EpaperLHR_21-05-19

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021 I 7 Shawwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 318 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

No miNister, adviser iNvolved iN riNg road scaNdal: Fawad g

miniSter SayS cabinet haS decided to Send medical aid to paleStine

ISLAMABAD

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staff report

ederal minister for information and broadcasting Fawad chaudhary on tuesday said that the investigation carried out in the rawalpindi ring road scandal has not found any minister or adviser involved in it. briefing the media persons about the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting in the chair of prime minister imran Khan on tuesday, Fawad said that the cabinet was also briefed about the investigation into the rawalpindi ring road project. he said that the preliminary investigation revealed that the alignment of the project was changed to benefit some housing societies. however, he said, the investigation carried

g

SayS govt committed to introducing evmS in pollS, revitaliSing agriculture Sector

out so far shows that no minister or adviser is involved in it. he said Syed Zulfiqar bukhari resigned as special assistant on overseas pakistanis on high moral ground and he has no link with the issue. he said that minister for aviation ghulam Sarwar Khan also does not own any land in the area. talking about othermatters discussed during the meeting, the information minister said that the federal cabinet has decided to send medical aid to palestine on humanitarian grounds in view of the medical emergency faced by the palestinians as a result of israeli aggression. he said that prime minister imran has provided leadership to the muslim ummah from day one on the palestine issue. this is also recognised by the muslim ummah, he added.

he also said that Quaid-e-azam muhammad ali Jinnah laid the foundation of pakistan’s policy on palestine and pm imran is now trustee of it. the information minister further said that the palestinian leadership also acknowledges pakistan’s firm stance on the matter.

Fawad said that the nation will observe solidarity day with the palestinians on Friday. he said that Foreign minister Shah mahmood Qureshi is in turkey and he, along with some other foreign ministers of the muslim countries, will go to new york to attend the united nations general assembly session. he said that the cabinet felicitated prime minister imran Khan on his successful visit to Saudi arabia, adding that the prime minister has instructed officials of relevant ministries to stay in close contact with their Saudi counterparts to ensure tangible progress in all areas where the two countries had agreed to work together during a recent visit by the pm to the kingdom. referring to electoral reforms, the information minister said the government is committed to introducing electronic voting machines (evms) to ensure transparency in elections and give the right of vote to overseas pakistanis. he regretted that the opposition is not serious in electoral reforms and the pml-n and the ppp have not made their position clear on the right to franchise to overseas pakistanis. the minister said the pakistan tehreek-einsaf government aims to revitalise the agriculture sector through provision of rs110 billion in the next three years. he said in this regard, the ministry of national Food Security & research has provided various recommendations for the development of the livestock sector.

While sharing some good news about the country’s economy, the minister said mobile phone users have increased to 180 million while users of cellular network have risen to 100 million.

Four killed as dust storm, rain hit different parts of Karachi KARACHI INp

at least four people, including a child, were killed as dust storms and rain hit different parts of Karachi on tuesday despite the met office saying that cyclone tauktae would not make landfall on pakistan’s coastal belt. according to details, a child was killed when a wall collapsed in the Sher Shah area, while two other people were also killed in rain-related incidents. on the other hand, the weather in Karachi became pleasant after strong winds and rainfall in different parts of the city. rainfall was recorded in Sarjani town, Shahrah-e-Faisal, ii chandigarh road, Kemrai and in the airport areas. due to rain, severe traffic jams were observed in different parts of the city. many areas of Karachi were left without electricity due to the severe weather conditions including Sohrab goth, Safora, gulshan-e-iqbal and gulistan-e-Johar.

Sardar Sarfaraz of the met

department told a local news outlet that the dust storm was caused due to the influence of the cyclone system being in southern pakistan’s vicinity combined with local weather conditions. he said that Karachi could experience gusty winds again until the cyclone system is out of the region.

Sarfaraz noted that the city’s temperature had fallen by 7-8 degrees soon after the dust storm, saying it was likely to drop further as the weather normalises. two days ago, pakistan meteorological department (pmd) had confirmed that cyclone tauktae would not make landfall on the coastal belt of the country.

Sarfraz had said that the cyclone would pass by without touching the coastal belt of the country. he, however, said that the cyclone would have an impact in the form of rains with strong winds in the districts of thatta, tharparkar, badin, mirpur Khas and umer Kot. he said that the rains will be of moderate level.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

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wednesday, 19 May, 2021

lahore

news

paKistan, turKey to jointly raise voice against israeli persecution IsLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

AKISTAN and Turkey have strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against unarmed Palestinians and their forced eviction from their homes.

This came at a meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Tuesday. The two foreign ministers also decided to jointly raise their voices against the Israeli persecution of Palestinians.

QURESHI SAYS CONTACTS BEING ESTABLISHED WITH COUNTRIES TO STOP BOMBARDMENT ON GAZA Qureshi said, “We will not leave alone our Palestinian brothers.” He said that the entire Muslim community is in a state of pain due to the Israeli bombardment and the violence against Palestinians during Ramadan-ulMubarak and Eid-ul-Fitr. The minister said, “On the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we are observing a day of solidarity with our Palestinian brothers on Friday.”

Karachi records highest night temperature in may since 2015 KARACHI: A high of 43.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Karachi on Monday, with a prediction by the Chief Meteorological Officer, Sardar Sarfraz, of Tuesday’s temperature ranging between 40 and 42 degrees celsius as well, owing to the suspension of sea breeze resulting from the tropical cyclone Tauktae. He noted that the intensity of this brief heatwave was such that, even after sunset, the temperature remained at 40°C and that the night between Sunday and Monday was recorded as the second hottest in the history of Pakistan, with the minimum temperature at 32.5°C. “The night on May 8, 2015 was the hottest night on record with 34°C,” said Sarfraz, claiming that the next two nights in the city are likely to remain hot as well. With the resumption of the sea breeze, he said that the weather can be expected to normalise as per May’s standards on Wednesday, even though the maximum temperature can still reach upto 38°C on that day. However, during the next 36 hours, a few moderate to heavy falls and gusty winds of 40-60 kmph are likely to occur in Tharparkar and Umerkot districts, and at isolated places in Badin and Sanghar districts, due to the influence of cyclone, dust storms, thunderstorms, and rains. In Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, and Thatta districts hot and dry weather with gusty winds is likely to continue until the evening. These gusty winds may affect the fruit orchards in the abovementioned districts. Fishermen of Sindh are also advised to suspend their activities until Wednesday as sea conditions will remain rough to very rough. Staff RepoRt

abbasi accuses govt of protecting people involved in rrr scandal ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MP Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday accused the government of protecting people involved in the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) scam. Talking to reporters in Islamabad, Abbasi claimed everyone in Prime Minister House is busy making money. No graft or money laundering charges have been proven against PML-N president and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif, he added. The reaction came after Zulfi Bukhari, adviser to the prime minister, resigned from his post over the scandal. Bukhari announced his resignation through a tweet wherein he said Imran has always said that if a person has been named in any inquiry, whether rightly or wrongly, he should cease to hold any public office till his name has been cleared of the charges. “Owing to the allegations in ongoing Ring Road inquiry I want to set this example by resigning from office until my name is cleared up of any allegations and media’s obnoxious lies”, he added. He reiterated that he had nothing to do with the project or any other ongoing real estate project in the country. He said a thorough inquiry should be conducted and endorsed a judicial probe of the scam. INp

pia resumes flights to Zhob KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Tuesday resumed flight operations for the Zhob district of Balochistan after a period of two years. The people of Zhob and Quetta had been demanding for restarting of the flight for long. Flight PK-528 departed from Karachi at 7:25 am and landed at Zhob Airport, while a return flight PK-529 also departed for Karachi.

Earlier, the flag carrier resumed its flight operation between Lahore and Islamabad — a route that was suspended for months due to the rising cases of coronavirus. INp

The Turkish foreign minister appreciated Qureshi’s address at the OIC’s Executive Committee at the level of Foreign Ministers and Pakistan’s continuous and robust support to the oppressed Palestinians.

He also hosted a luncheon in honour of Foreign Minister Qureshi.

Earlier in a statement on Tuesday, Qureshi said that contacts are being established with

different countries to get stopped the Israeli persecution of Palestinians. He said that the Muslims residing in European countries must also play their role in this regard.

Qureshi said that the bombardment in Palestine resulted in power outage and affected the supplies of essential commodities.

He said that it will be lamentable if the international community remained silent on the Palestinian situation.

The foreign minister said that Israel is further complicating the matter and its bombardment is making it impossible for the Palestinians to access the healthcare facilities.

Qureshi said that hurdles are being created so

that the Palestinian foreign minister could not attend the UN General Assembly session. He said, “We will wait for the Palestinian foreign minister and want him to accompany us for the session.” Earlier during his visit to Pakistan’s Embassy in Ankara on Tuesday, Qureshi said that according to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, ensuring the provision of best consular services at embassies is one of our top priorities.

Addressing the staff members of the embassy, he said that the wellbeing of overseas Pakistanis and resolving their problems on a priority basis is the government’s foremost responsibility. He said, “In the current era, we are facing many challenges on the diplomatic front, therefore, we need to work harder and more diligently to address these challenges. We need to focus on economic diplomacy for the economic stability of Pakistan and promotion of investment in the country.” The foreign minister also spoke to local and international media representatives at the embassy and presented Pakistan’s views on important regional and global issues, including the situation in Palestine.

28 passengers test positive for coronavirus at Peshawar airport, returning from Bahrain PesHAwAR Staff RepoRt

Twenty-eight passengers tested positive for coronavirus at the Bacha Khan International Airport on Tuesday, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

The airport’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Obaid-ur-Rehman Abbasi, said that rapid antigen tests were conducted on 130 passengers who arrived at the airport from Bahrain. “The passengers who tested positive for the virus have been handed over to the district administration,” he added.

The airport management said that, following this, the international arrival lounge has been disinfected and reopened for passengers while those who tested positive are shifted to a government quarantine centre.

This is a worrying development as Pakistan continues to grapple with the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, like many other countries around the world.

The total caseload in the country has crossed 850,000 cases.

A day before, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) revoked a private airline’s flight permitover violations of the government’s mandated coronavirus protocols.

The private airline flight had flown 24 coronavirus positive cases from Dubai to Peshawar on May 10 and 27 more from Sharjah on May 16, despite warnings being given, said the CAA spokesperson, Saad bin Ayub. He said that the airline was ignoring coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).

A CAA official added that the airline’s negligence posed a threat to the lives of airport and health officials.

He also warned that any airline found violating Covid19 SOPs will be banned in the country.

Pakistan had allowed an additional 30% flights to operate last week in a revised policy to ensure passengers were able to travel abroad without any hindrances, while only cargo flights of foreign airlines were allowed to return to Pakistan.

This is in addition to the 20% of flights that were already allowed by the CAA to operate in Pakistan, the notification had stated.

Earlier this month, CAA also issued new protocols for inbound flights in which Airlines were instructed to keep 20% of airplane seats vacant and ensure social distancing between passengers.

On May 5, CAA began rapid Covid-19 testing of international passengers at airports across Pakistan and through these tests, according to the Health Ministry, coronavirus reports will be obtained within 20 minutes.

A positive report will result in passengers having to isolate at a quarantine centre at their own expense.

Those who test negative will be allowed to go home but will have to stay indoors for a week.

This decision was taken after the rapid spread of the third wave of coronavirus. In the last 24 hours, 135 people died from the deadly virus, while 2,566 new cases were reported.

LHC removes objection over Shehbaz’s plea against govt for stopping him to travel abroad LAHORe INp

Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday removed the objection over Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif’s plea against the federal government for not allowing him to travel abroad.

During the hearing, LHC judge Justice Ali Baqir Najfi remarked that the PML-N leader was allowed to travel abroad for only one time. Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyer Azam Nazeer expressed concerns over the federation’s move to stop his client at the airport and termed it as disappointing.

The counsel told that Shehbaz Sharif wants to go abroad for a medical checkup. The system will be disturbed if the government continues to treat judicial order in this way, he added.

Earlier, the federal government had filed a plea in Supreme Court to challenge the LHC order allowing Shehbaz Sharif to travel abroad and argued that how the honourable judge of the LHC could allow abroad travel without issuing notices to concerned departments.

The petition asked the apex court to suspend the LHC order of May 7 and allow the government to appeal against the decision.

Later, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed also announced that the name of PML-N president was included in Exit Control List (ECL). National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recommended putting Shehbaz’s name on the ECL as it was investigating a

corruption case of seven billion rupees against him, he pointed. On May 7, the LHC gave one-time permission to Opposition Leader of National Assembly Shehbaz to go abroad for medical treatment. However, the federal government barred him from travelling abroad and announced to challenge the court’s decision.

Separately, the PML-N president on Tuesday also said that the incompetent ministers of the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government have destroyed the country.

Talking to media in Sialkot, the PML-N leader said that his party had controlled load-shedding and inflation during its tenure. The incumbent government is involved in numerous scandals, he added.

Earlier, Shehbaz said that Israeli forces attacked innocent Palestinians in Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

Addressing the floor of the lower house, he said that the Israeli airstrikes pummeled the Gaza strip and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Shehbaz said that the Israeli army has been oppressing the Palestinians since 1948, adding that the report by the human rights organization on Israeli atrocities in Palestine is a good thing. He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been occupying Kashmir.

The opposition leader appealed to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to lead from the front to stop Israeli atrocities. He also regretted Qureshi’s statement that Article 370 is an internal matter of India and said that he did not expect such a statement from the country’s foreign minister.

Nawaz Sharif’s properties can’t be auctioned off, petitioners say IsLAMABAD INp

Three men have filed different petitions in the Islamabad High Court challenging the auction of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s properties on May 20.

The government has decided to auction off Nawaz’s properties in Sheikhupura, Raiwind, and Lahore on Thursday as he remains absconding in the Toshakhana reference.

A man identified as Ashraf Malik claimed that he bought the land in Sheikhupura from Nawaz for Rs75 million. The deal, however, could not be completed due to some complications. Aslam Aziz, on the other hand, said that he invested in orchards in Raiwind. He said that he planted trees of oranges, java plum, and guava there.

Nawaz’s house in Lahore’s Upper Mall is reportedly owned by Mian Iqbal.

All three men have requested the court to declare the decision to auction off their properties null and void.

rawalpindi development authority dg made osd in connection with ring road scandal News Desk The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) director-general (DG) has appointed as the officer on special duty (OSD) by the provincial government due to his alleged involvement in the Ring Road scandal. A notification directed the RDA DG, Captian (r) Abdul Sattar, to report to the provincial Services and Group Administration Department (S&GA). Speaking on the matter, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman opined: “The investigation report of the Ring Road corruption scandal has once again exposed the PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf] government” “The cost of the project was increased by Rs 25 billion to benefit a few people in the government? Are these the same people who came from the country to eradicate corruption?” She further questioned.

In a tweet, Rehman asked if anyone had been convicted in sugar, flour, medicine, petrol and other corruption scandals. She claimed that, similarly, no action will be taken against anyone after the report of the Ring Road corruption scandal. Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan earlier stated that the Rawalpindi Ring Road project was initially launched to reduce traffic load in public and national interest, but people have tried to use it for personal benefits. “The alignment of the 65-kilometre-long Ring Road was illegally altered and the predetermined route was changed when the expression of interest had already been advertised,” the SACM maintained. She has also claimed, “Former Rawalpindi commissioner Muhammad Mehmood and his associates illegally prepared the alignment plan of the road in connivance with the consultant.”

wednesday, 19 May, 2021

lahore

news

sapm dispels illusion about shortage oF sinopharm vaccine IsLAMABAD

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app

PECIAL Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan on Tuesday dispelled the impression that the Sinopharm vaccine is no longer available in Pakistan and made it clear that it will be available in the future as well.

In a media briefing after a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), he assured the nation that Sinopharm’s second dose to those who had received its first dose would be supplied and added that the priority will always be to administer both doses of the same vaccine.

He maintained that the Covid-19 vaccine is very effective to protect citizens from medical complications from many virus variants.

“Keeping in view the detection of new Covid-19 variants in Pakistan and raising questions on the effectiveness of vaccine process, I advise country people to must go for vaccination against the

virus to avoid facing more complications and hospitalisation.”

He rejected some media reports on the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, terming them as misinformation. He added the vaccine is the same being used in many European countries. He clarified that there were very few side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine and cases of blood clotting due to it were a rare occurrence. He said that in order to further reduce the chances of clotting from the vaccine, it would be administered only to persons above the age of 40.

He also said that the number of cases of vaccine side effects reported was just 4,329 against 3.8 million doses administered so far in the country. He added all of these side effects were mild while 90 per cent of the cases pertained to pain at the site of injection and fever.

He further said that the six cases which seemed serious have been investigated and all were found to be accidental and not caused by Covid-19 vaccines.

He urged the citizens to strictly follow Covid-19 standard operating

police foil mob attempt to attack blasphemy suspect IsLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Police said Tuesday they foiled an attempt by a mob to attack a blasphemy suspect recently arrested on charges of insulting Islam. The mob stormed the Golra Sharif police station on the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday night, after police refused to hand over the suspect to the crowd outside for punishment, police chief Asim Ghaffar said. The suspect, Shaukat Ali, was unharmed while six police officials were slightly injured in the attack, Ghaffar said.

Aali is accused of sharing anti-Islam content on social media. Blasphemy carries the death penalty in Pakistan. Rights groups claim blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities and settle personal scores. Former Punjab governor Salman Taseer was shot and killed by his own guard in Islamabad in 2011 after he defended a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who was accused of blasphemy. She was acquitted after spending eight years on death row and left Pakistan for Canada to join her family.

aviation authority imposes additional rs600 fee on domestic flights News Desk An additional Rs600 will be charged from customers for domestic flights by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), it emerged on Tuesday. Passengers will be charged a CAA fee of Rs600 at the time of booking a ticket, it was reported. Purportedly, Rs100 will be charged from passengers for security while Rs500 will be charged from them as embarkation fee. All airlines have been informed by the CAA to collect the amount from customers at the time of booking. The airlines will collect the fees on tickets and submit them to the aviation authority.

procedures (SOPs) to prevent the disease in the wake of a sudden increase in the number of infections in the country.

Dr Faisal said that that this disease expansion had caused a burden on the country’s health system as Covid cases were jumping up for the past few weeks.

He said that keeping in view the disease risk certain restrictions were imposed focusing on high-risk sectors with mass gathering. He said that this time is not of any complacency rather strict compliance of SOPs. Dr Faisal said: “Covid-19 is a deadly virus but we can control it just as we controlled it by following the SOPs during the previous waves. We can save precious lives including those of our near and dear ones by taking preventive measures.”

FULL SUPPORT TO AJK, SINDH FOR Covid VACCINE: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Tuesday said that the incumbent government is extending full support to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Sindh regarding the coronavirus vaccine.

The leaders of Pakistan People’s Party had failed to ensure the availability

of vaccine in their respective areas of Sindh, he said in an interview with a private television channel. He further stated that people are facing trouble in different hospitals due to the unavailability of Covid-19 vaccine.

The PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders who ruled the country for long time could not succeed in fulfilling the basic needs of people, he lamented. Appreciating the management of Centre, he said the federal government has assisted AJK and Sindh and supplying vaccine dozes to meet needs of hospitals.

Replying to a question, Asad said that maximum dozes had been procured by the efforts of Central government. He added that we have also purchased the vaccine for fulfilling requirement of the public sector hospitals.

The private sector, he added, has imported vaccine of three types including AsteraZeneca and Sputnik.

About complaints of AstraZeneca, it is better that people aged less than 40 years of age should prefer Sinopharm and Sputnik but above forty age people could use Oxford-AstraZeneca, he added.

Moeed Yusuf appointed national security adviser IsLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed Moeed Yusuf, his adviser on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, as the National Security Adviser (NSA), it emerged on Tuesday.

The Cabinet Division issued a notification late Monday night, confirming the appointment. Yusuf also confirmed the development to media.

The communique said his designation is equivalent to a federal minister.

Yusuf was appointed as the special assistant to the prime minister on national security and strategic planning in December 2019. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division said the appointment was made by the prime minister.

The author of “Brokering Peace in Nuclear Environments: US Crisis Management in South Asia”, Yusuf has taught at Boston University, George Washington University, and Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.

He holds a Masters in International Relations and a PhD in political science from Boston University.

According to his LinkedIn profile, before joining the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), an American institution tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide, he was a fellow at the Frederick S. Pardee Centre at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, and concurrently a research fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre at Harvard Kennedy School. He has also worked at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank.

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Facebook posts misquote imran on finality of prophethood IsLAMABAD ageNcIeS

A doctored video clip of an interview of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been viewed millions of times in Facebook posts alongside a claim that he said that it is not essential for Muslims to accept Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as the last prophet of Allah. The claim is false: Imran’s comments were taken from a longer interview in which he said Muslims must accept Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the last prophet to be considered part of the Islamic faith. The 28-second video clip of Imran’s interview to Islamic religious channel Message TV. It has been viewed in a Facebook post more than 8.3 million times and shared 481,000 times since July 28, 2018. The post’s Urdu-language caption translates to English as: “[Imran Khan] is saying that for becoming a Muslim, it is not necessary to accept Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the last prophet of Allah. Where the guards of the finality of the prophethood have gone?” Imran can be heard saying in the video: “Allah is the God of all human beings. All should be equal before the law and this was in the state of Medina. Everyone had their rights in that state, be it Christians or Jews, those were the human rights and I say that all are equal before the law, but to say that anyone who does not accept Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the last prophet cannot be a Muslim.” The finality of the prophethood is an unassailable tenet of Islam. The full interview shows Imran stating that Muslims must accept Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the last prophet of Allah. The full interview was posted on Message TV’s Facebook page on October 5, 2014. From the one-minute 40second mark to the one-minute 57-second mark, Imran says: “In the Quran, it is clearly written that the last prophet is the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and anyone who does not accept him as the last prophet, he cannot be a Muslim. Quran is the word of Allah and if you do not accept it, you are not a Muslim.”

The clip in the misleading videos corresponds with the original footage from the one-minute 27-mark to the two-minute 11-second mark. Below is a screenshot comparison between the original Facebook video by Message TV (L) and the video in the misleading posts (R ): A screenshot comparison between the original Facebook video by Message TV (L) and the video in the misleading posts (R).

Courtesy AFP The Constitution states that anyone who does not believe in the finality of the prophethood of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) cannot be a Muslim.

Army buys two million Sputnik V doses for civilian vaccination drive RAwALPINDI Staff RepoRt

In order to help the nation fight the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan Army has ordered two million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

The agreement has been finalised and the first consignment of 200,000 doses will soon arrive in Pakistan.

A special aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will airlift the shipment from

Abu Dhabi.

In February, Pakistan became the 22nd country to approve Sputnik V, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad, said.

It is to be administered in two shots, three weeks apart, has a six-month shelf life, and is stored at -18 Celsius, according to a document on the vaccine’s authorisation.

The government launched a

vaccination drive in March with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm donated by China, giving shots to frontline health workers as a priority.

It also secured 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) scheme to deliver coronavirus treatments to developing nations.

Dealing with a third peak of the contagion disease, Pakistan registered

2,566 new infections of Covid-19 after testing 29,801 samples, receiving back a positivity ratio of 8.61 percent.

Meanwhile, deaths increased by 135 to 19,752.

Punjab remains the worst-hit province in terms of fatalities and infections followed by Sindh. The former reported 89 deaths from coronavirus, raising total casualties to 9,500, while the latter announced 23 deaths, raising the toll to 4,824.

Major reshuffle in federal bureaucracy IsLAMABAD ahmad ahmadaNI

The government on Monday has taken an important decision of transfers and postings of some of the federal secretaries of various ministries/divisions and issued notifications in this regards, it has been learnt reliably.

According to a notification, Sohail Rajput, a BPS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), presently

posted as Special Secretary, Commerce Division has been transferred and posted as Secretary for Industries and Production Division with immediate effect and until further notice.

As per details, the government has taken the decision of transfers and postings in federal bureaucracy mainly owing to their performance and in larger public interests.

In a major reshuffle, the government has also transferred Afzal Latif, presently

posted as Secretary, Industries, and Production to the Establishment Division and made as Secretary for Establishment Division while he has so far also taken charge as Secretary, Establishment Division.

“Mr Afzal Latif, a BPS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, presently posted as Secretary, Industries and Production Division, is transferred and posted as Secretary, Establishment Division, from the date of joining and

until further orders,” said a notification issued by Establishment Division May 17.

Furthermore, Mian Asad Hayaud Din, Secretary Petroleum has taken 90-day leave and Dr. Arshad Mahmood, Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology has been made as Secretary for Petroleum Division to run the affairs of petroleum division, while Nadeem Irshad Kayani has been appointed as Secretary for Ministry of Science and Technology.

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Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

LAHORE

NEWS

PEEF FAilS to ProvidE FinAnCiAl ASSiStAnCE to dESErving minority StudEntS LAHORE

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SHAHAB oMER

HE Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has failed miserably to provide financial assistance to deserving minority students, Pakistan Today learnt on Tuesday.

According to documents, a project titled ‘Financial Assistance To Deserving Minority Students Through PEEF’ was started in August 2019 with the aim of completion in June 2024.

The documents showed that the project was to provide total 784 scholarships to the deserving students with the cost of Rs125 million from 2019 to 2024 and 280 scholarships with the

PEEF OFFICIAL SAYS DEPARTMENT REMAINED UNABLE TO DISBURSE AMOUNT DUE TO COVID-19 cost of the Rs25 million during fiscal year 2019-20. However, as per the information provided by the executing department, they utilised only Rs10.505 million for the purpose.

The selection criteria for the students of intermediate and graduation was linked with family income and marks in last examination as per earlier criteria.

As per the criteria, the students with family income of more than Rs23000 and less than 60 per cent

marks in last examination were not eligible for the scholarships.

However, at the time of interview, it was observed that 27 per cent students of intermediate were not fulfilling the criteria for selection as their family income was found more than Rs23000.

The PEEF had shared the list of students, who were selected under the scheme and got the amount of scholarship.

However, on the basis of the list, a

telephonic survey was conducted for the verification of the process. It was revealed that only three students had partially received the amount of scholarship. The PEEF’s data was not verified by the students as some contradictions were observed in terms of amount paid to the students.

On the other hand, an official of PEEF informed that due to Covid-19 situation, the department remained unable to disburse the scholarship amount to the deserving students, who were selected for the scholarships.

The official admitted that if the delivery system of scholarships is not improved, the students may suffer with financial issues, which will directly affect their education.

IHC forms larger bench to ascertain legality of HEC ordinance LAHORE STAff REPoRT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday formed a larger bench to ascertain legality of the Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Ordnance 2021.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard a petition, filed by a civil society member, Faiza Yousaf, through her counsel Barrister Ummar Ziauddin and others under Article 199 of the Constitution.

The petitioner's counsel argued that the impugned ordinances do not satisfy the conditions spelt out in Article 89 of the Constitution.

It was further argued that the power of the president to promulgate the ordinance is not parallel to the legislative power of the Parliament and that the impugned HEC ordinances undermine the Parliament’s sovereignty.

The rationale provided in the summary that the ordinance was promulgated due to Covid-19 situation has no nexus with the object sought, which was removal of the HEC chairman with retrospective effect, the council informed the court. Subsequently, the IHC issued notices on the matter to the federation with directions to relist the case in a fortnight.

Earlier, public criticism of the gov-

ernment’s action was increased and an open letter to the prime minister from 3000 prominent academics and civil society leaders had demanded the withdrawal of the ordinance and restoration of the HEC as an independent national regulatory body.

The signatories had expressed serious concerns that major decisions that affect the lives of millions of students were taken hastily and secretly by the federal government without consulting the Parliament, the Council of Common Interests (CCI), or the Higher Education Commission.

It is pertinent to mention that opposition leaders Senator Sherry Rehman

and Ahsan Iqbal had also strongly denounced the government’s action and demanded the ordinance to be placed before the Parliament.

In her interview, eminent educationist and member of HEC Shahnaz Wazir Ali had revealed that no prior consultations were held with the commission and no justification was provided by the government for this drastic action.

It is also pertinent to mention that the Sindh High Court had issued an interim order in a matter related to the appointment of a new HEC chairperson and directed the federal government that the post of HEC chairperson shall be kept vacant till further orders.

Rafi Group’s Green Palms Housing project in Gwadar connected to national power grid LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

The Rafi Group takes another step towards fulfilment of its promises. The largest private housing scheme in Gwadar, Green Palms Housing, has been connected to the national power grid through a dedicated WAPDA transformer.

Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a 300 MW dedicated power plant is planed for Gwadar, which will be completed by 2023. Through this power plant, the area will have ample energy supply to fulfil its requirements for years to come.

Green Palms Housing is a privatelyowned residential project, having NOC for 1065 acres of land. It is a state-of-theart project and planned in order to meet the rising housing needs of Chinesebacked smart port city and provide lucrative investment opportunity for all Pakistanis.

It is an iconic project and planned with modern infrastructure. The Rafi Group once again demonstrated its forte of deliverance and continued fast-paced development to bring the project into reality. The project has an ideal location with 1-km front on Makran Coastal Highway and 1.25-km eastern front on Kahan Avenue.

Power supply restored in record 4 hours after gusty winds, dust storm: K-Electric KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Power supply in the city was brought to the routine levels in record time of almost 4 hours despite gusting winds and a severe dust storm, which hit the metropolis on Tuesday afternoon.

K-Electric’s rapid response teams maintained strict vigilance as the city experienced strong winds along with light rain in various areas on Monday

night. Despite the intensity of the storm, only approximately 400 feeders of KE’s total distribution network of 1900 were affected, and a majority of these had to be switched off on an emergency basis for safety reasons owing to heavy infestation of kundas in the areas associated with these feeders. The overall power infrastructure remained intact during the inclement weather. KE teams were mobilized as soon as the strong winds

subsided, and the number of affected feeders was reduced to less than 100 in a record time of 4 hours.

As per a K-Electric spokesperson, “It has been a day with extreme fluctuations in the weather with temperatures varying drastically. Fortunately, all of KE’s distribution network remained predominantly intact and no loss of life or damage to city’s infrastructure was reported. Similarly, localized area faults were swiftly

attended by KE teams throughout this time. In view of public safety, areas with heavy infestation of kundas were preemptively switched off to protect our customers. Power supply to strategic installations including key hospitals, KWSB pumping stations, and Karachi Airport remained uninterrupted during this period.

During this extraordinary situation we also urged the public to stay away from broken wires, refrain from taking shelter under transformers, or standing near electricity poles during rainy and windy weather to avoid accidents.”

The power utility also maintained close coordination with the civic authorities including the office of Commissioner Karachi.

Justice Saeed sworn in as top AJK judge MUZAFFARABAD TLTP

Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan on Tuesday took oath as Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan administered oath to the new chief justice during a ceremony held at the President House in Muzaffarabad. AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, several members of the state cabinet, Acting Chief Justice of High Court Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja, Deputy Attorney General for Pakistan Raja Khalid Mehmood Khan, several senior officials of the AJK government, and some renowned lawyers attended the ceremony. The members of the bar councils of Muzaffarabad, Hattian, Bagh and Neelum, and former chief justice AJK Chaudhry Ibrahim Zia also attended the ceremony. Born in Lala Musa on March 10, 1962, Justice Raja Saeed Akram completed graduation and LLB from the Punjab University. He was appointed as assistant advocate general Punjab in 1995 and elevated as judge of Islamabad High Court in 2009. He also served as special prosecutor Anti-Narcotics Force at Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2010 and as special public prosecutor of the government of Punjab. He also remained chairman of AJK Accountability Bureau in 2010 and judge of the AJK Supreme Court in 2011.

Court remands man in judicial custody for allegedly raping minor girl NEWS DESK A Karachi magistrate on Tuesday remanded in judicial custody a man detained for allegedly raping a minor girl. Earlier on May 4, the local police had arrested and booked the suspect for allegedly sexually assaulting his 10-year-old neighbour in the city's Essa Nagri area. During the hearing on Tuesday, the investigating officer (IO) produced the suspect before the judicial magistrate after expiry of his physical remand in police custody and requested an extension in the same for interrogation. The IO told the magistrate that the suspect was a neighbour of the victim and the victim used to visit his house for taking tuition classes from his sister. At the time of the incident, the suspect allegedly subjected the minor girl to sexual assault when she came to his house to study, the IO said.

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

LAHORE

PAKISTAn urGeS nOn-ALIGneD BLOC TO PreSS ISrAeL TO enD PALeSTIne ATTACKS neW YorK

P

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN called on the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states to demand an immediate end to Israel’s attacks in Palestine when the body met in New York Monday to discuss the “horrendous” situation in the occupied region.

Founded in 1961, the NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.

Pakistan ambassador at the UN Munir Akram also cautioned the body against subscribing to the rhetoric of the aggressor by drawing a moral or a military equivalence between a beleaguered and unarmed Palestinian

OGDCL discovers gas reserves in Balochistan

nation and arguably the strongest army in the Middle East region.

“Our response has to be based on the principles, which we espouse — the principle of self-determination of peoples, the principle of struggle against foreign occupation and aggression,” the ambassador said, while voicing solidarity with the Palestinians.

“It is very disturbing to hear attempts to draw an equivalence between the aggression of the Israelis and the defence of the Palestinians,” he added.

“The solidarity which is required by our Palestinian brothers today is a solidarity that is based on the principle — that Israel has no business to be in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; it has no business to be in East Jerusalem; it has no business to attack Gaza […]”

Regretting that the UN Security Council (UNSC) has been blocked by the United States from issuing a

ceasefire call, Akram called for stepped-up efforts so that Washington lifts its veto on demanding a cessation of hostilities.

Since last Monday, Washington has thrice blocked resolutions that would have condemned Israel’s military response and called for a ceasefire, maintaining it could harm behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

A third UNSC emergency meeting ended on Sunday with no concrete outcome after the US vetoed a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The NAM, Akram said, must work for the restoration of international legality and for seeking a two-state solution to promote peace and stability in the region.

“Let us base our position on the reality, on humanity, and not on considerations of power relationships,” he added.

Tarin appointed as ECNEC chairman iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT

All other members of the committee would remain unchanged.

They include Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Minister for Industries Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar and Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, representing the federal government.

In addition to these members, ECNEC would also continue to include four provincial members; Punjab Finance Minister Makhdum Hashim Jawan Bakht, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra and

ISLAMABAD: State-owned Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has announced the discovery of gas and condensate reserves in Balochistan province. “OGDCL as operator (100 percent) of Jandran Exploration Licence has discovered gas from its exploratory well Jandran X-04, which is located in district Barkhan, Balochistan province,” the oil and gas exploratory firm said in a statement on Monday.

“The structure of Jandran X-04 was delineated drilled and tested using OGDCL in-house expertise. The well was drilled down to the depth of 1200m into Parh Limestone. Based on Wireline logs data, successful DST was carried out in Mughal Kot Formation wherein the well tested 7.08 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd0 gas and 0.55 Barrels Per Day (BPD) condensate with Wellhead Flowing Pressure (WHFP) of 1300 Pounds per square inch (Psi) at 32/64 inch choke size. OGDCL said that the discovery is the result of an aggressive exploration strategy which will increase the country’s hydrocarbon reserves. STAFF REPORT

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin will be the chairman of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC), replacing former finance minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh as head of the eight-member inter-provincial decision-making body on development.

It may be recalled that the government removed two finance ministers within the span of two weeks before Eid holidays.

Credit Suisse plans to hire 1,000 IT employees in India in 2021

A 73-year-old from Pakistan who is the oldest prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center was notified on Monday that he has been approved for release after more than 16 years in custody at the US base in Cuba, his lawyer said.

Saifullah Paracha, who has been held on suspicion of ties to al-Qaida but never charged with a crime, was cleared by the prisoner review board along with two other men, said Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, who represented him at his hearing in November.

As is customary, the notification did not provide detailed reasoning for the decision and concluded only that Paracha is “not a continuing threat” to the US, SullivanBennis said.

It does not mean his release is imminent. But it is a crucial step before the US government negotiates a repatriation agreement with Pakistan for his return. President Joe Biden’s administration has said it intends to resume efforts to close the detention center, a process that former President Donald Trump halted.

Paracha’s attorney said she thinks he will be returned home in the next several months.

“The Pakistanis want him back, and our understanding is that there are no impediments to his return,” she said.

A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment.

The prisoner review board also informed Uthman Abd al-Rahim Uthman, a Yemeni who has been held without charge at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, was also notified that he had been cleared, according to his attorney, Beth Jacob, who spoke to him by phone.

“He was happy, relieved and hopeful that this will actually lead to his release,” Jacob said.

Paracha, who lived in the US and owned property in

ZURICH: Credit Suisse Group said it planned to hire over 1,000 IT employees in India this year to show its commitment to the country and its intention to establish it as a global technology innovation center for the bank. The hires will comprise of developers and engineers with capabilities in emerging technologies such as cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud, API development, machine learning and artificial intelligence to support the bank’s digital aspirations, the Swiss bank said in a statement on Tuesday. India’s software service exporters have done well throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as companies the world over rushed to upgrade technology. But as demand for IT professionals rises, tech giants are facing higher staff attrition. This scenario is playing out at all the top four information technology companies — Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, HCL Technology and Wipro — where the attrition rate was in the range of 7.2% to 15.2% in the year ended March. As companies shift their workforces online due to the pandemic, Indian IT companies have reaped record profits since the December quarter. AGENCIES

Balochistan Minister for Communication and Works Nawabzada Tariq Khan Magsi.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Ishrat Hussain and Abdul Razak Dawood besides, secretaries of economic affairs, finance and planning, and development would be invited to all meetings while representatives of federal and provincial governments as well as of the government of AJ&K, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and FATA shall be invited to the meetings on a need basis.

Guantanamo prisoner from Pakistan to be freed after 14 years without charge WaSHington AGENCIES

New York City, was a wealthy businessman in Pakistan.

Authorities alleged he was an al-Qaida “facilitator” who helped two of the conspirators in the September 11 plot with a financial transaction. He says he didn’t know they were al-Qaida and denies any involvement in terrorism.

The US, which captured Paracha in Thailand in 2003 and has held him at Guantanamo since September 2004, has long asserted that it can hold detainees indefinitely without charge under the international laws of war.

In November, Paracha, who suffers from a number of ailments including diabetes and a heart condition, made his eighth appearance before the review board, which was established under President Barack Obama to try to prevent the release of prisoners who authorities believed might engage in anti-US hostilities upon their release from Guantanamo.

At the time, his attorney said he was more optimistic about his prospects because of Biden’s election, his ill health and developments in a legal case involving his son, Uzair.

Uzair Paracha was convicted in 2005 in federal court in New York of providing support to terrorism, based in part on testimony from the same witnesses held at Guantanamo whom the US relied on to justify holding the father.

In March 2020, after a judge threw out those witness accounts and the government decided not to seek a new trial, Uzair Paracha was released and sent back to Pakistan.

Saifullah Paracha is one of 40 prisoners still held at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 700 in 2003.

With this latest review board decision, there are now about nine men held at Guantanamo who have been cleared for release, including one who has been approved since 2010. Under Obama, the US would not return men to Yemen because of the civil war there and often struggled to find third countries to accept former prisoners.

Lamborghini hits accelerator on electric future rome AGENCIES

Italian sports car maker Lamborghini on Tuesday unveiled Tuesday a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.8 billion) electrification plan for its luxury vehicles, joining a global push away from fossil fuels at the risk of upsetting fans.

The company, which is owned by Volkswagen subsidiary Audi, said its first hybrid series production car would hit the market in 2023, with all its models “electrified” by the end of 2024.

But a battery-only model won’t be released until the second half of the decade, Lamborghini said.

The plan is “necessary in a context of a

radically-changing world,” CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement.

“We want to make our contribution by continuing to reduce environmental impact,” he added, saying the investment ploughed into electrification is the company’s largest-ever.

By 2025, the company should reduce carbon emissions by half, it said.

The global trend towards electrification has been more challenging for the makers of the fastest sports cars than for mass-market producers.

Some have speculated that the brands’ fans may reject the different torque and driving experience of an electric vehicle compared to traditional combustion engines.

Following in Ferrari’s footsteps, Lam-

borghini in 2019 unveiled its first foray into electrification with the Sian supercar, capable of accelerating from 0 to 62mph (110 km/h) in less than 2.8 seconds.

The Sian, which means “lightning” in Bolognese dialect, cost over 3 million euros and only about 60 were built.

Lamborghini’s well-heeled customers helped it to record profit in 2020 despite the coronavirus-related challenges that hurt the automobile industry as a whole.

The company sold 7,430 cars last year, compared to its record of 8,205 vehicles in 2019.

Lamborghini shut down production for 70 days last year at the height of the coronavirus crisis in Italy.

cmYK

NEWS

05

Four killed as dust storm, rain hit different parts of Karachi continued from page 01 Sarfraz had said that dusty winds were blowing in Karachi and the temperature of the city would also likely go up due to the cyclonic activity in the Arabian Sea. The authority had said in its advisory, “Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS), [and] moved further northwestward at a speed of 15 kilometres during the last 12 hours.” The PMD had said that the cyclone was at a distance of about 1,210 km south-southeast of Karachi. “[In view of the] prevailing environmental and meteorological conditions, dust/thunderstorm-rain with few moderate to heavy falls with gusty winds of 60-80 Kmph are likely to occur in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot & Sanghar districts during 17- 19 May 2021.” “The system is likely to move further north-westward and reach Indian Gujarat by 18th May morning,’” it had said in an advisory. According to the authority, Karachi, Hyderabad and Nawabshah districts were likely to experience hot to very hot weather with gusty winds, blowing dust during the next two days. “Sea conditions will remain rough to very rough and fishermen are advised not to venture in the sea till 19 May 2021,” it maintained. The cyclone’s name ‘Tauktae’ pronounced as TauTe, given by Myanmar. It is a Burmese language word and it means a lizard.

Auto industry seeks cut in duties on raw material, parts ISLAMABAD: The auto sector has urged the government to cut duties on raw materials and parts in the next budget so that prices of locally manufactured and assembled vehicles could be decreased and production be increased. In its budget proposals forwarded to relevant ministries on Monday, the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) suggested the government change the tax structure on raw material and parts to bring down the cost of vehicles. PAMA further said that manufacturers were no longer able to absorb the unprecedented surge in raw material prices globally. According to the association, most automobiles today are composed of 57 per cent steel, 7pc iron, 8pc plastic and 8pc aluminium while other materials accounted for the remaining 20pc. “The prices of all these materials are constantly surging this year and it has become really difficult for automakers all over the world to absorb the impact. Hence, makers are forced to increase the prices of their manufactured cars,” PAMA added. According to the association, in steel sector the per tonne price of electro galvanised coil, cold rolled coil and hot rolled coil has increased by 118pc, 119pc and 161pc, respectively, as compared to the rates recorded in September 2020. Similarly, the association said that the price of copper per lb was recorded $2.95 in September 2020 but the same was priced at $4.66 in May 2021 — a jump of 58pc. Besides, per tonne price of aluminum increased by 45pc in the same period. Keeping in view the rising prices of raw material, the auto industry suggested the government to change the SRO 1178 (I) 2015 which is regarding the Additional Custom Duty (ACD) levied on various items including raw materials at 1pc which was further enhanced to 2pc vide SRO 630 (I)/2018.

Under the Automotive Development Policy 2016 (ADP) a road map of custom tariff on imports of components, sub-components CKD was outlined. Therefore, automakers have claimed that the enhancement of ACD is not in line with ADP. Further, the levy of ACD has badly affected the competitiveness of local automotive industry. According to the association, the government has increased per unit taxes on automotive industry by levying FED and ACD on input materials of automotive industry. The objective of the government was to generate more revenue by raising different tax rates. PAMA also suggests the govern¬¬ment to allow all direct consumable materials under SRO656 including Oils, lubricants, greases etc.

SRO656 (I) / 2006 allowed OEMs to import direct materials at concessionary duty. STAFF REPORT

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

Lessons that must be learned

National Assembly unites against Israel Gaza attacks elicit worldwide condemnation

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n a rare display of unity, the treasury benches and the Opposition joined hands in the national Assembly on Monday to condemn the Israeli atrocities on the Palestinian people in general and Gaza in particular. By the time the nA met, over 200 unarmed civilians had already been massacred in Gaza including 61 children and 36 women. This was a cold-blooded carnage by a ruthless Zionist regime. A week before Israel targeted Gaza, President Joe Biden approved the sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, thus encouraging the Zionist state to enact the horror in Gaza. Subsequently Washington first blocked the Un SC meeting and barred it from issuing a statement when it was finally held. This amounted to encouraging netanyahu to continue his barbaric acts.

The nA denounced the practice of expanding Jewish settlements through forced and illegal evictions of the Palestinians. The House announced Pakistan’s unwavering, political, diplomatic and moral support to the Palestinian people. It was decided that on Friday there would be countrywide protests against the ongoing Israeli aggression.

The FM was assigned the task to demand the convening of the Un General Assembly where a resolution would be passed seeking an end to the Israeli aggression.

The way Gaza’s unarmed citizens are being bombed has evoked a worldwide outpouring of empathy for them.

In India a number of prominent intellectuals led by Arundhati Roy have condemned the Israeli repression and maintained that rockets fired by Palestinians against Israel are part of resistance which is supported by international law. In new York, US supermodel Bella Hadid joined thousands of protestors waving a large Palestinian flag.

Renowned American poet and rapper noname called on American celebrities to realise that they paid the most in taxes which were used by the US administration to provide arms to Israel that are used to kill innocent Palestinian citizens. Israeli planes also bombed the only children trauma center in Gaza run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), leading its head of mission to call the attacks inexcusable and intolerable.

How long can Israel afford to remain unconcerned about world opinion? How long will it take the US to realise that by continuing to arm Israel, it strengthens extremist tendencies and weakens its allies in the Muslim world?

Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby

O

n Wednesday, I was in the midst of running my weekly “Zoom chat” with readers of this column when the discussion was hacked and ended by a pro-Israel group playing loud songs in Hebrew. I had been speaking with Omar Shakir of Human Rights Watch on how the current violence unfolding in Israel and the occupied territories validated their charge that Israel was guilty of the crimes of apartheid and persecution of Palestinians.

Apparently someone didn’t want the discussion to continue. nor did they want to learn the lessons this conflict is teaching us about past failures in US and Israeli policies. But those with “eyes to see and ears to hear” there are lessons to be learned from the tragic events that are unfolding in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Let me list some of them: After signing normalization agreements with sev-

Will a proper inquiry be carried out?

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RIMe MInISTeR Imran Khan’s close aide and special assistant on overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari has resigned after being named in the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) scandal where an unignorable amount of corruption was unearthed. There are allegations that alterations in the routes were made so that certain real estate projects would benefit heavily and these have been linked with Mr Bukhari, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan and several bureaucrats. Reportedly, all necessary principal approvals for the realignments in the project and release of funds had been given by PM Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. Going by the standard expected of PTI politicians, as defined by Mr Bukhari in his ‘resignation tweet’ whereby any government official accused of corruption must step down, clear his name and only then get his post back, both PM Khan, CM Buzdar and all those being named in this scandal should resign as well. Such hollow displays of taking the moral high ground are reserved only for unelected members of government because when it comes to the numbers game, PM Khan ill affords disrupting his carefully calibrated, fragile and thin majority in Parliament.

It will be interesting to see whether or not the national Accountability Bureau (nAB) approaches this case with the same level of ferocity and ‘concern for public money’ as it does when the opposition is involved. When it comes to them, the rule is simple: arrest first, ask questions later.

The rationale for this practice, deemed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan a violation of basic human rights by unnecessarily restricting one’s freedom of movement, is to keep the suspect in the country, close to nAB so that the inquiry can progress uninterrupted. By this standard, Mr Bukhari should be picked up soon, considering he is a UK citizen and therefore a major flight risk. Going by the events of the past two and a half years, it seems more likely that even this latest corruption scandal that exclusively names members of the PTI government will slowly and steadily shift from the headlines and ‘cabinet meeting discussions’ to cold storage while the nAB will keep its foot off the pedal.

Kashif mirZa

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He Federal Cabinet approved two ordinances recently as part of electoral reforms to ensure transparency in the general elections. One ordinance will enable the election Commission of Pakistan to use electronic voting machines in elections while the other empowers the eCP to take steps to give the overseas Pakistanis right of e-voting. The government’s electoral reforms consist of four parts, including electronic Voting Machines (eVMs), e-voting for overseas Pakistanis, biometric identification of voters and enabling legislation.

The delimitation exercise in constituencies based on population would be finished and some provisions of the election Act 2017 were being deleted. The list of registered voters with nadra would now be used for electoral rolls instead. A series of 49 changes were being made by introducing or abrogating sections and making amendments to the existing sections of the election Act 2017 in order to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the future and end the controversy and allegations of rigging forever.

Section 103 of the election Act 2017 was amended to allow use of eVMs. eVMs were developed and the government unveiled its legislative agenda for the purpose, and work is underway on biometric and e-voting. Besides, Section 94 would also be amended to extend the right of vote to overseas Pakistanis. Moreover, Section 202 about registration of political parties would also be amended, requiring a political party to submit a detailed list of at least 10,000 members. A new Section 213-A would be added, making it compulsory for the registered political parties to hold their annual conventions, so that democracy should be seen in political parties. Also, Section 15– complaints against polling staff– would

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

and annexation and stating their belief in the “equal worth of Israeli and Palestinian lives.” At the same time, they pledged “unwavering support for Israel” and rejected conditioning US aid to Israeli behavior– not recognizing that these statements were in conflict.

When Israel announced evictions and settlement expansion in and around Jerusalem, the Administration made do with expressions of “deep concern.”

These were repeatedly “dismissed” by Israel. As long as the USA doesn’t hold Israel accountable for its actions and doesn’t insist that a price be paid for bad behaviour, Israel will continue to act with impunity and dismiss US “concerns.”

Supporters of Israel insist that there is bipartisan support for Israeli actions, pointing to letters of support from a majority of Members of Congress as evidence. This is dangerous wishful thinking. While it’s true that supporters of Israel continue to “hold the Hill, they are losing ground all around the Hill”– especially among Democrats. Dozens of Democratic Senators and Representatives have been sharply critical of Israeli actions and the timid response of Biden Administration; many are calling for conditioning US aid to Israel. They are reflecting dramatic changes in the attitudes of US voters to Israel and its policies.

A majority of Democrats now oppose settlements, want the USA to pressure Israel to change its policies, and support trying US aid to Israel to its treatment of the Palestinian people. This is mainly due to the shifts in attitudes of Blacks and Latinos, young people, and educated women– core voter groups for Democrats. If the Democratic establishment continues to ignore these changes, they do so at some political risk.

So here are, once again, in the midst of a war that will leave many dead, many more suffering and, in the end, resolve nothing. There are lessons to be learned from this conflict, but we must have “eyes to see and ears to hear.” Supporters of Israel can try to ignore or silence criticism, but reality itself cannot be ignored or silenced.

The writer is President, Arab American Institute.

Electoral reforms to ensure transparency

Ring road scam

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

eral Arab countries, many Israelis and their supporters in the West foolishly believed the conflict was over. not so. To be clear, Israel’s “problem” has always been its refusal to accept the rights of the Palestinian people. Israel may have assumed that with normalization agreements in its pocket, the USA in its corner, and the Palestinian polity in disarray, it was now free to impose their will.

But, as they have done so often in the past, the Israelis underestimated the resolve of the people they oppress. The lesson to learn is that the continued repression of Palestinian rights is not sustainable.

With both netanyahu and his opponents negotiating with some of Israel’s Arab parties in order to form a governing coalition, Israeli pundits mused that Palestinian citizens of Israel had “matured” and no longer cared about or identified with the Palestinian nation. not so. If anything, the demonstrations engulfing Israeli cities in response to the planned evictions from Sheikh Jarrah, the police assault on the Haram al Sharif, and the bombing of Gaza made it clear that many Palestinian citizens of Israel see themselves as part of an indivisible Palestinian people.

When Human Rights Watch issued its report charging Israel with the crimes of apartheid and persecution of Palestinians, liberal critics in the USA said it went too far and certainly shouldn’t have included Israeli policy with regard to its Palestinian Arab citizens. not so. The ethnic cleansing of Sheikh Jarrah for “demographic reasons,” the poverty and unemployment of Palestinians resulting from the closure of Jerusalem, the economic, social, and political inequality faced by Palestinian citizens of Israel, the discriminatory behavior of Israeli police on display in Jerusalem and Israeli cities, and the Jewish extremist chants of “death to Arabs” – all made it clear that Israel is an ethno-nationalist state that preferences one group (Jews) at the expense of another (Palestinians). That’s apartheid and Israel must address this reality if it is to have social peace.

The Biden Administration sought to avoid direct engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They tried to make do with statements opposing settlements

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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be amended to enable candidates to challenge the appointment of polling staff within 15 days. Another reform would be for electoral rolls to be prepared on the basis of registration data with nadra. This measure would make people who resorted to illicit and fake votes without any method. Prime Minister Imran Khan also invited the opposition for talks, as legislating reform was the responsibility of Parliament and not the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP). Two constitutional amendments would be introduced in Parliament, aimed at conducting Senate elections through identifiable voting and allowing the overseas Pakistanis to contest elections in the country.

In 2018, the opposition PML(n) claimed that Results Transmission System (RTS) failed but when it was asked to bring details of RTS failure and non-submission of Form 45 in the relevant committee, it failed to do so. After the 2018 elections, 25 petitions regarding rigging were filed in Punjab, out of which 13 were filed by the PTI candidates and 11 by the PML(n).

In the recent Karachi byelection, the PML(n) accused the PPP of rigging.

There was also a big controversy on both the election of former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as Senator and later his defeat in the Senate Chairmanship election. The debate for open ballot in the Senate election is still pending, which was part of the Charter of Democracy signed between PML-n and the PPP. The government has been advocating for switching to eVMs for some time.

While in principle the concept sounds fair, some kinks may have to be resolved before it is put into practice, but the eCP has doubts over eVM use. There is also the matter of legislation that will need to be enacted for eVM use.

The stabilisation of Pakistan’s democratic transition will depend to a considerable extent on the manner in which the eCP conducts the next general elections. The main steps required to advance reform includes the government and opposition forging a consensus on neutral caretaker regimes at the centre and in the provinces to govern during the election period. In accordance with the 18th amendment, and the eCP moving quickly to enact major electoral reforms and remove flaws in the electoral process for the next general elections.

Voters must be given every opportunity to identify errors and omissions, which must be removed from the electoral rolls. Polling procedures should be im-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

proved and accountability mechanisms for candidates and political parties improved; and dysfunctional election tribunals, characterised by excessive delays and widespread corruption, should be urgently reformed.

The eCP should make every effort to verify, validate, update and augment the final electoral rolls, ensuring that citizens are not disenfranchised. After consulting all relevant stakeholders, it should also immediately prepare a list of permanent polling stations. The eCP should consult parties on the amended code of conduct and incorporate their recommendations; otherwise, Parliament should rationalise the code.

The eCP should install an effective results-management system to compile results expeditiously and transparently and put the results on its website as soon as available. The eCP should put in place a transparent recruitment, hiring and performance evaluation system for staff. The eCP should monitor electoral turnout and results at both female and combined polling stations and impose penalties on those who prevent women from voting, to prevent disenfranchisement of women.

The international media and community should engage on electoral reform with not just the eCP but all stakeholders, particularly parliamentarians and political parties, in order to make reform sustainable, and should hold the eCP to its commitment to enhance access to credible election observers, both domestic and international.

The political parties should sit together for finalisation of electoral reforms, and to introduce new technology and eVMs, which will help increase trust of the people, political parties and intelligentsia in the electoral process. There is no point in any reform if there is no political consensus around it. The issue of electoral reforms, though it has not created any constitutional crisis, does show a crisis of trust in constitutional institutions.

Indeed countries were not made up of just land and buildings, but the people and its institutions.

Good ethical and political attitudes are a prerequisite for such reforms. That is the kind of adherence to constitutional principles, electoral rules and the law of the land that we need in Pakistan. If we cannot ensure a fair and free election, conducted by an impartial body, we cannot claim to be a democracy.

Indeed countries were not made up of just land and buildings, but the people and its institutions.

Good ethical and political attitudes are a prerequisite for such reforms. That is the kind of adherence to constitutional principles, electoral rules and the law of the land that we need in Pakistan.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is an economist, anchor, analyst and the President of All Pakistan Private Schools Federation. President@pakistanprivateschools.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Do not forget the poor this Eid InDeeD one of the greatest acts of kindness is giving the charity for the poor ones. In Islam, we can read a number of incidents which show the importance of charity. Helping others is a trait that is encouraged by our religion. Moreover, our Beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) commanded Muslims to help those in need and distress. eid is the right time to revive your bonds and connections with those people who don’t have enough resources to celebrate this event with clothes as good as yours maybe. They are deprived of true happiness and enjoyment of most awaited Islamic festival. As the eid ul-Fitr nears, I hope everyone is done with their eid shopping but the rich community should not forget that souls who are living in slums, having no roof to live under, no proper and healthy food to eat, no clothes to dress up and having nothing to celebrate eid. every year God gives us a golden chance to create harmony and to cover the difference between upper and lower classes. But we miss the chance just for our own happiness. We waste money on the Chaand Raat and we get out in bazaars for fun and waste a lot of money. Alas! We have forgotten the core values of Islam and true meaning of this religious accession. Although, there are several ways to help our poor sisters and brothers who are not gifted enough by God. One of the foremost sources is our Zakaat and Fitrana. If we want to enjoy the real meaning of peace and inner satisfaction, just donate some amount of money even if you have it. It doesn’t matter how much you donate. This is an opportunity to gain Allah’s appreciation.

Saira Jan iSalambad

Genocide of Palestinians with impunity US support allows Israel to do what it wants

maliK muhammaD ashraf

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He assault on the Muslim worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli forces with rubber bullets and tear gas shells which left scores injured followed by continuous airstrikes and missile attacks on Gaza strip which so far has killed more than 200 Palestinians including children, and wounded more than 1400 people besides causing destruction of scores of buildings, is yet another addition to the myriads of such acts of state terrorism by Israel, with impunity. The current Israeli blitzkrieg is a replication of similar acts of genocide perpetrated on the Palestinians in 2009 and 2014.

While there has been a world-wide condemnation of Israel at the level of the masses, regrettably the governments of USA and its Western allies remain oblivious to the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza. The resolution adopted by the OIC, as a result of hectic diplomatic efforts of Pakistan, condemning Israeli attacks on Gaza, appealing for cessation of attacks and call upon the global powers and the Un to stop the hostilities which have the potential to consign the region to perennial instability, have also not created the desired impact. The UnSC, in spite of its two informal sessions, and one formal, has failed to adopt a consensus statement on the issue.

The major stumbling block in this regard is the USA. By blocking the deliberations of the UnSC it probably wants to allow more time to the Israeli military establishment to completely defang Hamas, about which there is a permeating perception in the West that peace in the Middle east hinges on destroying the capability of that militant entity to strike against Israel.

They remain totally blind to what Israel is doing and has been doing in spite of 80 Un General Assembly and UnSC resolutions expressing consensus on a two-state solution, with an independent state of Palestine comprising contiguous regions.

Who can forget the massacre of 3000 Palestinians at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon in September 1982 which had all the trappings of a Holocaust? Shortly after Israel invaded Lebanon the right-wing Lebanese groups allied with the invaders stormed the camps, killing its inhabitants, raping mothers in front of their families and mutilating pregnant women.

Reportedly, before the massacre, Israel’s

defense minister Ariel Sharon had ordered that the camp be surrounded in advance, effectively paving the way for one of the bloodiest massacres in modern history. In view of the resentment that it caused around the globe and the reaction in the Muslim World, the Un General Assembly condemned what had happened and declared it an act of genocide.

However Israel was never penalized for that horrendous bloodshed.

It is the US support that really encourages Israel to continue with its state terrorism and annexation of the Palestinian territories through Jewish settlements on the Palestinian land in spite of Un resolutions forbidding any such action. In fact protection of the state of Israel is the cornerstone of US foreign policy. US Congress places considerable importance on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship between the two countries.

Since 1985, the USA has provided nearly $3 billion in grants annually to Israel, with Israel being the largest annual recipient of American aid from 1976 to 2004 and the largest cumulative recipient of aid amounting to $146 billion since World War II. More recently, in fiscal year 2019, the USA provided $3.8 billion in foreign military aid to Israel. The Zionist state also benefits from about $8 billion of loan guarantees.

Strong congressional support for Israel has resulted in Israel receiving benefits not available to other countries.

In addition to financial and military aid, the USA also has been providing political support to Israel by having used its veto power 42 times on resolutions relating to Israel, out of a total 83 times in which its veto has ever been used. Between 1991 and 2011, the USA used its veto power 15 times to protect Israel out of the 24 vetos in total that it cast in the Security Council deliberations on different global issues.

The Late Republican Senator Jesse Helms used to call Israel “America’s aircraft carrier in the Middle east”, when explaining why the USA viewed Israel as a strategic ally, saying that the military foothold in the region offered by the Jewish state alone justified the military aid that the USA grants Israel every year. That also is the explanation for the USA keeping mum on Israel becoming a clandestine nuclear power while it maintains a very hostile posture towards states trying to acquire nuclear capability. Iran’s case

is a classic example of this hypocrisy dictated by its strategic global interests. Opposition to Pakistan’s nuclear programme and clamping of sanctions to stop it also unraveled the double standards employed by the USA. Unfortunately OIC which was formed in the backdrop of burning of the Al-Aqsa mosque in September 1969 has also proved ineffective in regards to finding a two-state solution to resolve the conflict, and dissuading the USA and its allies from extending unqualified support to Israel in its acts of terrorism and massacre of the Palestinians. The reason for this failure is the lack of political solidarity among the Muslim countries.

Saudi Arabia did use the oil weapon in 1973 against USA and other Western countries but the move failed to create the desired impact. Other than that no substantive effort has been launched by the OIC for supporting the Palestinian cause, except for ritualistic condemnation of Israel whenever it committed the indiscretion of venting its ire on the hapless Palestinians.

The USA has in the meantime also succeeded in denting whatever unity existed in the Muslim world for the Palestinian cause by luring Qatar, UAe, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. egypt and Jordan signed peace treaties with Israel in 1979 and 1994 respectively. US efforts for prompting Saudi Arabia to follow the suit are also in the offing. In all probability the crescendo of condemnations would die down like the previous incidents and the people of Palestine will continue suffering like the people of Kashmir who are also the victims of global politics. Much, however, depends on change in the attitude of the big powers, including the USA, who are currently managing the world affairs. Their current conduct and policies reaffirm the old adage that Might is Right. Principles and humanitarian causes have no place in such a scenario.

It is however noteworthy that among the Muslim countries Pakistan has been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and has invariably taken a hard position against Israeli actions.

It has also stuck to its principled stand on the Kashmir dispute. That explains the reason behind the anti-Pakistan nexus between Israel and India. I am afraid I do not see any solution of both these issues in the foreseeable future in view of the developing global situation.

Among the Muslim countries Pakistan has been a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and has invariably taken a hard position against Israeli actions. It has also stuck to its principled stand on the Kashmir dispute. That explains the reason behind the anti-Pakistan nexus between Israel and India. I am afraid I do not see any solution of both these issues in the foreseeable future in view of the developing global situation

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

Economy is more than life IT is very difficult to understand that what is going on nowadays in our country. Our government is just supporting economy instead of of life.

They give priority to economy only. As cases are reaching sky our government doesn’t pay attention upon it. Opening markets and starting transport is very big mistake of our government. nobody is following SOPs in markets. People are thinking that now they are relax and there isn’t any corona which is totally wrong. I urge government officials to take some serious action and give priority to lifes as whole world is giving. anthony Sahotra larkana

Fee reduction issue PRIVATe schools have become favourite whipping boys of all & sundry.

They are called “mafia” by the parents, politicians & the judiciary.

Interestingly, come admission time and one sees long queues of parents outside these “mafia” schools anxious to get their kids entrusted to the very “mafia”. Is the hypocrisy not jarring? education is a fundamental right of every child. In all countries of the world, governments work to provide education through government schools. not so in Pakistan. Here provincial governments abuse education budgets for corruption to line their pockets.

Hence, we sadly hear of “ghost schools”. The government & the worthy Supreme Court believe that it is the responsibility of the private sector to fulfil the global requirement of education for all. not only should the private sector assume this responsibility, it should do so on terms to be dictated by the education ministers & the judiciary. All sectors of the economy may earn abnormal profits but the private schools should earn a pittance for education is not a business. One is constrained to ask why private schools are being destroyed when the govt itself is incapable of providing basic education of reasonable quality? Do parents realize their targeting of schools is like cutting the tree branch on which they are themselves sitting. maaz abbaSi karachi

Easing the lockdown AFTeR the outbreak of covid 19, pakistan is facing terrible ecnomic crises. not only pakistan developed countries are facing this problem too. Due to which the decision of easing in lockdown is made.consensuse, the govt of pakistan has eased in lockdown. Which include reopning of malls, beautypalors, barbear and industries. But inforced of lockdown can result a tough time for health authorities. As they were warning people not to go outside to save your and their lives.

But we can see the rush in markest and other places where people are standing nearby each other without precutive gears. even in this pendamic children have been wittnessed with elders while shopping without masks.

Almost noone is following SOPs, this carelessness of citizens can bring hardships for health authorities. With the risisng cases of covid 19 the tally has reached 40,151 and 873 deaths. However, within less time the cases can rise up more higher. This easing in lockdown can risk many lives of shopkeepper and laubors. mahnoor SiraJ awaran

SOPs violation THIS letter refers to the outbreak of COVID-19 in which most countries are facing the initial crisis that is continued to weaken the country’s economy. In Pakistan the pandemic is just considered a rumour and unpredicted according to the citizens notion. On the other hand there is SOPs violation . Inorder to the curb the further spread of coronavirus, traders have been doing extravagance . Recently in Quetta 156 shops were sealed and 64 people have been also arrested because of not following SOPs. The traders have been warned about not being violated since the violation will result in closure of entire market . There are great number of administrative issues over the implementation of SOPs as the provinces eased it’s lockdown . Secondly the safety guidelines are as well denied by traders and public. They are visible in overcrowded shops. neither wearing masks nor following the laws of lockdown. In this regard lockdown has no aims in Pakistan where social distancing have been a very difficult task for the public. I implore the government of Pakistan to be actively of taking strict action against people who are against law. barkatullah turbat

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

BideN’s fuNdiNg for israel’s massacre of PalesTiNiaNs caN Never Be jusTified PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS APPROVED A $735 MILLION ARMS DEAL FOR THE SETTLER-COLONIAL STATE, AT THE HEIGHT OF ITS LATEST MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS IN THE GAZA STRIP

Middle east MoNitor

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Ramona Wadi

O adamant is the US assertion about israel’s “right to defend itself” that President Joe Biden has approved a $735 million arms deal for the settler-colonial state, at the height of its latest military offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The sale is related to precision bombs, a technology of which israel boasts but never really gets right in Gaza. Civilian infrastructure always figures high on the list of targets, with the resultant “collateral damage”

of hundreds of Palestinian children, women, and men killed and wounded.

There is no difference in Biden’s approach compared with that of his predecessor Donald Trump, except that the former seeks to justify his actions — and inaction in terms of protecting innocent civilians and their rights — by citing the two-state “solution”.

Although dead in the water, “two states” emphasises human rights rhetoric, but it is a framework for the annihilation of Palestinian rights, which suits Washington. Keeping in mind that the $3.8 billion of aid that the US pays to israel every year is not dependent on the occupation state improving its appalling human rights record, Biden’s latest largesse strengthens israel’s fake “security” and “selfdefence” narrative, as well as its ability to act with impunity. This can never be justified. increasing scrutiny from the US Congress prompted a non-committal response from Biden, who expressed “support for a

Intelligence agencies should not be propaganda organs

NatioNal iNterest

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Paul R PillaR

ine of the eleven four-star combatant commanders sent a memo to the director of national intelligence last year appealing for more declassified material to use publicly in information warfare against Russia and China, according to Politico. The memo itself has not been made public, but according to Politico’s description and selected quotes, the generals and admirals were asking for “ammunition in the ongoing war of narratives” to combat “pernicious conduct.”

Several aspects of what is addressed in the Politico report reflect proper activity for U.S. intelligence agencies. One is that information warfare by other powers ought to be an important intelligence target. indeed, U.S. agencies should devote collection and analytical resources to what not just Russia and China but also other foreign states are doing on this front and to assess the motives of foreign governments and the truth or falsity of what they are saying.

Appeals by intelligence consumers for declassification of more intelligence products are also normal. The judgments and principal findings of U.S. intelligence on many subjects can safely be used in the unclassified world without getting into the sorts of details that could compromise intelligence sources and methods. Declassified material has been safely and effectively used in the past to strengthen demarches that U.S. officials have made to foreign governments.

But two aspects of the four-star commanders’ memo, when considered together, are troubling. First, the intended audience for the requested material is not just foreign governments but rather foreign publics. And anything disseminated to a foreign public also is exposed to the U.S. public.

Second, what is requested is not an overall unbiased description or assessment of Russian or Chinese conduct. instead, the request is for ammunition—for material aimed at demonstrating that the conduct is pernicious and at refuting what those governments might be saying. in other words, the unclassified intelligence output the generals and admirals want

is selective—selected to make a point. intelligence selected in this way tends to be supportive of some possible policies toward the countries concerned and less supportive of other policy options. And selectively disseminating its product to the public in this manner is not a proper function for U.S. intelligence agencies. in this case, the material selected to demonstrate perniciousness would probably tend to support more hardline and confrontational policies toward Moscow and Beijing. Material that is not selected because it instead points to justifiable explanations for Russian or Chinese behavior or suggests opportunities for cooperation would tend to support different policies.

One might argue that the intelligence agencies are necessarily in the business of focusing on what is pernicious or threatening. After all, the most significant annual product of the intelligence community, which includes an unclassified version, is a worldwide “threat assessment.” But the very labeling of such a document as such makes clear its scope and purpose; it is not presented as the last word on everything that the public ought to know about country X or country Y. The global geographic scope of the assessment means it is not singling out any particular foreign countries as targets of information warfare.

Moreover, the worldwide threat assessment reflects the judgments of the intelligence agencies as to what warrants being called a threat. it is not designed, and the material in it is not selected, to generate public support for any particular policy or operational mission. in this respect, the military commands are quite different from intelligence agencies. The military’s mission is about executing policies that are inherently about confrontation more than cooperation. The intelligence community’s mission is instead about providing the most objective and accurate possible information as an input to the making of policy.

Selective public release of intelligence has a troubling history in the United States.

Among the most troubling—one could say pernicious—instances of this in recent times was the George W. Bush administration’s highly selective cherry-picking of intelligence to help build public support for launching an offensive war in iraq. And today, the intelligence agencies and the country are still recovering from the Trump administration’s blatant attempts to politicize intelligence— on matters that, like the military commanders’ memo, involve Russia and China. That which the memo asks for impedes the recovery process and undermines the main reason the nation has intelligence agencies.

Paul R. Pillar is a contributing editor at the National Interest and the author of Why America Misunderstands the World.

ceasefire” but, yet again, pontificated about israel’s “right” to defend itself. There was no challenge for israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu, who declared that bombing Gaza will continue at “full force” and that it will “take time”. Meanwhile, for the third time, the US blocked a Un Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire.

According to the US State Department, the arms deal is not related to the current bombing of Gaza. however, the timing clearly signifies US approval of the ongoing slaughter of Palestinian civilians. Furthermore, the sale reinforces the fact that Biden’s approach to the Palestinians is rooted in the unequal correlation between human rights protection and human rights violation. While he has restored a fragment of America’s humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people — which israel duly complained about — the settler-colonial entity has been compensated above and beyond what is allocated for

Palestinians.

There is little chance of collective opposition to the US arms sale, although some Democrat legislators have argued that agreeing to the deal without insisting upon a ceasefire will prompt israel towards further aggression. however, it is these half-measures that take their cue from the two-state politics which have also contributed to every israeli onslaught against Palestinians for the past thirty years. Without, at the very least, support for the Palestinian people’s right to legitimate anti-colonial struggle, the disproportionate US aid awarded to israel cannot face a viable challenge. even if opposition to the arms sale exists in Congress, there are no voices calling for an alternative to the two-state compromise, which still leaves Palestinians vulnerable to all forms of israeli violence.

To put it briefly, the Biden administration, like its predecessors, is financing israel’s brand of exceptionalism and

settler-colonial politics. The latest weapons deal is even uglier in the face of the bombing of Gaza because it demonstrates clearly USisraeli collusion against Palestinians. had the agreement happened at a time when the world merely noted israel’s normalised violations in passing, the $735 million deal would have passed relatively unnoticed. herein lies the danger of shifting the focus onto israel only when it oversteps the boundaries of what politicians and the media have agreed is acceptable. israel’s aggression is inherent and forms the basis of the settlercolonial project, which was founded upon terrorism and has terrorised Palestinians ever since to maintain its grip on their land. As long as the awareness generated by the wellpublicised israeli violence does not also encompass the daily reality of the oppression faced by the Palestinians, the US-israeli collusion will continue to be accepted by the international community.

No victory picture for Israel in Gaza THE IDF SUCCESS IN DESTROYING GAZA UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE CANNOT ERASE PHOTOS OF HAMAS ROCKETS REACHING TEL AVIV al-MoNitor

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Ben CasPit

hiS operation was supposed to be the jewel in israel’s crown, the result of impressive, painstaking intelligence collection mapping out the vast network of hamas tunnels in the northern section of the Gaza Strip, including the fortified, fully equipped bomb shelter for the organization’s leadership.

The islamist group had little idea that everything it was digging underground over the years was being documented by israeli intelligence in order to compile a bank of bombing targets for future use. israel had also devised a series of sophisticated ruses designed to force hamas commanders to flee underground into what the military was dubbing the “metro,” where they would be buried by heavy bombs bringing the tunnels crashing down on their heads.

On May 13-14, one of israel’s top brass made what would turn out to be a hasty decision. The military launched its deception maneuver, which included spreading rumors of an imminent israeli ground offensive in northern Gaza. The rumors were bolstered by the spokesperson of the israel Defense Forces (iDF), who issued an official announcement in the pre-dawn hours of May 14 broadly hinting at such an operation. The idea was to lure all the hamas leaders into the tunnels where they would prepare to take on the invading enemy forces, allowing israel to bomb them all. hamas, however, did not fall for the ruse. its Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, head of its military wing Mohammed al-Deif, his deputy Marwan issa and others did not believe the iDF would be launching a ground offensive and risk the lives of many soldiers just days after starting its relatively surgical aerial and artillery bombing campaign. instead of hundreds of hamas leaders, commanders and fighters rushing into the tunnels, only a few dozen hunkered down there. As of this writing, it is still unclear how many were killed, but the meticulous plan the iDF had prepared appears to have been wasted. The tunnels have caved in under the force of the depth charges, but those who ordered their digging are very much alive.

The iDF is trying to look at the “bright” side. The way iDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi sees it, israel has deprived hamas of its strategic underground assets.

Before the start of what israel has codenamed

Operation Guardian of the Walls on May 10, hamas believed its people could find refuge when the time came in the underground city it had built at tremendous expense over the past decade. however, precision israeli munitions demolished this safe space, based on equally precise intelligence. The hamas underground option is no more.

While this is a strategic achievement, it is not the photo being sought by Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz encapsulating in no uncertain terms israel’s victory over the organization. The tunnel debris is not littered with the bodies of hamas leaders and commanders. Gaza’s famed tunnel builders will rebuild the underground fortifications in years to come, possibly trying to reenforce them in the vain hope of protecting them from the bunker-busting munitions of the israeli air force. either way, israel has undoubtedly wasted its strategic plan to deal a historic knockout to hamas simply because someone was in too much of a rush to score that elusive victory photo.

Who, then, will be crowned the winner of this current round between israel and Gaza? Depends whom you ask and how you look at it. The iDF’s performance has undoubtedly been effective, destroying the “metro” and part of the hamas missilelaunching capacities, assassinating six top military commanders, sinking the small fleet of tiny unmanned submarines designed to explode under or near israeli navy vessels and/or israeli offshore oil and gas drilling rigs. The iDF has also destroyed a significant part of the hamas missile production facilities and thwarted its ability to execute terror attacks against israel from the sea (using its subs or navy commando units), the air (using exploding drones) or on land (israel thwarted the infiltration of an elite hamas unit through a tunnel shortly before it launched a raid inside israel, killing the fighters). israel is buoyed by its success in depriving hamas of another strategic weapon — its array of tunnels leading into israel, which has been blocked by a state-of-theart underground barrier dug along the Gaza border in recent years. Much to its frustration, hamas finds itself deprived of most of its offensive options, left with “only” its rocket capabilities. But in the face of the impressive iron Dome missile defense system israel has deployed and upgraded over the past decade, intercepting the majority of hamas rockets, the organization has responded with improved capabilities of its

own. The makeshift holes it used to dig in order to position its rocket launchers in the past have been replaced with stationary and mobile batteries of multiple launchers that challenge the iron Dome interceptors with their simultaneous firing and sheer numbers. The rockets themselves are sturdier, heavier and more precise. israel is now facing a relatively simple problem: Whereas it has recorded a series of tactical military achievements, hamas has scored several historic gains, each of which constitutes a so-called victory photo. it fired six missiles at Jerusalem, israel’s capital, cutting short a Knesset debate and sending lawmakers fleeing for cover, humiliating israeli democracy for all the world to see. it has pitted Arab and Jewish citizens of israel against each other, setting off days of anarchy, and it is having some success in triggering anti-israel violence by Palestinians in the West Bank. To top it off, hamas has taken its revenge on the cancellation of the Palestinian elections this month (that it was widely expected to win), and it has eclipsed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, undermining his hold on power and crowning itself the savior of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of islam’s holiest shrines.

An interim assessment of winners and losers would not be complete without netanyahu and his frantic attempts at political survival. Throughout his career, netanyahu has tried to avoid military adventures. even when he was dragged into offensives against Gaza (Operations Pillar of Defense in 2012 and Protective edge in 2014), he was primed to end them almost as soon as they began. however, this is the first time netanyahu is striving to continue the operation rather than end it.

This time, clearly, the fighting serves his political goals. Operation Guardian of the Walls has already thwarted the formation of the broad-based coalition that was preparing to replace his government, it has dragged his putative successor Yamina leader naftali Bennett back into the fold of the netanyahu-led right, and granted the prime minister a reprieve. This is not to say that the operation was prompted by political considerations. The hamas rockets fired at Jerusalem undoubtedly did not leave israel any choice. What it does say is that netanyahu of Operation Guardian of the Walls is not the one we have known, the cautious leader steering clear of military entanglements, thus greatly increasing the odds of just such an outcome.

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

BUSINESS 09

LAHORE corporate corner Engro signs Honeywell, Grace as tech partners for multibillion dollar complex KARACHI: Engro Corporation has selected Honeywell UOP and W. R. Grace & Co. as its technology partner to use their licensed process technology for the $1.5 billion, 750,000 Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) and Polypropylene (PP) production facility that would make Pakistan a self-sufficient producer of polypropylene.

Polypropylene resin is used in the manufacturing of a variety of daily use consumer products including woven bags, food and non-food packaging, films, sheets, household containers, battery casings, kitchenware, electrical appliances, bottles, caps, pipes & fittings, medical equipment, and a wide range of other products.

To meet these needs, polypropylene has a local annual demand of 500,000 with an expected grow rate of 7 percent annually. Honeywell will provide its C3 Oleflex™ technology and basic engineering design services, in addition to equipment, catalysts and adsorbents for the plant. Since 2011, most new dehydrogenation projects globally have been based on UOP C3 Oleflex technology.

However, this will mark the first use of C3 Oleflex in Pakistan. PREss RElEAsE

Meezan Bank hosts Pakistan final of CFA Institute Research Challenge 2020-21

NAB LAUNCHES PROBE INTO RAwALPINDI RING ROAD PROjECT OVER ALLEGED CORRUPTION ISLAMABAD

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sHAHZAD PARACHA

HE National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to investigate the Rawalpindi Ring Road Project over alleged corruption committed in the acquisition of land.

In this regard, NAB chairman Javed Iqbal on Monday directed the bureau’s Rawalpindi branch to submit a report about the authenticity of the allegations after conducting an inquiry into the proposed project.

The NAB chairman said that the department believes in corruption free

ACCUSED SUGGEST FORMING EXPERT-LEVEL COMMITTEE TO PROBE ALLEGATIONS OF KICKBACKS, RENT-SEEKING Pakistan and the anti-corruption department has evidence against those who looted the people’s money through illegal housing societies besides damaging the national kitty.

It is pertinent to mention here that Commissioner Rawalpindi Gulzar Hussain Shah had submitted a report recommending NAB to probe Rs2.3 billion spent unlawfully by former Rawalpindi commissioner Capt (r) Muhammad Mahmood and former LAC Wasim

Tabish in the illegal acquisition of land.

However, both members denied the allegations saying that there was no illegal activity at any stage of the project.

They added the alignment was prepared by NESPAK in 2017 but it was not approved while National Highway Authority (NHA) and other organisations had also objected to it.

The officials wrote that in 2021, a new alignment was prepared by Zurich International and these changes were

Remittances in April break all previous records at $2.8bn

KARACHI: Engro Fertilizers Limited has accelerated its digitisation through the gamification of the SAP Fiori software application. This innovative initiative helped the company overcome several internal corporate challenges, such as employee resistance to digital change and enhancing sales force performance by enabling them through technology. Players – users – from all three levels of sales force including zonal, regional, and territory sales managers had to race through seven different creative levels designed as seven different cities of Pakistan to achieve KPIs based on certain functions and reports of Fiori app. Other elements like live dice roll activities, badges, scorecard, video teasers, and bonus rounds were also introduced to spike engagement. Within six weeks, significant behavioral change was observed with more than 10,000 times app usage for data and reports, average usage of 73 times per player, and enhancing engagement to 99 percent. PREss RElEAsE

TPL Insurance achieves AA- IFS rating KARACHI: The credit rating of TPL Insurance has been upgraded to AA- with a stable outlook, following a statement issued by Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA). The company is anticipated to make further investments in developing commercial and personal line portfolios by exploring new channels, expanding existing relationships and maintaining higher risk retentions, as it joins the pool of AA insurers. Products including property, marine and engineering insurance are expected to grow substantially in the months to come. PREss RElEAsE

Careem Co-founder Mudassir Sheikha donates $2m to LUMS for scholarships LAHORE: LUMS has received a generous donation of $2 million by Careem Co-founder and CEO Mudassir Sheikha to establish the Sekha Scholarship for undergraduate scholars at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE). The scholarship entails 100 percent merit-based fee waivers to 10 top students with financial need. The scholarship will reward the top science and engineering undergraduate students on financial aid by providing merit-based fee waivers. PREss RElEAsE

AGP raises objection on CDLD fund spending PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has raised eight objections over Rs50.33 million being spent on the ongoing Community-Driven Local Development (CDLD) in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

According to sources, the AGP has raised objections of Rs20.76 million on payment of “unfair” salaries to project employees and spending without approval.

The AGP has also raised objections on the recruitment of an engineer for CDLD projects at a cost of Rs10.87 million.

The AGP also launched objection on Rs1.7 million expenditure, Rs1.5 million for staff recruitment and payment of their salaries, objection of Rs50,000 has been made in issued for compensation while other objections of total of Rs3.5 million has been by the AGP. Local Government Department sources said that a joint meeting has also been convened to resolve the objections.

KARACHI: Meezan Bank recently held the Pakistan final of CFA Institute Research Challenge 2020-21 at Meezan House, in an event hosting the winner and runner-up teams of Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL) and Institute of Business Administration (IBA).

Cash prizes were awarded to the top five teams while the winner and runner-up teams were presented with the opportunity to present their equity research to the management of the bank. CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition by CFA Institute that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. The participants compete in teams of three to five, to conduct an in-depth analysis of an assigned listed company, gaining real-time exposure as they assume the role of research analysts. Teams are evaluated on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. PREss RElEAsE

Engro Fertilizers accelerates digitisation through SAP Fiori gamification

purely technical and did not benefit any society in particular. They suggested forming an expert-level committee to probe into the allegations of kickbacks and rent-seeking.

Meanwhile, another member of fact finding committee Rawalpindi ADC Shoaib in his report stated that there was no evidence of the involvement of public functionaries; however, windfall effect and rent seeking by a large number of estate players was due to alignment being made public after the project’s approval.

He maintained that the PPP board did not raise any objections to the new alignment prepared by Zurich International.

Remittances by overseas Pakistanis continued to surge, rising to an all-time high of $2.8 billion in April, 56 per cent higher than a year ago, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Tuesday.

Cumulatively, during the July-April FY21 workers’ remittances rose to an unprecedented level of $24.2bn, up by 29pc, compared to the same period last year. These have also surpassed the full FY20 level by over $1bn, creating a new record, the central bank said.

Inflows during the July to April period were

mainly sourced from Saudi Arabia ($6.40bn), United Arab Emirates ($5.08bn), United Kingdom ($3.33bn), and the United States ($2.22bn).

Taking to Twitter to speak about the development, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that he “always believed overseas Pakistanis to be the country’s biggest asset”.

“Remitting $24.2bn in first 10 months of FY21, you have broken the record level achieved in the entire FY20. Thank you for your faith in Naya Pakistan,” he said. NEWs DEsK

SnackVideo, Edhi Ramzan campaign raises Rs20m donation

Forex reserves rise $177m to $15.8b The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank rose 1.13% on a weekly basis, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday.

On May 7, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $15,774.5 million, up $177 million compared with $15,597.9 million in the previous week.

According to the central bank, the rise came on the back of official inflows of the government.

Overall liquid foreign currency reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $22,910.3 million. Net reserves held by banks amounted to $7,135.8 million.

The reserves also jumped on account of $2.5 billion in inflows from China. MONITORING REPORT

Oil rises as US, Europe reopen economies TOKYO AGENCIEs

Oil prices extended gains on Tuesday as hopes of a solid recovery in fuel demand following the reopenings of the US and European economies offset concerns over spreading COVID-19 cases in Asia.

Brent crude oil futures were up 19 cents, or 0.3%, at $69.65 a barrel by 0517 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up 18 cents, or 0.3%, at $66.45 a barrel.

Both contracts rose more than 1% on Monday.

“Behind the gain is growing optimism of strong recovery in gasoline and other fuels in the United States and Europe in light of easing of various pandemic-related restrictions,” said Chiyoki Chen, chief analyst at Sunward Trading.

“There are concerns about spreading infection cases in Asia, but it will be solved in a matter of time as the vaccine spreads,”

he added, predicting that Brent prices will be headed toward $75 a barrel later this month.

US President Joe Biden will send at least 20 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad by the end of June, marking the first time the United States is sharing vaccines authorized for domestic use.

The British economy reopened on Monday, giving 65 million people a measure of freedom after a four-month COVID-19 lockdown.

And with accelerating vaccination rates, France and Spain have relaxed restrictions, and Portugal and the Netherlands have opened up travel.

In the United States, New York state will no longer require masks in most public spaces for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Wednesday, and other regions are opening up their economies as well.

In Asia in contrast, Singapore reported the highest num-

CMYK

ber of local infections in months and Taiwan saw a spike in cases, and both countries have reinstituted lockdown measures.

In India, the second-hardest hit by the pandemic, domestic sales of gasoline and diesel by state refiners plunged by a fifth in the first half of May from a month earlier as pandemic lockdowns hit industrial activities and consumption, preliminary data showed on Monday.

“Some expectations that negotiations between Iran and the United States may lead to a resumption of Iranian oil exports is limiting the upside of oil prices,” said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, general manager of research at Nissan Securities.

With regard to the Iran-US talks, as the United States tries to reinstate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, it is tiptoeing through a minefield of sanctions put down by former US President Donald Trump after he abandoned the deal three years ago.

LAHORE: During this year’s holy month, SnackVideo held hand with Edhi Foundation for celebration and charity, bringing forward unanticipated Eid experience for the people of Pakistan and raising donations worth Rs20,000,000 for those in need. The donation funds raised by SnackVideo have been invested in two areas

by Edhi Foundation. The core areas include construction and completion of school buildings, and hospital improvement for the core services. PREss RElEAsE

Sanofi, GSK Covid-19 vaccine candidates show strong immune response in phase 2 trials PARIS: Sanofi and GSK adjuvanted recombinant Covid19 vaccine candidates achieved strong rates of neutralising antibody responses, in line with those measured in people who have recovered from the virus, in all adult age groups in a Phase 2 study with 722 volunteers. A global pivotal Phase 3 study is expected to start in the coming weeks. This third phase of trials is expected to enroll more than 35,000 adult participants from a broad range of countries and will assess the efficacy of two vaccine formulations including the Wuhan and South African variants. Pending positive outcome and regulatory reviews, the vaccine is expected to be approved in the fourth quarter of 2021. PREss RElEAsE

HABIBMETRO, TPL Life Insurance sign agreement HABIBMETRO Bank signed an agreement with TPL Life Insurance Limited for exclusive complimentary insurance cover for HABIBMETRO@Work customers.

HABIBMETRO@Work caters to the bank’s employee banking customer segment and provides institutional clients (and their staff) with tailored solutions to meet their collective banking needs. PREss RElEAsE

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

LAHORE

At leAst 57 MIgrAnts droWn In shIpWreCk off tunIsIA UNHCR SAYS 633 PEOPLE HAVE DIED OR GONE MISSING IN TRANSIT THIS YEAR TUNIS

A

AGENCIES

T least 57 migrants drowned in a shipwreck off Tunis as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy and 33 were rescued, humanitarian organisation Tunisian Red Crescent said on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, drowning incidents have occurred off the Tunisian coast, with an increase in the frequency of trips to Europe from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy as the weather has improved.

"Thirty-three Bengalis were rescued (and) 57 others drowned in a boat carrying about 90 migrants that set off from Libya towards Europe," Red Crescent official Mongi Slim told Reuters.

A security source confirmed that 57 migrants had drowned and 33 were rescued.

More than 60 migrants have died in recent weeks in similar incidents off the Tunisian coast.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR says fewer than 23,500 people have made its across the sea to Europe this year, with most new arrivals landing in Italy and Spain from Tunisia and Algeria. The agency estimates that 633 people have died or gone missing in transit this year.

Chinese scientists discover ultra-high-energy Milky Way cosmic accelerators

Myanmar activists say more than 800 people killed by security forces since coup

BEIJING

YANGON

AGENCIES

AGENCIES

Chinese scientists have detected a dozen ultrahigh-energy (UHE) cosmic accelerators within the Milky Way, a find that could overturn humanity's understanding of the galaxy and help reveal the origin of cosmic rays, which have puzzled scientists for a century. The findings were based on the observations of China's Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), one of the country's key national science and technology infrastructure facilities, which is under construction in Daocheng, in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The new discoveries were published in Nature on Monday. Scientists have also detected photons with energies exceeding 1 peta-electron volt (quadrillion electron-volts or PeV), 100 times more energy than the record high achieved by any manmade accelerator on Earth. One photon with an energy of 1.4 PeV was detected, the highest value ever observed by humans.

More than 800 people have been killed by Myanmar's security forces since a wave of protests broke out across the country after the military seized power in a coup in February, an activist group said.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army ousted Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government and detained her and officials of her National League for Democracy party.

The military has responded to protests by pro-democracy supporters in cities and towns with lethal force, while there has been an upsurge in fighting between the army and ethnic rebels in border areas and newly formed militia forces.

'Israeli terror may trigger global or regional war' ANKARA

As of Monday, 802 people had been killed in the junta's crackdown on its opponents, according to the activist group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. “This is the number verified by AAPP, the actual number of fatalities is likely much higher,” the group said in its daily briefing.

It detailed six additional fatalities including in towns in Chin state and in districts of the main cities of Mandalay and Yangon. Reuters could not independently verify the casualties and a military spokesman did not answer a phone call seeking comment.

The junta has previously disputed the number of civilians that have died and said dozens of members of the security forces had also been killed during the

protests.

The activist group said 4,120 people were currently being detained, including 20 who had been sentenced to death.

RESIDENTS FLEE: Some of the most intense fighting since the February 1 coup has emerged in recent days in Mindat, about 100 km from the Indian border in Chin state as the army battles local militias. Thousands of residents in the hill town in northwest Myanmar were hiding in jungles, villages and valleys on Monday after fleeing an assault by the military, witnesses said.

Martial law was declared in Mindat last week before the army launched its assault, using artillery and helicopters against a newly formed Chinland Defence Force. The militia, armed mainly

No new fossil fuel projects if world to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, warns IEA

AGENCIES

AGENCIES

Israeli aggression against Palestinians will either trigger a global war or a regional war, Turkey's prominent party leader warned on Tuesday. “Israeli terror is impossible to be digested. If it goes on like this, if the brutality does not stop, if the categorical attacks on belief and human rights persist, either a global or a regional war will emerge as the last choice,” Devlet Bahceli, the leader of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), told his party's parliamentary group. “If a protective force is not planned in Jerusalem with the participation of the UN or Islamic countries, then the voice of history should be heard and the Turkish nation, who knows the spirit and texture of Jerusalem, should step in for a new guard duty,” Bahceli said. “If there is a call, we should go, control the situation, enter as far as we can, and finally stop the bloodshed. Let us ensure peace, stability and security together,” he added. Bahceli noted that Al-Aqsa Mosque is the honor of Turkish nation. The total number of people killed in the ongoing Israeli attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip has risen to at least 212, including women and children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. As many as 1,400 people have also been injured. The Israeli military has staged airstrikes since May 10, leaving behind a massive trail of destruction.

Media offices and health centers are among the structures targeted.

Investors should not fund new oil, gas and coal supply projects if the world wants to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday, in the top global watchdog's starkest warning yet to curb fossil fuels.

Any abrupt halt to new oil and gas projects by next year still appears unlikely, however, as energy majors' spending plans still tilt heavily towards hydrocarbons and oil-producing nations such as Norway plan new licensing rounds.

"The pathway to net zero is narrow but still achievable. If we want to reach net zero by 2050 we do not need any more investments in new oil, gas and coal projects," Fatih Birol, the IEA's executive director, told Reuters.

"It is up to investors to choose whatever portfolio they prefer but there are risks and rewards," he added.

The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change aims to cap the rise in temperatures to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change, which requires net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The number of countries which have

pledged to reach net zero has grown, but even if their commitments are fully achieved, there will still be 22 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide worldwide in 2050 which would lead to temperature rise of around 2.1C by 2100, the IEA said in its "Net Zero by 2050" report.

It sets out more than 400 milestones to achieving net zero in the report, intended to guide the next round of global climate talks which will take place in November in Scotland. "(This is) a massive blow to the fossil fuel industry. This is a complete turnaround of the fossil-led IEA from five

years ago," said Dave Jones, global programme lead at Ember think-tank.

Environmental activists had previously said that the IEA, whose analysis and data underpins energy policies of governments and companies around the world, underestimated the role of renewable power in its reports.

MASSIVE RENEWABLE DEPLOYMENT REQUIRED: To achieve net zero, global investment in fossil fuel supply should fall from $575 billion on average over the past five years to $110 billion in 2050, with upstream fossil fuel investment restricted to maintaining production

with hunting rifles, said it had pulled back to spare civilians from being caught in the crossfire.

Several residents reached by Reuters said food was in short supply and estimated as many as 5,000 to 8,000 people had fled the town. Roads were blocked and the presence of troops in the streets was preventing their return.

“Almost everyone left the city,” said a volunteer fighter who said she was in a jungle. “Most of them are in hiding.”

The United States and Britain have called on the army to avoid civilian casualties and a shadow National Unity Government formed by loyalists of Suu Kyi appealed for international help.

A UN General Assembly vote on Tuesday on a draft resolution calling “for an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons and munitions” to Myanmar has been postponed, diplomats said.

It was not immediately known when a vote would be rescheduled. Some diplomats said it had been delayed in a bid to win more support.

at existing oil and natural gas fields, the IEA said.

There should be no sales of new internal combustion engine passenger cars and the global electricity sector must reach net zero emissions by 2040, it added.

Massive deployment of renewable energy will be needed. Almost 90 per cent of electricity generation should come from renewables by 2050 and most of the rest from nuclear power. Solar photovoltaic additions should reach 630 gigawatts (GW) a year by 2030 and wind power needs to rise to 390 GW. Together, this is four times the annual record set last year for new capacity additions.

Annual emissions savings will depend heavily on investment and new technology such as direct air carbon capture and green hydrogen, according to the IEA, with around half of emissions reductions by mid-century compared to 2020 set to come from technologies currently under development. "Around $90 billion of public money needs to be mobilised globally as soon as possible to complete a portfolio of demonstration projects before 2030," the IEA said, noting that only $25 billion was currently earmarked for that period.

Every month from 2030, 10 industrial plants will need to be fitted with carbon capture technology, three new hydrogenbased industrial plants will need to be built and 2 GW of electrolyser capacity for green hydrogen production needs to be added at industrial sites, the report said.

Energy investment will need to rise to $5 trillion a year by 2030 to achieve net zero from $2 trillion today, it said, which will provide a boost to global annual GDP growth.

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

SPORTS 11

LAHORE

ECB AlloWS PCB To ShIfT REmAInIng PSl 6 mATChES To UAE: REPoRT T

Andre Russell returns to West Indies T20I squad

NEWS DESK

HE remaining matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 are likely to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to rising coronavirus cases, according to a news outlet.

As per the report, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has given green signal to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for hosting the series in UAE. A PCB team present in UAE, including Chief Operating Officer (COO) Salman Naseer, Director Commercial Babar Hamid and Imran Ahmad Khan, conveyed the UAE’s green signal to the PCB. The PCB is now focusing on the operational aspect of the league, figuring out how to take the players to Abu Dhabi. The cricketing body will reach out to the franchises to apprise them about the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that they will need to abide by in the UAE. According to a report, the players are expected to be transported to the UAE through chartered flights. The franchises have also begun their preparations in this regard. The PCB will announce its final decision soon after consulting with fran-

chise owners and taking into account the logistical issues of holding the tournament.

The matches were originally scheduled

to be played from June 1 to 20. The first round of Covid-19 testing of players has concluded in Lahore and Karachi. After the

AB de Villiers says South Africa retirement is 'final'

CAPE TOWN AGENCIES

South African batting star AB de Villiers has ruled out any chance of an international comeback, according to a statement issued by Cricket South Africa on Tuesday.

Announcing the South African squads for a tour of the West Indies next month and Ireland in July, CSA stated, “Discussions with AB de Villiers have concluded with the batsman deciding, once and for all, that his retirement will remain final.”

There had been speculation that De Villiers, who retired from international cricket in 2018, would return in time to play in the T20 World Cup, scheduled for

India in October and November.

South African head coach Mark Boucher, a long-time Proteas team-mate of De Villiers, said on several occasions over the past year that he was involved in discussions with De Villiers and the player himself indicated during the recent Indian Premier League that he was keen to return.

De Villiers, 37, said last month that he would make a decision based on his form and fitness. He had a good campaign for Royal Challengers Bangalore before Covid caused the tournament to be halted. He scored 207 runs at an average of 51.75 with an outstanding strike rate of 164.28.

Tuesday’s statement gave no further details of events or discussions that led to

De Villiers’ decision. Victor Mpitsang, convener of selectors, told AFP, “There has been a lot of speculation, especially given how he has been playing in the IPL. Mark Boucher was very clear that he was having conversations with AB. “Obviously he would always add value in whatever format he was playing, especially in a T20 World Cup, but I have not spoken to him personally and I have to respect the fact that he retired from international cricket.” Also missing from the squads for the West Indies was former captain Faf du Plessis, 36, who retired from Test cricket in January but stated he remained available for white-ball cricket.

“Faf is not part of it at the moment,”

second round of testing on May 21, players with two negative results will be allowed to board the flight for Abu Dhabi on May 22.

SQUADS TesT squad: Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma (vice-captain), Quinton de Kock, Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Peterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Prenelan Subrayen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams.

T20 squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams. said Mpitsang. “We haven’t selected him for this tour but he might still feature later on.” In keeping with the trend of selecting large squads because of the need for them to train and play in bio-secure environments, South Africa named 19 players for two Test matches to be played in St Lucia and 20 players for five T20 internationals in Grenada. Four specialist spin bowlers were picked in the Test squad, including uncapped off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen.

“The Caribbean is known for its low and slow wickets and we have chosen the personnel needed for every eventuality,” said Mpitsang. The Test series will be the first since opening batsman Dean Elgar was named full-time Test captain as Du Plessis’s successor. Temba Bavuma will captain the T20 squad. He was named white-ball captain ahead of one-day and T20 series against Pakistan in April but missed the T20 matches because of injury.

PORT OF sPaIN: Allrounder Andre Russell is back in the West Indies T20I squad for the first time since March 2020. West Indies' 18member squad for their upcoming set of T20I series against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan also includes the returning duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Sheldon Cottrell, with Kieron Pollard continuing to lead the side following on from the 2-1 home win against Sri Lanka in the format in March. Sunil Narine, meanwhile, continues to miss out, with Cricket West Indies revealing the spinner informed lead selector Roger Harper he wasn't yet ready to return to international cricket. "If his position changes, then the selectors would consider him for selection," a CWI spokesperson said. While the West Indies side retains at its core most of the players that helped them triumph in the series against Sri Lanka, there are a handful of changes, especially in the bowling department.

Alongside Cottrell, Oshane Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jnr also return, while the 39year-old fast bowler Fidel Edwards retains his place in the side. Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis remain part of the side, while Nicholas Pooran is vice-captain. "The provisional T20I squad was put together with all T20I home series matches against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in mind," Harper said. "This gives us the opportunity to continue to build towards the upcoming World Cup and to determine our best squad and our ideal eleven." West Indies coach Phil Simmons stressed the importance of the 15 upcoming T20Is, with two T20 World Cups scheduled to take place over the next 18 months. "These upcoming T20Is are crucial in terms of our preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup. We have assembled a very solid squad with experienced world-class match-winners and some exciting young talented players, ready to explode onto the global stage and do great things for West Indies cricket.

WesT INdIes T20I squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Junior. AGENCIES

Kane tells Spurs he wants to leave club before Euros: report LONdON: Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has informed the Premier League club of his desire to leave this summer, with the England international looking to resolve his future before next month's European Championship, Sky Sports reported on Monday. Kane has a contract with the north London club until 2024, which could prove to be a stumbling block for a club looking to sign the 27-year-old who is valued at over 100 million pounds ($141.42 million). Sky reported Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have been in touch with Kane's representatives. With 22 strikes and 13 assists, no player has been involved in more Premier League goals than Kane this season. Kane is in the race for the Golden Boot, an award he has won twice before, with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah who has also scored 22 goals with two games left in the season. Kane said last month he was frustrated at not winning trophies with Spurs even as the prolific striker continues to win individual accolades. Spurs blew an opportunity to win their first trophy since 2008 when they lost last month's League Cup final to City. Speculation about Kane's future increased after Spurs, who were top of the league in December, dropped down the standings due to a poor run of form, resulting in the club sacking manager Jose Mourinho.

Sixth-placed Spurs (59 points) have a slim chance of making the top four and qualifying for the Champions League but must rely on fourth-placed Chelsea (64) and Liverpool (63) dropping points. AGENCIES

Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc, Lyon deny any part in 2018 ball-tampering scandal SYDNEY AGENCIES

Four Australian bowlers denied any knowledge of the notorious “Sandpaper-gate” ball-tampering incident on Tuesday after a former team-mate suggested they may have been aware of the plot.

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon issued a joint statement slamming “rumourmongering and innuendo” after the explosive comments by former Test teammate Cameron Bancroft, who served a nine-month ban over the affair.

Allegations are being made “despite the absence of evidence”, the bowlers said.

“It’s been disappointing to see that our integrity has been questioned by some journalists and past players in recent days,” they said.

“We respectfully request an end to the rumour-mongering and innuendo. It has gone on too long and it is time to move on,” the bowlers added. Bancroft told the Guardian newspaper it was “self-explanatory” that bowlers were aware of the attempt to rough up the ball with sandpaper, to alter its flight, during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018.

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After Bancroft’s interview, former captains Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist both accused Cricket Australia of failing to fully investigate the incident.

The scandal came to light when Bancroft, who was fielding, was caught on camera trying to hide a piece of yellow sandpaper down the front of his trousers.

“We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands,” the bowlers said. They added that the on-field umpires inspected the ball after the images were shown, and “did not change it because there was no sign of damage”.

Then-captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner were suspended for a year from all cricket and stripped of their leadership roles for their part in the scandal. Darren Lehmann quit as coach and Cricket Australia’s top brass all departed after a scathing review said an “arrogant and controlling” win-at-all-costs culture was partly to blame for players bending the rules.

Australian media on Tuesday quoted unnamed sources saying Bancroft had backed away from his allegations after being asked to provide evidence.

Cricket Australia did not respond to a request for comment regarding that claim.

Wednesday, 19 May, 2021

PRayeR TiMings

NEWS

TAreeN GroUP formAlly ANNoUNCes ITs sePArATe PArlIAmeNTAry leAders for NA, PA RAJA RIAZ TO HEAD GROUP IN NA, NIWANI IN PA

RIAZ CLAIMS 8 NEW LAWMAKERS JOINED TAREEN GROUP

GROUP LAWMAKERS TO ACCOMPANY TAREEN AT COURT HEARING TODAY

ISLAMABAD

I

Mian aBRaR

N a new twist to the tale of the emergence of a rebel group in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Jahangir Tareen group on Tuesday formally parted ways with the ruling party and elected its new parliamentary leaders in National and Punjab Assemblies.

The group leaders were chosen at the residence of PTI leader Jahangir Tareen as the group formally announced its separation from the ruling party.

Following the meeting at Tareen’s residence, Punjab Assembly members Salman Naeem and Aun Chaudhry told the media that the Tareen group had chosen Raja Riaz as parliamentary leader in the NA while Saeed Akbar Niwani has been appointed parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly.

They said that Tareen would speak to media today (Wednesday). They also claimed that new PTI lawmakers had also attended the dinner hosted by Tareen.

A source told Pakistan Today that

the group that eight more members of National and Punjab Assemblies have joined the group, but their names will be revealed later. He also said that the group lawmakers will accompany Tareen today (Wednesday) to the court for hearing of the case.

The source said that Riaz said that the governance was fast getting from

during the meeting of the splinter group, MNA Raja Riaz advised that the report of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Barrister Ali Zafar should be awaited before formal separation of the group from the PTI. He said that all political decisions would be taken under the leadership of Tareen.

The source quoted Riaz as telling

UN agency says 52,000 displaced in Gaza, Amnesty wants war crimes investigation JERUSALEM: More than 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli air strikes that have destroyed or badly damaged nearly 450 buildings in the Gaza Strip, the UN aid agency said on Tuesday.

In a separate statement on the conflict, rights group Amnesty International said Israel air strikes on residential buildings might amount to war crimes.

Israel says it hits only legitimate military targets and that it does all it can to avoid civilian casualties.

About 47,000 of the displaced people have sought shelter in 58 UN-run schools in Gaza, Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, told reporters. Laerke said 132 buildings had been destroyed and 316 had been severely damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary healthcare centres as well a desalination plant, affecting access to drinking water for about 250,000 people. agencies

CoroNAvIrUs IN

PAkIsTAN

CONFIRMED CASES:

882,928

bad to worse and it was time ripe to announce the formal announcement of the group as the federal and provincial governments were losing their charm.

Nazir Chauhan, MPA, congratulated Riaz on his new role. He also urged Tareen to lead the group and announce the formal launching of the group so as new lawmakers may join the group.

Provincial Minister Malik Nauman Langrial said that Tareen group existed from the day-one, however, the group would still stand by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“None of our statements are against our PM. There was no oath taken in today’s meeting and media reports are false in this regard,” Langrial said in a statement issued following the meeting.

Malik Noman Langarial said that Tareen is scheduled to appear in court today.

“We gathered to express solidarity with Jahangir Tareen. 31 friends (lawmakers) attended the meeting. We will not support a weak government,” the statement added.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:54

12:00

4:44

5:21

6:39

8:07

At least 24 dead, almost 100 missing as Cyclone Tauktae batters Covid-stricken India At least 24 people were killed and almost 100 went missing after a monster cyclone slammed into western India on Monday evening, compounding the country’s woes as it battles a devastating coronavirus surge.

Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power after Cyclone Tauktae hammered the Gujarat coast.

Winds blowing at a speed of up to 130 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour) smashed seafront windows and knocked over power lines and thousands of trees, blocking roads leading to affected areas, officials said.

The colossal swirling system is the latest of a growing number of increasingly severe storms in the Arabian Sea blamed on climate change. “I have never experienced such intensity in my life,” a hotel owner in the town of Bhavnagar said. “It was pitch dark as power was cut off and winds were making a roaring sound. It was scary.”

One support vessel serving oil rigs that were walloped by eight-metre waves off Mumbai sank and 96 of the 273 people who had been on board were missing, the Indian Navy said on Tuesday. The defence ministry said 177 people were rescued, with operations continuing in “extremely challenging sea conditions”. Two other barges and an oil rig were also in trouble. Elsewhere, four fresh casualties were reported on Tuesday, including a child crushed by a collapsing wall and an 80-year-old woman killed by a falling pole, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said. He added that over 16,500 houses were damaged, 40,000 trees were uprooted and 2,400 villages were without power. “Since the cyclone made landfall we have not had power or communications,” local official Aayush Oak told AFP by phone from the coastal district of Amreli, where 40 to 50 mobile phone towers were damaged. agencies

Israel violence in Gaza shows few signs of slowing as global diplomacy ramps up WASHINGTON agencies

More than a week of fighting between Israel and Hamas showed few signs of abating on Tuesday despite intense US and global diplomacy to stop the region’s fiercest hostilities in years.

The Israeli military said late on Monday that Hamas and other Palestinian groups had fired about 3,350 unguided rockets from Gaza — 200 of them on Monday alone — but added its Iron Dome system had intercepted over 3,000, and that Israeli air and artillery strikes had killed at least 130 fighters.

Gaza health officials put the Palestinian death toll at 212, including 61 children and 36 women, since hostilities began last week. Ten people have been killed in Israel, including two children.

Amid seemingly fruitless diplomatic efforts to stop the violence, the top US military officer, Army General Mark Milley, warned that the violence could spread.

“My assessment is that you risk broader destabilization and you risk a whole series of negative consequences if the fighting continues,” Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters before landing in Brussels on Monday for talks with NATO allies. “It’s in no one’s interest to continue fighting.”

Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave continued overnight. Soon after dawn, missiles struck two buildings in Gaza City, sending plumes of thick smoke into the air.

Fighters in the Strip fired rockets early on Tuesday that set off sirens in southern Israeli cities, sending thou-

sands running for bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries on either side.

The overnight rocket fire from Gaza appeared to be less than in previous nights. There was a six-hour lull in rocket fire overnight before they again began being launched at dawn, according to rocket siren information from the Israeli military.

A Reuters correspondent also reported a lull in overnight rocket fire from Gaza, an enclave home to two million Palestinians.

DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS: US President Joe Biden expressed his support for a ceasefire during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the White House said in a statement.

But Netanyahu told Israelis earlier that strikes against fighter sites and leaders in Gaza would carry on.

“The directive is to continue to strike at terror targets,” he said in a televised speech, after meeting with military and intelligence chiefs. “We will continue to act as necessary to restore peace and security to all residents of Israel.”

The armed wing of Hamas promised more rockets in return: “The criminal Zionist enemy intensified its bombing of homes and residential apartments in the recent hours, and therefore, we warn the enemy that if it did not stop that immediately, we would resume rocketing Tel Aviv,” said spokesman Abu Ubaida.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged all sides to protect civilians.

Although stressing that Israel had the right to defend itself, Blinken said he had not seen any evidence from Israel about its suggestion that Hamas was operating out

of a building housing media outlets — including the US-based Associated Press — which was destroyed in an Israeli missile strike at the weekend.

Hamas denied having offices in the building. “These are false allegations and an attempt to justify the crime of targeting a civilian tower,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

Egypt and UN mediators also stepped up diplomatic efforts, while the UN General Assembly will meet to discuss the violence on Thursday.

The Biden administration approved the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel, and congressional sources said on Monday that US lawmakers were not expected to object to the deal.

COMMUNAL VIOLENCE: Hamas began its rocket assault last Monday after weeks of tensions over a court case to evict several Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, and in retaliation for Israeli police clashes with Palestinians near the city’s al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, during the holy month of Ramadan.

The hostilities between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza have been accompanied by an uptick of violence in the West Bank, where the Palestinians have limited self-rule.

There have also been clashes between Israel’s Jewish and Arab communities in mixed areas.

Israel’s president has warned that tension between Jewish and Arab Israelis could devolve into “civil war”.

General strikes are planned for Tuesday in Arab towns within Israel and Palestinian towns in the West Bank, with posts on social media urging solidarity “from the sea to the river.”

Can Israel blast Gaza and still make friends in the Gulf?

LAST UPDATED AT 8:27 AM ON MAY 18, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

135

2,566

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

795,511 19,752 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

299,913

328,775

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

127,224 AJK/GB: 18,286/5,428

23,931 ISLAMABAD:

79,371

GAZA agencies

Scenes of devastation in Gaza are likely to make it harder for Israel to win its biggest diplomatic prize: recognition by Saudi Arabia. But so far, the other rich Gulf states that invested in opening ties with Israel last year are showing no public sign of second thoughts.

Arab officials have come together to condemn what they describe as flagrant Israeli violations during the past two weeks, from Israeli police action around Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque to deadly airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

But in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which along with Bahrain recognised Israel last year under the USbacked “Abraham Accords”, official criticism of Israel now often comes balanced with popular expression of hard words for the other side.

In some cases in the UAE, which has long denounced religious political movements, condemnation of the Hamas fighters who control Gaza even echoes Israeli talking points.

“Hamas launches rockets from within civilian neighbourhoods and when the response comes Hamas cries ‘where are the Arabs and Muslims’? You have made Gaza a graveyard for the innocent and children,” Waseem Yousef, a Muslim preacher in the UAE, tweeted to his 1.6 million followers on Twitter.

In a country where social media is closely monitored by the authorities, another Emirati, Munther al-Shehhi, tweeted: “I will not stand by or empathise with any terrorist group such as Hamas in support of any cause, even if it is packaged as humanitarian or religious. #No To Terrorism.”

A social media hashtag has even begun circulating among some Gulf Arabs, which reads “#Palestine Is Not My Cause”.

SAUDIS KEEP DISTANCE: So far, such sentiment does not seem to have made inroads too deeply into Saudi Arabia. The biggest, richest and most powerful of the Gulf monarchies is widely presumed to have given its tacit blessing to last year’s decision by neighbours Bahrain and the UAE to embrace Israeli

ties. But it held back from recognising Israel itself, and now appears far less likely to do so, at least in the medium term.

Many Saudis have responded to the “Not My Cause” hashtag by posting pictures of King Salman, with his quote: “The Palestinian cause is our first cause”.

On May 13, Saudi television aired footage of a cleric in Mecca praying for Palestinian victory against “the enemy of God”, less than year after the kingdom’s leading imam discouraged rhetoric against Jews following the September accords.

It would now be “inconceivable” that the Saudi leadership could contemplate normalising ties with Israel for at least a couple of years, said Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Britain’s Chatham House think tank.

Last year’s decisions by the UAE and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco, to recognise Israel were denounced by the Palestinians as abandoning a unified position under which Arab states would make peace only if Israel gave up occupied land.

The UAE and Bahrain argued that their agreements would ultimately bene-

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fit the Palestinians, including because Israel had promised to abandon plans to annex West Bank territory.

Abdulrahman al-Towajry, 29, a Saudi national visiting a Riyadh shopping mall, said the countries that had made peace should “really reconsider it” as Israel could not be “trusted to abide by promises”.

“There is strength in unity so if Arab and Muslim countries unite, the conflict would end. It could have ended a long time ago if they had,” he told Reuters.

But the Emiratis and others probably have too much invested in the policy to change course abruptly now.

The agreements have propelled tourism, investment, and cooperation in fields from energy to technology. A UAE investment fund has plans to purchase a stake in an Israeli gas field and Dubai’s port operator is bidding for Haifa Port.

“The Abraham Accords are an irreversible process,” said prominent Emirati commentator Abdulkhaleq Abdulla. “It was very clear that it was in keeping with the UAE’s national priorities and strategic interests so there is no going back.”