EpaperLHR_2020-05-2

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Friday, 22 May, 2020 I 28 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 324 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

ForensiC Probe aCCuses major sugar mills oF market maniPulation, Fraud g

REPORT ACCUSES JAHANGIR TAREEN, SULEMAN SHEHBAz, MOONIS ELAHI OF MARKET MANIPULATION, CORPORATE FRAUD TO MAKE PROFITS

ISLAMABAD staff report

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HE government’s inquiry commission formed to probe the hike in sugar prices submitted its forensic report on Thursday, which accused major sugar mills in the country of “underreported sales and fraud”.

Addressing a joint press conference with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar, Minister for Information Shibli Faraz said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is committed to accountability and transparency in governance.

Speaking on the occasion, Akbar said that Sugar Inquiry Commission was established to ascertain the reasons for the increase in sugar prices in the last few years.

He said that the commission gave its detailed report to a special cabinet meeting held on Thursday and the report explicitly says that sugar mill owners pay the amount to sugarcane growers even less than the support price. In addition, all sugar mills make cuts in the weight of sug-

g

URGES IMPROvEMENT IN THE REGULATORy SySTEM TO CURB MALPRACTICES, CARTERLISATION OF INDUSTRy

arcane from 15 to 30 per cent, he added.

The SAPM said that the commission also found irregularities in the form of giving advance payments to farmers in the form of cash or commodity, which is akin to unregulated banking.

“Today is very important in the history of Pakistan as no government ever made such commissions in the past,” he said.

He also said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed all government advisers to declare their assets to ensure transparency.

Akbar said that a subsidy of Rs29 billion was given to the sugar industry in the last five years.

“A mill called Alliance from Rahim yar Khan — partially owned by Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) senior leader Moonis Elahi — was audited. It showed that between 2014 to 2018, 11-14 per cent systematic cut was done for farmers, which translated to Rs970 million and was a huge blow to them,” Akbar said.

He said that it was found that total income tax of around 88 sugar mills of the country is Rs10bn, after getting a tax refund.

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

He added that the mill under-reported sugar sales “for years” and sold the commodity to unnamed buyers. The report mentioned violations of the Pakistan Penal Code, he said.

Akbar also mentioned the JDW sugar mill in which PTI stalwart Jahangir Tareen owns 21 per cent shares. He said that according to the report, the mill committed “double booking, under-reporting and over-invoicing”.

“The report noted that the mill underinvoiced sales from bagasse and molasses which resulted in 25 per cent cost inflation. They also committed corporate fraud whereby money was transferred from their PLC to their private company.

“Forward sales, satta, benami sales have all been associated with JDW too.”

The Al Arabiya mill owned by Suleman Shehbaz was also audited, the PM’s aide said, adding that it was found to have committed fraud worth Rs400 million through informal receipts and market manipulation.

Akbar said the report had proven what PM Imran had always maintained.

“Whenever a businessman comes into politics, he will always do business even at the expense of the poor. So his [PM’s] thinking has been validated. A certain business community has captured the market and as a result, people are suffering,” he said.

He added that the report will be available online shortly for anyone to read following the prime minister’s orders.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Tareen terms sugar inquiry findings ‘shocking’, Shehbaz denies accusations STORY ON PAGE 02

ISLAMABAD

49,497

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

14,155

1,052

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

19,924

17,382

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

7,155 148/579

3,074

1,235

Covid-19 infections trended higher in recent days and were approaching 50,000, official data showed, with total deaths crossing 1,000, as the government remained unsure over the consequences of its decision to end the nation’s lockdown.

Fearful of the economic and financial impact, and swayed by the acute hardship suffered by millions of poor families, Prime Minister Imran Khan has defended the lifting of the lockdown last week, saying the virus spread has been well below projections.

Education is the only major sector that remains closed.

“The ending of the lockdown doesn’t mean the threat is over,” yasmeen Rashid, the Punjab health minister, said in an interview on television on Wednesday, adding that people needed to adopt safety measures themselves.

How the nation of 207 million people behaves when the month of Ramazan ends and festivities for Eid begin could influence the course of the contagion.

Usually Eid draws big crowds to malls and shops, and people travel in droves to reach their hometowns.

While the government has advised people to act responsibly, and avoid going out for non-essential reasons, there has been little mention of special precautions needed

PM says India planning ‘false flag operation’ staff report

CONFIRMED CASES:

Lockdown over, Pakistan’s Covid-19 deaths, infections tick higher

Prime Minister Imran Khan once again stressed on Thursday that India was gearing up for a false flag operation to divert the world’s attention from the genocide it is committing in occupied Kashmir.

“At least 15 homes of Kashmiri citizens were torched by Indian occupation forces in Srinagar yesterday,” PM Imran wrote on a post on Twitter, adding that India was subjecting Kashmiris to brutal oppression with the help of its 900,000 security forces stationed in occupied Kashmir.

The prime minister also shared images of the torched and destroyed houses of the Kashmiri people.

He reiterated that India was about to launch a false flag operation in order to divert the world’s attention away from the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied region.

Earlier this week, the premier had voice similar apprehensions, saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindutva supremacist government was committing war crimes in occupied Kashmir, including attempts to

change the demography of the Himalayan territory in violation of the fourth Geneva Convention.

In a series of tweets on May 17, PM Imran spoke about his Indian counterpart’s “RSS-inspired doctrine” in occupied Kashmir, which has been under a brutal curfew and communications blackout since August 5, 2019, when New Delhi scrapped its special status. PM Imran said Modi had clearly set up the moves of his fascist government in occupied Kashmir.

“First, deprive Kashmiris of their right of self-determination by illegal annexation of an occupied territory,” he wrote. The premier said the Indian prime minister’s second step to continue aggression in occupied

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Kashmir was through “a threepronged approach”.

“One, trying to crush them with brute force [including] using inhumane weapons like pellet guns against women & children; two, imposing an inhumane lockdown depriving Kashmiris of basic necessities from food to medicines; and three, by mass arrests of Kashmiris [especially] youth and isolating IOJK from the world by cutting off all communication links.”

He said the last step was to corrupt the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and blatantly lie to the world to show it as terrorism from Pakistan.

On May 6, the prime minister had expressed the same apprehension and called upon the international community to take notice of brutality being committed in occupied Kashmir before it jeopardises peace and security in South Asia.

In a series of tweets on May 6, the prime minister said, “I have been warning the world about India’s continuing efforts to find a pretext for a false flag operation targeting Pakistan.” “Latest baseless allegations by India of “infiltration” across [the Line of Control] LoC are a continuation of this dangerous agenda.

over this period.

For a country of Pakistan’s size, levels of testing remain low at around 14,000 a day. But Reuters calculations, using official data, suggest the infection rate has so far remained relatively steady, with total infections doubling every 9 to 11 days since April 1.

Doctors and experts fear the country’s under-funded and creaking healthcare system will crumble under the pressure if the contagion gathers more pace.

In the first 20 days of May, over 630 people have died, compared to around 380 in the entire month of April, data tabulated by Reuters shows. There were less than 10 deaths in March.

The 32 deaths reported on Wednesday took the total to 1,017, a government website showed, making Pakistan the 25th country worldwide where the toll has crossed a thousand.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Balochistan extends 'smart lockdown' till June 2 STORY ON PAGE 02 fiqah-e-hanfia

lahore sehr: 3:27 aM iftar: 6:57 PM

islaMabad sehr: 3:24 aM iftar: 7:07 PM

karachi sehr: 4:18 aM iftar: 7:13 PM

fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 3:17 aM iftar: 7:07 PM

islaMabad sehr: 3:14 aM iftar: 7:17 PM

karachi sehr: 4:08 aM iftar: 7:23 PM

more inside

Chinese envoy slams US ‘arrogant’ attitude towards CPEC STORY ON PAGE 05

Import of hazardous plastic scrap surges to 65,000 tonnes STORY ON PAGE 09

Debt inquiry commission submits report to PM Imran STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Friday, 22 May, 2020

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BaloCHistan extends 'sMaRt' loCkdown till JUne 2 QUETTA

Staff RepoRt

Amid an increase in coronavirus infections, the ‘smart lockdown’ and ban on public transport in the southwestern province of Balochistan has been extended till June 2, said provincial government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani.

“It is feared that with the resumption of transport services, the coronavirus will spread to our villages and less developed areas,” he said, adding that about 30 per cent districts of Balochistan are safe from the virus.

Shahwani urged people to refrain from inter-city travel on Eid also warned that traditional melas are strictly prohibited in the province during Eid celebrations.

Hoping that the business community will play an eminent role in the eradication of Covid-19, Shahwani maintained that about 1,100 shops have been sealed and 720 people have been arrested for violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs) so far.

“A notification has been issued for opening bakeries till 12pm; however, shops will be opened from 8am to 8pm after Eid,” he added.

While presenting the situational report in

Umar says was not pressurised by PM to decide on sugar subsidy ISLAMABAD INp

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said on Thursday that he had neither faced no pressure from Prime Minister Imran Khan to make decisions regarding matters related to sugar subsidy nor the premier was pressurised to allow sugar export. Asad Umar, while talking to ARY News programme ‘Off The Record’, said, “I am taking responsibility that the decision to export sugar had made by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). PM Imran Khan had not been pressurised to export sugar nor the premier had forced me to take the decision.” “I am still favouring that sugar export should be permitted at that time. In 2018, surplus stocks of sugar up to 20 lakh tonnes had present in the country. There was no shortage of sugar when the export was permitted [by the government].” The question was raised over the hike in sugar prices when sufficient stocks of sugar was presented in the country.’ “I was written in the law that sugarcane crushing will be started from November 30, on the other hand, mills’ owners rejected to start crushing process until their demands were not met. I am sure about it that I was not blackmailed regarding the decision for sugar exports.” The federal minister and former finance minister, Asad Umar, said that PM Khan probed the matter related to sugar exports and the provision of subsidy which was continued for a long time in the country. “The matters which usually discussed in the closed door meetings were brought forward before the nation,” said Umar.

Fawad seeks dissolution of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has once again demanded the abolition of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. Fawad Chaudhry, while criticizing the committee, argued that there was no need for such a committee in this modern era. He also claimed that the committee, which is headed by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, wants Eid to fall on Monday, May 25 instead of Sunday. He also announced to reveal motives of the committee behind such a move during a press conference. Last year, the minister proposed that a scientific committee should replace the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for the sighting of the moon. INp

Balochistan, the provincial spokesperson apprised that 2,968 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the province till date.

Among these, 1,919 cases were reported in Balochistan from May 1 to 20, accounting for 65% of the total number.

“There are about 21pcof women and 79pc of men among the virus affectees to date,” he added.

Speaking about the prevalence of the virus among different age groups, Shahwani stated that the reported cases for Covid-19 among 11 to 20-years-old in Balochistan is 11pc whereas about 9.5pc of the people affected from the virus are aged

between 51 to 60 years old.

“Coronavirus cases among people above 60 years of age are 5.5pc whereas the percentage of children between the ages of 1 and 10 in the total coronavirus cases reported

amount to 7pc,” he added.

Stressing that prevention is the only way to battle the contagion, Shahwani showed concerns that the youth have been most affected by the virus.

Tareen terms sugar inquiry findings ‘shocking’, Shehbaz denies accusations NEWS DESK After the government’s inquiry commission formed to probe the hike in sugar prices submitted its forensic report, which accused major sugar mills in the country of “underreported sales and fraud”, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen termed the allegations levelled against him “shocking” while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif said that the report is “nothing but falsehood”.

Earlier, while discussing the report’s findings in a media briefing, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar identified the mills owned by Shehbaz’s family, Tareen, Khusro Bakhtiar’s brother and Moonis Elahi and revealed that six major sugar mill groups were acting as “cartels”.

He said that the company owned by Shehbaz’s family engaged in “double reporting”. In 2017-18, the company raked in additional profits of Rs1.3 billion and in 2018-19, they earned Rs780 million.

He also said that sugar mills belonging to Tareen’s group were found guilty of “double billing” and “over-invoicing” as well as “corporate fraud”.

Speaking of Economic Affairs Minister Khusro Bakhtiar, he said that his brother is the one who owns a sugar mill and he does not hold political office. “We cannot ask Khusro to resign from his

post. An inquiry will be initiated against whoever is directly involved,” he said.

He said that among the mills shortlisted is Alliance Mills which is owned by the RYK Group. Moonis Elahi has 34 per cent ownership of the group. “[The report] confirms the premier’s longheld view that businessmen in politics will put business first,” Akbar said.

Responding to report and the briefing, Tareen said, “I am shocked at the kind of false allegations levelled against me. I have always run a clean business.

All Pakistan knows I always pay full price to my growers. “I DO NOT maintain 2 sets of Books. I pay all my taxes diligently. I will answer every allegation and be vindicated IA.” Shehbaz, while speaking to a local news outlet, said that the report is “nothing but falsehood” and that the commission did not record the statement of the “real culprit Imran Khan”. He said that “PM Imran is behind the scandal”. “My children have been named in the inquiry report but they did not export sugar,” he said.

Separately, Elahi also took to Twitter to comment on the report, saying, “As stated earlier, I am not involved in the management nor am I on the board of any sugar mill. I strongly support the recommendation of commission to control satta/speculation, including new legislation to help government control sugar price manipulation.”

31 smart lockdowns in place across Pakistan, NCOC told ISLAMABAD ppI

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday was apprised that at present around 631 smart lockdowns were in place across the country whereas the testing capacity had been doubled after the launch of Test, Track and Quarantine (TTQ) strategy.

The NCOC meeting headed by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar discussed the Epi Curve Chart, Decision Support System, TTQ update, update on task tracker and communication strategy along with standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Eidul Fitre.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Digital Pakistan Tania Ardrius briefed the forum on Decision Support System where the NCOC officials also presented briefing on TTQ strategy update. Senior epidemiologist Dr Rana Safdar presented the Epi Curve Chart and informed that 22 per cent health workers

were performing duties in the critical care, and 31 per cent of the affected had recovered whereas over 1,000 were affected due to coronavirus.

Speaking on the occasion, Umar said that the electoral votes data was the most authentic one to be used for Decision

Support System which was also available electronically with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The forum was also briefed about the task tracker system that aimed at recording the directions and tasks assigned to various ministries and departments

though the NCOC forum.

The forum appreciated the Ministries of Interior, Railways, Commerce, National Security Division, and National Disaster Management Authority for their prompt response and active feedback.

Pakistan rejects India’s designs to change Kashmir’s demography ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned and rejected the Indian government’s sinister design to change the demography of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) through new domicile law.

In her televised weekly news briefing, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that the domicile law was aimed at changing the demographic structure of occupied Kashmir and undermining the exercise of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through free and impartial plebiscite in accordance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

She said that the timing of this illegal Indian action in the midst of

Covid-19 pandemic was particularly reprehensible and reflected the opportunistic and morally bankrupt mindset of RSS-BJP. The FO spokesperson said that voices from around the world continue to condemn the inhuman oppression of the people of Kashmir and discrimination against minority communities in India.

She said that Pakistan welcomes the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) statement issued on Wednesday, wherein it expressed deep concerns over India`s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, and subsequent measures to alter demographics of IOK. Responding to a question, she said that Pakistan had rejected all baseless statements from India regarding Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). “Our

stance on Jammu & Kashmir dispute has been clear, consistent and in line with the UNSC resolutions. The dispute can only be resolved through implementing the relevant resolu-

tions, calling for the exercise of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through free and impartial plebiscite,” she added.

About Indian concerns over the

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construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam, the FO spokesperson said that Pakistan rejects Indian statement and added that Pakistan’s position on the matter was consistent, clear and based on principles and precepts of international law. India does not have any locus standi in the matter and cannot raise objections to the project, she added.

She said Pakistan rejects all baseless Indian assertions and actions aimed at misrepresenting facts.

Like the so-called “political maps” issued last year by India, she said, this move was also legally void, contrary to reality, and in violation of the relevant UNSC resolutions. Such actions are testament to India’s irresponsible behavior, she added.

The FO spokesperson said that no illegal and unilateral steps by

India could change the “disputed” status of Jammu and Kashmir, recognised as such by the international community, including the United Nations (UN).

She said that Pakistan would urge India not to make baseless assertions and to abstain from misleading the world community through unfounded claims on regions that constitute internationally-recognised disputed territories.

To a question about violation of ceasefire line by Indian forces, she said that the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB) had continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavycaliber mortars and automatic weapons.

Friday, 22 May, 2020

deBt inqUiRY CoMMission sUBMits RePoRt to PM iMRan COMMISSION ACCUSES GOVT HIGH-UPS OF CAUSING OVER RS1TR LOSSES TO NATIONAL EXCHEQUER FINDS IRREGULARITIES IN SERVAL IMPORTANT PROJECTS INCLUDING PESHAWAR BRT, NANDIPUR POWER PLANT, M-3 MOTORWAY ETC ISLAMABAD

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aHMaD aHMaDaNI

HE commission constituted to investigate the utilization of loans taken from 2008 till 2018 has submitted its report to Prime Minister Imran Khan, accusing the high ups of various federal and provincial ministries of causing over Rs1,000 billion worth heavy losses to the national exchequer.

According to sources, the debt inquiry

commission has completed its investigation on 1,000 development projects, including Orange Line Metro Train, Peshawar BRT Service, Neelum-Jehlum Hydropower etc., which were initiated using the loans taken between 2008-2018.

Sources said that the commission has held the officials of Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of Finance and some other federal and provincial ministries responsible for causing hefty losses to the national exchequer, adding that the commission has also

Pakistan summons indian envoy after loC firing injures man ISLAMABAD

highlighted the dubious role played by 13 political families, some influential bureaucrats and high officials of some important departments, including Lahore Development Authority, in different important projects.

Headed by Hussain Asghar, Deputy Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the 11-member inquiry commission has completed its inquiry 11 months after its constitution on 21st June 2019. The commission comprised of officials from NAB, Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), MI, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Federal Investigative Agency (FIA), State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

An Indian diplomat on Thursday was summoned to record Pakistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Chirikot sector, resulting in critical injuries to a man, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian troops, 45-year-old Muhammad Arif, resident of Pothi village, sustained serious injuries, the statement observed.

“The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons,” the statement read.

In 2020, India has so far committed 1,102 ceasefire violations. Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it was underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan on Thursday called out US diplomat Alice Wells for her "irresponsible remarks" regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), calling it another "doomed attempt to defame Sino-Pak relations".

A day earlier, Wells had repeated her criticism of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC during an online media briefing and had urged Beijing to relieve the countries involved in these undertakings of its “predatory loans". The US calls on “China to offer transparent relief from the BRI’s predatory loans that countries are suffering from, emerge on stable footing," she had said.

Wells had reiterated that the US was concerned about CPEC projects because of a lack of transparency, and the unfair rates of profits that are guaranteed to Chinese firms in-

volved in their execution.

In a statement issued today reacting to the diplomat's comments, the Chinese embassy called her speech "totally baseless [and] just a repetition of her same old tune". "We take Pakistan as an equal partner and never asked Pakistan to 'do more'. We support Pakistan’s own model of development and never intervene in its domestic affairs. We highlight Pakistan’s responsible role in regional affairs and never exert pressure.

"CPEC is an important cooperation project between the governments of China and Pakistan. It has always adhered to the principles of mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, openness and transparency. "The planning and implementation of the projects are carried out by the two sides through thorough consultations based on equality and scientific study.The Chinese companies under the project are all leading companies in their respective sectors and oper-

Forensic probe accuses major sugar mills

a

KBAR said that the report revealed that certain sugar mills used informal receipts. “It was ultimately the farmer who was crushed because there was no official record. The mill owners showed the price of production to be more than the support price which meant that farmers earned less.”

He added that mill owners also conducted informal banking with the farmers which hurt the farmers because it was an unregulated process. This gave the mill owners a profit of up to 35 per cent, he said. Akbar said that it was the first time that an “independent inquiry” has been conducted into the cost of production. “In 2017-18, sugar mills determined the cost of production at Rs51 per kilo whereas the report gave an estimate of Rs38 instead.

“In 2018-19, sugar mills gave cost price at Rs52.60 while the report gave an estimate of Rs40. [The sugar mill owners] purchased sugarcane at a lower price but showed a higher price in the invoices,” he said. The SAPM said that the report also pointed out that the sucrose content as shown by Pakistani mill owners (9.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent) was

(SECP) and the Ministry of Finance.

The commission was initially given six months to probe the loans obtained during the rule of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

As per the report, development loans worth Rs2,400 billion were obtained from local and foreign sources during the period under review, as a result of which the overall debt burden increased from Rs6,690 billion in 2008 to Rs30,840 in 2018.

Sources said Pakistan has been facing serious challenge in clearing its loans due to misuse of funds in the past. They said Rs30 billion worth heavy loss was caused to the exchequer "only by changing in design and rout" of Karachi's K-4 housing project. Similarly, Safe city projects of Islamabad and Lahore along with M-3 Motorway projects had also dented the exchequer.

As per sources, blue-eyed officials were appointed in the Economic Affairs Division and these officials obtained loans in the name of developmental projects despite many of them not being feasible.

Sources said the inquiry commission in its 100-page report has pointed out misuse of power and receiving of kickbacks in different projects, adding that it has also unearthed suspicious transactions in 100 bank accounts, besides obtaining complete record

Wells' remarks another doomed attempt to defame Sino-Pak relations: Chinese embassy

Staff RepoRt

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

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less than the international standard.

There are two injustices — inflated cost of production and market manipulation — which were being done with the country’s people, according to the report, he said, adding that accounting fraud was also being committed by the sugar mill owners.

“The report also showed that mill owners are maintaining two account books. There is an under-reporting on sugar procurement of 25-30 per cent, which is an absolute scandal. Tax is not paid because of this.”

Akbar said the report revealed that the Omni Group in Sindh had “specifically benefited” from the subsidies the Sindh government provided. He added that the report revealed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s name.

He questioned why the chief minister gave additional subsidies to the Omni Group as it was already getting subsidies from the federal government.

Akbar said the report revealed that the sugar mill owners were acting as “cartels”. Six major groups hold 51 per cent of the production supply, he added.

The SAPM said that the report, while discussing recommendations, noted that basic regulation was lacking and urged improvement in the regulatory system.

The state’s regulatory institutions — State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should step up their regulations, it said.

It recommended that assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners ensure that farmers were paid their full due.

It also recommended that technology be used for bookkeeping and a mechanism be developed for recovering the looted amount. “This is stolen money and should be used for the welfare of the people,” Akbar said.

He added that PM Imran also wanted the regulatory framework to improve and strengthen further. “Making this report public is just the start,” he concluded.

Last month, the commission had asked for an extension of three weeks’ time to submit the report — a move that was met with much criticism by the opposition.

The SFC had been constituted by the government in the first week of April following the release of two separate inquiry reports of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on the issue of artificial shortage of sugar and wheat in the country and sudden increase in their prices last year.

WAY FORWARD: After thorough discussion, the federal cabinet also ap-

ate in full compliance with local laws and regulations," the statement said.

It added that so far, CPEC has brought $25 million in direct investment and created more than 75,000 jobs in Pakistan. "China has been the major source for [foreign direct investment] for Pakistan in the past five consecutive years." The embassy also highlighted the cooperation extended to Pakistan to cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

"All Chinese companies working for CPEC have generously donated medical assistance to Pakistan [...]

Over 20,000 Pakistani students are studying in China on scholarships provided by the Chinese government and universities.

"In the next stage of the project, both sides will strength cooperation on healthcare, industrial development, agriculture and education.

CPEC will give a new impetus to Pakistan’s economic revival even in the post Covid-19 period."

proved a way forward to stop the cartels and mafias from benefitting from the public money. Sources told Pakistan Today that the government plans to introduce a conflict of interest law in place so that no politician, bureaucrat, industrialist or official could benefit from subsidy or policy formulation in the future.

They said that the cabinet also decided to hold regulators accountable in the future. In this case, the cabinet was of the view that the regulator failed to play its role and rather the payments were made as regulator had been compromised, so in the future, the regulator would be held accountable if any such subsidy is misused, they added.

Sources said that the cabinet also decided to pursue criminal cases against those who had benefitted from the national exchequer and it was decided that cartelisation would not be allowed in the future. The cabinet also raised fingers at the failure of Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) which miserably failed in breaking the cartels’ alliance against the public interest and decided to ensure an active and formidable action by the commission to break the cartels’ influence in policymaking.

The cabinet decided that the FIA should be empowered to pursue criminal cases against the beneficiaries of the subsidies and FIA would be directed to make recoveries and receivables in this regard.

03

of 400 local and foreign loans.

The audit reports of 2008 to 2018 of Auditor General of Pakistan were obtained by the commission to complete the inquiry, the report stated, while highlighting those departments that did not cooperate in the inquiry process.

Sources said the commission has obtained the details of loans obtained by federal and Punjab governments through asset recovery units. Likewise, it has further unearthed fake schemes for which members of parliament had obtained heavy amounts under public sector funds.

Moreover, the commission revealed irregularities in the cost of Peshawar BRT project, which had risen from Rs30 billion to Rs75 billion. In addition, it was noted that the cost of Nandipur Power Plant project also increased from Rs84 billion to Rs500 billion.

The inquiry commission has also obtained details of 25 projects of petroleum and natural resources, 85 projects of communication ministry while it has scrutinized 56 projects of railways and ports & shipping, 285 projects of Higher Education Commission, 78 projects of health sector, 203 projects of IT ministry, 186 of interior ministry, and 113 projects of the Cabinet Division.

Govt to present FY21 budget on June 12 ISLAMABAD INp

The federal government will present the federal budget for financial year 2020-21 before the National Assembly on June 12, sources said on Thursday, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan has already granted the necessary approval in this regard. Sources said officers of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) engaged in preparing the federal budget have been barred from leaving the federal capital to ensure that the budget-related work is completed on time. They disclosed the government has decided to cut budgetary targets for the next fiscal year in view of the once-in-a-century pandemic’s adverse impact on the country’s fragile economy. It merits mentioning that the government has decided to hold a marathon session of the National Assembly from June 5 to meet the constitutional requirement of completing a 130-day parliamentary year. The government will present the federal budget for the financial year 2020-21 during the session. Babar Awan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, said: “It will be a marathon session and perhaps the longest one in the country’s history.”

sBP reserves drop $141m to $12.1bn BUSINESS DESK The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decreased by $141 million to $12.129 billion on a weekly basis, according to data released by the central bank on Thursday.

On May 15, the forex reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $12,129.3 million, down $141 million compared with $12,270.7 million in the previous week.

According to the central bank, the decrease came on account of external debt repayments of $156.1 million.

The overall liquid foreign reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $18,618.3 million. Net reserves held by banks amounted to $6,489 million.

lockdown over, Pakistan’s Covid-19 deaths, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 On Tuesday, Pakistan reported the most deaths for a single day at 46. Infections on Wednesday were reported at 2,193 — the second highest for a single day — taking the total number of Covid-19 cases to 48,091. Regardless of the final death toll, the country expects to suffer an awful human cost, as the government expects millions more of its people to fall into poverty. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that the economy will shrink 1.5 per cent this year, and the government is expected to miss major revenue and deficit targets, making it more dependent on loans from multilateral lenders.

04 LAHORE

Friday, 22 May, 2020

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Buzdar govt to slash ‘unnecessary expenditure’ LAHORE

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unjAb Chief Minister Sardar usman buzdar has said that budget priorities need to be focused in the backdrop of the prevailing situation as the country is facing an unusual situation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He was addressing the participants of a meeting held here on Thursday about the provincial budget and annual development program for the financial year 2020-21. P&D Chairman and Secretary Finance briefed the participants about the upcoming budget and ADP details.

Finance Minister Hashim jawan bakht, Advisor Dr Salman Shah, chief secretary and others attended the meeting.

While announcing that the social sector, including healthcare, will be given importance, buzdar directed to further decrease unnecessary expenditures in the next financial year and stressed that provincial departments will

have to follow strict financial discipline.

“Austerity should be encouraged by controlling expenditures at every level,” he said.

He said that the departments should, themselves, decrease their unnecessary expenditures and solid steps be taken for a further decrease in expenditures in the next financial year.

The CM also mentioned that decrease in subsidies, being given in different sectors, should be reviewed and attention be given to public-private partnership in next year's ADP. Similarly, a comprehensive programme should be devised for giving relief to the common man as the government is committed to protecting the indigent strata despite difficult circumstances.

Punjab Board of Technical Education cancels exams LAhore: Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce & Investment Mian Aslam Iqbal on Thursday announced that all exams held under the Punjab board of Technical Education (PbTE) have been cancelled. While presiding over a meeting here on Thursday, Mian Aslam said that a policy had been approved regarding promotion criteria for promotion to the next class for students who were awaiting exams.

Chairperson Technical & Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) Ali Salman Siddique, Chairperson PbTE nazir niazi, Secretary board and COO TEVTA attended the meeting held in the Punjab Investment board office. INP

Punjab govt decides to increase business hours ahead of Eid LAhore: The Punjab government on Thursday decided to increase business hours of markets and shopping malls following the demand from the traders’ community ahead of Eid. Punjab Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal said all markets in the province will remain till 10 pm from Friday. He said that the Punjab government has also reopened all shrines for visitors. “The shrines will remain open for 24 hours,” he said.

Staff RePoRt

Two suspects killed in alleged police encounter MULTAN: Two under custody suspects were killed in an alleged police encounter here Wednesday-Thursday midnight while their accomplices managed to escape. INP

Friday, 22 May, 2020

TUg of wAr STArTS bETwEEN gb govT ANd ElECTIoN CommISSIoN ISLAMABAD

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tug of war has started between the government and election commission in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) as the commission has suspended the administrative and financial powers of the region’s government a month before its tenure ends to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

According to a recent notification the GB chief election commissioner (CEC), it is duty of the election commission under Section 8(C) of the Election Act, 2017, to organise and conduct free and fair elections. The commission has banned all kinds of recruitment in any department and institution and use/release of funds for development schemes, community-based initiatives until the election of the GB Assembly and formation of the new government.

Showing strong reservations over the notification of CEC, the GB cabinet has submitted their resignation to Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman, who has also threatened to dissolve his government in case the reservations over CEC’s decision are not addressed.

Sources said that during a cabinet meeting held late on Wednesday, the cabinet members authorised the chief minister to dissolve his government and take other options if the CEC did not address

GB CM THREATENS TO DISSOLVE ASSEMBLY IF ITS POWERS ARE CURTAILED BEFORE EXPIRY OF TENURE

their concerns about its notification issued on May 18.

The regional government sought clarifications from the CEC in a written letter on Wednesday. According to the letter, the regional government has claimed that in the context of recruitment under Covid19 in few regions/districts, the tests/interviews in progress need to continue to meet the indispensable human resource needs hence a blanket ban will affect the preparedness and government’s response towards the pandemic.

Regarding the releases to development projects, the government claimed that as

Timely completion of CPEC project among govt’s top priorities, says Qureshi ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that timely completion of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects is among the top priorities of the government. He said this while chairing a consultative meeting regarding regional security and Pakistan’s priorities held on Thursday. The minister said that peace and stability in Afghanistan is of paramount importance for the region. He said that Pakistan has been playing his reconciliatory role in Afghan peace process with utmost sincerity under common obligation and it will continue to do so in future as well. The meeting also held detailed discussion on the coronavirus pandemic, changing situation in the area, and challenges confronting the region as a result of the contagion. The minister emphasised on ensuring complete preparation to face new possible challenges in wake of regional and international situation due to Covid-19. He also stressed upon promoting economic diplomacy to achieve economic goals. He said that the world is heading towards a global economic crisis as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which will have serious consequences for developing nations. “We have to focus on new opportunities at a time when our remittances and exports are depleting due to the coronavirus pandemic,” he said. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on National Affairs Moeed Yousaf and other senior officers also attended the meeting. PPI

per the approved budget of 2019-20, 70 per cent development funds were allocated for ongoing schemes and 30 per cent for new schemes. The government said that 30 per cent funds allocated have not been consumed/utilised due to the prevailing situation of Covid-19 and a bit delay in preparation of PC-1 and followed by administrative approval and resulting tendering process involved. It observed that the funds for new development schemes are always consumed only during the last quarter of the financial year and the federal government had not released funds for GB. Any such ban on issuance of administra-

tive approval and award of tender will result in lapses of 30 per cent funds which may deviate from the budget passed by GB Assembly during budget session 19- 20, it added. The government said that in the local government departments almost 50 per cent work had been completed and remaining funds would be utilised before June, 2020 as these schemes are annually planned and executed in the same financial year, therefore, any ban on the issue of approval and ceasing of funds at this juncture will result in lapses of more than one billion rupees.

“The GB Assembly has to frame Laws, make rules for the larger interest of public and government (cabinet has to frame policies, pass directives and seek results from the departments). If the executive authority of chief executive and cabinet and legislative powers of assembly are seized by this notification, legislature and government in true sense will cease to exist and the vacuum will be unbridgeable through any modes,” the government said in its letter.

It is worth noting here that the tenure of the incumbent GB government is set to end on June 24. The next general election in the region would be due within 60 days.

Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) issued an order declaring that the upcoming general election in GB should be held on time and under the supervision of an impartial caretaker government setup. The president subsequently issued the order on May 15.

ATC reserves verdict in Dr Imran Farooq murder case ISLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday reserved its verdict in the murder case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq who was assassinated in 2010 in London.

The bench will announce its verdict on June 18. Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed, while giving concluding arguments in the case, maintained sufficient evidence is available against MQM founder Altaf Hussain and Anwar Hussain, a London-based MQM leader, to prove their involvement in the murder.

The prosecutor added that the accused should be punished in accordance with the law. “The court should order the confiscation of the movable and immovable properties of MQM’s founder in Pakistan,” he pleaded. To which the court replied that the order has already been given.

THE CASE: Dr Farooq, a founding member of the MQM, was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in Edgware town of north London in September 2010.

In 2015, the FIA registered a case against Altaf Hussain for allegedly or-

dering the murder while nominating 3 other accused – Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali. However, on May 13 the suspects retracted their confessional statements before ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand and recorded their fresh statements at a hearing held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

The suspects decided not to present any witnesses for their defense.

A day earlier, counsels for the accused claimed that the alleged bank documents and attendance sheets of a United Kingdom university – presented by the FIA as evidence against the accused – are fake. The counsel for Mohsin Ali said the FIA forced his client to confess the crime under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) Section 164.

He said the FIA officials concocted the statement after taking a signature of the accused on a plain paper.

He said Dr Imran Farooq was assassinated in 2010 but the FIA registered a case five years later. “Dr Imran Farooq was himself an absconder. The state had announced a bounty on him and he had a number of enemies,” he said. The counsel said the statement of Dr Farooq’s wife was also full of contradictions. “In the statement that she gave before London Police, she accused MQM founder Altaf

Hussain of the murder but in her statement submitted to the court she apparently retracted her claim,” he said.

He said his client Mohsin Ali had gone to London for higher education and has no connection with the murder.

The counsel also pointed out that the sketch developed on the basis of an eyewitness account also does not match with his client. The counsel for another accused Moazzam Ali said his client was a businessman who frequently travelled to England, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other countries for corporate dealings.

He said the FIA was trying to link the banking transaction of a businessman with the murder. He said Moazzam was part of the MQM but the association with a political party is not a crime.

NEWS

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Nine PIA air hostesses, stewards test positive for coronavirus KARACHI: Nine air hostesses and stewards of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.

Crew members of the two flights headed to Multan International Airport from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi tested positive for coronavirus. Moreover, two airhostesses tested positive for the virus in PK-702 coming in from Manchester to Lahore. Two of the air hostesses and stewards have been quarantined in Lahore’s Civil Military Hospital, while seven have been checked into Multan’s Civil Military Hospital after the diagnosis. On May 3, one pilot and three flight attendants of PIA, who had performed duties on a special flight from Melbourne to Lahore, had been tested positive for coronavirus. The crew members were shifted to Lahore’s Combined Military Hospital. INP

Chinese envoy slams US ‘arrogant’ attitude towards CPEC ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing on Thursday said that the United States’ attitude towards China, China, Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and PakistanChina relations was a combination of ‘arrogance, distortion and desire for hegemony’. While addressing a webinar, the envoy said that China will be a partner of Pakistan, but will never try to become its teacher. Pakistan-China Institute, in cooperation with Lahore University for Management Sciences’ (LUMS) Centre for Chinese Legal Studies, had organized the special webinar under the framework of ‘Friends of Silk Road’ to celebrate 69 Years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China. Around 50 people from Beijing, Islamabad and Lahore, including Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Naghmana Hashmi, former Chinese minister, Dr Zhao Baige and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain, participated in the video conference. The webinar was moderated by Mustafa Pakistan-China Institute Executive Director Hyder Sayed and LUMS’ Centre for Chinese Legal Studies Director Dr Sikandar Shah. The programme began with a special documentary prepared by the PakistanChina Institute on ’69 Years of Friendship’ to commemorate the auspicious anniversary of diplomatic ties. The Chinese envoy also used the occasion to rebut to what he called “disinformation and baseless allegations” levelled by American diplomat Alice Wells, who is retiring as deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs. Ambassador Hashmi cited the example of Pakistan and China supporting each other during crises, especially Covid-19, and she quoted President Xi Jinping as telling President Dr Arif Alvi during their meeting in Beijing on March 17 that Pakistan and China have a “unique, all weather, strategic, cooperative partnership”. She said that the future of Pakistan-China relations, beyond Covid-19, is “brighter, stronger and more enduring”.

Chinese former minister and member of parliament Dr Baige said, “We all are learning about Covid-19 and we are also learning from each other, and the future of Pakistan-China relationship is bright because future belongs to the youth of both countries, who are stakeholders in this relationship.” Staff RePoRt

'Kashmiris, Palestinians need unity of purpose' ANKARA ageNcIeS

Kashmiris and Palestinians need “unity of purpose” among themselves to succeed in their common struggle, experts and advocates speaking at a video conference said on Wednesday.

At the conference titled, A conversation on Kashmir and Palestine and the Struggle for Freedom, President of Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan said the movements of both freedom movements should cooperate and collaborate at international forums. “The issues have come out of the nationalism borders because of civilisational fault lines,” he said.

The conference was jointly hosted by Istanbul-based think tank Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) and Kashmir Civitas, an international advocacy group.

“India is using the cover of Covid-19 to ethnically cleanse Kashmiris […] They are

being persecuted because they are Muslims,” Khan said.

Khan said: “The Israeli state is doing the same to the Palestinians what Nazis did in the 1930s and India has taken a leaf from the Israeli playbook […] it is adopting the socalled Nuremberg laws in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK) which are aimed at forcing people to migrate.”

However, he added that there were “signs of a renaissance in the Muslim world.” “I’ve toured Turkey, Malaysia and other countries, despite conflicts in the Muslims world, there is an opportunity for coalition building.”

CIGA Director Sami Al-Arian, himself a Palestinian, drew similarities between the issues of Kashmir and Palestine, saying both were born out of British imperialism.

“The Kashmir dispute and Palestinian issue are so similar that both the nations have been promised the right to self-determination, which have not been fulfilled,” said Al-

Arian. Al-Arian argued that India and Israel were “increasingly cooperating, in order to coordinate their tactics of occupation.”

“The prime ministers of both the countries are hostile to the indigenous faith of the people, especially Islam,” said Al-Arian, who is also a Public Affairs Professor at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

For his part, President Khan warned that the situation in Kashmir could “lead to war” between Pakistan and India.

“There can be a rise in armed resistance in Kashmir [against India] […] one cannot suppress 14 million like this,” he added.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965, and 1971– two of them over Kashmir. Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against In-

dian rule for independence, or for unification with neighbouring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organisations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.

Asserting that Kashmiris and Palestinians needed “strong leadership and unity of purpose,” al-Arian said: “We need to bring people together as a common goal for the two movements.”

“All those who believe in justice and truth must emphasise that from Kashmir to Palestine, occupation is a crime.”

Al-Arian, who lived in the US for four decades until 2015, said: “There is a need to start and coordinating the BDS [Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions] movement, it needs to be embraced, go beyond Israel.”

“There are millions of Indians who live in Muslim lands, in the Gulf, taking billions of dollars home […] these are small steps, but over the time, it will accumulate,” he added.

Khan, in turn, said Pakistan and Kashmir were always on the side of Palestinians.

“The two nations are facing an existential threat and if the international community does not act, these entities, their cultures, populations will be wiped out,” he said.

He urged the making of coalitions “not just in the Muslim world but across the continents, religious and political spectrum.”

Friday, 22 May, 2020

06 COMMENT

Divisions over money

Plea for debt relief Need to cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth

There are two issues that the defence services and the federal government may not have thought about.

The provinces have so far stayed out of defence matters. But now they will have to intervene. After all, they will be paying hard cash. Besides, what happens if any province complains it is not satisfied with the quality of the defence it is paying for? What if it presto have come from the vast sums the federal govern- ents a list of steps it thinks should be taken? More ment is having to mobilise to meet the coronavirus sensitively, what if it complains about recruitment or promotion policies? expenditures.

It is a little surprising that a strongly centralizing Though the concept of charging for defence might serve as a means of overcoming the Constitutional bar party like the PTI would be responsible for a step on revising downwards provincial shares, it puts up which calls into question the basis of the federation. for debate all federal functions, and whether they Internal order, external peace, and the freedom of the should be charged for it. Is the federal government highways have been the duties of the state from time going to charge for conducting foreign affairs? For is- immemorial. While the provinces originated in the suing stamps? The provinces do charge for resources, British east India Company’s three presidencies, the but only those included in the Constiution already. Indian central government was established later, Sindh and Balochistan both receive royalties for the when the Governor of the Calcutta Presidency was gas produced within them, and KP receives royalties made Viceroy of India. how Pakistan’s for the hydel electricity proprovinces originated from duced within it. Punjab put this (and let’s not forget how forward a claim for royalty native states were inon its production of wheat, That a government so closely the volved) is a long story, but but it was not allowed, seem to be coming to mainly because there was no aligned to the Army’s wishes we what the Company had: constitutional provision three separate armies, one mandating such a charge. should introduce such a for each Presidency, though That was not the only concept, where none existed there was a single Comissue. There was the issue of mander-in-Chief, under the the basis of interprovincial before, and which could be Viceroy. The provinces aldistribution. Until the Sevready have at least one sepenth Award, the basis was seen as abandoning the aratist movement each, and population, but Sindh pressed principle of centralization the present TORs are probafor origin of taxes, and bly going to lead to the Balochistan for area. There that is behind all provinces demanding sepawas continual resistance, but rate forces. The pattern of that Award saw a small government, and manifestly the pre-Partition State weightage for tax origin conso in the case of a federation, Forces may be dragged up. ceded. That would probably If provinces use this as a mean that there would be an was not to be expected. lever to get into defence polattempt to increase this icy, will it be possible to weightage, so as to make up keep them out of foreign? for the federal charges. each borders at least one It should not be forgotten that the concept of the federal government charg- neighbor, and two are maritime. Will the armed serving for services provided (it already charges citizens ices be able to do their job in the midst of running in the shape of taxes; this is the first time it would commentary by the provinces? The present situation, charge the federating units) will probably not be lim- where provinces are ruled by opposition parties, cold ited to defence and disaster management, but may be explosive. Imagine the present Sindh government well crop up again. If it is not conceded by the commenting on defence and foreign policy, seen provinces in this Commission, they will crop up again. solely through the prism of Sindh’s border with India.

That a government so closely aligned to the Disaster management may appear a temporary charge, but as the Prime Minister has said, the pan- Army’s wishes should introduce such a concept, demic can be expected to become endemic, and it is where none existed before, and which could be seen likely that these measures will last. If they do, then as abandoning the principle of centralization that is so will the charges go beyond the five years of the behind all government, and manifestly so in the case Award period. Also, while the covid-19 pandemic is of a federation, was not to be expected. Paradoxically, the disaster in mind, there are other disasters recur- that very centralizing principle which is propounded ring, like the annual floods. There appears a doubling; the Army and its supporters, is being invoked, and for the floods usually see the armed forces take a may tear apart the federation. leading role out of their own budget. Now, one can The writer is a member of staff. expect the provinces to be presented a bill.

NFC Awards are meant to make provincial finances sustainable

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hIle tele-addressing the World economic Forum’s (WeF) Covid Action Platform, Prime Minister Imran Khan made out a strong case for debt relief for poorer pandemic affected countries. he pointed out that countries like Pakistan, egypt, ethiopia and Nigeria faced economic difficulties while their medical systems were unable to cope with the pandemic.

Pakistan wanted the relief because it needed the fiscal space to divert resources to healthcare and the environment. One would agree with Mr Khan that Pakistan’s health sector has been grossly neglected by successive governments, both civil and military. When the first Covid-19 cases were reported Pakistan had neither the testing kits nor PPes, while it was unable to set up a proper quarantine center at Taftan. According to health SAPM Zafar Mirza, Pakistan’s present stock of ventilators and PPes would last only till the first week of June.

It remains to be seen what effect is produced by Mr Khan’s appeal. Whether Pakistan gets meaningful debt relief or not, it is time for those who manage Pakistan’s economy to realise that a country cannot be run on borrowed money for long. There is a need to reduce the expenditure and raise the revenue. This is precisely what is not being done under the present government also.

While promising to have a lean and mean cabinet, the PTI ended up with a 50-member club, by bifurcating ministries and raising the number of departments. Nondevelopment expenditure is on the increase at the expense of education and health. The provinces too have failed to divert sufficient funds for the health sector. There is a need to force those with taxable incomes to pay to the state what they owe it. The government has once again failed to coax the trading community, tens of thousands strong, into paying their tax dues.

The government says it wants to save the people from starvation. Provincial administrations need to ensure that social distancing is strictly maintained in intercity buses . A violation of the SOP would amount to endangering the lives of millions who would be commuting on these buses. This would also overburden hospitals all over the country.

at Penpoint m a nIaZI

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he constitution of the 10th National Finance Commission was inevitable, after the 9th Commission, like the 8th, failed to make an Award. The present Award, which expires with this financial year, was made by the 7th Commission, and provided nothing beyond what was contemplated.

The NFC is an essential part of the federal mechanism. Some would say it is the most important part, for it gives money to the provinces, and thus enables them to carry out their purposes. especially in view of the provinces not being able to raise revenue from the taxes which the federation raised, it has been thought suitable to guarantee them a share in the federal taxes which are, it is pointed out, raised from the provinces.

The formation of a finance commission, and the division of money between the centre and the provinces, was started, as were many other things, by the British.

Both dominions have inherited the mechanism.

In essence, there is a two-stage process. There is first a split between the centre and the provinces. Then there is the split among the provinces. The provinces have taken views favouring their situation. The NFC is also supposed to consider expected expenditures, and the NFC has primarily concerned itself with provincial finances. After each NFC, the provinces have usually been better off than before, but by the end of each award period, they have usually been finding it difficult to make ends meet. This position is magnified by the fact that Awards are meant for five years, but tend to take place at longer intervals. The absence of an Award is usually met by an extension of the existing Award, and this was done when the 7th Commission’s Award expired after the statutory five years.

The problem is that the current Award has made a split which took account of the additional burden because of the transfer of some departments from the federal government to the provincial, resulting in the provinces needing more money to pay for them. Because of the division, which has given the provinces 35 percent, the federal government has found that it has simply not got the money to afford the kind of money the defence services have grown used to.

The Terms of Reference of the present NFC seem designed to deal with this issue, though it may well be opening a Pandora’s Box which would throw up in the air the very existence of the federation, and which questions the very need for one. That has been by making it consider ways for the centre to charge the provinces for defence and disaster management.

The need to charge for disaster management seems

Trying hard, to the last Ms Wells makes a last attempt

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UTGOING US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Alice Wells sprang no surprises in a farewell news briefing on Wednesday, but some of the points she made were interesting signs of the direction US policy in the region might take. her saying that Pakistan had an interest in advancing the Afghan peace process comes as a useful reminder when recent events in Afghanistan have put that process in jeopardy.

Those events showed that there are forces on both sides opposed to a settlement, the Kabul government on the US side, and IS fighters on the side of the resistance.

Pakistan’s interest lies in a settlement, as does that of the rest of the region.

Another point Ms Wells tried to make was that the China-Pakistan economic Corridor was funded by Chinese loans and that Pakistan’s difficulties during the present pandemic required relief for this debt. The USA has all along tried to portray China as an unfair and rapacious creditor, and has never made its dislike of the CPeC obvious. Ambassador Wells is clearly following through on the Trump Administration’s rivalry with China, which has extended to President Donald Trump himself blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic.

This has come amidst a storm of criticism of his handling of the pandemic, in contrast to China’s savvy handling, which has led many observers to comment that China has emerged as a world leader, unlike the USA. It seems that the US response will not just be limited to its attacks on China and the World health Organization, but also to sniping at China’s Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPeC is a key component. Apart from that, the USA has been propping up India as a counterweight to China in the region, and views Pakistan’s relations with China as a threat to that.

Ambassador Wells’ remarks should make Pakistan’s policymakers aware that the USA regards Pakistan as important because of its need to get out of Afghanistan, and because it intends to pursue its rivalry with China to the end. how Pakistan intends to navigate these troublous waters will require more care than shown so far.

Covid-19 Prompts Cybercrime Coronavirus crisis affects crime rates globally Hassan aslam

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he pandemic wreaking havoc across the globe has caused thousands of deaths, driven economies to a screeching halt, and transformed the way we interact with one another. Unsurprisingly, crime is another sector that has not proven immune to the virus.

Predictions for crime are region-dependent, however, the common link is the expectation that opportunistic criminals will take advantage of weakened justice and authority resources. In Pakistan, governmental security forces are under pressure to devote their efforts towards preventing the spread of covid19 rather than fighting crime.

Forums on the dark web, the brackish depths of the Internet that are invisible to regular search engines, mimic Google’s spike in Corona-themed discussions and posts. According to Digital Shadows, a cybersecurity agency, not all of this chatter is nefarious, yet there are still lawbreakers aiming to use the pandemic to their own advantages. exploiting Vulnerabilities: With the majority of nations enforcing quarantine and social distancing policies, Internet usage has skyrocketed. The online world is now supporting millions of individuals using it for everything from classes to business to entertainment. Despite that, coronavirus, covid-19, and related terms like homemade hand sanitizer, are the highestranking terms on Google. healthcare institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend preventive measures such as sanitizing hands and frequently used surfaces, wearing masks in public and staying indoors. hence, the supply of certain products has far exceeded the demand, and disinfectants, N95 masks, and similar items remain in short supply.

Cybercriminals have swiftly adapted to these new vulnerabilities. Malefactors send out phishing emails with enticing subject lines promising recipients access to commodities such as masks or hand sanitizer.

Instead, the victim will find a link leading to a malicious website or a downloadable file that installs in-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

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tutions struggling to reduce the human toll of the sidious malware on their devices.

Preying on the emotional response to the crisis to virus. Although it is impossible to eliminate hackers acquire sensitive information is another popular tactic from the online universe completely, it is feasible to among online offenders. Insurance fraud, calls or lower the risk of attack through common-sense secutexts from supposed family members in distress, and rity measures.

Stay vigilant against phishing emails. If the email fake charity causes, abound.

Businesses are also falling prey to hackers manip- or call is from an unknown source, pay extra attention ulating weaknesses caused by the crisis. A large por- to what is suggested or offered. Most of the times tion of the workforce is now remote, using insecure these “exclusive” opportunities are too good to be true. From cheap sanitation products and face masks devices and networks to access company systems.

Targeting hospitals and healthcare employees: to the “blood of covid-19 survivors”, coronavirus hoaxes are ubiquitous. Often The more nefarious memtimes phishing emails are bers of the online undersent from compromised acworld go a step further by counts so reach out to family threatening healthcare instiRemember that location is not a and friends to double-check tutions. As medical profesif a certain dodgy message is sionals around the world factor for digital predators, indeed sent by them. If not, risk their lives battling the report the email to your virus, hackers have no especially in times of a global service provider to stop qualms compromising escrisis. Anyone can benefit from scammers in their tracks. sential systems by sending Back up your files, esperansomware. increased security measures cially during times of proThe end goal is to coerce overburdened instituand we should all do our utmost longed remote work. This mitigates your risk of suffertions to pay up to restore to report scams and fraud to ing financial losses due to access and avoid comproransomware. If unfortumising patient care. These the authorities nately, your device is locked actions can result in unwarfrom clicking covid-19 hoax ranted deaths— needless calinks, having your files sualties added to the tucked away ahead of time mounting statistics of those means you could simply default your device. lost to the virus.

A VPN is another strategy worth implementing Nonetheless, governments and security firms are taking a hardline stance towards transgressors that to defend your personal information. Investing in secross that line and jeopardize lives. Mikko hypponen, curity can save thousands of rupees lost to tireless cythe CeO of Finnish security firm F-ware, tweeted a bercriminals. Using a VPN secures your internet warning to anyone menacing healthcare organizations: connection such that hackers will not be able to intercept your traffic or spy on you. “...we will use all our resources to hunt you down.”

Remember that location is not a factor for digital The Chief Security Officer at Cybereason stated that hospital security employees are working tire- predators, especially in times of a global crisis. Anylessly to improve and update systems to keep at- one can benefit from increased security measures and we should all do our utmost to report scams and fraud tackers out.

Staying Safe Online:Now more than ever, taking to the authorities. precautions online is crucial for both private individHassan Aslam is a freelance columnist uals, businesses, and the medical and academic insti-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Friday, 22 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

For how long will Balochistan suffer We study get educated for degrees, homes and for our peace of good living. Furthermore, if we turn our eyes toward the fact then we are just greeding nothing else. I feel so worse to high light about the people who have been martyred mercilessly and on the other hand we feel proud to be the sister of those brothers who raise their voice for our rights and fights for our freedom. however , apparently we are now in such a caged where our voices are caged and our basic rights are buried. And we are just killed before our death. It is obvious that lots of mother, lots of sisters, lots of brothers are just blinded up by Martying their love onces. I feel so upset when I see the picture of my brothers who were martyed so badly on 1 may 2020 (Shahdad and ehsan) . Our tears shed daily for them. hence , our sacrifices will not go wasted our brothers blood won’t be dry and the fire of our heart won’t be cool until we don’t get freedom.

Thus, just wanna request to authorities that please take voice toward our freedom and don’t hide our words just free us from these cages.

AB BALoCH Turbat

SOPs violation

Aspirations from China’s twin sessions First hit by the pandemic, China shows the world how to handle it and its effects

sultan m HalI

T

he much-awaited twin sessions or the two annual meetings, the first, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), commenced on Thursday, 21 May. The second meeting, of the National People’s Congress (NPC), began a day later with Premier li Keqiang’s work report. Premier li’s report typically lays out annual economic targets and the policy framework to achieve those. This year it’s going to be a challenging task given an unprecedented economic crisis brought on by Covid-19. The economy has suffered its worstever contraction in the first quarter of 2020 compared to growth of 6.8 percent over a year ago. Although the worst of the country’s outbreak is hopefully over, a significant global demand slump will continue to undermine the recovery in the rest of the year.

The “Two Session” will be a beginning for China to restore its economy and social order because despite being hit hard by the global pandemic covid-19, the steps that China took firstly, to contain the deadly virus; secondly, to insulate its own people from it; and thirdly, to reach out to the rest of the world, gave the Chinese reassurance in their own leadership, that during the “Two Sessions” the decisions taken will be pragmatic and far reaching. expectations are high because the Communist Party of China will never put its people at risk. It will adopt carefully thought-out measures to protect them and the steps of opening up are necessary but will only be effective if the insulation is fool-proof. Schools, colleges, workplace and travel modes all have to be protected, and China has the capacity and will to ensure such measures.

During a recent tour of China’s northern province of Shaanxi, President Xi Jinping instructed cadres to “turn the crisis into an opportunity.” It is such statesmanlike leadership that takes nations in crisis across the hump to over-

come adversity. The performance of the Chinese government during the darkest period of the scourge of covid-19 was an example for the rest of the world. China did not demur from reaching out to other countries to share its experience, its expertise and its equipment to combat the deadly coronavirus.

The Chinese dream of taking the entire nation beyond the poverty line by 2021, the 100th anniversary of the CPC will not remain a pipe dream because the economy–built on a combination of manufacturing expertise, connectivity and first-class infrastructure, plus the world’s largest middle class of domestic consumers– was operating at 87 percent of typical output on May 12, according to the Trivium National Business Activity Index has survived the shocks and is ready to rebound. In April, though imports were down 14.2 percent, China’s exports were up 3.5 percent year on year, surpassing predictions largely because of medical products sent overseas.

The WhO has been playing a role of leading and coordinating the global efforts in fighting covid-19, which is extremely important for whether humankind can defeat this common enemy of the entire world. Some countries, who suffer from myopic vision, firstly failed to perceive the threat from covid-19 despite warnings issued by the WhO. Now that these doubting Thomases are suffering the most, they have chopped funding to the WhO. The premier institution still has the support of China and europe but the impediments put in its place by detractors provide China the unique opportunity to fill the vacuum and find its true potential.

Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, presented some very cogent comments, proposals and decisions at the Virtual event of Opening of the 73rd World health Assembly on 18 May 2020. his speech came at a very critical juncture of world events. More than 210 countries around the globe are suffering from the deadly effects of covid-19.

Certain portions of the world have suffered from numerous pandemics before; the plague, Spanish flu, SARS, MeRS, ebola, AIDS among others, but covid-19 has struck the entire globe.

Covid-19 was first reported in Wuhan China before it engulfed the entire world.

China was treading on uncharted waters because nothing was known of this new pandemic but through trial and error and dedicated efforts, China controlled the onslaught courageously.

The address of Xi Jinping at the WhA was bold and innovative. China has already shared its experiences, sent its medical teams and dispatched much needed masks, surgical gloves, protective gear, testing kits and even ventilators.

While some world leaders have chosen to target the World health Organization and even China to divert attention from their own mismanagement of the catastrophe, Xi Jinping did not enter into rhetoric or a blame game. Instead, he made some hard-core proposals on how to

combat the scourge of coronavirus collectively, find a cure and a vaccine to prevent the spread of the disease.

Besides recommending proposals, in his poignant speech, Xi Jinping announced tangible decisions like providing $2 billion over two years to help with the covid-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries. he declared that China will work with the UN to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, ensure the operation of anti-epidemic supply chains and foster “green corridors” for fast-track transportation and customs clearance. Xi Jinping announced that China will establish a cooperation mechanism for its hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals and accelerate the building of the Africa CDC headquarters to help the continent ramp up its disease preparedness and control capacity. The Chinese President promised that covid-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good.

This will be China’s contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. Perhaps the most profound decision was that China will work with other G20 members to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries.

China is also ready to work with the international community to bolster support for the hardest-hit countries under the greatest strain of debt service, so that they could tide over the current difficulties.

The world is already reeling under the economic impact of the deadly virus. Poorer states are close to bankruptcy and the developed countries are still groping with modes of allaying the negative effects.

In this gloomy perspective, President Xi’s announcement to delay the loan repyments of developing countries will be very welcome and provide them breathing space as well as renew their efforts to rebuild themselves.

President Xi Jinping has demonstrated that he is a true statesman, who believes that mankind is a community with a shared future, by concluding that solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon for defeating the virus.

In the prevailing milieu, the Chinese President’s speech ushered a ray of hope in a world, where even the mightiest have been hard hit by the global pandemic but few have shown the magnanimity, benevolence and transparency displayed by China.

Similarly, the steps taken during the twin sessions will not only usher relief from the deadly virus but hope to rebuild not only Chinese society but the entire world.

Sultan M Hali is a retired Group Captain and author of the book Defence & Diplomacy.

Currently he is a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host.

ThIS letter refers to the outbreak of COVID-19 in which most countries are facing the initial crisis that is continued to weaken the country’s economy. In Pakistan the pandemic is just considered a rumour and unpredicted according to the citizens notion. On the other hand there is SOPs violation . Inorder to the curb the further spread of coronavirus, traders have been doing extravagance . Recently in Quetta 156 shops were sealed and 64 people have been also arrested because of not following SOPs. The traders have been warned about not being violated since the violation will result in closure of entire market . There are great number of administrative issues over the implementation of SOPs as the provinces eased it’s lockdown . Secondly the safety guidelines are as well denied by traders and public. They are visible in overcrowded shops. Neither wearing masks nor following the laws of lockdown. In this regard lockdown has no aims in Pakistan where social distancing have been a very difficult task for the public. I implore the government of Pakistan to be actively of taking strict action against people who are against law.

BArkATuLLAH Turbat

Toshakhana expensive gifts case ThIS is with reference to report published in a section of media, including your newspaper(March 5/2020), about alleged illegal act of former PM Yusaf Raza Gillani allowing retention of expensive vehicles gifted by different foreign heads of states, instead of being retained by Central Pool of Cars. We must set record straight that this irregularity being depicted as most expensive is not factual.

According to international practice, gifts given by one state to another are for their respective governments and not for specific individual. To set record straight this malpractice and irregularity started in 1963 when US Government gifted Ghandhara Motors which was retained by family of former military dictator Ayub Khan. This was the most expensive gift ever given by any foreign government to Pakistan. It was perhaps a coincidence that this followed Ayub Khan’s decision not to intervene in 1962 on advice of China to liberate IOK. There is no record of numerous gifts given to both civil political elite and uniformed elite who frequently visit Gulf and Middle east kingdoms and sheikdoms who are known for giving such lavish gifts.

The irregularity involving Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, were armored vehicles BMW750li, lexus Jeep, BMW760li gifted by UAe and libya to Pakistan. The report further suggests that these expensive gifts were retained by former VVIPs after paying nominal retention fee of 15%. We must also not forget that Musharraf himself has accepted that he was gifted almost $25 Million by Saudi royalty.

ALi MALik Lahore

Eid and lockdown I want to take your attention on the issue which will hit us in few days. As we celebrate eid with traditional zeal and fervor every year but due to upsurging COVID-19, this year people will be limited to thier homes.

Government will not allow people to go parks, hotels and other refreshment places because of critical setuation, so this is good for all of us to stay at our home and enjoy eid in our home without going anywhere.

This is challenging and distressing for us but as muslims we have to follow our prophet’s MUhAMMAD (S.A.W) path and not only in Pakistan, muslims all over the world will celebrate their eid within their homes because if we don’t follow th SOP’S, then we have to pay for this and we will be in a big loss and the wound will took years to heal. So please help yourself and your family by following SOP’S in this upcoming eid and spread message of love,unity and peace.

MuHAMMAD HAMzA EHSAn rawalpindi

Covid is prime for crime STReeT crime is a crime, but often it led to death. Some small thieves are the street that had taken people’s lives for small theft. even in Rawalpindi city, these small thick thieves are very common, but they often increase in Ramadan. The people living in the area falling in the jurisdiction of the New Town Police Station have always particularly remained vulnerable. Recently the 6th Road, the 5th Road and the link roads and streets in-between have become the most favorite hunting ground for the street criminals But due to this virus these crimes rates have decreased considerably. however, pursesnatching from women shoppers by some motorcycle riders has become a new challenge for the city police. Because during the COVID-19 people don’t get out of their home and there are police and army everywhere, which is why crime has decreased. We are appealing to our government to maintain the same law and order after COVID-19.

HAMzA SiDDiqui rawalpindi

Friday, 22 May, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

FOrecasting cOvid-19’s cOurse THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WILL BE A HISTORY-ALTERING EVENT. BUT WHERE WILL IT TAKE US?

Centre for StrategiC and international StudieS

t

Sarah LadiSLaw and SamueL Brannen

HE future course of Covid-19 remains highly uncertain. Yet, we observe that leaders in government and business often continue to plan for a single future course they would prefer to be true. They tend to think in weeks, months, and quarters, not the years over which the pandemic and growing economic crisis will play out.

Such thinking is exemplified by the Vshaped recovery many had hoped for. This is what Larry Summers memorably referred to as “nantucket in the winter” coming back online in a presumed summer season. It is abundantly clear that even in China, which is months ahead of the world in recovery efforts, there will be no V-shaped recovery for major economies. Public health officials continue to warn that until we find highly effective therapeutics or a vaccine, the grim epidemiological math of this highly transmissible coronavirus will hold our societies at significant public health risk.

This, of course, is news no one wants to hear. It means the discomfort we have experienced to date will continue as we learn to adapt. But uncertainty and challenge are no excuse for individuals, organizations, countries, and the international community to freeze in their tracks.

Failing to think more comprehensively about the range of possible trajectories Covid-19 could take magnifies the downsides while failing to identify possible opportunities. Risk exposure is magnified for those who do not grapple with worst-case scenarios alongside hopeful thinking. It is no coincidence that the United States, Russia, and

Brazil have the most cases of Covid-19 in the world while their ruling parties continue to downplay the severity of the disease and speak, think, and act in short timeframes.

Two months ago, we set out with our CSIS colleagues to try to grapple with the inherent uncertainty of the moment through the development of a set of scenarios that captured the best possible scientific understanding of the possible future course of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes in humans (Covid-19) and the economic, geopolitical, and societal implications of those potential futures. Our colleagues J. Stephen Morrison and Anna Carroll created a compelling set of three scenarios capturing the public health outlook for the disease. Relying on the brainpower of other colleagues across our organization we further examined the global trade, supply chain, geopolitical, and other implications across three possible cases.

We dismissed the V-shaped recovery out of hand and adopted as a best-case scenario a U-shaped recovery. next, we considered a W-shaped roller coaster recovery that would see another large Covid-19 wave by fall 2020 and subsequent shutdown due to premature reopening in the late spring and summer. And finally, we considered what we could only call the disaster of continued public health mismanagement of the virus and the potential of no therapeutics or vaccine that would have us dealing with unending spread of the virus over a period of years with an L-shaped outlook for the world economy.

Our core finding is that the virus will dictate recovery at every turn. Public health

is driving economics, and it should be driving politics and international politics, too.

This is a moment where a falling tide lowers all ships. There is no workaround to a challenge as massive as a novel virus, no shortcut to the medical, scientific, and industrial efforts necessary to address it.

We assess, based on available evidence, that we are on course for the roller coaster scenario. The lack of national-level leadership and greater international coordination means the virus will continue to regain momentum and spike in ways we fail to detect in a timely way due to lack of testing in the United States and many countries worldwide.

This will almost certainly look like one of the three scenarios of the coming waves of Covid-19 authored by scholars at the University of Minnesota, based on historic lessons from pandemic influenza. This risks a range of second-order consequences from the humanitarian to the economic, and even to political instability in certain areas of the world.

This future course for Covid-19 is likely to accelerate elements of de-globalization that will exacerbate the severity and duration of the economic downturn by leaving in place or increasing travel and export restrictions.

This in turn could drive even more nationalist politics in countries around the world and increase the risks of international conflict.

The roller coaster future puts at risk the prospect for any durable recovery in the next two years. It widens the global divide between those with means and those without— both within countries and between developed and developing parts of the world. Most importantly, it is a scenario where short-term uncertainties and impacts transition to solidify more permanent changes in behavior that become the defining features of a new, more socially distant normal. It means that extraordinary fiscal measures never move past emergency intervention into restorative stimulus.

This is what Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell recently warned about when he said, “The record shows that deeper and longer recessions can leave behind lasting damage to the productive capacity of the economy.” The lessons from the Global Financial Crisis are that massive economic downturn creates uneven recovery with out-

Can Abbas repudiate all agreements with Israel?

Middle eaSt Monitor

O

ramona wadi

n Tuesday, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas declared the dissolution of agreements with Israel and the US, following the annexation plans that have been facilitated through the so-called “deal of the century”. Wafa news agency published Abbas’ declaration, which partly reads: “The Palestine Liberation Organisation and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the obligations based on these understanding and agreements, including the security ones.”

Unlike previous occasions, Abbas has shifted from threats to end agreements, to a declaration. However, the details remain vague and contradictory. Israeli media reported that security coordination, which Abbas has on occasions deemed “sacred”, has not been affected by the decision. In addition, Abbas has not declared the dissolution of the PA. If the PA – a body dependent upon Israel and foreign financial assistance – has been unable to take autonomous decisions that go beyond symbolic significance or perfunctory expectations, can its declaration to dissolve all agreements hold any ground?

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh ordered the cabinet to start “work on translating this decision on the ground.”

However, Shtayyeh is already weakening the position declared by Abbas by calling the

decision “the moment of truth for all who believe in the two-state solution”, based upon the rhetorical rejections of annexation which the international community has issued so far. no other details have been revealed so far, other than the perpetual validation which the PA gives to the international community by adhering to its plans for Palestine. Shtayyeh also called for the international community “to rise to the level of responsibility and provide international protection for our people who are under occupation.”

If the PA is no longer bound by the Oslo Accords, there is an opportunity to point out how the two-state compromise, a key component of the Accords, enabled the current annexation agenda. So far, Abbas’s declaration is not spelling any political opportunity for the Palestinian people. Adhering to an obsolete international paradigm is one way of facilitating the US-Israeli annexation plans.

Is there any deterrence in Abbas’ declaration? In the past, Abbas’ threats were met with escalating derision, on account of the PA’s inability to function autonomously. It is possible that the forthcoming annexation, which the international community is treating as a new violation instead of the culmination of a process over decades, has prompted Abbas to be more forthright in his speech.

However, the PA is declaring itself still beholden to fragments of the Oslo Accords with its repeated insistence upon the two-state paradigm. In a recent statement, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell did not indicate any particular opposition to the US-Israeli annexation plans other than “noting with grave concern” and “strongly urging Israel” to refrain from decisions that violate international law.

The international response to annexation is familiar. The PA is yet to prove it is capable of working in the Palestinian people’s political interests. So far, there is little to suggest that Abbas’ declaration contains any potential for political change. If the PA’s dependency prohibits autonomy, the declaration on its own is no cause for celebration so far.

size gains for some and outsize losses for others. We need to think about what kind of economy we want to invest in and build, especially as the likelihood increases that the government will ultimately increase its role or even take a direct stake in industries and sections of the economy.

As stark as it seems, the roller coaster scenario offers some opportunity for redemption and recovery if we choose to learn the lessons of the last several months. First, failure to manage virus outbreaks through social distancing, widespread testing, tracking and tracing, and aggressive pursuit of therapeutics and an eventual vaccine will negate anything positive we do on the economic front. If we in the United States and elsewhere in the world implement national approaches to Covid-19 efforts now, we as a globally connected people can be better prepared for future potential widespread outbreaks. Second, and deeply related, failure to work productively with countries around the world will not only stoke the natural tensions and divisions that arise during a pandemic but will serve as an anchor weighing down any social or economic recovery efforts. It is too much to hope that a global pandemic could stem the tide of eroding multilateralism, but it is sheer lunacy to think that the fastest way to any positive new normal is through extensive decoupling of

Is the Assad dynasty coming to an end?

THE SYRIAN LEADER HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN NAVIGATING TURBULENT WATERS WITH BACKING FROM IRAN AND RUSSIA JeruSaleM PoSt YuSuF erim and oBaida hiTTo

s

yria has seen many changes over the past half century. The one constant has been the last name Assad. A coup in late 1970 saw Hafez Assad seize power, and the family has been ruling the Middle Eastern nation with an iron grip ever since.

Hafez’s second oldest son and Syria’s current leader, Bashar Assad, took control in 2000 through an uncontested election that resembled a nepotistic transfer of power usually seen in hereditary monarchies. While the Assad dynasty has ruled Syria for 50 years, the past decade has seen the family’s power tested with the outbreak of the nation’s civil war.

The internal struggle has fragmented the country and given rise to a previously non-existent opposition. Many people have speculated on the downfall of Assad in past years, placing a six-month shelf life on his rule, but the Syrian leader has been successful in navigating turbulent waters with backing from Iran and Russia.

So what’s different now as talk about finding a replacement for Bashar Assad over the past few weeks has intensified?

The most glaring problem is the Syrian economy. The local currency has plummeted to record lows, and food prices have sky-rocketed. A decade of war and destruction, mass corruption, the loss of critical oil revenue and crippling US sanctions have taken their toll on the economy. Even regime loyalists are beginning to feel the pinch. Another major sign of change is the growing divide between Assad and his most powerful backer, Russia.

Moscow has recently been critical of Assad, citing corruption and his lack of financial rigor as major problems. The conflict has been expensive for Russia, with oil prices down, and Moscow wants to begin seeing a return on investment.

A series of reports highlighting the Kremlin’s frustration with the Syrian president’s inability to properly manage the country’s finances was followed by a very public display of tension within Assad’s inner circle. His cousin and Syria’s wealthiest man, Rami Makhlouf, released two confession-style videos asking Assad to be kinder to him and his entourage, or else.

The public nature of these veiled threats caused many to suspect there are serious intentions to push Assad out of power. The Russians also seem to be concerned with the bottle-neck in the political arena resulting from Assad’s inability to compromise. These two factors are vital for legitimizing Assad globally. Without that legitimization, much-needed international funds may never arrive, putting lucrative rebuilding contracts eyed by Russian oligarchs in limbo.

Another major player in Syria that would like to see Assad removed is Turkey. Until this year, the Turks, who back the Syrian opposition, have generally avoided direct military confrontation with the regime. However, a renewed regime offensive into the last rebel stronghold of Idlib changed Ankara’s military posturing toward Damascus.

Ankara, concerned that a collapse in Idlib could lead to a massive influx of refugees, launched an unprecedented drone campaign into the province, dealing a heavy blow to the Assad’s military capabilities. Turkey abruptly ended the successful military operation only after Putin invited his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to Moscow to hammer out a ceasefire deal that remains intact but fragile after two months.

Ankara is also host to more than 3.5 million refugees who have been reluctant to return out of fear of retribution. The migrant issue has become a polarizing domestic problem and financial burden for Turkey, which views Assad as the biggest

economies and supply chains all in the name of greater resilience.

Last, despite shortcomings in the federal response, the United States has not completely faltered thanks to the strength of our financial institutions, state and local leadership, innovative public enterprise, and the broad and relatively silent majority of citizens in the United States who have taken measures to keep themselves and their communities safe. now is the time for pragmatism from leaders in government, the private sector, and civil society. They should plan and act for the long term to honor the many sacrifices being made in the short term and to rebuild a society that is strengthened, not weakened, by this traumatic experience.

Sarah Ladislaw is senior vice president and director and senior fellow of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Samuel Brannen leads the Risk and Foresight Group and is a senior fellow in the International Security Program at CSIS. The authors wish to give special thanks to Nikos Tsafos, for his intellectual contributions over the course of weeks in puzzling through scenario outcomes, and Ian Barlow, for his assistance for translating the complex scenarios into the succinct graphic. obstacle standing in the way of repatriation.

Refugee inflows are of great concern for the European Union as well. Brussels and Ankara experienced a diplomatic row earlier this year when Turkey, disappointed with a lack of support from the EU, decided to open its border with Greece to refugees who wanted entry into Europe. More than 10,000 migrants traveled to the border only to be met by Greek security services. One of the countries that has benefited the most during Assad’s rule is Iran. By backing the beleaguered leader, Tehran as been able to expand the presence of Iranian-backed militia throughout the country, creating a land bridge from Iran to Lebanon. This development has caused a great deal of concern for Israel.

The Israeli Defense Forces have increased airstrikes in the past two years, targeting Iranian assets in Syria in an attempt to weaken Tehran’s ability to pose a threat to Tel Aviv. With the possibility of Syrian elections next year and the absence of millions of opposition voters who have fled the country, an Assad victory seems inevitable. An electoral win would strengthen Assad’s arguments for legitimization and consolidate the presence of Iranian-backed militias, creating a long-term national security concern for Israel. While foreign actors jockey for a stronger position in Syria’s future, domestically the Syrian opposition was given a boost as rebel forces backed by Turkey displayed the ability to repel Assad’s army.

The success of the campaign gave rise to voices that had been silenced, sparking small protests in regime-held areas.

Recent days have also seen many Syrians become more concerned and disgruntled as the coronavirus pandemic spreads among the population. Years of bombing hospitals have left the regime ill-equipped to deal with a public health crisis.

These factors coupled with the dire economy have created the ideal environment for questioning Assad’s future. If Russia, the Syrian leader’s main backer, finds an alternative that can jump-start a defunct political system and attract international funding for rebuilding, Assad might find himself isolated, with those he deems loyal plotting to oust him.

Yusuf Erim is the editor-at-large for Turkey’s public broadcaster TRT World.

Obaida Hitto is a Syrian analyst.

Friday, 22 May, 2020

BUSINESS 09

ECC ApproVES CoUnTry’S firST MobilE DEViCE MAnUfACTUring poliCy

CORPORATE CORNER

POLICY INCLUDES REMOVAL OF REGULATORY DUTY, FIXED SALES TAX LOCALLY MANUFACTURED PHONES TO BE EXEMPTED ON CKD/SKD MANUFACTURING BY PTA-APPROVED MANUFACTURES FROM 4PC WITHHOLDING TAX ON DOMESTIC SALES ISLAMABAD ISLAMABAD: Easypaisa is joining its millions of customers across the country in sharing the blessing of Eidul Fitr. The Easypaisa App now provides users with an Eidi feature that allows them to send personalized Eidi to all their loved ones throughout the country. PRESS RElEASE

HabibMetro, Visa enhance collaboration for global cashless solutions HabibMetro and Visa have announced a new strategic initiative to provide innovative, secure and reliable payment services to enhance the user experience of HabibMetro customers. Under this new initiative, the bank will leverage Visa’s expertise and experience in payment technology and global scale, so that its customers can enjoy fast, simple and secure cashless solutions. Ahmed Shah Durrani, Retail Head of HabibMetro, commented, “We are excited to use the global power of Visa to enrich the proposition for our high-net worth clients while also bringing more convenience and security to all our customers through a higher service benchmark for payments.” PRESS RElEASE

Qatar Airways, American Airlines begin partnership with domestic US codeshare DOHA: Qatar Airways has announced that the first stage of its strategic partnership with American Airlines has begun with Qatar Airways placing its code on American Airlines’ domestic flights, strengthening connectivity and creating hundreds of new travel options for passengers. The codeshare will be rolled out in phases over the next few weeks and once completed, will see Qatar Airways’ code placed on over 1000 of American Airlines’ domestic flights connecting with Qatar Airway’s 10 US gateways. Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer Simon Talling-Smith said, “The rollout of this domestic codeshare demonstrates our airlines are confident about the future and during this difficult time we continue to focus on how we can enhance the customer experience for our millions of passengers.” PRESS RElEASE

T

STAFF REPORT

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved the Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy to promote local manufacturing and assembly of mobile phone handsets.

The ECC was held under the chair of Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

The meeting was earlier informed that under the Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy, parts of mobile phone handsets would be used for the entire range of handsets produced in Pakistan instead of limited to a particular model.

The officials said that the policy would also have a positive impact on allied industries, including packaging, adding that the expected arrival of high-end brands would give local industry an opportunity to become part of the global value chain.

In addition, setting up of research & development centres and an ecosystem for software application have also been visualised under the policy.

The ECC discussed various recommendations proposed as part of the policy and approved the measures which included removal of regulatory duty on completely knocked down/semi knocked down (CKD/SKD) manufacturing by PTA-approved manufactures.

It also approved removal of fixed income tax on CKD/SKD manufacturing of mobile devices up to $350 category; increase in fixed income tax on $351-$500 category by Rs2,000, and on $500 category by Rs6,300.

The removal of fixed sales tax on CKD/SKD manufacturing of mobile devices was also approved on the occasion.

According to the draft policy, PTA shall allow activation of handsets manufacturing in the country, under import authorization by Input/Output Co-Efficient Organization (IOCO), in CKS/SKD kit (8517.1211) and not under HS Code 8517.7000 i.e. parts. This will eliminate misdeclaration in parts category at the import stage.

Activation of completely built units (CBUs) imported through notified routes after payment of all levied duties and taxes as fixed by government from time to time shall continue till further amendment.

In up to $30 category, words "except smart phones" to be inserted for CBU imports under 8517.1219 to avoid misdeclaration.

R&D allowance of three per cent to be given to local manufactures for the export of mobile phones.

Locally assembled/manufactured phones to be exempted from four per cent withholding tax on domestic sales.

The government shall commit to maintaining tariff differential between CBU imports and CKS/SKD manufacturing till the expiry of the policy, while local

MARKET DAILY

Stocks end lower as investors remain cautious ahead of Eid holidays KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) moved within a narrow range ahead of Eid holidays, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index closing a lacklustre session in the red.

Foreign investors remained net sellers for the fourth consecutive session on Wednesday, registering a net outflow of $0.177 million.

According to an Arif Habib Ltd re-

port, the last trading day before the long weekend brought nervousness among investors where at one end international crude prices were traded at a higher level, but local investors remained wary of the trading gap to be caused by Eid holidays.

"The cement sector realized price losses due to selling pressure, which has been persistent for the last couple

of sessions," the report stated. "The banking sector also fell prey to selling pressure, especially in the wake of Moody’s notification signalling a downgrade in rating.

In line with the recent trend, the KSE-100 Index started the day on a positive note, accumulating 116.19 points or +0.34pc to mark its intraday high at 34,049.00. It, however, slipped lower as

Import of hazardous plastic scrap surges to 65,000 tonnes ISLAMABAD GHUlAM ABBAS

Plastic waste imports into Pakistan have continued to show phenomenal growth in the first four months of this year, with around 65,000 metric tonnes shipped to the country.

As per documents, the country’s plastic waste imports had climbed by 30pc to 47,000 metric tonnes in 2018, as against 36,000 tonnes in 2017. These year-onyear incremental volumes suggest that Pakistan has become a dumping ground for global hazardous waste shipments, which are non-compliant with Basel Convention requirements and has put the country at a high risk of environmental and health disaster.

Pakistan imports plastic waste including hospital wastage, sewerage pipes and other hazardous materials,

industry shall ensure localization of parts and components as per roadmap included in draft policy.

The Engineering Development Board would act as the Secretariat of Mobile Phone Manufacturing Policy and ensure development of allied parts, components and devices.

COTTON INTERVENTION PRICE: Meanwhile, the ECC also considered a proposal brought forward by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for an intervention price for cotton 2020-21 crop by rationalising earlier proposals after fresh consultation with the stakeholders.

The members of the ECC had an in-depth discussion on the matter and maintained that effective and sustained support to the cotton growers was vital and necessary due to the importance of cotton for the local as well as export industry. However, such a support should be extended in the form of direct targeted subsidy to the formers.

The ECC directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to bring proposals for promotion of R&D and to improve seed quality and yield per acre.

The committee decided that since the matter was not federal in nature, a mechanism should also be adopted by the ministry to engage with the provincial governments, particularly Punjab, at the higher government level to introduce some intervention with regard to ensuring better price to the cotton growers.

CONTINUOUS INCREASE IN IMPORTS SUGGEST PAKISTAN HAS BECOME A DUMPING GROUND FOR GLOBAL HAZARDOUS WASTE SHIPMENTS mainly from the UK, Belgium, Canada, Germany and Saudi Arabia. These imports are made in the form of powder, granules and flakes.

At a time when countries across the globe are banning imports of plastic scrap, Pakistan is one of the few nations that is welcoming such shipments.

In January 2018, China had put into effect an import ban on waste plastics as part of its efforts to clean the environment and improve the health of people. Prior to this ban, China had been handling nearly half of the world's recyclable waste for 25 years.

In recent years, other regional countries, including India, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, have followed China and either totally banned plastic scrap imports or introduced new restrictions to protect the environment and health of their citizens.

Unfortunately, Pakistan has turned a blind eye to its responsibilities and commitments under the Basel Convention and has continued to adopt a lenient regulatory framework that allows the imports of contaminated plastic waste. These imports are being made through formal entry points in violation of the Import Policy Order con-

the day progressed, recording its intraday low at 33,757.37 after shedding 175.44 points. The index finally closed lower by 96.20 points at 33,836.61.

Among other indices, the KMI 30 Index dropped 195.30 points to settle at 55,100.70, whereas the KSE All Share Index added 10.57 points, ending at 24,380.74. Of the total traded shares, 130 advanced and 160 declined. STAFF REPORT

ditions and provisions of the Basel Convention.

According to sources, plastic waste shipments are being cleared into Pakistan without valid documents, preshipment inspection certificates from exporting countries as defined in the Basel Convention. Further, the adhoc issuance of environmental certificates without undergoing due diligence is also facilitating these imports.

In the current global pandemic, there is a heightened risk that Covid-19 plastic waste will be destined for Pakistan as other Asian countries have already imposed a ban on the import of plastic waste. However the same is yet to be banned in Pakistan and as a result, imported plastic waste from Covid-19 affected nations of USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, among others, will be dumped in Pakistan.

These countries are at the epicenter of Covid-19 crisis. Due to the health emergency, they are expected to generate several thousand tons of contaminated plastic waste that may be shipped to developing countries like Pakistan.

Patari appoints new CEO amid allegations of merit violation, nepotism LAHORE TAIMOOR HASSAN

Music streaming platform Patari has appointed Zalrasht Faisal as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the company almost two years after Patari’s co-founder and CEO Khalid Bajwa resigned on harassment allegations.

The announcement was made by Zalrasht Faisal in a tweet on Tuesday in which she said that she had applied for the position of CEO when the company first announced it was recruiting for the top slot in January.

Before joining as the chief executive, Zarlasht was serving as a member of the governing board at Patari.

Though the company has not made any official announcement about the appointment, Zarlasht announced her appointment as the CEO in a tweet on May 19. And while the announcement came this month, Zarlasht confirmed to Profit that she had actually taken over as the CEO on March 30 after going through a recruitment process that was initiated in January.

Founded in 2015, Patari got sucked into a vortex of controversies in 2018 when the

company’s then CEO Khalid Bajwa was asked to step down following sexual harassment allegations. Following Bajwa’s resignation, Ahmer Naqvi was appointed as interim CEO, who subsequently resigned after it surfaced that Khalid Bajwa, though he had announced his resignation, was still involved in affairs of the company.

“It is a company where we can no longer work freely under the values that brought us to it – and which are now under threat,” Naqvi had said in a statement while resigning as the interim CEO of the company along with six other members of the team.

Thereafter, Rabeel Warraich, the CEO of venture capital firm Sarmayacar and an investor in Patari, took over as the interim CEO of the music streaming platform.

There has, however, been controversy surrounding Zarlasht’s appointment as the CEO with people on social media raising questions about the merit of the appointment and allegations of nepotism in the process of appointment. People allege that Zarlasht got the top position in the company because of her father Faisal Sherjan’s clout in the company as he had co-founded and invested in

the company.

However, Rabeel Warraich, in conversation with Profit, shunned allegations of nepotism and asserted that the process of recruitment was completely transparent, and that Zarlasht was selected after a rigorous process on merit.

“The recruitment was initiated in January 2020. There were interviews and in-person meetings which all led to shortlisting of four candidates. These four candidates were again re-evaluated to choose the CEO from them,” said Rabeel.

He clarified that Zarlasht, who was on the board of Patari before she took over as the CEO, was dissociated from the board before she could be eligible to apply as the CEO of the company.

“The search process consisted of other board members. Members of the original founding team [that included Faisal Sherjan] were also not part of the recruitment process.

We had constituted a search board comprising two investors and one independent board member to carry the recruitment process forward,” Rabeel elaborated.

“Faisal Sherjan is not actually involved

with the business and neither did he have any input on the selection process. In fact, the basis of selection was what Zari had achieved. People on social media are alleging that she does not have experience but she had actually led a startup before. She continues to have entrepreneurial ventures where she has proven herself and she clearly has the passion for the business which is beyond what we clearly saw in the other candidates,” Rabeel said.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR PATARI? While things had started rolling south for Patari in 2018 after the Khalid Bajwa episode and all the negative PR that ensued and in terms of finances, the company was relying on a business model that included paid partnerships and sponsored content, besides a subscription-based model for international users.

Something that was doubted that it could sustain the company’s finances in the long run. That turned out to be true when reports surfaced that the artists Patari had partnered with to generate content on the platform were not getting royalties.

Zarlasht says that payments to artists had resumed a while back but in the long

run it is their priority to make regular payments to artists.

Now as Zarlasht takes charge of the company and shows ambition to put Patari back on the path to monetisation, she plans to do so by taking the platform to the end users.

“We will be doing a push on user growth as well once we make some crucial fixes in the product. And the time has come where people have a mindset towards making micropayments. The number of people who pay for ringback tones in Pakistan via mobile credit is just one example. So I am pretty excited to see that user growth and take Patari to a much bigger audience,” she says.

“Currently, our premium content is available on paid subscription but that is only for international users. For our users in Pakistan, it is completely free. So we are planning to launch a subscription model for our Pakistani users as well. And besides subscriptions, we are also planning to run digital ads on the platform as a revenue stream. So we will be making money from that even if we do not get any subscribers. We are also evaluating audio ads as a revenue stream on the platform,” she told Profit.

Friday, 22 May, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

PrototyPe VAccine ProtectS monkeyS from coVid-19 LONDON

t

AGENCIES

WO studies on monkeys published on Wednesday offer hope that humans can develop protective immunity to the novel coronavirus. The studies, published in the journal Science, looked at a prototype vaccine and whether infection with SARS-CoV-2 provides immunity against re-exposure.

Both questions are critical as researchers tackle the virus, which has infected nearly five million people around the world and caused more than 325,000 deaths.

The studies were carried out on rhesus macaque monkeys to see whether they develop protective virus immunity from natural infection or from a vaccine.

“The global Covid-19 pandemic has made the development of a vaccine a top biomedical priority, but very little is currently known about protective immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” said senior author Prototype vaccine protects monkeys

from Covid-19 Barouch, director of the Centre for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston.

“In these two studies, we demonstrate in rhesus macaques that prototype vaccines protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection and that SARS-CoV-2 infection protected against re-exposure,” Barouch said.

In one study carried out by Barouch and other researchers, nine adult rhesus macaque monkeys were infected with the virus.

The monkeys developed Covid-19 symptoms but created protective antibodies and recovered after a few days.

To test their immunity, they were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 again 35 days later for what is called a “re-challenge”, and they showed few to no symptoms.

The authors of the study cautioned that further research will be needed because of the “important differences” between SARS-CoV-2 infection in monkeys and humans.

“Rigorous clinical studies will be required to determine whether SARS-CoV-

2 infection effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 re-exposure in humans,” they said.

The second study, involving many of the same researchers and led by Jingyou Yu, involved vaccinating 35 adult macaques with DNA vaccine candidates designed to generate protective antibodies.

They were exposed to the coronavirus six weeks later and had developed levels

of antibodies in the blood sufficient to neutralise it, the study found.

The levels of antibodies, it said, were similar to those seen in humans recovering from the virus, providing hope that an effective human vaccine can be developed.

“Further research will need to address the important questions of the durability of protective immunity and the optimal vaccine platforms for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for humans,” the authors of the study said.

Top HIV scientist says he wouldn't count on a vaccine for coronavirus soon BOSTON AGENCIES

A top US scientist said on Wednesday that governments should not count on a successful vaccine against Covid-19 being developed anytime soon when deciding whether to ease restrictions im-

Apple, Google launch coronavirus contact tracing platform

posed to curb the pandemic.

William Haseltine, a groundbreaking researcher of cancer, HIV/AIDS and human genome projects, said the better approach now is to manage the disease through careful tracing of infections and strict isolation measures whenever it starts spreading.

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

US tech giants Apple and Google said on Wednesday they were offering health authorities around the world their platform for coronavirus contact tracing, a key tool in trying to tame the pandemic. “The work public health officials are doing around the world humbles us all,” the two companies said in a statement. “Google and Apple are clear that this is not a panacea but we do believe Exposure Notifications can make a contribution to the broader work of contact tracing,” they said. Under the notifications system, someone exposed to a person who tests positive for Covid-19 will receive an alert on their phone. “Public health authorities will take the lead with this technology, and we will continue to support and advocate for it.” They said they would release software updates for health authorities to use to deploy their own apps, developed by their own technical staff.

While a Covid-19 vaccine could be developed, he said, “I wouldn’t count on it.” Vaccines developed previously for other types of coronavirus had failed to protect mucous membranes in the nose where the virus typically enters the body, he said.

Even without an effective treatment or vaccine, the virus can be controlled by identifying infections, finding people who have been exposed and isolating them, he said. He urged people to wear masks, wash hands, clean surfaces and keep a distance.

He said China and some other Asian countries used that strategy successfully, while the United States and other countries did not do enough to “forcibly isolate” all who were exposed to the virus.

China, South Korea and Taiwan have done the best at curbing infections, he said, while the United States, Russia and Brazil have done the worst.

Tests on animals of experimental Covid-19 vaccines had been able to reduce the viral load in organs like lungs although the infections remained, he said.

For treatment, patients have been getting antibody-rich plasma donated by people who recovered from Covid19, and drugmakers are at work producing refined and concentrated versions of that serum.

Known as hyperimmune globulin, those products are “where the first real treatments are going to be,” he said, predicting success also with research into monoclonal antibodies that home in on and neutralise the ability of the virus to enter human cells.

Virus a 'genocide' threat for Amazon, warns Salgado SAO PAULO AGENCIES

Legendary photographer Sebastiao Salgado has warned of a “genocide” of the Amazon’s indigenous peoples if the Brazilian government does not do more to protect them from the coronavirus. The country’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro — who has dismissed the virus as a “little flu” — has long been accused of encouraging loggers and farmers to invade indigenous reserves and of dismantling government agencies set up to protect them.

Brazilian-born Salgado, who shot to fame with his almost biblical images of gold miners in the Amazon, told AFP that “there was a huge risk of a real catastrophe”. “With gold miners, loggers, farmers and religious sects invading their territories… there is a big risk of the coronavirus infecting the indigenous people, who don’t have any antibodies.” According to some estimates, 90 per cent of the native population of the Americas was wiped out by disease after the arrival of the first Europeans.

Salgado has launched a petition calling for action to protect the Amazonian peoples which has garnered almost a quarter of a million signatures, including Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt. He said the risk of genocide was not an exaggeration.

NEAR COLLAPSE: “That is what I call it.

Genocide is the elimination of an ethnic group and also of its culture. “I believe that is where the Bolsonaro government is leading us, because their position is 100 percent against the indigenous people.” With hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city, reported to be at “near collapse” as the country has become the epicentre of the pandemic in South America, Salgado warned that the threat of death was hanging “over a large portion of the population”. “Bolsonaro is against a lockdown, and they do not have the medical infrastructure that we have” in Europe, said Salgado, 76, who has long lived in Paris. “If the virus gets into the forest, they don’t have the means to help. The distances are so huge. The indigenous people will be abandoned,” the photographer said. The virus has already infected 40 indigenous groups, with 537 positive cases and 102 deaths, according to the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples’ Association. And on Tuesday, the indigenous rights group, Forest Guardians, warned that one tribe of hunter gatherers, the Awa Guaja, which traditionally has no contact with the outside world, was in danger of being wiped out because of encroachment by loggers and farmers.

Woman in landmark US abortion case was paid for later activism: documentary WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The woman at the centre of the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States, Roe v Wade, says she was later paid by anti-abortion groups to denounce the landmark ruling, according to a documentary set for release on Friday.

Norma McCorvey was the anonymous “Jane Roe” who went to court in 1969 to challenge laws against abortion after she was barred in the state of Texas from obtaining one.

Her case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which on January 22, 1973, ruled that a woman could legally terminate a pregnancy.

In the 1990s, however, McCorvey became a fervent opponent of abortion, converting to evangelical Protestantism and later Catholicism.

In the documentary “AKA Jane Roe,” which airs Friday on the FX network, McCorvey asserts she was paid to be the face of the anti-abortion movement.

“I think it was a mutual thing,” she said in a clip from the documentary published in US media. “I took their money and they’d put me out in front of the cameras and tell me what to say. That’s what I’d say.”

“I was a big fish,” she told director Nick Sweeny, who met her several months before her death in 2017, at the age of 69.

“It was all an act?” Sweeny asked.

“Yeah, I did it well too. I am a good actress — of course I’m not acting now,” McCorvey replied.

In what she described as a “deathbed confession,” McCorvey said, “If a young woman wants to have an abortion, fine.

You know, that’s no skin off my ass. You know that’s why they call it choice, it’s your choice.”

Since the Supreme Court decision, the right to abortion continues to deeply divide Americans, with many opposing it for religious reasons. In recent years, some states have passed laws severely restricting access to the procedure, igniting legal battles that seem likely to end up once again before the Supreme Court.

CMYK

Friday, 22 May 2020

SPORTS 11

GrAeMe SMIth CAllS fOr SOurAv GAnGuly tO be next ICC ChAIrMAn JOHANNeSBuRG

S

Agencies

OuTH African director of cricket Graeme Smith on Thursday made a strong call for India’s Sourav Ganguly to be the next chairman of the International Cricket Council.

Smith said he believed Ganguly, a fellow former Test captain and current Indian board president, was the right person to lead the game at a time of crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is very important to have the right person as head of the ICC,” said Smith.

“Post-Covid, cricket will need strong leadership and it is time for someone close to the modern game with leadership credentials to get into the position.”

Shashank Manohar, the current chairman of ICC, also from India, said last December that he would not seek re-election

when his term expires at the end of May. Speaking in a tele-conference, Smith made his call for Ganguly’s election after Cricket South Africa interim chief director Jacques Faul said plans for South Africa to

host a three-match Twenty20 series against India in late August remained on track, although it would require approval from both governments in view of Covid-19.

Faul said that the dates could change

and that “if necessary” the matches would be played without spectators.

Faul said that he welcomed Smith’s call for Ganguly to head the ICC, but cautioned that it was not yet official policy endorsed by the CSA board.

Dr Shuaib Manjra, CSA’s chief medical officer, said a T20 series would be an ideal opportunity to create what he described as a spectator-free “bio bubble” in which the health of players and officials was paramount. He acknowledged that under current conditions, a 14-day quarantine period, both before and after a tour, would be necessary for players.

Smith said a planned South African tour of the West Indies, scheduled to start in July, was likely to be delayed, depending on the finalisation of plans for the West Indies to tour England. He said it was possible that matches could be played at neutral venues. “Nothing is cast in stone at the moment,” he said.

‘Insensitive’ Japan Olympic coronavirus logo pulled after row TOKYO Agencies

Kante stays away from Chelsea training over virus fears london: N’Golo Kante has been allowed to stay away from Chelsea’s return to training due to his coronavirus fears. The French World Cup winner joined up with Frank Lampard’s squad on Tuesday as Chelsea resumed training following the Premier League’s decision to allow socially distanced sessions. But the 29year-old missed Wednesday’s small group practice with the blessing of Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, who is reported to have allowed him to train at home on compassionate leave. Kante, who tested negative for the virus during this week’s first batch of checks, is said to be unconvinced it is safe to train with his teammates while the pandemic is yet to be subdued in Britain. Black and ethnic minorities are at greater risk of serious illness if they contract the virus, according to the Office for National Statistics. Midfielder Kante is understood to have mostly remained indoors with one of his brothers since the suspension of the Premier League season on March 13.

The former Leicester star experienced a health scare when he collapsed at Chelsea’s training ground two years ago. Tests did not reveal any heart concerns but he missed Chelsea’s next game as a precaution. Kante’s elder brother Niamh died of a heart attack shortly before the 2018 World Cup. Kante’s decision to stay at home comes after Watford captain Troy Deeney opted not to join his team for the resumption of training. Agencies

POA releases declaration for World Anti Doping Code 2021 laHore: The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) said on Wednesday the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has notified the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code, which will enter into force on 1st of January 2021. “It contains certain specific roles and responsibilities that all NOCs must integrate into their rules and policies by the end of this year. In order to facilitate the implementation of these provisions,the ANOC has sent a declaration developed by WADA, which has to be signed by each NOC and returned to WADA and ANOC before 31 August 2020,” said Secretary, POA Muhammad Khalid Mahmood here. In consultation with the POA Medical Commission and National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), the Pakistan Olympic Association has signed and sent the Declaration 2021 World Anti-Doping Code by formally accepting that its antidoping policies and rules conform with the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the International Standards. APP

A satirical mock-up depicting the Tokyo Olympics logo as the new coronavirus has been pulled after Olympic organisers branded it “insensitive” and said it infringed copyright.

The design combines the distinctive, spiky image of the coronavirus cell with the blue-and-white Tokyo 2020 logo, and appeared on the front page of an in-house magazine published by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ). The Tokyo 2020 Olympics have been postponed until next year because of the coronavirus, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and halted sport worldwide.

FCCJ president Khaldon Azhari said Thursday the club had decided to withdraw the image and remove it from its website after advice that its legal defence against a potential copyright breach was “not strong”.

“More importantly, we are all in this coronavirus crisis together and clearly the cover offended some people in our host country Japan,” said Azhari, voicing “sincere regret”. Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto hailed the move, telling reporters: “We believe their response was appropriate and this is what we were hoping for as an outcome.” Speaking to reporters on Monday, Tokyo 2020’s chief spokesman Masa Takaya had blasted the emblem as “very disappointing”.

He said it was also an infringement

Crowd sourcing: 13,000 cut-outs to attend Gladbach game Berlin: Nearly 13,000 cardboard cut-outs of Borussia Moenchengladbach supporters are set to welcome the team for Saturday’s Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen behind closed doors. Gladbach hosted the first Bundesliga game ever played without fans on March 11, shortly before the German season was put on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak. One of the club’s supporters’ groups, “Fanprojekt Moenchengladbach”, subsequently came up with the idea of allowing fans to print life-sized images of themselves to be placed inside the ground. The cut-outs line the stadium’s otherwise empty stands, with season ticket holders able to have their cardboard lookalike allocated to their regular spot. “We’re arranging close to 13,000 cut-outs, but almost 20,000 have been ordered already,” Thomas Ludwig, head of the supporters’ group, told AFP subsidiary SID. “It’s a nice operation, which creates an atmosphere in the stadium,” said Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl. “Even if at the same time it’s a reminder that football without supporters is not the same.” “It’s fantastic. We really have the impression that we’re not alone when we’re training in the stadium,” added Gladbach coach Marco Rose. Gladbach are third in the table and six points behind leaders Bayern Munich. They won 3-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend as the Bundesliga returned following a two-month interruption. Agencies

I thought I might have lost it, says relieved motorbike champion Marquez

of the copyright owned by Tokyo 2020, and revealed that top Olympic bosses had requested that the FCCJ remove the image. “I also have to say this is insensitive to many people being affected by this damaging and painful situation,” said Takaya.

“It is especially insensitive to athletes who are willing to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Games next year and working very hard every day for next year’s Games.” Although the circulation of the magazine is tiny, this is not the first time Tokyo 2020 has become embroiled in a dispute over its logo.

It was forced to scrap its original emblem after claims of plagiarism from

a Belgian designer, who said it was “virtually identical” to his logo for a theatre in Liege, eastern Belgium.

Tokyo 2020 organisers are facing the giant task of reorganising the Olympics for next year after IOC president Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to postpone the Games by a year. The postponement, announced on March 24, coincided with the beginning of a spike in coronavirus cases in Tokyo and throughout Japan.

After several weeks under a state of emergency during which residents have been urged to stay at home, Tokyo is now seeing only a handful of new coronavirus cases per day.

Barcelona: MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez joked he was worried he may have lost his edge during a two-month break from motorbike racing before his first training session this week. Spaniard Marquez and his Honda teammate and brother Alex went out training on motocross bikes on Tuesday. “I was really nervous in the run up saying to myself ‘maybe you’ve lost it’, but I soon shook off any fears once we got out on the course, it did me good physically,” said Marquez. In a video released by the Honda team the two brothers take a no-holds-barred rampage around the red dirt El Bosquet de Ponts Motocross track featuring some hair-raising accelerations and breakneck cornering. The 27-year-old six-time world champion Marquez seemed to take the session in his stride. “It is clear that the first day on the bike after two months is long, but little by little we are returning to normal,” he said. Younger brother Alex, who joined Marc at Honda in the close season after winning the Moto2 world title said bike training rather than home training felt good. Agencies

Korean football club get record fine over sex dolls in stands SeOul Agencies

South Korea’s FC Seoul were fined a record 100 million won ($81,000) for using sex dolls to fill seats at a match held behind closed doors, with K-League officials saying the football club had “deeply humiliated women fans”.

With spectators barred because of the coronavirus, FC Seoul came under fire after dozens of dolls wearing T-shirts or holding placards with the logo of a sex-toy seller appeared at Sunday’s game. The incident made headlines around the world.

After reviewing the case, the K-League accepted FC Seoul’s claim that it did not know the mannequins were sex toys, but said it “could have easily recognised their use using common sense and experience”. “The controversy over this ‘real doll’ incident has deeply humiliated and hurt women fans (and) damaged the integrity of the league,” it said in a statement late Wednesday, handing down the largest fine in its 38-year-history.

FC Seoul accepted the decision, apologised and promised to prevent a repeat.

Reports say a mannequin distributor approached the K-league offering to provide its products to fill empty stands for free, and was introduced to FC Seoul. The team said it had asked the police to investigate the provider.

The K-league’s new season kicked off without spectators on May 8 after being postponed for more than two

months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Clubs have used cardboard cutouts, placards and banners to fill up the stands, but fans were not impressed with the sex dolls.

CMYK

“I wonder how they even came up with this bizarre idea. This is an international disgrace,” said one online critic. Another fan added: “FC Seoul turned its stadium into a X-rated zone.”

Friday, 22 May, 2020

NEWS

coronavirus infEctions top 5 million worldwidE BUENOS AIRES Agencies

G

LOBAL infections from the novel coronavirus surpassed five million on Thursday as the pandemic played out unevenly across the planet, with China eager to declare a victory, Europe tentatively emerging from its shell and deaths still rising in hotspots in Latin America.

The grim milestone is still only a fraction of the true number of infections from a virus that has claimed more than 328,000 lives in its whirl around the globe, according to AFP tally of official sources.

And while many hard-hit European countries have significantly curbed the rise of cases, Latin America has been in the grip of an infection surge.

Brazil is leading the pack, logging the third-highest number of cases in the world after the US and Russia.

Peru, Mexico and Chile have also seen steady increases in infections.

But Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro continues to scorn experts’ advice on lockdown measures, pressing regional governors to end stay-at-home measures.

And like US President Donald Trump, he has promoted the use of anti-malaria drugs against the virus despite studies showing they have no benefit and could have dangerous side effects.

CHINA’S ‘VICTORY’: Trump, for his part, insists the US is “Transitioning back to Greatness” as states reopen at different paces.

The optimism cuts a sharp contrast with the bleak health situation in the country, which leads the world in cases and deaths.

While daily death tolls are no longer on a steady rise, the losses are still punishing with more than 1,500 additional fatalities reported in 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing to the total number in the US to more than 93,400.

Trump, who is desperate to boost his political fortunes ahead of the November election, has also doubled

down on his finger-pointing at China, who he blamed for “this mass Worldwide killing”.

Beijing tells a different story, with President Xi Jinping determined to project a success story over the outbreak that started on his country’s soil late last year before wreaking havoc around the globe.

Though China has faced criticism of its initial handling of the outbreak, the country has since brought domestic cases down to a trickle and kept deaths far lower toll than in the worst-hit countries, according to its official figures.

In a new sign of normalisation, on Thursday China opened its biggest political event of the year — the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) — after months of delay over coronavirus fears.

Analysts say the gathering will be a chance for the party to reaffirm its narrative of beating the virus and coming to the aid of other countries with masks and other

medical shipments.

It “will likely be an occasion for Xi Jinping to declare complete victory in the ‘people’s war’ over the virus,” Diana Fu, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told AFP. VACCINE RACE: As governments pray for an end to the economic strangulation from shutdowns, the race to develop a vaccine has been buoyed by experiments on monkeys that offered hope that humans can develop immunity to the virus.

Researchers reported progress from one study that looked at a prototype vaccine, and another on whether infection with COVID-19 confers protection against re-exposure.

And the US pumped an additional $1 billion (0.9 billion euros) into the British pharmaceuticals group AstraZeneca to help fund the production of a vaccine.

EuropEan hEalth boss warns of virus sEcond wavE LONDON: The head of a European health advisory body on infections on Thursday warned of a second wave of coronavirus cases, as countries across the continent ease tough lockdown measures. Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said it was not a question of if there will be a renewed surge but “when and how big”. She told Britain’s Guardian newspaper that immunity statistics from around Europe were not encouraging and “85 per cent to 90 per cent” of people were still susceptible to COVID-19. “The virus is around us, circulating much more than January or February,” she was quoted as saying in an interview. “I don’t want to draw a doomsday picture but I think we have to be realistic. That it’s not the time now to completely relax.” Europe has seen more than 170,000 deaths in the global pandemic, according to an AFP tally to 1230 GMT Thursday. Most have been in Britain, Italy, Spain and France. But stay-at-home restrictions put in place to cut the spread of the virus have begun to be lifted, given indications the number of cases had passed its peak. The ECDC, based in Sweden, advises governments on infectious disease control in the 27 countries of the European Union, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and the United Kingdom. Ammon said lockdown restrictions have caused “strain”, hitting business and people unused to having their freedoms curtailed. But she said the risk of a second wave was increased because “people think it’s over, which it isn’t… it definitely isn’t”, despite the fall in infections. She said governments underestimated the speed of the spread of Covid-19, and pinpointed the return of holidaymakers from Alpine skiing trips in early March as a pivotal moment. “I’m pretty sure that this contributed to the wide spread of in Europe,” she added, and it “might have been possible” to slow the spread had governments imposed lockdowns earlier. Ammon said she was not optimistic the virus would disappear quickly. “It seems to be very well adapted to humans,” she added. Agencies

Cyclone toll hits 84 as Bangladesh and India start mopping up DHAKA Agencies

India and Bangladesh began a massive clean-up Thursday after the fiercest cyclone since 1999 killed at least 84 people, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Cyclone Amphan flattened houses, uprooted trees, blew off roofs and toppled electricity pylons, while a storm surge inundated coastal villages and wrecked shrimp farms vital to the local economy.

The United Nations office in Bangladesh estimates 10 million people were affected, and some 500,000 people may have lost their homes.

But the death toll was far lower than the many thousands killed in previous cyclones — a result of improved weather forecasting and better response plans.

The disaster has raised fears, however, that overcrowding in storm shelters will exacerbate the spread of coronavirus.

India’s West Bengal reported 72

deaths — including 14 in the capital Kolkata — with state premier Mamata Banerjee saying: “I haven’t seen a disaster of this magnitude.” In Bangladesh, the official death toll was 12.

Improved weather forecasting meant Bangladesh was able to move some 2.4 million people into shelters or out of the storm’s direct path, while India evacuated some 650,000. At least 10 million people were still without power on Thursday afternoon in the worst-hit districts of Bangladesh, said Moin Uddin, the head of the rural electricity board.

“Huge number of electricity poles fell down after it was lashed by the cyclone, or they were hit by huge number of fallen trees. Transformers, conductors and meters were also destroyed,” he told AFP. Residents of Kolkata woke to flooded streets, with the city’s signature yellow taxis up to their bonnets in water in one neighbourhood.

WORSE THAN CORONAVIRUS:

“The impact of Amphan is worse than coronavirus,” premier Banerjee said.

“Thousands of mud huts have been levelled, trees uprooted, roads washed away and crops destroyed.”

Other officials said they were waiting for damage reports from the Sundarbans, the vast mangrove area that is home to endangered Bengal tigers and which bore the brunt of the storm.

“We are particularly concerned over some wild animals. They can be washed away during a storm surge in high tide,” forest chief Moyeen Uddin Khan told AFP. The cyclone weakened as it moved north through Bangladesh but still unleashed heavy rain and fierce winds in Cox’s Bazar, the district which houses about one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. The UN said that the effect in the vast camps of flimsy shacks appeared to be “fairly minimal”.

The area most affected by Amphan, the first “super cyclone” to form over the

Bay of Bengal since 1999, was the Satkhira district of south-west Bangladesh.

There a storm surge — a wall of ocean water that is often one of the main killers in major weather systems — roared inland and destroyed embankments protecting villages and shrimp farms. In the village of Purba Durgabati, hundreds of locals worked through the night to mend a breach in a levee, but to no avail. Some 600 homes and thousands of shrimp farms were hit.

BANGLADESH LARGELY SPARED: “My home has gone under water. My shrimp farm is gone. I don’t know how I am going to survive,” Omar Faruq, 28, told AFP. “The coronavirus has already taken a toll on people. Now the cyclone has made them paupers,” said local councillor Bhabotosh Kumar Mondal.

The last super cyclone in 1999 left nearly 10,000 dead in India’s Odisha state, eight years after a typhoon, tornadoes and flooding killed 139,000 in Bangladesh.

Khalilzad demands reduction in violence in afghanistan WASHINGTON Agencies

The US special envoy for Afghanistan on Thursday demanded that all sides reduce violence, after shuttling from Kabul to the Gulf to push a peace effort that looks increasingly precarious. The envoy, Afghan-born Zalmay Khalilzad, the architect of a February agreement with the Taliban clearing the way for a US troop withdrawal, met Taliban leaders in Doha on Wednesday, hours after meeting government leaders in Kabul. “‪On violence, I told the Taliban, violence by all sides must fall,” Khalilzad said on Twitter. Violence has surged in recent days after a bloody militant raid in Kabul, which the Taliban denied responsibility for, triggered an Afghan government order for its forces to go on the offensive. Clashes have erupted in several parts of the country with dozens killed. The main element of the Feb 29 agreement between the United States and the Taliban was the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. A Taliban ceasefire was not part of the pact though the militants, fighting since their 2001 ouster to expel foreign troops and bring back Islamic rule, promised to enter power-sharing talks with the US-backed government. But peace efforts have stalled over a disagreement on an exchange of prisoners. Khalilzad said he met Taliban leaders, including political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, and discussed the prisoner release and reducing violence. Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada on Wednesday released a statement for the Eidul Fitr holiday calling for progress on peace but also telling his fighters to stay “focused on their objectives” and “consolidate … ranks”, which government security officials criticised as inciting violence. Earlier on Wednesday, Khalilzad met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his former rival Abdullah Abdullah. Ghani and Abdullah signed an agreement to share power on Sunday, ending a months-long impasse over a disputed election, and raising hopes that the government would now focus on the US-brokered peace process effort.

Virus pushes Pakistan's transgender dancers out of their homes ISLAMABAD Agencies

Before the virus shutdown, dancer Adnan Ali had carved out a comfortable living performing at parties for newlyweds and newborns, avoiding the financial hardship faced by many in Pakistan’s transgender community.

But the closure of wedding halls and scrapped celebrations where she would twist and twirl in front of applauding crowds have frozen her income, forcing her out of the one-bedroom apartment she rented in a wealthy suburb of Islamabad.

Now she shares a cramped single room in a shelter with other transgender dancers who have also lost work because of a nationwide lockdown triggered by the pandemic.

“I want to return to a routine again, to dance again and to do something good in my life,” said Ali, sitting barefoot on the steps of the house in Pakistan’s capital.

Transgender people in the country are known as “khawajasiras” or “hijras” — an umbrella term denoting a third sex that includes transgender women and cross-dressers.

Many claim to be the cultural heirs of eunuchs who thrived at the courts of the Mughal emperors that ruled the Indian subcontinent for two centuries until the British arrived in the 19th century and banned them.

They are traditionally called upon for rituals such as blessing newborns or to bring life to weddings and parties, in a country

where it is considered un-Islamic for a woman to dance in front of men.

Pakistan became one of the first countries in the world to legally recognise a third sex in 2009 and began issuing transgender passports from 2017. Several have also run in elections.

Despite these signs of integration, they

are largely shunned by society, the victims of beatings and rapes. Those who cannot make ends meet as dancers are often condemned to a life of begging or sex work.

Outside the joy of dancing, life for 26year-old Mena Gul has always felt like a form of self-isolation.

“We have been quarantined for our entire life, we cannot go outside and we hide our faces whenever we leave our homes,” she told AFP, her wardrobe of dazzling dresses neglected.

Now she has left behind the safety of the apartment she shared with fellow dancers in the northwestern city of Peshawar and moved into a room in one of the city’s slums.

SURVIVING ON DONATIONS: While impoverished Pakistan has relaxed its shutdown of businesses, even as a record number of new cases are reported on a near daily basis, wedding halls have not been allowed to reopen. Over the past few months the shelter, which once helped around a dozen transgender people, has bulged to offer food to more than 70, supported by local donations.

The few rooms it offers were quickly

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filled, with some sleeping on the floor to maximise space.

Make-up artist Nadeem Kashish, who founded the shelter, has had to turn many people away. On the street outside, dozens pushed out of work beg passers-by for food.

“I can see that the problems will increase in the future, it’s not going to end, the uncertainty has created mental and physiological problems,” Kashish said, questioning whether the dancers will be able to regain the financial freedom they once had.

Dancing is a way of avoiding a life of begging or sex work for many in the marginalised transgender community, believed to number hundreds of thousands in Pakistan according to studies by non-profit groups and development organisations.

Fear of contracting the virus has caused many sex workers to stop offering services, pushing them further into poverty.

“They were already facing social humiliation and further isolation is increasing their stress and anxiety,” said Taimur Kamal, a transgender rights activist, of those forced out of work.