EpaperLHR_21-05-5

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021 I 22 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 306 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

PakisTan lodges ProTesT as india violaTes ceasefire agreemenT

ISLAMABAD staff report

T

he Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Tuesday that India has violated the ceasefire along the Working Boundary, the first time since the two countries agreed to restore the truce on February 25.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) violated the ceasefire at the Charwa Sector of the Working Boundary on Monday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid hafeez Chaudhri said.

The spokesperson confirmed that the Indian charge d'affaires was called to the FO to lodge a protest against the violation.

“The Indian side was reminded of its obligation to respect the ceasefire understanding,” he added.

But unlike the past, the FO tried to downplay the incident as no formal statement was issued. Instead, the spokesperson responded to media queries.

Tensions between Pakistan and India have

eased considerably along the Line of Control (LoC) after the two countries decided to honour the 2003 ceasefire understanding in February.

Since then, the LoC and the border remain calm as there has not been a single incident of ceasefire violation until the latest one.

The truce violation at the Working Boundary caused no casualties. The de-escalation in tensions were attributed to back-channel talks between the senior intelligence officials of Pakistan and India.

The backchannel talks were confirmed by a high official in a recent interaction with journalists. But retired diplomats and generals warned against being too optimistic about these contacts as New Delhi has yet to give any positive signal.

On Monday, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Masood Khan said that a fragile border truce between longtime nuclear rivals Pakistan and India will not resolve the long-smoldering Occupied Kashmir dispute.

In an interview with a private news channel, Khan observed that the cease-fire at the

coronavirus in

PakisTan

LoC — a de facto border that divides the picturesque himalayan valley between the two neighbors — and de-escalation of tensions would “neither resolve the Kashmir issue nor would peace return to the region.”

Since August 5, 2019, when India scrapped the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, dozens of people have been killed and scores have been injured in crossborder firings that have been the most intense in the past 17 years.

“To bring peace, India must stop the massacre of the Kashmiri people and take decisive steps to grant the fundamental right of self-determination to them,” said Khan, who also served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2012 to 2015.

“Kashmiris must be consulted and taken into confidence about whatever the decision is to be made about Kashmir because none other than the Kashmiri people can be sincerer to Pakistan,” he went on to say. he was apparently referring to reported United Arab emirates-brokered backdoor diplomacy between New Delhi and Islamabad which aims to provide a roadmap for long-term peace and a possible solution to the 73-year-old Kashmir dispute.

Citing New Delhi’s August 2019 move, Khan said he does not see “any sincerity in the offer of the Indian leadership to resolve the Kashmir issue through talks.”

Khan said that mounting pressure from the international community after the August 2019 actions has “temporarily” compelled India to talk about a negotiated solution to issues.

“The restoration of Article 35-A by India is not enough for confidence building. On the contrary, India would have to recognise the whole of Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory and would have to revive the preAug. 5, 2019 position of the state in order to pave the way for talks,” he maintained.

Kashmiris, he further said, will get relief only when India lifts the siege of “occupied” Kashmir, ceases the killing spree of Kashmiri people, gives up settling Indian hindus in Kashmir and stops attempts to change the demography of the state.

According to several human rights organisations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.

fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 3:43 aM iftar: 6:46 PM

ISLAMABAD staff report

The election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) on Tuesday accepted the request of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail for a recount in the NA-249 (Karachi West-II) constituency where a by-election was held last week.

Last week, the commission had withheld the results on Ismail’s request for a recount, fixing the hearing in the petition for May 4.

“The margin of victory is less than five per cent of the total votes polled in the constituency or 10,000 votes whichever is less in accordance with the provisions of Section 95 (5) of the (elections) Act, the Commission is satisfied that prima facie case exists for intervention, and therefore stay the consolidation process,” its order read.

PML-N accepts PM’s offer for dialogue on electoral reforms

3,377

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

733,062 18,310 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

286,521

308,529

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

120,590 AJK/GB: 17,397/5,330

22,664 ISLAMABAD:

76,492

karachi sehr: 4:20 aM iftar: 7:15 PM

The PML-N had also requested the eCP to conduct a forensic audit of the votes cast in the constituency.

In his letter, Ismail had also claimed that presiding officers from 34 polling stations did not send the results through WhatsApp. he had further claimed that the party “did not receive results from more than 30 polling stations”. he had also claimed that many copies of Form 45 were not signed and that the counting of votes on these forms given to the party is different from the forms issued by the returning officer (RO), which were not provided to them.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, Ismail’s counsel Salman Akram Raja presented Form 45 to the commission and said that under the law, a signed Form 45 must be given to every polling agent.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Thousands march in Youm-e-Ali (AS) processions STORY ON PAGE 02

CAA announces 10-day quarantine for arrivals

LAST UPDATED AT 8:18 AM ON MAY 4, 2021

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islaMabad sehr: 3:31 aM iftar: 7:05 PM

ECP accepts PML-N request for vote recount in NA-249

837,523

NEW CASES:

karachi sehr: 4:30 aM iftar: 7:05 PM

fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 3:33 aM iftar: 6:56 PM

CONFIRMED CASES:

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

islaMabad sehr: 3:41 aM iftar: 6:55 PM

STORY ON BACK PAGE ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday accepted an offer made by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the opposition for electoral reforms and said that the opposition party was ready for the electoral reforms and it was also ready in the past.

“The PML-N has accepted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s offer of electoral reforms. The electoral process should be improved as much as possible.

We are ready for talking to the federal government for electoral reforms,” said senior PML-N

leader and Punjab President Rana Sanaullah.

Speaking to media in Lahore, Sanaullah said that there should be consensus on how to improve the electoral process as much as possible.

The PML-N leader criticised the government for delaying the electoral reforms and said that whenever the PML-N sat with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the national interest, the government created a drama stating that the opposition was asking for a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Sanaullah said that his party never asked PM Imran for

an NRO. “Whenever we took the step of dialogue or negotiation with him, our aim was in the national interest,” he said.

The PML-N leader said that the government had been ignoring the offer made by the opposition for a national dialogue for the past three years.

“Despite coming to power, the ruling party people considered themselves still in the opposition. Unless they negotiate with the opposition, how will the government move forward and work on national interests,” argued Sanaullah.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Record 164,000 vaccinations carried out in a day: minister STORY ON PAGE 03

No power on earth can sabotage CPeC: Bajwa STORY ON PAGE 02

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Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

LAHORE

NEWS

THouSANdS mArCH IN Youm-e-AlI (AS) ProCeSSIoNS LAHORE

T

AgENcIES

HOuSANDS of people gathered in Lahore for a religious procession on Tuesday amid fears of spread of the coronavirus. The government had issued a notice banning mass gatherings commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Ali (AS), but local negotiations with religious leaders failed.

“I have attended this procession every year for as long as I can remember,” said Ali Kazmi, 28, who took part in Lahore, where officials estimated between eight and ten

thousand worshippers participated.

“They try to stop Shia mourning ceremonies and processions using different excuses. It is [coronavirus] today, before that it was the issue of security. It’s all excuses.”

Members of the Shia sect make up around 20 per cent of the country’s 220 million population. Smaller processions were also held in major cities across the country, including Karachi.

Dressed in black, devotees chanted slogans and slapped their chests in unison while others whipped themselves with blades.

“We reject any restriction imposed on

NAB summons Punjab minister in sugar scam ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Punjab Irrigation Minister Mohsin Leghari to its Rawalpindi office in connection with the sugar scandal. A combined investigation team (CIT) will interrogate the minister. Leghari has also been directed to bring along the record of subsidy given to the sugar sector during the fiscal year 2018-19. He has also been directed to explain to the agency the reasons for the permission granted for the export of the commodity.

The NAB had last week visited the offices of the cane commissioner and chief secretary to obtain the relevant record. Similarly, the provincial minister has also been asked to explain to the anti-corruption agency how much subsidy has been given to the sugar producers. The NAB is investigating the sugar scam under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010.

It also summoned Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce, and Investment Aslam Iqbal and former food minister Samiullah Chaudhry on May 4. INP

Inquiry against Wassan being closed, NAB informs SHC KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday extended the interim bail of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Manzoor Wassan until June 22 in assets beyond declared sources of income case. During the hearing, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor about the status of the inquiry against Wassan. The investigation officer has sent his recommendations to the NAB headquarters to close the inquiry against Wassan, the NAB prosecutor replied to Justice Kalhoro. To this, the counsel of the PPP leader said that in the last hearing of the case, the court was told that the graft body is closing inquiry.

“We are removing legal objections in closing the inquiry,” the NAB prosecutor replied. After hearing arguments from both sides, the SHC extended the interim bail and sought a progress report from the NAB at the next hearing. The PPP leader is accused of making assets beyond his known sources of income and owning properties through his frontmen. INP

mourning ceremonies. Your local elections can take place, your markets are open, your government meetings are happening,” said Shia ulema Council in a statement ahead of the procession.

An official from the police department said that they attempted to negotiate with clerics and religious leaders over the procession, who refused to back down.

Security however was still provided.

The government is struggling to contain a third wave of infections, with more than 800,000 cases and 18,000 deaths declared.

The authorities have largely avoided

PIcTuRE: ZuBAIR MEHFOOZ

clamping down on religious activities in recent months. Mosques have remained open throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

However, private gatherings, shops, and restaurants have faced tight restrictions, with the army mobilised to help enforce rules.

No power on earth can sabotage CPEC: Bajwa KARACHI STAFF REPORT

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Lt General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa Tuesday on Tuesday said that no power on earth could sabotage CPEC as it was the country’s national project.

Addressing a ceremony at Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he said that CPEC, being a flagship project of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), had improved the road connectivity between the two countries and would do so further.

On eastern alignment of CPEC, Bajwa said that only one section SukkurHyderabad was left that had already been launched by the Prime Minister Imran Khan recently.

He said that the request for proposals of this project would be completed under public private partnership mode and floated within a month and after that the ground work would be started.

“Now our full focus is on western alignment,” he said adding motorway from Islamabad to Dera Ismail Khan (DI

Khan) was at final stage while the DI Khan to Zhob motorway project had also been approved by the Chinese side.

Similarly he said that the ground work on road from Zhob to Quetta had also been started whereas Quetta to Khuzdar, Khuzdar to Awaran and Hoshab, and Khuzdar-Basima roads were also under construction and all of them would be connected with different areas of Balochistan and Sindh with Gwadar.

Bajwa said that the western alignment passed through remoter areas where there was extreme poverty.

The road projects under CPEC would improve connectivity and create new job opportunities for the people lining along the roads, he said adding this would ultimately bring prosperity in the area.

The CPEC Authority chairman said, “We are now moving beyond energy and road infrastructure to agriculture, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), tourism, science technology and information technology.” He said that the poverty alleviation could be ensured through the above mentioned measures being executed under CPEC Phase-II.

Bajwa offers condolences on death of former naval chief ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has expressed heartfelt condolences on the demise of former naval chief Admiral Karamat Rahman Niazi, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday. “May Allah bless his soul & give strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss, Ameen,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said in a tweet. Air Chief Zaheer Ahmad Babar also expressed grief over Niazi’s death, Radio Pakistan reported. In a statement issued on Tuesday, he prayed for the “eternal bliss of the departed soul”.

In agriculture sector, he said, “We are moving towards corporate farming and community farming for which we are working with the provinces.”

Similarly in industrialisation sector Rashakai and Faisalabad, the work was in full swing and number of industries were being installed.

In Rashakai SEZ, he said that 1,000 acre of land had been allocated but some 2,000 applications had so far been received for which 3,600 acres of land was required.

Bajwa said that a Canadian and German joint venture had applied for Allama Iqbal SEZ Faisalabad.

Similarly a group of Pakistani American doctors was also interested in electro medical equipment manufacturing, he said, adding that likewise a lot of people were interested in Dhabeji zone in Sindh which was more suitable for many investors because of easy approach to Karachi port. With respect to the industrial development under CPEC, Bajwa said that keeping in view the rising interest of foreign investors in the Gwadar Free Zone, the government had decide to

launch second phase of the zone spanning over an area of 2,200 acres.

The foreign investors, he said, were already showing interest in the second phase that would help bringing huge foreign direct investment in the country.

He said that the first phase of the Gwadar Free Zone was launched two years ago on 60 acres of land which was now “fully colonized and wellpopulated”.

He also said that six out of 12 factories had been completed while the rest were under construction. Out of the completed industries, one had also started its production, he added.

He further said that overall work on Gwadar port and other projects in the city, was in full swing. “Four port buses have been completed, customs have been deployed and the handling capacity of the port is also being increased gradually,” he added.

Bajwa said that Prime Minister Imran had specifically formed a separate focus group aimed at increasing traffic of the sea port. The group was led by the maritime ministry while the commerce ministry was also its part, he maintained.

Hammad for early completion of TAPI gas pipeline project ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Minister for Energy Muhammad Hammad Azhar has expressed commitment for early completion and materialisation of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-PakistanIndia (TAPI) Gas pipeline project.

Talking to Ambassador of Turkmenistan Abidjan Movlamov on Tuesday, the minister also reiterated desire to further cement the existing bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries.

He said the natural resources including natural gas from the Central Asian state need to be explored for mutual benefit of both the countries. He underscored the need to work out all details of gas transportation and supply agreements to the mutual benefit of all the countries. Ambassador of Turkmenistan apprised the minister of salient features of the TAPI project and progress made by the Turkmenistan side. He assured that all matters related to the project including financing and security of the pipeline are being diligently worked out to ensure smooth and timely completion of the project.

Earlier in the second half of April, representatives of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan discussed the ongoing work on the TAPI gas pipeline construction project in Kabul. Representative of the Turkmengas state concern in the Board of Directors of the TAPI Pipeline Company Limited Muhammetmyrat Amanov and Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Afghanistan H Ovezov met with Deputy Secretary of National Security Council of Afghanistan Ebadullah Ebad, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan said.

The sides discussed implementation of measures due by the end of August 2021 as tasked by the leaders of the two countries. The concept of ensuring security of the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline was signed then.

TAPI is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the TAPI Pipeline Company Limited with participation of the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India. Proponents of the project see it as a modern continuation of the Silk Road.

Pakistan offers vast investment opportunities in technology sector: FM ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has appreciated Huawei Technologies' passion for equipping youth with modern technologies, saying Pakistan has vast investment opportunities in the technology sector. The foreign minister said this while talking to a delegation of Huawei Technologies, which led by Vice President (Middle East Region) of Huawei Technologies Space Lee, called on him on Tuesday.

“We are drawing the world's attention to the investment

opportunities available in Pakistan under economic diplomacy,” the foreign minister said.

The delegation briefed the foreign minister on various projects and investments being undertaken by Huawei Technologies in Pakistan.

Earlier on Monday, President Dr Arif Alvi called for promoting knowledge-economy and digitalisation of government organisations to enhance the efficiency of work and service delivery. The president said this while talking to a delegation of Huawei, which led by Vice President of Huawei Middle East Region Li

Xiangyu called on him.

Li Xiangyu in his presentation informed that Huawei has contributed to Pakistan’s economy by providing 10,000 jobs and paying $120 million in taxes, besides spending $6 million to support disaster-relief efforts of the government.

He said Huawei has contributed to Pakistan’s Information and Communication Technology talent by providing 10,000 certifications in 2020. He said Huawei would train over 1000 government employees to achieve the Digital Pakistan initiative. He apprised the meeting that government officials would be registered and enrolled for training programmes which would be conducted through Huawei experts.

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

LAHORE

NEWS

reCord 164,000 vACCINATIoNS CArrIed ouT IN A dAY: mINISTer ISLAMABAD

S

STAFF REPORT

INCE the starting of the drive, the daily vaccinations crossed the 150,000 mark for the first time on Monday, Minister for Planning and Development Asad umar announced on Tuesday.

The tweet comes as the portal keeping track of the outbreak registered 3,377 new infections of Covid-19 after conducting 37,587 tests, receiving back a scaled-down positivity rate of 8.9 per cent.

The portal registered a rise in single-day

fatalities as 161 people died due to the Covid-19 on Monday, up from 79 a day earlier — the lowest single-day toll in recent days.

“It is the first time [since the beginning of the drive in March] that over 164,000 people were vaccinated against Covid-19 in a day [on Monday], Asad tweeted.

“Yesterday was also the first day when people 40 and above started receiving [vaccination] jabs,” he added.

Pakistan has reported a decline in contagion rate in recent days. The positivity rate has come down to less than nine percent from 10.60 percent recorded on March 31.

Buzdar summons Firdous, chief secretary on AC issue LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Chief Minister usman Buzdar on Tuesday summoned Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik and Special Assistant to CM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan over the Sialkot Ramazan Bazaar incident where Awan had reprimanded Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sonia Sadaf. Awan had castigated Sadaf over the quality of food, inviting a tirade of criticism on social media. The PM’s aide usman Dar and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had also criticised Awan over her behaviour. The incident had taken place on Sunday when Awan was on a visit to a Ramazan bazaar in her hometown. During her visit to the bazaar, Awan got vexed when some buyers complained about substandard edibles being sold at the market and the local administration's poor performance. On this, Awan had asked the assistant commissioner if she had ever visited the bazaar before, and admonished her severely in front of the media. However, in a press briefing, Awan defended herself and blamed the media for twisting the narrative. She said the facts of the incident were deliberately distorted and not communicated properly to the chief secretary Punjab government, which had caused a misunderstanding.

Govt employees in Punjab to have 9 days of eid holidays NEWS DESK Punjabi government employees will be able to enjoy nine days of holidays it appears after a notification said that the official dates for the Eid break will be from May 10 to 15. In addition to the above-mentioned 6-day holiday, it should be noted that May 8 and May 9 will fall on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, while May 16 will also be a Sunday. Therefore, all government employees will be able to take a nine-day break from work. The notification was issued by the government after the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) recommended that Eidul Fitr holidays in Pakistan should be observed from May 10-15.

“Announcement of Eid Holidays from 10-15 May 2021 — clearly stating the intention of reducing national mobility,” the statement from the NCOC had said. NCOC, in a bid to curb the spread of the virus, also announced comprehensive guidelines by the name of “STAY HOME-STAY SAFE — Eid-ulFitr-2021 from 8-16 May 2021”. The NCOC has also imposed a ban on chand raat bazaars, including mehndi, jewellery, and clothing stalls — from 8-16 May. Earlier, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had announced that it will not be issuing new notes on Edi ul Fitr this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Like last year, we will not be issuing new banknotes on Eidul Fitr due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,” said the SBP in a statement.

New restrictions on non-essential businesses were imposed late last month and among the worst affected were restaurants and small roadside eateries where many labourers are employed.

Asad, in a tweet sent on Monday, said that the next few weeks are critical for the country in its battle against the pandemic, urging the people to follow coronavirusrelated guidelines to avoid the spread of the disease.

He announced on Tuesday that significant improvement has been seen in compliance with guidelines “since the stronger enforcement measures including

military deployment took place” last month.

“National average compliance has doubled from 34% on 25th [April] to 68% on 3rd May. Need to sustain and build on this compliance level specially till Eid[ul Fitr],” he said.

The government launched the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination for the general public, starting with older people, in March. The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80.

The vaccination of people aged 50 and above began on April 21, and for 40 and above on Monday.

Cabinet approves two ordinances as part of electoral reforms: Fawad ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that the federal cabinet has approved two ordinances as part of electoral reforms to ensure transparency in elections. He was briefing media about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad Tuesday.

The minister said that one ordinance will enable the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to use electronic voting machines in elections, while the other empowers the ECP to take steps to give the overseas Pakistanis the right to franchise.

Fawad said that the government’s electoral reforms consist of four parts, including EVMs, e-voting for overseas Pakistanis, biometric and legislation.

He said that EVMs have been developed and the government has unveiled its legislative agenda for the purpose. He added that work is underway on biometric and e-voting. Referring to the ECP’s decision of recounting of votes in the by-election in NA-249 Karachi, the Minister said that re-polling should be held in the constituency because the winning candidate will be getting only five per cent votes.

Speaking about the Covid-19 situation in the country, the information minister said that the Covid SOPs are not being implemented in letter and spirit in Karachi, and the Sindh Government should look into it. He said that the cabinet has approved the Sindh

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed the relevant authorities to assure the strict implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the upcoming Eidul Fitr holidays.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, wherein the attendees were briefed on the situation due to the infections and vaccinations. The PM said that the people will be provided maximum relief in devising the annual budget. He said that the government will prioritise development projects concerning the masses.

He added that the development projects will help boost economic activities in the country and generate employment opportunities.

The meeting approved reducing the sentence of the prisoners by 90 days each. Those in attendance also deliberated on the proposals regarding the annual budget. The participants were also apprised about the strategy to overcome inflation.

The cabinet also approved deputing the army for assisting the civil administration to overcome Covid19 pandemic, the inclusion of private sector in the taxation process, deputing production control member at the heavy industries, Taxila, and issuing commemoratory coin on the NED university completing its 100 years.

Earlier in the day, Minister for Planning,

RAWALPINDI Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reached Riyadh on an official visit, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Monday. According to the military’s media wing, the army chief will meet Saudi civil and military leadership

during the visit. Gen Bajwa arrived in the kingdom just days before a visit by Khan, who is scheduled to be in Saudi Arabia on May 7-9.

“He [Bajwa] was received by the [Pakistani] Ambassador [to Saudi Arabia] Bilal Akbar & Defence Attache Brig Haroon Ishaaq Raja,” the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh said.

Last month, Adviser to the PM on the Middle East

TWo SoldIerS deAd IN BAjAur ATTACk INP

Government’s request for deployment of the army for ensuring implementation of the SOPs. Fawad said that the cabinet approved 90-day remission to jail prisoners on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.

However, this remission will not apply to the prisoners of heinous crimes. He said that the facility of succession certificates through NADRA is also being provided to overseas Pakistanis, and in the first phase, desks are being opened in twenty-four embassies.

He said that the cabinet has approved the issuance of a commemorative coin to pay tribute to NED university Karachi on 100 years of its establishment.

The minister said that the cabinet also approved to waive off 10 per cent withholding tax on private sector bids in Railways. Responding to a question, the minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia will greatly contribute to expanding bilateral ties.

Development and Special Initiatives Asad umar said that a significant improvement was seen in SOP compliance to control the spread of Covid-19 after the stronger enforcement measures including military deployment took place.

“National average compliance has doubled from 34 per cent on April 25 to 68 per cent on May 3,” he said in his tweet. He also stressed the need to sustain and build on this compliance level especially till Eidul Fitr. Moreover, Pakistan’s daily vaccinations crossed the 150,000 mark for the first time the previous day, Asad said in another tweet.

Planning and Development Minister Asad tweeted that as many as 164,000 people were administered the Covid-19 vaccine. Yesterday was the first day when people aged 40 years and above started getting jabs, he added. Addressing a press conference earlier, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said the government has signed deals for procurement of 30 million Covid vaccine doses.

He said 19 million doses will be received by June this year, clarifying that the government is not relying on donations but 90 per cent of the doses are being purchased. The SAPM said that local packaging of single-dose CanSino vaccine is about to begin in the country. Three million doses of this vaccine will be prepared at the National Institute of Health per month, he added.

COAS reaches Riyadh to meet Saudi civil, military leadership STAFF REPORT

Addressing a press conference earlier today, Minister of State for Health Dr Faisal Sultan, without identifying the producer, said the government has signed deals to procure 30 million doses.

He said 19 million doses will be received

by June and clarified that the government is not reliant on donations but 90 per cent of the vaccine stock was in fact purchased.

Dr Sultan further announced that domestic packaging of single-dose CanSino vaccine will begin soon. Three million doses a month of the drug will be prepared at the National Institute of Health (NIH), he added.

He had last month announced that by the end of June, the government would have a stock of 17 million vaccine jabs but stopped short of identifying the developer.

“The challenge [for the government] is to deploy and use them. The number of people who have registered is in the hundreds of thousands, not millions, yet we need to vaccinate 40 to 50 million by the end of this year,” he said in an interview.

Pakistan has also purchased some 30 million doses of vaccines from China.

BAJAUR

Strict implementation of SOPs to be assured during Eid: PM NEWS DESK

03

Tahir Ashrafi said that the PM’s upcoming visit would give a “new dimension and impetus” to Pakistani-Saudi relations. Khan has been invited to the kingdom by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Earlier in August last, the chief of army staff visited Riyadh and held talks with the Saudi military leadership, which focused on military-to-military ties, including training exchanges.

Two security personnel died and two others sustained wounds in an explosion that went off in Mohmand tehsil of Bajaur district on Tuesday.

The troops were identified as a deputy subedar and a lance naik. They were shifted to Agency Headquarter Hospital in Khar for treatment.

Security agencies have launched a search operation in the area. Meanwhile, some unidentified assailants hurled a hand grenade at Domail police station in Bannu which did not explode. Later, a bomb disposal squad defused the grenade. Police dispatched special teams in search of the culprits.

Prisoners to get 90-day eid remission in their sentence ISLAMABAD INP

A meeting of the federal cabinet held on Tuesday granted approval for giving a 90-day remission to the prisoners on the occasion of Eidul Fitr. The remission would not be applicable to inmates facing terrorism and murder charges and also those who are facing corruption probes. After approval by the cabinet and prime minister, a summary would now be forwarded to the president for final approval. The meeting was also briefed on current situation of coronavirus and the pace of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Prime Minister Imran Khan directed strict enforcement of coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs).

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Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

NEWS

man held for throwing 4 children in canal over demand of new eid dresses SHEIKHUPURA: the police arrested an accused on tuesday, who had allegedly thrown his four children in a canal over demand of new dresses for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitar. according to details, accused Mohsin, who has been unemployed for long, had lodged an FiR with the police some four days ago, mentioning therein that his four children are missing. the police over suspicion held Mohsin, who later during investigation admitted the he had thrown his four children in Bhikki Canal as they were insisting to buy them new dresses and he was unemployed since long and have no single penny. the police registered a case against the culprit and started search for the bodies of the children. INP

LAHORE

Pakistan, south korea sign agreements to boost cooPeration in agriculture, develoPment ISLAMABAD

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MIAN ABRAR

akistan and Republic of korea on tuesday signed new agreements to help develop cooperation on agriculture cooperation and rural development between the two countries. the agreements were signed for new technical cooperation projects by korea Programme on international agriculture (kOPia) Centre, Rural Development administration (RDa), Ministry of national Food security & Research (MnFsR) and Pakistan agricultural Research Council (PaRC).

Republic of korea ambassador suh sangpyo oversaw the signing ceremony.

From korean side, kOPia Director Cho Gyoungrae and from Pakistan side, the MnFsR secretary, PaRC chairman, national agriculture Research Centre (naRC) director general, PaRC member (C&M), naRC director (Csi), naRC director (HRi), naRC director (aEi) and naRC director (PRMC) signed the agreements. the technical cooperation projects include selfsufficiency of virus free potato seed multiplication by

aeroponic technique, chilli production and post-harvest management technology development in Pak-

istan, and establishment of production technology of major fodder crops in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan chairs a meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Agriculture.

Delay in launching of Elan’s lawn irks customers LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

Owing to delay in the arrival of Elan’s lawn, the customers, who had booked their orders in advance and made online payments, expressed their displeasure and criticised the clothing brand.

However, the team of Elan claimed that most of the complainants on social media are not their customers and the delay in the arrival of lawn was caused due to increasing cases of coronavirus and lockdown.

Bk, a social media user, expressed frustration over Elan's decision to postpone launching of new designs before Eid, tweeting that she had booked a suit for her mother's birthday, which will no longer be delivered on time. similarly, a user by the name of Desi typowala tweeted and shared a screenshot of his chat with Elan,

in which he had complained that he had used online advance payment method instead of cash on delivery for his orders, but he had not received his ordered items and his queries were not being answered by Elan. a user, Zeenia, tweeted, “after a major lawn launch disaster, Elan not only deleting its customers comments and queries on instagram, but also closing its comments sections. it cannot even take criticism.” sarah Rizvi tweeted, “i am beyond frustrated. now i am furious. two of my orders have been pending for seven weeks with Zaha Online, a brand owned by the same people who own Elan. they have taken my money but are not delivering the clothes. Constant excuses, lies and promises by its team.” speaking to Pakistan today, Elan Creative Director khadijah shah told that everything is crystal clear and they had made an entire post on their instagram page with an announcement and answers of all ques-

tions. she maintained that payments will be refunded to the people, who wish to cancel their orders. However, majority of the people want to retain their orders and their orders will be dispatched. the creative director further informed that their retailers want to launch the lawn after Eid due to lockdown and most of their orders were placed with cash on delivery method. “so people have not paid anything. Out of the paid orders, majority of the customers want to receive their parcels before or after Eid as lawn can be worn all summer and not just on Eid. anyone who wants to cancel a paid order will be refunded. there is no conspiracy and everything is clear. apart from this, emails are sent to all the customers to update them with the order status. the ones making the noise probably are not even our customers,” she said.

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

LAHORE

FreeLANcers eArN Over rs4bN FrOM AbrOAd siNce JANuAry 2020 ISLAmABAd

W

STAFF REPORT

HILE businesses and trading have suffered due to restrictions and Covid19 lockdowns, outreach and growth of the microfinance sector has improved as Pakistan’s freelancers received more than Rs4 billion from foreign countries since January 2020.

In this regard, sharing details at a media talk on Monday, Mobilink Microfinance Bank CEO and President Ghazanfar Azzam said, “Freelance work by IT professionals increased under the circumstances but they were facing the issue of remittances of very small amounts, ranging from $100-$500. We devised a solution, given that more professionals are taking up small IT jobs.”

The e-commerce and IT sectors in the country grew as businesses and trade suffered due to the coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns. Pakistan is the fourth fastest growing freelance market globally. However, freelancers faced delays and high costs when the amount was remitted via mainstream channel.

One of the subsidiaries of Mobilink Microfinance Bank — JazzCash — partnered with Payoneer, an American financial services company that provides online money transfer and digital payment services, he explained.

“Over Rs4bn has been received since January 2020 by more than 100,000 freelancers through Payoneer and JazzCash accounts,” Azzam said, adding that reduction in human interaction and movements as well as improvements in internet connectivity has helped the pro-

motion of e-commerce.

The CEO went to say that large banks did not provide loans for small commercial loading vehicles, motorcycles etc. but the microfinance sector caters for such needs.

“Ranging from food sector to general items, the supply to home business has increased manifold and so has the demand for riders and motorcycles,” he said, adding that such needs are being fulfilled only by the microfinance sector.

The technological inclusivity has helped reduce time, cost and human interactions in the processing of loans for such ventures and small agri-loans to buy a cattle or cart too has enhanced.

Similarly, the mobile application has launched a business app to cater the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector which is yet to realise the full ben-

efits of a digital payments ecosystem, he said, adding that some amongst them are not even part of the formal economy.

There are a large number of SMEs in Pakistan but only a few thousand accept digital payments making it a predominately cash-based sector.

The App will provide visibility on business performance and automating day-to-day activities.

Users can receive payments through QR, reconcile transactions, disburse salaries and make payments for stock procurement.

However, Azzam said the policymakers and the government departments in developing countries like Pakistan have no empathy with the small and micro businesses which is restricting the growth of this sector compared to the developed countries that have a more secure financial network.

ECP accepts PML-N request for vote recount in NA-249 ContInued fRom pAge 01 “At 167 polling stations, Form 45 was not signed by any polling agent. Not a single Form 46 has been issued to us and none of them were signed. Something happened with Form 45 and Form 46 after polling ended,” he said.

He said that the issue of Form 46 was problematic and should be investigated as no presiding officer had issued it at any polling station, except one. The procedure was not followed as per the law and we were officially told a difference of 683 votes, he added.

Raja further said that the matter of Form 45 and 46 shows interference and demanded a recount in the whole constituency. “This matter should be fully investigated as the whole process has become suspicious.”

On the other hand, PPP counsel Latif Khosa argued that no complaint was lodged with the returning officer (RO) or the commission during or after the polling and the RO is not bound to accept the recount request.

“They didn’t provide evidence and just said that

there are doubts,” he said. He further said this application is absolutely “unjustified.”

Later, when the arguments of both parties were concluded, the commission reserved its decision before announcing it hours later.

According to provisional results, Abdul Qadir Khan Mandokhail of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had secured 16,156 votes to win the election while Ismail came in second with 15,473 votes, followed by nowprescribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) which secured 11,125 votes.

Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal came fourth with 9,227 votes, followed by Amjad Afridi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 8,922 votes.

The NA seat was created in 2018 by amalgamating neighbourhoods that previously fell in two National Assembly constituencies — NA-239 and NA-240 — during three general elections between 2002 and 2013.

The constituency, with 339,591 registered voters, has emerged to be a highly contested seat with candi-

PSX snaps losing streak with 487-point rally KARACHI TLTP

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) turned green amid positive sentiments on Tuesday after five continuous red sessions, with the benchmark KSE100 Index advancing 487.39 points (+1.11 per cent) to close at 44,563.59 points. The KSE-100 Index opened on a positive note and maintained this trend throughout the session touching an intraday high of 44,620.41 points. Among other indices, the KSE All Share Index gained 136.48 points (+0.46 percent) to close at 30,072.12 points, while All Share Islamic Index gained 155.95 points (+0.73 percent) to close at 21,651.18 points. A total of 371 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 242 closed up, shares of 110 closed down while shares of 19 companies remained unchanged. The overall market volumes decreased by 16.94 million to 221.50 million shares, while market capitalisation increased by Rs35.09 billion. The number of total trades decreased by 5,442 to 81,389, and value traded decreased by Rs1.23 billion to Rs10.09 billion. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers of Rs37.4 million worth of shares during the trading session, according to data compiled by the National Clearing Company of Pakistan. The sectors propping up the index were technology and communication with 127 points, commercial banks with 84 points, fertilizer with 61 points, cement with 43 points and food & personal care products with 27 points. The most points added to the index were by TRG which contributed 116 points followed by LUCK with 38 points, HBL with 32 points, UNITY with 31 points and MCB with 23 points. Sector-wise, the index was let down by tobacco with 26 points, transport with 2 points and glass & ceramics with one point. The most points taken off the index was by PAKT which stripped the index of 26 points followed by KTML with 8 points, NESTLE with 6 points, ICI with 5 points and DGKC with 3 points.

CmYK

dates belonging to almost every major political party fighting for it.

It had fallen vacant after Faisal Vawda, who had won it on a PTI ticket, resigned from his seat to run for the Senate.

Later in the day, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the ECP’s decision and said the narrow difference in votes necessitated this in the interest of transparency. He added that credibility of vote is a sure foundation of democracy.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday that ECP’s order to hold recounting in NA-249 constituency will lead to scrutiny of many seats that had narrow winning margins.

“PPP welcomes new precedent set by allowing constituency wide recount without specific polling stations complaints. Many seats from 2018 fall within 5 percent threshold & candidates have not been given this chance,” he wrote in a tweet from his official handle.

NEWS

05

PML-N accepts PM’s offer for dialogue on electoral reforms ContInued fRom pAge 01 It merits mention here that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has also accepted the offer of Prime Minister Imran, saying that talks could only be fruitful if the establishment had no role in electoral system. “If the role of the establishment is lost, then we are ready for electoral reforms and in that case the reforms will be beneficial,” he said while addressing a presser in Karachi two days back. It should be noted that while reacting to the government’s offer of electoral reforms to the opposition, PML-N leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had said that the issue is not electoral reform and rather the issue was to respect the vote. “There needs to be giving priority to respect the vote. Everyone knows that Who are the people who are violating the dignity of the vote and stealing the public mandate? If the problem of vote fraud is not solved then electronic voting machines will also fail like the RTS system,” Nawaz had said.

Oil sales jump 57pc in April The country’s oil sales swelled by 57 per cent to 1.67 million tonnes in April from 1.07m tonnes in April 2020. On a month-over-month basis, oil sales jumped 13pc from 1.49m tonnes in March. During 10MFY21, total oil sales rose by 19pc to 15.83m tonnes from 13.34m tonnes during the same period last year.

According to Arif Habib Ltd, petrol sales during April were 54pc higher to 0.67m tonnes from 0.44m tonnes in April 2020 but sales fell 2pc from 0.69m tonnes in March. Overall petrol sales in 10MFY21 rose by 12pc to 6.73m tonnes from 5.99m tonnes in the same period last year. A 44pc jump was witnessed in diesel sales to 0.79m tonnes in April from 0.55m tonnes in April 2020. On month-over-month sales rose 47pc from 0.53m tonnes in March. MONITORING REPORT

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

Has India inculcated a "scientific temper"?

Shaukat Tarin and IMF

Has a constitutional duty been neglected

Changes in economic policy

T

he way Dr hafeez Sheikh was pursuing the IMF ‘s stabilisation programme had led to grim forebodings: a subdued economic growth rate of 1.5 percent coupled with a higher rate of inflation and rising unemployment during the current fiscal year. Under structural benchmark conditions for increasing the power tariff, the recently introduced principle of automaticity caused apprehensions. As Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has put it, “If the growth rate did not reach at least five percent, the country’s integrity will be at stake in four to five years.”.What Mr Tarin told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance on Monday makes sense. According to Mr Tarin, stabilization is no more affordable for Pakistan’s economy that should now shift gear towards higher growth. Unless this is done neither revenue collection would go up, nor job opportunities would be available to people. What is more, the productive capacity of the economy would not improve Mr Tarin was spot on when he said that higher electricity rates prescribed under the stabilization plan were not sustainable, as these were only promoting corruption. Alternative measures were available to reduce circular debt instead of introducing automaticity in tariff hikes. It was similarly a more realistic policy to bring into the tax net those sections of society which are still outside it. This however will require “a strong skipper”, as Tarin had put it before joining the cabinet Tarin favours privatization of state entities that the government has been unable to run. he also stresses diversion of more funds for education and health by the provinces. It is however unrealistic to seek one million jobs for Pakistanis in Chinese industry, for two reasons.

First, Pakistan has a shortage of trained manpower; and second, the productive capacity of Pakistani labour is far below that of its Chinese counterpart. Mr Tarin’s emphasis on development spending would endear him to the PTI’s legislators, who would work hard to get him elected a Senator. There is a hard task ahead of the Finance Minister. he has to convince the IMF of the need for more development spending, particularly in the housing sector, in a country facing the third deadly wave of Covid-19.

amJeD JaaveD

T

he Indian Constitution is the only, according to which it is a fundamental duty, the eighth one, of every citizen “to develop a scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform” (Article 51A).

But, it appears that even after seven decades of independence, Indians are still mired in superstition.

The world was stunned to see the televised appearance of India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh emblazoning a Rafale fighter jet with an ‘om’ sign and decking it with flowers, coconut and lemons, purportedly to ward off the evil eye. Singh’s overt show of religiosity caricatured the provision of India’s Constitution mandating the duty of inculcating a “scientific temper”.

Liberals; were stunned when chief minister Yogi Adityanath of India’s Uttar Pradesh state equated cows with human beings. India’s Uttarakhand assembly passed a resolution for the `declaration of cow as rashtra mata (national mother)’.

Muslims and dalits practise cow slaughter and carry on small-scale beef trade. To persecute them and to deprive the beef-eating minority of a cheap source of food, Adityanath launched a crackdown on them in June 2020. he directed his administration to book the “offenders” under India’s National Security Act. Simultaneously, he approved an ordinance to increase the penalty for cow slaughter up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to Rs 500,000.

Under the NSA a person can be detained without charge for up to 12 months if a threat to national security or law and order.

Last October, the Allahabad high Court expressed ennui at the “frequent misuse” of provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, and noted it was being used to implicate innocent people.

Adityanath adamantly responded that his government will “protect cows at any cost”.

Pushing for electoral reform EVMs aren’t the answer

T

heRe is no denying the fact that Pakistan’s electoral system is in dire need of an overhaul to address longstanding inefficiencies and deficiencies that continue to cast doubt on the reliability and accuracy of election results. The last general election, for example, was rife with human error, ballot tampering and technological failures.

Senate elections were mired in horse trading that resulted in both the government and opposition suffering unexpected losses. Most recently, there was such blatant rigging in the NA-75 Daska by-poll that the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP), despite severe pressure from various quarters to refrain from doing so, had to call a reelection. Last week’s NA-249 Karachi by-poll has its own set of controversial discrepancies. For obvious reasons, past and present governments have avoided undertaking any meaningful electoral reforms, for they are usually the primary benefactors of this broken system. That the PTI is proposing comprehensive changes to the election Act 2017, inviting the opposition to be part of the process, is a welcome step towards breaking this trend of tainted elections. Replying to the offer, both the PPP and PML(N) through Bilawal Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif respectively, have pointed out the fundamental problem with the PTI’s plan: it does not address the central issue at hand, that of pre-poll rigging.

A fair amount of political engineering takes place behind the scenes to deliver a certain type of government. The process of using courts to disqualify prominent politicians from office and barring them from contesting elections to ‘clear the field’ is one method. Closer to the polls, electables are convinced, through coercion or promises of better positions in government, to join the favorite party. The remaining gaps are typically filled by allied parties who join the coalition with certain guarantees. Whatever transpires on the day of the election has to be handled and managed by the eCP, which is unfortunately perceived as a toothless institution. Despite its constitutional status and resources, it is unable to punish candidates who break the rules, let alone execute a free and fair election. If the PTI government wants to give election reform an honest shot, it must first eliminate the possibility of certain elements meddling in the electoral process. It should then allow the eCP to do its job by cooperating with it rather than fighting it. Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to introduce electronic voting machines (eVMs) instead of paper ballots. That might be part of the solution, but is hardly the right place to start or finish.

Much more needs to be done before such a step.

There were other genocidal attempts which need acknoeldgement

Dr James J. Zogby

A

S expected, US President Joseph Biden’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide during the Ottoman empire was greeted with relief by Armenian Americans and outrage by many Turks. By itself, however, recognition without reckoning means little. In the end, it is the Turkish government that must acknowledge what was done a century ago to eradicate the Armenian Christian presence in the region of Ottoman empire that was to become Turkey.

During the period 1915-1917, over one million Armenians were killed and their physical presence in the region largely destroyed. While there was an initial effort to find those responsible and hold them accountable for their crimes, with the advent of the modern Turkish state, a systematic and brutal process of denial took hold.

Turkey not only refuses to acknowledge the horrors their predecessors inflicted on Armenians, but they bully and threaten those who dare to defy them by recognizing that what occurred was genocide. To compound their denial, Turkish historians have concocted a fictive history which diminishes their crimes, shifts blame to the victims, and absolves them of responsibility. In doing this, the Turks are not alone. human history, ancient and contemporary, is replete with instances of genocide– that is, the effort to eradicate a people, erase their history, denigrate their culture, and destroy their physical presence. Many of these atrocities have been recognized by the victims and other nations who support them. But, with the no-

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

Acknowledging Genocide

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

The furious yogi ordered cow-related offences tried under the National Security Act. The sycophant police registered 139 cases against innocent people under it between January 2018 and December 2020.

But, the court rejected most cases for “non-application of mind.” Besides cow-related NSA cases, during 2020, until August 26, 1716 cases were registered under thePrevention of Cow Slaughter Act and over 4000 arrested.

The Yogi wants to convert Ayodhya into a Vatican, a Mecca. he wants to re-name the Mughal Museum in Agra after Maratha king Shivaji. he rejected proposals to build both a mosque and a temple at Ayodhya side by side.he refused to attend the inauguration of a mosque away from Ayodhya in exchange for the demolished Babri Masjid.

The hindu Supreme Court validated demolition of the Babri masjid. The Supreme Court chief justice, Ranjan Gogoi, was inducted, shortly after retirement,into the Rajya Sabha as quid pro quo for his pro-government decisions, including on abolition of Kashmir's special status. The serving SC judges rejected a petition for inquiry into Gogois' in-service conduct.

The National Crime Records Bureau omitted data on murders; burning Muslims alive, cow-related lynching and offences committed for religious reason. hindus believe that Lord Krishna took along a cow from heavens when he descended on earth.

A black-and-white pigeon was caught on April 17 last after it perched on the shoulder of Constable Niraj Kumar, who was on guard duty at a post in Roranwala, 500 metres from the border with Pakistan. Kumar "immediately caught the pigeon and informed Post Commander Ompal Singh". The commander then searched the pigeon and found a paper with a number starting from 0302. The BSF directed police to lodge an FIR against the pigeon.

The BSF could not decode the mysterious number, wrapped with adhesive tape on the pigeon's left leg.

SSP Dhruv Dahiya replied to the BSF that “he did not think FIR could be registered against the pigeon as it was a bird, not a human being”. however he clarified, ‘We have referred the matter to our legal experts for their opinion’. Last May, the BSF had captured another "Pakistani spy pigeon" and handed it over to police in occupied Kashmir. A Pakistani villager later said he was the owner of the pigeon and refuted its being "a spy or a terrorist". earlier, in 2015, also, a pigeon was captured by Indian forces for crossing the border into the Pathankot area.

Last month, authorities in Indian-occupied Kashmir seized a plane-shaped balloon bearing the name of PIA. The balloon, featuring the name, logo and livery colours of the national flag-carrier, was found in Sotra Chak village of hiranagar sector. It was initially spotted by locals in the village who informed the po-

lice. Authorities then seized the balloon and the matter was entrusted to police for investigation.

“Scientific temper” of Indian judges: Mr Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma of Rajasthan high Court flabbergasted reporters by saying in 2018 `all doctors are frauds and we could have all been cured of diseases with nothing more than cow’s milk.’ he urged the Centre to declare cow as India’s national animal and recommended life imprisonment for cow slaughter. Physicians must have smiled at his assertions that `cow inhales and exhales oxygen’, and `a peacock is a lifelong celibate like Krishna’.

At the RSS conclave a Muslim wing distributed a pamphlet echoing Sharma’s sentiments. The RSS’s rising influence cannot be ignored. huffington Post in 2017 published a detailed report on the benefits of cow dung-and-urine recipes like: (a) A cow dungand-urine beauty soap could stall ageing. Krishna looked like a 12-year-old as he used such soap. (b) Cow dung and urine (gao gober and gau mutra) could prevent radiation when used to construct a bunker or rubbed on a mobile phone. This compound can defuse even an atomic bomb. (c) Pregnant women should have cow dung-urine derivatives for normal delivery.

India’s prestigious Institute of Technology received about 50 proposals from top research institutions across the country to explore the benefits of panchgavya (mixture of cow urine, cow dung, milk, ghee and curd). India’s Union Ministry of Science and Technology has constituted a 19-member panel to conduct a detailed research on cow derivatives and their benefits. Actor Akshay Kumar remorselessly admitted that he drinks cow urine daily. Cow dung is also used in hindu religious fire (agni) yajna as an important ingredient.

India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru was an ardent advocate of the “scientific temper". In The Discovery of India, he writes, “The scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind, all this is necessary…”. he is credited for pioneering many space and science research institutes in India. he dreamt of a nation whose citizens would be able to think independently, understand and practice scientific methods in their daily lives, analyse and take informed and calculated decisions rather than taking statements at their face value and avoid simplistic reasoning. even after seven decades, his nation is still mired in superstition, and myths disguised as religion.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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table exception of the German acknowledgment of the holocaust, rarely have the perpetrators of these crimes accepted responsibility and offer recompense. A few examples should be sufficient to make this clear.

The USA was founded on two genocides, its original sins– the massacres and forced removal of the country’s indigenous peoples and the enslavement of black Africans. Millions of Native Americans were killed, lands were “cleared of Indians” to make way for settlers, and those who were forcibly evicted were corralled into Bantustan-like “reservations.” Blacks were “freed” by the emancipation Proclamation, but remained landless and impoverished and were soon subjected to cruel laws denying them full rights as citizens. Since then, some civil rights have been secured, but Black Americans are still victims of segregation and discriminatory laws and treatment.

While some of the statues of segregationists and slave-holders are finally coming down, no US President has dared to apologize and offer reparations for slavery or the genocide against Native Americans.

British behaviour in Ireland should also be classified as genocidal. During their colonization of the island, they confiscated land, imported settlers loyal to them, stole Irish resources, attempted to eradicate Irish culture, and did little to assist the victims of the Great Famine– during which almost one-third of the Irish population died from hunger and disease, while another third were forced to emigrate. While the Irish starved, the British continued to import food from Ireland– food which the Irish were not allowed to consume. Almost a century after Irish independence, the British retain control of the northern part of the Island, and while there is fragile peace between the British and Irish– with the exception of an apology from former Prime Minister Anthony Blair, Britain has never fully acknowledged its responsibility for its actions during and since its colonial rule.

Israel’s behavior toward the indigenous Arab population has been genocidal. During Israel’s war of independence– the Palestinian Nakbah (“disaster”)– the majority of Arabs were forced to flee a systematic Israeli military campaign to “cleanse” parts

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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of the country from Arabs. After the war, almost 500 Palestinian villages were eradicated, and millions of acres of their land and thousands of their homes and businesses were confiscated and turned over to exclusive Jewish control. During the first two decades, Israel imposed harsh conditions on those Palestinians who remained, forcing Arab children to learn hebrew and denying Arabs the right to join labour unions, live in Jewish areas, or form political organizations. Some of these conditions have since eased for the Arab citizens in Israel, but many of these same policies are now imposed as part of Israel’s repressive Apartheid rule in the post-1967 Occupied Territories. Israel has invented its own fictional history and its supporters worldwide will brook no criticism of its policies or accept any responsibility for its behaviour toward its Arab citizens, those under occupation, and, most especially, the Palestinian refugee population.

France’s behavior in Algeria was also genocidal.

During the French conquest, almost one-quarter of the country’s Arab population were either killed or died from disease or hunger, with many more killed during the century of French colonial rule. They seized land and resources, imposed discriminatory Apartheid-like policies, confiscating property and resources, importing privileged colonists from France, denying educational opportunities to Arab children, and denigrating the country’s Arab and Islamic culture. While the French president did make a statement acknowledging that “crimes against humanity” were committed in Algeria, after seeing how poorly it was received by voters, he later recanted saying there would be “no repentance or apologies” for France’s behaviour in their former colony. And, today, Arab immigrants in France live in ghettos as a permanent underclass where they suffer from high rates of poverty and discrimination.

The lesson is clear. It is good President Biden has acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, but unless the inheritors of the fruits of past genocidal policies reckon with the crimes committed in their name, justice will not be done.

The writer is President of the, Arab American Institute

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 5 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

Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s Pakistan ThIS country was created by MAJ to be a modern democratic welfare state. Today we are neither a welfare state that Quaid wanted, nor a security state, but a country in utter confusion.

Instead of pursing vision laid down by Founding Fathers, we have been dilly dallying in an endless debate of presidential or parliamentary democracy. The hard truth is that it was under a so-called Presidential System imposed by likes of Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan, that Pakistan without any parliamentary debate, got itself embroiled in a proxy war, by offering Badaber Base for reconnaissance flights over Soviet Union ostensibly being part of CeNTO, although neither Iran, nor Turkey were willing to do likewise.

It was again under Presidential system that Pakistan chose to disregard China’s advice to liberate IOK in 1962, although MAJ had termed it our jugular vein, because all our rivers originated from there.

Pakistan suffered humiliation of defeat, surrender and dismemberment in 1971 under Presidential system of Yahya Khan. Finally, after a series of failures, it was a civil government which gave this country 1973 Constitution, which was based on parliamentary democracy. Given our limitations to match India in conventional war, prompted this civil government, with help of parliament to hold historic Islamic Conference in Lahore. Immediately after this, the parliamentary democratic government decided to lay foundations for building Defensive Nuclear Deterrence, inspite of opposition by major super powers.

The democratically elected government was removed by military dictator, who CIA Director Casey allegedly claimed to be on their payroll.

A presidential system was again imposed, and 1973 Constitution effectively suspended and Pakistan got itself involved in Afghan proxy war. We continue to suffer consequences What more will it take for us to realize that we must follow MAJ’s vision?

Malik T Ali Lahore

The uncouth special assistant It is to be seen what the CM does

malik muhammaD ashraf

A

FTeR seeing a video gone viral on the social media showing special assistant to the Chief Minister Punjab for Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan misbehaving with a woman assistant commissioner at a Ramzan Bazar in Sialkot, I felt compelled to give my thoughts on the episode. My impression at the outset is that it was an act of extreme indecency by the SACM who, acting in her usual loose-cannon-like style— and perhaps motivated by the illusion that insulting a government functionary publicly would endear her in the eyes of the public— crossed all limits of civilized behaviour which a public figure is supposed to exhibit. however the move has backfired and rightly so. The social media is brimming with the strongest disapproval of her conduct.

The street language used by her is condemnable in the strongest possible terms. If at all she felt some slackness on the part of the district administration in managing the bazar properly and ensuring the sale of quality stuff, she should have had a private discussion with the assistant commissioner and listened to her response with a cool mind. The assistant commissioner is known to be a brilliant officer and is reported to have received an award over her performance from the President.

I would appreciate the assistant commissioner for keeping her cool while insults were being hurled at her. The only reaction by her was to leave the place of confrontation. Later talking to the media she rightly said that this conversation could have been held in a civilized way also.

I also tend to salute the courage of the Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik, who said that the uncivilized treatment meted out to an administrative officer in a Ramazan bazaar was condemnable. In a statement he said, “It does not suit anyone to humiliate government

officials. The unethical language with any officer or staff is condemnable. Officers across Punjab were present in the field day and night for the convenience of the people which is highly appreciable. I salute the tireless work and courage of all officers working in the field,” Reportedly he has brought this incident into the notice of the Chief Minister. The solidarity expressed with his subordinate officer by the Chief Secretary is appreciable as it would not only erase the hurt that the officer might have felt over the incident but would also give her confidence in facing a similar situation with more sangfroid.

I am also a retired CSS officer and on several occasions have had to face awkward situations which I handled with confidence by politely telling my political interlocutor that he would be paid in the same coin if he crossed the limit of civility, and I am glad that my seniors invariably supported me knowing fully well that I was not in any way responsible for what had transpired between me and the political figure. The red line is that no political leader has the right to insult the civil servant publicly whether the cause is right or wrong.

The Chief Secretary is right in appreciating and highlighting the work being done by the officers of the district administration.

Managing Ramzan bazaars in such hot weather is indeed an arduous and treacherous undertaking. At times things do happen which are beyond the control of the administration machinery and are attributable more to the unscrupulous behavior of the sellers at the bazaars or the intensity of heat. Particularly the condition of the fruits is badly affected by the heat. The assistant commissioner did try to explain to the adviser the reason for the rotten fruit at a stall and told her that such stuff was removed every day.

But the adviser would not listen to her and kept shouting at her like someone shouts at a domestic servant. her behaviour must be condemned without any reservations by all who believe in human mannerisms and behavioral morality. It is indeed heartening to note that her behaviour has also come under criticism from within the party.

SAPM Usman Dar has expressed concern over

the incident, saying he knew the assistant commissioner personally and she was an efficient and competent officer. Maryam Nawaz has also added her voice to the condemnation crescendo by saying that the Chief Minister’s special assistant had no right to insult a civil officer, who reaches any administrative position after higher studies and passing the competitive exams and is not appointed through any selection. She also demanded that Dr Firdous Awan should tender an apology to the concerned assistant commissioner.

I really wonder why the ruling party gives so much importance and responsibility to such uncouth migratory birds like Dr Firdous Awan.

She often loses her sense of proportion while having a swipe at the opponents of the government and uses street language which is jarring to the ears. As they say, a wise enemy is better than a foolish friend.

She is surely like a foolish friend of PTI and its leadership. her indiscreet convulsions about the opposition leaders are actually creating a bad impression about the government. Crying hoarse to vilify the opponents of the government using indecent language also reflects on the personality of the concerned individual. her demeanour and her conduct never suggests that she is an educated lady holding an MBBS degree.

She also lost her place in the federal government for something which related to her undesirable and uncouth mannerism.

Whoever manoeuvred her appointment as special assistant to the Chief Minister probably did not mean well for him. I know for sure that when she was Minister for Information in the federal government, the officers of the Information Ministry hated her for her irrepressible propensity to throw her weight around unnecessarily. It would indeed be interesting to see what action the Chief Minister takes over this highly condemnable episode.

I hope that Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is a well-meaning and honest person, would also take notice of this occurrence and issue directions to the party members to keep their tongues in control and be mindful of their limits while interacting with the civil bureaucracy.

I hope that Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is a wellmeaning and honest person, would also take notice of this occurrence and issue directions to the party members to keep their tongues in control and be mindful of their limits while interacting with the civil bureaucracy

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

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

Covid-19 Pandemic: A joke to the world COVID-19 Pandemic has become a rapidly increasing threat around the globe today. More than 3 Million People are affected by this disease and more than 200,000 people died of it. Almost entire world took the step of initiating a nationwide lock down in order to combat this pandemic. The lock downs also affected sectors like business, education and economy in a very big way, but the people seem to not understand how dangerous this situation is and all they want is that the government opens everything despite what’s going on or what happened.

People around the world are taking this threat as a joke and believe it cannot affect us, so just open up everything so we can continue living the way we used to. They are also not taking the lock down in their country seriously, they come out of their house and walk around like it’s nothing, the traders and the shopkeepers are also rioting over the lock down and threatening to open up their business despite what the government has to say about the current situation. even the government itself looks like it doesn’t care about the situation; they are taking a ridiculous action of easing the restrictions to save their economy. Is the economy much more important than the lives we are losing every day? They cannot even wait till it blows over, they think that the people need us and they need our products. When a person is terrified of covid-19 and its effects then how is he going to think about getting out?

The problem is that the people are not even aware of what’s happening in this world and how much more deadly this could get if the restrictions are not in affect. Already the number of the affected and the deceased is rising and people don’t seem to understand. They should be terrified of what can happen next if they just ease everything in this darkest hour. These businessmen, traders and others should hope this pandemic come to an end soon, they should think about what these restrictions were made for. They should keep faith in themselves and the others and protect the others and themselves.

ZuHAIb SHAH Karachi

Tiktok Addiction TIKTOK has slowly become the requirement of every teen. The addiction of tiktok among youth has created a lot of tension among their parents. Constant use of this application has become a pain more than enjoyment for people.

Tiktok is seen to be a time-waster. People unnecessarily spend a lot of time in creating music videos. The time they put in creating these videos when invested in learning any new skill or knowledge can prove to be a lot more beneficial to them in the future.

Some people use this application to make fun of people, community or religion. Recently there has been released a music video where people have made a prayer video with hilarious dance that makes fun of Islam religion. Whether teens do it for a genuine career or fun, this app comes with risky consequences. In place of playing sports, focusing on their life, or prioritizing their study and career in their golden years, they are addicted to this meaningless app.

MAMoonA GHAFFAr Islamabad

Depression in Quarantine IN this time of a global health, crisis being in quarantine and staying home keeping ourselves isolated is the only thing we can do to fight against the virus. But with its benefits there are also some disadvantages. Keeping yourself constantly isolated from people may put us in the risk of depression and other psychological issues. With addition to fasting, people have gone more frustrated and angry even on little things. To fight depression we must do productive activities like reading books, doing art or indoor workout in quarantine so that we keep ourselves busy in something rather than falling into depression.

FATIMA KHoKHAr Wah Cantt

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

IsrAel nOt reAssured by bIden’s meetIng wIth mOssAd chIef PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TOLD MOSSAD CHIEF YOSSI COHEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT ABANDON ISRAEL ON IRAN

al-monitor

u

BeN CaSpit

S President Joe Biden and Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen met on April 30 at the White House. A spokesperson for the American National Security Council said Cohen’s original meeting was with the agency’s chief Jake Sullivan, and that Biden “dropped by to express condolences for the tragedy in Mount Meron.’’

But diplomatic sources told Al-Monitor the meeting was anything but a “drop by” — the kind of meeting senior Israeli officials have grown accustomed to over the years. It was apparently a full meeting set up by the White House at the president’s request.

Cohen, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s final weapon in his desperate bid to derail the looming US return to the Iran nuclear deal, had a lengthy one-hour sitdown with Biden last Friday. that Biden took the trouble to meet with Cohen after not doing so last month when Israeli national security adviser Meir BenShabbat held top-level meetings in Washington attests to Cohen’s standing in the American capital. the personable

Mossad chief enjoys unique prestige as head of the vaunted spy agency for the past five years. In Israel, he cuts a somewhat controversial figure in light of his fondness for the limelight and rumored ambitions to succeed Netanyahu down the line. However, in the intelligence community, Cohen has acquired admirers in most Western capitals.

Cohen’s English is flawless and he projects personal charm and charisma. He arrived in Washington on April 26 and conducted meetings with CIA director William Burns, national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Undersecretary Wendy Sherman, director of national intelligence Avril Haines and others.

Word of the quality intelligence Cohen had brought with him likely reached the Oval Office and Burns told him on April 28 that the president would be very happy to see him. the meeting took place two days later at the White House. Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem informed about the content of the meeting said Biden greeted Cohen with an outpouring of Zionist sentiment. the two go way back to the time Biden served as vice president and Cohen as Israel’s national se-

curity adviser. the president stressed that he loves Israel, loves the Jewish people, guarantee Israel’s security and well-being and would never go back on this commitment.

Biden told Cohen of his keen interest in the Holocaust, declared his commitment to the recent Israeli peace agreements with Arab and Muslim states and pledged his support for continued momentum in this regard. talk then moved to the Iranian elephant in the room. According to both the Jerusalem diplomatic sources and US officials, Cohen presented Biden with Israel’s perception of the Iran threat and provided him with an executive summary of the intelligence he had presented at his other Washington meetings.

According to Cohen, a return to the original deal would be a grave mistake, given the flaws in the 2015 agreement. Washington should strive for a different agreement, to be known as the second Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA2), plugging up the holes in the first deal between Iran, the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union.

Among the key flaws Cohen enumerated was the agreement’s disregard for Iran’s

Have India’s ultra-rich done enough to help in the country’s fight against Covid-19?

medium- and long-range ballistic missile program, Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and its destabilization of regional security. the world powers, Cohen reportedly told Biden, should put Iran in its place as a state supporting and spreading terrorism rather than rewarding it. the conversation then moved to discussion of Iran’s potential military dimensions.

Biden laid out the US view that the powers must return to the original deal according to a “compliance in return for compliance” model, after which the signatories would seek to improve and expand the deal.

Cohen presented a different approach. the original deal is based on false assumptions that Israel has exposed, especially in the nuclear archives, he said, referring to the classified files Israel spirited out of Iran in 2018. Cohen suggested that the president delve into the developments since the signing of the agreement almost six years ago, including suspicious sites (such as the warehouse in the tehran district of turquzabad, for example) that have yet to be explored.

Cohen also flagged the scientists operating under the Defense Ministry to develop mili-

A broken state is failing India under Modi too THE SURGING PANDEMIC HAS EXPOSED THE LEADER’S FAILURE TO REFORM AND COST THE RULING BJP IN STATE ELECTIONS

THE FEW WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAUSE HAVE DONE SO THROUGH THEIR COMPANIES’ CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVES, AND NOT THEIR OWN POCKETS

Quartz

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Niharika Sharma

t a time when thousands of Indians are struggling to pay hospital bills, buy medicines and even afford cremations for their family members who have lost their lives to Covid-19, most of the country’s much-celebrated billionaires are either missing in action or contributing in a way that can be called symbolic, at best.

On May 2, India registered over 3,92,488 new cases of Covid-19, a 29th consecutive day of more than 1,00,000 daily new cases. In April alone, the country has seen around 50,000 deaths due to the disease. Yet, most of the ultrarich have so far not stepped up to help out the needy – not publicly, at least. the few who have contributed to the cause have done so through their companies’ corporate social responsibility initiatives, and not their own pockets. Indian laws mandate large companies to spend 2% of their average net profits for the preceding three years on CSR activities.

For context, with over 140 superrich persons, India is home to the world’s third-highest number of billionaires. It is worth noting that the Covid19 pandemic, which killed thousands of small businesses across India, has only made India’s rich even richer. the country added 40 new billionaires in 2020. the country’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, became 24% richer last year, while the net worth of the second-wealthiest man, Gautam Adani, went up by 174%.

It is also worth noting that thousands of middle- and lower-middle-class Indians have spent the last several weeks trying to help family, friends, neighbours, and even strangers by contributing to chari-

table organisations or frantically mobilising resources for patients.

Meanwhile, an April 26 report in the times of India newspaper stated that around eight private jets, costing around Rs 72 lakh each, arrived from India to the London airport, 24 hours before the country announced the travel ban on India. Here is what we know about Covid-19 contributions from India’s billionaires so far: AMBANI AND RELIANCE: On April 30, Ambani’s Reliance Industries said it had become India’s largest producer of medical-grade liquid oxygen from a single location. “Starting from nil” last year, the company now produces 11% of India’s total medical grade liquid oxygen at its refinery-cumpetrochemical facility in Jamnagar in the western state of Gujarat, it said. the company claims that its oxygen, which is being provided free of cost to many states, is meeting the needs of nearly every one in 10 patients in the country. the same day, Reliance also airlifted 24 ISO containers that are used for transporting oxygen from Saudi Arabia, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and thailand, creating an additional 500 tons of transportation capacity for India.

Reliance had recently supplied over 15,000 million tons of oxygen free of cost, helping nearly 15 lakh patients.

“For me and for all of us at Reliance, nothing is more important than saving every life as India battles against a new wave of the Covis-19 pandemic,” Ambani said in a statement. “there is an immediate need to maximise India’s production and transportation capacities for medical grade oxygen.” His efforts, however, are being criticised mainly because many feel they are too little compared to what he can afford. One cause of this criticism is the fact that Ambani – who earned Rs 90 crore an hour in 2020 – was way behind fellow billionaire Azim Premji in his philanthropic contributions during 2020 when India was struggling with the first wave of

Covid-19. Premji, the founder chairman of Wipro and India’s 15th richest person, donated 10 times more than Ambani in 2020, according to the Hurun India and EdelGive India Philanthropy List 2020.

ADANI AND TATAS: As India struggled to transport oxygen from factories to hospitals, the Adani Group arranged four ISO tanks with 80 tonnes of liquid oxygen from Saudi Arabia on April 26.

Adani has also said that his companies are procuring 5,000 medical-grade oxygen cylinders from Linde Saudi Arabia, a provider of industrial and medical gases. Adani Group has also procured oxygen from thailand and Dubai.

Similarly, India’s salt-to-software conglomerate tata Group has been helping the country in its struggle with the oxygen shortage. the group’s subsidiary tata Steel is supplying around 1,000 metric tons of oxygen on a daily basis to various states. Some other legacy business groups have been donating at the local level. For example, Grasim Industries, a Madhya Pradesh-based unit of Aditya Birla Group, has donated 30 oxygen concentration machines to a city hospital in Ujjain.

LEAVING COUNTRY: As per private jet providers, their services have been high in demand as many rich have been trying to leave the country, which has become a global epicentre of the pandemic. “It is not only the ultrarich,” Rajan Mehra, chief executive officer at New Delhi-based private jet firm Club One Air told Bloomberg.

“Whoever can afford to take a private jet are taking one.”

Among those who have found safety for themselves and their families abroad is billionaire Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India, which is responsible for supplying a majority of the doses for India’s vaccination programme. the “vaccine prince” has gone to London “for an extended period of time”, according to an interview in the times on May 1. However, he has said he would return to India in a “few days”.

tary nuclear capabilities and other matters that Iran has failed to explain satisfactorily.

Cohen argued that a return to the agreement and a lifting of economic sanctions would deprive the United States of leverage to amend and improve the agreement. While the disagreements were not resolved, the meeting was described as very friendly and the president listened attentively to his guest.

He also complimented the Mossad on its achievements. “Ultimately,” a senior Israeli diplomatic source in Jerusalem told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “Biden chose Cohen in order to relay a clear message that the US was not abandoning Israel, that it would never agree to Iran acquiring military nuclear capability and that the return to the agreement is not the end of the world but just the beginning of a process.”

Netanyahu, who received an extensive briefing by Cohen on the meeting and questioned him at length, is undoubtedly less than happy with the American approach. One of his associates told Al-Monitor this week on condition of anonymity, “the Americans are definitely moving full speed ahead with the agreement. We may be hearing of some breakthrough within days.” the question is whether Biden’s remarks were meant only for Netanyahu or if he were considering Netanyahu’s diminishing prospects of remaining in office throughout his presidency. One thing is clear: With or without Netanyahu, Iran will remain the key issue of future talks between Jerusalem and Washington.

Financial times

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rUChir Sharma

vER the past month, even as the pandemic raged, nearly 150m Indians voted in five state elections. the ruling Bharatiya Janata party wanted to draw out the voting in multiple phases so that prime minister Narendra Modi could appear as widely as possible. He made more than two dozen personal appearances in the key battleground of West Bengal alone.

Rarely has a party tried harder to take over a single state’s government. the BJP mobilised its vast political machine with a lavishly funded army of cadres. Yet, when the final tally was announced on Sunday, it had failed to dislodge West Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee. In the later phases of balloting, the BJP lost momentum as the virus spiralled out of control, showing Modi’s government was way behind the curve.

Over the past six weeks, India has suffered one of the biggest surges of Covid-19 any country has seen, with cases rising by around twelvefold, according to official figures. the real numbers are probably many times worse. A crisis of this magnitude would stress even the world’s best healthcare system. In India, it has exposed a pre-existing frailty — a broken state. A few developed countries, such as France and Italy, also suffered rapid case surges during their later waves of the pandemic. Even so, they managed to lower death rates from the first wave as their health systems had readied for the shock. In India, by contrast, the second wave has brought with it scenes of devastation reminiscent of the dark ages.

When I watch video clips of overwhelmed hospitals blocking their gates and leaving desperate patients to die, I am haunted by thoughts of my grandfather. He died of a heart attack under similar circumstances, turned away from a public hospital where there was no doctor on night duty and an orderly tried but failed to install a pacemaker. But that was in 1993. India’s underlying tragedy is how little progress has been made since.

Among the world’s 25 biggest emerging mar-

kets, India ranks last for the number of hospital beds per 1,000 citizens, fifth from last for doctors, and fourth last for nurses and midwives. Even if you drop richer emerging markets and compare India to other large countries with average per capita incomes of between $1,000 and $5,000 — which includes Pakistan and Bangladesh — India still looks mediocre on these basic healthcare measures.

Government spending generally rises as a share of the economy as countries grow richer. Indeed, India spends about as much as a typical nation in its income class, about 30 per cent of gross domestic product. So the problem is not the size of India’s state, but how it spends.

When Modi came to power in 2014, he mocked the welfare populism of his predecessors.

Yet within a few years he was vying with them in his promises of generous freebies, from gas to food or houses. today, welfare spending accounts for 9 per cent of GDP — far higher than the miracle economies India would like to emulate, like South Korea and taiwan, when they were at similar levels of development.

Modi has, meanwhile, done little to modernise India’s state, which in many ways still operates in ways that hark back to British rule. the model for many state agencies dates to the late 1800s, the healthcare system to the 1940s. In past elections, I’ve travelled thousands of miles on India’s back roads and seen too many understaffed public health clinics — operating rooms without surgeons, X-ray machines without radiologists — to be surprised they have now faltered.

Modi promised “maximum governance.” But rather than reform India’s outdated state, he has centralised power like no other leader in India’s democratic history. He set himself up as the nation’s saviour, who would solve its every problem.

But even a Formula 1 driver cannot make much progress in an Ambassador, the old Indian-made jalopy. the reality is that the BJP can no longer claim to offer a superior model of governance. this shortcoming is now starting to show in the polls. the good news is that private groups, as so often, have rushed in during this pandemic to provide what the government does not. Expats are sending money and medical resources from abroad. Residential associations provide whatever they can to ailing neighbours. So far, the Indian stock market has barely flinched over the rising death toll. this is probably due to a collective intuition that India will survive this crisis too — but that will not be thanks to its leader or the broken state.

The writer, Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s chief global strategist, is author of ‘The Ten Rules of Successful Nations.

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

BUSINESS 09

LAHORE

FBR INITIATES ACTIoN AGAINST FAkE INvoICING IN STEEL SECToR ISLAMABAD

Cement exports record 252pc increase in April ISLAMABAD: The export of cement from the country increased by 252 per cent in April 2021 as compared to the same month of the last fiscal year. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), total cement despatches during April 2021 were recorded at 4.943 million tonnes (MT) against 3.52 MT during the same month of the last fiscal year, showing a robust growth of 40.41 per cent. According to the data released by All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement despatches during April 2021 increased to 4.066 MT from 3.271 MT in April 2020, showing an increase of 24.29 per cent. During April 2021, North based cement mills despatched 3.377 MT cement in domestic markets showing an increase of 15.33 per cent over 2.928 million tons despatches in April 2020. South based mills despatched 688,239 tonnes cement in local markets during April 2020 registering an increase of 100 per cent compared to the despatches of 342,594 tonnes in April 2020.

Exports from North based mills registered an enormous increase of 155 times as the volumes increased from just 1,609 tonnes in April 2020 to 250,072 tonnes in April 2021.

Similarly, exports from South also increased by 153.35 per cent to 627,091 tonnes in April 2021 from 247,519 tonnes during the same month last year. Further, total cement despatches in 10MFY21 were recorded at 48.274 MT which was 19.03 per cent higher than 40.6 MT of cement despatched during the corresponding period of last FY20. A spokesman of APCMA said that it is very good to see that cement exports have touched 8 million tonnes during the first ten months of current fiscal year and will likely cross 9 million tonnes by June. “Another point worth noting is that domestic despatches are increasing even in the month of Ramzan, when construction activities are usually slow,” he added. However, despite this growth, he said the industry is operating in a very tough scenario due to continuous rise in the price of major inputs. “We request the government to treat the cement sector at par with other exporting sectors and rationalise import levies on coal and the electricity tariff which contribute to the main costs of the sector,” he said. STAFF REPORT

T

GHULAM ABBAS

HE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated action against fake invoices in the steel sector, Profit learnt on Tuesday.

As per documents available with Profit, FBR has written letters to chief collectors of Customs Appraisement and Facilitation, in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta, asking them to submit reports on illegal businesses by May 4.

FBR said that misdeclaration of imported steel was not only hurting the taxpaying local industry but also denting the national exchequer.

Earlier in April, Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) in a letter to Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood and the FBR had complained that the practice of taking

claims through fake and flying sales tax invoices was resulting in a loss of billions of rupees to the exchequer every month as well as destroying documented steel manufacturers who paying

Govt to collaborate with int'l partners for HR development, socio-economic uplift TARIN EMPHASISES NEED FOR AGRICULTURAL PACKAGE INCLUDING PROVISION OF COMMODITY WAREHOUSING, COLD STORAGE FACILITIES, IRRIGATION WATER MANAGEMENT

Traders reject Eid holidays, vow to keep shops open The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran (APAT) on Monday rejected prolonged Eid holidays and lockdown from May 8 to 17, announcing that they would keep shops open till chand raat. “We reject this announcement as small traders and shopkeepers are already in great trouble due to limited market timings and working days. This is also causing a huge rush of shoppers in the markets, spreading the vfirus fast,” APAT General Secretary Naeem Mir said in a press release. He asked the government to stop flag march, stop harassing traders and allow them to keep their shops open till 12am on Chand Raat to reduce rush due to limited hours. “If you don’t do so, we will keep our shops open,” he warned. NEWS DESK

SBP, PSX to remain closed from May 10 to 15 The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Tuesday announced that they would remain closed from May 10 to May 15. According to a notification by the central bank, all branches of the bank shall remain open on May 8 from 9 am to 2 pm without break to facilitate the public in the wake of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays. Similarly, PSX issued a notification stating, “All TRE certificate holders, staff and concerned are hereby informed that Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited shall remain closed from Monday, May 10 till Saturday, May 15 on account of Eid-ul-Fitr Holidays.” It is pertinent to mention here that after the above-mentioned holidays, trading and office timings of PSX shall continue as per usual routine. NEWS DESK

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The government will make all necessary interventions in collaboration with international development partners for human resource development and socio-economic uplift of the nation.

This was said by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin, during a meeting with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division, Omar Ayub Khan, at the Finance Division on Tuesday. SAPM on Finance and Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, secretary Finance Division, secretary EAD and other senior officers also participated in the meeting.

While reviewing the foreign funding portfolio, the finance min-

ister outlined the priority areas for financial and technical support. He emphasised the need for financing an agricultural package which will include the provision of commodity warehousing, cold storage facilities and irrigation water management to strengthen infrastructure for boosting agricultural productivity.

Similarly, foreign funding would be utilised for supporting social protection and skill development programmes to protect under-privileged groups of society and to empower youth by imparting valuable skills. It will also include swift processing of microcredit loans for youth empowerment.

Tarin further directed to focus on strengthening civil amenities such as provision of clean drinking

AGENCIES

Brent oil may revisit its Monday low of $66.10 per barrel, as suggested by its wave pattern.

A five-wave cycle from March low of $60.27 has reversed. A retracement analysis on the part of this cycle from $61.25 reveals a target zone of $64.19-$65.10.

The bounce on Monday was due to a

water, solid waste management and other such facilities in under-developed areas. He expressed firm commitment of the government for socio-economic development in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve a better and more sustainable future for the people of Pakistan.

Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister, Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra, and Punjab Finance Minister, Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, also called on Shaukat Tarin.

Jhagra apprised the finance minister about KP’s commitment to streamline the pay and pension expenditure which takes the biggest chunk of the overall budget.

Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht briefed the finance minister about the overall fiscal position and upcoming budget considerations.

Tarin urged the provincial administrations to work out modalities to rationalise expenditure and divert savings towards socio-economic development in the province particularly amid the Covid-19 pandemic and after it.

He stressed to stimulate economic activity by rationalising workforce and harmonising tax structure and aiming at improving service delivery in the province.

While discussing budget proposals, the federal finance minister stressed that education and health must be given preference during the budget making exercise and encouraged a consultative process between the federal government and federating units for effective resource mobilisation in this regard.

Punjab govt recovers 85,000 hoarded wheat sacks The Punjab government on Tuesday continued its crackdown on wheat hoarders in the province and recovered as many as 85,000 wheat sacks in separate actions. According to details, the local administration of Sialkot’s Daska tehsil seized 77 thousand wheat bags that were hoarded in four rice mills, which were sealed by the district administration. Similarly, 8,000 wheat bags were recovered in a separate action carried out by AC Phalia, a city in Mandi Bahauddin district. The recovered wheat sacks have been handed over to the provincial food department. MONITORING REPORT

Brent oil may revisit Monday low of $66.10 SINGAPORE

government taxes ethically.

According to the association, the documented and revenue contributing sector was likely to shrink further if tax evasion continued. “The menace of

fake invoices that remains unchecked is going to result in the closure of the documented steel sector and will discourage future investments in the sector,” PALSP Secretary General Wajid Bukhari had said.

“According to our understanding, the FBR has a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with cases that involve fake invoices and the directorate general of internal audit of Inland Revenue (IR) has powers to check such cases in field formations across the country,” he added.

The association has appealed to the apex body to regulate the problem by mutually working with the association.

It has suggested to the FBR to identify the fake invoices and extended its support in finding a way to deal with the problem in addition to bringing structural changes in the sales tax law to make it impossible for any taxpayer to use flying invoices.

support at $66.01.

It seems the bounce is ending around a resistance at $67.83.

The bounce could have been driven by a wave (b), which will be reversed by a downward wave (c).

A break above $67.83 could lead to a gain into $68.41-$68.95 range. On the daily chart, oil tends to fall towards the lower channel line which establishes a support

around $65.

The rise from the March 23 low of $60.27 is still classified as a part of the correction from the March 8 high of $71.38.

The third leg of the correction may have just started.

Each reader should consult his or her own professional or other advisers for business, financial or legal advice regarding the products mentioned in the analyses.

CMYK

LNG cargoes diverted from India SINGAPORE AGENCIES

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes are being diverted away from ports in India as surging coronavirus cases there hamper domestic gas demand, trade and shipping sources said on Monday. Six LNG tankers were diverted away from India since April 20, changing the destination to northeast Asia, Europe and Kuwait instead, said Rebecca Chia, an analyst with data intelligence firm Kpler. Further diversions and reduction in shipments to India are expected this week, trade sources told Reuters, although one source said that companies are adopting a wait-and-see approach to see how extensive the lockdowns will be. Gas demand has taken a hit from some sectors due to lockdowns imposed in several parts of the country, they added. India on Monday reported more than 300,000 new coronavirus cases for a 12th straight day to take its overall caseload to just shy of 20 million, as scientists predicted a peak in infections in the coming days. At least 11 states and union territories have imposed some form of restrictions to try and stem infections, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is reluctant to impose a national lockdown, concerned about the economic impact. “Gas demand from city gas distribution such as transport and commercial sectors is down, and gas-based power demand is not much as spot prices have not come down to acceptable levels,” a source based in India said. India’s LNG imports dropped to about 1.86 to 2 million tonnes in April, down 11-14% from March’s 2.16 to 2.21 million tonnes, according to shiptracking data from Refinitiv Eikon and Kpler. This is still well above the 1.43 to 1.48 million tonnes of LNG imports seen into the country in April last year after India’s gas demand was hit by a nationwide lockdown.

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS YANGON AGENCIES

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LASTS from at least one parcel bomb in Myanmar have killed five people, including an ousted lawmaker and three police officers who had joined a civil disobedience movement opposing military rule, media reported on Tuesday.

Since the elected government led by Nobel lau-

LAHORE

MyanMar parcel BoMB Blasts kill 5 includinG ousted lawMaker: report reate Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in a coup on Feb 1, Myanmar has seen an increasing number of small blasts in residential areas, and sometimes targeting government offices or military facilities.

The latest blasts were in a village in the southern central part of Myanmar in Western Bago and occurred at around 5pm on

Monday, the Myanmar Now news portal reported, citing a resident.

Three blasts were triggered when at least one parcel bomb exploded at a house in the village, killing a regional lawmaker from Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy (NLD) party, as well as the three police officers and a resident, the report said. An-

other police officer involved in the civil disobedience movement was also severely wounded after his arms were blown off by the explosion, the resident was cited as saying. He had been hospitalised and was receiving treatment, it said.

Khit Thit Media also reported the blasts, citing an unnamed NLD official in the area.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports and a military spokesman did not answer a phone call seeking comment. Violence has esca-

lated since the coup, with hundreds reported killed by security forces, trying to quell pro-democracy protests in cities and rural towns. Ethnic militias have also backed opposition to the junta, and the military is fighting these groups on the fringes of Myanmar.

On Monday, the Kachin Independence Army, an ethnic rebel group, said it had shot down a military helicopter.

The Chinland Defence Force, a newly formed militia in Chin

state bordering India, said on its Facebook page on Tuesday that its forces had killed at least four Myanmar army soldiers and wounded 10 in a clash overnight. The Myanmar army has not commented on either claim so far.

Pro-democracy supporters held protests on Tuesday in the secondbiggest city of Mandalay, including one by education staff calling for a boycott of schools and universities when they reopen in June, Myanmar Now reported.

In addition, anti-coup demonstrators marched in Kanbauk in southern Myanmar, photographs posted by Khit Thit Media showed. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) advocacy group says security forces have killed at least 766 civilians since the coup. The junta disputes the figure and says at least 24 members of security forces have been killed during the protests.

Reuters is unable to verify casualties because of the curbs placed on media by the junta. Many journal-

ists are among the thousands of people who have been detained.

The junta has revoked the licences of a string of media groups since the coup including two news outlets in Kachin in recent days, Myitkyina News Journal and The 74 Media. The junta said it had to seize power because its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi's party were not addressed by an election commission that deemed the vote fair.

Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce after 27 years SEATTLE AGENCIES

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife and fellow philanthropist Melinda announced on Monday they are divorcing after a 27-year marriage. One of the world's wealthiest couples — with a joint fortune estimated at $130 billion — the Gates have channeled billions into charitable work around the globe via their hugely influential foundation. In announcing their split on Twitter, the couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programmes in global health, gender equality, education and other causes. “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” they said in a joint statement, posted on each of their official accounts.

“Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” they wrote. “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”

The statement offered no additional details on the split but said: “We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”The announcement comes two years after the divorce of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, another of the world's wealthiest people, and his wife MacKenzie.

MET AT MICROSOFT: Bill Gates, 65, was a geeky teenager when he started what would become the world's most valuable company, and was for a time the world's richest man and most prominent philanthropist.

He stepped down as Microsoft chief executive in 2008 to devote more time to philanthropy and later left the board, keeping only the title of “founder and technology advisor”. Melinda Gates, 56, met Bill at Microsoft in 1987, shortly after she joined the tech firm, and the pair married in 1994. In a 2019 Netflix documentary series, he described his wife as “truly an equal partner,” while she looked back on some of their first interactions to call him “funny and very high-energy”.

Their foundation is among the world's richest, having provided more than $54 billion in grants over two decades in areas including malaria and infectious disease control, agricultural research, basic health care and sanitation in various parts of the world. It has an endowment of more than $46 billion. The couple's divorce could create new questions about their wealth, most of which has yet to be donated to their foundation, despite co-creating the Giving Pledge, which encourages billionaires to give the majority of their wealth to charity. In recent years, Bill Gates has largely distanced himself from Microsoft and the tech industry, instead speaking about poverty and health initiatives, and the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, the foundation pledged some $250 million to help fight the pandemic, with some of the funds channeled to the distribution of life-`saving doses of Covid-19 vaccines to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Gates, who had been warning as early as 2015 about the potential dangers of a global pandemic, became the target of conspiracy theorists who claimed he knew in advance about Covid-19.

The split comes following the high-profile divorce of Bezos, whose ex-wife took the name MacKenzie Scott and promptly began giving away billions to various causes without setting up a conventional foundation.

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

LAHORE

Madrid Open: Barty beats Swiatek in battle of French Open champs to reach quarters MADRID AGENCIES

World number one Ashleigh Barty edged the battle of the French Open champions on Monday as she beat Poland’s Iga Swiatek to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals. Barty triumphed at Roland Garros in 2019 before Swiatek sprung another surprise by clinching her own first major title in Paris a year later. Both players will be among the favourites at the French Open next month but Barty’s credentials gained an extra boost in Madrid, where she defeated Swiatek 7-5, 6-4. “I really enjoyed myself out there tonight, I enjoyed the challenge,” said Barty. “Iga’s game is exceptional. It’s really, really impressive. I loved testing myself and trying to figure out the puzzle tonight and the challenges that she created for me.” The Australian will now face three-time Madrid champion Petra Kvitova for a place in the semis, after Kvitova beat Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Swiatek’s loss brings an end to her ninematch unbeaten run on red clay while Barty extends her own winning streak to 14 matches on the surface. It was far from straightforward, with Barty having to come from 3-0 behind in the first set and recover from 0-40 down at 3-2 in the second, before sealing victory in an hour and 41 minutes.

Kvitova, who won the tournament in 2011, 2015 and 2018, was also pushed hard by Kudermetova, who is one of the form players on the tour, having won her first WTA title in Charleston last month.

But Kvitova used all her experience and some excellent serving to stay in contention for a recordextending fourth Madrid title. “Definitely it was a tough one,” said Kvitova afterwards. “It was about serving a lot. It was just the one break in each set.

I’m really glad I managed most of it mentally.

Veronika was really on fire. Since she won Charleston, she really plays great. She will be a big champion. “The whole match I was not relaxed, but calm I would say. That’s how I managed to bring the win.” Eighth seed Belinda Bencic is also through after Ons Jabeur retired with a thigh injury when trailing 7-6 (7/2) 4-3. In the men’s draw, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov fell in the first round after losing in three sets to South African Lloyd Harris. Harris, who beat world number four Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov en route to the final in Dubai in March, pulled off another upset by ousting Dimitrov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5). The world number 54 held off a late fightback from 13th seed Dimitrov, who saved three match points in the final set before breaking back to force a tie-break. “It was a big up and down match, I had a set and a break, then I was a break up in the third too,” said Harris. “I got a little bit nervous at the end but I’m happy to close it out.” In his first appearance at the Madrid tournament, Harris will now face Australia’s 22-year-old Alex de Minaur in round two.

Two-time quarter-finalist John Isner battled past Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4 7-6 (8/6) while 11th seed Shapovalov defeated another Serbian, Dusan Lajovic, 6-1, 6-3.

SPORTS 11 WeSt HaM Stay in tOp-FOur Hunt WitH cOMeBack Win Over Burnley, WeSt BrOM HOld WOlveS LONDON

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EST Ham maintained their surprise challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League as Michail Antonio scored twice to beat Burnley 2-1 on Monday. Chris Wood’s penalty opened the scoring for the Clarets, but Burnley failed to guarantee their Premier League survival for another season as Antonio struck twice in eight minutes.

The Hammers move into fifth, just three points adrift of Chelsea, who have to travel to runaway leaders Manchester City next weekend.

West Ham, by contrast, have a favourable run in with Everton, Brighton, West Brom and Southampton to come in their final four games of the campaign.

The return of Antonio from injury could prove the decisive factor for David Moyes’s men, who were battling for survival at this stage of last season.

The Jamaican missed back-to-back defeats by Newcastle and Chelsea that had rocked West Ham’s bid to finish in the top four.

Another slow start saw them fall behind again when Wood was upended by Tomas Soucek and the New Zealander confidently stroked home the penalty.

However, Burnley were guilty of uncharacteristic mistakes in defending crosses into their box.

Antonio’s outmuscled Matt Lowton to head home Vladimir Coufal’s cross on 21 minutes.

Moments later he tapped in at the back post from Said Benrahma’s low ball into the box.

At the other end of the table, West Brom are set for a return to the Championship after just one season back in the Premier League as a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves on Monday all but ended their chances of survival.

Sam Allardyce’s men are now 10 points from safety with just 12 left to play for in the final four games of

All the six franchises of Pakistan Super League (PSL) have requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to move the remaining games of the league out of Karachi to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to surge in coronavirus cases in the Pakistan.

According to ESPNcricinfo, a letter from the franchises was sent to the board last week, and the board is believed to be considering the request and reviewing current plans.

As it stands, the plan is for the teams to assemble in Karachi by May 23 to begin their mandatory sevenday quarantine, and action is scheduled to resume on June 2. Sixteen league-stage matches are slotted till June 14, with the playoffs taking place between June 16 and June 18, and the final on June 20.

But Pakistan has had a seven-day average of approximately 4500 Covid-19 cases per day, and there is a partial lockdown in parts of the country. That caseload is the highest it has been since the first wave last year.

The 2021 edition of the PSL was suspended after 14 games - played between February 20 and March 3, all in Karachi - following an outbreak of cases among players and support staff. After a date for resumption was finalised, the franchises took part in a replacement draft to plug holes in their line-ups because a number of overseas players would not be able to take part in the

However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side gained some measure of revenge by denying West Brom hope of beating the drop. Both sides battled horrendous playing conditions under heavy rain and luck also deserted West Brom in first-half stoppage time when Kyle Bartley’s attempted clearance ricocheted off Fabio Silva and into the net to give Wolves the lead.

Mbaye Diagne levelled on 62 minutes when he headed in Conor Townsend’s cross.

But West Brom could not find the winner they desperately needed and remain second bottom of the table.

IPL suspended after more Covid-19 cases NEW DELHI AGENCIES

The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday after players or staff at three clubs tested positive for Covid-19.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a statement saying local authorities and tournament officials took the decision unanimously “to postpone IPL 2021 season, with immediate effect.”

“The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organizing the IPL,” the BCCI said.

“These are difficult times, especially in India.

While we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times.”

The first cases involving players inside the IPL’s biosecure bubble forced Monday’s game between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to be postponed. The count grew on Tuesday when two Chennai Super Kings (CSK) staffers and a Sunrisers Hyderabad player also returned positive

Franchises ask PCB to shift remaining PSL matches to UAE NEWS DESK

the season. The former England manager has never previously been relegated from the top flight, but the Baggies have won just four of his 22 games in charge since replacing the sacked Slaven Bilic in December.

“We owe it to everyone to keep a professional attitude and go out and try to win every game we’ve got left and hope every team above us loses every game and then, by some magic miracle and some fairy dust, we stay up,” said Allardyce.

One of those victories was away to Wolves in the Black Country derby in January.

games on the new dates.

The changed situation with the pandemic, however, has made franchises nervous about the situation.

Pakistan has announced a decision to curtail inbound flights to the country from May 5 to May 20.

And the National Command Operation Centre has also hinted at a stricter lockdown in the country.

A move to the UAE would not be without its own logistical and operational issues, though.

Flights to the country from Pakistan are currently operating at a severely reduced frequency. And June is not a month in which top-level cricket is often played in the UAE, because of the oppressive heat at that time of the year.

After the initial suspension of the season, the PCB formed a two-member independent committee of infectious-diseases specialists, to look into how the outbreak occurred inside a biosecure bubble. A report was submitted to the PCB but details have not been made public. The PCB did, however, release Dr Sohail Saleem, the head of its medical department, subsequently, and the doctor recently told Jang, an Urdu daily, that he had been made a scapegoat to protect the people responsible for the fiasco. The PCB, which had faced criticism for its handling of the situation in February-March, has since recruited a UK-based safety and technology company to establish a better biosecure bubble this time.

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tests. The IPL has been staging games without spectators every evening since April 9 despite India’s stretched health system being pushed to the brink by another major wave of the pandemic.

Players from all over the world compete in the lucrative T20 tournament, which was forced by the pandemic to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year.

The BCCI said it would do “everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.”

India’s official count of coronavirus cases surpassed 20 million on Tuesday, nearly doubling in the past three months, while deaths officially have passed 220,000. Staggering as those numbers are, the true figures are believed to be far higher, the undercount an apparent reflection of the troubles in the health care system.

On Monday, the IPL postponed the KolkataBangalore game after Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier, who play for Kolkata, became the first players to test positive for Covid-19 inside the IPL bubble.

Last week, Australian players Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson flew home from the IPL amid the surge of cases. Richardson and Zampa were playing for Bangalore, and Tye for Rajasthan Royals.

Two other cricketers — Englishman Liam Livingstone, who was with Rajasthan, and Ravichandran Ashwin, who was with Delhi — also left the IPL. Livingstone cited “bubble fatigue” and Ashwin wanted to be with his family in the crisis.

IPL went ahead on the basis that teams stay in biosecure areas at hotels and resorts in the six venues in India where the competition is taking place.

Sevilla’s title hopes dented as Athletic Bilbao’s late winner leaves them six points adrift SEVILLE AGENCIES

Sevilla’s chances of winning La Liga could be over after they suffered a heartbreaking defeat by Athletic Bilbao on Monday, with Inaki Williams scoring a 90th-minute winner at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Williams’ first goal since February snatched a 1-0 win for Athletic and leaves Sevilla six points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid, with four games left to play.

Sevilla’s first of those will be against Real Madrid on Sunday at Valdebebas, the second part of a potentially pivotal weekend in the title race, after Barcelona go up against Atletico on Saturday.

Atletico are two points clear of Real Madrid and Barca after they beat Elche on Saturday, before Real Madrid saw off Osasuna and Barcelona edged past Valencia on Sunday night.

Sevilla had been the form team

at the top, having won five games in a row, but their chances of overhauling the top three now look slim.

They will surely have to beat Real Madrid next weekend to reignite their hopes, before finishing the season at home to Valencia, away at Villarreal and at home to Alaves.

Williams held his nerve at the crucial moment, sent clear after

Oihan Sancet had torn away on the break before slipping left to his team-mate.

With Sevilla’s Fernando pulled across, Williams had time to pick his spot, opening up his right foot and lifting the ball into the right-hand corner. Victory lifts Athletic Bilbao to ninth place, six points behind Real Betis in seventh.

Wednesday, 5 May, 2021

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CAA ANNOuNCes 10-dAy quArANtiNe fOr ArriVAls KARACHI

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stAff report

AkISTAn Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Tuesday issued operational standard operating procedures (SOPs) for inbound passenger flights, announcing a mandatory 10-day quarantine for people arriving in the country from abroad The guidelines direct the health officers to carry out Rapid Antigen Testing — an over-the-counter (OTC) test for people with or without symptoms — of all international passengers on arrival. negative cases will undergo a 10-day self-quarantine period at home with stringent trace, test and quarantine (TTQ) protocols while positive cases will be shifted to a paid facility for a similar quarantine period with TTQ of their contacts, if any.

A second RT-PCR test to detect the presence of viral RnA will be conducted on the eighth day.

In case of a negative outcome, the passenger will be allowed to proceed further.

However, in case the test comes back positive, the passenger will either undergo a further quarantine period or will be shifted to hospital as per the advice of health officials.

Last week, the CAA announced to

reduce from May 5 (Wednesday) the number of international flights into and out of its airports by 80 percent to help curb rising cases.

The restrictions will run to May 20, the authority said in a statement, though it did not specify which flights or destinations

would be affected by the measure.

The restrictions will also be applied to chartered and private flights as well as scheduled services.

The controls will be reviewed on May 18, the government said in a statement endorsed by the national Command Operation Centre (nCOC).

The latest development comes as the portal registered 161 deaths in the last 24 hours by the coronavirus and the number of positive cases surged to 837,523.

According to the latest figures by the nCOC, 3,377 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Punjab remained the worst-hit province in terms of deaths and cases, followed by Sindh and khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP).

The authorities have so far tested 11,965,682 samples including 37,587 tested in the last 24 hours. 733,062 patients have recovered in the country whereas 5,326 remain in critical conditions across the country.

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Pakistan Ambassador at United nations Munir Akram underscored the need for building partnerships between states, companies, and civil society across the world to respond and recover from the devastating coronavirus crisis.

“If ever there was a need for partnerships, it is now”, he said in his opening remarks on Monday during the annual Partnership Forum, organised by Un Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a body he also heads.

“The goals which such partnerships must achieve today are as urgent as they are clear”, Ambassador Akram said, starting with defeating the pandemic. That, he said, required universal equitable and urgent access to the Covid-19 vaccines and related materials, as “no one is safe until everyone is vaccinated.”

Countries also must work together to prevent millions from descending into extreme poverty and destitution.

Underlining the Un’s unique role in bringing together countries, companies, and civil society, he out-

lined several areas where partnerships can be used to respond to Covid-19 and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This means helping the poorest people with direct and indirect economic support and social safety nets”, Akram said. “It means providing the poorest countries with fiscal space through debt relief, emergency grants, and concession financing to save lives and livelihoods.”

Pandemic recovery also must be sustained. He said while richer countries have devoted some $17 trillion to revive their economies, developing nations will need around $4.3 trillion to not only recover from the pandemic but to get back on the path to sustainable development.

PROMOTE FINANCING SOLUTIONS: The ECOSOC chief said global partnerships must help to promote financing solutions such as debt restructuring, low-interest loans, and greater foreign investment. The creation of $650 billion in new special drawing rights (SDRs), a type of foreign reserve asset developed by the International Monetary Fund, is another important component.

“We need to redress the struc-

Agencies

President Joe Biden used the 10th anniversary of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden — “a moment I will never forget” — to reaffirm his decision to remove all US troops from Afghanistan.

“We followed bin Laden to the gates of hell — and we got him,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

“We kept the promise to all those who lost loved ones on 9/11: that we would never forget those we had lost, and that the United States will never waver in our commitment to prevent another attack on our homeland.”

Biden, who announced last month that he would end Washington’s longest war by September 11, praised then-president Barack Obama for his 2011 decision to approve the secret operation targeting

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ISLAMABAD AnAdolu Agency

The government does not have “any visibility” of 15 million coronavirus vaccine doses that Germany promised to provide by May, Minister of State for Health Dr Faisal Sultan said on Tuesday.

“We don’t have any visibility of this delivery at this point,” Sultan told Anadolu Agency in a brief message. Germany agreed to provide the jabs to Islamabad during Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s visit last month. “Following my meeting with Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas, I am happy to announce that Pakistan will receive 15 million doses of the #COVID vaccine under COVAX, with a commitment for these to be delivered by May,” the foreign minister had tweeted. The 15 million doses were to be delivered by May under the COVAX facility, an initiative backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that aims to ensure equitable provision of Covid-19 vaccines. The government launched a nationwide Covid19 vaccination drive for the general public, starting with older people, in March. The drive began with a focus on the oldest people in the community, generally over the age of 80.

turally induced economic and social inequalities among and within nations, including through reformed and equitable trade, investment, tax and technology instruments”, Akram added.

He added that roughly $100 trillion in investment in sustainable infrastructure will be needed over the next three decades to bring about a resilient and environmentally friendly global economy.

The overall costs of the pandemic have been profound, Jens Wandel, Special Adviser to the Un Secretary-General on Reforms, told the forum.

He reported on the Un Covid19 Response and Recovery Fund, established to help countries cope with the staggering social and economic impacts of the crisis.

The fund supported innovations in healthcare and education, such as health digitalisation in Morocco and the establishment of telehealth technologies in Tajikistan.

Wandel recommended that as the international community begins moving towards recovery, “some of the partnerships should also take a look at the innovation that has taken place […] and then seek not only to sustain them but also to scale them.”

Biden marks 10 years since bin Laden killing

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No ‘visibility’ of COVAX jabs from Germany: minister

Akram calls for partnerships to rebound from coronavirus NEW YORK

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the Al-Qaeda leader and praised the special forces who carried it out in Pakistan.

Watching the operation remotely from a crowded White House Situation Room, Biden said, was “a moment I will never forget — the intelligence professionals who had painstakingly tracked him down; the clarity and conviction of President Obama in making the call; the courage and skill of our team on the ground.” now, as the US begins pulling the last of its troops from Afghanistan, Biden said: “Al Qaeda is greatly degraded there. But the United States will remain vigilant about the threat from terrorist groups that have metastasized around the world.

“We will continue to monitor and disrupt any threat to us that emerges from Afghanistan. And we will work to counter terrorist threats to our homeland and our interests in cooperation with allies and partners around the world.”

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk