EpaperLHR_2020-06-15

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Monday, 15 June, 2020 I 23 Shawwal-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 346 I 56 Pages I Lahore Edition

govt warns of 1.2 million Covid-19 Cases by end July g

MiniSter urgeS PeoPle to ‘get SeriouS’ and adoPt Preventive MeaSureS to curb viruS SPread

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SayS PakiStan would be able to conduct 150,000 teStS daily within four to Six weekS

ISLAMABAD

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StAff REPoRt

iniSter for Planning, development and Special initiatives asad umar on Sunday warned that given how coronavirus cases are increasing in the country, there is a possibility that they can double by the end of june and reach 1 million to 1.2 million by the end of july. addressing a press conference, the minister said that while experts have projected these figures, they are neither predictions nor a certainty and can be avoided if the government and the people work together to stop the virus from spreading. umar urged the people to “get serious” and highlighted that preventive measures, including wearing face masks and practicing social distancing, can be effective in curbing the spread of the virus. “research [around the world] has indicated that wearing masks is a verified way of curbing the spread of covid-19 — by up to 50 per cent,” he said, adding that the national command and operation centre [ncoc] had recommended that face masks be worn by everyone in public places. “we are seeing many people wearing masks but sadly we have seen many more not wearing one. if you want to defend yourself and your loved ones, please wear masks. it is as simple as that,” he added. the minister said that the government had issued guidelines regarding social distancing requirements that people should follow. “this [practising social distancing] is the simplest way to ensure that businesses remain open and the wheel of the economy keeps turning,” he said, adding that the failure to follow preventive guidelines would result in “people losing their livelihoods”. he further said that that the government would start taking administrative action against those who do not follow the prescribed measures. he added that

PESHAWAR: People violate social distancing guidelines by travelling on top of a vehicle in Peshawar. PPI

shops, transport and individuals have been fined for following the standard operating procedures (SoPs). umar said that a long-term lockdown is not feasible for any country and the world has also realised it now. he endorsed Prime Minister imran khan’s decision to impose “smart lockdowns” in virus hotspots around the country as opposed to a complete lockdown. “we have to enforce smart lockdowns in hotspots because this way we can stop the spread in areas that are witnessing outbreaks and at the same time protect jobs and livelihoods by not imposing complete lockdowns,” he said. he also said that Punjab government would announce its strategy for actions in “hotbeds” of covid-19. he added that the federal government would also assist the provincial government in curtailing the spread of the virus. talking about the healthcare system, the minister said that over 2,000 people are on oxygen support across the country and the federal government would enhance the delivery of oxygen beds in all provinces, as well as the federal capital. he added that

2,150 oxygen beds would also be provided to the provinces by the end of july. umar said that Pakistan was increasing its testing capacity to deal with growing covid-19 cases. he said that currently 30,000 tests are held daily, in contrast with the 500 tests being conducted on a daily basis when the virus first emerged in the country. he added that in the next four to six weeks, Pakistan’s testing capacity is expected to increase to 150,000. after initially lagging infection rates in western nations, Pakistan and other South asian countries are experiencing a surge in cases.

Pakistan’s increase in cases comes after people violated government restrictions and thronged public places — mostly without masks and gloves — during ramzan and ahead of the eidul fitr last month.

Pakistan reports almost 7,000 cases in single day STORY ON PAGE 03

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nab to move interpol to bring back Suleman Shehbaz g

PMl-n’S MarriyuM SayS caSeS againSt SharifS an affront to juStice, deMocracy ISLAMABAD StAff REPoRt

the national accountability bureau (nab) has decided to contact the international criminal Police organisation (interpol) to bring back Suleman Shhebaz, the son of national assembly opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, who is wanted in cases pertaining to money-laundering and assets beyond means. in october last year, an accountability court in lahore declared Suleman a proclaimed offender in the money laundering case and issued fresh nonbailable arrest warrants against him on the appeal of nab. Subsequently, the anti-graft bureau declared him absconder in the same case. last year, the bureau had seized the suspect’s shares amounting to rs2 billion in 16 companies. according to a nab report presented to the accountability court at the time, it also seized cash

in today’s issue

worth rs4.1 million held in three bank accounts as well as $4,000 dollars in two different bank accounts of the suspect. in addition, nab also seized 10 marlas agricultural land and pieces of land spread over 209 kanal owned by Suleman. reacting to the development, PMl-n Spokesperson Marriyum aurangzeb said the Sharif family has braved the world’s worst political victimisation by the “nabniazi alliance” with resilience and has answered every question asked by this vengeful tag team, with bravery, transparency and evidence. “the truth, however, is that despite rigorous witch-hunt and nonstop persecution and a barrage of accusations for over two years, the nab-niazi alliance has not been able to file a single reference against Shehbaz and his sons.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

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Monday, 15 June, 2020

NEWS

Focus on domestic issues instead oF 'igniting' border disputes, Qureshi tells india ISLamaBad

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STAFF REPORT

AYS after New Delhi responded rather disgustingly to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s offer to share the experience of Ehsaas cash initiative with India, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday advised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to focus on its domestic issues instead of “behaving like an expansionist nation”.

In a series of tweets, Qureshi said: “It would serve PM Modi’s government and ‘neighbourhood first’ policy well to realise India’s neighbours pose far less of a problem than their own domestic inadequacies, failures and fascism.”

The foreign minister also criticised India for “igniting border disputes with every neighbour” and said that the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party government should be “focused on serving the poor, downtrod-

Fawad says pakistan to start manufacturing covid-19 diagnostic kits ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said that Pakistan has developed indigenous Covid-19 diagnostic kits that have been approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for commercial use and is likely to bring down the cost of coronavirus tests in the country.

“We were mostly importing Covid-19 test kits from China. Now our scientists have developed our own Polymerase Chain Reaction equipment,” he said in an interview with Arab News. Chaudhry informed that the kits was developed by experts at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) with more than 90 per cent accuracy, which was about 20 percent better than the imported tests. “It is a totally domestic kit and will help us reduce our import bill,” he added. “Likewise, it will bring down the cost of Covid-19 tests to one third of what it is.” The minister also sounded hopeful about developing domestic ventilators within the next few weeks since clinical trials of four machines have already entered their final phase. “Once these trials are over, we will ask commercial entities to start manufacturing these ventilators. In most of the countries, including the United States, motor companies are manufacturing ventilators. Therefore, we are also bringing motor companies into it. I hope we will be able to produce more than 100 ventilators in the first three months,” he said. Chaudhry informed that the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) had predicted that Pakistan would hit the Covid-19 peak in June. “We are at the peak right now,” he continued. “However, it is hard to determine it in terms of numbers or duration since this virus spreads exponentially. Once it gets going, stopping it becomes quite difficult.” The minister said the coronavirus pandemic would remain at its peak for more than two months in Pakistan. “That is usually the time this virus takes to reach the peak,” he explained. “It will take about the same duration of two to three months to slow down the infection rate.”

When asked if a strict lockdown was the only way to control the spread of the virus, he reiterated his government’s position and maintained that smart lockdown was the only way forward. “You cannot lock down the whole country for an indefinite period,” Chaudhry said. “It is a country of 220 million people.

A complete lockdown will trigger the shortage of food and other necessary items, making life difficult for many people in a country like Pakistan.” APP

den and minorities of India better”.

Prime Minister Imran, through a tweet on Thursday, offered to “help and share [the government’s] successful cash transfer programme, lauded internationally for its reach and transparency, with India”.

The PTI government has launched the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme under which about 12 million lower-income families each received Rs12,000 to cover basic needs for three months.

The prime minister’s offer came after a study by the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago and the Mumbai-based Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE) concluded that about 84 per cent of Indian households were suffering from a decline in income due to the pandemic.

In addition to the economic setback, the virus has also fuelled hate against Muslims in India as well as insecurities among the poor people who have lost work due to the

Tax exemption granted to LUMS raises eyebrows KaraCHI ARIBA SHAHID

During the annual post-budget press conference on Saturday, the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Dr Hafeez Shaikh avoided a question regarding the individual that lobbied for a tax exemption to LUMS University, considering the significant fee it charges from students.

The aversion to the question demonstrated by the government has added to the rumors.

Sources allege that the university has been exempted from any documentary requirements needed to maintain its Non-Profit Organization (NPO) status.

Sources further alleged that Razzak Dawood, being the ProChancellor of LUMS and an adviser to the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has had some influence over the decision.

Considering LUMS’s NPO status, the university enjoys certain tax exemptions as per the Income Tax

Ordinance, 2001. As per the ordinance, an NPO “shall be allowed a tax credit equal to one hundred percent of the tax payable, including minimum tax and final taxes payable under any of the provisions of this Ordinance” However, this is subject to certain conditions that require thorough documentation periodically.

As per the Income Tax Ordinance, “income of a university or other educational institution being run by a non-profit organization existing solely for educational purposes and not for purposes of profit;” are eligible for the tax credit.

The decision, however, of granting NPO status lies with the commissioner Inland Revenue as per Section 2(36) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

This means that the decision lies strictly within the hands of the Federal Board of Revenue and is between the board and the NPO in question.

Sources alleged that Razzaq Da-

wood exercised his influence on FBR officials to get the LUMS NPO status approved.

However, it is pertinent to note that the ordinance does not grant an NPO a permanent tax exemption.

Instead, it is for a specific time as per clause 36(c) which states that the NPO status is “approved by the commissioner for a specified period, on an application made by such a person in the prescribed form and manner, accompanied by the prescribed documents and, on requisition, such as other documents as may be required by the commissioner.”

Hence, as long as LUMS remains an educational institution it is entitled to a tax exemption given it meets the periodical requirements mentioned in section 100c of the ordinance.

Earlier, the LUMS administration had also been criticized for increasing the tuition fee up to 41 percent over last year for certain students, with students and parents raising questions on the legitimacy of its NPO status.

Sheikh Rasheed admitted to hospital raWaLpINdI STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, has been admitted to a hospital. Family sources, however, denied that the Awami Muslim League (AML) leader was shifted to a hospital over any complications due to Covid-19.

“He is in stable condition and is only shifted to the hospital as a precautionary measure,” they said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad had tested positive for coronavirus on June 08.

A spokesperson for Pakistan Railways told media that the federal minister went into self-isolation at his home after testing positive for the virus.

The spokesperson said that the minister is asymptomatic but as he tested positive for the virus, he has quarantined himself for 14 days on the advice of doctors.

It is pertinent to mention here that several top politicians have tested positive for Covid-19 in the country as virus tally is moving towards its peak. Some of the prominent politicians who have contracted Covid-19 include two former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Yousuf Raza Gilani, PML-N President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, former federal minister Ahsan Iqbal and several others. Many members of parliament and members of the provincial assemblies have also contracted the virus as they attend or plan to join budget sessions in the respective assemblies.

Confederate statues matter CITY NOTES M A NIAZI

Perhaps the nicest thing about our Prime Minister is his courage. While the Supreme Court was rattled by the rise in the number of new covid-19 cases and the deaths due to it, to rescind its orders to open markets, Imran Khan is not turning back. He remains against lockdowns. Though he’s admitted that Covid-19 is not just another flu.

He also wants the petrol to keep flowing, despite all the machinations of Mian Nawaz Sharif. He intends to find the corrupt mafia which is keeping petrol out of the market.

And obviously, the head of that mafia must be Nawaz. Unless it’s Shahbaz.

Shahbaz getting the coronavirus is no excuse for keeping petrol out of the market.

Though it does show that he was right to ob-

ject to going to NAB. All of those NAB officials sneezing all over him, and coughing all over him, were not doing so for nothing.

It would be a turn-up for the books if now NAB was to exempt him from appearances because NAB officials refused to see him for fear of infection.

More leading members of both the PML(N) and the PTI continue to go down. I wonder if this is because of meetings.Or does some Pir Sahib favoured by politicos have the infection, and thus a very powerful damm?

Well, with schools still closed, virtual classes still prevail, with things having changed. Kids no longer asl permission to go the john. They just go, presumably on the principle that “When a man’s gotta go, he’s gotta go.”. Of course, if they’re using a smartphone rather than a laptop, they can take their classroom into the john, which gives a whole new meaning to the idea of

the strain of learning. Despite this new flexibility, some things don’t change. Like incessant pleas for the marking of attendance. But the plea of poor connectivity as an explanation is a new one. In my day, you killed off a grandmother. Of course, if you killed a third grandmother, and if the teacher remembered, you could be in trouble. Imran has threatened to have a strict lockdown if people don’t obey the SOPs on social distancing.

I wonder if he is looking to Kenya as an example. I mean, the cops there seem to take the lockdown orders very seriously. To the extent that they’ve killed six people, including a kid on a balcony in Nairobi. They even had some protests under the ‘Black Lives Matter’ rubric, even though the cops doing the killing weren’t white, but as black as their victims.

But it was as if to show that it wasn’t black lives that matter, but only those of

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American blacks, that protests erupted in the USA when the Atlanta police shot dead a young black man in the parking lot of a fastfood joint’s parking lot. Expect a deafening silence from the White House.

It was almost as if someone thought the protests which had broken out since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

George was buried in his native Houston.

While his brother has testified to Congress.

Oh yes, and Gone With The Wind has been pulled off for the Net for viewing. And NASCAR has forbidden the Confederate flag from being brought its races.

It’s also a time to tear down statues. It started with the statue of a slave trader, Edward Colston, in Bristol, and it got to Confederate generals. That of Confederate President Jefferson Davis had his statue torn down in Richmond, Virginia.

Gandhi’s statue in the UK is to be torn down, for the racism he showed against

government’s measures to curb the spread.

Indian forces often resort to aggression at the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border along the disputed Kashmir region, and target soldiers as well as civilians in “unprovoked” attacks, which results in damage to both life and property.

Apart from its disputes with Pakistan, India is currently engaged in a standoff with China’s forces in the remote snow desert of Ladakh where hundreds of soldiers have been ranged against each other since April in the most serious border flare-ups for years after Chinese patrols advanced into what India deems its side of the de facto border.

Both sides are holding talks and, according to an Indian official, after weeks of tension — including an incident in which patrolling soldiers from the two sides came to blows on the banks of Pangong Lake, resulting in injuries — friction has eased somewhat.

Another conflict India is involved in is with Nepal, who has protested to India over a border road, which it claims traverses its territory. New Delhi denies the charge.

Protests in Nepal were also fuelled from a new map of the region India drew after the bifurcation of occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories in December last year.

Fia acquits dr mirza in masks smuggling case ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) investigation report has acquitted Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Zafar Mirza after probing his alleged involvement in smuggling of protective masks. According to FIA sources, no allegation was proved against Dr Mirza as the petitioner failed to provide evidence of his allegations during the agency’s investigation of export of 20 million masks to China.

Sources said that according to FIA’s report no collusion was proved in issuance of permit for export of the masks and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) allowed the export under the rules and regulations. It is important to note here that the complaint was submitted

by Young Pharmacists’ Association’s Secretary General Dr Furqan Ibrahim with the Prime Minister’s Complaint Cell. According to the complainant, 20 million masks were smuggled out of Pakistan allegedly by the SAPM in collusion with an aide of DRAP Deputy Director Ghazanfar Ali Khan. INP

nab to move interpol to bring back suleman shehbaz CONTINuEd frOm pagE 01 Whenever the courts asked for proof, the NAB-Niazi alliance always ran away and could not prove any corruption accusation worth even a dime, she claimed. “The same practice was adopted against Ishaq Dar and in the end the government had to bite the dust and got nothing but embarrassed and shame.”

“These cases against the opposition parties are unilateral, illegal and contrary to the letter and spirit of justice. This NAB-Niazi alliance, by becoming an institution of political victimisation, has shaken the very foundation of democratic system and national economy.”

blacks when he was in South Africa.

I wonder when there will be a move to rename Sudan, as well as South Sudan, because the word means ‘Country of the Blacks’. As a matter of fact, when General ‘Chinese’ Gordon was killed there back in 1888, he was there on an anti-slavery mission. But I do understand the friendship between Trump and Narendra Modi.

Trump wants the old Confederacy names to stay on US military bases, even though they all opposed the Union. And Modi wants every trace of Muslim rule removed from India. So not only are they both antiMuslim, they’re also both racists.

Of course, Modi is one-up, because the religion he espouses is founded on the four castes, or varnas, or colours. Trump, on the other hand, belongs to a religion which espouses the equality of all, but which not only countenanced the slave trade, but said that Ham was meant to serve his brother Sam and Japheth, Noah’s other two sons. In fact, maybe they’re anti-Muslim because it stresses the quality of races and colours in a way unequalled by any other faith.

Monday, 15 June, 2020

NEWS

paKistan reports almost 7,000 inFections in single day KaraCHI

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AGENCIES

AKISTAN broke its previous record for a single-day rise in Covid-19 cases, reporting 6,825 new cases across the country on Sunday, the Health Ministry said.

The development came only a day after the South Asian state – the second hardest-hit in the region after India – recorded 6,472 cases on Saturday.

With the new numbers, the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has risen to 139,230. Some 51,735 patients have recovered so far.

Another 81 people died of coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, raising the death toll to 2,632, the statistics showed. Over 100 lawmakers, including two former prime ministers, the opposition leader, and several state ministers, have also contracted by the virus.

Shahid Afridi, former captain of the Pakistani cricket team, has also tested positive.

The statistics show that the rate of death in confirmed cases also rose to 2 per cent, from 1.7 per cent earlier, while recoveries also climbed from 20 per cent to 32 per cent.

govt repatriates over 64,000 stranded pakistanis from 50 countries ISLAMABAD: The government has so far repatriated more than 64,000 stranded Pakistanis from 50 countries, with thousands still stuck at the foreign shores, looking for their return amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Nevertheless, the evacuation of such a large number of stranded nationals is a feather in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government’s cap, which took lead in launching the world’s largest repatriation operation soon after the imposition of travel restrictions worldwide to contain the coronavirus spread. As of June 11, at least 64,855 Pakistanis were brought to the country shores via air and land routes, said a document shared by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) on Sunday. Out of total, 60,526 were brought to the country under special flight operations, whereas repatriation of 4,329 Pakistanis was done via land borders of India, Afghanistan and Iran. The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries remained a main focus for the government where a whooping number of expats were still stuck due to limited number of flights operated by Pakistan. APP

The data showed that most deaths occurred in patients age 60-69, at a rate of nearly 30 per cent.

Health experts see the rising caseload as a result of the lifting of a pro-

longed lockdown late last month, warning that the country’s already weak healthcare system could crash soon if the tally continues to surge at the current pace.

Govt allocates Rs9bn for KP projects, slashes uplift budget for tribal districts pESHaWar AZIZ BUNERI

The federal government has allocated Rs9 billion for 19 separate projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), while slashing the uplift budget for the tribal districts.

Out of the 19 developmental projects, some of them are in Peshawar while the rest are for other settled districts of KP. According to the PSDP, Rs2.5 billion has been earmarked for the construction of a 36 kilometre (km) highway from Peshawar to Dara Adam Khel. Similarly, construction of the 32.2 km long Peshawar Northern Bypass will be completed at a cost of Rs3 billion with the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Additionally, Rs50 million has been allocated for the construction of Pakistan Academy of Rural Development Highway, Rs296.5 million for Expo Center Peshawar and Rs70 million for the initiation of a technology development center at Agriculture University Peshawar.

During the next financial year, Rs250 million will be spend for IT Industrial Innovation and Research Center in Peshawar, Rs250 million for improvement of educational and vocational facilities at University of Peshawar, Rs50 million for Khyber Medical University Peshawar

and Rs50 million for the construction of barracks, police station, lock ups and civil lines.

The federal government will also provide Rs20 million for the construction of auditorium, hostel and a mess for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Peshawar office. Rs30 million has also been proposed for human rights directorate and all regional directorates in the province.

Moreover, the government has also allocated Rs45 million for Peshawar Light Engineering Center, Rs851.64 million for replacement of hockey turf in six districts including Peshawar, Rs295.572 million for rehabilitation and improvement of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) coaching center in Peshawar and Rs133.42 for the construction of camp office of Federal Shariat Court.

Under the proposed development program for the province, Rs86.93 million has been proposed for the construction of Federal Courts Complex in Peshawar, Rs24.47 million for the construction of office, conference hall and other buildings for Pakistan Academy of Letters in Peshawar, Rs100 million for upgradation of petrol testing facility and Rs 47.05 million for construction of Hajj residential block at the Hajj Directorate in Peshawar.

The federal budget also includes Rs 92.23 million for the upgradation of Botanical Center at PCSIR Laboratory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Rs350 million for the laying of power cable in Peshawar, Khyber and Bannu.

PTI govt like epidemic, cause of multiple crises: PPP leaders ISLamaBad INP

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders, while addressing a press conference at Zardari House, Islamabad, on Sunday, said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Pakistan is like an epidemic due to which the whole country is engulfed in multiple crises.

PPP Secretary Information Dr Nafisa Shah, PPP chairman’s spokesperson Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Senator Rubina Khalid, Tariq Shah and Nazir Dhoki were present on the occasion.

Dr Nafisa said that Pakistan did not need a traditional budget this year because of Covid-19 which is the biggest threat to the lives of Pakistani people. She said that the budget should have been a “peoples’ budget” and in the interest of the people. She added that this budget was abhorred by every sector in Pakistan because it failed to address the real issues.

“The government gave wrong statistics despite the fact that the pandemic will remain in Pakistan God knows for how long,” she said, adding that the govern-

ment disappointed employees by not increasing their wages.

“No relief was given to the poor people of Pakistan and the government has imposed indirect taxes of Rs450 billion,” she further said.

Senator Mustafa said that the government should have allocated funds to deal with Covid-19 and should have also given more health budget to the provinces so

that the patients could be looked after. No relief package was announced for health workers, he added.

“The prime minister followed the countries which messed up their fight against Covid-19,” he said, adding that an individual has been imposed on Pakistan who is not capable of running the country or putting the economy on the right track.

Senator Rubina said that yesterday an All Parties’ Conference (APC) was held in Peshawar where very important decisions have been taken. She said that it is very unfortunate that the people who have made this federal budget will also make the budget for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The health system in KP is in tatters and oxygen is not available in hospitals in KP, she added.

Tariq Shah said that the government is putting people in misery instead of providing them relief. “This budget has nothing for government employees and the poor people of Pakistan. The government has deducted up to 12 per cent from the share of provinces,” he said, adding that the government has totally ignored the agriculture sector and the food security is under threat.

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pakistan, turkey have identical views on Kashmir: aJK president MIRPUR: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan while terming Turkey as a symbol of dignity and justice in the contemporary world, said that Pakistan and Turkey are brotherly Muslim countries and have identical stand and approach on important global issues including Kashmir. He said this in a video message on Sunday on the occasion of the launching of the web portal of International Civil Society and Strategic Advocacy Organization, Kashmir Civitas in the Turkish language, the AJK Presidential secretariat informed the media. “Pakistan and Turkey are two countries but their people feel as if they are one homeland. Their hearts beat together. Turkey today has become a symbol of dignity and justice.” Khan said. AJK President expressed his confidence that Kashmir Civitas web portal will create new digital space across the globe to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people - the killings, blinding, torture, sexual violence, dispossession, land grab - in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and provides an advocacy platform for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. Describing relationship between Turkey and Jammu and Kashmir as brotherly and time-tested, Masood said AJK will never forget that Turkey was the first international responder to the 2005 devastating earthquake and it had helped us rebuild three cities in the earthquake affected areas and left behind an imprint and signature of friendship all over Azad Kashmir. APP

shehbaz asks govt to increase salaries by 10 per cent LaHOrE STAFF REPORT

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday urged the government for at least a 10 per cent increase in salaries of government employees as he termed the government’s decision of no raise in the salaries “totally unacceptable”. President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif said that PML-N, during its tenure, raised salaries of the government employees and provided them housing allowance and other benefits. He further said that inflation has crossed all limits and health expenditure has also increased, so not increasing salaries of government employees in these circumstances is injustice. Shehbaz Sharif further said that there are no programs in the budget to create jobs and reduce poverty in the country. The budget does not include any program that provides relief to farmers despite the fact that the agricultural sector is suffering a decline of 2.9 per cent, he added. On Saturday, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also criticised the budget. Bilawal had said that the policies of the selected government were akin to taking revenge on the people for questioning its legitimacy, as its federal budget exercise exposed both its callousness and indifference to the urgent needs of the people at such a delicate time. The PPP chairman had stated that it is obvious that budget proposals have ignored the Covid-19 pandemic, locust attacks and the well-being of healthcare professionals, the needs of the salaried class, pensioners and poverty-ridden people.

careem becomes region’s multi-service, everyday super app DUBAI: Careem, the leading internet platform for a rapidly growing region extending from Morocco to Pakistan is now the region’s first everyday Super App. As a Super App, Careem will provide multiple services alongside its core business of ride hailing. From the end of June 2020, an expanded range of services will be available to all of Careem’s 33 million registered users and 1.7 million Captains across 13 countries and over 100 cities. Careem began expanding its core business initially with food and delivery in 2019 and is now offering services across three areas: Mobility of People, Mobility of Things and Mobility of Money. “The recent consumer shift from offline to online is significant and the current global pandemic is only accelerating digital adoption - particularly in delivery and payments. Careem’s Super App serves to support this rapid digital adoption by bringing together people’s essential, everyday services in one place, with a single sign-on and integrated payment system. We’re tailoring products and services to local needs so people with busy lives will be able to get right to the services that are important to them.” said Mudassir Sheikha, Co-Founder and CEO of Careem. PRESS RElEASE

Monday, 15 June, 2020

04 LAHORE

WEATHER UPDATES MONDAY

Gang arrested for stealing people’s identities News DesK A 16-member gang was arrested in Faisalabad on Saturday for looting people by sending fake messages pretending to be from government banks and other departments. The gang was actively robbing the residents of Faisalabad and Gujranwala and were arrested after an investigation by the Federal Investigation Agency. “We first collaborated with multiple banks and traced the suspects through the data we got,” an FIA officer said. “Seven FIRs have been registered so far with the cybercrime wing,” he added. The gang members talked to the victims and lured them in, bought fake SIM cards and faked thumb impressions. They then took money from people through online transactions.

Unemployed youth commits suicide FAIsALABAD APP

A young factory worker has committed suicide over unemployment in the area of Samanabad police station. Police spokesman said today that 40-year-old Nadir son of Ramzan resident of Athara Harazai was staying in Muzaffar Colony where he was also working in a local factory.

However, due to coronavirus lockdown, the factory administration sacked some employees including Nadir son of Ramzan. Nadir became irrigated as his family started feeling severe financial constraints due to his unemployment. Over this issue, Nadir committed suicide by hanging him with ceiling fan of his room in Muzaffar Colony.

The police took his body into custody and called his relatives for completing necessary legal formalities before his burial.

CM warns strict action against violators of corona SOPs LAHORe APP

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Sunday that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, a comprehensive strategy was being adopted to cope with coronavirus. In a statement, he said the government had taken collective decisions with mutual consultations without any waste of time. He outlined that the nation would have to strictly follow precautionary measures to impede the spread of coronavirus and vowed to take up essential measures in order to protect lives of the masses. The CM warned that stringent legal action would be taken against those for failing to implement corona SOPs. Usman Buzdar underscored that the government had to safeguard the masses not only from the economic constraints but also from corona pandemic. He lamented that those elements criticizing effective strategy of the government were blind to the ground realities. He regretfully remarked that those making vague statements had forgotten the masses in their difficult time and such elements by playing politics on the lives of the masses were ruining their worldly lives and their lives hereafter. Usman Buzdar urged the masses to wear masks and avoid going out of their houses without genuine need or reason. He exhorted the shopkeepers to strictly adhere to the corona SOPs as public cooperation was imperative to curb the spread of coronavirus.

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Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has told that around 10,000 beds have been made available for the treatment of Covid-19 patients in the province.

Addressing a press conference, the minister said that 2,000 additional beds will also be acquired very soon. 197 public sector ventilators along with 104 from private sector have been arranged for coronavirus sufferers, she added.

On the other hand, Pakistan has confirmed 81 deaths by novel coronavirus in one day as the number of positive cases

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PUnjab GOvT MakeS QUran COUrSe MandaTOry in UniverSiTieS LAHORe

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He Punjab government has made it mandatory for universities to teach students the Holy Quran with translation, according to a notification issued by the provincial government on Sunday.

The notification states that a student will not be awarded a degree if he or she does not study the Holy Quran with the translation.

“Lecturers in all universities of Punjab will teach the Holy Quran with translation to all students,” said the notification. It added that the holy Book will be taught separately from the Islamiat subject, which is already being taught at universities.

Governor Sarwar said that success in the world and the hereafter can only be achieved through proper implementation on the guidelines of the Holy Quran.

In April, the Punjab governor had

formed a seven-member committee of vice-chancellors to submit recommendations on how to make the teaching of the Holy Quran with translation compulsory in all provincial universities.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting with vice-chancellors at Governor ’s House, he had stated that it will be compulsory for students to attend lectures in which the Holy Quran is taught with translation, adding that the Book is a complete code of life and its better understanding will help

masses in winning Allah's favour.

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said that all universities should make the teaching of the holy Quran with translation part of their syllabus, adding that it is the responsibility of universities to disseminate the knowledge of the Quran to the younger generation.

He said classes in which the holy Quran will be taught with translation will be compulsory for students and the requisite amendment will be made to the constitution.

The committee had been directed to submit the first draft of its recommendations by May 10 which will be transmitted to the VC of other public and private universities and ulema in the province.

He had said the feedback from all quarters will be discussed on May 17, adding that the committee will submit final recommendations on May 22 which will be duly implemented across the province.

The vice-Chancellors committee was headed by Punjab University VC Prof Niaz Ahmed while Prof Dr Masood Gondal of King edward Medical University (KeMU), University of education VC Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, University of Health Sciences (UHS) VC Dr Javaid Akram, University of engineering and Technology (UeT) VC Prof Mansoor Sarwar, Goevrnment College University (GCU) Lahore VC Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi and Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) VC Dr Bushra Mirza were the members.

Coronavirus update: 2,514 new cases reported in Punjab LAHORe

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He number of COVID-19 patients reached to 52,601 in the province after the registration of 2514 new cases during the last 24 hours.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department spokesperson said on Sunday noon that 31 more citizens lost their lives while death toll reached to 969 in the province while 17,560 patients have so far recovered.

As many as 1331 new coronavirus cases were registered in Lahore, 5 in Nankana Sahib district, 18 in Kasur, 26 in Sheikhupura, 234 in Rawalpindi, 8 in Attock, 6 in Jehlum, 55 in Gujranwala, 130 in Sialkot, 3 in Narowal, 102 in Gujrat, 1 in Hafizabad,157 in Multan, 9 in Khanewal, 12 in Vehari, 11 in Muzafargarh, 123 in Faisalabad, 2 in Chineot, 7 in Toba Tek Singh, 3 in Jhang, 53 in Rahimyar Khan, 43 in Sargodha, 5 in Mianwali, 2 in Khoshab, 16 in Layyah, 8 in Bhakkar, 8 in Bahawalnagar, 47 in

Bahawalpur, 9 in Lodhran, 46 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 2 in Rajanpur, 10 in Okara, 20 in Sahiwal, and 2 new case were reported in Pakpatan district during the 24 hours.

The Punjab health department so far conducted 338,714 tests for COVID-19.

The department has appealed to the masses to opt SOPs by covering faces with masks and washing hands with soap several times in a day.

People have been advised to contact 1033 immediately on symptoms of coronavirus.

Mafia minting money with blood plasma of recovered Covid-19 patients KARACHI inP

LAHORE: A family visits Greater Iqbal Park in the provincial capital. OnLinE

10,000 beds made available for Covid-19 patients in Punjab: Dr Yasmin LAHORe

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has surged to 139,230. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 2,652.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), record 6,825 persons have been tested positive for COVID-19 in 24 hours.

Till now 52,601 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Punjab, 51,518 in Sindh, 17,450 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 8,028 in Balochistan, 7,934 in Islamabad, 1,095 in GilgitBaltistan and 604 in Azad Kashmir.

Pakistan has so far conducted 868,565 coronavirus tests and 29,546 in last 24 hours. 51,735 coronavirus patients have recovered in the country whereas many are in critical condition.

The life-saving blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients being used for making money in Punjab. It has been disclosed that a mafia doing business with the blood plasma of recovered patients of COVID-19, minting millions of rupees from the immoral business. Head of the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) Dr Tahir Shamsi has said that after Punjab, Islamabad is the next target of the elements doing this dirty business. Dr. Shamsi has disclosed that the blood plasma being sold at the price of upto one lac rupees for each donation.

Islamabad and Punjab need a setup to collect blood plasma of the recovered patients of coronavirus, the NIBD chief said. Several recovered patients of coronavirus want to donate their blood plasma but they don’t know where to go for it, he said. He said with the assistance of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the blood plasma collection centres will be established in Punjab and the federal capital on Monday (tomorrow). The governments in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have established a mechanism to collect blood plasma of the recuperated patients thus closing the door of illegal business of plasma in these provinces, he added. The doctors have found plasma therapy or passive immunization therapy effective for the critical patients of coronavirus, which has saved several lives in Pakistan. Dr Shamsi earlier said that two lives can be saved via plasma of one recovered patient of coronavirus, adding that number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the country. He said a person can again donate plasma after one week of first donation adding that 80 per cent of the coronavirus patients usually recover after plasma therapy.

Monday, 15 June, 2020

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SIndh rePorTS 2,287 new InfeCTIonS, 15 deAThS KARACHI

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INDH on Sunday reported 2,287 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours after 11,197 tests were conducted in the province. In a media briefing, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the total number of infections across the province stand at 53,805 whereas the province has conducted a total of 2,98,332 tests so far. Shah said that 15 more patients of coronavirus died in 24 hours across the

province, increasing the death toll from Covid-19 to 831.

The chief minister said that 27,368 patients undergoing treatment in Sindh and 573 of them were in critical condition and 80 are on ventilators, however, 1,219 patients had recovered taking the total number of people recovered from the disease to 25,606.

Shah said that of the 2,287 new coronavirus cases, 1,499 were in Karachi.

It may be noted here that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan has jumped to 139,230 after detection of record 6,825 new infections in past 24 hours.

Teen boy Injured by Men ATTeMPTIng SodoMy AdMITTed In Luh NEWS DESK A 16 years old boy was admitted to Hyderabad's Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) after being injured in an attempted sexual assault, it emerged on Sunday. According to the details, the boy’s father, Mohsin Soomro, alleged that four men tried to subject to sodomy in a field in Matiari district.

Soomro said that his brother's friend had come to their home on June 12 and had taken his brother for a ride on his motorcycle. When they did not return after two hours, the boy's father tried to contact him but in vain. He said that he and his uncle then started searching in the area. "When we reached a mango orchard, I heard my brother's cries. The accused fled upon seeing us." Soomro alleged that his brother received neck injuries from a knife while resisting the attempt. The boy was taken first to a hospital in the district but was shifted to LUH on Saturday. A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the accused under section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), section 377 (unnatural offences), section 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd) and section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or for a shorter term) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Soomro claimed that the police registered the FIR after a day's delay. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Asif Bughio said that raids were conducted but none of the accused have been arrested so far.

284 more policemen test positive for coronavirus, says spokesperson NEWS DESK At least 284 policemen have tested positive for coronavirus in the past four days, a Sindh police spokesperson said Sunday. The novel coronavirus has so far claimed the lives of eight policemen in Karachi, he said. The spokesperson said that 778 personnel and officers of Sindh police have so far tested positive for the virus. At least 576 members of the force are still under treatment, while 194 have recovered and been sent home. The spokesperson said that the department is taking good care of its personnel affected by the virus. The virus has so far claimed 831 lives in Sindh, while the total number of known cases in the province has jumped to 53,085. In Pakistan, at least 2,647 people have died of the virus.

The total number of known cases in the country has jumped to 140,797.

KMC says 1,300 deaths recorded in 10 days NEWS DESK Karachi has been maintaining a lead in the emergence and deaths of maximum coronavirus cases as opposed to the rest of the province as over 1,300 people have died in the port city in the past 10 days. According to the statistics released by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) today, over 1,300 dead bodies were brought to various graveyards in the metropolis during June 1 to June 10. Karachi has witnessed a 40 per cent increase in mortality rate during the current month, the report said and added that the situation had started worsening since the 10th of Ramzan. The report said that 2,375 had died in Karachi during the whole month of June last year. Earlier today, Oxygen cylinders in the biggest city of Pakistan, a highly sought after commodity amidst the coronavirus pandemic had become scarce. Due to the demand exceeding the supply, a single cylinder worth Rs5,000 before the pandemic was now being sold at Rs30,000. Doctors had suggested the use of oxygen cylinders at home for patients showing symptoms of coronavirus and having trouble breathing. The price of oxygen cylinders and the supply both had been jolted after the suggestion which made consumers buy them in a frenzy.

According to the latest data released by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the death toll from Covid-19 in the country has reached 2,632 with 81 more virus-related deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

According to NCOC, 51,518 cases have been detected in Sindh, 52,601 in Punjab, 17,450 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 8,028 in Balochistan, 7,934 in Islamabad, 604 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 1,095 in Gilgit Baltistan (GB). A total of 6,825 new cases were detected when 29,546 new tests were conducted during this period.

Peshawar’s citizens replicate Turkish ‘Goodness Baskets’ to help the poor PESHAWAR APP

Realising increasing difficulties and hardships of poor strata in the wake of prevailing economic slump caused by coronavirus pandemic, a group of Peshawar dwellers have decided to replicate the idea of `Goodness Baskets’ for the help of needy people.

The idea of keeping `Goodness Baskets’ at bread bakers’ shops for help of needy people was initiated in Turkey and received appreciation globally after becoming viral on social media. In the city area, a number of bread bakers have placed these Goodness Baskets at their shops close to a printed colourful poster highlighting the importance of help of needy people in our religion.

The poster also explains that in Turkey during the period of Ottoman Empire, people used to place such baskets so that people could put some extra bread in it for the consumption of needy and poor people.

Pakistan Hindkowan Tehrik, a platform of Hindko speaking people of Peshawar, being patronised by a local businessman, Atif Haleem, has taken the initiative of keeping Goodness Bas-

kets at the shops of bread bakers. “The idea of keeping these baskets came to my mind while observing an increase in hardships of already economically pressed poor people of the city,” said Atif Haleem.

Talking to APP, Atif said,"Initially Pakistan Hindkowan Tehrik has placed these baskets in around 20 shops in the interior city for the help of people and we are increasing these by taking the owners of the shops in confidence."

"Customers coming to the shops keep some extra bread or money in the basket which the shopkeepers collect and when a needy comes, he gives him freshly baked bread as per his demands," Atif explains.

He said the organisation was expanding its work on a daily basis by taking bread bakers into confidence and also by spreading the network of Goodness baskets to the Sadar area of Nothia.

Atif said people wanted to help poor whenever they got a platform for it and the idea of the Goodness basket was right step in that direction. Muhammad Imran, a bread baker in Hastnagri area of Peshawar city, told this scribe that he was happy over cooperating with Pakistan Hindkowan Tehrik in the noble cause.

“Representatives of the organization came and talked with me about the charity initiative and I forthwith expressed my consent for becoming a part of it.

Everyone wants to do good work and this apparently looking petty donation is helping a lot of needy people on a daily basis." "Around 20 to 30 needy people come to my shop for the collection of bread kept in the basket," Imran added.

He said initially it was a new initiative and people were getting awareness about it as a result of which both the donation and bread collection was increasing with each passing day. Imran also informed that a number of customers have said that people in the nearby locality also wanted launching of this helping programme and soon the basket would be kept in those areas.

“The prevailing coronavirus lockdown has exacerbated our miseries very much, making it almost impossible for poor strata to feed their family on a daily basis,” said a needy person who requested for not disclosing his identity. "I have a five-member family and we have to opt for starving sometimes because of having nothing with us to eat, he disclosed".

Moreover, the Goodness Basket was a very good idea of helping needy people

Around 250,000 people under lockdown in Muzzaffarbad, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD APP

After a surging rise in COVID-19 spread across the country, various parts of the country were put under complete lockdown with large number of positive cases reported in those areas where Muzaffarabad city was under complete lockdown with 200,000 populations, two sectors of Islamabad G-9/2 and G8/3 were locked with approximately 50,000 populations.

The test, trace and quarantine (TTQ) strategy developed by the government helped to impose smart lockdowns with the chunk of affected population home quarantined for reducing the contagion outbreak.

The smart lockdown had been imposed in various parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and the federal capital.

The data provided by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) revealed that the core objective of the TTQ strategy was to identify coronavirus spreading hotspots and cluster areas, imposing smart lockdown in the affected places, quar-

antining of positive and suspected patients, contact tracing of the Covid-19 patients, optimisation of healthcare facilities at all levels, augmentation of testing capacity, boosting healthcare capacity to avoid it getting overrun with the increasing number of patients and meticulous monitoring through technology and trained workforce.

The strategy was developed with the assistance of Pakistan Army which was one of the best and productive solutions to be adopted to contain the increasing risk of pandemic outbreak through smart lockdowns.

The strategy managed to build up a strong and grass roots level network of trained community activists and leaders to mobilize the masses to fully comply with safety guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to contain the risk of the contagion. As many as 66 districts administrations among 1500 Union Councils were engaged in collaboration with the rural support programmes (RSPs). The available data showed that Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)’s 8 districts had 127 local support organizations (LSOs) functional at the basic tier of rural union

councils under the ambit of National Rural Support Programme (NRSP).

Similarly, Balochistan’s 11 districts had 223 LSOs under NRSP and BRSP, Gilgit Balstistan’s (GB) 9 districts had 58 LSOs under Agha Khan RSP, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) had 5 LSOs under NRSP working, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 7 districts had 141 LSOs under various RSPs operational and Punjab’s 14 districts had 406 LSOs. “Under these RSPs collaboration around 20 million people would get benefit from community awareness and education programmes and relief activities to control the coronavirus epidemic.”

Since the strategy was launched across the country after completing its pilot phase, around 2,117 community awareness raising sessions were carried out in the shortest span of time across the country. However, 13,700 mosque announcements were made, about 17,813 information providing pamphlets, brochures and leaflets were distributed, few suspected cases were also identified with the help of this strategy and were referred to the respective health departments, 4,918 face-masks were also distributed along with safety gloves whereas 3,430 families were provided soaps for hand-washing.

It merits mention here that under the NRSP collaboration in ICT around 80 women and 20 men were trained as community activists that signifies the commitment of the masses especially women to spearhead social efforts to contain the risk of outbreak through education and awareness. Moreover, RSPN has established a monitoring system for this initiative and its format was shared with the NCOC where the information would be provided to NCOC weekly and fortnightly on this format.

in a respectable manner without hurting their self-respect, he added.

He further said that a similar programme of `Goodness Wall’ was also a very appreciable initiative where people hung their used or extra clothes for the needy ones. He said the poor were compelled to seek help by raising their palms in front of others and if such programmes were initiated those would provide them help in a respectable manner.

“This is a good initiative of inviting people to come for help to those facing difficulties due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy of the country,” commented Bilal Rehman, a young social worker associated with TARS (Compassion) Foundation.

Talking to APP, Bilal said everyone who could afford should contribute in such activities aimed at helping the poor.

He said coronavirus forced lockdown and commercial slump has rendered hundreds of thousands of people jobless or snatched their livelihood, making life very much difficult for them. In such a scenario, it was religious as well as moral responsibility of all well off people to contemplate on helping needy people suffering because of a natural calamity, Bilal advised.

PTI MPA Sumera Shams tests positive for coronavirus

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly’s member Dr Sumera Shams on Sunday has been tested positive for novel coronavirus. Dr Sumera Shams from Lower Dir, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA on reserved seat was tested and diagnosed coronavirus positive. According to a lab report issued on Sunday, Dr Sumera Shams has been detected of coronavirus infection. In a statement Dr Shams has said that after symptoms of the disease she underwent coronavirus test, which was resulted in positive. The MPA said she has quarantined herself at home and requested people to pray for her early recovery.

Several politicians and lawmakers have diagnosed Covid-19 positive in tests across the country. Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Mushtaq Ghani has recently tested positive for coronavirus, whereas, his daughter and son-in-law were also detected with Covid19. According to the Senate of Pakistan spokesperson, Senator Attaur Rehman, Senator Fida Muhammad, Mirza Afridi and Senator Sana Jamali have been confirmed coronavirus positive. Two former prime ministers, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Yousuf Raza Gillani, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, party’s senior leader Ahsan Iqbal, PTI’s MNA Farrukh Habib, MQM legislator in NA Usama Qadri and Senator Sanaullah Jamali from Balochistan have been detected with coronavirus. Moreover, 23 members of Sindh Assembly have also been diagnosed COVID-19 positive after tests. INP

Monday, 15 June, 2020

06 COMMENT

Life or Livelihood

Budget 2020-2021 Meeting targets unlikely

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The world’s reserve currency, political systems, behaviour, are all changing

hE federal budget has been duly presented, but the person really responsible for it, PM’s Finance Adviser Dr hafeez sheikh, only had his moment in the sun at saturday’s traditional post-Budget press conference, the actual presentation to the National Assembly having been made by the industries and Production Minister, who is a member of that house, which the PM’s Advisor is not. Dr shaikh may have found it difficult to prepare a Budget where the allimportant revenue target is dictated by the international Monetary Fund. The targets given for the revenue collection usually determine provincial budgets, but Dr shaikh’s confidence in is own figures were so low that he said the provinces were free to base their budgets on their own projections of what the Federal Bureau of Revenue would collect.

This inability to judge the reliability of government revenue does not inspire much confidence in the FBR’s ability to collect the Rs 4.9 trillion committed to the iMF. As Dr shaikh said, the Budget came at a peculiar time, in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, and all bets could be off if the pandemic lasted. Any failure to meet the collection would not only throw provincial budgets out of kilter, but would also provide the iMF an excuse to pull out of its current Extended Funding Facility. That would not be the only obligation that Pakistan might not be able to meet. Even though there has been some temporary debt relief given, Pakistan is by no means safe from a foreign debt repayment crisis which is brewing, and which will be made worse by the collapse of both export earnings and workers’ remittances.

Dr shaikh came very close to saying that the Budget was only presented because it was a constitutional requirement. it certainly seemed that way, mainly because it was unable to dispel the uncertainty surrounding government finances that it was supposed to. This could be because of the covid-19 pandemic, but its devastating effects should have been factored in. With Dr sheikh heading the government’s economic team, it’s not as if the expertise is lacking to foresee at least the range within which the government can operate. There has to be an element of realism introduced into government finances, an element which at the moment seems lacking.

Humayun GauHar

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his is a terrible choice. Especially for a government. it is a choice before every government in the world and the answer is not easy. Because of that, most governments will opt for the middle course.

The problem is that if governments continue with the lockdown, their economies will suffer further and employment, businesses and therefore livelihoods become near impossible. if they end the lockdown then the pandemic will spread and many more people will die, and that’s the end of life. it’s a double whammy. But then, without livelihood, life will decrease if not end. With life continuing as it did in the pre-covid-19 era, life will end at the hands of the pandemic, perhaps faster. so what is the point?

Remember the purpose of every government is to improve the human condition and if the human condition declines i ask again, what is the point? Until a vaccine is found and the virus stopped dead in its tracks, there will be no answer. so the middle course will be what everyone is trying to do. Ease the lockdown and get as many people back to their jobs while implementing strict sOPs. The problem is to ensure that the sOPs are followed.

When the lockdown was eased in Pakistan, just look at the crowds that gathered in bazaars without regard to social distancing and many not wearing masks. Obviously the pandemic will spread, hospitals will be even more overwhelmed and governments will be at their wits end. The obvious answer is to manage, not control, human behaviour. That’s easier said than done. You have to be a strict oneparty state like China to be able to do that. in a flawed democracy or the pretence of it, you cannot.

Shortage of lifesaving drugs The government needs to go beyond just word

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Child labour violates not just childrens rights, but fundamental rights too CHanGezi SandHu

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NFORTUNATELY, there is not even a single day that goes without at least one case (reported or unreported) of child abuse, rape, murder, kidnapping, torturing, and becoming a victim of marital disputes, enmity. Children’s rights are infringed even by forced labour, by forcing them to work in a hazardous environment and their employment as minors needs watching because of financial hardships and other factors in our society. however, this will focus on the child labour laws and the legal commitments of Pakistan in this regard as a signatory of the international Labour Organization’s Minimum Age Convention (C138), ratified in 1973. since 1996, there was not even a single nationwide survey on child labour in Pakistan. however, the federal and provincial governments all agreed to conduct a nationwide survey to extract data on child labour and the commitments of Pakistan with special reference to the international legal instruments that have been ratified by the country. These instruments regarding child labour are iLO C.138, Minimum Age, iLO C.182, Worst Forms of Child Labour, UN CRC, UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict, UN Convention on the Rights of Child, CRC Optional Protocol on the sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons.

According to the survey, 12.4 percent children of 5 to 14 age, of the total children population of that age category, are working in Punjab, and 21.5 percent of children of the same age category are working in sindh. The survey further concludes that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and sindh meet the international criteria of minimum age of work as per “iLO C.138, Minimum Age”, that is 15 in some circumstances. however, Pakistan’s labour laws are not

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Humayun Gauhar can be reached at: humayun.gauhar786@gmail.com

Child Labour Laws and Pakistan’s International Commitments

hE promise by health services sAPM Dr Zafar Mirza, that certain medicines which could be used in the treatment of covid-19, is bad enough, but when patients’ families have to pay vast sums to get those medicines, a dilemma was created which could have been avoided had the government paid more attention to the problem. in the case of lifesaving drugs, there is a tendency on the part of medicine traders to create a shortage which they will then exploit. To that extent, they may be called a mafia. however, it is the job of the government to ensure that there is no price-gouging or hoarding, and that these medicines are available in the market at a fixed price.

The pity of the situation is that the medicines are not always available even for those willing to pay the sort of exorbitant rates being charged by price-gougers and black-marketers. These medicines are already very expensive, and are also experimental to boot, none being a definite cure for covid-19. however, until a cure is identified, and a vaccine developed, these medicines are the best that are available for people who are fighting for their lives. it is therefore the government’s responsibility to ensure their availability. it cannot hide behind the excuse that the pandemic was unforeseen, and that the demand for these drugs was equally unforeseen. That excuse might wash in the early days of the pandemic, or at the time when these medicines were not identified as potential cures, but at this stage, the government should be clear about what it has to do. it is not as if this is an area in which the government is a new entrant. There is an elaborate mechanism involving a Drug Price Regulatory Authority, and the provincial governments are the biggest customers for medicines in the country. The shortage in itself is a sign that the government has not been to do its job, and has not understood the nature of its task in the current pandemic.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

One would say, you need to educate the populace so that they understand the difference between right and wrong and what’s good for them and bad for them. That’s also easier said than done. so the pandemic will spread, economies will derail until people learn hard lessons. social distancing and masks and hand-washing and all that jazz will become the cultural norm. it was our government, like others, that was caught between a rock and a hard place– life or livelihood? There is a triple whammy too: a burgeoning debt, huge fiscal and current account deficits, as too a trade deficit. People not paying income tax, a scourge our governments have perennially brought upon themselves by not applying income tax on many sectors of the economy like agriculture. That’s about 23 percent of the GDP that goes scot-free. Add to that incomplete documentation of the economy and you already have an impossible situation on your hands. But let’s not labour the point because in our kind of electoral democracy, if you lose the sympathy of the landlord, you lose his vote in the lower house of Parliament and will not be able to form a government. Obviously this cries out for a change in the system. That’s not all. There is also the humongous annual debt servicing bill and the perpetual bleeding done on the government’s resources by white elephants called the ‘public sector enterprises.’ These have to be rationalized very fast either by closure or by privatization or by selling 26 percent shares to strategic managers. Given these difficulties, the government did a creditable job introducing a Budget at all.

There is little room for criticism.

Pakistan does not exist in a vacuum. No country does. it should be obvious that the UsA is the engine of the global economy and if it suffers, its economy suffers and so does the global economy. And so too does Pakistan and every other country. The centerpiece of the Us economy is its currency that they made the global reserve currency instead of gold. so every country is hostage to the dollar and if the dollar goes down, other countries will go down because they will be holding reserves in paper whose value has diminished. i have been saying this in my last few articles but i am not alone. Many American writers are warning of the fall of the dollar. For example, stephen Roach writes in Bloomberg: ‘A crash in the dollar is coming.’ it would be useful to quote at some length from his article: “The era of the U.s. dollar’s “exorbitant privilege” as the world’s primary reserve currency is coming to an end. Then French Finance Minister Valery Giscard d’Estaing coined that phrase in the 1960s largely out of frustration, bemoaning a U.s. that drew freely on the rest of the world to support its

over-extended standard of living. For almost 60 years, the world complained but did nothing about it.

Those days are over.

Already stressed by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, U.s. living standards are about to be squeezed as never before. At the same time, the world is having serious doubts about the once widely accepted presumption of American exceptionalism.

Currencies set the equilibrium between these two forces — domestic economic fundamentals and foreign perceptions of a nation’s strength or weakness.

The balance is shifting, and a crash in the dollar could well be in the offing.

The seeds of this problem were sown by a profound shortfall in domestic U.s. savings that was glaringly apparent before the pandemic. in the first quarter of 2020, net national saving, which includes depreciation-adjusted saving of households, businesses and the government sector, fell to 1.4% of national income. This was the lowest reading since late 2011 and one-fifth the average of 7% from 1960 to 2005.

Lacking in domestic saving, and wanting to invest and grow, the U.s. has taken great advantage of the dollar’s role as the world’s primary reserve currency and drawn heavily on surplus savings from abroad to square the circle. But not without a price. in order to attract foreign capital, the U.s. has run a deficit in its current account — which is the broadest measure of trade because it includes investment — every year since 1982.

Covid-19, and the economic crisis it has triggered, is stretching this tension between saving and the current-account to the breaking point. The culprit: exploding government budget deficits. According to the bi-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the federal budget deficit is likely to soar to a peacetime record of 17.9% of gross domestic product in 2020 before hopefully receding to 9.8% in 2021.” so there you have it in plain words. it is not just me saying this. But something cannot disappear without something else appearing in its place. Nature abhors a vacuum. And as i have said before, that something else has to be the Chinese Yuan. i have been accused of having a “gilded view” of China, but something that is so obvious would be foolhardy to ignore.

This will be the last great test for an independent Pakistan before we settle down to the new currency regime.

That’s not the only thing that is failing. The great political systems of the world, which are best described as electoral democracies, are about to bite the dust for they have stopped delivering and we, as God says, have to “choose from amongst the best.” i said that human behaviour has to be managed.

When you’re managing something it has to be of a manageable size. This cries out for smaller states that will be easier to manage but that’s a long subject and we will get into it at some later date when i have the time and you have the patience.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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much aligned with its international commitments on child labour. For instance, article 3 of the iLO Minimum Age Convention (C138) states regarding minimum age standard for children as “the minimum age for admission to any type of employment or work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out is likely to less than 18 years”. But all federal and provincial legal instruments in Pakistan consider 15 as the minimum age for child labour.

Baluchistan province did not even set a minimum age for employment of children. in Punjab, the Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019, Punjab Restriction on Employment of Children Act 2016, and Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Act legally disallow a child to work if he or she is below 15-years old. in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shops and Establishment Act and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Factories Act term 15year the age when it is legal to work. in sindh, the sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, sindh Factories Act, sindh shops and Commercial Establishment Act allow the age of 15 as legal for child labour to work. in the capital territory, Factories Act, shops and Establishment Ordinance, Mines Act, and the Road Transport Workers Ordinance allow a child to work at the age of 15.

Grave violations of above mentioned conventions can be seen, which strike at human rights in general as well as children’s rights in particular. The most alarming matter is the working of minors (below age 15-year) in factories, brick kilns, houses, and on roads. There is not a fair implementation of these laws, particularly in rural areas.

Physical violence and mental torture, including sexual abuse, are the most severe threats, especially for working children. Forced child labour and lowest wages further humiliate and exploit children. so, the working place atmosphere is not compatible with

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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children’s rights. There are severe threats to the rights of children in multiple shapes.

Many cases have been registered in the last year about brutal violence against children. For instance, in February, the case of eight-year-old maid Areej Fatima who was tortured badly by irons rods and sticks on her demanding her salary of 2 months, was registered. Another case was registered of violence against a child in the workplace in which a 16-year-old housemaid Uzma- was beaten badly by the lady of the house for talking food from her plate. she was kept in a locked room for days.

There are many other cases which are unreported regarding violation of children’s rights. That of Zahra, the eight-year-old maid in Rawalpindi killed for letting prized parrots escape while she was feeding them, may have been extreme, but it threw a harsh light on the evil of domestic child labour.

There is a dire need to respect children’s rights at the individual, societal, and state levels. The laws of the federal government and provinces must be revised and enacted in compliance with the international standards by fulfilling their responsibilities, which are legally binding as per the ratified conventions of the international Labour Organization. The minimum age of work must be 15 years old, following the iLO conventions. There must be a stern check against workplace violence on children, as well as there is a need to create a work-friendly environment for them to work after attaining the minimum age. Children should not be allowed to work in homes, streets, factories, or brick kilns.

A comprehensive and international model of check and balance must be applied to prevent individuals and groups from flouting the rules and regulations. We must give relief to the innocent and voiceless souls by giving protection to their rights.

Changezi Sandhu can be Ch.changezi.sandhu111@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

reached at:

Monday, 15 June, 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

Pension relief ThE new federal budget for the financial year 2020-21 is currently being finalised by the concerned ministries and is likely to be presented on, or around, 12 June in the National Assembly. The federal government is facing very serious economic challenges, among other problems due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but is still expected to give some form relief to both serving and retired government officials.

Whatever ad hoc relief those currently serving shall be provided, the same should be doubled for retired officials who rely solely on their pension and are more often than not living in rented premises. Pensioners who retired prior to the turn of the century should be given special consideration as salaries at those times were quite low, subsequently leading to low pensions as well. The other day, a former deputy from Radio Pakistan who retired in 1999, stated that his pension is less than those who have retired as recently as two years before. This is because the PPP government had substantially increased the salaries of currently serving government officials ahead of the 2013 elections without an increase in pensions. Over the years, all civilian and military governments have been treating serving and retired public officials with meagre returns in terms of the provision of ad hoc relief. in view of the brief outlook provided, i request the Prime Minister and the federal government to substantially increase pension reliefs so that those who have served their country may live the rest of their lives comfortably. in view of the brief outlook provided, i request the Prime Minister and the federal government to substantially increase pension reliefs so that those who have served their country may live the rest of their lives comfortably.

SaEEd anwar Islamabad

Designing a smart lockdown

Equal responsibility The Prime Minister should have shown more leadership

Syed KaSwar Gardezi

T

hE covid-19 outbreak throughout the world has brought people together.

While some families have spent their quarantine time together, others have stayed apart. in general, the countries who have managed to flatten the curve of rising cases have had strong cooperation from their citizens coupled with an exceptional display of leadership. strict lockdowns and adherence to the rules has helped some countries stay on top of the pandemic. Owing to the systematic fight which these countries fought, they have now gradually started to ease down lockdown restrictions and return to normalcy, subject to social distancing rules.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is one of those peculiar countries which decide to embrace the pandemic in a literal sense. The lockdown restrictions started to ease down the day we recorded our highest number of cases which, has since then been growing every day. The Prime Minister of our country remains steadfast in his resolve that the lockdown is not the solution to the pandemic and the economy of the country is more important. The common man cannot be allowed to suffer the disastrous effects of an economic meltdown, concludes our PM in most of his addresses to the nation. he further goes on to reassure the citizenry that the covid-19 virus causes a simple flu which gets better in a few days and there was nothing to worry about.

The increase in cases has risen from hundreds to thousands each day as the lockdown has completely been lifted and PM Khan’s economy is back on track at the cost of an overwhelmed healthcare system which will soon collapse, under the present circumstances. The World health Organization, closely monitoring the situation in Pakistan, has officially advised the Punjab government to impose a strict twoweek lockdown in the province in order to counter the spread. While the letter brewed some sense in the provincial government and a

lockdown was recommended, the Prime Min- also the ones spreading herbal cures for the coroister, for reasons solely known to him, rejected navirus and guaranteeing results within hours. the idea over the weekend. he reiterated his Amidst the pandemic, every citizen is either a stance of not being able to afford a lockdown doctor or a philosopher with a groundbreaking theory rolled up his or hersleeve. due to economic distress.

We, the people, could not spend one Eid The Prime Minister, though widely claimed to have exceptional leadership skills, has failed staying indoors and without rushing to markets to stay true to his oath he had taken. Wrong de- for shopping. The end of the lockdown in itself cisions at the wrong time have brought the coun- was celebrated by most like Eid. The last ten try where it currently is, battling a pandemic days of Ramadan, we were let loose after weeks with negligible health support and a dense pop- of captivity. We left no stone unturned to meet ulation. The government and even the supreme and greet each other, catch up on the clothes Court are of the view that the covid-19 outbreak shopping and generally socialize with people.

With the end of the is not a pandemic as far lockdown, the coronas Pakistan is considavirus was over for us ered, though the latter therefore, we thronged has recalled its order Wearing a mask and washing to public places includwhere these views were ing mosques, because expressed. our hands in itself is a hefty how could one catch a We are simply virus in the house of faced with a situation task for us, let alone God, right? where our leader is not Turns out, while aware of his own popucomplying with all the SOPs. imran Khan shares a lation and country. he They say everyone gets what heavy burden for putexpects the citizens to us in the situation comply with sOPs, obthey deserve. It appears to be ting we are currently in, we, serve social distancing ourselves, have rushed rules, wear a mask, true in our case. While we towards this situation avoid large gatherings continue to profit on the lives eagerly and willingly. and stay indoors if necThe heavier burden essary. he also expects of people and play upon the was on the general popthe people to be coopulace to tackle the panerative and compliant anxieties of the citizens, we demic as a united with these rules. in that continue to seek Divine help nation. however, wearcase, he simply doesn’t ing a mask and washknow the country he which would put is out of our ing our hands in itself is rules. We are a blended a hefty task for us, let mix of illiteracy, stubmisery soon. We offer alone complying with bornness and lack of all the sOPs. They say morality. According to prayers with the same everyone gets what us, the whole pandemic contentment even though the they deserve. it appears is a conspiracy to pull to be true in our case. in aid and the governgrains churning in our While we continue to ment is exaggerating profit on the lives of the number of deaths stomach have been earned people and play upon and cases due to the by selling our souls the anxieties of the citpandemic. We are also izens, we continue to the same people who seek Divine help which sell life-saving drugs at would put is out of our ten times the price because economic conditions are currently harsh. misery soon. We offer prayers with the same not to mention the various kinds of masks and contentment even though the grains churning in sanitizers sold at exorbitant prices from which our stomach have been earned by selling our we have been able to maintain economic stabil- souls.

We, the people, are equally responsible for ity. some plasma donors also take precedence who, while “donating” plasma, charge hundreds the alarming situation in our country and till of thousands and feed on the anxiousness of such time that we are not prepared to step up those trying to save their loved ones. What a fine and mend our ways, the situation doesn’t appear to be getting better anytime soon. simiway of earning a livelihood.

Then comes the set of people actively advo- larly, in the eyes of most past supporters, cating their respective theories and encouraging imran Khan has not only been a disappointpeople to be carefree as, according to them, ment but rather a disaster for this country. covid-19 is a sham. This includes those mobs Syed Kaswar Gardezi is a lawyer and a who have attacked hospitals, blaming them for killing their loved ones by a dose of lethal injec- columnist. He can be contacted at tion, under the guise of the coronavirus. And kaswargardezi@gmail.com

FOR a range of reasons, a complete lockdown is opposite of combating the Covid-19 outbreak. This necessitates the need to find an alternative that can help reduce the pressure on the economy, personal and national, without putting lives in danger. This alternative can be a ‘smart lockdown’, one that is well enough to balance between lives and livelihoods.

Lockdown cannot continue indefinitely, but if it is lifted the existing infections would cause a surge in the numbers forcing another lockdown.The number of infected people going up and down with every new lockdown.A model of a smart lockdown developed by a group of scientists, recommends an intermittent lockdown: ten days of lockdown and four days of work per fortnight. Covid-19 has a latent period of three days, in which it is non-infectious. The suggested 14-day cycle helps people be away from the workplace, and hence spreading infection, as their lockdown days begin when they reach the infectious state. Even if someone gets infected on Day 1 of the cycle, their peak infection period would be during the lockdown days, reducing the number of secondary infections, Coming to the situation in Pakistan, in recent days, the increasing volume of traffic on the roads and voices heard on the media tell us that people want the lockdown to end. heavy losses are certain to be incurred on the economy and individuals in the form of loss in GDP through trade disruptions and increasing unemployment and poverty. in this scenario, Pakistan can opt for a much adapted version of the smart lockdown. Wearing of gloves and masks has been found to reduce the transmission of infection, and should be made mandatory for everyone leaving home. Those who can work remotely, should continue to do so, including online classes.There should be extra emphasis on following strict sOPs at the workplace. This strategy needs to be adopted by taking measures, including hygiene, physical distancing and testing, tracing and isolating the infected.There should be certain penalties if they show up to be a hub of contagion. People are testing the lockdown because of their own needs every day. The government is finding it hard to deliver support. No strategy can or should remain static. With experience and evidence all strategies must change and develop. People need to see the guidelines, sOPs and other information that will guide as well as educate them on behaviour and public health.

SaQIB ISHaQ Jhelum

No new taxes but taxes ThE new budget of 2020 has brought us to know that there would be no new taxes in Pakistan, is a repetitive sentence. is it be the reality or just a said sentence that before such words were in front lines? imran Khan, being the PM of Pakistan doesn’t look over each angle of the country where the rights of people are being just vanished day in and day out. Everything we see with taxes before buying, the high prices of products lead the poor question marks that how to load the family by very low income and lack of packages. Visiting all and sundry shops make needy think twice to buy things which are awful for all of the people who do not have a proper business or a high ranked governmental job. however, such categorical taxes means a lot to the people of Pakistan especially those who lack the fundamental right to live peacefully.

Beautifully, a writer said in Urdu ‘’ Marna Chahon Tho Woh Duzak Sey Dar Hai Mujhey” “Jeena Chahon Tho Mesar Nahi Jeena Mujh Ko” Poor won’t bear the undefined taxes from everything they see and want for the nourishment. They extremely suffer in the upcoming time because of unemployment, poverty, lack of basic rights, and no means of other packages from the government of Pakistan. if the government fails to oppose the sentence of no new taxes than people face numerous hardships from the compulsory finance charge which are imposed by the government of Pakistan.

We can get such helpless people who can’t get three times proper food to nourish their families. Due to poverty and lacking materials. The poor are becoming poorer day by day. And the rich are richer in the current situations. The only positive solution of this is on needy themselves who must initiate a good business and gain their children well- educated since poverty devastate the upcoming generation with the policies and imposition of new taxes time and again. inflation is bringing poor face problems.

At least the other members of MPAs and MNAs must talk about these problems though they are undefined your voice can be a lot for the country and its development.

JunaId BaKHt BaLoCH turbat

Monday, 15 June, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Death of the US State Department

AmericAn conservAtive

t

PETER VAN BUREN

he Department of State drifted through the past handful of administrations, an agency without agency, adequate personnel, or budget, virtually obsolete in the 21st Century. how did this happen?

Traditional diplomacy began as a necessary expedient. Nations had business with one another, but messages could take weeks to travel from one capital to another. Instead, ambassadors were sent out, empowered in the case of the U.S. as the President’s personal representative. heady stuff. Over time communications improved to the point where world leaders can now text each other, but those ambassadors and embassies remain like vestigial limbs.

With exceptions (FDR stand outs), presidents did not conduct first-name diplomacy or tie themselves up with the details of foreign affairs. They had secretaries of state for that. Things shifted under Richard Nixon, whose interest in first-person diplomacy with China and ownership of the Vietnam War sent the State Department into a supporting role. Soon enough, events both internal and external to the U.S., its State Department, and the world, did their work.

A RUBIK’S CUBE, NOT A CHESSBOARD: The world has changed even as the State Department is still largely config-

ured for the previous century. State’s primary organizational unit is the nation-state, and so it divides itself into the “China Desk” or the “Argentina Desk.” It assumes the host country has a government that works more or less like ours, with a Foreign Ministry, a system for sending policies up to the leader, some sort of press, that sort of thing. New diplomats arrive in foreign capitals in search of their one-to-one counterparts, from Albania to Zimbabwe.

Over the years State has created regional divisions (east Asia) and topical divisions (Science and Tech) but overlaid these across the geographic ones so that ideas skitter sideways and up and down simultaneously. The result is usually paralysis when it is not confusion. The problem is not determining who is in charge per se, but that 10-12 people all think they are in charge.

The days of the world as a chessboard are over. It’s now closer to a Rubik’s Cube Washington can’t figure out how to manipulate. In many cases no one in State can get to the policy task itself, busy as they are arguing over who has the lead on some issue. In most cases White house decision makers leave State to its internal fussing and seek timely guidance elsewhere — CIA, NSC, the Pentagon.

No one outside of official Washington can appreciate how much 9/11 altered the way the U.S. Government thinks about itself.

The shock changed the posture from one at times satisfied with passivity in its more distant foreign affairs to one demanding constant action. The intel community, for example, pivoted from gathering information to lethally acting on it. Presidents from that day forward would probably have preferred each Federal worker go out and strangle a terrorist personally, but if that was not possible everyone was to find a way to go to war. State never really did.

GROWING SOPHISTICATION OF FOREIGN ACTORS: The traditional image of the older gentleman from the em-

bassy meeting with the local king is for the movies. Foreign actors have gotten much more sophisticated in their ability to demand VIPs fly in to finalize deals, and in playing local staff off against the real decision makers scattered throughout Washington. Those foreign actors understand today State is less a one-stop portal into the USG and more of just a player to manipulate alongside others.

In almost every nation, smaller bureaucracies allow easier bundling of issues, something which befuddles State — Country X says if you want that naval base you have to cut American tariffs on cinnamon imports.

State throws up its hands, paralyzed, knowing their real diplomacy will involve the Pentagon and whoever the hell does spice tariffs in what, Treasury? Commerce? Senator Johnson’s office, whose district controls most cinnamon packaging? The other side is scheming clever demands while State organizes Zoom calls. The joke at the Department is it is forced to practice more diplomacy inside the Beltway than out.

Similarly, in most places abroad the U.S. has three centers of representation who vie for primacy, and are played off one another by smart foreigners. The Department of Defense maintains relationships with foreign militaries. The intel community does the same with local spies and cops. State tries with everyone left over. Depending on the country, the civilians State interfaces with may matter little in a power structure dominated by military commanders. That renders the American ambassador second place on his own team. That ambassador may not even know what his own military or spies are up to, leading to naughty surprises.

MILITARIZATION: Negotiating in Iraq with a minor tribal leader for safe passage, he asked me as the State Department representative how many goats I was offering.

About five seconds into my response on the need for lasting friendships, an U.S. Army major cut me off saying “I can get goats” and I no longer mattered to the negotiation, the

How to turn the tables on the Swiss banks

JerusAlem Post LEON HARRIS

Bribery and kickbacks are illegal in many countries, including the US, UK and Israel. But anyone with investments in Switzerland may not know they were affected and may even be due a fee refund, which can be substantial.

This refers to hidden “retrocession fees” or “portfolio maintenance commission” which had the effect of reducing return rates with little or no detailed explanation. here is an example: Annual return, say: 5% Undisclosed “Portfolio maintenance commission”: 2% Disclosed return to the investor: 3% Disclosed bank fee: 1% Net disclosed return: 2% (less than half the 5%) In other words, the bank or financial institution may have received not only a disclosed fee appearing on your bank statement, but also a hidden fee from the fund or similar where they invested your money.

The refund due may be as much as $25,00075,000, per million dollars. however, you won’t get a refund of any hidden fees if you don’t apply soon. There are time limits and action may be needed now to stop the clock.

You don’t need many details to start the process, mainly the name and address of the bank and a copy of the passport of the family member that held the account.

How did all this happen?

BACKGROUND: For many years, it was very common that people from all over the world invested assets in Switzerland. The bank secrecy, the stable Swiss Franc and the international infrastructure of Swiss banks spoke for themselves. Unfortunately, it was also common for Swiss banks and asset managers to collect commission, called retrocession fees, of 0.5-2% of the invested amount from product providers for the brokerage of funds, structured products, bonds, etc. This commission was received without the clients’ consent and independent of the performance of the financial products.

This lucrative business model helped the Swiss banks to enjoy billions of dollars of retrocession fees

that are due to the investors and can therefore be claimed back. According to a study, around $4 billion of retrocessions were apparently collected by the banking institutions in 2012 alone.

COURT JUDGMENTS: The Swiss Federal Court ruled in 2006 and 2012 that investors are entitled to retrocession fees and that Swiss banks and asset managers have to hand over them over to their customers (judgments BGe 132 III 460 ff, BGe 4A_127 / 2012 and 4A_141 / 2012).

This obligation also applies if the commissions have flowed within different entities of a bank to avoid conflict of interest. In 2017, a further decision by the Swiss Federal Court (judgment of June 16, 2017, Az. 4 A 508/2016) set the statutory limitation period at ten years. Since then, customers have been able to effect claims for the past ten years. An existing business relationship with a Swiss bank is not necessary for this, but also not a hindrance.

CLAIM PROCESS: It is thought that many investors using Switzerland were affected by the unlawful retention of retrocessions. however, the federal banks do not return the kick-back commissions to their customers pro-actively, it is up to each customer to make a claim. Unfortunately, the claim process may not be simple. People affected report lack of feedback from their bank even after multiple inquiries. Others were apparently brushed off as the banks referred to waivers that were often not legally valid but enough to scare investors away. In later years, usually after 2013, the small print was tightened up at many institutions, so a detailed review year by year is needed.

Consider using experienced professionals who specialize in this area to make and pursue your claim.

The years 2010 to 2013 are particularly interesting, as a number of Swiss institutions apparently received then large amounts of retrocessions, for which there are no or insufficient waivers. Accordingly, any claim should be lodged as soon as possible. The Swiss statute of limitations is ten years unless a claim is made for a refund and to stop the clock.

This retrocession recovery process is available for people and entities around the world who invested via Switzerland.

In Israel, it is permissible to hold accounts in Switzerland, provided tax due is paid on any income or gains arising. Some did so under an amnesty program. New immigrants and returning residents (abroad for 10 years) may not owe any Israeli tax on overseas income or gains for 10 years.

There are generally no KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures when claiming such a refund. So if your Swiss investment return seems low, check out your fee refund rights soon. As always, consult experienced advisers in each country at an early stage in specific cases.

The writer is a certified public accountant and tax specialist at Harris Horoviz Consulting & Tax Ltd.

war, maybe the 21st century itself.

It is all about resources. The military has more people, more hardware, and more cash.

From Great Britain to some forgotten valley in Garbagestan the military can offer new friends shiny tools (Section 1206 funding: for the first time since President Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, President George W. Bush allowed that the U.S. military would fund many weapons transfers directly, bypassing the State Department. Conspicuously absent from the debate over Section 1206 was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.)

State has no tanks or battleships, just people as its primary way of getting things done. In 1950 State had 7,710 foreign service officers. Pre-9/11 they had 7,158. Today it’s still about 8,000.

While the military organizes itself into terrain-sweeping regional combat commands run by professionals, about a third of State’s ambassadors are political appointees, amateurs selected because they raised big campaign bucks for the president. The United States is the only first world nation that allots ambassador jobs as political patronage. By no means the worst, here’s one Obama-era ambassador who was into body building, and sent out official Christmas cards in his host country of Finland of himself flexing.

SELF-DESTRUCTION: State’s once-valued competitive advantage was its from-theground reporting. Times change: why read a “cable” on what some FSO thinks the Prime Minister will do when the NSA can provide real time audio of him explaining it to his mistress? The uber revelation from the 2010 Wikileaks dump of documents was most of State’s reporting is of little practical value.

Never mind the rash of hillary-era lip sync nerd prom videos, like this one from the U.S. embassy in Manila of Call Me Maybe, or a million Gangnam Styles. That’s in addition to diplomats involved in child porn, soliciting underage male prostitutes, and worse. Almost as if with nothing to do discipline broke down.

Under the Trump administration the State Department sought out opportunities to

sideline itself. even before the 2016 election, diplomats leaked a dissent memo calling for more intervention in Syria, a move opposed

by Trump. Soon after Rex Tillerson took office, his diplomats leaked another memo very close to insubordination opposing the Department’s role in Trump’s immigration plans. In yet another dissent memo made annoyingly public, Foggy Bottom’s denizens claimed their boss violated a child soldier law. Nothing substantive came of any of those leaks/memos except to show whose side folks were on.

Too many scandals of the last few years criss-crossed the State Department: slowwalking the release of hillary’s emails (after helping hide her private server for years), turning a blind eye to Clinton’s hiring her campaign aides as State employees (remember huma?), the Foundation shenanigans, the crazy sorrow of Benghazi, and the Steele Dossier. Most of the impeachment witnesses were from State, including one sweetheart who surreptitiously listened in on phone calls with his political appointee ambassador to tell all to Congress later. That’s an awful lot of partisanship woven into a supposedly nonpartisan organization. Nobody trusts a snitch; who of any party will interact openly with tattletale diplomats now or in the future?

AMERICA’S CONCIERGE ABROAD: What’s left is a State Department transitioned to America’s concierge abroad, its work mostly logistical. embassies are great bases for intel work, military offices, the occasional evacuation, and to grind out visas.

Someone has to be out there to arrange VIP visits. While stationed in the UK, I escorted so many Mrs. Important Somebody’s on official shopping trips I was labeled “Ambassador to harrod’s Department Store.”

Future presidents may try to change that, or, if history serves, live with it. RIP Department of State.

Peter Van Buren, a 24-year State Department veteran, is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People, Hooper’s War: A Novel of WWII Japan, and Ghosts of Tom Joad: A Story of the #99 Percent.

The government was wrong about masks

reAson ELIZABETH NOLAN BROWN

Masks make a difference. Stay-athome orders. Social distancing mandates. Obsessively washing hands and wiping down groceries and packages with disinfectants. health experts and state and city political leaders recommended or required these measures long before they started advising Americans to wear a mask when they leave home. But mask-wearing may be the measure that makes the most difference.

Scientists recently looked at the spread of the new coronavirus aboard the Navy's USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and found that maskwearing was the most important of a range of precautions taken by service members to prevent the transmission of COVID-19: In April, the U.S. Navy and CDC investigated this outbreak, and the demographic, epidemiologic, and laboratory findings among a convenience sample of 382 service members serving aboard the aircraft carrier are reported in this study. The outbreak was characterized by widespread transmission with relatively mild symptoms and asymptomatic infection among this sample of mostly young, healthy adults with close, congregate exposures. Service members who reported taking preventive measures had a lower infection rate than did those who did not report taking these measures (e.g., wearing a face covering, 55.8% versus 80.8%; avoiding common areas, 53.8% versus 67.5%; and observing social distancing, 54.7%

versus 70.0%, respectively). … This report improves the understanding of COVID-19 in the U.S. military and among young adults in congregate settings and reinforces the importance of preventive measures to lower risk for infection in similar environments.

Wearing a protective facial covering was more effective than increased hand-washing, slathering on the hand sanitizer, avoiding common areas, stepping up workspace cleaning, and trying to stay physically distant from others. In addition, new research from scientists at Cambridge and Greenwich Universities suggests "populationwide use of facemasks could effectively control the coronavirus pandemic by substantially reducing the chances that an infected wearer will pass along his viruses to another person," writes Reason's Ron Bailey.

Co-leader of the study Richard Stutt, of Cambridge, said "our analyses support the immediate and universal adoption of face masks by the public."

Widescale mask adoption could let places reopen even in the absence of a COVID-19 vaccine, he said.

Stutt's study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, modeled a series of different conditions to determine which set of behaviors would lower COVID-19's R number below 1. (The R number indicates the average number of people a sick person will themselves infect.

If each sick person infects fewer than one other person, the virus begins to die off.) Stutt's model suggests that when 50 percent or more of a population adopts face mask-wearing in public, R number will fall below 1.0.

Another study, this one out of Germany, also speaks to the efficacy of masks. "Depending on the region we analyze, we find that face masks reduced the cumulative number of registered Covid-19 cases between 2.3 percent and 13 percent over a period of 10 days after they became compulsory.

Assessing the credibility of the various estimates, we conclude that face masks reduce the daily growth rate of reported infections by around 40 percent," the authors report.

Looking at data like this—and especially studies like the German one, which deal in compulsory mask situations—it's important to keep in mind that many Americans started wearing masks long before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White house, or state leaders told them to.

Likewise, a lot of businesses began requiring customers to wear masks without the state having to mandate it. And this happened even as President Donald Trump and some conservatives tried to make masks a symbol of cowardice or culture war. Yet, even as political leaders were sending mixed signals or downplaying the usefulness of masks in stopping COVID-19 spread, it just seemed like common sense that putting a barrier between everyone's spit, breath, sneezes, and coughs right now could make some difference. So—as with so much at the start of the pandemic—Americans started buying, making, and wearing masks without waiting to be told to (or allowing themselves to be discouraged) by people whose job is protecting public health.

This isn't to say that voluntary guidance from officials doesn't make any difference. More people likely would have started masking up sooner if health officials and politicians had preached it sooner and in unison. But the converse seems to be true as well, if responses to lockdown orders are any indication. Attempts by governments to mandate mask-wearing will likely be met with backlash from businesses, individuals, and political groups. Plus, enforcement of mask rules would only invite more dangerous contact between citizens and police.

It would be nice if we could count on the people in charge to stake out a middle ground between mandatory mask laws and eschewing masks as unnecessary or even weak. Alas, as lockdown measures ease up and maskwearing takes center stage, we can probably expect their role in overbearing law enforcement and performative partisan battles to only increase.

ELIZABETH NOLAN BROWN is a senior editor at Reason.

Monday, 15 June, 2020

CCP to StArt InquIry rEgArdIng hIgh PrICES oF CookIng oIl, ghEE ISLAMABAD

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SHAHzAd PArACHA

HE Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) has asked the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to initiate an inquiry regarding high prices in the cooking oil and ghee industry, while international palm oil prices show a declining trend.

International palm oil prices fell from $789 per tonne on January 2, 2020 to $512 per tonne on May 12, 2020, however, retail prices of vegetable ghee in the Pakistani market have not shown a proportionate decline.

Some premium brands decreased their prices by a nominal Rs5 per kilo-

DUE TO THE DECREASE IN INTERNATIONAL PALM OIL PRICES, SOME PREMIUM BRANDS DECREASED THEIR PRICES BY A NOMINAL RS5 PER KG, HOWEVER,THE MOIP CALCULATES THAT THE ACTUAL REDUCTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST RS50 PER KG gramme (kg), however the MoIP calculates that the actual reduction should have been at least Rs50 per kg.

Moreover, according to reports, current prices also do not reflect the decrease in transportation costs due to the decrease in diesel prices.

Additionally an additional custom duty of 2 percent implemented prior to

American Express JV gets final approval to launch operations in China

Covid-19 was also abolished until June 30, however, the impact of this reduction has also not yet reached the consumer.

According to documents, on February 26, a meeting was held in this regard between the MoIP and Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA).

On March 2, another meeting was held between a PVMA delegation and the

Govt cuts presidency budget by 60pc MonItoRIng REPoRt

SHAngHAI AGENCIES

China’s central bank has given the final nod to a network clearing license for an American Express joint venture, allowing it to be the first foreign credit card company to launch onshore operations in China.

The approval comes against a backdrop of high SinoUS. tensions, with disagreements over trade and Beijing’s imposition of a national security law for Hong Kong. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said in a statement Saturday that it had approved the license for Express (Hangzhou) Technology Services Co., a joint venture between American Express and LianLian DigiTech Co Ltd. It said the move reflected China’s continued opening up of its financial industry.

The PBOC said in January that it had received American Express’s application to start operations in China. In a statement, American Express said it expects to begin processing transactions later this year. “This approval represents an important step forward in our long-term growth strategy and is an historic moment, not only for American Express but for the continued growth and development of the payments industry in mainland China,” Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express, said. The PBOC has also approved an application by Mastercard’s China joint venture to conduct bank card clearing operations in the country, but the company has not yet received a network clearing license. Card giant Visa submitted its application in early 2018 and is still awaiting approval. China is opening its local currency payments market to foreign companies after a decade of lobbying by foreign players seeking direct access to what is expected to soon become the world’s biggest bank card market.

MOIP in which the PVMA chairman committed to pass on the reduction in international palm oil prices to vegetable ghee consumers so that consumers can get cheaper cooking oil/ghee during the month of Ramadan.

However, no such reduction was seen in the market and the ministry sent follow up letters to PVMA on March 2, 10, 17 and 31 urging it to reduce prices, however, no response was received from PVMA. Currently, MoIP does not has any legal standing to force cooking oil and ghee companies to decrease their prices.

On the other hand, CCP has a mandate to intervene in such situations under sections 3(3)(a), 37 and other provisions of the Competition Act 2020.

The overall budget for the presidency has been decreased by more than 60 percent in the budget for the next fiscal year presented by the federal government on June 12.

After the decrease the budget for the presidency stands at Rs395 million.

According to a report published

in Dawn, the budget for the presidency has been reduced by 60.18 percent or Rs597 million from its previous level of Rs992 million.

According to the report the cut includes reduction in President Arif Alvi’s personal expenses, human resource allowances and operating expenditure of the presidency.

Expenditure on human resource allowance has gone down to

Rs193.22 million for the upcoming fiscal year, compared to Rs458.74 spent on human resource working at the presidency during the outgoing fiscal year.

Additionally operating expenses of the presidency have also been cut down to Rs53.38 million which previously stood at Rs180.44 million in the outgoing fiscal year.

Sugar mills reject govt’s Rs63 per kg price, decide to sell at Rs70 per kg ISLAMABAD INP

Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) on Sunday in a letter to the Ministry of Industry and Production (MoIP) stated that it will sell sugar to the ministry Rs70 per kilogramme (kg) instead of the Rs63 per kg price demanded by the ministry.

According to the letter, sugar mills are willing to provide 60,000 tonnes of sugar at Rs70 per kg, and have rejected the Rs63 per kg price demanded by Utility Stores Corporation (USC) and the MoIP. PSMA further claimed that the

demand for reduced prices from USC and MoIP held no lawful basis and hence the association was not bound to abide by it.

Earlier on June 13, In pursuance of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order, the MoIP directed the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) to ensure the provision of sugar to the USC at reduced rates.

According to official sources, the USC had earlier written a letter to the PSMA, seeking the provision of sugar at Rs63 per kg so that it could be sold at Rs70 per kg to the consumers.

In a letter to PSMA, the MoIP

quoted the IHC order, stating, “This order is subject to the sale of sugar to non-commercial consumers at the rate of Rs70 per kilogramme. PSMA and the federal government must ensure that sugar is available and sold to non-commercial consumers at the said price until the next date is fixed.”

It also directed the association to ensure that the commodity was sold at the specified price in other retail outlets as well.

The IHC is also due to hear a petition filed by sugarcane farmers with regard to the inquiry commission report on the sugar crisis on Monday, June 15.

Amazon's business practices examined by two US states State investigators in both California and Washington are examining Amazon’s business practices, two newspapers reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The inquiries focus at least in part on how Amazon treats sellers in its online marketplace, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the New York Times (NYT) reported on Friday.

Amazon declined to comment on the report of an investigation by California. It

was not immediately available for comment outside regular market hours on the Washington review report. The reports said California state is reviewing Amazon’s practices on selling its own products in competition with third-party vendors. Amazon said its in-house products only account for about 1 percent of its total annual retail sales.

Washington state is also investigating whether Amazon makes it harder for sellers to list their products on other websites,

the NYT reported. The inquiries did not appear to be in advanced stages, the NYT report added, citing sources.

A spokeswoman for the Washington attorney general told the NYT that the office did not confirm or deny investigations. California attorney general’s office told the NYT that it does not comment on any pending or potential investigations.

The California and Washington attorney generals were not immediately available

when approached by Reuters for comment.

The United States (US) House of Representatives Judiciary Committee last month called on Chief Executive Jeff Bezos to testify about allegations that Amazon uses data from its own thirdparty sellers to create competing products.

Amazon is already being investigated by the European Commission for its dual role as a marketplace and as a rival, after complaints from traders. AGENCIES

BUSINESS 09

SPI inflation decreases by a nominal 0.05pc ISLAMABAD APP

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on June 11, for the combined consumption group, witnessed nominal increase of 0.05 percent as compared to the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 127.85 points against 127.78 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed a single digit increase of 8.49 percent. The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16, covers 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed a 0.35 percent increase and went up from 134.30 points in last week to 134.77 points during the week under review. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,733-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517 and Rs29,518-44,175 also increased by 0.26 percent, 0.19 percent and 0.10 respectively, however for the consumption group above Rs44,175 per month it decreased by 0.05 percent. The items which recorded a decrease in their average price include chicken, bananas, onions, garlic, gram pulse, potatoes, masoor pulse and gur. The commodities which recorded an increase in their average price include tomatoes, match boxes, eggs, wheat flour, rice, salt, milk, beef, cigarettes, curd, vegetable ghee, cooking oil, mutton and sugar.

FPCCI’s demands ignored in federal budget, says former vice president PESHAWAR INP

Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Business Advisory Council and former vice president of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce (FPCCI) Muhammad Riaz Khattak expressed disappointment that the proposals of the FPCCI were not accounted for in the Federal Budget 202021. While talking to the media on Sunday June 14, Riaz Khattak said that the budget announced by the government lacks incentives for industrial growth.

“No policy has been announced to reduce energy cost that is one of the biggest reasons for high industrial input cost. Demands of interest-free loans to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), further improvement in refunds system, removal or reduction in withholding tax and elimination of advance tax at import stage remain unaddressed in the federal budget,” he said. “It is true that no new taxes have been imposed, but some of the existing taxes have been increased,” he further said rejecting the government’s assertion that the budget is business friendly. Khattak said that the budget did not give relief to the business community including SMEs and small traders. “Government should have reduced taxes and provided relief on utilities and other levies,” he said. However, he added that the exemption of import duties on different raw materials will help local manufacturers reduce their costs and provide them some relief.

Pay and Pension Commission asks government to increase salaries, pensions ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

After the federal government’s decision to not increase salaries and pensions of its employees, the Pay and Pension Commision has forwarded its suggestion to the government urging it to increase salaries and pension and ensure uniformity in salary structures.

The federal government announced its decision to not increase salaries and pensions for the upcoming fiscal year during the presentation of the Budget 2020-21 on Friday, June 12.

In its recommendation forwarded to the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the commission,

which was constituted in April this year, has not only suggested an increase in salaries but also urged the government to ensure uniformity in the salary structure of government employees since there exist serious discrepancies in salaries and pension of employees of different organisations.

According to sources, the Finance Division has estimated that in case salaries and pensions are increased by 10 percent the government will have to bear an extra burden of Rs25 billion.

The Pay and Pension Commission currently has the mandate to evaluate salary structures of the employees of the federal and provincial governments as well as the armed

forces with an aim of bringing some uniformity. The commission is also mandated to review the need for increase in salaries and pensions of government employees.

According to sources, though the commission could not finalise its work on salary and pension related issues prior to the Budget 2020-21, it had, however, initially made some recommendations to the government.

The six-member commission will be headed by former finance secretary Abdul Wajid Rana. However, despite its wide scope almost all the members of the commission belong to Sindh. Its members include two retired civil servants Nazar Hussain Mahar and

Dr Noor Alam, President United Bank Limited Seema Kamil, Chairman National Bank of Pakistan Zubyr Soomro, and Nausheen Ahmad from ICI Pakistan Limited.

The scope of the commission includes federal and provincial civil servants, other government servants, civilians paid from defence budget, all armed forces, civil armed forces and all employees of the public sector enterprises.

The federal government’s pay structure has not remained lucrative after two provincial governments approved additional allowances of up to 150 percent. The federal government also gave special allowances to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and

the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that created unease among the employees of the Pakistan Secretariat.

Insiders claim that the ministry may review its decision of not increasing salaries and pension as different employees unions have decided to protest against the decision.

In March, thousands of employees in the Islamabad Secretariat had also registered a protest against the disparity in salaries. They were later given assurance about an increase in salaries in the Budget 2020-21.

The Federal Association of Government Engineers has also announced a country wide protest against the budget, which it says has not given any relief to engineers.

Monday, 15 June, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

FreSh world proteStS againSt raCiSm and poliCe violenCe PARIS

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AGENCIES

HOUSANDS marched in cities around the world for a second week of rallies Sunday to support the US Black Lives Matter movement, but also to highlight racism and police brutality in their own countries.

There were rallies in cities across Europe, with thousands demonstrating in several French cities, and clashes breaking out in Paris and Lyon. Police arrested several far-right demonstrators in London after violence when they challenged people supporting racial quality there, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson denouncing their “racist thuggery”. The weeks

of historic demonstrations have been ignited by the May 25 killing of African American George Floyd by a police officer — the latest in a long line of unarmed black men being killed by white law enforcement in the US. His agonising death as the officer knelt on his neck was filmed by bystanders and swiftly went viral, triggering fury first in the US and then around the world.

The mass unrest has forced an unprecedented global conversation on the legacy of slavery, European colonialism and white violence against people of colour, as well as the militarisation of police in America.

Police stopped protesters in Paris Saturday from marching through the capital, firing tear gas after some demonstrators pelted them

iran's daily virus death toll tops 100 for first time in two months TEHRAN AGENCIES

The number of daily deaths from the new coronavirus outbreak topped 100 in Iran for the first time in two months on Sunday, according to health ministry numbers. There were 107 deaths in the past twenty four hours, taking the total to 8,837. The total number of cases in the country has reached 187,427.

“Today, it was very painful for us to announce a triple digit statistic. As the honourable minister has said, this virus is unpredictable and shifting,” Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said in an announcement on state TV. “Observe health protocols, take social distancing seriously, avoid gatherings and trips that aren’t essential and inshallah in the coming days we will see the statistic come down to double digits and even single digits.” The last time Iran announced more than 100 deaths in a day was on April 13, when the tally was 111. Iran will reimpose restrictions to stem a surge in coronavirus cases if health regulations are not observed, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday. After gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April, Iran has seen a sharp rise of new daily infections in recent weeks. Seven provinces where infections have been on the rise are currently considered red zones, according to the health ministry.

with projectiles. In the southeast city of Lyon, police used water cannons and tear gas at the end of a demonstration attended by about 2,000 people. The Paris demonstration was called by a pressure group campaigning for justice for Adama Traore, a young black man who died in police custody in 2016. Traore’s sister Assa Traore called on those attending the rally to “denounce the denial of justice, denounce social, racial, police violence”. She drew a direct parallel between Floyd’s death in the US city of Minneapolis and that of her brother, and renewed her call for a full investigation into his killing.

Amnesty International called in a statement for “a systemic reform of police practices” in France. The rallies came at the end of a week when France’s police watchdog revealed it had received almost 1,500 complaints against officers last year — half of them for alleged violence.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Tuesday promised “zero tolerance” of racism in law enforcement, saying it is clear some officers “have failed in their Republican duty”. Castaner’s comments prompted

several dozen policemen to gather with their patrol cars at Paris’s Arc de Triomphe on Saturday night, throwing down their handcuffs in protest. Brut Yoann Maras, a representative from police union Alliance, told AFP: “My colleagues felt let down, abandoned by their supervising minister.”

In London, far-right protesters clashed with police in the city centre after gathering to challenge people demonstrating against racism. Thousands of people defied coronavirus restrictions to assemble in and around Parliament Square, requiring a “major” policing operation, said the Metropolitan Police Service. Television footage showed some agitators throwing punches, bottles and smoke bombs at officers as well as fighting with rival protesters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the violence, saying “racist thuggery has no place on our streets”.

Police said they arrested more than 100 people in the capital, and six officers suffered minor injuries. Anti-racism protests went ahead in other British cities, including Brighton in the south and Liverpool in the north. Thousands marched in several cities

across Switzerland, with the largest in Zurich, where 10,000 people turned out. Police said one officer was hurt after a few hundred hard-left activists there began throwing projectiles. They made several arrests.

Earlier in the week, around 10,000 marched against racism in Geneva.

In Germany, around 2,000 rallied in the southern city of Stuttgart, the DPA news agency reported. In the north, another 500 turned out in Lubeck and 250 in Hamburg.

There were no reports of any trouble.

In Australia, thousands turned out in several cities for the second weekend running, despite coronavirus restrictions. The biggest was in the Western Australian capital Perth.

Many demonstrators carried signs such as “Stop deaths in custody” and “White Australia stop lying to yourselves”, highlighting the deaths of more than 400 indigenous people in custody over the last three decades.

Smaller protests for Aboriginal rights were held in Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, and towns in neighbouring Queensland — both regions with numerous indigenous communities.

Delhi coronavirus fears mount as hospital beds run out NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Ashwani Jain succumbed to the coronavirus in an ambulance as his family pleaded with several hospitals to take him in, the latest victim of the pandemic sweeping through the Indian capital and exposing a deadly shortage of hospital beds.

“They don’t care whether we live or die,” said his 20-year-old daughter Kashish, whose uncle, Abhishek, sat with Ashwani in the back of the vehicle on its desperate journey across Delhi.

“It won’t matter to them but I have lost my father, he was the world to me,” she said, tears welling up as she showed a photo of him. All of the hospitals the 45-year-old businessman’s family tried refused to admit Ashwani, even though an app set up by the city government indicated Covid-19 beds were free, Abhishek told AFP. With surging infections highlighting the precarious state of the Indian healthcare system, the death of Jain and others like him have heightened anxiety in Delhi over the growing threat.

More than 1,200 have died from the virus in the Indian capital and more than 1,000 new cases are being reported each day. Mortuaries are overflowing with bodies and cemeteries and crematorium staff say they cannot keep up with the backlog of victims. Some local Delhi

US Covid-19 SUrvivor reCeiveS $1.1 mn hoSpital bill SEATTLE: A 70-year-old American man who nearly died of Covid-19 has been billed a heart-stopping $1.1 million for his hospital expenses, the Seattle Times reported Saturday. Michael Flor was admitted to a hospital in the northwestern city on March 4, and stayed for 62 days — at one point coming so close to death that nurses held up the phone so his wife and children could say goodbye. But he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff — only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04, he told the newspaper. That includes: $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was lifethreatening. Flor is covered by Medicare, a government insurance program for the elderly, and should not have to take out his wallet, according to the Times. But in a country where health care is among the most expensive in the world — and the idea of socializing it remains hugely controversial — he said he feels “guilty” knowing that taxpayers will bear much of the cost. “It was a million bucks to save my life, and of course I’d say that’s money well-spent … But I also know I might be the only one saying that,” the Times quoted him as saying. AGENCIES

councils say the real death toll is twice the number given by the regional government. Indian media has been full of tragic stories of people dying after being turned away by hospitals.

One pregnant woman died as she was being shuttled between hospitals. A 78-year-old man petitioned the Delhi High Court for a ventilator bed but died before the matter could be taken up.

India has now recorded more than

300,000 coronavirus cases with nearly 9,000 fatalities.

HIGH PRICE FOR RARE BEDS: Several families have used social media to recount their harrowing experiences after being refused hospital beds.

Jain’s family had joined a noisy, nationwide tribute to health workers, banging pots and pans from rooftops and balconies after a nationwide lockdown started in March. Now they feel aban-

doned. “The government is doing nothing. They are just playing with our feelings,” Kashish said.

Jain’s devastated relatives are now waiting to get tested themselves but the Delhi government allows that for only high-risk and symptomatic family members. The city government has estimated that it could need 80,000 beds by the end of July, and warned hotels and wedding venues that they are likely to be turned into hospitals. Currently government hospitals have 8,505 designated pandemic beds while private hospitals have 1,441. But families say they are being forced to spend a small fortune for the few beds that are available.

Suman Gulati, whose father is a coronavirus patient, said she was asked for one million rupees ($13,200) by a private hospital for a bed. “Once I paid the money getting a bed was not a problem. But arranging such a huge amount of money at such a critical time was,” she told AFP. “What if I fall sick next, what will I do?

Should I sell my property, my jewellery?”

A sting operation by the Mirror Now TV channel showed five Delhi hospitals asking coronavirus patients to pay up to $5,250 in order to be admitted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused private hospitals of lying about available beds and promised tough action if they were found extorting money.

Trump addresses West Point grads but largely ducks controversies LONDON AGENCIES

President Donald Trump on Saturday addressed the new graduating class of the West Point military academy, praising the “righteous glory of the American warrior” but largely side-stepping recent controversies over racial unrest and the military’s role in putting it down.

“America is the greatest country in human history,” Trump told the 1,107 newly minted second lieutenants as they sat, well-spaced, under a bright sun on the parade ground of the US Military Academy.

But he made no direct mention of the recent racial turmoil and only glancingly referred to recent dissent from top military figures over his threat to employ active duty troops to put down protests.

Trump’s closest mention came when he said, “I also want to thank the men and women of our National Guard” for responding to “challenges from hurricanes and natural disasters to ensuring peace, safety and the constitutional rule of law on our streets.”

The president, who was introduced by the academy’s first black superintendent, Lieutenant General Darryl Williams, also referred only passingly to the nation’s racial challenges.

“The army was at the forefront of ending the terrible injustice of segregation,” he said, and it was West Point graduates who led the fight in the Civil War to “end the evil of slavery.”

Trump did not mention that one West Point barracks still bears the name of General Robert E. Lee, who led the break-away Confederate forces during that war, which brought an end to slavery.

Trump has rejected recent demands to rename US military bases bearing the names of Confederate officers.

BATTLING FOR RE-ELECTION: The fracture in civil-military relations hung over Trump’s address to the cadets at the picturesque West Point campus, situated in green hills north of New York City.

The president clearly wants to be seen as a tough leader as he battles for reelection in November against Democrat Joe Biden, whom Trump labels “weak.”

The academy had been shut and students sent home because of the coronavirus pandemic. But Trump abruptly announced in April that he would address the graduates in person.

So cadets were recalled and put through weeks of Covid-19 quarantine and testing. They wore masks as they marched onto the field; Trump, as usual, did not.

Asked in a Fox News interview that aired Friday about Esper and Milley, Trump replied, “If that’s the way they feel, I think that’s fine.”

“I have good relationships with the military,” he said.

But Trump’s strains with the Pentagon have long roots.

DEEPER STRAINS: He controversially overrode top Pentagon generals in 2019 to protect a Navy Seal, Eddie Gallagher, accused of war crimes.

He also forced the Pentagon to divert billions of dollars from other projects to build a wall along the border with Mexico.

And his precipitous efforts to withdraw US troops from abroad — including a reported plan to slash troop levels in Afghanistan and an abrupt decision to pull thousands of troops from Germany — have upended Pentagon plans.

CMYK

Monday, 15 June, 2020

SPORTS 11

US Open faceS D-Day amiD player Uncertainty New YOrk

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AGENCIES

HE fate of the US Open is set to be revealed next week when officials decide whether or not the tournament can go ahead as planned amid mounting unease among top players.

The deadly Covid-19 pandemic, which has decimated the international tennis calendar, now has the Flushing Meadows fortnight in its crosshairs.

With New York the hardest-hit city by the US coronavirus crisis, the United States Tennis Association has been scrambling to come up with a plan that allows the tournament to be staged.

But with the French Open postponed to a September 20 start, Wimbledon cancelled and the tennis season in shutdown, the US Open's status has looked increasingly questionable as its August 31 start date looms ever closer. After considering and reportedly discarding the idea of moving the tournament to either California or Florida, the USTA has settled on staging the event in New York inside a protective "bubble", possibly without fans.

Under safety protocols proposed for the

tournament, players would be confined to a hotel outside of Manhattan and would only be allowed to bring one member of their entourage to the event. Singles qualifying would be eliminated while the doubles tournaments would be drastically reduced from 64 pairings to just 24. The ATP/WTA Cincinnati Masters event could also be shifted to New York as a lead-in tournament.

"This is the world we are living in," USTA's director of player relations Eric Butorac told ATP and WTA players during a conference call on Wednesday. "We believe this is a good plan and believe it is good for the sport. It's good for the tennis economy, creates jobs for you, for coaches, for commentators, for so many people. "And most importantly, this plan keeps you safe."

MISSION 'IMPOSSIBLE: So far, however, those words of reassurance have failed to quell unease amongst some of the international tennis circuit's biggest names.

World number one Novak Djokovic said the proposed safety measures and restrictions on the numbers of support staff were problematical. "We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week," Djokovic said.

"Also, we could bring one person to the club, which is really impossible.

"I mean, you need your coach, then a fitness trainer, then a physiotherapist."

Djokovic said most players he had spoken to had "a rather negative view" about playing in New York, and predicted some would instead switch to the delayed clay court season instead. Djokovic's misgivings were shared by defending men's singles

Messi caps Barcelona win over Mallorca on La Liga return

BarceLONa AGENCIES

Lionel Messi returned without a beard and with a goal and two assists as Barcelona resumed their La Liga title challenge on Saturday with a thumping 4-0 victory over

Real Mallorca.

After three months away because of the coronavirus pandemic, Barca exploded into the lead with just 64 seconds played when Arturo Vidal headed in and Martin Braithwaite struck a second from a Messi headed assist.

Jordi Alba latched onto a Messi pass to add a third but not before play was briefly stopped by a pitch invader, who was able to run on, despite the match being closed to fans. Messi then scored a fourth in injury time for his 25th goal of the season.

"I'm happy because starting like this is an enormous boost for what's to come," said Barcelona coach Quique Setien.

Victory extends Barca's advantage at the top of La Liga to five points over Real Madrid, who can reduce the gap back to two when they restart at home to Eibar on Sunday. La Liga's first match back came on Thursday between Sevilla and Real Betis, with teams scheduled to each play their remaining 11 matches of the season in less than six weeks.

Messi will be crucial to Barcelona's hopes of holding off Madrid but their captain, who turns 33 this month, may have to pace himself, especially after an injury-interrupted season. Clean shaven, and without any sign of the thigh problem that prevented him from training earlier this month, Messi played 90 minutes and looked like he had never been away.

Four things from the return of La Liga BarcaLONa AGENCIES

La Liga is back after a three-month coronavirus shutdown with games behind closed doors, and with Lionel Messi looking different but playing like he always does.

AFP Sport picks out some of the standout images of the return of top-flight football in Spain: MESSI BACK WITH NEW LOOK: More than three months had passed since Messi's last appearance on a football field.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner will be 33 in little over a week, but while he approaches veteran status, his post-lockdown look is more of a reminder of the young Messi.

The hair is longer and swept over to one side. Most strikingly the beard has gone, leaving the Argentine looking fresh-faced.

La Liga's leading scorer looked sharp with the ball at his feet too, and scored the final goal of a 4-0 win away in Mallorca -- after earlier strikes by Arturo Vidal, Martin Braithwaite and Jordi Alba -- as Barcelona moved five points clear of title tivals Real Madrid, who play on Sunday.

VIRUS VICTIMS REMEMBERED: La Liga's return is a boost for a football-mad country that has been ravaged by the coronavirus, with more than 27,000 officially recorded deaths making it one of the worsthit nations worldwide in the pandemic.

Like other sports competitions getting going again, strict health protocols mean games in Spain are being played behind closed doors, ensuring unusual atmospheres at matches that would otherwise go ahead in front of large crowds like the

derby between Valencia and Levante.

At Mestalla, as elsewhere, a minute's silence was held before kick-off to remember those victims of Covid-19.

THE NEW MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE: Without access to stadiums, supporters are still coming together to watch games. However, only a limited number of Barcelona fans could access this supporters' club in the Catalan capital to watch their team's game against Mallorca.

Spaced out to respect social distancing measures, and wearing face masks, they took in Barca's win which allowed the defending champions to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Without fans inside grounds, broadcasters have instead been projecting virtual

crowds taken from the computer game FIFA onto seats, and adding crowd chants.

SUAREZ BOON FOR BARCA: Barcelona's first game since March also saw Luis Suarez make his first appearance since early January after injury.

The Uruguayan underwent surgery on a knee problem that at one point threatened to rule him out of the rest of the season, but the coronavirus shutdown has allowed him to come back in time to play a potentially key role in the title run-in. Suarez replaced Antoine Griezmann in the second half of Barca's game at Mallorca. He didn't find the net, but will have a big part to play in the weeks to come, with 10 games left for Quique Setien's team as they try to fend off Real Madrid's challenge.

CMYK

champion Rafael Nadal, who would be chasing a 20th Grand Slam title at Flushing.

Nadal, the world number two, said earlier this month that he would not play in New York if the tournament was taking place now. The 34-year-old says tennis should not resume until it is "completely safe" for all competitors. Australia's Nick Kyrgios, meanwhile, accused the ATP Tour of riding roughshod over player concerns.

"The ATP is trying to make the US Open go ahead. Selfish with everything going on at the moment," Kyrgios wrote on Twitter.

Yet Djokovic's reservations have not won over some of tennis's rank and file. American women's singles player Danielle Collins lambasted Djokovic's public statements about the proposed limits on support staff.

"This is a massive opportunity for players to start making money again, and here we have the top player in the world saying only being able to bring one person with (him) will be too difficult," Collins said.

"It's easy when someone has made $150 million throughout their career to try and tell people what to do with their money, and then turn down playing in the US Open," Collins added. Whatever the USTA decides, the organization, which last week laid off more than 100 employees, is coming to terms with what will be another massive financial hit to revenues, which have already been "shattered" according to association president Patrick Galbraith. Last year, an estimated $400 million of the USTA's financial revenues of $485 million were generated by its flagship tournament, with a large chunk of that money coming from sponsors and people attending US Open matches.

Premier League's int’l appeal faces coronavirus test

LONDON AGENCIES

When the 100 day-wait for Premier League football comes to an end on Wednesday, the anticipation will be felt as keenly in Mumbai and Beijing as in Manchester and Birmingham.

The global reach of the English top-flight has helped secure its position as the wealthiest league in world football. The Premier League's overseas television rights deals for the 2019-2022 three-season cycle hit a record £4.2 billion ($5.3 billion) and another £2 billion deal has already been struck for Scandinavian rights between 2022 and 2028.

That income will be all the more welcome, with uncertainty over when supporters will be allowed back into stadiums and commercial revenues expected to tumble in a global economic crisis. However, without the atmosphere generated by baying fans, the Premier League's appeal may be diminished in football's new normal. "What makes it special in England is the way people react to the game," former Arsenal manager and FIFA's chief of global football development Arsene Wenger told The Athletic. "It is the best country in the world for the way the fans respond to what’s happening on the pitch. That's why I think it will be the most handicapped championship without that."

RESCHEDULE REBATE: The need to cram the remaining 92 games of the season

into a five-and-a-half week window also means many more midweek games with evening kick-offs in England, forcing fans in the Far East to tune in during the early hours.

Overseas broadcasters will be compensated with a reported £107 million rebate due to the change in scheduling.

However, the excitement over the Premier League's return endures, particularly among the huge number of Liverpool fans, many of whom are awaiting a first league title in their lifetimes. Jurgen Klopp's men are just two wins away from being crowned champions of England for the first time in 30 years.

Hu Zhifei, a 26-year-old journalist and member of Liverpool's official fan club in Beijing, had planned a trip to see his heroes in action in February that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Nobody is anticipating the league's restart more than Liverpool fans because we are within two wins of the title," said Hu, who will tune in to watch the Reds via internet streaming despite kick-offs in the early hours. Excitement is also building in India, where the Premier League has built up a strong following among urban youth in a traditionally cricket-obsessed nation. "Finally I'll watch some live EPL action. I have already chalked out a schedule for these matches," Qazi Ahmad Masood, a 17-yearold student, told AFP. "I would love to see my favourite club Liverpool lift the trophy."

September IPL in Sri Lanka is viable option, says Sunil Gavaskar NEW DELHI: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar said the Indian Premier League (IPL) could be staged in Sri Lanka in September with Australia’s chances of hosting the Twenty20 World Cup in October looking bright. The Twenty20 international showpiece is scheduled to take place from October 18 to November 19 but had been under threat because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Australia’s decision to allow crowds of up to 10,000 in sports stadiums from June has breathed life into the staging of the tournament, with the International Cricket Council set to make a decision next month. “If the ICC believes that the World T20 can happen, then having the IPL looks difficult because it could only be held if the World T20 is postponed,” the former India captain told local television channel Aaj Tak. “But after the announcement [of opening the stadiums for fans by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison], the IPL in October looks difficult.” Indian cricket chiefs are desperately trying to salvage the cash-rich IPL this year even if it means taking it overseas or playing in empty stands. IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said the league could be moved out of India if the virus threat does not ease in the next two months. The league has earmarked a possible September-October window for the event. AGENCIES

Monday, 15 June, 2020

NEWS

MAss virus testing in BeiJing After new cLuster triggers Lockdowns BEIJING

B

AGENCIES

EIJING carried out mass testing for the novel coronavirus on Sunday after a new outbreak in the city that prompted travel warnings across the country amid fears of a resurgence of the disease.

The deadly contagion had been brought largely under control in China through strict lockdowns that were imposed early this year but have since been lifted.

But a fresh cluster linked to a wholesale food market in the capital has sparked widespread alarm and raised the spectre of a return to painful restrictions.

The National Health Commission (NHC) reported 57 new infections on Sunday, of which 36 were local transmissions in Beijing, all linked to the Xinfadi market.

Another two domestic infections were in northeastern Liaoning province and were close contacts of the Beijing cases.

The 19 other infections were among Chinese nationals returning from abroad.

Liaoning was among several provinces to advise residents against travelling to Beijing due to the new outbreak — along with cities such as nearby Tianjin and several in Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing.

Some local authorities said people entering from Beijing would have to quarantine, state media reported.

In the capital, lockdowns have been imposed on a very small part of the city that includes 11 residential estates near

the market which supplies most of the city's fresh produce.

Officials said on Sunday they planned to carry out virus tests on 46,000 residents in the area surrounding the market and had set up 24 testing stations.

Everyone who works at Xinfadi also has to undergo testing.

So far 10,881 people have been tested in the area with another eight cases diagnosed on Sunday. They were not included in the NHC's tally earlier in the day that covered the previous 24 hours.

“I went to Xinfadi market so I want to confirm that I am not infected,” a 32year-old woman surnamed Guo told AFP as she queued in scorching heat at a stadium waiting for a virus test.

“We were told that after the tests [...] if it is positive, we will be taken directly to the hospital.”

LOCKDOWNS AND CLOSURES:

Atlanta police chief resigns after officer kills black man ATLANTA

One of Sunday's new cases was a 56year-old man who works as an airport bus driver and had visited the Xinfadi market in early June before later falling ill, state-run People's Daily reported.

The meat section of the huge, sprawling market was closed Sunday and AFP reporters saw hundreds of police officers and security personnel plus dozens of paramilitary police blocking access.

Efforts to trace those who had visited the market have begun, with companies and neighbourhood communities messaging staff and residents across the city to ask about their recent movements.

A vegetable market adjacent to Xinfadi was open Sunday and trucks were arriving to deliver or collect stock.

“Afraid? Not really” a delivery driver surnamed Zhang told AFP. “But anyway I have no choice — I am part of

Johnson condemns 'racist thuggery' after far-right protests in London

WENLING AGENCIES

At least 18 people were killed and nearly 200 injured when a tanker truck exploded on a highway in eastern China, authorities said Sunday. The force of the blast on Saturday afternoon caused nearby homes and factories to collapse, and sent huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed several cars. China’s emergency management department said Sunday morning there were 189 injured people still being treated in hospital, after the accident near Wenling city in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Local authorities said the truck was loaded with liquefied gas. Dramatic video footage of the accident published by state media showed a huge ball of fire shooting into the air as people screamed. In one clip, a large piece of debris is seen flying into the air before crashing on some nearby buildings. Another video showed the remains of the tanker and several truck tyres smashed into a building, which had been reduced to rubble. State news agency Xinhua reported Sunday that there was a second blast when the truck fell onto a workshop near the expressway after the first explosion. Emergency responders were still conducting search and rescue operations, it added.

Bollywood actor sushant singh rajput commits suicide

Over 400 Afghan security personnel killed or wounded by Taliban in past week: govt KABUL AGENCIES

AGENCIES

The police chief in the US city of Atlanta resigned after an officer fatally shot a black man during an arrest, the mayor said Saturday, with the new killing injecting fresh anger into protests against racism and police brutality. Images on local media showed hundreds of protesters in the streets on Saturday and flames engulfing Wendy’s restaurant where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was killed. The officer who shot Brooks was dismissed Saturday and identified by Atlanta police as Garrett Rolfe. The second officer was placed on administrative duty, according to ABC News.

the lowest class of society. So I have to keep working in order to make a living.”

In nearby streets, residents were under lockdown and restaurants closed.

Some people used a wooden stepladder propped against the gated entrance to one community to pass supplies to loved ones.

A resident surnamed Chen told AFP he had made several trips with his car to the front gate of his compound to deliver food.

“As soon as I finish delivering the supplies to my family members, I will go upstairs to join them,” he said. “After that I won't be able to get out.”

FOOD FEARS: Covid-19 first emerged late last year and one of the first clusters was from a market in the central city of Wuhan that sold wild animals for meat.

The latest outbreak in Beijing has turned the spotlight on the hygiene of the city's food supply chain.

State-run media reported that the virus was detected on chopping boards used to handle imported salmon, and that major supermarkets had removed the fish from their stocks.

Beijing authorities ordered a city-wide food safety inspection focusing on fresh and frozen meat, poultry and fish in supermarkets, warehouses and catering services.

One trader surnamed Sun, selling tomatoes and cherries at a central food market, told AFP there were fewer customers than normal. “People are scared,” he said.

City authorities have closed nine schools and kindergartens near Xinfadi, while sporting events and cross-provincial tour groups have been stopped.

18 killed in china tanker blast, over 200 injured

The Taliban have killed or wounded more than 400 Afghan security personnel over the past week, the interior ministry said Sunday, accusing the insurgents of increasing attacks ahead of expected peace talks.

Violence had dropped across much of Afghanistan since the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire on May 24 to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday, but officials have accused the insurgents of stepping up attacks in recent days.

“In the past one week, the Taliban carried out 222 attacks against the Afghan security forces, resulting in the death and injury of 422” personnel, interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said at a press conference.

He also accused the Taliban of targeting religious scholars in a bid

to put “psychological pressure” on the Afghan government.

Bomb attacks on Kabul mosques that killed two prayer leaders this month were the work of the insurgents, Arian claimed.

“This has been the goal of the Taliban to target religious scholars, especially in the past two weeks,” Arian said, accusing the militants of being an “umbrella group for other terrorist networks”.

On Friday, four people including a prayer leader were killed when a blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul during the weekly prayers.

No group claimed that assault, which came just over a week after an Islamic State-claimed attack at a mosque on the edge of Kabul’s heavily fortified Green Zone killed a prominent prayer leader. The Taliban condemned both attacks.

After initially reporting a drop in overall violence following the

ceasefire, National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal on Sunday said the Taliban “have not reduced, but rather increased their attacks across the country”.

The council on Saturday also charged that the insurgents had killed 89 civilians and wounded 150 in the last two weeks.

The accusations come after the government and Taliban signalled that they were getting closer to launching much delayed peace talks.

President Ashraf Ghani has vowed to complete a Taliban prisoner release that is a key condition to beginning the negotiations with the insurgents aimed at ending nearly two decades of war.

The Taliban have largely refrained from launching major attacks on Afghan cities since February, when they signed a deal with the US meant to pave the way for the talks.

NEWS DESK Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide at his home in Mumbai. The actor was 34.

The news has sent shockwaves through the film industry and comes a few days after his former manager Disha Salian reportedly killed herself.

According to reports, the award-winning actor was found hanging from his ceiling in his Bandra residence in Mumbai. Singh is a self-made star who has acted in films including 'Shudh Desi Romance' and 'Chhichhore'. His close friend in Dubai Raza Beig, CEO of Splash, expressed his deep shock. “He was one of my closest friends. We have hung together in Dubai a lot. I still can’t believe that he has gone,” said Beig. Singh was living alone in his residence during the lockdown. According to Mumbai Police, the reason for his suicide is yet to be confirmed and post mortem reports are awaited.

LONDON AGENICES

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned “racist thuggery” after far-right protesters clashed in London on Saturday with anti-racist demonstrators and police trying to keep the two sides apart. Fights broke out between groups outside Waterloo station, with fireworks thrown before police cordoned off areas. On a nearby bridge, stones were lobbed at police. Sporadic skirmishes continued in parts of the city centre.

“Racist thuggery has no place on our streets,” Johnson said on Twitter. “Anyone attacking our police will be met with the full force of the law.”

Earlier in the day, small bands of protesters jostled and tossed bottles and cans in Trafalgar Square.

Far-right groups shouted racial slurs at the antiracism protesters, and some tried to use metal crash barriers to break through police lines. The Metropolitan Police said they arrested more than 100 people for offences including violent disorder and assault on police, and that six officers had suffered minor injuries. The ambulance service said it had treated 15 people. “It is clear that far-right groups are causing violence and disorder in central London, I urge people to stay away,” Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter. A protester carries an injured counter-protester to safety, near the Waterloo station during a Black Lives Matter protest, in London, Britain.

Global economies take a hit from Covid-19 pandemic ISLAMABAD APP

The deadly Covid-19 continues its catastrophic journey by hitting the global economies hard bringing about serious financial downturn and negatively impacting the projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of all the sound economies, including those of the developing countries like Pakistan.

With continuous rise in the health and human toll, the economic damage to different sectors across the globe has come as a major shock for all the countries.

This downward trend is said to have attributed to the total global GDP loss of $9 trillion. This economic snapshot reflects the economic outlook of many countries.

Though Pakistan still fares well when compared with the global projected figures.

According to available data, the projected change in GDP of various countries in the year 2020 as compared to 2019 would remain as follows in case no second wave of the coronavirus emerges:

UK -11.5%, France -11.4%, Italy 11.3%, Spain -11.1%, Euro area -9.1%, Russia -8%, Canada -8%, Brazil -7.4%, US -7.3%, Germany -6.6%, Japan -6%, India -3.7% and China -2.6%.

Comparing with the above numbers, Pakistan’s GDP next year is estimated to stand around – 0.4.

According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to have faced Rs3 trillion loss. The GDP was expected to increase by three per cent with the support of economic policies, but it would now go down by -0.4pc.

Further reliable figures revealed that the United States’ GDP during the current quarter was down by 48% and that of the United Kingdom by 20.4% in the month of April alone.

The European Union’s GDP, which is 20% of the global GDP, saw its sharpest decline in the last 14 years.

According to the World Bank’s latest report, the baseline forecast envisions a 5.2 per cent contraction in the global

GDP in 2020, using market exchange rate weights—the deepest global recession in decades, despite the extraordinary efforts of governments to counter the downturn with fiscal and monetary policy support.

The pandemic is expected to plunge most countries into recession in 2020, with per capita income contracting in the largest fraction of countries globally since 1870. Advanced economies are projected to shrink by 7 per cent.

“Every region is subject to substantial growth downgrades. East Asia and the Pacific will grow by a scant 0.5%. South Asia will contract by 2.7%, Sub-Saharan Africa by 2.8%, Middle East and North Africa by 4.2%, Europe and Central Asia by 4.7%, and Latin America by 7.2%,” the report said.

The WB further warns that the advanced economies are projected to shrink by 7 per cent. That weakness will spill over to the outlook for emerging markets and developing economies, who are forecast to contract by 2.5 per cent as they cope with their own domestic outbreaks

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

of the virus.

The government of Pakistan took drastic efforts to net the fast economic recession by reopening various sectors, including construction, industry and agriculture with strict adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs), which are considered as major wheels of economic growth, besides rolling out the biggest Ehsaas support programme for provision of succour to the big vulnerable segments of the society.

An amount of Rs122.99 billion has so far been distributed among a total of 10,118,814 beneficiaries under various categories.

The situation in the neighbouring country also reeled under the economic shocks after the Modi’s government imposed one of the world’s harshest Covid19 lockdowns.

According to Pranab Pardhan, a renowned economist, Narendra Modi has inflicted unprecedented damage on India’s economy and on the poor, who live hand-to-mouth at the best of times.