EpaperLHR_2020-05-16

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Saturday, 16 May, 2020 I 22 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 318 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

‘We have to live With Covid-19 this year’: imran defends deCision to reoPen eConomy g

ASKS MEDICAl COMMuNITy TO uNDERSTAND CHAllENGES GOvT IS FACING DuE TO POvERTy IN COuNTRy

file Photo

ISLAMABAD staff report

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RIME Minister Imran Khan on Friday defended the government’s decision to ease the lockdown — imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Pakistan —, saying “We have to live with the virus this year”.

Addressing a press briefing in the federal capital, PM Imran said that he would like to especially address the medical community, because is he aware of how alarmed they were at the announcement of an ease in curbs, given the pressure it would create on medical facilities.

“I assure you my government has full realisation of what sort of pressures you must face, [given your profession and especially] with regard to your families and children,” he said, adding that it is important for the medical community to understand how a country tackles a problem of this magnitude, the choices it has to make, and the repercussions the decisions have on the whole society.

“If someone had told me with certainty that we need to keep the country locked down for three months and then we will defeat the virus. We could have

done it. We would have dedicated all our resources to fighting it and would have tried to ensure food supplies to homes with out volunteers.

“But all the medical experts in the world are saying there are no signs of a vaccine this year […] so this means the virus isn’t going anywhere,” said the premier.

He said the rationale behind a lockdown was to prevent the spread of the virus as it is highly contagious. “But will the virus end with a lockdown?”

The premier then spoke of countries where a second surge of the virus is being witnessed, such as China, South Korea, Singapore, and Germany.

“We have to live with this virus. This year we have to make do with the virus.”

‘SAVING PEOPLE FROM HUNGER’: Continuing to address the medical community, he asked whether they really think the lockdown can stay enforced for another two months.

Comparing Pakistan’s economy with that of developed countries, Imran once more spoke of how while the others had announced hundreds of billions of dollars worth of stimulus packages, Pakistan had only managed to allot $8 billion. He said those countries do not have the kind of

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

38,437

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

10,155 14,916

822

13,914

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

5,678 105/501

2,457 866

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

KP and Punjab to resume public transport, Sindh refuses STORY ON PAGE 03

Govt says wearing masks mandatory in public spaces STORY ON PAGE 03

SBP slashes interest rate to 8pc as Covid-19 fallout hits economy g

SBP SAyS vIRuS HAS CREATED ‘uNIquE’ CHAllENGES FOR MONETARy POlICy DuE TO ITS NON-ECONOMIC ORIGIN KARACHI meIrYum alI

The State Bank of Pakistan, in a meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Friday, slashed the country’s policy rate by 100 basis points from 9pc to 8pc.

The MPC said this action was made light of the SBP’s inflation outlook, which has improved given the recent cut in domestic fuel prices.

This is the fourth time in three months that the SBP has slashed the policy rate. In the space between March 17 and May 15, the SBP has now cut the policy rate by a whopping 525 basis points, from the relatively high 13.25pc to 8pc.

More specifically, it cut the policy rate by 75 basis points to 12.5pc on March 17, by a further 150 basis points to 11pc on March 24, and by 200 basis points to 9pc on April 16.

Central banks around the world have slashed interest rates, though perhaps none as aggressively as Pakistan’s SBP. According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Pakistan has cut its interest rates the most this year, out of a survey of nine countries, including the uS, Peru, South

Provinces likely to oppose NFC Award over extra shares for Centre ISLAMABAD

Ghulam abbas

CONFIRMED CASES:

poverty that Pakistan does.

Providing statistics based on a labour force survey carried out in 2017 and 2018, he said that there are 25 million people who are daily wage workers such as labourers.

“There are 25 million workers who depend on their daily wage or weekly wage […] to feed their families they make use of this income.

“These are the people who were forced into their homes during their lockdown. They had no other means [to earn a livelihood].”

The premier said that consequently, now 150 million people have become affected by the lockdown.

He said that Pakistan, despite the grave situation, had managed to do what many countries had not. Citing the example of the Ehsaas emergency cash programme whereby Rs12,000 had been distributed to families whose source of income had been taken away due to the lockdown, he said: “We gave out Rs12,000 through Ehsaas. How long can we do this?

And how long will Rs12,000 last them?”

The premier said the situation was such that necessitated taking such measures, that the government is fully aware of the pressure on the medical community and knows full well that cases will continue to rise.

The provinces are likely to object to the deduction of their respective shares in the recently notified 10th National Finance Commission (NFC) after the Centre sought more money under the heads of defence and disaster management.

Aside from the terms of references (TORs), the Sindh government has even questioned the constitution of the commission. Officials believe that the other provinces will also follow in Sindh’s footsteps.

“When it comes to shares of revenue under NFC, even the provincial governments of ruling party PTI will not compromise on their respective shares,” said the official adding that “we have experienced in the past governments… the provincial representatives have objected to more shares to center.”

“Though the federal government in consultation with some ‘important institutions’, has added some new ToRs to discuss and pressurise the provincial governments to give more shares to the Center through the NFC without going for a change in the 18th Amendment, the move is likely to backfire.

According to the sources, apart from International Monetary Fund (IMF), the armed forces and various other quarters, also wanted to rebalance the transfer of a larger chunk of the divisible pool resources to the provinces under 7th NFC Award. However for a constitutional obligation and objection from provinces, the division of revenue continued the same in the past 10 years despite failure of two NFC awards (8th and 9th NFC).

In addition to defence expenditures, the federal government also demanded shares under the head of the assessment of total public debt and allocation of resources for its repayment, losses incurring to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and development of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

A Ministry of Finance official that the government would take provinces on board and that it was premature to comment on shares that center may get after the new NFC Award.

However, Dr Kaiser Bengali, who had represented provinces in the NFC, said the Centre has planned to deduct up to 15 per cent from the provinces’ shares.

After the 18th Amendment, the Federal Divisible Pool (FDP) was being distributed under the ratio

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of 57.5 percent to 42.5 per cent among the provinces and the federal government, respectively.

The Centre claims that under the existing revenue distribution mechanism, the federal government is barely left with funds to pay for its two non-discretionary expenses –debt servicing and defence. It has to approach lenders to finance even its administrative and development expenditures. The NFC Award is a constitutional obligation, which is clearly mentioned in Article 160 of the 1973 Constitution. The constitution has made it mandatory for the government to compose the NFC Award at an interval extending not more than five years for the distribution of finances between the Centre and the provinces.

According to Article 160 of the Constitution, after every five years, the president will constitute the NFC for a period of five years.

The 9th NFC was constituted on April 24, 2015 and reconstituted a couple of times in 2016, 2018 and 2019 owing to change in governments and replacement of non-statutory members, but it failed to conclude a new award as no meaningful and structured dialogue could be sustained.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Africa, Turkey and ukraine.

In explaining its rationale for cutting the policy rate, the SBP noted that the coronavirus pandemic had created ‘unique’ challenges for a monetary policy due to its non-economic origin.

“While easier monetary policy can neither affect the rate of infection transmission nor prevent the near-term fall in economic activity due to lockdowns, it can provide liquidity support to households and businesses to help them through the ensuing temporary phase of economic disruption,” the SBP clarified.

The SBP also maintained that the rapid policy rate cuts had helped maintain credit flows and bolstered cash flow of borrowers, thereby limiting contraction in the economy.

INFLATION EXPECTATIONS: According to the SBP, inflation could fall closer to the lower end of the previously announced ranges of 11-12 percent this fiscal year and 7-9 percent next fiscal year.

In January 2020, the inflation rate had hit a record 14.56pc, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05 fiqah-e-hanfia

lahore sehr: 3:32 aM iftar: 6:53 PM

karachi sehr: 4:22 aM iftar: 7:10 PM

islaMabad sehr: 3:30 aM iftar: 7:00 PM fiqah-e-jafaria

lahore sehr: 3:22 aM iftar: 7:03 PM

islaMabad sehr: 3:20 aM iftar: 7:10 PM

karachi sehr: 4:12 aM iftar: 7:20 PM

more inside

Retail sector sees sharp recovery as lockdown eases STORY ON PAGE 02

Govt plans to boost health, social sectors in upcoming budget STORY ON PAGE 03

Healthcare system will survive Covid-19 onslaught, govt tells NA

STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

NEWS

REtAIl sECtoR sEEs shARP RECovERy As loCkDoWN EAsEs COMPARED TO MAY 11-14 LAST YEAR, CONSUMER TRAFFIC IN RAHIM YAR KHAN, MULTAN AND GUJRAT RISES 60PC, 30PC AND 15PC, RESPECTIVELY LAHORE

A

TaiMoor haSSaN

S markets reopened this week after coronavirus lockdown was eased by the government on Monday, retail stores saw a sharp recovery as consumer traffic to retail stores crossed last year's count as consumers rushed to markets ahead of Eid. Shopper Value, a platform developed by Confiz Limited to help retail brands scale operations and optimise conversions through person counting cameras, gathered data from a sample of over 350 stores across 40 cities and 30 brands in Pakistan to analyse consumer behaviour post lockdown.

The platform had compiled data from May 11-14, 2020, and compared it with data collected from May 22-25 last year. Both sets of dates represent Ramadan 17-20 for a more rational comparison due to the high demand around Eid. Furthermore, May 25, 2019 being a Saturday was statistically ad-

justed to account for Ramadan 20 being a Thursday in 2020.

The data revealed that though consumers were somewhat cautious in visiting markets, resulting in 17 per cent less consumer traffic on Monday compared to the same day (lunar calendar) last year, the footfall in stores steadily increased till Ramadan 19 (May 13, 2020), registering a 19 per cent increase compared to the same day last year. On Ramadan 20, this year, traffic was 4 per cent less than last year. Footfall on Ramadan 20 might also have been higher than last year but the government had shut down markets again in various cities for violating the SOPs. Overall, for the four-day period this year, aggregate traffic was 2 per cent less than last year.

The insights revealed that while there was a general increase in traffic across the board, the population in some cities had been more cautious than others when it came to visiting markets.

DATA SHOWS RESTRICTED MARKET TIMINGS RESULTING IN CONGESTION IN STORES, THEREBY INCREASING CORONAVIRUS THREAT Consumer traffic across retailers in Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad and Peshawar registered over 10pc per cent decrease as compared to last year, whereas Sialkot’s consumer traffic fell over 20pc compared to the same period last year. For the cities that saw an increase in traffic, Rahim Yar Khan’s differential was the highest where consumer traffic was roughly around 60 per cent more than last year. Meanwhile, Multan had a roughly 30 per cent increase in traffic, Gujrat around 15 per cent, whereas the increase in traffic in Sargodha and Abbottabad was found less than 10pc.

The data reveals an interesting picture that while the lockdown has been lifted with shop timings being restricted between 9am to 5pm, it has increased a lot more congestion in stores as they serve the same or higher level of traffic while operating for only two-thirds of hours as compared to last year, thereby increasing the chances of spreading the coronavirus among these consumers.

The congestion is all the more evident from the fact that 45 per cent of the retail stores are still closed despite an ease in the lockdown, implying that the same or more consumers are crowding a smaller number of shops compared to last year.

Islamabad and Karachi have a considerable number of stores that are still not open primarily because retail stores, at least in the sample, have a very high tilt towards Malls, which have still not been open for business.

Another interesting observation from the data was that the conversion of visitors into buyers was 46 per cent higher than the same period last year driven by two main factors: a) people who are visiting are doing so in smaller groups to avoid the risk of contracting the disease b) there is a significantly higher intent to purchase due to the needs that have not been met during lockdown.

Consequently, retailers have seen a 43 per cent growth in same store transactions.

However, given that over 40 per cent of the stores are still shut down, retailers have seen

an overall drop of 25 per cent in transactions compared to last year.

Furthermore, the overall impact on the retail business is anticipated to be even more since retail businesses can only operate four days in a week due to the government issued SOPs. Based on the above observations, the company suggested the government that if operations are to continue with a better balance with public health, all brands should be allowed to open all their stores for the traffic/buyers to spread across locations instead of congesting in the limited number of stores that are open, thereby decreasing the risk of spreading the virus.

It was further suggested that the authorities should consider allowing somewhat longer hours and perhaps more number of days during the week for retailers to stay operational so that the number of visitors at any given time and location can be spread across the increased number of hours and days, which would lead to lesser congestion in markets and eventually curbing risk of spreading the virus.

Moreover, Shopper Value also encouraged brands to track occupancy of their stores through automated counting of visitors and limit entry into the stores based on the capacity of the store and make this information clearly visible inside their stores.

Govt to impose levy on Islamabad farm houses ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to impose a levy on big farm houses located in the federal capital, sources revealed on Friday. According to details, the said decision would be implemented under the next fiscal year’s budget (FY21). Currently, there are more than one thousand farm houses in the federal capital, mostly owned by renowned people including politicians, retired security officers, media anchors and businessmen.

Sources claimed that the owners of these farm houses were only paying property tax, as no government in the past had tightened its noose around mega residential property owners. In addition, sources said, the government was also deliberating upon imposing an additional tax on other posh sectors such as E7, F7, F6, E11, F10 and 1-8. If the parliament approves this tax, the Islamabad administration would receive billions of rupees on a yearly basis, they added. Meanwhile, sources said the government was also considering an increase in the wealth tax rate up to 5pc on all slabs keeping in mind the current economic situation. It is pertinent to mention that the wealth tax has no connection with the amount of income tax paid. A person is required to pay a certain amount of wealth tax, irrespective of the quantum of income tax paid. ShahZaD ParaCha

Govt announces low airfare for students stuck in Wuhan ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday announced low airfare for the students, to be repatriated from Wuhan via a special flight of the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) on May 18. The students, who remained stuck in Wuhan city of China due to the coronavirus pandemic, would be given tickets at subsidized rates, said the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD) in a news release. “As a special gesture for the Pakistani students in Wuhan for their patience during the COVID-19 as they have suffered the most, we are offering subsidised tickets at 50k (50,000) for special repatriation flight on May 18,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Sayed Zulfi Bukhari said in a tweet. He also thanked the Foreign Office and the national flag carrier over the evacuation of the Pakistani students who had been stranded in Wuhan for months. Some 300 Pakistani students would be airlifted from Wuhan through the special flight, the SAPM informed the parents of students in a meeting here. The parents were told that a plan had been devised in that regard, said the ministry. aPP

Dr Akhtar Nazir posted as ECP secretary ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has posted Dr Akhtar Nazir, a BS-21 officer of Pakistan Administrative Services, as the election watchdog’s secretary in his own pay and scale with immediate effect. According to an ECP notification, the order was issued with the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Earlier, the services of Dr Akhtar Nazir had been placed at the disposal of Election Commission of Pakistan on deputation basis, on standard terms and conditions as per notification of Establishment Division issued on May 13. Zafar Iqbal Hussain, a BS-21 officer who was serving as ECP secretary, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary (BS-21) ECP with immediate effect. aPP

LAHORE: Mourners participate in a Youm-e-Ali procession here on Friday despite a government ban on religious and public gatherings in wake of Covid-19 pandemic. Zubair MahfooZ

Court summons Nawaz, Zardari, Gilani in govt vehicles case ISLAMABAD STaff rEPorT

An accountability court here on Friday summoned former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gilani and former president Asif Ali Zardari on May 29 in the Toshakhana (national depository) case for retaining vehicles received as gifts from foreign leaders.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has charged the former leaders with corruption under sub-sections 2, 4, 7 and 12 of Section 9 (A) of the NAB Ordinance.

According to NAB, Zardari had only paid 15 per cent of the total cost of the cars through fake accounts. “Zardari also received cars as a gift from Libya and the UAE as president and used them himself instead of depositing them in the treasury,” NAB added.

NAB further said that Nawaz was not holding any public office in 2008 but was given a vehicle without any justification.

“Abdul Ghani Majeed paid for the vehicles through fake accounts whereas Anwar Majeed made more than 20 mil-

lion illegal transactions using Ansari Sugar Mills accounts,” NAB added.

Besides, Anwar Majeed also transferred Rs9.2 million to Asif Zardari’s accounts while Abdul Ghani Majeed transferred Rs37 million to a civil servant in Islamabad.

Earlier in January, NAB had approved filing of references against the former heads of state for inflicting losses to the national exchequer by taking gifts from the national treasury and not depositing them in the national depository.

The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) presided over by NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal had approved filing cases against former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gilani and expresident President Asif Ali Zardari for keeping the government-owned valuables and vehicles in their possession.

Gifts are routinely exchanged between heads of states or officers holding constitutional positions on the eve of a state visit. According to the gift depository (Toshakhana) rules, these gifts remain the property of the state unless sold in an open auction.

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Rules allow officials to retain gifts with a market value of less than Rs10,000 without paying anything.

Former president Asif Zardari is alleged to have set a record within a year of assuming office by taking one-third of

all expensive gifts presented to all former presidents and prime ministers.

Of the gifts of the value of Rs160m, the PPP leader reportedly had kept items worth Rs62m value during the first year of his presidency.

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

kP AND PuNjAb to REsumE PublIC tRANsPoRt, sINDh REfusEs LAHORE/pESHAWAR/KARACHI

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STaff rEPorT

OLLOWING Prime Minister Imran Khan’s request to the provinces to reopen public transport, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab governments announced that they were ready to resume the transport services on the condition that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) on prevention from Covid-19 would be followed by all those using transport as well as the operators.

However, Sindh has refused to resume its transport services, citing the rising number of coronavirus patients in the country and a “critical situation” in the province as cases, deaths, and recoveries continued to increase simultaneously. Earlier, while addressing a press briefing in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “I believe that whatever steps we opt for must take into account helping the most affected — our lower income strata of society.”

“When we shut public transport, we must remember we are making life difficult for the poor. So I request everyone to open public transport.

“The United States has not shut it nor has Europe. Why have we?”

KP AND PUNJAB FINALISE SOPs: Soon after the PM’s appeal, the KP govern-

KP GOVT TO RESUME PUBLIC TRANSPORT FROM MONDAY, PUNJAB GOVT FINALISES SOPS FOR SHOPPING MALLS, TRANSPORTERS ment said it was ready to allow public transport from Monday, while the Punjab government has decided to reopen shopping malls for four days a week as well as resume public transport after approval of the SOPs by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

According to the notification issued by the KP Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department, public transport will be allowed to resume from Monday under the following procedure: Divisional commissioners through regional transport authorities, after due consultation with transporters on SOPs, will open intra-district and district to district transport through individual orders on routes deemed appropriate by them; in case of district to district transport involving more than one division, recommendations will be made to the provincial transport authority/department for a decision at that level.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has allowed automobile industries’ production units to operate seven days a week.

Grocery shops, bakeries, fruit and vegetable shops, milk and dairy shops, meat shops and auto workshops will be allowed

to open for seven days a week from 9am to 5pm. Postal and courier services will be allowed to operate from 9am to 5pm, according to a government notification. Petrol pumps, oil depots, takeaway and delivery services will be allowed to open for 24 hours seven days a week, it added.

In a meeting with transporters on Friday, Law Minister Raja Basharat and Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for resuming public transport services in the province.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the law minister said that the Punjab government cared about the transporters’ concerns as well as protecting the people from the coronavirus. “Therefore, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has decided to allow public transport to resume in the province under certain conditions,” he said.

According to the SOPs decided by the government and transporters, the latter have been told to ensure the following measures: one passenger for every two seats; passengers should have a distance of at least three feet when boarding; air con-

Govt plans to boost health, social sectors in upcoming budget CENTRE LIKELY TO ALLOCATE RS200 BILLION FOR SOCIAL SAFETY PROGRAMMES ISLAMABAD ShahZaD ParaCha

To counter the adverse impact of the coronavirus, the federal government on Friday decided to give priority to the social as well as health sectors in the next budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh with regard to the upcoming budget that would be focused on the social safety net, food security, agriculture (locust control), health security, higher education among others.

In this context, the government is likely to allocate Rs200 billion for social safety programmes and the economic team has also requested the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not to include the corona related expenses in the ongoing program.

During the meeting, the debt wing of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) shared the perspective on the budget deficit projections as well as borrowing plans for foreign and domestic components of debt. It said that the T-bills and bonds dominating domestic debt borrowing had witnessed a decline in the cost of debt financing due to robust debt management strategy. The meeting was further apprised that the

choice of timing of tapping the money markets and quantum of debt raising have helped in reshaping the maturity structure of debt portfolios. Growing market confidence has led to saving in borrowing costs for the government as banks are now dominant participants in auctions. It was also highlighted that the debt to GDP ratio has been distorted due to economic compression. Shaikh instructed his team that the option of tapping sharia-compliant bonds might also be exercised to diversify the portfolio. The commerce adviser said that debt managers must keep an eye on the yield curve inversion and its implications on borrowing choices in a macroeconomic climate

NEWS ditioning should be turned off and windows should be kept open; buses will have to be disinfected after each trip; hand sanitiser should be made available at each terminal; passengers will board the bus from the front entrance and exit from the back; while passengers with fever and cough will not be allowed to board the bus.

Basharat said that petrol and diesel prices have been drastically reduced over the past few months. “Therefore, a committee headed by the secretary transport has been set up to review the fares in consultation with the transporters,” he said.

According to Industries Minister Aslam Iqbal, the SOPs have been prepared and will be presented to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for approval.

He said that shopping malls should ensure usage of thermal gun for checking temperature, hand sanitizers and masks by all customers, staffers and shopkeepers.

SINDH’S REFUSAL: Responding to the prime minister’s appeal, Sindh Transport Minister Ovais Shah stated that although he respected the premier’s decision, Covid-19 cases in the province were on an upward trend and the provincial government could not afford to let public transport open.

“Factory owners did not implement the SOPs after making a commitment with the government earlier,” Shah said. “Does the prime minister wish for Pakistan to become Wuhan or Italy?”

“We fear that resuming public transport operations will turn Pakistan into Italy.

The prime minister has admitted that people are not adhering to the SOPs after the lockdown was eased.

“Let us work together, respected prime minister. The provinces need your help at this time,” said the minister. dominated by recessionary headwinds. Dr Ishrat Husain highlighted the significance of broadening the investors’ base in the pursuit of better price discovery. The finance secretary shared plans on further expenditure squeeze, rationalising all domains of current expenditure, including running of the civil government, interest payments, subsidies and other related expenditures. A plan was shared to divert current expenditure savings to the corona stimulus financing.

He also shared the proposal of disbursement of electricity subsidy to subsistence consumers through Ehsaas, damage control in PSEs, including their selective turnaround and scope of their management outsourcing through PPP modalities. The team deliberated on the transfer of four tertiary care hospitals from provinces to the federation in the backdrop of new NFC talks, as the act would place additional recurring liabilities worth Rs27 billion per year on the platter of the federal government.

SBP slashes interest rate to 8pc as Covid-19 fallout hits economy COntInuED fROM pAgE 01 However, it has been declining since, slowing to 12.4pc in February, and then to 10.24pc in March, finally settling at 8.5pc in April. Many analysts expect it to drop to 8pc or 7pc in the coming months.

As part of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) loan agreement, Pakistan has been given strict instructions to maintain positive real interest rates (nominal interest rate minus inflation rate). The rapidly decreasing inflation rate has given the SBP wiggle room to decrease the policy rate.

For its part, the MPC said that the significantly reduced petrol and diesel prices by 30-40pc, in response to the continued fall in global oil prices, will further reduce inflation. It also said that both the fall in inflation in Pakistan since January and the expected further decline next year are the highest among comparable emerging markets.

However, the MPC did have some concerns about inflation. “Inflation could fall further than expected if economic activity fails to pick up as expected next fiscal year,” the statement said. “On the other hand, there are some upside risks from potential foodprice shocks associated with adverse agricultural conditions. Price pressures could also emerge if the economy gains greater mo-

mentum in the second half of FY21. ” PAKISTAN OUTLOOK: The MPC was oddly optimistic about Pakistan’s economic and fiscal outlook, despite poor export and import numbers.

Exports declined by 10.8pc YoY in March, while imports contracted by 19.3pc YoY. The figures were even worse in April, with exports declining 54pc YoY, and imports declining 32pc YoY. However, the MPC maintained that the current account deficit had continued to narrow, and that the outlook for the external sector broadly remains stable.

“The recent fall in portfolio inflows will be offset by official flows committed by the international community, such that Pakistan’s external position remains fully funded. Together, these developments, buttressed by the flexible exchange rate regime, should continue to support a steady build up in the SBP’s foreign exchange reserve buffers,” On the topic of remittances, the MPC called them resilient, though noting potential downside risks, given the economic difficulties across the world, especially in oil-exporting countries.

On the fiscal front, the primary balance recorded a surplus of 0.4 pc of GDP from July to March FY20, against a deficit of 1.2pc in the same period of FY19. This is

the first nine-month surplus since FY16.

However, the substantial fall in economic activity since March significantly affected tax revenues. After rising by 17.5pc from July to February FY20, tax revenues declined sharply by 15pc in both March and April. “Given the needed increase in spending to support healthcare, businesses, households and more vulnerable segments of society, the fiscal deficit is expected to widen substantially in Q4,” the MPC said.

Large scale manufacturing witnessed a steep decline of 23pc in March, due to the virus. Meanwhile, high-frequency indicators of demand such as credit card spending, cement dispatches, credit off-take and POL sales showed a miecontraction in domestic economic activity in both March and April.

CONCERNS ABOUT PANDEMIC: The MPC noted that Pakistan has begun to ease lockdowns, which could help support economic activity. However, it remained wary of the situation, noting that infections could rise again, leading to another wave of lockdowns and a sluggish recovery.

Besides, easing of lockdowns might not actually improve economic activity. As the statement pointed out, “In light of preliminary evidence from China and other countries that eased lockdowns earlier than others, activity in service sectors and consumption,

which form a large part of the domestic economy, could remain subdued for longer.

The MPC was remarkably over-optimistic about the global economy, saying that “timely policy actions and international assistance, the initial volatility observed in domestic financial and foreign exchange markets has somewhat subsided in recent weeks, although global financial conditions remain considerably tighter than before the coronavirus outbreak.”

The MPC’s statement even managed to throw in a few good words for the IMF, noting that the recent $1.2 billion relief had helped restore the SBP’s foreign reserves position to close to pre-coronavirus levels of over $12 billion.

ANALYST EXPECTATIONS: After the previous interest rate cuts of March and April were announced, many analysts felt that SBP would reduce the policy cut even further in light of the global pandemic, and falling inflation.

Profit surveyed 16 brokerage houses in the lead up to today’s policy announcement.

Of those, 14 were under the impression that the SBP would cut the interest rate further, while a minority of two believed that the interest rate would remain steady. Of those that believed that a cut was likely, one said by up to 150 basis points, seven said by up to or

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Govt says wearing masks mandatory in public spaces ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday emphasised that wearing of face masks would be mandatory at public spaces, as the government has stepped up the drive to educate people through a “robust public awareness campaign” to contain the soaring coronavirus infections.

Minister for Planning Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar chaired the NCOC meeting to discuss the current status of the coronavirus testing capacity, number of ventilators, and capacity building of the healthcare professionals to cope with the pandemic.

The NCOC was also told that a special documentary on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was “successfully launched and telecast on all media channels”. The documentary was prepared to depict various PPE equipment being used. It also aimed at visually aiding and help doctors, paramedics, healthcare workers to wear various PPE equipment during the various procedures. Asad Umar said that in a short span of time, the government has been able to reach out to people through Ehsaas Programme, in addition to providing relief to the industrial sector and powers bills payment for small and medium enterprises. aPP

Govt announces limited domestic flight operations from saturday ISLAMABAD: Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Friday announced that domestic flight operations will resume from Saturday after a nearly two-month-long suspension. In a video message, Sarwar said that the decision was taken during a National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting while keeping “the difficulties of people in mind”. However, he added that only Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Serene Air would be allowed to resume flight operations between five cities — Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta. “Twenty per cent of pre-coronavirus flights will be allowed to operate and the seat occupancy in planes will be limited to 50pc,” he said. According to a notification from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), private aircraft and cargo flights will be allowed to operate from all airports across the country. Meanwhile, the suspension of international flights has been extended by 16 days to May 31, according to a PCAA notification. The suspension is not applicable to special flights of the national flag carrier announced by the government to repatriate Pakistanis stranded abroad. aPP exactly 100 basis points, two said by 75 basis points, and four said by 50 basis points.

Tahib Abbas, head of Research at AHL, said the announcement was in line with expectations. “As previously said, there is no need to maintain a high discount rate because the SBP wants the economy and demand to pick up gradually, and lowering the discount rate was necessary. The higher discount rate was to curb demand but now after Covid situation the government wants to pull up demand.”

Similarly, Saad Hashmi, executive director at BMA Capital, said the cut was in line with expectations and should bode well for market sentiments. “This underscores State Bank’s resolve to provide the necessary monetary accommodation in light of the pandemic,” he said.

Jehanzaib Zafar, head of research at BIPL Securities was disappointed, saying that some in the market were expecting a 150bps cut. “ But that was more of a hope than reality as inflation was expected to come down gradually,” he noted.

“The government seems to be leveraging the low inflation numbers in the next few months.” said Arslan Soomro, managing director at KASB Securities. “However, most pressing is the impact of this is on the lower debt servicing cost for the government. In these days when fiscal spending is high, the best SBP can do is to enable a cheaper-financing environment for the government to pursue relief measures.”

04 LAHORE

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

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TDCP sTaff unPaiD as CoviD-19 DisruPTs TourisM inDusTry LAHORE

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SHAHAB OMER

48 employees of Tourism Development Corporation Punjab (TDCP) have not been paid due to the lockdown, during which the absence of tourism disrupted the finances of the self-sustainable department, prompting the employees to protest against non-payment of dues in the head office.

TDCP Workers and Staff Union General Secretary Muhammad Adil Saleem wrote a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, wherein he stated that the TDCP had been working for the promotion of the country’s tourism industry for the past 33 years.

The general secretary stated that TDCP pays its

staff out of the income it generates and no funds are taken from the government, however, under the present circumstances, it is difficult to pay the staff as the tourism industry had been closed. He pleaded that the provincial government should provide Rs150,000,000 for the staff’s salaries.

Sources informed this scribe that despite tall claims, the incumbent government did not pay attention towards promotion of tourism and did not pay heed to the concerns of TDCP either.

They said that TDCP generated its funds through recreational sites, picnic points, sightseeing buses, city tours, resorts and various events, however, ever since the lockdown, the sites have been closed and the government did not pay attention towards the needs of TDCP. On the condition of anonymity, an employee of

CM PUNJAB PROVES HIS METTLE MOHAMMAd HAMzA KHAn During the last 18 months, CM Punjab Sardar Usman Khan Buzdar has proved his capabilities by taking landmark decisions, which is obvious to the naked eye, but purblind can’t see it. It is not possible to recount his successes in this limited space, but reference to recent decisions would suffice. Addressing a press conference some days back, CM Punjab, Usman Buzdar, announced reopening the textile industry value chain in the larger interest of the country’s exports and much-needed employment in these testing times. Last week, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, in a high-powered meeting on government plan for Punjab’s future economic growth strategy in response to PostCOVID-19, launched ‘RISE Punjab’ Punjab Government’s Social Protection and Economic Revival Response for Post COVID 19. During the meeting Chief Minister discussed the vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan in combating COVID-19 and Government’s priority of providing immediate relief to the people in distress.

The holistic framework of ‘RISE Punjab’ focuses on six sectors, which includes economic recovery and stability, social protection, health, substantial improvements in the governance capabilities, education and human capital development and risk management. There has been a lot of kite-flying and speculations by some analysts as to why Imran Khan picked up Usman Buzdar

as chief minister of Punjab when he had better choices. Some suggested that Imran Khan should have managed to get Shah Mehmood Qureshi elected in a byelection after he lost provincial assembly elections to make him CM Punjab.

But Imran Khan knew that Shah Mehmood Qureshi could serve the country better as foreign minister. People have been listening to the analysts and commentariat who from the day one criticized Usman Buzdar for no apparent reason.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, had selected him after a lot of deliberations, and made it clear many a time that Usman Buzdar is going to stay as CM Punjab. The question is why some analysts and commentriat targeted him from the day one, when they had not even seen his performance; thus they had no reason to criticize him. It appears that they are impressed by the leaders with the gift of the gab, and by the ‘princes’ that had ruled the province in the past. On the other hand, Usman Buzdar is a soft-spoken person; while working he keeps a low profile, and the other ministers also have liberty of work without any hurdle from the executive.

His critics and detractors have been giving cut off dates that he would be removed because he failed to perform.

They also criticized Prime Minister Imran Khan for selecting a political novice as the head of the province with more than 120 million population, which decides the fate of the political parties in the country. But despite the

TDCP told this scribe that although the government made plans for the betterment of the organisation, they were never materialised. He lamented that that despite government’s tall claims, it appears that TDCP and tourism is not a priority of the government.

He also said that there are 448 employees in the organisation and out of these 250 are contractual and daily wagers, whereas the rest are regular employees.

None of them have been paid for the past two months, he added.

TDCP Managing Director Tanveer Jabbar told Pakistan Today that they have asked the government to provide some funds to the organisation so they can pay their employees. “We have given one-month salary to the staff and are trying to give them the remaining salary before Eid,” he added.

constant media onslaught and criticism from opposition parties, Usman Buzdar continues to survive. It is strange that many critics say that Punjab province is being run by Imran Khan from Islamabad. Of course, Imran Khan is Chairman of PTI and Prime Minister of Pakistan. It is natural that Imran Khan with his experience and qualities of perseverance and steadfastness guides Usman Buzdar, who has learned the ropes by now. Despite being in the limelight, Usman Buzdar has resisted the temptations of appearing smug or pompous. Last month, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar gave approval to provide direct financial aid to deserving families in Ramadan-ul-Mubarak.

This was decided in a meeting held under the chair of CM at CM's Office to review relief arrangements under Ramadan Package. The CM announced that needy families would be given financial aid under Ramadan Package, which in the meantime has been done.

He directed to take effective measures to stabilize the prices, and vowed that no one will be allowed to create artificial price-hike and administrative measures will be taken to provide essential items at the fixed rates. He also announced to give one-month additional salary to doctors and other staff engaged in the treatment of coronavirus patients.

Soon after assuming office, Usman Buzdar took measures to ensure equi-

table development of Punjab; and in his first budget it was mentioned that the money allocated for projects in South Punjab could not be used development projects elsewhere.

In just one year, the Punjab government had set up first state of the art technical university in DG Khan. Last month, he emphasized that the industries allowed to resume work will have to follow their SOPs and action will be initiated in case of any violation. He announced that four new labs have been raised, which will be made functional in the next few days after approval from Punjab Healthcare Commission. Around 56 thousand testing kits are available in Punjab and more than 46 thousand people have been tested by the Punjab government.

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CM pays tribute to police officials on the frontline against coronavirus LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Friday paid tribute to the police officials performing frontline duties against coronavirus pandemic and said that they are diligently performing in this hour of trial. He expressed these views while talking to the police officials during a visit to district police lines in DG Khan. The CM said that the government fully appreciates the important role being played by the police and disclosed that inprinciple approval of Police Shuhada Package has been given on the pattern of health professionals working against coronavirus. “The families of police officials sacrificing their lives while performing duties in coronavirus pandemic will not be left alone and their heirs will be accommodated under Shuhada Package,” he said. He added that all the necessary resources are being provided to the police for the protection of life and property of the people. Buzdar said that new buildings of 41 police stations are being constructed and permission is also granted for phase-wise recruitment against 10 thousand police posts along with procurement of vehicles. He revealed that executive allowance has been approved along with the restoration of frozen police allowance. “I inspect police stations to know about different problems during field visits and try to solve them as well. The police should treat the people gently to reward my efforts,” he stressed. The chief minister also laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhda and offered prayers for the martyrs.State Minister Zartaj Gull, Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Advisor Hanif Pitafi, lawmakers Sardar Ahmed Ali Dreshak, Javed Akhtar Lund, Sardar Mohyuddin Khosa, ACS (U) Tahir Khursheed, commissioner, DC, RPO, DPO of DG Khan, Additional Inspector General Inam Ghani and others were also present on the occasion. INP

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

NEWS

No dowNgrAdiNg of PAkiStAN'S B3 rAtiNg By Moody'S: Mof

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BUSINESS DESK

HE Ministry of Finance has clarified that the rating review conducted

by Moody's Investor Service on May 14 “did not downgrade Pakistan's B3 rating”. In a statement issued on Friday, the ministry stated that the Moody's Investor Service only placed the current rating under review for downgrade in case the G-20 COVID-19 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (G-20 DSSI) extends to private sector creditors.

"The action is, therefore, not Pakistan specific and is in line with Moody's global approach to place under review for downgrade all

NAB prepares rs7bn corruption reference against Sharif family

sovereigns availing the G-20 DSSI," it added.

The ministry further said that the review by the Moody's Investor Service acknowledged that Pakistan had not indicated any interest in extending its debt service relief request to the private sector creditors and that the country's fundamentals remained strong and on track.

The review also appreciates that amid the pandemic, Pakistan's economic, financial and institutional strength remained materially unchanged, it added.

NOTHING TO DO WITH PAKISTAN: Meanwhile, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also made it clear that the placement of Pakistan’s sovereign rating under review by

PM unhappy over appointment of officials without govt approval ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

NEWS DESK The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has prepared a new reference against the Sharif family in which Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz have been named together for the first time, according to a media report. A bureau representative said that the Sharif family has been accused of laundering Rs7 billion. They have named 16 people in the case, and there are 100 witnesses and four approvers.

Ahad Cheema, Nusrat Shehbaz, Hasan Nawaz, and Hussain Nawaz have been named in the investigation too. The bureau is expected to present the reference before NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal who will then approve it.

Moody’s was not in any way because of the country’s fundamentals, policy settings or outlook, all of which are viewed in very complimentary terms by the rating agency.

Taking to Twitter on Friday, the SBP further said, “The action has nothing to do with Pakistan specifically. The only driver is Moody’s global approach of placing all countries that are expected to participate in the G20 debt relief initiative under review”.

The SBP and Finance Division reactions came after Moody’s placed the government of Pakistan’s local and foreign currency long term issuer and senior unsecured B3 ratings under review for downgrade on Thursday.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is unhappy over the alleged misleading of the federal cabinet through appointment of officials in ministries/divisions without prior approval of the government, and the matter may be taken up in the next meeting of the federal cabinet.

Sources informed Pakistan Today that PM Imran was annoyed over the submission of incomplete reports by ministries/division regarding officials who were appointed without the prior approval of the federal government.

Therefore, the Cabinet Division asked all ministries/divisions to once again submit a complete report signed by secretaries/additional secretaries as the premier wanted to take strict actions against such appointments, they added.

They also said that certain divisions had not indicated that many important positions were filled without getting approval from the cabinet, whereas the relevant rules and regulations required prior approval of government. On the

other hand, sources added, there were divisions which did not carry out proper scrutiny and passed on unnecessary information by indicating almost all appointments, including those where no irregularity had taken place.

Sources said that there was panic in ministries/divisions due to preparation of this report and a possible strict action by the federal government against the officials of ministries/divisions. The fate of almost 300 government servants appointed without cabinet’s approval now hangs in balance, they added.

They further said that beside other appointments, Petroleum Division was also asked to answer questions about the appointment of Director General Petroleum Concession Imran Ahmed, who was removed from the position after eight to nine months into his appointment.

Earlier, PM’s Principal Secretary Azam Khan, in a letter to all federal secretaries and heads of divisions, had directed them to send the lists of appointments without prior approval since 2016 by April 30, so that they could be declared illegal.

BankIslami Sukuk certificates now trading on PSX KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI

BankIslami Pakistan sukuk certificates will now be traded on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), according to a statement issued by the exchange on Friday.

BankIslami ‘Ehad’ sukuk certificates are fully paid up and rated convertible Modaraba sukuk certificates, which will qualify as Additional Tier 1 (ADT-1) capital. It is Pakistan’s first ever listed ADT-1 Modaraba sukuk. The sukuk issue is Rs2 billion, which is inclusive of a greenshoe option of Rs500 million. The pre-IPO amount was Rs1.7 billion, while the IPO amount was Rs300 million. The pre-IPO portion was subscribed to by 27 institutional investors and 45 individual investors. The consultant to the issue is Next Capital Limited, and the market maker is JS Global Capital Limited.

The issue amount will contribute towards ADT-1 capital of BankIslami for its capital adequacy ratio, as per guidelines set by State

Bank of Pakistan. The funds raised will be utilized in the bank’s financing and investment activities, or general pool.

The sukuk certificates have a floating expected profit rate of three-months Kibor rate, plus 275 basis points. Their face value is Rs5000 per certificate. The sukuk’s profit payments will only be paid from the relevant month’s attributable profit of the general pool. The sukuk’s listing was conducted in a minimal ceremony at the exchange, with the CEO of BankIslami, Syed Amir Ali; the PSX managing director Farrukh Khan; CFO of BankIslami, Sohail Sikandar; CEO of Next Capital, Najam Ali; and head of investment banking BankIslami, Haris Munawar. Other representatives of Next Capital and JS Global were also present.

According to Amir Ali, the publiclyplaced issue was oversubscribed. “The popularity of this sukuk issue among the potential investors can be gauged by the fact that its IPO was oversubscribed by 1.07 times despite the lockdown situation amidst the

Covid-19 pandemic,” he said, adding: “The Ehad Sukuk IPO witnessed a remarkable response from online subscription channels with more than 80% applications received via e-IPO platforms.”

Najam Ali echoed that sentiment, saying: “Investors’ response to the IPO during the ongoing pandemic was very encouraging as we managed to conclude the IPO with 127 applications, resulting in oversubscription.” He also said that it would help in the development of the listed debt market, which was at a nascent stage in Pakistan. Farrukh Khan said: “Given that there is a dearth of Shariah compliant debt instruments for investors, the listing of the Ehad Sukuk is a step in the right direction for providing investors with shariah compliant investment alternatives, easily accessible through the Stock Exchange.”

The PSX, in its notice, said that it is hopeful that the listing of this Shariah compliant instrument will generate significant interest from investors, traders and the general public.

PM Imran defends decision to reopen economy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 “But we also know that if we do not give [labourers] livelihood today there will be deaths from hunger.

“Others are saving their economy, we are saving people from hunger […] we have no choice but to reopen the economy.” The premier said that beginning Monday, cash distribution under the Prime Minister Relief Fund will begin for all those who have lost their source of income due to the lockdown. He said that “due to the steps taken in the country since the beginning, Pakistan did not see a fallout witnessed in other countries”.

“We have things under control,” said PM Imran.

He said that when he had addressed the nation on April 14, projections made till May 14 had predicted 52,695 cases and 1,324 deaths versus real figures of 35,700 cases and 770 deaths. “So our hospitals did not see the kind of pressure we had expected.”

PM Imran appealed to the whole nation to follow the standard operating procedures laid out by the government for the safety of people. “If we see a spike in

cases in certain areas, those areas will have to be put under lockdown again,” he stressed, urging business and factory owners to act responsibly.

“In living with the virus, a great responsibility lies on the shoulders of the people […] so we can ensure it does not spread and we can also keep our economy running.”

Addressing the more than one million inductees to the Coronavirus Tiger Relief Force, he said their chief responsibility is to spread awareness among the people of the importance of taking precautions.

REOPENING OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Imran also spoke on the issue of reopening public transport.

Laying great emphasis on the fact that all decisions are made with consensus between the provinces, he said due to reservations of some, the transport had not been reopened. “I believe that whatever steps we take must take into account helping the most affected — our lower income strata of society […] when we shut public transport, we must remember we are making life difficult for the poor. “So I request everyone to open public transport.

America has not shut it, Europe hasn’t. Why have we?”

05

APNS urges PM to expedite payment of media dues KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

The APNS expresses its profound concern on extraordinary delay in the payment of media dues by the federal government despite clear instructions by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sarmad Ali, Secretary General of All Pakistan Newspapers Society, in a statement has stated that PM Imran had appointed a Committee on Media Issues headed by Senator Shafqat Mahmood which at its meeting held on April 16, 2020, had decided to effect substantial payment to media houses, so that the newspapers could pay salaries of their employees before Eid. It must be noted that the PID has verified an amount of Rs.1.25bn approximately as payable to print media. The APNS lamented that despite lapse of about one month, the concerned ministries and departments are delaying the payments. It seems that the media houses would not be able to get the assured dues in the month of Ramzan and their employees would remain empty handed on the occasion of Eid. This is very alarming situation as it would worsen not only the liquidity crunch but also affect trade relations in media houses. The APNS requested Prime Minister Imran to advise the PID and AGPR to expedite the payment to media houses without further delay.

Provinces likely to oppose NFC Award over extra shares for Centre CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 The 7th NFC Award announced in 2009 continued with annual extensions and remains in place even now instead of the constitutional term of five years that came to an end on June 30, 2015. The Constitution promises that provincial shares in each NFC award could not be reduced.

Under the 7th NFC Award, the four provinces are collectively entitled to 57.5 percent of divisible pool taxes, besides the revenue from income tax, wealth tax, capital value tax, general sales tax, customs duties and federal excise duty. The provincial governments get their horizontal shares on the basis of population, poverty, revenue collection and inverse population density, allowing Punjab to get 51.74pc, Sindh 24.55pc, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 14.62pc and Balochistan 9.09pc share.

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

06 COMMENT

Thank you, Corona

Lockdown lapses And two CMs don’t attend a meeting

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HE government has decided to go for a stricter lockdown in areas where outbreaks of the coronavirus are reported, after the first day of the end of the lockdown’s easing coincided with 1400 new cases and 30 more deaths. While it is clear that the new cases were not caused by the easing of the lockdowns, it was also evident that the Standard Operating Procedures so proudly proclaimed by the government for social distancing were not just being ignored, but more or less torn to pieces. This will result in a new surge in the number of cases, but it was also to be expected in view of the fact that there had been a prolonged lockdown (though it was not as strict as it should have been), combined with the easing coming just before Eidul Fitr. This Eid was counted on by the government and retailers for a revival of the economic activity that would have helped get rid of the economic downturn which was one of the side-effects of the lockdown.

However, where there was Eid shopping, there was bound to be the kind of pushing and shoving, bumping and jostling, that made complete nonsense of social distancing. It could be argued that Ramazan tarawih congregations and Friday congregations are also not following the prescribed SOPs, but their extent is comparatively limited: women and children form a tiny part of congregations, there is none of the physical contact Eid shopping. Locking down areas may not be all that effective. While mosques draw their congregations from their surrounding areas, shops draw customers from all over the city, and even out of the city. Both do have in common contact with strangers, which means that contact tracing is all that more difficult, and may be wellnigh impossible. In another televised address to the nation yesterday, the Prime Minister has claimed that Pakistan’s situation is less severe than projected and the real risk of not lifting the lockdown was the poorest dying of hunger.

True, the Prime Minister might also be feeling the heat from small businessmen and retailers, but that has merely meant that the country is in danger of suffering a second wave even before the first wave is over. The absence of the Chief Ministers of Sindh and Balochistan from the meeting which decided on a partial return to lockdown does not bode well. Someone did not take the pandemic seriously enough, which bodes ill for the future.

dr. Fahd S. Khan

R

ARELY in recent history has our planet witnessed a phenomenon that has so swiftly affected the lives of almost every single individual. Corona has wrecked economies, destroyed livelihoods, thrust social isolation upon the world and draped pervasive insecurities regardless of color, age, religion or monetary statuses.

Yet every calamity brings along unique sets of opportunities and it is imperative for policymakers to identify them at the earliest and respond with measures even faster. In the short-term, Pakistan is in a semi-lockdown phase, offices are somewhat closed, congregations somewhat banned and non-essential retailers requested to remain somewhat closed. The result of this ‘somewhatism’ is yet to be seen but its measures on a medium to long-term phase would determine the future of our economy and courtesy of the covid-19-causing bat, Pakistan is in a position to kickstart its manufacturing sector provided it pivots fast for the post-corona world. Let me explain how.

Oil has plummeted to a low with future contracts trading at a level unseen in history, suggesting that traders expect the demand suppression due to the coronavirus to persist in the near future.

Further exacerating the oil crisis is the SaudiRussian ego war that may have seen some respite due to the impending oil storage crises, but since both countries are ruled by by strong-men who bother less about the short-term national interests than the public perceptions of their tenacious muscularity, the oil skirmishes between the countries seems far from over. All this means that even Barclays and Goldman Sachs are forecasting a $30per-barrel world for more than just a few months, which luckily for Pakistan translates into a significant saving in import bills for at least the next year. The decline in import bills means a shrunken trade deficit as over 70 percent of its petro-requirements are met through imports. However, as of now, despite the fact that crude oil prices have shrunk from over $60 in December 2019 to below $30 dollars per barrel, the government has passed on a mere 13 percent cut in prices. Pakistan already stands to improve its balance of payments by about $3 dollars even after compensating for the expected downturn in remittances. Passing on the entirety of the price fall would help the domestic industries bring down their cost of production and become more competitive on the world stage.

Lower prices also leads to increase in consump-

PTI and taxation What’s the ‘vision’?

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COnOMIC Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, while chairing a formal meeting on budget exercise for the upcoming fiscal year, addressing a team from the FBR, stated that the proposals of the tax authority are not in line with the PTI government’s “vision of simplification of tax and tariff regime”. What that vision is exactly, no one really knows. Pre-elections, the policy revolved around making traders and other small businesses pay their fair share through fear of punishment and fines.

To that end, sales tax registration was made mandatory and strict monitoring of large cash transactions was to be done by making it compulsory for buyers over Rs 50,000 to present a CnIC. A two-day strike by those who would be affected by the changes forced the government to roll over.

To begin with, setting of the tax target itself was never in the PTI government’s hands, as the IMF’s primary condition for approving a $6 billion EFF was a Rs 5.23 trillion annual target. The IMF reluctantly revised this unachievable target down to Rs 4.8 trillion on the insistence of the government. Owing to Covid-19, a further reduction to Rs 3.9 trillion has been made but given the circumstances it is unlikely to be met.

Apart from policy, the absence of stable leadership at the FBR is a perennial issue for this government as well.

At first, a bureaucrat, Dr Jahanzeb Khan, was appointed as chairman and in less than a year he was replaced by Shabbar Zaidi from the private sector who would serve on a pro-bono basis. Unable to take the pressure and owing to health issues he too was removed within a year, replaced by a placeholder, nosheen Javed, again from the bureaucracy. It is ironic that Dr Sheikh is attempting to define PTI’s vision, him being a technocrat without any skin in the game minus a constituency to worry about, not to mention that he was the PPP’s Finance Minister previously.

Simplifying taxation for individuals and businesses is only one aspect of reforms; a culture of taxation has to be built from the ground up before the tax net can be expanded. If parliamentarians don’t pay their fair share, why would those who voted for them feel obliged to do so? A vision, by definition, requires sticking to a long-term strategy and its success has to be gauged periodically by assessing whether or not defined milestones have been achieved or not. In the current government’s case, the tax policy has been very fluid and ad hoc at best while a revolving door at the FBR has created a significant leadership vacuum that is unlikely to be filled soon.

Kashmir under Indian Colonialism The Hiindutva agenda is going full steam ahead Javed Chaudhry

O

n August 5, 2019, the existing Hindu nationalist government of India, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), revoked Indian-Occupied Kashmir’s autonomous status and territorial sovereignty, which were maintained in accordance with Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution. The region was downgraded and split into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature; and Ladakh, which will be ruled directly by new Delhi without a legislature of its own.

In the lead-up to the move, India sent thousands of additional troops to IOK, imposed a crippling curfew, had Kashmiri leaders placed under house arrest, and severed internet connections, mobile phone lines and even land lines, casting Kashmir into an information black hole. As India has abrogated the land protection clause, a plan for extensive colonialist dispossession of Kashmiri Muslims through land purchases by Indians, looks foreseeable. Many critics said this move could also radically change the demographic composition of the disputed region itself, and some have cautioned that it may resemble Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Prior to this move, India has drafted a project in 2015 aiming to build accommodations for thousands of Hindus residing in different parts of India, in IndianOccupied Kashmir. Indians wanted to resolve the Kashmir problem on their own terms, to bring outsiders to settle in Kashmir that will turn Kashmiris into minorities in their own homes. The prevailing mentality in the BJP’s current government about the demographic transformation in the Kashmir Valley is evident from the statements of their diplomats or politicians. Ram Madhav, the national secretary general of the Bharatiya Janat Party (BJP), said in July last year that his Hindu nationalist party had pledged to help return some 200,000-300,000 Hindu Pandits who had

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battle but would also lead to de-militarization of patriotism and introduction of community crowd-sourcing while ensuring security of capital. tion and researchers at PIDE, Islamabad had calWith fiscal breathing space and a replenished culated that for every 1 percent additional con- financial war chest, the third step for Pakistan is sumption of oil, our GDP stands to gain an uptick the most important. The coronavirus has exposed of almost 4percent%. Therefore, passing the fruits the overdependence of supply chains on China. of the situation on to the consumers remains vital Manufacturers who had once moved their factories to fire up business activity. to China to take advantage of cheap labour and The second immediate step for the government lower tariffs on exports are beginning to look for should be to issue investother countries that offer ments bonds, aesthetically similar business advantitled Corona Bonds. Ecotages. With a significant nomic measures require chunk of the supply chain capital and our historical in retail totally dependent The UN database on FDI approach in times of needs on China, this outbreak have been charity-driven will dramatically accelerreflects that in since 2001, relief funds, which have ate the manufacturing exoultimately never accounted dus from our neighbor cross border manufacturing for anything more than since business sentiment some good puns and jests. across the board has got a investments in industries Be it nawaz’s qarz-utaroreality check about the perreferred to as medium-skillmulk-sanwaro scheme for ils of Chinese hegemony loan repayment or the forover the supply chains. intensive such as industrial mer CJ’s Dam-Fund, the This need to diversify proresult has only been a PR duction locations presents machinery, electronics, disaster for the state instian ideal opportunity for tutions. A much better polPakistan to exhibit itself as chemicals and so on, have icy is to specifically target an alternative. The key been about 10 times more than here is to target the midand engage the diaspora by issuance of Corona bonds, dle-skilled industries for the capital flow in low-skill conceptually similar to the the supply chain developwar bonds that were once ment as opposed to the industries such as garments, popular among the Westconventional policy wisern nations during times of dom of facilitating lowfootwear and toys. Pakistan conflict. They were securiskill production. The Un with its seventh largest pool of database on FDI reflects ties issued to finance military operations and that in since 2001, cross engineers and tech graduates expenditures. Corona is no border manufacturing inless than a war except that vestments in industries rein the world, available at the guns have been referred to as placed with masks and solmedium-skill-intensive bargain prices, is at an ideal diers with paramedics. such as industrial machinpoint to harness the prevailing ery, electronics, chemicals In order to finance any measures, funds need to be and so on, have been about business sentiment raised. Ensuring the security 10 times more than the of capital and a decent recapital flow in low-skill inturn on investment for a dustries such as garments, five-to-10-year period is a footwear and toys. Pakistan prudent method to engage with its seventh largest the overseas Pakistanis and utilize their love for the pool of engineers and tech graduates in the world, homeland. Enlisting the citizens in this war requires available at bargain prices, is at an ideal point to a well-messaged clear roadmap for the disbursement harness the prevailing business sentiment. There is of funds. Corona-era is an ideal time to effectively of course much to be written on the specifics of the communicate an economic message and instill na- plans but for now let’s just thank the coronavirus tionalistic fervour among its citizens, especially ones for bringing it to such a point. living abroad who are emotionally at a point where they can be driven to pay their dues for the nation.

The writer can be reached at This would not only help to prepare for the economic fahdskhan@yahoo.com

Corona bonds and replacing supply chains

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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fled the Kashmir Valley after the armed revolt started in 1989. Similarly, in november the India consul general in new York called for the 'Israeli model' in Kashmir. At a private event in new York City, Sandeep Chakravorty, while addressing Kashmiri Hindus and Indian nationals advocated that India would build settlements modelled after Israel for the return of the Hindu population to Kashmir. He asserted "If the Israeli people can do it, we can also do it.”

Thr Modi government, with the motives to change the demography of Indian-Occupied Kashmir further pushed its "Hindutva" agenda by issuing new domicile rules at the end of March, under which an Indian citizen who has resided in occupied Jammu and Kashmir for 15 years, or has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10th/12th examination, or who is registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) will be deemed to be a domicilee.

This law will certainly lead to cultural loss and will shake the Kashmiri legacy and age-old ethos. By giving thousands of non-resident families resident rights and domicile status, the demographic situation of Indian-Occupied Kashmir will surely change significantly. It will have great consequences for the native population, and for their cultural ethos. Kashmiri culture is certainly rich, but not enough strong to repel the foreign inroads. Eventually Kashmiris will witness a cultural shock as the dominant foreign culture will dominate the Kashmiri culture.

Colonialism is defined as "the control of one power over a dependent area or people." This happens when one nation suppresses another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often imposing its own language and cultural values upon its people. India has had colonialist designs on Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 but after abrogation of special status last year, the process of Indian colonialism has been accelerated by the BJP’s nationalist government. India is attacking on the diverse cultural fabric of the Jammu and Kashmir region and wants to impose the Indian cultural ethos by destroying

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identity of Kashmiri culture. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national secretary, Tarun Chugh said that now Hindi will be the first and official language of the state. “The best thing is that now Urdu will no longer be the first and official language of the state. Hindi will be the first and official language of the state,” Chugh said on October 30.

However, the grip of Urdu has been remaining strong in the Valley as the religious scriptures are written in Urdu and all official records land, revenue, courts, and even FIRs, are scripted in Urdu.

In addition, to distort the history of Jammu and Kashmir and to bring Hindutva influences to school education, the BJP Government decided to “revise” the curriculum in schools in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh region. In pursuance of this, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE) has decided in January this year to modify social science books from Class 6 to Class 10 in accordance with the new developments in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

The name of radio stations in Indian-Occupied Kashmir changed as the radio station of Jammu was renamed as All India Radio, Jammu and Radio stations of Srinagar and Leh were also renamed as All India Radio, Srinagar and All India Radio, Leh respectively.

Furthermore, in March the City Chowk, Jammu, was renamed Bharat Mata Chowk' and the Kachi Chawni Chowk Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chowk. In the meantime, the Chenani-nashri tunnel that links Kashmir with Jammu was renamed in October after Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who is also regarded as the founder of the BJP. The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) also passed resolutions to rename the Jammu Airport and the Jammu University after Hindu Dogra monarchs Maharaja Hari Singh and Maharaja Gulab Singh, respectively.

Javed is a Pakistani columnist, YouTuber, and journalist who is hosting Kal Tak show on Express News since 2008. His show is one of the most popular show in Pakistan He also writes Urdu-language columns on various topics in the Zero Point series. He is a graduate of Islamia University Bahawalpur.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Students and board examination In this ongoing situation, the students are in big confusion due to exama and admissions. The Education Minister of Education has made a clear statement that all the matric and intermediate exam have been cancelled.

Many students are concerned that if no exam Will take place then what strategies will be used to determine the eligibility of students to move to the next grade. Similarly, students have many more questions like this which they need clarity such as, policy for supply and improvement. How they continue their studies in the time of pandemic and how they got preparation material for MDCAT, ECAT and nTS when all educational institute and academies Have been closed.

Students are in worrisome condition that how they cope up with this difficult situation.

In this pandemic situation, I simply suggest student to never let any one create hurdles in the way of your dreams and goals and keep their spirit high. I suggest students to remained determined and never lose hope and interest in studies because all their queries will be resolved soon. And promotion policy will be announced soon as the final decision is under process.

ZILL-E-HUMa Rawalpindi

Uncharted territory

Liberty and lockdown Legal bases and covid-19 dr raJKumar Singh

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n modern politics, liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behaviour, or political views. Sometimes liberty is differentiated from freedom by using the word "freedom" primarily, if not exclusively, to mean the ability to do as one wills and what one has the power to do; and using the word "liberty" to mean the absence of arbitrary restraints, taking into account the rights of all involved. In this sense, the exercise of liberty is subject to capability and limited by the rights of others.

Thus liberty entails the responsible use of freedom under the rule of law without depriving anyone else of their freedom. Freedom is more broad in that it represents a total lack of restraint or the unrestrained ability to fulfil one's desires. In present the world is reeling from the covid-19 crisis and the vulnerable segments of our society are the most at risk.

Today, however, we are facing an unprecedented situation: By your presence alone, you can threaten the wellbeing of another human being. .Although the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life and liberty under Article 21. But never before have these fundamental rights been treated as antithetical to each other. But they are today. To preserve life, in its real, actual and most basic sense, we are ready to give up liberty. The more liberty we surrender, the higher the likelihood that we preserve the right to life.

As on account of covid-19, the world enters various phases of lockdowns, various analysts are trying to find a legal basis of the lockdowns and other legal measures undertaken by governments to fight the coronavirus. In every country, including India. There is confusion between "government advice" and measures that have the force of law. Some countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Singapore have hastily passed legislation to facilitate the collective surrender of the right to move freely and to enforce it through law enforcement authorities. However, despite the enactment in the UK, there have been many instances of confusion between legally enforceable restrictions, and "advice", even among law enforcement officials. In India, two laws have been used to tackle the virus: The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, a two-page relic from our British colonial past that arms the State to put in place temporary measures, which the public needs to follow, to prevent the outbreak of diseases.

Anyone disobeying the Epidemic Diseases Act can be penalised under the all-purpose, allweather Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, which prescribes a punishment of imprisonment for up to six months, or a fine up to 1,000, or both. The second is the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The pandemic is a "disaster"

under the wide definition of the Act. However, (Article 5), freedom of assembly (Article 11), in its design, the Act is structured to address and freedom of movement (Protocol 4 Article natural calamities. To secure compliance of di- 2 of the ECHR – but sweeps across the globe. rectives issued under this Act, broad unspecific In the UK, the number of people to die in hosprovisions are relied upon. For instance, the pitals stood at about 33,000 by Friday afterguidelines issued on April 15 by the Home noon). These rights must be balanced with the Ministry under the Act include a slew of direc- right to life. All three of these rights can be lawfully interfered with on the grounds of protecttives such as wearing masks at workplaces.

Likewise, Brazil's lockdown aimed at stop- ing public health. The right to liberty ping the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic was specifically enables lawful detention of people imposed on March 21 in niteroi, Brazil. Rio for the purpose of preventing the spread of an de Janeiro's state government imposed restric- infectious disease. Provided that the governtions to public transport. Bus lines and trains ment measures are necessary and proportionate are closed, ferries and subway are running at to a legitimate aim (such as preventing the a limited capacity. Apart from the prohibition spread of a pandemic), interferences with the on spitting, the violation of which entails a rights to liberty, assembly, and movement will fine, specific punishments for other violations comply with human rights.

We need to change are not indicated. Any the vocabulary to enother violation would courage honest reportfall under Section 51 ing of symptoms and of the Act, which preexposure. How do we scribes a maximum We now seem to be part of a do this when India punishment of imprispresents more complex onment for a year or a global consensus supporting issues about social disfine. This increases to tancing than perhaps two years, if the violathe necessity to trade off one any other country in tion results in loss of the world? People do lives or imminent danright to preserve another. In not observe physical ger. The notification space or boundaries, issued by the home India, it is the poor that have nor do they often have ministry also cites the the luxury of them. We trusty old Section 188. disproportionately borne the are hardwired to not be no existing law is deburden of this. A trade implies solitary creatures. Will signed to address the we be capable of the coronavirus panreceiving something in return behavioural change redemic. So repurposing quired to keep us all outdated legislation, for what you forfeit. Did the safe after complete or using legislation lockdown measures not designed for this poor participate in a trade at are lifted, or will the purpose, may have enchange in behaviour abled swift measures, all?

The right to life has been continue to be debut at the same time, it manded and imposed has a one-size-fits-all interpreted by the Supreme on us by the law? We approach. It would be ideal to have a law that Court to include the right to live now seem to be part of a global consensus tailors punishments supporting the necesproportionately to the with dignity. Yet, we failed to sity to trade off one behaviour it seeks to provide a life of dignity during right to preserve ansecure. other. In India, it is the As the coronavirus lockdown to our most poor that have dispropandemic continues, portionately borne the the UK government is economically vulnerable people burden of this. A trade introducing stricter implies receiving limits on the public. something in return Each looks at how refor what you forfeit. strictions on our freeDid the poor particidom to move and pate in a trade at all? assemble are evolving.

The Covid-19 outbreak has killed more than The right to life has been interpreted by the 270,000 people, as its priorities include a legal Supreme Court to include the right to live with obligation to take positive steps to protect peo- dignity. Yet, we failed to provide a life of digple whose lives are at risk. It is not an “ab- nity during lockdown to our most economisolute” obligation, which means the state may cally vulnerable people. This is a cross that the not always be able to fulfil it due to limited re- nation will carry forever. sources. The government is taking steps to proThe writer is head of the political science tect lives amid the coronavirus pandemic, including quarantine and isolation policies, department, B.N. Mandal Unversity, Madhepwhich are interfering with our other rights. ura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at: rajkuAmong those affected are the right to liberty marsinghpg@gmail.com

IT depends upon political leadership and their awareness of science and history, which will determine intensity of damage inflicted by this contagious pandemic COVIT-19. This is unchartered territory, where medical scientists and biologists have still to find a vaccine which can prevent infection from being contracted and give people confidence to overcome fear. We, however can learn lessons from history and authentic Hadiths which quote Holy Prophet(PBUH) on how to cope with such pandemics and plagues. This can be a long wait till we find the cure, just like it took almost 5 years by researchers to offer a vaccine for Ebola. However we can pray to Almighty that a vaccine is developed within a year, as predicted by those who specialize in control and cure of contagious infections and hopefully offer a therapeutic medicine in the interim period for those already infected.

Lock-down, self isolation and following advice of doctors is our only safe option. However if political leaders were to ape course adopted by President Trump or PM Boris, than they should be prepared for quantum of fatalities and infections citizens of these countries have suffered.

Adopting preventive measures with strict oversight by the State is a safe option. In any case it is the constitutional and moral obligation of a legally elected executive to protect lives of citizens. A poor under-nourished family is more likely to die in case of being exposed to COVIT19 than being underfed with one meal a day.

MaLIK TaRIq aLI Lahore

History of Ertugrul Ghazi ERTUGRUL Ghazi is the founder of the Ottoman Caliphate. He was born in 1188 AD and died in 1280 AD. Some books mention 1281. He had three sons Gohar, Shehryar and Usman He later established the Khilafah.The caliphate was named after the same son of Uthman of Ertugrul, the Ottoman Caliphate, but the foundation of the caliphate was laid by Ertugrul Ghazi.The same caliphate then defended the Muslim Ummah with the swords of these Turks for 600 years, from 1291 AD to 1924 AD.Ertugrul Ghazi's family came here from Central Asia and his ancestor Amjad Oz Khan Oghuz khan had twelve sons from whom they became twelve tribes, one of which was the Kayi tribe to which Ertugrul Ghazi belonged.Your father's name was Suleiman Shah, Artagul Ghazi had three more brothers, Sarem, Zaljan, Guldaro, your mother's name was Haima.Your tribe first came from Central Asia to Iran and then from Iran to Anatolia. To escape the Mongol invasion where Sultan Ala-ud-din who was the Sultan of the Seljuk Seljuk Empire and this Seljuk Turkish Empire was founded by Sultan Alap Arslan.By defeating Byzantine in the battle of Manzikert in 1071, Sultan Alp Arsalan was a great figure in history and went on to become the head of the same empire. These 12 tribes lived under the shadow of Sultan Alauddin Oghuz Khan.

And Ertugrul Ghazi became the chief of the Qai tribe. After the death of his father Suleiman Shah, the Ahl al-Ahl came first.Then he went to Aleppo. 1232 Where Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi's grandson Aziz ruled, first Ertugrul Ghazi befriended Aziz then married Sultan Alauddin's niece Halima Sultan with whom he had three sons.He befriended the Ayyubids and the Seljuks, conquered a stronghold of the Crusaders near Aleppo, and then became very close to Ertugrul Sultan Allauddin.

As the Mongol invasion approached, Ertugrul Ghazi defeated noyan, a key Mongol leader. noyan was the right hand of the Mongol king Ogtai Khan, Ogtai Khan was the son of Genghis Khan, and Ogtai's son was Hulagu Khan Was running.And then Ertugrul Ghazi led his tribe to So Gut Sogut near Constantinople near Constantinople, and first there he conquered an important fortress of Byzantine Byazantine and gathered all the Turkic tribes.After the death of Sultan Allauddin, Ertugrul Ghazi became the sultan of the Seljuk kingdom and his descendant was Sultan Muhammad the Conqueror, who conquered Constantinople in 1453 and thus fulfilled the prophecy of the Holy Prophet(saw).Fighters like Ertugrul Ghazi are rare in history, but unfortunately our generation does not know them.

All the fighters who have gone through Islam who have done something for Islam, they must have a spiritual aspect, behind them there must be some spiritual personality (Wali Allah) whose duty is imposed by Allah.

Pick up the history from the beginning of Islam till now even today if anyone is doing any duty for Islam and for the Muslim Ummah then they must have some spiritual aspect.Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din Ibn Al-Arabi (may God have mercy on him) was behind this warrior Ertugrul Ghazi and by the grace of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) it was Sheikh Mohi-ud-Din Ibn AlArabi who came from Andalusia to help Ertugrul Ghazi.This is not emotional or exaggerated. Only he who has received this light of spirituality can understand all this. And he who does not receive this light is blind and will not understand. Such as the Liberal Secular Brigade. The beautiful hadith of the Holy Prophet (saw) is as follows: “Fear the believer's vision; Translation: Fear the believer's vision, for he sees with the light of God. MaLEEHa SHoaIB Rawalpindi

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

MusliMs struggle to honour funeral rituals during the Coronavirus Crisis MUSLIMS ARE BEING FORCED TO MOURN ALONE AS THE PANDEMIC UPENDS THE TRADITION OF COMMUNITY FUNERALS

Huffington Post

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rowaIda abdelazIz

HE last time Shafat Uddin saw his father was when the ambulance picked him up from their Queens home in late March. Shafat, his parents, and his sister had all displayed COVID-19 symptoms in the days prior. They recovered, but AKM Monir Uddin, 63, only got worse. So Shafat called an ambulance.

He rode with his father to the hospital, but they were forced to separate at the door.

There was so much he wanted to tell his dad.

He wanted to tell him that he loved him and not to worry ― that he would look after their family. But Shafat never got the chance.

On Saturday, March 21, his father was admitted to Mount Sinai, where he was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. By Monday, his condition rapidly deteriorated and medical workers put him on a ventilator.

On Friday morning, he took his last breath.

But there was little time to mourn. Islamic tradition, like Jewish tradition, dictates that a body should be washed, wrapped, prayed upon and buried within 24 hours. In the Islamic faith, the act of attending a fellow Muslim’s funeral service is a profoundly regarded practice rooted in solidarity.

However, Muslim communities are struggling to honor these rituals amid the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing rules. As New York City grapples with the rising death toll, Islamic funerals — commonly referred to as janazah, which include washing the body and open-invite prayer services ― have been uprooted. Muslim burial service providers are overwhelmed, conducting services 15 times a week on average in recent weeks. The cost of those services has only skyrocketed.

Shafat was unable to attend his father’s services. Instead, over FaceTime, he watched as three members of a local Muslim funeral service, all dressed in masks and protective clothing, washed, shrouded and buried his father at a Muslim cemetery in New Jersey.

“If this was any other scenario, our house would be flooded with people or the hospital would be flooded with people, but in this scenario, he was just alone the whole time and we’re on this phone. Nobody was with us physically,” Shafat told HuffPost.

The experience was difficult, to say the least, Shafat said. His father was well-respected by their local community and at their local mosque ― which he visited every day.

Shafat said his father always made a point to attend other Islamic funerals, even if he did not know the deceased personally. It pained Shafat that no one was able to attend his father’s own services. “Nobody was able to attend his at all. It was just three people that we don’t even know,” said Shafat.

The rise of COVID deaths in the Muslim community brought on a slew of challenges for conducting Islamic funerals and burials.

NooruDean Rabah, the vice president of the Muslim Funeral Services of New York, a 24hour, Brooklyn-based funeral home, said his organization was operating at full capacity.

On average, the funeral home conducted seven funerals a week, or 364 funerals a year. Last month, it buried nearly 400 Muslims. In order to cope with the volume, Rabah purchased two refrigerated trailers for $20,000 each to store the incoming bodies.

Prior to COVID-19, the funeral home charged approximately $2,000 to pick up the deceased, bring them to the facility, wash their body, wrap them in a shroud and put them into a casket before transporting them to the mosque for the prayer services and then eventually to the cemetery for burial.

“Death is a regular occurrence and is one

of the most regular recurring things in our lives. It should be a simple process and we should be working together to make this a simple process,” said Rabah.

“We’ve entered a new day and era where we have more deceased bodies to pray over than the actual individuals offering the funeral prayers,” said NooruDean Rabah, the vice president of the Muslim Funeral Services of New York.

After COVID-19 arrived, many of these traditional practices were forced to change.

It now costs an extra $175 for a biodegradable seal for coronavirus cases, and Islamic scholars and imams have granted exceptions and alternatives for the washing rituals. For those who cannot afford the services, Muslim Funeral Services of New York slashes its prices in half and fundraises the rest on behalf of the family. All funeral prayers at mosques have since been suspended.

These changes mean families like Shafat’s can no longer find solace in a communal service meant to comfort the loved ones of the deceased. Oftentimes, these prayers are now offered by the funeral workers themselves.

The same week Shafat’s father died, 59-year-old Ibrahim Mohamed was struggling for his life. The Brooklyn father already had a number of underlying health conditions, including kidney failure and a heart condition that meant he needed several cardiac stents.

On March 19, Mohamed tested positive COVID-19. His symptoms worsened and soon he was admitted to the local hospital.

His wife called him every day because the family could not visit him in person. On the morning of March 23, Mohamed did not pick up her calls. He had died.

“Alhamdulillah for everything, that’s what my dad tried to teach me,” said 28year-old Rami Mohamed, using the Arabic phrase to thank and praise God often, no matter the circumstance. “When I look at myself and the type of person that I am, I realize I carry a few of his characteristic traits.

I carry my dad within me, and I get to use those traits to do good with it and do what he intended me to do with it.”

Mohamed’s funeral was small, with just a handful of immediate family members present to adhere to social distancing rules.

The family also livestreamed the services for the majority of their relatives, who were all in Egypt. Nearly 500 people tuned in. “Even though they were not physically present, it was actually very soothing,” said Rami.

“That gave me comfort knowing that my dad’s reach was that far.”

Rami said the mourning process has been difficult under lockdown and that each family member has grieved differently. He worries for his mother, whom he said has been hit the hardest by their loss.

For Rami, he hopes he is capable of filling a void his father left. He falls back on his Muslim faith to help him get through the more challenging days and seek out solace and wisdom. He knows that’s what his father would have wanted. “My dad, you know, spent his whole life getting ready for a situation like this, whether it was my own family or my mom, so at the end of the day, I’m gonna show him that he did well.”

With Ramadan in full swing, Shafat and his family back in Queens can’t help but feel their father’s absence. He thinks about the things he wanted to tell his dad. He wanted to assure him and that he promised to look after their family. That one day, “inshallah, God-willing, we will meet in Heaven.”

Remote work is good for business, and the world How Viceroy Lord Mayo's assassination led to EMPLOYERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE REMOTE WORK EVEN AFTER THE FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS IS OVER

Al JAzeerA IfeanyI M nsofor

In the last few months, as it became clear that the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus would eventually overwhelm health services, governments around the world started to mandate social distancing in public places to protect their citizens.

Social distancing, which typically involves keeping a certain distance from others and avoiding large gatherings, is a sound nonpharmaceutical intervention commonly used during epidemics. It prevents person-to-person transmission of contagions and helps authorities to contain disease outbreaks.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries not only mandated basic social distancing, but also closed down schools, shops and offices, cancelled all conferences and meetings, and banned domestic and international travel.

These shutdowns sent economies into meltdown and caused real financial hardship for small businesses and people in the gig economy in many countries. Some companies, whose workers are able to work remotely, however, managed to not only continue business as usual amid the chaos, but increase their employees' productivity.

The success of remote work is no coincidence. Studies have shown that when it is done right, remote work can improve employee productivity, creativity and morale. It has also been established that remote work leads workers to take fewer sick days and less vacation time, resulting in more workdays overall. Moreover, it can save businesses thousands of dollars a month per employee in office and other expenses. After being compelled to invest in tools that make remote work easier and more efficient due to the coronavirus pandemic, and experiencing the benefits of this new work model, many companies are considering allowing their employees to work from home indefinitely.

Social media giant Twitter recently announced that it would support employees, who are able and willing to work from home to do so "forever". Many other tech giants, from Facebook to Google, also said they are planning to support remote work "for the fore-

seeable future". The business world's apparent move towards remote work is good news not only for companies themselves and their employees, but also for the wider society and the environment. Businesses can help the fight against climate change and protect public health by continuing to support remote work where possible even after the end of this pandemic. Widespread remote work practices would reduce the number of vehicles on our roads. This would lead to a drop in greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. In the European Union, road transportation accounts for 72 percent of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while in the US emissions from all transportation - cars, trucks, trains, ships, aeroplanes and other vehicles - make up 29 percent.

The world has already seen an average of a 6 percent drop in greenhouse gases amid the coronavirus pandemic due to lockdowns and industry shutdowns. While it would be impossible to keep to this level after the end of the pandemic, remote work can help us hold on to some of the environmental gains we made during this crisis.

It is easy to see how fewer cars on our roads could help mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. This could also mean densely populated cities would be less polluted, residents would have access to fresher air and children would be less vulnerable to illnesses like pneumonia.

With cleaner air, improvements in health can happen fast. As a report from the American Thoracic Society notes, "Within a few weeks, respiratory and irritation symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, phlegm, and sore throat, disappear; school absenteeism, clinic visits, hospitalisations, premature births, cardiovascular illness and death, and all-cause mortality decrease significantly." Further, eliminating the stress of commuting could lead to lower blood pressure and a decrease in risks associated with cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), causes 7.5 million deaths globally every year.

Fewer vehicles on roads would also result in fewer traffic accidents. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, globally, road traffic crashes was the sixth leading cause of death in 2017. According to WHO, in 2018 alone, 1.35 million people around the world lost their lives in road traffic accidents. On average, road traffic crashes cause 3,287 deaths per day, and injure or disable thousands of others. Estimates by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that every year, 3 million peo-

ple are injured in nonfatal crashes in the US. Furthermore, medical care costs and productivity losses in the US due to car crashes was above $75bn in 2017.

Remote work would also help reduce some of the disadvantages women have in the workplace and contribute to maternal and infant heath. Many women around the world still do not have adequate maternity leave, and others choose not to use the maternity leave they have in full because they cannot survive on the limited maternity pay they receive or are scared of harming their career prospects by staying away from the office for too long.

Many new mothers who return to work a few months - or even weeks - after giving birth also face a difficult choice between either giving up on breastfeeding completely or enduring the stresses of pumping milk in the workplace. Remote work can resolve all these issues. New mothers can return to work in the comfort of their homes, not endure long commutes before their bodies fully recover, remain close to their babies even during working hours, and breastfeed or pump comfortably in private. To be sure, remote work also has some disadvantages, for some workers, such as decreased work-life balance, isolation and management difficulties. But businesses can overcome these challenges by building up strong communication channels between employees, listening and addressing the workers' concerns and making sure that employees have the ability to switch off from work and focus on their private lives on weekends and after-hours.

It is also true that not everyone can work from home, and remote-work is only an option for a privileged minority who work in some white-collar industries. Nevertheless, remote work practices benefit all members of the society, including the ones who are not able, or willing, to work from home. If everyone who can work from home does work from home, others will enjoy easier, safer, less stressful commutes, cleaner streets, better air quality and less overwhelmed public health services.

It is clear that coronavirus is redefining the future of work and providing a great opportunity for establishing long-term policies that can increase the health and happiness of employees and nations, while also helping businesses increase their profits. Remote work can change the world for the better. All businesses that can should consider allowing their employees to work from home even after our fight against coronavirus is over.

Dr Ifeanyi M Nsofor is the CEO of EpiAFRIC and Director of Policy and Advocacy at Nigeria Health Watch.

creation of India's first Intelligence Bureau

outlook, indiA Vappala balachandran

It is a truism that only a calamity can bring about reforms in security management in any form of government - imperialistic, colonial or democratic. In Imperial Russia “Okhrana”, the secret wing of the Russian Police emerged out of the killing of Czar Alexander II in 1881 by Narodnaya Volya (“Peoples Will”). In Colonial India, the process of creating a civilian intelligence agency started only after the 1872 killing of the highest colonial official. In independent India, Special Protection Group (SPG) and National Security Guards (NSG) were created only after the 1984 Indira Gandhi assassination.

The Russian killing need not have taken place had the existing organization been effective. In 1826 Czar Nicholas-I had issued a decree concentrating all powers in his “The Third Section in His Majesty’s Own Chancellery” consisting of Gendarmes to spy and stamp out dissent.

Yet a secret society Narodnaya Volya managed to kill Czar Alexander-II in 1881.

This was described as the first suicide assassination against a VVIP. A case study of the incident revealed that after a conspirator threw a bomb at Czar’s carriage which did not kill him, suicide bomber Hrynewiecki was allowed to come too near and to ignite his body explosives.

Almost identical was the stabbing of Viceroy Lord Mayo on 8 February 1872 by Sher Ali Afridi, a former soldier from Khyber Agency. Mayo was on a visit to Hopetown, Port Blair in the Andamans.

The assassin, a life-term convict, who should not have been allowed anywhere near the visitor, managed to hide on the Viceroy’s path from Mount Harriet Nature Park. As Mayo was alighting, the assassin stabbed him twice on his back. Mayo died while he was being taken to his ship. He was aware of a “Wahabi” revival against the Empire as Sir John Paxton Norman, acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court was similarly stabbed to death on 21 Sep-

tember 1871.

All these and the previous attacks on British military -- like the 1857 Uprising - made the policymakers realize that intelligence collection in India, despite the government being taken over by the Crown in 1858 from East India Company, was unreliable. This was highlighted during the House of Commons debate on 1857 incidents by Benjamin Disraeli, then Opposition member, who blamed the East India Company for destroying the “native authority” by not respecting India’s religious rights and customs.

The primary reason for intelligence failure was the inability of the military-oriented Company administration to understand India since “colonial knowledge was derived from a considerable extent from indigenous knowledge, albeit torn out of context and distorted by fear and prejudice” as stated by the late Prof. Christopher Bayly.

The second reason was that intelligence and assessments collected by the British Army were off the mark as they had limited contact with the general public.

Two contradictory assessments on the discipline and loyalty of Indian troops by Sir Charles Napier, who was Commander-inChief, were presented to the House of Commons. On 27th November 1849, he assessed the troops were “faithful to the proverb” which he radically altered on 15 June 1850 while assessing the Bengal army where he blamed the “deficiency in discipline” by the higher ranks.

Even after 1872, the British administration proceeded cautiously in formally announcing a civilian intelligence service.

They did not want the Indian public to feel that an adversarial department was being imposed on them. Viceroy Northbrook, who succeeded Mayo, wanted “a detective police for political purposes” and asked Sleeman’s “Thugee and Dacoity Department” (TDD) to do that. In 1887, Lord Dufferin underscored the need for secrecy: “It would not do for the native press to get it into their heads, that we were about to establish a Third Section after the Russian pattern”.

Administrative approval was given by the Secretary of State through Secret dispatch No. 11, dated March, 25th, 1887.

However, it was only in 1904 that a new department “Central Criminal Intelligence Department (DCI)” was created absorbing the TDD. On April 19, 1904, Harold A. Stuart, ICS, Inspector General of Police, Madras Presidency took over as Director of the Central Criminal Intelligence with Deputy Director McCracken, till then heading TDD. This finally became our Intelligence Bureau.

The writer is a former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat.

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

BUSINESS 09

ECC APPrOVES MEChAnISM fOr CASh trAnSfErS tO LAbOurErS

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD

KARACHI: In the fight against COVID-19, JS Bank, Mahvash and Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation & Partners donated Rs10 million to Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT). Arshad Sultan, Engr. Gohar, and Dr Zafar Hussain represented SIUT, whereas JS Bank was represented by Deputy CEO Kamran Jafar and Communications Head Hasan Saeed. PRESS RElEASE

Qatar Airways to extend flexible booking policy for customers DOHA: Qatar Airways has extended its flexible booking policy to offer even greater choice and peace of mind to passengers when planning travel. The airline will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers can change their destination as often as they need if it is within 5,000 miles of the original one. It will not charge any fare differences for travel completed before 31 December 2020, after which fare rules will apply. All tickets booked for travel up to 31 December 2020 will be valid for two years from the date of issuance. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Bakar said, “We recognise that it can be difficult to plan travel with absolute certainly in the current climate. That is why we have extended our booking policies to offer even more choice to our passengers.” PRESS RElEASE

Easypaisa facilitating real time int’l remittances during COVID-19 LAHORE: Easypaisa, Pakistan’s leading mobile platform, is offering easy and convenient international remittance services to provide much needed relief to consumers amid the difficulties caused due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Through digital partners including Xpress Money (Worldwide), Valyou (Malaysia), Small World (Europe), Hello Paisa (Africa) and Rocket Remit (Australia), Easypaisa users can now receive international payments directly into their Easypaisa mobile accounts. “At Easypaisa, we have always endeavoured to introduce effective, simple and innovative solutions into the financial value chain with the objective of redefining the way transactions are generally conducted,” said Telenor Microfinance Bank/Easypaisa CEO Mohammad Mudassar Aqil. PRESS RElEASE

Zameen parent company EMPG acquires Lamudi Global LAHORE: EMPG, the parent company of Pakistan’s largest real estate portal Zameen and one of the leading digital classifieds groups in the MENA, South Asia and Southeast Asia regions, has announced its acquisition of Lamudi Global, which has businesses in Philippines, Indonesia and Mexico. The group said the acquisition had taken place before its merger with OLX Group’s businesses in MENA and South Asia that raised EMPG’s valuation to $1 billion, which was announced last week. EMPG had also acquired Thailand’s top marketplace Kaidee in February, which – along with the Lamudi Global transaction – marks a strong push into Southeast Asia for the group. EMPG owns and operates Bayut in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Zameen in Pakistan, Bproperty.com in Bangladesh, and Mubawab in Morocco and Tunisia, alongside Kaidee. PRESS RElEASE

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STAFF REPORT

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Friday approved the 'criteria and mechanism' for Emergency Cash Assistance to labourers whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PM had made an announcement in this regard earlier this month which required a formal approval from the ECC, said a statement issued by the Finance Ministry.

The ECC meeting was chaired by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

The PM on 3rd May had announced that the funds collected through PM’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Assistance Fund 2020 would be used to assist labourers whose livelihood have been affected due to coronavirus lockdown and its subsequent impact on the economy.

In his announcement, the PM had directed that the funds shall be disbursed through Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme. The PM had also announced that for every rupee donated, the government shall match Rs4 in the fund.

"The budget envelop of Rs75 billion released to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), out of the Rs200 billion earmarked in PM’s relief package for distribution among labourers in the country, would be used for this purpose. The modalities of the dis-

‘Pakistani company to manufacture Remdesivir within two months’ BUSINESS DESK Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza has said Pakistan will soon start manufacturing breakthrough Covid19 treatment drug Remdesivir under license from US pharmaceutical company Gilead.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Friday, he said a Pakistani pharmaceutical company has concluded its voluntary licensing agreement with US pharmaceutical company Gilead for the manufacture and sale of Remdesivir.

The special assistant said Pakistan is among the five countries with which the US company has signed a licensing agreement for manufacturing the drug. He said production of the medicine can commence as early as eight weeks after the nec-

essary regulatory approvals are obtained.

Dr Zafar Mirza said the development represents an important step forward for Pakistan on the health, economic and diplomacy fronts. He said it helps provide our citizens and frontline healthcare workers access to the latest treatment for the pandemic in a fast-track manner. He said Pakistan will also be able to export the medicine to 127 countries facing Coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said the local manufacture of Remdesivir represents an important export opportunity for the country’s pharmaceutical sector at a critical period. He said export of the drug to the developing world at this time of need will also position Pakistan to play its rightful role on the global stage of public health.

PM urges G-20 to further extend debt relief for COVID-hit developing world ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan, while terming the G20 debt relief “a timely initiative”, has urged the forum to further extend the facility to provide greater space to coronavirus-hit developing countries and allow them concentrate their resources for providing relief to their people.

Chairing a briefing to review external inflow and outflow situation of the foreign exchange with special reference to the support received from various development partners to cope with the COVID-19 situation, the prime minister directed his economic team to explore opportunities for debt for development swaps so that the process of socio-economic development could be stimulated.

The meeting was attended by Economic Affair Minister Makhdoom Khusru Bakhtiar and Economic Affairs Secretary Noor Ahmed, according to a PM Office press release.

Highlighting the government’s agenda, the prime minister said effective domestic revenue mobilization, better fiscal and debt management, reforms in the energy and financial sectors, and improving investment climate in the country were key among the priorities of the government.

While appreciating the G-20 debt relief initiative, the prime minister observed that the G-20 relief was a timely initiative that complemented the government's efforts to cope with the challenge of COVID-19. He appreciated the international community for their positive response in wake of coronavirus pandemic.

Haleeb Foods appoints Syed Mazher Iqbal as CEO BUSINESS DESK The Board of directors of Haleeb Foods Limited (HFL) has appointed Syed Mazher Iqbal as CEO effective April 2020.

Iqbal is a certified director and a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan. He brings to HFL over three decades of senior management experience of local and multinational companies including manufacturing concerns as well as commercial and investment banks.

He has been associated with the company previously and under his leadership during 2015-17, Haleeb Foods achieved historical milestones of sales and profitability records.

Iqbal was also instrumental in financial and operational turnaround of two large listed manufacturing companies namely Pioneer Cement Limited and General Tyres Pakistan Limited. Some of the other companies he has previously worked for, include, Kuwait Finance House - an Islamic bank, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, Orix Investment Bank and ICI Pakistan Limited.

bursement are worked out by Finance Division, Poverty Alleviation Division and BISP." Meanwhile, BISP Board has approved that in order to identify the beneficiaries for Ehsaas Labour (Category-IV), the eligibility criteria used for Category–III of Ehsaas Emergency Cash may be used.

The applications would be received only through Ehsaas Labour portal for inclusion of beneficiaries in Category-IV. According to the statement, cash disbursement of Rs12,000 (one time assistance) would be made to eligible applicants through existing payment mechanism of BISP. Provinces, AJK, GB and ICT would be allocated quota in Ehsaas Labour Assistance in accordance with their population share.

MARKET DAILY

PSX witnesses bullish trend as index gains 203 points KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Stocks rallied on the last session of the week as investors anticipated a rate cut in the country's monetary policy, which was announced after the session's conclusion. Breaking the selling pattern, foreign investors closed the previous session (Thursday) as net buyers, registering a net inflow of $0.069 million. According to analysts, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained positive throughout the day ahead of the policy statement, with all indices posting decent gains. "Bounce in international crude prices helped oil & gas stocks stage some recovery from the recent sessions, with OGDC and PPL particularly performing well," said Arif Habib Ltd in its report. "Despite positive trend in the market, banking stocks remained subdued, however, active buying interest was observed in both BOP and HBL, which have been performing since the beginning of the week."

Gaining 236.54 points, the benchmark KSE-100 Index recorded its intraday high at 34,041.44. It closed higher by 203.43 points at 34,008.33. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 597.24 points to settle at 55,362.08, while the KSE All Share Index gathered 188.04 points, ending at 24,208.02. Of the total traded scrips, 166 advanced and 126 declined. It may be noted that the KSE-100 Index gained 2.22pc or 740 points during the week ending May 15. Average market volumes during the week were recorded at 219.09 million, while traded value stood at Rs6.47 billion. The overall market volumes declined from 240.21 million in the last session to 213.27 million (-11pc) on Friday.

Average traded value, however, inched up by 1pc, from $38.5 million to $38.8 million. Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL 1.89pc), K-Electric Limited (KEL 3.72pc) and Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF 0.60pc) topped the volume chart, exchanging 14.77 million, 12.22 million and 9.85 million shares, respectively. Sectors that drove the benchmark index south included oil & gas exploration (109.47 points), power generation & distribution (57.74 points) and cement (50.45 points). Among the companies, Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC 53.28 points), Nestle Pakistan Limited (NESTLE 34.44 points) and Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MARI 33.48 points) remained the top contributors. The banking sector lost 0.65pc from its total market capitalization, with MCB Bank Limited (MCB -1.50pc), United Bank Limited (UBL -1.67pc) and Bank AlFalah Limited (BAFL 0.96pc) closing in the red. Meanwhile, GlaxoSmithKline (Pakistan) Limited (GLAXO 2.21pc), in its financial performance for the first quarter of FY20, stated that its sales remained flat, while gross profit margin fell from 24pc last year to 20pc. The company’s earnings per share contracted from Rs1.67 in 1QFY19 to Rs1.34.

Bank of Khyber approves new promotion policy up to AVP PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

The Bank of Khyber (BoK) has approved new promotion policy that will involve test and interview to qualify for next grade.

The employees from the grade of the junior officer to the Assistant Vice President (AVP) will be promoted to the next grade after obtaining 50 per cent marks in test and passing the promotion committee’s interview.

The new policy will not apply to the officers from the grade of the Vice President to the Senior Executive Vice President (SEVP).

EMPLOYEES ALLEGE NEW POLICY WILL ONLY BENEFIT ‘BLUE-EYED’ Hassan Tariq, the Marketing In-charge at BoK, told Pakistan Today that the new policy is based on a uniform policy for all employees, which will end the practice of promotion on the basis of likes, dislikes and political affiliations.

He added tests would be conducted under the Institute of Bankers Pakistan (IBP), which operates under the State Bank of Pakistan. All the employees would be assessed for the relevant job, in which they

would be associated with the bank, and would be promoted after clearing test and interview, Tariq said.

At present more than 250 employees of different grades are eligible for promotion to the next grade. Most the employees have resented the decision of the bank management.

The management has announced a new policy to promote the people of their choice, a BoK employee, seeking anonymity, alleges. Due to the ineffective policies, the

bank is heading towards collapse, he claims.

The employee says at a time when the entire country is reeling under the coronavirus and the government is going to promote students to the next grades without exams, the BoK is obstructing the promotion of more than 250 eligible employees to the next grade and planning to conduct exam instead.

According to another employee, if the new policy is so good, it should be applied to the officers holding high positions, which will help the bank get competent leadership.

The qualifications of bank’s higher officials should be assessed before their appoint-

ment at the top positions, he opines.

The same policy has been implemented earlier in some private banks, but the number of branches of those banks is 700-800 with about 10,000 employees, whereas the BoK has a total of 180 branches and 1,300 to 1400 employees. In such a situation, the annual growth rate is lower than other banks.

If the bank management has made it mandatory to pass the test through the IBP, what is the need for the promotion committee of the bank, a BoK’s employee questioned and alleged the top positions in the bank would be in the hands of high ups who would promote their favourite ones.

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

PowerFul StorM ForceS thouSAndS FroM hoMeS in viruS-hit PhiliPPineS MANILA

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AGENCIES

ENS of thousands of people were forced into cramped shelters by the powerful storm pounding the Philippines on Friday, making social distancing nearly impossible as the nation battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Typhoon Vongfong smashed homes, schools and virus quarantine sites when it hit central Samar island on Thursday, but then weakened into a severe tropical storm on its path north to the capital Manila.

The storm struck as tens of millions of Filipinos are hunkered down at home to protect themselves against COVID-19, but more than 140,000 had to flee in central Bicol region because of the powerful storm, disaster officials said.

Vongfong packed gusts up to 190 kilometres (120 miles) an hour and drenching rains when it roared into the Philippines.

"We have to wear masks and apply distancing at all times," local police official Carlito Abriz told AFP. "It's difficult to enforce because they (the evacuees) are stressed. But we are doing our best."

Bicol saw less damage than hard-hit Samar, so some of those in shelters had begun to return home after the storm passed on Friday, disaster officials reported.

Authorities have said they will run shelters at half of capacity, provide masks to people who don't have them and try to keep families grouped together.

However, many spaces normally used as storm shelters have been converted into quarantine sites for people suspected of being infected with coronavirus.

Ben Evardone, governor of the central province Eastern Samar, said local quarantine sites, schools and at least one church were levelled by the fierce wind.

"So what will happen to us now, what will we use as COVID facilities here?," he asked. "This is a big challenge for us."

Fortunately the central region where the storm struck first is not one of the hotspots of the Philippines' outbreak, which has seen 12,091 reported infections and 806 dead.

OVERLAPPING DISASTERS: Tens of millions more people live along Vongfong's path, which is forecast to take it near the densely populated capital Manila later Friday. Disaster officials in Manila, which is the centre of the nation's virus outbreak, said they have not ordered pre-emptive evacuations for the capital but have issued storm warnings.

Authorities have not reported any deaths so far, but disaster crews had not yet completed their assessment of hard-hit areas cut off by the storm.

It is not unheard of for disasters to overlap in the Philippines, and some 22,000 people were evacuated from the slopes of the active Mayon volcano ahead of the typhoon's arrival.

Heavy rains in the past have sent landslides of debris cascading down the volcano, burying and killing the communities in their paths.

Typhoons are a dangerous and disruptive part of life in the Philippine archipelago,

Virus could infect more than 200m in Africa: WHO GENEVA AGENCIES

Fears mount over migrants dying 'out of sight' in Mediterranean GENEVA: More and more migrants are crossing, Europe is closing its ports and no humanitarian ships are carrying out rescues. As the coronavirus pandemic dominates headlines, activists fear the Mediterranean is the scene of an overlooked "tragedy". A handful of migrant landings have taken place in recent weeks, including 79 people who arrived last weekend in Italy -- a country under fire even before the outbreak for refusing to allow private vessels carrying migrants to dock. International organisations and NGOs say the situation is bleak, as all rescue operations were ceased as of last week. "If there is no help at sea and countries drag their feet to rescue and allow people to disembark, we're going to end up with a fairly serious humanitarian situation," said Vincent Cochetel, special envoy for the central Mediterranean with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He estimates that 179 people have died in the area since January. Italy and Malta closed their ports at the beginning of April as the pandemic hit Europe hard. At that time, only two rescue boats were in operation -- the Alan Kurdi vessel run by the German NGO Sea-Eye, and Aita Mari chartered by the Spanish organisation Maydayterraneo. Both have now been grounded by the Italian coastguard for "technical" problems, a move denounced as unjustified by campaign groups. Meanwhile Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela said last month that he was under investigation for his role in the death of at least five migrants who tried to sail from Libya to Italy. A Maltese patrol boat allegedly cut the cables of the migrant dinghy's motor.

MORE DEPARTURES: The situation is all the more dire, Cochetel said, as departures from the Libyan coast have nearly quadrupled compared with the same period a year ago, with 6,629 attempts to reach Europe between January and the end of April. AGENCIES

Global virus vaccine race heats up, but not without controversy WASHINGTON/PARIS: Global tensions simmered over the race for a coronavirus vaccine Thursday, as the United States and China traded jabs, and France slammed pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi for suggesting the US would get any eventual vaccine first. Scientists are working at breakneck speed to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, which has killed more than 300,000 people worldwide and pummelled economies.

From the US to Europe to Asia, national and local governments are easing lockdown orders to get people back to work -- while fretting over a possible second wave of infections. Increased freedom of movement means an increased risk of contracting the virus, and so national labs and private firms are laboring to find the right formula for a vaccine. The European Union's medicines agency offered some hope when it said one could be ready in a year, based on data from clinical trials already underway. But Marco Cavaleri, the EMA's head of vaccines strategy, acknowledged that timeline was a "best-case scenario," and cautioned that "there may be delays." The race for a vaccine has exposed a raw nerve in relations between the United States and China, where the virus was first detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan. AGENCIES

The new coronavirus could kill 150,000 people in Africa in a year unless urgent action is taken, according to a WHO modelling study that says nearly a quarter of a billion people will be infected.

Authors of the research, published Friday in the journal BMJ Global Health, predicted a lower infection rate than in other parts of the world like Europe and the US, with fewer severe cases and deaths. But while they said many African nations had been swift to adopt containment measures, they warned that health systems could still quickly become overwhelmed. "Our model points to the scale of the problem for health systems if containment measures fail," said the authors. The study comes amid stark warnings that COVID-19 threatens a health emergency in developing nations where fragile health systems are already struggling with an array of other chronic diseases. Experts at the World Health Organization's Africa office modelled likely rates of exposure to the virus and infection in the 47 countries under its regional remit, which excludes Djibouti, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia.

Some 231 million people, or 22 percent (with a range of 16 to 26 per-

cent) of the one billion people in the region were expected to be infected in the 12 month period -- most of them showing few or no symptoms.

But an estimated 4.6 million people would need to be admitted to hospital, while 140,000 would have severe COVID-19 infection and 89,000 would be critically ill. That would lead to some 150,000 deaths (between 83,000 and 190,000) the study suggested. The modelling estimates what would happen for each country over the period of a year from the beginning of widespread and sustained community transmission.

SMALLER COUNTRIES THREATENED: Researchers warned that surging hospital admissions for COVID-19 would divert already limited resources to tackle major health issues in the region, such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and malnutrition, worsening the impact of coronavirus. "The region will have fewer deaths, but occurring more in relatively younger age groups, amongst people previously considered healthy –- due to undiagnosed non-communicable diseases," the report said, adding that these trends were already emerging.

which gets hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year.

The storms put millions of people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty and rebuilding.

A July 2019 study by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank said the most frequent storms lop one percent off the Philippine economy, with the stronger ones cutting economic output by nearly three percent.

Many of the areas in Vongfong's path have already gone through much of their emergency disaster money while responding to the pandemic, and have asked the national government for help.

Afghan hospital attackers 'came to kill mothers': MSF KABUL: Gunmen who stormed a hospital in the Afghan capital this week had come to "kill the mothers" at the maternity ward, medical charity Doctors Without Borders has said. At least 24 people were killed -- including newborns, mothers and nurses -- when three armed men rampaged through the maternity ward of the hospital in Kabul on Tuesday, in an attack that sparked international outrage. The United States later said the deadly assault was carried out by the Islamic State group. "What I saw in the maternity hospital demonstrates it was a systematic shooting of the mothers," said Frederic Bonnot on Thursday, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) head in Afghanistan, who visited the facility a day after the attack. "They went through the rooms in the maternity, shooting women in their beds. It was methodical.

"Walls sprayed with bullets, blood on the floors in the rooms, vehicles burnt out and windows shot through," he said in a statement. MSF, which runs the maternity ward, said at the time of the attack 26 mothers were being cared for at the Barchi National Hospital in west Kabul. Eleven were killed, including three in the delivery room with their newborn babies while five others were wounded. Ten others found shelter in safe rooms. The assailants who entered the facility through the main gate moved straight to the maternity ward, MSF said. When the attack began, shooting and explosions could be heard from the safe room where several had taken refuge, said Bonnot. AGENCIES

Last-ditch bid to save Oslo building with Picasso murals OSLO AGENCIES

Face masks are rare and social distances vary but the human chain spreads out, braving the risk of infection, as activists in Oslo make a lastditch bid to save a building adorned with artwork designed by Spanish master painter Pablo Picasso.

Damaged in rightwing extremist Anders Behring Breivik's July 2011 attacks, the "Y Block", a government building complex named for its shape and completed in 1969, is due to be demolished any day now. On its grey cement walls are two Picasso drawings, sandblasted by Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, who collaborated with the Spaniard.

On the facade facing the street, "The Fishermen" depicts three men hauling their oversized catch on board their boat. In the lobby, "The Seagull" shows the bird, its wings spread wide, devouring a fish.

Etched in the Spanish painter's childlike strokes, the two works will be cut out and relocated to new government buildings due to be built in the central Oslo neighbourhood.

But not everyone is okay with that plan. "We're going to be kicking ourselves for years," blasts Erik Lie, one of the 200 or so Norwegians who have come to protest against the demolition on this freezing May morning, one link in the human chain in front of the building.

"I hope it's not too late," he says, his orange woolly hat reading "Let Y Stand", before adding fatalistically: "But this will probably be a pile of rubble soon."

SYMBOL OF DEMOCRACY: Because of the new coronavirus, protesters are linked by metre-long ribbons in a bid to keep them at a safe distance from one another. Energised by their despair, they still harbour dreams of ripping the building from the bulldozers' claws.

But behind them, beyond the high fences, the sound of metal saws suggests the preparations are well underway.

According to Statsbygg, the public agency in charge of overseeing the demolition, the murals are to be dismantled before the end of spring.

The nearby "H Block" building, built in the late 1950s and which has three other Picasso murals, was home to the prime minister's offices until Breivik

CMYK

blew up a van loaded with 950 kilos (2,100 pounds) of explosives at its base.

"H Block" will be renovated and will continue to tower over the new ministry buildings.

For some, the symbolism is inevitable: these buildings remain standing, despite Breivik's attempts to bring them -- and democracy -- down.

"Y Block is an iconic building in Oslo that has survived a terrorist attack and now the government wants to tear it down. And nobody can actually give a good argument for why they should," says Tone Dalen, one of the figurehead of the protests.

The government meanwhile insists that the demolition of "Y Block" to make space for new buildings was a difficult but necessary decision.

"It will improve security and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians, and will provide a more open and greener space, as well as offices suited to the future ministries," said Modernisation Minister Nikolai Astrup.

TOO LATE: "The Fishermen" and "The Seagull" -- whose existence many Norwegians were unaware of until the question of their relocation arose -- are

supposed to be made more visible to the public in their future location.

"A lot of people think that it's Picasso that deserves to be preserved but it's also the architecture and the interaction between 'Y Block' and 'H Block', the history that it represents," insists Erik Lie. "These are monuments that illustrate the rebuilding of Norway after the war, and everything that I associate with the development of modern society," he says.

With their drab appearance, the buildings' aesthetic qualities may be debated but supporters insist that you cannot destroy everything you don't like.

"Maybe we don't find it beautiful today, but perhaps in 30 years we'll think the opposite," notes Cecilie Geelmuyden, a 50-year-old civil servant and protest supporter.

Despite a growing number of protests in recent weeks, the demolition process now appear irreversible.

At the end of August, the Oslo district court is to consider a request to have the demolition declared illegal.

But that will be too late, in all likelihood. As Lie predicts, by then, "Y Block" will probably be nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Satuday, 16 May 2020

'FlyInG BlInd': GermAn FootBAll returnS And tAKeS SteP Into unKnown BERLIN

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AGENCIES

HE German league takes the spotlight on Saturday as the first top European league to resume during the coronavirus pandemic, with one coach admitting it feels like "flying blind". After a two-month break, the German Football League (DFL) had to submit an extraordinarily detailed plan of measures to gain approval for the restart from Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 state leaders.

With league football still at least a month away in England, Italy and Spain, and France having already decided to end its season, the Bundesliga games this weekend will be beamed around the world.

Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert has warned the matches, played in empty stadiums because of the risk of infection, will "look and feel different".

ELBOW TAPS, FACE MASKS: The shouts of players will echo around the empty stands and goals will have to be celebrated with elbow or foot taps because players have been ordered to avoid hugs or handshakes.

Substitutes and coaches on the bench must wear protective masks.

Match fitness is a concern as teams only started training sessions for the whole squad last week having previously worked in small groups.

"I'm calling it 'flying blind'," Hertha Berlin coach Bruno Labbadia said.

"With so few days of preparation, it's impossible to say where we stand."

With no crowd noise to mask the odd swear word, RB Leipzig's coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted he will have to curb his language.

"I will try to behave in a socially ac-

Britain's Silverstone 'to stage two grands prix'

ceptable way in the (coaching) zone," he quipped.

'GREEDY' BAYERN: For coaches and players alike, this weekend's matches will be played in exceptional circumstances. In Saturday's key game, Borussia Dortmund host Schalke in the 156th Ruhr derby.

For the first time in the fixture's 95-year history it will be behind closed doors, when 82,000 passionate fans would normally pack out Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park.

On Sunday, FC Union host leaders Bayern Munich, who were four points

clear at the top when matches were suspended in March, at their compact Alten Foersterei stadium in east Berlin.

The boisterous home crowd helped Union beat previous leaders Dortmund, and Moenchengladbach, there this season.

However, those fans will be absent when star-studded Bayern run out. And the reigning champions are hungry to close out the season with an eighth consecutive Bundesliga title. "When I see the emotions we have developed over the last few days, even in a training game, it shows our greed for regular competition," Bayern forward Thomas Mueller wrote on LinkedIn. Not everyone is so enthusiastic.

"In Germany, the players are in a weak position," Union defender Neven Subotic told Deutschlandfunk radio.

"We were informed after all decisions had been made.

"I don't want to talk my way out of the responsibility - but there was no representative body of the players."

The clubs want to finish the nine rounds of matches by June 30 in order to claim around 300 million euros ($324 million) in television money.

However, the fear is that an outbreak of the virus within the league could once again halt the season.

County cricketers play waiting game during virus lockdown LONDON

LONDON

AGENCIES

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County cricketer Tom Alsop is kicking his heels because of the coronavirus pandemic but says his mother's job on the front line in a British hospital puts his frustrations into perspective.

Global cricket is on hold, including the start of the English season and the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League, with dire warnings sounded over the potential financial fallout from a prolonged shutdown.

Hampshire player Alsop has been placed on the furlough scheme -- which sees 80 percent of wages up to a certain level covered by the British government. The players are in talks with the club about the remaining 20 percent.

The 24-year-old, who says county cricketers' wages are "very good for what we do", said the issue pales into insignificance compared with the work his mother and other National Health Service staff are doing.

"My morale is as positive as it can be during these uncertain times. With my mother's job in intensive care (working as a senior critical care nurse) at RUH (Royal United Hospitals) Bath, it really puts things in perspective," the wicketkeeper-batsman told AFP. Alsop, who has represented England at Under-19 and Lions (England's second-tier) level, says he is fortunate as a professional sportsman.

"At the end of the day it's a game. I don't drive into work every day won-

Britain's Silverstone racetrack will stage two grands prix during the Formula One season, subject to UK government approval, circuit chiefs said on Friday. The coronavirus outbreak has caused huge disruption to the F1 calendar, with 10 races either cancelled or postponed. Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle told the BBC that an agreement in principle had been reached with Formula One to hold the races at the central England circuit, immediately after the season begins in Austria. "I am delighted to confirm that Silverstone and Formula One have reached an agreement in principle to host two races behind closed doors this summer," he said. "However these races will be subject to government approval, as our priority is the safety of all involved and strict compliance with COVID-19 regulations. "I would like to thank all our fans who have been so supportive throughout this and to assure them we are determined to do all we can to help Formula One put on a show this summer." The BBC reported that the agreement would hinge on the government giving dispensation over quarantine restrictions. The government's coronavirus recovery strategy document sets out an intention to introduce a 14-day quarantine rule for international arrivals, except those from Ireland and France.

Organisers are hoping to start the season with the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5 behind closed doors, followed by a second race at the Red Bull Ring a week later.

SPORTS 11

Kohli could be stranded when India resume training, official warns NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Top Indian players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could be left stranded in pandemicstricken Mumbai when senior players start training again, an official has warned. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could allow outdoor training as early as next week when a further easing of the government's nationwide coronavirus lockdown is to start. But Mumbai, where national captain Kohli and batsman Sharma are based, is at the forefront of India's battle against the pandemic, and tough restrictions are expected to be maintained there. "For players like Kohli and Rohit, the restrictions are there in Mumbai and might stay," BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal told AFP. Mumbai has recorded almost 1,000 coronavirus deaths and accounts for more than a third of India's fatalities so far. The number of new cases is still rising. Dhumal said that following government talk of further easing its nearly two-month-old lockdown, "some skillbased training" outdoors could be possible in other parts of India. While international cricket and the Indian Premier League have been highprofile sporting victims of the coronavirus, Kohli and other players have been posting pictures of their indoor training and other activities on social media during the lockdown.

Dhumal said India's National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore was working on a postlockdown plan for players which would be adapted to the level of restrictions. "As of now we are working, given the lockdown restrictions, through apps and online modes."

Belgian GP could be held behind closed doors in August BRUSSELS AGENCIES

dering how many lives I might need to save or are there going to be enough beds for everyone," he said.

He hopes one positive outcome of the coronavirus will be that it will make people rethink their priorities.

"What really matters in life is family and loved ones," he said. "Not being upset over not having the newest Mercedes or that your stock portfolio has fallen by a few points."

Alsop's father was responsible, along with his older brother Owen, for sparking his interest in cricket, with fiercely fought games in their back garden. "That often ended in argument, mostly down to me only wanting to bat and not bowl," he said.

He has gone on to enjoy "exhilarat-

ing highs" including his maiden firstclass century and seeing different cultures on tour, including Sri Lanka.

TRAINING IN ISOLATION: Alsop said county players, being on 12-month contracts, were required to continue training and take part in strength and conditioning during the off-season, making it a "full-time job".

The relative monotony of that has been alleviated with two spells playing in Durban, South Africa, and one training in Perth, Australia.

County cricketers in England and Wales are now being forced to work out alone as they wait to see if and when the season starts due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Formula One's Belgian Grand Prix could be raced behind closed doors on August 30, local authorities announced on Friday. Despite a ban on mass gatherings in the country until August 31 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wallonia's Minister-President Elio Di Rupo said the event could go ahead. "This measure is valid only on the condition of strictly respecting social distancing rules and hygiene and sanitary guidelines," he said in a statement. Now the Belgian authorities have given the go-ahead, the Spa-Francorchamps organisers will have to negotiate with F1 promoters Liberty Media to cover the shortfall from lost gate receipts. According to news agency Belga, almost 165,000 tickets had been sold. The COVID-19 outbreak has decimated the F1 calendar, with 10 races either cancelled or postponed. Organisers are hoping to start the season with the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5 behind closed doors.

US sport edges back from virus shutdown with golf, auto events WASHINGTON AGENCIES

World number one Rory McIlroy and America's most popular auto racers will nudge United States sport forward this weekend as hope grows for a June revival from the coronavirus shutdown.

Four-time major champion McIlroy and fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson will team up to face Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a made-for-television Skins Game without spectators on Sunday to raise $3 million for virus relief charities.

"Golf can return to doing things like this," McIlroy said. "We can keep ourselves socially distant. We can keep ourselves in different carts and stay more than six feet away from one another. That's very important, too, taking all the necessary precautions to be able to put this match on."

That's in part because other sports organizations seeking their own returns will be watching to see how well these events handle the challenge.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) also returns Sunday without fans with a 400-mile (643km) race at the 1.33-mile Darlington Raceway oval, where temperature-taking and masks will be among the measures used to safeguard the health of all involved.

"There will be a huge microscope on how we're doing things," 2020 Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin said. "For all of us, it's just the unknown of making sure we're doing it the right way."

Creating an atmosphere where athletes can be confident they won't contract the deadly virus, risking the health of themselves and loved ones, is key to chances the NBA, Major League Baseball, National

Hockey League and Major League Soccer can return, perhaps as soon as next month, after shutting down in March.

"If we get proper testing and we know everyone is negative... golf is in good position to lead the charge back and sports, I think, is important for American culture," veteran US PGA Tour player Joel Dahmen told Golfweek.

Even without spectators, plentiful testing will be needed for players, coaches, trainers and officials when sport resumes, with IndyCar planning a June 6 Texas race and the PGA Tour set for a June 11 relaunch at Colonial after stopping in March.

The PGA Tour's event plan includes temperature monitoring, virus tests for those above 100.4 F (38 C) and quarantines for those testing positive to keep events in a secure bubble, much the same strategy the NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL are studying.

CMYK

Saturday, 16 May, 2020

NEWS

HealtHcare system will survive covid-19 onslaugHt, govt tells na MINIster sAys INfectIoNs wILL keeP oN rIsINg IN juNe, But thINgs wILL reMAIN uNDer coNtroL

AVIAtIoN MINIster sAys 7,000 PAkIstANI NAtIoNALs to Be rePAtrIAteD Before eID

the country every day”.

About the measures taken by the government to lessen the fallout, he said Rs 144 billion would be distributed among the poorest of the poor under the Ehsaas programme to help them in coping with the coronavirus outbreak.

“Rs 100 billion was already distributed among eight million families as part of the biggest economic relief package announced by the government,” he added.

“Rs 50 billion was allocated to give relief in electricity bills to 3.5 million small businesses and under the PM’s Corona Relief Programme, the government would give relief to those who had lost their jobs due to restrictions on businesses during the lockdown,” he added.

Relief packages of Rs 50 billion each were announced for the agriculture and health sectors, he said and added that the government’s relief initiatives directly or indirectly would benefit 80 per cent of the population.

‘7,000 CITIZENS TO BE REPATRIATED IN RAMZAN’: Minister for Aviation Division Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the House that 7,000 stranded Pakistanis, including students, workers, members of Tableeghi Jamaat, and pilgrims, will be brought back home before Eid. He said Pakistani prisoners from Oman and the United Arab Emirates were brought back free of cost. He said Aviation Division operated 181 inbound flights and took over 25,000 pas-

ISLAMABAD

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APP

INISTER for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Friday claimed the healthcare system will survive the onslaught of soaring coronavirus cases, citing data that the contagion, despite its upward trend, will not cripple the healthcare facilities.

Speaking during the ongoing special National Assembly session on Covid-19, Umar feared that the infections and deaths would continue to increase in May and June. “Pakistan is conducting 13,500 tests every day and the number would be further raised,” he said. It may be noted here that the government claimed to reach 25,000 testing capacity by this month.

He said about 1,000 more ventilators would be provided to the hospitals, and 100,000 doctors and medics would be trained in the use of personal protection equipment.

Speaking about the lockdown, the minister said it was not possible to stop the spread of coronavirus with lockdowns. “The countries that imposed lockdown saw a resurgence of cases after they eased the restrictions. We have to live with the virus,” he added.

He claimed in some cases those countries, which adopted strict lockdown, had a higher death rate than those which had a targetted lockdown. The coronavirus won’t go

File photo

away without a vaccine, he added.

He said other countries had reached the same conclusion as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s that the lockdown would increase poverty, hunger, unemployment and economic deprivation. When the prime minister took a policy decision against the lockdown he faced a lot of criticism, he said, adding that the opposition parties also had divergent views on the issue of the lockdown.

During the ongoing pandemic as some of their leaders wanted strict lockdown while the others wanted it to be eased, he claimed.

With the help of technology, a system was in place to trace and quarantine patients, and use targetted lockdown of hotspots and in

PML-N’s IqBAL urges goVt to reVIVe LocAL goVts IN PuNjAB to effectIVeLy coNtAIN INfectIoNs

that way the virus was contained at 500 places, he told the lawmakers.

Speaking about the impacts of a lull in business activities, the minister said according to the research of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), the income of 10 million to 10.8 million Pakistanis vanished or substantially reduced due to the coronavirus.

He said the government would have to create a balance to protect the livelihoods of the people and also save their lives from the coronavirus outbreak. He quoted the example of the United States in which “40 states decided to ease the lockdown at a time when two to three thousand people were dying in

sengers to their destinations in 27 countries.

He said around 250 students from Wuhan and China will be repatriated through the special flight on Monday.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Ahsan Iqbal said the government should charter planes to repatriate stranded Pakistanis from various countries.

Iqbal also proposed that local governments in Punjab should immediately be restored and the federal government should declare education emergency, reduce petroleum, electricity, and gas prices to provide relief to the common people in wake of COVID-19.

In his remarks, Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan said no bill or draft to amend the 18th Amendment is under consideration. He said several amendments were made in the constitution in the past– a lawful procedure. He, however, said no amendments contrary to divine laws can be made.

The Adviser said the government will welcome reasonable suggestions from the Opposition to amend NAB law.

He also assured the House that recommendations of the National Assembly will be sent to relevant quarters. He said a special session before the budget session of the House will be convened to finalise recommendations of parliament to combat corona.

The adviser said the government undertook an intensive consultation process over the issue of Covid-19.

Virus could cut up to 9.7 per cent off global economy: ADB China rejects India’s objection over Diamer-Bhasha dam MANILA AGENCIES

The coronavirus pandemic could cut up to 9.7 percent off the global economy, the Asian Development Bank said Friday, doubling its previous estimate as the virus stifles trade and leaves millions jobless.

The estimated impact would cost as much as $8.8 trillion based on a range of scenarios, but ADB said government interventions could help offset the losses inflicted by the crisis.

Up to 242 million jobs will be lost due to the virus, more than seven times higher than the employment losses seen during the global financial crisis a decade ago. Foregone labour income could top $1.8 trillion.

“These will be difficult to recoup,” the Manilabased lender said, warning it could not discount the possibility of a financial crisis if the pandemic was not contained quickly enough to prevent defaults and bankruptcies.

The coronavirus has killed 300,140 people worldwide, according to an AFP tally based on official sources.

The World Health Organization has said the virus may become just another endemic virus in communities

and populations will have to learn to live with it.

Over 4.4 million cases have been officially recorded in 196 countries and territories, with the United States recording the most deaths at 85,906.

To stem the economic losses, governments have announced a range of stimulus measures such as payroll support to keep jobs, cash transfers and tax breaks.

“These helped counteract some of the adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” ADB said.

The bank noted the United States stands to lose up to $2.2 trillion or a tenth of its GDP while losses in China, where the virus first surfaced, could top $1.6 trillion or 11 percent of its economy.

Among industries, tourism and aviation were hit hard as countries closed borders and enforced lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus.

Many airlines have either retrenched staff or told their employees to take unpaid leave.

“The impact on employment was severe. Unskilled workers normally working on a casual or ‘per piece; basis were hardest hit,” ADB said.

Travel restrictions will cut global trade by up to $2.6 trillion, which is already reeling from trade tensions between the United States and China, a global growth slowdown and weaker business confidence.

BEIJING APP

China on Friday rejected the objection raised by New Delhi over the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam, saying economic cooperation between China and Pakistan was aimed at promoting economic development and improving the wellbeing of the local population.While responding to a question about the construction of the dam during a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: “China and Pakistan conduct the economic cooperation in order to promote the economic development and improve the wellbeing of the local population.”

Referring to the Indian External Affairs Ministry’s stance, Lijian stated that China’s position on the issue of Kashmir was consistent.

The spokesperson said the proj-

ect was mutually beneficial and win-win for the two all-weather friends and strategic cooperative partners.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed to immediately start construction activities of the dam after issues related to settlement, detailed

road map for mobilisation and financial resources of the DiamerBhasha dam were resolved.

The Diamer-Bhasha dam is a 4,500-megawatt project with an estimated cost of US$ 15 billion and which is expected to be one of the largest dams in the world after completion.

The project, being termed as a positive stimulus for Pakistan’s economy, will not only create 16,500 jobs but will also generate 4,500 MW of electricity.

Additionally, the project will also irrigate 1.2 million acres of agricultural land while extending the life of Tarbela Dam by 35 years.

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) awarded the contract of the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam on Wednesday to a joint venture between Power China and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

Europe opens up despite fears of virus surge VIENNA AGENCIES

More parts of Europe opened up on Friday as the world tried to get back on the road to recovery from coronavirus, despite fears of a second wave of the pandemic which has claimed more than 300,000 lives worldwide.

Borders were reopening and lockdowns continued to ease from Australia to Austria as governments move to rebuild the shattered economies of a planet that is learning to live under the shadow of the disease.

But the battle is far from won, with the virus continuing to ravage the United States and Russia and a report warning that a quarter of a billion Africans were at risk of being infected.

The catastrophic economic toll of the COVID-19 outbreak meanwhile became clearer than ever with the news that the virus had pushed Germany, Europe’s powerhouse, into recession.

With a vaccine a year away at best and countries already squabbling over who will have access to it, governments are taking steps to try to return life to something like a

semblance of normality.

‘WE MISSED IT’: Slovenia became the first European country to open its borders on Friday after declaring an end to its coronavirus epidemic, despite new infections still being reported.

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were set to create their own “Baltic bubble”, allowing free movement among the three countries, while Austria and Germany were expected to open their shared border.

Austria has been a pioneer in ending lockdowns and took an important symbolic step on Friday with the reopening of its restaurants and iconic Viennese cafes.

“It’s been hard for us that everything’s been closed,” said Fanny and Sophie, 19year-old students waiting for breakfast at a cafe in the Austrian capital. “We missed it and we’re going to come back as much as possible.”

On the other side of the world, Sydney’s bars and restaurants opened their doors to customers Friday as a weeks-long lockdown eased.

“The desire to sit in a place that is not your house with your mates and have a drink is truly overwhelming,” said Chrissy Flana-

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gan, owner of The Sausage Factory, a bistro in Australia’s biggest city.

‘DEAD CITY’: However France called for self-restraint as the country prepared for its first weekend since its lockdown was eased on Monday, warning that police would break up any large gatherings.

France also announced the first death of a child from an inflammatory condition believed to be linked to coronavirus, as similar child fatalities are being investigated in New York and London.

Germany was ready to relaunch its football championship, although in front of empty stadiums and under draconian health measures.

Augsburg coach Heiko Herrlich learned the hard way: he will miss Saturday’s match because he went out to buy toothpaste in violation of his team’s quarantine rules. “I made a mistake leaving the hotel,” he said.

In badly-hit Italy, some beaches are reopening but the absence of tourists is still keenly felt, for example in the canal city of Venice, where even the pigeons have deserted the famed St Mark’s Square.

“Without tourists, Venice is a dead city,” said 66-year-old gondolier Mauro Sambo.