EpaperLHR_2020-07-20

Monday, 20 July, 2020 I 28 Dhū al-Qa‘dah, 1441 I Rs 25.00 I Vol XI No 22 I 52 Pages I Lahore Edition

Economic TEam, cabinET dividEd on implEmEnTaTion of imf’s condiTions ISLAMABAD

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Shahzad paracha

HE government’s economic team has reportedly failed to convince the cabinet members regarding the implementation of the reform agenda agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

According to sources Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh was in the favour of implementing the IMF conditions pertaining to increase in electricity tariffs, autonomy for State Bank of Pakistan

IMPLEMENTATION OF IMF’S CONDITIONS WILL INCREASE ELECTRICITY TARIFFS, PASS ON COST OF POWER THEFT TO CONSuMERS AND PROvIDE HIGHER AuTONOMY FOR SBP

(SBP) and amendment in National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Act, however some cabinet members expressed their reservations regarding these conditions.

Earlier on July 16, Prime Minister Imran Khan had postponed the decision to increase the price of electricity for consumers of Karachi Electric Supply

Company (K-Electric).

According to sources, the PM’s decision came after the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) approval to increase the price of electricity for KElectric consumers by Rs2.79 per unit.

Sources further said that consumers of K-Electric were getting electricity at a lower rate compared to the rest of

Covid-19 recoveries top 200,000; active cases drop below 54,000

ISLAMABAD TLTp

The number of recovered coronavirus patients in the country has reached 204,276 so far, while the number of active Covid-19 cases dropped to 53,652 from 57,886 in the past 24 hours.

According to the latest statistics issued by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday, 1,579 new coronavirus cases were reported in the country during the last 24 hours taking the tally to 263,496. Meanwhile, 46 patients died of the virus during the same period taking the death toll to 5,568.

A total of 22,559 coronavirus

tests were carried out during the aforementioned period. The total reported cases include 112,118 in Sindh, 89,793 in Punjab, 31,890 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 11,424 in Balochistan, 14,576 in Islamabad, 1,807 Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 1,888 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

A total of 298 patients across the country are on ventilators. A total of 1,823 ventilators are allocated for Covid-19 patients.

3,249 CHILDREN INFECTED IN SINDH: Meanwhile, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said that as many as 3,249 children under the age of 10 have so far been infected with coronavirus in the province.

In a Twitter post, he said 22,554 people above the age of 50 were affected by Covid19 in the province.

He urged people to exercise all precautions, wear masks and not go out unnecessarily.

“Infection rate has come down but we have to ensure there is no spike during Eid,” Murtaza Wahab stressed.

PUNJAB REPORTS 328 FRESH CASES: The government of Punjab reported 328 new cases of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the province’s total number of confirmed infections to 89,793.

According to the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, 12 more people died of the virus during the period, due to which the death toll in the province rose to 2,079.

As many as 65,436 patients have recovered while overall 644,077 tests have been conducted so far.

According to district-wise breakdown of fresh coronavirus cases, Lahore reported 133 cases, Nankana Sahib and Kasur, three each, Shiekhupura, one, Rawalpindi, twelve, Jhelum, three, Chakwal, one, Gujranwala, 19, Sialkot, eight, Gujrat, 13, Multan, 18, Faisalabad, 26, Jhang, five, Rahim Yar Khan, four, Bahawalpur, eleven, Sahiwal, five, Okara, nine, and Pakpattan, four.

Bidding process for CPEC western route underway, says Asim Bajwa ISLAMABAD app

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday said that the bidding process for a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) western route is underway.

The part of the CPEC’s western route includes Zhob-Kuchlak (Quetta) road.

Asim Saleem Bajwa said that the project is direly needed by the people of Balochistan, in a tweet on Sunday.

He further informed that the matter pertaining to Chinese

funding for Dera Ismail Khan to Zhob section of CPEC’s western route was being processed to be included in the upcoming meeting of Joint Coordination

Committee (JCC) of CPEC. He added that the completion of this 210 kilometre (km) project would connect Islamabad and Quetta through an expressway.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has already invited bids from eligible firms for the 298 km Kuchlak to Zhob section of N-50.

The project will be completed in five packages including 65 km Zhob to Tangi section, 65 km Tangi to Qila Saifullah section, 50 km Qilla Saifullah to Nasai section, 65 km Nasai to Khanozai section and a 53 km Khanozai to Kuchlak section.

the country.

According to sources, the IMF conditions also include amendments in SBP Act which will give autonomy to the central bank and changes in the NEPRA Act. Earlier, on June 10, the government had introduced the Electric Power Act bill in the National Assembly, which is yet to be approved. The amendments would permit the federal government to pass on the cost of inefficiency and power theft to electricity consumers through the imposition of surcharges.

Sources further disclosed that the IMF also wants clarity on how Pakistan plans to improve its revenue during the

current fiscal year. The government had earlier set a revenue target of Rs4,963 billion for FY21, after the approval of IMF. The IMF team is due to visit Pakistan in September to review the implementation of the reform agenda under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The IMF might discontinue the facility if it finds the implementation of its conditions unsatisfactory.

Sources alleged that Dr Hafeez Shaikh might be asked to leave his position as the prime minister’s adviser if the EFF programme is discontinued.

However, Ministry of Finance officials rejected this notion.

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Monday, 20 July, 2020

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PIA CEO rEquEsts mOrAtOrIum On CAA ChArgEs AmId PAndEmIC KARACHI TLTP

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik has requested the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to waive its charges to help the airline get through the unprecedented aviation crisis brought on by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter written to the CAA director general, the CEO said the aviation industry is passing through the worst of the crises it has faced in its history as the situation is going from bad to worse against all previous expectations.

“Unfortunately, even after surviving for three months in corona crisis, airline industry is under immense stress due to challenging future outlook,” the letter read, adding many airlines have gone bankrupt and laid off their employees due to the crisis.

Malik said that PIA has made all-out efforts to remain afloat against all odds and has operated a substantial number of relief flights to utilise its resources in the

absence of a regular schedule.

“Despite our efforts, this challenge is too enormous to be handed by PIACL alone; to surmount it we need help of government of Pakistan and its esteemed institutions like CAA,” he said, calling for a moratorium on CAA charges till the Covid-19 situation subsides.

He said that it can greatly assist PIA in

4.6 magnitude earthquake jolts parts of KP MARDAN APP

An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late Saturday night however no damage of property or casualties have been reported so far. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, tremors were felt in Mardan, Shangla and surrounding areas. The Met Office stated the epicentre of the quake to be in Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan with a depth of 150-kilometre.

6 killed, 28 injured in nawabshah coach accident KARACHI STAFF REPORT

At least six people were killed and 28 injured when a passenger bus rammed into a trailer near Nawabshah’s Qazi Ahmed town on Sunday morning. The accident occurred when the speeding Karachi-bound bus, which was coming from Mansehra, collided head-on with the trailer before turning turtle. Four passengers died on the spot. Initial reports suggest at least 28 people were injured in the incident. The injured were shifted to the town’s civil hospital where reportedly they were kept on the floor due to the nonavailability of medical beds and stretchers. Upon reaching the hospital, the driver and another passenger succumbed to injuries, taking the toll to six. At least nine people were said to be in critical condition and transferred to Peoples Medical Hospital in Nawabshah.

sC to hear contempt case against journalist over 'derogatory’ tweet ISLAMABAD APP

The Supreme Court will hear a contempt of court case against journalist Matiullah Jan over his alleged derogatory tweet against the court and its judges. The tweet in question had claimed that former president Ziaul Haq hanged ousted premier Zulfiqar Bhutto through former’s “tout judges”. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel will conduct the hearing. The court also issued notices to the Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan and Supreme Court Bar Association President Syed Qalbe-Hasan as amicus curiae.

mitigating its financial woes. This step will not only ensure the survival of the airline industry in Pakistan but also help save thousands of jobs in the airline and allied sectors, he emphasized.

A couple of days ago, American credit rating and market research firm Moody's has stated that the drop witnessed in the numbers of air passengers won’t reach pre-

Buzdar vows justice as minor killed after molestation in sohawa LAHORE

Covid-19 pandemic levels until 2023.

Moody’s estimates that global air travel declined from 55 per cent to 75 per cent in 2020 alone, which will heavily affect the industry as aviation supports $2.7 trillion of global GDP, and 70 million industry-supported employment which they forecast a 45 per cent decline.

The pandemic affected air travel and led to job cuts and furloughs in the industry, a 45 per cent decline in jobs related to the industry would have a negative effect on tax revenues for countries.

An estimated 25 million aviation jobs and 100 million travel and tourism jobs across the globe are at risk. That is not all; the growth recorded in the industry in the last seven years would potentially be lost across the world.

Meanwhile, the report said global demand dropped as much as 90 per cent during the first weeks on the pandemic, and vaccines would be a catalyst to get the industry going adding that bailouts would be needed by the airlines from the government.

No increase in drug prices till September: Health Ministry ISLAMABAD TLTP

Ministry of National Health Services has said that the government has not approved any increase in price of essential drugs and recently announced hike in drug prices by the pharmaceutical industry will not be implemented at least

by September.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of National Health Services on Sunday said that Drug Pricing Policy, 2018, granted the manufacturer with an annual right to automatically increase prices by 7 per cent and 10 per cent without the government’s right to intervene.

Drug Pricing Policy, 2018, has been revised by the federal government to bring it in lines with Drug Act 1976 and to remove legal lacunae, said the spokesperson. In

doing so, the government has created a step-in clause in Drug Pricing Policy whereby the government can exclude any category of drugs from annual increase of price.

The DRAP has recently notified the amendments made by the government to Drug Pricing Policy, 2018.

The spokesperson said that the government has not approved any increase in price of essential drugs as incorrectly reported in some media. All this was done in the backdrop of assurance given by the pharmaceutical industry that it will not apply for annual raise of drug prices at least till September.

The industry has gone back on its words and about one hundred drug companies have applied for annual increase in prices. The government has the right to step in to freeze any or all drug prices to safeguard public interest in view of the Covid-19 situation, concluded the spokesperson.

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Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken a notice of a 8-year-old child murder before subjecting him to molestation in Sohawa area of Mandi Bahauddin. Buzdar has also sought a report from Gujranwala RPO and ordered the arrest of the accused at the earliest. He remarked that the murderers of an innocent child will not be saved from the stern grip of law. Buzdar directed that the accused must be brought before the court of law by fulfilling all the requirements of justice. He assured that the affected family will be provided with justice at any cost. The CM also expressed his heartfelt sympathy and condolence with the bereaved family of the murdered child. Police said that the body of the minor was found at an under-construction building in the same locality. Identified as Taimor, the boy had left home to buy toffees from a neighbourhood shop and disappeared. On being approached, the police launched a hunt to trace the whereabouts of the boy who was later found murdered. His body was shifted to a hospital for medical examination.

Another top sindh doctor loses battle against coronavirus KARACHI: Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority Administrator Dr Adnan on Saturday lost his battle against coronavirus, becoming the 25th doctor in the province to fell victim to the Covid-19. Dr Adnan was suffering from the infection from the past few days and his brother still remains admitted at the hospital after contracting the infection. The widow of Dr Adnan and other family members will also undergo coronavirus test to ascertain the presence of infection. It is pertinent to mention here that the number of healthcare professionals affected by the novel coronavirus in the country surged to 5,164 by June 24. INP

science, It ministers oppose ban on PuBg ISLAMABAD TLTP

Sindh govt backing power pilferage in province, alleges ministry ISLAMABAD TLTP

Federal Ministry for Power on Sunday accused the Sindh government of backing certain influential people in electricity theft activities.

“The Sindh government not only supported some influential people in the province in power theft activities but it also created hindrances in registering cases against them,” the spokesman of the Power Ministry said after the provincial authorities blamed the federal government for carrying out 18 hours load shedding in some parts of the province.

The spokesman said that the province does not support the power distribution companies in their legal actions.

“They neglected the national interest,” he blamed and said that electricity is neither produced free of cost nor it could be provided without paying any charges.

“We carry out load management on the basis of power theft and it is carried out irrespective of any discrimination on the basis of an area, caste, and color,” said the official of Power Division. He said that they have enough electricity in their system and could provide uninterrupted supply to the provincial areas if power theft is eliminated.

It is pertinent to mention here that K-Electric has come under fire during the past days after citizens faced hourslong load shedding in the metropolis amid sweltering heat and Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the power distribution company, Karachi is being subjected to scheduled load shedding for load management. However, long spells of power cuts continuing unabated say otherwise.

The NEPRA also took notice of the unabated load shedding in the city and formed a four-member team after its online hearing on the matter to review the load shedding situation in the city.

Minister for Information Technology Aminul Haque said on Sunday that he is against restrictions that could hamper any progress. Responding to Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry’s comments regarding a ban on online game, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Haque said that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) doesn’t fall under his ministry. The popular online game played by millions in Pakistan has been temporarily banned in the country. Multiple petitions have been filed against the ban. Chaudhry had said on Twitter that he was against all kinds of general bans.

“Such attitude is killing the tech industry, we cannot afford such bans.” He expressed hope that IT Minister Haque would take note of it and the PTA would be instructed not to encourage such bans as they hinder technological growth in the long run. In response, Haque said the IT Ministry does not have control over the PTA. The authority is overseen by the Cabinet Division, he said. “Only the Cabinet Division could comment regarding the ban on PUBG,” the IT minister said in his statement.

Anti-polio drive resumes today after 4-month hiatus ISLAMABAD TLTP

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday announced resumption of the anti-polio drive on July 20 after a hiatus of four months.

The door to door vaccinations of children against polio was suspended on March 20 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The anti-polio drive initially aims to vaccinate about 800,000 children under the age of five in high-risk districts, including Karachi, Quetta, Faisalabad, Attock and South Waziristan to protect them against the crippling disease.

Around 8,000 health workers will take part in the polio vaccination campaign. The third phase of the polio vaccination drive in Pakistan will begin in the last three months of the current year.

A large-scale anti-polio drive will be launched in the months of August and September, according to the

NCOC. The coronavirus reached Pakistan in late February, prompting the government to redirect its health program resources to support Covid-19 surveillance and response efforts.

The NCOC has called the parents to take part in the campaign to save their little ones from the crippling disease. It also sought cooperation for the anti-polio teams in the door to door vaccination campaign.

The health teams would also create awareness about Covid-19 during the vaccination drive, health officials said.

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said the government is going to resume anti-polio campaigns to administer polio drops to children in specific localities across the country from Monday.

In a tweet, he said, “As things are improving on COVID front we are resuming polio campaigns in specific localities from July 20.”

He said that all the government-defined standard operating procedures (SOPs) and health guidelines for social distancing and safety of vaccinators as well as children to be immunised will be strictly followed.

Monday, 20 July, 2020

NEWS

10 Out Of 19 nOn-ElECtEd CABInEt mEmBErs Own fOrEIgn PrOPErtIEs LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

DAY after the Cabinet Division uploaded the asset details of all special assistants and advisers to the prime minister on its website, the assets and liabilities declarations of 19 non-elected cabinet members revealed that 10 of them hold foreign properties.

Seven special assistants and three advisers to the premier own foreign properties, with Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari being the most notable among them. The special assistant for overseas Pakistan owns a flat worth GBP 4.85 million in an upscale London neighbourhood, besides shares in various companies, including the offshore BVI company with underlying assets consisting of 11 apartments with a value GBP 3.65 million. It is worth noting here that Bukhari is a

British passport holder as well.

SAPM Shahzad Syed Qasim, who is a US citizen, owns three properties in the US worth USD 865,000 collectively, while also owning three properties in Dubai, UAE worth AED 20,688,000, one of which is in his wife’s name.

Similarly, SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, also a US citizen, owns a house in Houston Texas worth Rs31.1 million. Dr Shehbaz Gill, who had previously served in the Punjab government and recently was recently inducted into the federal cabinet, owns a property in Illinois worth Rs13, 065,000. Dr Gill is a US residency holder and was an assistant professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois.

SAPM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has declared a flat in Spain that is in his wife’s name and was inherited. It is pertinent to mention here that Akbar is the face of the PM’s accountability drive who,

shibli hails Pm's resolve to deal with coronavirus ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has hailed the Prime Minister Imran Khan's resolve to deal with the coronavirus.In a tweet on Sunday, he said that despite meager resources and outdated health infrastructure, the Prime Minister has steered the country by balancing lives and livelihoods in an amazing display of competence and leadership. Shibli said that National Control and Operation Centre (NCOC) and Ehsaas programme were the two main tools of success. INP

Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over ceasefire violations ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register Pakistan's strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on 17th of July, resulting in serious injuries to two innocent women. In a statement, the FO said that due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Rakhchikri and Baroh sectors of the LoC, 35year-old Shakeela Bibi w/o Khursheed and 40-year-old Nazia Bibi w/o Mazhar Iqbal sustained serious injuries.

The FO spokesperson said that the Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 1697 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 14 being martyred and serious injuries to 133 innocent civilians, she added. Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the spokesperson underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. "These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security,” she said. She added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the working boundary, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). INP

in the past, has accused opposition politicians and Supreme Court (SC) judges for ownership of properties abroad.

SAPM Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind declared two properties in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A Rs42,000,000 villa in his name and an apartment valued at Rs 33,600,000 in his son's name.

Declared property in the name of spouse is not limited to special assistants as Advisor on Finance Dr Hafeez Sheikh has also disclosed a property in Dubai worth Rs130 million in his wife’s name.

Dr Ishrat Hussain, also an adviser to the PM, has declared three properties in spouse’s name, all owned in various states of the US, amounting to USD 2.14 million while Adviser to PM Dr Babar Awan has declared a property in Spain for which he never got possession amounting to Rs11 million.

Tania Airdus, who was brought in to head the 'Digital Pakistan' campaign,

does not own any property within Pakistan but declared two properties in the US amounting to USD 1.43 million in addition to a UK property bought in 2013, which values at USD 512,477, and a property in Singapore declared at a value of USD 765,680. Tania, however, is a Canadian by birth and has not spent a lot of time in Pakistan. While it is not illegal to own properties abroad, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while in opposition, took the matter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s ownership of London Park Lane flats, revealed in the Panama Papers, to the apex court, which eventually resulted in his disqualification.

PTI stalwart Jehangir Tareen met the same fate after his UK estate, also held in his children’s names, was revealed.

Most recently SC judge Qazi Faez Isa who will become chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in 2024, fought a very public trial in front of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for non-declaration of UK properties owned by his wife and children. His wife is currently providing a money trail of her properties to the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), a report of which the tax authority will present before the SJC once the investigation is complete.

PML-N, PPP take PTI to task over ‘aliens’ in cabinet ISLAMABAD INP

Main Opposition parties – Pakistan Muslims LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – have reminded Prime Minster Imran Khan of his previous stance about public office holders having dual nationality.

It was revealed on Saturday that six of the 15 special assistants and advisers to the prime minister have dual nationality. On the other hand, Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz said the government has placed the assets of all SAPMs, advisers on the website of Cabinet Division as instructed by PM Imran.

PML-N Spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb challenged Prime Minister Imran Khan to remove advisers and ministers with foreign citizenship. She said, “Imran Sahib you said it is not possible that you have dual citizenship and you can decide the future of the country.”

“Imran Sahib said if you have a passport from another country you should not sit in parliament,” she added. She questioned why is Imran now allowing dual citizens to decide the fate of 220 million people.

“Why has Imran Khan put foreign passport holders in the cabinet today? Why the prime minister is allowing people who have nothing in Pakistan make decisions

in his cabinet today?” she asked.

“The people are suffering from unemployment, economic catastrophe and hunger due to the imposition of foreign gangs on the country,” the PML-N spokesperson commented.

PPP senior leader Sherry Rehman, in a tweet, said, “Six aides to the prime minister allegedly hold dual nationality. Please, clarify who is a dual national and who is not, because PM IK (Imran Khan) has repeatedly said he stands against govt aides, advisers, ministers who swear an oath of allegiance to another country. What happened to #MadeinPakistan?”

The PPP leader said four now narrowed down in media and questioned, “If members of parliament can’t be dual nationals how can advisers and aides who sit in the cabinet?”

“People having dual nationality were made part of the cabinet with prime minister’s knowledge? if the prime minister did not know, then it is a matter of further concern too. She questioned are people with dual citizenship building a new Pakistan?” she remarked.

The PPP leader said that PM Imran had to import foreign characters to build a ‘New Pakistan’ because there was a scarcity of capable people in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “This has been proved that the incumbent government has no vision and policy at all,” she added.

PM directs for timely completion of health projects ISLAMABAD TLTP

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government has introduced a comprehensive reform programme in the health sector.

Chairing a meeting regarding development projects in the health sector in Punjab, the prime minister said the masses have to face immense difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic due to negligence of the past regimes who failed to accord due priority to the

health sector. The premier directed for utilisation of all available resources for timely completion of the health projects. He further directed for taking immediate measures for provision of quality health facilities and sanitation in all major hospitals of the province.

PM Imran appreciated the provision of insurance to the people under the Sehat Sahulat programme. He directed for preparation of a comprehensive plan for upgradation of capacities of the health centers and hospitals.

He also directed for strict implementation of all precautionary measures and standard operating procedures.

Bukhari reminds Ahsan of PML-N leaders’ work permits ISLAMABAD TLTP

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif held an Iqama (work permit) when he was the prime minister of the country.

“Khawaja Asif held Iqama while serving as defense minister while Ishaq Dar had a Saudi Iqama when he was the finance minister of the country,” Bukhari said while responding to the PML-N criticism on advisers and spe-

cial assistants, who declared their dual nationalities and assets on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

There should be some shame while criticising others, he lamented PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and said that he should respond to permanent residences held by their leadership before criticising others.

He said that PM Imran has his assets in Pakistan while on the contrary, the PML-N leadership remains fugitive. “Those who looted this country are hiding behind their diseases,” he blamed and said that PM Imran has waged a war against corrupt elements in the society.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal gov-

ernment has revealed the details pertaining to the assets and dual nationalities of 15 advisers and special assistants in the federal cabinet on the directives of the prime minister.

It emerged that five of the advisors and special assistants of the cabinet possess dual nationality while three of them are green card holders.

Bukhari holds a British passport, Nadeem Afzal Chan has Canadian citizenship while Moeed Yusuf and Shahbaz Gill are green card holders (permanent residence of US).

Shahzad Syed Qasim and Nadeem Babar have US

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nIh IssuEs AdvIsOry fOr drug-rEsIstAnt tyPhOId fEvEr InfECtIOn ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Sunday has issued an advisory regarding prevention and control of the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid fever. The NIH has advised health officials across the country to be prepared timely for prevention and control of the extensively drug-resistant typhoid fever. Health authorities in the country have reported an outbreak of the XDR typhoid fever that began in the country in November 2016. The outbreak has spread to provinces throughout the country, and several deaths have been reported. This strain of Salmonella Typhi does not respond to most third-generation antibiotics used to treat typhoid fever (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone), according to the NIH advisory. Polluted water, frozen fruits and unsafe food could cause the XDR typhoid, NIH advisory said. Wash your hands often, especially before eating and avoid eating food prepared by anyone who is sick or has recently been sick as a person could be infected from him or her.

Schoolchildren could be an easy target of the typhoid infection, which have a duration from six to 14 days, according to the advisory. INP

yusuf rubbishes dual nationality claim ISLAMABAD: A day after the Cabinet Division made public the foreign nationalities held by special assistants to prime minister (SAPM) including SAPM on National Security and Strategic Policy Planning Dr Moeed Yusuf, the SAPM on Sunday censured the affidavit, saying he only holds Pakistani citizenship. According to the affidavit which was posted on the website of the Cabinet Division, Yusuf, formerly the associate vice president of Asia Center at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, is a green card holder. He was appointed against the post in December last year.

Taking to Twitter, Yusuf shared a new affidavit which stated that he “never held the citizenship of any other country” including the US. In the subsequent tweet, Yusuf asserted that neither did he return to the US after assuming the office of the SAPM nor has he got any active “employment or income” in the country in question. “I or my family have no fixed property anywhere but Pakistan. Stop spreading lies.” STAFF REPORT

govt to introduce fundamental reforms in health sector: Zafar ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Sunday said that the government is committed to introduce fundamental reforms by bringing primary healthcare based universal health coverage in the country. In a statement on Sunday, he said by the grace of God and hard work, the government has been able to contain the Covid-19 pandemic through timely decisions, smart lockdown strategy, standard operating procedures (SOPs) implementation and ‘Trace, Test and Quarantine’ strategy. Dr Mirza said that the issues being faced by health sector today in the country are the result of collective failure of all previous governments which never prioritized health needs of the people. He said that the incumbent government is fully aware of the problems of the health sector and working hard to fix them. The special assistant said that Pakistan's preparation and response to the Covid-19 has been one of the best in the world. He dispelled the impression that the government is privatizing public sector hospitals and said that we are making these hospitals autonomous. INP

citizenship while Tania Aidrus holds dual nationality of Canada and a permanent residency of Singapore.

Earlier, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday demanded resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s ministers and advisers holding dual nationality.

In a statement, the PML-N spokesperson stated that PM Imran had said that those having dual nationality cannot take decisions for the country. She further asked why those possessing foreign passports have been allowed to sit in the cabinet.

The reaction came after the federal government had released asset details of the prime minister’s advisers and special assistants. Notably, five special assistants hold dual citizenship.

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Monday, 20 July, 2020

NEWS

KP To STaRT woRK oN 300Mw BaLaKoT HyDRo PowER PRojECT THiS yEaR PESHAWAR APP

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HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government will start construction work on 300 megawatts Balakot Hydro Power Project, the biggest provincial hydro power project to be initiated with assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB), this year.

An approval was accorded to appoint consultant for initiating practical work on this mega power project at the 48th meeting of Provincial Energy Development Organisation (PEDO), a press release said here on Sunday.

ect for the province and its completion on urgent basis was a challenge for us.

He said this gigantic project would be completed within seven years of time with an estimated cost of $722 million or Rs87 billion. He further informed that 80 per cent of the total amount -- $580 million -will be provided by the ADB while the provincial government will provide rest of expenditures from its own resources. The project on completion will help earn $33 million annually, Engineer Naeem said.

The meeting granted approval for appointing consultants for Balakot Hydro Project.

Later, the meeting owing to bringing reforms in service structure of PEDO em-

ployees gave approval to PEDO Service Rules 2020, recommended by the Reforms Committee. After this approval the long pending issues of promotion of PEDO employees will be addressed.

Board Chairman Nisar Muhammad Khan said that after approval of PEDO Service Rules, the employees would now work with extra dedication and assured that their all other pending issues would be addressed soon. He said that new service rules will further improve the performance of the organisation. At the end, the PEDO Board appreciated the efforts of Reforms Committee and Board members, Hassan Nasir and Abdus Siddiq.

Buzdar appoints Aftab as focal person in UK

of time around 100,000 British Pakistanis are present in Pakistan.

Ahmed, who is a British national and lives in East London, will also analyse and evaluate the data of complaints received vis-a-vis their disposal/redressal and will submit a report to the Punjab chief minister monthly along with his recommendations for the resolution of issues faced by overseas Pakistanis.

This notification was originally dated February 11 but its implementation was delayed due to the coronavirus crisis. The appointment was announced by Azhar Mashwani, CM Punjab's focal person on Digital and Social Media. "Overseas Pakistanis residing in the UK can send their complaints/grievances to Aftab Ahmed,” he said.

The meeting was held here with Chairman Board, Nisar Muhammad Khan in the chair and attended by Additional Secretary Energy, Zafarul Islam Khattak, Hassan Nasir Khan, Abdus Siddiq, Arbab Khudadad, Bakht Zaman and Chief Executive PEDO, Engineer Naeem Khan and board members. The meeting was told that after proper tendering process approval for the agreement for the project has also been obtained. The meeting also approved new service structure for PEDO employees in a bid to bring reforms in the organization.

Chief Executive PEDO informed the meeting that Balakot Hydro Project was the biggest and most important power proj-

Public cooperation vital to contain spread of pandemic: CM LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar Sunday said that public cooperation is highly significant to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic and called upon the masses to continuously implement standard operating procedures (SOPs). The Punjab chief minister in a statement has once again appealed to citizens to celebrate the festival with simplicity and take precautionary measures while slaughtering the sacrificial animals. He also warned that violation of SOPs on Eidul Azha will not be tolerated.

“There is no room for negligence,” said Buzdar while directing relevant departments and institutions to ensure strict implementation of the coronavirus guidelines. “People should learn to live with the coronavirus as no one knows how long the pandemic will last,” he added, urging people to maintain social distancing. The chief minister emphasised that implementing government directions is likely to protect oneself and others from Covid-19 pandemic and exhorted the citizens to abide by maximum precautions for their safety. TLTP

Child dies, two injured in Lahore bus-bike collision LAHORE: An eight-year-old child dies and his father and sister injured when an over speeding passenger hit a motorcycle on Sunday. According to details, the accident took place in Sanda area of the provincial capital Lahore where a reckless driven passenger bus knocked a motorcycle carrying father and two children. As a result of collision, 8-year-old Ayan Amir died on the spot while his father Amir and a sister were critically injured. The bus driver fled the scene. The body and injured were shifted to local hospital. The police impounded the passenger bus and after registering a case against driver at large started raids for his arrest. INP

Domestic violence increases amidst unemployment In an online Applied Development Economics (ADE) seminar hosted by the Lahore School of Economics on 14th July 2020, Dr. Sonia Bhalotra (Professor of Economics, University of Essex, UK) discussed findings from a study conducted by Dr. Bhalotra and her colleagues on the incidence of domestic violence in Brazil. One out of every three women in the world have been subjected to domestic abuse. Yet, in most discussions on economic loss and unemployment, the impact of job loss on vulnerable household members is ignored. By using large, administrative and nationally representative datasets, Dr. Bhalotra showed that mass layoffs in Brazil led to a sharp drop in labour earnings and a corresponding increase in domestic violence. Her talk highlighted relevant implications for policy today, when are faced with a global pandemic that will lead to an acute increase in unemployment in both developed and developing countries. The seminar is part of a weekly series hosted by the Centre for Research in Economics and Business (CREB) at the Lahore School of Economics, in collaboration with the International Growth Centre (IGC) and Consortium for Development Policy Research (CDPR), held to bring interesting and important economic research being carried out around the world to Pakistan. A complete schedule of the seminar series is available on the Centre for Research in Economics and Business (CREB) website. In the second webinar, Dr. Bhalotra discussed how male job loss led to a decline in labour income by 41% and increased domestic violence by 32%. Further, the relationship between male job loss and domestic violence is pervasive and persistent across age, education and income category.

The effects of female job loss were even more dramatic – labour income decreased by 40%, while the chances of women being subjected to domestic abuse almost doubled. Press reLeAse

LAHORE TLTP

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has appointed senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader in United Kingdom Aftab Ahmed as his focal person for the complaints of overseas Pakistanis.

"The competent authority has been pleased to appoint Mr Aftab Ahmed S/O Aish Mohammad as focal person for the complaints of overseas Pakistanis in the United Kingdom

with immediate effect," a notification issued by the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office read.

The notification also states the terms of reference of the appointment which include that this role would be on an honorary basis and that Ahmed will receive the complaints of overseas Pakistanis in the UK. Nearly 1.5 million British Pakistanis trace their roots to Pakistan and most of them frequently travel to and from Pakistan. According to Britain’s Foreign Office, at any point

Punjab senior minister terms 88pc increase in FDI good omen LAHORE TLTP

Terming global investment of $2.5 billion in the country in the financial year 2020 as encouraging, Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that 88 per cent increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) is a good omen.

He said that investment in new projects in Pakistan by countries like China and Norway would create new employment opportunities for the country and the national economy will grow rapidly.

The senior provincial minister while talking to various delegations in Lahore on Sunday. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision is leading the country to development and prosperity and overcoming all difficulties and challenges. He said that in the last month of the financial year, an investment of $170 million was made which included telecom, microfinance banking projects, hydel power projects and mega oil and gas projects which is undoubtedly is the credit of present government.

He said that under a well thought out plan, some elements are promoting negative news rather than development and positive aspects so as to divert attention from the corruption and bad governance of the previous rulers. He further said that the fact is that huge investments in various sectors of Pakistan from abroad are an expression of full confidence in the personality of PM Imran as the world knows that Pakistan’s current leadership is based on real development and people’s core rather than showmanship and believes in solving problems of the masses.

The senior provincial minister said that corruption and commission mafia has been clearly discouraged in the last two years and the country’s development agencies are performing better than ever before. He said that God willing, by the year 2023, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will be more on its manifesto and PM Imran and his team will not shy away from any step to make the country one of the developed nations.

On this occasion, Khan was briefed on the problems and grievances of different areas and on taking note of them, he also issued orders for their immediate solution.

Security on high alert entry, exit points of Lahore: DIG LAHORE INP

Security high alert has been declared at the entry and exit points of Lahore, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Operations) Ashfaq Khan told the media on Sunday.

DIG Khan said that the security officers and other personnel have been alerted to keep monitoring suspects at local churches for security.

The top police officer of Lahore instructed the de-

partment officers to monitor security arrangements at churches and other worship places in the city.

He directed the police officers to remain in touch with the managements of Christian worship places in Lahore.

He also ordered deployment of additional police contingents and snipers at churches, which are more sensitive in view of the security perspective.

According to sources, police are being kept alert to thwart any security threat to worship places in Lahore.

ECNEC approves Khyber Pass Economic Corridor, Swat Motorway: CM PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Sunday said that the province has achieved yet another feat as Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has accorded approval to two very vital projects for KP including Khyber Pass Economic Corridor and Swat Motorway Phase-2. He said that the people of KP were cordially thankful to the federal government and Prime Minister Imran Khan for approving these two very important projects for the province. The CM said Khyber Pass Economic Corridor project will be constructed with financial support of the World Bank (WB) that would cost an estimated amount of $460 million. Under this project, he said a four-lane, 48 kilometers highway would be constructed from Peshawar to Khyber Pass.

The project also included establishment of Marble Industrial State and development of small and big industries of the area. The CM was off the view that the project would help employee more than one hundred thousand people and immensely boost Pak-Afghan trade activities. He said that Khyber Pass Economic Corridor will also make possible access to the Central Asian States. Under Swat Motorway project, the CM said that a four-lane; 80 kilometers motorway will be constructed from Chakdara to Fateh Pur adding this project will not only benefit the people of Malakand but also prove valuable for people from across the country especially from KP. APP

Punjab wildlife minister resigns LAHORE: Malik Asad Ali Khokhar on Sunday resigned as Punjab Minister for Wildlife and Fisheries. Khokhar tendered his resignation to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar which was approved by him. Punjab chief minister has decided to remove Khokhar from the post after consulting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had visited the provincial capital a day earlier. On the other hand, Khokhar has said that he resigned from the ministry as he wants to give more time to his constituency. Khokhar had been appointed as provincial minister for fisheries and wildlife back in December 2019. He won the by-election against PML-N candidate Khalid Mehmood Qadri on a ticket of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The Punjab Assembly constituency PP-168 had been vacated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz stalwart Khawaja Saad Rafique. The Punjab government issued a notification regarding the acceptance of his resignation. TLTP

BRT bus ride to cost Rs15-50 in Peshawar PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Sunday announced the fares for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. According to documentation, the minimum bus fare for Peshawar BRT will be Rs15 while a maximum fare of Rs50 has been set by the provincial government. KP Transport Minister Shah Muhammad last month said that Peshawar BRT project will be completed by June 2021. While addressing the provincial assembly session, Shah Muhammad said that the initial cost of BRT was Rs60 billion, adding that its cost has gone up due to the changes to its design. He maintained if the former government had given the railway track on lease, they would have completed the flagship project at a cost of Rs17 billion. TLTP

Wildlife dept takes action over social media reports, seizes two leopard cubs PESHAWAR APP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife Department took a prompt action over social media reports about killing of a leopard in Kurram District and capturing of two leopard cubs in Orakzai district.

Despite having no presence in merged districts, the department mobilised its staff deputed at adjacent Kohat district by sending Kohat District Forest Officer (DFO) Abdul Samad to remote hilly terrains in both the districts for taking action against the violators.

“On receiving reports about catching of two leopard cubs in Orakzai district, I rushed to the site along with relevant staff and security officials,” said Samad.

He said that the area was very remote in upper part of Orakzai at Tappa near Kalaya and the accused was also arrested over catching of cubs.

“It was a hilly remote terrain and the raiding party had to travel by foot for four to five hours to reach the house where cubs were kept,” he added.

Two accused identified as Jalil and Muhammad Ilyas son of Noor Rehman will appear in office of DPO Kohat and

will be fined heavily, Samad further said.

He said that this is fourth raid of its kind taken by Wildlife Department in merged districts over leopards’ cases.

Earlier two such raids were conducted in Orakzai district and one in Darra Adam Khel.

In all the three raids, fine of Rs150,000 each were imposed by Wildlife department on the law breakers and amount is recovered from them.

Samad said that deployment of staff

by Wildlife department in merged district is in process and presently we don’t have any watcher or guard in the region. KP

government has approved summary for appointment of around 600 staffers to be deployed in merged districts, he added.

About the cubs, he said these are presently in custody of Wildlife Department and will be shifted to Peshawar Zoo for keeping them in safe and secure environment.

Abdul Samad also informed that he has also traced killer of a leopard who recently uploaded his picture on social media posing with a dead leopard.

The person is located in upper area of Kurram district, about five hours drive from Kohat, and we are going to on Sunday for taking action against him.

Police has been informed through Kurram deputy commissioner (DC) and on Sunday we will proceed to the area to take possession of the carcasses of killed leopard and impose a fine on the killer.

Monday, 20 July, 2020

NEWS

IGP, DC IslaMabaD rIsk losInG jobs over InCreasInG InCIDents of lanD GrabbInG ISLAMABAD

t

ShAhZAd PArAchA

HE federal government is considering removing Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad over increasing incidents of land grabbing in the city.

According to sources Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expressed his annoyance over the rising reports of land grabbing during a meeting of the federal cabinet and di-

rected the Ministry of Interior to submit a report on the issue. The PM also expressed dissatisfaction on the performance of the incumbent IGP Islamabad Aamir Zulfqar.

Similarly, the PM was also upset with reports regarding DC Islamabad Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat’s alleged involvement in land grabbing incidents. The DC Islamabad had also passed an order over disputed land in Koral area and afterwards passed blame on junior officers of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as well as Capital Development Authority (CDA).

According to sources both of these officials are reportedly being victimised despite the fact, they did not have any role in the land grabbing incident pertaining to 105 kanal land in Koral area.

According to sources both IGP Islamabad and DC Islamabad will be removed by the government, over their alleged involvement in land grabbing cases.

Moreover, sources also said that the secretary interior is not happy with the removal of ADC(G) and for this the ministry has also written a letter to the secretary es-

tablishment division pertaining to withdrawal of ADC(G) order.

Establishment division has removed two officers of PAS, ADC(G) as well as DC CDA, from their positions on July 15, 2020.

The ministry of interior stated in its letter that ADG(G) ICT has been transferred without prior consultation of the ministry.

On the other hand, sources said that the minister for interior as well as secretary interior were not happy with the performance of the attached departments due to which they carried out a major shuffling in ministry.

An orange SHO? CITY NOTES M A NIAZI

Well, it seems the monsoon has arrived. On Thursday, as a matter of fact. Karachi is still flooded. Assam has been too. But while Lahore isn’t exactly completely dry, it isn’t flooded either, as usually happens during a monsoon. The main sign that the monsoon has started would be the Army rescuing people (and the Navy in Sindh). I’m not sure how the humidity is supposed to affect the coronavirus; it’s either very bad for it, or very good. But I’m not sure we should rely on the weather. I mean, look where it has got us. The whole northern hemisphere hoped that virus would not be able to survive the heat of summer.

Especially in Pakistan, where the summer is very hot, very dry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as bad as it normally is, which was obviously a conspiracy against ‘Naya Pakistan’.

However, that conspiracy has now been defeated, and while the credit obviously goes to Imran Khan, whose struggles against the coronavirus are matchless, some of the credit hass been given to Usman Buzdar. Surprised?

Not as much as Usman Buzdar. He still hasn’t got over the surprise of becoming CM in the first place, and to be landed with this honour.

There was apparently a move, one of the strongest yet, to replace Buzdar, and it had to be denied by Information Minister Shibli Faraz, and then Imran himself. I suppose Imran is impressed by his intellectual prowess. There is a rumour going around that he can do sums, not just any, but hard ones too, involving long division.

Ad her we thought Sardar Usman was reviving the glory days when Sardar Arif Nakai was CM. Sardar Arif was of Sikh ancestry, hence the ‘Sardar’. A collateral ancestress had married Maharaja Ranjit Singh, so he was the first Jat to rule Punjab (though there had been Sikh CMs in East Punjab, Jat by caste) since Ranjit Singh’s son Duleep Singh. Sardar Usman may be a Sardar, but he is a Baloch.

Why his rule is compared to the Sikhashahi, I can’t imagine. However, one can imagine the feast of reason and flow of soul when he and Imran have their meetings.

Of course, both he and Imran would like to get over this, and concentrate on the upcoming Eidul Azha.

One of the main concerns Imran has is the need to observe SOPs. He has actually admitted that they weren’t observed in Eidul Fitr, leading to a spike in coronavirus cases. That has got Sardar Usman conflicted, because this was supposed to be his big day of the year. Not as CM, but for the sale of sacrificial animals, for in his spare time,

CMYK

he was one of the biggest livestock dealers of the province.

Speaking of the coronavirus, it has shown how tenacious it is, for the United States remains the leading country by the number of cases as well as deaths, though both India and China are catching up. That meant attention being paid to its president too. I’ve heard it said that he already looks like a tinpot dictator. There’s something to be said for that, nut I think he resembles nothing so much as an SHO of the old school, vast of punch and hard of hand. Only I’m not sure any SHO would have the guts to be so orange.

There’s even a commonality in dealing with problems.

Trump has zeroed in on why so many cases were being uncovered– testing. If you don’t test, you can’t make a diagnosis. Like making sure the victim of a robbery says only four people committed it, instead of the eight who actually did, and that they weren’t armed. Otherwise it’s a dacoity, and the SHO would have to trace the gang. Trump would probably also like the solution an old-style SHO would have used to end the protests over George Floyd’s death: a lot of encounters. An SHO of the old school operates on the basis of a lot of prejudices, just like Trump.

Why do you think coppers still divide society into castes: to identify the criminal castes. Even though so many are now represented in the ranks of the police.

05

PM's aide vows to plant 200 million trees ISLAMABAD PPI

A whopping target of planting around 200 million saplings across the country has been set for the country’s largest ongoing monsoon tree plantation season 2020, said Malik Amin Aslam, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change. “All-out efforts would be made not only to achieve the target, but also exceed it by a huge margin during the monsoon tree plantation season that will continue till September 30,” the premier’s advisor said while talking to media here on Sunday. He told media that the target of 200 million saplings was approved after due consultations with the provincial forest departments, which shared their approved targets of tree plantation during the ongoing three-month monsoon tree plantation season, which continues from July to September every year.

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the country’s largest ever country-wide ‘Monsoon Tree Plantation and Protection Campaign 2020’ by planting a sapling in Kahuta on July 17, pledging to utilise all possible resources and capacities to enhance the country’s forest cover and fight environmental degradation. While addressing the ceremony, PM Imran had lauded the raging passion of the youth for their participation in the tree plantation campaign across the country, saying “youth and students are the future of Pakistan”. While sharing the details of the monsoon tree plantation targets, the prime minister’s advisor Malik Amin Aslam said that as many as 80 million trees would be planted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during the ongoing monsoon season followed by 60 million plants in Sindh, 37 million plants in Punjab, 14 million in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), 2.050 million plants in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 0.602 million plants in Balochistan province and remaining plants will be planted by different civil society organisations, including International Union of Conservation for Nature – Pakistan and World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan.

Monday, 20 July, 2020

06 COMMENT

The good things

Dual nationals SAPMs’ foreign citizenship makes for bad optics

Things are beginning to move

T

He Cabinet Division has itself disclosed that seven Special Assistants to the PM have dual nationality, while also releasing details of their assets at home and abroad. While it goes to the credit of the government that it has itself disclosed this information, and that it was not forced by a question in Parliament or a court order to do so, it still makes for bad optics. It is true that the PTI has got a broad base of support among overseas Pakistanis, but that does not give them a lien on Cabinet positions. When declaring holders of foreign nationality ineligible to be members of Parliament, those affected should include Cabinet members as well. However, the concerned SAPMs are not members of Parliament. The Supreme Court had expressed apprehensions about the security of national sensitive information if it became available to people holding foreign nationality, and had noted that the nation which had given that nationality could exert pressure and obtain that information. The Court’s worries about the possibility of foreign influence on legislators does not apply, but the presence of such persons among those with ministerial rank cannot escape notice. It should be noted that the SAPMs are routinely invited to attend Cabinet meetings, and thus receive Cabinet papers. It should also not be forgotten that some SAPMs are executive heads of departments.

Bad enough as this question of divided loyalties is, there is the issue of the assets owned. Naturally, those with ties abroad have property there, which is duly detailed. However, the PTI had made it an issue in the last election the owning of property abroad by PML (N) leaders, for which they had got Mian Nawaz Sharif removed as Prime Minister. The demand for a money trail was made because he had held public office. Some of the SAPMs have now held office for long enough to have a legal obligation but do not have a moral one.

While the PTI itself needs to explain why the government needs so many fly-by-night operators, who will merely return to foreign sanctuaries when the party is no longer in office.

The government has two options: one is to let the opposition take the issue to the courts, where the outcome would be uncertain. The other would be to take action, and make the government’s team less subject to criticism.

Humayun GauHar

W

e were talking about change some weeks ago. Do you see how much has changed in the last couple of weeks?

The world is on the edge of a precipice because of covid-19. The unipolar world is no more and we are moving towards a multipolar global status quo. Now there will be orbits of influence around the People’s Republic of China on the one hand and around the USA on the other. More and more countries will get sucked into China’s orbit and more and more countries will slip out of the USA’s. The USA’s orbit of influence is shrinking while China’s is expanding. Politically, the USA is in retreat not least because of the antics of its President.

If he wins again in November, be prepared for more great change. Actually the change that is happening is natural because things in various countries had come to a tipping point and they are still there. Look at our own country.

Imran Khan inherited a totally trashed economy when he became Prime Minister. It was on the cusp of death. His economic team led by Dr Hafeez Sheikh, in the face of much petulant opposition by the political parties out of government, has still kept the country doing business and improved it in some vital areas. For example, the current account deficit has come down from $20 billion to $3 billion. The trade and fiscal deficits are decreasing. This is in the area of plastering and bandaging the economy. And in the area of taking concrete steps to improve the lot

Woes of Karachi

T

HOUGH the country’s largest city and its only port, Karachi is receiving no special treatment.

Indeed, it could be argued that it was being given the short end of the stick, as its civic woes are left to multiply with load shedding woes piling up with the advent of the monsoon. even before that, Karachi electric seemed at war with the city, as it engaged in unscheduled load-shedding again for several hours on Saturday, even though it had promised to end such unscheduled breaks.

Of course, the breakdowns provoked again a blame game about responsibility, with no one of the various tiers of government (federal, provincial or local) accepting the responsibility assigned to it by the others. Meanwhile, the average citizen continued to swelter as the city continued to have severe power problems.

Then the monsoon also arrived, brining further woes in the form of overflowing gutters, which meant that the water flooding the streets was too often foul. Worse, the water refused to recede as the rains stopped, and the humidity was accompanied by the risk of disease.

Luckily, there was no outbreak, even as the coronavirus pandemic continued to rage through the city.

The blame game continued among the three tiers of government. One problem is that all three parties have a share, as the Mayor belongs to the MQM, the provincial government, whose capital it is, was formed by the PPP, while the PTI controls the Centre. All have succumbed to the temptation of blaming the other two for the mess.

However, the average Karachite is not at present interested in the fixing of responsibility, as in the solving of its problems. Much will be forgiven if any party is seen as actually doing something to solve what has become an intolerable situation, and that too without any of their electrocutions which had become rife last year, and which were the result of just such a combination of water stagnating in the streets and neglect by K-electric of the dilapidated state of its infrastructure.

How the covid-19 pandemic was visible

Dr Omer JaveD

B

ACK in 2012, the World Bank in its report ‘Connecting sectors and systems for health results’ had clearly indicated ‘‘…recent pandemic threats create a vivid reminder of the need to strengthen prevention and preparedness efforts. At the same time, the global landscape is undergoing major shifts including globalization, rapid urbanization, and climate change, all with profound implications for the public health agenda. Perhaps the most far-reaching shift is an epidemiological one, namely the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the leading cause of death and disability in almost every region– even as many countries still face significant gaps in meeting the health-related MDGs and addressing major zoonotic diseases.’

Yet policy, under the influence of Neoliberalism, was unable to prioritize the importance of researching towards reaching vaccines and weakening the link of zoonotic diseases in the first place. Instead, under profit-oriented market signals, big pharmaceutical industries remained inclined to pursue relatively trivial products like body creams, and put little mind and finances to the growing presence of coronavirus related outbreaks, including such epidemics as SARS– way back in the early years of the 21st century– and MeRS. At the same time, under the neoliberal assault, public sector institutions and regulation agen-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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

Planning for avoiding another zoonotic-based crisis

Erratic electricity and now the monsoon

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

of Pakistan, they have done significant things. For instance, their housing scheme can change the face of Pakistan. Construction activates many paralyzed sectors of the economy. In this case, it will get between 40 and 45 industries to start to moving again and will also create thousands of jobs. As I said, if successful, it will change the face of Pakistan and let us hope and pray that they are allowed to go ahead without hindrance.

The Prime Minister has kickstarted the stalled construction of the Diamer- Bhasha dam, the largest cement dam in Pakistan and probably the world. It will provide millions of acre feet with water, and be a great boost to our agricultural production which had been dying under previous governments. So too animal husbandry. Both needed something like this to revive again. Our Punjab at one time was an important component of the breadbasket of the Indo-Pak Subcontinent and it is a great shame that its yields have fallen due to governmental mismanagement and yes, let it be said, unmitigated corruption, which has been the bane of Pakistan’s existence.

One of the two most corrupt parties still controls Sindh, which puts Pakistan’s second-largest province squarely at the mercy of Asif Zardari. It won’t surprise anyone that Sindh is reeling from mismanagement and neglect and, need it be said, with runaway corruption. All this while the denizens of Sindh suffer increasing deprivation and impoverishment.

Karachi, once the jewel in the crown of Pakistan, is now a dying city. Power outages are so much that it’s a big achievement if people get electricity for more than half the day. It rains once in a while and Karachi drowns. Its gutters overflow creating a vile soup of excrement and rainwater with all its detritus laced with electricity from wires that have fallen. A number of people are injured and killed by electric currents every year and yet, not an eye bats, there is no sympathy or compassion. And we keep hearing excuses from the electricity company and the provincial PPP government that make you want to throw up. Karachi was one of the best cities in Asia at one time. Its vibrancy gone. Its attraction dead. And living there has become a marathon for its citizens. The extra megawatts of electricity that are to be generated by the Diamer-Bhasha dam will go a long way in mitigating Pakistan’s electricity shortfall.

Pakistan’s sorry state has been also created by the musical chairs of power between the People’s Party and Nawaz Sharif’s Muslim League. Corruption reached such a mind boggling extent that Pakistan is without money and is rived with cynicism with people not believing any of the good news com-

ing their way. If we continue on the path of improvement and people start seeing results with prices reasonable and services available, law and order, the cynicism will fade away to be replaced by optimism.

We have only ourselves to blame because we kept electing the same set of bandits time and again.

Now we are reaping the harvest. It’s so bad that our debt servicing bill is virtually as much as our GDP and we have to borrow more to just service the debt.

I was trying to say in my last article that it is our system which throws up such characters as the Zardaris and the Sharifs, may God take account from them. But we are the ones who pay the price and we have paid it in full measure. It was about time that our luck changed and Imran Khan’s government is showing a glimmer of that change but they have miles to go before they can even think about relaxing.

Another change that has taken place in the region is the still nascent China-Iran nexus developing. Pakistan naturally becomes part of it and Russia will soon join the nexus. This has already affected India greatly and Iran has rejected them from completing the Chabahar port and the rail link. China and Iran are also building a CPeC-like road link. The two will change the face of the region especially of the landlocked countries of Central Asia. India, which is facing untold political and economic decline, will be left out in the cold. With the sort of fascist government it has, the world has to keep an eagle eye on it before it creates more mischief that will affect both Pakistan and China adversely. We are doing that and so is China. Hopefully, the government in India will change in the not too distant future so at least its negative attitude towards its neighbours might start changing. It should realize that there is everything to be gained from peace and everything to be lost from conflict. India shouldn’t forget that theirs, Pakistan’s and China’s are among the oldest civilizations in the world. Because of this, they should show some balance and not bring war and suffering upon their people and its neighbours as well.

The China-Iran nexus will also make the USA’s strategic position worse in the region and in the Middle east. The USA, which was trying to damage Iran with its sanctions and its demented rhetoric, will perforce have to abandon its policy of suffocating Iran.

Let’s hope that happens before any more damage is done. Let’s hope that Imran Khan stays the course so that Pakistan can achieve liberation from all its woes.

I pray for his success.

There is much more that is happening and has happened but one runs out of space to talk about it.

We should just keep our fingers crossed and not start crowing.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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cies continued to get weakened over time, and a similar effort from the public sector institutions, like that at the time of coming up with the Salk vaccine for polio, was nowhere to be seen.

This lapse is now being realized in many policy corridors, and the recent report ‘Preventing the next pandemic: zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission’ is one such important step in mending this significant policy gap. Introducing the Report, Jimmy Smith, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute, highlighted ‘...this collaborative report [is] by scientists of the United Nations environment Programme (UNeP)... and [other] multilateral agencies and leading universities and research institutions. It is altogether fitting that environment, livestock and medical expertise should join up to help understand and stem the rise of human contagions.... United and proactive in moving a healthy people-animal-environment development agenda forward, governments, agencies and communities together can stop future zoonoses from happening... This report is an early attempt to outline ways by which institutions of all kinds –in government, business and civil society—might work together to create such a legacy.’

The Report recommends a multidisciplinary way to effectively deal with zoonoses, both in terms of management and prevention, by adopting one umbrella approach in shape of ‘One Health’, in turn, covering two sub-approaches ‘ecoHealth’ and ‘Planetary Health’. The Report makes the recommendation as follows ‘the One Health approach can be defined as the collaborative effort across multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment. This approach has emerged as a key tool for preventing and managing diseases occurring at the interface of human, animal and environment health. At the same time, a closely related approach, known as “ecoHealth” has been defined as a set of systemic, participatory approaches necessary to understanding and promoting both health and wellbeing in the context of social and ecological interactions... Both the One Health and ecoHealth approaches emphasize multidisciplinary collaboration for holistic interventions that attain not only human health goals but also animal and environment health targets, the latter two of which are central to improving the control of neglected and emerging infectious diseases, many of which are zoonoses... A third con-

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cept, “Planetary Health,” focuses on human health in relation to global sustainability. As none of these terms has an agreed or standardized definition, and given their convergence and similarities, this assessment report adopts One Health as the umbrella term, as it can be most easily understood by decision makers and the general public.’

In the wake of the pandemic, similar to the assertion of taking a multidisciplinary approach, IMF (International Monetary Fund) also recently highlighted the importance of such a collaborative approach between the public health sector and economic policymaking. This is indeed a much needed approach, which needs to be adopted by policymakers. Similarly, policymakers in Pakistan should also look to actively take this multidisciplinary approach, and come up with a wholesome approach to deal with economic, healthcare, environment, and welfare concerns.

With regard to an immediate response to the current pandemic, the Report highlights ‘a public health response must be mounted, financed and managed.

Maintaining the global food system is a top priority, as is providing additional social protection for poor, vulnerable and marginalized populations. A clear exit strategy from pandemic responses is needed, as are sustainable ways of re-building damaged economies while not sacrificing long-term social and environmental achievements... zoonoses are complex; responsibility for their prevention and control falls across several sectors– environment, agriculture, health, trade and commerce. Approaches to dealing with these diseases to date have been inadequately coordinated across these multiple dimensions... Successful control of zoonoses requires strong policy frameworks and judicious legal mechanisms to accompany policy frameworks. It also demands well-functioning institutions that have adequate capacity, adequate financing and a clear plan for implementing interventions.’

An important emphasis of the Report is towards asking for greater political ownership of effectively dealing with zoonotic diseases. In this regards, the Report indicates ‘Our present crisis in 2020 provides us with an opportunity to “build back better.” Collectively, we need to shift from short-term political responses to long-term political commitments to secure human, animal and environment health. Sustaining all life on earth depends on it.’

Dr Omer Javed holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund. He tweets @omerjaved

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Monday, 20 July, 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

Passing of an angel

Appointing good judges Making the justice system work

SyeD KaSwar GarDezi

T

He key to a successful justice system is the provision of speedy and effective justice to the common man. Judges play a pivotal role in dispensing justice and ensuring the continuation of judicial proceedings in a smooth manner. The existing delays in our judicial system are prevalent due to a number of reasons. While procedural delays and lawyers may be blamed for contributing to these delays, a lack of judicial officers is also one significant factor which slows down the judicial process.

For the millions of cases pending adjudication in Pakistan, only a few thousand judges are dispensing their duties. The superior courts merely have a few hundred judges available to provide relief. The number of vacancies and need for merit-based appointments to these slots is immense and requires immediate intervention of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan.

Currently, there are almost 16 slots lying vacant at the Lahore High Court and yet, no appointments are being made. According to reports, a few lists have been circulated with proposed names for elevation however, nothing has materialized so far. 16 judges would be able to cater to thousands of cases and yet, the appointment process isn’t being prioritized. Other matters utilize most of the time of the people responsible for these appointments. The CJ LHC is preoccupied taking up public interest ‘constitutional’ matters and displaying his expertise on constitutional matters. However, his constitutional duties of recommending appointments remains in abeyance. The delay of each passing day hampers the smooth sailing of the judicial ship and is a cause for concern.

It has been almost two years since the last elevation to the LHC was made, despite there being a number of retirements in this time. The backlog of cases continues to pile up with no respite in sight.

Another aspect which hampers the judicial Along with the need to bolster judicial appointments, it is imperative that the entire system is the performance-based reviews. process of judicial appointments to the supe- Once a judge is confirmed, action can only be rior judiciary be revamped and a merit-based taken on charges of misconduct, that too away appointment process be introduced. There from the public eye and with very little transshould be pre-existing criteria for the judges to parency. Thousands of complaints have been be considered for their elevation followed by lodged and disposed of by the Supreme Judia transparent interviewing process, similar to cial Council and yet, no order disposing of that in the USA. The common citizens of Pak- these complaints is publicly available, with the istan have the right to, at least once, judge the exception being only the dismissal of Mr Jusperson who will be judging them in the future. tice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.

No judge is scrutinized by his superior on The citizenry should be able to see for themselves whether a person would be capable the basis of his/her performance, rate of disposal and/or quality of judgeenough to don the ments. There is no derobes or otherwise. terrent present which The selection criteria would hold accountshould include a fixed Judges are also human able all the judges sailnumber of required ing in the judicial ship. cases having been conbeings and not infallible.

The each year, the performducted before the suance of all the judges perior courts. The margin of error is equally should be reviewed by person in question present as it would be for any the Supreme Court and should be enrolled as should be taken an advocate of the other branch of the state. The action on the basis of performSupreme Court as ance. If a judge dismany of the appointed appointments and transfers plays a continued bout judges are likely to be in all other branches of the of incompetency then elevated to the apex he/she should be procourt. state are made on the basis ceeded against, as opSimilarly, the time posed to wasting the for appointment as an of some performance or taxpayers’ money on additional judge till merit. The judiciary, on the their salaries and also confirmation should be the rights reduced. If a judge isn’t other hand, remains the only endangering of many which the performing up to the judge in question is mark, then he or she branch where firstly the supposed to protect. should be removed at In the end, after all, the first instance as opprocess of appointment is judges are also human posed to being allowed shadowed by opaqueness beings and not infallito work for an entire The margin of error year before being and there is a significant lack ble. is equally present as it shown the door. The would be for any other process of confirmaof transparency. Secondly, branch of the state. The tion should also be there is no appraisal of the appointments and transparent and the transfers in all other final findings on the judges already working branches of the state basis of which a judge are made on the basis is confirmed should be of some performance made public. There is, or merit. The judiciary, currently, no transparency as far as the judicial appointments are on the other hand, remains the only branch concerned. People are unaware about the per- where firstly the process of appointment is shadsons sitting at a higher pedestal deciding the fate owed by opaqueness and there is a significant of the citizenry. In a democratic world, I believe lack of transparency. Secondly, there is no appeople have a fundamental right to know the praisal of the judges already working. Once conjudge who will be judging them for times to firmed, no power on earth can question or take come. The level of competence of a judge to task any judge for his or her wrong decisions should be available to the general public. If pub- and at most only an observation can be made by lic scrutiny of incumbent parliamentarians can the Supreme Court whilst deciding a matter. The be made, then a scrutiny at least at the time of justice system can only be set on the right course appointment should also be undertaken. After if the judges are held accountable in a constituconfirmation, of course, the sanctity of the tionally mandated manner and the appointments judges and the courts has to be protected and the to the High Courts are governed by some criteria public cannot be given the mandate to conduct widely publicized. media trials of judges however, during the apSyed Kaswar Gardezi is a lawyer and a pointment time period, a fair amount of public scrutiny should be employed for the sake of columnist. He can be contacted at kaswargardezi@gmail.com transparency.

GRIeF comes in various forms, and we grieve in our own special ways.

For the last few days I have been grappling with my feelings at the loss of Nadeem Mumtaz. To be honest the intensity of the grief has taken me by surprise. As I said in an earlier post, it actually seems as if a part of me is gone. I have tried to process why I have gone through such intense emotions, when to be honest, over the years I have become quite aemotional? It’s only now that I realise the answer to the question does not lie in what I have been feeling, but in why I have been feeling so.

Nadeem has made me realise that true greatness does not lie in doing great things, but in doing simple day to day things selflessly and without any expectation of return. He did not aspire to be a great man, he never aspired to be anything. What he was all about was basic human decency.

He made everyone feel special because each one of us were special to him.

I remember visiting the late Ijaz Batalvi sahib decades ago with a few friends of mine. All of us wanted to ‘do’ something for the country and wanted his advice on how to go about it. One of us said to him, ‘sir mein tu Mar gaya houn kuch karna chata houn’ Batalvi sahib in his peculiar way said ‘tum kuch nahin karna chatay, tum drama karna chatay ho.’ Nadeem knew that to make a difference did not require any drama but just touching lives in ways that mattered. The outpouring of grief on his passing is a testament to how he touched the lives of so many, without any drama or even the slightest indication of expecting anything in return.

It’s a strange passing away where one does not even know who to console with. It is a loss for all of us. One can’t even begin to express what his immediate family is going through but if there has ever been a man who was a father brother son to so many it was Nadeem. We all have lost a father/brother/son in him. He touched all of us in his very unique way.

I have always been erratic in taking my medicines and he would keep telling me I had to be regular with them especially my BP meds. He would call me out of the blue and ask me ‘aaj dawai khai.’ On occasions, when I fell ill he accompanied me to the hospital and stayed with me. Last year I went through a surgical procedure and he stayed there till it was complete.

People have said he was an angel I’d say he was far bigger than that, he was a human being par excellence. It’s easier to be an angel but it takes true greatness to be the best human being one has ever come across.

Nadeem has taught me that true greatness is within the grasp of us all. It does not require any ‘dramas’, grand gestures or designs. We just need to get in touch with our inner human being. He was the best amongst all of us. If we can aspire to be even a hundredth of what he was, believe you me the world would be a far better place. We don’t need grand heroes or idols to make it a better world we just need to aspire to be Nadeem. What can be a greater tribute to a man, than that he has inspired all of us to live upto what he was.

MIrza MaHMOOD aHMaD LaHOrE

Water crisis WATeR crisis includes difficulty in obtaining fresh water .In Pakistan we face an acute water scarcity which further increases day by day.With the disastrous construction going on in most of the busy cities. The water transporting canal systems and sewage systems have been highly affected.

Furthermore, climate changes in Pakistan as instants the low rate of rainfall, increasing demands because of over population and overuse of fresh and clean water result in water deprivation. Government should first focus on the storage of water and try to resolve it by building dams to fulfill people’s requirements.Also, landscaping irrigation systems should be implemented to provide enough water to farmers for land irrigation in the dry season.

Overuse of water has sucked up life from rivers and lakes and have diminished the supply.People should be educated and aware as to prevent water shortage and follow ‘WATeR IS LIFe, SAVe IT’.As the globe grows, so does the need for water and so does the resources shrank.

According to experts, if we don’t overcome water scarcity in the near future, We will have to face scarcity of water.

Moiz AHMEd Siddiqui KArAcHi

Horrendous episode A ten years old boy was subjected to sexual assault and harrasment by a retired school teacher in the locality of Thari mirwah a few days ago. FIR against the alleged Teacher has been lodged under section 377 of Pakistan Penal Code that amounts to 10 year punishment for commiting unnatural offence, The same FIR could have been lodged under section 377-B which amounts to 14 years imprisonment as it can be viewed that it is an attempt made by police for weakening the case and facilitating the felon. In addition to it the offender enjoys political influence in the area and that factor would also leave impact on the proceedings of the case. This is not the first incident of its kind as these types of incidents keep occuring in Sindh and across the country. Approximately 358 children-252 boys and 106 girls have been molested within the span of five years. A research disclosed awful figures apropos to child abuse in Pakistan, Boys falling within the age group of 10 to 15 years while girls falling within the age group of 8 to 18 years are found more vulnerable in Pakistan. This act of ferociousness was not committed by a serial criminal but by a teacher and this fact is nerve-racking for every right-thinking citizen of this country apart from it harassment cases are usually reported from different educational institutions and seminaries, all this is dragging us towards an incessant disaster. The government of the time should take the plunge for wiping out this malady from our country.

KAMrAn KHAMiSo KHowAjA And FAiz AHMEd cHAndio SujAwAl

Eid of sacrifices eID-UL-AZHA has always been one of the most awaited festivals for Muslims. every muslim country celebrates it with a great joy. The sacrifice in this eid is considered the sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). Just before this eid the cattle markets face a huge rush to find the best sheep or goat to slaughter. But during this pandemic we cannot afford such a huge rush. We are still paying the prize of our careless attitude during last eid. I request the government to be vigilant so that everyone follows SOPs or must collect the many and do the sacrifice itself to prevent Covid-19 cases.

AFroz Mj TurbAT

Monday, 20 July, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Why no deal is needed With the taliban THE US SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM AFGHANISTAN AND TEND TO ITS OWN INTERESTS. LET LOCAL POWERS WORRY ABOUT THEIRS

american conServative

a

riCHArd HAnAniA

S President Trump moves forward with his plan to withdraw the United States from Afghanistan, a new talking point has emerged among those who would like the United States to stay.

According to current and former government officials, the Taliban cannot be trusted. The argument is that the militant group has proven over the years that it will break any agreement it has reached if doing so accords with its ideological or political interests. According to one scholar, “what we judge the Taliban on is whether they honor the deal.”

Unfortunately, this argument avoids clear thinking about what the vital American national security interests are in Afghanistan, and how to best achieve them. Nearly two decades ago, the United States invaded that country in response to the 9/11 attacks. There was no evidence that Mullah Omar and his government approved of Bin

Laden’s plans, or were even aware of them. It is likely they were not, as it was clear to the entire world that a terrorist strike against the United States would end the regime.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the Taliban expressed a willingness to hand over Bin Laden, but demanded evidence and wanted to negotiate the terms. The Bush administration was in no mood for discussions, and military operations to remove the Taliban began about two weeks later.

The Taliban showed no inclination to attack American territory before 9/11, and it has not done so since. Its goal has always simply been to rule over Afghanistan, a country that means little to American interests. Given that the United States went into the country for the purposes of responding to and fighting terrorism, in principle a deal should have been easy to work out.

As the Afghanistan Papers reveal, however, what began as a counter-terrorism war morphed into nation building. Particularly after the failure to find WMDs in Iraq, the Bush administration began to justify its seemingly pointless wars by framing them as struggles for democracy. President Obama came into office skeptical of an open-ended commitment, but was pressured into adopting the kind of counter-insurgency (COIN) mission favored by top military officials. The increase in funding and American troop commitment to Afghanistan coincided with more violence and the Kabul government losing more territory, discrediting the theory of nation-building underlying COIN.

Kashmir looks to America for moral leadership

Just as in fall 2001, today the U.S. has no interest in a long-term occupation of Afghanistan, and the Taliban has no interest in attacking the United States. No deal between the two sides is necessary. President Trump can simply withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, as he has been promising to do for years, and the Taliban’s sense of self-preservation should be enough to prevent it from allowing its country to be used as a base for terrorist attacks. In seeking to come back into political power and while facing rival insurgents, the Taliban will have its plate full at home without picking another fight with the United States.

A more serious concern is that the United States leaving Afghanistan would lead to the Taliban eventually replacing the Kabul government. Indeed, the movement has lasted twenty years under pressure from the most powerful military in the world, taking large swaths of territory from a central government receiving overwhelming military and financial support from abroad. Given the extent to which the Taliban has proved itself as a fighting force over two decades, it looks possible it would be able to take power once the United States withdrew.

Even if this is true, few Americans believe that which government rules Kabul is a vital national security interest of the United States. If, after twenty years, the government we have supported is no closer to complete control over its territory than it has been before,

newSweek AsAd M kHAn

I'm not an American, but I love the Fourth of July. America's spirit and its fundamental belief in human freedom inspire the world—making this a holiday that is celebrated beyond its borders.

My diplomatic career has taken me to many places, and I have been incredibly blessed to have spent much of it in the United States. On the Fourth, it's impossible not to get caught up in the excitement and celebration. One cannot help but enjoy the sight of all the Stars and Stripes flying atop buildings and hanging from windows. And the Fourth of July fireworks, of course, are the highlight of the day for the young and old alike.

COVID-19 cast a shadow over the celebrations this year—but even a pandemic can't dampen the magic of this holiday. It prompted me to reflect on why the rest of the world continues to look at the United States as the "city on the hill."

What I realized was that American values have become universal values. The moral compass at the heart of this country is one that people around the world, regardless of religion, race, or nationality, would love to see embodied in their own countries.

Like freedom-loving people everywhere, the people of Pakistan have been inspired by the American example. Pakistan and the United States have been partners for peace and prosperity. Together, we have fought many a battle together, notching up victories and successes under our belt. Ours is a partnership rooted in common interests and informed by shared values.

Today, those values are under assault in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India has occupied the region and brutally oppressed its people since 1947. But in August 2019, India went a step further. Thumbing its nose at the international community, making a mockery of international law and the reams of UN resolutions that recognize Kashmir as an international dispute, violating bilateral agreements, not to mention its own commitments to the Kashmiri people, India tried to unilaterally annex the territory.

Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kashmiris were reeling under an oppressive lockdown.

Instead of easing restrictions, India doubled down on its lockdown and oppression in Kashmir. Imagine having no internet access, no information, no contact with your loved ones, while a pandemic rages outside.

As if that was not enough, we also witnessed a rise in fake encounters, extrajudicial killings and intensified crackdown on the media, and renewed internet restrictions in Kashmir, duly documented by credible international organizations. 8 million Kashmiris would have lived a full year in a state of complete lockdown this Aug 5 – turning Kashmir into the largest prison on earth.

Asad M. Khan is Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States.

Richard Hanania is a Research Fellow at Defense Priorities and the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University.

More than 20 countries are reopening schools

‘INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE’ Most ominously, India also recently promulgated an ordinance to entice tens of thousands of Indians to buy Kashmiri land and take Kashmiri jobs. India wants to change Kashmir's demographics by force, turning its majority into a minority. This domicile law—for those of us who still care about international law—is a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which expressly forbids an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into a disputed territory.

To fully contextualize the horror of India's actions in Kashmir, one only needs to understand the present Indian government's agenda.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was once banned from entry into the United States because of his role in a 2002 religious pogrom that left more than 1,000 people dead in the Indian state of Gujrat. His party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is the political arm of a Hindu paramilitary organization that promotes an ideology of racial purity.

The BJP wants to remake India into a Hindu Rashtra (a Hindu nation). There is quite simply no place for religious minorities including Muslims, Christians and others in this Rashtra. A few months ago, the BJP passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, which granted citizenship rights to several minorities while specifically excluding Muslims. Large detention centers have been constructed across India to house minorities who would be stuck off the National Register of Citizens in a drive reminiscent of ethnic cleansing that the world saw in the late 20th century.

Meanwhile, random and senseless killing remains a fact of life in Kashmir. I am sure we have all seen the heartrending photograph: a 3-year-old boy, sitting atop the dead body of his 65-year-old grandfather who had just been gunned down by Indian security forces.

Kashmir today is a burden on the conscience of the international community. The world cannot remain a bystander while systematic attempts are underway to deprive Kashmiris of their identity as well as fundamental rights through stealth and deceit. The international community, particularly the United States, cannot let India get away with its brutal oppression of the Kashmiri people under the cover of the coronavirus pandemic. The world must join the United Nations and other international human rights organizations in demanding an end to India's egregious human rights violations in Kashmir.

Last year, the spirits of millions of Kashmiris around the world were lifted when President Donald Trump offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, when he met Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House. The president recognized that peace in South Asia would remain elusive until Kashmiris are able to choose their own destiny. This would not be possible without U.S. leadership.

As recent events have forced us to confront the long shadow that historical wrongs and injustices continue to cast on our lives, we will do well to remember the great Martin Luther King Jr.'s words: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

it is time to acknowledge that our experiment in nation building has failed. The current government of Afghanistan rests on the agreement and consent of warlords, the likes of which cut deals with the Taliban before and could do so again.

Many citizens prefer the courts and criminal justice system of the Taliban over the central government, seeing the former as less corrupt, better able to provide security, and more consistent with the people’s conservative religious values. Even by the measure of humanitarian concerns, while the central government is in many ways less brutal than the Taliban was, the U.S. occupation has done little to improve the well-being of the Afghan people.

The U.S. should waste no time in withdrawing all American forces from Afghanistan, acknowledging the Taliban as a legitimate player in the future of that country and establishing open dialogue with the group.

Deluding ourselves into believing the Afghan government can stand on its own simply avoids the muchneeded honest assessment of the balance of power on the ground. Advocates of continuing the war in Afghanistan want to make the issue about whether the Taliban can be trusted. But no trust is necessary; all one needs to see the way forward is a clear understanding of American national security interests and the incentives and goals of the militant organization. From that perspective, the best choice for the United States is a clear commitment to withdrawal, regardless of whether or not we are able to achieve a comprehensive deal before doing so.

Daily Signal Lindsey Burke

In March, school shutdowns around the globe caused 1.5 billion children to begin schooling from home, representing over 91% of children, UNESCO estimates.

Here in the U.S., conversations about the state of school reopenings have hit a fever pitch as August quickly approaches. Many parents—some 71% in Education Next’s 2020 poll—feel their children learned less this spring than they would have had schools remained open.

As Science magazine reports, over 20 countries reopened schools in June, and some, like Taiwan, Nicaragua, and Sweden, never closed them to begin with. Day cares remained open for essential workers in many countries, and although there are exceptions, outbreaks have generally been rare.

To be sure, there have been some cases of outbreaks at schools that have reopened. As Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Gretchen Vogel, and Meagan Weiland report in Science, more than 150 students and 25 staff members contracted the virus at a joint middle/high school in Jerusalem, and 96 students and teachers caught the virus at a New Zealand high school before that country’s lockdown went into effect.

Additionally, two day care centers in Canada saw spikes among staff and reclosed. Overall, however, the data suggest that it is rare for children to develop severe symptoms if they contract the virus, and it is rare for them to spread the virus if they do get it. That is why many countries, particularly in Europe, have at least partially reopened schools. Here is a sample of what countries around the world are doing when it comes to reopening: Australia. In the state of New South Wales, schools reopened for in-person classes one day per week in early May, combined with virtual learning the four remaining days. Individual schools were able to decide how to best schedule those classes.

On May 25, schools reopened full time.

Austria. Schools have reopened, and masks are no longer required because “officials observed little spread within schools.” Canada. In Quebec, schools reopened in May and children socialize in groups of six.

Science reports that while 53 students and teachers contracted the virus, “officials believed many of those infections were contracted in the community.”

Denmark. Denmark was the first country in Europe to reopen schools, doing so on April 15. Schools in Denmark do as much class time outside as possible, and children are divided into small groups, nicknamed “pods,” of around 12 students.

Finland. Finland reopened schools in May and have retained their standard class size, but have kept classes separated from each other and staggered reopening by age. Finnish officials “found no evidence

of school spread and no change in the rate of infection” for students under 16.

France. French schools reopened in mid-May on a voluntary basis. Research out of France suggests that when children do contract the disease, they are contracting it at home, rather than in school. French schools are planning to fully reopen in September.

Germany. In German schools, which reopened in May on a part-time basis, if a student or staff member contracts the virus, “classmates and teachers of an infected student are sent home for two weeks, but other classes continue.” Israel. Schools fully reopened in May in Israel, and classes are full, but students wear masks. Individual schools close temporarily if a student or staff member contracts the virus. Japan. Japan began reopening schools in June. Parents must take their children’s temperature every morning and provide a report to the schools. Children attend on alternating days, and teachers and students wear masks.

Netherlands. The Netherlands reopened in May but halved their class sizes. Schools did not require social distancing for students under 12.

Sweden. Schools in Sweden never closed for young children, nor did they make major adjustments to their day-to-day operations or reduce class size. Although Sweden’s death rate is high compared to its European neighbors, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist says “there’s little evidence schools exacerbated the outbreak.” In countries with high infection rates, like India and Brazil, schools remain closed and local governments will likely determine when schools reopen on a case-by-case basis.

In the U.S., the Trump administration has called on schools to reopen this fall. President Donald Trump suggested last week that schools could lose access to federal funding (which only makes up just 8.5% of all K-12 school revenue) if they do not reopen.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos suggested that rather than withholding federal funds, those dollars should simply follow students to the schools of the family’s choice that are open—a smart policy response. For their part, the teachers unions and other special-interest groups are demanding hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending to reopen schools. The American Federation of Teachers has demanded Congress spend $116 billion on K-12 school reopening, “close to the amount the U.S. dedicated to the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II,” Corey DeAngelis of Reason Foundation points out.

By framing the conversation as a battle between federal officials and special-interest groups, the debate shifts away from those it impacts the most—local schools and families—as my colleague Jonathan Butcher observes.

Decisions about reopening schools need to be driven by school leaders and parents, and based on local factors.

If public school districts remain closed, do a poor job of transitioning online, or do not meet the needs of families in this COVID-19 era, parents should be able to take their money elsewhere.

States should provide emergency education savings accounts to families to enable them to enroll their children at schools of their choice that are open or are providing quality online instruction.

Lindsey M. Burke researches and writes on federal and state education issues as the Will Skillman fellow in education policy at The Heritage Foundation.

Monday, 20 July, 2020

BUSINESS 09

Business community urges govt to avoid excessive focus on construction sector

KP flouR mIlls feaR CRIsIs as wheat stoCKs dRoP to 150,000 toNNes

KARACHI

PESHAWAR

INP

AzIz BUNErI

Business community and economic experts on Sunday appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan's decision to develop the construction sector but warned that focus on only one sector might not revive economic activities as intended. Speaking at a seminar organised by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce (FPCCI) Central Standing Committee on Insurance, former federal secretary finance Dr Waqar Masood Khan, FPCCI Committee Convenor Dr Murtaza Mughal and others said that the economy needs proper direction. They said that the government needs to focus on all important sectors however, it lacks experts who can take timely and correct decisions based on ground realities. The speakers said that the wheat crisis has surfaced again for which the inefficiency and mismanagement of the authorities is to be blamed. They said that the Covid-19 pandemic has not damaged Pakistan to the extent it affected the economies of other countries. They further added that the threat of another wave of locust is on the cards which requires coordinated action from the government and relevant authorities. Dr. Murtaza Mughal who chaired the seminar said that the coronavirus has brought to limelight the need for health insurance which should be made mandatory by the government.

Kuwait scrambles to boost coffers with up to $16 billion debt plan KUWAIT AGENCIES

Kuwait plans to issue between 4 billion and 5 billion dinars ($13 billion to $16 billion) in public debt by the end of the fiscal year ending March 2021 if parliament approves a long-debated debt law, a government document seen by Reuters showed. Facing one of the worst economic crunches in the oil-exporting Gulf region, Kuwait is scrambling to boost state coffers badly hit by the coronavirus crisis and low crude prices, rapidly depleting its General Reserve Fund (GRF) to plug a budget deficit. A parliamentary committee is due to vote on the law - which would allow Kuwait to tap international debt markets - on Sunday ahead of putting it to the elected assembly for approval. Legislators have been requesting more visibility from the state about use of the funds and repayment mechanisms given the government’s heavy reliance on oil income. “The government will face a real crisis in everything if the debt law is not passed,” a government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The law, which a parliamentary committee discussed last week, would allow it to borrow 20 billion dinars ($65 billion) over 30 years. Other Gulf states have tapped international markets over the past few years and the region saw more issuances when oil prices crashed earlier this year as the pandemic hit global demand. Even with parliamentary approval, Kuwait could need three to four months to prepare a debt sale, according to the government document. A finance ministry official declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Kuwait has already depleted the cash in its GRF, the document showed. The International Monetary Fund estimates the deficit could reach more than 11 per cent of gross domestic product this year, compared with a 4.8 per cent surplus last year. The finance ministry also proposed selling 2.2 billion dinars of the GRF’s assets to Kuwait’s other - much larger - sovereign fund, the Future Generations Fund, or borrowing from the central bank to boost state finances, the document showed. Finance Minister Barak al-Sheatan said in a statement published in state media on Saturday that the ministry submitted to cabinet “available options for securing sufficient liquidity” and that the government had approved an “interim financial reform scheme”. He did not specify the measures approved.

P

AKISTAN Flour Mills Association’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter on Sunday said that the stocks of wheat at KP government warehouses has gone down to 150,000 tonnes, which is only enough to fulfill less than two weeks of the province's wheat consumption.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association KP Chairman Muhammad Iqbal while talking to Profit said that KP’s annual wheat requirements stand around 4.6 million tonnes, while the provincial government currently has a stock of just 150,000 tonnes.

“Despite repeated warnings to the KP government, authorities have failed

CURRENT WHEAT STOCKS IN KP ARE ONLY ENOUGH TO FULFIL AROUND TWO WEEKS OF ITS TOTAL ANNUAL REQUIREMENT OF 4.6M TONNES to find a solution to the problem,” Iqbal said. He warned that a serious flour crisis may erupt in the next few days, if the government fails to take serious steps to resolve the issue.

He added that hundreds of workers belonging to flour mills in the province have lost their jobs while the prices of flour continue on an increasing trajectory.

Currently, due to shortage of supply of wheat from Punjab and Sindh, the price of a 20 kilograme (kg) bag of flour has risen by Rs200, to more than Rs1,300 per bag while the price of 86kg

stack of flour has risen by Rs500 to Rs5,500 per stack in KP. Earlier Prime Minister Imran Khan had issued instructions to restore supply of wheat from Punjab to KP, however, according to Muhammad Iqbal wheat supply to KP still has not been fully restored.

He urged that representatives of Pakistan Flour Mills Association should be included in the formulation process of wheat policy for KP, so that cheap flour can be provided to the people of the province.

“Flour mills in KP should be pro-

Germany's Merkel warns of summit failure on EU recovery fund BRUSSELS AGENCIES

European Union (EU) leaders toiled in search of a coronavirus stimulus deal for a third day on Sunday but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the mounting acrimony over the level of spending might not easily be overcome.

Germany and France, the EU’s powerbrokers, are seeking a deal on a 1.8 trillion euro ($2.06 trillion) economic recovery package to rescue the bloc’s economies that are facing their worst recession since World War Two. Sticking points are the size of the new recovery fund and what proportion should be in grants and loans, with some “frugal” richer states led by the Netherlands pushing to limit it, underscoring the depth of the EU’s north-south split.

Separately, the summit faces difficulties in agreeing the scale of EU budget rebates for richer countries, as well as a dispute over a proposed new rule of law mechanism, which could freeze EU funding to countries flouting democratic principles.

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, whose country was only just recovering from its 10-year debt crisis when the pandemic hit, made a plea for unity, saying the EU could not afford to look “divided or weak”.

“I sincerely hope that today we can break the deadlock,” he told reporters as he arrived at the Europa building in Brussels.

Leaders wearing face masks have called the summit a ‘makeor-break’ moment for nearly 70 years of European integration and failure to agree amid an unprecedented health and economic crisis would raise serious questions about the viability of the bloc, officials and experts say.

“There is a lot of goodwill, but also many positions. I will make every effort but it is possible that there is no result,” Merkel said.

Speculation was rife among EU diplomats that talks could run into Monday and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he was willing to stay in Brussels all week, but another summit later in July was more likely in the event of no deal.

With consultations going on,

the formal start of the summit plenary with all 27 leaders was delayed indefinitely.

‘RUTTE HATES ME’: Late on Saturday, Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron left the day’s final stretch of informal talks early, refusing to accept that the level of free grants to ailing economies in the package fall below 400 billion euros.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had earlier accused the Netherlands and its allies Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Finland of “blackmail”. Stockholm proposes to cut grants to 155 billion euros.

Macron said there was a willingness to compromise, but it should not deter “from the legitimate ambition that we need to have,” referring to the level of money available in the planned 750 billion euro recovery fund, which is to be funded by money raised on capital markets.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who faces parliamentary elections by March 2021, was frank about the divisions with France and Germany on Saturday night.

India attracts $40bn FDI from US amid tensions with China NEW YORK: India has attracted over $40 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the US, after the latest funding spree from major tech giants, such as Google and Facebook, according to a US-based business advocacy group. American companies have boosted investment in India despite the coronavirus pandemic, the president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), Mukesh Aghi, has said. According to his data, in recent weeks alone, the nation secured over $20 billion in funds, including those from Silicon Valley behemoths as well as investors from the Middle East, among other regions. “Year to date investment from the US, including the recent ones, is over $40 billion,” the head of the USISPF, which keeps track of the major US FDIs in India, said, as cited by the media. “Investors’ confidence in India is high. India still remains a very promising market for the global investors.” Earlier this week, Google announced that it will pile $4.5 billion into India’s Jio Platforms, part of the nation’s most highly-valued company, controlled by Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani. Facebook invested $5.7 billion for a 9.99 per cent stake in the company in April. In total, investors have bought over $20 billion-worth of shares in Jio Platforms.The tech giant’s investment in the South Asian country could be a signal that trust in China is falling, while “India becomes a big competitor,” White House Economic Advisor, Larry Kudlow, said. However, it is fair to note the US investments in the Chinese economy have also been on the rise. TLTP

vided wheat according to the needs of KP’s population,” he demanded.

He alleged that the check posts set up to curb the smuggling of wheat from Punjab to Afghanistan are in fact being used to hinder wheat and flour transportation to KP. Pakistan Flour Mills Association KP chairman rejected the allegations that wheat and flour are being smuggled from KP and Balochistan to Afghanistan adding that cheap wheat and flour are currently being exported to Afghanistan from Kazakhstan which leaves no room for smuggling of wheat from Pakistan “Rumors regarding wheat smuggling from KP and Balochistan are being spread to deprive the two provinces of their share of wheat and flour,” he said.

Cabinet to consider summary pertaining to NIRC chairman’s third consecutive reappointment ISLAMABAD ShAhzAd PArAChA

The contract of National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) Chairman Justice (r) Mian Shakirullah Jan may be extended for another two years subject to approval from the federal cabinet. Currently, NIRC Chairman Justice (r) Mian Shakirullah Jan is serving his second two year tenure, which is going to expire in September this year. If the federal cabinet grants extension, the current NIRC chairman will remain in office for a third consecutive tenure.

According to documents, the SC chief justice has extended the contract term of the NIRC chairman for a period of two years. Documents further stated that the Supreme Court (SC) deputy registrar has written a letter to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD) Joint Secretary Noor Zaman with regards to the appointment of NIRC’s chairman. However, Noor Zaman retired from his designation of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development joint secretary two years ago and presently serves as NIRC member, under the subordination of NIRC chairman. According to sources, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is also investigating corruption cases against Noor Zaman. Sources further said that a two year extension in contract of the NIRC chairman for the third consecutive time at the age of 73 also raises questions pertaining to age limit for appointment. According to Chairman Qualifications Rules 2016, the federal government has to appoint the NIRC chairman in consultation with the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development spokesperson, no person can be appointed as NIRC chairman unless he or she has been a judge of the SC. The ministry spokesperson further said that the ministry has sent a summary to the prime minister soliciting his approval to present the case to the federal cabinet for final decision.

US GDP to contract by 6.6pc in 2020: IMF WASHINGTON TLTP

The US output is expected to contract by an annualised rate of 37 per cent in the second quarter and by 6.6 per cent for 2020 as a whole, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff said, after concluding an annual Article IV review of the US economy.

The longest economic expansion in US history has been derailed by the unanticipated advent of Covid-19, with the poorest households facing "particularly precarious prospects," according to the concluding statement, which describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit.

"The economic costs of the crisis are being borne disproportionately by the poor

IMF FORECASTS THAT US GDP WILL CONTRACT 37PC IN SECOND QUARTER OF 2020 and vulnerable, bringing into stark relief deep inequities that have long afflicted the US," the IMF staff said.

"The pandemic has also underscored some of the structural shortcomings of the US health system whereby the provision of healthcare is fragmented, decentralized, predominantly employer-based, at high cost, and with a significant share of low-income households lacking coverage," they continued.

The nature of the pandemic has created particularly large strains for labor intensive, face-to-face services and the unemployment rate among lower income households that

have few financial buffers, "is expected to remain high," according to the statement.

Noting that US policymakers acted "quickly and assertively" to protect livelihoods and businesses and to mitigate the lasting economic costs of the pandemic, the IMF staff said there are "tremendous uncertainties" surrounding the economic propagation of the Covid-19 shock.

"The principal risk, and one that is the most difficult to quantify, is that a resurgence in the number of Covid-19 cases in the US could lead to renewed, partial shutdowns in order to preserve lives, particularly of vul-

CMYK

nerable populations," they said.

There are already urgent warning signs that the depth of the economic contraction and the sectoral distribution of economic losses will lead to a "systemic increase in poverty," adding to macro risks, they continued.

The IMF staff also noted that the significant increase in debt levels gives rise to important vulnerabilities. General government debt is expected to rise to 160 per cent of GDP by 2030 even without further rounds of fiscal stimulus, and job losses and income declines will lead to increased household indebtedness, they said, adding that corporate debt has already increased above the already-high pre-pandemic levels.

"Further policy efforts will be needed to counter the pandemic and also address a

range of deep-rooted social and economic challenges that continue to afflict the US," according to the statement.

Prior to the pandemic, even after a decade-long expansion, the US faced troubling social and economic outcomes related to poverty; inequalities of opportunity and declining socioeconomic mobility; an increasingly polarized income distribution; rising barriers to trade and foreign investment; and an unsustainable upward path for public debt, the IMF staff noted.

In order to tackle the consequences of the pandemic and address the existing problems, the US government should roll out a further round of fiscal measures in the coming months that "boost demand, increase health preparedness, and support the most vulnerable."

Monday, 20 July, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

FranCE, GErmanY, ItalY thrEatEn SanCtIonS ovEr armS For lIbYa PARIS

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AGENCIES

HE leaders of France, Germany and Italy on Saturday threatened for the first time to use sanctions against countries that continued to violate a United Nations arms embargo on Libya. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged “all foreign actors to end their increasing interference and to fully respect the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council” in a joint statement issued by the French presidency after meeting in Brussels.

“We are ready to consider the possible use of sanctions if the breaches of the embargo at sea, on land or in the air continue, and look forward to the proposals that the High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy will make in this regard,” they said Turkey has intervened decisively in recent weeks in Libya, providing air support, weapons and allied fighters from Syria to help the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli repel a year-long assault by the forces of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar.

Haftar is backed by the UAE, Egypt and Russia, which have also been accused by the UN of breaking the embargo.

The Tripoli-based government on Saturday moved fighters closer to Sirte, a gateway to Libya’s main oil terminals, which the government says it plans to recapture from Haftar’s forces.

Saudi diplomat among two held in Yemen on spying charges

France has itself faced criticism for its ambiguity with regard to Haftar, having previously backed him in the fight against Islamist militants. Saturday’s joint statement was the first time the three major powers had threatened sanctions amid fears of a new escalation on the ground.

“We share serious concerns about the mounting military tensions in this country and the increased risk of re-

gional escalation,” they said. “We, therefore, call on all the Libyan parties and their foreign supporters to immediately cease the fighting and put an end to the ongoing military escalation across the country.”

Diplomats have said European Union nations could also consider imposing sanctions on individuals from both Libyan sides.

Another power plant hit by explosion in Iran

SANA TLTP

Former advisor to fugitive Yemeni President Mansour Hadi and the Saudi ambassador to Sana were detained on charges of spying for the UAE. Officials affiliated to Mansour Hadi government were quoted by the Arabic-language al-Sahafat al-Yamaniyeh news website as saying that Rashad al-Alimi and Mohammad al-Jaber, the Saudi envoy, have been arrested. According to the report, the two are also accused of cooperation with the UAE to overthrow Mansour Hadi. A number of Yemeni media outlets had earlier reported that the Saudi kingdom has suspended al-Jaber’s mission as its ambassador to Yemen for providing Hadi with misleading information.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been conducting a military aggression in Yemen with help from its regional allies, and using arms supplied by its Western backers. The aim of the war has been to bring Yemen's former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, back to power and defeat the Houthi Ansarullah movement. Yemeni armed forces have been boosting their military capabilities and responding to the attacks using domestic missiles and drones, and targeting sensitive oil installations and military sites deep inside the Saudi territory. Over 100,000 people have lost their lives as a result of the military aggression in the past five years. The war has also destroyed, damaged and shut down Yemen's infrastructure, including a large number of hospitals and clinics. The Yemeni population has been subjected to large-scale hunger and diseases aggravated by the naval blockade imposed on the country by the coalition of aggressors. TLTP

TEHRAN TLTP

A blast at a power plant has occurred in Iran, this time in the central part of the Islamic Republic.

No casualties have been reported from the incident, which follows a string of explosions and fires at key sites in Iran.

The incident occurred early Sunday morning at the Islamabad power plant, the CEO of the Isfahan Power Company told the state news agency.

He said one of its substations had blown off because of the wear and tear on a transformer, no one in the vicinity had been injured.

No disruptions to electricity supply were recorded, the official said, adding the substation returned to operation after about two hours.

“The damaged equipment is also being repaired and replaced,” he reported.

Built around 50 years ago, the Islamabad power plant is said to be the oldest in Iran’s central Isfahan province. It services mainly that city of about two million, which is home to numerous historic sites.

The Isfahan explosion is the latest in a growing series of incidents affecting Iran’s key industrial sites, energy facilities and infrastructure. Last Wednesday, several ships caught fire at a shipyard in the port city of Bushehr.

On July 13, there were reports of a fire at an industrial zone near Mashhad.

Power stations across the nation have also suffered similar incidents in recent weeks. On July 4, a fire broke out at the Zargan plant, located in the city of Ahvaz. A fire department offi-

cial told local media the blaze was caused by a transformer, which exploded due to overheating.

There was also a string of incidents at other key locations, the most high-profile of which was a fire at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

While Iranian officials said they had determined the cause of the fire, their tight-lipped remarks led to speculation that Israel or the US – Iran’s two arch-nemeses – may have sabotaged the facility.

Tehran warned that should the Natanz incident prove to be the result of a foul play, it won’t go unanswered.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said last week that if the country’s special services determine that “foreign elements have been involved, they will announce it, and there will be consequences.”

EU summit extended as leaders split over recovery plan BRUSSELS TLTP

A special summit grouping heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) member states on Saturday failed to reach consensus on its multi-annual budget and an ambitious recovery plan designed to lift the bloc out of the crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. The leaders will reconvene on Sunday noon, a spokesman for the European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter late Saturday night. The summit was supposed to run from Friday to Saturday. The summit, the first face-to-face one since the outbreak of the pandemic, came at a critical moment as the bloc is seeking a consensus on the European Commission-proposed 750billion-euro recovery plan. The next seven-year EU budget worth more than one trillion euros is another focus of the summit. In the debtfinanced 750-billion-euro recovery plan, 500 billion euros will be paid as non-repayable grants to crisis-hit countries and 250 billion as loans. But the EU member states differed greatly in discussions on Friday. The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Austria, nicknamed the Frugal Four, opposed the nonrepayable grants, and called for linking aid to reform plans, while Spain and Italy, the hardesthit countries by the pandemic, called for reaching the consensus as soon as possible. As the host of the summit, Michel proposed a compromise on Saturday, cutting the portion of the grants in the recovery fund to 450 billion euros from 500 billion and an "emergency brake" on disbursement would be added. Michel held eight-hour one-on-one discussions and then explored further solutions before asking all 27 leaders to dinner together. The positions were apparently still too far apart for an agreement.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday afternoon described the negotiations on the recovery fund as unexpectedly difficult.

According to him, there were still many unresolved problems, and the ratio of grants and loans remained controversial. However, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that "things are moving in the right direction." The talks are complicated because the recovery fund is negotiated in a package with the bloc's next seven-year financial framework, which is largely based on contributions from the countries. In addition, Hungary and Poland refused to link the recovery grants to compliance with the rule of law in the future.

Floods damage over 500 unmovable relics in China BEIJING TLTP

More than 500 unmovable cultural relics have suffered damage due to recent floods in southern China, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA). Regions along the Yangtze River have seen the most severe relics damage, said Song Xinchao, deputy head of the NCHA, noting that several ancient bridges, city walls, and buildings were destroyed. Song said the NCHA has allocated 3.5 million yuan (about 500,000 U.S. dollars) in funds to affected areas for the relics rescue work, calling on local governments and relevant departments, as well as the public, to support the work. TLTP

Doctor who survived Covid-19 bewildered by public disregard BIRMINGHAM AGENCIES

Dr. Michael Saag spends much of his time treating patients fighting for their lives and working with colleagues who are overwhelmed and exhausted by the relentless battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

But he enters a different world when he walks out the door of his Alabama clinic: one where many don’t wear masks, keep their distance from others or even seem aware of the intense struggle being waged against a virus that has cost about 140,000 lives nationwide and made so many — including the doctor — seriously ill.

The disconnect is devastating.

“It’s a mixture of emotions, from anger to being demoralized to bewilderment to frustration,” Saag said.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have increased an average of more than 1,500 a day over the past week in Alabama, bringing the total to more than 62,100 since the pandemic

began in March. At least 1,230 people have died and health officials say fewer than 15 percent of the state’s intensive care beds are available for new patients. Some hospitals are completely out of room.

It’s not just an Alabama problem. About 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Birmingham, Dr. Chad Dowell warns that his hospital in tiny Indianola, Mississippi, is filling up and so are others, making it difficult to locate beds for the sickest patients even as people debate on social media whether the pandemic is real.

Inside the hospital at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, doctors and nurses in protective gear rush from one emergency to another. They struggle to comfort heartbroken visitors forced to say goodbye to dying relatives long-distance via cellphone, Saag said, all while coping with the stress of whether they’ll be infected next.

The sharp increase in confirmed virus cases in Alabama has coincided with the reopening of restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms,

sports leagues and churches that were all closed down when the virus first hit. Although most have opened at a diminished capacity and with restrictions in place, many patrons haven’t been following recommended precautions.

In metro Birmingham, where Saag lives, it has been common to see fewer than half the people inside stores wearing masks. The doctor said he got particularly dispirited recently after stopping by a restaurant on the way home from work to pick up a takeout order of sushi. There were as many as 60 people inside, he said.

“Myself and one other person were the only two people wearing masks. And everybody else, not only were they not wearing masks, they were congregating together,” he said. “And they look at me like I’m some sort of pariah wearing a mask.”

In response, Gov. Kay Ivey this week ordered all Alabama residents 6 and older to wear masks when in public and within 6 feet (2 meters) of someone who is not a relative.

Cast against a pandemic that has become increasingly political, the move drew both praise as a potentially life-saving step and harsh criticism from those who called it an unnecessary affront to freedom.

Saag said he hopes the order helps, but it all depends on compliance. Ivey herself said the rule will be hard to enforce, and some police and sheriff’s offices have said they won’t even try.

During the initial outbreak, doctors and nurses were hailed as heroes in the fight against COVID-19. Some say they now feel more like cannon fodder in a war that has become increasingly divisive.

“People continue to regard the virus as a political scheme or conspiracy theory. People continue to ignore the recommended guidelines on how to help slow the virus’ spread. People continue to complain about wearing a mask. We’ve got to do better as a community,” Dowell, the Mississippi doctor, wrote in a Facebook message released by South Sunflower County hospital.

For Saag, the fight is personal. In early March, both he and his adult son came down with the virus after a trip to Manhattan when the epidemic was raging there. First came a cough, followed by fever, a headache, body aches and what Saag called “fuzzy thinking,” or an inability to concentrate.

“The mornings I’d feel fine, thought I was done with it. And then every night it would come right back as if it was just starting all over again,” he said. “The hardest part of the night was that feeling of shortness of breath and not knowing if it’s going to get worse.”

During eight suffocating nights, Saag wasn’t sure whether he’d survive without a ventilator. It never came to that. He is now fully recovered and feels closer than ever to the people he treats.

“When I talk to a patient and I say, ‘Hey, I’ve had it too,’ it’s like we’re connected in a way that I really, honestly haven’t felt with patients ever before — and I’ve been doing this 40 years,” Saag said.

Monday, 20 July, 2020

ENglANd victory chANcES hit AftEr old trAfford wAShout LONDON

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AGENCIES

EST INDIES 32 for 1 (Joseph 14*, Brathwaite 6*) trail England 469 for 9 (dec.) by 437 runs. England need to take 19 wickets in two days if they are to keep their series alive against West Indies after the third day of the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford was a washout.

With finer weather forecast for Manchester on Sunday and Monday and a fresh seam attack, England’s prospects are “not ideal”, to use ‘ words, but they are not completely dire. Failure to force victory in the coming days, however, will mean West Indies retain the Wisden Trophy that they won in the Caribbean 18 months ago.

“It’s looking like we’ve got to take 19 wickets in two days,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “But the wicket has offered something throughout the whole Test so far, so we just need to make sure that we can expose that and put as many deliveries as we can, challenging their defensive shots as much as we can.”

Stuart Broad is back in the team and likely to be hungry at being overlooked for the first Test in Southampton, which West Indies won by four wickets. He is joined by

Sam Curran, who made an early breakthrough when he had opener John Campbell out lbw late on Friday to put the tourists one wicket down still trailing by 437 runs. Chris Woakes is the other addition after England opted to rest Mark Wood and James Anderson following their efforts in the first Test and was omitted on the first morning of this match for his unauthorised trip home en route to Manchester.

Archer will be for the third Test, also at Old Trafford, after a disciplinary panel

fined him £15,000 and gave him a written warning for his indiscretion.

In the meantime, it will fall to Broad, Curran, Woakes and Stokes to get the job done for England, not to mention Dom Bess, who will have watched with interest as fellow offspinner Roston Chase claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings after finding good spin and bounce.

“It’s not only offering for the seam bowlers,” Stokes said. “We’ve got the options there that we feel we can bowl West In-

dies out twice if we have to.” It was Stokes’ performance with the bat that went a long way towards putting England in a commanding position at the end of the second day, his 176 combined with Dom Sibley’s 120 meant the hosts posted a first-innings 469 for 9 declared. Had England not lost the first Test, for the eighth time in ten series, their task over the next two days may not have been quite so pressurised.

“If we use the first two days as a benchmark for how we want to bat then, then the better we’re going to become,” Stokes said. “We are a very good team at bouncing back from defeats and we’ve proven that. “If we can keep producing days and games like we generally do after a first Test then we’ll start coming closer to being the No. 1 team, which is obviously a goal of ours. “We’re in a great place as a side. We’ve got the right personnel, the right team, the right people helping the players out right now. And I think in two or three years’ time, all the tough times that we’ve experienced - in South Africa and this first game against West Indies - is a great learning curve, not just for the younger guys in the team at the moment but also for the more experienced guys. “If you are always learning from mistakes, it’s going to make you a better player as an individual, but also a better team.”

Umpires disinfect the ball after Dom Sibley’s saliva error

LONDON AGENCIES

The ICC’s new protocols governing the use of saliva on a cricket ball had to be put into practice on the fourth morning of the second Test, after an inadvertent transgression from shortly before lunch at Emirates Old Trafford.

With Dom Bess at the top of his mark, preparing to bowl the penultimate over of the session, the on-field um-

pires, Michael Gough and Richard Illingworth came together to examine the ball after Sibley himself had admitted to the accidental use of saliva to polish the ball.

Umpire Gough took out a disinfectant wipe from his pocket, and rubbed down the shiny side of the ball prior to handing it back to Bess, who had claimed the only wicket to fall in the morning session as West Indies went to lunch on 118 for 2, trailling England by 351 runs.

According to the ICC’s revised playing conditions for

this series, which is being played in a biosecure environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only sweat may be used to shine the ball. Saliva is considered a potential carrier of the virus, and so all players have been obliged to retrain their ingrained instincts, honed over many years of fielding. In acknowledgement of the unusual circumstances, the umpires have been encouraged to show initial leniency should they notice a team applying saliva on the ball, after which they will issue two official warnings before docking the offending team five runs.

Meanwhile, , whose unauthorised visit to his home in Brighton caused him to miss the second Test as he spends five days in isolation, was permitted to leave his room for exercise prior to the start of the fourth day’s play, after the West Indies camp approved a request from the ECB. At just after 7am on Sunday, well before any other players started to prepare for the day’s play, Archer was permitted to go for a run on the outfield. He wore gloves and a mask with ECB medical staff watching on from a safe distance. Later on Sunday, he is expected to bowl in the nets in similarly strict conditions. Adopting the same protocols used when England’s bowlers first returned to training, Archer will use balls allocated for only his use and will be required to retrieve them after each delivery.

Again, his sessions will be overseen by backroom staff at a safe distance. Archer was fined around £15,000 and given a written warning after making an unauthorised trip to his home in Brighton between the games at the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford. He was also required to serve a five-day isolation period during which he will have two tests for Covid-19. Subject to those test results, he is expected to re-join the full squad on Tuesday.

SPORTS 11

NBA exhibition games to open with 10-minute quarters LOS ANGELES: The NBA will ease back into action with upcoming exhibition games to consist of 10-minute quarters. As the exhibition-game schedule proceeds, the regular 12-minute quarters will return, but with players spending more than four months out of action, the initial practice games will move much quicker. The NBA reportedly wants to take it easy on teams not just because of time away, but also because some clubs do not yet have full rosters. The NBA exhibitiongame schedule begins Wednesday with four games. The Orlando Magic will face the Los Angeles Clippers, the Washington Wizards will meet the Denver Nuggets, the New Orleans Pelicans will play the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings will be matched up against the Miami Heat. The return of 12minute quarters will come with each team’s second exhibition game. All teams are expected to play three games before the regular season resumes July 30. All NBA games from July 30 to the end of the season will be played in the Orlando, Fla., area as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that shut down the league in March. AGENCIES

Khushdil Shah rules out of action for three weeks

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket squads lefthanded batsman Khushdil Shah has been ruled out of action for three weeks after suffering a fracture in his left thumb while batting during Saturday’s training session in Derby, England.

Khushdil is not featuring in the ongoing fourday intra-squad match and will not be available for selection for the second fourdayer, which will be played from 24-27 July in Derby, said a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board here on Sunday. “As the nail is intact and there is no injury to nail bed, the orthopedic surgeon, team physician and team physiotherapist expect Khushdil to resume physical training by the end of the next week,” he said. APP

Here is what’s at stake as Premier League enters final week of season LONDON AGENCIES

The English Premier League will enter its final week of the season with two games remaining for all the clubs with plenty to play for.

Here’s a look at what the clubs will be battling for at both ends of the table as they race to qualify for the Champions League and Europa League, as well as the fight to avoid relegation: TOP FOUR FIGHT: Chelsea and Leicester City are in possession of the coveted top four berths alongside champions Liverpool and Manchester City, who are guaranteed to finish second.

But both side’s grip on those spots in next season’s Champions League could easily be broken by in-form Manchester United in a nerve-jangling finale. Third-placed Chelsea are one point ahead of both Leicester and United, who sit fifth and are behind the Foxes on goal difference.

On Sunday, Leicester face a tricky trip to Tottenham, while on Wednesday United host West Ham and Chelsea travel to Liverpool. After those games, the top four may have been shaken up significantly before the

final round of matches on July 26.

Chelsea need four points from their last two games to guarantee qualification and play Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on the last day.

Leicester and United meet in a decisive showdown at the King Power Stadium, which means if either of those teams win those last two games they are guaranteed to return to Europe´s elite club competition.

United are the form team after winning five of their seven league games since the restart, while Chelsea and Leicester have both shown recent signs of vulnerability.

EUROPA LEAGUE RACE: The teams who finish fifth and sixth will qualify for next season’s Europa League, unless either of the sides in those positions win the Champions League or the Europa League — United and Wolves are contenders in the latter competition — when they restart next month.

Winning those tournaments is rewarded with Champions League qualification. If the FA Cup winners finish in the top six, then seventh place in the Premier League would qualify for the Europa League.

Sixth-placed Wolves will qualify for the Europa League if they win their final two

games against Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

Tottenham, one point behind Wolves, will be guaranteed to hold onto seventh place at least if they win their final two games against Leicester and Palace.

Sheffield United, who face Everton and Southampton, are one point behind Totten-

CMYK

ham in eighth and need Jose Mourinho’s men or Wolves to slip up.

RELEGATION FEARS: Norwich are already relegated, leaving two places to be filled by unwilling teams over the next week.

West Ham and Brighton are effectively safe after moving six points clear of the rel-

egation zone, leaving Watford, Bournemouth and Aston Villa scrapping for survival.

Third-from-bottom Bournemouth are three points behind Watford and can move level on points if they beat Southampton at Dean Court on Sunday, with a three-goal margin of victory enough to take them above the Hornets on goal difference.

Watford take on Manchester City at Vicarage Road on Tuesday and shortly afterwards Villa host Arsenal.

If Watford beat City or take a point, then Bournemouth or Villa would be relegated if they fail to match the Hornets´ result.

On the last day, Villa head to West Ham, Bournemouth are at Everton and Watford travel to Arsenal.

After going six games without a win after the coronavirus hiatus, Villa have given themselves hope with four points from their last two matches, although conceding a late equaliser at Everton on Thursday was a major blow. Bournemouth’s win against Leicester on July 12 was their first in 10 games, but a defeat at City kept them in the mire. Watford had won their previous games before a 3-1 loss at West Ham on Friday dented their survival bid.

Monday, 20 July, 2020

PRAyER TImINGS

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:36

12:09

5:02

5:11

7:06

8:41

'JUsTice will Prevail', imran says on Kashmir's accession To PaKisTan day

ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

RIME MINISTER Imran Khan has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the people of Kashmir as Kashmiris living on either side of the Line of Control (LoC) and the rest of the world observes the 74th Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day today.

July 19 is observed every year in the

renewal of the historical resolution of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan passed by the people of the state in 1947.

The All Jammu Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) on this day in 1947 demanded the then Dogra rulers to materialise the accession of the Jammu Kashmir state to Pakistan, honouring the decision and point of view of the majority population of the Muslim majority in the state. “Today we commemorate the historic occasion of Youm-i-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan, when Kashmiris passed a resolution for accession to Pakistan,” the prime minister tweeted. He observed that it was the right of the people of the valley to seek self-determination as it has been recognised by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) […] under international law.

“We will continue to fight for justice for Kashmiris as they struggle against the brutal [and] illegal actions of the Hindutva Supremacist Indian govt in IOJK [Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir],” said Imran.

“I know that justice will prevail.” In his message, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering support” to the Kashmir cause.

Time for Kashmir’s accession To PaKisTan noT far away: PresidenT alvi ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday said that the time was not far away when the sacrifices of the people of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOJK) would come to fruition and they would accede to Pakistan. In his message to the nation on the Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day, the president said that the day was meant to reiterate the resolve of the Kashmiri people to get deliverance from the Indian oppression and accede to Pakistan. The day is observed to commemorate the unanimous adoption of a resolution by the Kashmiri leaders for Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan during a meeting of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference at the Aabi Guzar area of Srinagar on July 19, 1947.

The president said the India had been illegally occupying the IOK and making Kashmir people subject to inhuman torture. He said that Pakistan has been highlighting the Indian cruelties in the Kashmir at every international forum and even the voices were also being raised globally against the human rights abuses in IOK. The president said that India had also been violating the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions recognising the Kashmiris’ right to selfdetermination. Indian government’s actions to change the demography of the territory were also the violations of the said resolutions, he added. APP

FM calls for strict adherence to UN Charter ISLAMABAD TLTP

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called for strict adherence to the principles of the United Nations (UN) Charter, especially non-use of force, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, non-interference in the internal affairs, and the exercise of the right of self-determination by peoples under colonial and foreign occupation.

The foreign minister was speaking at the high-level segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) through video-link, said an official statement on Sunday. The foreign minister expressed deep concern over the oppression and atrocities being perpetrated against the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

Talking about the Covid-19 pandemic, the foreign minister said that the pandemic had triggered the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the

1930s. He added that the pandemic has exposed the inequalities of global finance, trade and investment structures as the poorest, among and within nations, would suffer the most and 130 million people would be pushed back into poverty.

The foreign minister pointed out that while the rich nations, with a population of 1.5 billion, had generated nearly $10 trillion in deficit financing to address the crisis, amounting to 10-20 per cent of their GDP, developing countries, with over 7 billion people, are struggling to mobilize even $1 trillion - around 1 per cent of GDP - to respond to the health and economic challenges.

The foreign minister said that, to overcome this challenge, Prime Minister Imran Khan proposed debt relief as one of the quickest ways to provide essential fiscal space to the developing countries. He also added that the reallocation of existing Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and creation of additional SDRs was another avenue to meet the financing requirements of developing countries.

The foreign minister also highlighted that despite its financial difficulties, Pakistan had deployed $8 billion, 3 per cent of its GDP, to assist its disadvantaged and poor.

Keeping in view the geopolitical divisions within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the foreign minister cautioned that the council would not be revitalised by accommodating the narrow ambitions of those who seek power and privilege. He added that additional permanent members in the UNSC would compound, not resolve, its inability to act.

The foreign minister noted that the world is facing three simultaneous challenges: “fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, achieving the 2030 Agenda and preventing climate catastrophe.” To meet these challenges, the foreign minister stressed the need to restore the central role of ECOSOC to promote “better standards of life in larger freedoms.”

He pledged that Pakistan would take a leading role to promote these objectives during its forthcoming presidency of the Economic and Social Council.

who reports record daily increase in global covid-19 cases for second day in a row GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours. The biggest increases reported on Saturday were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. The previous WHO record for new cases was 237,743 on Friday.

Deaths rose by 7,360, the biggest one-day increase since May 10. Deaths have been averaging 4,800 a day in July, up slightly from an average of 4,600 a day in June.

Total global coronavirus cases surpassed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed nearly 600,000 people in seven months. The surge means that 1 million cases were reported in under 100 hours. The WHO reported 71,484 new cases in the United States, 45,403 in Brazil, 34,884 in India and 13,373 in South Africa. AGENCIES

coronavirus fallout could result in ‘devastating levels of hunger': Un UNITED NATIONS: About 25 countries are set to face devastating levels of hunger in coming months, along with the low and middle-income countries because of the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic, according to a joint report compiled by two Rombased UN agencies -- the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The report was published as the WFP announced that it is scaling up food assistance to an unprecedented 138 million people who face desperate levels of hunger as Covid-19 tightens its grip on some the world’s most fragile countries. The cost of the WFP’s response is estimated at $4.9 billion – representing nearly half the updated Covid-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, launched this week with an additional $500 million special provision to prevent famine in countries most at risk. APP Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

floods in india, nePal disPlace 4m, Kill 189 KATHMANDU: Nearly four million people in India’s state of Assam and neighbouring Nepal have been displaced by heavy flooding from monsoon rains while death toll rose to 189, government officials said on Sunday. The overflowing Brahmaputra River, which flows through China’s Tibet, India and Bangladesh, has damaged crops and triggered mudslides, displacing millions of people, officials said.

More than 2.75 million people in Assam have been displaced by three waves of floods since late May that has claimed 79 lives after two more deaths were reported overnight, a state government official said.

“The flood situation remains critical with most of the rivers flowing menacingly above the danger mark,” Assam water resources Minister Keshab Mahanta said. Assam is facing the twin challenge of combating floods and the coronavirus pandemic. Out of 33 districts, 25 remained affected after the current wave of flooding, beginning a fortnight ago. India is grappling with the novel coronavirus, which has infected nearly 1.1 million people and 26,816 have died from the COVID-19 disease, government data showed on Sunday. In neighbouring Nepal, the government asked residents along its southern plains on Sunday to remain alert as heavy monsoon rains were expected to pound the Himalayan nation where more than 100 have died in floods and landslides since June, officials said. Some 110 people were killed and another 100 injured as landslides and flash floods washed or swept away homes, upended roads and bridges and displaced hundreds of others in 26 of the country’s 77 districts, police said. Home ministry official Murari Wasti said the death toll was expected to rise as 48 people were still missing. “Search and rescue teams are looking for those who are missing in different places but chances of finding them alive are slim,” Wasti said. TLTP