The MPA suffered two bullet injuries in his leg and stomach, a police official said, adding that he was rushed to the Mayo Hospital, where he underwent treatment.

On January 13, the police arrested the duo involved in shooting and injuring Yaseen.

The alleged shooters, identified as Sajid and Fakhar Alam, were nabbed in a raid on a hideout located in Shahdara.

They were caught in a covert operation after at least 10 raids in various areas of the city, with at least 16 teams of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) working on the case.

Furthermore, a police spokesperson said Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Inspector General (IG) Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan were directly monitoring the progress into the case. news desk

05

SC turNS dowN reQueSt to HALt eLeCtioN oN VAwdA’S SeNAte SeAt ISLAMABAD

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HE Supreme Court on Tuesday binned the petition of former senator Faisal Vawda to halt the election on his seat in the Upper House which was vacated after the de-notification of his election as a Senator.

The court said the right to disqualify for life a public office holder, which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) enjoys, is a matter that should be debated, and the result of the election on his seat on March 9 would be conditional with the court decision.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said besides the ECP jurisdiction, the important thing, in this case, was a false affidavit Vawda submitted ahead of the 2018 general elections.

According to the Supreme Court’s earlier judgement, the consequences of the false affidavit would be stringent, the judge added.

He further said a clarity was needed on the matter of whether or not the ECP had the jurisdiction to disqualify for life a public representative.

“It is paramount to decide to which extent the ECP could exercise judicial powers,” the chief justice added.

IHC declares marriages under 18 illegal The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday made a ruling regarding the legal age for marriage and declared any marriages under the age of 18 years as unlawful, according to media reports.

After the hearing of a case related to a 16-yearold girl, Sawera Falak Sher, who had been allegedly kidnapped and married off in May, 2021, Justice Babar Sattar, in a written order, observed that a girl under the age of 18 cannot marry on her own will, while her relatives also cannot proceed with an agreement to the same effect.

The order further stated that the legal age for puberty is 18 years and that the same cannot be decided on the basis of physical changes that emerge at the age.

The judge further directed that the issue of the matter not carrying enough clarity in the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance be placed before the Cabinet Division and parliament.

The judge subsequently asked the authorities to hand over the girl to her mother on the basis of her age. news desk

Narcotics force recovers 698.8kg drugs, arrests five ISLAMABAD Monitoring report

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) conducted operations in different cities, recovering 698.8 kilogrammes of drugs and arresting five suspects during the last 24 hours, an official said. A spokesperson of the force said in a statement the recovered drugs include 591.6 kilogrammes of hashish, 97 kilogrammes of opium, six kilogrammes of heroin and 4.2 kilogrammes of ice drug.

The team, supported by an intelligence agency, conducted a raid near the Ghazi Ghat town of the Muzaffargarh district and recovered 571.2 kilogrammes of hashish, 55 kilogrammes of opium and 4.2 kilogrammes of ice drug from a truck.

The force also arrested two

suspected smugglers during the raid, who were smuggling the drugs from Balochistan to Punjab.

In another operation in Peshawar, the ANF seized six kilogrammes of heroin, 1.2 kilogrammes of hashish and 1.2 kilogrammes of opium from a

car and arrested two suspects, including a female.

The ANF conducted the third operation in Lahore, arresting a ringleader of a gang and recovered 19.2 kilogrammes of hashish and 40.8 kilogrammes of opium from his car and his residence.

Noor Mukadam case: Zahir’s employee files appeal against prison sentence Accused Jan Mohammad, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for abetting Zahir Jaffer in the murder of Noor Mukadam, has filed an appeal against his sentence, a news outlet reported on Tuesday. Earlier on February 24, a sessions court in Islamabad had sentenced Zahir’s staff Iftikhar and Mohammad Jan each to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 for abetting, 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 for confining a kidnapped person, one month of simple imprisonment for omitting information from a public servant and seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 for concealing a plan to commit an offence punishable with death or life imprisonment. Zahir was handed down the death penalty for the murder of Noor Mukadam.

According to the report, Jan, who served as a gardener in Zahir’s house, filed the petition through counsel Kamran Murtaza, seeking annulment of the trial court’s sentence. The appeal stated that Jan Mohammad was not accused in the first information report (FIR), rather was accused in the supplementary statement. It further said that the accused was an employee at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and only worked part-time at Zahir’s house. It maintained that there was no evidence to prove the charges against him and that the sentence should be quashed. news desk

5 killed as Russian strike hits Kyiv TV tower, cuts broadcasts An apparent Russian airstrike aimed at Kyiv’s main television tower killed five people on Tuesday, officials said, knocking out some broadcasts but leaving the structure intact.

After a blast sounded around the city and smoke was seen rising in the Babi Yar district, the emergencies service said five people were also injured in the attack.

Ukrainian officials released footage of charred bodies and cars damaged by the strike, which came during a surge of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv.

“To the world: what is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babi Yar,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky asked in a tweet.

“Once again, these barbarians are murdering the victims of Holocaust!”

The tower is based near the Babi Yar ravine where more than 30,000 were slaughtered by the Nazis during World War II. The tragedy is commemorated by a memorial statue and is a site of pilgrimage for many Jews.

Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of threatening the memorial.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the at-

tack damaged the tower’s transformer substation, which provides it with electricity, as well as some of its hardware.

The interior ministry said that back-up systems would be put into operation to restore programming. Most Ukrainian channels appeared to be functioning normally about an hour after the strike.

Earlier, the Russian defence ministry spokesman had said that Moscow’s forces

would hit technological infrastructure in Kyiv “to suppress information attacks on Russia”.

But the targets he cited — the SBU security service and the army psychological operations unit — did not include the civilian-run television tower in the capital.

Russia steps up attacks on ukRainian cities: Russian forces stepped up attacks on cities across Ukraine on Tuesday and warned they would target se-

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curity buildings in the capital Kyiv, as the West promised more devastating sanctions and the UN appealed for $1.7 billion for urgent aid.

As Moscow intensified its offensive six days since the invasion began, Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, said the Russian army had fired on its local administration building with missiles, killing at least 10 people.

An AFP reporter saw rescue workers carrying a body out of the building, which was surrounded by debris and whose windows were completely shattered.

“This is state terrorism on the part of Russia,” said Zelensky in a video address to the European Parliament.

He reiterated his urgent appeal for his pro-Western country to join the European Union, adding: “Prove you are with us, prove you are not abandoning us and you are really Europeans.”

EU lawmakers, many wearing #standwithUkraine T-shirts bearing the Ukrainian flag, others with blue-and-yellow scarves or ribbons, gave Zelensky a standing ovation as he addressed the European Parliament via video link.

“We are fighting to be equal members of

Europe,” Zelensky said in Ukrainian in a speech translated into English by an interpreter who spoke through tears.

“Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness,” he said.

“The EU will be much stronger with us.”

Officials said more than 20 people were also wounded in Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine and 10 more people discovered alive under the rubble.

The International Criminal Court has already opened a war crimes investigation against Russia and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the most recent attack “violates the rules of war”.

In southern Ukraine, the city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea was left without electricity after bombardment, while Kherson on the Black Sea reported Russian checkpoints encircling the city.

In a key strategic victory for Moscow, Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had linked up with the forces of pro-Moscow rebels from eastern Ukraine in a region along the Azov Sea coast. Agencies

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022

06 COMMENT

It’s all about the Ukrainian people

Financing the relief package Can PM pull a Houdini?

Finding fault with past US behaviour is unhelpful

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HiLE Prime Minister imran Khan has yet to fulfil many of the major promises made before the 2018 elections, he has now come up with a set of vote catching relief measures that may seem premature as elections are more than a year away. the hefty relief package announced by the PM will cost Rs 237 billion in four months. Pakistan is already facing a liquidity crunch and is pulling on with the help of foreign loans, which make endorsement by the iMF a compulsion.

While the iMF’s programme requires strict adherence to an austerity-based policy, Mr Khan has ordered the slashing of petrol prices by Rs 10 per litre and of the power tariff by Rs 5 per unit. Other relief measures announced require procurement of extra funds. College graduates have been promised skills-based internships and a monthly allowance of Rs 30,000. the Ehsaas stipend has been increased to Rs 14,000. there would be tax exemption for companies and freelancers in the it sector, and overseas Pakistanis investing in Pakistan’s industries or carrying out joint ventures will get a five-year tax holiday. under the Kamyab Jawan programme, the country's youth and farmers would be given interest-free loans. Low-income citizens have been promised subsidized loans to build homes. According to the government’s programme, loans worth Rs 407 billion will be disbursed during the next two years.

While few would have a beef with the relief package, the question is how it is going to be financed as long as the government remains committed to the iMF’s austerity programme. it remains to be seen if the iMF is satisfied with the government’s promise not to increase fiscal deficit and make adjustments in expenditure while staying within the limits. Will the higher taxes needed to meet this pledge erode the relief granted? the relief package comes at a time when the govt is under pressure on account of the opposition’s no-confidence move and the long marches. Pti dissidents as well coalition partners fear public black lash on account of the government’s failure to address sensitive issues like rising prices and unemployment. the announcement of populist measures has led some opposition leaders to conclude that the government wants to hold early elections and it might even dissolve the assemblies before the positive but temporary impact of the relief starts wearing off.

Washington Watch

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utin's Russia played "chicken" with the West and, because he was the only one on the road, it appears that he has won. unlike many of my colleagues on the Democratic Party's left, i believed, early on, that nAtO should have sent troops to ukraine making it clear that any threat to its sovereignty would not be tolerated. it wasn't necessary for ukraine to be a member of nAtO, just that it was threatened and needed to be defended.

Putin read the West's hesitation to respond, beyond words and now sanctions, as weakness. the words mean nothing, and Russia and its oligarchs have been able to withstand sanctions. What they could not have faced down was a direct challenge to their military. As it is, Russia has literally been able to invade ukraine without any meaningful challenge. throughout the past several weeks, as this conflict was brewing, American political leaders and commentators were debating the appropriate us response to Russia's threat to ukraine's sovereignty. instead of the expected Republican hawks versus Democratic doves, the debate raged within each party and focused on a number of important but still somewhat peripheral matters — not on the issues at stake in this Russian power-grab.

Former President Donald trump weirdly praised Putin as a genius and a savvy operator, with many Republicans in his camp arguing, as one did, "Why

If water commissioners can meet…

The Indus Waters meeting shows that India and Pakistan can talk

Restoring faith in the system

attiya munaWer

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n islamabad sessiona court has sentenced Zahir Jaffer to death in the noor Mukadam murder case. On this verdict, noor Mukadam’s father says that noor Mukadam has got justice, as this case is not only of his daughter, but it is a matter of protection of every daughter of Pakistan. in the noor Mukadam case, the decision of the court is a testament to the sincerity of the people. During this case, the culprit Zahir Jaffer has been making many melodramatic claims in the court and the services of the most expensive lawyers had also been obtained but after the verdict of the court, the people are hopeful that this beast will soon reach the point of punishment. it is clear that Zahir Jaffer brutally killed noor Mukadam and his employees helped him in the murder instead of saving noor. However, the police found the decapitated body of noor Mukadam on the spot. there was no eyewitness to the incident.

When the matter came to light through social media, the Prime Minister took notice and directed the interior Ministry to take this incident as a test case and

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

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Executive Editor

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The better course of action would be to admit our past faults, commit to reestablish respect for the rule of law, and act to correct the damage being done here and now to a country and people who deserve more than being Putin's pawns in his crude "game of nations"

Noor Mukadam got justice

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nDiAn intransigence has prevented not just progress on the issues dividing Pakistan and india, but talks at all. there are several outstanding issues between the two countries, not least the Kashmir problem. Pakistan too has made progress on Kashmir, a precondition for talks on any other issue. As a result, the sir Creek demarcation has yet to take place, with the result that the maritime boundary between the two is still unsettled, and neither is able to avail rights under the Law of the sea treaty. there is also the issue of trade between the two. Apart from the Kashmir issue, there is also the issue of non-tariff barriers, which must be settled. As a result of this, both countries are passing up an opportunity.

However, the two sides have got down to the annual meeting of the indus Waters Commission, which they are not holding because of the importance of the subject matter of the talks (though it is very important), but because of a treaty requirement, for the indus Waters treaty requires that the Commission, which comprises one Commissioner each from either country, must meet every year before March 31, alternately in each country. the last meeting took place in new Delhi on March 23 and 24. that meeting also showed the utility of the mechanism, and of talks in general, because it resulted in an agreement to let Pakistan inspect the controversial Kishen Ganga hydel project. the meeting also led to india sharing information and documents on two hydropower projects. this year’s meeting will take up Pakistani objections to 10 indian projects. the secret? the meetings are between irrigation engineers, but more importantly, they are held in obedience to a treaty guaranteed by the World Bank. the World Bank is clearly stronger than the un security Council, whose resolutions on Kashmir india blithely ignores. While there is no path from the Commission to talks, the example should be useful for other areas. true, issues arising from the sharing of the indus waters are not necessarily solved, but the dialogue goes on. As long as the BJP rules in new Delhi, it is perhaps unwise to expect the right lessons to be drawn by the indian side, but Pakistan should keep this example before it.

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Dr. James J. Zogby

should we defend ukrainians? Would they fight to defend us?" some of trump's acolytes in the Congress, ignoring their leader's praise for the Russian leader, incongruously argued, "if Donald trump were President, Putin wouldn't have dared do this." Fearful of alienating what is now called "the trump base," more mainstream Republicans tried to make do with criticizing President Biden's weakness without offering an alternative.

Most mainstream Democrats, meanwhile, lined up behind Biden's hesitancy to commit military forces and the fallback position of sanctions on key Russian oligarchs and institutions. some liberal Democrats and a few conservative Republicans focused their attention on the demand that Biden seek congressional approval before committing troops to defend ukraine. More "left-leaning" Democrats engaged in a perverse type of self-flagellation, arguing, in effect, "How dare we say or do anything against what Russia is doing, given our history of violating international law and invading sovereign countries?"

While all this talk passing for a serious policy debate continues, there are several deeply troubling aspects of the Russian invasion and occupation of ukraine that are receiving short shrift. First and foremost among them is the past, present, and future of the ukrainian people. the policy debate ignores them. it's about Russia versus nAtO or Putin versus Biden.

Because i chair the Ethnic Council in Washington — a group that brings together leaders of ethnic Americans who trace their heritages to European and Mediterranean countries — i count many ukrainians among my colleagues and friends. i know their history, including the lasting trauma resulting from the 1930s soviet government-imposed Holodomor (forced starvation) and the Great terror which took the lives of millions. the ukrainian American community numbers more than one and one-half million. they are proud of their country, their heritage and culture, and their independence. And they are fearful of the consequences of the Russian invasion and Putin's faux

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history of all of these— especially ukraine's hardfought independence.

What is also overlooked in much of the policy discussions about ukraine is how we got to this point, just three decades after the end of the Cold War. Back then, America appeared victorious over the soviet union and policymakers and pundits proclaimed the beginning of a "new world order" with the usA as the world's sole superpower.

When iraq's saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait, then us President George Bush played by the rules seeking united nations support to liberate Kuwait. He then spent months building an international coalition to free that country. succeeding us administrations, without exception, have not been so respectful of the international order— the most significant example being the us invasion and occupation of iraq. not only did the iraq war weaken the usA militarily, making Americans wary and weary of more foreign interventions, it also damaged us prestige, weakening relations with other countries. More far-reaching was the impact our behaviour had on the "world order." Our reduced capacity and our hubris resulted in ushering in a multipolar world in which other global and regional powers began to act unilaterally to project their power where they felt their interests required it and where they could get away with it. Gone was the "new world order" and the role of the united nations and rule of law.

Post-iraq, all this was replaced by the law of the jungle.

But finding fault with the past behaviour of the usA that contributed to the unravelling of the rule of law in no way places me on the side of the "left isolationists."

Our past sins do not absolve us from facing current responsibilities. the ukrainian people deserve more from us than prayers and guilty abstention. the better course of action would be to admit our past faults, commit to reestablish respect for the rule of law, and act to correct the damage being done here and now to a country and people who deserve more than being Putin's pawns in his crude "game of nations."

punish the accused involved in it. the interior Minister put the names of culprit Zahir Jaffer and other accused involved in the blacklist and arrested all of them and compiled a challan of the case. the trial lasted for four months and eight days and finallythe verdict of this historic case was pronounced. there is no doubt that this was a complex case and the evidence for it was not as common as in ordinary cases, because Zahir Jaffer committed the murder in his own house and no one saw the murder take place. However, all the scenes were recorded in the CCtV cameras installed in the house. the police took all the cameras into their custody and made the evidence part of the case by preserving the evidence obtained with the help of modern technology. the police have not only confined themselves to making evidence, but also presented it before the court in such a way that the court considered it as strong evidence. this is the first time in this case that the accused has been convicted on the basis of evidence gathered with the help of modern technology instead of eyewitnesses of murder. this time the police investigation and prosecution team has proved their case with great skill and success. noor Mukadam’s killer had confessed to the murder in his initial statement, but recanted in court and started trying to prove his innocence. the accused's lawyers have also been trying their best to prove that he is a mental and neurological patient; bur the police have thwarted the tricks on every occasion with evidence. During the trial, there were fears that the accused would be spared due

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to insufficient evidence but the verdict of this case proved that strong evidence and proofs obtained from modern technology can also be relied upon.

Justice has won in noor Mukadam case, where noor Mukadam got justice, so in an atmosphere of uncertainty the people are beginning to believe in their safety, the people have come to know that in the country, it is not yet so dark that the common man cannot get justice but it should not be necessary for the case of the common man to become an adornment of social media, and only then would the national institutions come into action and only then would justice preva3i. if the institutions take immediate action against any violation of law in the country and the courts ensure the provision of speedy justice then crime can be largely averted from the society. there is no doubt that the law has shown its supremacy in the noor Mukadam case, however, just as the noor Mukadam case was expedited and its decision was based on justice, so should the decisions in other cases be expeditious. On the one hand, the perpetrators should be punished in a timely manner and on the other hand, the victims should be given timely justice. it is hoped that the appeal process in the noor Mukadam case will be disposed of at the same speed so that this case will become an example. there are fears among the people that the accused, being strong enough, will not only challenge the death sentence in the high courts, but will also try his best to suspend the sentence passed against him. the decisions should be such that the public should perce5ve justice as being done.

There is no doubt that the law has shown its supremacy in the Noor Mukadam case, however, just as the Noor Mukadam case was expedited and its decision was based on justice, so should the decisions in other cases be expeditious. On the one hand, the perpetrators should be punished in a timely manner and on the other hand, the victims should be given timely justice. It is hoped that the appeal process in the Noor Mukadam case will be disposed of at the same speed so that this case will become an example

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer tweets @AttiyaMunawer and can be reached at attiabutt121@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022

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

Expanding horizons for women

Why you should know about KYC and AML in Crypto Convenience and safety collde

salman sabir

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OnEy laundering continues to be one of the biggest problems on a global scale. Governments and law enforcement agencies are working at their best to eliminate it but it seems like there is a long way to go. it not only encompasses conventional money but also appears to be a huge vulnerability within the crypto space. today, digital currencies have become way easier to purchase and due to their decentralized nature, the industry is continuously going through significant criticism in terms of funding unlawful activities and money laundering. to stay ahead of this rising concern, regulatory bodies are now introducing a universal set of anti-money laundering (AML) legislation which will help them to prevent money laundering within the cryptocurrency exchanges and their related services.

‘Know your Customer’(KyC) is a prominent client guideline within the global financial services segment. According to this guideline, the financial experts should make appropriate efforts to confirm and verify the identity and financial risks of the client for a business relationship. this guideline extends the scope to the financial institutions’ anti-money laundering policy. it requires both broker and dealer to make enough efforts to assess each other’s identity, purpose, and financial profiles to avoid any type of violation of the stated law. now, the world has entered into the digital era where things are quite different but still, most ideas rely on the conventional fundamentals. in the crypto space, KyC guidelines are almost the same as the conventional system. to set up a crypto exchange account, the user is typically required to go through a know-your-customer (KyC) procedure as the standard identity verification for the system. it is required by all major crypto exchanges and is considered important to understand for crypto trading.

this includes the date of birth, the social security number, and the physical address of the applicant. in addition to that, some exchanges also ask for a copy of a valid government-issued iD, driver’s license, or passport.

Within a few years, cryptocurrency has revolutionized the global financial market. it has been constantly transforming from a so-called financial bubble into a prominent reality with huge potential to grow. this not only gave rise to the number of people getting involved in it but the demand for controlling money laundering within the system. therefore, crypto exchanges now require a well-defined anti-money laundering policy and a set of guidelines to follow so that they can be easily controlled. this includes all the legislations and regulations that prevent unlawful and criminal activities within the cryptocurrency space. the Financial Action task Force (FAtF) appears to be the authority to define anti-money laundering policies. in addition to that, the European Commission has also introduced several unique and new AML policies for cryptocurrencies. to comply with the stated policies, virtual asset service providers (VAsPs) are required to make every effort that can restrict money laundering. some of the most common VAsPs include stablecoin issuers, Cryptocurrency Exchanges, nFt Marketplaces and DeFi Protocols. they have dedicated compliance officers who look into these matters and manage KyC and suspicious activity monitoring within the system. the crypto space is facing a few but critical challenges in terms of money laundering. this requires VAsPs to adopt intelligent and effective approaches such as enhanced due diligence and the use of diverse media sources to identify potential risks. the current AML rules of the industry aim to ensure maximum compliance on both local and international levels. these rules are based on a specially developed and structured approach to data. in addition to that, these rules further expand to monitoring the transactions

and ensuring that they avoid suspicious activity within the system. to completely overcome these challenges, VAsPs are required to conduct in-depth adverse media screening, increase focus on KyC, monitor transactional activities, and conduct risk analysis on public records. these and many others are a few top trending and most discussed approaches to avoid money laundering in the crypto space. it is also evident that the lack of education within the governmental and regulatory level is also a huge barrier. According to most industry leaders within the crypto space, authorized people and institutes are also required to gain a thorough understanding of digital currencies and the dynamics in which they exist.

Digital currencies, specially Bitcoin, have a huge potential and space for money laundering. therefore, it seems to be easy to access and autonomous way to pursue unlawful flow of money. According to the national Law Review, Bitcoins are based on a fully autonomous, decentralized, and online structure which is why they are quite vulnerable in terms of money laundering. According to the article, it is even easier to convert these digital coins into cash compared to transferring physically existing bags of money. in addition to that, the level of anonymity within the system further encourages easiness and flexibility within the system for those who want to funnel money to unlawful and criminal activities.

While not 100 percent of the system depicts similar attributes, only a minute percent of a flaw within the system has the potential to breach the law easily. the third and most important factor to consider here is that all the transactions are stored on blockchains that allow access of the transaction to only the person making it and the one receiving it. therefore, this attribute appears to be a big challenge for the law enforcement agencies to track a digitally funded unlawful activity and identif.

If you think AML is the most important thing to consider before starting your crypto journey then you need to take care of several elements. First of all, you should seek expert advice on ICOs and STOs while drawing a thorough understanding of the KYC process and the stated AML regulations. Along with that, you need to learn the various internal and external AML regulations of the country where you live and where you trade to. Lastly, stay connected with reliable crypto communities and sources that deliver valid industry insights

The writer is freelance columnist

WOMEn’s equality in all spheres of life has been a contested issue not only in Pakistan but worldwide. Be it income disparity, education opportunities, leaving careers to take care of families, etc. has always been the talk of the analysts and opinion-makers. Women’s empowerment is a very important indicator of a country’s growth and development. the role of women cannot be undermined in any field as they deliver more than expected and when given the opportunities excel in everything they do. their handling of situations with intelligence and empathy produces greater results. Women make up almost half of the population with only a quarter of the labour force in the country. Growing up girls always show great results in education, if given a chance, they are good position holders in board exams showing signs of boundless potential just like boys if not more. Many at that stage either opt for medicine becoming doctors only to drop out of their careers in many cases or end up becoming teachers; very few opt for other fields deeming them “unsuitable” for females. While their counterpart, that is, “boys” enter in large numbers in fields like politics, engineering, the corporate world, etc. the real estate sector, like many other sectors and industries in Pakistan, is male-dominated. the male workforce gets more and better opportunities and advancements in their careers. AAA Associates offers many such high-profile jobs to the potential female workforce. AAA Associates with its gender-sensitive policies provides a secure platform and positive environment to its female staff and encourages the industry to take steps in order to make it easy and accessible for enthusiastic, passionate, and determined women to excel in the field of real estate, etc. there are managerial posts, team leads, data analysts, marketing experts or designers, and content writers. it is a need of the hour that the women enter the corporate world in large numbers and contribute their share in diverse fields and prove their mettle. the corporate world has a plethora of opportunities for women in various fields to expand their horizons and produce results to take the country on the pathway of success.

MARYAM NAWAZ KAYAN, ISlAMAbAD

Financial literacy FinAnCiAL literacy for kids is about ensuring that your child is educated on the best way to manage finances. this is a way of securing their future. this is because they will be able to learn how to manage money in all possible ways. they make lessons on money management for children easy and also fun to learn. Behavioural researches from Cambridge university encourage parents to start teaching their kids about money as young as 3. there are developmentally appropriate ways to help your kids begin to understand personal finance and credit cards at every stage of childhood. Money is good for nothing unless you know the value of it by experience. the figures have shown that the total debt on Pakistan is about PKR 50.5 trillion at the end of september 2021 an addition of PKR 20.7 trillion in the past 39 months. Pakistan’s per capita debt in 2020 was about PKR 200,000. Pakistan’s total external debt is projected to trend around 118500 usD million in 2022. young children can perform tasks to earn money for their spending plans. Children need to distinguish between shared responsibilities as members of a family and responsibilities that earn them money. this lesson introduces young children to activities and ideas for earning money. Children learn that money is a reward for working. Kids’ financial education is the need of the hour. it is very important to teach kids financial literacy to give them a bright and wealthy future.

AbDUl MAJID ASAD FAISAlAbAD

Quality of health care service PAKistAn is one of the countries which is trying its very best to fulfil the objective of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). these are basically the goals that are set for the countries that are in the developing process. there has been a focus on the health care sector since the formation of Pakistan.

Although the improvements are being made through bringing health reforms and health care policies. the introduced programs by previous governments are already having limited scope and that is the reason why the health care sector in Pakistan is inefficient and facing decline (Premani et al., 2016). Major weaknesses in our health care service providers include lack of resources, poor governance, poor quality of data available regarding the management system for the health, lack of interest by governments in monitoring the health policies and high level of corruption in this sector. the bureaucratic system of Pakistan has not played a productive role as bureaucratic power has divided the health care services for rich and poor instead of dividing it with equity (Premani et al., 2016). treatments for any health-related issues is a right for every individual rather than just providing to the elite and ignoring the middle-class individual One of the surveys conducted by transparency international provided that health care is one of the most corrupt sectors in Pakistan (relief web, 2013). this is one of the reasons why the majority of the population in Pakistan are very unhappy with the services being provided by the medical centres. the government-controlled health care centres are in a deep decline while the privately owned and controlled health centres are so expensive that they can not be afforded by the majority of the general public.

JANNAT UMAR lAhoRE

The decline of societal values BEinG well into my nineties, have seen our society changing, unfortunately not for good. i remember that back in the early 1940s, i had to get up early in the morning to go to the high school in Kallar syedan, which was five miles from my village. i used to make the journey to school and back on foot. upon returning home, i would have to help with house chores and take animals out for grazing. On holidays, i would work with my cousins in the fields beside the chores i had to do on daily basis. We used to have enough wheat, maize, and other crops to meet our annual needs. People in the village lived like a community by helping each other in sowing/ harvesting the lands and never depended on outside help. Over time, we developed in many ways with efficient technology replacing people. While gradually people became more well-off, we as a society have become very selfish and individualistic. instead of helping ourselves and others, we expect the government to do everything.

RAJA ShAFAATUllAh ISlAMAbAD

08 WORLD VIEW 2nd March 22_Layout 1 3/1/2022 10:12 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

FAcing WEsTERn isolATion ovER UkRAinE, RUssiA looks To MidEAsT, islAMic WoRld AS SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA CONTINUE TO INCREASE, MOSCOW WILL LIKELY FOCUS ON STATES IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD AND THE MIDDLE EAST FOR SUPPORT — BUT EVEN THIS WINDOW MAY BE CLOSING Al-moniToR kiriLL Semenov

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FTER the start of Russia’s military campaign against ukraine and the resulting unprecedented sanctions against Moscow, the latter is focusing its attention on the leading states in the islamic world and the greater Middle East to negate the impact of Western isolation.

The operation against ukraine began when Pakistani Prime Minister imran Khan was in Moscow on an official visit; he had arrived in the Russian capital on the eve of the launch of the military operation. This gave rise to speculation about whether the Pakistani leader’s visit could be considered an implicit endorsement of Russia’s actions. in particular, us state Department spokesperson Ned Price was asked at a Feb. 23 briefing whether Washington considers the choice of the Pakistani prime minister to visit Moscow at this particular time the equivalent of “indirectly endorsing” Russian President Vladimir Putin. “You would have to ask the Pakistani government. i’m just not in a position to offer an assessment on the timing of foreign counterparts’ travel to another country,” Price replied.

The visit was never rescheduled, despite obvious military preparations and sanctions imposed on Russia by the united states, the European union and a number of other countries due to Moscow’s recognition of the independence of the Moscow-backed Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern ukraine on Feb. 21. Khan arrived in Moscow on the evening of Feb. 23, on the eve of the in-

vasion, but held talks with Putin on Feb. 24, when Russian troops were already advancing on ukrainian territory.

Earlier, on Jan. 17, Khan thanked the president of Russia for his support on behalf of Muslims after Putin had said disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad (PBuH) is not part of freedom of speech. Putin “is the first Western leader to show empathy and sensitivity to Muslim sentiment for their beloved prophet,” Khan said after his call with the Russian leader.

Two days before the arrival of the Pakistani premier, on Feb. 21, azerbaijani President ilham aliyev also visited Moscow. amid the escalation between Russia and NaTO and the preparation of a Russian military operation against ukraine, aliyev signed a declaration on allied cooperation between azerbaijan and Russia. Russia and azerbaijan agreed to provide each other with military assistance. “in order to ensure security, maintain peace and stability, the Russian Federation and the Republic of azerbaijan may consider the possibility of providing each other with military assistance on the basis of the uN Charter, separate international treaties and taking into account the existing international legal obligations of each of the parties,” the declaration stated. in addition, Putin and aliyev agreed to refrain from any actions that, in the opinion of one of the parties, damage the strategic partnership and relations between the two states.

Thus, Yerevan has lost its status as Moscow’s sole ally in the south Caucasus. This can also strengthen the depth of Moscow’s strategic partnership with those states that are already allies of Baku or have privileged relations with it. in particular, the signing of the Russianazerbaijani allied declaration is of particular importance since azerbaijan is already an ally of Turkey on the basis of the so-called shusha Declaration, and a strategic partner of Pakistan, with whom it repeatedly conducts joint

The end of an era RT Fyodor Lukyanov

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ussia’s military intervention in ukraine has spelled the end of an epoch in the state of global affairs after President Vladimir Putin launched the action last week. its impact will be felt for years to come, but Moscow has positioned itself to “become an agent of cardinal change for the whole world.”

The Russian armed Forces’ operation in ukraine marks the end of an era. it began with the fall of the soviet union and its dissolution in 1991, when a fairly stable bipolar structure was overturned by what eventually came to be known as the ‘Liberal World Order’. This paved the way for the us and its allies to play a dominant role in international politics centered around universalist ideology.

The crisis manifested itself long ago, although there was no significant resistance from major powers who were left unsatisfied with their position in the new political playing field. in fact, for quite a long time (at least a decade and a half), there had been practically no opposition at all. Non-Western countries, namely China and Russia, made efforts to integrate into the hierarchy.

Beijing managed not only to do this, but also made the most of the situation to gain a foothold as a dominant player. Moscow, however, came out much worse and took longer to adjust to this new world order and cement a respectable place within its ranks.

The system turned out to be both inflexible and shaky as it conceptually excluded any balance of power.

More importantly, however, it did not allow for a sufficient level of cultural and political diversity, which is inherently essential for the sustainable functioning of the world. a uniform worldview that ruled out all others was imposed using various means, including attitudes toward military activity.

The Russian operation is a mirror image of what the us and its allies have done more than once in recent decades in different parts of the world. as legend goes, Tsar Peter the Great raised a toast to his “swedish teachers” after the Battle of Poltava in 1709. Now, the current Russian leadership can also say that it has learned a lot from the West. in Russia’s actions in ukraine, it is easy to pinpoint elements – from military to informational – that were present in america and NaTO’s campaigns against Yugoslavia, iraq, and Libya.

Tensions have long been boiling, and ukraine has now become the decisive frontline. This is not an ideological battle like the one witnessed in the second half of the twentieth century. World hegemony is currently

being challenged in favor of a much more distributed model. The old Cold War concept of ‘spheres of influence’ is no longer applicable because the world has become much more transparent and interconnected, making isolation possible only to a limited degree. at least, that’s what we’ve thought - up until now. as has often happened in the past, the current fight is being waged for strategically important territory. The old adage ‘history repeats itself’ is evident when flicking from one media outlet to another. Two different approaches have collided. On one side, there is the exercise of classic hard power, which is guided by simple, unpolished, but plainly understandable principles – blood and soil. Meanwhile, on the other is a modern method of propagating interests and influence, realized through a set of ideological, communicative, and economic tools, which are effective and, at the same time, malleable – commonly referred to as ‘values’. since the Cold War, the more modern of these approaches has nearly always been the go-to method. Let’s call it by its fashionable, but inaccurate, name – ‘hybrid war’. For the most part, however, this has never been met with serious resistance, let alone direct armed confrontation. ukraine 2022 is the decisive test that will prove which of these approaches will reign victorious. in this sense, those who suspect that the consequences could be a great deal more profound than they thought are correct.

The Russian leadership, which decided on extremely drastic steps, probably understood the consequences, or even consciously aspired to them. The page of cooperation with the West has been turned. This does not mean that isolationism will become the norm, but it does mark the end of an important historical chapter in political relations. The new Cold War will not end quickly. after some time, the effects that the current military operation has caused will most likely begin to subside, and some forms of interaction will resume, but the line has inevitably been drawn. Even in a favorable scenario, it will be many years before sanctions are lifted and ties are gradually and selectively restored. Restructuring economic priorities will require a different approach, which will stimulate development in some ways, and slow it down in others. The most active part of Russian society will have to realize that their old way of life is gone.

‘Fort Russia’ has decided to put its strength to the test and, at the same time, has become an agent of cardinal change for the whole world.

Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

military maneuvers. in turn, Moscow can still count on ankara’s special position, which differs significantly from the approach of other NaTO member countries to the events in ukraine and can be considered the most favorable for the Kremlin. First of all, we are talking about ankara’s refusal to join the toughest anti-Russian sanctions.

Turkey also abstained on Feb. 25 from voting on the suspension of Russia’s rights in the Council of Europe, as “it stands for the continuation of dialogue under any circumstances.” in addition, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite statements condemning the Russian invasion of ukraine, is still set to interact with and is ready for direct face-to-face contacts with Putin. at a meeting of the ruling party on Feb. 26, where the main issue was the situation in ukraine, Erdogan said, “in a telephone conversation with Mr. Putin, i invited him to Turkey to normalize the situation,” according to TGRT Haber TV channel. in turn, sheikh ali al-Qaradaghi, secretary-general of the international union of Muslim scholars, called for the speedy establishment of peace in ukraine in a Feb. 27 Tweet. Qaradaghi also named Turkey and Pakistan as two states that could mediate the conflict. “i urge countries that have good relations with the conflicting parties, such as Turkey and Pakistan, to make sincere and serious mediation efforts to immediately end the destructive war in which not only these peoples are losing a lot at all levels, but the whole world may be losing,” wrote Qaradaghi.

One should also pay attention to the position of another Middle Eastern country — the united arab Emirates — which is currently a nonpermanent member of the uN security Council. The uaE joined China and india in abstaining from a uN resolution condemning the invasion, in a position seen as favorable toward

Moscow. abu Dhabi justified the abstention by saying the vote was a “foregone conclusion.” “The result of this vote was a foregone conclusion, but the avenues for dialogue must remain open more urgently than ever before,” the uaE said in a statement put out by its permanent mission to the uN. “We urge for immediate de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities.” it is important to note that the leaders of the Houthis in Yemen, following Russia, recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, thereby confirming their loyalty to Russia. in this situation, Moscow has new opportunities to influence the leaders of the Houthis in terms of preventing missile attacks on the uaE, which can also be used to maintain a favorable attitude toward Russia from abu Dhabi, which may try to take advantage of Russian opportunities to influence the Houthis. in particular, on Jan. 25, uaE Minister of Foreign affairs sheikh abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan praised Russia’s support in the wake of the recent Houthi attacks on civilian targets in the uaE. The need for cooperation between the two countries on the Yemeni settlement track was also confirmed during a Feb. 24 telephone conversation between the foreign ministers of the uaE and Russia.

Taking into account the unprecedented sanctions against Russia that many states have imposed, cooperation with the states of the islamic world and, above all, the Middle East may turn out to be one of the few “windows” in order to receive metered economic and political support.

Russia still hopes that it will be able to supply its weapons to the Middle East and play the role of mediator in the settlement of Middle East conflicts. also, the states of the Middle East and North africa are still interested in purchasing Russian grain. The conflict in ukraine (which, along with Russia, is also a major supplier of grain to the states of the Middle East and North africa) has already led to an increase in grain prices and the cessation of its supply. at the same time, the sanctions imposed on Russia seriously restrict opportunities for interaction with the countries of the islamic world. There are already certain problems with the supply of Russian weapons. This, in particular, is indicated by the refusal of indonesia, Egypt and algeria to purchase Russian su-35 fighters, and the plans of the uaE to purchase a south Korean analog of the Russian s-350 air defense system or saudi arabia of a Chinese analog of the Russian Tor-M air defense system instead of Russian originals.

How Putin shattered the 3 myths of America’s global order BloomBeRg HaL BrandS

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very era has a figure who strips away its pleasant illusions about where the world is headed. This is what makes Vladimir Putin the most important person of the still-young 21st century. Over the past week — and over the past generation — Putin has done more than any other person to remind us that the world order we have taken for granted is remarkably fragile. in doing so, one hopes, he may have persuaded the chief beneficiaries of that order to get serious about saving it.

Putin isn’t the first individual to give the “civilized world” a reality check. in the early 19th century, a decade of Napoleonic aggression upended a widespread belief that commerce and Enlightenment ideas were ushering in a new age of peace. in the 20th century, a collection of fascist and communist leaders showed how rapidly the world could descend into the darkness of repression and aggression. More recently, no one has smashed the intellectual pieties of the postCold War era as thoroughly as Putin.

We shouldn’t be surprised: in 2007, as Western intellectuals were celebrating the triumph of the liberal international order, Putin warned that he was about to start rolling that order back. in a scorching speech at the Munich security Conference, Putin denounced the spread of liberal values and american influence. He declared that Russia would not forever live with a system that constrained its influence and threatened its increasingly illiberal regime.

He wasn’t kidding. at home and abroad, Putin’s policies have assailed three core tenets of post-Cold War optimism about the trajectory of global affairs.

The first was a sunny assumption about the inevitability of democracy’s advance. in the 1990s, President Bill Clinton talked of a world where democracy and free markets would “know no borders.” in 2005, President George W. Bush touted the ambition of “ending tyranny in our world.” Putin had other ideas.

He reversed Russia’s unfinished democratic experiment and constructed a personalistic autocracy. To see Putin publicly humiliate his own intelligence chief on television last week was to realize that the world’s vastest country, with one of its two largest nuclear arsenals, is now the fiefdom of a single man. and Putin has hardly been content to destroy democracy in his own country. He has contributed, through cyberattacks, political influence operations

and other subversion to a global “democratic recession” that has now lasted more than 15 years.

Putin has also shattered a second tenet of the postCold War mindset: the idea that great-power rivalry was over and that violent, major conflict had thus become passe. Russia has now waged three wars of imperial restoration in the former soviet union (in ukraine, Georgia and Chechnya). Putin’s military used the syrian civil war to practice tactics, such as the terror-bombing of civilians, that seemed ripped from earlier, uglier eras. Now Russia is prosecuting Europe’s largest conventional war in 75 years, featuring amphibious assaults, the aerial bombardment of major cities and even nuclear threats.

Violence, Putin has reminded us, is a terrible but sadly normal feature of world affairs. its absence reflects effective deterrence, not irreversible moral progress.

This relates to a third shibboleth Putin has challenged — the idea that history runs in a single direction. During the 1990s, the triumph of democracy, great-power peace and Western influence seemed irreversible. The Clinton administration called countries that bucked these trends “backlash states,” the idea being that they could only offer atavistic, doomed resistance to the progression of history.

But history, as Putin has shown us, doesn’t bend on its own. aggression can succeed. Democracies can be destroyed by determined enemies. “international norms” are really just rules made and enforced by states that combine great power with great determination. Which means that history is a constant struggle to prevent the world from being thrust back into patterns of predation that it can never permanently escape.

Yet here Putin has done the u.s. and its friends a favor, because that lesson is sinking in. a week of Russian aggression accomplished what a decade of american cajoling could not — a commitment by Germany to arm itself in a way befitting a serious power. Democratic countries around the world are supporting the most devastating sanctions campaign ever aimed at a major power; they are pouring weapons into ukraine to support its surprisingly vigorous resistance.

Most important, Putin’s gambit is producing an intellectual paradigm shift — a recognition that this war could be a prelude to more devastating conflicts unless the democratic community severely punishes aggression in this case and more effectively deters it in others.

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

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KARAchI LITERATuRE FEsTIvAL To RETuRn As FAcE-To-FAcE EvEnT AFTER PAndEmIc hIATus KARACHI

BankIslami declares it’s highest ever Profit after tax of Rs. 2.13 billion KARACHI pr

BankIslami Pakistan Limited (‘the Bank’ or ‘Bankislami’) announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2021. Year 2021 proved to be a successful year for the Bank wherein the Bank not only crossed Rs. 300 billion landmark in Deposits by closing its Deposit book at Rs. 344.8 billion as at Dec 31, 2021, depicting a growth of 21.6% from last year, but it also crossed deposit per branch benchmark of Rs. 1 billion at the end of the year 2021. Moreover, the Bank also posted its highest ever profit after tax of Rs. 2.13 billion.

Vis-à-vis last year, BankIslami’s deposit base grew by 21% in 2021, which was mainly attributable to its aggressive deposit mobilization strategy pursued by the Bank to amplify its Current Account (CA) deposits. CA Deposit of the Bank went up by 36.9% and closed at Rs. 130.6 Bn, which in turn also elevated Bank’s CA composition to 37.9% at Dec 2021 from the level of 33.6% at Dec 2020.

Ehsaas Rashan Riayat steering committee revises the eligibility criteria to benefit lowincome families ISLAMABAD pr

Under the Ehsaas umbrella, the meeting of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Steering Committee was convened today at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the meeting. The meeting commenced with the briefing on the roll out progress of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. The steering committee was informed that the Ehsaas Rashan Registration website received 700 million hits, since the registration opened in the first phase.

Overall, 19.5 million applications were received out of which 9.3 million were those of unique families under the first phase of registrations. “Applications of the registered families are currently going through data analytics. Those whose eligibility has been determined are being sent 8171 confirmation messages in a phased manner. Also, eligible families have already started availing the Ehsaas Rashan subsidy from the network of 7,978 Utility Stores and National Bank of Pakistan’s (NBP) authorized Kiryana retailers”, stated Dr. Sania. Members of the committee took targeting decisions in line with the decision of Federal Cabinet to support lowincome families through the targeted subsidies programme of Ehsaas. Revising the eligibility criteria, the committee agreed to change the family income threshold to a certain level so that maximum number of deserving families could benefit from the programme. Under the second phase of registration, Ehsaas 8171 SMS service has also recently been reopened to register low-income families for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme.

Families earning below Rs. 50,000 a month can self-register by sending their CNIC number to 8171. The Ehsaas Rashan portal (https://ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk/) is also open to register Kiryana retailers. The steering committee has the mandate to oversee the roll out of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat through PASSD and NBP. Under the stewardship of the steering committee, a Project Management Unit (PMU) has also been established within the Division. PMU will provide oversight over the project’s fiscal management, monitoring and evaluation, and policy. The Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme offers 30% targeted subsidy for 20 million families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil or ghee every month. The programme is funded jointly by the federal and provincial governments of Punjab, KP, GB and AJK.

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staff report

OVERS of literature, culture and the arts will finally get the chance to interact with their favourite literary luminaries, celebrities, academics and scholars as the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) returns as a live event from March 4-6, 2022, at the Beach Luxury Hotel.

Organised by Oxford University Press (OUP), the theme of this year’s KLF is Separation, Belonging and Beyond: 75 years of Pakistan.

The three-day event will explore the country’s achievements in its Diamond Anniversary year through a variety of thought-provoking panel discussions and book launches, which

will be broadcast live around the world on OUP’s social media channels, and bring together over 200 national and international speakers. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Victoria Schofield and Zia Mohyeddin at the inauguration, and Sardar Masood Khan and Hanif Kureshi at the closing ceremony There will be over 60 sessions, including 20 book launches (10 in Urdu and 10 in English), with speakers from five countries (Pakistan, UK, US, New Zealand and France). Visitors and the online audience will also have the chance to enjoy Urdu and English poetry readings, a qawwali, feature film screening and the first-ever airing of a series of short films, Let’s Heal the World.

A total of 7 literary awards for Pakistani authors will be announced at the

Suspect involved in murder of journalist Athar Mateen gunned down in Karachi encounter One of the two suspects involved in the murder of journalist Athar Mateen have been killed by the Sindh police on Tuesday, during an encounter in Karachi As per the details, Mateen, who was associated with Samaa TV, was returning home on February 18 after dropping off his children at their school. As he reached Shah Medical Hospital, BlockA, near KDA Chowrangi, he witnessed two armed robbers trying to rob a passer-by. He accelerated his car and hit the motorbike of the robbers, who fell on the road.

The muggers opened fire at Mateen, killing him on the spot, and escaped after snatching the motorbike of another person. The police had later impounded the motorbike abandoned by the robbers.

Police had been conducting raids to nab the killers and one of them was arrested last week.

Recently, the other suspect has been killed in a joint encounter by Qambar Shahdadkot Police and West Karachi Police, according to an official handout.

Police said they set up cordons near Shahdadkot Road in Noor Wah area on Monday night on a tip-off about the presence of the criminal in the area.

Shortly afterwards, according to the statement, cops spotted a motorbike and signaled it to stop. However, the man riding the bike opened fire on the law enforcers, and as a result, they retaliated.

The deceased was identified as Muhammad Anwar, son of Shadi Khan, a resident of Khuzdar, Balochistan.

His body was moved to Taluka Hospital QambarShahdadkot for medico-legal formalities.

According to police, a motorbike and weapons were

recovered from the possession of the deceased criminal.

“He was wanted to police in robbery, theft and other heinous crimes.”

The deceased had also served a jail sentence at least three times in the past, police said. Earlier in the day, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab also confirmed that a suspect in journalist Mateen’s case had been killed . Prime Minister Imran Khan had condemned the “brutal murder” of the journalist and directed law enforcers to take every possible step to bring the culprits to justice.

Earlier this week, journalist bodies, including the Karachi Press Club, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Union of Journalists (Dastoor), had staged protest outside the police headquarters demanding arrests of Athar’s murderers. News Desk

Geneva: Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari delivering a speech at 49th regular session of United Nations Human Rights Council 28-02-2022. pr

Book launching ceremony held at IIUI ISLAMABAD pr

Department of Law of the Faculty of Shariah and Law (FSL) of International Islamic University (IIU) organized a launching ceremony of book on “Arbitration Law of Pakistan” by Dr. Ikram Ullah, Assistant Professor of Law Department. On the occasion Mr. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Judge Islamabad High Court and Mr. Justice Jawad Hassan, Judge Lahore High Court graced the book launch ceremony.

Addressing the participants Justice Miangul Hassan explained about the arbitration

opening ceremony. The prizes will recognise pioneering work in Urdu prose and poetry, and English fiction, which are sponsored by Getz Pharma.

This year, KLF is also celebrating the diversity of languages and cultures across the country by recognising the best books in Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi and Pashto languages. These awards are supported by the Little Book Company.

Speaking at a press conference at Karachi Press Club, OUP Managing Director Arshad Saeed Husain mentioned how the festival will foster an environment of openness, pluralism and intellectual discourse that will mark a refreshing change from the closures and restrictions of the pandemic.

“Our 13th KLF commemorates not only 75 years of Pakistan but also 70

law, its significance for Pakistan and the way it can be improved. Justice Jawad Hassan emphasized on the need to establish an arbitration center in International Islamic University Islamabad.

The book launching ceremony was also attended by Prof. Dr. Ayaz Afsar, Vice President (Academics), Dr. Ataullah Faizi, Dean, Faculty of Shariah & Law, IIUI, Male and female Senior Professors of Shariah & Law Faculty, faculty members, renowned personalities of the legal fraternity and a large number of law students from Faculty of Shariah and Law of the university. At the end of session the Judges

answered the questions from the participants on the subject of arbitration law.

They congratulated Dr. Ikram Ullah on achieving this milestone with an important contribution for law practitioners and students of law through this book. They opined that appropriate and up-to-date teaching material to train future legal scholars and practitioners of Law in Pakistan is the need of hour. In the end, Prof.

Dr. Ayaz Afsar, Vice President (Academic), IIUI presented shields and gift of books to the judges. Later they also visited the picture gallery of Islamic Research Institute (IRI) at old campus of the university.

years of OUP’s operations in Pakistan,” said Mr Husain.

“We have been committed to advancing knowledge, learning and progress in Pakistan since 1952 through our high quality educational material and digital resources for schools and higher education institutions. We can’t wait to once again demonstrate our love for literature, culture and the arts in the most vibrant and intimate way possible: a live, in-person festival.”

Previous festivals have seen over 200,000 visitors gather at the venue to meet their favourite authors, poets, performers and scholars. Organizers of the festival emphasized that all COVID-19 SOPs would be followed and only vaccinated members of the public would be allowed at the venue.

Telecom revenues rise to PKR 644 billion in 2021: PTA Annual Report ISLAMABAD pr

The stellar progress of the telecom sector has resulted in highest-ever revenue (PKR 644 billion) being generated in FY 2021, compared to PKR 592 billion in the previous year.

As per Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Annual Report 2021 released recently, the sector also attracted US$ 202 million in the shape of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and contributed PKR 226 billion to the national exchequer.

With successful spectrum auctions and license renewals in Pakistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and GilgitBaltistan (GB) during the period, an amount of US$ 486 million (FY 2021-till date) has been generated. Broadband services reached a remarkable milestone of 100 million subscribers in March 2021, now standing at 110 million.

50% of the country’s population has subscribed to broadband, with the bulk (49%) consisting of mobile broadband connections. Telecom and ICT services have a nationwide spread, covering over 89% of the population with teledensity reaching 87%, and cellular mobile penetration reaching over 86%. Similarly, the number of cellular subscribers rose to 188 million, taking the total telecom subscriber base to 191 million. With the expansion of 3G and 4G services, in tandem with the impact of COVID-19, broadband data usage increased by 52% during FY 2021. On the direction of the regulator, cell sites of Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) in Waziristan were upgraded for 4G to provide high-speed connectivity to marginalized segments in unserved areas. The Annual Report also mentions the huge success of Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) by PTA. It has proven to be a catalyst for establishing Pakistan as a major manufacturer of mobile devices. PTA has so far issued mobile device manufacturing authorizations to 30 companies, attracting investments to the tune of US$120 million, producing 10.1 million smartphone in 2021 and creating 2,000 jobs. The world’s leading brands like Samsung, Xaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Nokia, Tecno, ZTE, etc. are now being manufactured in the country. Pakistan made history by exporting its first-ever smart phone consignment to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the ‘Manufactured in Pakistan’ tag. The impact of DIRBS is also evident as for the first time, smart phones now outnumber 2G phones on domestic networks, capturing a market share of 52% against 48% by 2G mobile phones.

Legal commercial imports of mobile phones have also increased by around 125% in three years. The revenue collected on these imports between 2018 and 2020 crossed the PKR 122 billion mark. The Annual Report also revealed that PTA introduced an online portal for Internet Protocol (IP) Whitelisting and Virtual Private Network (VPN) registration for software houses, call centers, and freelancers. A new automated Lost and Stolen Device System (LSDS) was also launched for blocking of lost, stolen, and snatched mobile phones. To eliminate illegal telecom setups and grey telephony, PTA conducted 53 raids during the last three years, leading to the confiscation of 163 illegal gateways and 35 arrests.

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US expelS 12 RUSSian Un STaFF FoR ‘eSpionage acTiviTieS’ WASHINGtON

T

AFP

HE United States said Monday that it was expelling 12 members of Russia’s UN mission from America for being “intelligence operatives,” prompting a furious response from Moscow, which denounced what it called a “hostile move.”

A spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN said those ordered to leave had “abused their privileges of

residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.”

“We are taking this action in accordance with the UN Headquarters Agreement.

This action has been in development for several months,” said the spokeswoman, Olivia Dalton.

Richard Mills, the US’s deputy ambassador to the UN, told a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine that the dozen had engaged in nondiplomatic activities.

“Those diplomats that have been asked to leave the United States were engaged in activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats,” he said, without elaborating further. “This is a hostile move against our country,”

Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, said on Facebook, adding that Moscow was “deeply disappointed” and “totally rejected” the US claims.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia — who has not been targeted for himself for expulsion — informed reporters of the decision first in a highly unusual way. While giving a press conference ahead of the UN meeting, Nebenzia asked reporters for a minute to answer a telephone message. He then revealed that he had just learned of the expulsion order issued by the United States. A Russian diplomatic source later told AFP the expulsion decision did not target either the ambassador or his two senior deputies, Dmitry Polyanskiy and Anna Evstigneeva.

“It’s bad news,” said Nebenzia, adding that the staff

in question were to leave the country by March 7.

The Russian mission to the UN has around 100 staff, according to a Russian diplomatic source.

The announcement of the expulsion came on the last day of Russia’s rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, which changes every month. Russia is to cede the presidential seat to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. The Russian diplomatic mission planned a reception later Monday to mark the end of its presidency, which has been marked, unprecedentedly, by its launch of a war against a neighbouring country.

“It is not clear that there will be many guests,” one ambassador told AFP on condition of anonymity about this event which, unusually, no journalists were invited to attend.

Ukraine crisis stretches Indian ‘neutrality’ to the limit NEW DELHI AFP

Wang Yi urges U.S. to practice its promises during phone call with Blinken StAFF REPORt China once again urged the U.S. side to take concrete actions to reflect the commitments made by President Joe Biden, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Some U.S. officials are advocating a long-term fierce competition with China, which is likely to evolve into a fullblown confrontation between the two countries, he said, referring to the U.S. newly-released Indo-Pacific Strategy. This is clearly sending the wrong signal of containment against China, he stressed. There is competition and cooperation between China and the United States.

Competition cannot simply define bilateral relations, he added. Noting that in a few days, it will be the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique between China and the U.S., he said that the spirit of the communique is still of great relevance to China-U.S. relations today.

China hopes the U.S. side will review the original aspiration of the two sides when they broke the ice 50 years ago, and make joint efforts with China to bring the bilateral relations back to the right track of sound and stable development, he added. Wang also congratulated U.S. athletes for their good performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics, saying that the friendly interaction between Chinese and American athletes fully embodies the Olympic spirit. Blinken first sent congratulations on the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the achievements of the Chinese athletes. He stressed that as President Biden has said many times, the United States does not seek a new “Cold War”. The U.S. does not seek to change China’s system, opposes “Taiwan independence” and has no intention to engage in conflict or confrontation with China.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left India’s traditional balancing act between Moscow and the West looking wobblier than ever, with experts saying New Delhi has few good diplomatic options. Last week India abstained on a UN Security Council resolution deploring Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine, winning praise from Moscow for its “independent and balanced position”.

But while New Delhi hoped this would be seen as neutrality, in many capitals its failure to condemn the invasion was taken as de facto backing of Moscow that gave President Vladimir Putin useful diplomatic cover.

And India is also reportedly looking to bolster its rupee-rouble trade pact with Moscow, potentially undermining Western efforts to isolate Russia from the global financial system. The crisis has left India facing a dilemma: it leant towards the Soviet Union during the Cold War — while Pakistan was in the Western camp — and their close relations outlived the fall of the Iron Curtain, with Moscow still by far its biggest arms supplier. At the same time, it needs Western support to contend with Xi Jinping’s increasingly assertive China: Beijing is extending its reach into the Indian Ocean, and the two countries had a deadly border clash in 2020.

Together with the US, Japan and Australia, India is also a member of the “Quad alliance” that is seen as a

bulwark against China. Its decision to abstain at the Friday Security Council vote left it alongside only Beijing and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Russia vetoed the resolution.

“There are not many choices that India has,” said Nandan Unnikrishnan of the Observer Research Foundation. It “has as much investment in a relationship with Russia as it has in maintaining a relationship with the United States”, he told AFP. “India’s challenges in the maritime is where it needs the United States and India’s challenges on the continental shelf is where it requires Russia.”

Hug tHe beaR: Putin visited India last year, in a rare foreign trip for the Russian president, bear-hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the two men bolstered military and energy ties.

New Delhi is the world’s second-largest importer of arms after Saudi Arabia and according to the Business Standard, between 2016-2020, 49.4 percent of its purchases were from Russia.

Late last year, it began taking delivery from Russia of the S-400 missile defence system that it agreed to buy for over $5 billion in 2018, despite the threat of US sanctions.

And while New Delhi is looking to develop its own capacity and diversify its suppliers, US imports accounted for just 11 percent.

The nation of 1.4 billion people is also a major con-

Arabs, Afghans decry ‘racist’ double standard in Ukraine media commentary AFP The world has been stunned by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but shock quickly gave way to indignation in other strife-torn parts of the world over media commentary many saw as racist against them.

“This isn’t a place – with all due respect, you know — like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades,” said Charlie D’Agata of US network CBS News. “This is a relatively civilised, relatively European — I have to choose those words carefully too — the city where you wouldn’t expect that or hope it is going to happen.” A day later, after much online furore, D’Agata apologised for his “poor choice of words”. This was just one of many remarks on reputable media outlets drawing a line between the conflict unfolding in Ukraine and those in other parts of the world.

Many Arabs were quick to point out the double standard, noting that while the toll of war may be similar in the respective conflicts, the media treatment is not. Some also drew a comparison between Europe’s welcoming of Ukrainian refugees and the influx of

Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, which was declared a “migrant crisis”.

Political scientist Ziad Majed said that, while there was “magnificent solidarity” from the world over the Ukraine conflict, it also revealed a “shocking distinction”. The discrepancies in media treatment revealed the “dehumanisation of refugees from the Middle East”, said Majed, a professor at the American University of Paris. “We can understand that the Ukrainians are Europeans and that the memory of war in Europe can revive a lot of emotions,” he said. But he stressed that “when we hear some commentators speaking about ‘people like us’, this suggests that those coming from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or Africa are not (like them)”.

‘Racist coveRage’: The Qatari channel Al Jazeera English was also not immune to the controversy. “These are not, obviously, refugees trying to get away from areas in the Middle East that are still in a big state of war,” said one of its anchors. “They look like any European family that you would live next door to.” The network later issued an apology, describing the remarks as “insensitive and irresponsible”.

Xi tells young officials to have strong faith, work hard StAFF REPORt Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged young officials to strengthen their ideals and convictions, develop and put into practice a right perspective on their performance, and work hard for the causes of the Party and the people.

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of a training program of young and middle-aged officials at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance).

Xi pointed out that young officials are the hope of the development of the Party and the country.

CPC officials should guard the line of defense against corruption, Xi said, adding that party officials should exercise their power justly, lawfully, honestly, and for the good of the people.

When making and implementing plans, officials

must remain committed to the Party’s fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people, and to the principle that development is for the people, reliant on the people, and that its fruits are shared by the people, Xi said.

To achieve the second centenary goal, officials must adhere to the basic Party line and take economic development as the central task, he added.

He also called for completely, accurately and comprehensively implementing the new development paradigm amid the new situation so as to accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development.

Xi called on young officials to carry forward the spirit of commitment and struggle to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi told them that the entire Party must forever maintain close ties with the people.

To implement the Party’s mass line, Xi stressed the necessity of addressing issues of public concern with utmost care and attention.

sumer of Russian oil. Total annual bilateral trade runs at around $9 billion, with much smaller quantities of pharmaceuticals, tea and coffee going the other way.

Russia has also repeatedly vetoed UN resolutions condemning Delhi over its behaviour in Indian-occupied Kashmir where a violent insurgency has raged for decades. According to Happymon Jacob from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Russia is perhaps India’s “only partner of consequence” in the territory to its north. ‘east-West conflict’: While New Delhi aspires to a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a role that would bring greater responsibility on the world stage, it has been careful to avoid explicitly condemning Russia.

Twitter, Facebook clamp down on Russia state-linked news NEW YORK AFP

Social media giants Twitter and Facebook parent Meta moved to curb the presence on their platforms of Russian state-linked news outlets, which stand accused of pushing misinformation about Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The tech platforms have become one of the fronts in the internationally condemned attack, home to sometimes false narratives but also real-time monitoring of a conflict that marks Europe’s biggest geopolitical crisis in decades. Meta said it would be restricting access in the European Union to RT and Sputnik, which Western nations have accused of being Kremlin mouthpieces and serving as a platform to argue for war. The social media behemoth’s vice president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, cited the “exceptional nature of the current situation” in announcing the decision but offered no details. Just hours earlier, Twitter said it would put warnings on tweets sharing links to Russian state-affiliated media. Twitter’s head of site integrity, Yoel Roth, wrote that the platform has been seeing more than 45,000 tweets per day that are sharing links to the outlets. “Our product should make it easy to understand who’s behind the content you see, and what their motivations and intentions are,” he added.

In addition to adding labels that identify the sources of links, Roth said the platform is also “taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on Twitter.” Twitter and Facebook have both been hit with access restrictions in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine and are now “largely unusable,” said web monitoring group NetBlocks.

‘KRemlin talKing points’: The European Union had already announced Sunday a ban on RT and Sputnik broadcasting in the bloc, with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen saying they “will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify (President Vladimir) Putin’s war.” A Sputnik report fired back over the moves to restrict its access to social media, saying the “unprecedented bans are a clear assault on free speech, but you can still follow Sputnik on Telegram.” The US State Department, in a report published in January, said the outlets equate themselves with public, independent media like the BBC but in fact “serve primarily as conduits for the Kremlin’s talking points.”

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022 | KARACHI

SmiTh SAyS AuSTRAliA ‘iNCRediBly SAfe’ iN PAkiSTAN isLAMAbAD

A

ReuteRS

uSTRALIA batsman Steve Smith said on Tuesday the players felt “incredibly safe” on their first tour of Pakistan in nearly 25 years, despite spinner Ashton Agar reportedly receiving a threat via social media just days before the start of the first Test.

Agar was warned on Instagram against travelling to Pakistan, though the threat was dismissed following an investigation by the boards of Pakistan and Australia and government security agencies.

Cricket Australia said extensive

International sides have recently started touring Pakistan again but in September New Zealand returned home after abruptly abandoning a tour minutes before the opening game in Rawalpindi following a government security alert.

England followed suit three days later, withdrawing their men’s and women’s teams from a tour in October citing the “mental and physical well-being” of players.

Smith said that he was relishing the challenge of playing in Pakistan.

“It’s great to be back here and playing cricket,” he said. “It’s the first time a lot of us have been here and we’re excited. We know how passionate Pakistanis are about

security plans were in place for such social media activity and that the threat was “not considered a risk”.

Smith said the team trusted the security arrangements in place.

“We’re aware of social media and the unfortunate events that can occur on platforms,” he told reporters ahead of the first Test, which starts on Friday in Rawalpindi.

“We’ve got a lot of people working here with us, we trust our security and we’re feeling incredibly safe in Pakistan.”

Top teams have largely shunned Pakistan since an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.

SPORTS 11

cricket.”

Smith sustained a concussion in a match against Sri Lanka in Sydney last month, slamming his head to the ground after falling over the boundary rope but the 32-year-old said he had progressed well.

“It’s the first session back for me facing fast bowling. I’m recovering from the concussion and I’ve faced some side-arm and spinners,” Smith said.

“The head has progressed really well the last few days. I’m feeling in a good space, [have] done a lot of stuff where I’ve got my heart rate up to a good amount and brought it down […] all part of the protocols of getting back to playing.”

Ramiz Raja lauds success of HBL PSL 7 news Desk

Pak vs Aus: Rain likely to spoil Rawalpindi Test

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has lauded the success of the seventh edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL).

According to a press release issued by the cricketing board, Ramiz said that profits “jumped to 71 percent” — the highest in the tournament’s history.

“HBL PSL 7 profits jumped to 71pc, the most in its history, with each franchise earning around Rs900 million, again the most in HBL PSL’s history, and all before the first ball was even bowled,” he said.

He attributed the success of the tournament to the “amazing crowds” in Karachi and Lahore. “In my professional career, I have never seen such charged up,

overwhelming, enthusiastic, lively and supportive crowds, particularly in Lahore,” he said, thanking the fans for playing a part in PSL’s success.

“I would like to thank our sponsors, players, franchises, the medical team, law enforcing agencies, local and provisional administrations, commentators and crew members, and ground staff for their untiring efforts, as well as millions watching on television all around the world who made this HBL PSL a memorable spectacle,” he added.

He said that for next year, the PCB aims to take the league to the homes of all the franchises and to broaden its “fan reach”. Earlier on Sunday, Lahore Qalandars had claimed their maiden HBL PSL title by defeating Multan Sultans by 42 runs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Agencies Pakistan and Australia men’s cricket teams are gearing up in Rawalpindi for the historic Test series, starting from March 4. The home side has been toiling hard for the past three days while Australia started their training today for the Test series opener. Meanwhile, it is highly expected that the rain may affect the first Test between Pakistan and Australia. The forecast is clear for the first two days of the five-day match but light to moderate showers are expected on the last three days. Remember, Pakistan hosted its first Test after the gap of 10 years in Rawalpindi back in 2019 against Sri Lanka.

The rain completely spoiled three days and the play was only possible on day one and five of the Test match. It must be noted that Australia will play three Tests, three ODIs and a T20I against Pakistan.

Rawalpindi will host the Test series opener and whiteball leg while Karachi and Lahore will host the second and third Test respectively.

Schedule: 4-8 March – 1st Test, Rawalpindi 12-16 March – 2nd Test, Karachi 21-25 March – 3rd Test, Lahore 29 March – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi 31 March – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi 2 April – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi 5 April – one-off T20I, Rawalpindi

NCOC greenlights full crowds for Australia series isLAMAbAD Staff RepoRt

The much-anticipated cricket series against Australia will be played with full crowds in attendance after the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) lifted Tuesday social restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19. The first Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from March 4-8, the second in Karachi from March 12-16 and the third in Lahore from March 21-25. The Tests will be followed by three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and a T20 — all in Rawalpindi. This is Australia’s first cricket series in Pakistan since 1998 and her first full Test tour in nearly three years since it beat England in the Ashes in 2019, and playing on subcontinent wickets will be a challenge for the visiting batters against the likes of fast bowlers like Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. The meeting of the federal body overseeing the pandemic response, after deciding in principle to allow capacity crowds to enjoy the games, dispatched a formal directive regarding its decisions to the Centre and the provinces as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Children above 12 will be required to bring their Covid-19 vaccination certificate for entry to the stadium, while those below 12 can attend the matches without vaccination. The administration and the spectators have also been advised to fully comply with the health guidelines. Meanwhile, the body also denotified the enforcement of restrictions in three cities — Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Mardan — after observing a dip in daily infections.

Pak vs Aus: Haris Rauf tests coronavirus positive ahead of first Test AFP Pacer Haris Rauf has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the start of the Pakistan-Australia series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Tuesday.

In an update released today evening, the cricket board said Rauf tested positive upon his rapid antigen test, following which he was sent into isolation.

“Further details will be provided in due course,” the board.

The three-match Test series will kickstart on March 4 in Rawalpindi, while the city police have finalised security arrangements, and over 4,000 policemen will be deployed for the event.

Last week, the PCB had announced minor changes to the 15-man squad after all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali were ruled out of the series due to injuries.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed and fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr were been included in Pakistan’s Test squad for the first match in their place.

Squad: Babar Azam (captain) Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) Abdullah Shafique Azhar Ali Fawad Alam Haris Rauf

Iftikhar Ahmed Imam-ul-Haq Mohammad Wasim Jnr Nauman Ali Sajid Khan Saud Shakeel Shaheen Shah Afridi Shan Masood Zahid Mahmood Test schedule: March 4-8 – 1st Test, Rawalpindi March 12-16 – 2nd Test, Karachi March 21-25 – 3rd Test, Lahore

Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games torch relay begins today MiAn AbrAr The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games torch relay will begin today. The torch relay will last until March 4 across three competition zones including central Beijing, the capital’s Yanqing District, and Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei Province, featuring a total of 565 torch bearers among whom people with disabilities take up 21 percent. The ratio exceeds the criterion of 15 percent set by the International Paralympics Committee (IPC), with the selected personnel from all walks of life. The torch relay consists of three segments, including flame lighting, flame gathering, and the relay. Joining the Heritage Flame from Stoke Mandeville are flames collected from eight spots in the three competition zones on Wednesday morning, which will be gathered in the Temple of Heaven before the relay begins later in the afternoon. According to the organizing committee, the transformation work has been completed in all five venues where the games will be held, as they were built to host both the just concluded Winter Olympics and the upcoming Paralympics.

Saadia Khan and children ski cup held at PAF Ski Resort Naltar Pr Saadia Khan & Children Ski Cup culminated successfully at Naltar Ski Resort. A large number of ski enthusiasts and locals witnessed the thrilling and spectacular competitions. Prominent national skiers from all over the country contested for their place in the Salalomand Giant Salalom category of races. Female skiers and young Athletes demonstrated their best skills under freezing temperatures on highly steep slopes.

Pakistan Air Force has developed the resort at par with the world class standards by providing all possible facilities of international caliber.

The event is named after a great young skier Miss Saadia Khan who lost her precious life in a tragic car accident at age of 24 years.

The tournament is being organized to provide opportunity to female players from all across the country to challenge their mental and physical toughness.

Wednesday, 2 March, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:39

12:45

4:05

6:55

6:34

7:50

Pervaiz elahi seeks iMMediate rePeal of PeCa ordinanCe LAHORE

s

Freedom of media is also very important for the development of Pakistan, he added.

staff report

Elahi said that independent media was essential for the security and survival of Pakistan.

PEAKEr Punjab Assembly and PML-Q senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Tuesday demanded immediate repeal of the amendment in PECA Ordinance. During a meeting with a delegation representing the Media Joint Action Committee (JAC) here, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi fully supported the demands of the JAC. During the discussion, the Speaker Punjab Assembly said that imposing any kind of restriction on media freedom is not in our interest.

He further added that the PECA Ordinance discriminates against the journalist community and the people.

Pervez Elahi also said that media is the fourth pillar of the state and we fully believe in its independence.

PM unveils package to secure investment in export-oriented industries LAHORE

Pakistan, India hold talks over water disputes ISLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan and India began on Tuesday the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Islamabad.

The Indian delegation of the Indus Water Commission reached Pakistan via the Wagah border crossing on Monday.

The three-day talks on water disputes will be held from March 1 to March 3. Mahar Ali Shah will represent Pakistan while the Indian delegation is headed by its water commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena.

According to sources privy to the agenda of the meeting, projects India constructed on the run-of-the-river will be discussed and Pakistan will raise its objections and reservations on the initiatives.

“Issue related to release of floodwa-

ter will also be highlighted with visiting delegation,” they said.

The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held on

March 23-24, 2021 in New Delhi.

Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between the two nations in 1960, the two Commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

The meeting could not be held in 2020 due to restrictions imposed on account of the Covid-19 crisis.

Last year, discussions continued on the designs of two Indian projects — Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW). India held that these projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the treaty and provided technical data in support of its position.

Pakistan had asked India for sharing information on the design of other hydropower projects being planned. New Delhi assured Islamabad the information will be provided as and when required under the provisions of the treaty.

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Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday unveiled a package of incentives to promote the industrial sector with a focus on attracting investment from the local and expatriate business community and strengthening Pakistan’s export-oriented industrial and manufacturing base.

“Along with local businessmen, we are also inviting overseas Pakistani entrepreneurs to invest in the country’s industrial sector. Besides the expatriates, the local businessmen in the joint venture will also enjoy a five-year tax holiday with no questions,” he said while addressing a ceremony that was attended by a large number of businessmen and representatives of the various chambers of commerce and industry.

Khan said the government was doing its best for the promotion of export-oriented industries — vital for socio-economic development and progress — including the measures to strengthen small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and revive the sick industrial units.

He said there was a need to attract the nine millionstrong diaspora — a precious asset for the country — to invest in their homeland by incentivising and giving them confidence in the protection of their hard-earned capital.

PTI, PML-N won’t accept Elahi as CM Punjab, says Shujaat Former Prime Minister and PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Tuesday claimed that both PTI and PML-N did not want senior party leader Pervaiz Elahi to become chief minister of Punjab.

The PML-Q chief revealed this in a meeting with Jamaat-eIslami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, who along with a delegation called on Shujaat at his residence in Lahore.

Elahi, who is currently the Punjab Assembly Speaker, had also served as the province’s chief executive during the tenure of military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

While discussing the overall political situation of the country, the matter of no-confidence mo-

tion against the PTI-led government also came under discussion.

During the meeting, the former premier said both the parties – PTI and PML-N – were oppos-

ing the nomination of PML-Q leader for the slot of Punjab CM, fearing that those lawmakers who had left PML-Q for these two parties in the past could re-join it if it

came into power in the province.

Opposition parties including PPP and PML-N approached PMLQ recently to seek its support for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

It merits mention that the PML-Q, a key ally of PTI-led government both at the Centre and in Punjab, Tuesday assured the prime minister of their full support to foil the opposition’s no-trust move. The statement comes after PM Imran Khan met with the top leadership of PML-Q including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi at their residence in Lahore. news desk

Government approves third amnesty scheme in a bid to boost the economy In a meeting held on Monday, the Federal cabinet through circulation has approved the Promotion Package for Industry (PPI) by promulgation of ordinance for amendments in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 (ITO 2001) via Income Tax Amendment Ordinance 2022.

The PPI has three strands including incentives for investment in new and existing industrial undertakings, incentives for revival of sick units and incentives for investment in industries by non-resident Pakistanis and resident Pakistani individuals having declared foreign assets.

IncentIves for settIng up new IndustrIes: Under the PPI, a 5% acrossthe-board tax rate will immune the investor from probe about his sources of investment as provided under the section 111 of ITO 2001.

The investor will establish a new industrial undertaking through creation of a new company. Similarly, existing units can avail the facility for balancing and modernization.

The cutoff date for filing such declarations

will be 31 December, 2022 with a condition to start commercial production latest by 30 June, 2024.

IncentIves for revIval of sIck unIts: PPI through adding section 59C of ITO 2001, provides that those companies returning a net loss in the last 3 years will be eligible to be acquired through acquisition (not amalgamation) by a healthy profit-making company, which will be incentivized to adjust the sick company’s tax losses for the next 3 years. tax IncentIves for foreIgn Investment: PPI further provides through section 100F and 65H of ITO 2001 that if eligible non-resident Pakistanis and resident Pakistani individuals repatriate their declared foreign assets into Pakistan for investment into industry, they would be entitled to 100% tax credit for the next five years.

A resident individual having declared foreign assets by 31 december 2021 and a person being non-resident for the last five years con-

tinuously, will be eligible for the scheme.

Incentivization of capital investment into various industrial sectors is common to most tax systems. Pakistan has also provided tax incentives to the industrial sector through the introduction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Export Processing Zones (EPZs), and Special Technology Zones (STZs).

The matter of extending a Promotion Plan for Industry sponsored by the Ministry of Industries & Production (MoIP) came under discussion in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on January 25, 2022, and approved in principle.

This is not the first time that this government has provided a tax amnesty scheme.

There have already been two such schemes back in May 2019 and April 2020. The IMF barred the government from introducing such schemes back in 2019 but made an exception in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, as per reports, this time the scheme is not approved by the IMF. ahtasam ahmad & shahzad paracha

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