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Thursday, 2 May, 2022 I 2 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 333 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Pakistan, turkey vow to take ties to new heights g

shEhbaz says both nations natural alliEs, stood tEsting timEs

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Erdogan rEsolvEs to takE mutual tradE to $5 billion annually

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rimE minister muhammad shehbaz sharif and President of turkey recep tayyip Erdogan Wednesday renewed their pledge to upgrade the excellent bilateral ties between the two brotherly countries to new heights by infusing new vigour of bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. addressing a joint press briefing after holding a meeting, Prime minister shehbaz sharif said that the relationship between the two countries was embedded deep into history and shaped by shared goals. these ties transcended times and continued from generations to generations, he added. both leaders also agreed to holding of 7th high-level strategic Cooperation Council (hlsCC), a primary platform at the leadership-level, in islamabad this year during the month of september. he said this year, the two countries were celebrating 75th year anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. the prime minister while terming his meeting with president Erdogan very productive, expressed the hope that under the dynamic leadership of the president, the bilateral ties would scale to new heights. he said that they had heart to heart and very productive discussions. the prime minister said the two countries were engaged at the high level which was instrumental in exploring and building their shared goals. he said they were looking towards holding of 7th high-level strategic Cooperation Council (hlsCC), a primary platform at the leadership-level, in islamabad this year during the month of september, very productive. the prime minister said the visit of turkish strong business delegation to Pakistan would further provide impetus to the trade and investment cooperation and resolved to make the visit very solid and result oriented. he said turkey had made exponential progress in the field of hydropower gen-

eration and renewable energy and Pakistan was keen for its support and cooperation in terms of profitable investment by the turkish companies which would provide low cost energy to Pakistan, thus proving to be ‘a win-win situation.

Citing the launch of milgEm-class ship Pns badar in karachi on may 20, jointly constructed by Pakistan and turkey, the prime minister said it was ‘a shining example of the excellent cooperation’ between the two countries in defence sector. he said Pakistan and turkey would be exploring further joint ventures in the defence sector. he said both brotherly countries were natural partners as the two nations had stood with each other in time of need and over core interests.

Prime minister sharif said the people of Pakistan deeply appreciated the turkish leadership’s steadfast support over the kashmir issue. lauding the unflinching support of turkey, he said that kashmiris have been struggling for their legitimate right and had

been subjected to indian atrocities for over seven decades. the prime minister also cited indian government’s attempts at demographic changes in iioJk. he reiterated that Pakistan would not abandon its quest for peace but it was convinced that peace in south asia was possible if the long standing issue of kashmir was resolved under the unsC resolutions and in line with the wishes of the kashmiri people. the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to turkey over northern Cyprus and resolved that Pakistan stood with turkey in its fight against terrorism and terrorist groups like Pkk. “Enemies of turkey are the enemies of Pakistan,” he said. the prime minister said both countries had worked for decade for their shared goals of a peaceful and stable afghanistan. the countries had hosted the largest refugees in the world with their scarce resources. he said the warm bonds between the two countries had been close to their hearts, as these went beyond the con-

‘My hands were tied as prime minister’, admits Imran Khan ISLAMABAD agencieS

Pti Chairman imran khan on Wednesday admitted he did not enjoy absolute power and his hands were tied as prime minister, indicating that the actual centres of power in the country lay elsewhere and “everyone knows where that is.” in an interview with anchorperson sami ibrahim for bol news programme tajzia, imran khan was asked to recall the events of the night of the no-confidence vote against him, who was issuing orders and who had impeded the cases against the PPP and Pml-n leaders. imran said his government was “weak” when it assumed power and had to seek support from its coalition partners, adding that if the same situation were to arise again, he would opt for reelections and seek a majority government or none at all. “my hands were tied. We were blackmailed from everywhere. Power wasn’t with us. Everyone knows where the power lies in Pakistan so we had to rely on them,” he said without elaborating any further who he was referring to.

“We relied on them all the time. they did a lot of good things too but they didn’t do many things that should’ve been done. they have the

ventional ties and diplomatic niceties. the bond of friendship was rooted deeply in history and intertwined in the very fabric of their respective society.

President of turkey recep tayyip Erdogan, in his remarks, said during their meeting, they had discussed the regional and international issues in detail. they also reaffirmed to enhance the scope of bilateral ties, he said, adding the high level meeting would be held in islamabad in september which would further provide opportunity to the both countries to further foster their brotherly ties.

President Erdogan resolved that the close friendship and cooperation between the two countries would be further strengthened. he said that the two countries were also moving on with the defence cooperation projects and cited construction of ships.

President Erdogan said the mutual trade between the two countries had also soared to over $1 billion and they were resolved to take it to $5 billion annually.

ISLAMABAD

army and a strong government. the Pti chief said the current political situation was a problem for the country as well as the establishment. “if the establishment doesn’t make the right decisions then i can assure in writing that [before everyone else] they and the army will be destroyed because what will become of the country if it goes bankrupt,” he said.

“Pakistan is going towards a default. if that happens then which institution will be [worst] hit? the army. after it is hit, what concession will be taken from us? denuclearisation.”

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sana vows to block ‘rioters’ from entering islamabad ‘at all costs’ Staff RepoRt

power because they control institutions such as nab (national accountability bureau), which wasn’t in our control.” he claimed that while his government had the responsibility, it did not have all the power and authority. “no management works if i have responsibility but have no complete power and authority. a system works only when responsibility and authority are in one place.” imran said it was imperative for the country to have a “strong army” due to the threat posed by the enemies but said there was also the need to strike a “balance” between having a strong

he said tourism, education, logistic and civil aviation were the some other sectors in which they had been working to enhance cooperation. the president underlined the need for the business companies of the both countries to increase the mutual investment as it was a driving engine for their economies. he assured to encourage turkish companies to increase their invest in Pakistan.

Earlier, the two leaders also witnessed the signing of various agreements and mous for enhanced cooperation in diverse areas of mutual interests.

Earlier, President of turkey recep tayyip Erdogan Wednesday warmly received Prime minister shehbaz sharif upon his arrival at the Presidential Complex. the prime minister arrived at the Presidential Complex to meet the turkish president. on the occasion, national anthems of the both countries were played and the prime minister inspected the guard of honour along with President Erdogan. later, both the leaders were introduced to the delegations of the two countries.

PM LAYS WREATH AT ATATÜRK’s MAUSOLEUM: Pm shehbaz sharif Wednesday visited the mausoleum of first president and founding father of the republic of turkey mustafa kemal ataturk and laid a wreath there. the Pm, who is on a three-day official visit here, also observed a minute of silence to pay respect to the great turkish leader. accompanied by a highlevel delegation, shehbaz sharif arrived here tuesday with a hectic agenda including his interaction with turkish President recep tayyip Erdogan, businessmen and investors.

PREVIOUS GOVT RUINED PROJECTS: Pm shehbaz sharif Wednesday said that out of political animosity, the previous government ruined all the projects initiated by the preceding governments. the prime minister, in separate meetings with turkish investors, during his three-day official visit here, said that unfortunately, a conspiracy was hatched to discourage the investment in Pakistan. however, he said that his government’s priority was to facilitate all the investors by addressing their issues.

Federal minister for interior rana sanaullah khan on Wednesday said that the country could not be left at the mercy of “riotous groups and mischievous elements” without naming any political party. “any riots and chaos would not be allowed to take place in the capital under any circumstances,” he said while chairing a meeting with regards to enhancing the operational capacity of islamabad Police and Frontier Constabulary in islamabad. “riot march and evil elements would be dealt as per law,” the interior minister warned, in an apparent reference to Pakistan tehreek-einsaf ’s (Pti) upcoming but not finalised long march to islamabad. he added that the federal cabinet strongly condemned the rioters’ violent attacks at police, rangers and FC personnel. sanaullah said that the cabinet paid rich tributes to the police, rangers and FC personnel for handling riots in a professional manner and for ensuring law and order.

the minister said it was decided to provide more financial, technical resources and legal support to islamabad Police and FC for maintaining law and order, he was quoted as saying in a statement. rana sanaullah, on the occasion, announced that salaries, allowances and ‘shuhada Package’ of islamabad Police and FC would be made at par with Punjab and khyberPakhtunkhwa (k-P) Police in next financial year. interior secretary yousuf naseem khokhar and Commandant FC salahuddin mehsud, ig Police islamabad dr akbar nasir, Chief Commissioner islamabad amir ahmad ali and other senior officials also attended the meeting. it was also decided to pay rs1 billion arrears of shuhada Package to islamabad Police immediately and to provide necessary anti-riot training to FC for being used as anti-riot force. the meeting also decided to ensure 100 per cent coverage of all security cameras installed under safe City Project for maintaining law and order and eliminate street crimes.

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Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

IHC SAyS eleCTIon lAw AmendmenTS don’T dePRIve exPATS of voTInG RIGHTS IsLaMaBaD

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Staff RePoRt

SLAMABAD High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that in the hindsight, the amendments introduced by Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) to a law ensuring voting rights to Pakistan nationals living abroad were not in line with a Supreme Court decision.

He was hearing a petition challenging the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 passed on May 26 and reversed the law which allowed electronic vote counting and enabled Pakistan nationals living abroad to cast their ballot online.

The laws were introduced in November last year with the intent to ensure transparency in elections. Pakistan has a history of parties alleging vote-rigging after every election. But furious opposition at the time, now in the government, claimed it was pushed through to rig the next election.

“I believe that this is the blackest day of

our parliamentary history. We condemn it,” then-National Assembly opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, now prime minister, said.

Justice Minallah, while observing that the amendments were not aimed at depriving overseas Pakistanis of their voting rights, asked the lawyers to present more arguments regarding the maintainability of the petition.

The judge adjourned the case until June 3.

During the hearing, Justice Minallah remarked5 the amendments, both new and the earlier, to the law were the same in nature. The only difference is that more explanation has been given in the new amendments, the judge said, adding that both the amendments were not seeking to eliminate the voting right of the Pakistani diaspora.

Barrister Arif Chaudhry told the court this thing had been going on for the last 30 years and no one could deny right to vote to overseas Pakistanis.

The judge asked the lawyer to at least inform the court in which constituencies, the overseas Pakistani would cast their votes.

Punjab gets new advocate general LahOre Staff RePoRt

Governor Balig ur-Rehman on Wednesday appointed Mian Shahzad Shaukat as the new advocate general of Punjab. A notification to this effect was also issued by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department.

Shaukat’s predecessor Ahmad Awais tendered his resignation on Monday after the president approved the appointment of Balighur Rehman as the new governor of Punjab. Awais had previously refused to quit the office and also approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the provincial government for stopping him from working. Following the swearing-in of Hamza Shehbaz as chief minister on April 30, the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department had prevented Awais from appearing in cases on behalf of the provincial government. Awais entered the office in October 2018 and quit on April 11, 2019, only to return for a second time on July 29, 2020.

Pakistan can generate $5bn by establishing technology parks, says Chairman STZA staff rePOrt Chairman Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) Amer Hashmi on Wednesday said that the country can generate about $5 billion in revenue by establishment of 60 technology parks in one year. In a media briefing, Chairman STZA said that work had been started to establish five technology zones in different cities including Islamabad, Lahore and Haripur to facilitate IT companies. The state land that was not in any use for the last many years had been given to the companies on lease to encourage promotion of knowledge economy in the country, he added. He also said the Special Technology Zones Authority came into existence in October 2021 under the Act of Parliament and was being operated under the Cabinet Division. It was highlighted that the concept of combined efforts and cooperation for promotion of Research and Development (R&D), between academia, government and the industry started from 1950s, at Stanford Research Park, California, USA. Later the concept was followed with the development of Tsukuba Science City (Japan), Zhongguancun Park, Beijing, China, Daedeok Technopolis, Daejeong, South Korea etc.

The success of this concept triggered countries across the globe to initiate special legislations and regimes to enable and protect the growth of knowledge and innovation ecosystem and follow the path of wealth creation through knowledgedriven solutions and services.

Rasheed granted bail in two cases ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has been granted bail in two cases pertaining to vandalizing during the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf’s (PTI) May 25 long march. The local court took up the bail plea of Sheikh Rasheed in two cases pertaining to vandalizing during PTI’s long march.

Sessions Judge Kamran Basharat Mufti granted bail to the former federal minister against surety bond of Rs 5,000 each. The court also summoned the police for June 13 along with the record. INP

The lawyer said that all institutions came to the Supreme Court and assured it of their willingness to work on it. After their (institutions) assurance, the apex court ordered them to act upon it.

The lawyer said the amendments which were incorporated during the previous government, they were completely fulfilling the SC order.

The court inquired how many Pakistanis were residing abroad. The lawyer replied that 0.9 million Pakistanis were living abroad.

The court further asked about the method of vote casting in America. The petitioner who lives in America and is a resident of Mansehra said that he did not know yet.

The chief justice, however, observed that apparently it looked like the amendments made to the law by the previous government was not in conjunction with the SC decision.

But the new amendments do not seem to be abolishing the voting right of the overseas Pakistanis, the judge remarked.

SC asks ISI, IB to submit report on D-Chowk violence News Desk The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ordered director-generals of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), IG Islamabad, interior secretary and others to submit their reports over the alleged involvement of PTI leaders in instigating party workers to reach Islamabad’s D-Chowk in violation of SC’s May 25 order.

“The AGP claims that the PTI workers and supporters moved forward to the D-Chowk area in response to the call made by their leader.

Notwithstanding the said request by the AGP, we exercise restraint for the time being for a number of reasons. Firstly, Mr Imran Khan has called off the rally/public meeting. That gives a recess to the charged mob witnessed last night,” the written order issued by majority members of larger bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial stated.

It said that prudence advises that time be given for sanity to prevail among the stakeholders. “In any event,

facts and materials need to be collected to establish the sequence of events, the identity of the perpetrators and of the instigators, if any. At this stage therefore it is directed that the IGP ICT, the Chief Commissioner ICT, the Secretary Ministry of Interior, the Director General Intelligence Bureau, and the Director General ISI shall file reports answering the questions,” the order said.

The order asked the executive authorities to apprise as at what time did Imran Khan make the announcement for party workers to reach D-Chowk.

“When, where and how did the crowd cross the barricade to enter a hitherto closed area. Was the crowd entering the Red Zone organised or supervised or did it move randomly? Were there any acts of provocation or breach of assurance by the government? Was any action or treatment meted out by the ICT police against the protesters disproportionate to the actual or perceived wrong committed by the protesters,” the court questioned.

The court also asked how many protesters managed to enter the Red Zone. “Which security arrangements,

Pervaiz Elahi elaborates Punjab MPAs’ action plan against police torture

Govt likely to reduce advance income tax on telecom users shahzaD Paracha

News Desk Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has elaborated the action plan of the members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) against police torture, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Pervaiz Elahi said that the Punjab MPAs will take action against police torture and the inspector general (IG) and chief secretary will be summoned before the privilege committee to penalise them.

He made the statement while talking to a lawyers’ delegation led by Advocate of the Supreme Court Jahangir A Jhoja – the former president of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA).

The senior politician and the delegation members exchanged views on the current political situation of the country and the constitutional crisis in Punjab.

He blamed IG and the chief secretary for playing a major role in targeting and torturing the Punjab MPAs. Pervaiz Elahi added that the European Union (EU) and Commonwealth countries are likely to bring a resolution against the illegal action.

The Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) top leader said that he does not believe in any assurance of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). He added that Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz would face ouster from the office after a noconfidence motion.

He added that they are waiting for the court’s verdict, on the other hand, Hamza

if any, were relaxed by the executive authorities?

Whether any security barrier cordons were broken or breached by protesters? Did any protester/party worker reach the G-9/ H-9 ground? How many civilians were injured, killed, hospitalised or arrested,” the order said.

The order said that the said reports shall be filed within one week for perusal in chambers by the members of this larger bench.

However, one member of the larger bench Justice Afridi dissented from the majority opinion by saying that there is sufficient material available to initiate a contempt proceeding against former prime minister Imran Khan over violation of the May 25 order.

The court also noted that directions to executive authorities in its May 25 order was to protect the constitutional rights of the people of Pakistan as guaranteed in Article 15, which secures the right of free movement, and Article 16, which protects their right of freedom of assembly.

The court also disposed of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association petition in this connection.

Shahbaz is not meeting the 20 turncoats of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who are willing to get party ticket of PML-N. Regarding the political situation in the Centre, Pervaiz Elahi said that both Imran Khan and Maryam Nawaz are demanding fresh elections. He said that the rulers will face severe political outcomes if they choose to arrest Imran Khan. He praised Imran Khan for ending the Islamabad long march to avoid bloodshed in the country.

Article continues after this advertisement He said that the political crisis in Punjab will be ended after the ouster of Hamza Shahbaz. Highlighting an illegitimate move, the politician questioned how a National Assembly (NA) speaker can administer the oath to the chief minister which is the jurisdiction of a governor.

The PML-Q leader condemned the police brutality against PTI protestors by resorting to direct firing at them and tear-gassing the marchers which led to three deaths.

The federal government is considering to reduce Advance Income Tax (AIT) on telecom users from 15% to 10%. Sources said that Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail held a meeting with a delegation of the telecom sector comprising of CEOJazz, Aamir Ibrahim, and CEO Telenor Pakistan Irfan Wahab Khan, at Finance Division. In addition the Telecom sector asked the minister to address its issues with regard to advance income tax, imposition of duties on imported phones and review the Cash Margin Requirements (CMR) on mobile phones. The sector asked the government to reduce AIT on telecom users from 15% to 8% as Pakistan is considered one of the highest taxed telecom markets in the world. It is pertinent to note that AIT was reduced from 12.5% to 10% in fiscal year 2020-21, with a commitment to reduce it to 8% vide Finance Act 2021. However, the move was withdrawn merely six months later, without giving due consideration to its long-term ramifications. Through the Finance (Supplementary) Act 2022, the AIT rate has been increased from 10% to 15%. Sources said that the delegation also asked the government to review duties on imported phones. The luxury imported phones such as Samsung, Iphone should have duties but the levy on other mobile phones needs to be reviewed. Similarly, the telecom delegation also asked the finance minister to review the Cash Margin Requirements (CMR) from 100% to 10% in next year budget on import of mobile phones. It is pertinent to mention here that SBP in April this year imposed 100 percent Cash Margin Requirements (CMR) on the import of 177 items with immediate effect in order to curtail the unabated imports bill. A handout issued by Finance ministry states that the telecom delegation briefed the Finance Minister on the contribution of IT sector in the economic development of Pakistan. The Finance Minister acknowledged the role of IT and Telecommunication in overall economic development of the country. Moreover, the Finance Minister assured the delegation of all possible support regarding taxation issues and emphasized to make greater contribution in enhancement of IT and Telecom related exports. The delegation thanked the Finance Minister for support and cooperation.

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Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

CITIZenS queSTIon eCP oveR CHAnGeS In PollInG STATIonS

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News Desk

OCIAL media has been rife with complaints in the last 48 hours that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has changed voter registration data of several citizens without informing them, with most claiming that their polling stations have been moved by the ECP to inconvenient locations much farther than their previous allocations.

These complaints started pouring in after the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf asked citizens to confirm their voter registration information with the ECP by messaging their Identity

will never step back from democratic right: mahmood swat Syed ShahabuddIN

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan on Wednesday said that the “imported” government formed under an external conspiracy, can form committees and file cases against him as much as it wants. “But they will fail to bow us down and we will never step back from our democratic right”, he declared. “A decision to go to the Supreme Court against the “imported” government will be taken in the meeting of the provincial cabinet today (Thursday).” K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was talking to the media after the inauguration of the newly-established Police Command and Control Center at District Police Office in Swat. Mahmood Khan went on to say that being an elected chief minister of the province, it is his responsibility to protect his people. “We are democratic people and abide by the constitution”, he declared and added that PTI workers are real asset to the party and they will again participate in the independence march with the same zeal and zest on the call of their leader. He said that the “imported” government inflicted worst violence on the participants of peaceful long march, adding that free movement is the constitutional right of every citizen. “A decision to go to the Supreme Court against the “imported” government will be taken in the meeting of the provincial cabinet today (Thursday).” The chief minister also handed over cheques of grant-in-aid to different bar associations including Peshawar High Court Bar Association Mingora bench at Commissioner Malakand Office. The chief minister gave Rs5 million cheque to each Tehsil Bar Association Matta, Bahrain, Khwazakhela and Kabal respectively.

mPCl announces huge gas well discovery in north waziristan ahMaD ahMaDaNI Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) has discovered a big gas reservoir of one trillion cubic feet in North Waziristan which will be helpful in saving the country’s foreign remittance of approximately $1.5 billion per annum.

According to sources, this is a big discovery of MPCL and with this discovery the country’s foreign remittance of approximately $1.5 billion per annum will be saved. “This is good news, after a long time, for an energy starved country as it is estimated that this reservoir will produce approximately 15 percent of the total gas production of the country,” said a source privy to the development. He added that the price of this indigenous gas will be around $4 per Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) while the country is already bearing the brunt of $25 per MMBTU Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). According to the MPCL, production of 25 million cubic feet of gas has been started from ST-1 exploration well drilled in Bannu west block, located in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

And, more gas supply from other wells will be 200 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD). Similarly, crude oil production from Bannu west block has also started.

As per MPCL, the said well was spud-in on June 06, 2021 and successfully drilled down to the depth of 4,915 metres.

Card (CNIC) numbers to 8300.

Since then, dozens of Twitter users have posted screenshots of what they say are updates made to their polling stations, which have been changed from the ones allocated during the 2018 general election, and in some cases have been moved quite far away from their areas of residence.

One social media user said his polling station, which was just 700 metres from his house, had been moved six kilometres away.

Another complained that his polling station was now located 20 kilometres away from his area of residence.

Another user said that some voters had

been “thrown as far as few hundred miles”.

Journalists, politicians and citizens expressed concern over these complaints, raising questions about whether it was an attempt at pre-poll rigging to manipulate the elections.

Reacting to the complaints of the citizens, the ECP has denied making any changes to voter registration data, saying “there is no truth in such reports.”

The electoral watchdog said any citizen who was facing an inconvenience must immediately reach out to the ECP with necessary documents for redressal of complaints.

KIA, Samsung exploring more avenues for investment, ministers told IsLaMaBaD Staff RePoRt

South Korea has shown keen interest in investment opportunities in Pakistan, especially in the hydel power generation.

This transpired during a meeting between Minister for Power Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan and Minister of State Hashin Notezai with Korean Ambassador to Pakistan Suh Sangpyo, who called on the ministers on Wednesday.

The ambassador said that Korean companies like KIA and Samsung have made investments in Pakistan and are looking forward to exploring more avenues of cooperation.

Suh Sangpyo lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s commitment towards development projects during his time as chief minister and expressed high hopes that the same will be carried forward now that he is

at the center. Both sides agreed on accelerating the pace of development of hydel power projects by Korean companies.

Such projects will not only improve Pakistan’s energy mix but also help bring the cost of power generation down.

Meanwhile, Khurram Dastgir while addressing the concluding session of a workshop on “the Development of an SDG7 Road Map for Pakistan” said that a mega energy conservation programme would be launched in the country in near future.

He said the programme will be placed soon before the Prime Minister for approval.

The minister said Pakistan has already set up the goal to switch towards sixty percent renewable clean energy by 2030, as imported fuel is not affordable. He said to keep up with the higher consumption of energy, Pakistan will need to invest an aggregate amount of $24.5 billion till 2030, which is equivalent to 0.7 percent annual GDP.

PTI’s foreign funding case hearing adjourned till Thursday News Desk A three member bench of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of foreign funding case of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) till Thursday noon.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) financial expert Najam Shah continued his briefing to the bench and sought adjournment of the foreign funding case.

“You had assured completion of your comparison of the funds,” chief election commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said, adding that the commission was ready to hear arguments of financial expert.

PTI counsel Anwar Mansoor said that questions were being raised over the PTI funds and pleaded deferment of case’s hearing until high court’s verdict.

CEC asked the PTI lawyer how much time PTI’s financial expert required to finish his briefing.

He also held that the election commission and the high court have separate jurisdictions, also adding that this case has already been in pending for several years.

This case was tarnishing the PTI’s image, Anwar Mansoor said adding that after consulting financial expert, he would inform the commission about the requirement of further time to complete the briefing by financial expert. “Only five minutes were required to brief about the record, as the bench was already quite well versed about the record,” CEC said.

“The election commission won’t keep the matter in further pending. An impression created that the matter was deliberately being kept in pending,” CEC observed and directed the counsel to inform the ECP by Thursday that how

much time was required for completion of arguments.

Earlier, PTI’s financial expert Najam Shah told the commission that the scrutiny committee has made an overstatement of 59.7 million in funds.

Article continues after this advertisement Shah said according to scrutiny committee’s 2012-13 report, PTI had received over Rs 1.19 billion funds. While the State Bank pointed out 19 bank accounts of the PTI. The party had eight central audited accounts in 2012-13.

“Do you want to say that the committee was not authorized to write to the state bank,” ECP member Nisar Durrani asked.

Answer Mansoor replied that the scrutiny committee had written letter to State Bank by exercising its authority.

The PTI was not aware about the accounts, added by the central bank in the party’s record, lawyer said.

PTI’s central finance wing was also unaware about the opening of accounts by the individuals, Anwer Mansoor said adding that the collected amounts were not included in PTI’s audit (report). In the audit report there were details of the accounts of the PTI’s central finance wing, he added.

Later, talking to media founder member of PTI, the petitioner Akbar S Babar said PTI had again sought more time as former ruling party wanted to further drag the case.

He said PTI counsel argued that the party was unaware of the opening of the accounts.

Who sent the money in those accounts and what punishment was awarded to them.

He said Imran Khan was hiding in Peshawar after announcing Jihad. Imran wanted to use Pakhtuns to serve his ulterior motives.

NEWS 03 KP govt shifting all economic zones to solar energy Peshawar aPP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC), a subsidiary of the KP government, is going to shift all economic zones to solar energy.

The initiative is the first of its kind and initially, three economic zones would be shifted on solar energy and in the next phase all economic zones would be shifted on solar energy.

The decision is being implemented under the Green Khyber Pakhtunkhwa initiative of the provincial government.

KP-EZDMC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Javed Iqbal Khattak said that under the initiative, about 30 acres land is being allocated in the selected

economic zones on which solar energy generating plants of 10megawatt each would be installed in the selected economic zones.

In future, the capacity of the solar energy plants would be further upgraded to cater the energy demands of the industrial units. He said that KP is the first province, which will launch such a green energy project.

The initiative has been adopted on priority basis and the provincial government is highly serious in its implementation.

In this connection the company has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an international consortium. The project would be operated on public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

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Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

04 NEWS

SecoNd PTI TUrNcoAT IN PA MoveS Sc AgAINST ecP de-NoTIfIcATIoN ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

ISHA Nawaz, a turncoat MP of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Punjab Assembly who voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Hamza Shehbaz during the election for the office of the chief minister, approached the Supreme Court against her de-notification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on charges of floor-crossing.

Nawaz is one of the 25 lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly of PTI who had defected and voted for Shehbaz in the election on April 16. The commission formally de-notified the lawmakers on May 23 under Article 63-A of the Constitution.

Article 63-A provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party, but the government aims to find out whether that also applies before they cast their votes.

It 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 Constitution (amendment) bill”.

Nawaz on Wednesday became the second disqualified MP after Zahra Batool — mother of PTI MP Basit Sultan Bukhari, also a turncoat — to move to the

Supreme Court requesting it to annul the ECP decision, claiming the decision violates the law. “The ECP violated the principles laid down in the decisions of the Supreme Court,” she said, adding the declaration of the party leader was not in accordance with the law.

In its ruling on May 17, the apex court said votes cast against party direction cannot be counted and must be disregarded. It said that, with reference to Parliament, the fundamental rights of political parties superseded the rights of individual lawmakers. “The ECP’s decision did not differentiate between the posts of the party chief and the parliamentary chief,” Nawaz claimed.

“The PTI did not issue show-cause notices as per the law,” she maintained and added that under the law, the issuance

of a show-cause notice was mandatory.

“The [de-notified] PTI MPAs had no instructions from the party chief for casting vote in Punjab Assembly,” she said.

“The person who filed the reference did so because of his defeat,” she added.

With these 25 lawmakers no longer members of the assembly, Shehbaz, who won for the chief minister with the help of the dissident legislators, has lost his razor-thin majority in the Punjab Assembly, raising questions about the status of his government.

Shehbaz got 197 votes in the chief minister’s election but is now left with the support of 172 members in the house. A candidate requires the support of at least 186 lawmakers in the 371-member House to be elected as the chief minister.

Narcotics police seized 3,749 kg drugs; arrested 82 in May ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) said its personnel seized 3,749 kilogrammes of drugs and arrested 82 people in May. The agency said in a statement that 98 counter-narcotics operations were conducted in May in different areas of the country, adding the arrested people included four women and four foreign nationals. According to the ANF, the seized drugs included heroin, hashish, opium, morphine, amphetamine and methamphetamine. It said the cases were registered at respective police stations against the smugglers and their handlers, with further investigations underway.

Chinese companies to continue investment, operations in Pakistan: Zhao Lijian BEIJING app

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Wednesday highly appreciated positive remarks by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on China-Pakistan relations and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

saying that China would continue supporting its companies to invest and operate in Pakistan to realize winwin situation and shared development.

The Chinese side has noted the positive remarks by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on China-Pakistan relations and the CPEC on several occasions. His personal commitment to facilitating Chinese companies invest-

ment and operation in Pakistan has produced noble results. We highly appreciate that, he said during his regular briefing.

Talking to heads of leading Chinese companies and investors recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that Pakistan was keen to learn from China’s experience in reforms, particularly in trade and agriculture.

The PM said that Pakistan was looking towards China to seek support in every walk of life in a bid to ensure sustainable development. He also said the Chinese development was a model to emulate in fields of industry, trade, information technology and agriculture.

Zhao Lijian said that the CPEC, as an important pilot project under Belt and Rod Initiative (BRI), has given a strong boost to Pakistan’s economic growth and livelihood improvement, adding It has delivered positive economic and social effects.

In the meeting, PM Sharif had also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for extending his support to Pakistan in shape of the multi-billion CPEC project, which he said was helping Pakistan to move forward.

The spokesperson said that China was ready to work with Pakistan to act on China-Pakistan leaders consensus, dovetail development strategy, increase experience sharing in state governance, advance high quality CPEC development, deepen cooperation in research areas, industries and agriculture side technologies and livelihood, in order to unleash CPEC’s potential in accelerating growth and improving peoples well being.

“We will continue to support Chinese companies in investing and operating in Pakistan to realize win-win results and shared development,” he concluded.

ISLAMABAD A special C-130 AC carrying humanitarian assistance for people of Ukraine has reached Poland.

The humanitarian assistance has been handed over to Ukrainian Embassy authorities at Poland. The 7.5 ton relief items will be further transported by Ukraine Embassy in Poland in coordination with Govt of Poland.

The next sortie from Pakistan carrying further 7.5 tons relief items will be despatched on June 3rd from Islamabad.

Pakistan has already given 15 ton relief assistance to Ukraine

Game-changing e-ticket regime hit by court ruling The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday declared illegal the issuance of e-tickets to motorists on violation of traffic rules.

The court accepted the petition moved by one Saleem Sheikh against the powers of the Punjab Safe

City Authority (PSCA) to issue the tickets. Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh announced the eight-page written verdict he had reserved on March 28.

The verdict said e-tickets could not be issued prior to the relevant amendments to the Constitution as traffic police were not permitted to issue online tickets in light of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965.

However, the verdict allowed the police to hand viola-

Javed Iqbal’s tenure as chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will come to an end on Thursday (tomorrow) after the expiry of the recently promulgated ordinance that allowed him to hold the office until a new chief is being appointed.

According to details, Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal remained NAB chairman for four years and three months against his official tenure of four years following the passage of the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance that allowed him to occupy the slot until his successor takes charge. However, the ordinance will expire tomorrow, resulting in his removal from the office.

Pakistan vows to continue advancing UN ideals MonitoRing RepoRt

Staff RepoRt

LAHORE

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

ISLAMABAD

Pakistani assistance for Ukraine arrives Poland

Staff RepoRt

Tenure of Javed Iqbal as NAB chairman ends today

tors of traffic rules on spot tickets.

During the proceedings, Akhtar Javed, then-additional advocate general, argued before the court that the PSCA was not issuing e-challan but rather assisting the traffic police in monitoring the violations on roads.

He said the law authorised the traffic police personnel to issue a fine ticket in the name of the vehicle’s owner

On the eve of International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, Pakistan reiterated its commitment to continuing working with the world body for advancing the shared ideals of peace, stability and cooperation, the Foreign Office said. Pakistan joined the international community in celebrating the special day and reaffirmed the commitment to ensuring that peacekeeping remains an effective mechanism for the maintenance of international peace and security under the UN auspices, the ministry said in a statement. “As one of the top troop-contributing countries, Pakistan deeply values the vital role played by ‘blue helmets’ in maintaining security and stability in many conflict-ridden areas around the world,” said a statement. Since 1960, over 200,000 servicemen and women from Pakistan have served with honour and valour on 46 UN Missions on almost all continents of the world, it said. “169 of our bravest peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty for the cause of international peace and security,” said the ministry. The female peacekeepers have been providing assistance in conflict and post-conflict situations, the ministry said, adding that a team of the country’s officers is serving as the first all-female group from Pakistan on a UN peacekeeping mission, deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pakistan’s contribution to peacekeeping on the ground has also been recognized by its sustained engagement in policy development in peacekeeping and peacebuilding, according to the ministry. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 every year.

Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

‘My hands were tied as prime minister’, admits Imran Khan continued from page 01 Imran said that if Pakistan were to lose its nuclear deterrent capability, it would be fragmented into three pieces. “If the right decisions aren’t made at this time then the country is going towards suicide,” he warned.

Prodded further to share his thoughts on the night of the noconfidence vote, Imran declined to go in details and said: “History never forgives anyone. Things come out. If you ask me, I won’t go into details, but when history will be written then it’ll be counted as such a night in which Pakistan and its institutions were damaged a lot.

“Those same institutions weakened Pakistan which give it its foundation and strengthened it.”

Imran said he had “clearly told the neutrals” that the PTI government’s economic performance, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, was nothing short of a “miracle”.

“I told them if you do this and if this conspiracy [to remove my government] is successful then our economy will go down,” he said, adding that he had also sent former finance minister Shaukat Tarin to give a presentation.

He said the country stood on the cusp of a “defining moment”, calling it a “trial for the establishment”. “Everyone knows they’re the powerbrokers, so they’re on trial. This is a trial of the judiciary and the Supreme Court [as well].”

Govt officer sentenced in assets reference news desk An accountability court on Wednesday awarded seven years jail term and 630 million rupees fine to a government official in assets beyond means case.

Accountability Judge Aftab Ahmed Lone handed jail sentence and slapped 650 million rupees fine to Ali Gul Kurd, a serving government officer of Grade-20 and former managing director of Pasni Fish Harbour.

Ali Gul Kurd, in an assets beyond means inquiry found to have billions of rupees properties in his name. “His commercial plazas and other billions of rupees worth properties have been confiscated by the government,” a spokesperson of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has stated. “He has been arrested and sent to jail,” NAB spokesperson said. The NAB executive board had approved filing of corruption reference against Ali Gul Kurd in December 2019, for having assets unmatched to known sources of income.

Innovative Summer Camps with fun-filled activities attract many parents news desk With few days left in the summer vacations to start in all the educational institutions of the federal capital, different institutions have started offering innovative summer camps for keeping the students intact with the learning activities in attractive ways. Different schools have disseminated the information about the summer camp through social media to attract the parents with a variety of fun-filled activities and skills like gymnastics, swimming, creative writing, phonics and comprehension, confidence building exercises, music, sports, puppet play, baking and cooking and water games etc.

These schools are charging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 and more for offering summer camps of 10 to 30 days.

Some parents consider the summer camps as a futile exercise and wastage of time and money however the others consider such activities highly useful for skill development and confidence building in the children.

PaKIStan, turKey vow to taKe tIeS to new heIGhtS h continued from page 01

E said previously as the Punjab chief minister, he had saved $90 million from the contract signed with the Lahore Waste Management Company. In a meeting with the prime minister, a delegation of Turkish firm Siyahkalem, headed by President Cengiz Ozdemir, expressed confidence in the measures taken by his government to encourage foreign investment in Pakistan.

The delegation expressed its keen interest in the projects in the fields of solar, wind, hydel energy as well as housing construction.

A delegation of Arcelic, led by Chief Commercial Officer Can Dincer, also met the prime minister and appreciated his government’s steps to facilitate the foreign investors.

Chief Executive Officer of Zorlu Energy, along with a delegation, called on Shehbaz Sharif and expressed the interest to invest in the energy sector of Pakistan.

It was informed that soon after the incumbent government was formed, the work on the projects had been resumed which was halted due to the previous government’s negligence.

During his meeting with President of Albayrak, Ahmed Albayrak, the prime minister was told that the previous government’s spokesperson had damaged the company’s reputation and was pressured to wind up its operations in Pakistan.

The prime minister assured the delegation to resolve all the issues and invited the company to invest in the country.

Vice President of Turkish firm Hayat Kimya Ali Zaybuk, along with a delegation, also called on the prime minister and conveyed his company’s interest in enhancing the volume of investment in Pakistan.

PAK-TURK TRADE POTENTIAL: Turkish Commerce Minister Dr. Mehmet Mus called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday and exchanged views with him on benefiting from the trade potential existing between the two countries.

The prime minister called the need for strengthening the trade mechanisms between the two countries to expand its scope.

The PM particularly underscored the importance of increasing bilateral trade volume to US$5 billion over the next three years. He also underlined the resolve to fully facilitate Turkish companies in Pakistan to enhance trade.

COORDINATION ON REGIONAL, INT’L MATTERS: PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday highlighted the convergence between the two countries on a range of regional and international issues and stressed the need for continued close coordination.

The prime minister expressed these views in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu, in Ankara.

While receiving the Turkish Foreign Minister, the prime minister noted that the bilateral relations were exceptionally warm as the people of the two countries shared special bonds that dated back centuries.

He recalled the support extended by the two countries to each other in times of need.

PM Shehbaz Sharif deeply lauded the personal contribution of the Turkish Foreign Minister in advancing bilateral relations and for playing an important role in strengthening existing institutional mechanisms of cooperation between the two countries.

In this context, the importance of the 7th session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation

Council (HLSCC) was highlighted and the substantive preparations for it were reviewed.

The prime minister particularly underscored the importance of increasing bilateral trade volume to US$5 billion over the next three years.

He also underlined the resolve to fully facilitate Turkish companies in Pakistan and invited them to invest in diverse sectors including food processing, agriculture, automotives, information technology, hydel, solar, and wind energy.

PM, TURKISH FM MEETING: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed ways to promote bilateral relations between Pakistan and Turkey. The meeting also discussed the promotion of cooperation in different sectors, particularly trade, investment, education, communication PM Sharif said the historical and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkey were witnessing a new dimension leading to the progress of the two nations.

He said Pakistan and Turkey had a similarity of views on international issues and the people of the two countries stood by each other in difficult times.

Shehbaz said Turkey made rapid progress under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, terming it a role model for other nations.

The Turkish foreign minister said Turkey and Pakistan had deep-rooted relations and expressed his government’s desire to strengthen ties in multifarious areas.

PM INVITES TURKISH INVESTORS: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday invited the Turkish investors to explore Pakistan’s diverse sectors, particularly the energy sector, offering immense opportunities and scope for development.

Addressing the Pakistan Turkey Business Council under the DEIK – Foreign Economic Relations Board, he said Pakistan’s energy sector with its vast potential in hydel, thermal, coal, wind, and solar areas could prove ideal for the Turkish investors.

The leading businessmen and investors from Turkey and Pakistan participated in the meeting.

President DEIK Nail Olpak and Chair TurkishPakistan Business Council Ahmet Cengiz Özdemir introduced the participating companies and briefed the prime minister about Turkish investments in Pakistan.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said a number of leading Turkish investors had already made investments in Pakistan, and assured full cooperation by his government to pursue their projects.

He said given the growing energy needs and high global energy prices, Pakistan direly needed improvement in its energy sector and emphasized that the Turkish investment would be a win-win situation. Pakistan could benefit from Turkey’s expertise in building and managing dams for water conservation, he added.

Giving an overview of the economic and investment opportunities in Pakistan, the prime minister highlighted his focus on energy, housing, textiles, infrastructure development, agro-based industry, and oil and gas sectors.

The prime minister said Pakistan and Turkey must engage with renewed resolve and commitment to building upon the solid foundation, and to take the relationship to new heights, particularly in the vital fields of commercial, economic and investment cooperation.

He also emphasized that Turkish textile companies could explore the sector for joint ventures,

Balochistan govt expedites efforts to complete Ziarat highway by June 2023 Balochistan government has expedited its efforts to complete 134-km long QuettaZiarat highway by June 2023 to provide better transportation and communication facilities to the masses.

In the first phase of the project, 64km highway from Khani Baba cross to Ziarat would be completed by the end of this year while the remaining section from Ziarat to Sanjavi will be completed in the next phase of the project.

A high level meeting on the development of Ziarat-Sanjawi Highway was held here under the chairmanship of Provincial Secretary for Communications and Works, Roshan Ali Sheikh.

Additional Secretary Budget/Development Muzammil Hussain, Chief Engineer Design Sajjad Baloch, Technical Advisor Mukhtiar Kakar, Project Director of Ziarat-Sanjawi Highway Ghulam Muhammad Zehri and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

The project director during the briefing said that with the construction of the highway, travel time between Quetta to Loralai would be reduced which would

05

create opportunities for local people and tourists.

The expansion and reconstruction of Ziarat highway would also increase

tourism activities in the area.

On the occasion, Provincial Secretary Communications and Construction Roshan Ali Sheikh said that construction

cmYk

of Quetta-Ziarat-Sanjawi highway will benefit the adjacent areas and will also connect with the national highways.

“Ziarat, which is an important tourist destination, would attract millions of tourists which will boost trade and economic activities,” he added.

He said that the construction of highways would give the area’s agricultural and mineral production access to major markets and would provide employment opportunities to the local people.

The construction of highway would not only pave the way for socio-economic uplift of the area, but also have positive impacts on the economy of entire region, he added.

Provincial Secretary Communications and Construction said that the vision of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Provincial Minister for Communications and Works Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran was to up-grade and expand road infrastructure in Balochistan to bring the province at par with the developed areas of the country. APP

especially for intra-industry trade as well as becoming partners in regional and global value chains. He also invited the Turkish firms relating to the agro-industrial sector and dairy farming, and said ample opportunities existed in those sectors.

The prime minister stressed that Pakistani and Turkish companies could also work together in the oil and gas sector. They could collaborate not only in exploration and production but in building refineries and pipelines, he said.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar, and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present.

PM WANTS TO PROMOTE PAK-TURKISH TRADE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan sincerely wanted to work with Turkish business fraternity to transform brotherhood into promoting bilateral trade, investment and culture.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in a tweet, quoting the PM as saying, “We genuinely and sincerely want to work with Turkish business fraternity to transform our brotherhood into promoting our bilateral trade, investment and culture”.

Prime Minister stated this while addressing Turkish Business Council in Ankara. The minister also shared pictures of the PM’s address in her tweet.

PAKISTAN, TURKEY SIGN AGREEMENTS, MOUS: Pakistan and Turkey on Wednesday signed various bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for enhanced cooperation in diverse areas of mutual interest, including trade, economy, communication, environment and housing.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan witnessed the signing of bilateral agreements and MOUs. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar and Turkish ministers for Trade and Transport signed the documents on behalf of their respective governments.

The bilateral documents signed between the two countries included: a memorandum of understanding between the Turkish Presidency of Strategy and Budget, and Pakistan’s Public Private Partnership Authority. A Framework for Knowledge Sharing Programme between the governments of Turkey and Pakistan.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Highway Engineering between the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Pakistan’s Ministry of Communications.

Similarly, a joint Ministerial Statement on Developing Bilateral Trade and Economic Relations between Turkey and Pakistan. Besides, a Technical Cooperation Protocol was signed between the Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance and Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance.

Moreover, a Cooperation Protocol on Debt Management was signed between the Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance, and Pakistan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs.

While a memorandum of understanding between the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and NAYA Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA) was signed on Cooperation in the field of housing.

06-07 Comments - 2nd June 2022_Layout 1 6/2/2022 12:35 AM Page 1

Thursday, 2 June, 2022

06 COMMENT

Power of the written word

Judiciary and political quagmires Let political issues be settled in Parliament

The pen is mightier than the sword

A

S the Azadi March moved slowly towards Islamabad and there were reports of arrests and impediments in the flow of traffic, the Supreme Court decided to act as an arbitrator. It passed orders to the government not to raid the homes of PtI workers and immediately release the lawyers who had not been arrested on serious charges. the SC bench hoped that the top PtI leadership would also tell the party supporters not to cause damage to public and private properties. the apex court ordered the committee comprising government and PtI nominees to hold a meeting at 10 pm. It was maintained by the government that while it obeyed the court’s orders, the PtI violated these by marching to G-8 and attacking police vehicles while its nominees failed to turn up to attend the bilateral meeting.

Having resigned from the National Assembly in a fit of rage instead of keeping a watch on the government by sitting on the opposition benches, the PtI wants the SC to play the opposition’ role now. PtI leader Fawad Chaudhry has questioned why the Supreme Court was not constituting a commission to probe the “regime change conspiracy” despite President Arif Alvi having already written to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial in this regard. the PtI also wants to challenge the recently passed Elections (Amendment) Act 2022 in court. It wants the apex court to review the appointment of new members of the Election Commission of Pakistan as well as the election of Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab Chief Minister.

Meanwhile PtI chief Imran Khan has urged the SC to appoint a monitoring judge to oversee mega corruption cases of politicians. there is a need on the part of the SC to realise the motives behind the appeals for the judiciary’s intervention In politically sensitive issues that should best be left to Parliament for resolution. A verdict on any politically divisive issue might gratify one side but is liable to be strongly resented by the other. the courts need to realise that they could lose prestige if seen to be partisan.

Dr FariD a Malik

R

ECENtly the Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo motu notice of the mass transfers being carried out in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). An officer of the agency handed over a handwritten note to one of the Judges highlighting details of the clandestine moves of the present rulers to escape conviction. the Judge promptly forwarded the concern of the investigator to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Finally, the court ordered a complete freeze on future postings and transfers within the agency. Earlier the news of the sudden death of Dr Rizwan, who had investigated the money laundering activities of Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz came as a shock.

A simple handwritten note got the job done, ans thus it clearly established the power of the written word. there is a world of difference between the written and the verbal words. What is penned down on paper cannot be ignored as it constitutes a record which can then be used as evidence against executive abuse or foul play.

My late father Nazir Ahmed Malik, the worker of the Pakistan Movement, took documentation and paper work very seriously. Perhaps it was the outcome of the training imparted by the father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the most

Mayhem in Gujranwala The murder shows how far violence has penetrated our society

The crisis is dire Nuzair ahMeD JaMro

I

t is true that trees are a source of life. Not only with regard to natural ecosystems, but also for the survival of human beings. trees create an ecosystem to provide habitat and food for birds and other animals. Moreover, these also provide many benefits to us, every day. they offer cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water, and add grace and beauty to our homes and communities. Photosynthesis is the process through which trees produce their food by absorbing carbon dioxide from the environment and releasing back oxygen in return. this process is an effective way to slow down climate change and fight against global warming.

It is imperative to remember that one large tree can supply a day’s supply of oxygen for four people.

More Forest and focus On Plantation drive in developed countries is the reason for the coldest climate.

Russia has 8,148,895 sq. km, Brazil has 4,925,540 sq. km, Canada has 3,470,224 sq. km and the USA has 3,103,700 sq. km of forest.

Globally, there are estimated to be 3.04 trillion trees. According to a study by the journal Nature, there are roughly 422 trees for every person on earth.

Canada has 318 billion, Brazil has 302 billion, the USA has 228 billion and China has 140 billion trees.

Russia has 642 billion trees. Average July temperatures are between 71°F (22°C) and 77°F (25°C).

Summer is the wettest season of the year in Russia. the temperature remains around 03°C. It is true that global warming and climate change have highlighted the importance of forests in our lives. Pakistan, the world’s fifth most populous country, is one of the most vulnerable to global warming.

According to the Global Forest Watch organization, from 2001 to 2021, Pakistan lost 9.75 kha ercentof tree cover, equivalent to a 1.0 p decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 3.56Mt of CO₂e emissions.

Such figures speak volumes of disaster. Summer temperatures in its southern cities often surpass 120°F. Deforestation is a problem across Pakistan.

Woeful, the poorest fell trees to burn for cooking and to stay warm. the trees will take years to grow but it will take a few seconds to chop them down. In addition, owing to urbanization, the public and the private sector are busy constructing new societies and roads by cutting down more vegetation every day.

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Power of the pen should never be underestimated. It is the written word that can make a real difference. As the English language is widely used for official work, there is a serious communication barrier that needs to be addressed. I remember in the past outside every public office there used to be a person available to write letters or fill forms/complaints.

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

Deforestation hell in Pakistan

t

HE beating to death of a scrap dealer in Gujranwala, on the suspicion that he had stolen the motorcycle he was pushing to a petrol pump after it ran out of petrol, shows the brutality we have descended to as a society. Excuses may be trumped. It was another hot day in a scorcher of a summer, and tempers were already bad. the petrol pump was another reminder of the recent petrol bomb, and everyone’s dire economic situation. In Gujranwala, the citizenry is supposed to resort to fists more than in other cities.

However, nothing can justify the violence that took place, which led to the killing of an individual. this is not the first time that people have taken the law into their own hands. However, in previous incidents, the victim has been accused of blasphemy. However, there have been previous instances of those accused of theft being subjected to crowd violence, though this is the first time an accused has actually been killed. there is no discussion possible of guilt or innocence; no way is theft punishable by death. Only in mediaeval Europe was there a death sentence for theft, and that too for goods above a certain value. It is true that the criminal justice system is problematic, but that has been so since time immemorial.

14 have been arrested, but the police will let them off for a backhander. the problem seems to originate from the promotion and even glorification of violence within society. the Kalashnikov culture of the Afghan jihad? the brutalizing effects of repeated martial laws? the bad behaviour and extreme language of politicians? All of them? the cause is not a matter of concern; stopping it is essential. that can only be done by leaders of society, whether teachers, politicians, prayer leaders, or anyone else, not only setting a personal example but using every possible opportunity to propagate a message of tolerance and obedience to the law. there is no point blaming any individual or organization (what will you do to them? beat them to death?); it is only by having sufficient tolerant people that we can become a tolerant society.

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

brilliant lawyer of his times. Recently I had the chance to glance through the invaluable Jinnah Papers painfully put together by Dr Zawar Hussain Zaidi, the great historian. My old man always made it a point to put all his complaints and concerns in writing. He had a Hermes typewriter that was extensively used by him. this was before the advent of the computer and printers.

When I finished schooling, I was sent to a typing school to develop the skills of putting my thoughts on paper in an organized manner. Since then, there has been no turning back, and it has become a way of life.

During the days of student politics, I always carried the paper and the pen to record and report events as and when they took place which was always a huge advantage over the opposition which was mostly dis-organized or ill-prepared.

After paperwork came ‘ Courage and Stamina ‘ to stand firm and fight it out till the last ball in the words of Imran Khan who is currently leading a great movement. It was an outstanding generation that was born as subjects but had developed the vision of freedom. Imran Khan often talks about his father Ikramullah Niazi another fine individual who had the courage to stand up to the onslaughts of the then Governor Amir Muhammad Khan, finally taking early retirement from government service to start his own engineering consultancy business. Fight back in life always results in unbelievable dividends for which the written word plays an important role.

In my own professional journey, I have always relied on the power of the pen. there are several encounters to mention but a few stand out. In the 1990S my friend and fellow Comrade Pervez Saleh as Chairman Pakistan literacy Commission tasked me

to launch a project of opening Non-Formal Basic Education centres in Punjab. Under the programme about 7000 such home schools were established. teachers were trained and then handed over a set of books, a blackboard and desk to start the crusade of knowledge in their respective neighbourhoods.

As there was no brick or mortar involved the curriculum was the most expensive item for which the implementing NGOs wanted control. A meeting was called by the then Secretary Education in which it was decided that every NGO will have the option of using their own books. When I was informed of this ill-fated decision of the bureaucracy, I decided to write a detailed note about the implications of this approach.

I went with my written concerns and personally handed them over to the know-all Secretary Sahib.

On reading my clearly worded objections the bureaucracy caved in. Bureaucrats by design are very protective of their current and future job prospects.

File and paperwork is their strength. If taken on through the written word they first avoid but then have to respond. the colonists had introduced a very effective Diary System to track all official correspondence which has now been deliberately disrupted.

Power of the pen should never be underestimated. It is the written word that can make a real difference. As the English language is widely used for official work, there is a serious communication barrier that needs to be addressed. I remember in the past outside every public office there used to be a person available to write letters or fill forms/complaints. As official work is conducted on paper its importance cannot be ignored. For meaningful impact the written word is the best way forward to contain all kinds of abuses and foul play.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

the effects of climate change are visible in Islamabad. the city used to be one of the coldest cities but it remained dream these days. Bahawalpur has recorded 45.5°C and has been ranked as the joint tenth hottest place in the world today.

It is no denying the fact that Sindh is not excluded from the effect of deforestation. As of 2019, Sindh had already lost 50 percent of its forest cover.

Even under the billion-tree tsunami project, only 601.96 million trees were planted, which was the lowest compared to other provinces.

Jacobabad, Nawabshah, and Sibi have recorded 47.4°C and are the three Pakistani cities that make up the top three hottest places in the world today.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) officials reported that the maximum temperature was recorded as 49°C in Jacobabad on April 30 this year.

If compared to the last five years, the rain was also recorded lowest in this current year due to deforestation. Deforestation is also the main reason behind less rainfall. Across Pakistan, green areas are being turned into deserts because of the impacts of global warming.

Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman, stated that the 60 percent shortage of water in River Indus is very dangerous. the population of the province, agriculture and livestock are at risk due to the 52 percent to 62 percent shortage in Sindh’s barrages and canals. the UN reported that Pakistan will experience a drought by 2025.

According to Inspector General Forest Syed Nasir Mahmood, if plantation efforts were taken in Karachi on scientific lines as is happening in other countries, Karachi’s temperature could be brought down by at least six to 10 °C. Retrospectively, In Pakistan, April 2022 turned out to be the hottest month in the last 61 years. Both the months of March and April this year remained the warmest months in the history of Pakistan. tree plantation is significant because it is linked to our basic need for good food to eat and clean air to breathe.

Climate action has not historically been a priority for

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

incumbent governments. Climate change is indeed a greater security threat to Pakistan than terrorism because it could affect temperatures, environment, economy and the future policies of the country. to cut to the chase, the reason for no rainfall is deforestation. trees play an important role in climate change. Forests directly cool the planet, like natural evaporative air conditioners. Now is the need to start a campaign for tree plantation.

It is imperative to recognize that Rome was not built in a day. It is necessary that people should grow more and more plants to make the environment friendly for all species. the federal and provincial government should work in tandem to start campaigns for growing hand planted forests and cutting of forests must be banned or buttings must be replaced by young trees. Media is the fourth pillar of the state; it must be used to bring awareness among citizens to initiate a plantation drive.

Besides this, radio is most listened to in rural areas; it must be used so that the plantation awareness message may be heard in every corner of rural areas in order to mitigate the scorching heat. the situation facing Pakistan calls for extraordinary measures.

Climate experts should urge the current government to continue the previous government’s ten Billion tree tsunami program (tBttP). Pakistan is emitting planet-warming 480 million tons of carbon annually, but such a programme would enhance the capacity of the forest cover to the extent where it will be able to absorb 500 million tons of carbon from the air, more than the total emission of the country.

As citizens, it’s our responsibility to implement actions that can make the planet a better place to live in. the implementation of environmental laws to make sure of an end to deforestation and maximum plantation in this regard is necessary for the State.

As citizens, it’s our responsibility to implement actions that can make the planet a better place to live in. The implementation of environmental laws to make sure of an end to deforestation and maximum plantation in this regard is necessary for the State.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is a civil servant presently posted in Shikarpur, Sindh. The can be reached at najamro@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 2nd June 2022_Layout 1 6/2/2022 12:35 AM Page 2

Thursday, 2 June, 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

A citizen’s appeal GIvEN the deeply divisive and polarised political environment, charged with hatred and hostility, I along with many other citizens of Pakistan, feel deeply appalled at the degradation of our political atmosphere.

I appeal to all the political parties and the people of every political persuasion to pause for a moment and to take a step back to reflect on their behaviours. With anger, allegations and animosity, we can neither reach a desirable destination nor build a great nation. In fact, we will end up destroying the only home that we have. I am convinced that we can all work together to restore peace and goodwill in society. We all must come together for the progress and prosperity of our country. Incessant disagreements and breaking away from one another can only lead to irreparable fragmentation. thus, this is an appeal for peace, sanity and dialogue because it is the only path that can heal and lead Pakistan towards progress and prosperity.

NAEEM SADIQ KARACHI

SOP for guesthouse

Why should the world ensure aid for the Rohingya?

A catastrophe looms

ParveJ SiDDique BhuiyaN

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HIlE the Covid-19 epidemic, Myanmar’s military coup in February, the Afghan refugee crisis, and now the Ukraine situation have all cast a pall over Bangladesh’s Rohingya minority refugees, the community remains in limbo. the funding for the Rohingya is running out, Bangladesh is being made to bear the burden of the Rohingya alone. the amount of international aid for the 1.1 million Rohingya who have taken refuge in Bangladesh has been greatly reduced. If this situation continues, the international organizations are fearing that a terrible catastrophe will occur in the future.

According to UNHCR, only 13 percent of the $881 million annual response plan for the Rohingya has been funded as of this month (May 2022) According to the source, $921 million was expected in the outgoing year, but $635 million was received, which is only 69 percent of the demand in 2019. the amount of international aid was further reduced in the next year. that year (2020) the demand has been reported to be $877 million dollars, but it was not ensured. the international community has been warned that the situation could worsen if demand is not met. the cost of supporting the Rohingyas is expected to be $1.21 billion per year, and the cost may rise as their number grows, inflation rises, and international financing declines. the refugees are providing cheap labour and are active in small enterprises in Cox’s Bazar, which is driving wages down and reducing job prospects for locals. the cost of living has gone up for locals.

According to the report, housing the Rohingya for the first five years without repatriation would cost more than $7 billion. Foreign money for the Rohingyas appears to be dwindling, according to analysts, as only 38 percent of the $920 million budget for that year was committed. (2021) “Bangladesh’s economy is modest. Despite this, it provided refuge to the Rohingyas. the question is how much longer.”

Only $366 million of the anticipated $1 billion humanitarian assistance fund for the Rohingyas has been disbursed as of July 2021. the payout has dropped to 34 percent, down from 72 to 75 percent of the total required funds in the first three years of the Rohingya influx in 2017. this drop in international donations begs the question, “Has the world forgotten about the Rohingyas? We can bear the strain.”

Funding for Rohingyas from the international community is decreasing day by day. the Afghan refugee crisis and now Ukraine crisis have worsened the situation. But the interna-

tional community must remember that Rohingyas are also refugees and they are still in Bangladesh. this problem is also an international humanitarian problem such as the Afghan and Ukraine crises.

Any long-term solution must take the local and national context into account. However, until then, the flow of humanitarian aid must be ensured since they must meet their fundamental necessities.

While focusing on the “catastrophic disaster” in Ukraine, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, recently stated even during a visit to Bangladesh that they must not forget about other challenging situations around the world, such as the Rohingya crisis, which require attention and resources. the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), a coordinating body of international organizations, is working for the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar. According to their data, international aid to the Rohingya was rapidly declining. Promised funds are not available.

In 2019, only 69 percent of the demand was met. As a result, the Rohingya who have taken refuge in Bangladesh have had to cut back on many planned expenses.

Many projects taken to improve the living standards of the locals could not be implemented. $635 million was received last year, which was about tk 540 crore in Bangladeshi currency. the lion’s share of this money was spent on food for the Rohingya. they were able to meet 75 percent of the demand for food, 66 percent for education, 36 percent for health and only 35 per cent for nutrition.

We are concerned as human beings about the declining international aid to the Rohingya. thus, if the promised funds are reduced every year, there will be a catastrophe in the future. this could lead to clashes between the Rohingya and the locals. Bangladesh has already warned the international community about this. the Rohingya who have taken refuge in Bangladesh will be repatriated as soon as possible. long-term uncertainty about repatriation may encourage Rohingya refugees to engage in criminal activity. they (Rohingya) are becoming disgruntled as a result of the prolonged ambiguity surrounding their repatriation, which poses a risk because it tempts many of them to engage in criminal activities.

When Rohingya discover that there is little support for them, they immediately will devise a plan to make money through human trafficking, prostitution, illegal drug dealing (yaba), confrontations between host communities and refugees, extortion and theft,which are all pos-

sibilities. the entire region might be thrown off balance. It is true that the region may face further destabilization. ‘Necessity knows no law,’ after all.

Although international organizations are concerned about the funding of the Rohingya, they have no concern for the locals. Although 25 percent of the Rohingya fund has been promised for the locals, very little has been spent on them. last year, lPG was provided as an alternative fuel for 165,000 Rohingya families. Only 5000 local families have been given that facility. Despite the massive environmental catastrophe caused by the Rohingya, there is no international assistance to compensate for this loss.

According to the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a Bangladeshi think tank, Bangladesh must spend roughly $1.21 billion each year on Rohingya refugees, a figure that will rise as the population grows, inflation rises, and foreign aid declines. According to the CPD, if repatriation begins, it will take 12 years if 300 Rohingyas are returned daily, assuming current population growth remains unchanged. the CPD estimates that it will cost $7 billion to house and support Rohingya refugees for the first five years without repatriation. A country like Bangladesh, which relies significantly on external debt to finance its budget deficit, will be unable to afford such a massive outlay.

According to the Cox’s Bazar Forest Department, six and a half thousand acres of forest have been occupied for the Rohingyas. the damage to the environment and biodiversity is unimaginable. the nature of the land has changed by cutting down the hills.

Divisional Forest Officer Humayun Kabir said that trees are being cut down every day to collect firewood for Rohingyas. the green nature of the area is lost.

More than 1 million Rohingyas have been living in the area and all activities have been affected. Agricultural land is being destroyed. If it continues like this, this area will be unsuitable for human habitation at some point.

Rohingyas were taking relief materials in the camp. On the other hand, going out of the camp is taking away the labour of the locals. Many Rohingyas are scattered in different places. they are engaged in various professions. If they are not repatriated quickly, the situation will be dire. the locals were unemployed because of the Rohingyas. Although the damage in the area is terrible, there is no international cooperation for the locals. Some organizations are crying out for the host community with nominal help. It is not acceptable in any way.

Rohingyas were taking relief materials in the camp. On the other hand, going out of the camp is taking away the labour of the locals. Many Rohingyas are scattered in different places. They are engaged in various professions. If they are not repatriated quickly, the situation will be dire. The locals were unemployed because of the Rohingyas.

Although the damage in the area is terrible, there is no international cooperation for the locals. Some organizations are crying out for the host community with nominal help. It is not acceptable in any way.

The writer can psbhuiyan92@gmail.co

be

reached

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KEEPING in view the boom in tourism in GB, everyone is bent on constructing or converting houses into guesthouses to extract maximum money from tourists. It’s ironic that district administration failed to come up with workable SOPs for the new emerging setup. Baltistan being a sensitive border area needs special security measures and regulate the guesthouses to keep a record of visitors with complete correct addresses. the construction of guest house in streets not appreciable. It’s disturbing for the residents to carry out their routine work. the complete record should be provided to police station on a monthly basis. the standard and upkeep and corona measures must be ensured. the SOPs are required to be developed in such a manner as not to discourage visitors and our traditional norms and moral standards should never be compromised.

SHAKIR H SHAMIM SKARDU

Global climate change ClIMAtE change has been a burning and ignored issue. As the world is pulling harder in the means of Information technology on other hand we are losing nature and this globe is getting unusual day by day. there are countless means that are disturbing the climate and due to that life on earth is striving hard to strive.

Japan, Philippines, Germany, Madagascar, India, Srilanka and Kenya are the most affected countries in the world by climate change respectively.

With reference to the recent German report on the long-term global climate risk index presented, Pakistan stands at the 8th position of the most affected countries of the world by climate change but this time Pakistan has also suffered much and for the first time in Pakistan, 50+ temperature has been recorded that is quite threatening. Jacobabad (a city in Sindh) has remained the hottest city in the world this time. the major factors that affect the climate are industries, transportation and deforestation. Since the industrial revolution, human beings by their industrial activities have produced carbon dioxide in larger amounts. there is a large number of industries, especially in Pakistan but there aren’t the proper means of dealing with the carbon dioxide and it affects the ozone layer due to the temperature rises up. Carbon dioxide would have been absorbed by plants and trees and oxygen is produced but due to deforestation at a larger scale, this cycle has been affected carbon dioxide isn’t absorbed and less oxygen is being produced that’s quit alarming for the globe. the world needs to take this matter seriously and must take an active part in the mission against climate change by planting more and more trees.

GHULAM MURTAZA KARACHI

Independent SBP WHy it is important to make the State Bank of Pakistan independent from the perspective of investors? Investors want long term policies that they can easily follow and understand. they want easy exit options and security of their investment. In Pakistan the politicians in power at any time will impose their own individual skills and understanding on financial policies and budgets that every business and investor have to follow. And with politicians in these positions changing every 3-4 years mean that these policies also change quickly and are short term. While in USA the Reserve Bank of America, an independent organization dictates financial policies based on its organisation’s skills and experience. While the politicians have to follow these policies while conducting their own business of running the government. this way the USA has a long term financial policy that is easy to understand, which investors love. But in Pakistan we see regular flight of investment after every 3-4 years. therefore to ensure financial stability in Pakistan it is important to make the State Bank of Pakistan an independent organisation with systems and procedures to form long term policies through experts for Pakistan.

SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER P ENGR PESHAWAR

Populist Trajectory tHE Election Commission of Pakistan is succumbing to popular mode. taking notice and opening courts at late night to release Shireen Mazari, de-seating those who voted against partly line in the No-confidence move and constantly restraining the government not to take action against agitating PtI leaders are a few examples of the populist trajectory.

Protection of the rights of the citizen and upholding the Constitution are basic responsibilities of the state and the PtI has the right to peaceful protest. But putting pressure on the very nascent collation government within days and months of its formation by PtI is unjustified. What about the rights of faceless millions whose rights are trampled on a daily basis?

Why are apex courts not ensuring the right to education (Article 25-A), right to education, right to safe drinking water, right to health etc? Furthermore, by protecting the rights of a few privileged PtI ilk, the rights of the poorest millions are endangered. Inflation and unemployment have been aggravated during PtI tenure which has broken the back of the lower class.

GULSHER PANHWER JOHI

08 WORLD VIEW 2nd June 22_Layout 1 6/1/2022 10:13 PM Page 1

Thursday, 2 June, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

The SyrIa-ISraelI peaCe deal ThaT almoST WaS SYRIAN LEADER BASHAR ASSAD HAD ALMOST AGREED TO A U.S.-BROKERED PEACE ACCORD WITH ISRAEL

Christian sCienCe Monitor Nicholas BlaNforD

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N the spring of 2011, secret U.s.-brokered negotiations between Israel and syria brought the two enemies tantalizingly close to the edge of peace, an outcome that could have led to a broader Arab-Israeli settlement and reshaped the political contours of the Middle east.

Instead, the effort ended abruptly when antiregime demonstrations broke out in southern syria in March 2011. President Bashar Assad chose to respond with brute force, setting in motion a chain of events that led to a bloody and ruinous decade of civil war.

The story is told for the first time in “Reaching for the Heights: The Inside story of a secret Attempt to Reach a syrian-Israeli Peace,” a frank and fascinating memoir by Frederic C. Hof, a former state Department diplomat.

Hof has a long association with the Middle east beginning in 1964 when he was a teenage exchange student in Damascus. He was defense attaché at the U.s. embassy in Beirut in the early 1980s and went on to serve in a series of appointments at the Department of state and the Department of Defense. But Hof is probably best known for his encyclopedic knowledge of the borders of the Levant. He wrote in 1985 what is still the best english-language account of the creation in 1920 of the Lebanon-Palestine boundary and its subsequent turbulent history. His later works on the Israel-syria border influenced negotiations between the two countries in the late 1990s. More recently, Hof worked on delineating a maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel.

In April 2009, Hof was tapped by George Mitchell, special envoy to the Middle east peace process, to explore reviving the Israel-syria track.

The last serious effort to forge peace between Israel and syria had foundered in March 2000 with an unsuccessful summit in Geneva between thenPresident Bill Clinton and the syrian leader, Hafez Assad, who died three months later and was succeeded by his son, Bashar. syria’s top demand was the return of the Golan Heights seized

by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel’s primary interest was for syria to drop its alliance with Iran and its

backing of anti-Israeli groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas.

In May 2010, U.s. senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry met with Bashar Assad in Damascus and returned to washington with a document indicating that Assad was open to meeting all Israeli requirements in exchange for a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. Hof met with an initially skeptical Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier, who agreed to a U.s.-drafted “discussion paper” as the basis for a washington-brokered mediation effort.

In the following months, the secret talks made progress as Hof, working closely with Dennis Ross, a senior white House staffer and veteran of the Middle east peace process, shuttled between Damascus and Jerusalem. In February 2011, Hof held a one-on-one meeting with Assad in Damascus, a crucial moment to determine whether the syrian leader would fully agree to Israel’s security requirements. Hof devotes a chapter of the book to the meeting in which he found an “engaged, inquisitive, and businesslike” Assad, who after carefully reading Hof’s document agreed to all its points, including the severance of military ties with Iran and Hezbollah.

Assad assured Hof that Hezbollah “would fall into line” once Israel and syria proclaimed a peace agreement. He also said that peace with Israel was “syria’s business, not Iran’s.”

If Assad’s word could be trusted, it appeared that a peace deal was within reach. At the beginning of March 2011, Hof and his team began working on a discussion paper that could serve as a draft peace treaty and a separate U.s.-Israeli memorandum of understanding.

But developments in syria were about to scuttle the entire process. On March 18, syrian security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators protesting the detention and torture of children who had spray-painted anti-Assad graffiti. even as Hof raced to finish the draft documents, anti-regime protests erupted across syria and were met with violence. As the situation deteriorated in syria, the administration of President Barack Obama began to distance itself from the peace track. Hof does not hide his criticism of what he considered was a “gratuitous lapse in responsible statecraft” by the white House. A direct intercession by Obama with Assad in the very early stages of the uprising may, or may not, have made a difference. But the effort was never made because the administration feared the domestic political fallout of being seen “coddling” Assad. Furthermore, the prevailing view within the administration was that Assad was doomed anyway. The peace effort fizzled out.

Hof concludes with a soul-searching examination about what might have been. If Assad had

shown magnanimity rather than brutality toward the demonstrators, he might have nipped the uprising in the bud, allowing the peace process to continue. Hof also raises important questions about the genuine commitment of the two main protagonists, Assad and Netanyahu. was Assad truly desirous of peace or was he more interested in stringing out a process to buy time with washington? His glib assurances that Hezbollah and Iran would not object to a syria-Israel peace were scarcely credible, as, indeed, Hof notes. six years earlier, Hezbollah operatives had assassinated a former Lebanese prime minister who had threatened to turn the status quo in Lebanon against Iranian, as well as syrian, interests. Perhaps Assad would have met a similar fate if he had embarked on a strategic course that undermined Iran’s regional ambitions.

Also, would Netanyahu have stayed the course in a peace process with syria or would domestic political considerations about returning the Golan Heights have made him balk? After all, last minute cold feet by then Prime Minister ehud Barak in early 2000 had contributed to the failure of the Geneva summit. we will never know the answer to these questions.

Hof and his close colleagues deserve credit for their diligent efforts to forge a lasting peace between Israel and syria, despite Netanyahu’s initial skepticism, the uncertainty over Assad’s authenticity, and what Hof describes as an overstaffed white House that micromanaged the Israel-Palestinian track but showed almost no interest in syria.

The ICC is a tool of the arrogant, imperialist West Middle east Monitor Dr Mustafa B Mheta

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ews that Al Jazeera Media Network has taken the racist, apartheid government of Israel to the International Criminal Court at The Hague for the killing of journalist shireen Abu Akleh is welcome news for all peace and justice loving citizens around the world. The hope will be that Al Jazeera succeeds in its endeavour to seek justice on behalf of shireen and her family.

The submission to the ICC will also include Israel’s bombing of Al Jazeera’s office in the Gaza strip in May last year, as well as its frequent incitement and attacks against the network’s journalists working in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The ICC remains a very divisive topic. It is one of the most prominent failures of the UN since the international organisation was created in the wake of the second world war. One of the reasons for this is simply because it has allowed itself to be used by the arrogant, imperialist west as a tool to punish those — usually in the Global south — who refuse to toe the western line. There is clearly a racist agenda at play. why are those countries which talk a lot about taking other countries or their leaders to the ICC not members of this sadly discredited body? why is it that the ICC is only called upon to clean up when and where the big boys in the western club have messed up?

Let’s consider what is currently going on in Ukraine, for example.

There are calls for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be taken to the ICC and charged for war crimes, barely three months into the war. Yet we have all witnessed what has been going on for years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, syria and Yemen, but everybody has kept quiet. Numerous war crimes have been committed in these countries, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions — the true casualty figure will probably never be known — of people have been killed, yet there has never been any serious calls for the ICC to prosecute those responsible. shamefully, whenever the possibility has arisen of prosecuting western officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity, their governments have openly threatened the ICC prosecutors with sanctions and even arrest. This outrageous attitude has divided the world, but people of conscience can see this for what it

is: a farce. so farcical, in fact, that the arrogant west no longer even tries to disguise its disgraceful double standards and hypocrisy.

Ukraine? The occupation is wrong and must be fought. Palestine? The occupation is a “dispute” about land, and the occupation state of Israel must be supported at all costs.

There is now a growing concern that the ICC, established through the adoption of the Rome statute of 1998, is not only flawed institutionally and irreparably, but has also been politicised. It has thus failed to live up to the hopes and visions of its founding fathers.

The ICC was established after a long process of negotiations inspired by a post-world war Two vision of the need to ensure that the perpetrators of the most egregious crimes known to humanity would not enjoy impunity and immunity.

That they would be brought to trial before an independent, apolitical, international juridical body. Regrettably, and despite the best intentions of its founders, the very independence and impartiality of the court – so central and obvious for any such vital and important body — was flawed from the outset by linking it constitutionally with the UN. The United states has opposed signing and ratifying the Rome statute because if it does so then the ICC will be able to hold Us military and political leaders accountable for their actions according to the global standard of justice. In other words, the Us would not be able to protect its citizens who stand accused of crimes against humanity, such as knowingly killing innocents caught in crossfire, for example.

Yet, the Us still claims that it wants to protect the human rights of people around the world. The contradiction is obvious if the ICC is incapable of putting Us citizens on trial when they are accused of harming those very same people all over the world.

There is another reason why the Us shies away from ratifying the Rome statute and becoming part of the International Criminal Court. washington is scared to let evidence be heard in open court which would allow American citizens hear what has been done to ordinary people the world over by their armed forces and in their name. The leaders in the land of the free and home of the brave can never allow that to happen.

Their notion of freedom doesn’t extend to seeking justice for those whose lives they have cut short in such great numbers with unimaginable brutality.

of lemon, soap, vaseline and eVms SHOULD THE ELECTION COMMISSION TAKE THE CONTROVERSIAL ROUTE OF USING EVMS IN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION? daily star MohaMMaD al-MasuM Molla

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N the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) election earlier this year, most polling centres looked pretty much how they should look. There were voters standing in long queues, waiting for their turn to exercise their voting right. Polling agents, officers and law enforcement officials were seen doing their usual election day duties. However, there was one element at almost every polling centre that was very unusual: hand-washing arrangements. At first glance, you would think they were there as part of the usual Covid safety protocol. But if you waited long enough, you would see people actually washing only their thumbs, used in the electronic voting machine (eVM) for identification.

As it turned out, the eVMs could not read many people’s fingerprints, especially of the elderly voters, and every time that happened, they rubbed petroleum jelly on their thumbs, which were kept at the polling officers’ tables. some also used other remedies such as lotion and slices of lemon.

Fingerprint mismatch on the eVMs was one of the reasons that slowed down vote-casting during the NCC polls; there was a number of cases where people could not even cast their votes as their fingerprints did not match with the machine. In addition, many voters were confused during voting as they were not familiar with the process. some were seen expressing frustration as they waited a long time in the queues to vote. But there was the opposite picture, too: it took a considerably short time for young people to cast their votes.

The NCC election was free, fair and peaceful, except for the eVM trouble. In a city corporation election where only 500,000 voters were supposed to cast their votes, eVMs appeared to be a major problem. I saw how the election officials were struggling to manage the situation.

If eVMs are used in all 300 constituencies of Bangladesh in the upcoming general election, where some 120 million people are supposed to cast their votes, what would happen? I, for one, am worried.

The issue of eVMs came to the fore as the top leaders of the ruling Awami League said eVMs would be used everywhere during the parliamentary election scheduled next year. It may be the ruling party’s desire, but the whole issue grabbed public attention as the performance of the last two election Commissions in holding free and fair elections was a cause for sheer frustration. The current election Commission, formed in February, said they were yet to decide on the matter, and

were debating whether they would make the decision after speaking with the political parties and other stakeholders. The BNP and some other political parties are completely against using eVMs, terming them “automated vote-rigging machines.” They said these machines could be programmed in such a way that, no matter which symbol a voter pressed on in an eVM, the vote would go to a preselected symbol. There would be no paper trail or proof on paper of voting. Although it is absolutely at the election Commission’s discretion whether eVMs will be used in the polls or not, the ruling party’s desire for eVMs has put the commission under pressure, and now it has to walk a tightrope.

According to media reports, countries like Namibia, Nepal, Armenia, Bhutan, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and the Us use some form of electronic voting. Meanwhile, in October 2006, the Netherlands banned the use of eVMs. In 2009, the Republic of Ireland declared a moratorium on using eVMs. Italy followed suit.

In March 2009, the supreme Court of Germany ruled that voting through eVMs was unconstitutional, saying that transparency was a constitutional obligation, but efficiency was not a constitutionally protected value. Norway stopped using eVMs in 2003. Pakistan, the UK, and France used eVMs once, but these countries stopped it as well.

In Bangladesh, eVMs were used for the first time in 2010, as an experiment, at 14 polling centres of a ward

in Chattogram City Corporation polls. The last election Commission, led by KM Nurul Huda, held talks with various stakeholders, where many were against using eVMs in the polls. The newly formed commission also held talks with various stakeholders, where the majority opined against using eVMs, without reaching consensus.

Many even suggested including the Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in the eVMs so that voters would get a printed slip after casting their votes. The election Commission held talks with information and communications technology experts last week, where they said it would be almost impossible to manipulate the eVMs. The issue of eVMs is now more of trust than technical. when the distrust between the ruling party and the opposition parties are very high, this eVM debate will do nothing but widen the gap and may foil the government’s intention to bring the BNP in the next election.

In countries like Bangladesh, voting is a festive activity where people enthusiastically go to the polling centres to cast their votes. But in the last two general elections— in 2014 and 2018—many people were denied their chances to cast their votes. If the election Commission can ensure a congenial atmosphere where voters will be able to cast their votes without any hassle, that should not be hampered by a controversial issue like eVMs. Machines are supposed to make a task smoother, but if it creates hazards instead, people will be discouraged to cast their votes, and the election will come under question. Moreover, as I said earlier, it is a matter of trust, not a technical issue. If trust is lacking, why make the situation difficult by using eVMs instead of ballots?

Mohammad Al-Masum Molla is deputy chief reporter at The Daily Star.

Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

corporate corner Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccination We are in the midst of a pandemic of COVID-19, though it has become mild but it has not ended completely.

Mandatory vaccination can be ethically justified if the threat to public health is grave and the confidence in safety and effectiveness is high. People were superstitious and reluctant to get vaccinated so the government took measures for an active vaccination process. Many people were hesitant toward vaccination such as uneducated citizens, rural residents, pregnant women or parents with children. Even though it’s been almost three years since the pandemic, yet only half the population has been vaccinated. The reason behind this is unawareness and less exposure of the pandemic and its precautionary measures among the masses. Many politicians, actors, social media influencers campaigned for the plea of vaccination and encouraged people to get booster shots as well. The main reason even half the population got vaccinated was banned entries in malls, motorways, highways and dine-ins or check-ins the restaurants or the hotels. The offices and educational institutions also played hand in mandatory vaccination of their employees and the students. Those who are yet not vaccinated should be penalized as they are a threat to themselves and the whole community. pr

EIGHTEEN, Dubai Islamic Bank sign first Shariah Compliant Off-Plan Financing Agreement

KARACHI: Eighteen and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) join hands to support Government of Pakistan’s vision in providing innovative Mortgage Financing solutions and promoting world class housing units in the country, with key focus on Non-Resident Pakistanis (NRPs). As per this arrangement, Dubai Islamic Bank will provide OffPlan Mortgage financing (under construction projects) to resident and non-resident Pakistanis for purchasing villas and apartments in EIGHTEEN housing project near New Islamabad International airport. To commemorate this auspicious event, signing ceremony was held at Dubai Islamic Bank’s Head Office in Karachi in which senior management from State Bank of Pakistan, Dubai Islamic Bank & Elite Estate Pvt. Limited were present.

Tarek Hamdy, CEO of EIGHTEEN, expressed his views, saying “it is indeed a historic moment for both the institutions, as we recognize the importance of mutual co-operation for the growth and support of housing sector in the country. Such collaborations will play a key role in the promotion of off plan and on plan housing finance and realizing the government’s vision of attracting investment of overseas Pakistanis in the real estate sector of Pakistan.” Speaking on the occasion Junaid Ahmed, President & CEO of Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan said that “Dubai Islamic Bank takes yet another lead in offering Pakistan’s First Shariah Compliant off-plan financing. The Bank is aggressively working towards supporting the housing and construction industry which in turn will provide affordable housing finance to Pakistanis particularly, the overseas Pakistanis. Dubai Islamic Bank is the market leader in providing home finance through Roshan Apna Ghar( RAPG), a product providing subsidized financing to overseas Pakistanis, with ease of reparability of funds.

The Bank also holds a significant share in mortgage finance market and this collaboration will further strengthen our role in this sector.” pr

09

ExPErTS SEE NO HArM IN AwArDING PrOVINCIAl STATuS TO GB ISLAMABAD

G

pr

RANT GB ‘provisional province’ status was the unanimous recommendation of the seminar on ‘GilgitBaltistan in National Security Calculus’ organised by the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) here.

The discussion focused on the current political status of GB, its role in securing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), its linkage with the Jammu & Kashmir dispute and recommended a way forward according to the aspirations of the people of the region.

Eminent speakers included Major General Dr Ehsan Mehmood Khan, Director General, Institute for Strategic Studies, Research & Analysis (ISSRA); Mr. Afzal Ali Shigri, Former Inspector General, Police Service of Pakistan; Justice Syed Manzoor Gillani, former Chief Justice Supreme Court and High Court, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK); Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). The seminar was chaired by President CASS Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan (Retd), while Asad Ullah Khan, Senior Researcher at the Centre moderated the proceedings.

While delivering the Opening Address, Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan highlighted that proximity with Afghanistan, China, IIOJK and AJK made GB strategically important. The President lamented that despite the seven-decade old desire of its populace and firm commitments by all three major political parties of Pakistan, GB was neither a province of Pakistan nor part of the federation. The people of GB continue to be deprived of their basic fundamental rights granted to all citizens and were not stakeholders in any decision-making in the country.

‘By ignoring the wishes of the people of GB, in this information age, the state of Pakistan unintentionally may be creating various fault lines, including alienation of its people, that could be

exploited by the enemy and impact Pakistan’s national security and security of CPEC,’ he warned.

In his Keynote Address, Major General Dr Ehsan Mehmood Khan provided an in-depth assessment of national security, its various contours and linked it to the geographic, cultural, historical, and geostrategic significance of GB. He pointed out that GB was a heterogeneous region marked by ethnic, linguistic, and sectarian diversities rather than differences. According to him, geographically and culturally, the region was a natural part of Pakistan. Major General Khan also discussed GB’s role in national defence as the region is Pakistan’s mountainous and glacial frontier with a history of belligerence from India. In his assessment, GB provided all-weather connectivity for CPEC and shared that Maqpon Das was a vital Special Economic Zone apart from other tourist and fruit processing zones. The Keynote Speaker was of the view that the positive role of GB’s youth in Pakistan’s development should not be underestimated given its highest literacy rate as well as their emphatic denunciation of sectarianism and violence through educational activism. The ‘national security of Pakistan is inextricably linked with GB’, he concluded.

Discussing the socio-political dimensions of GB, Mr. Afzal Ali Shigri stated that given the constitutional limbo, there was lack of interest in

GB’s development and allocation of adequate resources. He stressed that although tourism had generated many employment opportunities, a lack of attention to environmental protection was destroying the region’s natural beauty. Mr Shigri reasserted that the unique movement in GB demanding to accede to Pakistan had remained resolute and unwavering. However, he warned that this sentiment could change with the current generation, as they were ‘stateless’ and ‘stateless’ people could be very dangerous.

Outlining the legal and constitutional aspects, Syed Manzoor Gillani agreed that GB and AJK had been ignored by the policymakers of Pakistan; and pointed out that there were no legal or historical impediments, even as far as United Nations resolutions were concerned for Pakistan to streamline GB in its national strata and give the later constitutional protection.

According to the speaker ‘Any interim or provisional arrangement, subject to Article 257, would in no way conflict with the UN resolutions, nor create any impediment or weaken the stand of Pakistan for the resolution of Kashmir dispute at any level, by any stretch of jurisprudence.’

Assimilation of GB and AJK in the socioeconomic and constitutional fabric of Pakistan was a need of the hour as they lacked constitutional protection that gave leverage to India for occupying territories of these regions, he said.

On the issue of Pakistan’s diplomatic stance, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhryshared that he had always held the stance that integrating GB would not have diplomatic or legal implications for Pakistan. The formula, in his view, was simple, ‘give GB provisional status subject to final settlement as per UN Resolutions’, especially since people of GB were already fully assimilated and serving the nation in every capacity. According to the Ambassador, at the moment, GB does not figure in the constitution which is why one prevailing Indian narrative was that Pakistan is ‘fuzzy’ about GB. He opined that ‘Pakistan should not worry about what India thinks or does not think since India has not implemented any UN Resolutions’ rather has been blatantly violating them. ‘India is on a trajectory in which it wants the Kashmir Resolution and Kashmir dispute to be dissolved,’ he warned. He urged that Pakistan should ‘secure what it has and put a claim on what India has forcefully occupied’ as every nation fights for its own interests on its own. To improve its narrative, Pakistan should initiate regional plebiscite in GB, the speaker recommended and reiterated that GB should be integrated immediately as Pakistan was already too late on this front and the same provisions should be offered to AJK as well.

While delivering the Concluding Address, President CASS Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan restated the panel’s consensus that as per the recommendation of Sartaj Aziz Committee of 2017 and the decision of Supreme Court of Pakistan of January 2019, GB be given status of a ‘provisional province’ and AJK should also be given the same option since there was no national or international hurdle to stop this. However, it was important to improve the state’s narrative on the issue to counter the Indian narrative.

‘The people must be empowered and made stakeholders in our society. They are equally good Pakistanis as anyone else and we appreciate their patience over the past 75 years’, he concluded.

Amb Nawaf, Dastagir vow to further cement Saudi, Pakistan friendly ties ISLAMABAD pr

Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki called on Minister for Power Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan and Minister of state Hashin Notezai on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Ministers lauded the long-standing relations of both the

countries and reiterated the resolve of this government to further strengthen them.

The ambassador expressed his high hopes for the incumbent government and said people of Pakistan deserve stability and progress.

The leadership of both brotherly countries were determined to further enhance the bilateral ties and cooperation in diverse fields.

SKMH experts discuss harmful effects of tobacco on health, planet LAHORE pr

To mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day on May 31, 2022, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, organised a live digital awareness session. The panellists included Dr Aasim Yusuf (Chief Medical Officer of SKMCH&RC), Dr Imran ul Hasan (Consultant Pulmonologist), Dr Umme Kalsoom (Consultant Medical Oncologist) and Ms Nasira Hayat (Psychologist).

On this occasion, Dr Aasim Yusuf said that according to WHO, 24 million people in Pakistan use tobacco and according to Global Burden of Disease statistics (2019), 160,000 die due to tobacco related diseases in our country. He said that it is important for people to understand the tobacco industry’s marketing efforts to preferentially target people in low- and middle-income countries because it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to sell their products in high-income Western countries. He went on to say that data from the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Registry shows that cancers linked with the

use of tobacco remain in the list of top ten cancers seen at Shaukat Khanum Hospitals.

Therefore, it is important to raise awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco. This year, WHO selected the theme “Tobacco: Threat to Our Environment” which aims to raise awareness about the ill effects of tobacco on smokers and also non-smokers by harming the environment throughout its life-cycle.

WHO estimates that for every 300 cigarettes that are produced, one tree is cut down. Dr Aasim explained that if a person smokes one pack a day then in one month, at least two trees are cut down somewhere in the world to cater to the demand of cigarette consumption for that person alone. Tobacco cultivation uses precious resources of land and water that can be used to cultivate other useful crops. He further added that raising awareness about prevention of cancers is an important element of SKMCH&RC’s mission statement and each year around World No Tobacco Day, the Hospital organises a poster competition for school children and awareness sessions for students to highlight the harmful effects of tobacco.

Dr Imran ul Hasan, pulmonologist, said

that smoking affects a person from head to toe which includes illnesses such as stroke, heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, and vasoconstriction in legs that can lead to amputation. There is also financial burden and a host of other issues related to smoking.

Smoking also increases the risk of many different types of cancers. Dr Imran also informed that people who have smoked for many years should consult their doctor for lung cancer screening with low dose CT scan, the only recommended screening test for lung cancer, because prevention and early detection are better than cure. Especially in lung cancer, medical oncologist Dr Umme Kalsoom explained, five-year survival rates are very low for small cell lung cancer. Dr Umme Kalsoom also spoke about harmful effects of smoking on women that include infertility and harmful effects on babies of pregnant women who smoke.

Ms Nasira Hayat, psychologist, discussed nicotine dependence and five ways that can help people who wish to quit tobacco and these are finding your reason to quit, finding your support system during the quit journey, maintaining a quit jour-

nal to understand the cycle of your triggers, making your environment smoke proof, and setting a reminder for yourself about your intention to quit. The participants discouraged e-cigarettes and said that e-cigarettes do not burn tobacco but still have nicotine, which has harmful effects and therefore, these should not be used as a replacement of cigarettes. In the end, Mr Hussain Ahmed, Director of Business Operations at SKMCH&RC and

host of the awareness session, concluded that tobacco has direct effects on people’s health and also ill effects on the environment which should give tobacco users an additional reason to quit. It is best not to start using tobacco because it is difficult to let go but it is important to know that quitting tobacco is possible. You can take professional help or help of your social circle, provided that you have a strong will to quit.

Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS

IndIan TROOpS MaRTyRed 32 KaSHMIRIS duRInG May SRiNAGAR

I

Agencies

NDIAN troops continued the state-sponsored terrorism in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) and martyred 32 Kashmiris including a youth during the outgoing month of May. According to the data issued by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on Wednesday, of those martyred two youth were killed in a fake encounter. During the period in question, at least 26 people were injured due to the use of brute force including teargas shells and blasts in the held valley.

The report says that Indian police and paramilitary personnel arrested 92 people, mostly youth, and destroyed or damaged three houses during 180 cordon and search operations carried out in different areas of the territory.

Meanwhile, an Indian paramilitary soldier died under mysterious circumstances in Pulwama district.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier posted at District Police Line Pulwama fell unconscious on Wednesday morning following which he was shifted

to district hospital Pulwama.

As per an official, from district hospital Pulwama, the soldier was referred to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar for treatment, however, he was declared brought dead on arrival. The official said that investigation has been started into the death of

the soldier who has been identified as Shiv Shankar of 182 Bn CRPF. Meanwhile, body of a Special Police Officer (SPO) was found under mysterious circumstance near his home in Bhaderwah area of Doda district.

He has been identified as Subash Chander.

US remains committed to reopening Jerusalem consulate: State Dept wAShiNGTON ReuteRs

Congress’s Gandhis summoned in money laundering probe India’s financial crime-fighting agency wants to question the two most senior members of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, who lead the main opposition Congress party, as it investigates a complaint of money laundering, the party said on Wednesday.

The summons by the enforcement directorate is linked to a nine-year-old complaint by a lawmaker of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, the party said.

The lawmaker, Subramanian Swamy, had accused the Gandhis of forming a shell company and illegally gaining control of properties worth $300 million.

“A disgusting and cowardly conspiracy is being hatched against the leadership of the Indian National Congress to mislead the country,” the Congress party said in a statement that condemned the notice sent to the Gandhis.

“The entire party and every worker will stand shoulder to shoulder with them and we will fight and win this attack on the country’s democracy.”

The assets in question had belonged to a firm that published the National Herald newspaper, founded in 1937 by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was Rahul Gandhi’s great grandfather.

For his part, Swamy welcomed the action by the enforcement directorate and said he hoped they would be jailed, adding on Twitter, “From bail to jail as soon as possible.”

An enforcement directorate spokesperson declined to comment. It was not immediately clear why the agency was acting now. Agencies

The Biden administration remains committed to re-opening a US consulate in Jerusalem and is further discussing the issue with Israelis and Palestinians, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday.

Former US President Donald Trump moved Washington’s embassy to Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018 and shut down a separate facility in the city that served as a consulate for Palestinians.

President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in 2020, pledged to reopen it, but no date has been set.

Israel has publicly opposed the plan and suggested that such a mission should be outside Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.

“There are a number of steps that have to go into the reopening of any diplomatic facility. As you know, there are some shall we say unique sensitivities to this particular facility,” Price said at a regular news briefing, rejecting any suggestion the consulate plan had been shelved.

“We are working through the issue with our Palestinian and Israeli partners.”

The Times of Israel, citing unidentified US and Palestinian officials, reported on Sunday that in lieu of reopening the facility, Washington was planning to appoint the current top State Department diplomat for the region, Hady Amr, as a special envoy to the Palestinians.

Asked about the report on Tuesday, Price said he did not have any personnel announcements to make.

Four die as quake hits China’s Sichuan province SiChUAN Agencies

At least four people were killed and 14 others injured after two earthquakes hit Ya’an City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Wednesday, halting train lines and damaging houses.

A magnitude-6.1 earthquake rattled Lushan County at 5:00 p.m., followed by a magnitude-4.5 shock 3 minutes later in the nearby Baoxing County in the city.

The Chinese government has activated its Level-III emergency response for earthquakes, and sent a team to Lushan County.

China’s disaster reduction institute in Chengdu issued a

warning four seconds after the first of the two earthquakes that rattled Ya’an City, urging tens of millions of people in the city and its surrounding towns to take quick shelters.

An amount of 50 million

yuan ($4.5 million) was urgently allocated to each of the earthquake-hit Lushan and Baoxing counties for disaster relief, the Sichuan Provincial Finance Department announced on Wednesday night.

Rahul Gandhi denounces Modi govt over recent killings in IIOJK New Delhi Agencies

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent killings in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), saying Kashmiri Pandits are protesting but the BJP is busy celebrating eight years of its rule.

The Congress leader on Wednesday said that in Kashmir, 15 Indian forces’ personnel and 18 civilians were killed in the last 5 months, adding yesterday also a teacher was killed.

“Kashmiri Pandits have been on dharna since 18 days but BJP is busy celebrating 8 years in rule. Prime Minister, this is not a film, it is the reality of Kashmir today,” Gandhi wrote on Twitter while taking a swipe at Vivek Agnihotri’s controversial film ‘The Kashmir Files’, the movie which received praises from BJP leaders, including Modi.

RIGHT-WING OUTFIT SEEKS SURVEY OF BHOPAL’S JAMIA MASJID: Right-wing outfit Sanskriti Bachao Manch (SBM) has sent a memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an archaeological survey of the Jamia Masjid in Bhopal. Talking to media persons, SBM chief Chandrashekhar Tiwari said: “We believe the mosque was built on the premises of a Lord Shiva temple. We have high hopes that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister will take cognizance of our request.”

Nearly two weeks ago, Tiwari, along with some other SBM members, had met Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra. During the meeting, the group had handed over a memorandum demanding a survey of Jamia Masjid.

The right-wing outfit raised the demand for a survey on the basis of facts collected from a book — ‘Hayate-I-Qudsi’ (written by Bhopal’s first woman ruler Nawab Qudisa Begam) — which mentions (as the group claims), “Work on building Bhopal’s Jama Masjid began in 1832 and was completed in 1857.”

K-pop supergroup BTS meets Biden, speaks at White House wAShiNGTON ReuteRs

South Korean boy band BTS, a fundraising juggernaut for US social justice causes, met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday to discuss hate crimes targeting Asians.

The K-pop stars made brief statements to reporters prior to the meeting, calling for a halt to crimes targeting Asian Americans.

“We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes, including Asian American hate crimes,” band member Jimin said through a translator. “To put a stop on this and support the cause, we’d like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again.”

The meeting came as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander month in May drew to a close following a sharp upswing in hate crimes against the community in the past year.

Attacks against people of Asian descent have escalated as some politicians and pundits have encouraged Americans to blame China for Covid-19.

While the meeting was closed to the press, the White House said one goal was to “discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world.”

The musicians are known for using their lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering youngsters since making their debut in 2013. Their fan base extends into older demographics, tying their spending clout to an internetsavvy generation that harnesses the power of social media.

In June 2020, BTS fans raised about $1 million in one day in the #MatchAMillion online campaign for US social justice causes, matching the band’s donation to Black Lives Matter.

Article continues after this advertisement The group’s management Big Hit Music said it was honoured to be invited to the White House.

“As we are visiting as artists representing South Korea, we look forward to discussing various topics including inclusion, diversity, anti-Asian hate crimes, culture and art,” Big Hit Music said.

China refutes US, NZ concern over its ‘influence’ in the Pacific BeiJiNG Agencies

China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday firmly rejected a joint statement by the U.S. and New Zealand which expressed concern over China’s “influence” in the Pacific region, saying the statement “distorts and smears” the normal cooperation between China and Pacific island countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian added that the statement also touched on Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong issues, which is a gross interfere in China’s internal affairs.

The statement, issued by U.S. President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister

Jacinda Ardern after their meeting at the White House on Tuesday, noted the two sides’ “concerns” over a framework agreement on security cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands.

“The security cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands is not aimed at any third party, nor does it intend to establish any military bases,” Zhao told reporters at a regular press briefing, slamming Washington’s widespread military bases across the world.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is currently on a 10-day visit to the Pacific region, where he proposed “four-pronged adherence” to develop ties with the countries there.

Wang called for treating each other equally, maintaining mutual respect, achieving win-win cooperation and embracing openness and inclusiveness when he met the press in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Friday.

On Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kongrelated matters, Zhao reiterated that they are all “purely China’s internal matters,” and China won’t tolerate the interference of any country or foreign forces.

The spokesperson urged Washington to abandon “Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice,” while calling on New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy and do more to preserve regional peace and stability.

11 Sports 2 JUNE 2022_Layout 1 6/2/2022 12:19 AM Page 1

Thursday, 2 June, 2022 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

BaBar azam opens up on shan masood inclusion as a middle-order Batter LAHORe

p

StAFF RePoRt

AKISTAN captain Babar Azam thinks that including Shan Masood in the side as a middleorder batter would be unfair with the left-hander. The 32-year-old is part of the Test squad as the third opener, but his form across formats has stirred a debate about including him in all three formats.

Masood is currently leading Derbyshire Falcons in T20 Blast while he was the top scorer for them in the County Championship with 844 runs before the T20 competition started.

Last week, Chief selector Mohammad Wasim also

revealed that he is close to getting picked in the whiteball squads, preferably in middle-order but it seems like Babar Azam is not satisfied with the idea.

“Shan Masood bats at the top of the order and he has not batted lower down the order. I think it would be unfair with Shan to play him at the fifth or sixth spot, we have an eye on him and will be considered viewing the balance of the side,” Babar said in a press conference in Lahore. On the other hand, Babar opined that it would be early to include emerging wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris in the side.

“It is too early to give him a chance, Rizwan has not been performing as expected in ODIs but he is still adding value at his position. Our combination is balanced and I have full faith in Rizwan as he is behind my

india, pak matches come with added scrutiny and expectations: simon taufel

back always,” he added.

Meanwhile, Babar is focused on a clean sweep in the hom ODI series against West Indies. “The matches will not be taken lightly, the series in the ICC World Cup League is important and will try to get all the points.”

Babar also reflected on the weather of Multan, where the matches will be played.

“No doubt that it will be very hot in Multan but we have tried to get accustomed to the weather in the conditioning camp. The aim of starting training sessions late afternoon to ensure that playing in Multan does not become more difficult,” he added.

It must be noted that the three-match ODI series will be played from June 8-12 in Multan, with the matches starting at 1600 PKT time.

De Klerk latest World Cup-winning Springbok heading to Japan TOKYO

newS DeSK Simon Taufel is one of most renowned umpires of the modern era. Following his retirement, the five-time ICC umpire of the year designed an online accreditation course for umpires to help them train and develop new skills. Speaking to Cricket Pakistan in an exclusive interview, Taufel revealed that there are three levels of accreditation: introductory, Level 1, and Level 2. He further stated that the course revolves around match preparation, conflict resolution, technique, and managing the game. “The aim is to equip people with the insights and the tools to be able to benchmark their skills against best practice and since it is an online course, people can do it at their own pace. You can retake the course because it is not about pass or fail but a case of becoming a better umpire and enjoying their craft,” said the 51-year-old. Taufel also stated that the course is open to new and existing umpires while the latter don’t have to go through the introductory level but can go through Level-1 and Level2 to further enhance their skills. The Australian-born stepped away from international cricket back in 2012 but said that he misses the team work and comradery. “I miss being part of the excitement of international cricket but I don’t miss the travel and time away from family,” he said. “I certainly don’t miss the scrutiny,” he added with a smirk on his face. “It is now time to help the new generation and I am loving every bit of that.” The 51-year-old revealed that after Test cricket, India-Pakistan matches were the most difficult to officiate in. “The India-Pakistan clashes came with added scrutiny and expectations because the game is being analysed by all the armchair experts,” he revealed. Recalling Pakistan’s famous series against India in 2004, Taufel said that you couldn’t help but be distracted due to the magnitude of the clash. “You had people with machine guns guarding you and presidential-level security was assigned to the teams. You have to remain grounded as I tried my level-best to focus on the task ahead and take things one ball at a time,” Simon stated. During the interview, Taufel also revealed that statistically umpires get more than 93 percent of their decision right while players with DRS appeal hardly have a 25 percent success rate. “This shows statistically who the better umpires are but that shouldn’t stop players from wanting to become an umpire,” he added. Sharing his experience of officiating in Pakistan, Simon said that he thoroughly enjoyed it. “Having been back in PSL a couple of years ago after that terrible 2009 incident, I enjoyed going back to Karachi again.” Sharing his thoughts on Pakistani umpires, Taufel complimented Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza but also remained cautious as to where the future Pakistani umpires are going to come from. “I know Ahsan Raza for a long while and he is a fantastic and a competent umpire.

AFP

Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok Faf de Klerk will join Japanese side Yokohama Canon Eagles next season, the club said Wednesday, in the latest big-name coup for the ambitious league.

The feisty scrum-half leaves English Premiership side Sale Sharks and follows in the footsteps of several of his fellow South Africans in moving to the country where they won the World Cup in 2019.

Pieter-Steph du Toit, Willie le Roux, Lukhanyo Am and Malcolm Marx all played in this year’s Japan Rugby League One season, which finished on Sunday.

The 30-year-old De Klerk, who has 36 caps for the Springboks, said he had wanted to move to Japan “at some stage” ever since playing at the 2019 World Cup.

“Now it is a reality and I can’t wait to get stuck in with my teammates and coaches and hopefully make a big impact,” he said in a statement released by the team.

“The Japanese culture is amazing and I look forward to enjoying every moment with my partner, teammates and all the rugby fans of Japan.”

Yokohama, who also have World Cup-winning Springbok Jesse Kriel on their books, finished sixth in the 12-team table.

De Klerk joined Sale from South African side Golden Lions in 2017 and has made 13 appearances this season, scoring one try and 13 points.

Article continues after this advertisement His international career had stalled until his stellar form at Sale propelled him back into South Africa selection and he has been the Springboks’ first-choice scrumhalf ever since.

US investment fund RedBird to buy Serie A champions AC Milan AgencIeS AC Milan said Wednesday that its current owners, investment fund Elliott Management, have agreed to sell the newlycrowned Italian champions to rival US fund RedBird for 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion).

“The transition to new ownership will take place over the summer, with an expected closing no later than September 2022,” the club said in a statement, adding that, under the terms of the deal, Elliott will “retain a minority financial interest in the club and seats on the board of directors.”

“RedBird’s priority is to work with the club’s title-winning sporting and club management team to continue Milan’s journey back to the summit of world football,” added the statement.

Milan last month won their first Serie A title since 2011, the 19th in their history,

as they pipped city rivals, and last year’s champions, Inter by two points.

RedBird’s move comes after they bought a minority stake last year in Fen-

way Sports Group, the owners of Liverpool and of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox. Their acquisition of Milan follows

their purchase of a majority stake in French club Toulouse in 2020.

Toulouse this year won promotion back to France’s Ligue 1.

“We are honoured to be a part of AC Milan’s illustrious history and are excited to play a role in the club’s next chapter as it returns to its rightful place at the very top of Italian, European and world football,” said Gerry Cardinale, RedBird’s founder and managing partner.

Elliott Management acquired the Italian club in 2018 when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest in 2017. The club was bought by Berlusconi in 1986 and spent three decades in the hands of Italy’s former prime minister, firmly establishing themselves as one of the most glamorous names in world football. They were European champions five times between 1989 and 2007.

Nadal wins epic four-set clash with Djokovic to make it to French Open semis PARIS AFP

Rafael Nadal edged a late-night classic against old rival Novak Djokovic in the early hours of Wednesday in four sets to reach his 15th French Open semi-final. The 13-time Roland Garros champion won the pair’s 59th career meeting 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) after a four-hour-and-12-minute quarter-final on a raucous Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal sealed his eighth victory in 10 French Open matches against last year’s winner Djokovic at 1:16 am local time (2316 GMT Tuesday) to set up a last-four clash with third seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.

“I’m very emotional. For me it’s incredible to play here,” said Nadal.

“This feeling is incredible for me.

“Playing against him is always an amazing challenge… To win against Novak, there is only one way, to play your best from the first point until the last.”

The 35-year-old has lost just three of his 113 matches on the Paris clay since his 2005 title-winning debut and now only trails Djokovic 30-29 in their career head-to-head.

The Spaniard, seeded fifth, remains on course for a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title after lifting this year’s Australian Open, which Djokovic missed after being deported from the country over his Covid vaccination status. Djokovic overturned a double-break deficit to take an 88minute second set and missed two set points when serving for the fourth to

force a decider.

The world number one will rue those missed chances while he waits until Wimbledon for his next opportunity to take his Slam tally to 21.

“Congratulations to Rafa, he was better in the important moments,” said Djokovic. “He showed why he was a great champion. Well done to him and his team, he deserves it.” Nadal was a slight underdog heading into the match after being taken to five sets in the previous round by Felix Auger-Aliassime. The colder, slower conditions of the night session were also expected to favour Djokovic.

But the ‘King of clay’ smashed 57 winners in a trademark performance to delight the crowd as he gained revenge for his semi-final loss to the same opponent 12 months ago.

Thursday, 2 June, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

EMINENt EDuCAtIONISt NASREEN KASuRI gEtS PREStIgIOuS LIvINg LEgEND AwARD islAmABAd

E

staff report

MINENT educationist Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri was honoured with the prestigious Living Legend Award for her meritorious services in the field of education.

SDPI’s Living Legend Award is bestowed upon those visionary individuals, who have achieved excellence in diverse fields, including sustainable development, educational and cultural advancement, and the promotion of democratic governance, justice and human rights. The selection of the award recipients is done without any political, ethnic, denominational or gender-based considerations.

The award was presented at a ceremony held here to Mrs Kasuri who is also founder and Chairperson of Beaconhouse Group by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in recognition of her invaluable role towards the development of the education sector in Pakistan over four and a half decades.

While Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director at SDPI, moderated the ceremony, a panel of distinguished speakers, including Shahid Hafeez Kardar, former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and Vice-Chancellor of Beaconhouse National University (BNU); Salima Hashmi, art curator, and former Dean of the National College of Arts; Dr Feriha Peracha, Director and Supervising Psychologist at Sabaoon Project; Sartaj Aziz, former Federal Minister and former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan; Dr Ishrat Hussain, former Dean and Director Institute of Business Administration (IBA) and Chairman of the National Commission of Government Reforms; Dr Salman Shah, former Finance Minister of Pakistan and advisor to the Chief Minister of

Punjab and Ambassador (retired) Shafqat Kakakhel, former UN Assistant Secretary General and Chairperson of SDPI were also present.

Prominent diplomats, media persons, and representatives from the education sector also attended. On behalf of the Institute, Ambassador (retd) Shafqat Kakakhel, the former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Chairperson of SDPI Board of Governors, presented the award to Mrs Kasuri at the event.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Shafqat Kakakhel lauded the role of the living legend for introducing the quality

Finance division indicates reduction in PSDP for 2022-23 GhulAm ABBAs Despite the Ministry of Planning’s earlier announcement of Rs700 billion Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for next financial year, the Finance Division has indicated only Rs500 billion for federal PSDP as compared to Rs900 billion allocated by the previous government of PTI for the current PSDP. According to officials at the Ministry of Finance, the ministry is going to fix the federal PSDP at Rs500 billion for financial year 2022-23 for financial constraints. The ministry has also reduced the PSDP of the fiscal year 2021-22 to Rs500 billion from Rs900 billion with the reduction of Rs400 billion. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI) had earlier decided to slash PSDP to Rs500 billion in 2021-22 as per agreement with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and asked Ministries/Divisions to send their recommendations though the amount budgeted under this head was Rs900 billion. Keeping financial constraints in view the planning ministry had sought to cut the number of ongoing schemes by over 90% due to the fast-shrinking fiscal space. According to sources, the MoPD&SI may however try to show the total outlay of federal PSDP to Rs800 billion by including at least Rs100 billion as foreign financing for the schemes and an estimate of Rs200 billion under the public-private partnership model. Earlier both the ministry of finance and planning had agreed to allocate Rs800 billion for the PSDP in the next fiscal year. However, it seems the decision of fixing PSDP at Rs500 billion has been made after holding talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

learning system in Pakistan 46 years ago through the Beaconhouse School System.

“We have gathered here to pay tributes to Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri in recognition of her outstanding and unique contributions to the promotion of high-quality education from primary up to the higher secondary and even university levels in Pakistan,” he added.

Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Kasuri said she was truly honored to receive this acknowledgement from SDPI. “It brings me great pride to see what started as a vision to provide quality education to the children of Pakistan over

four decades ago is setting new benchmarks today. It has been a lifetime of learning for me and inculcating values of learning onto thousands of whom have passed out from the Beaconhouse system over the years. Education is fundamental for nation building and I remain committed to offering the skills needed to stand proud and play a role in the future of a prosperous Pakistan,” she added.

Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri established Les Anges Montessori Academy in Lahore in 1975 and set the foundation for the Beaconhouse network which has now developed into Pakistan’s largest setup of private educational institutions catering to over 315,000 students.

Employing 62 percent women at Beaconhouse, Mrs. Kasuri’s role has remained pivotal in women empowerment in Pakistan in addition to quality education, offering these women economic opportunities and financial independence.

In 2006, she was awarded the Sitaara-eEisaar by the Government of Pakistan for her philanthropic contributions to society.

SDPI, established under the Pakistan National Conservation Strategy, is a nonprofit organization that serves as a source of expertise for policy analysis and development, policy intervention, and policy programme advisory. The institute focuses on strengthening civil society through research and collaborations, and keeps the country’s development as its top agenda. Through this award, SDPI has earlier extended its gratitude to Madam Nisar Aziz Butt, Agha Nasir, Munnu Bhai, Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan, Mr Iftikhar Arif, Mr Sartaj Aziz, and Syed Babar Ali Shah.

This recognition for Mrs. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri by SDPI is a tribute to her efforts towards building generations of young Pakistani men and women into educated, progressive individuals.

PTI seeks SC help to stop govt interference in 2nd long march islAmABAd news Desk

The PTI moved the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday to direct the federal government and other relevant authorities not to use “coercive measures or intimidating tactics”, resort to violence or create hindrances for party activists and leaders who intend to participate in the party’s second march on Islamabad, which they describe as an “upcoming peaceful assembly”.

The PTI made the request in an instant plea filed in the SC today. The petition gives a detailed account of the circumstances of the party’s last march on Islamabad on May 25. That day, raucuous PTI workers forced their way through shipping containers in between them and Islamabad and were met with tear gas and police batons. They even made their way to the Red Zone, after which the military was called in.

On the eve of the march, the government rounded up over 1,000 PTI leaders and workers in a crackdown designed to derail the party’s plans for the march.

Section 144 was imposed in Lahore, the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and Karachi, as well as other major cities in the country, while the Punjab government sought the deployment of Rangers to control the law and order situation.

On May 26, Imran Khan had ended prematurely after giving a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and warning of returning to capital if his demand was not met. The deadline ended today.

In the petition, filed by PTI secretary general Asad Umar today, the PTI also mentioned the no-trust motion that led to Imran’s ouster as the premier, stating that the

party chairperson was removed from power “through a murky and illegally orchestrated vote of no confidence”. It also alluded to the “tainted and illegal” election of Hamza Shehbaz as the Punjab chief minister.

It was in this circumstance, the petition said, that the PTI held several rallies across the country in a peaceful manner, without causing any damage to any property or person, in order to “galvanise people against this illegally orchestrated regime change”.

Moreover, the petition added, “people of Pakistan, in hundreds of thousands, came out (unplanned) into the street to register their protest against the illegal removal” of Imran. As the culmination of these assemblies, the PTI planned a march to Islamabad on May 25, in order to protest Imran’s ouster, seek “real freedom”, and draw the attention of incumbent government to the public sentiment.

The PTI contended in the petition that the “right to peacefully move, assemble, associate, speak and express are enshrined in Articles 15, 16, 17 and 19 of the Constitution”. “It is now well-recognised that the right to protest is included in the aforesaid rights and every citizen of Pakistan and the political party, including its workers, members, leaders and supporters, have the right to assembly and protest peacefully with regards to matters relating to the governance and policy issues of Pakistan.”

But contrary to this mandate of fundamental rights, the authorities, on the interior ministry’s and Punjab government’s directions, arrested, tortured and baton-charged protesters, tear-gassed peaceful gatherings, destroyed private property during the May 25 march, the PTI said, adding that five of the party members lost their lives in the episode.

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PESCO owes Rs1.14bn in property taxes Aziz Buneri Khyber Pakhtunkhwa excise and taxation department sealed Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s account section and Allied Bank branch inside the premises of Wapda house Peshawar due to non-payment of outstanding liabilities. According to details, the action was taken after serving several notices to the power company ( PESCO) to clear the dues but it failed to do so. “PESCO owes a total of Rs1.14 billion in property tax arrears for the three offices in the provincial metropolis,”. The Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department warned PESCO officials to clear the dues within stipulated time otherwise excise and taxation department would seal all the units of Peshawar PESCO on expiry of the deadline.

Inflation hits two-year high in May 2022 The monthly inflation climbed to 13.76 per cent in May a two-and-a-half-year-high in the previous month on the back of increasing food prices, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data released on Wednesday.

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), accelerated from 13.37 percent year-on-year (YoY) in April, marking a 0.44 percent month-onmonth (MoM) rise in May. This is the highest CPI inflation since January 2020 when it was 14.6 percent.

According to the PBS, inflation increased by 12.36 percent in urban areas and 15.88 percent in rural areas.

The inflationary trend saw a 31.77 percent rise in transport sector, followed by food at 17.25 percent.

Prices of perishable food items increased by 26.37 percent and non-perishable items by 15.94 percent, according to the PBS data. Other categories that saw a double-digit increase included furnishing and household equipment maintenance (16.11 percent), restaurants and hotels (15.98 percent), miscellaneous goods and services (13.32 percent), recreation and culture (12.28 percent), clothing and footwear (11.29 percent), health (10.59 percent) and alcoholic beverages and tobacco (10.13 percent). inp

NA budget session summoned on Monday ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned the budget session of the National Assembly on June 6 (Monday). According to a press statement issued by the President House on Wednesday, the session will be held at 4:00pm at the Parliament House. The federal budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 will be presented in the session on June 10 (Friday). The session has been convened under Article 54(1) of the Constitution. staff report

Complaint against Imaan Mazari should have been withdrawn after statement: IHC The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday stated that the complaint lodged against lawyer Imaan Mazari by a state institution should have been withdrawn after the accused had her statement recorded in the case. The Pakistan Army had filed a first information report against Imaan for “abusing and defaming” the army and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. However, the IHC granted Imaan pre-arrest bail till June 9 in the case. Imaan has been booked under sections 505 (inciting people against armed forces) and 138 (abetment of act of insubordination by soldier) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Hearing a petition seeking the dismissal of the case, the court issued notices to the station house officer (SHO), the investigating officer and the complainant.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that in her statement, Imaan had written that the comments on which the case was based were unintentional and she was stressed at the time. He also asked the defendant whether she had explained herself to the police after becoming a part of the investigation. In his reply, the advocate stated that Imaan had joined the investigation and had answered police questioning. news Desk

Court orders cases registration against Rana Sanaullah, others lAhOre staff report

An Additional District and Sessions Court on Wednesday ordered the registration of cases against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, CCPO Lahore and DIG Operations.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Mian Mudassar Umar ordered the registration of cases on charges of police torture on PTI workers and lawyers during the party’s re-

cently held ‘Azadi March’ towards Islamabad.

Advocate Haider Majeed had filed an application in the Additional District and Session Court Lahore, seeking registration of cases against the interior minister and Punjab police officials under Section-166(1), 352 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The learned judge after completing the hearing on the application announced the registration of criminal cases against Rana Sanaullah, CCPO Lahore and DIG Opera-

tions under Section-166, 352 and 427.

Meanwhile, Lahore High Court accepted for hearing the Lahore Bar Association petition against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the Punjab IG Police, CCPO Lahore and other officers.

LHC Justice Ch Abdul Aziz set the petition for hearing on June 22 and issued notices to the respondents for their replies.

Lahore Bar Association President Rao Sami, General Secretary Ammar Yasir Khokar and

Shakir Ali Chahal filed the petition, seeking the court directives against Rana Sanaullah, the Punjab IG Police and other police officers for unleashing inhumane baton-charge and tear gas against peaceful protesters during PTI long march on May 25. They contended in the petition that the police meted out worst treatment to political activists and tortured lawyers during the long march.

They said that the police also carried out illegal raids on the houses of PTI leaders in

night prior to the long march.

MAy 25 cLASheS: On May 25, a clash erupted between Lahore police and PTI workers marching to Islamabad for long march. Police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton-charged in an effort to disperse PTI activists.

On the eve of the march, the government rounded up over 1,000 PTI leaders and workers in a crackdown designed to derail the party’s plans for the march.

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