EpaperKHI_22-5-12

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 I 10 Shawwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 312 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Nawaz Sharif, PM Shehbaz Meet iN LoNdoN with earLy eLectioNS atoP ageNda LiSt

LonDon

P

Staff report

RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday met his elder brother and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in the British capital, with “big decision” on snap polls atop the agenda list.

The prime minister, along with his delegation, touched down in London at Gatwick Airport’s south terminal early Wednesday morning. His flight took off from Islamabad around 12:00am last night.

Some photos of their maiden meeting — after Shehbaz became the prime minister last month — were released Wednesday but no formal statement was issued as to what was discussed.

According to the sources, Nawaz has

to consult the party leadership over some important issues he has reservations over and the PML-N is expected to make a “big decision”, which is why he rejected the proposal to have an online meeting.

Speaking to the media in London a day earlier, Nawaz said he is looking forward to meeting Shehbaz and others accompanying him. Sources said that several federal ministers including Miftah Ismail, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khawaja Asif and Khurram Dastagir are accompanying PM Shehbaz Sharif on the trip.

Nawaz said the PTI government had left Pakistan in a deep economic mess.

“The PTI government has created a crisis in every sphere of the country.

Imran Khan’s government harmed Pakistan in every possible manner, be it social, economic, cultural or political issues.

Nothing like this happened ever before in the history of Pakistan.”

When asked about former PM Imran Khan making references to Mir Jafar and treachery, the PML-N said Imran Khan has caused an unprecedented havoc in the country and the kind of destruction he has left behind has never been seen before.

“Thankfully, he is gone and his destructive ways have been stopped.”

Speaking about the expected meeting, Nawaz said that they would discuss the current situation as well as the way forward.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Ishaq Dar said the meeting in London was of critical importance as big decisions about the economy have to be made. He ruled out the idea of early elections and said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had already said that elections before October were not possible.

The party sources further said that during the meeting with Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar, they would discuss a strategy on the prices of petroleum products.

The discussion holds particular importance as a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to begin talks with Pakistani officials on May 18 in Doha.

Moreover, decisions regarding power-sharing, the next general elections, and the Punjab cabinet will also be taken during the meeting.

Last month, the PML-N supremo had met PPP an Bilawal Bhutto Chairman Zardari — a key ally in the ruling coalition — in London to discuss ways forward after a “constitutional victory for democracy, the rule of law and supremacy of parliament”.

The two leaders agreed to work closely to “repair the rot across the board,” read a joint statement.

Elections only after electoral reforms, stresses Zardari KARACHI Staff CorreSpondent

Former president and PPP co-chair Asif Ali Zardari has said that general elections in the country would only be possible after the incumbent government implements electoral reforms and amends the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws.

The announcement comes on heels of an emergency meeting summoned by PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif in London attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and top cabinet members.

Media reports suggested that elder Sharif was worried of the failure of the new government on economic front and the rising popularity of ousted prime minister Imran Khan and was all set to announce early polls.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi on Wednesday, a visibly disturbed Zardari told reporters that the government has to change laws and improve them and then go to elections.

“Whether it takes three or four months, we have to work on implementation of policies and improving the electoral process,” Zardari said who insiders say is opposing early elections which don’t suit the PPP.

“We do not want any selected person to come into power again,” he said, adding that he has persuaded the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over the electoral reforms ahead of the elections.

The former president said the coalition government has “no issue” with voting rights and representation for overseas Pakistani, adding that a number of seats can be specified for them after discussions.

The army was “apolitical” for the first time, he said, asking whether the situation warranted saluting Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa

or “fighting” with him.

Talking about the no-confidence vote that led to the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan, Zardari said it was “good to know that the army can remain neutral”. He expressed the hope that the army would continue to be “apolitical” and any problems that arose could be solved by political leadership.

Talking about the judiciary, which has been criticised by PTI chairman Imran, he said he has never run a campaign against them. “[Former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf kept me in jail for five

ECP bins disqualification references against defecting PTI MPs ISLAMABAD Staff report

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) dismissed for “not being in accordance with the Constitution” references seeking disqualification of National Assembly members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) under Article 63-A over defection from their party.

A bench of the agency, headed

by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, had reserved its verdict in the case earlier on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, during the proceedings on Wednesday, the commission had also rejected the party’s request to accept any more records and evidence from it.

Article 63-A of the Constitution, the law on floor-crossing, provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party.

Article 63-A reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill (budget) or a Consti-

years but we did not attack his house and I have said internationally, I want to see Musharraf alive.

“I think we should let the institution do its work and help them.”

He alleged that the bureaucracy had been destroyed during the PTI government’s tenure and relations with other countries were “not even present”, which the incumbent government would try to improve.

He slammed Imran for labelling his opponents as Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs. “If anyone can run the country, it is us, not him. His own friends left him because they (PTI) could not fulfil their political commitments.”

Zardari, while responding to a question, said he has not read the cable that Imran claimed contains proof of a “foreign conspiracy” to oust him.

“I do not believe any [US] State Department official is irresponsible enough to [say] what you have read out to me. There is no such thing. He (Imran) has created a political myth. What need does the US have [to interfere]?”

The former president said Pakistan needs to correct its policies and portray itself as a safe haven so the international community would consider it as a partner.

Elaborating on the issues facing the economy, the former president said oil is expensive which is why the country would hold a dialogue.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has good relations with Saudi Arabia’s ruling family, he noted.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

tution (amendment) bill”.

Last month, over a dozen of PTI lawmakers withdrew their support for Khan ahead of the no-confidence vote against him which saw him joining a lengthening list of elected prime ministers who have failed to see out their full terms; none has done so since independence in 1947.

Subsequently, the party had filed declarations and references against some 20 MPs, seeking their disqualification under Article 63-A. The MPs included Noor Alam Khan, Mohammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Nawab Sher Waseer, Raja Riaz, Ahmed Hussain Deharr, Rana Qasim Noon, Asim Nazeer, Amjad Farooq Khosa, Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf, Syed Mobeen Ahmed, Sayed Sami ulHassan Gillani, Abdul Ghaffar Wattoo, Basit Ahmad Sultan, Aamir Talal Gopang, Riaz Mehmood Khan Mazari, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Wajiha Qamar, Nuzhat Pathan and Javeria Zafar.

Today, Faisal Chaudhry, the counsel for PTI, requested the court to provide a copy of the verdict it had reserved, saying that he will challenge it.

He maintained that the dissidents had opposed PTI’s request to offer further evidence.

more inside

PTI’s name has been illegally used to raise funds, counsel explains to ECP STORY ON PAGE 02

China, Pakistan vow to carry forward high quality development of CPEC STORY ON PAGE 03

Asif hints at election before completion of army chief’s tenure STORY ON BACK PAGE

Vawda files complaint against ECP member STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

PTI’s name has been Illegally used To raIse funds, counsel exPlaIns To ecP

P

NEWS DESK

AKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Anwar Mansoor argued on Wednesday that some people illegally used the party’s name to collect funds. The PTI counsel’s arguments came as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) heard the party’s foreign funding case earlier today. The counsel maintained that the PTI was registered in the United States in 2010 and that it was not responsible for any funding raised without the permission of the central finance committee.

On ECP Sindh member Nasir Durrani’s inquiry about the sources of funding, Mansoor replied that the funding was taken personally and the PTI had submitted all the details of the funding to the scrutiny committee. An external audit of the PTI’s funds was also conducted on international stan-

dards. “Checks and balances were kept to prevent the illegal use of funds. In 2013, the central finance committee wrote a letter to improve the party funding system. Before 2013, there were problems in funding on which the party chairman wrote a letter.

Warning letters were also issued to those responsible,” the counsel further stated.

The Sindh commission member asked if the party had confidence in Ahsan & Ahsan –auditing firm?

To this, counsel Mansoor replied that Ahsan & Ahsan were not regular auditors and that their report cannot be considered an audit of the PTI. “Their report was downloaded by the scrutiny committee from the website. The party is not responsible if the agent does something wrong in sending funds. The amount of funding that came from the US, and UK in 2010-11 and the record of all donors were given to the scrutiny commit-

Ihc orders fIa not to arrest journalist critical of military ISLAMABAD

tee. It rejected the recorded based on assumptions, the counsel maintained.

Mansoor added that our donation consisted of Pakistanis living abroad and the PTI did not receive any funding from foreigners. Member Nasir Durrani asked what action was taken by the party if the agents made a mistake. To this, the counsel replied that the party had removed the disruptive agents. The scrutiny committee report said that ‘it appeared’ that foreigners had funded the PTI. He added that conclusions cannot be reached from what ‘seemed’ or what could have possibly happened.

“There is no possibility of probabilities in the law. How can a decision be made on the basis of an uncertainty? The questions raised by the committee on funds were not even received by the party,” he said.

Member Shah Mohammad Jatoi asked if any legal action was taken against the agents who were removed. “The agent was

15 dead, 6 injured in van-truck crash on Indus Highway between Jamshoro-Manjhand area NEWS DESK

the aSSociated pReSS

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) not to arrest a prominent anchorperson who the agency has accused of spreading fake news and hate content on social media against the military, his colleagues said Wednesday.

Sami Ibrahim is currently in the United States on a personal visit and will return home this week, according to his lawyer Raja Amir Abbas. Ibrahim’s colleagues say the court ordered the agency on Tuesday to allow him to remain free at least until he attends a court hearing before May 16. The latest development comes amid a growing campaign against the military on social media platforms after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from power last month through a no-confidence vote in the parliament. Khan claims that he was removed from power by a US plot executed by his political opponents. Washington has denied the charge, and the new government has urged people not to spread what they call “fake news” against national institutions, including the military and the judiciary. In a statement a day before, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also asked the authorities to “drop their inquiry into journalist Sami Ibrahim.” In a separate statement, it also asked Pakistan to conduct a “swift and impartial investigation into the police assault of journalist Jahangir Hayat” who was briefly detained this month by police along with his wife and daughter in Lahore.

removed by the party but no action was taken,” the counsel replied. “The agents were allowed to raise funds for the party under the agreement who worked for the party voluntarily.”

Barrister Ahmed Hassan asked the counsel to clarify what country’s citizen was Nasrullah.

The ECP adjourned further hearing of the case till tomorrow.

After the hearing, petitioner Akbar S Babar while talking to the media said that the PTI today argued that the full funds collected by two illegal companies opened by the PTI in the US did not reach Pakistan.

“They have disowned the treasurer (Nasrullah) they themselves appointed,” the former PTI member said.

“The PTI says that these accounts were operated by Asad Qaiser etc. and today they have disowned their own treasurer, Dr Nasrullah,” Babar said.

Fifteen people were killed and six injured on Wednesday when a van collided head on with a truck on a section of the Indus Highway near Sann.

According to Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner (DC) Fariduddin Mustafa, the tragedy occurred on a section of the Indus Highway (Jamshoro-Manjhand) where development work on two lanes of the highway was delayed by the National Highway Authority (NHA).

He said work on the portion was delayed due to the contractor being blacklisted and the NHA was said to be in the process of going for re-tendering.

The accident took place near Shah Awais turning point on the highway. The truck was returning from a coal mine and heading for Sehwan when it came in

Sikandar, an unidentified woman and three unidentified men were among the deceased.

The injured included Mashooq (30), Pathan (35), Allah Obhayo, Saffar, Shabbir and Ehsan — all residents of Kandiaro.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed regret over the incident and instructed Hyderabad’s commissioner, deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police to extend all possible cooperation to the bereaved families.

“The injured should be rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Steps should be taken to send the bodies of the deceased to their [native] areas,” the chief minister said, adding that doctors should be called from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences if need be.

contact with the van coming from Kandiaro and going to Karachi.

The DC said the deceased and injured belonged to the Solangi and Kalhoro tribes, adding that they were workers of a salt factory in Sher Shah, Karachi.

Following the accident, police officers and local administration rushed to the site. Edhi volunteers moved the injured to hospitals in Manjhand and Khanote. Some were also brought to Liaquat University Hospital in Jamshoro.

Meanwhile, the deceased were sent to Taluka Hospital Manjhand and subsequently dispatched to their hometowns.

According to a list shared by the district administration, Asif (35), Saeed Ahmed (40), Ashique (25), Waqeel (30), Mashooq (30), Altaf (35), Rahib (33), Shafique, Sajid (32), Shakeel (29),

gdI platform to accelerate implementation of sdgs: bilawal ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has appreciated the China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI), dubbing it a useful platform to accelerate and coordinate efforts for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While addressing the high-level virtual meeting of the Group of Friends of the GDI, Zardari expressed concerns over the reversal of progress in the implementation of SDGs, owing to multiple crises caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and geopolitical conflicts, according to the Foreign Office. He urged the Group of Friends of the GDI to address the challenges faced by the developing world and support emergency actions to increase cooperation in public health and vaccine equity, ensure food security, enhance energy production, promote a global green economy, stimulate trade and industrialisation, and eliminate the digital divide, the ministry said in a statement. Multiple crises have enlarged the gap in financing for development, he said, adding that the international community should mobilise adequate resources for SDGs and fulfil the commitment of providing at least $100 billion annually in climate finance. In his address, Zardari reaffirmed his country’s resolve to further strengthen its all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China, including through the rapid implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the statement added.

Wazir secures bail from shc KARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Sindh High Court (SHC) Wednesday accepted the bail request of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) MP Ali Wazir in lieu of a surety bond of Rs0.5 million. The court, in its order, said that no attempt had been made to arrest three persons nominated in the case including Mohsin Dawar, Manzoor Pashteen and Dr Jamil Ahmad. “Similarly, the bail granted to the other three was also not challenged either,” the court said. The MP had been languishing in Karachi central prison since December 2020 after he was arrested in connection with two sedition cases registered in the metropolis.

LHC takes up PTI plea against Hamza oath-taking LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Lahore High Court (LHC) fixed for Thursday an intra-court appeal moved by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party against the oath-taking as Punjab chief minister of Pakistan Muslim

League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Hamza Shehbaz.

A five-member larger bench, headed

by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan, will take up the request.

Justice Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sethi had requested Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti to constitute a larger

bench for the petition.

PTI lawmakers in Punjab Assembly had challenged the verdict of the court’s single bench ordering the National Assembly speaker to take the oath of office from Shehbaz. On April 30, Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath on directions of the high court.

The ceremony, which was held at Governor’s House in Lahore, was attended by the top leadership of the PML-N. Shehbaz was elected as Punjab’s chief minister on April 16. However, his oath-taking was deferred twice despite the LHC directing to complete the job at the earliest.

Sharif condemns Israel’s ‘assassination’ of Al Jazeera journalist WEST BANK Staff RepoRt

The prime minister “strongly condemned the assassination” of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was shot dead by Israel’s troops on Wednesday as she covered a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Abu Akleh, 51, a Palestinian-American, was wearing a press vest that clearly marked her as a journalist while reporting in the city of Jenin, the Qatar-based outlet said. The Palestinian health ministry said she had been hit in the head by gunfire.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Al Jazeera described her death as blatant, cold-blooded murder by Israeli forces.

“Silencing voices of those who tell stories of oppressed people is part of a deliberate strategy employed by Israel,” Shehbaz Sharif said in a message posted on Twitter.

Abu Akleh was covering the latest in intensified military incursions in the West Bank launched amid deadly Arab street attacks in Israel, the channel said.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had conducted an operation early Wednesday in Jenin refugee camp, a strong-

hold of armed Palestinian groups in the northern West Bank.

But Israel added its forces came under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while carrying out attacks in Jenin, and that they fired back. The IDF said it was investigating “and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.”

Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a statement, said that according to information Tel Aviv has gathered so far, “it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.”

DELIBERATELY TARGETED: Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist who was present next to Abu Akleh when she was shot, also told Al Jazeera that there had been no confrontations between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army, and said that the group of journalists had been targeted.

“We were four journalists, we were all wearing vests, all wearing helmets,” Hanaysha said. “The [Israeli] occupation army did not stop firing even after she collapsed. I couldn’t even extend my arm to pull her because of the shots. The army was adamant on shooting to kill.”

A video aired by Al Jazeera shows gunfire ringing out in an open area. Abu Akleh can be seen lying on the side of a road as another journalist crouches nearby and a man screams for an ambulance.

Both reporters were wearing blue flak jackets clearly marked with the word “PRESS.”

The network interrupted its broadcast to announce her death. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to “condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague.”

Al Jazeera’s Moroccan journalist Abdel Samad Nasser broadcasts a report before an

image of his network colleague Shireen Abu Akleh at the Qatar news broadcaster’s main headquarters in the capital Doha on May 11, 2022. — Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images “We pledge to prosecute the perpetrators legally, no matter how hard they try to cover up their crime, and bring them to justice,” Al Jazeera said in a statement.

“Very said to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh,” Tom Nides, the US ambassador to Israel, wrote on Twitter. “I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin.”

Tensions have risen in recent months as Israel has grappled with a wave of attacks which killed at least 18 people since March 22, including an Arab-Israeli police officer and two Ukrainians.

The Israeli army has blamed some of the attacks on residents of Jenin and has stepped up operations in the area in recent weeks.

A total of 30 Palestinians and three Israeli Arabs have died during the same period, according to an AFP tally, among them perpetrators of attacks and those killed by Israeli security forces in West Bank operations.

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

chIna, PakIsTan voW To carry forWard hIgh qualITy develoPmenT of cPec ISLAMABAD

f

Mian abRaR

OREIGN Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held virtual meeting with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Wednesday and vowed to carry forward high quality development of CPEC. State Councilor Wang Yi extended felicitations to the Foreign Minister on assumption of office. The two Foreign Ministers discussed bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The Foreign Minister conveyed that Pakistan enjoyed unique and time-tested bonds with China and appreciated the measures taken by the two sides to strengthen the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister thanked his counterpart for China’s firm support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and national development, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support to China on all issues of its core interest.

The Foreign Minister underscored his determination to inject fresh momentum in the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership and add new avenues to practical cooperation.

The Foreign Minister appreciated the transformational impact of CPEC on Pakistan’s infrastructure, energy, industrialization, socio-economic development and improvement in livelihoods of the people.

He underlined that Pakistan was committed to high quality development of CPEC and looked forward to fast-tracking key projects and accelerating industrial relocation to

Pakistan, especially in CPEC SEZs. Condemning the terrorist attack in Karachi University in which three Chinese teachers lost their lives, the Foreign Minister underlined Pakistan’s firm resolve to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice. He reiterated that Pakistan attached high importance to safety and security of Chinese projects, nationals and institutions in Pakistan. The two Foreign Ministers also discussed the evolving situation in the region and beyond, in particular the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Minister also briefed on the gross human rights violations and serious situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to remain in close contact.

Bilawal writes to UN on illegal delimitation exercise in IOJK by India ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Wednesday addressed a letter to the president of the United Nations Security Council and the UN’s secretary-general regarding India’s ploy of reducing the representation of Muslims through the unlawful “delimitation” exercise in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK).

A statement by the foreign ministry said that Pakistan continues to internationally highlight the alarming situation in the IOJK in the wake of India’s illegal and unilateral actions on August 5 2019.

According to the statement, Bilawal underscored that these illegal measures constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and said the relevant Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute were illegal and null and void.

Highlighting India’s gross, systematic and wide-

govt assign ‘look after charge’ to rehmat ali as nbP President SHAHzAD PARACHA The federal government has assigned the look after charge of President National Bank of Pakistan to Senior Executive Vice President Rehmat Ali Hasni.

Document states that on completion of three months extended period of NBP President Arif Usmani, the competent authority, finance division is pleased to assign the look after charge of the post of President/CEO NBP to Rehmet ali Hasnie, group chief CIBG being the senior most executive of the bank to dispose of routine/day to day affairs of the bank with effect from May 15, 2022 till joining of the regular incumbent of the position. It is pertinent to mention here that Arif Usmani’s three year term expired on February 11, 2022, the PTI government had extended its tenure for three months.

Intense selling at Psx, kse-100 index sheds 641 points MONITORINg REPORT The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed intense selling pressure on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 index shed 641.21 points, two days after it lost almost 1,500 points. According to the PSX website, the KSE-100 Index opened at 43,504.36 points and made a high of 43,649.59 points. It then started going down before closing at 42,863.15 points, which represented a decline of 641.21 points. Raza Jafri, head of Equities at Intermarket Securities, said urgent decisions were needed from the federal government. “The government has been dragging its feet so far which is eroding investors’ confidence and leading to panic selling.”

The market, he emphasised, needed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to resume quickly to find a foothold. “If the programme continues to be delayed, buyers will continue to shy away,” he added. Share prices nosedived as investors expressed worries about the country’s debt repayment capacity amid depleting foreign exchange reserves.

03

spread human rights violations in IOJK, Bilawal also drew particular attention to the ongoing Indian efforts to further marginalise, disempower, and divide the beleaguered Kashmiri population.

He noted that this was a shameless assault on the identity, fundamental rights of the people, and culture of IOJK, and was designed to pave the way for installing yet another puppet government in IOJK that is pliant to BJP-RSS combine, and panders to its “Hindutva” ideology. He also emphasised that under the garb of this inherently ill-intentioned process, India had attempted to carry out demographic engineering in the IOJK in a bid to convert Muslim majority constituencies into Hindu-majority ones.

“Through the sham ‘delimitation’ exercise, it is obvious that India is aiming to speed up the process of demographic changes that it has already set in motion through measures such as doling out millions of domicile certificates, offering jobs, and putting up land in

IOJK for sale to non-Kashmiris, in complete disregard to the international law and relevant Geneva Conventions,” he said.

He urged the UN Security Council: To remind India that Jammu and Kashmir remain an internationally recognised dispute pending resolution and that India should refrain from bringing about any illegal demographic changes in the occupied territory in contravention to international law, the Geneva Conventions, and India’s own obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

To compel and counsel India to halt its human rights abuses against the people of IIOJK and cease forthwith the endemic political persecution and economic exploitation of the Kashmiris.

To prevail upon India to let the people of IIOJK determine their own future through a free and fair plebiscite under the United Nations auspices as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Miftah Ismail directs FBR to meet the upward revised target STAff REPORT Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to maximize revenue collection in the next two months to meet the upward revised target fixed for the current financial year, 2021-2022.

The Finance Minister on Tuesday visited FBR (Headquarters) to review performance and the ongoing drive for tax compliance by the country’s premier revenue collection organization.

Chairman FBR/Secretary Revenue Division, Asim Ahmad and other senior officers accorded him a warm welcome on his very first visit after assuming office as Finance Minister.

During the meeting, Chairman FBR gave a detailed briefing to the Minister on the overall performance and revenue targets and collection made during the first ten months (July 2021- April 2022) of the

current financial year.

The Minister for Finance expressed his satisfaction and generously appreciated FBR on achieving the target. He hoped that FBR will continue to maximize revenue collection in the next two months to meet the upward revised target fixed for the current financial year, 2021-2022.

He also expressed his desire that FBR should explore all avenues of tax compliance and, thus, make all out efforts to harness true revenue potential across Pakistan. The Minister for Finance assured Chairman FBR of his total support in the ongoing tax collection drive in the country.

Chairman FBR also gave a detailed account of the flagship initiatives including Point of Sale (POS) and Track and Trace System (TTS). He assured the Finance Minister that all measures will be taken to further improve these initiatives and tap the real revenue potential in retail as well as Large Scale Manufacturing Sectors.

IccI seeks urgent steps to fix economy TLTP Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has called upon the government to take urgent measures to fix the economy as the major economic indicators are not showing encouraging trends due to which the investors can lose interest in the economy. In a statement issued on Tuesday, ICCI President Muhammad Shakeel Munir said that the benchmark KSE-100 index shed over 1,447 points in one day on Monday last while the dollar continued its flight towards record levels against the rupee. He said that Pakistan’s trade deficit has crossed US $39 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, as the volume of imports has doubled than the surge in exports, which should be a cause of serious concerns for the policymakers. Munir said that the trade deficit has already reached alarming levels and is poised to reach $50 billion by the end of this fiscal year, which would plunge the economy into deep troubles. He said that the recent monthly economic update & outlook of the Ministry of Finance acknowledges that the inflationary and external sectors risks are building macroeconomic imbalances, which shows that the economy would face more problems in the coming days. He said that the SBP has adopted a contractionary monetary policy by increasing the policy interest rate that would further slowdown the economic growth of the country.

Power outages to continue for next two months AHMAD AHMADANI Power division has informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that currently giving an end to power cuts will not be possible owing to shortage of funds and high prices of fuel in the international market. According to sources, power load-shedding has become a tough task for the government and the power division has informed the Prime Minister about problems and issues being faced to give an end to the power cuts.

The Premier has advised the power division to continue power load management till receiving the package from friendly countries. “PM Shehbaz Sharif has tasked former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to ensure import of additional Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to the country and signing of new agreement with new terms and conditions with Qatar,” said the sources.

Sources also said that the power division has made it clear to the Premier that power load-shedding should continue for two months in the better interest of nation and national exchequer. Similarly, electricity production with LNG or furnace oil will be costly if additional power is produced from the gas-fired or oil-run power plants. Furthermore, increase in power tariff and billions of rupee losses can be saved by producing less electricity. It is relevant to note that all parts of the country are facing hours-long severe power load-shedding amid hot weather. However, the power division has been saying a different mantra that power load management is being done by all power distribution companies (DISCOs) only in those areas from where recovery of dues is very small. Rebutting the news of 5,600 megawatt shortfall and total 20,000MW power generation, the power division on Wednesday said that 22,600MW power production was recorded on Tuesday and the demand and supply was in a balanced position. Contrary to the data shared by the power division regarding electricity demand, supply and shortfall, sources in the energy sector claimed that total power production is around 22,600MW while demand is approximately ranging between 25,000MW to 27,000MW and the shortfall is ranging between 4,000MW to 5,000MW. They also said that power generation capability shortfall is also because of non-availability of fuel to the power plants and it will be acute in near future if the fuel stocks are not replenished on immediate basis. DISCOs have carried out load management without any announcement of load management by the power division mainly to bridge the gap between supply and demand during the ongoing hot weather season, said energy sector sources.

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | karaCHi

04

nEwS

MQM’s AMir KhAN ACQuitted of ChArGes of hArbouriNG MilitANts At NiNe Zero KARACHI

A

staff report

N Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday cited “lack of evidence” to acquit Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Amir Khan and two others in a case pertaining to harbouring of suspected militants at the party’s now sealed Nine Zero headquarters in Karachi.

Amir, former security in-charge Minhaj Qazi and Raees alias Mama were charged with sheltering wanted criminals at the party`s Azizabad headquarters in a case that lasted seven years.

On Wednesday, the matter came up before the ATC-VII judge, who conducted the trial at the judicial complex inside the Karachi central prison for the pronouncement of a reserved verdict.

Khan appeared on bail while Raees and Qazi were produced from prison.

The judge observed that the prosecution had “failed miserably” to prove the charge against the trio and, therefore, they stood acquitted.

The judge cancelled Khan’s bail and directed the prison authorities to release the other two immediately if their custody was not required. However, the pair cannot be set free since they face several other criminal cases.

During the trial, the prosecution examined six witnesses, including investigating officers Inspector Mohsin Zaidi and Inspector Rashid Hussain as well as

complainant Deputy Superintendent Rangers Riaz and three policemen.

Rangers had detained the accused along with several others during a predawn raid at and around the party headquarters on March 11, 2015.

During prior hearings, Rangers’ special public prosecutor Rana Khalid had argued that the paramilitary force had arrested Khan and 26 others, including Faisal Mehmood alias Mota, who was sentenced to death in absentia in the Wali Babar murder case.

He had said that the MQM leader, along with five others, had allegedly provided shelter to criminals whom they had been using for terrorist activities in the city. A joint investigation team recom-

mended the registration of a case against Khan, he had added.

The prosecutor had further argued that there was “sufficient evidence” to establish that Khan used to give directives to Raees, Qazi and three absconding suspects — Shahzad Mullah, Imran Ijaz Niazi and Naeem alias Mullah — to commit crimes, including acts of terrorism.

He had pleaded with the judge to punish them strictly in accordance with the law.

On the other hand, defence counsel Shaukat Hayat had contended that Khan was a member of the MQM’s Rabita Committee at the time of his arrest, which was a registered political party in the country.

He had further argued that the party’s Nine Zero headquarters was meant for political activities, where no criminal was sheltered. Secondly, he had said, the prosecution had failed to produce evidence, including first information reports, in which his client was shown to have issued directives for committing criminal acts.

Defence counsel Mushtaq Ahmed had contended that Raees was taken into custody on March 26, 2018, from Jinnah International Airport upon his deportation from Malaysia, purportedly with the help of Interpol, and later he was detained in Central Jail Karachi, from where the investigating officer had arrested him in the case.

He had further argued that Qazi was shown as arrested in the present case in 2016 at Mehmoodabad police station where he was being grilled in connection with the 1997 Shahid Hamid murder case.

The court was requested to acquit them of the “false and fabricated” charges levelled against the accused by the prosecution.

The three absconding suspects had already been declared proclaimed offenders in the case by the court.

The case was registered under Section 11-V (directing terrorist activities), 21-J (harbouring any person who committed an offence under this act) and 7 (punishment for act of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on a complaint of a Rangers` official at the Azizabad police station.

SHC gives Sindh govt eight weeks to resettle Lyari Expressway affectees KARACHI staff report

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday gave two-month time to the administration for the resettlement of

people who surrendered their residential properties for the construction of the much-delayed Lyari Expressway project.

The project, which was estimated to be completed in 2003 for Rs3 billion, was inaugurated in January 2018 at the

whopping cost of around Rs23bn, according to information provided to the high court.

This includes four interchanges and 20 bridges, and is expected to alleviate the rush caused by a large volume of traffic in the megacity.

An SHC bench was hearing a plea seeking contempt proceedings against the Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project (LERP) director over failure to provide alternate plots to the affectees.

At the outset of the hearing, the court asked about the progress made in the case. We are planning, the matter will be resolved soon, the official said.

“Years have passed but the matter remains unresolved, how much more time is needed for resettlement of the affectees,” the court questioned. At this, the official responded that they need eight

weeks to do the same.

Later, the court adjourned the hearing, after giving two months to the Sindh government.

The construction of the Lyari Expressway required the demolition of 15,000 housing units and the displacement of 24,400 families living along the Lyari river.

This is considered to be the largest urban demolition project for the purpose of road-making in the world. To resettle the displaced people, the government launched LERP. As part of this project, the people were given a compensation package that included an 80 square yard plot of land on the outskirts of Karachi and Rs 50,000 for construction.

The lands were allotted in newly developed suburbs in Hawke’s Bay, Taiser Town and Baldia Town.

Love: spiritual and fraternal SyeD AfSAR SAjID Dr Jurgen Wasim Frembgen, a recipient of Tamgha-i-Imtiaz from the government of Pakistan, is Adjunct Professor emeritus at the Institute of Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich having retired as senior curator at the Museum of Ethnology in Munich. He taught Cultural and Social Anthropology as well as Islamic Studies at various German and Austrian universities. He has been writing assiduously on the cultures of the eastern Muslim world with prime focus on Pakistan.

He has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in some northern areas in Pakistan besides Punjab and Sindh. He has also been associated as a visiting professor with Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, NCA Lahore, and Ohio State University, USA. He has authored around 180 English and German language publications on a variety of subjects ranging from Islam, Sufism, and veneration of Muslim saints to social outsiders, and facets of popular culture. He has also curated numerous exhibitions related to cultures of the Muslim world. His book ‘We are Lovers of the Qalandar’ is a subject of this review.

Ejaz Rahim, who has only lately been nominated by the Pakistan Academy of Letters for the coveted Daud Kamal Award for his English verse collection ‘Garden of Se-

crets Revisited’, has recently published another book of his poems in English titled ‘Dear Brother Basit and other Poems’. A detailed review of this work also forms part of the present exercise.

‘We are lovers of the Qalandar’: This book is about the popular Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar aka Sayyid Usman Marwandi (1177-AD 1274) of Sehwan Sharif in Sindh. His shrine is one of the ‘most fascinating sanctuaries’ in the Muslim world. At the time of pilgrimage, it is transformed into ‘a vibrant place of ecstatic religiosity marked by intense forms of devotion’. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar is one of the most popular Sufi saints of Pakistan with a large following of devotees including not only Muslims but Hindus, Sikhs and Christians also. People, mostly the underprivileged from all walks of life, come here in quest of solace, shelter, and serenity.

Apart from the foreword, preface, afterword and bibliography, the book contains six chapters titled I) Visual Piety, II) From Popular Devotion to Mass Event, III) Entranced with Love for the Qalandar, IV) A Female Circle of Pilgrims from Lahore, V) Betwixt and Between, and VI) The Performing Body. Piety, pilgrimage, and Performance (of a ritual) is the triangular theme of the book. A spectacular trance dance known as ‘dhamal’ is an essential feature of the ceremonies performed at the

shrine. The book thus ‘aims to contribute to a Sufism observed which often seems to be neglected in mainly text-based Sufi studies’. The author took about 12 years to compile this work based on his field-research. ‘dear Brother Basit and other Poems’: Ejaz Rahim, a poetic prodigy from Pakistan, has brought out a new volume of his verse comprising seventy-one relatively shorter poems (excepting a 48-page

CMyK

Gansu Construction starts cleaning operation in North Nazimabad & Korangi KARACHI staff report

China’s Gansu Construction Heavy Industry Technology Pakistan, has launched Front End Collection (FEC) Operation in two different zones of Karachi, the largest city and business hub of Pakistan. Making Karachi “Clean and Green Karachi”, a new front end collection and disposal of waste in North Nazimabad in District Central and Korangi (Model and Landhi) zones has been introduced by Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) through Gansu Construction Heavy Industry Technology Pakistan. “Karachi’s garbage will now be clean; the work has kicked off today. By the end of July, other zones of central Karachi will be reached and proper operation will be kicked off,” said Nasir Hussain Shah, Provincial Minister of Sindh for Local Government, at the inaugural ceremony of FEC Operation. Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, Administrator Karachi, appreciated the service of Gansu Construction and said that besides a clean and green Karachi, Sindh is going to be the first province of the country to generate electricity from the waste. CEO Gansu Construction Mr. Liu Tao said that after north Nazimabad and Landhi zones, they will extend their operation to other parts of Karachi city. “We will ensure quality work for the satisfaction of the population in these areas,” he said. Gansu Construction has already started operations in different union councils of and main roads of Korangi, Karachi. The company is using mechanical sweeping machines on roads to clear the garbage, dense dust and mud from arterial and sub-arterial roads. As per the directives of SSWMB, the GANSU Construction has also set up the collection of garbage from door to door in the Korangi Zone. In January 2022, Gansu Construction started operations in four towns in Larkana district of Sindh. As part of this program, around 400 tonnes of waste was collected daily from 20 union committees and homes in Larkana.

Covid claims one life as 66 fresh infections emerge ISLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan recorded 66 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, the Ministry of National Health Services said on Wednesday.

The tally of infected people increased to 1,528,897 after adding the new cases, according to data released by the ministry.

A total of 30,376 people have died from Covid-19 in Pakistan with one more death registered on Tuesday, showed the data.

On Tuesday, 15,370 tests for Covid-19 were conducted in Pakistan while the positivity rate stood at 0.43 percent.

Currently, there are 98 active cases that are in critical condition recorded in the country.

obituary in memory of the poet’s late brother Dr. Basit who was a leading lawyer of Lahore) on a wide range of subjects touching upon life and mortality besides childhood, human values, rule of law, justice, the aura of nature, pandemic, gadgetry et al.

In his prefatory remarks, the author avers: ‘As for themes in this book, I believe these are not much different from my earlier books of verse — ranging from expressions of personal experiences and feelings to cogitations on the goings on of existence.’ He further deliberates: ‘It is not appropriate to comment on one’s own poems, but I take this opportunity to express my views on what constitutes the essence of poetry in the contemporary world. Poetry in my view, provides a aground for interplay between the actual and the imaginative; and between physical, emotional and intellectual forces at work. As the world goes, things are forever colliding and converging, getting raised up or razed down, which provides grist for our poetic watermills.’

Ejaz Rahim’s poetry is a poetry of insightfulness conflated with a visionary perception of life and its sundry attributes.

Expatiating on Keats’s concept of Beauty and Truth, Ejaz Rahim in his poem captioned ‘Beauty, Truth and Love’, contends: ‘Beauty and Truth remain/Inchoate and ambivalent/Unless they drink together/At the disarming fountain/Of Love’s revealing wisdom. It is a quasi-philosophic contention focused on the metaphysical triumvirate of Beauty, Truth and Love each organically

connected with the quintessence of existence in the Sartrean formulation.

The poet’s cosmic awareness of the psycho-ethical dimensions of human life manifests itself in all its subtlety, in the poem titled ‘Stunning Proposition’. ‘Behind numbers is a game/Beyond numbers/As the father of arithmetic/Lord Pythagoras held by instinct’ ….

‘The relationship of whole and parts/Is more than meets the eye/And means much more than/Adding and subtracting things’.….

Ejaz Rahim’s elder brother Dr. Abdul Basit was an eminent legal practitioner settled in Lahore. In the concluding portion of the book, the poet pays rich filial tributes to him. Besides, it is a comprehensive treatise as it were, on the prevailing geo-political situation not only at home but also around the globe. The poet mentions Dr. Basit’s erudite thesis on ‘Conflict between States and Territories’ as a subject of international controversy. While the monologic speaker in the poem pleaded the standpoint of the West, Dr. Basit corrected him thus: .…. but don’t forget/Big nations led by small-minded elite/Become enemies of both history/As well as civilisation.

In an apt elegiac context, the poet envisions the dawn of a new order of things wherein ‘the spiritual and the secular must/go hand in hand, like lovers on earth/the secular providing feet/for the spiritual to walk/and the spiritual investing wings/upon the secular to fly’. ‘Love and hope’ should serve as a beacon of light for every one enmeshed in the rampant mess.

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

05

PAKISTAN urgeS WorlD To TAKe NoTICe oF rISINg vIoleNCe AgAINST MuSlIMS IN INDIA

A

news desk

MID the aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India, Pakistan called upon the international community to take notice and play its due role in ensuring religious freedom and safety of the beleaguered Muslim community living in India.

The Foreign Office urged the Indian government to transparently investigate the incidents of widespread violence against minorities, particularly Muslims, and their places of wor-

Newly promoted cops of traffic police honored ISLAMABAD: A ceremony was held in the honor of personnel of Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) who were recently promoted in next grade. The ceremony was attended among others by SSP (Traffic) Mazhar Iqbal, Zonal DSPs and other Senior officers. The SSSP (Traffic) Mazhar Iqbal pinned the badges to the promoted policemen which included Inspector Shams Gill, Inspector Mohammad Rashid, Inspector Javed Ashraf, Inspector Akhter Ali, Inspector Noor Ahmed, ASI Qaiser Shakeel, ASI Muhammad Bakhsh Asad and ASI Muhammad Haneef. The SSP (Traffic) congratulated these police officials and hoped for their best contribution towards effective policing. He also made a group photo with newly promoted police officials and hoped for further effective policing efforts in future. pr

Air Chief visits PAF Air War College Institute ISLAMABAD: Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force visited PAF Air War College Institute, Faisal today. On his arrival, he was received by Air Vice Marshal Hussain Ahmed Siddiqui, President Air War College Institute. The Chief Guest congratulated the AWCI team for transforming the AWCI into an institute of the highest caliber capable of meeting the contemporary challenges. Addressing the Air War Course participants, CAS paid rich tribute to the role and sacrifices of Pakistan Armed Forces for the defence and security of motherland. The Air Chief said, “The world is undergoing unprecedented transformation in this era of technological advancement and global security environment which has necessitated aligning our objectives to meet modern challenges. He further stated that we must work hard to keep abreast of latest developments in perpetual cyber warfare and info ops-domains. The Air Chief urged the course participants to put in their best for the achievement of PAF vision to be, “A dynamic and resilient aerospace force capable of creating decisive effects across domains in ever evolving operational environment.” PAF Air War College Institute is the prestigious institution of Pakistan Air Force, where mid level officers of Pakistan Armed Forces and friendly countries are prepared for assumption of key Command and Staff appointments. The course participants are exposed to over a hundred subject matter experts including: Civil & Military Professionals, Diplomats, Scholars/ Academicians, Lawyers, Industrialists, Scientists, Economists and Media Personnel. Exclusive Interaction with foreign faculty and strategists is also ensured to provide depth and academic rigor to the course. pr

ship and take measures for stopping such incidents in future.

“The government of India must ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of minorities,” Foreign Office said.

Earlier, Pakistan condemned in the strongest possible terms the highly deplorable incidents involving the playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu devotional songs on loudspeakers as a counter to the Muslims’ call to prayer (Azaan) at various mosques in the Indian state of Karnataka.

“The disturbing incidents occurred

only a day after Sri Ram Sena chief made the despicable call for “drowning” the Azaan through the provocative playing of Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu religious hymns.

It is condemnable that a reprehensible so-called “Azan se Azaadi” campaign has been launched by Hindu fanatic groups in Karnataka which lays bare the new level of religious radicalism in the BJP-ruled India,” the Foreign Office added.

The Modi government watched in silence and extremists took the silence as encouragement as loudspeakers were

2MW capacity Bhimber Dam project to be completed by 2024 isLamaBad news desk

The Bhimber Dam project having 2MW capacity is likely to be completed by March, 2024 with the cost of Rs. 86.089 million, said an official source on Wednesday. Bhimber Dam Project is located on Bhimber Nullah about 10 km upstream of Bhimber-Gujrat Road Bridge in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir.

The Government of AJ&K

on 30 September 2020 accorded approval for inclusion of Bhimber Dam Project in the current Financial Year’s Annual Development Programme with allocation of Rs. 60.564 million.

WAPDA will make every effort to complete the project study within already submitted PC-II cost and requested to arrange approval of PC-II, allocation and release of funds.

The PC-II Proforma for feasibility study submitted to

MoWR on 14 January, 2021 for arranging its approval from competent forum.

DDW directed WAPDA to conduct the feasibility study through consultants.

In the light of directions of DDWP meeting, PC-II proforma for feasibility study, detailed engineering design and tender documents and PC-I has been prepared and is under submission to MoWR for consideration in upcoming DDWP meeting.

No unannounced loadshedding in city: KE karacHi pr

KE today strongly denied any news of unannounced loadshed taking place across the city, as the country grapples with an unprecedented heatwave.

Just recently, the Pak Met Department declared April 2022 to be the hottest month on record in 61 years. Commenting on the impact to the power sector, Director Communications and Spokesperson K-Electric Imran Rana stated, “The current heatwave conditions have caused a significant spike in demand for electricity. While KE is making all possible efforts to ensure maximum relief to its consumers, the shortfall resulting from these inclement conditions has had to be bridged with load management. However, contrary to the perception, the areawise schedule for all potentially affected consumers has been uploaded in advance on KE’s website for easy access so that our

esteemed customers are informed We are also keeping our customers informed via SMS to their registered numbers as the situation evolves. Areas with losses under 20% along with 400 feeders serving Karachi’s industrial zones continue to receive uninterrupted power.”

Expounding on KE’s efforts to manage the situation, Spokesperson KE shared that a 24/7 crisis monitoring cell had

been established under the leadership of the company’s Chief Distribution Officer. Comprising senior management and key members of the operations team, this cell is actively and closely monitoring the demand and supply situation and passing on instant relief to consumers.

Additionally, KE has engaged with civic agencies, local and provincial stakeholders to mount a joint response to the ongoing crisis. Across different locations in the city, KE is establishing camps in support with philanthropic organizations to support commuters on the road during peak daytime hours.

Urging caution, Spokesperson advised citizens to stay hydrated and avoid stepping out of the house while the heatwave alert remains in place. KE’s call center 118, SMS Service 8119, KE Live App, social media platforms, and WhatsApp Self Service Portal remain active 24/7 to support customers with their queries.

Elections only after electoral reforms, stresses Zardari continued from page 01 Zardari said the country would keep facing difficulties until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme is brought back on track. He claimed that overseas Pakistanis had been “led astray” by the previous government and they had no idea about the prevailing heat and inflation in the country.

In response to a question, Zardari said he had advised Imran to work on an economic charter but the then “selected” prime minister did not understand and the rupee was weakened.

Hanif Abbasi appeals against conviction, seeks decision news desk Lahore High Court’s (LHC) acting Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan on Wednesday issued notice to concerned quarters and sought a reply by May 18 in regards to a writ petition requesting the court to fix and decide the appeal of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi who had filed a petition against the punishment handed to him in ephedrine quota case.

The petitioner’s counsel, President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Ahsan Bhoon, appeared before the court and contended that his client had been deliber-

being removed from mosques across various states in India under the pretext of ensuring “communal harmony”.

The Indian media has reported widely on the ban of Azaan being relayed through loudspeakers with some mosques in many parts of India now turning down the volume as they come under pressure.

The exclusionary policies aimed at denying Muslims their fundamental right to profess and practice their religion, only expose the deep-seated antiMuslim prejudices in the Indian state and society,” the Foreign Office said.

ately implicated in a politically motivated case in 2018 by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) with the intention to humiliate him.

Later, the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) court in Rawalpindi had awarded Abbasi life imprisonment, the counsel prayed.

He further contended that an appeal had been filed but in the meanwhile, LHC had suspended the implementation of punishment and had released the appellant.

“Appeal of the convict had not been decided yet,” the counsel prayed. “The appeal should be transferred to Lahore’s principal seat and be decided.”

It is pertinent to mention that a CNS Court, in July 2018, handed life imprisonment to convict Abbasi in the ephedrine quota case.

Abbasi at that time was contesting elections against Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid from NA-60 (Rawalpindi).

Judge Sardar Muhammad Akram had pronounced the judgment, saying Abbasi was found guilty of selling 500kg ephedrine illegally to narcotics smugglers.

He also imposed a fine of Rs1 million on the PML-N leader. The court had also acquitted seven other accused in the case while giving them the benefit of doubt.

cmYk

Shazia Marri visits PBM headquarters ISLAMABAD: Minister for Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division (PASSD) Shazia Marri pays visit to Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) Headquarter. She was briefed about the PBM’s ongoing pro-poor initiatives including treatment for the poor patients, educational stipends for the students, women empowerment, eradication of child labour, accommodation and education for the orphan children and rehabilitative measures for the disabled persons.

Appreciating the welfare programmes, the Minister emphasized to enhance the coverage so as to benefit the maximum number of beneficiaries throughout the country. On the occasion, Minister for PASSD, Shazia Marri also inaugurated the new building of Call Centre established in the premises of PBM Head Office. pr

Passenger loses $8,000 on Karachi-Doha flight A US resident of Pakistani origin lost $8,000 in cash en route the US from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, a news outlet reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the money went missing from Imtiaz Rafiq’s backpack while travelling to Houston from Karachi via Doha. After reaching the Doha airport, Rafiq said he checked his bag and realised the cash was missing. He registered a complaint and asked for an investigation into the incident. The passenger said he had removed his backpack from his shoulders twice at the Karachi airport for search purposes, adding that he doubts the dollars were stolen at Karachi airport and believes it was happened during the flight from Karachi to Doha. news desk

Former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa denies having a Facebook, Twitter account Former chief justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khan Khosa does not have and never had any Twitter or Facebook account, a statement issued by the former CJP’s secretary said Wednesday.

According to the statement, any tweet or post on any social media accounts attributed to him is “absolutely fake”. news desk

06-07 Comments - 12th May 2022_Layout 1 5/12/2022 12:57 AM Page 1

Thursday, 12 May, 2022

06 COMMENT

Pro-Israel groups trying, but can’t stop change

A costly way of running the country Talks in London

P

M Shehbaz Sharif is in London with a ten-member delegation comprising cabinet members and party leaders to hold consultation with the PML(N)’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on important policy matters. that these could not be discussed on the phone indicates that there are strong differences over these within the party that need to be resolved through a thorough discussion in an environment characterized by privacy.

Among the issues that need to be resolved is the timing of the elections. the ruling alliance has to yet to work out electoral reforms and send these to the ECP. the PML(N) seems to be divided over the timing of the elections with Ishaq Dar who has the ear of Nawaz Sharif wanting these to be held by October. After the formation of the government, Mr Shehbaz Sharif toured Saudi Arabia and UAE seeking the much needed loans. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail meanwhile held talks with the IMF Executive Board in Washington. Some of the PML(N) leaders therefore would like to complete the remaining tenure of the National Assembly. there is also a need to take the views of the allies into consideration. the economy is in a state of free fall. Even if the PML(N)-led government is to remain in power till October, it cannot afford to continue to retain subsidies on petrol products simply for lack of funds. Ending the subsidies will be unpopular but there is no way to run the country otherwise. What’s more, unless Pakistan gets a clean chit from the IMF, there is little hope of acquiring loans from friendly countries.

During the ongoing talks in London the PML(N) needs to decide how to deal effectively with Imran Khan’s challenge. the PtI leader is out to wreck the system. He wants the army and judiciary to support his struggle for power which he falsely calls jihad. the ruling alliance on the other hand creates the perception of being in a state of paralysis. Pinpricks like the tosha Khana case and the Farah Gogi case will not deter Mr Khan. the London talks must lead to clarity not only on when to hold fresh elections and end subsides but also on how to stem the tide of fascism being unleashed by Mr Khan.

US attitudes are changing

Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby

B

ECAUSE there has been a noticeable shift in US attitudes toward the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, pro-Israel groups in the USA are flailing about in wild desperation. Examples abound: Working in concert with the government of Israel, they have pushed more than 30 states to criminalize support for efforts to boycott, divest, or sanction Israel.

Paralleling this is their campaign to pass legislation on the national and state levels that will expand the definition of anti-Semitism to include many forms of legitimate criticism of Israel. this expanded definition is not only to be used in the prosecution of some hate crimes, it is also making its way onto college campuses and local school boards and being used to stifle student protests against Israeli policies and to influence what can and can’t be taught and who can and can’t teach about the Middle East and its history.

And concerned with the increased number of congressional candidates who are openly critical of Israeli policies, new pro-Israel political action committees have been created to support candidates who will not question Israeli behavior or to oppose those who have taken issue with Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. In just the first quarter of this year, these

Constitutionalism at Jhelum Imran is not walking the talk

t

HE loud complaint by PtI chief Imran Khan against the ouster of Punjab Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema seems something of an excess, considering that Mr Khan has led his party in several disobedience of the Constitution, starting from the National Assembly Deputy Speaker’s ruling on March 6 dismissing the no-confidence motion instead of putting it to the vote, and going on even after his ouster. Just as Dr Arif Alvi as President has done his best to avert the Normal functioning of the federal government, refusing to take oath from the new Prime Minister or his Cabinet on the excuse of illness, Mr Cheema has refused to accept that the federal government no longer wants him as Governor, and Mr Khan pledge’s at Jhelum to fight the matter in the courts shows that all of this has been with his concurrence. It is interesting that Mr Khan looks to the courts to get relief, even though he has questioned why it was willing to open at nights where his ouster was involved.

Mr Khan thus showed his support for the refusal of Mr Cheema to accept his denotification by the Cabinet Division.

His attempt to change the direction of his Abbottabad rally remark against Mir Sadiq, to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, did not remove the impression that he had been referring to someone, more easily comparable because Mir Sadiq had been commander of Sirajud Daulah’s army when his betrayal at Plassey cost him Bengal. the attempt to make Mr Sharif a Mir Sadiq did not really fool anyone. PtI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who hosted the rally, was also fooling non one by his claim that Mr Khan was ‘naming no one.’ Mr Chaudhry also announced that PtI would mover the Supreme Judicial Council against the Chief Election Commissioner. the PtI’s desire for constitutionalism would go down better if it itself showed obedience to it when entrusted with high constitutional office. to take every matter to court, and then to claim foreign conspiracy when the decision goes against is a path fraught with danger, which gives rise to calls for prosecution for high treason, which Article 6 of the Constitution defines as ‘subverting, suspending or abrogating the Constitution.’

amJeD JaaveD

A

t long last, the puppet delimitation commission has come out with its final “order” on delimitation of the illegally occupied Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. the Commission recommended seven additional constituencies, six for Jammu and only one for Kashmir, taking the total number of seats to 90 from 83 earlier. this will increase the number of seats in the Jammu Division to 43 from 37 seats earlier, and that in the Kashmir Valley to 47 from 46 earlier. the ‘order” violates the Census norm that seats have to be proportionate with the percentage share of population..

Not only the Kashmiri leaders but also Pakistan has rejected the farcical “order”. National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah reiterated the Party’s stand on the delimitation report, saying “no amount of gerrymandering can change the ground situation in J&K, Ladakh”. Modi’s dream is to impose a Hindu chief minister on the illegally-occupied state.

At the time of Partition, India knew that its policies with regard to the princely states were inconsistent. For instance, Junagadh formally acceded to Pakistan. Yet, India annexed Junagadh as the princely state had a Hindu majority. By corollary, the disputed Jammu and Kashmir state should have gone to Pakistan as it had a Muslim majority.

India knew that not only the permanent but also the temporary members of the United Nations’ Security Council were in Pakistan’s favour (Josef Korbel, The Danger in Kashmir). So it feared that internationalization of the Kashmir dispute would be against India’s interests.

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

India’s changes to Jammu and Kashmir State qualify it as a ‘rogue’ State

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

At the end of the day, they will not succeed in silencing the growing criticism of Israel because what is spurring it on isn’t anti-Semitism, it’s the brutal and aggressive hardline apartheid policies of that state

The delimitation farce

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

PACs have already raised and spent millions largely to smear the reputations of those they seek to defeat.

Combined, these efforts are both undemocratic and dangerous. they are designed to intimidate and/or punish those who dare to criticize Israeli policies and, therefore, to silence needed debate about US policy in the Middle East.

Much of what these pro-Israel groups are doing is merely an extension of tactics they have employed for decades. Pro-Israel PACs have been bundling campaign contributions for decades and using them to reward candidates who endorsed unquestioning support for Israel and punish those who showed even the slightest inclination to challenge that state’s policies. And major pro-Israel groups have also, for decades, used their good offices to smear critics of Israel with the charge of being anti-Semitic or terrorist sympathizers—a sure way to end debate and harm the reputation of those advocating for Palestinian human rights. the political environment they created with these tactics was both distorted and dangerous. they may have won votes in Congress, but in many cases members of Congress cast their votes more out of fear of the political fallout rather than their own policy positions, including ones they knew would better serve US interests. I used to keep a list of Congresspeople who had told to me: “I’m really with you, but you know how AIPAC is. I have to be careful not to anger them.” the impact of being smeared as an anti-Semite or a supporter of terror was even more damaging.

Some Arab Americans and others who spoke out in support of Palestinians lost jobs and speaking engagements. Arab American groups were excluded from political coalitions. Some Arab Americans were denied the right to participate in the political process, limiting our ability to represent and defend our community. More ominously, others endured death threats and even acts of hate violence.

But despite their best efforts to pummel opponents into silence and submission, criticism of Israeli

policies has only grown. Polls show that a majority of all Americans want to condition US aid to Israel based on their violations of Palestinian human rights. A plurality of Americans see support for sanctioning or boycotting Israel as legitimate. And support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel have dramatically increased among Democrats.

In addition to empowered Arab Americans, Black Americans and young voters have become more outspoken. Of great importance in this regard, young American Jews have become organized and emboldened to challenge the pro-Israel bent of the establishment organizations that have for too long dominated the politics of their community. As a result, while in the past, one could count just one or two congressional campaigns where Palestinian rights were an issue, this year there are dozens.

All this combined has created panic in the hardline pro-Israel community. Like the little Dutch boy in the famous story, they are trying to put their fingers in the dike to hold back the flood, but with so many leaks, they find themselves at a loss. Hence the desperate measures. this panic was evident in a bizarre speech given last week by the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). After citing an increase in anti-Semitic incidents, he sought to pin the blame on critics of Israel, singling out a pro-Palestinian student group, a movement of progressive young Jews, and a Muslim group. He came to the bizarre conclusion that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. He then proposed accelerating the measures designed to silence debate about and punish legitimate criticism of Israel. there are so many additional comments one could make about this hysterical effort at misdirection, but it suffices to say that it is dangerous. Pro-Israel groups may win a few races because they’ve smeared an honest candidate. they may damage a few careers and cause threats to a few courageous academics or advocates for justice. they may also pass a few unconstitutional laws banning free speech. But, at the end of the day, they will not succeed in silencing the growing criticism of Israel because what is spurring it on isn’t anti-Semitism, it’s the brutal and aggressive hardline apartheid policies of that state. the net result of their heavy-handed tactics will only breed anger and resentment, and even more importantly, deeper partnerships and more organizing in support of justice.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

Sensing the situation then prevailing at the United Nations, Vallabhai Patel presented Kashmir to Liaquat Ali Khan in a platter, so to say, in exchange for Junagadh and Hyderabad. Liaquat Ali Khan did not accept the offer. Saifuddin Soz, former Congress minister, and a prominent Kashmiri politician told The Print Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on NDtV’s Walk the Talk show that Sardar Patel would have been happy to let Kashmir go to Pakistan in exchange for Hyderabad. the delimitation order is the last nail in the Kashmir coffin. Since 1947, India has been taking steps to whittle down statehood of the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir State. It abolished the office of sadre-riasat and prime minister of the occupied Kashmir. Kashmir had its own Prime Minister and Sadr-e-Riyasat until 1965, when the J&K Constitution was amended. the plethora of UNSC resolutions confirms that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed state. Both at the UN and back at home Nehru kept saying that the accession by the Maharajah or the accession by the puppet Kashmir constituent assembly does not amount to an accession by plebiscite as required by the UN. the UNSC itself forbade India from changing status of the state from the so-called accession by the puppet Kashmir assembly under United Nations Council’s Resolution 122, adopted on 22 January 1957. the resolution stated that any action by the constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir would not “constitute a disposition” of the State according to the “will of the people” through a plebiscite.

Avtar Singh Bhasin, in his book India and Pakistan: Neighbours at Odds has traced Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru’s perfidious ever-changing stands on Kashmir. Initially, Nehru forcefully expressed his resolve that plebiscite was the only solution to determining the future status of Kashmir. He told the

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Kashmiri leader Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah that even independence would be acceptable to him if the Kashmiri people so desired.

At a press conference on 11 June 1951, he was asked `if the proposed constituent assembly of Kashmir “decides in favour of acceding to Pakistan, what will be the position?”’ he reiterated, “We have made it perfectly clear that the Constituent Assembly of Kashmir was not meant to decide finally any such question , and it is not in the way of any decision which may ultimate flow from the Security Council proceedings”. He re-emphasised his view once again at a press conference in New Delhi on 3 November 1951. He said `we have made it perfectly clear before the Security Council that the Kashmir Constituent Assembly does not [insofar as] we are concerned come in the way of a decision by the Security Council or the United Nations’.

It is flabbergasting that during the period 1947 to 1952, Nehru kept harping on commitment to a plebiscite. Yet on 24 July 1952, he declared that the UN resolutions were mediatory, not mandatory, in nature. He said then, “If the decision of the Security Council was at variance with that of the Constituent Assembly.Unless the Security Council functioned under some other Sections of the Charter, it cannot take a decision which is binding upon us unless we agree to it. they are functioning as mediators and a mediator means getting people to agree”.

By changing the status of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir State, India flouted the UNSC resolutions. And, as such, qualified as a rogue state, subject to sanctions.

By changing the status of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir State, India flouted the UNSC resolutions. And, as such, qualified as a rogue state, subject to sanctions

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law.

He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 12th May 2022_Layout 1 5/12/2022 12:57 AM Page 2

Thursday, 12 May, 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

Energy crisis

Guilty of high treason?

What happened on April 3 was a well-planned conspiracy

Dr Faqir Hussain

T

HE events of April 3, leading to the dissolution of the National Assembly, clearly reveal a well-planned conspiracy to undermine the constitutional scheme and foil the democratic method of transfer of power. the top three holders of constitutional posts, the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Speaker, acting in unison, executed the plan and achieved the nefarious design of disrupting the constitutionally-ordained process of changing the Prime Minister through majority votes in the National Assembly. to do so, the troika misapplied some, and violated other, provisions of the Constitution.

Article 95 permits the filing of a no-confidence motion by 20 percent of the total membership in the National Assembly and ordains the PM’s removal, if the motion is approved by a majority of its total membership. the required figure comes to 172, out of 342 total members. that such majority was already achieved remains an undeniable fact, demonstrated by the Opposition and reported in the national media. the requisite number to pass the resolution was in attendance in the session, convened for the purpose. It was further demonstrated, when Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Chairman, National Assembly Panel assumed the Speaker’s chair and votes were counted. the fact that the PM had lost the support of majority in the National Assembly was writ large upon the political horizon and the troika couldn hardly feign ignorance of this vital fact.

In the given circumstances, two courses were open to the PM: one, adopt the noble and honourable course of tendering resignation; and two, showing grace and dignity in letting the process conclude and determine his fate.

But alas, it was not to be! Grace, nobility, dignity or honour are traits common to democratic leaders the world over, but conspicuously missing among their counterparts in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. the troika thus contrived and synchronized its actions in a way and manner to thwart the outcome of an otherwise open and shut case, that is, he removal of Mr Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence.

And to add insult to injury, they instead punished the parliamentarians by abruptly issuing notification of dissolution of the National Assembly. this was conduct unbecoming of a politician, much less, a leader and holder of a high political office! the country was brought at the brink of disaster, causing serious political crises and conflict with a threat to the democratic process and constitutional dispensation.

Sunday, April 3, shall remain a black day in our parliamentary history. thanks to the timely

Supreme Court intervention of revoking the unethical/illegal actions and issuing directions for strict observance of the constitutional principles, the disaster was averted. Following is an account of the troika’s separate acts, forming a well-synchronized joint action, which constitute the offence of subverting the Constitution: to begin with, the Deputy Speaker let the Law Minister raise a point of order, who repeated the mantra of foreign conspiracy to topple the government of Mr Imran Khan. And no sooner had he finished the speech, that the Deputy Speaker, without debate or discussion on the point, read out a prior written script to the effect that the charge is proved, hence, the no-confidence motion stands rejected. He then quickly prorogued the session and abruptly rose from his seat and left the hall. this event was quickly followed by the news of the PM advising the dissolution of the National Assembly and the President issuing such a notification. the developments left the parliamentarians and millions of people, watching the proceedings live, stunned and in a state of shock! the order of Deputy Speaker was illegal, against the clear and categorical provisions of the Constitution and Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly. Article 95 of the Constitution stipulates that a resolution for vote of no-confidence, signed by 20 percent members, must be put to vote, and if passed by a majority of the total membership, the PM shall stand removed. there is nothing in the Constitution or National Assembly Rules of Procedure to abort the process through a ruling. the action is undoubtedly bereft of any semblance of legality and tainted with malice and mala fide, thereby warranting action under the law. the ruling of the Deputy Speaker was quickly followed by the announcement that the PM had sent an advice for dissolving the National Assembly. the advice was given without any thought or consideration of the serious consequences to follow. the action was taken without contemplation or application of mind. And even though Article 58 (1) allows for such advice to be tendered, which is indeed binding on the President, however, there is a legal bar: the Explanation to this Article states that no such advice can be given by a PM, against whom a motion of no-confidence is pending. the PM could not have been ignorant of the requirement of Article 224 to the effect that dissolution of the National Assembly warrants holding of election within 60 days, which is impossible, given the fact that the process of delimitation of constituencies, under the new Census Report, had yet to be carried out. It was a requirement of the law, otherwise the election may be declared null and void. this fact was in the knowledge of the PM and yet he chose to proceed. It looked like the act of a desperado, just to prove his point, often tweeted by him to the effect that he holds the trump card and shall defeat the move, thereby humbling the Opposition and having the last laugh! the action was therefore contrary to democratic norms and in derogation of the Constitution, and hence, warrants action under the law.

Seemingly, the President was also waiting and promptly issued notification for dissolution, without applying his mind to the matter or pondering over the serious consequences to flow from such ill-conceived/-planned/-executed action. He did so despite the fact that under Article 44 of the Constitution, as “Head of the State” he “represents the unity of the Republic”, and is indeed required to be neutral.

He had several options open to him. Given the imbroglio, caused by the illegal ruling of the Deputy Speaker, he could have held parleys with holders of constitutional posts including the PM,

Speaker, National Assembly and Leader of Opposition to find a way out. Article 58 (2) allows him to dissolve the National Assembly in circumstances where a vote of no confidence having been passed against the Prime Minister, no other member commands a majority in the House. therefore, there was no need to hurry. He should have realized that two wrongs (the Deputy Speaker’s ruling and te PM’s advice for dissolution) don’t make a right. It could have caused the derangement of democratic rule and infringement of the law and the Constitution. He knew full well that the advice was motivated by malice and tainted with mala fide intent, hence, illegal and unconstitutional, and unsustainable in the court of law. the act, together with his conduct after the reversal of the illegal actions, following the landmark verdict and short order of the Supreme Court, calls for action under the law snd Constitution.

A degree of urgency is required, given the fact that he is in a state of denial of new political realities and is hesitant and reluctant to perform duties under the Constitution. Keeping in view his past conduct, his remaining on the highest post, poses an imminent and present threat to the democratic/constitutional dispensation. the Constitution is regarded as the supreme law of the land. All State organs, institutions and authorities are required to function and exercise authority within the limits fixed and as per the prescribed process and procedure. the provisions of the Constitution must be complied with by all and sundry. Article 5 puts the inviolable obligation on every citizen to show “obedience to the Constitution and the law”. the holders of official posts take the solemn oath to discharge their duties “honestly, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution” and further to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution”. One may quote the saying of a famous French politician, George Bidault, who stated that “the good or bad fortune of a nation depends on three factors: its constitution, the way the constitution is made to work and the respect it inspires”. tampering with the constitution or violating its provision is prohibited and offenders can be proceeded against through the process of impeachment or no-confidence motion. this is a political cost, in addition to the penalty prescribed for the offence of subverting the Constitution. the purported acts of commission or omission of holders of constitutional posts, constitute the act of subversion of the Constitution through unconstitutional means. the world “subvert” means trying to damage or undermine or ruin or destroy a government or a political system. It is defined as “high treason” by Article 6. Other office-bearers, who aided, abetted or corroborated in the act, are equally liable. the punishment for high treason is death or life imprisonment, fixed by the High treason (Punishment) Act 1973. the Government will do well to take notice of the April 3 events and put the offenders on trial. to start with, inquiry may be initiated under the relevant law, which is the Federal Investigation Authority Act 1974. It must be ensured that the process of inquiry and investigation is free and fair. And if sufficient evidence is produced, a Special Court (comprising three high court judges) may be appointed by the Government on the recommendations of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, as provided by the Criminal Law Amendment (Special Court) Act 1976.

Nothing should stand in the way of serving justice and punishing the offenders. this will also serve as a deterrence against would-be offenders, be it from amongst the political class or bureaucracy or military establishment.

I realize the impropriety of few expressions used against the high State functionaries, but regretfully found no suitable words to substitute them, while stating their acts of commission or omission, touching the definition of the offence of high treason, under Article 6 of the Constitution The writer served as Registrar, Supreme Court, and Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan

PAKIStAN’S energy sector is hanging in balance due to inefficiencies, burgeoning circular debt, massive dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Pakistan has amalgamated different energy-related ministries and institutions under one ministry but is still unable to develop a comprehensive and integrated policy for ensuring national energy security which has caused an energy crisis in Pakistan. Pakistan lags behind in framing a well-defined national energy strategy which means that there is a deficiency of a proper mechanism for coordination among different entities which most of the time works in opposite direction. thus, the government has never been able to do more than pay lip service at the time of the energy crisis in Pakistan. the crisis in the energy sector is certainly and incontrovertibly, a direct threat to Pakistan’s fragile economy and energy security as well as it burdens the common consumers. the looming threats of a new energy crisis in Pakistan including climate change demands that energy must come from clean, safe, and environmentfriendly sources. Pakistan’s energy sector largely comprises of independent power plants (IPPs). they have grave impacts on Pakistan’s debt-ridden economy. No doubt, economic security ensures national security for any country. Pakistan mainly relies on the power sector, its smooth flow maintains the economy, tragically Pakistan’s power sector is bankrupt due to gross mismanagement along with circular debt. Failure to pay bill payments activates a chain of delayed payments for imported furnace, oil, natural oil, gas or other inputs to the thermal generation system.

Maintenance of the energy sector is directly linked with deep governance and management reforms to lessen inefficiencies and reduce the energy crisis in Pakistan. Pakistan is in dire need to follow its neighbouring countries’ modules for accelerated economic growth with minor cost of development. India and China both are leading Asia in green energy. India has attained the 4th global position in wind power and 5th in solar installation capacity. Similarly, China’s RE has been estimated 40pc of the total installed capacity and about 20pc of total power generation.

Pakistan’s failure to adopt global trends is one of the major reasons for the energy crisis. For instance contrary, to India and China, Pakistan abandoned its earlier targets of 1,235MW of wind and 430MW of solar, as determined in the 2006 policy for the development of RE for power generation. the alternative and RE policy adopted by the former government in 2019 reset the target for energy from RE sources from 2030 to 30pc excluding hydropower. this target was further reduced to 12pc by the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion (IGCEP) plan approved in 2021. this has counter effects on solar and wind energy implementation. the energy crisis does not only trigger power shortages but also creates unrest among the masses. there is record inflation and high electricity prices have been observed in the county in recent years. Electricity and inflation are correlated, so, electricity shortage is an indication of economic instability which makes people uncertain about their future.

Counter effects of the energy crisis on agriculture and industrial sectors are huge challenges for Pakistan. Numerous textile mills will be unable to continue to export operations if cheap and unhindered electricity supply does not available for them. Consequently, unemployment increased, in 2011-12 Pakistan faced a loss of Rs 210bn and $1bn of export earnings owing to uncontrolled load-shedding in the industrial sector.

Moreover, 400,000 workers were also deprived of their employment.

Hence, to mitigate the energy crisis in Pakistan, the cheapest options for energy production along with good governance and management are needed. Hydel power is one of the cheapest sources of electricity generation though, it is a time-taking project but has countless benefits for the debt-ridden economy of Pakistan.

SYEDA HADIA BAKHTAWAR NANAKANA SAHIB

Governance of Hamza Shehbaz tHROUGH Hamza Shehbaz in the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s base of Punjab, he must now focus on excellent governance and delivery if he is to maintain his political hold on the state.

Despite the PtI attempting every trick in the book and, according to legal experts, going outside the boundaries of the Constitution, this pulling of the reins from their hesitant hands was accomplished. this had allowed the ruling party and its PML-Q allies to postpone the inevitable, but only for a short time.

Hamza Shehbaz’s every step will be scrutinized by the opponents and the country’s remaining independent media to see if his nomination and ascension to the top post in Pakistan’s most populous province are based on merit or patronage. He can’t afford to stumble because the PtI’s aggressive and contentious post-election campaign would mercilessly criticize him for deeds of omission and commission. One of the first tests of his nerves and talents might be his management of the Imran Khan-led protest march to Islamabad.

MUHAMMAD USAMA SHOAIB RAHIM YAR KHAN

Impactful charity ALtHOUGH people engage in charitable work throughout the year, during Ramadan many people double their donations and give zakat to different charities and NGOs. It has been estimated that Pakistanis donate nearly Rs554 billion annually. While people’s generosity is appreciable, it is also important that people make sure that your donations are utilised appropriately.

Many people are misled by unregistered and unauthorised organisations that extort money from naive citizens for personal gains and other purposes.

Instead of donating to organisations arbitrarily, people should donate items or give money to individual recipients as it is likely to be more effective. Not everyone can make large donations; therefore, people should make small cash donations regularly to needy individuals. this is easier because we come across many needy people daily and one can avoid doubts about the use of their donations. Often mosques and madrassas also have the means to collect smaller donations, which people can resort to. Although individual donations help many, there is also a need for people to engage in more impact-oriented philanthropy. the different NGOs and civil society organisations must adopt transparency and accountability so that people can trust them. they must expand their fundraising networks among the public and inform people that giving to organisations has a greater impact than giving to individuals. Also, the relevant authorities should take necessary measures to protect valuable donations from being misused by taking strict action against those found misusing donations or extorting money.

IBTASAM ALI MANDI BAHAUDDIN

08 WORLD VIEW 12th May 22_Layout 1 5/11/2022 10:29 PM Page 1

Thursday, 12 May, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

MarCoS’ landSlIde vICtory InevItable SOCIAL MEDIA HAS GIVEN MANY THINKING FILIPINOS A VENUE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS, AND BE READ BY OTHERS, THUS DISMANTLING THE MYTH OF MAINSTREAM MEDIA AS THE ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND TRUTH. INDEED, THERE ARE MORE RESPECTED PUBLIC-OPINION INFLUENCERS IN SOCIAL MEDIA THAN IN PRINT MEDIA TODAY

Manila tiMes rigoBerto tiglao

I

f one looks objectively at developments in the past decade or so, ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s (BBM) landslide victory — the first majority president in our history ever — was inevitable, although his own political acumen was also a major factor. These developments are as follows. first, the Yellow elite-manipulated revolution has been a failure, and the masses have gradually realized that the Yellow forces that started with Cory Aquino’s regime have served only their class.

The last Yellow regime, that of Benigno Aquino 3rd demonstrated how rotten it was — in its incompetence (the loss of Scarborough Shoal and its belligerent stance toward China, the Mamasapano massacre, the colossal mishandling of the Super Typhoon Yolanda’s disaster), in its ruthless highhandedness (the removal of Chief Justice Corona and the persecution of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo), and in its corruption (mainly the hijacking of the budget through the Disbursement Allocation Program). After Aquino, to use the Yellow’s own favorite slogan, the masses’ realization was: “Never again!”

It is ridiculous — as is most foreign media’s explanation of Marcos’ win — to claim that filipinos have been so gullible to believe fake news in social media, especially facebook, that favored Marcos. I have never heard of anybody changing his or her choice

for president after reading fake news about him or her. What social media does is to amplify or expound views people hold but which they haven’t been able to articulate or to get more arguments and information for. The fact that filipinos are supposedly one of the heaviest users of facebook and social media is very misleading. Most filipino internet users track the blogs and twitter accounts of celebrities or watch free TV movies. rather social media has given many thinking filipinos a venue to express their views, and be read by others, thus dismantling the myth of mainstream media as the only source of information and truth. Indeed, there are more respected public-opinion influencers in social media than in print media today.

Third, history, as all social science does, has moved on after three decades. history, as I learned long ago from my Ateneo history classes, is not some unchanging artifact like a receipt of rizal’s lottery bet or even a copy of the 1899 Malolos Constitution. history is rather a narration or analysis by historians, always really tentative, of what these artifacts mean. As the renowned historian edward Carr pointed out in his book What is history (our textbook in our history course): “The thought of historians, as of other human beings, is molded by the environment of the time and place.”

Thus the history that has been dominant of BBM’s father’s martial law, has been the history to justify in the 1980s and even 1990s the Yellows’ unconstitutional toppling of Marcos, that he was a brutal dictator, that he ruined the economy, and so on.

But past historical narratives change with the discovery of new material previously hid-

Philosophers on war & peace

den or unknown. Thus I have presented the transcripts of the Congress hearings on the so-called Corregidor massacre to prove there never was a “Jabidah massacre,” that it was merely a devious move by the top opposition senator then, Benigno Aquino Jr., to expose Marcos’ plot to infiltrate Sabah to incite Muslims there to rebel against Malaysia. Thus I have presented lists of alleged human rights victims during martial law to show that most of these were not that innocent, but were communist or Muslim separatist guerrillas engaging in armed struggle to topple the state, and their leaders.

I wish somebody would get the transcript of the Marcos trial in hawaii over alleged human rights abuses. The references by scholars to it indicate that it was a kangaroo court, rushed in two weeks with a jury of only six hawaiians who thought the Philippines was Paraguay. The judge even ordered the defense not to utter the word “communist” so that Jose Ma. Sison, one of the principal complainants, could not be described as the chairman of the Communist Party.

What the Yellows condemn as “historical revisionism” is a nonsensical term. history like all sciences or disciplines is continually revised, developed to conform to new information or new paradigms.

THREE FACTORS THAT EXPLAIN BBM’S LEAD: The filipino masses — 60 percent of those who voted for BBM — think the Yellow narrative of martial law is a lie, invented by the Yellows, who therefore deserve to be toppled. fourth, it is President rodrigo Duterte who paved the way for BBM and his daughter

PhilosoPhy noW Matt Qvortrup

‘M

Ore songs about Buildings and food’ was the title of a 1978 album by the rock band Talking heads, about all the things rock stars normally don’t sing about.

Pop songs are usually about variations on the theme of love; tracks like rose royce’s 1976 hit Carwash are the are the exception.

Philosophers, likewise, tend to have a narrow focus on epistemology, metaphysics and trifles like the meaning of life. But occasionally great minds stray from their turf and write about other matters, for example buildings (Martin heidegger), food (hobbes), tomato juice (robert Nozick), and the weather (Lucretius and Aristotle).

“I am off to read Leo Tolstoy’s Special Military Operation and Peace”, read a meme that did the rounds on social media after the russian Duma banned the word ‘War’ concerning the invasion of Ukraine.

Certainly, Tolstoy’s great epic about the french invasion of russia in 1812 is a rich source for those who want to understand the gruesome nature of armed conflict through literature. But philosophers too have poured over and analysed the horrors of war.

Nietzsche, always the enfant terrible among thinkers, sought to see something positive in wanton destruction, and famously opined, “from the warrior school of life: what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” (Twilight of the Idols, p.8) he was the odd one out. Most philosophers are critical of war. “There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare” wrote Sun Tzu (544396 BCe) in The Art of War. A couple of

Matt Qvortrup is Professor of Political Science at Coventry University.

record during his martial law days.

Marcos also quietly employed science — that is, opinion surveys and political strategists — for his bid for the presidency. for instance he tracked through polls whether people’s perception of his father was a big obstacle to his presidential bid. It wasn’t: 45 percent of filipinos looked favorably at his father in 2009; this gradually rose to 55 percent in 2016 — as Duterte referred to him in such kind terms — to 72 percent in 2021, which meant his father’s image was an asset for his bid. I don’t know if BBM did similar opinion surveys on his mother Imelda. But isn’t it so noticeable that Imelda has been totally absent in his campaign?

BBM’s political brilliance though was his success in getting Sara Duterte to be his running mate, although I am not privy to information on whether it was she who offered to be his running mate.

Whatever happened, Sara as his running mate amplified the perception that he is the political heir of Duterte (whom most filipinos see as a good if not the best president ever) who would continue his bold but effective leadership of the country. Duterte’s not openly endorsing him was even a clever move, as it insulated him from the accusations involving human rights abuses against the outgoing president, making him the kinder version of Duterte.

BBM was standing really on the shoulders of two giants, his father and Duterte, and had a good head on his own shoulders. how could he not win by a landslide against a fraud of a candidate, who really obviously can’t boast she stands on the shoulders of Cory and Noynoy?

India owes its people the truth about Covid-19

“PERIODS OF PEACE ARE THE EMPTY PAGES IN THE HISTORY BOOKS” thousands of years later, Jean-Jacques rousseau (1712-1778) described the aftermath of a battle in a way that shows that very little has changed: “I see fire and flames, a countryside deserted, villages pillaged. I bear witness to a murderous scene, to ten thousand slaughtered men, the dead piled together, the dying trampled… everywhere the sight of death and agony” (The State of War, p.609). This scene from the Seven Years’ War of 1756-1763 applies equally to Kyiv in 2022. Niccolò Machiavelli (1470-1527) was no less horrified, but a bit more succinct, observing merely that “war produces thieves and peace hangs them.” (The Art of War, p.492) It follows from this that most philosophers are keen to establish peace at all costs. But how?

Thomas hobbes (1588-1679) famously wrote of the “Warre of every man against every man” (Leviathan, p.67), and that the remedy for this was that “the Arts of Peace, enclineth men to obey a common Power” – the State, which he called ‘Leviathan’.

Other philosophers saw it differently.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a liberal before that term was generally used, and believed that “the spirit of trade… cannot coexist with war.” (Perpetual Peace, p.65) But he also asserted that democracies were less likely to go to war, for, “If the consent of the citizens is required in order to decide that war should be declared… nothing is more natural than that they would be very cautious in commencing such a poor game.” (p.75) Sadly, for most of history we have witnessed wars; as G.W.f. hegel (1770-1831) observed, “Periods of peace are the empty pages in the history books” (The Philosophy of history, p.55). Maybe we should simply quote folksinger Pete Seeger’s ‘Where have all the flowers Gone?’, and ask the warmongers of the world, “When will you ever learn? When will you ever learn?”

Sara’s landslide victory. It was the Yellows’ fatal mistake to have had two candidates in 2016, Mar roxas and Jojo Binay, the more “traditional” Yellows throwing their resources against the latter. The Dark horse Duterte came from behind capturing the imagination of filipinos who were starting to really rebel against the Yellows’ highhandedness.

Duterte took on the Yellows head-on, and weakened drastically their media apparatus, especially the powerful ABS-CBN broadcasting network. The Yellows, prodded by US help, opposed his major initiatives, his war against illegal drugs and his rapprochement with China, which they thought were controversies which could bring him down.

They thought wrong. And with the benefits flowing from these two Duterte initiatives, the Yellows were discredited, and thus politically weakened drastically, perhaps even fatally, since it was Leni robredo who was at the forefront in opposing Duterte on these issues. By 2022, the Yellows led by robredo were so politically weakened that BBM, buoyed further by the filipinos’ realization that martial law wasn’t really such an era, had the presidency for the picking. fifth, but even with all these four factors going for him, BBM would not have won by the landslide if not for his political acumen. he was playing the long game, and his bid for the vice presidency in 2016 was part of his plan to eventually win the presidency.

While filing cases claiming he was cheated, he supported Duterte while building up his image as a non-confrontational, unifying politician. he didn’t even — at least to my knowledge — debate with, much less quarrel, with the Yellows on his father’s track

Washington Post Barkha Dutt

S

her Chand, a daily wage worker employed by the local administration in Delhi, sat on the floor of his one-room shanty flanked by three toddlers, his wedding photographs spread out before him. he pulled out his phone to show me a video of the last time he saw his wife, Manju, alive. She managed a wan smile from behind the oxygen mask that was helping her breathe. “This is my Manju Begum [queen],” he says in the video. “My wife has corona, but she’ll get well soon.”

That very night in April 2021, the oxygen supply to the intensive care unit of the hospital where Manju was admitted ran out.

Manju, just 30, was among 20 patients who died; this was just one case among scores in hospitals across the country. Amid oxygen shortages, hospitals posted desperate SOS messages, families carried bottle-size oxygen cylinders to their relatives, and Sikh gurudwaras that usually feed the poor for free organized oxygen drives instead.

Despite this catastrophe, India’s Parliament was informed this year that there was not a single death from oxygen shortage reported by any state during the pandemic.

The unforgivable erasure of these covid-19 deaths has been underscored again by the recent dispute between the World health Organization and the Indian government over exactly how many people died during the pandemic. According to the WhO, there were 15 million excess deaths worldwide in 2020 and 2021, more than double the official covid-19 death toll of 6 million. WhO estimated 4.7 million people died in India, a figure nearly 10 times the official number. The Narendra Modi government has fiercely contested the WhO’s mathematical modeling and released official data that shows only a 6 percent increase of all-cause deaths in 2020 from 2019.

I am not an epidemiologist. I can’t speak

WHO ESTIMATED 4.7 MILLION PEOPLE DIED IN INDIA, A FIGURE NEARLY 10 TIMES THE OFFICIAL NUMBER. THE NARENDRA MODI GOVERNMENT HAS FIERCELY CONTESTED THE WHO’S MATHEMATICAL MODELING AND RELEASED OFFICIAL DATA THAT SHOWS ONLY A 6 PERCENT INCREASE OF ALL-CAUSE DEATHS IN 2020 FROM 2019 to whether it’s a factor of 10 or 4 that separates the government-acknowledged fatalities from the actual count. But as someone who spent two years traversing the length and breadth of India, I witnessed exactly how and why people fell through the cracks.

Based on my reporting, at least hundreds of thousands of Indians — most of them abjectly poor — would have died overlooked, forgotten and eventually uncounted.

The reasons were manifold. Oxygen shortage led to several hospitals closing their gates to new patients, unwilling to take on the moral and legal liability of more deaths on their watch. Then there was the stigma that made many, especially in rural India, averse to getting tested. Along riverbanks in northern India, bodies were hurled into the water or left in the sand in the cover of night; grave keepers and boatmen told me this was either because the poor didn’t have money to buy wood for cremation or because they were too frightened to own their dead.

There was also the maze of bureaucracy that families had to navigate to get a death certificate listing covid-19 as the cause of death. Those who didn’t get an rT-PCr test but died from covid-like symptoms during the peak of the surge, for instance, were not counted in the tally. In rural India, where primary health-care centers were often closed or abandoned during the pandemic’s peak, a test was often not easily accessible.

But in April and May 2021, community leaders in every village I traveled to testified to a sudden spike in deaths in their area.

In the city of Bhopal, 45-year-old auto rickshaw driver Vikas Singh Chauhan died after driving from hospital to hospital in vain. “We don’t have any proof” of cause of death, his wife, Jyoti, told me in tears.

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the teenage daughters of rudresh, a 45-year-old house painter, told me their father traveled from Bangalore to his ancestral home an

hour away, hoping that hospitals would be less crowded there. But he could not find a free bed with oxygen. he died in an ambulance without formal documentation of his cause of death.

And in Jaipur, ramavatar Singh, a daily wage worker in a textile factory, spent weeks fighting with the hospital where his wife, Santosh, had been treated for covid19. The death certificate he eventually obtained from municipal authorities did not mention her cause of death.

Our pandemic toll has not even begun to look at those who die from other diseases — cancer, tuberculosis, kidney failure — because they could not access care in an overwhelmed health system. There was a 60 percent decline in the notification of TB cases during the nationwide lockdown in 2020. And between March and May 2020, there was a 54 percent reduction in the number of cancer cases registered, suggesting half of all new cancer cases in India might have gone untreated.

India is free to question the credibility of the WhO, whose poor handling of the origins of covid-19 has weakened its authority. But it owes an answer to its citizens.

As epidemiologist Prabhat Jha told me, the government could lead its own investigation by asking a question about covid deaths to every family in the upcoming census.

To link the question of how many Indians really died to faux nationalism is in fact anti-national. Indians who died deserve to be so much more than numbers. how can they not even be that?

Barkha Dutt is an award-winning broadcast journalist and anchor with more than two decades of reporting experience.

She is founder-editor of Mojo Story, a multimedia digital platform, and the author of, most recently, “To Hell and Back: Humans of Covid.”

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS Go surpasses 1,000 retail outlets nationwide ISLAMABAD: Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (GO), in line with its vision to becoming Pakistan’s largest Oil Marketing Company (OMC) in the private sector, has recently announced that it has surpassed the milestone of 1000 retail outlets. GO started operations in year 2015 and has become a front-running OMC in the country in this short period of time. Highlighting the company’s performance, Mr. Khalid Riaz, CEO, GO said: “Alhamdulillah, we have recently surpassed our 1000th retail outlet. GO was built on the solid foundations of the vision to become a customer centric oil marketing company delivering world class petroleum products and services. Being the fastest growing OMC with an expanding footprint of retail outlets network, GO is taking immense strides to fulfill the energy needs of the nation in every urban city as well as distant areas of the country.” He further said, “I am immensely proud of each and every GO employee and partner who has contributed towards this profound achievement.”

GO’s ambitious business growth strategy relies on unrelenting focus on customers round-the-clock, in all seasons and in every situation. It is one of the leading OMCs to incorporate state-of-the-art tools and high-tech resources; making full use of technology to hone their supply chain management functions and spearheading efforts to curtail fuel shortages in the future and to stabilize the petroleum sector in its entirety. pr

MCB Islamic Bank, Hyundai Nishat Motors & Adamjee Insurance enter a strategic alliance LAHORE: MCB Islamic Bank Ltd., Hyundai Nishat Motors & Adamjee Insurance (WTO) have joined hands for a strategic collaboration to provide exclusive car financing solution to their customers.

The MOU signing ceremony was held in Lahore on 10th May, 2022. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Mian Muhammad Mansha, Mr. Mian Hasan Mansha – CEO Hyundai Nishat Motors, Mr. Muhammad Ali Zeb – Managing Director Adamjee Insurance and Mr. Muhammad Afaq Khan – President MCB Islamic Bank Ltd. Mr. Malik Muhammad Adnan, GM Sales & Marketing from HNMPL & Mr. Muhammad Hamid Yasin, Group Head Consumer Finance, MCB Islamic Bank Ltd. signed the MOU on behalf of respective organizations.

Through this alliance, MCB Islamic Bank Ltd. would provide Shari’ah compliant car financing on different variants of Hyundai’s vehicles at a fixed financing rate. Adamjee would be providing exclusive vehicle and family takaful coverage.

With this exclusive agreement customers would also be able to avail priority vehicle delivery. The Hyundai vehicles can conveniently be booked from any MCB Islamic Bank branch or from any Hyundai 3S authorized dealership across Pakistan.

The collaboration of these companies would be beneficial to the customers as it would be providing a one window hassle free solution. Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Muhammad Afaq Khan, President MCB Islamic Bank Ltd. stated, “MCB Islamic Bank aims to provide customers with Shari’ah compliant valueadded products and services. This alliance with Hyundai Nishat Motors will enable us to ensure that our customers are able to receive delivery of their Hyundai vehicles in the most timely, efficient, and Shari’ah compliant manner.” pr

35 employees of NHA to perform Hajj this year ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Mr. Asad Mahmood executed Hajj Balloting 2022 for employees of National Highway Authority was held at Ministry of Communications today. As per balloting, 35 employees of the Authority will proceed for Hajj this year. Federal Secretary Communications Mr. Zafar Hasan, Chairman NHA Capt (R) Muhammad Khurram Agha and senior officers from Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority and NHA employees were also present. In category A, 17 employees working in scale 1-16 will perform Hajj. In category B, 10 employees of Grade 17 and above will proceed for Hajj. Likewise in category C, 04 employees having age between 55 to 60 years will perform Hajj. From women quota, 04 employees – will perform Hajj. On this occasion, Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Mr. Asad Mahmood said, those who are proceeding for Hajj are the luckiest people out of thousands of NHA employees selected through balloting. pr

09

EFU LIFE, BANK OF PUNjAB PArtNEr UP tO PrOvIdE CUStOMISEd INSUrANCE, tAKAFUL SOLUtIONS tO BOP'S rOSHAN dIGItAL ACCOUNt HOLdErS KARACHI pr

r

OSHAN Digital Account is a major initiative of the State Bank of Pakistan, which provides banking solutions for non-resident Pakistanis, and resident Pakistanis with declared assets held abroad. BOP is the first bank in the industry to offer both conventional and Islamic variants of this product for customers to open and operate digitally. In addition to other banking services, RDA customers can make investments in Pakistan, and avail house loan and auto loans.

To enhance lifestyle offerings for RDA customers, EFU Life and BOP have taken the initiative and signed a unique insurance solution for RDA customers and their loved ones. Customers can opt for insurance/Takaful

plans according to their needs, enabling them to mitigate financial risks associated with unfortunate events of death, accidental death, and permanent total disability. In addition, the health risks of customers’ family members (spouse and kids) residing in Pakistan are also being taken care of. The entire family can also avail a virtual health care benefit, an essential addition in

these Covid times.

A ceremony to mark this event was held at EFU Head Office Karachi which was attended by Mr. Zahid Mustafa, Group Chief Consumer & Digital Banking-BOP, Mr. Mohammad Ali Ahmed, Deputy Managing Director – EFUL Life, Mr. Nofel Daud, Group Head Retail BankingBOP, Ms. Nilofer Sohail, AGM and

Head of Channel Strategy and Execution and other senior officials from both organizations were also present at the event.

Speaking on occasion, Mr. Mohammad Ali Ahmed, DMD EFU Life, said “We congratulate BOP for launching this initiative. With the launch of these technology-based insurance solutions, BOP will be able to serve RDA customers more effectively. This will further augment the RDA proposition of the bank.” Group Chief C & DB Mr. Zahid Mustafa reaffirmed bank’s vision and said, “BOP, is one of the fastest-growing banks in the industry with a vast network of 661 branches all over the country and a reach of close to 2 million customer base. Identifying and catering to the needs of overseas Pakistanis under the RDA banner remains a primary objective of BOP”.

NIMA, IRS ink MoU for cooperation in promoting education, research

ISLAMABAD pr

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) and the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad for bilateral cooperation in promoting education and fostering joint efforts in research. The Ceremony was held at the NIMA Head Office, Bahria University Islamabad.

The documents were duly endorsed with the signatures of Vice Admiral (Retd) Abdul Aleem HI(M), Director General,

NIMA, and Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz President of IRS Islamabad. By signing the MoU, the two parties agreed to establish a formal mechanism of collaboration and cooperation for new initiatives. The purpose of the agreement is to improve the research and academic activities between the two Institutes and to promote and intensify cooperation in the entire area of interaction and research. The agreement will not only foster bilateral collaboration but will also play an important role in promoting joint activities, and the exchange of information and

expertise. The two parties have agreed to provide assistance to each other ‘s request for literature consultation, exchange of publications/research material, joint research projects and use of facilities at respective institutes. On the occasion, Director General NIMA, Vice Admiral (Retd) Abdul Aleem assured wholehearted support from NIMA to IRS, in research, policy analysis, and other related subjects. He mentioned this agreement will not only enhance bilateral collaboration but will also play an important role in promoting joint activities.

Meanwhile, The President of IRS, Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz hoped that this collaboration will be a great opportunity to get benefit from each other.

He said that this MoU would help in studying the geo-strategic dynamics of Indian Ocean affairs. The Director NIMA Islamabad Commodore (Retd) Bilal Abdula Nasir SI(M), and its research team along with the faculty members of the (IRS), were also present.

BOK expanding its footprints by opening Sub Branch at Khyber Medical University (KMU) Peshawar PESHAWAR: Mr. Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, Minister Finance & Health KP, Mr. Kamran Bangash Minister Higher Education & Archives, Prof. Dr Zia Ul Haq, ViceChancellor, Khyber Medical University and Mr. Muhammad Ali Gulfaraz, Managing Director & CEO BOK inaugurates BOK conventional banking sub branch at Khyber Medical University Peshawar, speaking on the occasion Minister Finance said that he is pleased to see linkage between government own institutions as now faculty & students of KMU will benefit from this branch opening as they will be able to avail all banking services offered by BOK at their own premises. pr

MMBL celebrates a decade of Financially Empowering Millions ISLAMABAD: Mobilink Microfinance Bank Ltd. (MMBL), the largest digital bank in Pakistan, is celebrating 10 years of successful banking operations. With a focus on promoting financial inclusion across the country, MMBL is currently operating with over 100 branches across Pakistan and is serving over 39 million customers including 15 million+ monthly active mobile wallets.

Since its inception in 2012, MMBL has continuously introduced innovative

and customized digital financial products to enhance financial inclusion, especially to uplift entrepreneurs, females, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that lack access to financial savings and credit services. MMBL's underpinning strategy for all its operations remains maximizing outreach with low operational costs, ease of access, and diversification of customer base to cover all marginalized and underserved segments of society. pr

Third General Assembly meeting of CINVU begins at AIOU ISLAMABAD pr

The third session of the General Assembly of COMSTECH Inter-Islamic Network on Virtual Universities (CINVU) was held yesterday here at the main campus of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). Vice chancellors, rectors, and senior academicians from virtual universities of Syria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, Tunisia, Gabon (Africa), Chad (Africa), and other countries attended the event, while heads of 34 member universities participated virtually.

Coordinator General CINVU, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry said that the

population under the age of 23 in the Islamic world is about 1.56 billion and it is almost impossible to provide formal education to all of them. CINVU can play a key role to provide educational development in member countries. He added that the main difference between developed and developing countries is the current gap in the field of education and research. He congratulated the Vice Chancellor of Allama Iqbal Open University on convening the third meeting of general assembly of CINVU. President, Executive Committee CINVU & Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia UlQayyum said that online or virtual mode of education is the most important need of the hour. The whole world realized that it was

not possible to provide education without an online system in Covid 19. Dr. Zia said that AIOU has digitized its entire system and now we are providing online education all over the world. He added that Allama Iqbal Open University is the second university in South Asia whose entire system has been

digitized and we are ready to assist in the digitization of virtual universities of Islamic countries. He said that proposals and recommendations will be formulated after discussions which will be presented in next meeting of general assembly of CINVU for approval and implementation. Vice Chancel-

lor, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Prof.

Dr. Muhammad Ali said that AIOU has made significant progress in the last three years under the dynamic leadership of Prof.

Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum. He said that QAU has also started the process of digitalization and we have requested AIOU for assistance.

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FORIGEN NEWS

Kherson might ‘join russia’ as uKraineclaims successes near KharKiv

o

AGENCIES

N the 77th day of the Ukraine conflict, officials in Russian-controlled Kherson said they plan to ask for the area to become a part of Russia. Ukrainian forces reported battlefield gains in a counterattack that could signal a shift in the momentum of the war, while Kyiv shut gas flows on a route through Russian-held territory, raising the specter of an energy crisis in Europe.

Officials in Russian-controlled Kherson, a city in the south of Ukraine, will petition the Kremlin to formally recognize the southern Ukrainian region as part of the Russian Federation, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday.

“There will be a request to make Kherson region a full subject of the Russian Federation,” said Kirill Stremousov, an official from the region’s Moscow-controlled administration.

People carrying a banner in the colors of the Ukrainian flag as they protest amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine, March 13, 2022./Reuters In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the decision would be “up to local residents” and the process would be “absolutely clear and legitimate”.

After calming full control over the Kherson region in late April, Russia replaced its Ukrainian leadership with a pro-Moscow “military-civilian administration” and introduced its own currency, media and internet

services into the city.

If Russia aims to take southern Ukraine and establish a land bridge to Crimea, Kherson will be the key, the UK Ministry of Defence said on April 25.

Russia aims to hold a “so-called referendum” in the Kherson region, but the vote will be illegal and a sham, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on April 22.

Ukraine pushes back Russian troops in counter-offensive near Kharkiv Following days of advances, Ukrainian forces were within several kilometers of the Russian border in the Kharkiv region on Wednesday morning, one Ukrainian military source told Reuters.

Ukraine also said on Tuesday its forces had recaptured villages from Russian troops

north and northeast of the city of Kharkiv, pressing a counter-offensive that could signal a shift in the war’s momentum and jeopardize Russia’s main advance.

In Vilhivka, a village east of Kharkiv held by Ukrainian forces, the thump of near constant artillery and swoosh of multiple rocket launchers could be heard from fighting at the front, now pushed substantially further east, where Ukraine has been trying to capture the banks of the Donets river and threaten Russian supply lines on the far side.

In Washington, top U.S. intelligence officials said the war was at a stalemate. President Vladimir Putin appeared to be preparing for a long conflict, and a Russian victory in the Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region might not end the war, Director of Na-

China berates WHO chief for ‘irresponsible’ remarks on its zero-Covid policy

tional Intelligence Avril Haines said.

But the counterattack near Kharkiv could signal a new phase, with Ukraine now going on the offensive after weeks in which Russia mounted a massive assault without making a breakthrough. gaS SUPPlieS: Wednesday’s separate move by Ukraine to cut off Russian gas supplies through territory held by Russianbacked separatists was one of the first times that gas shipments to Europe have been directly affected by the conflict.

Gas flows from Russia’s export monopoly Gazprom to Europe via Ukraine fell by a quarter after Kyiv said it was forced to halt all flows from the Sokhranovka transit point in southern Russia, because Russian-backed separatists were siphoning supplies.

iran arrests two european nationals for ‘fomenting chaos’ TEHRAN Agencies

BEIJING Agencies

China’s foreign ministry called on World Health Organisation (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to avoid making “irresponsible” remarks, after he said China’s zero-Covid policy was not sustainable.

The objective of China’s “dynamic zero-COVID” policy aims to maximize the protection of people’s safety and health, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday.

“The policy is not to pursue zero infection, but to contain the pandemic in the shortest possible time at the lowest social cost, so as to safeguard people’s

lives and health as well as retain the normal order of life to the maximum extent,” he said.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to some comments by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the policy. Zhao said it is hoped the facts about China’s COVID-19 policy can be learnt and that irresponsible comments would not be made. He called on relevant parties to take an objective and rational view of the country’s pandemic prevention and control measures.

In a peer-reviewed paper in March, the Lancet said that global estimates of excess deaths indicated 18.2 million people may have died during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the excess

new Zealand fully reopens to the world in august: ardern WELLINGTON

death rate being 120 deaths per 100,000 population globally. In particular, the United States was estimated to have a rate of 179 excess deaths per 100,000 population and China 0.6 excess deaths per 100,000 population.

Citing the study published in one of the world’s oldest and best-known general medical journals, Zhao said China’s rating performance can be attributed to its “dynamic zero-COVID” policy.

If it drops the policy, China could risk up to 1.5 million deaths, added the spokesperson, citing recent modeling by Chinese and U.S. researchers.

As a country with 1.4 billion people, China could not afford to let the virus spread unabated since that would lead to a large number of deaths among its eld-

erly, said Zhao. Only 19.7 percent of people aged over 80 in China had received a COVID-19 vaccine booster as of March 17, and just 50.7 percent of that age group had completed their primary vaccinations, according to the National Health Commission.

China has effectively protected the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions by pursuing the “dynamic zero-COVID” policy, said Zhao.

The Chinese government’s approach to prevention and control will stand the test of history, since the measures are scientific and effective, he said.

“It is a fact for the world to see that China is one of the most successful countries in the world in preventing and controlling the pandemic.”

Final refrain for iPod as Apple stops production

AFP

SAN FRANSISCO

New Zealand will fully reopen to the world in August, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday, ending one of the toughest antiCovid-19 border restrictions. Border safeguards will be lifted fully and all pre-departure testing dropped from 11:59 pm on July 31, with Ardern saying “New Zealand is in demand and now fully open for business”. The controls dating back to March 2020 have been hailed as worldleading in some quarters, with New Zealand boasting one of the lowest coronavirus death rates among developed nations. However, critics have decried the system as lacking flexibility and compassion, as well as curtailing the economy. For much of the pandemic, all international arrivals had to undergo two weeks of quarantine in government-run hotel facilities patrolled by the military. Those restrictions have already been dropped for New Zealand residents and travellers from nations with visa-free agreements. But the rest of the world had been told to wait until October. Ardern told a business audience in Auckland on Tuesday that the date had been brought forward by more than two months as part of a raft of announcements to reinvigorate the economy — most notably the ailing tourism industry.

SkillS ShortageS: “This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities. It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons,” she said. New Zealand welcomed 3.9 million international arrivals in 2019, making tourism the country’s biggest pre-pandemic export earner, generating more than NZ$16 billion ($10.9 billion) annually.

Ardern also announced significant changes to immigration settings, hoping to attract workers to understaffed sectors such as engineering, health and IT. Workers can have their residency applications fast-tracked and processed within 30 days if they are filling critical gaps.

AFP

Apple on Tuesday put out word it is no longer making iPods, the trend-setting MP3 players that transformed how people get music and gave rise to the iPhone.

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs introduced the devices nearly 21 years ago with his legendary showmanship flare, and the small, easy to operate players helped the company revolutionise how music was sold.

It packed “a mind-blowing 1,000 songs” the company said at the time, and together with Apple’s iTunes shop established a new distribution model for the music industry. Buying complete albums on vinyl gave way to paying 99 cents a piece for selected digital songs.

Industry trackers and California-based Apple itself have long acknowledged that the do-it-all iPhone would eat away at sales of one-trick devices such as iPod MP3 players.

The trend toward streaming music services, including one by Apple, has made devices designed just for carrying digital tunes around less enticing for consumers.

Apple said in a blog post that the current generation of iPods will only be available as long as current supplies last.

“Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impact more than just the music industry,” said Apple senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak.

Iran has arrested two European nationals for allegedly “fomenting chaos and social disorder,” without revealing their nationalities. In a statement on Wednesday, the Intelligence Ministry said the detainees had been sent by “foreign conspirators” to carry out destabilising activities in the country. The two arrested men, it said, had “expertise in creating riots and instability” and had previously “trained local agents” in several countries over the years, without divulging further details. The ministry said it will soon disclose the audio and video documents related to the activities of the two individuals. The development comes amid growing tensions between Iran and some European countries such as Sweden and Belgium over arrests and jailing of Iranian diplomats, which had prompted Sweden recently to issue an advisory to its citizens against traveling to Iran. Last month, a court in Stockholm upheld the sentencing of former Iranian judiciary official Hamid Nouri, accused of alleged involvement in the execution of political dissidents in 1988. Nouri, who has been in incarceration since 2019, faces a life sentence in prison. Iran has strongly denounced the sentence and called for the immediate release of Nouri, but the Swedish government maintains that it cannot influence decisions taken by the country’s courts. “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the detention and trial of Hamid Nouri, an Iranian citizen, illegal and demands his immediate release,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his Swedish counterpart Ann Linde last week. The Iranian Foreign Ministry also summoned the Swedish ambassador to Tehran last week, calling Nouri’s detention “politically motivated” and allegations against him “baseless and fabricated.” Nouri’s trial in Sweden has coincided with the trial of Iranian-Swedish national Ahmad-Reza Jalali in Iran, who is accused of espionage for Israel. Iran’s apex court recently upheld the death sentence against him and he is most likely to be executed on May 21, according to reports. In between, there have also been reports about the arrest of a Swedish citizen in Iran recently, as reported by Swedish media. Aftonbladet media outlet said last week that the man was part of a group of tourists. There has been no comment from Iranian officials. Tensions between Iran and Sweden are expected to rise if Nouri is handed a life term and if Jalali is executed as planned, according to experts.

Elon Musk says he would reverse Trump’s Twitter ban NEW YORK AFP

Elon Musk on Tuesday said that as the owner of Twitter, he would lift the ban on Donald Trump, contending that kicking the former US president off the platform “alienated a large part of the country.”

Musk’s endorsement of a Trump return to the global messaging platform quickly triggered fears among activists that Musk would “open the floodgates of hate.”

“I would reverse the permanent ban,” the billionaire said at a Financial Times conference, noting that he doesn’t own Twitter yet, so “this is not like a thing that will definitely happen.”

The Tesla chief’s $44-billion deal to buy Twitter must still get the backing of shareholders and regulators, but he has voiced enthusiasm for less content moderation and “time-outs” instead of bans.

“I do think that it was not correct to ban Donald Trump,” Musk said.

“I think that was a mistake because it

alienated a large part of the country, and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.”

Trump was booted from Twitter and other online platforms after supporters fired up by his tweets and speech alleging election fraud attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a deadly bid to stop Joe Biden from being certified as the victor in the US presidential election.

“Elon Musk would open the floodgates of hate and disinformation on Twitter,” said Media Matters for America president Angelo Carusone.

“Whether Elon Musk is a fully redpilled right-wing radical or just someone very interested in enabling right-wing extremists, the result is the same.”

Backing off on fighting misinformation and extremists on Twitter would put pressure on other social networks to do likewise in a race to the bottom, Carusone contended.

Musk reasoned that permanent bans at Twitter should be rare, and reserved for ac-

counts that are spam, scams or run by software “bots.”

“That doesn’t mean that somebody gets to say whatever they want to say,” Musk said.

“If they say something that is illegal or otherwise just destructive to the world, then there should be a perhaps a timeout, a temporary suspension, or that particular tweet should be made invisible or have very limited attraction.”

Musk maintained that permanent bans undermine trust in Twitter as an online town square where everyone can be heard.

Trump has stated publicly that he would not come back to Twitter if permitted, opting instead to stick with his own social network, which has failed to gain traction.

Ad boycott?

Activist groups have called on Twitter advertisers to boycott the service if it opens the gates to abusive and misinformative posts with Musk as its owner.

“Under Musk’s management, Twitter

risks becoming a cesspool of misinformation, with your brand attached,” said an open letter signed by more than two dozen groups including Media Matters, Access Now and Ultraviolet.

Twitter makes most of its revenue from ads, and that could be jeopardized by advertisers’ reaction to content posted on the platform, the San Francisco-based tech firm said in a filing with US regulators.

While Musk has not revealed nittygritty details of how he would run the business side of Twitter, he has expressed a preference for making money from subscriptions.

As of the end of March, an average of 229 million people used Twitter daily, the company said in a regulatory filing.

“We believe that our long-term success depends on our ability to improve the health of the public conversation on Twitter,” the company said in the filing.

Efforts toward that goal include fighting abuse, harassment, and spam, Twitter told regulators.

Thursday, 12 May, 2022 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

PCB introduCes strong measures to ensure transParenCy in age-grouP CriCket

i

StAff REpORt

N order to provide a level playing field to all teenage cricketers, the Pakistan Cricket Board conducted age verification tests on as many as 2,976 players with the help of latest scientific techniques ahead of the City Cricket Association U19 50-over tournament, which begins on 21 May. Top radiologists in the country were consulted and scientifically validated methods were used to radiologically estimate ages. In these tests

– on which PKR 10million were spent – x-rays were conducted on multiple body joints to increase accuracy. These were then reviewed by leading radiologists. This was different from previous practice where only wrist x-ray were assessed.

It has been observed in the previous seasons that players have manipulated their ages to gain unfair advantage in the age-group competitions, which has not only hurt the spirit of the game but also put deserving teenage cricketers at a position of disadvantage, hampering their growth and development.

This initiative is part of PCB’s efforts to encourage teenage cricketers to declare correct biological ages when participating in the age-group tournaments, and follows an extensive activity it undertook in January to determine correct ages of the participants ahead of the U13 and U16 Cricket Association tournaments.

Director – High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “The participation of overage players in age-group cricket is a menace and has proved to be detrimental in the growth and development of cricketers at young level.

“It was extremely important we

took this profound step to inculcate transparency in the upcoming season.

We have borne a significant cost for this extensive exercise as we remain committed to ensure credibility of our pathways cricket to produce Pakistan future stars.”

The PCB has also introduced lower age limit for the first time to discourage players from reducing their ages on the official documents.

Players born on or after 1 September 2003 or before 1 September 2007 are eligible for the upcoming CCA U19 tournament, which will run from 21 May to 4 June.

Sarfaraz Ahmed signs for Kotli Lions, set to captain the franchise in KPL 2022 StAff REpORt

Brendon mcCullum a contender to become england test coach NEwS DESk Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is a contender to take over as England Test coach, the BBC and other British media reported. Chris Silverwood left the role in February in the aftermath of their 4-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, with Paul Collingwood named as caretaker. The England and Wales Cricket Board then invited applications for separate Test and white-ball coaches. The reports said 40-year-old McCullum, who is currently in charge of Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders, was keen on taking the job and that an announcement was expected this week. Former South Africa and India head coach Gary Kirsten has been linked with the role, while Collingwood was also considered a candidate. McCullum played the last of his 101 Tests at Christchurch in February 2016 against Australia, where he hit the fastest century in the format (54 balls), finishing his career with 6,453 runs including 12 tons and 31 half-centuries.

England last month unveiled New Zealand-born Ben Stokes as their new Test captain, hoping for a swift turnaround under the talismanic all-rounder after a tame end to Joe Root’s five years in charge. England face New Zealand in a three-match home series in June.

Kotli Lions, one of the eight Kashmir Premier League (KPL) franchises, has announced the signing of Sarfaraz Ahmed as their icon player.

Veteran cricketer and former Pakistan national team captain will also lead Kotli Lions in the tournament’s second edition, which will kick off in August.

Sarfaraz Ahmed was featured in a video posted on KPL’s official social media accounts. The 2017 ICC Champions League winning captain thanked the franchise owner Khalid Zia for bringing him on board.

“I will be representing Kotli Lions in this year’s KPL. I want to thank franchise owners Khalid Zia and Faisal for selecting me as their icon player,” he said.

Adding to his announcement, Sarfaraz remained hopeful and claimed to make the Kotli Lion’s a strong side for this year’s competition.

“We will try to make a strong team for this year and win the tournament. I am ready for live KPL action, are you?”

The inaugural season was won by Rawalakot Hawks which Shahid Afridi led whereas the other team in the final was being captained by another Pakistani veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

PGA Tour refuses to release players for Saudi-backed opener LOS ANGELES AFP

The PGA Tour has refused to grant releases for players seeking to take part in the Saudibacked LIV Golf Invitational Series opener in England next month, multiple US media reports said Tuesday.

In a decision that puts the PGA Tour on a collision course with its players eager to play in the lucrative new series, the tour reportedly said in a memo distributed to members that no releases would be granted.

Any players who go ahead and play in the June 9-11 event at Centurion Golf Club outside London will be deemed to be in violation of tour regulations, opening the door to a possible suspension or exclusion.

Former world number one and reigning PGA Championship champion Phil Mickelson is among the players who had requested a release to play in the tournament, along with England’s Lee Westwood.

“We have notified those who have applied that their request has been declined in accordance with the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations,” according to the memo sent to players by PGA Tour senior vice president Tyler Dennis.

“As such, Tour members are not authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League’s London event under our Regulations. “As a membership organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA Tour and its players.”

Australian golfing great Greg Norman, the chief executive of LIV Golf, hit back at the decision.

“Sadly, the PGA Tour seems intent on denying professional golfers their right to play golf, unless it’s exclusively in a PGA Tour tournament,” he said in a statement.

“But no matter what obstacles the PGA Tour puts in our way, we will not be stopped.

We will continue to give players options that promote the great game of golf globally.”

The money-spinning Saudi-backed series will offer purses of $25 million per tournament — making every leg of the series more lucrative than the richest event on the PGA Tour and roughly more than double the prize money on offer for each of golf’s four majors.

Mickelson has not played since triggering uproar in February following the publication of remarks made last year concerning the new series. The 51-year-old described the Saudi financial backers of the LIV Series

Anderson in awe of Hasan’s skills, praises his wicket celebration AGENciES Legendary England pacer James Anderson has praised Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali as the latter has impressed with his brilliant performances for Lancashire in County Championship Division One. Hasan, 27, is the joint highest wicket-taker with 24 scalps in eight innings. Anderson opined that he has been amazing and he is also learning from the Pakistan pacer.

“Hasan Ali is an absolute legend, great guy and bowler. He’s quite quick and he gives it everything, every ball.

He’s been amazing for Lancashire. He got Player of the Month for Lancashire in April and he’s got skills”.

“It’s been great bowling with him.

You can learn a lot from people you have not played with before when you see

how they operate and see the different things they do. Although he’s been asking me a lot of questions about what I do,

I’ve also been watching him and have learned some stuff from him,” Anderson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

CMYK

“He just loves cricket and bowling.

When you sign an overseas player, sometimes you’re never quite sure if they’re coming to get an experience of the conditions or the money. But he literally loves cricket, he will bowl all day long, he will never say no to the captain or say I am feeling tired or I need a rest,” he added. James Anderson also shed light on Hasan’s wicket celebration and described in his own way.

“I like his celebration. I am amazed he can be so focused on bowling and all of a sudden he gets a wicket and he’s bang straight into the routine. He sort of bends his leg at the knees, his hands sort of touch the ground almost and then he pulls his hands back quickly. I can’t really describe it. Whenever he has done in the past, he has done in front of big crowds, in county cricket, it’s quite loud ‘Hooo, heee, Hoooo,” he added.

as “scary” with a “horrible record on human rights”, but said he was willing to deal with them in order to gain leverage to “reshape” the PGA Tour.

Mickelson subsequently apologized for the comments and announced he was taking some “desperately needed time away” from golf. Spain’s Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, hinted last week he was preparing to leave the PGA Tour in favour of the new series.

“I can’t wait to leave this tour. I can’t wait to get out of here,” Garcia said at the Wells Fargo Championship.

“Just a couple more weeks until I don’t have to deal with you any more.”

Earlier Tuesday, Norman said an additional $2 billion in funding had been lined up for a 10-event series in 2023 and a league beginning in 2024.

PCB likely to announce squad for West indies odis by may 20 NEwS DESk The national squad for the ODI series against the West Indies is expected to be announced by May 20 while the camp is likely to be held in Lahore from May 23 or 24. According to sources, team captain Babar Azam, selectors, coach Saqlain Mushtaq and PCB officials were consulted for the series against West Indies last month. The details of the camp and squad will be formally announced after the logistics issues are finalised. There won’t be many changes in the ODI squad which last featured in home series against Australia In view of the expected political situation in Rawalpindi, it has been discussed to hold the camp in Lahore.

PCB will also confirm the backup venue of Rawalpindi in the due course. The ODIs between between Pakistan and West Indies are scheduled for June 8, 10 and 12 at Pindi Cricket Stadium, but the expected long march of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf in Islamabad has put Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to think over a possible change in venue for the ODI series against the West Indies.

Thursday, 12 May, 2022

prayer timiNgs

NEWS

ASif hintS At eLeCtion Before ComPLetion of Army Chief’S tenUre ISLAMABAD

t

staff report

HE government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) component parties may decide to call general elections before the completion of the tenure of Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa which is set to expire in November, said Defense Minister Khawaja Asif.

The embattled government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which assumed power after removing Imran Khan in April through a contentious vote of no-confidence, is facing a plethora of challenges on both economic and political fronts.

Having inherited a teetering economy and a “political martyr” Khan, some members of the government have dropped hints after hints, announcing they are preparing — or at least, want — to call early national

polls in an attempt to find a way out of the political crisis that has paralysed the country.

Many also feared that the political turmoil puts the fragile civilian democracy at risk and could pave the way for the military establishment to step in.

Commenting on the situation, Asif, who was interviewed by BBC Urdu, said: “It is quite possible the government decides to hold elections before appointing Gen. Bajwa’s successor […] before November.

“There will be a caretaker set-up at that time. It is also possible that the caretaker government is gone and the new government is [in power] before November.”

An early election should placate the courts and military. A supposedly neutral caretaker government would have to be installed to oversee a threemonth election period.

When asked if the coalition would award a second extension to Gen.

Bajwa, Asif recalled that the army chief has himself announced that he does not want his term to be extended.

Gen. Bajwa will remain in office until November 29, when his second three-year tenure will expire. He was given the extension by the government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in 2019.

In April, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar had confirmed that Gen. Bajwa “is neither seeking the extension of his tenure nor will he accept it”.

“I welcome his decision as it has closed the door on speculations,” Asif said, observing that retired Gen. Raheel Sharif, Gen. Bajwa’s predecessor, too, had never “directly or indirectly demanded an extension”.

The minister said he believed the process for appointing a military boss should be “institutionalised” similar to the judiciary. “There is no speculation about [a chief justice]. I know who

will become the chief justice in 2028.”

“In my opinion, instead of discussing the matter of the army chief’s appointment, the process should 100 percent be based on merit. There is a sanctity of the institution of the army, it should never be the subject of political debate,” he said.

Asif said the government would also former spy chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed for the office “if his name is on the seniority list”.

“All names on the [seniority] list will be considered,” he added.

He maintained that it is the discretion of the prime minister to select one of the names sent by the military.

The minister also admitted that Khan is a “popular leader” but claimed that he has failed to deliver.

“He [Khan] is hiding his failures behind two or three statements […] and playing the religion card and retreating from the anti-American narrative,” he added.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:27

12:29

3:55

5:50

7:07

8:31

Bilawal, Blinken meeting on the cards Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to visit the United States this month to attend the Food Security Conference and hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, a news outlet reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, an official of the Foreign Office said that the visit of the foreign minister is under active consideration and that he would visit the United States.

Secretary Blinken had invited Bilawal to attend a ministerial meeting on food security scheduled for May 19 in New York.

He had also extended an invitation to the foreign minister for the US Global Covid summit the US is set to host on Thursday. The official said the foreign minister is expected to address the global Covid summit virtually and attend the separate ministerial meeting on food security in New York.

Earlier, Secretary Blinken had spoken to Bilawal over the phone for nearly an hour and expressed the desire for deepening cooperation with Pakistan. Bilawal had too sought to improve ties with Washington based on equality and mutual respect. News Desk

Article 63-A: CJP says country needs stable govt to progress

PTI moves Supreme Judicial Council against CEC Raja ISLAMABAD iNp

‘Lies and propaganda’: US again denies claim it wanted Khan ousted WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD staff report

The United States has denied for a third time — albeit in stronger words — the claim from former prime minister Imran Khan that the administration of President Joe Biden was behind his ouster from office, dismissing the charge as “propaganda and lies”. Pakistan has rapidly lurched into disarray after Khan became the country’s first prime minister to be removed from power in a parliamentary vote of no confidence on April 10.

Since his removal, Khan has suggested in packed to the rafters rallies that he was the victim of a US-led conspiracy, referring to communications from thenambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, who had reported threats by Washington over what the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman said was his “independent” foreign policy. He had said that he visited Moscow in February against American advice but Washington denied the charge. Khan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, the day Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine. Diplomatic sources in Islamabad suggest Kremlin had not forewarned Islamabad about its plan to invade Ukraine. While the United States has dismissed the accusations, they have put a renewed strain on Islamabad’s long-troubled relationship with Washington. But today, when a journalist asked Ned Price if he thought Khan’s “anti-American campaign” succeeded in “creating fractures among the structure” of the diplomatic relations, the State Department spokesperson said: “We are not going to let propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation — lies — get in the way of any bilateral relationship we have, including with the bilateral relationship we have with Pakistan, one we value.” The State Department, as well as the Pentagon, have rejected the accusations before too, insisting there is no veracity to them.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) announced it has decided to file a reference against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The announcement was made by party’s senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry who said that Pakistan’s “biggest political party had lost trust in him [CEC]”.

Chaudhry, who was speaking to the media outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) alongside party colleague Faisal Vawda, said the “biggest reason behind the political crisis that Pakistan is facing today is the election commission being non-functional as an institution”.

Without naming any institution, he added that it was institutions’ job to “maintain a balance in the country […] and they fail to do so because appointments in them are not based on merit”.

Coming back to the CEC, Chaudhry said former prime minister Imran Khan had suggested that the “CEC may take up a position in the PML-N”, implying that Raja had been biased against the PTI

and favoured the ruling party.

“When the country’s biggest leadership, the biggest party loses trust in you, the respectable conduct is to resign, acknowledging that […] you cannot continue working if the leadership does not trust you and suggesting that a new person is appointed in your place. But unfortunately, what happened was contrary to this,” he said.

“And this incomplete election commission, which lacks members from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and as result, is not representing around 70 per cent population of Pakistan, is being a party against the country’s biggest political leadership.”

In such a scenario, Chaudhry continued, the way forward for the PTI was to continue its political struggle alongside starting a “legal struggle”.

Therefore, he said, the party planned to file a reference against the CEC in the Supreme Judicial Council. “Because no CEC would run his office the way [this] CEC ran his office.”

Moreover, Vawda, “who himself has been a victim of the ECP’s cruelty”, had decided to file a reference against the electoral watchdog’s member from Sindh, Nisar Ahmed Durrani.

IHC asks parliament to review social media rules NeWS DeSk The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed the National Assembly speaker to form a committee to review the social media rules prepared by the previous government.

Hearing a petition challenging the social media rules prepared by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked: “The government has now changed and those who were in the opposition previously and were opposed to these rules, are now in power.”

“Will it not be better for the government to consult with the stakeholders and settle the

issue?” he inquired, adding that this court would always prefer the correction of laws to be done by those who are in government.

He stated: “The court has daily been observing what is constantly being done to freedom of expression here [in this country]. The rules must clarify everything without leaving anything open-ended so that they may not be misused tomorrow.”

The CJ further directed the government to correct the rules as they had been saying when they were in the opposition.

The court said that the parliament should look into the matter, and that it will look at the report once it comes.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said on Wednesday that Pakistan needs a stable government so that it could progress.

The remark came during the hearing of a presidential reference on Article 63-A of the Constitution, which was later adjourned till Monday.

A larger bench of the apex court, comprising the CJP, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, was hearing the reference.

At the outset of the hearing, PML-Q’s lawyer Azhar Siddiq resumed his arguments. He maintained that the purpose of Article 63-A is to restrict the members of political parties from defecting and that a constitutional amendment was also made in this regard.

Siddiq contended that dissidents of PTI had violated the party policy on April 16 by voting for Hamza Shehbaz in the election of Punjab chief minister.

Meanwhile, Justice Alam remarked that some of the PML-Q members are on one side, while some are on the other and the party head is silent.

“Don’t know which side are the members of a party from Balochistan on,” he added.

The judge said that the apex court will look into the case of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s declaration when it receives it.

Meanwhile, CJP Bandial remarked that everything would have been revealed had the National Assembly debated on it, but no debate was held after the leave was granted.

“Someone would have asked the reason behind bringing the no-confidence motion if there had been a debate,” the top judge remarked.

Siddiq maintained that the matter of defection is lingering since 1960.

At this, CJP Bandial rebuked him, saying that this is not the case as Article 63-A was incorporated in the Constitution through a democratic amendment.

“The court believes that defection is a serious mistake but disqualifying someone for life is a very strict punishment,” the chief justice remarked, adding that the SC has set some conditions for disqualification for life.

CJP Bandial observed that it is a very important and complicated case. “A line has to be drawn somewhere on the matter of defection,” he remarked. He asked if Article 63-A can be interpreted in a way that it brings political and legal stability. “Or the party chairman should be allowed to decide whether to punish (over defection) under the interpretation of Article 63-A.” News Desk

Vawda files complaint against ECP member NeWS DeSk Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda, who was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a dual nationality case earlier this year, has submitted a complaint at the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), seeking the disqualification of ECP Sindh Member Nisar Durrani, a news outlet reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, in his complaint, Vawda alleged that the respondent was “simultaneously holding two offices [ECP member and post of Sindh Medical

College’s principle] of profit in absolute violation of Article 216 of the Constitution”.

“He did not act expeditiously and effectively observed his oath rather he acted in contradictory to his legal and constitutional duties,” according to the complaint that sought disqualification of Durrani to save the “prestigious” institution from “contempt”.

“That it is abundantly clear that the respondent has ceased of the mandatory requirements and prerequisites for being the member of the Election Commission of Pakistan, and he is neither honest, just nor fair, hence he cannot be allowed to remain in the

incumbent office to save such a prestigious position from further humiliation and contempt,” the plea further maintained.

The PTI leader added that Durrani continuing as an ECP official meant “nothing but the contempt and disrespect of the wisdom of the people of Pakistan”.

“The respondent’s integrity, impartiality and honesty has been…compromised. In the circumstances, it would be absolutely fair to restrain the respondent from performing his duties as the member [of] ECP, to save the nation from the respondent who…instead of performing his duty…is hell-bent to defeat

the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

“That it is most respectfully submitted that the appointment of the respondent in the incumbent office of ‘Member Election Commission’ has been held synonym to recklessness and his behavior and conduct are extremely alarming, disturbing and worrisome and require an immediate and effective interference of this worthy commission,” the complaint went on to add.

Vawda also accused Durrani of “complete violations of the rules and regulations, while favoring his own interest” as he sought his disqualification for “being in-

competent, naïve, disrespectful to law and unable to perform his lawful duties and to encourage lawlessness”. “…the respondent by virtue of his office can deter the fate of the hundreds of inquiries, investigations, or litigations. Hence any person with such a poor, dubious and murky track record can never be trusted and it will not be out of place to expect that the above-said findings…are only the tip of the iceberg,” the complaint added.

Vawda stated that the purpose of the complaint against Durrani was “to uphold the Constitution and ensure the rule of law”.

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