EpaperLHR_2020-06-6

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Saturday, 6 June, 2020 I 14 Shawwal-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 337 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

PM says Pakistan can't afford lockdown as cases toP 90,000 g

PrEmiEr says COrOnavirus Can Only bE dEFEatEd by FOllOWinG sOPs laid Out by GOvt

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Wants COrOna tiGEr rEliEF FOrCE tO HElP WitH ClimatE CHanGE, lOCusts as WEll

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staff report

rimE minister imran Khan on Friday said that Pakistan cannot afford another lockdown, and urged the people to follow the standard operating procedures (sOPs) laid out by the government for curbing the spread of the virus. addressing the volunteers of the Corona relief tiger Force in a televised address, he said that the country was standing at a juncture where the outbreak could only be defeated by strict adherence to the sOPs. “it is important for you [tiger Force] to ensure that people follow sOPs because we cannot go back to another lockdown, this country cannot afford it,” he said. “if we can slow down the [infection] curve because of sOPs, it would reduce pressure on hospitals,” he added. the prime minister said that one million youngsters have registered themselves for the force so far, adding that 175,000 volunteers provided assistance in various relief activities during the lockdown.

He said that volunteers were needed to sensitise the public about precautionary measures during the gradual easing of the lockdown. He added that many people needed awareness and guidance to follow the sOPs, including social distancing and care. He also said that the volunteers were also guiding people offering prayers in mosques, due to which not a single case of coronavirus was traced back to mosque, despite the government’s critics claiming otherwise.

“We were the only country in the muslim world that said we would not ban taraweeh prayers and would keep the mosques open. We decided that whoever goes to the mosques will have to follow sOPs,” he said.

Quoting the example of sialkot, the

Govt says 3m people to go unemployed amid Covid-19 outbreak g

ExtrEmE POvErty tO inCrEasE by 9.2PC, FinanCE ministry tElls sEnatE ISLAMABAD staff report

Edhi workers shift a dead body to a morgue after patient succumbs to Covid-19.

prime minister said that there were not enough police officials in sialkot to stop the public from going to mosques, so the tiger Force went and raised awareness.

“Our critics said that the virus will spread from mosques [but] we did not see any cases emerge from there and today the world is opening mosques with sOPs in place. this was an achievement for the force,” he said.

Pm imran said that the services of volunteers would also be needed in areas where smart lockdowns would be implemented in the coming days, and they would also work along district administration in efforts to control the locust attack. “locusts have attacked the nation after some 30 years. not just us, but india, africa and somalia have been badly affected by the invasion,” he said. “they primarily target crops which can lead to famine. so, for this we will ask you to collaborate with the administration on how to help those areas that have been

affected,” he added. the second thing, the premier said, was climate change.

“Pakistan faces a huge threat from climate change. 80 per cent of the water in our rivers comes from the glaciers. Our coming generations will face difficulties as the water level in rivers will recede,” he said.

He added that in an effort to combat this, he wanted the volunteers to participate in the government’s Clean and Green Pakistan campaign, under which 10 billion trees would be planted.

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Covid-19: WHO says disease has not ‘exploded’ in Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 02

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the Finance ministry submitted a written response to the senate on Friday, revealing that according to the government’s estimate, around three million people would lose their jobs in the “initial round’ of the coronavirus outbreak. the upper house was informed that industrial sector is likely to lose one million and the remaining two million would be lost in the services sector. the ministry added that the Pakistan institute of development Economics had estimated unemployment to surge by 18 million in agricultural, services and industrial sectors collectively. the ministry had submitted a response to a three-part question by senator mushtaq ahmed, who asked about the estimated loss to the economy, increase in budget deficit, debt and dollar value, and the government’s plan to cope with the challenges. in its answer, the finance ministry said that the proportion of those living in poverty would increase from 24.3 per cent to 33.5 per cent.

the fiscal deficit is also expected to rise from the initial target of 7.5 per cent to 9.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GdP) due to revenue shortfall and an “increase in public spending due to fiscal stimulus package”. the ministry added that the increase in debt burden will depend on the fiscal deficit.

Furthermore, exports may fall to $21-22 billion owing to low commodity prices and decreased economic activity in the united states, European union, united Kingdom and the middle East. before the pandemic, they amounted to $25.5 billion. remittances are also expected to fall from $23 billion to $20-21 billion. the Federal board of revenue (Fbr) may also not be able to achieve its target and tax revenue is expected to fall from rs4,800 billion to rs3,905 billion. between april and June, the Fbr is expected to incur a loss of rs700-900 billion. the ministry also informed the senate about the currency value, which depreciated by 7.5 per cent in march over February.

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Saturday, 6 June, 2020

NEWS

Pakistan sHOOts dOWn eigHtH indian drOne tHis year

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NEWS DESK

HE Pakistan Army has shot down yet another spy drone sent from India across the Line of Control (LoC), the military's media wing said in a statement issued on Friday. "Pakistan Army troops shot down an Indian spying quadcopter in Khanjar Sector along LOC," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Babar Iftikhar said.

"The quadcopter had intruded 500 meters on Pakistan’s side of the LOC," Major General Iftikhar added, noting that it was the eighth Indian quadcopter shot down by Pakistan Army troops this year.

Last week, Pakistan shot down two Indian drones in one week. On May 30, an

Indian quadcopter which came from Kanzalwan sector intruded 700 metres on Pakistan’s side of the LoC in Nekrun Sector was shot down, while three days before that, an Indian surveillance drone that had crossed over the LoC 650 metres into the Rakh Chakri sector, was shot down.

Previously, at the turn of the new year, on January 1, the Pakistan army shot down a spy Indian quadcopter in Bagh sector along the LoC. Within 24 hours, a second was shot down in Satwal Sector along the LoC. Former ISPR DG Major General Asif Ghafoor had vowed at the time that not even a quadcopter would be allowed to cross into Pakistani territory.

‘DO NOT PLAY WITH FIRE’: On Tuesday, Pakistani military’s chief spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar

warned India to “not play with fire”, and said that any military adventurism from the neighbouring country will be met with “uncontrollable and unintended consequences”.

In an interview with a private news channel, the ISPR DG said that this year alone, 1,229 ceasefire violations have taken place at the Line of Control (LoC), seven civilians have been martyred and more than 90 have been injured.

“Many times, their [India’s] quadcopters have intruded on our side [of the LoC] and in the past we have downed some of them, and it has been covered in the media.

“Despite this, senior Indian military leadership talks about alleged intrusion from different launchpads, which I think

leaves a question-mark on their capabilities — despite such a well-guarded LoC and counter-infiltration measures, how can someone infiltrate one of the most militarised zones in the world?”

Gen Iftikhar went on to say that the artillery deployed by the Indian military during the past few days was in civilian populations so that, in case of counter-bombardment, it would target Kashmiris living in the occupied valley.

“The Pakistan Army is responding [to Indian aggression] in the same area, and with the same calibre along the LoC. But we are always trying not to harm civilians living on the other side.

“The people of occupied Kashmir are becoming targets of Indian aggression.

Women and children are also included in

them. Indian security forces have also not spared innocent seven year olds.”

He said that Indian security forces, in an effort to squash dissent, were killing young Kashmiris and not handing over the dead bodies to the families.

“They have also levelled strange allegations against Pakistan. It started with, them saying that corona-infected terrorists were sent via the LoC and that is how the virus spread in occupied Kashmir.”

He maintained that all of these actions were indicative of a “stage being set” for the next few months for adventurism with Pakistan.

“Our prime minister and the chief of army staff have both conveyed […] that a false flag operation is being planned in India,” he said.

Opp lashes out at govt for sacking Pakistan Steel Mills’ employees ISLAMABAD

Petrol crisis to further worsen amid shortage of stock KARACHI: A shortage of petrol and diesel at most fuel stations across the country reportedly due to the limited supply of petroleum products have added to the miseries of people. The scarcity of petrol across the country has turned severe on Friday, as most petrol pumps remained closed in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta. However, long queues can be witnessed on those pumps which were open. Sameer Najmul Hassan, chairman of All Pakistan Petroleum Retailers Association (APPRA), in a statement, said oil companies will likely run out of their oil stocks in the next three days. They have been left with the stock hardly enough to last out more than three days, he added. He said a new quota of petroleum products is not being purchased due to a consistent decrease in the oil companies’ quota. No company other than the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is purchasing oil at present, the APPRA chairman said. “The situation seems to be going from bad to worse until Sunday,” he warned. He said 15 oil marketing companies in total, including the PSO, purchase oil in the country. stAff RePoRt

stAff RePoRt

Opposition senators slammed the government for sacking Pakistan Steel Mills’ (PSM) employees and going back on its promise to not privatise the entity, in a session of the Senate held on Friday.

A session of the upper house was held during which Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had said in the past that he would demonstrate to everyone how the steel mills can be properly run.

He said that Planning Minister Asad Umar had also gone back on his word to the employees of the steel mills. “The government cannot rid itself of responsibilities by blaming its predecessors,” said Senator Mushahidullah.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Senator Siraj ul Haq criticised the government and questioned how it could sack employees of the steel mills when it had promised to provide one million jobs to the people.

Federal Minister of Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said that the PSM Mills could not be revived or priva-

tised during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N’s tenures. He said that Rs35 billion had been paid during the past five years from the taxpayers’ pockets to the steel mills employees.

He said that it was not possible to keep hiring personnel in government departments. “The institution will be revived through private partnerships,” he said.

Earlier, terming the PSM as a “white elephant”, Azhar had said that the government had decided to privatise it as it had become a burden on the national exchequer.

He had said that the PSM employees had not been working for the last many years and now they would get a financial package of around Rs2.3 million per employee as compensation. Besides, he said, employees could also contribute to productivity in the private sector.

Azhar had said that the PSM turned from a profit-making institution to one that was running in losses in the 2008-09 tenure of the PPP government and its operational works were shut down during the PML-N government.

The minister further said that with this decision, the government would save

Rs700 million of the people’s hardearned taxes a month. He said that the Supreme Court (SC) also wondered why the government was paying the workers of a closed mill.

He said that around 15 parties were

Court issues notice to PM Imran in defamation case NEWS DESK A sessions court in Lahore issued notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the Rs10 billion suit for damages filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif under the Defamation Ordinance, 2002.

A sessions court in Lahore issued notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan and others in the Rs10 billion suit for damages filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif under the Defamation Ordinance, 2002.

The case started in 2017, when Shehbaz, who was then the chief minister of Punjab, sent a Rs10 billion defamation notice to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, stating that the latter had falsely accused the former of having “offered to pay a sum of Rs10,000,000,000 to the defendant in exchange for his withdrawing/backing-off from, or remaining silent on the issue of the Panama Papers' case”. On Friday, the PML-N president submitted a plea to expedite the defamation suit, which was heard by Judge Sohail Anjum.

In his plea, Shehbaz’s lawyer said that PM Imran is not presenting before the court in the case. He said that defamation case against the premier is pending since past three years.

Following the arguments, the court subsequently issued a notice to the nominated parties’ lawyers for a response.

On Thursday, PML-N Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb had challenged the prime minister to submit a

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formal response over his claim of “hush money” allegedly offered by the opposition leader, saying that if the premier does not do so then he would not be morally eligible to hold office.

Talking to media, Marriyum had said that the premier would also cease to be righteous and trustworthy in the light of Article 62, 63 of the constitution. “A lying, sugar robbing, incompetent and unqualified person does not deserve to be the leader of the great Pakistani nation. The person who is playing with the lives of his countrymen does not deserve to hold the office of the prime minister,” she had added.

The former information minister had said that the leader of the “NAB-Niazi alliance”, Imran, had been an absconder from the case for the past three years by delaying proceedings 33 times.

She had said for the past six years, he had been an absconder in the foreign funding case in addition to the 23 secret accounts case which he delayed for two years. Marriyum clarified that Babar Awan could not represent PM Imran in the case because he was a government office holder and called out the hypocrisy of the system, saying the court had conveniently excused him appearing in court over the danger of contracting Covid-19 but Shehbaz was summoned twice a week.

She said the court had given Imran a last chance to submit his reply by 22 June and showed Lahore Addition Session Judge Sohail Anjum's order in which Imran's counsel Dr Babar Awan had requested a leave of absence due to coronavirus.

interested in taking over the operational work of the PSM project. He clarified that only the operations of PSM would be privatised while thousands of acres of land would still remain in the custody of the PSM corporation.

Covid-19: WHO says disease has not ‘exploded’ in Pakistan GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday said the number of COVID19 cases in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is increasing rapidly but the disease has not exploded in the region. “In South Asia, not just in India, but in Bangladesh and…

Pakistan and other countries of South Asia with large dense populations, the disease has not exploded, but there is always the risk of that happening,” Dr Mike Ryan, WHO’s top emergency expert, told a news conference.

Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, noting India has a population of 1.3 billion, said that the 200,000 reported cases, “look big but for a country of this size it’s still modest”.

World Health Organisation epidemiologist Dr Maria van Kerkhove said PCR tests can show a person with mild infection being positive for fragments of the virus 2-3 weeks after the onset of symptoms and those with severe cases “for much longer”. “But we don’t know what that relates to in terms of infectiousness, if somebody can actually pass the virus,” she said. Agencies

Chaman reports polio case QUETTA: A new case of polio has been detected in Chaman, the bordering city of the province with Afghanistan. In a statement on Friday, Provincial Health Department has confirmed poliovirus in seventeen-month-old girl of Sirki Telri area of Chaman. it has been reported that parents of the girl were reluctant two administer polio drops to their children. PPi

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

NEWS

after gOvt's lOCkdOWn gaMBle, COvid-19 Cases surge aCrOss COuntry DAILY AVERAGE OF POSITIVE RESULTS CLIMBES FROM AN AVERAGE 11.5 PER CENT TO 15.4PC

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AgENCIES

OUR weeks ago, with Eidul Fitr coming up and millions of people facing starvation as economic activity dwindled, Pakistan lifted a twomonth-long coronavirus lockdown.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said despite rising infections and deaths, the country would need to learn to “live with” the virus to avert pushing tens of millions living on daily wages into destitution.

Now, a Reuters review of government data shows over 20,000 cases of the virus were identified in the three weeks before the lockdown was lifted, and more than double that figure were identified in the three weeks since.

To be sure, testing rates have also increased. But of those tested, the daily average of positive results climbed from an average 11.5 per cent in the three weeks before the lockdown was lifted, to 15.4pc on average in the subsequent three weeks.

The ratio is around 23pc this week, according to the data.

Pakistan has officially identified over 89,000 cases of Covid-19, with more than 1,800 confirmed deaths.

“Those numbers are concerning, since they do suggest there may still be widespread transmission in certain parts of the country,” said Claire Standley, assistant research professor at the Department of Inter-

Bill seeks free travel perk for parliamentarians’ families ISLAMABAD APP

Parliamentary Affair Adviser Dr Babar Awan on Friday presented a bill in the Senate seeking parliamentarian’ free air travel privilege extended to their families. The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 aims at “ensuring the utility of 25 air tickets to the parliamentarians for their family members, sans any burden on the exchequer”. It points out that under the existing legislation, 25 business class open return air tickets for parliamentarians could be substituted with travel vouchers of the equal amount — Rs300,000. “The unutilised air tickets and vouchers for financial year 2019-20 will remain acceptable till their utilisation up to June 30, 2020,” it read. The bill’s statement of objectives and reasons read that Section 10 of the existing act regulates free travel privilege of the MPs, who were entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets from the airport nearest to their constituencies to Islamabad each year. “There has been persistent demand by the MPs to extend the utility of the 25 air tickets to their family members as well. The National Assembly Standing on Rules of Procedure has recommended accordingly,” it read. “Therefore, vouchers of equal value in lieu of admissible 25 business class open return air tickets are proposed to be issued to the MPs that may be utilised by their family members as well.”

Under Section 10, every MP would be provided during vouchers worth Rs300,000 annually that would enable them to travel within the country by air or by rail at any time without payment of fare. The bill read that the number of air tickets would remain 25 in a year and expenses would not increase, whereas the lawmaker could refund the unused air tickets. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani asked the members to forward their recommendations on the bill till June 8 while a report would be presented in the House within ten days by the relevant committee.

national Health at Georgetown University.

Experts say measures that could curb cases like limits on religious gatherings and crowded shopping areas and emphasising social distancing should be reinstated and some doctors are raising the alarm.

According to a letter seen by Reuters, a committee of experts backed by the local

health department in Punjab told the provincial government the lockdown needed to continue.

The letter said random testing suggested more than 670,000 people in Lahore had likely contracted the virus, many of them asymptomatic.

Punjab Health Minister Yasmeen Rashid said the letter had not been disregarded, but set aside in light of the Supreme Court’s decision that lockdowns should be lifted.

Most hospitals in Lahore are now full and are sending cases to Mayo Hospital, a public facility with more than 400 beds dedicated to Covid-19 cases, said Salman Kazmi, general secretary of the Young Doctors Association (YDA), who is treating coronavirus patients there.

Mayo Hospital CEO Asad Aslam, however, disputed claims that Lahore hospitals were saturated. “We can handle further burden of patients,” he said.

‘HERD ImmUNITY’: The government lifted the lockdown on May 9, about two weeks before Eidul Fitr. Transport and most businesses have re-opened but cinemas, theatres and schools remain closed.

There has been growing debate among experts globally on whether populous devel-

E-commerce marketplace Tajir raises $1.8m for its B2B operations LAHorE tAiMooR HAssAn

Tajir, a B2B ecommerce marketplace for neighbourhood convenience stores, has raised $1.8 million in a recent financing round from a cohort of institutional and angel investors. Tajir, which was started in 2018 by brothers and co-founders Babar and Ismail Khan, is backed

by Y-Combinator - an American seed money startup accelerator, considered to be the most prestigious in the world.

The announcement, which was originally published in TechCrunch, was confirmed to Profit by Ali Mukhtar, managing partner at Fatima Gobi Ventures that invested investors in Tajir. Other investors in the company include San Franciscobased Pioneer Fund -- an investment fund created by Y-Combinator (YC) Alumni to support fellow YC com-

panies, GoldenGate Ventures, Karavan, VentureSouq and a few angel investors. Tajir is focusing on fixing the problem of informal and fragmented retail in Pakistan. According to the company’s website, 91 per cent of retail in the country flows through small, family-owned convenience stores.

Owing to the problem of fragmentation, these stores struggle to buy inventory and spend hours every week dealing with dozens of different suppliers, besides dealing with late, incorrect and uncertain deliveries. As a result, stores overpay for inventory, fail to get stock when they need it, and suffer lower incomes, while suppliers miss out on sales from eager customers.

Through Tajir’s application, storeowners can order inventory whenever they want, receive on-demand delivery, enjoy transparent, competitive prices, and choose

from the largest selection of products available. “In essence, Tajir connects these small convenience stores directly to FMCGs and wholesalers and distributors. It is a better platform of distribution for FMCGs and a better and transparent platform for small stores allowing better price discovery, selection of products and timely deliveries,” said Ali Mukhtar.

2020 looks like a promising year for startups. Only a few days ago, another B2B ecommerce marketplace Bazaar announced raising $1.3 million in what they claimed was the country's largest ever preseed round from foreign and local investors. The overall ticket size of funding has seen an increase and foreign investors are showing trust in Pakistan’s startup ecosystem.

But will these startups remain successful in keeping this trust is what remains to be seen.

PM says Pakistan can't afford lockdown as cases top 90,000 CoNtINuED froM pAgE 01 “We will tell you how to clean those areas. But the plantation that needs to be carried out during the rainy months, I want you to participate in that. We are currently developing a programme for that. I will require your assistance in that,” he said.

PM Imran also urged the volunteers to keep an eye on utility stores. “Transport services were shut down due to the lockdown and food prices skyrocketed as a result. However, we kept up supply to utility stores and got some very good feedback from the volunteers about what was needed at the stores,” he added.

He urged the volunteers to identify hoarders and inform the district administration. “You have to protect our people and help the vulnerable […] we will keep making you aware of what your duties are,” he further said.

The premier said that the medical community across the world is facing pressure and this can only be

avoided if the people follow the SOPs. He said that lockdowns impact the livelihoods of the people and poor countries are grappling with this situation.

He cited the example of neighbouring India, where strict lockdown resulted in millions of people going unemployed. He said that the effective steps taken by the government have been appreciated by the Asian Development Bank (ABD). He also said that under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, disbursements were made to the needy and eligible people.

Referring to the economic situation of the country, PM Imran said that the coronavirus pandemic came at a time when the country was getting out of economic crisis due to the prudent policies adopted by the government.

“We have paid more than Rs5,000 billion in interest for the loans taken by the previous government,” he said, adding that the incumbent government would reduce expenditures in order to cope with the situation.

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oping nations can afford comprehensive social distancing measures to contain the coronavirus while avoiding economic ruin.

Some officials have suggested “herd immunity” could contain the virus, a situation where enough people in a population have developed immunity to an infection to be able to effectively stop that disease from spreading.

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned countries that have “lax measures” in place against counting on herd immunity to halt the spread of Covid-19.

“The Pakistan government is setting itself up for a huge gamble but it’s also a test case for herd immunity because South Asia has no other choice,” a senior European Union official who oversees South Asia told Reuters.

Yet even those advocating rolling back strict lockdowns in developing nations are alarmed at the teeming crowds in Pakistan’s streets, shopping malls and mosques, the ramping up of domestic flights, and the movement of millions of people for the Eid holiday.

“It’s not about this dichotomy between complete lockdown and fully open,” Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, a professor of economics at Yale University, told Reuters.

He said a smarter strategy would be to allow people out for core economic and public health activities, rather than a total relaxation of rules.

“There should still be complete bans on religious gatherings and social gatherings […] those are things for which we need to see much better leadership,” he said.

govt says 3m people to go unemployed CoNtINuED froM pAgE 01 The value of rupee against the dollar in February was Rs154.23 but in March, it decreased to Rs166.70. In April, the value of rupee had increased to Rs160.17 as the “volatility observed in domestic financial and foreign exchange markets […] somewhat subsided”, the finance ministry said, adding that value of the rupee fell slightly to Rs163.10 in May. It stated that before the pandemic, GDP growth for fiscal year 2020 was estimated as 3.24 per cent out of which the agricultural sector was expected to record a 2.85 per cent growth, industrial sector was expected to record a 1.95 per cent growth and services sector was expected to record a 4.04 per cent growth. However, the year posted a negative growth of 0.4 per cent, out of which industrial sector recorded -2.64 per cent, agricultural sector 2.67 per cent and services sector -0.59 per cent.

don't politicise PsM layoffs, shibli urges Opp ISLAMABAD APP

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Thursday advised the opposition not to do politics on the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM). The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had taken the right step by announcing the golden handshake scheme for the PSM employees as the mills had become a white elephant for the national exchequer, he said while talking to a private news channel. The minister said both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were not serious about the PSM otherwise they would have settled the matter during their respective governments.

They were now criticizing the PTI government's action for political point scoring while they were already politicking on the coronavirus.

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

04 LAHORE

WEATHER UPDATES SATURDAY

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SOPS gO dOWn the drAin AS PeOPle thrOng mArketS Lahore

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Shahab omeR

ESPITE the tall claims, the district administration and Punjab government have badly failed to enforce the anti-coronavirus SOPs in the local markets.

Pakistan Today observed that the Ichra Market, Township Market, Hall Road Market, Barkat Market, Main Market, Gulberg, Shadman Market, DHA Y Block and H Block Markets, Anarkali, and markets in old Lahore area remained flooded with people despite two-hour extension in their timing.

A vendor at Hall Road Market told this scribe that encroachments were one of the reasons for the crowdedness.

“There are many vendors who have encroached the places in front of shops and other places due to which the entire market gets crowded. Most of these are new vendors who have opened these temporary stalls (tharas) during this time to earn

something. Customers are also flowing into the market and many do not follow the SOPs. We usually tell customers to wear masks before coming into the shop but many vendors accept customers without masks as well. In these days no one wants to lose a customer.”

A shopkeeper in Shadman was of the view that people themselves should think of their safety. “We can only tell them not to enter without masks. I get customers from a well-educated social class, but they also do not follow the SOPs.’ It is pertinent to mention here that after the opening of markets there is a marked increase in the corona cases. In Lahore, the cases reported were 16,388.

Mian Aslam Iqbal Minister Industries said, “We had a meeting with the traders and it was decided that each trader would be responsible for his markets and shops to follow the SOPs. We are making surprise visits in the city with police and district administration and those shops which are not following the SOPs, we

Saving crops from locust swarms priority of the govt: Usman Buzdar LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar while directing to take every step to counter locust attack has said that saving crops from locust swarms is the priority of the government. The chief minister issued the directives to DG PDMA who accompanied him during an aerial view of Rahim Yar Khan, Rojhan, Bhong, Sadiqabad, Kot Sabzal and other areas on Friday to review the damages caused to the crops due to locust attack. He said that every effort should be made to minimize the damages and scope of the anti-locust spray should be further extended as one billion rupees have been issued to succeed the antilocust drive. He further directed to take prior steps to save the crops from any possible locust attack in coming days. The CM also reviewed the coronavirus SOPs' implementation and expressed concern over the violation of SOPs in bazaars. He directed strict compliance and made it clear that law will come into action in case of any non-compliance because SOPs are designed to protect the lives of the citizens. INp

will seal the entire market because of those shops. If the customer is not wearing a mask it is the responsibility of the shopkeeper to provide him with a mask and if they cannot then they should keep the shop closed. The timings of malls and markets will not be extending. These will be closed at sunset and we are formulating rules for it.”

On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner Afzaal Danish said, “We have sealed 218 shops who were not following the SOPs. Those not wearing masks are being fined. Our teams are there out in the field and doing their best to implement the SOPs.” COVID-19 CASES TALLY REACHES 33,144: Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in the province reached 33,144 after registration of 2,040 cases in the last 24 hours.

According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Friday, 22 more people in the province lost their lives while

total number of deaths reached up to 629.

The Health Department confirmed that 1,095 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in Lahore, eight in Nankana Sahib district, 14 in Kasur, 37 in Sheikhupura, 218 in Rawalpindi, 22 in Jehlum, 29 in Attock, eight in Chakwal, 60 in Gujranwala, 65 in Sialkot, 54 in Gujrat, three in Hafizabad, four in Mandi Bahauddin, 97 in Multan, five in Khanewal, five in Vehari, 120 in Faisalabad, two in Chineot, two in Toba Tek Singh, 21 in Rahimyar Khan, 31 in Sargodha, six in Mianwali, one in Khoshab, two in Bhakkar, 22 in Bahawalnagar, 20 Bahawalpur, 21 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 64 in Muzaffargarh, two in Rajanpur, 12 in Layyah, 10 in Sahiwal and five new cases of COVID19 were reported in Pakpattan district during the last 24 hours till the filing of the news.

The Punjab Health Department conducted 266,959 tests so far, while 7,806 recovered all together.

Chohan's diatribe against Waris Mir condemned Lahore Staff RepoRt

Harris Khaleeq Secretary General Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Arif Nizami President Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors, Abid Saqi Vice President Pakistan Bar Council and Nasir Zaidi Secretary General of Pakistan Federal Union of Journlists have condemned the Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan for his malicious video statement wherein he has declared noted journalist and in-

tellectual Prof Waris Mir a traitor.

These bodies have demanded that the government must proceed against Chohan for his irresponsible statement against a person who was decorated with the highest civil award of Pakistan for his services and contribution to Pakistani journalism and the cause of democracy.

Punjab's provincial minister for Information, Fayyaz Chohan gave this statement in response to a critique made about the CM Punjab, Usman Buzdar in a talk show premised around the Sugar Commission Report. The

programme was hosted by Muhammad Malick,senior journalist and Hamid Mir appeared as a guest in the show.The critique was so sorely received by Fayyaz Chohan, that in a baseless rebuttal, he declared Waris Mir a traitor despite the fact that Mir is the man who died while fighting an intellectual duel against the hegemonic stronghold of the Zia regime, thirty three years ago and in appreciation of his scholarly work, the government of Pakistan had decorated him (posthumously) with the highest civil award of the country, the Hilal e Imtiaz, in 2013.

AIRCRAFT ESCAPES ACCIDENT NEAR AIRPORT An aircraft of a private airline escaped dangerous accident after taking off from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport due to the flocks of birds, ARY News reported on Friday. The captain of a private airline’s Karachi-bound plane managed to escape the aircraft from being hit by a flock of birds after taking flight from the Lahore airport’s runway.

Sources said that the captain has lodged a complaint to the air traffic controller (ATC) after facing the terrible situation during flight. The pilot said that the plane would get damages after hitting the birds and the runway area should be cleared from the birds. Earlier in 2019, the national and foreign airlines had faced massive financial loss due to bird strikes on aircraft inside Pakistan’s airspace in 2019 followed by lack of cleanliness and delay in installation of the bird control system at airports. NewS DeSk

pRayeR tImINgS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:27

11:59

4:52

5:02

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Punjab govt to distribute free textbooks in schools for new academic session Lahore Staff RepoRt

The Punjab government will distribute free textbooks to public sector schools from Monday for the commencement of the new academic session of 2020-21, Punjab Minister for School Education Murad Raas announced on Friday. A notification has been released by the Punjab School Education Department which stated that free textbooks will be distributed among students of public sector schools from various tehsil warehouses for the new academic session. The notification read that the annual transportation of free textbooks at 128 tehsil warehouses across the province was completed by the concerned institution. Moreover, the school education department granted permission to open administrative offices on Monday and Tuesday with minimum staff.

It added, ‘The same activity may be carried out classwise with the distribution of time and social distancing for the distribution of books. The provincial department also directed to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the health department and other relevant agencies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, the National Coordination Committee (NCC) had decided that all educational institutions across the country will remain closed until July 15.

Court stops Punjab govt from deciding chicken price on WhatsApp Lahore INp

The Lahore High Court stopped the Punjab government from deciding the price of chicken on WhatsApp after it learned that the provincial government no longer issues official notifications over the change in prices. A poultry association told the court that they have been charging high prices because the government has not set any price. They said that the price is decided on WhatsApp messages and notifications are no longer issued. They even said that the cost of feed has increased because of the lockdown, which is why chicken has become more expensive. In some markets, chicken is being sold for Rs350 per kilogramme. The court has summoned a reply from the Punjab government on the matter.

Justice Jawad Hassan remarked that the court can’t allow chicken to become unaffordable for most people.

Meeting reviews clinical trial of coronavirus drug Lahore app

On the cabinet committee direction, a meeting with Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik in the chair here Friday reviewed the clinical trial of drug Actemra for use by seriously-ill COVID-19 patients in the province.

Additional Chief Secretary Home Momin Agha, Secretary Specialised Healthcare Nabil Awan, Commissioner Lahore Saif Anjum, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed, Corona Expert Advisory Group Chairman Prof Mahmood Shaukat, Member Prof Javed Hayat, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mayo Hospital Prof Asad Aslam Khan, Director Punjab Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) Dr Tazeen Zia and officers concerned attended the meeting.

The health experts informed the CS that the initial trial of the coronavirus drug had been conducted at PKLI, Mayo, and Serv-

ices Hospital and the medicine showed positive results, which were further being evaluated. They said the drug could only be given to critically-ill patients with specific symptoms on the advice of doctors, whereas ordinary coronavirus patients would not be allowed to use it.

The experts said that recommendations

Senior doctor dies of virus SIALKOT: A senior medical specialist, Dr Munawwar Javaid Mian (65), died of coronavirus here on Friday, according to family and hospital sources. He was the president of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Sialkot. He was under treatment at a local private hospital here for the last some days. He was buried in a local graveyard. app

about the use of the drug would be submitted to the cabinet committee and after final approval, it could be administered to critical patients with specific symptoms on the prescription of doctors. The chief secretary said that all possible assistance would be provided to the experts for the clinical trial.

The meeting also reviewed in detail the situation of coronavirus and implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for its prevention.

The chief secretary directed all administrative and police officers to ensure that precautionary measures are implemented in bazaars and shopping malls, saying that no compromise could be made on this important matter as “protection of public health and precious human lives is our prime responsibility”. The CS appealed to people to extend full cooperation to the administration and law-enforcement agencies in implementing the SOPs so that this deadly epidemic could be controlled.

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

‘ExPERtS dEPloyEd to PRovinCES foR StandaRdiSation of hEalth faCilitiES’ IsLAMABAD

t

StAff RepoRt

HE National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday took a detailed review of media campaigns launched by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and provincial authorities to ensure strict compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and overall status of healthcare equipment.

Additionally, the forum was informed about steps being taken for standardising and assisting provinces on health facilities by sending special team led by Dr Faisal Sultan and establishment of helpline for FLHCIN was also discussed.

Minister for Planning Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, while chairing the meeting, mulled over to project markets and industries complying with SOPs amid strict enforcement to encourage the masses to follow safety guidelines.

He appreciated the provincial chief secretaries, MoIB and ISPR for effective media campaign highlighting the stringent efforts made by the government to implement SOPs at grassroots level.

“We should continue to hammer SOPs compliance in the masses whereas the positive outcome of enforcement should also be projected at the forum and media,” he said.

It was suggested that the provincial

chief secretaries to take the opportunity of traders’ associations contacting with media to make them realise their self-responsibility for implementing the SOPs in the markets. He mentioned that the government had two-pronged strategy focusing on disease spread control and upgrading the healthcare system.

An ISPR official briefed the forum that complete information sharing was carried out from the highest tier of the government to the lowest one whereas SOPs compliance data would flow from bottom to top.

The prompt data sharing from the provinces was appreciated and the efforts made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) admin-

istrations was lauded for ensuring strong implementation of SOPs on the ground.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting (SAPM) and CPEC Authority Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa said that there was a need to create balance in the enforcement and avoid creating panic among the masses. He added that ground level engagement with masses would help improve the impact of SOPs compliance.

The SAPM also suggested the provinces to share their positive success stories with the ministry for better media projection and coverage. The provincial chief secretaries and those of GilgitBaltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir

(AJK) apprised the forum on action taken for SOPs compliance and smart lockdowns implemented in the areas with maximum Covid-19 cases reported.

The Punjab chief secretary informed the forum that other than Lahore hundreds of shops were sealed in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan whereas the City Traffic Police actively engaged with the masses for making awareness on wearing masks and fine to be imposed upto Rs2,000 on violating the safety protocol.

The Balochistan chief secretary told the forum that around 3,800 shops were sealed across the province on violating SOPs. The Sindh chief secretary mentioned that there was positive impact of media campaign on SOPs compliance where strict warning notices were issued to markets and shopkeepers on violating SOPs. The KP chief secretary said that around 25,000 information and education pamphlets and banners were displayed on ‘No mask no service’, whereas undertakings were received from the traders before opening markets to comply with SOPs. The GB chief secretary informed that around 440 shops were sealed and 1,000 people were fined on violation of SOPs where eight smart lockdowns were implemented in the areas with large number of Covid-19 cases.

The AJK chief secretary noted that ‘No mask no service’ was in place in the province since May 10 for effective SOPs compliance.

Little work on FCTC implementation in Pakistan Roti to cost Rs10 from June 10 LAHORe SHAHAb omeR

The Muttahida Naan Roti Association has decided to increase the price of roti and naan by Rs4 and Rs5, respectively, from June 10 onwards. The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the body on Friday. After the implementation of the decision, roti will be sold at Rs10, whereas a naan will cost Rs15.

The decision of the hike in the bread prices didn’t go down well with the public. Aftab Khan, who frequently relies on tandoors to get roti, commented that in the present circumstances the prices should not be increased. “We are already hand to mouth because of the lockdown and if the price of roti goes up, we will be devastated.” Another buyer expressed his distress over the potential hike in prices. He urged the government to step forward and look into this matter. “In case the prices are increased, many people like me will go hand to mouth and sometimes without food.” The president of the association, Muhammad Aftab Aslam Gul, informed that they made several attempts to contact the district administration but they did not pay heed to their issues. “We cannot sell the naan and roti on these prices (old prices) if the government does not restore the old prices of flour.”

LAHORe HASSAN NAQVI

Despite the Ministry of National Health Services’ (NHS) announcement regarding the ambitious tobacco taxation reforms proposal for consideration in the upcoming budget, it has not taken any measures to implement the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

An official of the NHS told Pakistan Today on the condition of anonymity that although the ministry had announced measures to curb tobacco consumption in the country, the slow implementation of FCTC gave clear room to tobacco players, mainly the multinational tobacco companies and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), to generate manifold profit. Soon after coming into power in 2018, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government announced “sin tax” as the lethal tobacco control measure but the progress on that front has been largely disappointing.

The official said that the ministry has yet to enforce sin tax and increase pictorial warning on tobacco packs by up to 70 per cent. The plan for generating funds from increased taxes on tobacco products and ensuing spending on health infrastructure was still a paper plan and little had been done on grounds as the FBR and the ministry have each

other’s backs, the official added.

The official further said that FBR did not pay attention to the ministry’s proposals because the latter did not pursue the case it built.

Sources said that instead of working on the implementation of the levy on tobacco products, the ministry itself lowered the pace, thus defying its commitments to FCTC. In 2019, the NHS suggested enforcing health tax on tobacco products and in 2018, it asked the FBR to enhance levy on the same to spend the revenue

on the health sector. Both suggestions hardly saw any progress by the FBR and the finance department.

In 2020, sources added, the ministry did not even push for increasing taxes on tobacco products.

When contacted, the NHS said that Special Assistant to Prime Minister on NHS Dr Zafar Mirza had said on May 31 that the ministry, in coordination with provinces, had developed a draft national policy to sustain tobacco control efforts in Pakistan, and would continue to promote a smoke free society.

NEWS

05

Shehbaz to be indicted in Ramzan Sugar Mills case on 11th News Desk An accountability court here on Friday directed Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz to appear in person in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. The accountability judge set June 11 for the indictment of the father-son duo and other accused in the case. He directed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president to show up on the next hearing at any cost. The hearing was postponed to June 11. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the money laundering and assets beyond means cases against Hamza till June 18. The PML-N leader, who is in judicial custody, was not brought to the court owing to the pandemic.

SC to hear Pakistan Steel Mills case on June 9

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will hear a case pertaining to the layoffs in the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) case on June 9. A threemember bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi would take up the case on Tuesday. The Registrar Office had served notices to the parties for the hearing.

According to a report submitted by the PSM management, it had decided to lay off 7,784 out of 8,884 employees of the steel mills.

Only one thousand employees could be accommodated, the report stated. They stated that the decision to fire the employees was taken at the Human Resource Board meeting on April 15. The government has to pay Rs40 billion to the current and former employees of PSM, it added. The report stated that the steel mills had to close due to heavy losses from 2009 to 2015. The number of employees was more than 27,000 in 1990 while in 2019, the number of employees was 9350, it added. The report stated that Rs30 billion had been paid to the employees of the closed mill since 2015. The report stated that the federal government had so far paid Rs92 billion in bailout packages and salaries while various projects caused a loss of Rs229 billion to the national exchequer. The Steel Mills management called for the immediate appointment of the new CEO. According to the report the steel mill had been running without a head for a year. The report also requested the help of police and Rangers to end the illegal possession of steel mills land.

The management requested that the federal government should be ordered to pay all dues to the employees on dismissal. StAff RepoRt

How a patient was killed by a Karachi hospital ENG NAEEM AKHOOND LOSES LIFE AFTER DOCTORS AT SOUTH CITY HOSPITAL INSIST ON PUTTING HIM ON VENTILATOR Dear Readers, This is a true of what happened. The objective of writing is to make everyone alert, as Corona Virus is hear to stay and at some point in time , some member of your family or friends might get infected, so you know what to do..

Naeem Akhoond tested positive for Corona and went in quantarine. His condition slightly detoriated after 4th day and was admitted to South City Hospital Clifton Karachi after paying RS 1 million as ad-

vance. On the second day of admission the doctors started forcing his family that Naeem has to go on a ventilator as his oxygen level is not right..His family resisted as the reading on the machine was around 80%to 88% .Hospitals do this because they make Rs 1 lac a day on the ventilator. Since the family was in experience and didn't had the faintest idea of how the ventilator is installed , they agreed, thinking it is another kind of a mask, which will help him in breathing better,not

knowing that a thick tube has to go from the throat or a hole is made in the neck or through the ribs. All the processes are very painful if performed without enethisia.

The doctors panel headed by Dr Nasir Khusa and Dr Ammara Khan visited Naeem Akhoond and forced upon him to go for a ventilator. Naeem resisted and did not agree, but eventually gave up under pressure.. Video cameras installed in the room for family members waiting outside and watching were turned off. When asked why, the hospital management said that a procedure is going on.. After 15 minutes emergency was declared and electric shocks to the heart were given and after 30 minutes Naeem Akhoond was pronounced dead..

Some God fearing person in the team inside informed that when doctors were installing the ventilator Naeem Akhoond had a heart attack and died of a Cardic arrest, because he was a heart patient and his BP shot up.

The family is trying to get the video but has been refused by the Management.. A very tragic story which can be confirmed from any member of the Akhoond family. In patients with cardiac problems ,BP issues anxiety and depression should not be allowed to go on a ventilator,as the patient knows that's his end and will panic and die as it was the case with Naeem Akhoond, although two hours before he enjoyed his food ,combed his hair and waved at his family members watching from the glass

mirror,that he is fine with a big smile..

Please remember,, now days if someone close to you passes away because of Corona in the hospital, you should have ample money to pay to the hospital, police and other agencies for releasing the body otherwise the body will be buried by the government in the grave yard identified for Corona patients without even informing the relatives .Again, heavy amount is required in taking the body for ghusal in the Center and for burial in your family graveyard bypassing police and paying it to the gurkand for getting a grave secretly.

Zaheer Javed Khan Daily News New York

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

06 COMMENT

America—a deeply divided polity

Joining hands to fight a common enemy Equally important is to settle mutual differences

Partisan politics gains the upper hand

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SALmAN CHAUdHRy

TILL reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, another severe crisis is staring Pakistan in the eyes. according to the National Disaster Management authority, swarms of locusts have already devoured large quantities of crops in 61 districts in the four provinces of the country. heavy rains in Yemen and Saudi arabia prompted the spread of locusts into Iran and then into Pakistan in March 2019. The pest has already pushed tens of thousands of small farmers into penury.

What is worrisome is that the ongoing locust incursion is a potential precursor to bigger and deadlier attacks from locusts breeding in East africa which can migrate to the Pakistan-India border regions in three weeks.

Locusts travel nearly 150 km per day, moving from one country to another and consuming crops spread over thousand of acres in a few hours. The United Nations Food and agriculture Organization (FaO) attempts to bring together the affected countries to jointly respond to the threat. It is a matter of satisfaction that despite tensions running high between Pakistan and India, the two neighbours are cooperating with each other and with Iran and afghanistan, who are members of the FaO’s regional commission.

There is a need for Pakistan and India to join hands to wipe out common threats, destroying the locust being just one. climate change continues to play havoc in both the countries and its highly negative impact can only be mitigated by timely exchange of information and mutual cooperation. a real time exchange of statistics about rainfall in the catchment areas and water levels in rivers flowing from India can help minimize the devastating impact of the floods. The current differences over water sharing can be reduced through mutual negotiations and by both sides following water conservation policies. The neighbouring countries can help each other in dealing with natural catastrophes also.

Pakistan and India have no doubt several disputes that continue to embitter their relations. Increased cooperation over joint threats can pave the ground for settlement of more complicated issues like kashmir. What makes one skeptical however is the jingoistic policy being pursued

by PM Modi not only towards Pakistan but also towards some of the other neighbours.

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hE gruesome video of a white cop, Derek chavin, kneeling on the neck of an africanamerican, George Floyd, as he pleaded for breath, has caused widespread anger and protests in the USa and elsewhere.

In the USa, there was across-the-board condemnation. The reactions to the aftermath, however, were deeply divided and primarily driven by political affiliations divisible into two clearly distinct set of opinions.

Folks, who identify as liberals and are mostly Democrats, saw the protests as being largely peaceful and downplayed the rampant violence, loot and plunder that ensued, discounting them as a few unfortunate incidents and an aberration and in an otherwise nobler struggle. When pressed, they blamed white supremacists who in their opinion crossed state lines to take advantage of the situation.

Democratic governors and mayors were initially hesitant to take stern action as people expressed their outrage in violent ways, destroying public and private property. With election season right around the corner, they were understandably reluctant to use force against the violent protestors, whom they mostly view as their liberal voting base. So, at first, and rather comically, these elected public executives blamed the unrest on the outside miscreants, imposed curfews at nonsensical hours beginning around 11 pm at night and restrained law enforcement from taking strict and swift action. It was only after the violence spiraled out of control that the gravity finally dawned upon them and action was taken to reinforce law enforcement, deploy the National Guard and impose curfews at more protest-prone hours. an the other end was an opposite set of opinions from people categorizing themselves as conservatives, mainly republicans who saw the unrest completely differently, skeptical at the ulterior political motives in the ongoing mayhem. In their view, Officer chavin, was already arrested and charged with third degree murder and second degree manslaughter and in record time. The district attoorney had also indicated the possibility of bringing more charges against one or more officers involved in Floyd’s arrest, which has since happened.

To them, the outcry is just a cover for unabashed violence coupled with the unbridled pillage. They’re of course, willing to set aside President Trump’s divisive comments and tweets and write them off as occasional outbursts of no significance.

So, wherein lies the truth? as always, somewhere in the middle. In today’s USa, there is no limit to the opportunity and ambition of people of any race or color. complaints of pervasive, systemic and enduring racism and discrimination are grossly exagger-

Economic woes pile up Economic management remains unimpressive

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hE coronavirus is bad news, and the pandemic has knocked the bottom out of the economy, but the data coming in does not bear out the enthusiasm recently shown by the State Bank Governor.

What the crisis seems to really mean is the blatant failure of the government to meet any of its economic targets.

The latest bit of bad news is the unemployment figure, which has reached 8.53 percent at the end of the current fiscal year, 2019-2020. The rate was 5.8 percent at the end of the PML-N’s tenure in 2018, which indicates that the PTI’s election promises of creating jobs aplenty, has come badly unstuck. The government itself is setting a growth target of 2.3 percent for 2020-2021, which indicates that it expects per capita income to stagnate, because the rate is only marginally above the population growth rate of 2.1 percent (and even this figure is doubtful, being derived from the last census, which was hit by controversy).

That is probably a small improvement over the current year, which is expected actually to register growth of -0.38 percent, actually negative, without any adjustment for population growth. Such growth figures are reflected in major job losses, with large numbers being thrown out of work. The PTI is further hampered by its IMF agreement for an Extended Fund Facility. The IMF had told it that it expects the budget to freeze salaries and pensions, and to cut the primary deficit which is being pitched too high. apart from the suffering that would entail, freezing budgets for sectors which have been used to getting money would cause the present government difficulties. The PTI’s initial premise, that it would bring back looted wealth and prosecute the corrupt politicians who had reduced the economy to a shambles was not working anyhow, and the covid-19 pandemic has knocked it for a six.

The PTI has not got much good economic news coming. Worse is still to come. First, the agriculture production estimates have not considered the impact of the locust infestation. Second, the covid-19 pandemic has not wreaked its worst in Pakistan. Taking these into consideration, it is possible that next year’s growth predictions might be overly optimistic.

White men’s blackening country The mistakes of the government is at the root of the unrest

ALI SUKHANVER

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arack Obama would never have been elected President of the USa if the americans, as a nation, were narrow-minded and prejudiced with reference to racial discrimination; but at individual or personal level this discrimination does exist; it is a reality.

Some of the Whites dislike rather hate the Blacks, and vice versa. a report on racism in america says, “racism in the United States has existed since the colonial era, when white americans were given legally or socially sanctioned privileges and rights while these same rights were denied to other races and minorities. European american — particularly affluent white anglo-Saxon Protestants— enjoyed exclusive privileges in matters of education, immigration, voting rights, citizenship, land acquisition, and criminal procedure throughout american history.” In other words, it could be said that racial hatred and dislike is a part of US society but education,

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

ated. The nation in the recent past, twice elected an denial of reality.

Dave Patrick Underwood, an african-american african-american president though african-americans comprise merely 12.1 percent of the population. officer in the Department of homeland Security’s The current cEOs of Google and Microsoft, two of Federal Protective Service, was gunned down in Oakthe largest and most ubiquitous companies of the land, california and another officer shot with him, world, were born, raised and educated in India and but survived. David Dorn, another african-american, a 77-year-old retired St. Louis police captain who emigrated to the USa in their 20s. however, it wasn’t always like this. Slavery is a served 38 years on the force was shot dead by looters disgusting blot on US history. after slavery ended in when he tried to get them to stop looting a pawn shop.

1863, african-americans had to suffer Jim crow laws Will they also be remembered alongside Floyd or will enacted by white Democrat-dominated state legisla- their cries go unheard in this chaos? Will they be fortures that enforced racial segregation in all aspects of gotten because their deaths don’t serve the self-rightlife. The civil rights movement brought to the fore the eous politically motivated preferred racial narrative hideous disparity in laws, and it culminated with the that’s popular in america these days?

Most americans likely won’t hear their names passage of the civil rights act in 1964 with a Voting and there will be no national rights act in 1965, and the outcry. Presidential candiFair housing act of 1968. date Joe Biden won’t attend The acts were to be the their funeral as it won’t harbingers of true emancipaThe USA has been admonishing make any news. Mainstream tion, but the more things media and liberal change, the more they rerather reprimanding almost all electronic newspapers will not carry main the same. Years of their tragic stories. Unfortuslavery and subsequent segMuslim countries for their nately, these black lives regation had placed africanalleged extremism; sometimes won’t matter. Their tragic americans at a great deaths just don’t fit into the disadvantage in terms of acpunishing them in shape of narrative that the Democumulated wealth and educratic Party has been adcational attainment. putting sanctions and vancing in recent years.

To make matters worse, sometimes in form of imposing This is not to exonerate the reagan administration the republican Party. Issues passed the anti-Drug bans of different types on them, are created by both parties abuse act of 1986, a puniand are then fed to their retive law that included but it could not keep a vigilant spective base to garner votes. mandatory sentencing and carried long sentences on eye on the extremism nurturing Like the Democrats, republicans have been pandering possession of relatively inside its own boundaries into the matters that evoke small quantities of drugs. emotional outcry from their In its bid to outdo the supporters. Before President republican Party and apTrump was elected, immipear even tougher on crime the clinton administration passed a Federal Violent gration was hardly a subject of consequence for amercrime control and Law Enforcement act in 1994. icans. Survey after survey revealed positive american The laws enabled tough policing measures along sentiment regarding immigration. But, as he hyped and with harsher, longer sentences that had a dispropor- propagated it and rallied his base around it, immigrationately adverse effect on the african-american tion became a sensitive and polarized topic. real change demands perseverance, never a communities.

With this historical perspective, can we make some quick fix, and the USa needs to find ways to end or wiggle room and perhaps come up with reasoning to reduce these political divisions that are tearing apart justify the burning, looting and thuggery and set it aside its social fabric. criminal justice reform is way past due and must be pushed as a collective effort by as collateral damage in service of a righteous cause?

Law and order is fundamental condition for a humbly reaching across the aisle in contrast to the peaceful civil society. When it breaks down and the partisan-driven hate, politically motivated racial tenlaw enforcement officers have to fend for themselves, sions and the self-righteousness demonstrated by then we go down a slippery slope where every man both parties.

I’ll leave the readers with a celebrated quote of and woman would have to fend for themselves.

So, to claim that this misdirected, misguided, rel- the great Martin Luther king Jr, “Darkness cannot atively young mob, with no clear understanding of drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate canthe deep racial fissures and wounds of this society, not drive out hate; only love can do that.” were engaging in a peaceful protest and to castigate Salman Chaudhry works for a nonprofit in the law enforcement agencies and elected executives for their actions to restore order is utter dishonesty Washington, DC. He can be reached at and no political correctness can compensate for this Shchaudhry1@gmail.com.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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scientific advancement, technical achievement and an overall superiority of the american people in the field of the economy have simply buried these negative passions somewhere in the depth, but not so deep. In spite of the fact that these riots have a lot of hidden positivity , at the same time they have simply peeled off the widely honoured mask of decency, politeness and civility from the face of US society. certainly the countries which have been ranking the USa as their godfather with a never-declining ultimate authority, will have to review their point of view now.

The recent reaction of the american people after the murder of a black man in police custody has proved another thing also; in a state of aggression and anger, all the nations behave in the same way. The same burning of police vehicles, looting of shops, raising of slogans, attempt at trespassing the official residence of President Donald Trump and an overall lawlessness could be observed there, which we have observed in Pakistan, India and in so many other countries so many times. Is all this agitation simply a protest against the murder of a Black american or is it a reaction against police brutality? If George Floyd were not a black man and if the policeman were not a white-man, would the people have reacted in the same way? These questions are also very important. and above all is the question; if Donald Trump was not the President and 2020 were not an election year, would things have gone the same way?

Surely the story behind seems somewhat different.

The Trump administration is openly blaming far-left extremists are airing and fueling the protests against the murder of George Floyd. In an interview with a media group, attorney General William Barr said, “Unfortunately, with the rioting that is occurring in many of our cities around the country, the voices of peaceful protest are being hijacked by violent, radical elements.” according to the VOa, there could be four different extremist groups which are trying to add to the intensity of protest. These groups include the White Suprema-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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cists, Boogaloo Boys, antifa and the anarchists.

The White Supremacists are the individuals and the groups that believe in the supremacy of the white race. They oppose immigration and advocate the expulsion of the non-whites from the country. Many of the members belonging to this group have carried out deadly shootings in recent years; say police reports.

They are the people who wish to accelerate a race war just to create an air of fear and fright for the africanamericans. according to christopher Wray, an FBI Director, most of the FBI’s domestic terrorism investigations involve members of this white supremacist group. ‘Boogaloo Boys’ is an anti-government militia movement. They are in fact an online community of pro-gun activists. Though they promote themselves as libertarians fighting tyranny, analysts are of the view that the Boogaloo Boys are just another ‘edition’ of White Supremacists. Then comes the antifa; the antifascist movement. “The members of antifa are far-left activists opposed to neo-Nazis and other extremist groups; it is an extreme anarchist-communist movement’, says the Voice of america in a report. at the very bottom of the list come the anarchists. They are not a very well organized group but they are there with the only consideration; how to sow chaos. It is also said that the history of the anarchists dates back to 1901 when an anarchist assassinated William Mckinley, the 25th President of the USa. In short when the Trump administration talks of the far-left extremists, it means the fingers are pointing towards all these four groups.

By putting blame on the ‘far-left’ extremists, the Trump administration has, however, admitted that even the USa is not free of the extremists and their extremism. astonishingly for more than two decades, the USa has been admonishing rather reprimanding almost all Muslim countries for their alleged extremism; sometimes punishing them in shape of putting sanctions and sometimes in form of imposing bans of different types on them, but it could not keep a vigilant eye on the extremism nurturing inside its own boundaries. This criminal negligence of the US authorities is the root cause of the present series of pathetic events and incidents. They all have tried jointly to deprive the USa of its hard-earned title of the ‘World Super Power’.

Ali Sukhanver is a freelance journalist.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 6 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

Child labour crisis a very important social issue that is tearing our society apart is the menace of child labour. It is affecting the children of our country. Many children between the ages of 7 to 15 start working for their families to help them.

152 million kids are still in child labour and it also said that in some places children work in hazardous places too.

Our society is not helping these children. They are making these children to do more work and then they give them less wages. These children also get mentally and physically abused. Now a days, due to cOVID-19, I feel these children might be in much worse conditions and without a safety net. We as a society should work together to find a solid solution to end child labour. We need to realise that change starts with us!

We need to change our mindset and Pakistan needs to create better living standards for the underprivileged so that their children never have to work.

M HAMzA EHSAn Rawalpindi

Support the farmers

Monster of embedded racism resurfaces in America It’s Black and White now: dark history repeats with hope of course correction

QUdSSIA AKHLAQUE

“A

riot is the language of the unheard,” Dr. Martin Luther king Jr said during the US civil rights movement in 1968 and it sums up what is happening in the USa now in 2020. Not much has changed.

The Black community in the USa is hurting, terrified and not being heard.

“Enough is enough… We are sick and tired of being sick and tired and of dying,” are the full-throated cries of the outraged africanamerican leaders and civil rights activists from the East to the West coast. all their pent-up anger and frustration erupted in protests following the cold-blooded murder of a young african american man, George Floyd, at the hands of the Minneapolis police last week.

Floyd was murdered in broad daylight by a white police officer who mercilessly kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes until he could breathe no more, and two other cops aided the murder while a third stood by. Floyd’s desperate shouts of “I can’t breathe,” were unheeded. a young bystander made a video of this horrendous act and posted it on the social media, sending shockwaves across the USa and around the globe.

Despite the continuing threat of covid-19, thousands of anguish-stricken young protesters across the country threw all caution to the winds and took to the streets in all major cities to condemn this horrific incidence. Notably, protesters included people of all colors (including white americans) who marched on in solidarity with the african-americans to emphatically convey their condemnation of the incident. They are demanding justice for african-americans. They want the status quo broken.

“To be Silent is to be complicit,” screamed the placards they held.

For decades young african-americans in the USa have suffered systemic racism by the police, that has terrorized, killed and dehumanized them as have the divisive White Supremacist policies. racism is a deep festering wound that has caused untold agony and humiliation to generations of Blacks who face extreme racial disparities. Irrespective of their social status, the colour of their skin unfortunately makes them an

easy target of hate crime, a suspect and even colleagues, although they had been working toworse: guilty until proven innocent. What makes gether for years. One sensed undercurrents of it worse is a divisive, self-absorbed President racial tension. I have a vivid memory of this long who utterly lacks empathy. a President who in- conversation I had with a senior reporter, James, stead of healing these open wounds digs deeper whose workstation was next to mine. It was about into them with his rash statements. When riots how it felt being an african-american in the broke out in Minneapolis and other major cities White-dominated newsroom. he told me that The last week his controversial tweet with roots in Chicago Tribune had dispatched a team of reamerica’s dark racial history further inflamed porters to investigate the Los angeles riots earlier emotions. “When the looting starts, the shooting that year but not one Black reporter was on that starts,” he tweeted! and he went on to refer to team! That was the time of much talk about enprotesters as “dangerous thugs”, “criminals” and couraging diversity in the national media to give “professional anarchists”. as if in a reality show a voice to the minorities and to better understand he posed with a Bible (perhaps to appease the the issues they faced. another african-american USa’s Bible Belt) outside a church. a photo-Op reporter, Wilma, pointed out that the Tribune Edwith his all-White aides while protesters were itorial Board was all White. hopefully after 28 being roughed up by the military police close to years more colour would have been added to it!

James’ cynicism regarding a study on probthe White house. Not a word of reassurance or consolation to calm down the pained protesters. lems faced by the african-american youth, Many emotional and chilling scenes were which proposed provision of more basketball courts and football witnessed during the fields as the solution, week, just as powerful was understandable. slogans were seen on Blacks in chicago placards held by highly charged protesters.

Even in his death George Floyd also resented the fact that when they moved ‘Black lives Matter’, continues to live as the to White-dominated af‘White Silence is White neighborhoods Violence’, ‘No justice, powerful slogan of ‘Black Lives fluent they were not welno peace’, ‘We are not comed and were treated trying to start a war, but Matter’ catches on across the as outsiders– a sentiend a war.’ Ironically a USA. His legacy will be honored ment so frequently Black cNN corresponechoed a generationdent covering the while his murderer will be and-half later! protest in Minneapolis Shocking, shameful live was arrested amid condemned to the dustbin of and tragic as the killing all this for no apparent history as will be the other three of George Floyd is, it reason, and then subsecould prove to be a quently released. officers present on the scene turning point in ameriaccording to a can history of racial harvard University tension and violence. In study, african-ameriaddressing in earnest cans are five times more likely to be killed by police than Whites. the core issues that blight the lives of 40 million also, it concludes that one in every five african- strong african american communities in the americans is suffering from adverse effects on USa. history tells us how at times a single event mental health with the classic effect of fight and can change a society’s course for the better. a flight response because of their highly stressful course-correction of sorts. a promising aspect of the 2020 protests is and fearful experiences.

The “No justice, no peace,” slogan stands that the ‘Black lives Matter’ slogan is not only true for all the oppressed and marginalized com- being raised by african-americans but also munities around the world. Be it in Indian-Occu- their fellow citizens of all colours, including pied kashmir, Palestine or in India. Using force Whites. a sharp contrast to the Sixties civil is always counterproductive and will always be rights movement. This time around it is far resisted. They might live in fear but they are more representative and diverse, as former US President Barack Obama also observed the driven by courage for their fundamental rights. african-americans’ anger and deep resent- other day. Strong involvement of young people ment is justifiable, given the pain and humilia- on the streets gives him hope as he believes tion they experience every single day. It stems they have the power, energy and talent to make from a long history of discrimination and per- things change by making those in power “unsecution. To feel like outsiders and be treated as comfortable”.

Even in his death George Floyd continues to aliens in their own homeland! It was heartbreaking to hear a half-sobbing sports journalist in live as the powerful slogan of ‘Black Lives MatLos angeles declare: “It is really so stressful ter’ catches on across the USa. his legacy will be honored while his murderer will be conbeing an african-american in this country.”

This reminded me of my days in the USa demned to the dustbin of history as will be the when I worked for The Chicago Tribune as part other three officers present on the scene. of the alfred Friendly Fellowship Program in Qudssia Akhlaque is a senior journalist and 1992. although chicago had a large Black population there were only a few Black journalists Islamabad-based columnist. She can be reached working at the huge newspaper organization. and at qudssia@hotmail.com the ones I met hardly interacted with their White twitter@qudssiaakhlaque

TODaY’S writing is just to direct the government’s attention to a sector that is adding more than 25% to the economy. yes, this is the agriculture sector. Our peasants are facing three types of pandemics when the worlds are combating only to the novel virus.

Firstly the borders are closed and the export is limited due to which the prices of tomato and watermelon and other corps are too low, which is unable to provide meat to the peasant’s family. Secondly, locust is also an epidemic that is abolishing the crops in more than fifty districts in the country. The third one is the change in weather, due to which rain in awkward days, rise, and fall of temperature are also affecting the growth of corps. considering the above problems govt should chalk out a supportive program for the poor and small peasants, by providing them resources not only to make sure the availability of basic needs of life but also to bring them able to grow the corps.

FARI AHMED Havelian.

Locusts assault I want to draw the attention of the concerned authority towards the attack of locust on crops, through the column of your esteemed newspaper.

Insect have been assaulted Pakistani farming for quite a while. In some cases they decimated crops in Sindh and now and again attack in Punjab.

Farmers are powerless even with it while the administration appear to be battling in just a verbal guarantees. On the off chance that the legislature doesn’t find a way to forestall the harvests the financial aspects misfortune will be more noteworthy than that of crown. consequently government should make some genuine move promptly with the goal that the work of Farmers isn’t squandered.

UMEMA SHEIkH karachi

National savings scheme cut The government has drastically cut down the profits of National Saving deposits . This has affected many people . The prominent among these are senior citizens who do not receive any pension and they only survive on the monthly profit on their life time saving invested in the National Saving schemes , such as Behbood and other certificates . These senior citizens , especially in their seventies and eighties are unable to work any longer .

I urge the government to restore the previous profits for such senior citizens to meet their both ends meat to keep them alive .

EngR RIAz BHUTTA Lahore

Stop hurting kids a girl, 8, was tortured to death in Pakistan after accidentally freeing expensive parrots from their cage.Zohra Shah, an unpaid domestic worker, was killed in the affluent neighbourhood of rawalpindi, Pakistan’s fourth-largest city.The physical abuse came after Zohra Shah freed some caged parrots that angered her employers who beat her to death and later left her at a hospital when the staff called the police. Police arrested the Bahria Town residents, hassan Siddiqui and his wife, following the girl’s death. reports state that the two are being kept at the rawat Police station.Twitter has been trending with hashtag #JusticeForZohraShah where people are showing their anger towards the incident and asking for Jusitce for the little girl.child abuse is unfortunately a common occurrence in Pakistan which tries to cover itself under the guise of religion but it is shocking and sad that pedophilia or child abuse is rampant in Pakistani society.Firstly, in a conservative society like Pakistan, an open discussion about child abuse is a good sign. however, reports of many international rights organisations suggest that girls, if they are abused in conservative societies, try to hide it from their family members and friends.

ARooJ nAEEM Rawalpindi

Fuel shortage ThE ongoing fuel shortage, especially of gasoline, has caused serious difficulties to businesses as well as citizens for the fifth consecutive day across Pakistan, local media reported on Friday.

Majority of the fuel stations across the country, including in the major cities of karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Faisalabad and rawalpindi, have been closed by the owners to avoid people’s rage. The fuel stations, which have the stock of petrol, have increased the price of the commodity by more than 100 percent. Earlier on Thursday, the Oil and Gas regulatory authority (OGra), the regulator of the oil business in the country, issued a statement saying that there was no shortage of gasoline and the country’s oil stocks are sufficient and it is trying to know the reason behind the slow supplies.

The regulator also issued show-cause notices to oil marketing companies seeking explanations and reasons for the petrol shortage at the fuel stations.

HS karachi

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Trump uses The miliTary To prove his manhood THE PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS THAT KILLED MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE WAS LETHARGIC AND INEFFECTIVE. BUT WHEN IT CAME TO ANTI-RACISM PROTESTERS, IT WAS TIME TO CALL IN THE TROOPS

New York Times

F

Nicholas Kristof

or two decades, the United States has repeatedly made the mistake of over-relying on the military toolbox to try to solve intractable problems — particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq — without adequately relying on diplomacy. Now President Trump wants to repeat the mistake at home.

The United States military is, according to Gallup polling, the most trusted institution in the country. But Trump’s call to dispatch armed forces to crush protests so that he can look tough betrays the military’s nonpartisan tradition and should trigger all our alarm bells.

It was exactly 31 years ago that I covered the Chinese military’s assault on prodemocracy protesters at Tiananmen Square.

There was outrage worldwide, with virtually the only praise in the West coming from …

Donald Trump.

“When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it,” Trump told Playboy Magazine months later. “Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength.”

No, United States troops won’t massacre protesters, as Chinese troops did, but Trump’s deployment of troops for political purposes would betray our traditions, damage the credibility of the armed forces and exacerbate tensions across the country.

Trump introduced Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to governors as the man “in charge” of putting down protests. “It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” Trump said of a National Guard crackdown in Minneapolis.

The Pentagon has rushed active-duty military police and combat engineers to just outside Washington, where they would back up National Guard units, and military helicopters have already been used in a show of force to intimidate protesters.

“I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers to

stop the rioting,” Trump said in his rose Garden address.

The Times has reported that there have been heated arguments in the White House about whether to invoke an 1807 law called the Insurrection Act that on its face provides broad authority to deploy the military.

Trump also declared, “I am mobilizing all available federal resources — civilian and military — to stop the rioting and looting.”

Think of that phrase: “all available resources.” In this annus horribilus, the United States has endured more than 100,000 deaths and 40 million jobs lost from the coronavirus. In response to those cataclysms, Trump responded lethargically and ineffectively: The American death rate from the virus is three times Germany’s and the unemployment rate roughly four times Germany’s. But in response to a week of protests and looting, Trump seeks to send in the Army? According to the Daily Beast, he even inquired about sending in tanks.

The impulse to call in the military is perhaps rooted not only in his authoritarian instincts but also in something more personal.

Trump seemed mortified at disclosures that when protesters approached the White

House on Friday night he was rushed to an underground bunker; on Wednesday, he claimed instead that he went down “more for an inspection.”

Embarrassment at his “inspection” trip seems to have fueled his desire to project toughness by using the United States armed forces as a prop.

Most shamefully, Trump’s aides dispatched federal forces to use rubber bullets, chemical irritants and flash bang grenades to clear peaceful, lawful protesters — so that the president could indulge in a photo op at a nearby church. The church’s leaders were outraged, for those protesters had as much moral right to be there as Trump did.

General Milley and Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper accompanied Trump on this stroll, and Esper spoke of American cities as a “battlespace.” I spoke to several retired American commanders who were deeply troubled by this. “I cannot remain silent,” Admiral Mike Mullen, a much-respected former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in The Atlantic. “our fellow citizens are not the enemy, and must never become so.”

In a scathing statement also published in The Atlantic, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis wrote: “When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the constitutional rights of their fellow citizens — much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander in chief, with military leadership standing

James Mattis denounces President Trump, describes him as a threat to the constitution IN AN EXTRAORDINARY CONDEMNATION, THE FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY BACKS PROTESTERS AND SAYS THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO TURN AMERICANS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER

aTlaNTic JeffreY GolDBerG

James Mattis, the esteemed Marine general who resigned as secretary of defense in December 2018 to protest Donald Trump’s Syria policy, has, ever since, kept studiously silent about Trump’s performance as president. But he has now broken his silence, writing an extraordinary broadside in which he denounces the president for dividing the nation, and accuses him of ordering the U.S. military to violate the constitutional rights of American citizens.

“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled,” Mattis writes. “The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand— one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation.” He goes on, “We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution.”

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” Mattis writes. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”

He goes on to contrast the American ethos of unity with Nazi ideology.

“Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Nor-

mandy invasion reminded soldiers that ‘The Nazi slogan for destroying us … was “Divide and Conquer.” our American answer is “In Union there is Strength.”’ We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.”

Mattis’s dissatisfaction with Trump was no secret inside the Pentagon. But after his resignation, he argued publicly—and to great criticism—that it would be inappropriate and counterproductive for a former general, and a former Cabinet official, to criticize a sitting president. Doing so, he said, would threaten the apolitical nature of the military. When I interviewed him last year on this subject, he said, “When you leave an administration over clear policy differences, you need to give the people who are still there as much opportunity as possible to defend the country. They still have the responsibility of protecting this great big experiment of ours.” He did add, however: “There is a period in which I owe my silence. It’s not eternal. It’s not going to be forever.”

That period is now definitively over. Mattis reached the conclusion this past weekend that the American experiment is directly threatened by the actions of the president he once served. In his statement, Mattis makes it clear that the president’s response to the police killing of George Floyd, and the ensuing protests, triggered this public condemnation.

“When I joined the military, some 50 years ago,” he writes, “I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”

He goes on to implicitly criticize the current secretary of defense, Mark Esper, and other senior officials as well. “We must reject any thinking of our cities as a ‘battlespace’ that our uniformed military is called upon to ‘dominate.’ At home, we should use our military only when requested to do

so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict— between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part.

Keeping public order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them.Here is the text of the complete statement.

IN UNION THERE IS STRENGTH: I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand— one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation.

When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution.

Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commanderin-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.

We must reject any thinking of our cities as a “battlespace” that our uniformed military is called upon to “dominate.” At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict—between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part. Keeping public

order rests with civilian state and local leaders who best understand their communities and are answerable to them.

James Madison wrote in Federalist 41 that “America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat.” We do not need to militarize our response to protests. We need to unite around a common purpose. And it starts by guaranteeing that all of us are equal before the law. Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that “The Nazi slogan for destroying us…was ‘Divide and Conquer.’ our American answer is ‘In Union there is Strength.’” We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis—confident that we are better than our politics.

Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society.

This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.

We can come through this trying time stronger, and with a renewed sense of purpose and respect for one another.

The pandemic has shown us that it is not only our troops who are willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the community. Americans in hospitals, grocery stores, post offices, and elsewhere have put their lives on the line in order to serve their fellow citizens and their country. We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority that we witnessed in Lafayette Square. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution. At the same time, we must remember Lincoln’s “better angels,” and listen to them, as we work to unite. only by adopting a new path— which means, in truth, returning to the original path of our founding ideals— will we again be a country admired and respected at home and abroad.

JEFFREY GOLDBERG is the editor in chief of The Atlantic and a recipient of the National Magazine Award for Reporting. He is the author of Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror.

alongside.”

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tweeted: “America is not a battleground. our fellow citizens are not the enemy.” on Wednesday, Esper backed off and said that he opposed the use of active duty military forces for now. I find it thrilling that so many Americans have marched peacefully against racism, although I do wish they would all wear masks and be extremely careful about spreading the coronavirus. My 88year-old mom joined a peaceful protest the other day in rural oregon, with hundreds of people turning out in a lily-white community and chanting, “Black Lives Matter.” rioting and looting are deplorable of course, and it’s great that protesters have tried to stop the looters. Police forces are available, so it’s baffling to hear Senator Tom Cotton, a republican from Arkansas, suggest sending in the 101st Airborne Division. We need not turn American cities into Falluja.

When you’ve seen the ugliness of war, you don’t lightly summon tanks, helicopters or heavily armed troops to deal with civil disturbances; that’s a dangerous and damaging tactic of an insecure old man who claimed heel spurs to dodge the Vietnam draft and now needs to prove his own manhood.

Nicholas Kristof has been a columnist for The Times since 2001. He has won two Pulitzer Prizes, for his coverage of China and of the genocide in Darfur.

The civil war inside the New York Times NEW YORK TIMES MOTTO IS 'ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT'. ONE GROUP EMPHASISES THE WORD 'ALL', THE OTHER, THE WORD 'FIT' specTaTor, Uk steerpiKe

After the New York Times published an op-ed written by republican Sen. Tom Cotton – calling for the military to be deployed in the face of nationwide protests – the editors are facing a staff revolt. reporters at the paper have been quick to take to social media to denounce their own publication.

Mr S was intrigued by a commentary by Bari Weiss of what she calls a 'civil war' at her newspaper: The civil war inside the New York Times between the mostly young woke-types and the (mostly 40+) liberals is the same one raging inside other publications and companies across the country. The dynamic is always the same.

The old Guard lives by a set of principles we can broadly call civil libertarianism. They assumed they shared that worldview with the young people they hired who called themselves liberals and progressives. But it was an incorrect assumption.

The New Guard has a different worldview. They call it 'safetyism' in which the right of people to feel emotionally and psychologically safe trumps what were previously considered core liberal values, like free speech.

Perhaps the cleanest example of this dynamic was in 2018 when the editor of the New Yorker magazine David remnick, under tremendous public pressure from his staffers, disinvited Steve Bannon from appearing on stage at the New Yorker Ideas Festival. But there are dozens and dozens of examples.

I've been mocked by many people over the past few years for writing about the campus culture wars. They told me it was a sideshow. But this was always why it mattered: the people who graduated from those campuses would rise to power inside key institutions and transform them.

I'm in no way surprised by what has now exploded into public view. In a way, it's oddly comforting. I feel less alone and less crazy trying to explain this dynamic to people. What I am shocked by is the speed. I thought it would take a few years, not a few weeks.

Here's one way to think about what's at stake: the New York Times motto is 'all the news that's fit to print'. one group emphasises the word 'all', the other, the word 'fit'. on Tom Cotton's op-ed and the choice to run it: I agree with our critics that it's a dodge to say 'we want a totally open marketplace of ideas!' There are limits. obviously.

The question is: does his view fall outside those limits?

Maybe the answer is yes. If the answer is yes, it means that the view of more than half of Americans is unacceptable. And perhaps they are.'

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond.

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

BUSINESS 09

CORPORATE CORNER Ferozsons dissociates from marketing of unlicensed Covid-19 drug imported from Bangladesh A message is circulating on WhatsApp and social media, purportedly confirming the launch of an unlicensed treatment for Covid-19 imported from Bangladesh. The message quotes a price of Rs20,000 per injection, and promotes a 10-day Covid-19 treatment course at a package cost of Rs220,000. Certain versions of this message also appear to link the name of Ferozsons Laboratories Limited with the launch. We would like to clarify to the public at large that Ferozsons has no connection with the launch of the treatment being imported from Bangladesh and marketed in Pakistan. It should be noted that no product can be launched or promoted in Pakistan prior to regulatory approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), and Ferozsons takes exception to the linkage of its name with the launch or promotion of any treatment which is yet to receive DRAP approval. Press releAse

pm says economic stability, job creation his top priority amid Covid-19 islamaBad: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that the priority of his government was to stabilise the economy with a focus on job creation for the youth so that the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could be countered effectively. Chairing a high-level meeting to review the proposals for the federal budget 2020-21, the PM said every section of the society, as well as all sectors of the economy, were being affected by Covid-19, adding that the pandemic has adversely impacted the government's efforts towards development. He said keeping in view the stark realities in the wake of Covis-19, the first priority of the government was to promote those sectors which could create job opportunities for the youth. PM Imran added that reduction in non-development expenditure, especially a cut in unnecessary government expenditure, was also his government's topmost agenda from day one. Adviser to PM on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on the occasion briefed the PM on the strategies to implement the government's priorities in next year's budget, keeping in view coronarelated realities. Considering the issue of subsidies in various sectors and the provision of financial assistance by the government, the premier said the subsidy given by the government was in fact the tax money of the people, adding that it was important the money was utilised effectively so that desired goals could be achieved and expenditure on the most deserving could be ensured. He called for expediting the pace of institutional reforms in order to minimise the burden on the people and to provide them with muchneeded relief. APP

Weekly inflation falls 0.42pc islamaBad: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation for the week ended on June 4 witnessed a decrease of 0.42pc, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday. The weekly SPI for the combined consumption group was recorded at 127.78 points, as against 128.32 points registered in the previous week. The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, however, witnessed a nominal increase of 0.07pc, from 134.20 points in the last week to 134.30 points during the week under review. Meanwhile, weekly inflation for consumption groups from Rs17,733-Rs22,888; Rs22,889-Rs29,517; Rs29,518Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month decreased by 0.02pc, 0.11pc, 0.24pc and 0.67pc, respectively. During the week, prices of 12 items increased, 15 items decreased while that of 24 items remained unchanged. APP

FiSCal deFiCit may Surge to 9.5pC oF gdp, Senate told ISLAMABAD

i

sTAFF rePOrT

NDUSTRIES and Production Minister Hammad Azhar on Friday informed the Senate that the Federal Board of Revenue's tax collection for this fiscal year may drop to around Rs3,905, as against the pre-corona target of Rs4,800 billion.

Responding to various supplementary questions during question hour, he said due to the pandemic, a loss of Rs700-Rs900 billion was expected in the last quarter.

"With a shortfall in revenues and an increase in public spending due to stimulus package, the fiscal deficit is expected to exceed the target of 7.5pc of GDP and might go up to 9.4pc of GDP. On a query, he said the incumbent

HAMMAD AZHAR SAYS FBR'S COLLECTION LIKELY TO PLUNGE BY UP TO RS900BN IN THE LAST QUARTER OF FY20 government has succesfully brought down current account deficit from $20 billion to $3-6 billion.

He said since 2018, Pakistan has received $1.44 billion under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF 2019-2023) and $1.38 billion under the Rapid Finance Instrument (RFI) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Similarly, an amount of $1.27 billion has been returned to IMF since March 2018.

To another question, Azhar said the government had announced a stimulus package of Rs1.24 trillion to support different segments of the society, including businesses, during the Covid-

19 pandemic.

"Before the outbreak of Covid-19, gross domestic product growth (GDP) was projected at 3.24pc for FY20, with growth in agriculture projected at 2.85pc, industry 1.95pc and services 4.04pc," he recalled. "However, due to the pandemic, FY20 posted a negative growth of -0.4pc (provisional), with agriculture at 2.67pc, industry -2.64pc and services -0.59pc."

He said due to ow economic activity in EU, USA, UK, Middle East and subsequent fall in commodity prices, exports of Pakistan would remain around $21-$22 billion ($25.5 billion

No new taxes in upcoming budget, says Hafeez Shaikh ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has said the people fighting against coronavirus pandemic in the country would not have any new taxes in upcoming fiscal budget.

In an interview with a private news channel, he said, “There is no plan to introduce new taxes in the upcoming budget, which is being prepared keeping in mind the coronavirus outbreak.

On a query, he said the government was aware of the country's defense need and, in this regard,

all required funds would be provided to this sector under FY21 budget.

Commenting on power shortage, he said no shortfall in power generating sector was reported anywhere in the country, claiming that there were units of electricity to fulfill the demand of the consumers.

Sheikh maintained the government would curtail extra expenditures and steps would be taken for proper collection of taxes in the country.

To another question, the adviser said Pakistan's economy would produce better results as soon as coronavirus situation is over.

ADB, Pakistan sign $300m emergency Covid-19 loan agreement 'THE ASSISTANCE WILL HELP GOVT CONTINUE WITH THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY CASH TO POOR FAMILIES' ISLAMABAD APP

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Pakistani government on Friday signed an agreement for a $300 million 'emergency assistance loan' initially approved by the bank on May 19th.

Economic Affairs Division Secretary Noor Ahmed and ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang signed the loan agreement, which according to

the officials would strengthen Pakistan's public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic and help meet the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable.

Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division Secretary Yousuf Khan and National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) Chief Executive Nadeem Ahmed signed the project documents on the occasion.

"The ADB assistance signed today will support Pakistan's social protection programme,

Ehsaas, to continue providing emergency cash transfers to poor families and women," said Ms Yang. "The project will also help swiftly upgrade medical facilities and procure necessary supplies for hospitals and frontline health workers, meet rapid training and capacity building needs, and purchase emergency vehicles to strengthen rescue capacity in remote border areas."

In April, the ADB reallocated $30 million from the National Disaster Risk Management Project to support Pakistan's pandemic response and the NDRMF Board of Directors allocated an additional $20 million from earned interest from the endowment fund capitalized under the project.

before coronavirus).

"Workers' remittances are expected to remain around $20-$21 billion ($23 billion before coronavirus).

In total, three million jobs were likely to be lost in the initial round of the crisis," he added.

He said due to Covid-19, the Pakistani currency depreciated by 7.5 per cent on a monthly basis in March over February FY20.

"However, our initiatives have helped reduce the inflation rate from 12pc to 8pc. We have also reduced the petroleum prices which are currently the lowest in South Asia."

To another query, the ministry said the number of tax filers has increased from1.6 million to 2.6 million in a year as a result of steps taken by the present government.

MARKET DAILY Stocks bounce back to recover overnight losses LATE BUYING HELPS KSE-100 INDEX GAIN 231 POINTS KARACHI sTAFF rePOrT

Stocks were back on track on Friday, with bulls taking control of the bourse after a day of consolidation.

Foreign investors closed the previous session (Thursday) as net sellers, registering a net outflow of $0.985 million. Global equity markets also showed a positive trend on Friday, with oil prices moving north from the previous close. The price of WTI Crude oil appreciated by 1.15pc to $37.84, while that of Brent Crude oil appreciated by 1.68pc to $40.66. "The market traded range-bound for almost the entire session except for the closing hour, during which the benchmark index saw a surge in volumes as well as points," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd stated.

"Cement, fertiliser and pharma stocks showed signs of recovery, with some scripts in the Pharma sector even hitting the upper circuit. Banking stocks, however, showed selling pressure amid low volumes." The benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the green zone for the most part of the session, recording its intraday high at 34,367.74 after gaining 248.35 points.

It settled higher by 231.03 points at 34,350.42. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 528.82 points to close at 55,175.14, while the KSE All Share Index gathered 144.47 points, ending at 24,614.02. Of the total traded shares, 166 advanced and 97 declined.

The overall market volumes plunged from 143.59 million shares in the previous session to 89.07 million shares (-38pc). Average traded value also declined by 29pc, from $33.9 million to $24.3 million. Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +2.53pc), Jahangir Siddiqui & Company Limited (JSCL -0.62pc) and TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG +0.29pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 6.64 million, 5.21 million and 4.35 million shares, respectively. Sectors that painted the index green included cement (+54.36 points), oil & gas exploration (+48.57 points) and fertiliser (+45.43

‘Not a favour’: the govt had to cut fuel prices KARACHI ArIBA sHAHID

In a recent notification, the government had announced a further slash in fuel prices for the month of June 2020.

Prime Minister Imran Khan at the time had tweeted, “We have further reduced petrol, light diesel oil, kerosene oil prices.

Now we have the cheapest fuel cost compared to other states in South Asia. India is almost exactly double. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Nepal are all 50 to 75pc more expensive than us.”

Social media went ablaze with praise for the government on lowering fuel prices and passing on relief to the public. After all, if the prices of crude oil have drastically gone down in international markets, it is only fair that as an importing nation, Pakistanis gain some sense of relief. Right?

But does the govt deserve applause for

WITH A MAXED-OUT PETROLEUM LEVY AND A GST THAT CANNOT GO HIGHER WITHOUT A MINI-BUDGET, THE RS7 DISCOUNT WASN’T EVEN DEBATABLE this decision?

The international oil market witnessed an unprecedented free fall in crude oil prices owing to dampened demand, which was a result of coronavirus-induced lockdowns along with escalations in Saudi Arabia and Russia price war. Following the historic plunge, Pakistan is now able to import crude oil at a cheaper cost than what it was importing at.

To undersTand The exTenT of The drop, here is an example: Last year, i.e. June 2019, the ex-refinery price of petrol was Rs76.65, while the commodity was being sold at Rs112.68, whereas right now, the ex-refinery price of petrol is

Rs23.99, while the is being sold at Rs74.52.

That is how drastic of a drop has occurred.

However, the praise that the government has been able to garner over the recent fall in fuel prices is interesting. While the fuel prices have dropped on a month-on-month basis, with petrol falling a further Rs7.6 in June 2020, the levy has gone up.

So this relief isn’t from the govt?

The maximum fuel levy that is allowed is Rs30 per liter. Usually, when the government wants to pass relief onto the public, it reduces the levy to keep fuel prices low.

However, in this case, the government increased the levy to its maximum of Rs30. So

the premise of government relief falls flat right at this. Since the levy could not be more than Rs30, the government had no option but to cut fuel prices further by Rs7.06 after a Rs15 slash in May. Essentially, this means that while this can be seen as a relief, it is not the government giving it; it is merely the fall in international fuel prices.

This month, while deciding fuel prices, the government had the option of keeping the fuel prices anywhere between the range of Rs. 44.52 per liter to Rs. 74.52 per liter.

The government kept it at Rs. 74.52, the maximum it could.

Critics of the decision claim that fuel prices should not have dropped in June 2020 and that the government could have boosted their fiscal revenue. However, that would require a mini-budget, which would be a waste of resources.

In a nutshell, despite fuel prices in Pak-

istan being the cheapest in the region, you do not have to thank the government for the relief, instead, you should be thankful for the crash in international markets. The government had no choice but to further reduce prices.

Is it bad that the govt increased the levy?

In simple terms, no! Due to COVID-19, the government has been spending a considerable amount on relief efforts. Keeping in mind how the government’s tax revenue targets are likely to be missed due to the lockdown situation, the government needs as much as it can get to for relief packages.

However, fact-checking is an essential part of the debate. The government taking responsibility of this relief and further telling its citizens that it has set aside Rs75 billion from the Rs1.2 trillion Covid-19 packages for fuel relief is misleading on the government’s part. If anything, the government is now earning more from a liter of petroleum than it was before.

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

RightS lEadER SayS Floyd 'ChangEd thE WoRld' aS pRotEStS MaRCh on

h

AGENCIES

UNdREdS of mourners joined an emotional memorial service in Minneapolis Thursday for George Floyd, the black man killed by police last week, as civil rights leader Al Sharpton vowed mass protests will continue until "we change the whole system of justice."

Largely peaceful demonstrations took place later in cities from coast to coast. In New York, thousands marched over Brooklyn Bridge, while in Washington and Los Angeles curfews were lifted and crowds reduced. In Minneapolis, Floyd's attorney told mourners he would find justice for the 46year-old, who died during a May 25 arrest when a white police officer knelt on his neck

for nearly nine minutes.

Human rights activist Martin Luther King III and family pay their respects to the remains of George Floyd at a memorial service in Minneapolis "It was not the coronavirus pandemic that killed George Floyd," said Benjamin Crump, who is representing Floyd's family. "It was that other pandemic.

The pandemic of racism and discrimination."

The crowd stood in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds -- the same length of time that officer derek Chauvin spent with his knee on Floyd's neck, a scene captured on video.

Floyd's death has reignited long-felt anger over police killings of African-Americans and unleashed a nationwide wave of civil unrest unlike any seen in the US since Martin Luther King Jr's 1968 assassination.

With marches for racial justice stretching beyond the US and around the world, Sharpton said Floyd's death would not be in vain.

"It's time for us to stand up in George's name and say get your knee off our necks," said the 65-year-old Baptist minister. "You changed the world, George," he said. "We're going to keep fighting, George."

"We're going to keep going until we change the whole system of justice."

Members of Floyd's family were among several hundred people attending the North Central University service. Minneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo dropped to a knee as the hearse bearing Floyd's remains arrived for the service.

'NECESSARY AND OVERDUE': A vigil for Floyd was also held in New York and was

attended by thousands of people, including Floyd's brother, Terrence. "White Silence is Violence," a sign read. "Make America Not Embarrassing Again," read another. Arrests were reported in Manhattan after the 8:00 pm curfew passed. Upstate in Buffalo, two police officers were suspended without pay after a video showed them pushing over an elderly protester who fell and suffered a head injury.

Reporting the suspension on Twitter, city mayor Byron Brown said he and the police commissioner were "deeply disturbed" by the video. An earlier police statement said the man, who appeared unconscious and bled heavily from one ear, "tripped and fell."

"This incident is wholly unjustified and utterly disgraceful," New York governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted. "Police Officers must enforce

- NOT ABUSE - the law."

A Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, broke ranks with her party meanwhile and revealed she was "struggling" with whether to support President donald Trump's re-election. Murkowski said her move was prompted by remarks from Trump's former defense secretary James Mattis, who a day earlier delivered a biting assessment of a president who "tries to divide us." "I thought General Mattis's words were true and honest and necessary and overdue," Murkowski told reporters. Her comments mark a major break with Trump within the Republican camp, which has largely held together through various crises including his impeachment and current threat to use military force against protests.

'FRANKLY CRIMINAL': While condemning Floyd's death, Trump has adopted a tough stance towards the protesters, saying they include many "bad people" and calling on governors to "dominate the streets." US civil rights groups filed a case Thursday suing Trump, after security forces fired pepper balls and smoke bombs to clear peaceful demonstrators outside the White House before the president walked to a church for a photo op earlier this week.

Libyan government says retakes Haftar’s last redoubt in west AGENCIES

Warmest May on record, Siberia 10C hotter: EU Temperatures soared 10 degrees Celsius above average last month in Siberia, home to much of Earth's permafrost, as the world experienced its warmest May on record, the European Union's climate monitoring network said Friday. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said May 2020 was 0.63C warmer than the average May from 1981 to 2010, with above average temperatures across parts of Alaska, Europe, North America, South America, swathes of Africa and Antarctica. Western Siberia in particular has been unusually warm for several months running, C3S senior scientist Freja Vamborg told AFP. "The really large anomalies started during January, and since then this signal has been quite persistent," she said by email. Globally, the average temperature for the twelve months to May 2020 is close to 1.3C above preindustrial levels, the benchmark by which global warming is often measured. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries have pledged to cap the rise in Earth average surface temperature to "well below" 2C, and to 1.5C if possible.

The heatwave across parts of Siberia and Alaska will cause particular alarm in regions that were engulfed by huge forest fires last year fuelled by record heat, and where Copernicus has warned that "zombie" blazes smouldering underground may be reigniting.

The monitoring network said that there were "highly anomalous" temperatures over Siberia throughout the March to May period.

CARBON IN THE PERMAFROST: These reached close to 10C above the 1981 to 2010 average over parts of the Ob and Yenisei rivers, where "recordearly break-up of river ice has been reported". Copernicus recorded above average temperatures around much of the Arctic between March to May, although the spring was colder in northern Canada. Parts of Europe -- from the Balkans to Scandinavia -- also saw cooler than average temperatures in May, as did Australia, southern Asia and the eastern United States.

The 12 months to May were 0.7C hotter than the 1981 to 2010 average, matching the warmest equivalent period on record, between October 2015 and September 2016. Overall, global temperatures have risen more than one degree Celsius since mid-19th century levels, driven mostly by burning fossil fuels. There has been a sustained period of above-average temperatures since 2002, while the last five years have been the hottest on record, as was the last decade. In the Arctic region average temperatures have risen by two degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century, almost twice the global average. This has accelerated melting of Greenland's kilometres-thick ice sheet, resulting in a net loss of 600 billion tonnes of ice mass for the year - accounting for about 40 percent of total sea level rise in 2019. The permafrost in Russian and Canadian forests contains as much as 1.5 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide -- around 40 times current annual emissions. The United Nations said last year that manmade greenhouse gas emissions needed to tumble 7.6 percent annually over the next decade to cap global warming at 1.5C. Current pledges to cut emissions put Earth on a path of several degrees warming by the end of the century. AGENCIES

Libya's UN-recognised government announced Friday another victory in its counter-offensive against eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar, overrunning his last western stronghold Tarhuna, launchpad of an abortive 14-month assault on the capital.

The recapture of the strategic town southeast of the capital capped a week that already saw the Government of National Accord reestablish control over the whole of Greater Tripoli, including the abandoned civilian airport on its southern outskirts. "Our heroic forces have extended their control over the whole of Tarhuna," said GNA spokesman Mohamad Gnounou.

Tarhuna was the main rear base for the devastating offensive against the capital that Haftar's forces finally gave up this week, abandoning their remaining positions in the southern suburbs to advancing government troops.

"Our heroic forces have full control of Greater Tripoli right up to the city limits," Gnounou announced on Thursday.

GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj vowed that his government would impose its control over the whole of Libya.

"Our fight continues and we are determined to defeat the enemy, impose

state control on the whole of the homeland and destroy all those who jeopardise the construction of a civil, democratic and modern state," Sarraj said after talks with the GNA's main military backer Turkey. Late Thursday, Haftar's spokesman Ahmad al-Mesmari confirmed his forces' "redeployment" away from the capital after more than a year of sometimes intense fighting.

He said the redeployment was a "humanitarian gesture intended to spare the Libyan people further bloodshed".

Hundreds have been killed and 200,000 more driven from their homes

since Haftar launched his assault, vowing to "cleanse" the capital of the "terrorist militias" he said dominated the GNA. CEASEFIRE TALKS: Mesmari said the redeployment was intended to give a boost to the work of a UN-backed military commission tasked with shoring up a nationwide ceasefire.

"We announce that we are redeploying our forces outside Tripoli on condition that the other side respect the ceasefire," he said in a statement released late Thursday. "If they do not respect it, we will resume military operations and suspend our participation in the negotia-

tions of the military committee."

The United Nations' Libya mission said Tuesday that after a three-month suspension, the warring parties had agreed to resume ceasefire talks.

A military commission made up of five GNA loyalists and five Haftar delegates held talks in February, but the dialogue was suspended.

A January truce brokered by Turkey and key Haftar ally Russia has been repeatedly violated. Haftar is supported by neighbouring Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as well as Russia. His forces control the whole of eastern Libya, with its economically vital oilfields and export infrastructure. They also control most of the far-flung oasis cities of the vast desert south. But they have suffered a string of defeats in recent months at the hands of GNA forces, which have been bolstered by significant Turkish military support.

Earlier this year, Haftar's forces already lost a string of towns along the Mediterranean coast between the capital and the Tunisian border. In April, UN experts said hundreds of mercenaries from Russian paramilitary organisation the Wagner Group were fighting for him.

But last month, as Haftar's losses mounted, the GNA said Wagner Group fighters had withdrawn from combat zones south of the capital.

Hong Kong protesters seek sanctuary overseas as noose tightens AGENICES Hong Kong protester Crystal has yet to tell her parents she has fled overseas to seek asylum in Canada, one of a growing number of residents choosing self-exile as Beijing tightens control.

The 21-year-old student spent months on the front lines of the pro-democracy protests, which first exploded with huge marches last June and descended into increasingly violent battles with riot police as each month went by. A year on, she is waiting to hear if she will be granted refugee status on the other side of the world. "My friends and family don't know about my situation," she told AFP, asking for her full name and location to be withheld -- like all applicants interviewed for this piece. "They all thought I went to study abroad."

Activists in Canada say at least 50 former Hong Kong protesters lodged asylum applications before the coronavirus pandemic ended most international travel.

Hundreds more have relocated to democratic Taiwan, which under President Tsai Ing-wen has said it will try to accommodate Hong Kongers seeking to escape with freedoms sliding at home. The current trickle could become an exodus after Beijing announced plans to impose a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in response to the protests.

China says an anti-subversion law is needed to tackle "terrorism" and "separatism". Opponents fear it will bring mainland-style political oppression to a business hub supposedly guaranteed freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after its 1997 handover to China by Britain.

TEST CASES: In response, Britain has said it will extend residency rights for 2.9 million Hong Kongers eligible for British National (Overseas) passports, including a possible pathway to citizenship.

The documents are only available to those born before the former colony's 1997 handover. Which means younger residents -- the vanguard of last year's protests -- must risk asylum instead.

CMYK

The concept of a Hong Kong asylum seeker is somewhat untested -- for decades the city was a place people fled to rather than from.

But there is one precedent. Last year, Germany granted sanctuary to two independence activists wanted for their involvement in a violent protest in 2016. It was the first time a western government decided Hong Kong dissidents were fleeing persecution and the move infuriated Beijing.

Canada has emerged as a favourite destination, aided by a network of activists who have helped people escape Beijing ever since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. "Canada is always a country that welcomes

refugees," said Martin, a member of the New Hong Kong Cultural Club which is currently helping 29 applicants. "We believe there will be more Hong Kongers seeking asylum in Canada because the Hong Kong situation is falling into chaos." Richard Kurland, a veteran Canadian immigration lawyer, said asylum claims would be decided on a case by case basis.

"An 'over the top' reaction by either Beijing or the local Hong Kong proxies would strengthen the case for bona fide refugee claims in Canada," he told AFP. Asked whether plans for the new security law might constitute such a reaction, he replied: "It will all turn on the details of the new law, and how it is implemented."

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

PCB announCes enhanCed women’s Central ContraCt list for 2020-21 LAHORE

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APP

EFT-ARM spinner Anam Amin and middle-order batter Omaima Sohail are the new entries in the significantly improved, enhanced and performance-based PCB women’s central contract list for 2020-21, which will come into effect from 1 July.

Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Diana Baig are the three players to get promotions at the back of international performances in the just-concluded 2019-20 season, said a spokesman of the Pakistan Cricket Board here on Friday.

He said:" The nine central contracts see an increase of 33 per cent in the monthly retainers of the Category A players, while players in Category B and C will receive 30 and 25 per cent rise, respectively, adding “ In a continuation to last year, the Pakistan national women’s team will travel business class on all flights longer than five hours”.

The spokesman said separately, and as part of the PCB’s strategy to enhance the profile of women’s cricket, inspire and incentivise aspiring cricketers and bring it at par with men’s cricket, the PCB has introduced emerging contract list.

The nine-player list includes 16-yearold Syeda Aroob Shah, 15-year-old Ayesha Naseem (who made her Pakistan debut in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup this year), 22-year-old Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Fatima Sana, Kainat Hafeez, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir and Sadia Iqbal (who won player-of-the-match award on her T20I debut against Bangladesh in October),he added.

“In a significant boost for the domestic cricketers, the match fee and event prize money have been increased by 100 per cent, while daily allowances have been in-

creased by 50 per cent”, he asserted.

In addition and following a review of the 2019-20 season, the PCB has decided to retain Bismah Maroof as captain till the end of the 2020-21 season. However, it has also been decided not to renew the contract of head coach Iqbal Imam who will now resume his duties in the high performance set-up. Iqbal’s replacement will be made through an advertisement process.

WOmen’s central cOntract list 2020-21: category a: Bismah maroof and Javeria Khan category B: aliya riaz, Diana Baig and sidra nawaz category c: anam amin, nahida Khan, nida Dar and Omaima sohail.

WOmen’s emerging cOntract list 2020-21: Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Kainat Hafeez, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal and Syeda Aroob Shah Twenty-two-year-old Muneeba Ali, who made an impact with 292 runs at a healthy average of 58.40 in the National T20 Championship with a century and three half-centuries in five matches, has been included in the nine-player emerging contract list.

The left-handed batter is joined by 16year-old leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah, who bagged a player-of-the-match award on her ODI debut against Bangladesh Women in Lahore in November 2019 and was the highest wicket-taker in the national one-day championship.

The Pakistan national women’s team is scheduled to feature in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier and the ACC Women’s T20 Cup in the next 12 months, while an U19 team will feature in the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, while

announcing the central contracts said : “On behalf of the selection committee, I would like to congratulate all the players who have received the central contracts.

“The selection committee had detailed deliberations prior to announcing the central contracts. International performances over the past 12 months, fitness standards and the players’ ability to contribute in both white ball formats were key measures that formed the criteria for the selection.

“Bismah and Javeria have been promoted to Category A, following leading performances with the bat in the last year.

Over the last one year, Bismah scored 213 runs at an average of 42.60 in five ODIs and 236 at 39.33 in T20Is, while Javeria was the highest run-getter for Pakistan in T20Is with 260 runs including three halfcenturies.

“Diana Baig has been promoted to Category B and she joins Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz – both of whom have been retained in this category – as she topped the T20I bowling charts for Pakistan in the last 12 months. Leading the pace bowling at-

tack she has shown tremendous improvement with control over the ball along with being an exceptional fielder.

“I am pleased for both new entries, Omaima Sohail and Anam Amin. Omaima has been added after being a consistent member of the side in both formats while Anam has been outstanding with the ball in T20 cricket, being the highest wickettaker in the domestic and joint-highest in international circuit.

“We had to take some tough decisions and would like to emphasize and encourage those who have missed out to take this as an opportunity to improve their game and make a strong comeback. Nida Dar sees a demotion following her below par international season. However she remains an integral member and I am confident in her ability and hope she will bounce back with strong performances.

“An overall performance-based review will take place six months into the contracts, primarily to motivate the players to continue to excel, eliminating the element of complacency.

EPL clubs agree to five substitutions LONDON AGENCiES

Managers will be able to make up to five substitutions for the remainder of the 2019-20 Premier League season after clubs agreed to the temporary rule change at a meeting on Thursday.

FIFA proposed the solution last month to “protect player welfare” with a large number of matches packed into a few weeks to clear the backlog of a three-month layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Premier League clubs also agreed to increase the number of substitutes available for selection from seven to nine for the remainder of the season. “For the remainder of the 2019/20 season, the number of substitutes that can be used during a match will increase from three to five players,” the Premier League said in a statement.

“Shareholders also approved for clubs to increase the maximum number of substitute players on the bench from seven to nine for the rest of the 2019/20 season.”

To avoid too many stoppages, however, each team will still only have three opportunities to make changes as well as at half-time. The Premier League will resume with two matches on June 17 as Manchester City host Arsenal and

Sheffield United travel to Aston Villa.

The remaining nine full rounds of fixtures are then expected to be completed in just five weeks.

No decision was made at Thursday’s meeting on how

league standings would be determined if a spike in infections should cause the season to be interrupted once more.

Just one positive case from 1,197 tests was detected from the latest round of checks on players and staff.

Clubs have reportedly agreed for a small number of matches to be played at neutral venues where it is considered necessary by the emergency services and safety advisory groups.

“The majority of remaining matches will be played, at home and away as scheduled, with a small number of fixtures taking place at neutral venues,” Mark Roberts, the UK’s national lead for football policing, said last week.

Roberts suggested any match where runaway league leaders Liverpool could win the title for the first time in 30 years would be played at a neutral venue to discourage crowds from gathering around Anfield.

Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top and just two games away from clinching the title.

However, Merseyside Police have said they are happy to police matches in Liverpool, including the Merseyside derby at Everton’s Goodison Park which is due to be played over the weekend of June 19-22. Liverpool City Council’s safety advisory group will convene next week to make a decision regarding that fixture.

SPORTS 11

PCB withdraws termination notices of 55 staffers

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has withdrawn termination of service notices served to 55 staffers earlier this week. After PCB’s notices of termination letters to lower staff made rounds on digital and social media, the board was criticized heavily for going after employees with low salaries. “The vast overstaffing that the current board has inherited remains a longterm sustainability issue for the PCB. Making changes is about timing and, on reflection, the process and communication needed to be better," PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said. “As a responsible organization, we have reviewed our decision and acted quickly to withdraw the notices.”

"Meanwhile, the PCB will continue the exercise to restructure and rationalize its staff numbers and will make necessary decisions in due course". PCB presently has an overall strength of 710 across the country, including 361 and 70 in Lahore and Karachi offices, respectively. PPi

Qatar completes third world Cup stadium

DOha: Qatar announced the completion of its third stadium for the 2022 World Cup, state media reported late Thursday, as the emirate prepared to mark three years of a regional feud. Education City stadium had been due to host the semi-final of the Club World Cup on December 18, but its opening was postponed because of delays to certification. "The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and the Qatar Foundation announce the completion of the preparations for the third FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium, located in Education City," the state-run Qatar News Agency reported.

The Education City ground, named for the surrounding university and research campuses, will host fixtures through to the quarter-finals. After the tournament, half of its 40,000 seats will be donated to build stadiums in developing countries. Two and a half years before the World Cup kicks off, Qatar has already launched the brand new 40,000-capacity Al-Janoub stadium and the refurbished Khalifa International ground.

Five new stadiums remain under construction. Friday marked the third anniversary of a Saudi-led effort to isolate Qatar over claims it supports radical Islamist movements and is too close to Iran. Doha denies the claims. On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia along with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic ties, closed their airspace and borders to Qatar and severed economic links. Despite several signs of reconciliation, including Saudi, the UAE and Bahrain participating in a regional football tournament in Doha last year, the dispute remains deadlocked. AGENCiES

Barty wary of US Open return

CANBERRA AGENCiES

World number one Ashleigh Barty voiced caution Friday about resuming tennis too soon, saying she needed more information before committing to the US Open in August.

The Australian, who surged to the top of the rankings last year and has stayed there since, said it was not just her but her entire team she must consider in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s exciting that tennis is being talked about again and things are moving in the

right direction for us to start competing,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“But I’d need to understand all of the information and advice from the WTA and the USTA before making a decision on the US events.” The WTA and ATP schedules have been on ice since March with action not set to resume until the end of July at the earliest.

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II, while the French Open has been shifted from May-June to September-October.

A decision about the US Open — played in New York, which has been a hotbed for the virus — is yet to be made, but its main draw is scheduled to begin on August 31.

Barty said she was concerned about travel exemptions for her support staff.

While players could be exempt from a 14-day quarantine period, it remains unclear whether that also applies to their teams.

“It’s not just me, it’s my team I have to consider,” she said. On Thursday, Rafael Nadal insisted tennis should not start again “until the situation is completely safe”.

CMYK

“If you told me to play the US Open today, I would say ‘no’,” said the Spaniard, who captured a fourth US Open and 19th major in New York last year.

“In a few months, I don’t know. I hope so. We have to wait for people to return to normal life. And when it does, wait to see how the virus evolves.”

Rafael Nadal insisted on Thursday tennis “cannot resume until the situation is completely safe” and if the US Open was being played this week, he wouldn’t take part.

World number two Nadal, who captured a fourth US Open and 19th major in New York last year, said the coronavirus pandemic still casts huge doubts over the tennis calendar which has been suspended since mid-March. “We cannot resume until the situation is completely safe and fair in terms of health in that all players, wherever they come from, can travel and play tournaments in safe conditions,” Nadal told reporters in a video conference call.

“If you told me to play the US Open (scheduled for main draw start on August 31)

today, I would say ‘no’.

“In a few months, I don’t know. I hope so. We have to wait for people to return to normal life. And when it does, wait to see how the virus evolves.

“It’s very difficult for me to separate what the world is experiencing from my point of view on tennis, that’s why I was very pessimistic a few weeks ago.”

The ATP and WTA schedules have been on ice since March with action not set to resume until the end of July at the earliest.

Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since the Second World War while the French Open has been shifted from May/June to September/October.

In normal times, the Roland Garros event would have been deep into its second week by now with Nadal expected to win the Paris trophy for the 13th time.

However, for Nadal, there are far more complex and significant matters to consider even if he could have been within touching distance of Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 Slams.

Saturday, 6 June, 2020

NEWS

POWer DIvIsIOn set tO Clear CIrCular Debt tHrOugH rs200bn sukuk GOVT FORMULATES PLAN TO MAKE PAYMENTS TO 79 IPPS AND GENCOS ISLAMABAD

t

AHMAD AHMADAni

HE federal government, in a bid to avoid electricity crisis from June to August, has decided to make billions of rupees worth payment of circular debt to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and government-owned power generation companies (GENCOS) through Rs200 billion Islamic Sukuk, Profit has learnt.

According to sources, the division has prepared a plan to spend Rs200 billion, earned through Sukuk, by making payments to 79 IPPs and GENCOs. However, it has been decided "not to pay any amount to 25 IPPs including the two power plants of Jahangir

Khan Tareen" which are installed at his sugar mills.

Sources said the Power Division also has decided to halt more than 40pc payments of some IPPs mentioned in the power sector inquiry report, including the IPPs owned by an adviser to PM. They said these IPPs would be

given remaining payments in the light of the recommendations of a committee which is engaged in negotiations with IPPs regarding "change in their power purchase agreements".

Sources said the payments to IPPs and the GENCOs would be made without the pre-audit pattern of clear-

'It's not over': Covid-19 cases rise in some nations easing lockdowns, says WHO

Twitter Inc has disabled US President Donald Trump’s campaign tribute video to George Floyd on its platform, citing a copyright complaint.

The clip, which is a collation of photos and videos of protest marches and instances of violence in the aftermath of Floyd’s death, has Trump speaking in the background.

Floyd’s death last week after a fatal encounter with a police officer has led to nationwide protests. In widely circulated video footage, a white officer was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck as Floyd gasped for

NEW DELHI Agencies

ing circular debt which was done in the year 2013.

It is pertinent to mention that the power sector is currently faced with serious financial crisis mainly owing to circular debt, lesser number of collections and reduced power demand amid coronavirus outbreak.

Sources expect the electricity demand to jump till August, whereas IPPs and GENCOs continue to face liquidity constraints; GENCOS are unable to purchase imported gas, coal and furnace oil.

If these GENCOs are not paid immediately, it is feared that there will be severe power shortage with a rise in temperature across the country, sources added.

"The power sector has been adversely impacted by the Covid-19, while the sector's circular debt will be increased by more than Rs250 billion during the next three months if payments are not made to IPPs and GENCOs," said a Power Division official on the condition of anonymity.

Twitter disables Trump video tribute to Floyd over copyright complaint

Some countries have seen “upticks” in Covid-19 cases as lockdowns ease, and populations must protect themselves from the coronavirus while authorities continue testing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. The epicentre of the pandemic is currently in countries of Central, South and North America, particularly the United States, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. “On upticks [in cases], yes we have seen in countries around the world — I'm not talking specifically about Europe — when the lockdowns ease, when the social distancing measures ease, people sometimes interpret this as 'OK, it's over',” Harris told a UN briefing in Geneva. “It's not over. It's not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world,” she said. Harris, referring to US demonstrations since the killing of George Floyd 10 days ago, said that protesters must take precautions.

“We have certainly seen a lot of passion this week, we've seen people who have felt the need to be out and to express their feelings,” she added. “We ask them to remember [to] still protect yourself and others.” To avoid infection, the WHO advised people to maintain a distance of at least one metre (three feet), frequently wash hands and avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes, Harris said. Agencies

India, China agree to resolve border dispute 'peacefully'

air and repeatedly groaned, “I can’t breathe,” before passing out.

Twitter said the video on the president’s campaign account was affected by its copyright policy.

“We respond to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorised representatives,” a Twitter representative said.

The three-minute 45-second video uploaded on Trump’s YouTube channel was tweeted by his campaign on June 3.

The clip, which is still on YouTube, had garnered more than 60,000 views and 13,000 likes. The

video-streaming platform’s parent Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The social media platform has been under fierce scrutiny from the Trump administration since it factchecked Trump’s tweets about unsubstantiated claims of mail-in voting fraud. It also labelled a Trump tweet about protests in Minneapolis as “glorifying violence.”

Trump has pledged to introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that shields social media companies from liability for content posted by their users. Agencies

India and China agreed on Friday to resolve a dispute over their shared border in the Ladakh region through diplomatic channels, the Indian foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. The statement came a day before top generals of the two countries are due to meet near the site of their border standoff to try and find a way to de-escalate the situation. Indian officials said both sides would first focus on getting both the Indian army and the People’s Liberation Army to pull back additional troops and equipment deployed in the area. Soldiers from both sides have been camped out in the Galwan Valley in the high-altitude Ladakh region, accusing each other of trespassing over the disputed border, the trigger of a brief but bloody war in 1962. Senior officials of the two countries held a video conference and agreed that “the two sides should handle their differences through peaceful discussion” and should not allow them to become disputes, the foreign affairs ministry statement said.

In Beijing, Geng Shuang, a spokesperson of China’s foreign affairs ministry, told reporters that the overall situation in the China-India border areas was currently “stable and controllable.” While maintaining close communication through diplomatic and military channels, both sides are working to “properly resolve relevant issues,” the spokesman said, according to the statement posted on China’s foreign affairs ministry website. Both sides recalled the consensus reached by their two leaders that peaceful, stable and balanced relations between India and China would be positive for stability in the current global situation, the Indian statement said.

us forces conduct airstrikes on taliban in afghanistan KaBUL: American forces conducted two airstrikes on Taliban fighters to foil the militant group’s plan to launch attacks on Afghan security forces, a US military spokesperson said on Friday, in a move that could hurt the peace process. The airstrikes, conducted in two different provinces, were the first since the start of the Eid ceasefire declared by the Taliban and Afghan forces last month. Sonny Leggett, a US military spokesperson based in Afghanistan, said in a tweet that an airstrike was carried out against 25 armed Taliban fighters executing a coordinated attack on an Afghan force checkpoint in Farah province in the west. He said a second attack was conducted in Kandahar in the south. He did not give casualty figures, and a Taliban spokesperson refused to comment on the airstrikes, which were conducted at a time when the United States is steadily pulling its troops out of Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump in recent weeks has restated his desire for a full military withdrawal from Afghanistan but has not set a target date, amid speculation he might make ending America’s longest war part of his reelection campaign. But Afghan security officials and European diplomats said the fighting had yet to ebb despite all parties working towards finding a political settlement to end the Afghan war. At least 10 Afghan security forces members were killed on Friday morning in an ambush by the Taliban in southern Zabul province, Afghan officials said. The Taliban have not claimed responsibility for the attack. Agencies

Trump hopeful for Iran after American freed in prisoner swap President Donald Trump voiced hope for progress with arch-rival Iran on Thursday after the clerical regime released a US Navy veteran and the United States freed two Iranians.

Michael White, who had contracted the coronavirus while in Iran, flew out on a Swiss military jet to Zurich where he was welcomed by a senior US official.

“I am blessed to announce that the nightmare is over, and my son is safely on his way home,” his mother, Joanne White, said in a statement.

Trump said he spoke to White by telephone and voiced rare appreciation to Iran, with which the United States was close to all-out war several months ago.

“Thank you to Iran, it shows a deal is possible!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

As White was flying home, a federal judge issued an order to free an IranianAmerican doctor, Majid Taheri, allowing him to go see family in Iran.

A day earlier, a more prominent Iranian — Cyrus Asgari, a scientist arrested in 2016 while on an academic visit — returned to Iran.

“This can happen for all prisoners. No need for cherry picking,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter.

“Iranian hostages held in — and on behalf of — the US should come home,” he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has championed a hawkish line against the clerical regime, said Iranian authorities had been “constructive” on freeing White but urged the release of three other US citizens, all of Iranian descent, who remain detained.

White, who had served 13 years in the US Navy, was arrested in July 2018 in the northeastern city of Mashhad after visiting a woman whom he had reportedly met online.

He was sentenced the following year to at least 10 years in prison on charges that he insulted Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and posted anti-regime remarks on social media under a pseudonym.

In March, as Iran was being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, White was handed over to the custody of Switzerland, which handles US interests in the country in the absence of diplomatic relations.

Asgari, a scientist at Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, had been detained four years ago on an academic visit to Ohio and accused of stealing trade secrets.

He was acquitted last year but handed over to US Immigration and Customs En-

forcement, which Asgari said refused to let him leave and held him in a lockup in Louisiana without basic sanitation.

Denying a connection with White, senior US immigration official Ken Cuccinelli alleged that the Iranians had held up his release, tweeting: “A swap can’t exactly work when we want Asgari less than the Iranians do.”

But the timing was even more clearly linked with Taheri, a doctor in Tampa, Florida, with a judge releasing him Thursday on time served.

He was accused of violating US sanctions by sending a technical item to Iran and in December pleaded guilty to charges he violated financial reporting requirements by

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deposing $277,344 at a bank, repeatedly showing up with loose cash, according to court documents.

Taheri was working for a Tampa clinic, since shut down, whose owner was earlier indicted on charges of prescribing painkillers without medical purposes.

Soaring tenSionS: Tensions have soared in recent months as Trump pursued a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, imposing sweeping sanctions and in January ordering a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.

Observers have seen prisoner releases as a rare way of starting dialogue between the two countries, although few expect any serious headway before the US election in November.

White’s mother thanked both the US and Swiss governments for the release as well as Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador and governor from the Democratic Party.

Richardson, whose efforts have been resented by the Trump administration, said he met senior Iranian officials including Zarif to arrange White’s release.

Richardson in a statement said that his approach relies on “personal relations and respect.”