Saturday, 5 December, 2020 I 18 Rabi al-Akhir, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 156 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
PM Presents 10-Point Plan to avoid econoMic collaPse in develoPing states
ISLAMABAD staff report
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rime minister imran Khan has proposed a ten-point agenda to the world community to avert economic collapse in the developing countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Addressing a special session of the united nations general Assembly, the prime minister warned that without economic security, conflicts and disputes would persist and proliferate across the world. he joined nearly 100 world leaders at a two-day session of the ungA on the response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic and forging a united path forward to better recovery, including access to a vaccine. the premier also stressed the need for reforming the international financial architecture; building an inclusive and equitable debt management mechanism; constructing a democratic sdg-focused trading system; and installing a fair interna-
tional tax regime. he said that the coronavirus pandemic has caused immense human suffering, but added that the poorest countries and the poor in all the countries are suffering the most. “nearly 100 million people in developing countries will fall back into extreme poverty,” he warned. he said that rich countries have injected $13 trillion as fiscal stimulus to revive their economies but the developing countries did not have that much resources. pakistan, he said, is also committed under an imf programme to reduce the budget deficit. “i am sure other developing countries in our position are facing a similar dilemma. how to stimulate the economy and yet at the same time reduce our budget deficit? the only way we can have the fiscal space to maintain and revive growth is through access to additional liquidity,” imran said. detailing his 10-point urgent action plan, the prime minister called for: debt suspension till the end of the pandemic for low-income and most stressed countries;
coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
410,072
LAST UPDATED AT 7:26 AM ON DECEMBER 4, 2020
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
55
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
3,262 DEATHS:
350,305 8,260 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
179,240
121,753
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
48,264 AJK/GB:
17,333
ISLAMABAD:
7,151/4,692 31,639
cancellation of debt of least developed countries; restructuring of the public sector debt of other developing countries under an agreed inclusive multilateral framework; a general allocation of special drawing rights of $500 billion; expanded concessional financing to lower income countries through multilateral development banks; creation of a new ‘liquidity and sustainability facility’, which should provide short-term loans at lower costs; fulfilment of the 0.7 percent official development assistance commitments; mobilising the required $1.5 trillion annual investment in sustainable infrastructure’ achievement of the agreed target of mobilising $100 billion per year for climate action in developing countries; immediate action to stop the massive illicit financial outflows from developing countries to rich countries, to offshore tax havens and at the same time, immediate return of their assets stolen by corrupt politicians and criminals back to these countries. in his speech, pm imran also dilated on the strategy adopted by the pakistan government to cope with the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, since its emergence in the country in february this year. “in pakistan, we had a successful policy of ‘smart lockdowns’,” he said. “our efforts were aimed at ensuring that not only do we save people from the virus, but also prevent them from dying from hunger. We provided a relief package of around $8 billion – which was almost 3 per cent of our gdp – to support the poor and to keep the economy afloat at the same time,” he added. imran said that so far, this strategy worked “but now we are confronted with a far more aggressive second wave of the virus. We are facing now the challenge of maintaining and reviving our economic growth as well as dealing with the increasing number of cases which are occupying our hospital beds”.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
Criticism is essential for democracy, observes IHC g
Court stops ptA’s Counsel from Citing indiA As An exAmple in his Argument ISLAMABAD staff report
the islamabad high Court (ihC) on friday raised serious questions over the social media rules, recently formulated by the government, and observed that criticism is essential for democracy. during the hearing of the case, ihC Chief Justice Athar minallah warned of serious consequences and remarked that banning criticism in the 21st Century would result in serious harm to the country. during the hearing, the counsel for pakistan telecommunication Authority (ptA) tried to quote india as an example but the chief justice stopped him from going into such arguments. “do not mention india here. We are aware that there is no violation of human rights. Any wrong move or practice in india could not be adopted in pakistan. remember that there is a Constitution and democracy in pakistan. Criticism should be encouraged,” the chief justice remarked. “Who suggested the formulation of such rules and which authority approved this,” the chief
Pakistan rejects India’s misleading assertions in Jadhav’s case ISLAMABAD staff report
pakistan has rejected inaccurate and misleading assertions by the indian ministry of external Affairs (meA) in the convicted indian spy Commander Jadhav’s case. the foreign office (fo), in a statement, categorically rejected indian meA's baseless allegations regarding legal proceedings currently taking place in the case of indian naval Commander Jadhav. it is evident that by casting aspersions on the indian high Commission’s own legal counsel, the indian government is looking for an escape from the legal proceedings in Commander Jadhav case, the statement read. the statement also revealed that pakistan had invited the indian high Commission to meet with Jadhav and appoint a lawyer on his behalf so that proceedings to review and reconsider Jadhav’s conviction could commence. however, during the course of diplomatic exchanges, the indian high Commission refused to instruct a lawyer itself, as the indian hC felt this would amount to a waiver of india’s sovereign immunity.
justice asked the ptA counsel. the court also observed that the objections raised by the pakistan Bar Council (pBC) are valid and the rules represent a particular mindset. While adjourning the proceedings till december 18, the chief justice directed the ptA counsel to satisfy the court on the next hearing that the rules in question are not in violation of Article 19 and 19A of the Constitution of pakistan, 1973. the court is looking into the issue ever since the ptA imposed a ban on online game, puBg, with the pBC acting as amicus curiae. A petition has also been filed against the Citizen protection (Against online harm) rules, 2020, which requires all social media companies to register with the authorities within three months, establish their offices in islamabad, create a data server in pakistan within a year and block any account that violates the religious, cultural, ethnic, or national security sensitivities of the country. moreover, political leaders and civil society activists have also voiced serious concerns over the issue.
more inside
Mosques won’t be closed but compliance with SOPs imperative: PM STORY ON PAGE 02
As such, the government of pakistan was forced to initiate proceedings for appointment of a state counsel for Jadhav. during the course of the proceedings, to show the discrepancy in the indian position, the attorney general for pakistan (Agp) cited the case of muhammad ismail, an indian national currently in custody in pakistan, where the indian high Commission had instructed noon as its lawyer. Contrary to the false statement by the meA, no attempt was made to link the cases of Jadhav with another indian prisoner ismail. the two cases are and remain entirely distinct. reference to the case of ismail
was only for purpose of showing the discrepancy and inconsistency in the indian position. it is reiterated that in line with the judgement of international Court of Justice (iCJ), pakistan has already provided consular access to the indian high Commission twice and has taken all necessary steps for effective review and reconsideration in the case. the indian side is once again urged to desist from the use of its usual diversionary and dilatory tactics and instead take practical steps so that legal proceedings could be duly concluded, and full effect could be given to the judgement of iCJ.
ex-accountability judge Arshad malik dies of Covid-19 STORY ON PAGE 03
Pakistan calls for ‘just resolution’ of Israeli-Palestinian conflict for Mideast peace STORY ON PAGE 02
pdm denied permission for lahore rally STORY ON PAGE 03
02
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
NEWS
pm urges enhanced use of ciTizen porTal for puBlic empowermenT ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
RIMe Minister Imran Khan, while lauding Pakistan Citizen Portal for touching the 3 million registrations mark within two years, has urged more people to use the forum for the empowerment of the public and as a means to hold officers accountable. “I want more people to [Citizen Portal]. We will strengthen it further,” he said on Friday while addressing a ceremony marking the completion of two years of Citizen Portal. He added that the portal made it easier for him to know which minister or department is working well and which bureaucrat is performing badly. He further said that it would also make it easier to enforce carrot-and-stick policies and decide on promotions, incentives and even removal of the bureaucrats from their postings. Appreciating the performance of Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) Incharge Adil Safi and his team, the prime minister said that the portal would change the public mindset and empower them.
PM Imran opined that, since its inception, the country has not been able to remove the elitist mindset inherited from the British rulers. He compared Pakistani citizens to those of Western countries, remarking that the latter were empowered due to the services offered by their governments. In democratic societies, the premier said, those in government had no choice but to listen to the masses because they need votes. The Citizen Portal is a step in helping make people aware of their rights, he added. Commenting on the statistical analysis, the prime minister observed that the highest number of complaints related to municipal issues showed that local government system was not working properly, but expressed confidence in the new system’s ability to tackle the “municipal issues”. The metropolitans like Lahore and Karachi would have their own governments and revenue generation as well as independent systems for municipal services. The prime minister also expressed pleasure over the overseas Pakistanis benefiting from the forum. He highlighted
mosques won’t be closed but compliance with sops imperative: pm ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Imran Khan has categorically said that mosques will not be closed during the second wave of Covid-19, however, it is imperative to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) against the disease. The prime minister said this while talking to Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ulHaq Qadri on Friday. He directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs to remain in constant touch with the religious scholars and the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on matters pertaining to Covid-19. He said that the religious scholars should be kept informed about the latest coronavirus trends so that the message of compliance with the SOPs continues to emanate from mosques. Qadri also apprised the prime minister of the restructuring of Ulema and Mashaikh Council. On November 24, the National Coordination Committee (NCC) had rejected a proposal of the Sindh government regarding the closure of mosques across the country amid a nationwide spike in Covid-19 cases.
Bilawal recovers from covid-19 KARACHI TLTP
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has tested negative for coronavirus. This was disclosed by Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Friday. The minister took to Twitter to thank God that the PPP chairman had recovered from the disease. "Alhamdulillah, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's coronavirus test report has come back negative. May the Lord grant him best of health and a long life. Ameen," tweeted Shah. Bilawal had gone into self-isolation after testing positive for the disease. The PPP chairman got himself tested for the infection after his political secretary tested positive for Covid-19. Bilawal could not participate in his sister Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari's engagement ceremony at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally in Multan due to the infection. However, the PPP chairman witnessed the ceremony online through video-link.
several issues faced by overseas citizens, particularly the illegal occupation of their properties by land mafia. He also encouraged the people, particularly in Punjab and Sindh, to report the complaints against police officials or assistant commissioners seeking bribes, assuring them that the government would hold them accountable. In his presentation, PMDU Incharge Adil Saeed Safi told the gathering that the number of portal’s dashboards had been increased from 3796 in 2018 to 8913 this year. He said that in order to enhance the portal’s accessibility and outreach, a 24/7 helpline had also been established to guide the people about the portal’s operations and complaints registration, adding that the complaint lines were already operating at some locations, and had also been integrated with the PMDU. Safi told the audience that around 125,000 people were registering a month. Out of three million registered users, 2.8 million were from within the country, 1.7 million were expatriates and 11,000 were foreigners. He confirmed that 94 per cent of the total complaints registered had already
been resolved and that 1.6 million complainants had given their feedback. He said that most of the complaints were related to the municipal services across the country. He further informed the event attendees that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) reported the highest level of satisfaction from the complainants, followed by Islamabad. As per consumers’ feedback, National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) and Foreign Ministry were the most well-received by the public, while ministries of industries, education and power were among the low performers. Moreover, a video documentary containing feedback from the beneficiaries was also shown to exemplify the ways in which the PMDU handled their various issues, including harassment, land mafia, visa issue and others. The event was attended by the federal ministers, bureaucrats, senior officers and media representatives. The portal launched on October 28, 2018, and since then, around 3 million people registered and have reported 2.7 million complaints, out of which 2.5 million have been resolved.
Pakistan calls for ‘just resolution’ of Israeli-Palestinian conflict for Mideast peace UNITED NATIONS STAFF REPORT
Pakistan has urged the international community to help Palstenitn establish an independent State of their own with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital and reaffirmed its full support for the Palestinians’ struggle for selfdetermination and against foreign occupation. “The tragedy of Palestine is the collective failure of the international community to uphold the fundamental principled provision of the UN Charter and the binding resolutions of the Security Council,” Pakistani delegate Saad Warraich told the United Nations General Assembly. When a question on Palestine arose during the debate, he said that Palestine was the core issue in the Middle east conflict that has caused regional instability, as well as contributed the most to the anger and frustration among the peoples of the Arab and Islamic world. “A just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is essential for peace and stability throughout the Middle east region,” the Pakistani delegate said. “The question of Palestine is not a question of victor or vanquished,” he stressed, adding, “it is a test of our commitment to the abiding principles of the UN Charter, based on the inherent dignity of an individual, and respect for fundamental human rights of all human beings including their right to self-determination.” Warraich, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission, said
that the fundamental structure of the two-state solution is being dismantled before the international community’s eyes, with many doubting if peace can be achieved at all, as the illegal expansion of settlements into the occupied territory continued. Meanwhile, he said that UNRWA, the world body’s agency entrusted to care for Palestinian refugees, faces financial constraints in serving more than 5 million refugees. “The international community must assist the Palestinians to realize their rightful quest for the establishment of a sovereign, independent contiguous and viable State with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital,” the Pakistani delegate added.
4 children die in Tharparkar afTer consuming poisonous food THARPARKAR TLTP
At least four children died while 25 others fell unconscious after eating food items which were unfit for consumption. The incident occurred on Friday at a funeral in Tharparkar’s Bachal Soomro village. Around 30 villagers in total were affected and were rushed to Naukot hospital. Doctors there pronounced four children dead, two of whom were said to be approximately a year-and-a-half and 12 years old. Those who were critically ill were taken to hospitals in Tharparkar and Mirpur Khas. According to a doctor, the attendants who brought the patients to the hospital had told him that they had consumed some ‘biryani’ and ‘kheer’ before falling ill. Due to the death of the four children, the doctors said that the food must be investigated for traces of poison. Meanwhile, the police said that an investigation is underway, and they had collected samples of the said food for testing.
islamabad, dhaka agree to strengthen ties, exchange good wishes ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to strengthen existing fraternal brotherly relations between the two countries. This was agreed upon when Dhaka’s Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Ahmed Siddiqui called on Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid, according to a statement issued on Friday from the Pakistani High Commission. Sheikh Hasina expressed "good wishes" for Pakistan after she was informed that the country holds the Bangladeshi leadership and people in high esteem and affection, said the statement. The HC said the Bangladeshi premier welcomed Pakistani high commissioner in Dhaka and assured him of full support in the discharge of his official duties. It added that the high commissioner conveyed the message of goodwill and friendship from Prime Minister Imran Khan, which Sheikh Hasina "reciprocated with her greetings and good wishes for the leadership of Pakistan". "The two sides agreed to further strengthen the existing fraternal relations between the two countries," the statement added. "The meeting was held in a very cordial environment." The meeting comes as part of Prime Minister Imran Khan's initiative to improve the tumultuous relations. The premier had made a telephone call to his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, to inquire after her health and conveyed his best wishes in the month of October. The prime minister had underscored the historic and fraternal relations between the two countries. He had reiterated his commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties. STAFF REPORT
Justice Isa wants live coverage of review petition’s hearing NEWS DESK Seeking review of the majority decision on the presidential reference against him, Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa has requested the apex court to allow live broadcast of the proceedings on television, a local news outlet reported on Friday. The apex court judge filed a petition before the court, claiming that the government had conducted a propaganda campaign against him by leaking information about his family to the media and restricting the media from covering their side of the story. The judge said that since the court, in its verdict, expressed concerns over his family’s foreign properties, it should have asked all officials holding constitutional offices to declare the foreign assets of their spouses and children to avoid discrimination under Article 25 of the
Constitution. He added that since the court did not do so, it should recall the said order. He urged that the majority decision should not be restricted to him only, but rather it should be extended to every serving and retired judge and their wives and children. Taking objection to the referring of the case to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for inquiry, Justice Isa said that the court had reduced his fate as the judge of the apex court and had made subject to the decision of an official, who operates under the executive’s command, which is committed to removing him from office.
Going into the details of the case, the judge said that under Articles 177 and 193, it is not stipulated that an incumbent must be familiar with their non-dependent spouse’s and adult-children’s financial status and ownership of properties and/or to declare them in order to be appointed as the judge of top court or the high court. “However, the said order and its detailed reasons have mandated this and did so retrospectively; which with utmost respect could not have been done because it rewrites Articles 177 and 193, constituting a contravention of the Constitution, which merits review,” he added.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
55 more die as covid-19 killing spree conTinues ISLAMABAD
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TLTP
AKISTAN recorded 3,262 cases and 55 deaths due to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday. According to the NCOC, 55 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 8,260. With fresh inclusion of 3,264 cases, the national tally currently stands at 410,072. The total count of active cases is 51,507 and the positivity rate of Covid19 cases reaches up to 7.3 percent. So far 3,354 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours and 2,395 patients are in critical condition. A total of 350,305 people have recovered from the deadly disease in the country. A total of 44,627 tests were conducted across the country during this period, while 5,672,166 samples have
16 NAB STAFFERS AMONG 3,262 INFECTED; PIMA SEEKS BAN ON PUBLIC GATHERINGS been tested so far. earlier on Thursday, it emerged that the Health Ministry had finalised a comprehensive strategy for administering of the expected Covid-19 vaccine across the country. In Punjab, the coronavirus claimed 24 more lives during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial death toll from the disease to 3,115. According to a spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary Health Department, 670 fresh infections were detected during this period, pushing the total number of cases thus far reported across the province to 121,753. Of the total fresh cases, 301 were detected in Lahore and 71 in Rawalpindi, the health department said.
pdm denied permission for lahore rally LAHORE STAFF REPORT
In Sindh, as many as 1,664 people tested positive in Sindh against a total of 15,500 tests conducted in a day, announced Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah in a statement on Thursday. At least eight more fatalities were also recorded. The new cases have taken the province's tally of coronavirus to 180,904, whereas about 2,991 people have succumbed to it. About 972 people were also recorded to have made a full recovery from Covid-19 in Sindh, taking the tally for recovered people to 157,006. Meanwhile, 16 more staff members of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus. The employees have been quarantined after detection of the deadly virus.
PM launches Radio School, Education Portal ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Local administration has rejected a request from Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to hold a public gathering at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore due to rising Covid-19 cases in the provincial capital. Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassar Riaz Malik, while revealing details for the reasons behind the rejection of the PDM request, said that only 300 people are allowed to gather under the Covid19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). “even this permission is for the wedding ceremonies,” he said. He further said that they could not allow a public gathering at Minar-ePakistan owing to its status as a heritage site. “The ratio of Covid-19 spread in Lahore is witnessing an alarming surge,” he further said. Covid-19 cases have witnessed a surge in the country including Punjab province as the second wave of the virus had hit the country. According to the latest figures, the coronavirus claimed 24 more lives in Punjab during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial death toll from the disease to 3,115. earlier on November 26, the district authorities of Multan had also denied permission to the Pakistan Democratic Movement for a public meeting in Multan on November 30, citing the current situation of spike in Covid-19 cases. However, the PDM held a rally in Multan on November 30.
earlier, a deputy director, two assistant directors and a staff member had been confirmed to have contracted Covid-19 at National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi’s office. Meanwhile, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) on Friday recommended banning public gatherings amid a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases. The PIMA leaders observed that the masses are not taking the second wave of the Covid-19 seriously and demanded to declare wearing face masks mandatory. “Fines should be slapped over masses roaming at public places without face masks.” The association also demanded the government to reduce business hours and slap a complete ban over holding public gatherings, rallies, and other mass gatherings amid coronavirus outbreak. They regretted that despite calling them front line workers in the fight against the pandemic, they are not being provided the due equipment.
Prime Minister Imran Khan formally launched the Radio School and education Portal on Friday to provide education through distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. In his remarks on the occasion, the prime minister congratulated the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Federal education and Professional Training for taking this much required step to impart education in far-flung areas amid the pandemic. He urged parents to help their children take advantage of distance learning by utilising modern tools. The premier stressed the need for online training of teachers, particularly in remote areas, to improve the quality of education. He said that distance learning will also help students of backward areas to get quality education even after the pandemic. PM Imran said that the government will ensure hiring trained, well-qualified teachers to make the facility of distance learning effective. The PM also said that the government promised to introduce a single national curriculum (SNC) because it will help Pakistan band together as a nation. "Introducing a uniform curriculum was difficult, nonetheless, it is a great achievement of the government," he said. He explained that a uniform curriculum is important because it is the only way to streamline the country's education system which is
currently divided on the basis of Urdu-medium schools, english-medium schools, and religious seminaries. He also added that the SNC will provide equal opportunities to everyone irrespective of their socioeconomic classes. "The current system marginalises the poor segments of the society by putting a limit on their potential. I also think that it was very important to mainstream religious seminaries because they have been isolated for a long time," the PM said. The PM also stressed the need for a skill-based education system, stating that the Pakistani youth must be equipped with different skills in order to find appropriate jobs. "It is the government's priority to improve the education system of the country," he said. "To that end, we will extend maximum support to the Federal Ministry of education." Radio Pakistan and the Ministry of Federal education and Professional Training have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard. Under the MoU, educational programmes are being broadcast from various medium wave and FM networks of Radio Pakistan from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon and then as repeat broadcast from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm seven days a week. Along with broadcasts of the Radio School's educational programmes, this facility is also available on mobile apps, which can be downloaded via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Maryam seeks independent judicial probe into Nawaz’s conviction NEWS DESK Reacting to the death of former accountability court judge, Arshad Malik, on Friday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz demanded an inquiry into former premier Nawaz Sharif’s conviction by an independent judicial commission. Malik had convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif in the Al Azizia and Hill Metal corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) following the Supreme Court's Panamagate verdict. He acquitted Nawaz in the Flagship reference. In July 2019, Maryam had released video and audio clips in which she had claimed Malik was allegedly confessing that he convicted Nawaz under 'duress'. "Arshad Malik has passed away a year-and-a-half after his confessions and revelations. Who can be held responsible for the failure since oneand-a-half year to provide Nawaz Sharif
justice?" she wrote. She asked why not a single day’s hearing was held in the case in which the government “was in a hurry” to declare Nawaz an absconder even after the judge “confessed” to the events that preceded the verdict. The PML-N leader said that the former judge "has gone where we all have to go one day". She said that God had enabled him to "seek forgiveness from Nawaz Sharif" before leaving this world and to "shed the burden (of his decision) from his conscience". "He let it be known who had blackmailed him into declaring a false verdict and who had used him," she added. Maryam went on to say that now that the man who had "confessed and made revelations" is no more, this demand "will gain traction" that a commission of independent and courageous judges investigate the matter "so the people may know the truth". "And that day is not far. Insha’Allah this will happen!" she wrote.
NEWS
03
ex-accounTaBiliTy judge arshad malik dies of covid-19 NEWS DESK Former accountability judge Arshad Malik, 47, passed away due to complications related to coronavirus, confirmed his brother-in-law, Waheed Javed, on Friday. Malik had been in critical condition for the past two days and had been receiving treatment at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, said Javed. He is survived by two sons and two daughters. Malik had convicted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in the Al Azizia and Hill Metal establishment corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) following Supreme Court’s Panama Gate verdict in 2018, but he had later acquitted Sharif in the Flagship reference. In July 2019, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz released video and audio clips of Malik allegedly confessing that he convicted Nawaz under ‘duress’. In July of this year, the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) administration committee had removed Malik from service after a year-long inquiry on charges of professional misconduct relating to the aforementioned video scandal.
at least 7 injured, 1 dead in bus station blast NEWS DESK A blast from an auto-rickshaw has left at least seven people injured and killed one person, confirmed Sub-Inspector Sajjadul Hassan on Friday. The blast took place at Rawalpindi’s Pir Wadhai bus station and the injured have been shifted to Holy Family Hospital. The area has also been cordoned off for the ongoing investigation. As of yet, the police have not determined the nature of the blast, but Hassan said that terrorism has not been ruled out as a possibility. “The bomb disposal squad and all concerned law enforcement agencies are on the scene and investigating the area. A final decision regarding the nature of the blast will be announced soon,” Hassan said. Furthermore, efforts are being made to identify the victims.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
04 NEWS
Government to estAblIsH CommIssIon to Counter vIolent extremIsm ISLAMABAD
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AHMAD AHMADANI
He federal government has decided to establish a commission for the implementation of national narrative and development of structures against violent extremism. Sources told Pakistan Today that the Interior Division is expected to present an amended summary in the upcoming meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) during the next week for establishing the commission. The proposed commission will identify challenges for the implementation of
national narrative and development of structures against violent extremism. The commission will also help to implement the policies for counter violent extremism (CVe), conduct research on CVe and improve coordination among various state institutions for de-radicalization and rehabilitation of convicts and under-trial individuals. The primary objectives of the commission would be to provide a legal mechanism for effective implementation of the CVe policies and fulfill the international obligation of the country to curb violent extremism. The other objectives include establishing policy review board for CVe,
developing modules and conducting undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses related to counter terrorism and CVe, establishing National De-rad Facility to formulate and implement strategies for de-radicalization, rehabilitation and psychological counseling of prisoners involved in terrorism. Similarly, the commission will enforce national narratives, including Paigham-e-Pakistan, and recommend new CVe policies in line with the National Action Plan. The commission will also be tasked to prepare de-radicalization modules, strategies and vocational training programs for de-radicalization of terrorists, and promote
awareness against threats of violent extremism through print and electronic media. The Law and Justice Division has already vetted the proposal regarding establishment of the commission and the federal cabinet has accorded approval for initiation of legislation process. Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism for the past few decades and spending huge amounts to counter the challenges. It is need of the hour that a comprehensive approach is adopted to curb the social, religious and psychological factors leading to violent extremism and terrorism and a separate body is established for implementing the approach.
CM approves establishment of three national parks in Punjab LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has granted approval for the establishment of three national parks in the province. Special Assistant to the CM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday tweeted that one of the three proposed parks will be established over an area of 13,700
acres in Salt Range near Kallar Kahar, while the two others are 8,740-acre Kehri Morat National Park and 38,874-acre Pibi Rasool National Park. “These parks will help in reducing environmental pollution, protecting rare species of flora and fauna, promoting tourism in the province and providing recreational spots to the people,” she said.
WCLA to start process for registration of properties LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has started the process to develop mechanism for registering the properties in walled city and design a plan for the taxation and registration fee. According to sources, the WCLA will register properties for the first time, as earlier there was no mechanism of registering the properties. Due to the absence of such mechanism, the WCLA had suffered a lot in the hands of the land mafia, who kept on converting the residential units into commercial plazas and shops over the period. Sources further said that the original look of the city was harmed due to lack of proper check and balance in terms of registration of properties and licencing of commercial units. People built plazas and shops overnight that damaged the feel of the city and resulted in reduction of residential units. Many cottages were also demolished and converted into commercial units. There was no influence of the WCLA and people were not taking the authority seriously. Talking to Pakistan Today, WCLA Director Asif Zaheer said, “We will be carrying out this task as per the WCLA ACT, 2012. The rules regarding registration of owners and occupants and regulations of transfer of property clearly state that the authority shall maintain a record of owners and occupants of the buildings or immovable property in the prescribed manner and that the authority shall notify, at the time of the commencement of the Act, a date by which all owners and occupant of buildings or immovable property shall get themselves registered with the authority.” “It is given in the Act that the authority shall regulate the transfer of property in the prescribed manner. The clause 44 of the Act says that the authority may, in a fair and equitable manner, levy taxes, fees, rates, rents, tolls, etc. on properties located in the walled city. SHAHAB OMER
IHC issues written order in Al-Azizia, Avenfield cases ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday issued a written order in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield cases, declaring former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as a proclaimed offender. Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani issued a three-page judgment, which stated that Nawaz was given opportunities to appear before the court repeatedly and non-bailable arrest warrants were also issued against him. According to the order, Nawaz was fully aware of the court proceedings and he did not appear before the court deliberately despite of notices, arrest warrants and proclamation advertisements. The proceedings against Nawaz under 87 CRPC were completed. Show cause notices were also issued to Nawaz’s guarantors Raja Rabb Nawaz Abbasi and Sakhi Muhammad. The court also mentioned that action would be taken against guarantors under 514 CRPC. APP
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
NEWS
TRADERS LAMEnT yEARLong cLoSuRE oF PAK-cHinA BoRDER iSLamaBad
W
GHULAM ABBAS
HILE Pakistan and China are taking steps to keep Gwadar Port operational for trade activities, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route at Khunjerab Pass remains closed for over a year. The only land route between the two countries, which was closed on 1st December 2019 as per the annual fourmonth closure of the border, could not open in April 2020 due to the outbreak of the pandemic in both countries. Although trade activities on other borders of the country, which were also closed for a few weeks during the country-wide lockdown, resumed despite the pandemic issue, the border at Khunjerab
remained closed. "The border has been closed for indefinite time. Since it usually remains closed between December and April, we should not expect any development on resumption of bilateral trade before April 2021," said an importer and office bearer of Gilgit-Baltistan Chamber of Commerce while talking to this scribe. "As bilateral trade had resumed worldwide with implementation of Covid SOPs, Pak-China border should also have been opened for trade. We couldn't understand the rationale behind keeping airports opened and borders closed during the pandemic," he added. It may be noted that the Pak-China border was opened for a few weeks in July to facilitate the release of stranded containers and later in September to shift medical material gifted by Chinese gov-
ernment to GB to deal with Covid-19. Two containers carrying medical equipment donated by the Xinjiang province to Gilgit-Baltistan police department had arrived at the Khunjerab pass following its temporary reopening. Traders had earlier requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask Chinese authorities permanently reopen the border, as thousands of people affiliated with border trade had become jobless due to its continued closure. Subsequently, the ministry had written a letter to the China embassy in Pakistan on August 18, proposing that the border should be kept opened till December 31 to facilitate trade activities. Usually the border remains open for trade and travel from 1st May till November-end every year. According to sources, Pakistan initially was concerned about the opening of
the border in April 2020 after the outbreak of the virus in China but later the Chinese government was reluctant to open the border as the number of Covid patients was increasing in Pakistan as well. The GB government, due to its geographical proximity with China and frequent movement of people and goods between the two countries, had also requested the federal government to delay the reopening of the border crossing for trade as a precautionary measure. Sited at over 4,600 metres above sea level, Khunjerab Pass is the highest paved border crossing in the world on the fabled Karakoram Highway which traders and travellers have to traverse to transit between Pakistan and China. Traders believe without the reopening of Khunjerab border in GB, the operation of Gwadar port may not be fruitful.
PM presents 10-point plan to avoid economic collapse in developing states continued from page 01 He reminded the summit about his call for “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” in April this year. He expressed his gratitude to G-20 for debt suspension and its subsequent extension till June next year. “We also appreciate the rapid lending facilities activated by the IMF and the World Bank,” he added. To underscore his call for urgent global action, Imran said that five developing countries have already defaulted on their debt and warned that others are about to follow. “There are disturbing reports from the World Food Programme of possible famines in some parts of the world,” he added. “If economic collapse is to be averted in a number of developing countries due to the Covid-19, the international community must identify and implement some key priority actions. Without economic security, conflicts and disputes will persist and proliferate across the world,” the premier said. He expressed the hope that the ‘Financing for Development’ discussions initiated by the UN secretary general and the prime ministers of Canada and Jamaica, which have identified hundreds of options to support the developing countries, will culminate in some concrete actions soon.
FBR holds pre-bidding conference on Track & Trace System ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday held a pre-bidding conference for the grant of a fiveyear licence to electronically monitor (Track & Trace) specified goods i.e. tobacco, cement, sugar and fertilizer. The pre-licencing conference was held at FBR headquarter which was attended by 25 participants physically while another 15 participants joined through video link. Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, Member (IR-Operation) and Tariq Hussain Shaikh, Project Director (Track & Trace System), conducted the conference and explained the functions, features and purpose of implementing the Track & Trace System in Pakistan, which includes minimum human interface, prevention of revenue leakage and underreporting, and to ensure proper payment of duty/taxes. The participants showed their interest in the project and asked relevant and pertinent questions. The FBR team responded to all queries to the satisfaction of the participants, giving more clarity and understanding about the implementation and operationalization of the T&T system. According to FBR, the last date for the bids is 19th December 2020, which will not be extended, as the Track & Trace System has been planned to be rolled out by 30 June 2021. STAFF REPORT
HYDERABAD: Catch a fish, feed a family the life of fishermen on the Indus River. INP
President lauds progress in financial inclusion of differently-abled persons KaracHi TLTP
President Dr Arif Alvi has appreciated the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for improving the accessibility infrastructure for differently-abled persons and lauded the banking sector’s efforts for increasing financial inclusion of persons with disabilities. The president shared these views during an online meeting with the SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar, senior SBP officials and presidents/CEOs of banks on Friday, according to a statement issued by the SBP. The meeting took stock of the progress on decisions made to improve the accessibility infrastructure for persons with disabilities. Dr Alvi noted that the unavailability of concrete information on the number of people with disabilities was a major limitation for designing comprehensive plans to improve their quality of life. He shared that the government was working with different stakeholders to have a better estimate of the number of people with disabilities so as to expedite their
identification and certification. He, however, desired that timelines along with a clear vision must be defined clearly for the Working Group constituted by SBP in this regard, saying that such working groups may also be created at each bank. The president stated that awareness regarding various facilities for persons with disabilities was highly imperative and that social media could play an important role in this regard. He further said that the plight of persons with disabilities has become even more critical in the middle of the prevalent Covid-19 crisis, which was deepening the pre-existing inequalities. He appreciated SBP’s specific role in taking a number of measures to address the likely negative economic impacts on individuals, businesses and banking institutions. "The SBP’s successful measures have reduced the negative impacts of Covid-19 on economic growth, employment generation and at the same time ensured that the banking and payment systems remained healthy," Dr Alvi remarked. Speaking on the occasion, SBP Governor Dr Reza Baqir as-
sured that the central bank would continue to provide regulatory support to increase financial inclusion of persons with disabilities. The banks’ presidents/CEOs also pledged their complete cooperation for this objective. The SBP governor termed the interest and resolve of the president "a source of inspiration for all stakeholders". "If the society does not provide appropriate support to persons with disabilities, it leads to their economic disempowerment, depriving them of their independent economic and social lives," Dr Baqir remarked. He opined that persons with disabilities could economically support themselves and contribute towards the society at large when provided with adequate education, rehabilitation and financial and moral support. He said a sizable number of persons with disabilities do have the required capacity to work and contribute in the mainstream economic activities and thus successfully support their families. The SBP governor urged the banks to be cognizant of this gap and explore avenues to make inclusion of this untapped segment of the economy a reality.
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AHL expects KSE-100 at 52,000 points by next December Predicts FY21 current account in deFicit: Foresees no signiFicant ruPee dePreciation Arif Habib Limited (AHL) has predicted that the benchmark index of Pakistan Stock Exchange, KSE100, will reach up to 52,000 points by next December. Releasing its ‘Pakistan Investment Strategy Report for 2021’ on Friday, AHL during a virtual session with the media reiterated the domestic equity market will be an attractive investment avenue and that it expects the KSE-100 Index will reach 51,000-52,000 points by December 2021. Head of Research AHL, Tahir Abbas providing an overview of the Strategy Report stated that fundamental economic recovery led by higher activity, stable outlook on the external sector, impressive corporate profitability, strong liquidity and prevailing attractive valuations are likely to ignite buoyancy in the bourse. He said that with the rollout of vaccines expected in the near future, AHL expects the opening up of global economies – a major trigger for the exports of Pakistan along with continuance of robust momentum of remittances which should lend further support to the external account. With Pakistan being a consumption-driven, import-dependent economy, it is expected that overall current account for FY21 will swing into deficit. He further highlighted that deficits on the current account are not necessarily negative for the economy. AHL expects the deficit will be at a level that will be both manageable as well as fruitful for the economy, contributing to recovery in GDP growth. Reserves are at highly comfortable levels (almost 3-year high), and together with market determined exchange rate, and stable external account position, AHL does not foresee any significant depreciation in the PKR/USD parity. CEO AHL, Shahid Ali Habib addressing the media said, “We cite low interest rate regime, along with government and State Bank’s incentives as key triggers for a continuation in the stark turnaround of activity in the manufacturing sectors. Earnings growth is expected at 17.6 percent during CY21, which is a 6 year high.” He said the jump in corporate profitability is expected to be led by cement, automobile assemblers, textiles, technology and oil marketing while attractive valuations in the banking and oil exploration & production sectors are likely to attract interest. He said the recent supportive measures by SECP for digitalisation of account opening are expected to lead towards increase in participation and number of investors in the market. Additionally, rise in valuations and higher activity in the stock market are likely to attract more companies for listing on the exchange in 2021.” Furthermore, valuations in the bourse are at attractive levels, he said. The KSE-100 Index is trading at a CY21 P/E of 7.0x – an 18 percent discount to historic average multiple of 8.5, while trading at a P/B of 1.0x – a 46 percent discount to historic average of 1.9x. Moreover, the index valuations are highly attractive when compared to the region as well: at a 56 percent discount to regional markets against an average historic discount of 36 percent. According to the report, the AHL believes the SECP’s efforts for promoting the development of capital markets of the country have been commendable. Recent SECP approval of the framework for digital account opening is a big leap forward. Furthermore, the government’s efforts for enforcing stringent KYC-AML regulations across the country, have resulted in significant progress on the FATF front. AHL is confident that Pakistan will secure an exit from the FATF Grey List in February, which is likely to be a propelling force for foreign investment, said the report. RESS RELEASE
'World Competition Day': CCP vows to strengthen, support small business iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) on Friday expressed its resolve to play an active role under its mandate to strengthen and support small & medium enterprises (SMEs) through policy and advocacy initiatives. The CCP is all set to mark the World Competition Day on Saturday (today) with the theme 'Enhancing Economic Efficiency
of SMEs'. In a statement, the CCP said that the SME sector is the backbone of the economy and there is still a lot of potential for growth and innovation in the sector. SMEs deserve a special focus in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and its sustenance will depend on the support it gets from the relevant quarters. The CCP said it encourages all efforts geared towards ensuring a sustainable growth of SMEs and will endeavour to con-
tribute under its mandate through issuing policy guidelines and taking advocacy initiatives for their benefit. The CCP is working to coordinate with jurisdictions where competition agencies have contributed, directly or indirectly, towards enhancing economic efficiency of SMEs, both in Covid-19 situation and before, the statement read. On 5th December 2010, the International Network of Civil Society Organization on Competition (INCSOC) had
CMYK
announced and proposed the first World Competition Day. Subsequently, each year, the world’s competition community celebrates 5th December as the World Competition Day by holding events, issuing statements and taking other outreach measures with the intention to support consumers and promote fair play in the market. This year’s international theme is “Competition Policy and Access to Healthcare.” According to the statement, the competition law of Pakistan is a pro-business, pro-
growth statute and the CCP believes in stimulating economic performance and creating a level playing field by eradicating market distortions and eliminating entry barriers. Competition encourages businesses to compete to continuously look for better ways to satisfy their consumer base with improved quality, durability, service, and price which come to fruition in innovation. This in result, enhances the economic efficiency of businesses and particularly enables the small businesses to compete and grow.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
06 COMMENT
Revisiting Demolition of the Babri Mosque
Coping with a bothersome neighbour In the era of 5th generation warfare
P
aKIsTaN shares borders with a bad neighbour which has launched massive onslaught on us as a part of a 5th-generation warfare. India is using all elements of its national power to systemically focus on and attempt to destabilise Pakistan’s economy, information system, army and international image. Indian lobbying in the FaTF meetings was part of the campaign aimed at discrediting Pakistan. Pakistan did well by taking recourse to transparency and passing over credible information which is the best way to expose lies. There is a need to fully implement and further strengthen the right of access to Information act passed by Parliament in 2017 and the rTI laws passed subsequently by the provinces. This would help put an end to misinformation spread by Pakistan’s enemies. Pakistan also did well by submitting a dossier on Indian state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan to the UN secretary General. India has made no secret of its hostility to CPeC. It wants the progress of this project to be retarded as much as possible. The way out is to implement the project without any delay. recent disturbing reports about almost all schemes in Gwadar remaining behind schedule do not bode well. We have not only a bad neighbour but also a militarily powerful one. Pakistan and India have already fought three major wars. according to DG IsPr the differential of defence spending between India and Pakistan is almost 1:9. While the complete Pakistani army comprises around 600,000 personnel, India maintains 900,000 troops in Indian Occupied Kashmir only. In order to be able to defend itself, Pakistan needs to make the maximum use of its limited resources. The army needs to concentrate fully on its fighting capabilities, without any diversion of attention to matters that can best be dealt with by the elected government, parliament, and various civilian institutions like judiciary, eCP, foreign Office and IB. The army should be seen to be above political controversies and with no partiality for any single political party so that it enjoys the unstinted support of the entire political spectrum.
The acquittal of the perpetrators was a travesty of justice Sajjad Shaukat
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y e a r s ago, the Indian C o n s t i t u t i o n which claims India to be a secular state was torn into pieces when on 6 December 1992, a large crowd of Hindu Karsevaks (Volunteers) entirely demolished the 16th-century Babri Masjid (Mosque) in ayodhya, Utter Pradesh, in a preplanned attempt to reclaim the land known as ram Janmabhoomi–birthplace of the god ram. The demolition of the Babri Masjid sparked Muslim outrage in India, provoking several months of inter-communal rioting between Hindu and Muslim communities, causing the death of at least 2000 people, the majority of whom were Muslims. The governments of several neighbouring countries, including those of the Islamic world, condemned the Indian government for failing to stop the destruction of the historical mosque. In a 2005 book, India’s former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Joint Director Maloy Krishna Dhar wrote that the Babri Mosque demolition was planned 10 months in advance by top leaders of the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh (rss), BJP/sangh Parivar, Vishwa Hari Parishad, shiv sena, Bajrang Dal and the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha rao. Dhar elaborated, “He had drawn up the blueprint of the Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) assault at ayodhya in December 1992.” a 2009 report of the inquiry commission, authored by retired andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Manmohan singh Liberhan, found 68 people to be responsible for the destruction of the Babri Masjid, mostly leaders from the BJP. But no action was taken against them.
showing prejudice in favour of Hindus, on 30 september 2010, the allahabad High Court ruled that the 2,400 square feet (220 m2) disputed plot of land, on which the Babri Masjid had stood, would be divided into three parts. The site at which the idol of rama had been placed was granted to Hindus in general, the sunni Wakf Board got one third of the plot, and the Hindu sect Nirmohi akhara got the remaining third. The excavations by the archaeological survey of India were heavily used as evidence by the Court to support its so-called finding that the original structure at the site was a massive Hindu religious building. anti-Muslim biased approach could be judged from the verdict of the supreme Court of India. In November, last year, while announcing its judgement on the disputed land regarding the Babri mosque, the court ruled in favour of the Hindus and said that a temple will be constructed on the ayodhya land. Besides, on the pretext of lack of evidence and ignoring the facts, Indian apex court on september 30 this year acquitted all the Hindu nationalist leaders, including former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna advani, in the Babri Masjid demolition case. In its biased verdict, the court even neglected the authenticity of audio and video evidence submitted in the case. During the trial, Central Bureau (CBI) produced 351 witnesses and 600 documents as evidence. Initially, the court had framed charges against 49 accused. However, 17 accused have since died. advani, who was the then BJP chief, was among 32 people accused of criminal conspiracy and inciting a mob to tear down the mosque. In the faulty verdict, the court pinned the blame on miscreants mingled among the crowd instead, adding that leaders such as advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, another former cabinet minister, had tried to keep the mob from turning violent. Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a defendant who was acquit-
ted, stated: “We had done nothing wrong. The whole of India is happy. Lord ram’s temple is coming up in ayodhya city.” Zafaryab Jilani, a counsel for the all India Muslim Personal Law Board, said that the court had ignored all the evidence. On the same day as the judgement was announced, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez, in a statement, strongly condemned the shameful acquittal of those responsible for demolishing the historic Babri Masjid in ayodhya. The spokesperson elaborated: “The Hindutvainspired Indian judiciary miserably failed to deliver the justice again… If there was a semblance of justice in the so-called largest democracy, the individuals, who had boasted of the criminal act publicly, could not have been set free… This is yet another manifestation of the pliant judiciary under the extremist BJP-rss regime in which extremist Hindutva’ ideology takes precedence over all principles of justice and international norms… The rss-BJP regime and the sangh Parivar are responsible for the continued desecration and demolition of mosques in India in an organised manner as they did during the Gujarat massacre of 2002 and Delhi pogrom in 2020”. Indian Prime Minister Narebdra Modi’s antiMuslim chauvinism took a dangerous turn on august 5, this year when he laid the foundation stone for the Hindu ram temple at a bhoomi pujan ceremony at the site of the demolished Babri mosque in ayodhya. 5th august was the first anniversary of the abrogation of articles 35a and 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave a special status to the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Nevertheless, apart from other frenzy events, the demolition of the Babri Masjid will remain a major scar on Indian so-called secularism, as on that very day (6th December); Indian fundamentalist leaders broke all the records of Hindutva terror by deliberately hurting the feelings of the Muslims. The atrocities and tyranny let loose on that day in ayodhya continues unabated against the Muslims in one form or the other, under the Modi regime. Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations email: sajjad¬_logic@yahoo.com
Opportunity with Bangladesh
Fear of deteriorating quality with new education strategy
Pakistan must help Bangladesh recognize Indian duplicity
T
He meeting of Pakistani High Commissioner Imran ahmed siddiqui with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wazed was a landmark event for a number of reasons. Mr siddiqui was following up on his call on Bangladesh Foreign Minister a.K. abdul Monem in July, while Ms Wazed was following up on her telephone conversation with Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan around the same time. It gained particular piquancy from the fact that Ms Wazed had strongly resented Pakistan having criticized the trials for war crimes of Jamaat Islami leaders and their subsequent executions, which had led to the two countries recalling high commissioners. apart from that, it’s Ms Wazed’s mantle as the heir of her father, sh Mujibur rehman, who had broken away from Pakistan to create Bangladesh with Indian help in 1971. The meeting saw the two agreeing to a renewal of bilateral ties, for which mechanisms exist. It was not formally agreed, but there is a prospect of a meeting of the two countries’ foreign secretaries. such a meeting has not taken place for 12 years. That meeting had not taken place under Indian influence during Ms Wazed’s present stint in office, which began in 2008. However, there seems to have been a realization in Bangladesh of Indian duplicity, after it disenfranchised its own Muslim citizens in the North-east, through the National register of Citizens, threatening to throw them into Bangladesh, claiming that they were east Pakistanis whose elders had fled the 1971 War, while creating a path for citizenship among Hindus of east Pakistani origin through the Citizenship amendment act. This is happening at a time when Bangladesh faces the problem of rohingya refugees from Myanmar, a problem in which New Delhi is supporting yangon to the hilt. Pakistan must realize that it has to tread carefully, but it must build ties with Bangladesh, because after the passage of almost half a century, Bangladeshis are waking up to the realization of Hindu duplicity that had led to the creation of Pakistan in two wings. It should not be forgotten that Bangladesh finds itself inclining towards China, as Pakistan does, at a time when India is tilting against it on behalf of the Usa. Pakistan should be ready to use Chinese good offices in this impending rapprochement.
attiya Munawer
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Ue to the severity of the second wave of covid-19, once again the educational institutions have been closed, this time for almost a month and a half. The government has issued a formal announcement of the closure of educational institutions and devised a new method to continue the education process. Under this method, online education will be continued in educational institutions, where online classes are available and where online facilities are not available, the children will have to come to school once a week so that teachers can check their homework and more homework can be given for the next week. Only one class of students per day will be called into school. With this method, there is also a test for the parents to make sure that the schoolwork done at home is purely the children's own effort. In addition, there is a strong fear that the difference in the quality of education will worsen, because the educational quality of 80 sxzpercent of the children will depend on their homework, however, only 20 percent of the children will be the ones who will be able to benefit from online education and teaching. It is clear that the COVID-19 positive test rate of 10.35 percent in educational institutions across the country had forced the suspension of teaching in educational institutions. However, in view of the difficulties of students and the current changing situation, the procedure laid down by the Department of education is a case where, as the Urdu saying has it, the snake will die and the stick will not be broken. The students of many educational institutions of the country do not have access to internet facility and where internet facility is available, economic issues also get in the way. even if you have an internet connection, you need a little bit of IT knowledge to use it and get an online education. It cannot be expected to be managed by every student and home, plus if there are more children at home, most of them require separate laptops and computer systems, which is difficult if not impossible for the average family to manage. Given this situation, in different parts of the country where online education is not available, the method of guidance from teachers on a weekly basis is commendable. However, it would be much
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sOPs, then educational institutions can also be opened by strictly following sOPs. The government's priority is business rather than better if the method of attendance of students of the education, so the Prime Minister keeps reassuring the same class on a weekly basis with precautionary business community that business centres will not be closed despite the second measures is adopted even in wave of covid-19. the educational institutions Undoubtedly, the econwhere online education is omy is the backbone of available because the probcountry's prosperity, but lems referred to IT are also even without education, the seen in these schools. If the What does a uniform dream of development of almighty sees fit, and the the country will remain uncurriculum mean in this situation worsens, then the fulfilled, so while measures method of online classes country? When education are being taken to keep busiwill be compulsory. It is also possible that next time and teaching facilities are not ness centres open, educational institutions and the government will devisame here, in educational madrassas should also be ate from the mentioned kept open. The government method and be forced to institutions, when should not compromise on adopt a new strategy, howclassrooms and books will be education or the improveever, in objective circumment of the economy. The stances, conducting weekly different, the home government is talking about classes, homework and reenvironment for children will a uniform curriculum while viewing student performclosing down educational ance seems to be the best be different, then will the institutions. course of action. What does a uniform There is no doubt that difference in the quality of curriculum mean in this the government is coming education not get worse? It country? When education up with new ways to conand teaching facilities are not tinue educational activities is also the responsibility of same here, in educational inin view of covid-19. Howthe government to minimize stitutions, when classrooms ever, the entire burden has to and books will be different, be borne by the people. On such deprivation-based the home environment for the one hand, the governchildren will be different, differences in society, as ment is claiming to provide then will the difference in the other facilities to the people, such are the differences that quality of education not get including sehat Insaf cards, worse? It is also the respongive rise to classes, where while on the other hand, deof the government to spite the closure of educathe majority are destined for sibility minimize such deprivationtional institutions, parents based differences in society, have to bear the educational deprivation as such are the differences expenses including all the that give rise to classes, fees; yet the future of the where the majority are desstudents is at stake, for by attined for deprivation. tending online or weekly educational institutions, the Writer is an Advocate Supreme Court, Law Proquality of education cannot be improved, and business activities are continuin in the name of reducing fessor, member of International Bar Association the economic downturn across the country, but due and former Assistant Attorney General for Pakto the impact of covid-19 pandemic, educational in- istan. Atia Munawer can be reached at At. She tweets stitutions and madrassas are closed immediately. If tiabutt121@gmail.com we can keep business centres open without enforcing @AttiyaMunawer
Is the economy more important than education?
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Saturday, 5 December, 2020
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Political journey of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali
The Partition Revisited with the ideas of syed ahmad Khan and Mohammad Iqbal. Pakistan evolved a system which encouraged private enterprise and protected it by deed the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 had high tariffs and other fiscal and monetary measconfirmed the absurdity of the creation of a bi- ures. In the case of industries in which private sected Pakistan. even within West Pakistan the capital was inadequate and shy, government three provinces of sind, Punjab and the Frontier stepped in, developed the industries and handed have internal incompatibility and are working them over to private capitalists. at the time of for separate aims and interests. Partition, and especially after the outbreak of the economically, the undivided India was a Korean war, the jute industry of Pakistan bestrong and more or less self-sufficient economic came a source of increased earning of foreign unit. Later on when a separate state was created exchange. But even this industry of Pakistan was on the basis of majoritarian principle of Hindu monopolised by a few capitalists from Bombay and Muslim areas, it became almost sure that the who had settled in West Pakistan. Cultivators as predominantly Hindu regions would comprise well as the traders of east Pakistan, now the greater part of the mineral resources and in- Bangladesh, were deprived from the benefit of dustrial areas, while the Muslim areas would be this windfall. Thus a class of vested interests was economically backcreated in West Pakistan ward, and often deficit, in alliance with civil areas which could not servants. exist without a great From the start Pakdeal of outside assisistan developed the Pakistan developed the type type of economy in tance. Hence, at the time of partition Pakwhich economic of economy in which istan inherited an econgrowth brought affluomy which was economic growth brought ence to the few at the essentially feudal; she expense of the many. affluence to the few at the gained very few tradThe feudal families ing firms, very few expense of the many. The continued to live the banks and virtually no they had been livfeudal families continued to life industry. In Punjab, 60 ing for centuries. agrarpercent of land beian laws had not been live the life they had been longed to the landdrastically changed and living for centuries. Agrarian land ownership relords, while in sind a few hundred big Zamained in the hands of laws had not been mindars owned almost old feudal families. all the arable land. In drastically changed and There came into being a east Pakistan, howsocial divide on the land ownership remained in ever, most of the Zabasis of economy bemindars, who were the hands of old feudal tween the east and Hindus, left for India West Pakistan on the families. There came into and their land passed one hand, and within into the hands of the being a social divide on the the society of the latter tenants. The economic on the other. It forced basis of economy between scene in Pakistan was the economic growth of dominated by the capithe East and West Pakistan the country to depend talists from Bombay on foreign loans, reand the Muslim landon the one hand, and within sulted ultimately in the lords from Northern the society of the latter on concentration of ecoIndia who had sucnomic power in 43 famceeded in transferring the other ilies which owned 76.8 their wealth to Pakpercent of all manufacistan; they soon found turing assets by the end avenues to aggrandise of the 1960s. Polarisatheir means manifold. tion of classes in the This became possible rural sector and a rapid due to two factors, first, that these landlords and capitalists made up the leadership of the Muslim increase in landlessness were started at an early League and secondly that the civil servants who stage. While the incomes of the rural elite inissued licenses for trade and industry were either creased sharply following the Green revolution, the real incomes of the rural poor declined related or known to them. In the first quarter of this century, there arose in absolute terms. according to a survey 33 a Muslim middle class which comprised small percent of small farmers operating less than eigt number of Muslim capitalists, bankers and busi- acres suffered a deterioration in their diet. Durnessmen that emerged by this time mainly in ing the 1960s as many as 794,042 small families Bombay and UP. In the hope of better prospects became landless labourers. than in Hindu-dominated India it migrated to The writer is head of the political science West Pakistan. The motive force for Pakistan came largely from these middle-class Muslims department of the B.N.Mandal University, Madof North India, many of whom had been edu- hepura, Bihar, India and can be reached at racated at aligarh. at some level, they identified jkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
Pakistan started off without much industry dr. rajkuMar Singh
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ITH the creation of Pakistan it was hoped that once the Hindus had India and the Muslims Pakistan, they would live happily ever after. But the reality has been different because of the contrast between India’s multicultural democratic polity and Pakistan’s theocratic dictatorial one. even it did not solve the communal problem and made it more intense and harmful. The creation of the new state on the basis of religion and communal hatred gave it a permanent constitutional form and made it much more difficult. The most regrettable feature of this situation was that the subcontinent of India was divided into two states which looked at one another with hatred and fear. Pakistan believed that India would not allow her to rest in peace and would destroy her whenever she had an opportunity. similarly India was afraid that whenever Pakistan got an opportunity, she would move against India and attack her. Partition, after all, wrote Wilfred smith, “did not solve the communal problem; it simply internationalised it. If Muslims in the present India, constituting a minority of 23.5 percent, deserve the right to secede, how can one visualise a Pakistan with non-Muslim minorities of 40 percent and more. If Hindus and Muslims could not live together in India because they were totally antagonistic culture, as Jinnah argued, how could they live together in Pakistan, as he said they would? religion, as a faith, is supreme, but as a basis of nationhood does not carry much weight because it can not unite areas which are different, socially, economically, geographically, linguistically and culturally. History has proved that after the first few decades or at the most after the first century, Islam was not able to unite all the Muslim countries on the basis of Islam. On the basis of it only the Muslims of the subcontinent have three nations: Indian Muslims, Muslims in Pakistan and Muslims in east Pakistan, now Bangladesh. all of them, who happened to be Hindu converts, have the same tradition behind them and culturally, each is full heir to the same heritage that was Indian Islam. It was on this ground that stanley Wolpert found the doctrine of two nations as an entirely unrealistic attitude and wrote in his biography of Jinnah: “What was he talking about? Had he simply forgotten where he was? Had the cyclone of events so disoriented him that he was arguing the opposition’s brief? What he pleading for a united India ” On the other side of the few-daysold border, the Congress was saying, “the mountains and the seas fashioned India as she is, and no human agency can change that shape or come in the way of her final destiny When the present passions have subsided. The false doctrine of two nations in India will be discredited and discarded. In 1946, Wilfred was surprised to see the making of east and West Pakistan, which should not be logically united in one country. In-
aNOTHer chapter of politics from Balochistan came to an end with the demise of former Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the only political leader to hold the office of Prime Minister from the deprived province. The Former Premier was on Ventilator for a few days, he was taken to the National Institute of Cardiology rawalpindi after he had suffered a cardiac arrest. His close relative and senator sana Jamali confirmed the death, he was 76. He was born in rojhan Jamali Village on 1 January 1944 in a tribal family (Jamali) of Balochistan province. He received his early education from his province. He graduated from Government College Lahore and also did his master's in history from there. The elements of tenderness, compassion, commitment, and a bit of humor in his nature helped him emerge as one of the illustrious political characters of the country and mainly his province. Though his political loyalty kept swapping during his whole career, it could not jostle his stature as a politician in his home Province. During his college days, he staunchly supported Mohratam Fatima Jinnah and actively participated in her election campaign. Jamali was arrested along with a few other supporters of Quaid,s sister from a political gathering in Lahore, The elders of his family were against his move of being active in politics, but in spite of that bitter opposition, he kept engaged in political activities. after the death of his Uncle, Mir Jaffar Khan Jamali- a Tribal Chief and Close ally of Quaid-e-azam, He launched himself into the orbit of parliamentary politics by joining Pakistan Peoples Party, as he was of the view that charismatic and the then only popular leader of the country, Zulfikar ali Bhutto will help him end the sense of deprivation coaxing among the people of Balochistan after their rights were usurped by the military rulers. earlier he contested election from his native constituency for the seat of the provincial assembly during the elections of 1970 but lost. He contested the elections of 1976-77 from the ticket of PPP and was elected unopposed, later he was made the minister for Information and food in the cabinet of Chief Minister sardar Mohamad Khan Barozai. after the coup-d'etat of 5 July 1977, he parted his ways with PPP and became part of the Military ruler's Cabinet as the Minister of Food and agriculture. In the non-Party based elections of 1985. after his exceptional victory, he was the favorite candidate for the prime ministership, even political pundits and analysts of that time were leaning at his side but General Zia after obtaining advice from one of his true-blue allies Pir sain Pagara made a surprising call and Mohammad Khan Junejo a gullible Politician from Mirpurkhas District of sindh was elected the 10th Prime Minister of Pakistan. Mir Zafarullah Khan was inducted as the Minister of Water and Power in Junejo,s Cabinet In 1988 He was elected as the Chief Minister of Balochistan but couldn't last long in that office and the Balochistan assembly was dissolved just one month after he was made the CM. after his defeat as the Candidate of Islami Jamhoori Ithad, he was appointed as Pakistan's representative to UNO by Prime Minister Nawaz sharif to give Jamali a saving after that upsetting defeat in the elections after the dismissal of Benazir Bhutto,s Government by her own President Farooq ahmed Lagahri in 1996, he was appointed the caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan. Pakistan Muslim Quaid-e-azam after the elections of 2002 managed to get Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali elected as the 15th Prime Minister of Pakistan, he remained in the office for 2 years and resigned in 2004. Before entering politics he also served as the chief selector of the Pakistan's Hockey Team twice. The team selected under his supervision Pakistan won the atlanta Olympic title. a Large Number of People including leaders of Political parties, social welfare organizations, religious, trade, and other organizations attended the funeral prayers of the Prime Minister. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of his village rojhan Jamali. Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali will be remembered as the politician of distinguished ethos. KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA SUJAWAL
Boosting Export WITH Pakistan’s outbound shipments increasing in the recent months as compared to its regional competitors since the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions start to ease, this modest growth in exports trigger hope in the otherwise staggering economy. as the November shipments have increased to $2bn, the short term trend highlighting the rise in our export bracket do not conclude the bridging of the trade gap. It means that we have still a long way to go and positively, we are on that way. One of the determinants of Pakistan’s staggering economy is stagnant exports. The obvious explanation is an anti-export bias, incoherent export policy, lack of value-addition, reliance on narrow export base, low labour productivity and lack of technological innovation which is acting as a barrier between Pakistan’s desires to take off on exports despite trillions given in subsidies to exporters especially the textile industry. even though significant volume of relief packages along with 25% slack in electricity bills under the export boosting reform agenda are provided but to little or no avail. Therefore, if Pakistan wants to transform its economy from a consumption-led one to an export-oriented one, it has to do invest in real development. rather than becoming elated at some rising figures in export data, Pakistan need to formulate longterm policy measures so that the export growth becomes sustainable. In this respect taking examples from Bangladesh, singaporean growth model and the east-asian tigers is imperative. Furthermore, the government of the day needs to ensure equal treatment to all exporters ranger from large-scale manufacturing ones to small IT firms and freelancers who work for someone outside the country to bring in revenue for product diversification. With the digitalization of economy in response to Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing measures, it is essential for our citizens to become tech-savvy and erudite with respect to evolving technicalities in buying and consumption cycle. all of this has to be followed up by formulating an all-encompassing and cohesive economic policy where education, health and vocational training is aligned with export sector. It is because a backward and an illiterate society has not place in today’s digitalized global economy. HADIA MUKHTAR KARACHI
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
The geoPolITICs of vACCIne dIsTrIbuTIon IT’S NEITHER ETHICALLY NOR STRATEGICALLY CLEAR WHO SHOULD RECEIVE THE VACCINES FIRST
geopolitiCal Futures
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Alex berezow
HE American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, in collaboration with German firm BioNtech, surprised the world when it announced that its coronavirus vaccine showed 90 percent efficacy in preventing COVID-19. Days later, another American firm called Moderna announced that its vaccine was nearly 95 percent effective. And shortly after that, AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine was 62 percent to 90 percent effective. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration dictates that vaccines be at least 50 percent effective to earn emergency use authorization, and most observers weren’t expecting vaccine candidates to perform much better than that. the reported results, therefore, were a pleasant surprise that excited governments and markets alike. the magnitude of this accomplishment cannot be overstated. typically, the timeline from inception to regulatory approval of a new drug is about 10 years. After receiving approval, pharmaceutical firms then prepare for mass manufacturing, which itself could take another decade. However, thanks to a combination of factors – government programs like Operation Warp Speed, expedited regulatory approval and unprecedented global cooperation – the first batches of a COVID-19 vaccine from a trustworthy source will be delivered in less than a year. (China and Russia also claim to have created vaccines, but insufficient data and transparency make most Western scientists skeptical of their efficacy and safety.)
Even so, public excitement is premature. there are months to go before the vast majority of people, including Americans, can expect to receive the jab in their arms. the immediate hurdle is obtaining FDA approval. though approval should take roughly three weeks as government experts pore over the data, the process could take longer. According to Dr. Henry Miller, a fellow at the Pacific Research Institute and the founding director of the FDA’s Office of Biotechnology, the FDA has concerns about consistency in the production of the vaccine. In other words, the FDA wants to know if companies can manufacture batch after batch that meets certain quality control measures, such as potency and purity. By the end of December, Moderna plans to have 20 million doses, Pfizer 50 million doses, and AstraZeneca 200 million doses. So, some people should be receiving jabs before the end of 2020. (the regimen requires two shots one month apart, which means the number of people immunized is half the number of doses.) By the end of 2021, there should be billions of doses available from all companies combined. But manufacturing is just one headache. Another is distribution, which is actually a two-fold problem: (1) Moderna’s vaccine must be kept frozen during long-term storage and shipment, but Pfizer’s vaccine must be kept at a whopping -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-70 degrees Celsius) during shipment; and (2) It’s neither ethically nor strategically clear who should receive the vaccines first. THE DISTRIBUTION DILEMMA: the reason your local grocery store contains relatively fresh food from the other side of the planet is because of something known as the “cold chain,” a series of refrigerated containers that allow perishable food to be shipped without spoiling. Many drugs and especially vaccines require the same thing. However, Pfizer’s vaccine, which consists of an unstable information-containing molecule called RNA encased within an equally unstable bubble of fat, requires storage at 94 F (-70 C). Generally, only research laboratories possess deep freezers that cold; pharmacies and hospitals do not. Pfizer’s solution is to provide special containers that
can be packed with dry ice to maintain the requisite temperature, but once the vaccine has been removed and placed inside a regular refrigerator, the shelf life is five days. the Moderna vaccine can be stored and shipped at -4 F and has a shelf-life of 30 days in regulator refrigerators, so it poses a much smaller logistical challenge. AstraZeneca’s vaccine is the easiest to distribute, since it can be shipped at the regular refrigeration temperature of 36-46 F and kept on the shelf for six months. the question of who gets the vaccine first will play out initially at the international level. Countries that have made purchase orders will be the first to receive them. For example, according to Mint, the European Union has secured 200 million doses (with an option for 100 million more) for Pfizer’s vaccine, Japan 120 million doses, the United States 100 million doses (with an option for 500 million more), and the U.K. 30 million doses. If all options are exercised, Pfizer simply cannot meet that demand even by the end of 2021, which could mean that rich countries will fight among themselves over who gets what batch when. the U.S. already has a tense relationship with Europe, and a fight over vaccine batches would put more stress on a fragile trans-Atlantic relationship, especially since the country that receives the most vaccine doses has a likelier chance of improving its economy the quickest. Because Moderna, AstraZeneca and other companies will also produce vaccines, these tensions can be eased somewhat, though whichever country serves as a company’s “home” likely will be under substantial pressure to deliver vaccines to compatriots first. this latter point is complicated by the fact that some of these companies are multinational entities and have “homes” in several countries around the globe. While rich countries duke it out, the rest of the world will have to wait. Money doesn’t solve everything. the logistical challenges posed by the cold chain make it nearly impossible to deliver a vaccine to a region with poor infrastructure and unreliable electricity. Gaps in the cold chain – that is, periods in which the vaccine is not stored at the proper temperature – would destroy
the vaccine. (this is to say nothing of criminal activity. Everyone is a potential target of criminal enterprises that offer fake vaccines, of course, but poorer countries are most susceptible since delivery of legitimate vaccines may be months if not years away.) Internally, countries will be faced with domestic political concerns over vaccine allocation. In the United States, there is tension between federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state governments over the number of doses each state will receive. the incoming Biden administration will be under tremendous pressure to deliver vaccines to Americans first, regardless of any contractual obligations that companies may have. If necessary, the president and Congress may get involved, overriding pharmaceutical companies’ contracts in the name of national security. After that, there are ethical and strategic decisions to be made over who receives the vaccine first. the state of Washington, for example, has proposed three phases of distribution: First, frontline health care providers, first responders, and vulnerable populations (such as those with underlying health conditions or residents of long-term care facilities); second, the general community; and third, filling any “gaps” in vaccine access (such as in poorer communities). It is likely that many other states will employ a similar strategy. there’s also the matter of vaccine efficacy. Simply put, some vaccines are better than others. Remember that the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna are 95 percent effective, but AstraZeneca’s is merely 62 percent to 90 percent effective. Who gets the less effective vaccine? And who makes that decision? the poorest nations are likeliest to get a coronavirus vaccine last. But there’s room for optimism as many other companies will continue developing coronavirus vaccines. Most, like the one made by AstraZeneca, will not require the extreme cold chain that Pfizer’s vaccine needs. In addition, AstraZeneca has pledged to forgo profits until the pandemic is over. the company is also working with nongovern-
mental organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide vaccines to developing countries. the question about global vaccine distribution has therefore shifted from if to when. But will the vaccine(s) come in time to prevent further economic damage and social unrest? Vaccine delays could create or aggravate default risks in poorer countries, with financial contagion spreading to richer countries. Many people are no longer willing to tolerate lockdowns. All across Europe citizens are protesting additional safety measures, with demonstrations in Italy turning violent last week. Ancillary effects of lockdowns have created other grievances against governments too. In many places, families and spouses have been separated because of border closures and arbitrary immigration policies. In Indonesia, for example, binational unmarried couples are not allowed to reunite, but elderly foreigners are allowed in as tourists despite the fact that elderly people are the likeliest to die from coronavirus. these policies have resulted in the Indonesian government being inundated with complaints by angry citizens. they reveal the tension between concerns over public health, the economy and the social fabric, and it’s not clear that they can be improved until a vaccine is fully deployed. Indeed, few societies are willing to control the virus at the cost of ripping the social fabric. the coronavirus has revealed an immense tension between the economic and social pillars of our society. Governments have no good options. Some will be tempted to reimpose lockdowns, justifying them with the claim that they will be eased as soon as a vaccine is available. But this is a false reassurance. For citizens of rich countries, widespread vaccination is still months away. For citizens of poor countries, widespread vaccination may be years away. A restless public is not going to tolerate indefinite lockdowns through 2021, and governments that try to impose them should be prepared for civil unrest. Alex Berezow joins Geopolitical Futures to analyze the impact of science, technology, and public health on geopolitics.
Is Putin really considering a military alliance with China? IN RECENT YEARS, MOSCOW HAS TRIED TO EXPLOIT THE ISSUE OF ITS RAPPROCHEMENT WITH BEIJING TO SCARE THE WEST WITH THE PROSPECT OF A SINO-RUSSIAN BLOC
Carnegie MosCow Centre
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AlexAnder GAbuev
t a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club several weeks before the U.S. presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin made an interesting comment. Asked whether it was possible to conceive of a military alliance between China and Russia, Putin replied, “It is possible to imagine anything.… We have not set that goal for ourselves. But, in principle, we are not going to rule it out, either.” For many years, Putin and senior Russian officials — and the Chinese leadership, too — have always stated clearly that no alliance with China was on the agenda. Moscow and Beijing are well aware that their interests don’t always coincide. China, for example, does not recognize Abkhazia or South Ossetia as independent nations, and officially considers Crimea to be part of Ukraine. Russia, for its part, doesn’t recognize Chinese claims to the South China Sea, and stays out of China’s territorial disputes. Neither side wishes to risk getting drawn into a major conflict over the interests of its partner. the logical explanation for Putin’s refusal this time to rule out a military alliance with China may lie not in Russia’s relationship with
China, but with the West. Since Russia’s much-publicized pivot to the East following the collapse of its relations with the United States and EU back in 2014, Russia has taken important steps to strengthen its partnership with China, primarily focusing on economics and security. Major projects such as the construction of the Power of Siberia pipeline and other energy ventures have nearly doubled the share of Chinese trade in Russia’s overall trade turnover in less than a decade: from 10 percent in 2013 to nearly 18 percent in 2019. Military cooperation has also reached a new level, with Russia selling the latest hardware to China, such as Su-35 fighter aircraft and S-400 missile systems, and the two countries holding joint military exercises on an increasingly large scale and over an ever-expanding geographical area, from the Baltic to the South China Sea. But if for Russia, under sanctions from the West, China is becoming an increasingly important partner that would be hard to replace, for Beijing, Moscow could easily be supplanted, since most of what it supplies China with could be bought elsewhere. Even the role of Russian arms will dwindle as Chinese defense technology inevitably progresses. In addition, U.S. and EU sanctions are gradually making Russia depend on China for strategic civilian technology, such as 5G systems: although both European (such as Ericsson and Nokia) and Chinese (Huawei and ZtE) solutions are present on the Russian market, the prospect of new sanctions and national security considerations make Chinese companies the favorites. Russia’s dependence on China has not yet reached a critical level. After all, the thinking in Moscow goes, if during the Ukraine crisis in 2014 Russia could defy its main partner — the EU — while heavily dependent on Euro-
pean markets, technology, and finance, then the Kremlin can defend its interests just as fiercely in the event of a quarrel with China. And while China accounts for less than 20 percent of Russia’s trade turnover and its debt to Chinese financial institutes is still insignificant, that assessment appears to be justified. But if relations with the EU and United States continue to deteriorate during the next ten to fifteen years, and the role of China as a trade partner and source of technology continues to grow, then Beijing could end up with the means to put pressure on Moscow. And if in 2014 the Kremlin at least had some alternative to the West in China, in the mid-2030s there might be no alternative to China, and Russia may find itself bound by pipelines to its sole customer amid a buyer’s market. In addition, Moscow cannot fail to notice that in recent years, Beijing has acquired a taste for using economic weapons such as sanctions, embargoes, and tariffs to apply pressure to other countries, as illustrated by the trade war currently raging between China and Australia (despite the latter being seen until recently as a successful example of another country’s symbiosis with the Chinese economy). the Kremlin no doubt recalls how in 2011, China National Petroleum Corporation secured a discount from Rosneft and transneft on a previously agreed contract by leveraging the Russian state oil companies’ enormous debts to Chinese banks and their precarious situation. If China could successfully put pressure on Russia back in 2010, when the gap between the two countries’ economies was smaller, what’s to stop it doing the same in 2036? In recent years, Moscow has tried to exploit the issue of its rapprochement with Beijing to scare the West with the prospect of a Sino-Russian bloc taking shape, with the aim
of forcing it to soften its policy toward Russia. this approach is starting to bear fruit with the EU, as evidenced by French President Emmanuel Macron’s interview with the Economist last year, and by the keen interest in Sino-Russian ties in Berlin and many other European capitals. But neither the EU nor individual European countries, even ones as powerful as Germany and France, can limit the Russian-Chinese rapprochement without coordinating their efforts with the United States. U.S. attitudes toward the emerging entente between Moscow and Beijing are mixed. Under U.S. President Barack Obama, many senior officials believed that there wasn’t much to it and that the rapprochement was insincere, since the two countries don’t trust each other and there are fears in Russia of a Chinese demographic expansion in its Far East. the Donald trump administration took the challenge more seriously, and even entertained former secretary of state Henry Kissinger’s idea of a great power triangle. But U.S. attempts to position itself at the top of the triangle came to nothing, and the actions of the trump administration only strengthened the Russia-China axis. Responding to China and Russia’s growing closeness is unlikely to be a priority for Joe Biden’s foreign policy team, but the issue will inevitably come up in discussions among his national security team. the president-elect considers China to be a “serious competitor” to the United States in the battle for global leadership, and Russia as an “opponent” and the most hostile of the major powers, so Washington cannot ignore the relationship between Beijing and Moscow. In any case, the issue will be on the White House’s radar since the new team plans to make restoring relationships with U.S. allies a priority, and the Sino-Russian relationship is
the subject of growing attention in Berlin, Paris, London, tokyo, and Seoul. the key task will be to understand what precisely about the Moscow-Beijing rapprochement is undesirable for the United States and its allies, which aspects of it the West can influence to its own ends, and what methods it can use to do so. Moscow knows full well that the United States’ main concern is the military rapprochement of Moscow and Beijing, specifically, the use of Russian technology and adaptation of Russian experience in recent military campaigns to boost the potential of China’s People’s Liberation Army. An even more alarming prospect is the transition from a non-aggression pact between Russia and China, which already constricts the United States and its allies, to joint military operations such as last year’s strategic bomber patrol in Northeast Asia. the next step could be the formation of a more profound security partnership that would increasingly resemble a military alliance. It’s likely no coincidence that Putin touched on this sore point in particular in his recent comments at the Valdai event. the main problem for the United States and its European allies is sketching out a realistic strategy that would take into account the importance for any Russian government of good relations with China, the immovability of current Western sanctions, key Western interests like support for Ukrainian territorial integrity, and Moscow’s red lines. For the Kremlin, the key challenge is not to put too much stock in Western fears of the Sino-Russian rapprochement, and to be capable of changing policy in order to stabilize ties with the United States and Europe, while at the same time preserving good relations with Beijing.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
BUSINESS 09
CabineT LikeLy To RaTify GaS LoaD manaGemenT PLan foR WinTeR
corporate corner
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KARACHI: Naheed.pk, the commerce initiative of Naheed Supermarket, recently honored the top athletes of the country in a colorful ceremony held recently as part of Conclave Pakistan 3.0, an event organized by eCreatorz and America Pakistan Business Development Forum, to commemorate their successes. Press release
aHMaD aHMaDaNI
HE federal cabinet is likely to ratify the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE)'s decision regarding natural gas load management for the ongoing winter season during its upcoming meeting to be held on Tuesday. Sources informed this scribe that the CCoE, in its meeting held on 26th November, had approved natural gas load management plan for winter season with certain directions that "there will be no planned curtailment for domestic sector in Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) systems", and that "there will be no planned curtailment of gas supply to export industry". However, in case of an emergency, supply to captive power units of export-based industry may be curtailed for one day a week at the end of December 2020-beginning of January 2021. Similarly, gas supply to general industry and captive units of general industry (non-export) may be curtailed as needed from midDecember 2020 to end of January 2021.
According to CCoE, the supply for compressed natural gas (CNG) sector may be on 'as and when available' basis. Sources said the CCoE has asked the Petroleum Division to place before the cabinet details of economic costs of diversion of gas from power sector and industry, besides measures to improve the mechanism of [gas] supplies. The division has planned to supply additional regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to the tune of 150 to 200MMCFD during Dec-Jan to meet its shortfall of up to 250MMCFD, sources said, adding that the balance shortfall would be mitigated through load management of gas supply to CNG and industry/captive (non-export). For SNGPL, the Petroleum Division has planned to mitigate the company's shortfall of 250MMCFD in January 2021 through load management of CNG, industry and its captive power plants (non-export) other CPPs (export) as a last resort. Official sources, on condition of anonymity, said the Petroleum Division has been making important interventions to manage gas supplies, which included
MARKET DAILY
PTCL’s Webinars-for-a-Cause series concludes KARACHI: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has concluded its ‘Webinars-for-a-Cause’ series under its Razakaar initiative, which was attended online by more than 160 young graduates from a multitude of backgrounds and economic strata. The series included students with hearing and speech impairment, with two exclusive webinars for their benefit to develop their skills and confidence building. The webinars, in collaboration with emerging employment portals such as Kamayi, DeafTawk and Whynot, aimed to bridge the gap between industry and academia by nurturing and upskilling the youth, such as building their personal and professional network, importance of verbal and non-verbal communication, career growth, etc. Speaking about the initiative, Syed Mazhar Hussain, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, PTCL & Ufone, said, “We are proud of our Razakaars, who play a significant role in undertaking various CSR activities across Pakistan.” Press release
Govt releases Rs1.78bn for textile sector under DLTL scheme Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood said on Friday that the government has released Rs1.78 billion for the textile sector under Drawback of Local Taxes and Levy (DLTL) scheme. Taking to Twitter, the adviser said, "I hope this will resolve the liquidity issues of our exporters and enable them to enhance exports." The DLTL for the non-textile sector would also be released shortly, he added. The adviser further informed that the export of animal casings from Pakistan to Japan has resumed after a ban of four years. "I advise our trade missions to actively engage the importers for promotion of Pakistan’s exports," he stated. On Thursday, Razak Dawood had hailed the significant growth observed in the country's export in different sectors for the months of November 2020. He said that this was in line with the government's policy of promotion of value-added exports and reflected a healthy trend. "I am glad to share that in the provisional figures for November 2020, significant growth has been seen in the exports of home textiles (20pc), pharmaceutical products (20pc), rice (14pc), surgical goods (11pc), stockings and socks (41pc), jerseys and pullovers (21pc) women’s garments (11pc) and men’s garments (4.3pc), as compared to Nov 2019." BUsINess DesK
diversion of gas and revival of shut-in wells. They said that the division has so far made arrangements for additional LNG cargo for the month of January 2021 so that both LNG terminals could operate at optimum level. It has also undertaken retrieval of natural gas from shut-in wells by work-over/overhauling and allocation of volumes by the end of December 2020, which include up to 90MMCFD for SSGCL and 16MMCFD for SNGPL, respectively. In addition, the division has made arrangement of additional gas from Mari Petroleum Company Limited for injection into SNGPL system on ‘as and available basis’ i.e. up to 15MMCFD (phase-I) in December 2020 and up to 50MMCFD (phase-II) by early January 2021, subject to installation of compression facility by MPCL. On a question related to production of gas in Sindh, officials said that the province produced 2.1 Billion Cubic Feet per Day (BCFD) gas, of which about 1.8BCFD was consumed in the province while approximately 250MMCFD was diverted to Punjab. This diversion was compensated by supply of up to 200MMCFD of RLNG.
Stocks post modest gains amid mixed sentiments KARACAHI sTaFF rePOrT
ISLAMABAD: A vendor prepares traditional snack, Samosa, for a customer at his roadside setup. INP
Cement desptaches up 4.19pc YoY in November LAHORE HassaN NaQVI
Pakistan's cement sector posted a 4.19pc year-on-year growth in November 2020 -- the lowest monthly increase in this fiscal year (FY2020-21) after doubledigit growth in September and October. According to data released by the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), total cement despatches in November 2020 were recorded at 4.508 million tonnes, as compared to 4.327 million tonnes in Nov 2019; 5.735 million tonnes in Oct 2020; and 5.225 million tonnes in Sept 2020. During the month under review, local cement uptake increased 6.29pc to 3.742 million tonnes in Nov 2020 from 3.521 million tonnes last year, whereas exports witnessed a reduction of 4.99pc, from 806,521 tonnes in Nov 2019 to 766,273 tonnes. November was the first month in FY21 to witness a decrease in exports.
In the northern region, domestic cement despatches inched up 4.79pc to 3.129 million tonnes in Nov 2020 from 2.986 million tonnes last year. On the other hand, exports from the region decreased 30.81pc to 0.182 million tonnes in Nov 2020 from 0.263 million tonnes last year. In the southern region, domestic cement despatches increased 14.66pc to 613,113 tonnes from 534,720 tonnes in Nov 2019, whereas exports from the region also rose 7.51pc to 584,182 tonnes in Nov this year from 543,361 tonnes last year. The overall cement despatches during the first five months (July-Nov) of FY21 increased by 16.61pc to 23.839 million tonnes from 20.444 million tonnes in July-Nov 2019. During the five-month period under review, domestic despatches registered a healthy increase of 15.55pc, from 16.837 million tonnes to 19.456 million tonnes, while exports jumped 21.54pc, from 3.607 million tonnes to 4.384 million tonnes.
In the northern region, domestic growth increased 16.03pc, as consumption in 5MFY21 increased to 16.757 million tonnes from 14.442 million tonnes last year. Exports from the north posted a decline of 10.34pc, falling to 1.087 million tonnes from 1.213 million tonnes in Jul-Nov 2019. Likewise, in the southern region, domestic growth increased 12.66pc as consumption in 5MFY21 increased to 2.698 million tonnes from 2.395 million tonnes last year. Exports from the region posted a growth of 37.70pc, from 2.394 million tonnes in Jul-Nov 2019 to 3.296 million tonnes. As per the APCMA spokesman, "Bad publicity that the cement sector received as a result of coercive actions by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) even before the completion of investigation affected the industry's performance this week." He urged the Ministry of Industries and Productions to take notice of CCP's "irresponsible behaviour".
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) managed to end the week on a positive note, with the indices posting decent gains amid range-bound activity. Equity markets around the world also showed a positive trend, whereas crude oil prices moved north from from the previous close; WTI crude price appreciating 1.36pc to $46.26 while Brent crude oil price rising 1.33pc to $49.36. "Although the market remained positive for the entire session, it lacked the excitement from investors' end to make a forward move. E&P stocks responded cautiously to the rise in international crude oil prices following OPEC+ decision to gradually increase output in 2021," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read. "After putting put a decent show for most part of the day, selling pressure in the last half hour, particularly in oil & gas marketing and cement stocks, dragged the index down slightly." SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 remained in the green zone throughout the session, registering its intraday high at 42,316.52 after gaining 268.80 points. It settled higher by 175.36 points at 42,207.00. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 261.00 points to end at 68,296.61, while the KSE All Share Index gathered 149.89 points, closing at 29,549.41. The overall market volumes improved from 420.19 million shares in the previous session to 426.84 million shares (+2pc). Average traded value also inched up by 0.5pc, from $112.6 million to $113.2 million. TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +3.57pc), Pakistan Refinery Ltd (PRL +2.49pc) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTC +2.45pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 42.62 million, 30.95 million and 21.73 million shares, respectively. Sectors that kept the benchmark index afloat included oil & gas exploration (+60.87 points), banking (+56.68 points) and technology & communication (+31.05 points). Among the companies, Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDC +38.29 points), TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +26.45 points) and United Bank Ltd (UBL +14.53 pts) remained the top contributors. Adding 2.03pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the technology & communications sector ended as the session’s top performer, with NetSol Technologies Ltd (NETSOL +3.57pc), Avanceon Ltd (AVN +1.63pc) and Pakistan Datacom Ltd (PAKD +4.22pc) closing in the positive territory.
Hotel management startup Roomy raises $1m in Pre-Series A round led by Lakson VC LAHORE TaIMOOr HassaN
Islamabad-based Roomy Hotels (Private) Limited (Roomy.pk) has closed a $1 million Pre-Series A round led by Lakson Venture Capital (Lakson VC). The announcement was made on Friday at 021Disrupt by Lakson VC Managing Director Faisal Aftab. Besides Lakson, other investors in the round included Islamabad-based Karavan VC and a syndicate of angel investors. Roomy.pk is a business that shares budget hotel market economy with unbranded hotel property owners, making it affordable for people to obtain branded quality hotel facilities at a cheaper price by tapping the underutilised inventory of local unbranded budget hotels.
Roomy has been able to leverage technology to develop a proprietary solution that is transforming customer experience and hotel management, while enabling the company to achieve rapid, data-driven growth. Some of the features offered to travelers across properties include guaranteed online bookings, contactless check-in, check-out (no front desk queuing), standardised rooms and branded amenities. The team is spearheaded by Goldman Sachs and Carnegie Mellon alumnus Dr Asad Samar, who is the founder and the CEO. Co-founder Haasin bin Zahid from Jovago joins as chief operating officer and Abdul Rehman from Convo Telenor as the chief technology officer. “Roomy is a fresh take on the traditional hospitality business. Our rooms are decked out with aesthetically pleasing minimalist in-
teriors, price points tailored for the young and growing Pakistani middle class, techstack developed in-house for the smart traveler and an innovative business model
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designed for scale,” said Asad Samar. Pakistan’s middle class is projected to grow to 122 million by 2025, the largest increase after China and India. 130 million Pakistanis are
below the age of 30 consisting of millennials and Gen Zers who are eager to travel. The local hospitality industry is 3 per cent of the GDP with an expected year-onyear growth of 5.4 per cent; while tourism makes up 7 per cent of the country’s GDP. There are more than 50 million domestic tourists each year and the number will likely increase due to global travel restrictions. “The hospitality and travel industry in Pakistan is an underserved market segment with a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity. Roomy is our second pick in the travel vertical as it has a scalable asset-light business model; while addressing the market gap for younger domestic leisure and corporate budget travelers, offering optimally priced standardised rooms and amenities in key locations,” said Faisal Aftab, who has also joined Roomy.pk’s board of directors.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS Ice on Gulf crisis thaws as Qatar FM signals progress DOHA AGENCIES
Qatar’s foreign minister has said there has been movement on resolving the diplomatic dispute that has pitted the Gulf neighbours against one another but he could not predict whether a breakthrough was imminent or would fully resolve the matter. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel boycott on Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and having ties with Iran that were deemed too close. Qatar has repeatedly rejected the accusations as baseless while highlighting its readiness for dialogue. “Right now, there is a movement that we hope will put an end to this crisis,” Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, also deputy prime minister, said on Friday. “We believe the end of the crisis is important for the security of the region and for the sake of our people. This crisis needs to end based on mutual respect and the rights of all people of the Gulf. “Qatar is not differentiating between any of the countries. We hope things will move in the right direction but we cannot yet predict if it will be imminent and if it will be resolved in one day.” As the price for lifting the blockade, the four nations set a 13point ultimatum for Qatar, which included shutting down the Al Jazeera Media Network. “There is no country that is in a position to place demands on the other. There are differences that need to be overcome,” said Al-Thani. “If there are any disagreements, there must be a discussion to resolve them. We need to build our relationship based on mutual respect of sovereignty,” he added.
Global food prices hit sixyear high amid pandemic ROME AGENCIES
World prices for food commodities saw a steep year-on-year increase in November, hitting an almost six-year high, with the index posting its sharpest monthly spike since July 2012, according to the United Nations food agency. The index, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), rose to 105.0 points last month against 101.0 in October, showing a 3.5 percent monthly increase. The index, which reflects monthly changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar, hit the highest level since December 2014. According to the Rome-based agency, prices for vegetable oil were leading in the surge, growing by 14.5 percent against the previous month, reportedly due to a jump in palm oil prices. Cereal prices demonstrated a more modest month-on-month increase of 2.5 percent, although they were still almost 20 percent above last year’s level. Prices for wheat grew due to “reduced harvest prospects” in Argentina, with maize prices lifted partly by lower crop forecasts in the United States and Ukraine. Rice reportedly held steady. Prices for meat and dairy were 0.9 percent above the figure posted in October. Meat prices were down 13.7 percent during the same period in 2019, but bovine, ovine, and pig meats saw monthly increases. Concerns over a potential shortfall in the global production of sugar amid poor crop prospects in the European Union, Russia, and Thailand boosted prices for the commodity by 3.3 percent.
76 MOsQues Face clOsure, 66 MIGraNts depOrted IN FraNce PARIS AGENCIES
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HE French government launched a “massive and unprecedented” wave of measures to combat what it calls religious “extremism”, targeting 76 mosques suspected of “separatism”. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Thursday tweeted his interview with RTL radio, writing: “In the coming days, checks will be carried out on these places of worship. If ever these doubts are confirmed, I will ask for their closure.” He also said 66 undocumented migrants suspected of “radicalisation” had been deported. President Emmanuel Macron’s government has
responded to several deadly attacks in recent weeks with a promise to crack down on what Darmanin has said is “the enemy within”. Darmanin said 76 mosques out of the more than 2,600 Muslim places of worship had been flagged as possible threats to France’s Republican values and its security. “There are in some concentrated areas places of worship which are clearly anti-Republican [where] imams are followed by the intelligence services and where the discourse runs counter to our values,” he said. The inspections to be carried out are part of a response to two gruesome attacks that particularly shocked France – the beheading of a teacher who showed his pupils blasphemous cartoons and the stabbing to death of three people in a church in Nice. Darmanin did not reveal which places of worship
would be inspected. In a note he sent to regional security chiefs, he listed 16 addresses in the Paris region and 60 others around the country. The minister said the fact only a fraction of the 2,600 Muslim places of worship in France were suspected of peddling radical theories showed “we are far from a situation of widespread radicalisation”. “Nearly all Muslims in France respect the laws of the Republic and are hurt by that,” he said. In October, Macron laid out a plan to tackle what he termed “Islamist separatism”, as he described Islam as a religion in crisis across the world – comments that upset Muslims in France and globally. France is home to the largest Muslim minority population in Europe, and some fear being collectively punished after a series of attacks in recent months.
FDA chief had 'robust discussion' with White House about vaccine timelines WASHINGTON AGENCIES
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s chief had a “robust discussion” with the White House this week about the timeline for coronavirus vaccine approvals and believes vaccinating 20 million Americans this year is realistic, he said on Friday. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn declined to lay out a specific timetable for approval of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech but said he hoped the regulator would make a decision this month. Many federal officials are expecting a vaccine approval within days of a Dec. 10 meeting of experts, though one FDA official recently said an approval decision could take weeks. “We expect to move quickly,” after that meeting, Hahn told Reuters in an interview. Britain leapt ahead of the United States this week in approving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, intensifying scrutiny on U.S. regulators as they consider whether to grant emergency use in the country that leads the world in coronavirus infections. Hahn has come under pressure
from outgoing President Donald Trump, who is eager to claim credit for a successful vaccine, to speed up the process. The FDA head discussed the situation at a White House meeting with chief of staff Mark Meadows earlier this week to explain the timing and the “balancing act” required to make sure a vaccine is safe and effective. “Mr. Meadows asked for a briefing and we gave it, and it went very well,” Hahn told Reuters. “We had a very robust discussion, and I know that term sometimes is loaded, robust, but we did.” Though he declined to give a specific timeline for vaccine approval, Hahn gave a nod to its likelihood by endorsing the White House’s goal of having 20 million Americans inoculated by the end of the year. “I think given what we know about supplies, it is realistic,” Hahn said of that goal. “It’ll very much depend upon ... the vaccination campaign.” Trump, a Republican who lost the Nov. 3 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden but has declined to concede the race, said last week he deserved credit for the vaccine. Dealing with the virus that has killed more than 276,000 people in
the United States as well as the economic fallout from the crisis is one of Biden’s top priorities once he takes office on Jan. 20. Hahn said Biden’s team had not been in touch with him but he would be happy to provide information about the vaccine approval process. The cancer specialist said he had not made plans for a new job after the Biden administration takes over. To get to 20 million people, the FDA would need to approve both Pfizer’s vaccine and the shot developed by Moderna soon so they can go to the states quickly. Data from late-stage trials of Moderna’s vaccine, which uses the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer/BioNTech shot, is due to be reviewed on Dec. 17. Based on a scenario in which people get two doses, Pfizer plans to provide the United States with enough vaccine for 12.5 million people and Moderna has said it will have enough for 10 million people this year. Pfizer and Moderna have tested their products as two-shot vaccines given weeks apart, but Hahn said officials at the agency were combing through their data and might consider them as a single-shot if warranted.
Yellow fever claims 172 lives In Nigeria: WHO GENEVA: A yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria has killed 172 people so far, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Friday. The outbreak poses an extra challenge to the country's health system as Africa's most populous nation deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, several concurrent disease outbreaks and a humanitarian crisis in the northeast, the WHO said. Nigeria has been battling successive yellow fever outbreaks since 2017. This latest outbreak was detected in November, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva. "As of November 24, the outbreak has been reported in five states in Nigeria: Delta, Enugu, Bauchi, Benue and Ebonyi," he said. "A total of 530 suspected cases have been reported, including 48 that have been confirmed by lab testing. A total of 172 deaths have been reported out of those 530 suspected cases." He said sample testing was ongoing through national reference laboratories. The spokesman said Nigerian national and state authorities were focused on the Covid-19 pandemic response, limiting the human resources required to conduct investigations and response activities for the yellow fever outbreaks. Capacity has been increased in certain hospitals to help manage patients who develop yellow fever symptoms and complications. Currently, 16 of Nigeria's 36 states and the federal capital territory have completed vaccination campaigns. Six more are expected to do so in the first quarter of 2021, with a further six set to do so by the end of next year, bringing the total to 28, the WHO said. The percentage of people immunised against yellow fever remains low in many parts of Africa, even though the vaccine is nearly 100 per cent effective and relatively cheap. AGENCIES
Eurozone, UK business activity shrinks in Nov as lockdowns bite LONDON AGENCIES
Business activity in the eurozone and Britain contracted in November as governments tightened lockdown measures to curb the second wave of Covid-19. IHS Markit’s composite Purchasing Managers Index for the eurozone, considered a good gauge of economic health, fell to 45.3 in November from October's 50.0, with a reading below 50 indicating contraction, and a figure above indicating growth. However, this was higher than an earlier flash reading of 45.1. Meanwhile, the composite PMI for the UK dipped slightly to 49.0 from 52.1 as the country underwent a nationwide partial lockdown, the lowest level since June but a smaller drop than an initial estimate of 47.4. "The eurozone economy slipped back into
a downturn in November as governments stepped up the fight against Covid-19, with business activity hit once again by new restrictions to fight off second waves of virus infections," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit. A separate PMI covering the eurozone’s services industry fell to 41.7 from October's 46.9, marking its third month below the breakeven mark and the lowest reading since May, when the first wave of the virus swept across Europe. Williamson said the lower PMI readings reflected a far smaller decline than seen in the spring. "Unlike earlier in the year, manufacturing has so far continued to expand, buoyed in part by recovering export demand, and the service sector is also seeing a much shallower downturn than during the first lockdowns," he said. In the UK, activity in the services sector fell less than expected to 47.6 from 51.4 in
October, with the lockdown also having a smaller impact on companies that the more stringent measures earlier in the year. This was the first time since June that the index fell below the 50 level, but a smaller drop than the decline to 45.8 in an earlier 'flash' estimate, or the record-low reading of 13.4 in April. "New lockdown measures and tighter pandemic restrictions unsurprisingly tipped UK private sector output back into decline. However, the collateral damage on sectors outside of hospitality, leisure and travel has been far more modest than in the first lockdown period," said Tim Moore, an IHS Markit economist. Britain's economy suffered a record 25 per cent fall in output during the first lockdown in March and April, but the Bank of England expects output to contract just 2 per cent in the final three months of 2020.
Lebanon’s Kataeb in talks with opposition for united front in polls BEIRUT AGENCIES
Lebanon’s Kataeb Party is holding talks with opposition groups and independent activists about the formation of a coalition that will contest the 2022 parliamentary elections. Party leader Samy Gemayel resigned as an MP after the massive Beirut port explosion in August that killed at least 190 people, including Kataeb’s secretary general Nazar Najarian. The blast was caused by the ig-
nition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port for more than six years. Gemayel, the son of former president Amine Gemayel and the nephew of assassinated president-elect Bachir Gemayel, announced his resignation alongside two other MPs at Najarian’s funeral. Within a week of the explosion, eight politicians had resigned in protest against corruption and negligence in state institutions after it was revealed that the country’s top officials and
security agencies knew about the dangers posed by the storage of ammonium nitrate at the port. Even before the blast, the country’s economic crisis or its mass demonstrations, Mr Gemayel tried to shed the Kataeb Party’s image as a hardline, civil war-era Christian faction. He backed calls for major reforms that would end sectarianism and ensure the country maintained its sovereignty. He also backed the popular uprising that began last October over corruption and said his
party met various groups to lay the ground for a framework that would unite “like-minded” opposition forces. “For months, we have been meeting with opposition groups, former fellow lawmakers and independent activists from across Lebanon,” Mr Gemayel said. “Hopefully, we will be able to make an announcement sometime in the near future.” He said the focus of the talks was a sovereign and neutral Lebanon and the decentralisation of local elections.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
WIllIAMSon doMInAnT AS neW ZeAlAnd puT preSSure on WeST IndIeS WELLINGTON
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WEST INDIES 49 FOR 0 (CAMPBELL 22 NOT OUT, BRATHWAITE 20 NOT OUT) TRAIL NEW ZEALAND 519 FOR 7 DEC BY 470 RUNS
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ANE Williamson showed few signs he has not played a test since March as the New Zealand captain posted a career-best 251 on the second day of the opening test against West Indies in Hamilton on Friday. Williamson’s 22nd test century, and third double ton, made up almost half of New Zealand’s first innings total of 519 for seven declared before the tourists reached 49 without loss in reply. John Campbell was on 22 and Kraigg Brathwaite 20 not out at the close of play
at Seddon Park. Williamson had started the day’s play on 97 after he and Tom Latham (86) put on 154 runs for the second wicket on the first day after Jason Holder had won the toss and asked the hosts to bat on a green pitch. Williamson lost overnight partner Ross Taylor (38) in the second over but brought up his century when he punched a Kemar Roach delivery through point in the next over. He then dominated
the middle-order partnerships with Henry Nicholls (seven), Tom Blundell (14) and Daryl Mitchell (nine) and brought up his double century with another characteristic cover drive, again off Roach’s bowling. While he lost Mitchell shortly afterwards, Williamson and Kyle Jamieson combined for a breezy 94 runs before the captain, who had hit Alzarri Joseph for a four and six to go past 250, was caught at
deep midwicket attempting to clear the rope again. Pace bowler Jamieson then continued to burnish his reputation as a potential all-rounder with a first half-century. Williamson declared shortly after the 2.03m tall Jamieson reached his milestone. The 25-year-old now has scores of 44, 49 and 51 not out in his three test innings after making his debut earlier this year against India.
Pakistan have training exemption revoked due to Covid-19 positives AGENCIES WELLINGTON
T he Pakistan cricket team have had their exemption to train during managed isolation in Christchurch withdrawn due to several members of the squad testing positive for the novel coronavirus, New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said on Friday. Eight members of the 53-strong Pakistan squad have tested positive for the virus since arriving in New Zealand. “I have very carefully considered this situation,” Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said in a statement. “At this time, I continue to have ongoing concerns about the risk of cross-infection within the squad. “There have been a number of active cases identified among the team. Public health considerations will continue to be foremost in our response to Covid-19, whether this involves individuals or teams. “We appreciate the challenges that this decision will have for the touring team.” Under the exemption the squad would have been allowed to train in small groups from the fourth day of their mandatory 14-day isolation until they were released next week. The initial positive tests that were discovered upon their arrival, however, prompted Bloomfield to temporarily suspend the exemption until the Health Ministry completes an investigation. The squad were also warned for breaching bio-security regulations last week. Pakistan were scheduled to have a four-day game starting on Dec. 10 against New Zealand ‘A’ upon
AGENCIES The first One-Day International between South Africa and England that was scheduled for Newlands on Friday has been moved to Sunday after a player from the home team tested positive for Covid-19. Cricket South Africa (CSA) said the latest round of tests conducted on Thursday resulted in an unnamed South African player returning a positive result, the
Jadeja injured as concussion substitute Chahal fires India to win AGENCIES MELBOURNE
Concussion substitute Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets as India beat Australia by 11 runs in the first Twenty20 match in Canberra on Friday but the win was soured by an apparent hamstring injury to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. In a contest laced with controversy, Jadeja top-edged into his helmet in the final over but was not tested for concussion on the field at Manuka Oval. He ended up scoring a valuable nine runs off the last three deliveries to push his team to a defendable total of 161 for seven. Jadeja, however, was ruled out during the innings break, and Australia coach Justin Langer had a heated argument with match referee David Boon before the home side began its chase at Manuka Oval. Legspinner Chahal rubbed salt into Australia’s wounds by removing captain Aaron Finch for 35 and star batsman Steve Smith for 12 in quick succession to swing the momentum back to India. He returned to dismiss Matthew Wade for seven with the last ball of his quota, the wicketkeeper slog-sweeping to captain Virat Kohli at deep midwicket. “Obviously it’s a great feeling,” Chahal beamed after being named man-of-the-match. “It’s my pleasure to take their wickets. They know the conditions very well and I bowled according to my plans.”India claimed their second successive win of the tour after beating Australia in the third one-day international on Wednesday. But they will anxiously await the prognosis for Jadeja’s injury less than two weeks before the series-opening test in Adelaide on Dec. 17. Jadeja called for a trainer in the 19th over as he struggled to bat with his injury but he gathered himself to hammer 24 runs off the last seven balls faced in his unbeaten 44 Australia were also left counting the cost, with Finch suffering a muscle injury in the field and hobbling between wickets during his knock. Australia have already lost opener David Warner to a groin injury for the T20 series and allrounder Marcus Stoinis has been recovering from a soft tissue injury.
WTA looks to start 2021 season on January 4 outside Australia AGENCIES their release from isolation, but opted instead to play a series of intra-squad matches, New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday.
South Africa-England ODI moved to Sunday after positive Covid-19 case CAPE TOWN
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third from within the camp during the six-match limited overs series. The teams had travelled to the stadium to prepare for the game but it was officially called off an hour before the start. The player in question is set to be isolated from the group and a round of fresh tests likely conducted ahead of what is now the series opener in Paarl on Sunday. “This decision results from a player from the Proteas
West Indies win MCC's Spirit of Cricket award AGENCIES LONDON
West Indies have won this year’s Spirit of Cricket award after sending both their men’s and women’s teams to tour England during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced. The men’s side arrived in England in June for a three-test series played in a biosecure environment, which saw international cricket resume for the first time since the novel coronavirus outbreak brought the global calendar to a halt. The women featured in a Twenty20 international series against England in September after India and South Africa were unable to tour because of the pandemic. “In a year when cricket has brought us much solace, it is entirely fitting that Cricket West Indies and their men’s and women’s teams should be recognised for the courage of their decision to tour England, an act which truly embodies the spirit of cricket,” MCC President Kumar Sangakkara said.
The tourists are due to play three Twenty20 internationals and two tests from Dec. 18, while a Pakistan ‘A’ tour will also be held concurrently.
team testing positive for Coivd-19 after the teams’ last round of scheduled testing performed on Thursday ahead of the ODIs,” CSA said in a statement. “In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials and all involved in the match, the Acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture.” It means there will be back-to-back ODIs on Sunday and Monday in Paarl and Cape Town, before the series is completed at Newlands on Wednesday. The decision places a spotlight on the South Africa camp and their protocols during a tour that will provide much-needed revenue for struggling CSA. Two players tested positive ahead of the Twenty20 International series that started on Nov. 27 and was won 3-0 by England. Yet more worrying will be the positive case from within the secure hotel bio-bubble, where both teams have been based since Nov. 17.
Under-pressure Zidane insists he has Real's backing AGENCIES MADRID
Under-fire Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday that he has the backing of the club’s players and hierarchy despite their recent run of poor form. Real have won one of their last five games in all competitions, with local media reporting the Frenchman has two games to save his job, starting with Saturday’s trip to Sevilla in La Liga. Zidane, however, said he has the support of everyone at the club. “Yes, I have the club’s complete backing,”
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he told a news conference. “I can’t be satisfied when we lose a game, but we know where we are. We’re lucky enough to be able to fight and give our all for this club and that’s what I’ll do until my last day. “The players want to compete (for trophies), to play and they’ve always shown me warmth. We know that together we will come through this. When things don’t go right, they’re the first people who aren’t happy. “In tough times we need to pull together and in the same direction. We’ll get through this.” Real are fourth in La Liga, seven points
MUMBAI
The WTA is planning to start the 2021 season in the first week of January outside Australia before the players travel to Melbourne for quarantine ahead of the Grand Slam, women’s tour chief Steve Simon said. The Australian Open looks likely to be pushed back from its scheduled Jan. 18 start as Tennis Australia (TA) continue talks with local government over Covid-19 protocols to be established for Melbourne Park. Negotiations over when the players arrive in Australia and what they will be allowed to do during their 14 days of quarantine have dragged out over the last few weeks but Simon was confident the tournament would go ahead. “The Australian Open, we’re expecting it to happen,” he said by telephone from the United States. “Obviously the Australian Open will come with a quarantine period to enter Australia so it does create challenges around the month of January. “We’re looking right now at hopefully close to finalising in the next week or so the ability to stage some events in the week of Jan. 4 to start the year.”
adrift of leaders Real Sociedad. The La Liga champions’ downturn in form has coincided with the absence of captain Sergio Ramos, who has missed the last six games with a muscle problem. With Wednesday’s crunch Champions League tie with Borussia Moenchengladbach on the horizon, Zidane says he will not take any risks with Ramos’s fitness. “As always with everyone, and with Sergio too, we won’t take risks. If Sergio is fit enough then he’ll be with us and that’s how it is and we know that. “I don’t want him to do any more harm. We’ll see what we do tomorrow. Hopefully I can get all the injured lads back sooner rather than later.” Defender Dani Carvajal, midfielder Federico Valverde and forward Eden Hazard will definitely miss the trip, however there was better news for Zidane as Luka Jovic resumed training after returning a negative Covid-19 test.
Saturday, 5 December, 2020
PrAyEr TImINGS
NEWS
isRael uRges citizens to avoid gulf, cites iRan thReat t AGENCIES
HE Israeli government on Thursday urged its citizens to avoid travel to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, citing threats of Iranian attacks. Iran has been threatening to attack Israeli targets since its chief nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated last Friday near Tehran. It accuses Israel, which has been suspected in previous killings of Iranian nuclear scientists, of being behind the shooting. Israel has not commented on the killing. But Fakhrizadeh has long been on Israel’s radar screen, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying at a 2018 news conference about Iran’s nuclear program: “Remember that name.” Israel accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons — a charge Iran denies. In recent months, Israel has signed agreements establishing diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab states of the UAE and Bahrain — its first normalisation deals with Arab countries in a quarter-century. The agreements, brokered by the Trump
administration, have generated widespread excitement in Israel, and thousands of Israeli tourists are scheduled to travel to the UAE for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah this month. That may change following Thursday’s warning. “In light of the threats heard recently by Iranian officials and in light of the involvement in the past of Iranian officials in terror attacks in various countries, there is a concern that Iran will try to act in this way against Israeli targets,” said a statement issued by the prime minister’s National Security Council. It also advised against travel to Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the Kurdish area of Iraq and Africa. Israeli media say the government also has beefed up security at embassies around the world. But protecting Israeli travellers, conspicuous and spread out at countless hotels, restaurants and tourist sites, represent a different type of challenge. “This is going to be a nightmare, and I really hope that both governments, UAE and Israel, are coordinating and doing the best they can to safeguard those Israelis,” said
Bangladesh Begins shipping Rohingya Refugees to Remote island DHAKA AGENCIE
Authorities in Bangladesh on Friday started sending a first group of more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees to an isolated island despite calls by human rights groups for a halt to the process. The 1,642 refugees were boarding seven Bangladeshi naval vessels in the port of Chittagong for the trip to Bhashan Char, an official said. The island was once regularly submerged by monsoon rains but now has flood protection embankments, houses, hospitals and mosques built at a cost of more than $112 million by the Bangladesh navy. Located 34 kilometres from the mainland, the island surfaced only 20 years ago and was never inhabited. The United Nations has also voiced concern that refugees be allowed to make a “free and informed decision” about whether to relocate to the island in the Bay of Bengal. The island’s facilities are built to accommodate 100,000 people, just a fraction of the million Rohingya Muslims who have fled waves of violent persecution in their native Myanmar and are currently living in crowded, squalid refugee camps. On Thursday, 11 passenger buses carrying refugees left Cox’s Bazar district on the way to the island, where they are expected to arrive after an overnight stopover, a government official said. He said “a few thousand” refugees were in the first batch. Authorities in Cox’s Bazar did not say how the refugees were selected for relocation. About 700,000 Rohingya fled to the camps in Cox’s Bazaar after August 2017, when the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar began a harsh crackdown on the Muslim group following an attack by insurgents. The crackdown included rapes, killings and the torching of thousands of homes, and was termed ethnic cleansing by global rights groups and the UN. Foreign media have not been permitted to visit the island. Contractors say its infrastructure is like a modern township, with multi-family concrete homes, schools, playgrounds and roads. It also has solar-power facilities, a water supply system and cyclone shelters. International aid agencies and the UN have opposed the relocation since it was first proposed in 2015, expressing fear that a big storm could overwhelm the island and endanger thousands of lives. The UN said on Wednesday that it was not involved in preparations for the relocation or the selection of refugees and had limited information about the overall plan. “The United Nations takes this opportunity to highlight its longstanding position that Rohingya refugees must be able to make a free and informed decision about relocating to Bhasan Char based upon relevant, accurate and updated information,” it said. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the government to cancel the relocation plan. The current refugee camps near the town of Cox’s Bazaar are overcrowded and unhygienic. Disease and organised crime are rampant. Education is limited and refugees are not allowed to work. Still, most Rohingya are unwilling to return to Myanmar due to safety concerns. Government officials did not have an estimate of how many refugees would be willing to be relocated to the island.
Yoel Guzansky, a former Israeli counterterrorism official who is now a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “I’m really worried that that something might happen, and especially now because of the context of Fakhrizadeh because Iran is really looking for revenge,” he added. He spoke before the travel advisory was issued. The Israel Airports Authority estimates that about 25,000 Israelis will fly to the UAE this month on the five airlines now plying the route between Tel Aviv and the Gulf state’s airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Celebrities, entrepreneurs and tourists already have been flocking to Dubai. With the coronavirus appearing to be under control in the UAE, it is one of the few quarantine-free travel options for Israelis during the coming Hanukkah holiday vacation, adding to its appeal. At a time when few people are travelling, Israeli visitors speaking Hebrew could be extra conspicuous. Israel this week also signed a tourism agreement with Bahrain. Amsalem Tours, an Israeli travel agency, said that there was “very serious” demand
for travel packages to Dubai but did not provide specific figures. Today, Dubai, famous for its glittering shopping malls, ultra-modern skyscrapers and nightlife, is a crossroads for travellers from around the world, including many nations that do not have relations with Israel. Iran maintains a major presence in Dubai, due to historical and current trade ties, and Dubai is believed to be a major station for Iranian intelligence services. The family of a California-based member of an Iranian militant opposition group in exile says he was abducted by Iran while staying in Dubai just a few months ago. In a possible sign of Emirati security concerns, travel agencies in countries across the Middle East and Africa say the UAE has temporarily halted issuing new visas to their citizens. With tens of thousands of Iranians working or doing business in the UAE, Iran is also among the countries facing visa restrictions. Israel had already had a travel warning in place advising citizens against nonessential travel to the UAE. Similar “basic concrete threat” advisories are in place for
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visiting other Arab states with which Israel has peace treaties. But the language of Thursday’s warning was especially tough. The UAE, for its part, is known for its strict security. Home to 3.3 million people in 2019, with just over 3 million of them foreigners, Dubai’s published major crime statistics are among some of the lowest in the world. Before Israelis began arriving, Dubai held a highly publicised drill of a police SWAT team storming a replica metro car in October and suggested facial-recognition technology could be implemented at stations along its driverless track. Experts already believe the UAE has one of the highest percapita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world, a system that’s only grown amid the coronavirus pandemic. And despite the recent tensions, Iran may not strike on Emirati soil, wanting to maintain its economic interests there. The UAE meanwhile has gone out of its way to say it wants to de-escalate tensions in the region despite its own suspicions over Iranian behaviour. It called the killing of Fakhrizadeh a “heinous assassination.” In an interview before Thursday’s advisory was issued, Pavel Israelsky, co-founder of Salam Dubai, said the boom in his UAEbased Israeli tour operator’s bookings was “significant” ahead of the Hanukkah holiday. While a handful of Israeli clients cancelled over security concerns, he said, “I can say that the UAE is one of the most secure places in the world in terms of the resources they invest in security.” “I don’t think there’s cause for worry,” Israelsky said. “Today, no place is really safe.”
First Muslim man arrested in India under controversial conversion law BAREILLY AGENCIES
Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state have arrested a Muslim man over allegations that he tried to convert a Hindu woman to Islam three years ago. His arrest marks the first detention under a controversial new law that makes religious conversion for marriage a crime. The Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance was passed into law last week in the north Indian state, led by a Hindu monk and politician, Yogi Adityanath. The legislation is considered to be a response to a Hindu right-wing conspiracy theory that makes unfounded claims of Muslim men maliciously luring Hindu women into relationships to convert them to Islam. Owais Ahmad, 21, was arrested on Wednesday in Bareilly district of the state after a Hindu woman’s father accused him of “threatening to kidnap and forcefully convert her faith from Hinduism to Islam”. “The case was registered by Tikaram, the father of the girl who alleged that Owais tried to forcefully convert his daughter by kidnapping and marrying her,” Sansar Singh, a senior police officer in Bareilly station, said. Ahmad is not eligible for bail and if convicted could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 50,000 rupees ($675). He and the unidentified woman were in a relationship for several years before they tried to elope nearly three years ago. The woman’s family found her on the day she disappeared and the pair never married. They soon after ended their relationship,
but the incident sparked police complaints before the woman’s father filed a case under the new law last weekend. Police said the woman was married to a Hindu man in June. Her father claimed in his complaint that Ahmad had tried to convert the woman three years ago through “allurement and coercion”. Under the law, any marriage deemed to be for the sole purpose of conversion will be “deemed null and void”, unless a prior state sanction has been granted to convert. The conspiracy theory found its way into public consciousness in recent weeks, mostly from leaders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and states where it is in power. Four states ruled by the BJP are considering similar legislation to outlaw marriages in which one spouse converts to another faith before or after the marriage. They are seemingly under pressure from Hindu groups making unfounded claims that Muslim men are duping unsuspecting Hindu women into marriage with the sole aim of converting them to Islam. In October this year, a popular jewellery brand withdrew a TV advertisement featuring an interfaith couple celebrating their baby-shower ceremony after facing backlash and even physical attacks from Hindu right-wing groups. Last month Adityanath issued open threats to Muslim men at a public rally, asking them to respect the dignity of Hindu women or else “prepare for their funeral journey”. India has a population of 200 million Muslims and interfaith marriages come with strong and often deadly responses from society and police.
Jordan, israel in rare meeting on palestinian issue AMMAN AGENCIES
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has held a rare meeting with his Israeli counterpart to press for the restart of stalled negotiations between the Palestinians and the Jewish state. Thursday's meeting came days after Palestinian Authority leader Mahmud Abbas visited Jordan as part of an Arab tour to raise support for the Palestinians after Joe Biden won last month's US presidential election. During the meeting at King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Safadi said the creation of an independent Palestinian state was key to ending the conflict with Israel. "There is no alternative to a two-state solution" between Israel and the Palestinians, he told Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, quoted by the official Petra news agency. "It is necessary to return to the negotiating table according to international law in order to find a real solution to achieve a just peace," Safadi said. On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz called on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table, in a video statement addressing the "Palestinian people and their leadership". "The Middle East is changing. It is in your interest to come to return to negotiate," Gantz said in the statement that was posted online with Arabic subtitles. "Don't stay behind," he said, promising to "promote big projects" in the Israeliblockaded Gaza Strip.
OPEC+ finally reaches deal on 2021 oil output cuts RIYADH
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FTER much debate, the OPEC+ group has finally reached an agreement on oil production for next year or at least for January. OPEC+ will, as a group, add in 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January to its oil production quotas, which currently calls for a production cut of 7.7 million bpd. The total production cut in January will be just 7.2 million bpd. Future assigned quotas could rise or fall,
and to determine those levels of oil production beyond January, OPEC+ ministers will hold additional meetings—one each month. The agreement is being touted as a win for all parties, although behind closed doors, it is unlikely that all ministers feel that way, as some ministers were vocally opposed prior to the meeting to adding in any production out of fear that oil demand would not be able to sustain any added production. In addition to the agreement for adding 500,000 bpd of production back in, OPEC+ members that are laggards in sticking to
their production quotas will have to make up the difference between now and March, one delegate said. The additional things in the agreement include: Russia’s share of the 500,000 bpd additional January production is 125,000 bpd; and countries can either use their part of the 500,000 bpd increase by increasing production outright or—for the laggards— they can “use” their share of the additional allowance to offset any additional compensatory cuts they must make. The fact that the agreement only covers January could mean that there were some
heavy concessions that had to be made to reach a consensus. But the January-only deal is being sold as flexible that will allow the group to react to demand swings. The January-only agreement should have a considerable effect on oil price volatility in the months to come. With fresh OPEC announcements every month, the market will hang on every word, and oil prices will respond in kind, regardless of their actual effect on oil prices. In a presser following the meeting, OPEC chairman HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud chas-
tised the media for their “imaginative” star wars they have been perpetuating in recent weeks, referring to reports that the UAE and Saudi Arabia were spatting over the way forward. "They came up with the ultimate compromise," said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at Axi. "These meetings will bring some volatility to the market and, importantly, stand to make hedging harder for US producers," Mr Innes said. Opec+ was expected to continue existing cuts until at least March, after backing down from plans to raise output by 2 million bpd.
Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk