EpaperLHR_2020-09-9

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020 I 20 Muharram, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 70 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

sajid Gondal returns home after alleGed abduCtion g

SECP board CondEmnS ‘abduCtion’ of CommiSSion’S joint dirECtor

ISLAMABAD Staff repOrt

s

ECuritiES and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) joint director Sajjad Gondal, who went missing earlier from islamabad, has returned home. “i am back and safe, and i am thankful to all friends who were worried for me,” he tweeted soon after reaching home.

Gondal had gone missing last week while visiting a family-owned farm. His car was found near the national agriculture research Centre (narC) in Shehzad town, according to the police. a first information (fir) report was not issued initially, and Gondal’s family protested outside the Pm House. Since then, the subject has trended on twitter and Human rights minister Shireen mazari directed the police to register a fir.

the habeas corpus petition seeking Gondal’s recovery was filed by Gondal’s mother and heard by Chief justice athar minallah of the islamabad High Court (iHC) on monday. after this disappearance, justice minallah expressed serious concern about the enforced disappearances in the federal capital. “if the state and the courts cannot protect the right to life of a citizen, then there is no reason for them to continue,” he remarked. justice minallah directed the interior secretary to discuss the issue with the prime minister to devise a policy for the protection of the fundamental rights of citizens. the iHC chief justice also directed the interior secretary to brief the premier and cabinet members about the “abysmal” state of law within the capital city. the secretary is to submit a report regarding decisions taken by the federal government.

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

299,233

LAST UPDATED AT 8:22 AM ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

5

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

141

DEATHS:

286,157 6,350 SINDH:

130,807

PUNJAB:

97,306

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

36,663

13,321

2,333/3,041 15,762

SECP CONDEMNS GONDAL’S ABDUCTION: meanwhile, the SECP Policy board said that they were deeply concerned about the Gondal’s continued disappearance. “We strongly condemn his abduction and would emphasise and urge the relevant authorities to immediately intervene and ensure his prompt recovery and to ensure that appropriate punitive measures are taken vis-i-vis the perpetrators in accordance with the law,” it said in a statement. “mr Gondal’s abduction adversely impinges upon the regulator’s image and efficacy by creating an adverse perception in the financial sector and capital market. this may also create unrest/unease within the staff of SECP, who need to have confidence in their ability to operate in good faith, without fear for their personal safety,” it added.

FARAZ DISREGARDS SAFETY CONCERNS: federal minister for information and broadcasting Shibli faraz on tuesday assuaged concerns and said the capital city was safe enough for him to drive alone at night. addressing a press conference, he made the above comment and added that Prime minister imran Khan was concerned about this incident taking place in the capital city. after SECP official went missing last week, the premier directed the inspector general (iG) islamabad and the interior ministry to coordinate with “concerned stakeholders” to ensure Gondal’s safe return. in response to a question regarding the worsening law and order situation in islamabad, wherein “even government servants” are kidnapped, the minister said, “these things should not take place but unfortunately they do happen in countries.” He added, “a law and order situation always remains, but it is not as bad as you are saying.”

Shibli went on to remark that while he is a minister, he does not feel insecure about the city’s conditions. “i drive alone at night,” he remarked.

PTI government changes Punjab IGP for sixth time in two years LAHORE Shahab Omer

as a result of the unresolved tussle between Punjab inspector General of Police (iGP) Shoaib dastgir and Capital City Police officer (CCPo) Lahore Sheikh omar, the Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) government has appointed inam Ghani as the sixth iGP of Punjab in two years, and has transferred Shoaib dastgir after he expressed reservations over omar’s appointment. reportedly, dastagir did not come to the office for three days and the schedule of his meetings was not announced, leading to the speculations that differences between the iGP and the CCPo were unresolved even after a meeting with Punjab Chief minister usman buzdar. dastgir requested buzdar for a “transfer to any other suitable place”, saying that he would not continue as the provincial police chief until the removal of the CCPo. Some sources claim that this meeting was unscheduled and that dastigar came in plainclothes.

Earlier, the federal and Punjab government on tuesday decided not to transfer CCPo Lahore. the appointment of CCPo was made after due consideration and the government cannot take decisions against law and merit, said a

MQM censures Sindh govt over ‘discriminative’ appointment of Karachi administrator KARACHI Staff repOrt

muttahida Qaumi movementPakistan (mQm-P) Convener dr Khalid maqbool Siddiqui on tuesday rounded on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led Sindh government for appointing “non-local officers” as administrators in cities across the province. addressing a press conference in Karachi tuesday, Siddiqui said that the party had certain “concerns” over the recent developments involving the new appointments.

“Having concerns is not a sin because things have been announced on multiple occasions but nothing has ever happened [in reality],” he said.

Karachi’s development is inextricably linked with the country’s development but our concerns manifested into a reality when the city’s administrator was appointed, he said. the presser comes days after the PPP government had appointed senior bureaucrat and former commissioner of Karachi iftikhar Shallwani as the city’s administrator.

Commenting on the appointment, Sindh Governor imran ismail on monday stated that it was a consensus decision of “all stakeholders”. However, the mQm-P, a key partner of the Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) in the Centre and one of the main political players in Karachi, had called the move an injustice and discrimination on ethnic grounds. “the mQm-P strongly condemns the decision to appoint non-resident officers as administrators in the cities of Sindh, including Karachi,” the coordination committee of the party had said in a statement.

“What was our demand? our demand was that the city’s administrator should be a person living in Karachi, someone who is able to understand the woes of the people. Someone who is not politically affiliated with anyone,” said maqbool during today’s press conference.

“We had the same demand for Hyderabad, Larkana and Sukkur. this is the way to do things in a civilised society.

When we expressed our concerns, we were told that it was not appropriate to appoint a

separate administrator and that is why the deputy commissioners were given this responsibility. “if that is the case, then why was the Karachi commissioner not given this responsibility?” he asked.

Siddiqui said the party would not comment on the funds allocated for the metropolis under the “Karachi transformation Plan”, a financial package worth rs1.1 trillion announced by Prime minister imran Khan on Saturday.

“Some people are conducting a post-mortem of what is being given. We do not want to do that,” he said in an apparent reference to the PPP. ‘PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT’: turning his criticism towards the federal government, Siddiqui said that he was stumped as to why it allowed future development work to be carried out by a “bureaucrat” of the PPP government. “if you wanted to put rs1.1 trillion towards the city’s development then you should have done so through those who know Karachi.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

centre official.

However, there has been speculation about biased appointments in police positions. Sources further said that since the appointment of Sheikh as CCPo Lahore, there was an impression in the police bureaucracy that CCPo Lahore was a proPti officer. it is also pertinent to mention that sources said that CCPo Sheikh had also written a letter as soon as he took charge of his post in which it was clearly stated that he was an independent establishment and would look after the affairs of city himself, after which an impression was formed among the police officers that Sheikh wants to work without directions of iGP. during the two-year tenure of the Pti, five iGPs have been replaced. the federal government first appointed Kaleem imam to this post, but only three months later, imam was replaced and muhammad tahir was appointed as iGP. tahir was transferred after a month and after him amjad javed Salimi was appointed as iG Punjab, however, he was also transferred only six months later and arif nawaz was appointed to this post in 2019.

However, he was also transferred about seven months later and dastgir had been given the responsibility, and now dastgir has also been removed from the post.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Navy Day obser ved to honour 1965 war heroes STORY ON PAGE 02

China, india accuse each other of firing shots in border dispute STORY ON BACK PAGE

Death toll from Mohmand marble quarry collapse increases to 22 STORY ON PAGE 03

Wahab demands proper relief package for rainhit Karachi STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

NEWS

NAvy DAy oBserveD To HoNour 1965 wAr Heroes ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE 55th anniversary of Navy Day was observed on Tuesday to honour the heroes of 1965 War. The day is observed every year on September 8 to acknowledge the sacrifices and spirit of Pakistan’s naval heroes who epitomised grit, courage and valour during the 1965 war with India. The day reminds of the heroic deeds and daring achievements of Pakistani Ghazis and martyrs who fought gallantly and humbled a much bigger adversary with their absolute faith in Allah.

This day marks a golden chapter in Pakistan’s rich naval history and rekindles hope and pride in the new generation.

On the night of 7/8 September 1965, a flotilla comprising seven ships of Pakistan Navy, bombarded Indian port Dwarka in operation code named 'Somnath'. It was aimed at luring the heavy ships anchored in Bombay into attacking the Pakistani ships to enable the submarine PNS Ghazi lurking in the Arabian Sea to engage and sink the Indian ships.

Naval chief SayS PakiSTaN Navy alive To vigilaNTly guaRD couNTRy’S MaRiTiMe iNTeReSTS Accordingly, a fleet of seven ships comprising PNS Babur, PNS Khaibar, PNS Badr, PNS Jahangir, PNS Alamgir, PNS Shah Jahan and PNS Tippu Sultan set sail for Dwarka and bombarded the town.

Pakistan Navy in its successful assault destroyed several installations including radar, railway station, cement factory of Associated Cement Company. Smoke from the damage was visible to the Pakistani warships.

Meanwhile, in connection with Navy Day, Pakistan Navy has released a special documentary film “Surkhru”. The documentary film is based on the successful operation by the Pakistan Navy to prevent Indian submarines from entering Pakistani waters. On March 4 last year, Pakistan Navy whilst intercepting an Indian submarine had thwarted the sordid designs of the enemy. The documentary film is a tribute on the part of Pakistan Navy to its valiant

ehsaas undergraduate scholarship portal opened: sAPM ISLAMABAD: The government has opened the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Portal for submission of online scholarship applications for the academic year 2020-21. In a tweet on Tuesday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said the portal will remain open till 30th of next month. She said all students studying in four or five-year undergraduate programmes in 119 public sector universities of the country can apply for the scholarships. The special assistant said that students whose family income is less than Rs45,000 can apply for Ehsaas scholarship. She said that Ehsaas scholarship includes a 100 per cent tuition fee and a monthly assistance allowance of Rs4,000. The scope of the program includes public sector universities in the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). In another tweet, the Dr Sania said that she has directed the management of Ehsaas Programme to expedite establishment of the Cyber Crime Wing to protect the interests of Ehsaas beneficiaries. She said that the Cyber Crime Wing will help prevent and control incidents where criminal elements commit fraud using digital technology. The SAPM said that her ministry is receiving news about scams with the people by some impersonators pretending to be agents via fake messages and other means. STAFF REPORT

Auction of 13 govt properties in Lahore today ISLAMABAD: The second phase of auction of the federal government's abandoned properties will be held in Lahore on Wednesday. In this regard, 13 properties including shops, apartments and a leftover building of WAPDA would be offered for sale during the open auction. According to officials, out of the 13 properties up for sale in Lahore, 12 are owned by the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA), which was created in the aftermath of the October 2005 massive earthquake. The reserve price of three shops located on MM Alam Road has been estimated at Rs43.33 million while nine apartments located on link Ferozepur Road have been estimated at Rs41.66 million. The WAPDA leftover building spreading over an area of 16 marlas on Nicholson Road carries the reserve price of Rs90 million. Privatization Minister Muhammadmian Soomro would be present at the auction ceremony, which would be held at the Faletti’s Hotel. The 8-kanal plot where a research and training centre of the textile ministry was to be established, will be offered for sale in an open auction to be held on September 11. The reserve price of the plot has been assessed at Rs20,000,000. GHULAM ABBAS

heroes for successfully discharging their duties.

The day dawned with special prayers offered in all naval mosques for peace and prosperity of the country and particularly for the success of the Kashmir struggle.

Quran Khawani was arranged for eternal peace for martyrs of the 1965 war. Flag hoisting ceremonies were held at all naval units and establishments. Other activities of the day included Navy Day Boat Rallies prominently in Karachi.

President Dr Arif Alvi said that armed forces of Pakistan stood vigilant and even today stand ready to defend the motherland. In a tweet on Tuesday on the occasion of Navy Day, the president said, “Today, we acclaim the professionalism and combat-readiness of our forces. He said courage, grace, and chivalry while facing the enemy has carved our destiny.”

In a statement, Chief of the Naval Staff

Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi said the Pakistan Navy was alive to role to vigilantly guard the country’s maritime interests.

"Today, Pakistan Navy being potent naval force in the region is alive to its growing responsibilities and role to vigilantly guard country’s maritime interests," he said. The naval chief also underlined that Pakistan Navy was spearheading various initiatives to jump start Pakistan’s Blue Economy in line with the government's renewed focus on the maritime sector and its decision to declare 2020 as the ‘Year of Blue Economy’.

He said September 8 marked a golden chapter in the country's rich naval history, and rekindled hope and pride in the new generation. On the day, he said, the Pakistan Navy acknowledged the sacrifices and spirit of naval heroes, who epitomised grit, courage and valour during the 1965 War. Admiral Abbasi said that all ranks of Pakistan Navy reiterated solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren and denounce the blatant annexation of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said that the Pakistan Navy has a pivotal role in the defence and security of the country.

In a tweet on Tuesday on the occasion of Navy Day, the information minister said that the Pakistan Navy remained shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army and the PAF in the 1965 war and wrote a new history of gallantry and professionalism.

Winder Dam project: Sc permits construction firm to hire lawyer ISLAMABAD TLTP

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday heard a petition of the government of Balochistan against the Balochistan High Court’s (BHC) decision on auction of the Winder Dam contract.

The Balochistan High Court had ordered for an open auction of awarding the construction project of the dam. The provincial government has challenged the high court decision in the apex court and a division bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam heard

the case. The court granted permission to a private construction company to hire an advocate for the case and adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.

The company had pleaded for a four-week time to arrange an advocate for pleading its case. Justice Mushir Aliam said that the national importance project could not be halted as the delay would also enhance the costs of the project.

“The delay in the project could soar the cost from Rs10 billion to Rs50 billion,” Justice Qazi Amin re-

marked. It is pertinent to mention here that for construction of Winder Dam, the tender of the project was opened on September 28, 2009, and awarded to a joint venture of Canadian and Pakistani consultants and contractors. Due to failure of the contractor to provide performance guarantee, the contract was cancelled.

An earth-core rock-fill dam will create gross storage of 36,484-acrefeet of water to irrigate 10,000 acres of command area and its power house will generate 300 kW electricity.

Winder Dam project will now be constructed at the cost of Rs15.230 billion. The federal government will finance the project entirely, which would be executed by the Irrigation Department of Balochistan government.

IHC takes up foreign appointments case today ISLAMABAD TLTP

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday took up a matter pertaining to appointments in the Pakistani embassies across the globe on favouritism and through illegal procedures. The top Islamabad court decided to take up the case regarding illegal appointments in the Foreign Ministry and a single bench headed by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will lead the proceedings on Wednesday.

The appeal filed in the court through Barrister Zafar Ullah has made the federation respondent in the case pertaining to appointments in the embassies through ministry and secretary foreign affairs and other concerned officials.

It is pertinent to mention here that earlier in the day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought the complete record of the appointment of Special Assistant to PM (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari as the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) chairman.

IHC seeks record of Bukhari’s appointment as PTDC chief ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought the complete record of the appointment of Special Assistant to PM (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari as the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) chairman. Justice Aamir Farooq of the IHC was hearing a petition challenging the SAPM’s appointment as the PTDC chairman. Advocate Hafiz Arafat stated before the court that Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed his aide the PTDC chairman. Bukhari held the position previously on a temporary basis but was later appointed on a permanent basis, he added. A notification regarding his appointment was also issued with the government initially stating that it was the cabinet’s decision to appoint the SAPM the chairman of the PTDC but later, it was said that the prime minister made the decision. Justice Farooq questioned whether legal requirements for the appointment of the PTDC chairman were fulfilled or not. He directed the government to submit the complete record of the appointment within ten days’ time. The hearing was adjourned until September 29. TLTP

IHC asks govt to explain delay in appointment of CAA DG ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the attorney general to appear in person to explain the government’s position as to delay in appointment of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director general. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who was hearing a writ petition moved by a pilot challenging revocation of his licence, took strong exception to the post of the CAA DG lying vacant for the past two years. He observed the CAA director general’s post is an important one but its charge has been given to the authority’s secretary. To a question, a state counsel present in the courtroom informed that the post has been lying vacant for the past two years as the vacancy was advertised some time back but no appointment could be made since.

The chief justice directed the attorney general to appear in person on the next hearing along with the government’s explanation in this regard. At the start of the hearing, the judge expressed displeasure over the absence of the attorney general and non-implementation of the court’s previous order, questioning how the government is functioning. No other matter could be more important than this one, visibly irked Justice Minallah said. He opined that the fake degree scandal dented the image of the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines. This is not how a state functions, he remarked. The hearing was put off until September 23. STAFF REPORT

MoST assures all-out support to chemical manufacturers in R&D projects LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday promised of lending his support to the research and development (R&D) requirements of projects proposed by the Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) for indigenous production of chemical products currently being imported by spending huge amounts of foreign exchange.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, PCMA Chairman Abrar Ahmed expressed deep gratitude to Chaudhry for

his assurance during a meeting with the PCMA delegation held to promote the manufacturing of essential chemicals within the country under the Make in Pakistan Programme the other day.

The delegation which was headed by the PCMA chairman included Zafar Qidwai, Zafar Mehmood, Abdul Hai Khatri, and Imran Qureshi.

The PCMA chairman informed that the federal minister had agreed to fund PCMA research reports and also help complete business plans on Naphtha Cracker and Chlorine Chain by allocating USD100,000 for each project.

He said that the availability of a

Naphtha Cracker Complex would enable import substitution and export promotion of the chemicals in Pakistan. "However, despite the absence of this basic requirement so far, the sector is contributing $747 million in exports," he said, adding that he hoped that this share would increase manifold after the establishment of Naphtha Cracker.

He further informed that PCMA had developed a plan for import substitution of $5 billion by 2025 with the production of 14 chemical products which are currently being imported from Saudi Arabia, China, UAE, Kuwait, and Thailand.

"In addition, about 28 projects have

been proposed for R&D," he said, adding that the MoST minister had agreed to constitute a committee in the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) in collaboration with PCMA to help the chemical sector's R&D and product development.

In a presentation given by PCMA, Chaudhry was informed that the size of the global market of chemicals is around $5.7 trillion basing over 96pc of all manufactured goods on chemicals.

It may be noted here that the chemical sector is the 4th largest and 3rd fastest growing sector in international trade whereas the market size of the chemical industry in Pakistan is around $12 Billion. But the local chemical industry is at the nascent stage, most of the demand is being fulfilled through imports.

Despite being underdeveloped, the local chemical industry is contributing around $7.5 billion in the trade deficit and Rs35 billion in the form of taxes.

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

CABINeT APProves exPANsIoN of PANAGAHs NeTwork: fArAz ISLAMABAD

T

STAFF REPORT

HE federal cabinet has approved expanding the network of Panagahs across the country to facilitate the down-trodden and homeless people.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said this while briefing the media persons on Tuesday about decisions taken in the cabinet meeting. Faraz said the idea of Panagah is very close to Prime Minister Imran Khan's heart, as he believes in providing an honourable shelter to the poor.

He said that the cabinet also approved to start a ferry service for pilgrims at Gwadar. Faraz said that the cabinet also approved closure of dysfunctional power plants.

He said that the prime minister had also taken notice of the disappearance

of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) official Sajid Gondal, and had directed the concerned authorities to leave no stone unturned for his recovery. He said that the prime minister had set up a three-member committee on Tuesday to probe the matter. The cabinet committee to investigate the disappearance included Adviser to PM Shahzad Akbar, Federal Minister of Law and Justice Farogh Naseem and Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari. The committee will present its report to the PM. The minister said that the cabinet held detailed discussion on the situation emerged as a result of heavy rains in Karachi and interior Sindh. He said that the cabinet has constituted a special committee to estimate the losses incurred due to rains. Faraz said that the Centre will recompense the Sindh government after a thorough assessment on damages in-

Lahore court sentences Christian man to death over blasphemous texts A sessions court in Lahore on Tuesday sentenced a Christian man to death after convicting him of sending text messages containing “blasphemous content”. Asif Pervaiz, 37, has been in custody since 2013 fighting blasphemy charges that were levelled against him by the supervisor of the garment factory he once worked at. The supervisor had accused him of sending derogatory remarks about Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) to him in a text message. The court order issued by Additional Sessions Judge Mansoor Ahmad Qureshi, seen by Reuters, said that Pervaiz would first serve a three-year prison term for “misusing” his phone to send the derogatory text message. Then “he shall be hanged by his neck till his death.” He was also fined Rs50,000, the order said. Pervaiz’s lawyer Saiful Malook told AFP that Pervaiz has denied all charges against him and had merely forwarded the text messages in question. “This case should have been thrown out by the judge,” Malook said, adding he would appeal the verdict in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

“He has already spent seven years awaiting the court’s decision. Who knows how many more years he will have to wait till this is over?” he remarked. Pervaiz claims his supervisor, who had been trying to convert him to Islam, had accused him of blasphemy after he quit his factory job. Human rights groups say blasphemy laws are often misused to persecute minorities or even against Muslims to settle personal rivalries. Such accusations can end up in lynchings or street vigilantism. Up to 80 people are known to be imprisoned in the country on such charges — half of whom face life in prison or the death penalty — according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. AGENCIES

19 luxury vehicles impounded by fBr over ‘suspicious’ documents BUSINESS DESK The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s Benami Zone, responsible for investigating anonymous accounts and unregistered wealth, has impounded 19 luxury cars, including BMWs and Mercedes Benz. The seizure of 19 expensive vehicles, whose documents do not reveal proper ownership comes as the FBR continues its investigation into benami accounts. The board’s investigation revealed that the vehicles were registered in the name of persons who were working for the real owners of the vehicles. The confiscated luxury cars include two BMWs and as many Mercedes Benz cars which according to the FBR are valued at a total cost between Rs120 to Rs150 million. The real owners of the luxury vehicles have been given a seven-day deadline to contact the board, otherwise it will take action against them.

curred following the torrential rains.

Referring to the change the ruling party had heralded, Faraz said that a wrong practice was made a norm here in the past and to change it is inevitable now.

“Change is not a button that one presses and changes everything instantly,” the minister maintained, “but it is a phase of reforms which must pass before the change can appear”. He claimed that the change is a planned transformation.

He said that recent crises of wheat and sugar were forged by the profiteering groups which benefit from these situations. “We need to defeat the profiteering mafia whose interest is in persecuting masses,” he added. Talking of the reshuffle in Punjab Police, he said that indeed five inspector generals have been changed so far. “Those who do not perform will be replaced,” he said, adding that it was the prerogative of the provincial administration to appoint and trans-

fer officers as they deem fit.

Furthermore, he said that that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) bill was not part of the cabinet meeting agenda. “Cabinet session to mull over FATF laws is scheduled for tomorrow.

Our strategy is cogent and this [FATF] bill is critical for Pakistan,” he added.

He further said that while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is hopeful that this bill will pass, there must be some lawmakers in opposition as well “who will understand the importance of this bill”. About the outstanding amount of media houses, Faraz said that an amount of Rs1.1 billion has so far been paid to the media houses in this regard.

Answering a question, the minister said the government is making all-out efforts to reduce the impact of inflation in wake of Covid-19. He expressed confidence that the government will overcome the inflation.

Wahab demands proper relief package for rain-hit Karachi KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Sindh Government Spokesperson and Adviser on Law, Environment & Coastal Development Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Monday said that recent rains had wreaked havoc all over Pakistan, and demanded a proper relief package for the rain-hit Karachi.

Addressing a press conference, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said that the provincial government has declared 20 districts as disaster-prone so that relief work can be carried out. The adviser added that disaster relief was last given to the areas in the 2011 and Pakistan’s People’s Party (PPP) while addressing a press conference in the Sindh Assembly Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was visiting the affected areas and assessing the damage and addressing the people of Mirpur Khas, Badin.

Speaking on PM Imran’s recent visit to the port city, he said that in this difficult time, the premier should not only visit the affected areas of Sindh and also help in their rehabilitation. The federal government has been asked to waive agricultural loans, he added.

“Iftikhar Shalawani is a good officer. I am hopeful that he will handle matters better as an administrator,” he said, adding that water has been pumped out in many places and sewerage has backed up as well. “This situation is bad. It is a 40-year-old problem. We cannot solve it immediately,” he further said.

Wahab said that 62 per cent of the relief package belongs to the federal government and 38 per cent to the Sindh government and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had earlier mentioned Rs802 billion. “We have targets that are different stages,” he said. “We are spending from our budget. We have money from the World Bank, the Asian Development Fund.”

He also said that Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is taking money from this account while KCR is a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “At the request of the Chief Minister of Sindh, we became part of CPEC in 2016 and after preparing its proposals,” he added.

The adviser said that Sindh CM had written four letters regarding KCR and a resolution which was also passed in the Sindh Assembly. On KCR, the CM told the premier that it should be given priority but did not receive a response, he added.

Wahab said that the Sindh government has filed an application for Bahria Town money, and no decision has been taken yet as the federation has filed a counter application. He remarked, “the land is ours, the money is ours, the province is ours.” He said that the Orange Line in Lahore was built using provincial money. The Supreme Court has been deposited with over Rs60 million from the Bahria Town case, but that money has not been transferred into the relevant funds, he added. “The money belongs to the Sindh government.

Buzdar rolls out Punjab Rozgar Scheme LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has approved launching of Punjab Rozgar Scheme for providing soft loans programme worth Rs30 billion for new and running businesses. Chairing a high-level meeting on Tuesday, the chief minister said this programme is being started for the promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and restoration of coronavirus-affected businesses.

He said that a loan of up to Rs10 million will be provided for setting up new and already functioning businesses in the province. He added that transgender persons could also avail the easy loans facility, whereas, the government finalised plan for low mark-up to women.

The chief minister directed relevant authorities for launching the employment scheme this month. He said that the provincial government is providing financial relief to the affected businesses amid Covid-19 crisis.

He also announced that the provincial government will review plans for further reducing the mark-up. CM Buzdar said that the young generation will not only groom their skills but also be provided employment.

Meanwhile, talking to All Pakistan Private Sector Universities Chairman Chaudhry Abdul Rehman Usman Buzdar said that the role of the private sector in promoting quality education in the province is commendable.

Discussing matters related to promotion of higher education in Punjab, he said that the government is opening educational institutions under strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) from 15th of this month.

Earlier in January last year, the Punjab IT Board and Ministry of Youth Affairs had jointly launched a threemonth free E-Rozgar Training Programme for the youth, aimed at imparting vocational training to the jobless, enabling them to earn their livelihood honourably. The 25 technical training centres throughout Punjab will impart training to the aspirants.

NEWS

DeATH ToLL froM MoHMAND MArBLe quArry CoLLAPse INCreAses To 22 PESHAWAR: The death toll from a rockslide in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohmand district rose to 22

by Tuesday evening after three more bodies were recovered from the rubble by rescue officials. One person was recovered alive after being buried in the debris for about 25 hours. According to Rescue 1122 director general, search for at least five people is still underway. Six bodies were pulled out earlier in the day, while two of the injured had passed away. In a statement earlier today, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) director general said nine injured had been rescued so far. A spokesperson for Rescue 1122 Bilal Faizi later said that most of those injured were in a serious condition, adding that two of them died while receiving treatment at Mohmand Hospital. At least five people are still buried beneath the rubble, Faizi said. “An operation to rescue those trapped underneath the rubble is currently underway. Five ambulances and one recovery vehicle have been sent to Mohmand from Peshawar,” according to the PDMA director general. He added that the authority was closely coordinating with the district administration and the relevant departments.

Between 40 and 50 people were at the site at the time of the collapse which occurred on Monday evening, Tariq Habib, district police chief of Mohmand district told Reuters. STAFF REPORT

Provision of quality education among top priorities: PM ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that provision of opportunities for quality education was among the top priorities of the government because it played an essential role in the development and prosperity of the country and nation. The prime minister was chairing a meeting to review measures taken for the promotion of higher education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The meeting was attended by Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mahmood, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, KP Governor Shah Farman, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, PM’s Special Assistant Dr Shahbaz Gill, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Tariq Binori, KP CM’s Adviser on HEC Khaleequr Rehman, KP chief secretary, different serving vice chancellors, former chancellors and senior officials, PM office media wing in a press release said. Professor Dr Attaur Rehman also attended the meeting via video-link. During the meeting, the prime minister stressed that for higher education and uniform opportunities in the basic education, implementation of merit and provision of facilities to teachers and students must be ensured. The prime minister was given a detailed briefing over implementation of steps and future strategy regarding roadmap for the promotion of higher education in the province. The meeting was apprised of the provision of quality education in the universities of the province, enforcement of merit policy, encouragement of brilliant students, the proposed steps for the visible betterment of the organisational affairs and restoration of infrastructure. APP

Two more held in minor’s rape, murder case: wahab KARACHI: Spokesman of the Sindh government, Murtaza Wahab, on Tuesday announced that two more suspects have been arrested in the rape and murder case of five-year-old Marwah. Identified as Marwah, the girl was found raped and murdered two days after going missing from old Subzi Mandi area. Police said the girl’s burnt body was found in a piece of cloth at a trash heap on a plot on Sunday. During his visit to the family of the rape victim along with SSP East, Wahab conveyed his condolence to the victim’s family and said that they could feel the pain of the family. While assuring complete support for the government, the Sindh government spokesman said that they would bring the culprits involved in the barbaric act of raping and torching the body of the minor girl to justice. “We will set an example out of this case and will ensure strict punishment for the culprits,” he assured. STAFF REPORT

Qureshi to attend Moscow meeting of SCO Council of Foreign Minsters: FO ISLAMABAD APP

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will attend the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers (SCO-CFM) being held in Moscow from September 9 to 10.

The invitation to the foreign minister to attend the SCO-CFM was extended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who would also chair the meeting, the For-

eign Office (FO) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The SCO-CFM is the highest forum of SCO after the Council of Heads of State (CHS) and the Council of Heads of Government (CHG). It deliberates on important regional and international issues, and considers documents for approval and adoption by the Council of Heads of State.

The Moscow SCO-CFM will consider more than 20 documents for subsequent adoption in the SCO Council of Heads of

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State. It will also adopt a joint communiqué reflecting member states’ unified stance on important regional and international issues.

FM Qureshi will also have bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the CFM. SCO’s major objectives include promoting mutual confidence and goodneighbourly relations among member states, strengthening regional peace, security and stability, and creating a framework for effective cooperation in political, cul-

tural, trade and economy, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection and other fields. Besides Pakistan, SCO’s current membership comprises China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. SCO is an important forum for Pakistan to further enrich deeprooted historical and cultural links with member states, providing the ties a sound economic foundation, and promoting it as a regional trade and transit corridor.

Since becoming a member in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing in working towards achieving the SCO’s multi-sectoral agenda through participation in various SCO mechanisms. From 2005 to 2017, Pakistan was an observer in the SCO.

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Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

NEWS

asad for enhancing Pak-azerbaijan Political, economic ties ISLAMABAD

n

STAFF REPORT

ATIONAL Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser has called for closer Pakistan-Azerbaijan cooperation for the development of political and economic relations between the two countries.

Talking to Azerbaijan Ambassador Ali Alizada here on Tuesday, the speaker of the lower house said that Pakistan-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group can be a forum to enhance these relations. He also stressed the need for reinvigorating the Parliamentary Union of ECO Member States.

The speaker said that Azerbaijan being an important country in Asia can play its role in Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other regional forums to raise the plight of people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). He said Kashmir issue is a flash point of South Asia and may trigger escalation if not peacefully settled as per aspiration of the people of Kashmir.

Touching upon the issue of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the speaker said that Pakistan has always supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in the settlement of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh in accordance with United Nations’ (UN) resolutions.

Referring to the China-Pakistan Eco-

audit exposes rs41.8m irregularities in relief fund for terror victims in kP PESHAWAR TLTP

Audit report has disclosed massive irregularities in relief amount of terrorism victims in Year 2016-17 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). “The Home and Tribal Areas department had released a fund of over Rs99.6 million,” according to the audit report. The fund was handed over to commissioners for onward distribution among the affected people, the audit report said. Out of the total amount, Rs68.4 million were distributed and Rs31.1 million were returned back to the department. However, the record of Rs27.6 million has been found out of total Rs68.4 million distributed amount, while the record of remaining Rs40.8 million distribution has been missing, the report said. The concerned department has been asked to convene a session for providing details of distribution of remaining funds, according to the audit report.

court summons prosecution witnesses in ashiana housing case

ment of Pakistan for extending diplomatic support on the issue of Nagorno Karabakh.

Meanwhile, Qaiser has urged the OIC to play its role to curb Islamophobia in the western world.

He was talking to Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri on Tuesday. He said that the parliament will raise the issue of publication of blasphemous caricatures globally.

Qadri said that publication of blasphemous caricatures in a French magazine has hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world. He said that blasphemous material will only stoke hate among the followers of different religions.

Japan to provide vehicles, equipment to keep Islamabad clean ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Japan will provide 29 special vehicles and equipment to Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) for safe collection and transportation of mixed types of solid waste on a daily basis. In this regard, Secretary Economic Affairs Noor Ahmed and Ambassador of Japan Matsuda Kuninori signed the exchange notes, record of discussions and agreed minutes on procedural details on behalf of their respective governments on Tuesday.

Japan has extended grant assistance in the form of 29 special vehicles and equipment for MCI, worth Japanese Yen 500 million, under the Economic and Social Development Programme. Talking on the occasion, the secretary economic affairs said that Pakistan values the bilateral and friendly relations with Japan and both countries share common views on most of the regional and international economic issues.

Japanese economic assistance has played and shall continue to play a vital role in the socio-economic uplift of Pakistan.

He highlighted that the grant assistance in the form of

equipment for MCI is well timed keeping in view the needs of MCI, for which Pakistan is thankful to the government of Japan. He said that the equipment will enhance the capability of MCI for safe collection and transportation of mixed types of solid waste on a daily basis.

He also said that machinery and equipment shall also increase the capacity of MCI to address the challenges of sanitation arising out of rapid urbanization. He added that Japan offered to provide similar assistance for management/transportation of garbage/solid waste for Karachi.

He further appreciated the commitment of Japanese ambassador to extend technical support to help Karachi being the worst hit during the monsoon season. He acknowledged Japan for its interest in helping Pakistan regarding disaster management, floods and earthquakes, especially when floods predictions in the province of Punjab, KP and Sindh are in the offing.

The secretary appreciated the government and the people of Japan for their support with the assurance of extending all necessary facilitation for more meaningful cooperation between the two sides in future.

LHC pardons Punjab chief secretary in contempt case

LAHORE

LAHORE

TLTP

An accountability court has directed to produce more witnesses in the Ashiana housing scandal case on the next hearing scheduled for Wednesday. In the hearing, no witness was presented before the court for recording statements. The prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) told the court that the witness excused appearing in the hearing due to the death of a relative. The judge asked the anti-corruption watchdog’s prosecutor to produce more witnesses in the case, besides extending judicial remand of two accused, Ahad Cheema and Shahid Shafiq. Later, the accountability court adjourned the hearing of the Ashiana housing scandal case till September 10. It is pertinent to mention here that the court had given an exemption for physical appearance in the hearing to Shehbaz Sharif and Fawad Hasan Fawad. Muhammad Nawaz and Muhammad Shehbaz appeared before the court on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif and Fawad Hasan Fawad respectively. Earlier on September 4, the accountability court had written a letter to Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking a period of one year to complete the Ashiana reference. Judge Amjad Nazeer of the accountability court in his letter to the high court had sought extension in the completion period for Ashiana housing scheme reference. The high court had ordered the accountability court on April 17 this year to complete the trial against the former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and other accused in the reference filed by NAB within a period of three months.

In the NAB reference Shehbaz Sharif, has been accused of misusing his authority to illegally issue directives for cancellation of contract with regard to the housing project in 2014. In March 2014, the former chief minister had visited the Ashiana-e-Iqbal project site and halted its bidding process, according to the reference. The Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) was looking after the project, but Mr Sharif after visiting the site decided to assign the project to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) which resulted in award of contract to the Lahore Casa Developers (JV), causing Rs715m loss to the exchequer, the reference reads. NAB had arrested Shehbaz Sharif in the scam on October 5, 2018 inside its Lahore office when he appeared there in response to its summon for questioning in connection with a probe into the Saaf Pani Company scam. According to NAB, “the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons but former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs 14 billion contract to Lahore Casa Developers – a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by then Railways Minister Saad Rafique”.

nomic Corridor (CPEC), the speaker said that both of the countries can acquire a bigger volume of trade in the upcoming future.

He suggested closer interaction between commerce and agriculture committees of both the legislatures for further enhancing mutual trade and economic relations.

The ambassador of Azerbaijan said that his country also attaches immense importance to its relations with Pakistan. He said that his country wholeheartedly supports Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir. He added said that Azerbaijan stands with Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination.

He expressed gratitude to the govern-

TLTP

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted an unconditional pardon to the Punjab chief secretary in a contempt of court case.

LHC Chief Justice Qasim Khan heard the case against the Punjab government for granting judicial powers to the commissioners and deputy commissioners of the province.

Provincial Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik and Home Additional Chief Secretary Momin Agha appeared before the court.

During the proceedings, the chief secretary requested for an unconditional pardon, that the court granted, withdrawing the show cause notice issued to him earlier.

“After my suspending the notification people were punished under price control,” the chief justice remarked.

“Whatever the previous chief secretary used to write became law, but after the Mustafa Impex case the approval of the cabinet has become mandatory. How can it be that the bureaucracy does not know the law?”

In July, the LHC sought a reply from the Punjab government after suspending a notification under which the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners were granted powers of the special magistrate.

Petitioner Abdullah Tanveer had challenged the government’s notification issued on June 17.

While hearing the petition, the chief justice questioned the performance of the Punjab government. He grilled the

government over delegating magisterial powers to the officials. The government should avoid disturbing the system, the CJ remarked. He said it appeared that the government had a keen interest in judicial powers and the court would issue contempt notices to those who had issued the notification. The Punjab government had made a mockery of the system, the CJ observed.

The petitioner’s counsel Barrister Momin Malik argued that the government had conferred magisterial powers on the officials for carrying out raids, conducting trials and other ancillary matters relating to price control, hoarding prevention, forests, mines and minerals, food adulteration and safety, encroachment on public and government land, canals and drainage, dangerous driving and violation of route permits, safety and design of buildings, land use and municipal services under any provincial and federal law in vogue.

He contended that the notification was a violation of Article 2(A) and sub-section 3 of Article 175 of the constitution. He implored the court that sections 14 and 37 of the CrPC were also violated as the government did not request recommendations from the LHC before issuing it.

Barrister Malik argued that the executive could not exercise judicial powers.

The petitioner prayed to the court to suspend the operation of the notification till a decision on the petition.

He called for declaring the notification and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Act 2020 unlawful and void.

6 of a family die as roof caves in LAHORE TLTP

At least six members of a family died and four others, including children, sustained injuries when the roof of their dilapidated house caved in overnight. The mishap took place in the Taxali Gate area of the walled city. All the deceased have been identified.

They are relatives to each other. The injured children are aged between two and seven.

The rescue operation has been completed on the mishap site. Two bodies have been handed to the bereaved family. The wounded are being given medical treatment at Mayo Hospital.

40 villages submerge as indus rages in sukkur SUKKUR TLTP

Several villages in Katcha area submerged under the floodwater on Tuesday after water level surging in Indus River at Guddu and Sukkur barrages. According to reports, around 40 villages have submerged and standing crops drowned under the raging water of Indus between Rohri and Pannu Aqil in upper Sindh.

The water level reached its peak level in the river drowning Lakhan Goth, Jagirani Goth, Mubeen Shaikh, Aziz Jatoi and other villages in the area leaving a large number of people shelter-less. Hundreds of villagers have been stranded in the flood water waiting for help.

Moreover, river water surging at Dadu-Moro Bridge over the Indus and ferocious flood water have entered in Katcha area submerging 25 villages including Gul Muhammad Korejo, Chhutto Mastoi and Naban Jatoi while drowning standing crops in the area. The inflow of water in Indus has reached 550,000 cusecs at Guddu as the water level continuously rises at the point with high flood in the river at Guddu Barrage. The inflow of water in Indus at Sukkur Barrage has been 4,40,000 cusecs as the river is said to be in medium flood. Sindh Irrigation Department earlier issued an alert for high flood in River Indus at Guddu and Sukkur barrages. The high flood stream in Indus will pass through Guddu Barrage between September 08 to 09, and at Sukkur Barrage between nine to 10 September, the irrigation department said. The Indus has been in medium flood at Taunsa Barrage and the inflow of river water gauged at 378,000 cusecs, according to the irrigation authorities.

students, teachers to undergo covid-19 test in Punjab LAHORE TLTP

As part of precautionary measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, the Punjab government Tuesday decided to conduct random coronavirus tests of students and teachers across the province. According to Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Captain (r) Muhammad Usman, the provincial government, in line with the directions of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), has decided to conduct random coronavirus tests of students and school staff in over 600 educational institutions. He maintained that they will launch an awareness campaign at high-risk educational institutions.

Sindh has made steady progress in literacy: Shehla Raza KARACHI PPI

Sindh Minister for Women Development Syeda Shehla Raza on Monday said that Sindh has made steady progress in literacy in the past decades and girls’ enrolment in schools has increased manifold, yet, locally, many young populations lack basic literacy skills, but the provincial government is committed to providing right of education to all.

She said this while speaking at a ceremony to commemorate International Literacy Day on September 8 held at Directorate of School Education and Literacy Department, Karachi.

The event “Webinar on Covid-19,

WASH and Beyond” was organised by Legal Rights Forum in collaboration with Save the Children Pakistan and School Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh to commemorate International Literacy Day. Shehla said that the recent Covid-19 crisis has been a magnifier of existing literacy challenges, deeply affecting schooling and literacy programmes. She agreed with the 2020 theme of the International Literacy Day and said that teachers are role model and can play key role to sensitise children and the care givers about Covid-19 and WASH and the importance of following standard operating procedures (SOPs) while going back to school. She appreciated the or-

ganisers and supporters of the event for organizing a very healthy activity and promised her full support on this cause.

While presenting welcome address, LRF CEO Malik Tahir Iqbal said that LRF is standing with Sindh government in their efforts in improving literacy in Sindh. He shared that as of today LRF is training 500 government school teachers in five districts of Sindh, including Karachi, Dadu, Larkana, Jacobabad and Shikarpur on Covid-19 and WASH who will further sensitise thousands of school children and parents to follow back to school SOPs developed by the SELD, Government of Sindh.

Speaking at the occasion, School Education and Literacy Department Cur-

riculum Wing Chief Adviser Dr. Fouzia Khan said that Sindh plans to open educational institutions in phases from September 15. She said that this back to school policy of the Sindh government will be conditional and the full implementation of SOPs in public and private educational institutions will be ensured.

Social Welfare Department Secretary Dr Muhammad Nawaz Shaikh, Sindh Child Protection Authority Director General Dr Azeemur Raheem, Save the Children-Pakistan Senior Manager Health Dr Qamar u Zaman Jamali, Seema Zahid of SELD, Farman Khan of Save the Children-Pakistan and Manzoor Ahmad, Mehwish Hina, Shahana Islam of LRF also spoke at the event.

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

NEWS

'AdMINIsTrATIve dePArTMeNTs MusT ProTeCT TheMselves FroM Cyber ATTACks' peSHaWaR

T

AZIZ BUNERI

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Department of Science and Information Technology has informed all the provincial administrative departments that it will be their responsibility to protect their websites and applications from cyber-attacks.

The department has directed the senior members of the board of revenue, principal secretary, KP governor, the chief ministers, secretaries of all administrative departments, divisional commissioners and provincial assemblies to have a full backup of the site ready on a computer so that the site can be restored from the computer when it crashes.

It clarified that the data centre stores 24 hours of data,

however, it may take five to six hours to restore the complete website, so in case of any website being hacked or crashing, the departments have to provide timely notification to the data centre. Furthermore, in case of any website being hacked, the data centre will delete all the accounts that have been set up on the provincial server.

According to the data centre, all user departments will be provided only a server machine and installation facility after which its maintenance will be the responsibility of the concerned department. A 15-day log-file of all matters used on the server will be provided by the data centre. However, this log-file will not include database usage and user information. The user department has been instructed to keep the log-file of their virtual private server machine safe and also to review its usefulness.

The data centre had also provided the facility to administrative departments to have their own computer

MQM censures Sindh govt over ‘discriminative’ appointment of Karachi admin continued on page 01 He said that the appointment of the District East administrator was also raising questions. “People say he is under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau for being involved in two projects in District East with Anwar Majeed [Omni Group chairman],” he said.

You deemed such individuals capable but you don’t think Pakhtuns, Punjabis or Urdu speaking are capable, he said.

He said that the party was receiving calls from across the province from concerned citizens, questioning how long the MQM-P would watch the “drama” unfolding. “Why are people of a certain ethnicity being preferred as administrators in the province’s cities?”

Commenting on the Karachi Transformation Plan, he stated that the city generates annual revenue of Rs3 trillion. “In three years, this city will have given Rs9 trillion when and if Rs1.1 trillion are spent under the development package.”

He added that the Centre had fulfilled its end of the bargain when it came to certain development projects, but the provin-

cial government had failed. “Won’t we have concerns? They ask us to believe, but we have concerns.

“And after the appointment of these administrators, no one will be able to stop our concerns from changing into a reality.

“These concerns will exist until those who can relate to the pain and suffering of this city, with credibility and a spotless past [are appointed].” He added that if the party is forced to come onto the roads, it would do so.

Maqbool also lashed out at the federal government for not being stern enough with the provincial government. “They will be absolved of all of their sins, but we are questioned over a few comments,” he said, adding that nobody was concerned about their criminal past.

He added that the PPP had divided Sindh into two separate pieces: “One which spends and one which earns. And you, not us, divided the province into two on ethnic grounds.”

He added that those who oppose the division of the province are the biggest “traitors” because they don’t think of the province as an administrative unit. “Like districts and divisions, a province is also an administrative unit.”

server. However, it has been clarified that installation, configuration, optimisation and data backup will be the responsibility of the administrative departments, and the data centre only provides space. The data center made it clear that if any website or application is attacked or hacked, it will only be responsible for the network layer.

The data centre added that security threats and attacks are mostly due to non-compliance with security standards, as well as flaws in designing, coding and development of the websites.

Concerning cybersecurity, seven layers have been formulated, comprising of application, presentation, session, transport, network, data link and a physical layer.

A provincial data centre has also been set up. According to the department, these responsibilities have been formulated to protect itself from future internet connection issues and cyber-attacks, including hacks.

Local govt completes construction projects on CDA’s acquired areas iSLaMaBad SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) completed construction projects worth millions in violation of rules on the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) acquired areas.

Sources said that the LG project director of Islamabad had executed projects in acquired areas such as G12, Mera Sumbal Jaffar, Sarai kharbuza and Said Pur without approval from CDA. Furthermore, sources said that LG&RD had executed these projects before funds were released and approved by the planning commission due to active support of elected representatives.

The Ministry of Planning on June 26, 2020, in its official memorandum recommended re-appropriation of funds of around Rs385 million with the additional stipulation that the secretary of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) would certify the expenditure that would be incurred on the projects after completion of all formalities.

Subsequently, the MoI on June 27, 2020, asked Accountant General Pakistan Reve n u e (AGPR), Islamabad, to release funds amounting to Rs385 million in respect to different projects, inc l u d i n g J h a n g i Syedan, Tarnol, Sarae-Kharbooza, Mera Sumbal Jaffar and Golra Sharif.

Sources said that the payment and allocations

CMYK

and approval concerning these projects was done in just three days.

Sources added LG department is rubber stamping projects to appease the lawmakers of Islamabad and that some influential people of Islamabad’s constituencies, including Ali and Javed Mughal, are interfering in the affairs of ICT. Ali Mughal sits in the Islamabad Development Working Party meetings and recently the planning commission has appointed him monitoring officer of Pakistan Minister of Planning and Development (PSDP) projects. Similarly, Javed Mughal, a known property dealer and involved in the business of allotments of acquired areas, is also very active in the affairs of Islamabad.

The district administration has reportedly forwarded this summary to the Ministry of Interior for Amir Mughal’s appointment as chairman market committee despite the fact there are several First Information Reports (FIR) against him, Sources said that DC Islamabad is reluctant to endorse Mughal’s name while the incumbent Chairman Market Committee Roshdil Khan Hoti has also been illegally occupying the seat for more than one year.

His tenure ended in February 2019.

The DC Islamabad did not comment on the matter till filing of the story while Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar claimed to have no connection with the Ali Mughal and this MoI issue. He added that the district administrat i o n hosts the Isl a m a b a d Development Wo r k i n g Party meeting (IDWP) and the private individu a l s cannot sit in t h a t meeting.

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PTI government changes Punjab IGP for sixth time in two years continued on page 01 Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan also directed CM Buzdar to bring reforms in the provincial police department. He added that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands. After approval from PM Imran, the federal government had decided to change the Punjab IGP and the premier had asked for recommendations for the post. Reportedly, names of Arif Nawaz, Allah Dino Khawaja, Kaleem Imam, Rao Sardar, Amir Zulfiqar, Mohsin Butt were under consideration for the said post, but Ghani was selected. Ghani is a Grade 21 officer who was serving as Additional IG South Punjab and has previously held the posts of Punjab additional IG (operations). He belongs from Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and joined Pakistan Police Service in 1989 as ASP. He belongs to the 17th Common of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP). Soon after the new IGP was appointed, Additional IG Tariq Masood Yasin refused to work under the new police chief, and has sent a letter to the DIG headquarters stating that Ghani is a junior and he cannot work under him. The letter states, “I have served all along with dignity, honour and within a certain set of principles. Now that Mr. Shoaib Dastgir has been transferred and the incumbent IGP is junior to me in seniority, therefore, I request Government of the Punjab to transfer me with immediate effect. Till the time, a decision is made; my case may kindly be placed before the new IGP for the kind of leave due to me.” Separately, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday said that both the people and the bureaucracy have lost confidence in CM Buzdar and PM Imran, and demanded their resignation. She also expressed concern about Dastagir’s statement on misconduct and said that this statement means that corruption, incompetence and nepotism are common in the government. She alleged that rulers are using institutions of the country for politics and said that opposition is pointing out interference in institutions for the last two years. Responding to differences between CCPO Lahore and Punjab IGP, Marriyum said that refusal of the police chief to work with the chief minister is proof of government’s failure.

Nimir denies entering FMCG market BUSINESS DESK: Nimir Industrial Chemical Limited (NICL) has issued a clarification in response to a media report claiming that ‘Nimir has entered the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business’. “This refers to the news item published in the media, wherein it was incorrectly stated that NICL is going to enter the FMCG Market,” the statement read. “It is clarified that Nimir Chemicals Ltd has no intention of entering the FMCG market as a direct player.” According to the statement, “Nimir Industrial Chemicals is a third-party manufacturer for many MNCs, and it is in this regard has decided to invest Rs750 million to set up production facilities for home and personal care products. This investment will further enhance NICL’s capability as a third-party manufacturer, wherein it will be capable of producing more FMCG products for our MNC customers.”

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

06 COMMENT

The passing of Pranab-da

Confusing Karachi plan Where will the money come from?

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n unprecedented level of rainfall in Karachi left the city flooded, disrupting everyday life, and inflicting unimaginable damage to private and public property. in the coming months, residents will have to fend for themselves to repair the damage to their houses, places of business and vehicles. Were it not for the criminal lack of investment in the city’s infrastructure by the provincial, local and federal governments over the past so many years, such an unmitigated disaster could have been avoided, or would at least have been less severe. all sides have played dirty politics, with the federal government run by the pTi and the sind government by the ppp taking the lead. prime minister imran Khan has announced a ‘Karachi Transformation plan’ to the tune of a whopping Rs 1.1 trillion to be spent on a mass transit system and improving the infrastructure to better handle rains. during his much belated visit to the city, the pm said that both the centre and sindh governments had decided to work “together” to resolve the metropolis’s many issues. Only days later, Federal information minister shibli Faraz stated that funds could not be directly released to the sindh government because “they cannot be trusted” and would misappropriate the money. ppp chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hit back, replying that the money announced in the relief package is not anyone’s personal wealth, rather it belonged to the people of sindh─ so much for “working together”.

There is also an indication that the plan itself has not been thought out very well and was announced rather haphazardly. according to the ppp, Rs800 billion will be provided by the sindh government and the Federal government will add Rs300 billion. This was rebutted by Federal planning minister asad Umar who claimed that 62 percent would be contributed by the centre and 38 percent by sindh, only to clarify later in the same day that the center and sindh would contribute Rs400 billion each and a decision about the remaining Rs 300 billion was still to be made. putting aside the ‘who gets what’ debate, there is no information or discussion over how these funds will be raised given pakistan’s crippling revenue shortfall. it seems the people of Karachi have again been served a bowl of numbers that mean very little and will translate into nothing concrete to address the serious issues they continue to face on a daily basis.

He might have been the first Bengali PM of India

M J AKBAR

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pandemic’s sense of pervasive death has diminished the funeral. is that necessarily a loss? Funerals are so often crowded with people come to lay a calling card on a bier. The funeral prayer of delhi is the cliché turned flaccid by overuse. Those who stood in the shadows wielding arsenic scalpels when there was life, suddenly discover virtues in statements released to the press. Those who had no time for the living race to the front of the queue at the funeral with solemn faces tilted towards cameras.

Genuine grief is a companion of solitude: you gain nothing and you lose nothing in the public eye for you are not on display.

The human being is not a natural hermit. He is gregarious. Life brings us together. We call it friendship on the intimate level, association in an expanded context, and society on the macro scale. But we die alone. maybe we should mourn alone, too. even writing an eulogy seems invasive of something precious. i came to know pranab mukherjee, or pranab-da, when i was editor of a young but ebullient newspaper in calcutta, and he was a senior star in mrs indira Gandhi’s firmament. We kept aside political differences and continued to bond through the inimitable intimacy of the Bengali language.

The test came when, after 1985, pranab-da lost the confidence of the new prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, and with it his cabinet position. He moved to a small flat, which included a tiny room for puja. Very few people knew how religious, and indeed Brahminical in the best sense of the term, pranab-da was. every day would begin with a puja, and each year he would go to his birthplace-village in Bengal to preside over pujas. i would call on him with even

Deaths at marble mines Modern machinery will save lives, enhance profits

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n the second incident of its kind in the last eight months, at least 11 miners were killed and five injured at a marble quarry in KpK. Twenty five people are reportedly still missing and could have been trapped under the debris. every year there are reports of accidents of the sort both in marble and coal mines. explosives planted in a marble mine sometime get activated prematurely leading to immediate deaths or severe injuries. By the time heavy machinery is brought, many of those under the rubble are dead. pakistan exports marble to a number of countries including china. in 2019 marble exports to china alone were worth $21 million. pakistan can put an end to the tragic deaths while also earning many times more foreign exchange by modernizing its mining system. mine operators in pakistan rely on the medieval technology of blasting through dynamite for the extraction of marble from mountains. Besides causing avoidable casualties, the method leads to the wastage of about 80 percent of the marble which turns into small pieces that can only be used to make decoration pieces or bricks. as things stand, most of the marble excavated is straightaway exported without value addition. in developed countries the mining of marble is carried out through wire cutting and block cutting. The modern extraction machines ensure the availability of the maximum quantity of raw marble in its best shape. The most consequential impact of the export of marble in its raw form is that it prevents the local marble industry from developing its value-adding capacity. By turning the trade into an industry, more quarries would open up, and jobs be created for the local labour.

The government needs to step in to provide incentives to those willing to modernize their extraction methods. it can import the required machinery and provide it to the private sector on lease. it can even direct the Heavy mechanical complex Taxila to produce the equipment required. as long as this does not happen, lives will continue to be lost and unprocessed marble sold at throwaway prices.

SoJlA SAhAR

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eOGRapHy plays pivotal role in forming the strategies and policies of states for its defense and its foreign relations. it can predict how successful or struggling the economy of a country will be in the future because of its geography. some scholars might disagree and say that it’s an old school of thought, as in this progressive and hitech world, geographic hurdles can be overcome quite easily. But no, that’s not possible even if it’s a new world. states cannot navigate rivers and cannot change the steep cliffs or lands that are affected by huge floods.

They cannot stop volcanoes from exploding nor can they change the intensely cold temperatures of the waters. These challenges are given by nature to the states and while keeping these facts in mind, states make their strategies and future plans. such challenges are posed to Greece which is currently showing off its muscles to Turkey. Greece comprises coastlines that have steep cliffs, and there are few coastal plains for agriculture that means they have to import grains and many other essential food items for its people. Greece has the natural problem of having less fertile lands in its territory. The majority of islands have steep cliffs and rivers where transportation for trading is a tough challenge and nearly impossible. This land is hard for trade and not suitable for food production. On the other hand, athens is situated at the tip of the peninsula that cuts off from the main trading routes to europe. Greece is totally dependent on the aegean sea for its trading through the sea routes and through these routes it is running its economy and are feeding its people. But the problem lies here. across the aegean sea is situated Greece’s potential enemy, Turkey. most of the maritime trade with the region is conducted through the aegean sea. But Turkey and Greece have been historic rivals and are also involved in maritime tensions that are escalating with each coming day. This situation poses chronic tension for Greece as it does not

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tions” in order to resolve this problem, but this is not going to produce any fruitful outcomes.

France is indulging in the escalating conflict because of its own geographical reasons. it has huge fertile lands in the northern and southern european plains and has the potential of becoming of both a southern and northern european power. it has huge fertile lands in Western europe and many of its rivers has a strong military for the defense of its territories. connect with one another, one flows all the way to the its involvement in war can be proved catastrophic for atlantic and another flows to the mediterranean. it has the country but a win-lose situation for Turkey. huge potential for agricultural production but the curmoreover, Greece consists of 1400 islands and rent tensions between Greece and Turkey has the some of these 1400 islands comprise of vast areas. it chances to disrupt the peace of France because of its is obvious that for the protecconnections with the waters tion of these islands Greece and its influence on the requires a powerful navy to Greek islands. not just this, just “patrol” its territory and Turkey’s exploration and Turkey, after the abolishing an even stronger navy for drilling in the waters of the achieving deterrence. curaegean can alarm these of the Lausanne Treaty, will rently it does not have the western states about a new potential to deter its potential entirely change the conflict that can pose huge rival– Turkey. Turkey is challenges to geopolitics of the region and economic much stronger than Greece if these states. The close ties of compared militarily. The Russia, china and Turkey this can be predicted from aims of Turkey for expansion are scaring the european of its territory that are based family of the increasing inthe contemporary policies on historical claims can be fluence of this bloc on the and strategies of Turkey accomplished in the future if natural resources of gases the two states go to war with and energy. in order to cope towards its weak neighbours. with each other because the geogthis situation, these raphy of Greece does not states will use Greece as It shows that Turkey is well support it. it is dependent on their “buffer zone” for keepaware of the geographic the diplomatic, defensive and ing an eye on the moves of economic support by its old Russia and china. This will constraints of its neighbours also help them to deter european allies and protectors. But in this pandemic sitand is ready to benefit to the Turkey and its expansionist uation even the european aims because Greece is a countries are not interested in fullest from this situation duck soup for Turkey but indulging in a war. They are Greek alliances are a strong facing economic crisis and challenge for the Turkish are also facing the uncertain neo-Ottomanic aims.

Us elections, Belarus’s problems and Russia’s threats Turkey, after the abolishing of the Lausanne to intervene in the Belarus crisis, economic setbacks Treaty, will entirely change the geopolitics of the recaused by the pandemic and public pressures have re- gion and this can be predicted from the contemporary duced the interests of europe in supporting Greece in policies and strategies of Turkey towards its weak such rising tensions. On the other hand, Greece can neighbours. it shows that Turkey is well aware of the expect no help from Britain as it has exited and re- geographic constraints of its neighbours and is ready treated from the european affairs. The whole of this to benefit to the fullest from this situation. situation puts Greece into a challenging situation. in this help from France can be of less benefit. That is Sojla Sahar is a freelance columnist why the states have offered the solution of “negotiaReach at: Khansojla123@gmail.com

The geography of Greece drives Turkish policy towards it

Arif Nizami

Joint Editor

Mobashar Jawed Akbar is a leading Indian journalist and author. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Sunday Guardian. He has also served as Editorial Director of India Today. He tweets at: @mjakbar.

What geography has to tell

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

more frequency during those fallow years; years which must have strengthened his study of astrology.

Very few people came to visit him then. He never forgot them.

Our mentor-student relationship had many facets, from books to speeches to animated discussion of vital political decisions, but everything was safely stored in that custody of trust which can be irreparably damaged by even a single leak. What was confidential in his presence, must remain closeted in his absence. His public life, however, was public. For me what is interesting is not where he reached on the slippery slopes of politics, but what he should have achieved. pranab mukherjee was the third Bengali icon who was denied a legitimate place as prime minister.

The first was subhas chandra Bose, finessed out of leadership by mahatma Gandhi in the late 1930s for reasons that do not stand up to historical scrutiny. Bose left congress and raised the indian national army with Japan. Bose survived World War ii, but was lost to the nation in the uncertain aftermath. There has been much controversy about what precisely happened. However, if he had returned to india, he might have led the nation after the 1962 elections, and certainly would have become prime minister after 1967. Bose was born in 1897, so would have been only 70 in 1967.

The second Bengali was sabotaged by communists. This is almost unbelievably ironic since Jyoti Basu was a founder of his party, the communist party of india-marxist. He was chief minister of Bengal from 1977, and nationally renowned by the time of the hung parliament of 1996, in which a non-congress coalition was ready to form the government.

This coalition solved its most difficult problem without fuss, choosing Jyoti Basu as potential prime minister. One newspaper headline proclaimed that a red star had risen over delhi, while coalition partners awaited the formality of party approval. instead, the cpi-m politburo, in a ghastly mistake, decided not to join government and thereby prevented Basu becoming the first communist and Bengali pm.

Basu might also have become the wittiest pm.

Once, travelling first class from calcutta to London for his annual holiday, he was asked what a communist was doing in the first class cabin. Replied Basu: “i am a first-class communist”. Basu was also the only communist who could have renamed the road where the Usa’s calcutta consulate was, Ho chi minh street and then gone to america to seek investment.

Later, in an interview to this writer, Jyoti Basu called the decision “a historic blunder”. He was right. indian communism never recovered. in 2000 Basu retired. His successors not only lost the communist fortress of Bengal, but whittled down the red movement to insignificance. in 2004 pranab mukherjee could have become the first congress pm from Bengal. By any measure

of ministerial experience, parliamentary sagacity or political savvy he was the congress’s pre-eminent figure, way ahead of dr manmohan singh. But mrs sonia Gandhi would not trust him. indeed, he did not even get the Finance ministry, his second choice. The same barely disguised antagonism was evident in 2012, when he wanted to become president. That was when he brought a lifetime’s craft and personal relationships into play, and outmaneuvered the congress.

He was Finance minister when he came to Bengal to do the sort of thing that politicians have to: change the name of a street with a speech before mohalla elders. except that this was the lane on which i had grown up, in the small working class settlement outside Victoria Jute mill on the banks of the Hooghly called Telinipara, a two-hour drive from calcutta through difficult traffic and pockmarked roads. previously sir alexander murray Lane, it was being renamed in memory of my father. There were no political rewards in this gesture; it was personal..

Our last one-to-one conversation was last december last year; the shadow of uncertainty occasionally flickered across his face when he spoke of his health. We met for the last time in January this year, when he released my book Gandhi’s Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah’s Islam on the lawns of his home in delhi. He was frail, for his body further weakened. But his speech had all the familiar verve. it was an unforgettable privilege and an honour for me and for everyone who came to hear him. Then February darkened with the pall of covid-19 and a pandemic put us into isolation by march.

One perennial topic was Bengal. pranab-da was the quintessential Bengali: warm, erudite, involved, and a perfect gentleman. He knew Bengal better than anyone else, but his real passion was national politics, which he learnt from mrs indira Gandhi. He was devoted to her, and she understood his worth far better than her successors did. His loyalty did not flinch during her most difficult days, after she lost in 1977 to face the shah commission inquiring into the emergency. mrs Gandhi and he were the only two leaders to boycott the commission. she was clear-minded enough to foresee defeat once the 1977 campaign began, and told him so. He was always confident of her revival, because he knew that her connect with the base was her primary strength. congress has declined after her because it narrowed its concentration to just its presumed voters. mukherjee understood that democratic politics is algebra, where various parts of the electoral equation are held together by governance, not deposits in vote banks.

He would have always kept this much in mind if he had become pm.

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Wednesday, 9 September, 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

Successful education system a successful education system should be based on the psychological comfort and equality, children should be inspired by teachers to work effectively by the interesting learning process and interactive tools in the educational process. education gives us a knowledge of the world around us and changes it into something better. it develops in us a perspective of looking at life. it helps us build opinions and have points of view on things in life. education is the only thing that gives knowledge. Our prophet Hazrat muhammad (s a W ) said that, get education in any situation because he knows that, education is most important for everyone. i think specially important for young generation. so, don’t waist your time in useless things. Because everyone knows the situation of those people who waisted their time on their bed hobbies.

That is very easy lesson to change your life.

Mian MuhaMMad Salla Mirokhan

Roadside plantation

Islamophobia a big threat The BJP follows Hindutva, which is another name for Islamohobia

MAliK MuhAMMAd AShRAf

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He rise of islamophobia (anti-muslim feelings) in the world in the backdrop of 9/11 is indeed a very worrying phenomenon as it poses a grave challenge to societal order where it exists as well as forms a serious threat to inter-faith harmony.

The world has witnessed exponential increase in attacks on members of the islamic community as well as their worship places. another outcome of this anti-muslim streak has been the rise of farright political parties in the european countries raising slogans like “protect europe from islam” which are gaining popularity. The mainstream media, social media and internet have been used to spread misinformation and to generate hysteria. incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in norway and sweden last week which provoked protest rallies by muslim citizens of those countries are indications of the brewing storm.

The world saw the ugliest and the most horrifying manifestation of islamophobia in new Zealand when an australian citizen attacked two mosques in christchurch on 25 march 2019, killing 49 worshipers and wounding 48. all these hate-related attacks were either carried out by individuals or group of individuals, while the states and governments of those countries not only slated those incidents but also took steps to prevent recurrence of such acts. new Zealand’s prime minister showed rare solidarity with the muslim community and described it as the darkest day in the history of the country. it is in the backdrop of the rise in islamophobia that voices for inter-faith harmony have gained strength across the globe because it is perceived as a great threat to the world peace loaded with the prospects of triggering a clash between civilizations.

However, regrettably, the only country which is engaged in anti-muslim acts as a state policy is india under the BJp regime headed by narendra modi. The BJp government, inebriated by the Rss ideology of ‘Hindutva’ which aims to reshape india as a Hindu state, has been pursuing communal policies, mostly targeting the muslim minority.

French political scientist christophe Jaffrelot, specializing in south asian affairs, particularly india and pakistan, pointed out that the ideology of the Rss along with other Hindu nationalist movements such as the arya samaj and the Hindu mahasabha, thought of muslims,

christians and the British as “foreign bodies” im- human rights activist arundhati Roy joined the planted in the Hindu nation, who were able to ex- protests against anti-muslims laws and reploit the disunity and absence of valour among marked, “you cannot get more raw and open fasthe Hindus in order to subdue them. However, cist than this. These laws are breaking the back the majority of scholars believe that Rss was ac- of the indian constitution. The citizenship amendment Bill and national Register of cititually formed to fight the indian muslims.

The BJp government first deprived 1.9 mil- zens combined together are making petitioners lion muslims in assam of indian citizenship, out of the entire population. The act is anti-musand then followed it up with citizenship amend- lim even it was meant only for undocumented ment act which seeks to grant citizenship to six immigrants. To discriminate against muslims, to persecuted minority communities from leave out sri Lankan refugees and to not talk Bangladesh, afghanistan and pakistan—except about persecuted muslim minorities in other muslim. These two anti-muslim legislations countries, is unconstitutional. When you say that provoked countrywide protests, particularly citizenship will be based on the government against the citizenship amendment act. To scrutiny of a certain set of documents, this is quell this movement, BJp activists were let loose what happened in 1935 Germany, these were on the demonstrators and the law enforcing what were known as the nuremberg laws.”

What is happening in india is a practical agencies remained silent spectators while the demonstration of ismuslims were being lamophobia adopted as butchered. more than a state policy by the 50 muslims were killed government. The disduring the protest One really wonders when the courses dr. manmohan movement. it was mansingh and arundhati ifestly state terrorism world would realize that Roy amply testify to against its own citizens. this phenomenon.

Though some muffled Muslim lives in India and Unfortunately the voices were heard from occupied Kashmiri also indian government has the world community not stopped at only these against the persecution matter and the Indian anti-muslim legislative of muslims and the measures within india, communal policies purIslamophobia needs to be but has also taken this sued by the indian govstopped in its tracks before hate syndrome to the inernment, none was as Occupied Kashmir. vociferous as one conit was too late. It is a thought dian The BJp government tinues to hear like first scrapped article ‘black lives matter’. provoking moment for those 370 of the indian conperhaps for them musstitution ending special lim lives do not matter. who take pride in their status of the state, folHowever, the recredentials as proponent of lowed by annexation of deeming factor is that the state through the some conscientious peaceful co-existence, Jammu and Kashmir voices within india Re-organization act and have not only vehehuman liberties and finally bringing in a new mently condemned fundamental rights as domicile law meant to these anti-muslim acchange demographic retions of the BJp govenshrined in the Universal alties, in blatant violaernment, but have also urged it to abandon that Declaration of Human Rights tion of the Un resolutions, bilateral disastrous course. none agreements between other than former india and pakistan and prime minister manthe 4th Geneva convenmohan singh in an article published in The Hindu on march 6, referring tion. to the situation in delhi, said, “delhi has become indian Occupied Kashmir is under siege and subjected to extreme violence over the past few complete lockdown since 5 august 2019 and the weeks. We have lost nearly 50 of our fellow in- indian security forces have killed more than 200 dians for no reason. several hundred people Kashmiris in extra-judicial killings while the have suffered injuries. communal tensions have world maintains criminal indifference to their been stoked and flames of religious intolerance plight. The indian belligerent disposition towards fanned by unruly sections of our society, includ- pakistan, yet another manifestation of islamophoing the political class. University campuses, bia, also poses a grave threat to peace and security public places and private homes are bearing the in the region. One really wonders when the world brunt of communal outbursts of violence, remi- would realize that muslim lives in india and ocniscent of the dark periods in india’s history. in- cupied Kashmiri also matter and the indian islamstitutions of law and order have abandoned their ophobia needs to be stopped in its tracks before it dharma to protect citizens. institutions of justice was too late. it is a thought provoking moment for and the fourth pillar of democracy, the media, those who take pride in their credentials as prohave also failed us. Just in a matter of few years, ponent of peaceful co-existence, human liberties india has slid rapidly from being a global show- and fundamental rights as enshrined in the Unicase of a model of economic development versal declaration of Human Rights. through liberal democratic methods to a strife ridden majoritarian state”.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. a renowned indian writer, political and He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com

pResenTLy, we are aware of the need of plants due to rapid urbanization and increasing deforestation. Without plants, there would be no life. However, the increasing rate of population needs more lands for other works due to which humans are cutting the trees that gives us oxygen to breath. Therefore, in such situations, growing trees on roadsides not only beauties the area but also gives us fresh air and can meet the need of oxygen. so, the authorities must plant trees on roadsides. afroz MJ TurbaT

Justice for Shaheena a painter, artist, host, social activist and importantly a baloch women who was empowering herself within the conservative society. shaheena shaheen was killed in Turbat balochistan. shaheena, a Bloch journalist, aged around 25 years was killed by his own husband as she was a brave women and specially an example for Baloch females. after the death of hayat baloch a question was raised, “who is the next baloch to lose his/her life.”answer is infront ; shaheena shaheen Baloch. a female who found an organization named dazguhar when she was in metric. she was the chairperson of the organization while she worked with her friends and classmates. she published a magzine and worked in pTV Bolan. she did her master in fine arts. Her murder is the death of arts, ambition and dreams of coming Baloch females. Henceforth, i plea the government to provide justice to her so that Baloch women must not remain behind.

Mahnaz MuShTaq TurbaT

School SOPs sOp stand for standard Operating procedure or rather it is a set of step-by-step instructions copiled by an organization to help the workers carry out complex routine operations. However, this letter refers to the cOVid-19 ( novel coronavirus) pandemic which has created havoc in a aimed society and worsen it’s main qualities and interest. according to some research the virus is fatal and is right now curbed but yet few cases reported. did you recognized why people are yet active seeing what they follow the rules of lockdown. When the educational minister shefqat mehmood yesterday narrated educational institutions are to open from september 15. This was even a grave of concern for the world as the WHO chief estimated the world should get prepared for the next pandemic as likely more than 27.19 people infected by the virus globally. it’s the accurate time that institutions being open on 15th . i don’t think people seen shifting through sOps such as wearing masks and including corona tests if students having it’s symptoms. so guys be attentive for the cOVid-19 best caring and education. barkaTullah TurbaT

Social media battlefield impLiTicLy, social media has an effective role in our lives. it chalks out various knowledgeable material to the people. But at the same time, it seems to be working as an invisible battlefield for the propaganda masters. it is used as a weapon to undermine a country. it leaves a deep impact on human mind. The propaganda masters present on the social media ignite the feelings of other people to spread animosity and to act violently which results into subsequent domestic and international conflicts. as a reality, the world is moving towards new warfare techniques. The tradition of conventional warfare is over now. The world warring the 5th generation war. This is a kind of war which is fought with ideas and propagandas. To imbue those warmongering thoughts in the people, social media appears to be the best platform to be used. For instance, china a predictable superpower has now allowed her american ambassadors to create social media accounts and counter every propaganda caused

by Usa. Their delegations are lashing out their every rival on their Twitter accounts. They seem to be following their “Wolf Warrior 2.0” startegy which is to act aggressively towards any rival country of china by using modern techniques. so, we have to fathom the proper use of social media and indicate every threat which can ramp up aggression in our people against our state. awaiS GopanG Sukkur

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

How Turkey’s sofT power conquered pakisTan THE TV DRAMA “ERTUGRUL” REVEALS HOW NEO-OTTOMAN FANTASIES ARE FINDING AN ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE IN A COUNTRY THAT STRUGGLES WITH SAUDI AND WESTERN INFLUENCE TURKISH DIZI—TELEVISION DRAMAS—ARE SECOND ONLY TO AMERICAN ONES IN TERMS OF GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION PAKISTAN MAKES UP 25 PERCENT OF ERTUGRUL’S GLOBAL AUDIENCE ON YOUTUBE Foreign Policy

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FATIMA BHUTTO

hen esraBilgic, the 27-yearold star of the popular Turkish television drama Dirilis: ertugrul (“Resurrection: ertugrul”), posted a picture of herself in a bralette and blazer on Instagram, she couldn’t have anticipated the collective lamentation that would follow. Bilgic, who plays halimehatun, a Seljuk warrior princess married to the titular ertugrul Ghazi and the mother of Osman, eventual founder of the Ottoman empire, received thousands of comments, but the response from a certain segment of fans was doleful, to say the least.

“Where is halima Sultan i saw yesterday night,” one commenter inquired, echoing the distress of his compatriots and noting that he had been seeking repentance for himself as well as for the actress. “What will you do when Allah will ask you about your this posture. … Stay blessed Love from Pakistan.”

Today, Turkish dizi—television dramas—are second only to American ones in terms of global distribution. Turkish is now the most watched foreign language in the world, beating out French, Spanish, and Mandarin. ertugrul, which began filming in 2014, first became popular on netflix and has since been licensed to 72 countries.

When its finale aired on TRT, Turkey’s national public broadcast channel— serendipitously on the anniversary of the Ottoman capture of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine empire—more people searched YouTube for ertugrul than for the Game of Thrones character Jon Snow, whose own show had ended 10 days earlier. The series is set in 13th-century Anatolia as ertugrul Ghazi, a warrior leading the Kayi tribe, battles Byzantines, Crusaders, and Mongols. It is a superbly shot, emotive drama that plays out all of Turkey’s—and the Muslim world’s—fantasies and anxieties. ertugrul, played by enginAltanDuzyatan, inhabits a time in which the sons of the Muslim world have never been humiliated.

It is some 600 years since the Prophet Mohammed (PBUh) received the word of God, and Islam’s dominion has expanded from Iberia to the Indus and promises to stretch across the earth itself. ertugrul is portrayed as an honorable man, deserving of the glory and respect people and strangers alike bestow on him; he is righteous, unafraid, and just, even as he is beset by spies and traitors.

Series after series, ertugrul confronts avatars of today’s global forces—the Mongols, or China; Byzantines, or the West; and the Knights Templar as a general stand-in for Christian powers.

Turkish President RecepTayyip erdogan has celebrated the show for “entering the nation’s heart” and is an enthusiastic supporter.

Its producer, Kemal Tekden, is a member of erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), and the show’s creator, Mehmet Bozdag, is, if not a member, an open admirer. “eighty-six years of longing has come to an end,” he tweeted after erdogan and his cabinet offered the first Muslim prayers at the hagia Sophia after a court annulled the sixthcentury Byzantine church’s status as a museum. nelson Mandela’s grandson, a member of South Africa’s parliament, visited the set and posed for photos decked out in ertugrul’sKayi tribal kit as did Venezuela’s head of state, nicolásMaduro. Maduro was so moved, Bozdag claimed, that he even considered converting to Islam after his visit.

Pakistan is not the first country to lose itself to ertugrul hysteria—Urdu is the fourth language the show has been dubbed into, following Arabic, Spanish, and Russian—but its affinity has broader geopolitical implications. Pakistan and Turkey have long held each other in reverence and call each other “brother countries.” Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan after its founding in 1947 and lobbied for its membership in the United nations. even before Pakistan’s independence,

STRANGELY, FOR ALL THE FIDELITY PAKISTANIS PROFESS FOR ERTUGRUL AND ITS VALUES, THEY SEEM TO PAY LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE SHOW’S MESSAGE OF RELIGIOUS PLURALISM Muslims of the British Raj banded together under the Khilafat Movement of 1919-1922 in support of the crumbling Ottoman empire. The Khilafat—or Caliphate—was a symbol of global Muslim unity, and though the movement collapsed after Mustafa Kemal Ataturk deposed Mehmed VI, the last sultan, Indian Muslims sent financial aid to the empire on its last legs.

As Asia grapples with sectarian strife, religious extremism, and geopolitical shifts—from Saudi Arabia’s rivalry with Iran to narendra Modi’s India, which is tilting away from its secular roots and toward hindu majoritarianism, to the specter of a rising China—Pakistan has grown closer to Turkey, identifying with its particular brand of Islam-inspired modernity rather than the harsher alternative of Saudi Wahhabism.

Though bilateral relations have focused on political, military, and economic engagement, today Pakistan and Turkey are deepening their cultural connections. ertugrul’s

recently bemoaned the “thirdhand culture” that was infecting Pakistan through hollywood and Bollywood. “We have a culture with romance and history, as well. however, it is also filled with Islamic values,” Khan said. TRT gifted ertugrul to Pakistan, free of licensing costs; it was a gesture that has more than paid off.

Pakistan makes up 25 percent of ertugrul’s global audience on YouTube, and in the last week of May, TRT ertugrul by PTV was YouTube’s 33rd-most watched channel in the world. Mirza doesn’t think the Turks set out with the idea of capturing Pakistan’s affection as a cultural goal, “but if it wasn’t before, it probably is now.” Bozdag, ertugrul’s creator and scriptwriter, has promised “world-shaking deals” between Pakistan and Turkey, noting that even if the countries have separate borders, “the souls are of one nation.”

“I am not doing this for hollywood or Bollywood or anyone who hates Islam,”

squarely in the middle. Despite Pakistan’s love for Turkey, Khan was the first world leader to welcome Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, after the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul—a crime that erdogan helped expose after repeated Saudi denials and cover-ups.

Khan even received the crown prince in a gilded, horse-drawn carriage.

In August, on the first anniversary of Indian-Occupied Kashmir’s internet shutdown—the longest communications blackout imposed by any democratic country—Khan’s government called on Saudi Arabia to support Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, or it would be forced to seek support from other states in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Riyadh’s response was swift: It demanded that Islamabad cough up a $1 billion payment for oil deliveries and ended the loan and oil supplies agreement between the two countries, making clear

popularity in Pakistan isn’t spontaneous in the way other dizi have been—MuhtesemYuzyil (“Magnificent Century,” known in Pakistan as Mera Sultan) and Ask-iMemnu (“Forbidden Love,” known as Ishq-e-Mamnoo) were also both huge hits. More than 55 million people watched Ishq-e-Mamnoo’s finale in Pakistan—about one-fourth of the country’s population. It was the first time in Pakistan’s history that a foreign show drew such high numbers.

Unlike previous dizi, ertugrul’s popularity has a deeper political significance, however. It is liked for all of the standard reasons—sophisticated production, dramatic tension, and conservative messaging that the whole family can enjoy together—but its widespread following in Pakistan, where it is known as ertugrul Ghazi, is also a sign of the country’s fraught position at this particular moment.

“The West has had far greater cultural import on Pakistan than anyone else,” said Shaheryar Mirza, a Pakistani executive producer at TRT World, who spoke to me in a personal capacity, noting that today Pakistan finds itself in an unusual position as a cultural and political battleground between Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and others.

“Pakistan is a fault line. … From its birth until now, it’s swung in wildly different directions.”

Pakistan Television (PTV) began broadcasting ertugrul’s first season this year during Ramadan after a request by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan often mentions the show in his speeches and sermons. he

Bozdag has said, echoing Khan. “We need to reexplain the art of Islam and the Islamic world because this art and history is a transcendent art, from the Taj Mahal to the Alhambra. Today, we have to tell the whole world about the beautiful voice of Islam.”

The blistering and bombastic erdogan may be divisive at home, but abroad, whether one likes him or hates him, he possesses a charisma that has been absent in the Muslim world for decades. And he is making a play to restore Turkey to its historic role as the leader of Sunni Muslims, displacing Saudi Arabia. After all, it was only after Mehmed VI was deposed that the house of Saud took custodianship of the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medina. The Ottoman empire was once the custodian of the two mosques and thus the de facto leader of the Islamic ummah for 400 years—and it is this position to which erdogan seeks to return.

When the United Arab emirates, a key Saudi ally, announced its recognition of Israel in August, erdogan suggested that he might cut diplomatic ties and recall Turkey’s ambassador to Abu Dhabi. Speaking in Pakistan’s parliament in February, he lambasted Indian Prime Minister narendra Modi’s communications siege of Kashmir. “There is no difference between Gallipoli and Kashmir,” erdogan thundered, comparing the struggle of Kashmiris to the Ottoman empire’s fight against Allied powers during World War I. This tussle between Saudi Arabia and Turkey is playing out across numerous fronts, and Pakistan finds itself caught

how economically dependent Pakistan is.

Rumors abound that Saudi Arabia also demanded that Pakistan stop airing ertugrul.

The UAe and Saudi Arabia, in a joint production, have spent $40 million on Kingdoms of Fire, a show about Arab resistance to the Ottoman empire, going so far as to hire Peter Webber, a British director, for added cachet. It was an expensive salvo against Turkey’s cultural neo-Ottomanism, but it has apparently failed; no one seems to be watching.

Pakistan would like to be a leader of the Muslim world but finds itself weakened by endemically corrupt governments, inept institutions, and terrorism. On top of its many woes, it is beholden to a military establishment that ultimately determines the course of the country regardless of which prime minister is in office or what the people want. As it depends on humiliating loans from the International Monetary Fund and U.S. aid, Khan’s Pakistan sees models of aspiration in Turkey and Malaysia. Khan has called erdogan, along with former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a personal hero.

Yet even as his admiration is often proclaimed, it is clear that he is unable to follow in their footsteps. At the 2019 U.n. General Assembly meeting, Khan announced that the three countries would together create a television channel aimed at combating Islamophobia. But for all his declarations of brotherhood, Khan abruptly pulled out of a conference on the Muslim world organized

by Malaysia in December 2019. “Unfortunately, our friends, who are very close to

Pakistan as well, felt that somehow the conference was going to divide the ummah,” Khan said, hinting at but not naming Saudi Arabia. erdogan was blunter. “Unfortunately, we see that Saudi Arabia pressures Pakistan,” he said at the time. no mention has been made of the television channel since last fall.

Pakistan remains confused over just what it means to be Pakistani. For the 73 years of the nation’s life, there has been no consensus over how modern or Islamic it ought to be. Modernity is both desired and feared as a Western export, and there is uncertainty over which version of Islam it should follow—the Sufi Islam of the subcontinent or the intolerant orthodoxy of Saudi Wahhabism. ertugrul may be the no. 1 title on Pakistani netflix, as of late July, but Dark Desire, The Kissing Booth, and the Polish soft-core porn caper 365 Days occupy spots five, seven, and eight—an illustration of the constant conflict between values, desire, and curiosity among the country’s more than 200 million people.

This confusion is most pronounced among Pakistan’s elite. But the middleclass Pakistanis who make up Khan’s political base are less torn: They are simply Muslim and proud. And they see their version of Islam, for the most part, strikingly illuminated by ertugrul. The show is built on deeply conservative values, and there are no salacious love stories or scantily clad women. here, love stories are told through marriage or through chaste, polite yearning.

Many female characters wear tribal head coverings. (In the hundreds of hours I spent watching dizi for my book, new Kings of the World, until ertugrul, I had come across only a few seconds of a woman in a hijab.) ertugrul himself can often be found kneeling in prayer. even as he deals with Byzantine spies and advancing hordes of Mongols, ertugrul’s mother is there to remind him, after halime’s death, that he really ought to get remarried. “It’s time to find a nice lady,” she says around the time he has chopped off a Mongol’s hand for being fresh with a woman.

As with any adoration, there are shocks—such as Bilgic’s Instagram post.

Duzyatan, the man who plays ertugrul, also elicited criticism after posing in an anniversary photo with his wife. “Pakistanis love you,” one commenter wrote, “but not in these kinds of pictures.” (his wife was wearing a tank top.)

For all the fidelity Pakistanis profess for ertugrul and its values, they seem to pay little attention to the show’s message of religious pluralism. ertugrul is not only benevolent but generous to believers of other faiths. It’s a lesson Pakistan would do well to learn from.

While Pakistan’s Punjab province recently banned 100 books that it considered blasphemous, including school textbooks with illustrations of pigs, and passed legislation mandating exactly how the Prophet Mohammed (PBUh) must be referred to, Turkey is doing more than reimagining the Muslim ummah; it is shaping it in its image.

Turkey understands the power of narratives. It is a smooth employer of soft power, savvy to all the manipulations and delicate handling necessary to build a new image, rewrite history, and erase both the slander and the truth about a nation’s past. Viewers see the Ottomans in their strongest and most capable avatars—never as sultans at the helm of a dying empire.

Riyaad Minty, the director of digital content at TRT, whose focus is the internationalization of the brand on digital platforms, told me that the broadcaster, whose mandate is “value-based, family-friendly content,” sees itself as “the channel for the next 5 billion.” The question for TRT is not how many viewers shows like ertugrul can pull in but, as Minty says, “Can a show like this inspire a generation of people?”

Soft power only works if the power behind it is seen as credible. Turkey’s government certainly has many problems—erdogan has overseen a steep decline in press freedom, to cite just one example—but it still fares well in comparison to Saudi Arabia. After all, the Turks don’t behead teenagers for attending protests or dismember journalists at their consulates.

If Pakistan is anything to go by, for now it doesn’t look as if Saudi Arabia’s heavyhanded but clumsy efforts will succeed in unseating Turkey as the victor of the Muslim world’s 21st-century culture wars.

Fatima Bhutto is a writer based in Pakistan. Her most recent books are The Runaways, a novel, and New Kings of the World, a nonfiction reportage on global popular culture.

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

BUSINESS 09

MARKET DAILY

Stocks lose 310 points on late selling KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Indices of the Pakistan Stock Exchange succumbed to bearish momentum on Tuesday, with the benchmark index closing in the red despite early gains. Equity markets around the world also displayed a negative trend, whereas global crude oil prices dipped further from the previous close; WTI crude price declining 4.78pc to $37.87 and Brent crude oil price falling 2.64pc to $40.91. "The stock market opened a positive note today, gaining over 200 points during the initial trading hour, mainly on the back of a rally in refinery cement, OMCs and chemical sectors," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. "However, selling pressure during the closing hours, which was caused by the closing of leveraged positions by retail investors, brought the index down to the negative zone."

MARKET SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index witnessed volatile activity on Tuesday, touching its intraday high at 42,528.49 (+232.74 points)and intraday low at 41,912.60 (-383.15 points). It ended lower by 310.56 points at 41,985.19. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index depreciated by 307.44 points to close at 67,729.13, while the KSE All Share Index lost 166.52 points, settling at 29,796.30. The overall market volumes crossed the 800 million mark and were recorded at 884.36 million (+18.09pc). Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL -7.47pc), Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBTL -1.66pc) and Power Cement Ltd (POWER -5.16pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 133.99 million, 66.00 million and 57.96 million shares, respectively. Sectors that painted the benchmark index red included banking (-79.47pts), oil & gas marketing (-35.80pts) and chemical (35.17pts). Among the companies, TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG -33.24pts), Habib Bank Ltd (HBL -27.79pts) and MCB Bank Ltd (MCB 25.35pts) dented the index the most. Lost 1.54pc from its total market capitalization, the pharmaceutical sector ended as the session's top loser, with GlaxoSmithKline (Pakistan) Ltd (GLAXO 2.51pc), The Searle Company Ltd (SEARL 1.97pc) and Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd (FEROZ 3.71pc) closing in the negative territory.

PAKiStAn to lAunch int’l fErry SErvicE linKing irAn, irAq, uAE ISLAMABAD

t

MIAN ABRAR

HE federal cabinet on Tuesday gave formal approval to the launch of a ferry service from Karachi and Gwadar ports to neighbouring states of Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and beyond.

At present, there was no international or national commercial ferry service operating in Pakistan for the purpose of transportation of passengers and goods.

According to a summary exclusively available with this scribe, the potential advantages of water transportation through ferry services were established and common around the world, particularly in several European countries.

In the regional countries such as Iran, UAE, Oman, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, there were established ferry operators, which were successfully running on various routes. The potential for

initiating a ferry service in Pakistan has been felt for quite some time, especially in the context of providing an alternate route for Zaireen intending to visit holy sites in Iran and Iraq.

Further, transportation between Karachi and Gwadar and provision of an alternate water route between Karachi and Port Qasim also has good potential for the country.

According to details, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs had moved a summary for Prime Minister on December 15, 2017, through foreign affairs, interior, revenue and defence divisions, proposing the launch of a ferry service through Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior endorsed the proposal, but the Defence Division had raised various observations/conditions on the proposed ferry service. Hence, the Prime Minister's Office returned the

summary with the directions to address the observations of the defence ministry and re-submit the same within the shortest possible time.

Subsequently, the maritime affairs ministry re-submitted the proposal along with a response to the observations raised by the Ministry of Defence.

It proposed a slightly changed route and involvement of private operators. The Defence Division supported the proposal but stressed that ferry service should be launched in three phases.

The Defence Division recommended ferry services to Muscat and then to UAE and Abu Dhabi in first and second phases, respectively, and later to Iran/Iraq in the third phase. The ministry was of the view that ferry service without Iran/Iraq, a popular destination for the Zaireen, in the first phase shall not be commercially viable.

The foreign affairs and interior divisions endorsed the proposal of this

Finance ministry asked to submit details of jobs quota allocation

K-Electric appoints Shan Ashary as board chairman BUSINESS DESK K-Electric has announced the appointment of Shan A Ashary as the new chairman of its board, effective from Sept 7th, said a statement issued by the power company on Tuesday. Ashary, who has been on the Board of Directors of the company since 2005 and represents the KES Power stake in KE, is the longest-serving member of the board. “As the new chairman, his focus will be on operational excellence at the company across its generation, transmission and distribution functions to ensure safe, reliable and uninterrupted power supply to the company’s customers,” the statement read. “The BoD is confident that Ashary, with his proven track record of accomplishments, will bring a wealth of knowledge and valuable experience to the position.” The board also looks forward to working closely with the committee formed on the directives of the Supreme Court to facilitate KElectric’s service provision and investment approvals through a one-window solution. According to the statement, Mr Riyadh S. A. A. Edrees had decided to step down as board chairman due to his other professional commitments and also his inability to be present in Karachi due to Covid-19 situation and hence not actively participate in KE’s board governance. The board expresses its appreciation to Mr Edrees for his leadership and contribution to the company’s performance.

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs on Tuesday directed the finance ministry to submit details of jobs quota allocated for Sindh and Balochistan along with the details of working persons from the two provinces and their attached departments.

The committee, chaired by Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, also asked the establishment division to provide details of the employees working in grade-17 and above positions, which were hired from the allocated quota of these provinces.

Meanwhile, Sales Tax Policy Chief of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) apprised the

meeting about the measures to reduce the cost of material used in the construction industry, particularly cement clinker.

It was informed that Federal Excise Duty (FED) on the import of cement clinker had reduced to Rs1.5 per kg from Rs2 per kg, which would also be adjustable on import stage.

Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi mentioned that merged districts of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were exempted from FED during the period of last government for 5 years, adding that in Federal Budget 2019-20, the FED was again imposed on merged districts of FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Senator Fida Muhammad in-

formed the committee that about 51 units were operating in these areas but due to imposition of FED, 41 units had been closed and 80,000 people became unemployed.

The chairman also asked the finance ministry to submit a detailed report regarding the supplementary and technical grant.

Among others, the meeting was attended by the Senators Zeeshan Khanzada, Mohsin Aziz, Mian Muhammad Ateeq Shaikh, Dilawar Khan, Musadik Masood Malik, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Sherry Reham, Muhammad Akram, Morza Muhammad Afridi, Fida Muhammad and Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi besides Finance Secretary, FBR Chairman, and officials of State Bank of Pakistan.

ministry subject to addressing the security concerns raised by the Ministry of Defence. The re-submitted proposal was returned by the Prime Minister’s Office, with the direction to convene a meeting of the relevant stakeholders in order to address all the observations/concerns, including those raised by FBR and defence ministry and thereafter submit recommendations.

On Tuesday, the ministry proposed starting ferry service from Karachi (Karachi Port), linking Port Qasim and Gwadar Port with Bandar Abbas (Iran), Basra (Iraq), Muscat (Oman) and Dubai (UAE) separately or collectively.

The ferry terminals at Karachi Port, Port Qasim and/or Gwadar Port would be established by the respective port authorities, replicating all the operational facilities related to security, immigration, customs etc. as that of any international airport in the country in collaboration with other ministries.

Belgium keen to capitalise on Pakistan's investment potential: envoy ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Belgium to Pakistan Philippe Bronchain has said that his country was interested in making investments in Pakistan, as it was a potential country for business and investment activities.

The Belgian ambassador said this while addressing the business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) on Tuesday. Philippe Bronchain discussed various prospects to enhance bilateral trade, investment and joint ventures between Belgium and Pakistan. He said that he would play a constructive role in building a strong image of Pakistan in his country. In his address, Embassy of Belgium Trade Commissioner Abid Husain said that Pakistan was mostly exporting textiles products and some raw materials to Belgium. However, he added, Pakistan needed to invest in technology in order to produce value-added products that would increase its footprint in foreign markets. "This will also help Pakistan to fully capitalise on the GSP-Plus concession offered by the EU." He said that Pakistani diaspora in Belgium could play a leading role in upscaling bilateral trade ties between the two countries. Speaking at the occasion, ICCI President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that Belgium was one of Pakistan's important trading partners within the European Union, however, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries was still below $1 billion despite the fact that both countries have the potential to promote trade in many areas. He briefed the Belgium ambassador about the potential opportunities for JVs and investment in Pakistan. He said that Turkey, Germany, UK and many other countries were taking a keen interest in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and stressed that Belgium's investors should bring technology to set up JVs in Pakistan. Waheed said that Pakistan and Belgium were doing trade in limited items, which was the main reason for low trade volume and stressed that both countries should focus on diversification of trade to achieve better results. He said that geographical positions of Pakistan and Belgium offered the entrepreneurs of both countries unique opportunities for getting enhanced market access in their respective regions, which could be exploited by developing strong business linkages between private sectors of both countries. INP

Govt's negligence leading to lower exports: FPCCI ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has expressed grave concern over the declining trend in exports, which have posted a downfall of around 20 per cent to $1.58 billion in August 2020, startling especially for the economic managers who claimed that economy was recovering from the adverse effect of a turbulent period of post-corona slowdown.

FPCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar said that the drop in exports during August period was really surprising, as he called for out-ofthe-box solutions for economic growth in these crucial times as Covid-19 has adversely impacted the world economy as well as the Pakistan trade and industrial sectors.

According to data, Pakistan’s exports during the month of August recorded a downfall of around 20 per cent in dollar terms, as compared to the same period last year. Interestingly, the dip in August export

CHAMBER PRESIDENT URGES GOVT TO FORMULATE LONGTERM POLICIES TO MEET FY21 EXPORT TARGET OF $27.7BN figures comes after a surge in exports during July 2020, when Covid-19 restrictions were more stringently in place.

In the first two months of FY21, the exports went down by nearly 4 per cent, however, the country’s trade deficit, which stood at $3.7 in the comparative period of last year, contracted to $3.4 billion due to shrinking imports. In absolute terms, there was a reduction of $307 million or around 8 per cent in the trade deficit in the current fiscal year. Overall, imports dipped 6.30 per cent to around $7 billion during July to August.

Mian Anjum Nisar said that the flooding situation in the country, especially in Karachi, has also affected the overall industrial operations, adding that the exports volume might not begin to recover in

September as economic activity is not expected to return to normalcy on an immediate basis.

He said that power outages, slowdown in business activities, delay in transportation and hampering of port operations were some of the issues faced by the exporters due to the unprecedented rains across the country.

The FPCCI president said that besides liquidity problems and issues of increasing cost, rains and subsequent urban flooding also caused significant damage to the infrastructure, disrupting the supply chain and affecting industrial operations.

He urged the concerned provincial governments to upgrade the drainage system in business hubs of all cities and pointed out that the sewerage systems in these areas were outdated and incapable of dealing with

CMYK

a heavy downpour.

He said that rainwater enters the factories, godowns, shops and basements, leading to damages in the merchandise, goods, plants, machinery and raw materials etc.

While the share of regional countries in world exports has considerably increased over the last 40 years, Pakistan’s exports have remained stagnant during this period, he said.

He said that unless attention was paid to all factors that hamper the industrial and exports growth, we may not be able to achieve the desired results. Some of the impediments to the growth of the industry include the cost of production, poor governance, obsolete technology, low productivity, lack of competitiveness, supply constraints and energy issues, he added.

He said that the government has already missed its annual export target for the first two years. For its second year, the economic managers had set the export target at $26 billion, subjected to a downward revision to

$22.4 billion due to uncontrollable factors.

For the current fiscal year, the government has set the export target at $27.7 billion, requiring a growth of only 6 per cent.

Mian Anjum Nisar said that the government has to formulate long-term and consistent policies for the revival of industry and improvement in exports that have been stuck in a downward spiral for a long time.

He recommended the government to take immediate steps for the timely refund of sales and income tax, issuance of income tax exemptions on utility bills and solution of other issues faced by the industrial sector.

He said that although Pakistan’s current account deficit has continuously been reducing owing to lower imports and better inflows, the local currency has continued depreciating in value against the US dollar.

He warned that weakening of rupee indicates that the country might once again march towards a huge trade deficit, which increases the current account deficit again.

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS UN reports 42 virus cases among Syria staff, families BEIRUT: More than 40 members of UN staff and their families have caught coronavirus in Syria, a UN official told AFP Tuesday, warning the illness was spreading in the war-torn country. There were about 200 people including "staff and dependents, spouses, children, parents, who have displayed symptoms of Covid-19," said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "From these 200, there are 42 staff and dependents who have been confirmed positive with Covid-19," he added, speaking to AFP from Geneva, without specifying the nationalities of the infected personnel. Three people had had to be medically evacuated, but most of the others had only "mild" symptoms. The suspected cases were self-isolating for a 14day period, he said, adding the virus had sickened people working in different UN agencies across the country. "It caught us at a time where we have seen a very significant rise, or increase, in the level of Covid-19 in Syria," Laerke said. "We believe community transmission is widespread, and that the actual cases exceeds those that are officially recorded." APP

UN urges 'independent' Russian probe of Navalny poisoning GENEVA: The UN rights chief called Tuesday on Moscow to conduct or cooperate with a "thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation" into the alleged nerve agent attack on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. "The number of cases of poisoning, or other forms of targeted assassination, of current or former Russian citizens, either within Russia itself or on foreign soil, over the past two decades is profoundly disturbing," Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. In Navalny's case, she stressed that "it is incumbent on the Russian authorities to fully investigate who was responsible for this crime - a very serious crime that was committed on Russian soil." APP

Top Democrat accuses US attorney general of lying about China election threat WASHINGTON: The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee on Sunday accused U.S. Attorney General William Barr of lying when he said China posed a bigger threat to November’s U.S. election than Russia. “That’s just a plain false statement by the attorney general,” Adam Schiff told CNN. “What Bill Barr just did in that statement was just flat out mislead the American people.” Barr, named attorney general by President Donald Trump last year, told CNN on Wednesday that China was more of a threat than Russia when it comes to alleged interference in the U.S. elections. “I’ve seen intelligence. That’s what I’ve concluded,” he said, without offering details. Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, made a similar comment on Friday, also without providing details. Asked if Barr was lying, Schiff said: “That is basically what he is doing. And I hesitate to say that, but it is the reality.” AGENCIES

ChiNa'S Xi hoNoURS CoviD-19 'heRoeS', aS foCUS ShifTS To eCoNomiC ReCoveRy SHANGHAI/BEIJING AGENCIES

P

ReSIDeNT Xi Jinping honoured the “heroes” of China’s “people’s war” against Covid19 at a ceremony on Tuesday, lauding the country’s resilience as well as the decisive role played in containment efforts by the ruling Communist Party.

Defying charges from the United States and elsewhere that early failures enabled the coronavirus pandemic to spread more quickly, Xi said that China acted in an open and transparent manner throughout, and took decisive actions that saved lives. “China has helped save the lives of tens of millions of people around the world with its practical actions, show-

ing China’s sincere desire to build a common future and community for human-

ity,” Xi said at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Japan’s ruling party launches race for Abe's successor TOKYO APP

Japan's ruling party on Tuesday kicked off the race to pick Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's successor, with his powerful right-hand man Yoshihide Suga commanding an allbut-insurmountable lead.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga, the 71-year-old son of a strawberry farmer, has already secured the support of major factions in the Liberal Democratic Party ahead of its leadership vote on September 14.

But he isn't running unchallenged, with a popular former defence minister and the party's policy chief standing against him.

Thanks to the LDP's solid legislative majority, the race's winner is certain to win a parliamentary vote on September 16 and be named the country's next prime minister.

The LDP race began after Abe, Japan's longest-serving premier, abruptly announced late August that he would resign for health reasons.

There is now speculation that the next prime minister may call a snap election to shore up public support.

But Suga hinted that an immediate general election would be unlikely, saying a new cabinet should make its top priority fighting the pandemic.

"What people most expect from the government is to curb infections and regain a secure way of life as soon as possible," Suga said at a press conference with his contenders.

Representatives for Suga and

He said China is the first major economy to return to growth during the pandemic - a fact he said demonstrates the country’s resilience and vitality.

Xi awarded Zhong Nanshan, the senior medical adviser and coronavirus expert who helped shape China’s Covid-19 response, with a Medal of the Republic, the country’s highest honour. There was no mention of Li Wenliang, the doctor who was punished for spreading information about a new infectious disease in Wuhan, and whose death from Covid-19 in February sparked nationwide outrage.

Beijing faced criticism at home and overseas in the early days of the outbreak, with some describing Covid-19 as “China’s Chernobyl” - referring to the 1986 nuclear accident that destroyed confidence in the Soviet Union’s ability to govern.

Australia evacuates journalists from China amid 'national security' probe Two Australian foreign correspondents were rushed out of China for their safety with the help of Australian consular officials after being questioned by China’s Ministry of State Security, their employers said on Tuesday. China correspondents for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Australian Financial Review (AFR) sought shelter in Australia’s embassy in Beijing and consulate in Shanghai as diplomats negotiated with Chinese officials to allow them to leave the country, the ABC and the AFR reported. AGENIES

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi vows victory in election as campaign starts despite virus surge his rivals -- former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba and party policy chief Fumio Kishida -- formally registered their candidacies on Tuesday morning.

Suga said he had decided to run to help avoid a "political vacuum" after Abe's departure, and that he would prioritise coronavirus containment while rebuilding an economy now in recession.

Ishiba meanwhile pledged a "great reset", and said he would "pour my whole body and soul into regional revitalisation".

Kishida said he too would focus on balancing infection measures with kickstarting the economy, and vowed to build a capable team.

The candidates will hold two public debates before the vote, which will poll LDP lawmakers and three party representatives from each of Japan's 47 regions.

'A REGULAR PERSON LIKE ME': Whoever takes the top office will face a raft of challenges -from the pandemic and a tanking economy to ensuring the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games can go ahead.

None of the three candidates is seen as offering a policy platform that would differ significantly from Abe's.

Former banker Ishiba, 63, is popular with the electorate and consistently topped polls before Abe's resignation.

A defence policy wonk, he supports strengthening the role of the country's Self-Defense Forces in the pacifist constitution.

But he is still regarded with suspicion by some in the LDP because he left the party for a time, serving as an independent and then with a rival party, before returning.

As California burns, the winds arrive and the lights go out SHAVER LAKE: New wildfires ravaged bone-dry California during a scorching Labor Day weekend that saw a dramatic airlift of more than 200 people trapped by flames and ended with the state’s largest utility turning off power to 172,000 customers to try to prevent its power lines and other equipment from sparking more fires.

California is heading into what traditionally is the teeth of the wildfire season, and already it has set a record with 2 million acres burned this year. The previous record was set just two years ago and included the deadliest wildfire in state history — the Camp Fire that swept through the community of Paradise and killed 85 people.

That fire was started by Pacific Gas & electric power lines. Liability from billions of dollars in claims from that and other fires forced the utility to seek bankruptcy protection. To guard against new wildfires and new liability, PG&e last year began preemptive power shutoffs when conditions are exceptionally dangerous. That’s the situation now in Northern California, where high and dry winds are expected until Wednesday. PG&e received criticism for its handling of planned outages last year. The utility said it has learned from past problems, “and this year will be making events smaller in size, shorter in length and smarter for customers.”

Two of the three largest fires in state history are burning in the San Francisco Bay Area. More than 14,000 firefighters are battling those fires and about two dozen others around California. The fire danger also is high in Southern California, where new fires were burning in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. AGENCIES

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi launched her reelection bid on Tuesday ahead of polls set for November, vowing victory at a scaled-down ceremony in the capital after her original plans were scuppered by a surge in coronavirus cases. “Today, our victory campaign has begun,” she said, before hoisting the party’s flag at the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters in Naypyitaw at an event broadcast on her Facebook page. The election is set to serve as a test of the country’s first democratic government in half a century and. AGNECIES

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

SPORTS 11

PCB ANNouNCes MAssive PAy hike for DoMesTiC PlAyers

T

AGENCIES

OP domestic cricketers stand a chance to earn as much as PKR 3.2 million over the course of the season, including a monthly retainer of PKR 150,000 according to a revamped pay structure announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday.

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, which begins on September 30, the country’s cricket board announced a new pay structure which will see domestic players earning “more than seven per cent” of what they received in the 2019-20 season.

“Once the lowly paid top domestic cricket performers now have the opportunity to earn as high as PKR3.2million, which is

83 per cent more than 2019-20, and as low as PKR1.8million, still a seven per cent increase from what the players in the highest category received last year,” PCB said in a release on Tuesday.

“With each of the 10 A+ category players to receive PKR150,000 as monthly retainer for 12 months and a match fee of PKR40,000 for National T20 Cup and Pakistan Cup each, and PKR60,000 for Quaide-Azam Trophy, players maintaining and displaying high levels of professionalism throughout the season will earn PKR3.2million.” The Board also said that “monthly retainer of D category domestic players is PKR40,000 but they will get the same match fee as the highest category player”, which means “any D category player who features

in all the 30 First XI league matches will earn PKR1.8million.”

The players can take home an even higher paycheck if they can “increase their earnings if they reach the finals, which will guarantee them additional match fee as well as share in the prize money”.

Last year, the monthly retainer of all domestic contracted first XI players was PKR50,000, while match fee was PKR40,000 for white-ball cricket and PKR75,000 for red-ball cricket.

“The PCB is aware that Pakistan cricketers are not the highest-paid in the world, but it is our endeavour to slowly and gradually improve their contracts so that they can get best returns for their talent and also plan their futures,” PCB Director - High Perform-

Yasir Arafat accuses Pakistan cricket of favouritism AGENCIES

Afghanistan bans coach Noor Mohammad for five years on corruption charges The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has banned domestic-level coach Noor Mohammad ‘Lalai’ from all forms of the game for five years after he was found guilty of approaching a national team player to spot-fix matches. Mohammad is a domestic assistant coach with the Kapisa province side and a fulltime coach with Hampalana private academy.

His act was reported by the national team player, who was approached for corruption but has not been named by the ACB. “The charges relate to the Shpageeza Cricket League (2019), a national team player X was approached by Noor Mohammad Lalai with the reference to ‘work’ being a request to assist with the spotfixing in a few matches in the mentioned tournament,” the ACB said in a statement.

“Under the provisions of the Code, Mr. Noor Mohammad chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by ACB in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing.” The development comes three months after the ACB banned wicketkeeperbatsman Shafiquallah Shafaq for six years on match-fixing allegations. Giving details of the charges against Noor Mohammad, the ACB said that the coach was found guilty of four offences, including “fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix.” “This is a very disappointing and serious offence where a domestic level junior coach is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in SCL 2019.” The ACB offered “grateful appreciation” to the national Player who reported Noor Mohammad displaying “true bravery and professionalism”.

“He recognized it for what it was, rejected it and reported it. He then supported our investigation and subsequent tribunal,” the statement read. AGENCIES

Former all-rounder Yasir Arafat has accused Pakistan cricket of favouritism and narrated incidents which indicate so. Arafat, who played three Tests, 11 ODIs and 13 T20Is for Pakistan, has claimed that the team management over the years has fast-tracked certain talents and overshadowed those more talented and deserving of playing for the senior team.

“When I made my debut in 2000, we had come after playing the Under19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. The Pakistan senior team had come back from Australia at the time and there were a lot of changes being made. They had dropped 5-6 players due to the bad performance,” he told former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal on his YouTube channel.

“Even the captaincy, I think, Wasim Akram was doing it (Saeed Anwar was the captain). In that match Younis Khan and another batsman Imran Abbas also

made their debuts. The atmosphere was such, and the senior players had such an attitude that you would feel that you are unwelcome in the team.

“It felt like an alien atmosphere where, if you need to perform, you

tween these players in pursuit of improved contracts next year.”

The 2020-21 and enhanced monthly retainer structure is: Category A+ = 10 players, PKR150,000 per month Category A = 38 players, PKR85,000 per month Category B = 48 players, PKR75,000 per month Category C = 72 players, PKR65,000 per month Category D = 24 players, PKR40,000 per month.

ance, Nadeem Khan said.

“PCB generates its funds and revenues through cricket and it is appropriate that a large chunk of these funds are reinvested into development and cricketers.

“I am confident that domestic cricketers will see these enhancements as a morale and confidence booster, and they will not only aim to perform better than last year but this will introduce an element of competition be-

needed to do it all by yourself and you won’t get any support at all.”

Pakistan had returned from Australia after getting blanked 0-3 in the Test series and losing the first two finals of the tri-series, in which India were also involved. The match Arafat is referring to is the home series against Pakistan, which kicked off in March of 2000 with ODIs and was followed by a three-Test series. Arafat even claimed that even when Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood, two of Pakistan’s finest all-rounder of that era, did not play, players far less experienced than him were given preference.

“As far as Pakistan cricket is concerned, we haven’t had better allrounders than Abdul Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood,” he said. “But even when they were not there, other cricketers were fast-tracked based on someone’s liking, someone who had played two matches of first-class cricket or not played at all. I didn’t understand why I was not in their good books.”

Warne wants Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Spin legend Shane Warne has urged Cricket Australia to keep the iconic MCG as the venue for the Boxing Day Test against India later this year despite growing COVID-19 cases in the state of Victoria. The governing body is set to announce the schedule for India’s tour of Australia this week which will include four Tests and there are fears that the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) may lose the Boxing Day Test.“Cricket is the 2nd biggest sport in the world behind soccer(fact) & the biggest day on the Aust sporting calendar is the Boxing Day test. We must try & do everything possible to keep it at the MCG this year. FYIThe Melb Cup & the AFL GF are the next biggest events in Aust !,” Warne wrote on his twitter handle. Indian cricket team’s muchanticipated tour will begin with a Day/Night Test either in Adelaide or Brisbane instead of favoured Perth after Western Australia state government made it clear that there won’t be any relaxation in quarantine guidelines in their territory.The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has traditionally hosted the Boxing Day Test (second match) but there are speculations that Adelaide may host the game due to COVID-19 restrictions. Perth is also an option.A report in ‘the Age’ said that “the MCG is expected to be named as the host of the Boxing Day Test despite ongoing fears it may be moved.” AGENCIES

Serena fights her way into US Open quarters as Thiem sails through AGENCIES Serena Williams battled into the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday as second seed Dominic Thiem sailed through to the last eight of the men's draw at Flushing Meadows.

Williams, chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, had to summon up every last ounce of strength to depose 15th seed Maria Sakkari in three, hard-fought sets. The 38-year-old American needed almost two and a half hours to dislodge her 25-year-old Greek counterpart 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 inside an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

"She's such a good competitor. It was a really intense match," said Williams, who had been dumped out of a US Open tuneup tournament by the same opponent last month. "I felt like she almost played better today. I was a little fatigued last time and

had some cramps. Just felt like I was able to compete longer," Williams added.

There was little separating the players throughout the energy-sapping contest, with Williams notching 107 total points to Sakkari's 99. Williams won 72 percent of points off her first serve while Sakkari won 73 percent. Sakkari also outdid Williams on aces, by 13 to 12.

Williams rallied from two games down in the deciding set, pumping herself up with loud screams that echoed around the spectator-free arena as she broke Sakkari twice to clinch the last-eight spot.

"I'm super passionate. This is my job.

This is what I wake up to do. This is what I train to do 365 days of the year," Williams said afterwards.

The American will play Tsvetana Pironkova for a place in the semi-finals after the Bulgarian ousted France's Alize Cornet in another draining three-setter.

Pironkova, playing her first tournament in three years after a lengthy break in which she gave birth to her son, prevailed 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. "It's absolutely unreal, I really can't believe it," said Pironkova, whose last tournament appearance before this year's US Open was the 2017 Wimbledon championships when she exited in the second round.

In the men's draw, Thiem raced into the round of eight with a three-set obliteration of Canadian rising star Felix AugerAliassime. Thiem dismantled the 20-year-old 15th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-1 in just 2hr 7min.

"I played a great match today, the best one from my whole America trip," said Thiem. Auger-Aliassime, ranked 21st in the world, can be proud of a breakout performance at the tournament, reaching the last 16 of a Slam for the first time.

Thiem will play Australia's 21st seed Alex de Minaur for a spot in the semi-finals after the Australian breezed past unseeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2, in 2hr 17 min.

The competition was blown wide open on Sunday after world number one Novak Djokovic was thrown out for accidentally hitting a line judge after smashing a ball in frustration during his last-16 match.

Dkojovic’s exit opens up men’s draw, Kvitova, Martic fall by the wayside His departure means the US Open will this year produce a first-time Grand Slam winner in the men's competition.

Williams, meanwhile, is seeking to equal Margaret Court's record for the most women's Grand Slam singles titles. A tournament victory at the weekend would also see her break away from Chris Evert, on six titles, as the most decorated US Open champion of the women's game in the modern era.

Why du Plessis did not convince de Villiers to return after retirement AGENCIES AB de Villiers’ retirement from international cricket in May of 2018 came as a bit of a shock for everyone. The dynamic batsman would have been an integral part of South Africa’s plans for the 2019 World Cup, and the decision to call time meant that captain Faf du Plessis would be without one of his biggest match-winners for the ICC tournament. As it turned out, de Villiers’ absence was a huge void which SA failed to fill as they finished seventh on the points-table and were the second team after Afghanistan to be eliminated from the competition.

Du Plessis and de Villiers go way back, to their Under 16 days in 1998, when the two shared a hostel room together. Perhaps that is the reason why when de Villiers decided to end his international career, his friend du Plessis never forced him not to,

CMYK

even though he was tempted to do so.

“When AB left, it was really tough for me, because I depended a lot on him, as a friend, and obviously as the best player in the team; we needed his skills,” du Plessis told R Ashwin on the off-spinner’s YouTube channel.

“So that conversation was... when he said that to me, said he was done, he was finished with international cricket, as a friend, my first instinct was, ‘I’m here for you, and I’ll support you, if you feel like you’re at the end of your career and you don’t want to do it anymore, then that’s okay – I support that decision 100 per cent’”.

Controversy erupted in the middle of last year’s World Cup when it was revealed that de Villiers made one last-ditch effort to come out of retirement but South Africa’s team management, along with captain du Plessis and head coach Ottis Gibson had

turned it down because they felt it would be unfair on those who had worked hard to make it to SA’s World Cup squad. However, at the time of retirement, du Plessis revealed that he wanted de Villiers to carry on, but the friend in him overshadowed his role as captain.

“As a captain, I was like – ‘how do we move forward without AB, how do we get the same performances?’ But the friend in me trumped the captain in me. And I just said, ‘We’re going to miss you, are you sure?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I am 100 per cent sure, I don’t want to play international cricket anymore. I don’t have the drive to do it anymore. So I am stopping’,” du Plessis said.

“I respected that immediately and left it there. I never ever after that tried to convince him again, because I respected what he said. Even at times when we desperately needed him.”

Wednesday, 9 September, 2020

PRAyER TImINGS

NEWS

ChINA, INDIA ACCUSe eACh otheR oF FIRING ShotS IN BoRDeR DISPUte BEIJING

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AGENCIES

HINA accused Indian troops of violating a bilateral agreement and firing warning shots in the air during a confrontation with Chinese personnel on the disputed border on Monday, amid renewed tensions between the two countries.

Chinese border guards took “countermeasures” to stabilise the situation, Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the military’s western command theatre, said in a statement published by the military’s official news website early on Tuesday.

The statement did not make clear what those measures were or whether Chinese troops also fired warning shots.

India, on the other hand, rejected Chinese allegations of violating border agreements and accused Chinese troops of firing in the air during a face-off on their tense

de facto border.

“It is the PLA that has been blatantly violating agreements and carrying out aggressive manoeuvres, while engagement at military, diplomatic and political level is in progress,” the Indian army said in a

Asad Umar reaffirms commitment to fast-track WB-funded projects Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Tuesday said that the government is committed to expediting the projects being funded by the World Bank to continue the reform agenda. The minister held an introductory meeting with the newly appointed World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine, said a press release issued here today. Asad Umar welcomed the country director and appreciated the strong working relationship between the government of Pakistan and the World Bank and appreciated the support provided by the World Bank during the pandemic. While appreciating the contribution of the World Bank in the socio-economic development of Pakistan, he said that the government was committed to fast track projects which was funded by the World Bank. Mr Najy Benhassine appreciated the minister on the government’s skilful handling of the Covid-19 crisis which had resulted in containing the pandemic to a large extent. He also said that the World Bank was supporting the government of Pakistan through Covid-19 emergency response projects to help the country prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic and strengthen public health preparedness. Both sides reaffirmed to strengthen the relationship and remove bottlenecks in executing the development projects funded by the World Bank. NEWS DESK

statement.

It said Chinese soldiers tried to close in on a forward Indian position in the Ladakh sector in the western Himalayas and when they were met by Indian troops, the PLA fired a few rounds in the air. Both

sides have observed a long-held protocol to avoid using firearms on the sensitive, high altitude frontier running through the western Himalayas, though this agreement has not prevented casualties.

Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand fighting in a clash in June, an incident that led to China and India deploying additional forces along the frontier. “We request the Indian side to immediately stop dangerous actions…and strictly investigate and punish personnel who fired shots to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again,” Zhang said in the statement. The disputed and undemarcated 3,500-kilometer (2,175-mile) border between India and China, referred to as the Line of Actual Control, stretches from the Ladakh region in the north to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

China says the frontier is about 2,000 kilometers (1240-mile) and claims entire Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.

Hafeez Shaikh addresses UN panel, stresses extension in debt relief programme ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Tuesday that the Covid-19 pandemic had triggered a global crisis that has not witnessed since the great global depression and it was time for collective action to achieve sustainable economic development.

Addressing the United Nations meeting of finance ministers on “Sustainable Development in the Era of Covid-19 and Beyond”, he said six discussion groups were convened under this forum which had identified actions to address the challenges. “Debt relief

is the quickest way to create fiscal space,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for foreign debt relief initiative in April to ensure fiscal space for the country.

The UN Group on Debt Vulnerability had also suggested an extension in debt suspension for another year, he recalled. “Moreover, the G-20 countries had asked multi-national lenders to participate in the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI). We hope they would do so.” Shaikh further said that debt cancellation for least developed countries needed serious consideration in order to protect their economies from the negative impact of the pandemic

and putting them on the fast-track of sustainable development. He said that the near term measures which could cover both private and official creditors include debt swap for Sustainable Development Goals, health, climate change and regional resilience.

On FATF compliance, the adviser said, “Pakistan attaches special importance to ending illicit money flow and looks forward the report of the panel.

We must collectively terminate tax evasion, money laundering of corrupt politicians, criminals and terrorists.” He also shed light on the role of governments and central banks in the mobilisation of resources for development purposes.

NSC formally resisters academia, think tanks for policymaking input ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf on Tuesday chaired the 4th meeting of Advisory Board of the National Security Committee (NSC) which formally approved the registration of academia and think tanks across the country on a portal meant to connect them with the policymakers. The portal will be on the National Security Division’s website, where the registered think tanks and university departments would be able to submit their input and ideas for the consideration of the policymakers, said a press release. STAFF REPORT

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Islamabad, Beijing agree to bolster counter-terror cooperation BEIJING: A Chinese minister on Tuesday vowed to bolster cooperation with Pakistan in areas involving anti-terrorism, security along the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and law enforcement capacity building. State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi made these remarks during a telephonic conversation with Minister for Interior retired Brigadier Ijaz Shah in which he said that Beijing is ready to work with Islamabad to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. In order to “further strengthen practical cooperation” between the two countries, Kezhi said, Beijing will work Islamabad in different areas including “antiterrorism, security along the CPEC and law enforcement capacity building, and expand police exchanges and cooperation between their local counterparts to safeguard the common interests as well as security and stability of the two countries, and continuously promote the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership”. STAFF REPORT

India records highest coronavirus deaths in more than a month MUMBAI: India recorded its highest daily deaths from the coronavirus in more than a month on Tuesday, even as new infections slowed, data from the health ministry showed.

The health ministry said 1,133 people had died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest since July, taking total mortalities to 72,775. But new daily cases were at 75,809, the lowest in a week. India surprassed Brazil on Monday to become the country with the most number of coronavirus cases outside of the United States and has a cumulative caseload of 4.28 million. AGENCIES

China's digital trade with B&R countries gains momentum BEIJING: China's digital trade with countries along the Belt and Road (B&R) has maintained strong momentum in recent years, as the sector continues to hold huge potential, according to a report released Tuesday. The report, jointly issued by the Publishing House of Electronics Industry, China Academy of Industrial Internet and the Chinese Institute of Electronics, reviews China's digital trade with over 30 countries along the Belt and Road. It takes into account six indices, namely digital trade ties, potential, foundation, environment, risks and levels, to evaluate the development and potential of trade with these countries. AGENCIES

Fitch revises India's GDP forecast to -10.5pc NEW DELHI: Global credit rating agency Fitch has revised India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast for the Financial Year 2020-2021 to -10.5 percent, from its earlier estimate of -5 percent. The Fitch-revised forecast came a few days after India's National Statistical Organisation (NSO) data showed India's GDP shrinking by a massive 23.9 percent in the first quarter of the financial year 2020-2021. The country's GDP shrinkage has been attributed to the stringent lockdown, with effect from March 25, imposed to check the COVID-19 pandemic spread. AGENCIES

Pakistan Navy organises boat rally for local fishermen during Navy Day celebrations in port city.

Asian markets rise after rout, pound extends losses HONG KONG APP

Asian markets ticked higher Tuesday after last week's steep drops as investors brushed off Donald Trump's latest anti-China salvo, while sterling struggled to bounce back after fears over Brexit talks.

Despite continued uncertainty about the timetable for economic recovery -- and with no vaccine yet available -- investors remain convinced central banks around the world are willing to play backstop and keep monetary policy supportive for years to come.

The wall of cash put up by authorities has been credited with fuelled an incredible surge in world markets from March troughs -- led by tech firms which have benefited from people staying at home during the pan-

demic. Last week's harsh sell-off brought that rally to a juddering halt, but analysts do not expect a retreat anything like that seen earlier in the year.

"The sell-off provides a stark reminder that with everybody holding on to the same side of the vaccine life-raft, it should not be too unexpected that when the seas turn rough, many will fall into the drink on the first significant starboard list," said Stephen Innes at AxiCorp.

"Still, investors have ample flotation thanks to the Federal Reserve, and the fiscal harness would allow them to hurry back aboard with relative ease if they so choose."

Tokyo piled on 0.8 percent and Sydney climbed more than one percent, while Hong Kong, Seoul, and Seoul also rallied. There were also gains in Shanghai, Taipei, Singa-

pore, Jakarta and Wellington.

London, Frankfurt and Paris rose soon after opening, building on Monday's rally.

There was little initial reaction to Trump's saying he wanted to wind back Washington's economic relationship with China, warning he would stop US firms doing business with the country from winning federal contracts.

"We'll manufacture our critical manufacturing supplies in the United States, we'll create 'made in America' tax credits and bring our jobs back to the United States and we'll impose tariffs on companies that desert America to create jobs in China and other countries," the president said in a White House news conference. He also said he would "hold China accountable for allowing the virus to spread around the world".

'NEW NORMAL': The remarks are Trump's latest outburst against Beijing as he looks to win re-election in November, though observers said that while tensions between the two countries continue, their pledge to stick to the trade pact signed in January has soothed many investors' worries for now.

OANDA's Jeffrey Halley said that while markets were unmoved, the latest outburst "further reinforces that US-China tensions are a known unknown and the new normal".

On currency markets, the pound was unable to bounce back from Monday's losses after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revived the prospect Britain will not get a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, saying if a deal is not struck by October 15 then there will not be one.

That was followed by reports the gov-

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

ernment was planning legislation to override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement that would undermine issues relating to Northern Ireland customs and state aid.

The eighth round of negotiations resume this week, with both sides talking increasingly tough and sparking accusations of intransigence and political brinkmanship.

The pound has fallen more than three percent from its recent high struck on September 1 but the general feeling among analysts is that the two sides will resolve their differences eventually.

"The key question for markets is whether the remarks are still mostly brinkmanship as negotiations near the finish line; the mild market reaction suggests markets think so and still sniff a deal," said National Australia Bank's Tapas Strickland.