EpaperLHR_2020-05-27

CMYK

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020 I 4 Shawwal-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 327 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

air traffiC Controllers blame Pilot for karaChi Plane Crash g

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officials claim Pilot didn’t give g airbus team visits crasH emergency landing message, site, Provides tecHnical scraPed tHe ground tHrice assistance to Pakistani during first attemPt investigators PalPa Protests Probe info ‘leak’, asks wHy a long route was designated for ill-fated Plane

KARACHI: A team of French Airbus experts inspects the plane crash site on Tuesday. French aviation experts had arrived in Karachi to provide technical assistance to the team investigating the PIA plane crash. PPI

KARACHI stAff RePoRt

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He on-duty air traffic controller and the approach tower controller have reportedly told the air investigation board (aib) that the pilot of Pk-8303, sajjad gul, ignored repeated instructions, causing the death of 97 people in a subsequent crash near karachi airport last week. the written replies to the aib stated that on may 22, Pk 8303 was handled by the approach tower controller from lahore to karachi. the task of landing the aircraft was then transferred to atc, 10 nautical miles before landing. they claimed that the captain ignored instructions given 10 nautical miles before landing. the approach controller said that before landing, when the plane is usually at an altitude of 1,800 feet, the captain was

flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet and even after repeated instructions, captain gul maintained that he would manage altitude and speed before landing. the atc further said that the captain landed the plane for the first time without opening the landing gear. on the first landing, both engines collided with the runway at least three times before the captain pulled the plane back up and asked for permission to land again. according to reports, the investigation team questioned the atc and the approach tower controllers whether the captain had signaled for an emergency landing, to which they replied that the captain did not declare to attempt an emergency landing. the karachi-bound jet was 15 nautical miles from the Jinnah international airport, flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet above the ground instead of 7,000 when

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

58,525

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

18,314

1,210

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

23,507

20,654

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

8,259 211/630

3,536 1,728

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Pilot’s family rejects Pia inquiry, govt assures ‘transparency’ STORY ON PAGE 03

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gen afZal says country to need 2,000 more ventilators in June if covid-19 cases surge ISLAMABAD stAff RePoRt

national disaster management authority (ndma) chairman lt gen muhammad afzal has warned of two more looming disasters –flooding and locusts– in addition to coronavirus outbreak, in the upcoming month. addressing a press conference, gen afzal said the swarm of locusts will likely enter the country in June whereas due to excessive snowfall, rivers can also face flooding. referring to the snowfall in the north during the past winter, he said some areas received 29-33 per cent more snowfall this year and it was possible that the country would face flooding. However, a plan is underconsideration which will be shared with the public and the relevant authorities by June 10, he added. speaking about the locust attack, gen afzal said it should not be politicised. “i appeal to all the leaderships of religious, political and social groups to join hands and concentrate to get rid of them instead of indulging in point-scoring,” he added, “the current locust attack is not in the category of swarms but they are locally bred and indige-

Govt mulls ‘national quarantine’ as Covid-19 tally soars g

CONFIRMED CASES:

the atc issued its first warning to lower the plane’s altitude, they said. However, instead of lowering the altitude, the pilot responded by saying that he was satisfied. when only 10 nautical miles were left till the airport, the plane was at an altitude of 7,000 feet instead of 3,000 feet, it said. the atc issued a second warning to the pilot to lower the plane’s altitude to which he again said that he would handle the situation. the report said that the plane had enough fuel to fly for two hours and 34 minutes, while its total flying time was recorded at one hour and 33 minutes. the investigators are trying to find out if the crash is attributable to a pilot error or a technical glitch. according to a previous report prepared by the civil aviation authority (caa), the plane’s engines had scraped the runway thrice on the pilot’s first attempt to land, causing friction and sparks recorded by the experts. when the aircraft scraped the ground on the first failed attempt at landing, the engine’s oil tank and fuel pump may have been damaged and started to leak, preventing the pilot from achieving the required thrust and speed to raise the aircraft to safety, the report said.

flood threat, locust attack loom over Pakistan, ndma says

Pakistan coronavirus cases cross 58,000 amid violation of soPs by Public during eid break ISLAMABAD stAff RePoRt

as the number of coronavirus infections continues to spike amid violations of the standard operating procedures owing to eid, the federal government has warned that it will have to re-impose the lockdown to contain the cases. the warning came weeks after the government had started phase-wise easing of the nation-wide lockdown earlier this month, citing economic fallout of a prolonged quarantine.

Pakistan’s coronavirus toll on tuesday reached 58,457 with 1,210 reported deaths. according to the national database, some 18,314 patients have completely recovered so far. ac-

nous and are termed as groups.”

He said that due to extensive cold and snowfall in balochistan in January and february last year, the locust did not move back to iran and africa and laid their eggs in the province. “the current groups of locusts active in southern Punjab are local, but other parts of the country are also facing locusts,” he highlighted. according to the ndma chief, locusts could enter Pakistan from iran and muscat in the first and second week of June and in order to counter the threat, aircraft with sufficient spray equipment and pesticides were being deployed in dera ghazi khan, dera ismail khan and along the iranian border to nip them in the bud. arrangements have also been made to undertake anti-locust spray in deserts of thar and cholistan, he claimed. speaking more about operations, he said for the past two weeks 1,500 ndma teams along with the Provincial disaster management authorities (Pdma) of Punjab, sindh and balochistan, were active in the fight against the locusts.

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more inside

Army fully alive to threat spectrum, says Gen Bajwa STORY ON PAGE 02

cording to the numbers, sindh and Punjab account for more than two-thirds of the country’s total covid-19 toll with 23,507 and 20,654 cases, respectively. khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP) and balochistan reported 8,259 and 3,468 cases followed behind by islamabad which has so far confirmed 1,728 positive cases. the toll is lowest in gilgitbaltistan, which is anticipating a general poll in september this year, and azad kashmir that have announced 630 and 211 cases, respectively. addressing a press conference on monday, special assistant to the Prime minister on Health dr Zafar mirza said the government will reimpose the national quarantine “if the current

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trajectory of the virus continues”. lamenting that the government’s instructions and soPs were not being followed, mirza said: “as we promised when we eased the lockdown if this trend continues we may reimpose strict lockdowns after eid.”

He observed that apparently there was a perception that the threat of the pandemic was over. “unfortunately, there is now this thinking among us that this disease was only here till eid and that somehow it will disappear after eid. this is a huge misunderstanding,” he said. mirza announced that the government will assess the situation after eid before making a final decision on the fate of the lockdown.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

afghan govt to release 900 more taliban prisoners STORY ON BACK PAGE

Food security under threat as locusts devour crops, livelihoods STORY ON PAGE 09

chinese soldiers beat up indian troops with ‘sticks’ at ladakh border STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

NEWS

PM-MADe thInk tAnk AskeD to Work only on 3 PrIorIty AreAs BODY MULLS 'DIGITAL ACCOUNT SCHEME' FOR OVERSEAS PAKISTANIS ISLAMABAD

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GHULAM ABBAS

IMITING the scope of work for the Prime Minister-formed Think Tank, the government on Tuesday asked the forum to focus only on three priority areas instead of the six domains identified earlier this month.

During a special meeting of the think tank with Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the chair, it was informed that the prime minister wished the body to focus only on three specific areas: boosting social safety nets

(Ehsaas and allied initiatives), boosting role of banks and financial institutions in appropriately designing incentives for market participants, and kick-starting low and medium-cost housing projects.

Earlier, the body was asked to prepare their proposals on six selected six broad priority domains which included food security and safety of supply chains, making PSDP and Provincial ADPs responsive to labour intensive propositions and business facilitation through fiscal interventions. Though food security has become an important issue due to a looming threat of locust, flood and other natural hazards in this season, the forum was asked to skip it and give

their inputs on other priority areas, sources informed Pakistan Today.

The meeting also discussed introducing a ‘Digital Account Scheme’ for overseas Pakistanis and discussed scheme’s objectives, key processes, product features as well as key regulatory and administrative challenges.

The work done by the banking and finance committee remained the primary focus of the meeting, in addition to feedback from the Committee on Social Safety Nets.

Sultan Ali Allana presented the joint work of the Committee on Banks and Financial Institutions, wherein different improve liquidity and credit for individuals and businesses. Shaukat Tarin and Sultan Ali Allana also shared proposals on the same, including suggestions on enhance-

ment of temporary relief facilities, expanding lending to SMEs and enabling demand growth through expansion of consumer lending and encouraging housing finance.

PM’s advisers Abdul Razzak Dawood and Dr Ishrat Husain sensitised the need for due diligence with reference to adverse effects of the new scheme on existing remittances/ products, FATF concerns, and harmonisation of all initiatives aimed at the promotion of digital economy.

It was suggested that the experience of the Pakistan Banao Certificate should be kept as a benchmark to plug potential loopholes while offering a new product.

Meanwhile, Arif Habib’s proposal for a reduction in NADRA’s data verification fee received an endorsement from the members, as this wholly public-owned en-

Army fully alive to threat spectrum, says Gen Bajwa COAS SAYS ‘ANY ATTEMPT TO CHALLENGE KASHMIR’S DISPUTED STATUS WILL BE RESPONDED WITH FULL NATIONAL RESOLVE AND MILITARY MIGHT’

India claims capture of another ‘spy pigeon’ from Pakistan NEWS DESK India’s Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday claimed to have captured another “Pakistani spy pigeon” and handed it over to police in occupied Kashmir. According to NDTV, the pigeon, “with a prominent pink patch and a tag on its leg”, was logged at the police station as a “suspected Pakistani spy”. The report said that the pigeon is being suspected of being part of an “espionage attempt from Pakistan” and that an investigation has been launched into the matter. According to the report, police records show that the pigeon flew into the house of a woman in Chadwal area of Kathua district, who caught it and handed it over to the BSF. The latter then handed it over to the police for further investigation. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Kathua Shailendra Mishra quoted the woman as saying that the pigeon had a ring round its foot that had numbers inscribed on it. This is not the first time a pigeon has been accused of spying on India for Pakistan. In 2015, a pigeon was captured

by Indian forces for crossing the Indo-Pak border into India’s Pathankot area.

176 Pakistanis stranded in India to return on Wednesday LAHORE APP

A group of 176 Pakistanis stranded in India owing to the coronavirus lockdown will return to the country on Wednesday. According to a statement issued from Foreign Office, the Pakistanis will return home via the Attari-Wagah border. These Pakistanis were stranded in different Indian states, including Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi due to the extended lockdown and closure of the AttariWagah border following the outbreak of coronavirus.

The FO said that in line with the Prime Minister’s directions for safe and smooth repatriation of stranded Pakistanis, the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi remained in close contact with the Indian side and the Foreign Office has been coordinating with other national authorities in Pakistan.

Rasm-e-Qul Rasm-e-Qul for Jamila Baig, sister of Mohsin Baig, Editor-In-Chief of Online International News Agency, will be held on Wednesday, May 27, at 6:00pm at House No. 15, Street No. 20, F-8/2, Islamabad.

The family requests well-wishers to be a part of the Dua and pray for the deceased’s Maghfirat and eternal peace in heaven.

RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that the Pakistan Army is fully alive to the threat spectrum and would remain ever ready to perform its part in line with national aspirations.

The COAS visited Line of Control (LoC) in Puna Sector and spent Eidul Fitr with troops, said the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR).

The COAS offered Eid prayers at the frontline and prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of Pakistan in these difficult times, particularly seeking Allah’s blessings for the nation to overcome the Covid 19 pandemic.

Talking to troops, the COAS lauded their professionalism, operational preparedness, befitting response to Indian ceasefire violations (CFVs)

and morale in the face of evolving challenges. “Performing ones duty away from home even on such festive occasions is a soldier’s pride and we shall continue to do so with utmost commitment and unflinching resolve,” the COAS emphasised.

He said the Pakistan Army was observing Eid solemnly in solidarity with Kashmiris under Indian occupation particularly since 5th August 2019’s illegal, inhuman lockdown and ensuing atrocities.

India was trying to shift the global attention away from worsening humanitarian crisis and violence in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) to LoC by targeting innocent civilians across the LoC, he added.

“Kashmir is a disputed territory and any attempt to challenge the disputed status including any political cum military thought related to ag-

ANKARA After breaking the world record for most new subscribers on YouTube, the Turkish drama “Resurrection: Ertugrul” has become a major hit in Pakistan and its producer is ready to take steps for a co-production.

Mehmet Bozdag, who is also the screenwriter of the drama, told Anadolu Agency that Muslims should not only work together in politics and trade but also in culture and the arts, and so businesspeople should invest in the field of art. “I am surprised that we did not make any collaborations to this day […] we call each other brother countries,” said Bozdag, referring to Turkey and Pakistan.

“However, we have never signed a deal in the field of culture and arts. So then where is the fellowship,” he questioned. Bozdag said there should be joint projects where producers and actors come together.

“When one of us is in trouble, both countries are mobilised. But we should also do this act on better days and organise days of culture not only in the cinema but also in

‘Africa Day 2020’: Pakistan assures full support to African nations ISLAMABAD APP

gression will be responded with full national resolve and military might.

Disturbing the strategic stability matrix in South Asia can lead to dire consequences.”

He expressed hope that the international community would weigh in to ensure freedom of movement for UNMOGIP operations inside IOJK, as ensured by Pakistan in AJK so that the tragic consequences of ongoing atrocities and inhuman clampdown inside occupied territory was reported to the United Nations Security Council and the world at large.

Indian occupying forces can never suppress valiant spirit of Kashmiris who rightfully await plebiscite under UN resolution. Regardless of ordeal their struggle is destined to succeed, the COAS said.

‘Ertugrul’producer pitches for joint projects with Pakistan ANADOLU AGENCY

tity should not keep profit as a primary motive in its operations.

The SBP governor appreciated various recommendations of the committee in improving liquidity for individuals and businesses and shared that the central bank, in collaboration with the MoF and the CDNS, was in the final phase of launching a “savings product” for overseas Pakistanis.

He said most of the backend work has already been completed in this regard.

Ishrat Husain, along with other participants, raised concerns over the level of automation and digitisation within Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) and stressed the need for combining tech proposals of the SBP and the committee to offer a more robust and legally compliant solution.

the field of cuisine, museums and history.

“We shall share our experiences with Pakistan and they should share theirs with us, and together we will sign world-shaking deals,” he said. Bozdag said he expected the series to attract attention in Pakistan, but he never thought it would be in such a short time. He emphasised that he is especially happy that the show is popular in Pakistan.

“Even if Turkey and Pakistan have separate borders, the souls are of one nation,” he said.

‘DRAMA NOT INTENDED TO ANSWER ISLAMOPHOBES’: Bozdag said he was inspired by the history of a 1,000-year-old religion, Islam, and therefore he insists that he did not come up with the storyline in reaction to the West, orientalism, or Islamophobia.

“I am not doing this for Hollywood or Bollywood or anyone who hates Islam,” he said. “We need to re-explain the art of Islam and the Islamic world because this art and history is a transcendent art from the Taj Mahal to the Alhambra. Today, we have to tell the whole world about the beautiful voice of Islam,” he said. Bozdag noted that the set of the drama was attended by 25 state leaders.

Pakistan on Monday reaffirmed its full solidarity and support for the aspirations and valuable endeavours of the African nations for peace, progress and prosperity. Commemorating African Union’s 57th anniversary, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson in a statement extended heartiest felicitations to the leadership and people of all fraternal African nations. The statement said, “marking the landmark establishment of the African Union on 25 May 1963, this Day is observed across the globe to celebrate the African nations’ heroic struggle for emancipation from colonialism, as well as the continent’s immense cultural and civilizational contributions, its tremendous economic potential, and its impressive strides in all fields of human endeavour.” “One of the most remarkable achievements has been the conclusion last year of the historic agreement on establishing African Continental Free Trade Area, geographically the largest trading bloc.” The spokesperson said Pakistan has a long and illustrious history of friendly relations, mutual support and beneficial cooperation with African friends and partners.

“Historically, Pakistan has played its role in lending support to African freedom struggles from colonial rule; combating apartheid; extending humanitarian assistance, where needed; and supporting building capacity through training programmes and initiatives.”

“Pakistan is also proud of its contribution to peace and security in Africa since the 1960s,” the FO stated. “Under the UN auspices, Pakistani blue helmets, including women peacekeepers, continue to play their part in peace-keeping and peace-building efforts across the continent.” The FO spokesperson further said in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s foreign policy vision, Pakistan has embarked upon a new, path-breaking “Engage Africa” Initiative toward the African Continent by strengthening political and diplomatic linkages, further deepening and broadening mutually-beneficial trade and economic ties, and expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges. As part of this initiative, spearheaded by Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach and presence in Africa is being significantly enhanced.

PM discusses Covid-19, IOK with UAE, Turkish rulers ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to work closely for effective containment of the coronavirus outbreak and strengthening of bilateral cooperation.

The concurrence came during a telephone call made by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Thanking the Crown Prince for pardoning Pakistani prisoners and timely repatriation of Pakistani citizens from UAE, the Prime Minister lauded the steps taken by the UAE authorities to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

The Prime Minister also informed him about the latest situation of coronavirus in Pakistan and the steps taken by

the government to contain the epidemic.

With regard to worsening human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), Imran Khan underscored that the recent domicile law in Occupied Kashmir is in clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.

The Prime Minister lauded the recent statements of OIC and other international bodies which showed serious concerns about the situation in Occupied Kashmir.

While conveying his best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan offered his condolences on the tragic accident of PIA plane in Karachi causing loss of lives.

A day earlier, during telephonic conversation with Turkish President Recep

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Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed the need for a comprehensive coordinated plan of action on debt relief and restructuring to stave off socioeconomic turbulence in the face of economic repercussions due to Covid-19.

Imran Khan highlighted his call for "Global Initiative on Debt Relief" for developing countries aimed at helping them cope with the challenges.

The Prime Minister briefed the Turkish President on the steps taken to control the spread of coronavirus in the country.

He thanked President Erdogan for providing valuable medical equipment, which is reflective of historic linkages between the two countries to help each other in times of need.

The two leaders agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation against Covid-19 pandemic to jointly address the situation.

Imran Khan also briefed President Erdogan on the worsening human rights situation in Occupied Kashmir, accentuated by double lockdown and intensified military crackdown. He shared Pakistan's concerns on India's moves to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory, while the world was preoccupied with fighting the pandemic.

The Prime Minister also apprised Tayyip Erdogan of the demonization of Muslims in India in the context of COVID-19, which should be rejected by the international community. Earlier, the two leaders exchanged greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

On the occasion, President Erdogan offered condolences on the tragic crash of airplane in Karachi and reiterated Turkish nation’s strong support to its Pakistani brethren in this difficult time.

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

PIlot’s fAMIly rejeCts PIA InquIry, govt Assures ‘trAnsPArenCy’ INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS FAIR PROBE WILL BE CARRIED OUT AS PER PM IMRAN’S INSTRUCTION

SAJJAD GUL’S FATHER SAYS DOES NOT HAVE ‘AN OUNCE OF FAITH’ IN INQUIRY LAHORE/KARACHI

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STAFF REPORT

HE federal government on Tuesday sought to assure the family of the deceased Pakistan International Airline (PIA) pilot Sajjad Gul of a transparent probe into the incident, a day after the pilot’s father said that he does not have “an ounce of faith” in the airline’s inquiry into the tragic plane crash which left 97 dead.

During a condolence visit to Gul’s residence, Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Brigadier (r) Ijaz Ahmad Shah told the deceased pilot’s father, Gul Muhammad Bhatti that a transparent investigation will be conducted into the PIA aircraft’s crash as per the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The country lost national assets in the form of precious lives in the plane crash,” he said. “Death of Captain Sajjad Gul is a major loss not only to the PIA but the entire country,” he said.

The minister also asked Gul Bhatti to refrain from making media statements regarding the probe.

On Monday, while addressing reporters alongside Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Bhatti said it “pains him to say that the PIA’s top hierarchy itself is leaking bits of the

inquiry report and blaming people left and right for negligence”.

He said that they (PIA) are “not trustworthy people” and are “not fit to conduct an inquiry”. “Those people are not professional and are not good people.

“Just one day prior you called him a national hero. “He has logged in 17,000 hours. He is the only pilot to have completed 1,000 hours in a year […] he is a thorough professional,” said the aggrieved father.

Bhatti said that he has faith, however, in the assurances given by the governor who has said he “stands with him” and in the prime minister.

He said no remarks must be made

until the black box’s contents come forward and he will comment “if justice is not done”.

‘NEUTRAL INQUIRY’: “I have known the family for a long time […]

Sajjad Gul was a skilled man who worked with honesty,” said Sarwar, in his briefing to the media.

The governor said the deceased pilot would also lend a helping hand to those in need even with limited resources.

Sarwar promised that the inquiry will be “neutral” and no one will be spared the consequences they must pay.

The governor lauded the father for his patience at this difficult time. He said the family is going through a tough time.

Three of Gul’s brothers are in Glasgow and could not be there for the funeral due to the coronavirus. He said the father has been assured that the inquiry will be personally overseen by the prime minister.

Sarwar said that the family has demanded that justice be carried out and the truth be given to the people.

A day prior, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had promised a transparent inquiry within three months.

The minister said he and PIA CEO Arshad Malik are ready to present themselves for accountability if the inquiry team found the aviation ministry responsible for the incident.

The inquiry board had started its work, he said, adding: “team of experts from Airbus, Germany and France will also join the probe.” “We will try to complete it [probe] within three months,” said the minister. The day of the crash, the government had formed a probe team headed by Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani, President of the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board. He will be assisted by Wing Commander Malik Muhammad Imran, Additional Director of Technical Investigation; Group Captain Touqeer, Ops Investigator, Pakistan Air Force Safety Board, Kamra; and Nasir Majeed, Joint Director of ATC Ops, AAIB.

Civil servant among three gunned down in North Waziristan PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

Three people, including a senior civil servant Zubaidullah Khan, were shot dead in an act of targeted killing in Mir Ali town of North Waziristan district on Monday.

Khan was an officer of the Information Group and was currently posted as director of the Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) in Islamabad. He was visiting his family village for Eid holidays. All the three victims belonged to the Dawar tribe, police said, and were returning home after offering Eid prayers when unidentified motorcycle riders opened fire on them before escaping.

The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries, according to a senior police officer. A first information report (FIR) of the targeted killings has not been registered yet, a private media outlet reported, citing sources.

According to North Waziristan police, initial investigations revealed the incident was a terror attack, which was why the FIR would have to be registered under the

anti-terrorism act. “We have sent an initial report and a letter to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Bannu, requesting them to register an FIR of the incident,” the police official said.

JIRGA WANTS END TO VIOLENCE IN N WAZIRISTAN: Meanwhile, political elders of the area held a jirga after a spate of violent incidents.

The jirga expressed concern over the law and order situation in North Waziristan and demanded the government to take immediate action to remedy the recent increase in violence, adding that if the situation did not improve, they would be forced to launch protest demonstrations. This is the fourth major incident of targeted killing in the Waziristan area this month. Five people were killed in two firing incidents in North Waziristan earlier this month including a leader of the local Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) party.

Ten security personnel were also martyred in the North Waziristan district in April while six suffered injuries in attacks and clashes mostly with Afghanistanbacked militants.

NEWS shehbaz calls out govt over spike in Covid-19 cases NEWS DESK

National Assembly Opposition Leader and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday held the federal government responsible for the “sudden increase” in Covid-19 cases in the country, the number of which reached 57,705 with some 1,197 dead. In a series of tweets, the PML-N president said: “Had there been a strategy in place at the time of the imposition of a lockdown or when the decision was taken to lift it, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country would not have increased at such a rapid rate.” Shehbaz also called on the government to “not waste more time” in creating an effective national strategy to cope with the coronavirus. “The nation should be informed about the testing data and what strategy is in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus,” he said. Shehbaz appealed to the nation to religiously abide by the precautions because matters are fast getting out of hand. He demanded that an emergency meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) must be called to assess the latest situation and a fresh strategy should be formulated based on the learnings.

Air traffic controllers blame CONtINuED fROM PAgE 01 The pilot made a decision “on his own” to undertake a “goaround” after he failed to land the first time. It was only during the go-around that the ATC was informed that landing gear was not deployed, it said. Experts said that the failure to achieve the directed height indicates that the engines were not responding. The aircraft, thereafter, tilted and crashed suddenly. The flight crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir on Friday afternoon, minutes before its landing. 11 persons on the ground were injured. AIRBUS TEAM BEGINS PROBE: Meanwhile, an 11-member investigating team of Airbus reached Karachi from France to probe into the PIA plane crash. The specialists visited the crash site in Model Colony and also provided technical assistance to their Pakistani counterparts to probe the reasons for the crash. Aviation authorities said they have shared their initial findings with the visiting team. “We are providing all possible assistance to the technical experts of Airbus,” said Abdul Hafeez, a spokesperson for PIA. Hafeez also said that the cockpit voice recorder of the illfated flight PK-8303 was yet to be found, adding that hectic efforts were being made to recover it. The airline spokesperson said that the recorder might have fallen into one of the houses in Model Colony area. He requested the residents to hand it over to the authorities if they found it in their houses.

“Voice recorder is important for the plane crash inquiry,” he said. The airline had on Saturday said that the black box of the jetliner was found, which included both the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.

PALPA PROTESTS PROBE LEAK: Meanwhile, the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (PALPA) on Tuesday protested against the alleged leak of details of a probe into the plane crash. “The administration seems no more interested in conducting a thorough probe into the incident,” PALPA claimed in a statement, adding that the leak was aimed at diverting the investigation into the incident that claimed lives of 97 people onboard except two survivors.

“They want to save the real characters behind the incident,” it alleged. The association said that the pilots also have questions to be asked from the air traffic control officials.

They asked why a long route was designated for the ill-fated plane. “The air traffic control officials are trying to portray a wrong picture by merging details of first and second landing attempts of the plane,” PALPA said.

‘No Eid in our home’: Families mourn Karachi plane crash victims KARACHI AGENCIES

As Fazal Rahmaan, 80, and his wife, Wahida Rahmaan, 74, boarded a plane in on Friday, their family’s biggest fear was that they might get catch the coronavirus on their way to spend the holiday in Karachi.

Instead the couple, who had been married for 54 years, were among the 97 people killed when an Airbus A-320, operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), crashed into a Karachi neighborhood — country’s worst air disaster since 2012.

“We held many calls deliberating with doctors and family […] Our biggest concern was that they made the trip safely,” said their son, Inam Ur Rahmaan, who instead of wel-

coming his parents for the Eidul Fitr holiday found himself picking through the wreckage of flight PK-8303 praying for a miracle.

“I got in my car and followed the smoke and the ambulances,” said Rahmaan. “When I saw the area, I realised that it would be a miracle if they had made it,” he added.

There were two survivors from onboard the aircraft, while no fatalities were reported on the ground in the densely packed neighborhood of multi-story homes abutting the eastern edge of Jinnah International Airport where the plane came down.

More than two dozen homes were damaged as the airliner roared in, leaving a tangle of severed electric cables and exposed rebar — a broken wing rested against the side of a home, an engine on the ground nearby.

The jet fuel set the wreckage ablaze, along with homes and vehicles, sending black smoke into the sky, a Reuters witness said.

Crowds rushed to the site, relatives searching for loved ones, rescue workers and the curious. Scores of ambulances and fire-engines jammed the narrow, debriscluttered streets.

One rescue worker told Reuters two bodies were found with oxygen masks on.

Many bodies pulled from the wreckage were charred beyond recognition.

Airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik said on Friday the last message from the pilot indicated a technical problem. A team from Airbus is due to arrive on Monday to investigate, a PIA spokesman said.

03

“They’ll provide all possible assistance including decoding the black box,” the spokesman Khan, referring to the flight data recorder.

SCREAMS AND FIRE: Shahid Ahmed, 45, was at the airport waiting for his mother to arrive. When he reached the crash site he saw rescuers retrieving bodies and people taking selfies.

“There was no one responsible at the site, people were busy posing for pictures,” said a distraught Ahmed, who lost his mother, Dilshad Begum, 75, who was also flying to Karachi for Eid. After scouring the site and failing to find his mother, Ahmed went to look for her in hospitals. There was no list of the dead or injured at any of the hospitals, it was all chaos

and mismanagement,” said Ahmed, who sobbed as he recounted the ordeal.

“Searching for our mother’s body was a nightmare.” One of the survivors, engineer Muhammad Zubair, told a local media outlet the pilot came down to land, briefly touched down, then pulled up again.

He announced he was going to make a second try shortly before the plane crashed, Zubair said from the hospital.

“I could hear screams from all directions. Kids and adults. All I could see was a fire. I couldn’t see any people – just hear their screams,” he said. Rahmaan said his family was still in shock.

“There’s no Eid in our home,” he said.

Rahmaan said he took some comfort from knowing his parents always wanted to be with each other.

“Whatever’s happened, whatever the reason behind it, they always wanted to be together. At the end, they were together.”

04 LAHORE

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

WEATHER UPDATES WEDNESDAY

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Punjab rePortS 579 new coronaviruS caSeS in 24 hourS LAHORE

P

StAff RePoRt

UNJAB on Tuesday reported 579 cases of coronavirus during the past 24-hours, raising the provincial tally to 20,656. The spokesman for the primary and secondary health care department said that overall 352 people have died from the virus in the province with 15 deaths during the past 24 hours. “We have so far performed 209,370 tests,” he said.

A spokesperson of the Punjab health de-

LGH SAYS 25 MORE DOCTORS, PARAMEDICS HAVE CONTRACTED COVID-19 partment had said that of the fresh cases, 318 tested positive in Lahore. Meanwhile, over 6,124 people have recovered from the virus in the province, it added.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has crossed the 58,000

after 1,356 cases reported during the past twenty-four hours.

25 More Doctors, ParaMeDics test Positive: Lahore General Hospital administration on Tuesday said that 25 more doctors and paramedics of the hospital

have contracted coronavirus.

The LGH medical superintendent (MS) said that overall 41 doctors and paramedics have tested positive for coronavirus in the facility, adding that more tests were being conducted to ascertain the actual numbers.

It is pertinent to mention here that hundreds of doctors fighting at frontline remain affected by the virus across the country.

On May 14, a doctor along with four others at Children’s Hospital in Lahore tested positive for coronavirus. Hospital au-

thorities said that a total of 52 samples were taken from the hospital staff 10 days ago to test them for novel coronavirus.

The doctor said that he was told after a delay of 10 days that he had contracted coronavirus, adding that he remained in contact with his family and patients during the time period.

Doctor Umair who tested positive for the virus said that he became a father to a five year old daughter born a few days back and had been in constant contact with the newborn till the reports came positive.

Shehbaz’s aide tests positive for coronavirus LAHORE INP

Badar Shehbaz, the office secretary of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif fell victim to the coronavirus. The health condition of Badar Shehbaz was reportedly worsened after offering Eid prayer at the residence of Shehbaz Sharif. Later, Badar underwent Covid-19 test, which came out positive.

Following the report, Shehbaz restricted entry of all persons at his residence and went into isolation.

LAHoRe: People pass through a 'sanitiser gate' as they enter Badshahi Mosque to offer Eid prayers. oNLINe

Locust attack damages crops in Shujabad MULTAN

Kasur cop kills boy for refusing sexual advances KUSAR StAff RePoRt

Khudian police have arrested a member of the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) police, who allegedly sexually harassed and later on Sunday shot dead an 18-year-old boy for allegedly refusing to have a relationship with him in Punjab’s Kasur district, officials said on Tuesday.

The victim, who was shot dead near main Khudian bazaar in the limits of Khudian police station, is the son of a local prayer leader, on whose complaint a First Information Report (FIR) of the incident was registered.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the provincial police chief as outrage over the killing grew louder on social

media. The chief minister, while condoling the bereaved family, assured them of justice, according to reports.

The deceased was a Hafiz-e-Quran and a member of the Jamiat Ahle Hadith. The suspect, 30, is an official of the patrolling police who was posted at Noorpur police post at Deepalpur Road.

Both the victim and the suspect were stated to be fast friends and they reportedly had relations in the past, Station House Officer Mohammad Ashraf told media.

The deceased’s father stated in the complaint that the suspect stopped his son at the corner of an alley while the latter was walking to a mosque for Fajr prayers on Eid day. The suspect threatened the teenager with his gun and warned that he would kill him if he (the deceased) did not agree to have sexual relations with him, the FIR said.

After the victim turned down the suspect’s overture, the police official allegedly opened fire on him, resulting in an injury, according to the FIR. The complainant, who was nearby, said he and some other people tried to catch the suspect but he fled the scene while brandishing his weapon.

The injured victim was rushed to the Kasur District Headquarters Hospital where doctors referred him to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition. He later succumbed to his injuries at the Lahore hospital.

Police arrested the suspect soon after the incident and started investigations into the case from various angles.

Police officials said investigators will also look beyond the details in the FIR to dispense justice and claimed that the incident had nothing to do with any sect or religious element.

CM meets tribal leaders, people in Barthi LAHORE APP

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar met tribal leaders and people and greeted Eid with them at Buzdar House Barthi on the 3rd day of Eid. According to DGPR, Usman Buzdar also went to the grave of his late father Sardar Fateh Muhammad and offered Fatiha.

He visited to Katchiwanga and condoled with the family members over the sad demise of Malik Ahmed Khan. He also offered Fatiha for the departed soul of Malik Ahmed Khan. Later, Chief Minister performed Dastaarbandi of son of late Malik Ahmed Khan.

The chief minister said that he was present among the people of area on the occasion of Eid. He said that former rulers completely neglected the backward areas of the Punjab. He said that self-obsessed leaders launched the projects for their self-projection. People did not get any benefit from these projects and national resources were wasted, he added.

He said that the PTI government had focused to fulfil the needs of the people.

"We are pursuing the policy of equal and balanced development of every area," he added.

He said that his relations with the people had further strengthened. He said that public service was in his blood.

Usman Buzdar said that he was de-

APP

The locust attack in Shujabad badly damaged various crops, including cotton, mangoes, and vegetables. The swarm of locust attacked in various parts of Shujabad mouza Soman, Tahirpur, Ponta, Bagi pull, Mahira, Mochi pura and others.

The growers tried to ward them off drum beats and other noises. The growers demanded of the district administration and agriculture department for early initiatives to control it. Meanwhile, the district administration and agriculture department remained active for eliminating locust and operation against locust was continued in the district under the directions of Deputy Commissioner Aamer Khattak. Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) Tayyab Khan paid visit to Makhdoom Rasheed and Mouza Gil. The chemical spray remained successful and the locusts sitting on trees along four kilometres road have been eliminated. Talking to local people, ADCR said locust had been eliminated completely in tehsil Sadar. He said the operation was continued across the district against locust. He said all possible resources were being utilized and hoped that it would completely be eliminated from the district soon.

three killed after falling in river MUZAFFARGARH APP

termined to change the destiny of the people of the province.

He said that we did not betray the people and every citizen of Punjab was very close to his heart like people of Barthi.

"I can understand the problems of the people and I will not break the connection with them," he added.

While talking on the occasion people said that Usman Buzdar was public leader in true sense and he was peoplefriendly leader like his father.

They said that Usman Buzdar did not forget his area even after becoming Chief Minister.

They were of the view that by making Usman Buzdar chief minister, Prime Minister Imran Khan had done a great job for the people of backward areas.

Three people, two girls and a boy, drowned in Chenab and Sindh Rivers on Tuesday, rescuers said. First incident was reported at recreational spot, Head Muhammad Wall located at Jhang Road, where victim Mutee-ur-Rehman, 17, jumped into the river. His body was yet to be recovered. In second incident, two girls namely Samreen, 16, and Nasreen, 20, slipped down into Indus, when they were busy in cutting grass cutting near Thattha Gurmani, Taunsa Head Barrage, Kot Addu.Dead body of Samreen was fished out whereas a search for Nasreen continued on.

Four dead as train hits car near Pattoki PATTOKI PPI

At least four people died in train accident near Pattoki on Tuesday. According to details, a car was crossing an open rail crossing when Karachibound Khyber Mail rammed into it. As a result, two men died on the spot while a woman succumbed to injuries in the hospital. The victims belonged to a same family.

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

NEWS

Govt mulls imPosinG luxury tAx on iCt houses iSLamaBaD

t

SHAHZAD pARACHA

HE federal government is considering imposing a luxury tax on houses located within the limits of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

According to sources privy to this development, there shall be a luxury tax levied on ICT properties belonging to different categories (areas). In the residential cate-

gory, sources said that Rs100,000 tax would be levied on 2-4 kanal houses having a covered area of more than 6,000 square feet, while Rs200,000 tax has been proposed for 5 kanal or above houses with a covered area of over 8,000 square feet.

Meanwhile, in the farmhouse category-I, sources said that there would be no tax on a four-kanal property. However, an annual tax of Rs25 per square foot (covered area) has been proposed for farmhouses having a cov-

ered area between 5,000 to 7,000 square feet.

Likewise, Rs40 tax per square foot has been proposed for farmhouses with a covered area between 7,000 to 10,000 square feet, while Rs50 tax per square foot has been recommended for farmhouses having a covered area of over 10,000 square feet.

In the farmhouse category-2, sources said that there would be no tax on a four kanal property but an annual Rs60 per square foot tax has been proposed for farmhouses

with a covered area between 5,000 to 7,000 square feet.

Meanwhile, Rs70 tax has been recommended on farmhouses with a covered area between 7,001 to 10,000 square feet and Rs80 tax on farmhouses with a covered area

05

of more than 10,000 square feet. Sources said the above-mentioned taxes shall not be applicable on houses occupied by widows, adding that the ICT's Excise and Taxation Department has been tasked to collect the said tax in a prescribed manner.

573 new coronavirus cases detected Govt mulls ‘national in Sindh, five more lost to virus

quarantine’ as Covid-19 tally soars

KaraCHi STAFF REpORT

KP govt may reimpose lockdown if Covid-19 cases rise: Ajmal Wazir PESHAWAR: Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) on Information Ajmal Wazir has warned that the provincial government may have to enforce a lockdown again if the number of Covid-19 cases in the province continues to surge. “KP’s health system is fighting the coronavirus better,” Wazir told media during his visit to the Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, adding that he was thankful to God that the country had a prime minister like Imran Khan at the helm of affairs during such a crisis. “We are working more than the resources that we have,” said the advisor as he reiterated the possibility of another lockdown. Wazir told media that the doctors and paramedical staff who recovered from the virus have donated plasma for Covid19 treatment and urged the recovered patients to donate their plasma so that more patients of the infection can be cured. “Two doctors donated their plasma first,” said the advisor. The statement by the advisor came as Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif earlier in the day said that the cases would not surge rapidly if there been a strategy in place at the time of the imposition of the lockdown or when the decision was taken to lift it. Earlier, two Peshawar based journalists who happen to be brothers decided to become convalescent plasma donors along with other family members after their recovery from Covid-19 infection as well. “We have decided to donate our plasma to those critically ill patients of coronavirus through passive immunisation therapy,” said one of the donors, GNN’s Asif Shehzad, who recently recovered from coronavirus along with 17 family members. Asif and his brother Wajid Shehzad of Satch TV had tested positive in April while performing official duties of covering the pandemic. Later, it was found that 17 members of their family had also contracted the virus.

However, after treatment and isolation in a small house where they all lived as a joint family, all infected members recovered from the disease and tested negative. After recovering from the deadly disease, Asif said he along with both male and female family members decided to help critically ill patients. STAFF REpORT

KP chief secretary tests positive for Covid-19 PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz has tested positive for Covid-19 and subsequently gone into quarantine, it emerged on Monday. In a statement, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan wished Niaz a speedy recovery. “He [Niaz] has been working day and night against the coronavirus outbreak. He has gone above and beyond his duty in this regard,” Khan said. The chief minister also paid tribute to the services of the chief secretary and other officials involved in curbing the spread of the disease in the province. The chief secretary was actively involved in coronavirus-related work in the province and was visiting hospitals, isolation centres and laboratories. Niaz was appointed as KP chief secretary in October 2019. He had previously served as the Gilgit-Baltistan chief secretary. STAFF REpORT

As many as 2,327 samples of coronavirus were tested during the last 24 hours in Sindh which resulted in the detection of 573 new cases while five more patients died due to the virus, lifting the provincial death toll to 374.

This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued from CM House on Tuesday. According to the statement, the new cases constitute 24.6 per cent of the total tests conducted on Tuesday.

So far, the government has tested 161,628 samples which have produced 23,507 positive cases which constitute 14.5 per cent of the total.

Shah said that the death toll which now stands at 374 showed a 1.6 per cent death ratio, adding at present, 248 patients were in critical condition, and of them, 49 have been put on ventilators. At present 14,618 patients were under treatment, including 12,931 or 88 per cent in home isolation, 794 or six per cent at Isolation Centers and 893 or

CoNtiNuED from pagE 01 KARACHI: People embrace to celebrate Eid in spite of experts’’ advice to avoid social contact in order to stem the growth of Covid-19. ppi

six per cent in different hospitals.

“This shows that home isolation is being preferred by patients where government doctors take care of them through phone,” he said.

The chief minister said that 542 patients were cured during the last 24 hours and so far 8,515 patients had recovered. “Our recovery ratio from coronavirus is 37 per cent,” he said.

Giving district-wise breakup, the chief minister said that out of 573 new cases, 467 belonged to Karachi. They

include 135 from East, 109 from Central, 94 from South, 77 from Korangi, 31 from Malir, and 21 from West. Hyderabad has 24 cases, Shikarpur 12, Jacobabad 11, Kashmore five, Larkana four, Sukkur three, Umerkot three, Kambar two, Khairpur two, Dadu two and Sanghar one. The chief minister once again urged people of Sindh to stay home, observe volunteer lockdown, avoid handshaking and crowding. “This is the only way to contain the coronavirus,” he concluded.

Flood threat, locust attack loom over Pakistan CoNtiNuED from pagE 01 Currently massive operations continue in Multan, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, some areas of Faisalabad, Okara, Bhakkar, Layyah, where teams were dealing with the threat to crops, he added.

He said enough stock of pesticides was also available to check the locust attack in the country and added that China also provided 1,00,000 liters of Malathion and 75,000 liters Lambda, while Japan would provide 50,000 liters Lambda. NDMA had also ordered to procure 1,00,000 liters each of these pesticides to undertake spray against locust, he added. He said provinces were provided the pesticides as per their demand.

Gen Afzal said NDMA also arranged nine planes for aerial spray in different parts of the country, including Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Spray kits were also imported to be fixed on army helicopters for carrying aerial spray against locust, he added. The chairman said six more aircraft were also being added to the airfleet on the directives of the government. The army has placed services of 5000 personnel on NDMA disposal to

counter locust attack, he added.

NEED OF VENTILATORS: He also spoke of the Covid-19 and the subsequent need for ventilators in the country.

He said there were about 4,200 ventilators available in public and private sector hospitals of the country and the government has further ordered 1,310 ventilators more.

He said that trained staff was required to operate the ventilators and agreements regarding the training of staff, its installation and 1-3 years maintenance were also ensured with the concerned companies. He said the United States (US) has also offered to donate 200 ventilators to Pakistan and half of them would reach here shortly.

Out of 100 ventilators, 30 each would be provided to Peshawar and Karachi, 15 to Balochistan, 10 to Faisalabad, and 15 to Lahore. He said currently only 128 patients were on ventilators. Occupancy of ventilators in all cities remained below 50 per cent so far, he said. He said it was expected that 2,000 more ventilators would be required by June if the situation would get worse for which a contingency plan had already been chalked out.

The NDMA chairman said the Authority had 183 intensive care unit ventilators in its warehouses as well as oxygen, CPAP, and BiPAP ventilators.

While refuting news circulated on social media about the shortage of ICU beds, Gen Afzal said there were 10,944 ICU beds available in 365 public sector hospitals across the country and only 2,211 ICUs beds were in use which was 20 per cent below the available capacity, while 679 ICU beds were also available in 52 private hospitals, he said.

Similarly, as many as 72,900 beds were available in the public sector while around 6000 beds in private sector hospitals, he added. He said any corona patient, who was denied a bed in a hospital from any part of the country could register a complaint at telephone number 111-157-157. The chairman said Pakistan has achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing medical equipment to treat Covid-19 patients.

However, he appealed the masses to strictly adhere to laid down Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) announced by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and to protect themselves and others.

Last week, the Supreme Court had ordered the federal government to reopen shopping malls across the country while declaring that “apparently is not a pandemic in Pakistan”.

The apex court also directed the authorities to allow markets to remain open on Saturday and Sunday as well, contrary to the government’s original plan in which markets were only open four days a week.

In his presser, Mirza warned that carelessness may result in a tragedy.

“I want to warn Pakistanis that if you don’t take precautionary measures, this crisis could turn into a huge tragedy. I urge the nation to act with extreme responsibility to curb the spread of the virus,” he said.

Enumerating coronavirus statistics from around the world, the prime minister’s aide stated that Covid-19 has now infected more than 5.5 million people globally and killed nearly 350,000. “But the characteristic of this disease is that a huge majority of the patients recover from it — therefore the good news is that millions have also recovered and are now healthy,” he said. He clarified that most of the active cases in the country were mild and those patients were quarantined at home.

He requested them to stay at home and recuperate until they are tested negative.

“Unfortunately, there are 112 patients intubated in Pakistan right now.

These patients are critically ill and are fighting for their lives at this very moment.” Mirza said. “We don’t know when this virus will end. There are some 37,700 active cases in the country and the numbers are rising,” he said. Mirza dedicated the Eid to frontline health workers who are “selflessly fighting the disease”.

SINDH REJECTS CURFEW REPORT: Meanwhile, Sindh government’s spokesperson Barrister Murtaza Wahab rejected a media report which had claimed that authorities were considering to impose curfew in the province.

Responding to a news item aired by a private news channel, he clarified that “Sindh government has not made any such decision”.

PIA plane crash: PFSA collects DNA samples of 52 victims NEWS DESK The Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) collected DNA samples of 52 victims of the ill-fated PK8303 flight, a day after Sindh government refused to let the agency collect them. PFSA Director-General Dr Muhammad Tahir Ashraf confirmed that the agency had collected DNA samples from Karachi and returned to Lahore.

"DNA samples of 52 deceased individuals and their families have been obtained," he confirmed. "We will start releasing DNA reports after Wednesday."On the other hand, Sindh Forensic and DNA Laboratory Karachi University said that samples from 67 victims of the PIA plane crash have been provided by their families. The PFSA had reached Karachi to obtain DNA samples after orders from the Punjab government on Saturday. Minister for Health

and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho had said that Sindh had its own Forensic/Genome Lab at Karachi University where the DNA sampling of all the unidentified plane crash victims will take place.

“We also have a lab at Liaquat University Jamshoro,” Pechuho had said. She said that the team that arrived from Punjab had come to investigate the aircraft specifics, not the bodies. “Sindh is capable of conducting the DNA sampling and the Governor [Imran Ismail] should not politicise such a tragedy by giving out statements without having complete knowledge,” she had further said.

The PIA Airbus A-320 jet with 99 people onboard, of whom two miraculously survived, had crashed into a crowded residential area after twice trying to land at the airport on Friday. The actual reason for the crash remains unknown as investigations remain underway.

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

06 COMMENT

New trends in the pandemic

Resolve disputes through talks Or the region will remain a powder keg

As time passes, the pandemic turns into a test of staying-power

T

HERE are growing concerns among india’s neighbours about itd Prime Minister narendra Modi’s violation of international agreements and aggressive stance in the region. despite the recognition by the Un of the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Modi government unilaterally abrogated articles 370 and 370a of the indian Constitution last year and created the two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. india’s bifurcation of Kashmir has become the mother of disputes in the region. The move was strongly resented not only by Pakistan, which is an internationally recognized party to the dispute, but also by China as the indian action affected Beijing’s claims in Laddakh. a new map of the region drawn by india after the bifurcation of occupied Jammu and Kashmir led to worsening of relations with nepal as the map depicted an area claimed by nepal near its border with China as part of the indian territory. Rumblings in nepal about the boundary with india have now resulted in a full-scale eruption since india inaugurated a new road in Uttarakhand leading to the disputed territory.

Last week China accused the indian army of crossing the Line of actual Control (LoaC) into its territory, blocking its patrols and attempting to unilaterally change the status on the LoaC between the two countries in Sikkim and Ladakh. More vigorous patrolling by the two armed forces and more frequent and intense face-offs between them have made conventional methods of crisis management useless. as both sides continue to increase troops strength at points of conflict along the LoaC, several field-level meetings between sector commanders of both the armies have failed to bring down the temperature. Ladakh in particular has become a festering point for Sino-indian relations.

There are a number of disputes between india and its neighbours that need to be resolved through peaceful talks. The resort to bluster and muscle flexing which characterize the BJP government can only lead to conflict. instead of wasting resources on hostilities, the countries in the region need to divert them to eradicate poverty.

They also need to work together to deal with the formidable challenges posed by climate change, pandemics, looming water crises, natural calamities and issues like locust attacks.

dr ZeeshAn KhAn

T

iME is the second name of change but after the advent of the coronaVirus, this change is not usual. However, with this changing time, human behaviour has not changed proportionately. although the pandemic has restricted human movement greatly, but the lessons might not have been learnt yet. Though such stillness as during the lockdown has not been seen earlier, many lives have been lost and the undesired numbers still continue to mount. These casualties include common people, security personnel, people from administration and the foremost defenders, the medical front line personnel as well. at present, the most important thing is to avoid covid-19 and this can be accomplished only by the highest degree of seriousness by people towards the pandemic. it also needs whole nation to stand united against the spread of the pandemic but initially, unity and power of decision making lacked here. different lessons can be learnt from the calamity, for example; the human who was moving at a very fast speed is now bound by an unknown attacker sidelining all conspiracy theories. The population explosion, and lack of education, discipline and rule of law are also the main issues in Pakistan. The sole panacea is good-governance and citizens’ welfare. nevertheless, markets and bazaars are teemed after softening the lockdown.

The fact is that the new world order has been established with the post-Coronavirus world and now it

Violence in North Waziristan Latest wave has to be nipped in the bud

Not just Muslims are persecuted by India’s Hindu majority Amjed jAAved

I

ndia is the world’s biggest democracy. article 25-a of its Constitution provides for religious freedom. Yet, the US Commission on international Religious Freedom called for putting it on the State department’s religious freedom blacklist. The Report noticed, ‘in 2019, religious freedom conditions in india experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault’. not only Muslims but also Christians, dalits and other minorities are persecuted communities. The USa has burgeoning politico-economic and strategic ties with india. as such, there is little chance the State department will act as recommended. The USa never showed any empathy for Kashmiris under Guantanamo Bay (as a former CM called it) long before the covid-19 lockdown.

What alarmed the Commission? “national minority” status in india is defined by religion. There are six `minorities’, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Zoroastrians.

The legal classification is not sacrosanct. Each caste has its own sub-divisions. Even Muslims are practically subdivided into ajlaf, ashraf and arzal. a Hindu dalit cannot enter a higher-caste temple, ride a bike or a horse, or wear casuals (nut must go barefoot). a dalit was murdered for sitting in a temple verandah. He can’t even eat in front of a Brahmin.

The disagreement over the use of ‘harijan’ to refer to dalits goes back to the 1930s. ‘Harijan’, meaning ‘children of God’, was a term first used by Gandhi for dalits in 1932. When Gandhi started using the term, many including B.R. ambedkar objected, as it was condescending and obscurantist in nature, an attempt to sidestep the real issue.

Courts are reluctant to grant relief to members of lower castes or minorities. The Patna High Court acquitted 26 men, 16 under death sentence, from the outlawed upper caste militia Ranveer Sena for killing 58 dalits at Laxmanpur Bathe on 1 december 1997.The Babri mosque demolition was validated. The court, in a way, admitted that the mosque was the ram janambhoomi. in another judgment, the court held that a mosque was not necessary for worship. it outlawed triple divorce. Khushwant Singh wrote that The nanavati report to investigate the post-indira-assassination Sikhs’ `massacre is ‘utter garbage’..

The 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence refers to attack on visitors during an annual celebratory gather-

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gion of South asia only Kerala, an indian state, has been successful in coping with the disease but they also did not dare to diminish their lockdown completely.

On the other hand, economic crises are unprecedented. The Bank of England has said that such an economic and banking crisis as that due to covid-19 pandemic, was seen 300 years ago. Pakistan is not going to be affected financially by the pandemic as badly as the West has been, because Pakistan is an agricultural country and only 1-2 percent agricultural activities have been contracted due to the pandemic, except the services sector. The Western economies mostly consist of the services sector. For example; only in the USa, more than 80 percent of people are connected with the services sector. Moreover, only only 1.4 percent work in agriculture, as opposed to over 70 percent in Pakistan. So, the economic effect on Pakistan will be less than on the West. additionally, more than 30 million people in america have registered for unemployment benefits. according to the Un, the world economy will shrink by 3.2 percent due to the pandemic. it is considered the worst recession after the Great depression of 1929. demographics also matter from place to place and region to region. additionally, Pakistan has only 0.5 percent elderly people above 80 years, and the USa has 5 percent people above 80. Therefore, the lockdown situation throughout the world varies and all the animals cannot be driven with the same stick.

But, in spite of all these, SOPs and social distancing cannot be ignored. The need of the hour will decide the situation of lockdown, whether it should be there or not, or it should be soft or smart. a strict type of lockdown can also be implemented again but its duration must be short to access the repercussions of developing in to the worst of situations.

The sessions of parliament only proved to be bouts of mudslinging between the government and opposition. it’s also test of leadership. Let the people not suffer due to political point-scoring during this pandemic. But, the question of no lockdown policy is if pandemic aggravate, the burden of onus will shift to whom?

Dr Zeeshan Khan is a doctor serving at a hospital with special interest in field of epidemiology.

He tweets @DrZeeshanKhanA1 and can be reached at: dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com

Why, secular India is ‘of religious concern’ to USA

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HE recent uptick in violence in north Waziristan has once again brought into question the stability and future of the war-torn tribal area. The latest attack, which is the fourth major incident within a month, was the targeted killing of three men, including a senior civil servant, Zubaidullah Khan. Earlier, multiple firing incidents claimed the lives of five persons in one instance, a prominent leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), arif Wazir, in another, while the deadliest one was a clash with militants, killing ten security personnel. This is a worrying trend that can very easily get out of hand and if immediate corrective action is not taken all the progress that has been made in the past few years could be reversed. For over a decade up until 2014, Waziristan had been a militant hotbed that was used for training terrorists, keeping hostages and launching attacks against both Pakistan and afghanistan. Once the army moved in, within two years, it cleared the region of militants, using force against those who resisted. in the process, the armed forces lost close to 1000 men while killing over 2000 militants.

Since the merger of FaTa with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) last year, north Waziristan is technically part of the province, but on-ground the region has been under army control since the operation started there and continues to be run under the same arrangement. Local political leaders held a Jirga in light of the deteriorating law and order situation in the region, demanding action, failing which they would launch protests. This would exacerbate the already tense political equation of the area given the volatile PTM-army dispute that remains unresolved due to both sides being unable to reach any common ground. in the backdrop of increasing terrorist activity, it will become even more difficult for both sides, one which represents the people of north Waziristan and the other that is responsible for its security and administration, to resolve their differences. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that first this latest spate of terrorism is nipped in the bud so that some understanding can be reached on the model of governance in the region. Only then will north Waziristan have a fighting chance at finally making progress towards becoming a safe and prosperous part of the country.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

is important to revamp and set up new social norms to get rid of the unnecessary and nonsensical practices in our society such as the morning shows, lavish Ramadan transmissions, post iftar gameshows, unnecessary political-cum-current affair talk shows which only rotate about individual fights and fetch no pragmatic results for the nation, large iftar parties and gigantic shopping Malls, marriage halls and shopping in the nights of Ramadan and especially on Chand-Raat (night of moon). all black sheep and cronies are needed to be held accountable across board. Meanwhile, the SUPREME Court has turned the tables by completely annulling the state of lockdown. Moreover, the court thinks that covid-19 is not a pandemic in Pakistan whereas an epidemic of disease that spreads across a large region or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of people, is pandemic and so is covid-19 as the national Command and Operation Centre (nCOC) and rest of the world narrates daily through their data.

Scientifically, it is true that the peak is yet to take place in the country. However, it is also true that the deaths due to major ailments like heart and kidney diseases or tuberculosis are more than covid-19, but their treatments are not completely unknown contrary to the coronavirus. albeit, aitzaz ahsan, a renowned senior lawyer and Ex-President of the Supreme Court Bar association, is of the view that the apex court gave the verdict in hurry. Some people are also talking about the concept of herd immunity against the disease but this will not work out quickly because the results of herd immunity are generated when the number of daily infected patients is not unusual and secondly, the fruitful results of herd immunity are generated after about a year. So, the situation for the future is too risky.

There is no treatment of the pandemic yet. according to WHO, a vaccine will also take time to be available in markets for use. Some secondary medicines like Remdesivir is yet the only approved drug to treat covid-19 patients after promising early trial results allowed emergency use authorization, but it is not the actual treatment, although, the drug was in development in 2009 to treat Ebola. Precautionary measures are the only solution yet. Social distancing is also useful.

Lockdown has benefitted the world but it is not the ultimate solution as well. Lives are being affected in the worst way. Holistically, ending the lockdown is not the best option to follow for the time being. in this re-

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ing at Bhima Koregaon to mark the 200th year of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, in which British-led Mahar, had beaten Marathas. Stone pelting caused the death of a 28-year-old. Police took no action. instead, in august 2018 five activists, including Varavara Rao, arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam navlakha, were arrested. Police slapped terrorism charges on them for, euphemistically, having `nexus with Maoist insurgents. a Buddhist girl, witnessing the Republic day Parade, was picked up and molested in a military truck.

Hindu Bengali settlers and soldiers have raped native Jumma (Chakma) women. Many Jain temples were converted into Hindu temples. Many Jains were converted into Hindus at the time Thousands of Buddhists converted to Christianity at mass conversion rallies.

Propaganda heralds religious persecution. indian authorities had linked dozens of covid-19 cases to the annual Tableeghi Jamaat conference in delhi in early March, and health officials were racing to track down anyone with contact with the participants. Coronavirus fears and religious tension were already at a fever pitch, and it didn’t take long for them to intermingle. Videos falsely claiming to show Jamaat members spitting on police and others quickly went viral.

Since March 28, tweets with the hashtag #CoronaJihad appeared over 300,000 times and were potentially seen by 165 million people on Twitter. The social posts were mostly fake. For instance, one post purportung to show a person spitting on a Hindu, was actually fabricated in Thailand.

On the heels of the propaganda came religious pogroms by Hindu nationalists leaving 36 Muslims dead, their houses and shops burnt, including some mosques where they took refuge, in delhi. The pograms were rooted in anti-Muslim hatred, dating back to prePartition. Subconsciously, Hindus believe that Muslims are untouchables. They are treated as a malaise. Several past events reflect how Hindus showed antipathy toward the Muslim, and occasionally other, minorities.

To discourage dalits from converting to Christianity, not only the Centre but also the indian states have deprived dalit Christians’ of minority-status privileges. any Hindu who converts is socially boycotted and tortured.

Six women at Kilipala village in Jagatsinghpur, Orissa, had their heads tonsured by influential Hindus for abandoning Hinduism. Christian missionaries are harassed, deported and even killed. indian government ordered deportation of three american preachers on the first available flight. To add insult to injury,

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the preachers had a narrow escape when attacked by Hindu fanatics. Courts rarely punish people who manhandle Christian preachers.

Hindus attacked Christians for a book which allegedly insulted Hindu deities. investigations revealed the book was not written by any Christian, but had been displayed at one of the book-shops of the Emanuel Mission, which runs a chain of schools in various indian states.

Hindus ignore the fact that Christian missionaries started coming to india, particularly the northEast, in the late 19th century. They promoted education and socio-economic developmental work in the region. in Rajasthan, the Emmanuel Mission alone runs over 50 schools. indian states sometimes conduct secret surveys of Christian population. With narendra Modi CM, the Gujarat government harboured xenophobic attitude not only towards Muslims but also Christians. a 1999 survey of Christians in northern and central Gujarat was withdrawn after protests. Modi restarted the survey in 2003 in Christian-inhabited areas. in June 2000, four churches around india were bombed (andhra Pradesh and Tamil nadu), one in Maharashtra ransacked. in September 2008, two were partly damaged in Kerala. in 2015, a church building under construction was vandalised in Haryana. St George church in Mumbai was also attacked by masked persons. in the same month, the cathedral of Jabalpur was attacked and over a dozen injured. The same cathedral had also been attacked in 2008 and the altar burnt down. in april 2015, St. Mary’s Church in agra was vandalised and statues of Mother Mary and the infant Jesus damaged. a Church in Kachna, Raipur, was attacked by a mob during a Sunday service and five people injured.

Several churches were attacked in delhi in recent years. including St. Sebastian’s Church (burned), and St. Stephen’s college chapel (vandalised and the cross desecrated with pro-Hindutva slogans). in Madhya Pradesh a church was destroyed and Bibles burnt in Mandla district in 2014. a 2015 Bible convention was attacked in Jabalpur, with allegations of religious conversions.

Religious persecution mocks india’s Constitution. not only Muslims but also other minorities have a miserable plight. To stifle dissent, india clamps its draconian laws. The USa’s `concern’ is understandable.

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

He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 27 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

Do you know who my husband is YESTERdaY one video got viral on social media in which one lady was misbehaving and abusing to police officers. He was abusing very badly and she threw police barriers also which was totally illegal. She even said i shall take out your uniform and abused on mother. now i wanted to ask from our government and army officials that now will government any action against her? it is very sad to share still it’s not viewed on many media channels. if you are colonel wife then it doesn’t mean you are having authority to abuse and police official. if there could be any civilian person instead of that women then i think he or she would be in police station and that could be top trending news of all channels and newspapers but unfortunately that was wife of colonel. i request army chief to take notice of this incident and request all concerned authorities and media channels that policemen are also part of our society and they perform duty day night for our safety so please raise your voice for them also.

AntHony SAHotRA Larkana

Kashmir is a graveyard

US malice against CPEC Ambassador Wells talked out of turn

mAliK muhAmmAd AshrAf

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HE outgoing US assistant Secretary of State for South asia alice Wells, while addressing a farewell news briefing through a video link attended by journalists from South and Central asia, hurled scathing criticism at China for burdening Pakistan with a heavy debt through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor saying “ at the time of a crisis like the covid-19 pandemic, it is really incumbent on China to take steps to alleviate the burden that this predatory, unsustainable and unfair lending is going to cause to Pakistan” Reacting to her remarks the Foreign Office of Pakistan maintained that the remarks about debt obligations of Pakistan relating to CPEC were contrary to the facts as it was a flagship project of the Belt and Road iniative, which was contributing positively to Pakistan’s national development. The Chinese Embassy in islamabad also strongly repudiated ambassador Wells’ statement, saying it was a totally baseless attempt to defame Sino-Pak relations and the CPEC. anbassador Wells has not made such remarks for the first time. Speaking at the Woodrow Wilson forum for Scholars in Washington in late november 2019 she had also made similar observations. The US tirade against CPEC and its attempts to sabotage it along with india are known to everybody. The opposition to CPEC actually stems from the contain-China policy of the USa, meant to thwart the burgeoning Chinese influence in the region and beyond, which is considered as a threat to the US position as a world leader.

The reality is that its assumption that the CPEC would ultimately land Pakistan into a debt trap is a travesty of facts. The major portion of the CPEC projects relating to infrastructure and energy, costing well over $40 billion out of the total projected cost of nearly $60 billion, pertains to direct Chinese investment. The Chinese loans constitute less than 10 percent of the total public debt of Pakistan and in no way can jeopardize the reform agenda of the incumbent government.

The other falsehood regarding Chinese debt that ambassador Wells blurted out was that the Chinese debt burden would start showing its im-

pact within the next four to six years, which doned by its ally, the USa, during the 1965 war again was against the real situation. The Chinese with india, China was there to help Pakistan as loans have a maturity period of 20 years and the it did in each and every subsequent crisis.

Pakistan is indebted to China for her role in interest rate is 2.34 percent, and if grants are included, the value slides down to 2 percent. as is the economic progress of the country. The conevident the claims made by ambassador Wells struction of the Karakoram Highway, the Heavy are nothing but a well orchestrated propaganda Mechanical Complex at Taxila and the Chashma to malign and denigrate relations between Pak- nuclear Plants are the monuments of the everistan and China and create doubt about the ben- growing relationship. in the backdrop of the USefits that are likely to accrue to Pakistan with the india deal for the transfer of civilian nuclear implementation of CPEC. Pakistan government technology which Pakistan regarded as discrimhad then rightly expressed disappointment over inatory act, China exhibited the strength of the her remarks and vowed to continue with the friendship between the two countries by agreeproject, which is a game changing initiative not ing to help in the construction of two more nuclear power plants at Chashma. only for Pakistan but the entire region.

Pakistan and China also have very strong CPEC is in fact is a monumental initiative for changing the economic profile of the entire defence ties. The Pakistan aeronautical Comregion and a nationally owned undertaking by plex, in collaboration with the Chinese aviation Pakistan, and there is no difference of opinion industry, conceived the co-development and coon its importance, efficacy and benefits among production of JF-17 Thunder aircraft in 1999 political leadership of all shades and state insti- which, for Pakistan, was a big stride towards attaining self-suffitutions. no wonder ciency in the field of that about 150 aircraft production, countries and interdictated by the turn national organizaThe USA must understand that of the events and the tions have signed gravity of threats to agreements on BRi Pakistan is a sovereign country its territorial incooperation with China. it is pertinent and knows well how her economic tegrity. The PaC has already comto mention that even and security interests are best pleted the producthe UK has extion of 50 aircraft pressed interest in served. The CPEC in fact has under the Block-i joining the CPEC. project and is curOne could ask the imparted eternity to the bonds rently working on USa, if it was so concerned about the between the two iron-brothers and the Block-ii project.

Considering the economy of Paknobody can detract anything from astronomical prices istan, why has it not of the modern comhelped Pakistan in it through false propaganda bat aircraft, the JFovercoming the en17 offers a highly ergy crisis and cost effective solubuilding the much tion with cuttingrequired infrastrucedge capabilities. a number of countries have ture, in spite of being her ally?

The Chinese embassy in islamabad, while shown their interest in purchasing JF-17 airrejecting the claims made by ambassador Wells, craft, and in view of this development PaC and reminded the USa that since the commencement CaTiC have also signed an agreement for the of the implementation of CPEC, it had brought joint sale and marketing of the aircraft which $25 billion direct investment in Pakistan and is likely to accrue substantial economic benecreated more than 75,000 jobs. it maintained that fits to Pakistan besides further cementing deChina has been the major source of foreign in- fense ties between Pakistan and China. The vestment in the country during the last five induction of the JF-17 in the PaF has made our years, as against US investment of $1billion be- air defence impregnable and enhanced its operational readiness manifold, making our skis tween 2012 and 2019.

The reality is that in the current fight against safer than before.

China has also helped in strengthening the Covid-19 China has stood by Pakistan and donated medical equipment and materials worth air defense system of Pakistan army by providmore than $55 million. it is lending unqualified ing Chinese built Low to Medium altitude air support to Pakistan’s own model of develop- defence System, capable of tracking and dement. in the next phase of CPEC both the coun- stroying a variety of aerial targets at long ranges tries aim to strengthen cooperation on flying at low and medium altitudes.

The USa must understand that Pakistan is a healthcare, industrial development, agriculture sovereign country and knows well how her ecoand education.

China is a time-tested friend of Pakistan and, nomic and security interests are best served. The as against frequent betrayals by the USa, it has CPEC in fact has imparted eternity to the bonds played a monumental role in her development between the two iron-brothers and nobody can and supported her on all issues of concerns, in- detract anything from it through false propacluding Kashmir, at the global forums. Over the ganda. years China has supported the Kashmir cause malik muhammad Ashraf is an academic. and extended liberal economic and military assistance to Pakistan. When Pakistan was aban- He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

dOUBTLESSLY, situation is getting worse after the revocation of 370 and 35a article of indian constitution which snatch the self determination rights of the people of iOHK. although, the assassination of Kashmiri fighter Burhan Wani by indian forces in 2016 and now, murdering of a Hizbul Mujahideen fighter in Srinagar fuel the fire to on going brutalities of indian blood-sucking force. Sadly for the Kashmiris people, this cycle of bloodshed and humiliation is nothing new. in fact, Kashmiris are sick and tired of indian oppression and are increasingly fighting back in order to stop india’s brutality.

However, the lockdown of the region since august 2019 has added to the miseries of the local people beside this, doctors claim that communication blockade has hampered the fight against the coronavirus in iHK. While, many questions pop up in every ordinary being regarding the world combines forces to combat Covid-19 and the so called champions of the human rights and freedoms. Thus, international communities must put pressure on india to lift this inhuman blockade so that patients can get the care and treatment they need for Covid-19. Pakistan and india both countries should resolve this issue through bilateral relations and set aside their ideologically, identity and authenticity crises in this pandemic situation of Covid-19 .

CHAKRAni KHADim HuSSiAn Lahore

Fear and COVID-19 iT is our belief and conviction that Holy Prophet (PBUH) had more compassion for poor than any other person and also the vision which extends beyond his lifetime. There is an authentic Hadith on how to cope with pandemics and contagious diseases etc. it warns believers not to go into an area or city where plague/ pandemic exists, nor allows those living in such a place to leave it. The message is very clear, which in my humble opinion is FEaR iT, aVOid iT and then Fight it. Even Science and Medical Specialists in Contagious infections agree with what our Holy Prophet stated over 1400 years ago. i fail to under logic behind this dO nOT FEaR iT, FiGHT iT. Perhaps economic considerations are the factor that override priority for human life. Who will be responsible for loss of life and health of those who maybe infected because of the present policy by our government? Both life and health could be saved if lockdown and isolation was sternly imposed.

ALi mALiK tARiq Lahore

PIA 8303 Crash Since 2006, airlines regulated by Caa suffered six fatal crashes within Pakistan, which point to serious flaws and lack of capacity, capability and competence of those employed by regulator, respective airlines and choice of men placed at helm. The airlines involved in these crashes range from Pia, Bhoja air, airBlue to JS air.

Before 2006, last major crash occurred 14 years ago in 1992 involving Pia a300-B4 on approach to Kathmandu on 28 September. There has been no accident investigation report ever published and made public by any investigation Committee. in case of Kathmandu crash, manufacturers of Ground Proximity Warning System revealed facts in a documentary titled Controlled Flight into Terrain. From 2006 onward, series of accidents occurred at regular intervals with Pk 688 Fokker crash on July 10, 2006, two more in 2010 namely airblue a321 crash on 28 July and JS air Beech 1900 crash near dadu, followed by Bhoja Boeing 737-236 crash on april 20, 2012. Pia aTR crash on 12 december 2016 and latest Pia 8303 crash on 22 May 2020. does this not reflect poorly on regulators? aircraft crash involves five factors (a) human/pilot error (b) Technical status of aircraft (c) aTC, (d) conflicting traffic and (e) lapses in regulatory control by regulator Caa. aircraft manufacturers develop SOP, Emergency and abnormal procedures, training and competency checks and mandatory Maintenance checks and restrictions involving 15 KM sterile zone with approval of iCaO. This a320 aircraft was grounded for almost 60 days and checks were due. a 4-member accident investigation Committee, headed

by Group Captain and two PaF officers and a civilian has been formed to investigate Pia, headed by serving aM and 14 senior serving officers on deputation and Caa with many retired former officers. Even if there was a combination of either, or both, pilot error and aircraft technical problems, Pk 8303 could have evaded fatalities, provided terrain in close proximity did not have concrete multi-storied construction on approach path. mALiK tARiq ALi Lahore

Prepare in advance THE current spell of unusual rain is a blessing for the business community, stockiest, hoarders, and profiteers living in big cities but a curse for the farmers living in rural areas whose crops are ready for harvest and are being damaged. The government needs to extend full help to farmers in harvesting, transporting, and storing their yield in stores.

Moreover, the government needs to supply the best quality seeds to farmers for Khrarif crop to enable them to start early sowing.

RAJA SHAfAAtuLLAH islamabad

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Crash probe to assess if pakistani airliner dragged engines on runway in landing attempt LANDING GEAR ON PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES JET MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED; 97 DIED IN CRASH FRIDAY

Wall Street Journal

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Saeed Shah

Pakistani-led investigation into a deadly air crash Friday will examine whether the jet’s engines were damaged in an aborted first landing, causing a loss of power when the plane circled around for a second landing, officials familiar with the probe said.

Initial evidence suggests the engines of the Pakistan International Airlines jet made contact with the runway in Karachi when the pilot attempted to land without landing gear deployed, the officials said. Marks on the runway indicate the engines were dragged along it, while flight-altitude data and eyewitness accounts say that the plane took off again, they said.

The Airbus A320 never made it back to the runway, striking a residential building near the Karachi airport. The crash killed all

but two of the 99 people on board and injured several on the ground.

Pakistan International Airlines, the national carrier, has struggled financially for years. It has seen three planes destroyed in crashes since 2006, including Friday’s accident.

Arshad Malik, chief executive of Pakistan International Airlines, a former air force officer, has declined to comment on the cause of the crash until he sees the findings of the full investigation, which are supposed to be delivered within three months.

The “black box” flight-data recorder was found Friday, but the voice recorder hasn’t been located. The investigation is expected to get technical assistance from Airbus, and the engine manufacturer CFM. “This will be a totally free and fair inquiry,” Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the Aviation Minister, said Saturday. “There will be action against whoever is held responsible.”

The investigation team is composed of three air force personnel and one representative of the industry regulator.

Imran Narejo, of the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association, questioned the independence of the inquiry, criticizing the absence of a commercial pilot or international experts.

He described the information coming

out as “premature,” and expressed concern the pilots’ perspective may not be given proper consideration. “Dead people don’t talk,” said Mr. Narejo.

The investigation will examine the technical and mechanical performance of the aircraft—one of the world’s most widely flown models—and decisions made by the crew that appear to have contributed to the crash, according to the officials who are familiar with the investigation.

The investigation will also try to determine whether the pilots had been fasting, for as long as 10 hours before the crash in this case, as part of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. Pakistan International Airlines prohibits pilots from fasting when they are scheduled to fly so that their performance isn’t impaired. Low blood sugar levels can cloud judgment. The one-and-a-half hour flight appeared to be uneventful until the aircraft approached Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, just before 2:30 p.m.

According to officials familiar with the investigation, the probe will examine why the pilot approached the airport at an unusually steep and rapid descent. In a publicly available tape of air-traffic control’s communication with the pilot—confirmed by the airline—the control officer raised concern

Netanyahu the defendant serves notice on his judges: You’re next NETANYAHU ARRIVED TO THE FIRST DAY OF HIS TRIAL SURROUNDED BY HALF OF HIS LIKUD PARTY AFTER THE FIRST SESSION OF HIS NEW BLOATED GOVERNMENT

haaretz YoSSi Verter

We’ve already heard distorted, false, unrestrained, hateful speeches from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

We’ve heard them from the podium of his office, from his residence and at political events. On Sunday he gave the most barbed one ever, in the lobby of the Jerusalem District Court, within spitting distance of the judges’ chamber, a moment before his trial began.

He did this as if to warn them: After I took care of the police, the prosecution and the attorney general, just know you are next in line.

It has often been said about Netanyahu, “just when you think you’ve seen everything, you've seen nothing yet.” What was different this time was the backdrop he’d organized for himself: Around half the Likud faction, including senior ministers, their mouths blocked by masks – how symbolic – were standing behind the defendant charged with serious crimes as he excoriated the law enforcement system like the most despicable of criminals.

Only a week ago, Netanyahu complained that the security arrangements required for him to appear in court would cost taxpayers a fortune.

But after he was forced to appear, he made sure that a host of notables came with him, sending the security costs skyrocketing. Even his bureau chief, Asher Hayoun, came, as if he didn’t have anything better to do for the public that pays his salary.

There were those behind him who had been generously rewarded in the division of portfolios, and one who got a hammer to the head but still hasn’t recovered from the obsequiousness virus. Eli Cohen, a refugee from Kulanu, whose receipt of a portfolio shocked many in Likud, was there.

The same Cohen who a year ago said that one cannot run a country while under indictment has apparently changed his mind, and by showing up made it clear what price he had to pay

for his job.

And there were a few other MKs who would sell their souls just to be in a photo. One of them, May Golan, had one of her usual inarticulate fits before the microphones. This was the same Golan, a mini-Miri Regev, whom Netanyahu wanted to name to the judicial appointments committee.

Afterward the gang gathered for a group photo in one of the courtrooms.

The public security minister and another minister of nothing climbed onto the benches as if they were members of La Familia at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium. One can assume that some of those in the picture wanted to die, but the pressures exerted on them from the Balfour residence over the weekend wore them down. Others, who weren’t invited, looked on longingly. “Disgraceful,” said one Likud minister, privately.

Knesset speaker Yariv Levin had made sure to castigate the court even before his leader did, and made all of us miss his predecessor, Yuli Edelstein, sooner than we’d thought.

Levin, incidentally, didn’t pose for the embarrassing picture because he is a witness for the prosecution, not because he thought there was anything wrong with it.

What a difference four hours makes: At 11 A.M. Netanyahu opened the first meeting of his inflated cabinet.

He sounded statesmanlike and responsible. “We will take a sharp axe to the bureaucracy that is blocking or delaying the provision of assistance to people who deserve it,” he promised. At 3 P.M., only a few kilometers eastward, he partially delivered: He took a sharp axe to the gatekeepers, to law enforcement. Dr. Netanyahu and Mr. Bibi.

What was going through the mind of Benny Gantz, who sufficed with a wimpy tweet expressing confidence in the court? How ridiculous and ironic the “reconciliation” cabinet he set up with Netanyahu looked. Gantz came to all this with good intentions.

It was only later he discovered that reconciliation, as far as his partner is concerned, could only come when the police, the prosecution, the attorney general, the media, the left and even

some people on the right, whom he dubbed “obedient poodles,” would be laying on the ground, decapitated.

As usual, Netanyahu divided the issue into left and right. If he had evacuated settlements, he argued, there would have been no indictments. As if the detectives at Lahav 433 are employed by Peace Now, and as if their overseers, like former police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh and Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, aren’t right-wing from birth and supporters of the settlements.

Netanyahu’s tactic of slandering his accusers didn’t help Arye Dery or Ehud Olmert. Dery eventually admitted that it had been his biggest mistake. The fire Netanyahu is setting is a thousand times larger and more dangerous because of his strength and status. Every speech, every awful tweet by him or his son, every sharing of a text that claims this is a “political” trial, shames Israel as a democratic country whose legal system is globally admired, far more than its political system.

And if we’re already talking about Netanyahu’s sons, the premier actually came to court with Avner, the more popular one. The elder son, Yair, who heads the conspiracies and libels team, was left behind, both to avoid paining the judges too much, and so that he could continue his work inciting Dad’s “base.”

If there was anyone expecting Netanyahu to show some humility or make an effort to lower the flames on the first day of his trial, Sunday’s address proved them wrong. Now the political system will calm down somewhat, until the testimony and evidence stage. As the defendant’s lawyers indicated, they are playing for time, to delay the inevitable as much as possible.

What does this mean? That we can bet we’re more likely to have another election before we have a verdict. These will be connected to each other, of course. And as long as his senior partner, Gantz, is locked into the Netanyahu government, effective opposition to the latter’s corruption is reduced. That’s exactly what the prime minister is counting on.

several times about the plane’s trajectory.

The pilot responded that he was “comfortable.” When the plane reached 5 miles from the runway, it was at 4,000 feet, flight data shows. That is higher than a prudent altitude at that point, experts said.

J.F. Joseph, head of Joseph Aviation Consulting, which is based in Texas and advises on aviation matters, said it was puzzling why the pilot didn’t abort the first approach when he saw he was too high.

“What was the sense of urgency which pushed the pilot to brush aside all protocols?” Mr. Joseph said.

Instead, the pilot continued descending, apparently unaware that the plane’s landing gear wasn’t extended, perhaps distracted by dealing with the steep approach, according to the officials. The plane is equipped with alarms to warn pilots that the landing gear isn’t extended as it nears the ground, the officials said.

Investigators will also probe why the tracking of the plane wasn’t handed from airtraffic control, which was following its initial path on radar, to personnel in the control tower, who might have been able to see whether the plane’s landing gear was retracted, the officials said.

Marks on the runway indicate the plane made contact with the ground during the initial landing attempt, including one or both engines, according to the officials. The first contact appears to be half way down the runway, with the left engine, an official said, while the right engine seems to have touched

further down.

An amateur photograph of the plane once it got airborne again, which is regarded as a credible image by officials, seems to show black marks along the underside of both engines.

If the pilot did come down on his engines, he could have cut the power and let the plane slide to a halt, experts said. Instead, he powered full throttle and got airborne again to make another attempt to land.

The plane was told by air-traffic control to climb to 3,000 feet, according to the audio recording, but couldn’t maintain that altitude. At that point the pilot told the controller “we have lost engines.” Shortly afterward, a voice from the cockpit said, “Mayday, mayday, mayday.” Video footage from a security camera mounted on a rooftop and available on aviation websites, shows the aircraft nose up and tail down—apparently gliding powerless. The landing gear looks to be extended as it approaches the airport the second time in the video, officials said.

The plane was over a residential area built on the approach path to the runway, with apartment blocks and houses, some four floors high, packed together. The investigation will examine whether those homes were built legally, the officials said.

The plane’s tail hit a building, video shows. The aircraft then fell onto the roofs of homes, breaking apart and catching fire.

Waqar Gillani contributed to this article.

Chomsky’s take on America’s coronavirus response, in hands of ‘megalomaniac’ Trump South Morning China PoSt/agenCe FranCe-PreSSe The United States is on a chaotic path with no federal plan against the coronavirus pandemic as it reduces public health funding and ignores the advances of climate change, according to activist scholar Noam Chomsky, considered the founder of modern linguistics.

What follows are extracts, edited for clarity, from an AFP interview with the 91-year-old leftist intellectual, who has authored more than 100 books and is currently a professor at the University of Arizona.

For two months he’s been confined in Tucson with his Brazilian wife Valeria, his dog and a parrot who can say “sovereignty” in Portuguese.

Question: How do you read the current situation in the United States, where coronavirus has killed more residents than any other nation in the world?

Answer: There’s no coherent leadership. It’s chaotic. The presidency, the White House, is in the hands of a sociopathic megalomaniac who’s interested in nothing but his own power, electoral prospects – doesn’t care what happens to the country, the world. The president himself has said that it’s none of his business. He’s said that the federal government can’t do anything.

Nothing really matters except his personal power and gain. Of course he has to maintain the support of his primary constituency, which is great wealth and corporate power.

Q: How do you view the political landscape emerging from this crisis in the US and elsewhere?

A: As soon as Trump came in, his first move was to dismantle the entire pandemic prevention machinery. At the start, defunding the Centre for Disease Control, which would deal with this. And cancelling programmes that were working with Chinese scientists to identify potential viruses. So the US was singularly unprepared.

It’s a privatised society, very wealthy, with enormous advantages – far more than any other country – but it’s in the stranglehold of private control.

It doesn’t have a universal health care system …

It’s the ultimate neoliberal system, actually.

Europe in many ways is worse, because the austerity programmes just amplify the danger, because of the severe attack on democracy in Europe, the shifting decisions to Brussels … So Europe has its own problems, but at least it has the residue of some kind of social democratic structure, which provides some support, which is what I think is lacking in the US. As severe as this pandemic is, it’s not the worst problem. There will be recovery from the pandemic at severe cost … but there isn’t going to be any recovery from the melting of the polar ice caps and the rising of sea levels and the other deleterious effects of global warming.

Q: Several countries are using technology to

THE LEFT-WING THINKER SAYS WE WILL RECOVER FROM PANDEMIC, BUT NOT DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING track citizens, storing DNA to fight the virus. Are we entering a new era of digital surveillance, and what does this mean for privacy?

A: There are now companies developing technology which make it possible for the employer … to look at what’s on your computer screen and to check your keystrokes and if you get up and walk away for a minute, they’ll send you a warning. That’s being installed right now … It’s not the future.

The so-called Internet of Things is coming along. It’s convenient. It means if you’re driving

home you can turn on the stove – but it also means that that information is going to Google and Facebook, to the government, the American government, the French government, it’s an enormous amount of potential control, surveillance and invasion. But this has happened. It’s not the future.

If we allow the huge tech companies, the state, to control our life that’s what will happen. They’ll turn it into something like China, where you have social credit systems and in some cities you get a certain amount of credits, there’s face recognition technology all over the place and everything you do gets monitored.

Q: Could it be justified to halt the virus’ spread?

A: It might be – during the period of threat.

There are controls needed during wartime, you have rationing. But it doesn’t have to be permanent …

‘Yes, we’ll let you have this authority now, but it can be revoked at any time’.”

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

BUSINESS 09

FOOd Security under threat aS lOcuStS devOur crOPS, livelihOOdS LOCUST ATTACKS LIKELY TO CAUSE RS800BN LOSS TO COUNTRY'S AGRICULTURE PRODUCE THIS YEAR LAHORE

Singapore warns of worst economic contraction since independence singapore’s virus-hit economy could shrink by as much as seven per cent this year — the worst reading since independence — the government said tuesday, as it unveiled a fresh multi-billion dollar stimulus package. the city-state is seen as a bellwether of the global economy, and the forecast historic contraction highlights the extreme pain being wrought on countries by the killer disease. the warning came as singapore’s deputy prime minister unveiled a fresh support package worth sg$33 billion ($23.2 billion) for the troubled city, which has been crippled by months of lockdowns around the world. the trade ministry’s forecast — which was a downgrade from the maximum four percent contraction predicted in March — came as official data showed the economy shrank 0.7 percent on-year in the first three months of the year, while it reduced 4.7 percent from the previous quarter. the financial hub is one of the world’s most open economies, and is usually hit hardest and earliest during any global shock. the ministry said the new estimate was made “in view of the deterioration in the external demand outlook” and the partial lockdown imposed domestically. a contraction of seven percent would be the worst since the city’s independence in 1965. shutdowns in major markets such as the United states, Europe and China have crippled demand for exports, and a halt in international air travel has hammered singapore’s key tourism sector. singapore has ordered the closure of most businesses, advised people to stay at home, and banned large gatherings. While officials say they may start relaxing the rules from early June, many restrictions will remain in place. Deputy Prime Minister Heng swee keat, who is also the finance minister, announced in parliament the new package largely aimed at helping companies save jobs. the government has so far earmarked more than sg$90 billion, or 20 percent of GDP, to cushion the economic fallout from the virus, which has infected over 32,000 people in the city-state, the highest in southeast asia. “it has been an unprecedented crisis that is still changing rapidly,” Heng said, adding singapore has the “fiscal resources to mount this response”. song seng Wun, an economist with CiMB Private Banking, said he expects the second quarter to bear the full brunt of the fallout, with GDP expected to contract 15-20 percent. “singapore is a small and open economy whose trade is three times the size of GDP. the sharp contractions are a reflection of its external vulnerability,” he told aFP. the trade ministry also said “significant uncertainties” remain despite the opening up of some economies as they slowly emerge from lockdowns. “First, there is a risk that subsequent waves of infections in major economies such as the Us and eurozone may further disrupt economic activity,” it said. “second, a growing perception of diminished fiscal and monetary policy space in many major economies could damage confidence in authorities’ ability to respond to shocks.” the trade ministry warned that “notwithstanding the downgrade, there continues to be a significant degree of uncertainty over the length and severity of the COViD-19 outbreak, as well as the trajectory of the economic recovery”. singapore’s central bank in March eased monetary policy to support the virus-hit economy. AGENCIES

HASSAN NAQVI

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akistan is currently witnessing the worst plague of locusts, which has caused huge damages and losses to the farmers, who fear long-term food shortages in the country.

"Locust attacks are likely to cause Rs800 billion loss to the country’s agriculture produce this year and this will be due to the government’s incompetence and lethargic attitude, as it failed to carry out ariel spray effectively," said former federal minister awais Leghari.

Meanwhile, speaking to Pakistan today, Malik shabbu, owner of mango orchard from Muzaffargarh, said, "i am totally ruined… i recently bought a 10acre mango orchard from a zamindar of mauza Budh.

But in March and april, rain and hailstorm destroyed my orchard and now, locusts have arrived to devour the remaining fruit left on trees."

FARMERS SEEK GOVT'S HELP AS THEY FEAR LONG-TERM FOOD SHORTAGE

He said he had has employed one person only to beat utensils to scare away the pest. "this is my last effort. Otherwise, i've will literally lose everything," Malik shabbu said. swarms of locusts on Monday attacked the mango and cotton belt areas of Punjab, including Multan, shujaabad, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalnagar, Jhang, kot addu, Layyah and Rojhan. in addition, the locusts also attacked and damaged cotton, mango, and other farms in Balochistan, kP and sindh.

Malik tahseen, a landlord in alipur, feared the recent locust attack would leave him penny less, as he was unsure as to how would he survive the pest attack. "the government must help us by sending a team to spray our fields where locusts are flying in droves," tahseen added.

Ghulam ali, a mango farm owner in shujaabad, said he had arranged drum beaters to ward off locusts, which had badly ruined the standing crop of mango. "i am completely shattered to see my crop being destroyed."

Moreover, Mir Balach khan, a cotton farmer in Balochistan who cultivated the commodity on 55 acres, told Pakistan today that this was the worst locust attack he had seen in his entire life, as it completely ate and destroyed his cotton crop. talking to this scribe, agriculture expert Ramzan sheikh said that the desert locust was one of about a dozen species of short-horned grasshoppers. they were unique in the way that they change their behaviour – turning from singles to group/social insects that come together into a swarm to hunt for food together. sheikh stated that this swarm originated in the horn of africa, where excess rain triggered a breeding boom. the current swarms in south asia, especially Pakistan, now have another breeding in iran, Balochistan and parts of Pakistan's desert belt, he informed. the expert said that 40-80 million locusts were estimated in a swarm that spreads over 1 square kilometre. "these many locusts can eat/destroy crops equivalent to the feeding need of 35,000 people in a day."

Foreign Direct Investment surges 127pc in 10 months ISLAMABAD APP

adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and investment abdul Razak Dawood said on tuesday that the country had witnessed net Foreign Direct investment (FDi) of $2.281 billion in the first 10 months of FY20 as compared to $1.006 billion in the corresponding period of FY19, an increase of 126.8pc. “the country is rapidly gaining investors’ attention owing to the prudent policies adopted by the government,” he said while talking to aPP. “the World Bank (WB) has recently highlighted that global investment is expected to be reduced by almost 40pc both in 2020 and 2021 and the growing economies of developing countries are likely to be worst-hit by the pandemic in terms of low FDi.” However, as per the recent statistics issued by the state Bank of Pakistan, the negative impact of Covid-19 on FDi into Pakistan is not significant so far, rather Pakistan witnessed almost 127pc increase in 10MFY20, Dawood maintained.

He informed that the WB has also projected a 23pc decline in remittances for Pakistan, totalling about $17 billion in 2020 compared with a total of $22.5 billion in 2019 due to the economic crisis induced by the pandemic, and lockdowns in most cities abroad.

“But despite these projec-

Oil prices climb as faith in supply cuts grows LONDON AGENCIES

tions, things could be turned around with carefully crafted strategies and finding opportunities in new areas.” the adviser said the country has successfully managed to overcome the security challenges; the infrastructure has significantly improved, connectivity with Western China is in its final stages, a new deep-sea port is being developed, reform drives are being recognized around the world; while the long-term economic outlook remains positive. “the prime minister himself is leading the reforms to facilitate investors and to ensure Ease of Doing Business (EODB),” he added.

Razak informed that Pakistan recently announced transformational visa reforms by introducing E-Visa facilities to

most of the countries. to a question, he said with the current positive developments and government focus on inviting private investments in key sectors, including information technology, and enabled services, food processing, textile and logistics, many of Pakistan’s bilateral ties around the world are shifting from transactional relationships to mutually beneficial economic partnerships.

On another query, Razak said that Covid-19 has no doubt slowed down the business activities all over the world including Pakistan.

“Most of the economies are going through recessions, which is evident from the fact that almost 80 countries have called on the international Monetary Fund (iMF) for support.”

Oil prices rose on tuesday, supported by growing confidence that producers are following through on commitments to cut supplies and as fuel demand picks up as coronavirus lockdowns ease. Brent crude LCOc1 futures were up 0.8pc, or 30 cents, at $35.83 a barrel by 1411 GMt. Us West texas intermediate (Wti) crude futures CLc1 gained 2.2pc, or 73 cents, to $33.98. there was no Wti settlement on Monday because of the Us Memorial Day holiday. “the current recovery in oil prices has primarily been driven by supply considerations. the world’s swing producers, the OPEC+ group, is more than living up to expectations to adhere to the 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd), or perhaps even bigger, self-imposed and coordinated output restraint,” said oil broker PVM’s tamas Varga. “as lockdown restrictions are being eased, the demand side of the equation also provides support.” the market was buoyed by Russia saying that its oil output had dropped close to its target of 8.5 million bpd for May and June under the supply deal agreed by major producers (OPEC+). Russia’s energy ministry on Monday quoted minister alexander novak as saying that a rise in fuel demand should help to cut a global surplus of about 7 million to 12 million bpd by June or July. OPEC+ countries are due to meet again in early June to discuss maintaining their supply cuts to shore up prices, which are still down about 45pc since the start of the year. the world’s major producers, including saudi arabia and Russia, agreed in april to cut their collective output by nearly 10 million bpd for May and June. Data from energy services business Baker Hughes (BkR.n), meanwhile, showed that the Us rig count hit a record low of 318 in the week to May 22, also indicating lower future output.

CMAP suggests measures to generate Rs260bn revenue from tobacco industry LAHORE STAFF REPORT

as Pakistan continues to lose billions of rupees every year due to illicit tobacco trade, the high-handedness of multinational companies and loopholes in the system, a local firm has proposed a plan to generate up to Rs260 billion revenue to rescue the struggling local industry without increasing the consumption. the proposal has been submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which is in the process of making national budget amid coronavirus pandemic, which has shattered the country’s fragile economy.

“We anticipate that our proposal has the potential to substantially increase duty paid volume (whilst not increasing consumption) and federal excise duty (FED) revenue to reach Rs260 billion annually at the end of the programme,” said sajid khan, a representative of the Cigarette Manufacturing as-

sociation, which floated the proposal based on a detailed study about key issues related to the industry. the seven-year plan, based on a detailed study, will not only ensure a steady increase in revenue but will also provide a breathing space for the local tobacco companies whose competitiveness is eroding due to international brands' high-handedness and may not survive if changes are not made in the existing system. since the proposed control framework cannot be sustained by FBR in isolation, it was recommended that a multi-stakeholder illicit trade Enforcement Board is established consistent with best practice from overseas (notably australia, Canada and the United kingdom). according to the spokesman, the success of the proposal hinges on FBR’s commitment to enforcement so that all economic operators, large and small, local and foreign, participate to the fullest extent.

among major factors responsible for suboptimal government revenue that has the local firms and brands out of the competition, three-tier structure and illicit tobacco trade, which fluctuates with nGO estimates of 10pc of the market to MnC’s estimates of 33pc of the market, were identified. to address the issues, the government has been proposed to make a temporary change to the current Federal Excise Duty (FED) structure by splitting the current second tier into a mid-price tier and a localprice tier.

Over the course of the seven-year period, the minimum price and FED rate of the local-price tier will rise more sharply than that of higher tiers, thus achieving a high degree of convergence, it was noted.

Critical to the success of the programme is that there is a guarantee, but reducing minimum price differential between international and local brands.

the proposal said that currently, FED in the second tier represents 53pc of the minimum price. it is proposed that in the programme, this ratio is retained through the course of the programme for both the Premium and Mid-price tiers and for the proposed local tier with reference to its own minimum price.

Retaining the 53pc ratio means that FED rates are increased each year proportionate to the minimum price increase and that there is a fair and equitable fiscal contribution from all segments in the market.

Given that the minimum price for local brands increases faster than that of Premium or Mid-priced brands, the fiscal contribution of local brands is foreseen to grow faster, achieving a converging effect.

While talking about elimination of illicit trade from the tobacco market, the proposal said that the FBR should produce and validate an accurate register of the domestic

manufacturing locations, strict enforcement of license criteria to operate machinery, require the machinery owners/operators to accurately report monthly quantities produced of each brand as well as the quantities sold ex-factor to distribution entities. in order to curb illegal import, the proposal said there should be designation of a limited number of designated import stations for tobacco products. Records of products imported via designated import stations should be kept and compared with the incidence of imported products in retail audit.

Discrepancies can then be reported and action taken. it also recommended FBR to operate a system of surveillance to ensure it has intelligence on the most used illegal import routes so that controls can be strengthened. in addition, it was suggested that FBR should engage with authorities in neighbouring countries from where illegal imports originate.

wednesday, 27 May, 2020

10 foreign newS

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AGENCIES

RILLIONS of dollars, euros and yuan pouring into post-pandemic economies must build a “healthy and green recovery”, 200 medical groups representing 40 million health professionals worldwide told G20

WOrld Needs 'greeN recOvery', HeAltH exPerts tell g20 leAders

leaders Tuesday in an open letter.

The twenty nations accounting for 90 per cent of global GDP should prioritise investment in public health, clean air, clean water and a stable climate in order to boost resilience against future health crises, said the letter.

“We have witnessed first-hand how fragile communities can be when their health, food security and freedom to work

Australian media to be tried for contempt over Pell's sexual abuse reporting MELBOURNE AGENCIES

Dozens of Australian journalists and news organisations will go on trial in November for allegedly violating a gag order barring coverage of Cardinal George Pell’s sex crimes case, a judge said Tuesday. Rupert Murdoch’s Nationwide News and the former Fairfax group, now owned by broadcaster Nine, are among 12 companies facing contempt charges along with 18 leading editors and reporters. If convicted, the journalists face prison terms of up to five years and the media organisations fines of up to Aus$500,000 ($328,000). The presiding judge issued the gag to prevent news of the court proceedings from prejudicing jurors in what was expected to be a second trial against Pell over his nowquashed conviction for child sex abuse. The order meant Pell’s December 2018 conviction for allegedly abusing two choirboys in the 1990s could not be reported in Australia, including on the internet. Local media then ran cryptic articles complaining they were being prevented from reporting on a story of major public interest. But they were accused of breaching the order and “scandalising the court” with those reports, even though they did not mention Pell or the charges involved. Press freedom and civil liberties groups say so-called suppression orders are over-used by Australian courts and have failed to take into account changes in the way news is disseminated online and via social media. The targeted news organisations have vigorously disputed the contempt of court charges. Some of the defendants were dropped from the case earlier this year. The gag order was lifted in early 2019 when prosecutors dropped further charges against Pell and the cleric was subsequently acquitted of all charges by Australia’s top court in April this year. Barrister Matt Collins, representing the media, told the court Tuesday that the journalists “are very anxious for these matters to be resolved finally”.

N Korea's Kim, in first appearance in weeks, vows to bolster nuclear 'deterrence' PYONGYANG AGENCIES

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a meeting to discuss the country’s nuclear capabilities, state media said on Sunday, marking his first appearance in three weeks after a previous absence sparked global speculation about his health. Ruling Workers’ Party officials wore face masks to greet Kim as he entered the meeting of the party’s powerful Central Military Commission, state television showed, but no one including Kim was seen wearing a mask during the meeting. Amid stalled denuclearisation talks with the United States, the meeting discussed measures to bolster North Korea’s armed forces and “reliably contain the persistent big or small military threats from the hostile forces,” state news agency KCNA said. The meeting discussed “increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country and putting the strategic armed forces on a high alert operation,” adopting “crucial measures for considerably increasing the firepower strike ability of the artillery pieces,” it said. Kim has made an unusually small number of outings in the past two months, with his absence from a key anniversary prompting speculation about his condition, as Pyongyang has stepped up measures against the Covid-19 pandemic. North Korea says it has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but South Korea’s intelligence agency has said it cannot rule out that the North has had an outbreak. US-led negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes have made little progress since late last year, especially after a global battle on the virus began.

are interrupted by a common threat,” the letter said, describing the COVID-19 pandemic that has sickened more that five million and claimed nearly 350,000 lives since the start of the year. “These effects could have been partially mitigated, or possibly even prevented, by adequate investments in pandemic preparedness, public health and environmental stewardship.”

The next G20 summit is scheduled for November. A June meeting of G7 leaders was scrapped due to the global health crisis, but US President Donald Trump said last week it could still take place at the White House and Camp David, a summer retreat outside Washington DC. Backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Climate and Health Alliance, the letter highlighted the health-wrecking impact of air pollution,

which causes some seven million premature deaths each year.

NEW HEALTH TREATS: “Before COVID-19, air pollution was already weakening our bodies,” the World Medical Association, the International Council of Nurses, the World Organization of Family Doctors and two hundred other groups said.

“A truly healthy economy will not allow pollution to continue to cloud the air we breathe and the water we drink,” the letter continued. “It will not allow unabated climate change and deforestation, potentially unleashing new health threats upon vulnerable populations.”

Promoting the hashtag #HealthyRecovery, the appeal called for removing hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies for oil, gas and coal, the main drivers of both global warming and air pollution.

Latin America's largest airline LATAM files for bankruptcy in US SANTIAGO AGENCIES

Latin America’s largest airline LATAM filed for bankruptcy in the US on Tuesday, the company said in a statement, following a drastic slump in business caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The world’s travel and tourism sectors have been hammered by the contagion, as they are directly affected by border closures and population lockdowns.

“Given the impact that the COVID19-generated crisis has had on the aviation industry, LATAM has been forced to make a series of extremely difficult decisions in the past few months,” said the airline’s chief executive Roberto Alvo in a video statement.

“LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia entered into a voluntary reorganization under Chapter 11 protection in the United States,” he added.

Chapter 11 proceedings allow a company that is no longer able to repay its debt to restructure without pressure from creditors.

Last month, the Chilean-Brazilian airline said it was scaling back its operations by 95 percent in response to the global health crisis. It also an-

nounced hundreds of job cuts earlier in May. The airline said there would be no immediate impact on passenger or cargo flights. “The US Chapter 11 financial reorganization process provides a clear and guided opportunity to work with our creditors and other stakeholders to reduce our debt, address commercial challenges that we, like others in our industry, are facing,” its statement said. It came just two weeks after Latin America’s second largest airline, Colombia’s Avianca, also filed for bankruptcy in the US to reorganize its debt “due to the unpredictable impact” of the pandemic. The International Air Transport Association has forecast a $15 billion loss in

revenue for Latin American airlines this year. Before the pandemic, LATAM — a merger of Chile’s LAN and Brazil’s TAM — flew to 145 destinations in 26 countries, operating around 1,400 flights a day.

On Friday the World Health Organization declared Latin America “a new epicenter” of the coronavirus pandemic, as cases surge across the continent — especially in Brazil, which now has the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases after the US. Latin America and the Caribbean have reported more than 41,000 virus deaths and over 766,000 total cases, according to an AFP tally.

It also underscored the need to boost renewable energy, such as solar and wind power. “Healthy lives depend on a healthy planet,” said World Medical Association President Miguel Jorge. “We need a comprehensive approach, a healthy and green recovery, and we need it now.” Health workers — from cleaning crews to doctors, in hospitals and nursing homes — have been hit especially hard by the pandemic.

While there is no official tally, tens of thousands have been infected with the virus, and hundreds have died. At the beginning of May, the International Council of Nurses reported that at least 90,000 nurses worldwide — possibly twice as many — had caught the virus. Hundreds of health professionals have died, including many during the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, the pandemic’s epicentre.

WHO stops hydroxychloroquine trials over safety concerns WASHINGTON: The WHO suspended trials of the drug that Donald Trump has promoted as a coronavirus defence, fuelling concerns about the US president’s handling of the pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans. Trump has led the push for hydroxychloroquine as a potential shield or treatment for the virus, which has infected nearly 5.5 million people and killed 345,000 around the world, saying he took a course of the drug as a preventative measure. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has also heavily promoted hydroxychloroquine while the virus has exploded across the nation, which this week became the second most infected in the world after the United States. But the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday it was halting testing of the drug for Covid-19 after studies questioned its safety, including one published Friday that found it actually increased the risk of death. The WHO “has implemented a temporary pause… while the safety data is reviewed”, its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, referring to the hydroxychloroquine arm of a global trial of various possible treatments.

Trump announced last week he was taking the drug, explaining he had decided to take after receiving letters from a doctor and other people advocating it. “I think it’s good. I’ve heard a lot of good stories,” Trump told reporters then, as he declared it safe. AGENCIES

Scientists fight online virus misinformation war BERN AGENCIES

With cat photos and sometimes scathing irony, Mathieu Rebeaud, a Swiss-based researcher in biochemistry, has nearly tripled his Twitter following since the coronavirus pandemic began.

With 14,000 followers, he posts almost daily, giving explanations on the latest scientific research and, in particular, aims to fight misinformation that spreads as fast as the virus itself.

He is among a growing number of doctors, academics and institutions who in recent weeks have adapted and amplified their scientific messaging in hopes of countering what has been termed an infodemic — a deluge of information, including widespread false claims, which experts say can pose a serious threat to public health.

To cut through the noise however, it is imperative to work quickly and maximise social media engagement to get simple prevention messages across to the public, according to researchers and specialists.

“In the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories provide complete, simple, seemingly rationalistic and watertight explanations,” Kinga Polynczuk-Alenius, a University of Helsinki researcher, said.

“This is in stark contrast to the available scientific knowledge — complex,

fragmented, changeable and contested — and to the actions of political decisionmakers and state authorities, which appear haphazard and self-contradictory,” she added.

In February, British medical journal The Lancet warned that “the rapid dissemination of trustworthy information” was needed most during a period of uncertainty.

This includes transparent identifica-

CMYK

tion of cases, data sharing and unhampered communication, as well as peer-reviewed research, it said.

Rigorous and time-heavy scientific studies and publications, however, compete with the immediacy of social media and a public often demanding firm and definitive answers.

“How do we communicate in this context of radical uncertainty?” asked Mikael Chambru, a scientific communi-

cation specialist at France’s University of Grenoble Alpes.

EDUCATION: Scientists involved in the debate want to forge a “culture of science” among the public to help them understand what they hear and read, Chambru said.

Rather than simply imposing the view of a leading authority without any explanation, they aim to help people understand how science works including the need for studies to abide by rules and standards, he added.

“The position of authority would be extremely unpopular with the public,” Ganascia agreed.

Rebeaud, the biochemistry researcher popular on Twitter, said he was much less present on social media before the pandemic but had felt drawn to defend science. The battle, however, feels unbalanced, said the researcher, who works at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

“Dismantling nonsense takes 10 times more energy than spreading it,” he said, agreeing with the findings of a 2018 study by the magazine Science which noted that “lies spread faster than the truth”. Some scientists have called for a review of science education so that the public is less permeable to false information. Information campaigns “cannot be perceived as an exclusive antidote to fight fake news,” Italian communications researcher Mafalda Sandrini said.

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

BaBar wants to talk aBout cricket with imran khan ISLAMABAD

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AKISTAN’S ODI and Twenty20 skipper Babar Azam wants to meet Prime Minister and legendary all-rounder Imran Khan saying he wants to learn the tactics, Kaptaan applied during the 1992 Cricket World Cup. “I had met Imran Khan but there was no talk on cricket. I will like to meet him and talk about his tactics on the field, especially during the 1992 World Cup as it will be very helpful for me,” crickpakistan.com.pk quoted him as saying.

The 25-year-old, who scored 1,850 runs in 26 Tests, was also disheartened to be away from cricket for the past two months due to coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic saying we had important Tests as well as the T20 World Cup this year.

“Obviously when you are playing cricket regularly, it becomes disheartening to stop all of a sudden. We do whatever

when can to maintain fitness and practice at our home,” he said and added that the fans would also be missing cricket.

SPORTS 11 Speaking about the upcoming tour of England, Babar said human life was more important than cricket.

“Human life has far more value than cricket and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will only go ahead with the tour if proper health and safety measure are put in place,” he said.

Pakistan were scheduled to play three Tests in August followed by an equal number of T20s, with the matches taking place behind closed doors as part of measures to combat COVID-19.

Babar, who scored 3,359 runs in 74 ODIs, also spoke about playing behind closed doors while comparing it with Pakistan’s matches in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Playing behind closed doors is not ideal because the support from fans is vital for players. We have played without crowd for almost a decade in UAE so we know how it feels,” he said.

Babar, who scored 1,471 runs in 38 T20s, was also glad to see the Pakistan Super League (PSL) being played in Pakistan this year. “I’m thankful to the PCB for organizing PSL in Pakistan this year, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m sure the fans did as well,” he said about the league which was postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19 before the playoffs round.

Football clubs in dilemma over players’transfer amid coronavirus

taufeeq umar tests positive for coViD-19 SORTS DESK Former Pakistan opening batsman Taufeeq Umar tested positive for COVID-19. “I got myself tested last night after feeling a little sick last night, and the result came positive. My symptoms are not at all severe,” the 38-yearold Lahore-based cricketer told Geo News. “I have isolated myself at home,” he further said, adding: “I appeal to everyone to pray for my swift recovery.” Umar played 44 Tests and 22 ODIs for Pakistan in a career spanning 14 years. Although not retired officially, he last played for Pakistan in 2014 and in domestic circuit in 2018. The highlight of his career was his 236-run knock against Sri Lanka in 2011 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

scientist slams decision to hold liverpool match, cheltenham Festival

PARIS AGENCIES

Around Europe, football is waking up from the coronavirus shutdown, but it is different to before for players and supporters and it is changing behind the scenes too.

While the German Bundesliga returns in stadiums devoid of fans, the sport is preparing for an economic crisis which will impact all levels of the game.

That will be particularly visible in the transfer market, where it has become the norm to see leading clubs splash out 100 million-euro fees.

Damien Comolli has observed events from afar having left his role at Turkish club Fenerbahce in January. The ex-Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur sporting director told AFP he foresees fees dropping by “between 30 and 50 percent compared to the usual prices, and a reduction of 7075 percent in terms of activity.” In particular, the loss to clubs from matchday revenue as a result of games being played behind closed doors will impact budgets. When it comes to signing players, those in charge of recruitment at clubs have also simply not been able to do their jobs.

TIME TO TAKE STOCK: “The biggest part of my job is following up on targets for the next transfer windows,” says Martyn Glover, head of scouting and recruitment at English Premier League side Southampton.

Scouts usually spend much of their time clocking up road and air miles to watch prospective signings in action.

“I would expect to be abroad every week at some point,” says Glover, who previously worked at Everton.

“I might fly to Paris to watch PSG and then the next day to Germany to watch somebody else. My week would probably be three or four live games of football.”

Robert McKenzie has a similar a role at Belgian second-tier outfit Leuven, who in 2017 were taken over by King Power, the Thai owners of Leicester City.

Usually he would be on the road watching up to 20 games a month, eyeing up targets.

“The current situation obviously has significant implications for what has historically been the most important part of the process: the assessment of players in live games,” he tells AFP. “I do often think to myself when will be the next time I’m actually sat in a football stadium watching a game? Who knows!”

However, he acknowledges that the shutdown has afforded him the luxury of time to take stock and assess options. In contrast, Newcastle United made headlines when their head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, was placed on furlough along with the whole scouting department, stopping a crucial section of the club from functioning.

In any case, how can a Premier League club plan for the summer window without knowing if they will still be

a top-flight club next season, or if this season will restart, with all the financial consequences? “There are too many imponderables,” says Glover. “We are not a club who might spend 80 million on a player anyway.

“I am sure there will be some opportunities that present themselves by the nature of what has happened, both at home and abroad, but the hardest part is the finances.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH: Glover admits the way his job is done could change forever. Comolli helped introduce data use and analytics into English football and believes that approach will become more widespread.

“Maybe more and more clubs will use data and statistics instead of live scouting and maybe clubs will also investigate more the player himself, their families, the way they live. “If I had one chance to go and watch a player live or one chance to meet him and his family, I would take the opportunity to go and meet him.”

He believes those clubs who already placed the emphasis on video scouting and data can emerge from the crisis with their teams unscathed. Even clubs lower down may emerge stronger. That includes Leuven, although they must await the outcome of a play-off in August to see which division they will be in next season.

“I think there may be opportunities that arise for us as a club as a result of the current situation which were previously thought not possible,” insists McKenzie.

LONDON: Liverpool’s Champions League game with Atletico Madrid and racing’s showpiece Cheltenham Festival “caused increased suffering and death” by going ahead in March, a leading scientist told the BBC on Tuesday. Professor Tim Spector, who leads the United Kingdom’s largest Covid-19 tracking project, said rates of cases locally “increased several-fold” following the events.

Cheltenham attracted over 250,000 spectators to southwest England on March 10-13 and Liverpool played the Spanish side at Anfield on March 11 in front of a 52,000 crowd.

Figures seen by the BBC show in the last week of March, Liverpool and Cheltenham were among the areas with the highest number of suspected cases. The figure from the Covid19 Symptom Study show an estimated five to six percent of the population, aged 20 to 69, having symptoms in those two regions. The British government had advised that people should feel free to attend such events despite governments of other countries cancelling events at that time. Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended England’s Six Nations home game with Wales along with his then pregnant girlfriend Carrie Symonds on March 7.

Britain’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said at the time there was “no reason for people not to attend such events or to cancel them at this stage”. Professor Spector, though, says having seen the subsequent statistics this advice was wrong. “I think sporting events should have been shut down at least a week earlier because they’ll have caused increased suffering and death that wouldn’t otherwise have occurred,” he said. The government replied that the blame could not be laid solely at the door of the sporting events. AGENCIES

Kvitova would ‘rather cancel’ Grand Slams than play without fans PRAGUE AGENCIES

Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova said on Monday she would prefer Grand Slams did not take place as opposed to playing them behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on the eve of her court return in an all-Czech tournament the 30-year-old echoed the thoughts of Roger Federer, who said last week he would be against the idea of an empty Roland Garros or Flushing Meadows.

“I have my age and of course I would like to play another Grand Slam, but if it’s like this, I’d rather cancel them,” Kvitova said.

“Playing a Grand Slam is the greatest thing there is and playing without fans who are our engine doesn’t look nice to me and the Grand Slam doesn’t deserve it,” she added.

This year’s French Open has been moved to September, Wimbledon has been cancelled and the WTA tour will not resume

until at least July 20 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

This week’s competition in Prague has eight men and eight women in separate draws but there will be no spectators or handshakes. There will be referees and ball boys at the tournament, but they will not hand towels to those on the court.

“It’s not ethical not to shake hands and just give a racquet bump, I think that’s the most unpleasant thing I’m in for,” Kvitova said. Sports came to a halt in Kvitova’s homeland, where the virus has claimed 300 deaths from 9,000 confirmed cases, in midMarch. “We are here to reintroduce tennis not only to the Czech Republic, but also to the world,” Kvitova said.

“The hardest thing will be to find the rhythm, we haven’t played a match for a very long time,” said Kvitova, who faces doubles specialist Barbora Krejcikova in her opening contest on Tuesday.

“I hope nobody expects us to play fantastic tennis, because it may happen or it

may not,” added the world number 12, wearing a face mask which, she said, had a good thing about it.

“I don’t have to wear a make-up.”

NOT THE SAME THING: World number three Karolina Pliskova has pulled out of the women’s hardcourt draw as she recovers from a back injury, while 18th-ranked Marketa Vondrousova is getting ready for the final exams at her secondary school.

The men’s part will be played on clay.

“It won’t be the same thing as a regular tournament,” said Jiri Vesely, the 65thranked top seed, who won this year’s ATP tournament in Pune, India.

“There are no points to play for, no plot, there will be no fans. But of course we are looking forward to the games and we’ll try to play our best tennis,” added Vesely, who spent the enforced break with his 15-monthold daughter.

“You don’t have much time for that during your regular season. It was simply great.

And my shape? You’ll see,” he said.

CMYK

Wednesday, 27 May, 2020

NEWS

PAkisTAn will noT sTAy silEnT on Modi’s fAscisM, AnTi-MusliM violEncE, QurEshi sAys UN SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS COUNTERING ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED, ISLAMOPHOBIA IS HIS ‘TOP PRIORITY’ ISLAMABAD

f

AGENCIES

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said Pakistan will not allow the fascist Narendra Modi government to round up Muslims to be beaten and killed in India.

In a series of tweets, the foreign minister said India’s discriminatory treatment against Muslims is aimed at having their nationalities stripped, their livelihoods robbed, their demography changed and their future insecure.

Sharing a statement from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Islamophobia, FM Qureshi said, “we will not stand by and let another Gujarat [massacre] happen.”

He said world bodies like the United Nations (UN) and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have supported Pakistan to counter rising cases of anti-Muslim violence and Islamophobia in India to initiate a working group for collective action.

“Pakistan has consistently appealed to the UN and OIC to condemn Modi’s Hindutva supremacist ideology with relentless Islamophobia and & violence/regional instability perpetuated,” Qureshi said.

He welcomed the UN chief’s agree-

ment on the need to counter Islamophobia and earlier censure by Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of OIC. ‘COUNTERING ISLAMOPHOBIA TOP PRIORITY’: Earlier in the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that countering anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia is his “top priority” and he “fully agrees” with the assessment that it could pose a threat to international peace and security.

The UN chief gave the statement re-

cently at the virtual meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states at the United Nations (UN) in response to the comments from Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, who drew his attention to the rising cases of anti-Muslim violence and Islamophobia in India and urged him to adopt a more focused and consistent system-wise approach to fully tackle the menace.

Speaking at the meeting organized by OIC on the theme of “COVID-19 Solidarity: Promoting Co-Existence and Shared Responsibility”, Guterres voiced his concern over the rise of Islamophobia and called for fighting this phenomenon collectively, the informed sources said.

Earlier this week, Pakistan had proposed the establishment of a dedicated OIC Working Group on Islamophobia.

Several OIC countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Malaysia and Egypt welcomed Pakistan’s proposal and need for a concerted OIC position on Islamophobia at the world body.

The remarks made by the UN Secretary-General indicate that the OIC will pursue Pakistan’s proposal for collective action to counter Islamophobia.

Chinese soldiers beat up Indian troops with ‘sticks’ at Ladakh border Afghan govt to release 900 more Taliban prisoners KABUL AGENCIES

The Afghan government will be releasing 900 more Taliban prisoners on Tuesday, as demands for the a ceasefire extension grew on the eve of its end. The pause in fighting — which came into effect Sunday to mark the Eidul Fitr holiday — was, for the most part, holding across the country, officials said. The government responded to the Taliban’s three-day ceasefire offer Sunday by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 insurgent prisoners. On Monday they freed 100, and will release another 900, the government said — the biggest group of Taliban prisoners to be freed so far. The exact number could vary subject to legal procedures, National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal told AFP. The National Security Council, in a statement on Twitter, said the release of prisoners was to “advance the cause of peace, including the continuation of the bilateral ceasefire and the immediate start of direct negotiations”. The ceasefire, only the second of its kind in the 19-year-old conflict, has raised hopes of an extended truce that could pave the way for longawaited peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government. “Extend the ceasefire. Save lives,” Shaharzad Akbar, head of Afghan Human Rights Commission, said on Twitter. “End the violence so that we can all focus on making services available to the most vulnerable across the country, on expanding access to human rights, so that we have space to breathe.” A Taliban source indicated the group could extend the ceasefire by seven days if the government speeds up the release of prisoners. Another insurgent source said militants plan to release about 200 Afghan security force members they hold. The Taliban have insisted that they want some 5,000 members held by the government released as agreed in a deal with the United States. The US-Taliban deal signed in February paves the way for all foreign forces to leave the country by next year. It also stipulates that the Afghan government would release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the militants would free about 1,000 national security personnel. Prior to this week’s releases, Kabul had already freed about 1,000 Taliban inmates, while the insurgents had let go about 300 Afghan security forces captives. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while welcoming the latest developments, insisted that Taliban prisoners should not return to the battlefield once freed. President Ashraf Ghani has said his administration is ready to begin the peace negotiations, seen as key to ending the war in the impoverished country.

STAND-OFF CONTINUES AS CHINESE ARMY MOVE 3KM INTO ‘INDIAN TERRITORY’ NEWS DESK During a recent face-off with the Indian forces in the Pangong Tso lake area in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese Army troops reportedly beat up Indian soldiers with sticks, clubs with barbed wires and stones.

“The Chinese troops were armed with stones and barbed wire clubs to target Indian soldiers in the area near the Pangong Tso lake during a recent face-off,” India Today quoted sources as saying.

“During the face-off, they [Chinese soldiers] attacked our soldiers with barbed wire clubs to cause them injuries but the Indian side retaliated in equal measure despite being outnumbered,” it reported.

According to ThePrint, Chinese troops have “come in” about 3 km into Indian territory South East of the Galwan Valley, largely known as Hot Springs area in eastern Ladakh.

It reported that Beijing has also moved in men at the “finger areas” of Pangong Lake while increasing build up on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Pangong Lake’s northern bank juts forward like a palm, and the various protrusions are identified as “fingers” to demarcate territory.

According to the outlet, contrary to inputs of a large Chinese troop presence at Galwan Valley, the

build-up is within the Chinese Claim Line (CCL), which is also considered as the LAC at local level.

Sources say that in Galwan, the CCL and the LAC are the same though no maps have been exchanged. They said that the understanding is at local level and Chinese objections to construction activities well within Indian territory was a surprise. India has done “mirror deployment” on its side, in that it has matched every Chinese move.

Amid growing tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after a face-off earlier this month in Ladakh and Sikkim sectors, China reportedly moved 5,000 soldiers on its side of the disputed border. To strengthen its position, the Indian forces used heavy-lift transport aircraft to move troops in the eastern Ladakh sector.

Europe lifts virus shutters as Japan ends emergency LONDON AGENCIES

Europeans flocked to parks, gyms and pools on Monday as more countries eased coronavirus restrictions, while Japan lifted its state of emergency but urged vigilance to avoid another wave of infections. In the United States, as the pandemic death toll approached the horrific milestone of 100,000, stir-crazy Americans also headed en masse to beaches and parks for the big Memorial Day weekend. While many Americans wore masks and followed distancing rules, many did not — and images of packed pools and boardwalks triggered fears of a new flare up of the virus that has infected more than 5.4 million worldwide and killed more than 344,000, according to an AFP tally. Meanwhile, hopes that anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine could be used as a potential treatment for the virus were quashed as the World Health Organisation halted clinical trials “while the safety is reviewed.”

With the global economy battered, governments are scrambling to provide relief to businesses and citizens wearying of mass confinement. In hard-hit Spain, Madrid and Barcelona cautiously emerged from one of the world’s strictest lockdowns, with parks and cafe terraces open for the first time in more than two months. Hundreds of people flooded Madrid’s famous Retiro Park to enjoy a stroll or a jog in the sunshine. “The reopening of Retiro brings me a feeling of serenity, gives me comfort,” said Rosa San Jose, a 50-year-old schoolteacher. In other parts of Spain, beaches reopened with strict guidelines for social distancing. The Spanish government also announced that it would scrap quarantine for foreign arrivals from July 1, in the hope of helping the battered tourism sector.

BREAK THE ISOLATION: As gyms and swimming pools reopened in Germany, Iceland, Italy and Spain, slowing infection rates in Greece allowed restaurants to resume business a week ahead of schedule — but only for outdoor service.

“I’m thrilled to break the isolation of recent months and reconnect with friends,” said pensioner Giorgos Karavatsanis. “The cafe in Greece has a social dimension, it’s where the heart of the district beats.”

But not all the news from Europe was encouraging.

Sweden, which has gained international attention for not enforcing stay-at-home measures, saw its COVID-19 death toll pass 4,000, a much higher figure than its neighbours. And in Britain, a political scandal raged on as Prime Minister Boris Johnson defied pressure to sack his top aide Dominic Cummings, accused of breaching the government’s own lockdown rules in March and April. As Johnson separately announced the government will allow non-essential retail stores to reopen June 15, thousands of sun worshippers swarmed a beach — in the southern resort town of Bournemouth — underscoring the difficulty of enforcing social distancing rules in the summer months.

NEW LIFESTYLE: In the US, Americans are watching each other closely as states gingerly lift lockdown measures to varying extents. Video footage of a raucous, elbow-to-elbow pool party in Missouri over the weekend has now been viewed some 16 million times on YouTube. As of Tuesday evening, the US death toll stood at 98,218, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, and the number of infections is over 1.66 million.

Both are the highest anywhere in the world.

Virus lockdowns stifle Eid celebrations as infections rise LAHORE AGENCIES

Muslims around the world marked a sombre Eidul Fitr on Sunday, many under coronavirus lockdown, but lax restrictions offer respite to worshippers in some countries despite fears of skyrocketing infections.

The festival, one of the most important in the Muslim calendar marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan, is traditionally celebrated with mosque prayers, family feasts and shopping for new clothes, gifts and sweet treats.

But this year, the celebration was

overshadowed by the fast-spreading respiratory disease, with many countries tightening lockdown restrictions after a partial easing during Ramzan led to a sharp spike in infections.

Further dampening the festive spirit, multiple countries — from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Turkey and Syria — have banned mass prayer gatherings, a festival highlight, to limit the spread of the disease.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, began a five-day, round-the-clock curfew from Saturday after infections more than quadrupled since the start of Ramzan to around 68,000 — the highest in the Gulf.

Eid prayers were held at the two holy

mosques in Makkah and Madina “without worshippers”, authorities said.

FEARS OF NEW PEAK: Meanwhile, Muslims across Asia — from Indonesia to Pakistan, Malaysia and Afghanistan — thronged markets for pre-festival shopping, flouting coronavirus guidelines and sometimes even police attempts to disperse large crowds.

“For over two months my children were homebound,” said Ishrat Jahan, a mother of four, at a bustling market in Rawalpindi.

“This feast is for the kids, and if they can’t celebrate it with new garments, there is no point in us working so hard throughout the year.”

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

In Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim nation — people are turning to smugglers and fake travel documents to get around bans on the annual end-of-Ramzan travel that could send infections soaring.

More than 3,500 Tunisians who travelled home just ahead of the holiday spent it away from their families, forced to quarantine for two weeks in hotels after arriving from abroad.

The Covid-19 death tolls across the Middle East and Asia have been lower than in Europe and the United States, but numbers are rising steadily, sparking fears the virus may overwhelm often underfunded healthcare systems.