ISLAMABAD- E paper – March 14, 2020

CMYK

Saturday, 14 March, 2020 I 19 Rajab, 1441 I Rs 20.00 I Vol X No 255 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan races to contain coronavirus g PESHAWAR: A worker locks a school in Peshawar following the government’s orders for closing all educational institutions due to coronavirus threat. INP

ISLAMABAD

t

STAFF REPORT

he National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday announced several steps to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, including shutting down educational institutes till April 5, closing the border with Iran and Afghanistan, and cancelling the Pakistan Day parade held annually on March 23.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, was attended by the provincial chief ministers and the civilian and military leadership.

The huddle decided that all educational institutions in the country will be closed till April 5, while Pakistan’s border entry points with Afghanistan and Iran will be closed for two weeks.

The NSC decisions come amid confirmation of the 28th case of coronavirus in Pakistan.

In a series of tweets, Federal Minister for education Shafqat Mehmood said that all schools and universities, public and private, vocational institutions and seminaries will remain closed till April 5. he said that the situation regarding the closure of all educational institutions in the country would be reviewed by the Ministry of education on March 27, and further decisions will be taken after that.

g

NSC MOOT DeCIDeS TO KeeP All eDuCATIONAl INSTITuTeS ClOSeD TIll APrIl 5, SeAl weSTerN bOrDerS FOr TwO weeKS

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

Lawmakers call for cohesive national policy to fight coronavirus STORY ON PAGE 02

FIrDOuS SAyS NAb IS A ‘Free AND INDePeNDeNT INSTITuTION’, PM IMrAN STreNgTheNINg All INSTITuTIONS ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday said it was unfair to term the arrest of Jang group’s editor-in-Chief Mir Shakilur rehman a part of revenge tactics by the government for his media house’s stance.

On Thursday, rehman had been arrested by the National Accountability bureau (NAb)

when he appeared before the anti-graft watchdog in a case relating to the 34-year-old purchase of a 54-kanal land he allegedly acquired “illegally” in the tenure of then-chief minister of Punjab, Nawaz Sharif.

On Friday, an accountability court in lahore gave the bureau 12-day physical remand of rehman.

To call this “revenge” or to say this was carried out according to the government’s wishes is unfair, and unjust, she said,

adding that every person had the right to prove their innocence in the face of allegations leveled against them.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

NAB gets 12-day physical remand of Mir Shakilur Rehman STORY ON PAGE 03

Karachi’s infrastructural uplift vital to boost exports, economic activities: PM

STORY ON PAGE 02

PML-N suspends 6 lawmakers for 'expressing confidence' in Punjab CM, PM

ONly Three AIrPOrTS TO OPerATe INTerNATIONAl FlIghTS; weDDINg hAllS, CINeMAS AND PublIC gATherINgS reSTrICTeD FOr TwO weeKS

gOvT TO requeST SC, hCS NOT TO SCheDule CASeS OF CIvIl NATure FOr Three weeKS

Govt says unfair to term MSR's arrest 'revenge tactics' g

g

STORY ON PAGE 03

CMYK

02

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

NEWS

Lawmakers caLL for cohesive nationaL poLicy to fight coronavirus NA SESSION CUT SHORT BY A WEEK AS PARLIAMENTARIANS BLAME FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVTS FOR NOT ACTING IN TIME iSLamaBad

t

STAFF REPORT

HE National Assembly (NA) on Friday cut its session short by a week and prorogued proceedings due to concerns raised by treasury and opposition members over the deadly coronavirus. When the session had begun on March 9, the House Business Advisory Committee had decided that the assembly was to remain in session till March 20.

Earlier in the day, Sindh confirmed its first “secondary contact case”, taking Pakistan’s coronavirus tally to 22.

The session was abruptly prorogued after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that many members from both sides of the aisle had

asked for the session to be cut short.

However, the minister added that there was no need for panic and the prorogation “is a precautionary measure”.

He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan had also been consulted on the matter.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri then read out the order for the prorogation of the session.

The assembly had been discussing the coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan with opposition members blaming federal and provincial governments for not taking enough steps to contain the virus. Beginning his speech, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the issue of coronavirus is of national importance and not about political point scoring.

“This is an issue which may envelop the whole country and yet no cohesive national

policy has not been developed up till now,” he claimed. “Sindh has dome some work, Balochistan has taken some measures as well but nothing else is being done in the entire country. “We are happy that the prime minister has taken notice and called a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) today, but the matter is such that it has shut the whole world down.

“The US has shut flights down; cargo has been stopped [from entering various countries], a global crisis is brewing and in comparison to that, we are not seeing the kind of urgency [from the government] as is required. The virus is going to envelop the economy and the whole country; we need to take practical steps to stop it’s spread.”

Abbasi said that while the whole country needs to focus on combating the virus, the government chose to arrest Mir Shakilur Rehman, the editor-in-chief of Jang Media Group. “The ink on an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judgement regarding whom the National Accountability Bureau can arrest and when had not even dried up when the

government decided to disregard it and arrest Rehman.” Abbasi added that the government “should focus on coronavirus for the next few weeks instead of political victimisation”. Pakistan People’s Party’s Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the country did not act in time. “The issue came into limelight [in Pakistan] when we began speaking about the students stuck in Wuhan.”

“Now the whole of Italy has been quarantined and tawaf has been stopped at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia. In such circumstances, we demand imposition of state of emergency in the country.

“We are politicians and cannot avoid meeting people. However, the house should suspend its normal business and take up the issue,” added Ashraf.

“The government should give the house the real data and statistics on the number of passengers screened at airports and how many of them actually tested positive.”

Ashraf went as far as to suggest that Pakistan should shut all airports “for at least for two weeks”. Agha Hassan Baloch from

Karachi’s infrastructural uplift vital to boost exports, economic activities: PM iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that being the engine of growth, uplift of the communications infrastructure and ports of Karachi was inevitable to boost exports and economic activities in the country.

Chairing a meeting to discuss the completed and ongoing development projects in Karachi, funded by the federal government, he said the government was resolved to play its full role for the development of the city and welfare of its people. Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, relevant federal and provincial ministers and secretaries attended the meeting.

The prime minister instructed for a special focus on the issues related to the water filtration, sewerage and water pollution in Karachi. He said the country’s development was linked with that of Karachi.

The prime minister was updated on the status of the development projects worth Rs162 billion announced by

the federal government, the completed ones particularly those executed under a public-private partnership.

The meeting was told that the projects including Sakhi Hassan, Five Star and KDA Flyovers, 6.4-kilometre Nishtar Road and a portion of Manghu Pir road had been inaugurated last week.The meeting was told that the infrastructure of Bus Rapid Transit System would be completed by March 2021. Moreover, 95 per cent work on a 66-inch water supply line had been completed and the rest of the work would be completed

by April this year.

Regarding the upgradation of the fire fighting system of Karachi Municipal Corporation, the meeting was apprised that up to Rs1 billion had been spent so far on the project and around 50 fire tenders would be included in the fleet. The prime minister was also briefed on the construction of flyover at Jinnah Avenue, operation of Green Line, other development projects for other areas of Sindh under prime minister’s package including water filtration plants, upgradation of Liyari Expressway and widening of Karachi Northern Bypass.

FIA to probe Dr Zafar Mirza over alleged involvement in masks smuggling iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a probe into the alleged involvement of Dr Zafar Mirza in smuggling of 20 million face masks abroad.

According to a notification issued by the agency, FIA’s director of Islamabad Zone has been directed to immediately investigate the allegations and submit a report within 15 days and take immediate action.

According to the complainant, 20 million masks were

smuggled out of Pakistan allegedly by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza in collusion with an aide of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Deputy Director Ghazanfar Ali Khan. The complaint was submitted by Young Pharmacists’ Association’s Secretary General Dr Furqan Ibrahim with the Prime Minister’s Complaint Cell. It is important to note that as coronavirus cases emerged in the country, the rise in demand for respiratory masks led to their shortage in the market. There are only a few stores which are selling respiratory masks at the moment and that too at very high prices.

Pakistan races to contain coronavirus Continued from page 1 Speaking about the ongoing examinations of 9th grade in Punjab, the minister said that respective schools and boards shall ensure that arrangements are made for the exams to be taken as per schedule.

According to an order issued by the NSC, the border closure would come into effect on March 16 “in the best interest of all three brotherly countries”.

It was decided during the meeting that only three airports in the country — Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore — will be allowed to operate international flights in limited numbers, while other airports will only allow domestic flights.

The pilgrims who have returned to the country from Iran will be screened again, and will be placed under quarantine if they test positive for the virus.

Officials said foreign missions in Pakistan and Pakistan’s missions abroad have been directed not to host any ceremonies or functions. Similarly, large public gatherings will be discouraged.

The NSC decided to give the National Disaster Management Authority

(NDMA) the lead role in dealing with the coronavirus threat, adding that the authority will coordinate with the provincial governments to streamline the efforts. A system for coordination between the federal and provincial governments will also be established.

The meeting also decided to close the Kartarpur Corridor for Pakistanis, however Indian pilgrims will be allowed to continue visiting the Sikh holy site.

The NSC also decided to request the chief justice of the Supreme Court and chief justices of the provincial high courts to instruct all courts not to schedule cases of civil nature for three weeks. They would also be requested to direct judicial magistrates and session court judges to visit the concerned jails for three weeks to process remand and bail cases. No visitors will be allowed to visit prisoners in jails for three weeks, the meeting decided.

Shortly after the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the federal and provincial governments were continuously monitoring the developments related to the novel coronavirus. “People should not worry. Thanks to God, the coro-

CMYK

BNP-M said that the Balochistan government is responsible for the spread of coronavirus all over the country.

He criticised the Balochistan government for “not taking adequate steps” to check people coming from Iran.

“What if the virus travels with us when we come here to attend the [National Assembly] session. “The Balochistan government is committing a crime by not taking adequate measures to stop the spread of the virus.

Responding to the opposition’s criticism, Minister for Higher Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood said: “When this issue came to surface, we were in a fix regarding the students stuck in Wuhan.” “The Chinese advised us not to allow these students to leave Wuhan and assured us that they will be taken care of. Today the number of coronavirus cases is decreasing in China and the situation is improving there.

“The Sindh government has shut schools down and announced an emergency in the province – they should have waited for today’s NSC meeting.” A day after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic, the Sindh government on Thursday decided that all PSL matches in the National Stadium, Karachi, would be played without spectators and all educational institutions in the province — which were to reopen on March 16 — would remain closed until May 30.

36 brigadiers promoted as major generals RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army Promotion board on Friday promoted 36 brigadiers to the rank of major general. The meeting to this regard was held here at General Headquarters which was presided by Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release said. Around 25 brigadiers raised to higher rank belonged to various corps whereas 11 brigadiers were from Army Medical Corps. Those promoted include Brigadier Faheem Amer, Brigadier Rashid Mahmood, Brigadier Abdul Moeed, Brigadier Shahid Manzoor, Brigadier Arshad Mehmood, Brigadier Muhammad Atif Mansha, Brigadier Iftikhar Hassan Chaudhary, Brigadier Muhammad Umer Bashir, Brigadier Asad Ur Rehman, Brigadier Wajid Aziz, Brigadier Kamran Tabrez Savera, Brigadier Muhammad Raza Aizad , Brigadier Ch Amir Ajmal, Brigadier Jawwad Ahmed Qazi, Brigadier Ehsan Ali, Brigadier Kamran Nazir, Brigadier Shabeer Narejo, Brigadier Adil Rehmani, Brigadier Javed Dost Chandio, Brigadier Syed Asif Hussain, Brigadier Muhammad Ishaq Khattak, Brigadier Ahmad Bilal, Brigadier Muhammad Shahbaz Tabassum, Brigadier Zafar Iqbal and Brigadier Imran Ullah. Those approved from Army Medical Corps include Brigadier Mohsin Muhammad Qureshi, Brigadier Zaheer Akhtar, Brigadier Mahmood Sultan, Brigadier Hafeez Ud Din, Brigadier Salman Saleem, Brigadier Muhammad Zafar Ali, Brigadier Syed Khurram Shahzad, Brigadier Bilal Umair, Brigadier Atiq Ur Rehman Slehria, Brigadier Rao Ali Shan Khan and Brigadier Abeera Choudry. APP

navirus pandemic is under control in Pakistan,” Qureshi said, adding that the border needs to be closed for the next 15 days.

“The days of the Raiwind gathering have been reduced and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has informed us that arrangements have been made in Dera Ghazi Khan. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah apprised us of the measures taken in the province,” the foreign minister explained, adding that China had very effectively fought the pandemic.“We took proactive measures and that is why not many people were affected by the pandemic,” he said, adding that cinema houses, movie theatres, marriage halls, and public gatherings should be closed down.

The meeting of the NSC was attended

by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Hafeez Shaikh, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak among others.

Meanwhile, hours after the Sindh Health Department confirmed the 22nd case of coronavirus, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza announced that 28 cases of the COVID-19 were confirmed in the country.

Earlier, the Sindh Health Department said that a 52-year-old patient, who had recently travelled to Karachi from Islamabad, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. The department also said that they were actively tracing the contacts of the patient for screening.

Two patients had recovered in Sindh whereas the remaining were said to be in stable condition. At least 251 were been tested in Sindh, 110 in Punjab, 30 in KP, 18 in Balochistan, nine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 32 in GilgitBaltistan (GB).On Thursday night, the Sindh government had announced that it was shutting down schools, colleges and universities across the province till May 31 to contain the spread of the virus.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had also called on the federal government to close the borders and enact stricter controls at ports of entry, especially the Karachi airport.

PILGRIMS SET TO LEAVE TAFTAN:Meanwhile, around 2,000 pilgrims are set to leave the quarantine tent city in Taftan after completing the mandatory 14-day isolation period at the Pakistan House on Friday. Reportedly, pilgrims belonging to Balochistan will arrive in Quetta while others will leave for their respective provinces.

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

NAB getS 12-dAy PHySICAl reMANd of MIr SHAkIlur reHMAN JANG GROUP CEO’S LAWYER SAYS CLIENT’S ARREST IS ILLEGAL BECAUSE HE WAS COOPERATING WITH ANTI-GRAFT WATCHDOG

LAHORE

A

STAFF REPORT

N accountability court on Friday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) 12-day physical remand of Jang Group’s Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakilur Rehman in a property case.

The court had originally granted NAB an 11-day physical remand but extended it by a day when Rehman’s counsel Aitzaz

Ahsan said that he would not be available for proceedings on March 24.

Rehman was arrested by the anti-corruption watchdog on Thursday when he appeared before NAB in a 34-year-old case related to 54-kanal land he allegedly acquired “illegally” in the tenure of thenchief minister of Punjab, Nawaz Sharif.

During the hearing, Ahsan vehemently opposed NAB’s request for physical remand, saying that NAB’s “attitude towards Mir Shakilur Rahman is based

IHC seeks govt's policy on evacuating Pakistani students from China till Mar 20 ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday sought a report from the federal government about the policy for evacuating Pakistani students stranded in China till March 20.

The hearing on a petition, filed for evacuation of Pakistani students stranded in coronavirus epicentre Wuhan, was resumed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. At the outset of the hearing, the assistant attorney general briefed the court that the issue was being tabled before the federal cabinet and it was likely that President Arif Alvi will visit China in this regard. The court was also informed that the Foreign Office (FO) was sending money to all students stranded in China.

The FO director general (DG) briefed the court that decision for evacuating such students was being discussed in cabinet meeting and a decision will be taken shortly in this regard. The petitioner’s counsel pleaded that the court had already sought progress report of cabinet’s decision which has not yet been submitted against which the CJ remarked that cabinet’s intention in the matter cannot be doubted. APP

on maliciousness”. Ahsan termed his client’s arrest a day earlier as “illegal”, arguing that Rehman was cooperating with the accountability watchdog.

“Mir Shakilur Rehman is not running anywhere but NAB did not hear his stance and arrested him,” Ahsan said. “[PML-N’s] Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was arrested by NAB in the same manner.

“Yesterday, Rehman had brought the answers of questions asked by NAB. He was arrested illegally,” the defence lawyer declared, adding that the media mogul was taken into custody because he “criticises, which is his right”.

“How did the NAB chairman issue the arrest warrants without even looking at Mir Shakilur Rehman’s case file?”

Ahsan questioned. The NAB prosecutor countered Ahsan’s arguments by insisting that Rehman was arrested “after fulfilling legal requirements”.

After his appearance before the NAB team in Lahore last week, Rehman had said he had bought the land in question from a private party and no illegality had been committed in this respect.

However, according to NAB, Rehman had been arrested in connection with “alleged illegal exemption of 54 plots (each measuring one kanal) in Hblock of Jauhar Town phase-II allotted to him being the holder of general power of attorney on behalf of Hidayat Ali and Hikmat Ali by the then Punjab chief min-

ister (Nawaz Sharif in 1986) in violation of the relevant laws/rules”.

On Thursday, Rehman had appeared before a joint investigation team of NAB at its Lahore headquarters at Thokar Niaz Beg and answered its queries for more than two hours.

“As Rehman could not satisfy the NAB team regarding its queries, an arrest warrant was served on him and he was detained in the bureau’s lockup,” an official said. In a statement regarding the arrest, the Jang group said: “In the past 18 months, NAB has sent our reporters, producers and editors, directly and indirectly, over a dozen notices, threatening a shutdown of our channels (via PEMRA) due to our reporting and our programmes about NAB. In its defence, NAB has in writing said it is a constitutionally protected institution that cannot be criticised. NAB also has through several means tried to persuade us to go slow, to stop stories and to do others in its favour at the expense of the full truth.

We will not stop any reporter, producer or anchor from any story that is on merit and at the same time will try to include NAB’s version as well.”

NAB rejected the allegations levelled by Jang Group and urged the media to avoid broadcasting and publishing news items without getting the version of its spokesman in light of the Supreme Court verdict in the Arshad Sharif case.

PML-N suspends 6 lawmakers for 'expressing confidence' in Punjab CM, PM LAHORE STAFF REPROT

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday suspended the party membership of six Punjab Assembly lawmakers and issued show cause notices to them for “violating party discipline and contravening rules” by meeting Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and “expressing confidence in the prime minister’s and the CM’s leadership”.

The notices were issued to Azhar Abbas (PP-269, Muzaffargarh), Muhammad Arshad (PP-244, Bahawalnagar), Muhammad Faisal Khan Niazi (PP-209, Khanewal), Choudhry Ashraf Ali (PP-57, Gujranwala), Abu Hafas Ghayasuddin (PP-47, Narowal) and Nishat Ahmed Daha (PP-206, Khanewal). On March 10, the six lawmakers, along with one Punjab Assembly lawmaker from the PPP, had called on the Punjab chief minister.

A press release issued by the CM’s office had said that former MNA Tahir Bashir Cheema had also accompanied the MPAs, who “reposed their complete trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Buzdar and announced continuing lending their unconditional support to the government.” According to the notices, signed by PML-N Punjab General Secretary Sar-

dar Awais Khan Leghari, a “press release in electronic and print media on March 10 showed [the lawmakers] meeting Buzdar”. “In the past, a meeting with the prime minister, who is also the chairman of the PTI, was also held without any legal/moral justification or prior intimation.” It added that the above information had not been denied by the lawmakers in the media.

“Hence, your basic party memberships have been suspended forthwith and you are hereby directed to show cause as to why the violations were committed,” the notice said. It directed the lawmakers to submit a reply in this regard within the next seven days, adding that a failure to do so would result in legal action being initiated against them.

Pakistanis throng PIA offices as KSA’s travel ban stirs panic PIA SPOKESPERSON SAYS AIRLINE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS IT CAN LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistanis rushed to the offices of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Friday, a day after Saudi Arabia announced that iqama holders (residents) from 12 countries, including Pakistan, had 72 hours to return to the kingdom.

In a bid to prevent coronavirus from spreading, Saudi Arabia had announced on Thursday that they were taking some measures, including temporary suspending travel to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, some countries in the European Union (EU)

and a few African countries.

“The decision gives a 72-hour period for citizens and those with a valid residency of the citizens of those countries to return to the kingdom before the travel suspension decision becomes effective,” the official Saudi Press Agency said on its website. Following the announcement, both iqama holders and visa holders rushed to the offices of the national flag carrier in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot and other areas of the country. They complained that the airline was only issuing tickets for two dates – March 16 and March 18 – and was charging double the

price for these tickets.

Speaking to Pakistan Today, Zeeshan Anwar, a resident of Bahria Town, Lahore, said, “I had to travel to Dammam

by PIA on March 16, but was told today that the flight had been cancelled in the aftermath of the recent notification issued by the Saudi government.”

Anwar, who recently got a job in a Saudi company and received his visa on March 12, said that he had contacted PIA inquiry office for confirmation of his ticket, but was told that eight passengers travelling on a fresh employment visa to the kingdom were asked to return board-

ing passes by the national flag carrier.

People also protested outside the local PIA office in Sialkot and demanded that the government should take notice of the situation. However, they ended their protest after the airline assured them that they would get their tickets.

When contacted, PIA Spokesperson Abdullah Khan said that the airline was trying to accommodate as many people as it could. “We took immediate action after the Saudi government made the announcement,” he added.

“We added three flights to Saudi Arabia last night and increased the number to six today,” he said, adding that the national flag carrier has also installed additional seating capacity to accommodate more passengers.

NEWS

03

Coronavirus 'not bigger' than Pakistanis' resolve, says Shehbaz NEWS DESK Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the coronavirus pandemic was “not bigger” than the Pakistani people’s resolve but everyone should “take care” regardless. Taking to Twitter, the former Punjab chief minister noted that the “great Pakistani nation is capable of overcoming any adversity & defeating any challenge” and that “each crisis has strengthened us & brought the best out of us”. He called upon people to show an “unwavering sense of duty by acting upon the precautions for the well-being of everyone around us”, especially given the country’s battle against dengue infection. “We did it together back then. We CAN DO it now as well,” Sharif added. He said that the government alone will not be able to deal with the coronavirus and all Pakistanis needed to come together to help fight the pandemic which has so far infected at least 21 people in Pakistan and left upwards of 5,000 people dead around the world. History bears witness to the fact that great Pakistani nation is capable of overcoming any adversity & defeating any challenge.

Each crisis has strengthened us & brought the best out of us. “Whichever profession or walk of life we may belong to, we need to come together as one people,” the PML-N leader wrote. “I appeal to the families to cooperate with the doctors & medical staff and help/let them treat the patients as per guidelines.” In addition, he asked the PTI government to “look into locally customised solutions as well, ones based on our local conditions & shaped by our peculiar dynamics”. The government alone can’t deal with the COVID-19 threat. Whichever profession or walk of life we may belong to, we need to come together as one people. I appeal to the families to cooperate with the doctors & medical staff and help/let them treat the patients as per guidelines. “National fight against Corona must transcend all political divides & emerge as a collective fight for a HEALTHY PAKISTAN. “Take care, everyone,” he added.

04 ISLAMABAD

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

WEATHER UPDATES SATURDAY

210C

090C

SUNDAY

240C

100C

MONDAY

250C

110C

KP CM urges PeoPle to avoid gatherings over Coronavirus Challenges PESHAWAR

K

APP

HyBER Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan termed the issue of Corona virus as a challenge not only for Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but for the whole world stating that the provincial government is fully prepared to deal with the issue of Corona virus.

He was chairing a special meeting of provincial cabinet held here on Friday to review preparations of health and other relevant departments to prevent the possible

would not compromise on preventive and precautionary measures.

The meeting was given detail briefing on the latest situation of Corona virus in the province, number of confirm and suspected cases and measures taken so far to deal with any emergency situation.

The meeting, while expressing satisfaction on the preparations and arrangements stressed the need of further improvement on daily basis. After a threadbare discussion the cabinet, besides taking some other decisions, also decided to keep all educational institutions including Schools, Colleges, Universities of both the

outbreak of Corona virus.

“Precautionary and preventive measures are the best way to be safe from the virus”, he said adding the general public should restrict their social interaction and avoid community gatherings instead of being panic. The Chief Minister has directed the concerned authorities to launch a public awareness campaign at a massive scale using all the mediums of communication to educate the general public about the preventive measures and behavior change.

The Chief Minister said that no confirmed case has yet been reported in the province but the provincial government

public and private sectors for initial period of 15 days. The meeting decided to ban gathering of more than 50 persons in official activities.

Taking a lead to implement this decision, the Chief Minister announced to postpone his pre-scheduled engagements in his constituency. Mahmood Khan directed the provincial ministers and MPAs to play their effective role in creating public awareness in their respective constituencies.

The cabinet also approved exemption to health department from the relevant KPPRA rules for purchase of required medicines and equipment emergency basis.

PEIRA to bring unregistered schools in mainstream ISLAMABAD APP

Chairperson Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) Zia Batool Friday said measures were underway in consultation with all stakeholders to bring all unregistered private schools in the mainstream while registering them with the authority.

Talking to APP, she pointed out hundreds of schools being run in the ICT without registration, and vowed to streamline

their registration process.

To ensure timely registration process, the schools management would be facilitated with new SOPs, she said adding that under the new SOPs, the private schools would not have to face any delay in registration process.

“We were taking steps to introduce “One Window Operation” so that the schools would be able to apply online for registration” she added.

PEIRA would work for the registration, and capacity building of the private

schools, besides providing training to their teachers, she assured.

She also assured to redress specific issues of such private sector schools.

She said PEIRA, in collaboration with the private schools associations, they would strive for invigorating the educational system, besides ensuring the quality education at its schools.

She said multiple initiatives including online registration/renewal system, timebound SoPs for inspection/registration, establishment of resource center, need-based scholarships for students of private schools, consultation with stakeholders for uplifting education standards of private sectors, were underway. The public and private schools of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) would be made role model for the entire country as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, she added.

To set an example for the provinces and other states of the country, ICT schools needs to be established with the basic education system structure that could serve as a model to fulfill the prime minister’s vision whereas the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) would make endeavors on war footings in this regard.

Chairperson PEIRA said private sector schools were playing vital role in providing education to the children and vowed to continue all out support to strengthen and resolve their issues.

It was basic responsibility of the PEIRA for capacity building and to regulate the private schools, she added. Unfortunately, PEIRA could not manage to fulfill its responsibility so far, Batool lamented.

She said these steps were being taken to enhance literacy rate besides improving private schools standard and facilities.

KP assembly session adjourns till March 30 PESHAWAR APP

Khyber Pakthunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani on Friday adjourned the session of assembly till March 30. The official notification issued by the Secretary Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhunkhwa said that speaker while exercising the powers conferred upon him under paragraph (b0 of rule 21 of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988, called the sitting of Assembly on Monday, the 30th March at 02:00 p.m which was earlier adjourned for Monday, March 16. Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has closed all schools for 15 days till March 31, 2020 with immediate effect following threats of Corona virus spread. According to a notification of KP Education Department, this decision has been taken in pursuance of KP cabinet’s decision today. All schools with boarding and hostel facilities were directed to contact parents and guardians of the children and ensure their return to their homes within next couple of days.

shafqat says govt to give preference to girls in undergraduate scholarships ISLAMABAD APP

Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood Friday said the incumbent government is planning to allocate Rs5 billion for the undergraduate scholarships in which the girls would be given preference. He said the maximum number of scholarships to girls would help increasing literacy ratio in more than half of the population of the country. He was addressing to a seminar titled “Leave No Girl Behind: Scaling up What Works for Adolescent Girls in Pakistan” organized by the British High Commission (BHC) and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) in in collaboration with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) here at Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA). The minister pointed out that girls are facing difficulties as educational institutions in many parts of the country, are away from their houses. “Keeping in view the following issue, we are considering to launch evening classes especially for girls in the educational institutions,” he added.

PrAyer Timings FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:57

12:16

4:30

12:15

6:13

7:34

Punjab govt has taken steps to combat coronavirus: Buzdar RAWALPINDI APP

The Punjab government has taken solid steps and finalized arrangements, utilizing maximum available resources to combat Corona virus on emergency basis across the province, said Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar during his surprise visit to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIKUT) here on Friday. He said a 50-bed corona management center has been set up at the RIUKT. The CM said that the Punjab government has declared a “health emergency” in the province to deal with the novel coronavirus which has been designated as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation. He said that every possible step was being taken to prevent its occurrence, adding effective screening of the passengers are being carried out at all the airports. The CM said that special attention was being given on training of doctors, nurses and para-medical staff while SOPs regarding anti-corona are being implemented in letter and spirit.

Woman burned to death as house catches fire RAWALPINDI: A woman was burned to death as a house caught fire in an area of Dhok Ratta here on Friday. According to Rescue-1122, a woman identified as Shamim Akhtar of age 60 was sleeping when her blanket caught fire from a burning stove placed nearby. As a result, she burnt to death on spot.

After receiving information, the rescue teams rushed to the spot and shifted the dead body to District Head Quarter Hospital (DHQ) for legal formalities. APP

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

NEWS CORONAVIRUS THREAT

Sindh Govt mullS ban on biG GatherinGS MINISTER ANNOUNCES REWARD FOR WHOEVER DEVELOPS CORONAVIRUS VACCINE KARACHI

a

STAFF REPORT

MID increasing threat of coronavirus, the Sindh government on Friday initiated discussion to ban on the big gatherings in the province, sources familiar to the development said. As per details, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) provincial government is also thinking to curtail the public gathering of April 4 in Garhi Khuda Bux. Meanwhile, Sindh’s Information Minister Syed Nasir Shah will hold meetings with the religious clerics for curtailing the public gatherings.

Earlier, the provincial cabinet had decided to extend the closure of all the public and private educational institutes till May 30, in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the Sindh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. On the occasion, he had said that the coronavirus has become pandemic, therefore the government has to take drastic measures to contain it.

The cabinet meeting also proposed to discourage

Police book husband for burning wife, four in-laws to death

every kind of gathering, including marriage, social and religious gatherings across the province.

MINISTER ANNOUNCES REWARD FOR WHOEVER DEVELOPS CORONAVIRUS VACCINE: Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Friday announced a prize for any person or research institution that develops a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.

“It’s my request to all research laboratories and students to help the government in making a vaccine for COVID-19,” said Nasir Hussain Shah in a statement on Friday.

He said the provincial government will provide allout support to the students working on the invention of coronavirus vaccine. “The provincial govt will afford all expenses in this regard,” he further added. Another person has tested positive for COVID-19 in Karachi earlier on Friday, the department of health Sindh revealed.

According to details, the infected individual has arrived in Karachi two days prior from Islamabad.

The current tally of those diagnosed with the mysterious and dangerous virus has climbed to 21 in Pakistan while 2 patients have made full recoveries and have been given clean bills of health. Meanwhile, Inspector General

The Hyderabad police have booked the suspect who allegedly killed his wife, her mother and 3 sisters by setting their flat in Hyderabad SITE area on fire on March 9. SITE police station SHO Mazhar Soomro said on Friday that the accused Arshad Dero was produced before the local court that granted his 3-day physical remand for further interrogation. The FIR had been registered on the state's complaint under section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code previous night. Earlier on Thursday the SSP Hyderabad Adeel Hussain Chandio told media persons that the March 9 incident of fire was an act of arson. He informed that the police had arrested the suspect Dero who confessed during the investigation that he committed the crime.

According to Chandio, Dero was husband of 26 years old Reshma, who was one of the victims and eldest among the four sisters who burnt to death along with their mother in that incident.

"When we put all the evidence which we collected during the investigation before him he confessed that he set the set the apartment on fire," the SSP added. "Before setting the flat ablaze he took away his children and left them at his home in Bhitai Nagar area. He later returned to the flat buying petrol from Muhammad petrol pump while on way," he said. The SSP had told that Dero poured petrol from under the gap of the main door of the flat which was located in Labour Square Apartments, adjacent to the Federal Board of Revenue's regional office in the SITE area. The SSP said the police would nominate Dero in the FIR which was lodged at the SITE police station on the state's complaint.

for prisons in Sindh has written a letter to the government detailing his fears for the lives of those in jail in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The letter directs immediate action for the safety of inmates who are extremely vulnerable to coronavirus.

IG Prisons also requested the Sindh government to release prisoners behind bars that have been put away to serve minor offences.

The letter says that Sindh High Court should be involved in the matter to ensure fast-paced decisions on the cases deemed petty.

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday has issued an interim order regarding a case pertaining to restoration of Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) land and removal of encroachments. According to details, the apex court has directed take every possible step for the evacuation of land owned by KCR. Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed had ordered the officials to restore KCR lands within the next 6 months, adding

APP

Govt says unfair to term mSr’s arrest ‘revenge tactics’ CoNtNuE fRom pAgE 1

SC issues interim order regarding KCR land, encroachments case

HYDERABAD

05

that Sindh government should remove all encroachments in way of the project as the deadline will not be extended further.

Justice Gulzar questioned Clifton Cantonment Board over encroachments in Delhi and Punjab colonies over which, the Cantt official told that this land belongs to the government. The top judge directed city commissioner to evacuate the occupied land in one week and ordered to demolish all the buildings, housing societies and petrol pumps illegally constructed on railways land.

‘Illegal’ plots worth Rs1bn demolished in Karachi in one month NEWS DESK ‘Illegal’ plots and buildings worth Rs1 billion have been demolished in antiencroachments drives in Karachi over the span of one month.

Official documents have revealed that 131 operations have been conducted in Karachi from February 6 to March 6. During these drives, 25 wedding halls and 31 portions and penthouses were demolished. The operations were conducted by the Sindh Building Control Authority, Karachi

Metropolitan Corporation and Karachi Development Authority in different areas including Gulberg Town, Liaquatabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Saddar, Malir and Korangi. In Surjani Town, three plots spreading over 600 yards were cleared of all encroachments.

The SBCA demolished illegal buildings worth Rs800 million, while the KMC and KDA each cleared encroachments worth Rs70 million. The details of the demolition drives will be presented in the Supreme Court on the next hearing of the encroachment case.

Addressing a press conference, Awan said: “Allegations are made every day, but after these allegations are made, evidence is produced in the court, and both sides are given the chance to present evidence supporting their stance; the decision then made by the court is just.” Remarking that NAB was a free and independent institution, Awan said “truth will prevail” in this case. The PM’s aide said Prime Minister Imran Khan, since coming into power, had worked towards strengthening institutions that were previously in a bad state. “Under the PM’s governance, institutions are working freely.

However, after yesterday’s arrest, to continuously say the government has killed press freedom […] to connect these two things, and to use a watchdog to push an agenda against the government goes against the principles of journalism.” “We expect NAB to present evidence in the court on the basis of which it arrested Rehman so that this move can be justified in the eyes of the law. In the same way, we expect Rehman — and the analysts/journalists from his media house — to submit evidence to the court attesting to his innocence instead of attacking the government. The courts are free and independent.

“Do the rest of the people arrested by NAB have the right to have discussions on media channels? Or have debates about the case, and pressurise investigation officers,” Awan questioned. She maintained that the government did not comment on the situation earlier, because they did not want to get involved. “However, one media house continuously targeted the prime minister and government institutions, conducting a trial on TV screens.”

“Dispel this perception […] you are a media house, what enmity could the government have with you,” she asked. “You are not a political entity […] you are not our political enemy. You are an independent [media] house and we understand that remaining that way is your strength.” Commenting on previous remarks made by Imran about Rehman, the PM’s aide said that the premier made those remarks after the Jang Group’s editorin-chief had stated that the medi a house was not his only means of income.

“You saw the video of this on channels. We are seeing him in two roles; one as the head of a media house, and the second as a businessman. The allegations against him are not about him as the head of a media house.

“The case that he has been arrested in is a property case.

He was arrested after failing to satisfy NAB with his answers to the questionnaires provided. “I am not NAB’s spokesperson, and if I was I would have come after yesterday’s arrest to justify it,” she said. She added that the only reason for the press conference was that the government was being painted in an unfair light. “If that media house had played their independent role, then the government would have not felt the need to come and clarify their position,” she said.

Seminar calls for portraying women equally and exclusively in media KARACHI PPI

There is the need to portray women in media equally and exclusively at par with men so that they can play their due role in national development. The recent slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ was spotlighted wrongly by electronic media as in fact, it was just aimed at saving women from sexual harassment.

Electronic media direly needs to train its anchors and reporting staff so that they can highlight women's issues positively and respectfully.

This was the crux of a seminary entitled Inclusive and Equal Portrayal of Women by the Media, organized by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in connection with Media4Women Campaign running from 1st to 15th March in partnership with the Free Press Unlimited.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali welcomed the audience for participating in the discussion and said that on the eve of the World Women Day, PPF held the first activity on women safety some days back and today, they were organizing another program to seek inclusive and equal portrayal of

women by the media. There are low women in journalism and also in talk shows. These days, countries are monitoring how many women are sources of news. There is a need to promote women in media and portray them positively. He said that women like Mahtab Akbar Rashidi and Tasneem Ahmar, and Aurat Foundation had played a major role in women empowerment and safety, hence, they should follow the suit.

Noted politician and former MPA Mahtab Akbar Rashdi said that electronic media needed to adopt ethics and give respect to women. “It is matter of great concern that these days, people are being disgraced in talk shows of electronic media while assemblies had also become a bad place for disgracing each other. There are no ethics at all at both places. Society should change its mindset that is hitting women hard,” she observed.

Rashdi said: “Women are not weak as being perceived in the society, but the fact is that they are very strong as they can work in sunshine and rainy situations with men.

They also jointly work with men in house building and crop fields in many regions.

They even break stones during labor works.

They have proved themselves in every field, however, there is a need to give them a chance to work and grow.”

She said: “It is matter of concern that little girls are being raped and killed while many women are perished in the name of Karo-Kari.” Rashdi said that women should be given equal rights in every sector of life by changing the negative mindset of narrowminded people.

Tasneem Ahmar, Executive Director at Uks Research Centre on Women and Media, spotlighted the issue of the slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi” recently propagated in the media. She said this slogan was wrongly portrayed by the media and it was totally against the ethics of journalism. These words were actually a big voice against sexual harassment of women.

The society and media are misinterpreting these words, so they should study these words positively and avoid propagating in the wrong way. The men-dominant society needs to respect and protect women, she urged.

Amin Yousuf, a PFUJ leader, said that women organizations should work jointly for women protection and rights instead of work-

ing separately. “Working jointly will bring good results, he said. Yousuf said that it was observed since March 1 to 12 that separate programs of women organizations were held, which was not a good omen. We should not divide women in groups but instead, work jointly to achieve the desired goals,” he said He said: “It is unfortunate that no training is imparted to the journalists and anchorpersons in electronic media while there is also no gender policy in these organizations.

He urged media organizations to train their

staff and devise a gender policy so that women could come forward and play their role exclusively.

Imtiaz Khan Faran, President, Karachi Press Club, said that Pakistan media is still not independent as it is not only nationally but also internationally controlled through a systemic way. Journalists are being forced to stop writing on certain truths in the name of policy and security issues. He said that women should be given their rights as the Islam also supports them for this cause.

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

Putin will go before 2036

al JaZEERa

l

LEONID RAGOZIN

IKE many of Vladimir Putin's moves, the one he pulled off on March 10 felt like an unexpected plot twist in a thriller movie. Just two months earlier he had announced plans to amend the Russian constitution, sending domestic and foreign observers into frenzied predictions about his succession plans for when his current presidential term expires in 2024. Many of them envisaged him as some of kind of a shadow ruler or "father of the nation", supervising an obedient successor.

Then, in a lightning move on March 10, he opted for a scenario so crude it was previously dismissed by most Russia watchers, not least because it contradicted assurances from his entourage.

In the morning of that day, the world's first woman in space and current Russian Duma member, Valentina Tereshkova, put forward a proposal to allow Putin to run for another two presidential terms after 2024, which was to be included in the package of constitutional amendments the parliament was discussing.

The president was promptly informed of these proceedings and he immediately made his way to the Duma, where he delivered a speech approving Tereshkova's proposal.

Afterwards, the parliament members voted to pass it.

Next, the Constitutional Court will have to approve the amendments after which they will be put to a popular vote in a national quasi-referendum on April 22. Few doubt there will be any obstacle to that.

Putin's move was so brazenly out of line with everything he had said before that even the hardened Russian opposition appeared at a loss for words minutes after it happened.

Soon, however, a key member of Aleksey Navalny's movement, Leonid Volkov, called it "a coup d'etat, technically speaking", while activists launched pickets under St Vladimir's statue near the Kremlin's walls. On the same day, the Moscow mayor's office introduced a temporary ban on public gatherings of more than 5,000 attendees - ostensibly due to coronavirus threat.

Clearly, the local authorities are taking measures to prevent a major outburst of public anger in the streets of the capital. The last time Putin decided to prolong his rule by twisting the Constitution, he had to face an unprecedented wave of protests which rocked Moscow for several months in the winter of 2011-2012.

In the end, he survived the protests and remained a rather popular president - not just because of repressive measures and political manoeuvring.

Putin has been the embodiment of Russian majoritarian consensus on what Russia should be like. This consensus is, of course, fluid, but the Kremlin has worked hard to maintain it.

It has been very sensitive to polling data and quite refined at manipulating public opinion for which it has employed an army of spin doctors to spread propaganda and dress political moves in right-wing conservative ideology.

Apart from that, a unique alignment of internal and external factors has helped keep this consensus afloat for so long.

Putin presided over the greatest improvement in quality of life in the memory of middle-aged and older generations - although one can argue about his personal

role in achieving it. These people remember the horrors of World War II, the chronic deficit of quality goods and services in the late Soviet times and the turmoil of the 1990s and are quite alert to the risks of losing Putin's trademark stability.

There is also the crisis of role models. The situation today cannot be more different from what it was in 1991 when millions of Russians embraced the Western model of governance and economic prosperity.

Over the years, Putin demonstrated that he can offer higher standards of living without the risks that come with political liberalisation. Today, Russia's per capita GDP adjusted for purchasing power parity is on par with that of EU's ex-communist members.

At the same time, Georgia and Ukraine continue to provide a convenient example of the troubles Russia could face, were its people to push for political freedom through a colour revolution.

PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS CIRCUMVENTING PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS WILL NOT SAVE PUTIN FROM THE INEVITABLE Indeed, the failure of Ukraine's Maidan revolution to deliver on its promise of undoing the oligarchy - very much aided by both the West and the Kremlin - the subsequent rise of the far right, and the continuing war in the east have given Putin's alternative - economic and political stability under authoritarian rule - quite a boost.

The continuing crisis of Western liberal democracy, manifested in the rise of Donald Trump and the success of Brexit, has also sown doubts among Russians about the need to pursue the Western model. The reluctance of the West to welcome Russia into the fold by offering it to integrate into the EU and NATO has also contributed to this feeling. A scarecrow Russia appears to be much more politically expedient for Western politicians than a democratic one.

But these pillars of the popular consensus surrounding Putin are getting increasingly shaky. For several years already, polls have been showing a tectonic shift in the attitudes of the Russian population. The perceived need for stability has been overtaken by the demand for change.

The nationalistic fervour surrounding the annexation of Crimea has also worn off. Today, Russians want normalisation with Ukraine and the West, while hostile attitudes are receding.

There is a also new generation of youth who have held daring unsanctioned protests and participated en masse in Navalny's regional offices across the country.

Their main motivation to protest is that they have seen no other Russia than Putin's in their entire lives.

Putin fatigue is settling in and, within a few years, there will be no more tricks up the president's sleeve that will allow him to keep the majoritarian consensus intact.

Russia's hive mind will move on towards new ideas and new personalities.

Any change in the above-mentioned factors, particularly the resurgence of liberal values in the West and a defeat of the far right, can trigger that shift in Russia. But even without them, the life cycle of the Putin brand will naturally expire sooner or later, and the Russian president knows that all too well.

The constitutional changes will allow him to keep his options open and avoid being seen as a lame duck, but they will not stop the inevitable. The best thing Putin could do for himself in the next four years is generate more positive legacy in the form of big infrastructural projects and groom a reliable successor to replace him in 2024. As a calculating man, he should know that his personal risks are lower if he leaves before it is too late than if he strives to retain his leadership post forever.

Coronavirus and the collapse Don’t shut the world out for virus’ sake of global public health INDIA SHOULD NOT IMPOSE A BLANKET BAN FROM CLEAN WATER TO ANTIBIOTICS AND VACCINES, THE MOST EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS ARE COLLECTIVE Financial TimEs DAVID PILLING

In the never-ending war between humans and microbes, the smaller of those two combatants is perpetually probing for the weakest link.

That could be a wet market in Wuhan where a virus jumps from a bat or a pangolin into people. It could be the gig economy in the US, where infected people might be too financially stretched to self-isolate and forgo two weeks’ pay. Or it could be a health system in an impoverished country, say in Africa, where testing is inadequate, doctors and nurses in short supply and hospitals at breaking point.

In the unfolding coronavirus drama, Africa has been the dog that doesn’t bark, or in this case perhaps the bat that doesn’t squeak. There have been relatively few reported cases. Egypt, where dozens of Nile cruise passengers are in quarantine, is the worst affected. About 10 other countries have confirmed cases. But that only makes just over 100 cases, mostly in north Africa, in a continent of 1.2bn people. Italy, with 60m people, has more than 12,000 cases. If the numbers are to be believed, Africa has been remarkably lucky. So far.

There are several plausible explanations. One is that the numbers are not credible. When the outbreak began in China, there were only two labs in sub-Saharan Africa able to test for the virus. That situation has improved. More than 40 countries have some testing capacity. Still, it is not enough.

If the number is low, one explanation may be that many cases have gone undetected in a population

with a median age of 19.

Another is that African health systems, however under-resourced, are used to dealing with infectious diseases. When, in 2014 a Liberian man with Ebola collapsed in the arrivals hall of Lagos airport, Nigerian authorities did a remarkable job of tracing his contacts and quarantining them, snuffing out the outbreak. Last month, when an Italian businessman became Nigeria’s first case of coronavirus, the authorities — already dealing with a far-worse Lassa fever outbreak — sprang into action.

So far, the number of reported infections is just two.

The third explanation is one that few scientists would dare suggest for lack of robust evidence: that the virus doesn’t do well in hot weather. If that is true, there could be respite on the way in the northern hemisphere as winter turns to spring and summer. Although that would not end the epidemic, it would buy time for health systems to prepare and researchers to test a vaccine.

Africa may have been spared the worst of the coronavirus outbreak, for the time being at least.

More often, it is at the forefront of the fight against infectious diseases. Only this month, the last Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of Congo was discharged. That starts a 42-day countdown to declaring an end to an outbreak that has killed 2,264 of the 3,444 people infected — a “kill rate” that makes coronavirus look benign.

The war against Ebola, fought in the hardest conditions imaginable — including a real, low-level war — is a victory not only for Congo but for the world. If coronavirus has taught us anything it is the

fact of our interconnectedness.

These issues have been brilliantly highlighted by the author Laurie Garrett, who has written for decades about our eternal vulnerability to microbes.

In Betrayal of Trust: Collapse of Global Public Health, she warned against a global shift from public to private health.

In an age when the perceived threat is greater from non-communicable diseases — such as cancer, hypertension and diabetes — the temptation is to view health through a personal lens. The individual with the best medical insurance or best fitness regimen will be the healthiest. That ignores two facts.

One is that the most effective health interventions, from clean water to antibiotics and vaccines, have all been collective. The second is that infectious diseases have not been defeated. They have, at best, been kept at bay.

This has implications for rich and poor regions alike. For countries such as the US or the UK, it means you ignore public health — and the health of the most vulnerable in society — at your peril. In poorer parts of the world, it means that anyone’s battle against disease is everyone’s battle.

Last week, the US Congress approved roughly $8bn to fight coronavirus at home. A few days earlier, the UN had released a meagre $15m to help the world’s most vulnerable countries fight the same outbreak.

Such a skewed response suggests that, collectively, we have not listened to what global health experts have been telling us for years. In the fight against infectious disease, your problem is also very much my problem.

ON ALL VISITORS, WHICH WOULD KILL TRUST AND DISRUPT THIS GROWING INDUSTRY Economic TimEs The Covid-19 global pandemic is seeing countries closing borders, to restrict outsiders coming in and prevent essential medical supplies going out. Such measures should not be indiscriminate, because a global pandemic requires countries to cooperate and collaborate even while taking measures to protect people. In this context, India must step up, and not step back, as the world’s pharmacy and healthcare provider. The government is already taking steps to increase its production of medicines — the environment ministry announced that bulk drug projects related to Covid-19 will be cleared on priority.

This is critical to the supply of required medication to other countries and improving national preparedness. In a welcome move, the government has relaxed the ban it had imposed on exports of some categories of medical supplies. Covid-19 is now globally the top public health priority, however, healthcare systems have to continue to treat other medical conditions. Elective surgeries and therapies can be postponed but critical procedures will need attending to. India accounts for nearly 20% of global medical tourism, with a compound annual growth rate of 18% and projected to be worth $9 billion this year. India should not impose a blanket ban on all visitors, which would kill trust and disrupt this growing industry. The decision to restrict all travel visas, barring a few exceptions, from March 13 to April 15 will mean keeping out those slated for medical procedures in India. A system that undertakes pretravel screening and screening on arrival, including a mandatory 14 days monitored or self-quarantine requirement, would ensure safeguards to prevent entry of infected persons.

Such a move would protect medical tourism from shock and permit India to continue to provide healthcare services to the world. The government must take a balanced approach that exercises caution to limit the spread of the virus but also takes into account the need to help economic activity that India is good at and the world needs at the time of the present crisis.

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

FOREIGN NEWS 07

US aIr StrIkeS In Iraq kIll SIx people

TEHRAN

I

AGENCIES

rAq’S military condemned overnight US air strikes on Friday and said they had killed six people and wounded 12, describing it as targeted aggression against the nation’s formal armed forces and a violation of sovereignty.

The Pentagon said the strikes targeted five weapons stores used by Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups, including facilities housing arms used in past attacks on US-led coalition troops. But an Iraqi military statement said no paramilitary fighters had been killed.

Three soldiers, two policemen and one civilian were killed, it said. Four soldiers, two policemen, one civilian, and five militiamen were wounded, the military said.

The US airstrikes on Thursday in Iraq targeted the Iranian-backed militia members believed responsible for the rocket attack that killed and wounded American and British troops at a base north of Baghdad, the Pentagon said.

US officials said multiple strikes by US fighter jets hit five locations and mainly targeted Kataib Hezbollah weapons facilities inside Iraq. A Defence Department statement said the strikes targeted five weapons storage facilities “to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks.”

The strikes marked a rapid escalation in tensions with Tehran and its proxy groups in Iraq, just two months after Iran carried out a massive ballistic missile attack against American troops at a base in Iraq. They came just hours after top US defence leaders threatened retaliation for the Wednesday rocket attack, making clear that they knew who did it and that the attackers would be held accountable.

“The United States will not tolerate attacks against our people, our interests, or our allies,” Defence Secretary Mark Esper said. “As we have demonstrated in recent months, we will take any action necessary to protect our forces in Iraq and the region.”

The Pentagon statement said the facilities hit in the precision strikes were used to store weapons used to target the US and coalition forces. It called the counterattack “defensive, proportional and in direct response to the threat” posed by the Iranianbacked militia groups.

US officials said the locations of the strikes were largely around the Baghdad region. One US official said there were two strikes at Jurf al-Sakher, one in Karbala, one at Al-Musayib, and one at Arab Nawar Ahmad. The official said the US expected casualties would be lower than 50, and said the main effort was to hit the weapons.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because some details about the operations had not yet been made public.

An official with the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Units told The Associated Press that two Iraqi federal police personnel were killed in Jurf al-Sakher. An Iraqi military statement said the aerial “aggression” occurred at 1:15am in the areas of Jurf al-Sakher, Al-Musayib, Najaf and Alexandria on the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Units, emergency regiments and commandos of the 9th division of the Iraqi army.

Esper told reporters at the Pentagon earlier on Thursday that President Donald Trump had given him the authority to take whatever action he deemed necessary.

“We’re going to take this one step at a time, but we’ve got to hold the perpetrators accountable,” Esper said. “You don’t get to shoot at our bases and kill and wound Americans and get away with it.”

At the White House, Trump had also hinted that a US counterpunch could be coming, telling reporters, “We’ll see what the response is.” And Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters the US knows ”with a high degree of certainty” who launched the attack.

On Capitol Hill earlier in the day, Marine General Frank McKenzie, the top US commander for the Middle East, told senators the deaths of US and coalition troops created a “red line” for the US, but said he didn’t think Iran has “a good understanding of where our red line is”.

Asked if any counterattack could include a strike inside Iran, Esper said, “We are focused on the group that we believe perpetrated this in Iraq.”

Two US troops and one British service member were killed and 14 other personnel were wounded when 18 rockets hit the base on Wednesday. The US military said the 107 mm Katyusha rockets were fired from a truck launcher that was found by Iraqi security forces near the base after the attack.

US officials have not publicly said what group they believe launched the rocket attack, but Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia group, was the likely perpetrator. And the US strikes, which came in the middle of the night in Iraq, targeted that group.

Kataib Hezbollah was responsible for a late December rocket attack on a military base in Kirkuk that killed a US contractor, prompting American military strikes in response.

That in turn led to protests at the US Embassy in Baghdad. They were followed Jan 3 by a US airstrike that killed Iran’s most powerful military officer, Gen qassem Soleimani, and Abu Mahdi alMuhandis, a leader of the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, of which Kataib Hezbollah is a member. In response to the Soleimani killing, Iran launched a massive ballistic missile attack on Jan 8, at al-Asad airbase in Iraq, that resulted in traumatic brain injuries to more than 100 American troops.

McKenzie told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning that the killing of Soleimani and the increase in US troops and assets in the region has made clear to Iran that the US will defend its interests there. He said the US has re-established a level of deterrence for state-on-state attacks by Iran.

However, he said: “What has not been changed is their continuing desire to operate through their proxies indirectly again us. That is a far more difficult area to deter.” On Thursday, Esper and Milley said they spoke with their British counterparts about the attack, but declined to provide details.

Asked why none of the rockets was intercepted, Milley said there are no systems on the base capable of defending against that type of attack.

He also said the 14 injured personnel were a mix of US and allied troops as well as contractors, and they will also be monitored for possible traumatic brain injury in the wake of the blasts.

Ardern says racist threat lingers after New Zealand mosque attack AUCKLAND AGENCIES

New Zealand’s leader Jacinda Ardern admitted Friday there was “much more” her country could do to tackle white supremacists a year after the Christchurch mosque massacres.

Ardern was widely praised for her compassion towards the Muslim community after a lone gunman attacked two mosques on March 15 last year, killing 51 in New Zealand’s worst modern mass shooting.

But she said some in the South Pacific nation continued to espouse the views of the Australian attacker, a self-avowed white supremacist who targeted Muslims at Friday prayers.

“New Zealand is not free of those groups who define themselves as extremist white supremacists, those groups exist here,” she told reporters.

“The responsibility we have is to combat not only that existence, but the precursors to that existence. There is much more that we can do,” she said.

Ardern, who was speaking ahead of a national memorial service on Sunday, said the best way to honour victims was to call out racism, bullying and discrimination.

“People will feel safe when they feel supported,” she said. “When they feel the community is looking after them and when they feel they are not facing discrimination or jibes in the street or comments that make them feel unsafe.”

Ardern said the March 15 attacks “fundamentally changed” New Zealand, she hoped for the better.

“I would like to think there is a growing resolve amongst New Zealanders that we wish to be defined by what we are not as much as what we are,” she said.

Her remarks come after police arrested a 19-year-old man this month over

turkey agrees with russia on details of Idlib ceasefire ANKARA AGENCIES

Turkey and russia have agreed on the details of a ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib region after four days of talks in Ankara, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday, adding that joint patrols along a key highway will begin on Sunday as planned. Turkey and russia, which back opposing sides in Syria’s war, agreed on March 5 to halt hostilities in the country’s northwest after a recent escalation of violence displaced nearly a million people and brought the two sides close to confrontation. Under the agreement, Turkish and russian forces will carry out joint patrols along the M4 highway linking Syria’s east and west, and establish a security corridor on either side of it. A russian delegation arrived in Ankara Tuesday to work out details. “The text that was prepared was signed by both sides and is now in effect. We will see its first application with the joint patrols on March 15,” Akar was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency. Akar said both Turkey and russia were working to ensure the ceasefire becomes lasting, adding that Ankara and Moscow would establish joint coordination centers to monitor the agreement.

While the ceasefire deal addresses Turkey’s main concerns in Idlib – stopping a flow of migrants and preventing the death of more Turkish soldiers – it also cements recent gains by russian-backed Syrian government forces and leaves Turkish observation posts in the region encircled by the Syrian side. Akar said there were signs that migration from Idlib towards Turkish borders had stopped after the ceasefire deal. His ministry said separately talks with the russians had concluded. Earlier on Friday, a Turkish security official said Turkey’s observation posts in Idlib will remain in place and function despite being encircled.

The official said that no heavy arms or equipment would be withdrawn from the posts.

“There are no violations (of the ceasefire) against observation posts,” which are meant to “end the bloodshed and humanitarian drama,” the official told a briefing in Ankara. Turkey, which supports Syrian rebel groups looking to oust President Bashar al-Assad, will do “what is necessary” against any groups trying to deter the planned joint patrols, the official added. The ceasefire deal, which has largely held since March 5, was struck after around 60 Turkish troops were killed in clashes in the region since last month.

Canada's intelligence committee warns of 'brazen' interference

by China, russia MONTREAL AGENCIES

a threat against one of the mosques attacked last year.

“It is unfathomable to me that, after everything the Muslim community has experienced, we have people who are… (making) threats against our Muslim community,” she said.

THE PEACEFUL WAY: Ardern later joined more than 1,000 Muslims for their Friday prayers as the Al Noor and Linwood mosques held a combined service and were joined by fellow Muslims from around New Zealand.

Nasir Ali, who flew in from Auckland with his family, said it was important to share the “sorrow and hardship” and keep

the memory alive.

“We need to keep it on the radar that this sort of tragedy and this sort of extremist ideology does exist and we need to continue to be vigilant about it,” he said.

Farid Ahmed, whose wife was killed by the gunman, said 12 months on he was still at a loss to understand why the killing occurred. Ahmed has publicly forgiven the gunman and said he refuses to be cowed. “I feel I could die anytime and I should not be afraid because I have got my freedom not to be afraid. No one or nothing can take that away,” he said.

“The lesson is that hate does not solve any problem. If there are differences there is

another way and that is the peaceful way.”

“We should talk, we should dialogue, we should ask one another questions and we should not be afraid of one another.”

Taj Mohammed Kamran, who was shot three times while his friend beside him was killed by the gunman, said he felt safe at the Friday prayers because of the large police presence.

“But I was sad because my friend was not there,” he added.

The alleged mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant, an Australian national, is due to go on trial on June 2 facing terrorism charges plus 51 counts of murder and 40 of attempted murder over the killings.

A parliamentary committee on Thursday warned that China and russia are threatening Canada’s national security and democracy by stepping up “clandestine and coercive” efforts to influence politicians, students and the media. “The threat is real, if often hidden,” the national security and intelligence committee of Canadian parliamentarians warned in its annual report. “The threat to Canada from foreign interference is increasing. The perpetrators have become more brazen and their activities more entrenched,” it said, singling out China and russia as the main culprits. Their activities, said the report, “threaten the fundamental building blocks of Canada’s democracy.”

The committee also criticized this government’s response to the foreign meddling, saying “Canada has been slow to react to the threat of foreign interference” and “must do better.” The interference has targeted elected officials and their staff, student associations and hundreds of media outlets in Canada that publish or broadcast in languages other than English or French. The report cites as an example China seeking to “harmonize international Chinese-language media with its own by attempting to merge the editorial boards of those outlets with PrC (People’s republic

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

08 COMMENT

Is Pakistan’s food security under threat?

National Security Committee moot

The country is not used to dangers to its food

Delay could have been costly

T

HE NSC meeting has taken a number of vital decisions that were beyond the purview of the provincial governments like closing the borders with Iran and afghanistan for 15 days and cancelling the Pakistan Day parade. Educational institutions all over the country have also been closed till april 5.

So far the nationwide anti-coronavirus campaign has been weak, disorganized and without the national leadership’s full and meaningful support. It is time now that the Prime Minister himself takes up the daunting challenge of dealing with the coronavirus which has turned into a pandemic and is spreading like wildfire all over the world. The task is simply beyond the capacities of Health Services SaPM Dr Zafar Mirza. It speaks volumes about the PTI government’s apathy that for more than two months it felt no need to launch nationwide coordinated efforts or mobilise the required resources to deal with the gruesome virus that has so far killed 5,120 and infected 139,637 in 119 countries. The negligence continued despite daily reports in the international media about the aggressive advance of the viral disease and the failure of the most advanced countries to bring it under control. an attempt by the Sindh Chief Minister to persuade the federal government to call a meeting of all the provincial heads had met with a less than enthusiastic response and no chief minister other than the proposer himself turned up for the meeting.

The army’s help should be sought to set up quarantine camps in various provinces with adequate facilities as is being done in India. Concerned agencies should be directed to keep track of incoming passengers as they travel to their destinations in the country and share their record with the provincial governments for necessary follow up. The capacity of the hospitals to treat a large number of patients needs to be enhanced.

While it has been decided to close the seminaries like mainstream educational institutions, there is also a need to persuade the ulema to postpone the Tablighi gatherings, annual urses at saints’ mausoleums and rallies and conventions by various sects. Unless the Prime Minister takes the lead the tasks cannot be adequately performed.

Younus sanDeela

B

lESSED with a huge agricultural base, Pakistan has always been a food-surplus country, However, factors like climate change, diminishing water resources, and failure to build the country’s agriculture on modern lines; are causing this advantage to erode rapidly. and for a country with a population of 200 million-plus, unexpected food shortage could be a catastrophe in the waiting. The worst part is that the government seems oblivious to the real impact on the economy and wellbeing of people should things on the food security front get worse unexpectedly.

For a country having an agricultural potential as big as Pakistan’s, it is simply shameful to be worrying about food security. Pakistan, with its rich agriculture and strategic geographic location, actually has the potential of becoming the food basket for the entire region. However, due to a weak focus on agriculture, misplaced economic priorities and mismanagement of resources; the country has failed to fully exploit even the neighbouring Middle East, the world’s most food-deficient, but highly affluent, region.

Reports about the build-up of locust swarms in Pakistan’s desert regions is the latest threat to agriculture in the country, particularly in Sindh and Punjab, the main food-producing provinces. So far, the government has made only lukewarm efforts to safeguard against the impending threat. The apparent lack of preparedness on the part of the government is scary. Those who understand agriculture know the devastation this could cause to agriculture and as a result to national food security. However, the unwelcomed locusts are not the only problem faced by agriculture in Pakistan.

The advantage of Pakistan’s large and diversified agricultural base is, to a large extent, nullified by poor yields; inconsistent government policies; a disengaged private sector; and poor storage facilities. It is assumed that 15 percent produce in the case of grain crops, and as much as 40 percent in the case of horticulture crops, is wasted at the postharvest stage due to insufficient transportation and storage facilities. It

PML-N’s strategy unclear

P

Ml-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has broken the silence which she was accused of maintaining as one of the hidden conditions of her bail. She was speaking to the press on Thursday during a visit to PMl-N Senior Vice-President Shahid Khaqan abbasi, and said that she had been silent because of ‘personal reasons.’ However, there are now political reasons aplenty to persuade her to end her apparent retreat from politics. She has to fill not just the gap left by her father, ousted PM Nawaz Sharif, but her uncle, Shehbaz Sharif, who is party President. The absence of the two brothers, one for treatment of a potentially lifethreatening illness, the other to look after his treatment, has led to the PMl-N creaking at the hinges, and thus creating fears that it may fall apart. Not only has the parliamentary party resounded with MNas calling for Shehbaz’s return, but a number of PMl-N MPas from Punjab have apparently distanced themselves from the party by meeting Punjab CM Usman Buzdar.

The party has not got Maryam definitely in the saddle, but her assumption of a public role means that the pressure builds on Shehbaz to return. Her remark that silence did not mean surrender, coupled with her previous record, indicates that she is among those who feel that the PMl-N should be out on the streets protesting against the government, which has given the opposition much to protest about. Shehbaz, on the other, represents those who feel that there is a need to cooperate with the establishment.

However, by leaving Maryam in Pakistan and active politically, Shehbaz is conceding that ground. The only way he can control the narrative that the PMl-N will operate on, will be if he returns and leads the party which at present he heads merely in name. There is the possibility, which the PTI firmly believes in, that the brothers have gone abroad because of a hidden agreement.

If so, Maryam is definitely rattling the cage, if not defying it altogether. That would mean that Shehbaz would have to return to bring the party back under control.

Dr Zeeshan Khan

M

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

ao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, the founding father of the People’s Republic of China who ruled it from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976, once said that Women hold up

half the sky.

Recently, an unfortunate incident happened between famous Urdu drama writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and woman journalist Marvi Sirmed on National TV over a controversial slogan of aurat March.

For the last two to three years, Inernational Women’s Day has been celebrated on March 8 with the special demonstration of aurat March but the only thing being propagated every time with some socalled slogans adds fuel to fire whereas the real issue is uniformity between men and women.

The problem starts when humans try to judge each other with some specific title. The connotation of “Mera Jism Meri Marzi” or “My Body, My Choice” is important. as far as the explanation of every person varies. We must not think of negativity always but of the positive side of the matter or the mentioned slogan, which must also be considered.

Difference of opinion is good but it must not lengthen intoto extremism.

There must not be any objection to any peaceful protest by anyone if it is abiding by the law. This society is already too suppressed and acidic. Conservative, liberal and radical voices are at war. Everyone is trying to force one opinion on another. Why do we not value others’ opinion? Things are made complicated by all sides. However, the only important thing is the state of tolerance and patience. In the war of narratives versus the war of egos, the only winner is the chaos.

Giving respect and space to others is true humility.

The sole issue of developing and under-developed countries is lack of education. When there is less education then there will be more disparities and then these flaws would lead to deprivation of due rights, especially for less privileged sections of society. as

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Joint Editor

Younus Sandeela is a freelance columnist.

Dissent on Aurat March

Breaking the silence

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

is ironic that a country with production volumes as high as 25 million metric tons for wheat and 7.5 million metric tons for rice seriously lacks modern storage facilities. The country badly needed to invest in building silos and cold chains. Innovative business models could have been easily developed to attract private investment into the warehousing sector. Reserve stocks of staple foods like wheat and rice should be built to meet the domestic needs for a minimum of three years. Instead, reserves are generally built only for the ongoing year. This is partly because of limited availability of storage space and partly because of the confidence that the fresh crop of the following year would replenish the stocks in time to ensure uninterrupted supply.

Improving yields through mechanization; quality farm inputs; capacity building of farmers; and seamless availability of finance at the grass root level, are the easiest ways to improve food supply in the country. There is also scope for increasing food production through unconventional sectors like the fisheries.

Deep-sea cage culture has, so far, remained unexploited in Pakistan. The country’s continental shelf, as well as its water reservoirs, offer immense opportunities for developing cage aquaculture. Similarly, opportunity exists in expanding production volumes within the inland fisheries sector by promoting fish culture beyond the existing carp farming, and by educating fish farmers on intensive and semi-intensive fish culture. Promoting higher consumption of fish in the society that is predominantly skewed towards consumption of red meat would not only bring about health dividends but would also relieve pressure from the overburdened livestock sector.

Historically, Pakistan has been a water-rich country. Even now mismanagement, and not non-availability of water, is the main problem. luckily, the country has been receiving abundant rains and snowfall during the last two years which helped it to overcome the precarious water situation that existed couple of years back. limited water storage capacity is a problem that cannot be resolved in the immediate term. It will take many years and huge financial disbursements for the country to build new reservoirs.

However, effective and efficient management of country’s existing irrigation system can be achieved

almost immediately and without further burdening country’s already weak financial position.

Just ensuring regular and proper de-silting of canals would drastically improve water distribution.

Similarly, timely and effective maintenance of canal banks would restrict seepage of water and also contain incidents of canal breaches during high floods. lastly, restoring the largely dysfunctional SCaRP tubewells and shifting them on to solar power could also bring about significant improvement in the water situation. These and similar measures, if carried out in timely manner, would keep the food situation from getting worse due to water shortages.

Traditionally, the size of Pakistan’s agriculture managed to work as an effective shock absorber in the face of unfavourable circumstances. This however, may not work in future as newer and bigger challenges in the form of climate change, water shortages and deteriorating soils may cause damage which size alone may not be able to compensate for. Unless climatesmart agriculture practices are introduced on war footings, Pakistan may soon experience food deficiency, something the nation is not used to be worrying about.

Reliability of data with respect to agricultural production is also a major source of concern. livestock is an example where official data is feared to be misleading. Failure to regularly carry out a real-time livestock census simultaneously across the country and limitations in keeping track of cattle movements through an electronic-tagging mechanism seriously limits the reliability of available data. also, market conditions with particular reference to continuously rising milk and meat prices contradict the official claim about the huge livestock population in the country. Reports of unchecked smuggling of livestock through the country’s western borders and indiscriminate slaughtering of young calves that took place unhindered over decades, also gives rise to scepticism about a large livestock population in the country. Similarly, crop-reporting departments generally lack scientific methodologies for accumulating and disseminating data which results in weak reliance on the numbers presented by the government. all this adds to the worry as the real food availability could actually be less than reported in the official data. In such a situation, the impact of any unexpected disruption in food supply could be far more severe than anticipated.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

for as abusing any person is concerned, it is unaccept- tion in terms of of throwing acid on women alone. according to the UN, women’s rights are human able and highly condemnable, irrespective of gender.

If it is observed, it will be clear that all societies and rights and gender equality is central to all global goals. cultures all over the globe are male-dominated. Pa- There must be discussions regarding fulfilling all the triarchy is one of the real issues in all human soci- requirements of all humans and necessarily of women’s eties. There are issues and problems regarding rights. Double-meaning slogans must be avoided. Simwomen rights all over the world and also in Pakistan. ilarities must be appreciated among humans irrespecBut, the real issue again starts at the basic level where tive of gender and dissimilarities must not be exploited.

There were different deficiencies in the aurat rights of women are not met, or are taken for granted.

There are many heinous crimes which are committed March agenda and manifestos. The organisers themin the form of domestic violence, honour killing, fe- selves confused their narrative by different minds with male child marriage, deprivation from inherited not a single clear line of action. Real issues like conproperty, financial dependence (slavery) on men, demnation of domestic violence against women must curse of dowry, rape, child abuse, throwing acid on be the focal slogan with others like forced or withoutconsent marriages. The blind women and many others. following of West is not It must not be the war of good to carry on and adam equality but of responsibility Smith’s capitalism has not for each other, and it must included economic contribube kept in mind that the benIn Pakistan, women make up tion of women which reefits of gender equality are half the population but still they sulted in real disadvantage not just for women and girls for women on economic and but for everyone whose face severe problems at all GDP levels. lives will be changed by a according to a report, in fairer world. Gender equalfronts inside and outside the the USa only 71 percent ity is about bringing together people of every family. If a man harms a woman children face violence from their mothers. The West has gender, age, ability, ethnicphysically and emotionally, we commodified women and ity, race, religion and counmade them sexual objects, try to mobilise for the must condemn the criminal and it is not an ideal system gender-equal world we all deserve. It must be about instinct and whoever does this for our society and culture to follow. dignity and justice. must be condemned and In Pakistan, women Women’s necessary and make up half the population basic rights include educapunished according to law but still they face severe tion, ensuring women in problems at all fronts inside full, equal and meaningful because it is an issue of and outside the family. If a leadership and peace criminality and not of gender man harms a woman physiprocesses, economic emcally and emotionally, we powerment, climate action, must condemn the criminal rights to health coverage, instinct and whoever does tackling the disproportionate this must be condemned and share of unpaid care and domestic work of women and girls, addressing hunger punished according to law because it is an issue of and malnutrition among women and girls, ending all criminality and not of gender. at the End, being a Muslim Society, our religious forms of violence and harmful practices against all women and girls and all the rights their personalities and spiritual leader and the greatest teacher of huneed and their implementation, especially for women manity Prophet Muhammad (SaW) said that amongst you, he is best who treats his wife well. Dissent or of isolated areas. according to UN Development, at current rates difference of opinion is a healthy practice to exercise. of progress on gender equality, it will take 257 years The Quaid-e-azam considered women stronger than for women to have the same economic opportunities the sword and the pen, and this encompasses as men. It’s not just a gender gap, it’s a power gap. women’s status in Pakistan.

This gap is required to be lessened as far as possible.

Dr Zeeshan Khan tweets at @DrZeeshanKhanA1 Recent surveys showed that 32 million girls are still can be reached at not in school, and men control three-quarters of par- and liamentary seats. Pakistan stands at the fourth posi- dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

COMMENT 09 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

Commercial aviation industry crisis

Dilemmas on State formation in modern Pakistan Dr rajkumar Singh

I

n the pre-independence days, the Muslim League was so mush absorbed in the fight for Pakistan that it could never develop any social or economic programme. It was likely that the upper strata of the Muslim League did not want any social change because that would have affected their social position. In Pakistan, the leadership that had assumed control of the new state, though committed in broad terms of Islam, was largely Westernised and secular in outlook. It represented the emerging Muslim bourgeoisie and the feudal elite which had internalised the ideals and the idiom of Western secularism. They held religion to be a largely private matter between man and God. Along with the intelligentsia they believed that it was only a matter of time before the forces of modernity and secular liberalism would completely marginalise such elements in society. Leaders of the Muslim League, especially Jinnah due to his ultimate commitment to Islam, conceded its central theme while formulating the broad principles, ‘Islam is not only a set of rituals, traditions and spiritual doctrines, Islam is a code for every Muslim which regulates his life and his conduct in all aspects, social, political and economic.’

Basics of social formulation: The initial efforts of these secular-minded leaders did not yield any positive result because it was nipped in the bud by a nexus of feudal forces; religious fundamentalism, the bureaucracy and the Army as well.

In undivided India the British had nurtured the tribes, jirgas and the feudal lords just to keep precarious peace and the colonial empire intact. In Pakistan, to make a feudal system viable, it was necessary that all civil liberties be denied to the people. To deny civil liberty we need an undemocratic system. And to justify and legitimise an undemocratic system we need religious fundamentalism and majoritarianism pretending to be nationalism. At least fundamentalism or theocracy has one thing in common with fascism; that both believe in the total disruption of the basic rights and civil liberties of citizens. Especially in the post-Partition phase the Muslim League leadership found itself with a nation-state on its hand and a people who sought to order their lives according to Islam in a broad sense, but with very little agreement on what Islam required of them.

Partition based on communal lines had forced the religious parties to reconsider their old goals and project a new agenda. The religious groups, particularly those who had supported the All India Muslim League, had expected that Pakistan would lead to the establishment of the sharia. The subsidiaries championed the ideal of an Islamic state. In it, all power belongs to Allah and the Quran and the Shariat are the ultimate source of authority. There is an absolute transcendental certainty as far as the Islamist view of the scriptures is concerned. nothing is left to chance and nothing is attributed to the growing knowledge of the universe, and the changing perception of man, society and the institutions human ingenuity brings into being.

In the initial years there was no political party in Pakistan except the Muslim League.

Since the Muslim League was the architect of Muslim League through the political minefield Pakistan, any opposition to the Muslim League and consolidated the leadership’s position, but was was tantamount to treason. But unfortunately gone. Liaquat’s death marked a distinct change in from this position in the first heady days of In- the government’s attitude to the religious opposidependence in August 1947, the League leader- tion. The greater the expansion of democracy ship allowed the debate on the kind of state world-wide, the better would be the chance of enPakistan was going to be, to shift significantly. suring security and peace. The downfall of democAt this juncture the leaders of the Muslim League racy in Pakistan started with the assassination of appeared in a great dilemma as to whether the fu- Liaquat in 1951. Thereafter, Pakistan was govture course of action should be based on secular- erned without any reference to the popular will.

Democracies are less likely to fight one another, ism or on religious fundamentalism.

Efforts at assimilation: The West-influenced less likely to encourage terrorism and more likely leaders of the Muslim League, including Liaquat to cooperate on issues of common concern. In 1941, there were only Ali Khan and others, about a dozen democrawere of the view that the cies in the world. The two contradictory elelast quarter of a century ments could be one.

Basics of social formulation: has seen democracies Soon the ethnic compoquadrupling worldwide. sition of the military-buThe initial efforts of these The anti-democrareaucratic oligarchy tic elements of Pakistan faction along with disecular-minded leaders did not now began to challenge vines led by Maulana yield any positive result the leadership on the Usmani, the most imissue of the Islamic naportant alim in the rulbecause it was nipped in the ture of the state. In less ing hierarchy, began to put pressure to adopt an bud by a nexus of feudal forces; than six years after Pakistan’s inception, Islamic state as an ideal religious fundamentalism, the the Islamists were able for Pakistan. Liaquat’s to put up a remarkable first reaction was to try bureaucracy and the Army as show of strength and to hoodwink the reliexposed the weakness gious opposition, and well.

In undivided India the of the government and concede to their dethe modernist liberals. mands in appearance British had nurtured the tribes, In the post-Liaquat pebut not in substance. jirgas and the feudal lords just riod, the more conserThe Prime Minister vative Bengali group, called the Objectives to keep precarious peace and who had sympathy for Resolution the embodithe ulama, was inment of the Islamic the colonial empire intact. In ducted in the cabinet principle, as it invested Pakistan, to make a feudal and resulted in some all authority in Allah gains for the divines. and it was accepted by system viable, it was necessary These included the proUsmani as a statement visions that only Musof good intent. The prothat all civil liberties be denied lims were qualified to posed Constitution atto the people. To deny civil be the Head of the tracted hostility from State, and that an advithe ulema, who objected liberty we need an sory body of the ulema to the secular character would be established to of the state, and the reundemocratic system. And to consider whether the gional elements who laws already approved opposed the unitary feajustify and legitimise an were compatible with tures. Liaquat’s solution undemocratic system we need the Quran and Suuna. was to use Islam to The divines, however, widen the support base religious fundamentalism and were not interested in of the ruling group. He cosmetic changes and tried to do this by promajoritarianism pretending to wanted a specific fivepounding that the Pakbe nationalism. man bench of clerics atistan state would be tached to the Supreme built on Islamic princiCourt to vet laws. They ples. This was not in aspired to become the contradiction to Jinnah’s commitment to secularism and rejection of a state sole arbitrator of Islamic matters, but such a pobased on confessional faith. Liaquat agreed to the sition was not acceptable to the government, secular approach, but used the term Islam and Is- which saw its implications very clearly. The lamic socialism rhetorically to describe a society Muslim League leadership knew that if they gave a Constitution to the country at this stage based on social justice and equality.

Pakistan after Jinnah and Liaquat: The death it would mean their own elimination. of Jinnah in September 1948 and assassination of Dr Rajkumar Singh is head of the political Liaquat Ali Khan in October 1951 were major blows to the establishment of democracy, and af- science department, B.N. Mandal Unversity, fected adversely the future course of events. Jin- Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at: nah was the person who could have guided the rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

THE world commercial aviation industry is in a deep crisis, following emergence of virus Covid-19, which has sent shock waves that have impacted every industry. As it is Pakistan’s national airline was suffering from losses for over four decades, mostly because of mismanagement, cronyism, nepotism and financial indiscipline in procurement and fleet induction.

Corona Virus 19 has resulted in lock-down in several countries including the developed countries in Europe, where tourism industry was a major economic factor yielding billions in revenue. It is not just airlines, but hotel industry, shopping centers, theaters, major sports events and numerous other related business activities which are facing the impact.

It was expected of the federal government, which is the major share holder of PIA to select a relatively younger energetic MD or Chairman, well versed in dynamics of commercial aviation industry, conversant with rapid development in aviation technology and latest tools of marketing where IT offers customers convenience of booking etc from their residence or office and not relics of controversial managements of the past. PIA has been reduced from its days of glory under AM nur Khan to its present dismal state by previous controversial executives and reckless state policies like Open-Sky and CAA, which has become more of dumping ground for retired officers. Rafiq Saigol and nur Khan made PIA profitable and put in place a subsidiary which owned prestigious hotels like Roosevelt in Manhattan nY and Scribe in Paris, which subsequent corrupt individuals have driven to losses.

PIA requires executives with vision and integrity of nur Khan and not same “cooks that spoiled the broth”.

GULL ZaMaN Peshawar

Mental health MEnTAL health is becoming a rising issue and it still lacks the recognition it needs from people. I recently had the chance to work as a volunteer in fountain house. I worked 13 days as a volunteer in several units. The Female Unit, The Male Unit, KhawajaSira Unit, School Unit, Art Unit. I learned a lot by my interaction with each and every member working their either patients or staff. Slowly I started to realize that it lacks the facilities and services it needs to actually support all the members (patients) there. Don’t take me wrong the Organization is doing a great job but due to lack of facilities and services they lack in some things overall they are doing a great job and I am proud of the way they are managing the organization and their patients and making them feel at home. I quote Zara (a patient in Female Unit) “If we received this much love from home that we receive here our lives would’ve been different and we would be just like you.” Because most of the patients haven’t had the chance to meet their families for years. Why? They lack awareness on this issue of mental that how much love and support from their families can help them get stable faster. I hope our people realize that how much important it is for everyone to feel loved by their families and to provide more resources and services to facilities to organizations like fountain house even through donation so that these people can recover faster and go back to live with their families before it’s too late.

IqRa FaISaL Lahore

Law and order?

I am writing to your esteemed self to express my deep concern over deteriorating law and order situation in the city. The incidents of thefts, jewellery and purse snatching, mobile snatching, eve-teasing, extortion, gang wars, etc. are on the increase. There is an atmosphere of insecurity and fear in the entire locality. no resident dares to go out after the dark.

We the residents of the locality have lodged a written complaint with the local Police Station in which we requested the SHO for permanent patrolling by the cops during the evening. In spite of our repeated complaints, no action has been taken. now I on behalf of the residents of the city have decided to bring the attention of the concerned authorities to the problem through the medium of your esteemed newspaper. I am hopeful that you will help us in bringing normalcy to our city by publishing this letter in your reputed daily.

MIaN MUHaMMaD DawooD MEHMooD wah

Fighting Corona IT is not just about this virus alone and everyone should go beyond and think beyond this difficult situation for the sake of a stable and calm environment around the world.

All the countries/continents, starting from China first, such as Asian region, Europe, Italy, the USA have been on the threshold of the massive coronavirus outbreak no end. If something seriously powerful had been unleashed against this virus early on, this impact could not have been this much or else the so-called ripple effect/chain reactions would have been avoided to the greatest extent possible. But going by the oncoming outputs, this has not been the case now.

I have been watching the TV channels like BBC, Cnn for the ongoing updates on the virus threats. My most favourite English news channel Cnn has been doing a great deal of hardwork, having been giving us all all-round updates on the coronavirus menace from across the world.

Seriously enough, I have been spreading a big word of coronavirus among the people, family members and relatives in my native places like Korkai, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari in Tamil nadu. Most importantly, the countries and the people have long been scrambling for love, support, care, the food security and the well-being/welfare.

We just cannot help dragging this issue for ever. Shunning this lethargic attitude and putting in a lot of serious work, all the stakeholders including countries, doctors, scientists and researchers should come forward and act ahead finding a final solution to the coronavirus outbreak at the world stage.

P SENtHIL SaRavaNa DURaI Mumbai

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

MoRe aiRlines could collapse iF coRonaviRus cRisis lasts 2-3 Months, says iata chieF GENEVA

i

AGENCIES

F the coronavirus crisis lasts another two or three months, it could force carriers to collapse and spark more consolidation in the beleaguered airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief told Reuters on Friday.

Alexandre de Juniac, in an interview at IATA headquarters, said revenue losses would be “probably above” $113 billion that it estimated a week ago, before the Trump administration’s announcement of US travel curbs on much of continental Europe.

“We are asking all the governments who have put restrictions – and the US government particularly – to review the decision permanently to see whether they can alleviate or waive that decision – the sooner the better,” de Juniac said.

IATA called on Thursday for governments to consider extending credit lines, re-

Retired surgeon suspected of abusing up to 349 children stands trial in France SAINTES: A retired surgeon suspected of raping or sexually abusing as many as 349 children over nearly three decades went on trial behind closed doors in France on Friday in what could be the country’s biggestever paedophilia scandal. The trial in the western town of Saintes is the first of hundreds of legal complaints against defendant Joel Le Scouarnec to come to court. It is due to run until March 17. Le Scouarnec, 69, is charged in this opening case with raping and sexually abusing four children between 1989 and 2017. The alleged victims included two of his nieces, a patient and his neighbour’s then six-yearold daughter. Because the victims were minors at the time, the Saintes court ruled on Friday that proceedings would be closed to the public, radio franceinfo said. Le Scouarnec was arrested in 2017 when the young girl living next door told her mother that he had exposed himself and molested her. Investigators said a search of Le Scouarnec’s home yielded images of child abuse as well as notebooks where the surgeon detailed acts of sexual violence against children from 1989 to 2017. Le Scouarnec has told investigators that he had “already acted out” with children. He has however denied any full sexual penetration and said his diaries included an element of fantasy. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. AGENCIES

ducing infrastructure costs and cutting taxes for cash-strapped airlines. Carriers serving Germany, France and Italy are most at risk.

De Juniac, asked whether he feared that other carriers would follow Britain’s Flybe, which went under last week, said that it would “depend on the intensity and the duration of the crisis”.

“If the drop is as significant, as deep, as we are seeing now, and if it lasts for more than two or three months, we will see some difficulties among airlines,” he said.

“Some of them will probably have financial difficulty, it will probably lead to a further consolidation,” added de Juniac, a former Air France-KLM group chief executive.

FINANCIAL SHOCK: The fallout from the coronavirus spread across the Pacific on Friday, with Australian travel firms issuing profit warnings and Japanese carriers cutting capacity, while U.S. airlines rushed to cut flights to Europe in the wake of new travel restrictions.

“Apparently the financial shock on the different markets has been in general for all

industries, the airlines particularly,” de Juniac said.

“So it is just a signal that everybody is aware of the importance and the enormous order of magnitude of this crisis on our industry. But not only on us, unfortunately.”

IATA, whose 290 member airlines in 120 countries account for 82% of the world’s air traffic, has asked governments to waive the ‘slot rule’ which obliges carriers to use a slot for 80% of a season, or lose it, he said.

“We are asking to waive that rule until the end of the summer season worldwide,” de Juniac said.

It has urged regulators to relax a rule that flights can’t be cancelled less than two weeks ahead of the scheduled departure, and sought a reduction for overflight fees, he added.

“We are asking governments to reduce our charges either by reducing the airport charges, for instance, the parking fees.”

“Because all our aircrafts are parked, empty on the tarmac. So we ask for a reduction in parking fees,” de Juniac said.

Pentagon 'wishes to reconsider' awarding JEDI contract to Microsoft

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The US Department of Defense said Thursday it wants to reconsider its decision to award a multi-billion-dollar military cloud computing contract to Microsoft in a bidding process Amazon claims was tainted by politics.

A judge last month issued an order at Amazon’s request temporarily blocking the US military from starting work on the

Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract, or JEDI. In a filing late Thursday in a federal court, government attorneys asked for the matter to be “remanded,” or sent back, to the Pentagon “for 120 days to reconsider certain aspects of the challenged agency decision.” It is up to the court whether the case is remanded or proceeds.

The DoD attorneys said the motion came in response to the judge stalling the awarding of the JEDI contract on the

grounds Amazon Web Services (AWS) would “likely be able to show” that the department erred in evaluating its proposal.

“We are pleased that the DoD has acknowledged ‘substantial and legitimate’ issues that affected the JEDI award decision, and that corrective action is necessary,” an AWS spokesperson said in a statement.

“We look forward to complete, fair, and effective corrective action that fully insulates the re-evaluation from political influence and corrects the many issues af-

fecting the initial flawed award.”

Amazon argues it was shut out of the deal because of President Donald Trump’s vendetta against the company and its chief executive Jeff Bezos.

It is seeking testimony from the president and other top officials on the reasons for awarding the $10 billion, 10-year US military cloud computing contract to Microsoft. “DoD wishes to reconsider its award decision in response to the other technical challenges presented by AWS,” the government attorneys said in the filing.

“A remand here is in the interests of justice because it will provide the agency with an opportunity to reconsider the award decision at issue in light of AWS’s allegations, this court’s opinion, and any new information gathered.” The JEDI program will ultimately see all military branches sharing information in a cloud-based system boosted by artificial intelligence. An earlier court filing by Amazon detailed alleged errors that ended with Microsoft being chosen over its AWS cloud computing division, part of the technology group led by Bezos.

Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, is a frequent target of the US president, who claims the newspaper is biased against him.

Amazon was considered the lead contender to provide technology for JEDI, with AWS dominating the cloud computing arena and the company already providing classified servers for other government agencies including the CIA. mazon argued in court documents that the Pentagon’s choice of Microsoft was mystifying if not for Trump’s repeated “expressed determination to, in the words of the president himself, ‘screw Amazon.'”

At 94, Mahathir still punching in Malaysia's political fray KUALA LUMPUR AGENCIES

Having lost leadership of Malaysia to an ally he says “double-crossed” him, 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad insists he feels dutybound to remain a player in the Southeast Asian nation’s political scene.

Malaysia was plunged into turmoil when Mahathir quit as prime minister on February 24, as his multi-ethnic coalition broke apart, to be replaced by an alliance of conservative ethnic Malay parties led by his erstwhile lieutenant Muhyiddin Yassin.

“I want to retire. But even now, they keep on saying, ‘are you going to come back? Are you going to help us?’” Mahathir said in an interview at his office in Kuala Lumpur. “I will be very selfish if I say I want to enjoy life and all that. To me, this is a duty.”

Still recovering from the political backstabbing, Mahathir appeared concerned by the risk of coronavirus as he greeted Reuters reporters with the Indian-style namaste, pressing his palms together, rather than shaking hands.

Mahathir was first prime minister between 1981 and 2003. He came out of retirement to join hands with old rival Anwar

Ibrahim to oust the corruption-tainted United Malays National Organisation led by Najib Razak. But, his second stint in power lasted less than two years.

He was replaced by his former interior minister Muhyiddin, who was able to com-

mand more support in their Bersatu party and broke with Mahathir to ally with UMNO, which had lost the 2018 election amid a backlash over a multi-billion dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd. The new ruling alliance also in-

cludes a Malay Islamist party, PAS. This week, Muhyiddin said he had written to Mahathir to request a meeting and apologise, but he is likely to be given short shrift. “What’s the good of asking for forgiveness when he did this thing in front of me. He split up my party because he wanted to be a prime minister,” Mahathir told Reuters.

Mahathir said he will wait and see how Muhyiddin deals with ruling coalition leaders who are facing corruption charges, including former premier Najib, before deciding on any possible reconciliation with the prime minister.

“I’m watching what this government is going to do with the people who are under trial … Whether it is a proper conviction, whether the sentence is commensurate with the crime committed,” said Mahathir.

“All these things we have to see.”

Najib is now facing dozens of corruption charges over state fund 1MDB, from which US and Malaysian investigators say over $4.5 billion was misappropriated. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mahathir said the United States should “think twice” before giving Malaysia back the money recovered from its anti-kleptocracy probe, as the party accused of graft at

1MDB was back in power.

Next month, Mahathir said he plans to seek re-election as chairman of his Bersatu party, but he expects Muhyiddin, the party’s president, to challenge him.

Muhyiddin’s move against Mahathir stemmed from fears that the coalition was losing Malay support due to the presence of ethnic-Chinese politicians. He also did not want Anwar to take over from Mahathir, sources have told Reuters.

Mahathir said Anwar should be patient in his pursuit of the premiership and that Anwar is “not all that popular” at the moment.

Reuters reported this month that the political machinations that led to Mahathir’s resignation began several months ago with his knowledge, the aim being to block Anwar from taking power.

Mahathir said he was aware of talks between some in his coalition and the then opposition, but he never expected them to go against his word.

“I was aware they were talking,” he said, adding that he had never asked them to stop the talks. “No, I never asked because I feel that I have a strong argument. And I thought that people will follow me.”

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

BuSineSS 11

PSL fAn-BAn LIkELy To CoST PCB ovER RS100m

CORPORATE CORNER

LAHORE ISLAMABAD: Introducing adventure sports with fivestar facilities at one of the highest altitudes in Pakistan, Pearl-Continental Hotel’s Mountain & Ski Resort in Malam Jabba has opened its doors for guests. P RES S REL EA S E

KARACHI: Avari Towers Hotel recently honoured the women by hosting a Women’s Day Special Munch. It collaborated with True SkinCare and Gulali Afridi Salon for giveaways to all the females who came to dine-in. PRESS RELEASE

T

STAFF REPORT

HE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to suffer a financial loss of over Rs100 million due to its decision to stage the remainder of its Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 matches in Karachi and Lahore behind closed doors due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

According to media reports, the loss will be borne by the PCB and PSL franchises with a sharing ratio of 30pc

MEIRYUM ALI

KARACHI: Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited and Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited recently entered into a distribution alliance for Jubilee Life’s Window Takaful products. PR ESS RE LE AS E

SECP reviews stock market situation amid repeated halts The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the Pakistan Stock Exchange, National Clearing Company and Central Depository Company sat together on Friday to review and discuss the stock market situation, risk management and continuity of ordinary business. The meeting was held after the index-based market halts were triggered for the third time during this week, said a press release by the regulator. This cooling-off period gave an opportunity to investors to align their trading strategy and collection of margins by the Clearing Company, the release further said. The participants of the meeting affirmed that risk management system was functioning efficiently, and margins were being collected timely. The market operations were running smoothly as a whole. The CEOs further apprised that their business continuity plans, and disaster recovery setup was in place based on the SECP’s earlier instructions. The SECP chairman emphasized on conducting drills to ensure remote operations of trading, clearing, settlement and custody services while allowing remote access of market participants to such systems in case on-site operations or physical access was impacted. He also suggested adoption of further preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus. BUSINESS DESK

has been postponed to April 15th from March 29th as a "precautionary measure" against the coronavirus pandemic.

IMPACT ON PAKISTAN: Analysts fear that the outbreak of coronavirus could have an adverse impact on Pakistan’s economy, as it may lead to a decrease in personal income, meaning big purchases on things like cars or appliances would be postponed.

Pakistan today announced it is shutting all its land borders and limiting international flights for 15 days. The country borders China, where the coro-

Foreign outflows cross $700m in March: SBP KARACHI

KARACHI: Renowned banker Sirajudddin Aziz launches a book titled ‘The Art & Craft of Management’. PRESS RELEASE

to 70pc, respectively.

The board was expected to make the said amount via ticket sales and hospitality deals. However, it will now be looking into the logistics of returning ticket payments instead.

Meanwhile, amid fears over the pandemic, a number of international players, who had flown into the country for the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League on heavy sums, have decided to fly back to their home countries.

Also, the start of the multi-billiondollar Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020

Total gross divestment during March 2020 has reached $772.3 million, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), as ‘hot money’ leaves the country amid ongoing concerns about the impact of the COVID19 outbreak.

It is expected that by the end of this week, T-bills’ outflows from the Special Convertible Rupee Account (SCRA) will cross $800 million.

Foreign investors divested $166 million net worth of treasury bills (T-bills) on March 12, as per the SCRA, which tracks inflows and

outflows from foreign countries.

The net investment in T-bills from July 2019 to date now amounts to $2.327 billion.

This has been an especially bad week in terms of divestment from T-bills. On March 11, foreign investors divested $251 million net worth of T-bills, with total divestment in March having reached $606.5 million.

Previously on March 10, foreign investors divested $136 million of T-bills on March 10.

This is part of a general pattern of divestment that started in late February. Foreign investors divested $67 million of T-bills on February 28 and divested $103 million net worth of T-Bills on

March 3. The divestment on March 3 was particularly significant, because it represented the first time there had been net selling in eight months.

According to analysts, the hot money outflows are likely to cause another round of rupee depreciation and is likely to cause another round of inflationary pressure. The large outflow of dollars is also concerning, as it means they will no longer act as a cushion for SBP reserves, The outflows are connected to the ongoing oil war between Saudi Arabia and Russia due to the COVID-19 outbreak, that is typical not just for Pakistan, but also other emerging markets.

Telenor celebrates 15 years in Pakistan with successful 5G trials Telenor Pakistan, the country's leading telecom and digital services provider, marked 15 years of its operations in Pakistan through the successful trial of 5G. During a ceremony at the company's 345 campus, Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Wahab Khan and Deputy CEO Khurrum Ashfaque briefed the media on Telenor Pakistan’s successful operations as the leader in innovation and digital transformation, shared its future plans and showcased the 5G use-cases.

In a ground-breaking development, Telenor Pakistan executed the most comprehensive 5G trial setup in Pakistan. It involves multiple suppliers and is established as the fastest cellular 5G test data connection in the country, achieving connectivity speeds greater than 1.5 Gbps. In addition to the speed demonstration, Telenor Pakistan showcased relevant 5G use-cases including a virtual reality-based classroom for remote education enablement and ultra-HD, 4K live video coverage using a drone-cam.

Addressing the media, Irfan Wahab Khan said, "First and foremost I want to thank millions of Pakistanis for choosing us as their preferred service provider in the last 15 years. It is a proud day for us, as we not only renew our commitment for the years to come; but have also raised the bar once again through our innovative capabilities to venture out on a journey that will benefit the people of Pakistan. The market is

ripe with possibilities and we are excited to continue our journey of leveraging technology to achieve the Digital Pakistan vision. Staying true to our purpose, we will sustain and expand our efforts towards empowering societies and reducing inequalities."

Speaking on the occasion, Telenor Pakistan Deputy CEO Khurrum Ashfaque said, "We started the journey towards 5G readiness last year by beginning the evolution of our network core from legacy architecture to state-of-the-art virtualised Telenor Hybrid Cloud and rapid fiberisation to the tower. Today, we have further ventured into the next era by establishing the fastest cellular 5G test data connection in Pakistan and showcasing relevant, impactful use cases in our trial. We will continue to take strides towards enhancing the ecosystem that we set out to build years ago through network transformation and expansion." BUSINESS DESK

navirus (Covid-19) originated, and Iran which is one of the worst-hit countries.

According to Risha Mohyeddin, Global Treasurer at HBL Bank, “There will undoubtedly be a significant and tragic human cost if Covid-19 takes hold in the Pakistan population, as much of the population lives in close proximity to each other. That said, there are factors that may slow spread of the disease into Pakistan. “The impact on the economy will largely be dictated by government’s action and any impact on Pakistan’s export sectors.”

PITB, SadaPay join hands to facilitate ‘eRozgaar freelancers’ LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SadaPay, a digital mobile wallet company, to assist eRozgaar freelancers by providing them with easy and secure access to their monetary funds. PITB eGovernance DG Sajid Latif and SadaPay CEO Brandon Timinsky signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations. SadaPay Marketing Head Muhammad Asad, PITB Director Salman Amin, Senior Programme Manager Ahmed Islam, focal person Wishal Naveed and other senior officials were also present on this occasion. Speaking on the occasion, DG Sajid Latif said, “eRozgaar is a joint project of PITB and Youth Affairs, Sports, Archeology & Tourism (YASAT) Department.

SadaPay will issue freelancer accounts to every eRozgaar graduate at no cost for the duration of this agreement along with customized debit cards with PITB printed logo. The MoU will be a gamechanger for the eRozgaar community in Pakistan as up till now, more than 16,000 students have been graduated from 32 eRozgaar centres across Punjab with online earnings of more than Rs230 million.” SadaPay CEO Brandon Timinsky said that SadaPay has the best alternative for foreign transactions which will facilitate this process for our freelancers with minimal charges. “E-Rozgaar freelancers will be issued accounts and debit cards free of cost for three years and will not have any monthly or annual fees for an account or card issuance. There will be no IBFT fee for transfers below Rs10,000 while the fee will be Rs8 for IBFT transfers from Rs10,000 to Rs250,000.”

British Airways in battle for ‘survival’ over coronavirus LONDON: British Airways warned that its survival was at stake on Friday as its CEO told staff of plans to cut jobs and ground aircraft to tackle the “worsening situation” caused by coronavirus. Chief Executive Alex Cruz told BA’s staff in a message titled “the survival of British Airways” that coronavirus was causing a crisis “of global proportions like no other we have known”, more serious than the financial crisis, SARS or 9/11. “Please do not underestimate the seriousness of this for our company,” read the message from Cruz, a transcript of which was seen by Reuters. AGENCIES

Oil bounces 5pc but set for biggest weekly thumping since 2008 LONDON AGENCIES

Oil prices were up more than 5pc on Friday but set for their worst weekly drubbing since the 2008 financial crisis as investors fretted over the coronavirus knocking demand and plans by producers to boost output.

Brent crude was up $1.77, or 5.3pc, at $34.99 per barrel by 1011 GMT after falling more than 7pc on Thursday.

Brent this week is set to fall by around 23pc in its biggest weekly decline since December 2008, when it fell nearly 26pc.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up $1.58 cents, or 5pc, to $33.08 per barrel. WTI is set to drop 20pc this week, also the most since the financial crisis.

“It’s been a very rough week and so it’s not impossible people are locking in ahead of the weekend,” said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.

“I would also point out that in the context of the recent moves it’s not really a major move,” he added, noting that “volumes are terrible” and down significantly on average.

World stocks were also set for their worst week since 2008, with the coronavirus spark-

ing panic selling in nearly every asset class.

Just as travel bans, cancelled events and other economic disruptions eat into crude demand, major oil producers are planning to add more crude to an oversupplied market.

Prospects for a flood of low-priced oil from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter, and the United Arab Emirates is intensifying the pressure on prices after talks among producers on curbing supply collapsed last week.

“The (planned) surge in low-cost production is significantly larger than expected with the collapse in demand due to the coro-

navirus looking increasingly broad,” said Goldman Sachs, which now expects what it said would be a record high oil surplus of 6 million barrels per day (bpd) by April.

Russia, the world’s second-largest producer, does not appear willing to return to its agreement on curbing output with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Russian oil producers met with Energy Minister Alexander Novak on Thursday but did not discuss returning to the deal, with the head of Gazprom Neft saying they plan to raise output in April.

“The avenues for a quick off-ramp to the

Saudi/Russia price war appear to be closing,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Helima Croft said.

US energy historian Daniel Yergin said it may be some time before oil markets see any relief as the coronavirus courses through the world and disrupts daily life while Saudi Arabia and Russia look to flood the market.

However, the price slump may be doing the work needed to reduce supply. Energy companies in the United States, now the world’s biggest crude producer, are preparing to cut investment and drilling plans due to plunging prices.

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

12 BUSINESS

Steel induStry ConCerned over ‘propoSed fACilitieS’ for tSMl revivAl ISLAMABAD

26 sectors submit suggestions for export promotion ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Friday chaired a meeting at the Finance Division to review the proposals for the facilitation of export sectors with a special focus on small & medium enterprises.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razzaq Dawood on the occasion gave a detailed briefing to the participants on improving the system of duty drawbacks and export rebates that could help with the cash flow situation of the exporters and reduce burden through automation and reduced tiers for verification. Other proposals included updating the lists of rate of rebates offered on different exported items and provision of funds to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for clearing rebates in a faster manner. The meeting was briefed that 26 sectors, which can provide exportable materials, had put forward their suggestions for the facilitation and promotion of exports from the country and some of the proposed measures didn’t even require any monetary contribution from the government. Shaikh appreciated the work done by the commerce ministry and the input given by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs on the proposals. He said the government aims to provide ease with maximum degree of automation and transparency to the exporters. The adviser directed the MoC to hold further discussions with all stakeholders and prepare draft proposals for making an effective policy for increasing the volume of exports from the country. He said all possible cooperation in the matter would be provided by the MoF and the needful would be done in the next budget.

Apple says reopening all its branded stores in China Apple Inc is reopening all 42 of its branded stores in China on Friday, a company spokesman said, more than a month after they were shut in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The iPhone maker’s Chinese website listed the opening time for all stores, which varies from 10:00 am to 11:00 am local time. The website had previously carried an advisory saying not all stores were open.

Apple had announced the shuttering of its branded stores in early February. China placed curbs on travel and asked residents to avoid public places in late January, just ahead of the Lunar New Year festival, a major gift-giving holiday. Those restrictions stayed largely in place through most of February.

The company sold fewer than half a million iPhones in China in February, government data showed on Monday, as the outbreak halved demand for smartphones. AGENCIES

GHULAM ABBAS

e

XPRESSING serious concerns over the government's intention to facilitate the revival of Al-Tuwairqi Steel Mills Limited (TSML) through heavily subsidized gas and tax exemptions, the local steel industry has claimed that the proposed plan would cause an annual burden of over Rs13.2 billion to the national exchequer.

Through a letter sent to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) has claimed that the particular project was being pushed with great haste and by ignoring the tenets of meritocracy.

TSML, a joint foreign direct investment project of KSA's Al-Tuwairqi Group of Companies, was established at Bin Qasim, Karachi, over an area of 220 acres. The Saudi firm had halted its plant operations after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had refused to provide gas at a discounted rate.

The plant has been dysfunctional since June 2013.

The TSML management had sought gas supply at Rs123 per million British thermal units (mmbtu) in a bid to efficiently run the plant. However, the then government had turned down the request, arguing that it would amount to a subsidy of Rs25 billion over five years.

According to sources, while the bureaucracy was reluctant to approve special facilities being proposed for the revival of TSML, an influential lobby was forcing the government to consider the revival plan.

"Although officials at the Ministry of Industries and Production and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are opposing the special facilities being offered to TSML, at least half a dozen reminders have been sent to FBR and relevant authorities to consider the revival plan," an insider told this scribe.

"The officials are opposing the summary related to the TSML revival to avoid court cases as they consider the proposed plan to be a clear case of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)."

The proposed tax exemptions include exemption of minimum income tax for 10 years, exemption of 2pc additional customs duty (ACD) on import of pellets, and waiver of regulatory duty and ACD on import of DRI (direct reduced iron)-based billets for a period of one and half year.

It was also proposed to give TSML the status of a ‘Special Economic Zone’ so that it could enjoy all exemptions given by the government to seven SEZs under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"At full capacity, Tuwairqi Steel Mills will be getting a subsidy of almost Rs13.2 billion per annum from the government, including subsidy on gas and income tax exemptions," the PLSP noted in its letter sent to the PM. "Tuwairqi's product, DRI, will try and replace

imported scrap, but import substitution numbers will be negative when considering the subsidies required for the Pakistan Steel Mill to be operational, i.e. major components of DRI manufacturing are RLNG and iron ore, both imported products.

"Moreover, import substitution will only be done partially because technology predominantly used in Pakistan for steel making can only process maximum 20pc of gas-based DRI, while balance will still have to be imported scrap."

As per the PLSP, "Given that many DRI exporting countries are those where gas prices are in the range of $2.5 per mmbtu and may even have iron ore available domestically, it doesn't seem that TSML will be viable in the export market even after subsidized gas is available to them at $4.65 per mmbtu."

The association further stated that since DRI must be at least 15pc cheaper than shredded scrap prices for it to make commercial sense, maximum local buyers would be willing to pay $260 per tonne for DRI. "As subsidised gas price and iron ore pellets alone will cost Tuwairqi $220 per tonne, will they be able to cover all other costs and overheads in just $40 per tonne?" the association asked. "It is now clear that we will be giving perpetual gas subsidy to Tuwairqi and we will have to import RLNG to augment our demand for gas which doesn't make sense. Therefore, we must promote the production of DRI and iron pallets through the use of coal gas and iron ore."

PSX recovers from early tremors, closes in green KSE-100 LOST 1,689 POINTS DURING THE INITIAL TRADING HOUR, BEFORE BOUNCING BACK TO CLOSE HIGHER BY 104 POINTS KARACHI STAFF REPORT

In line with recent trends, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) once again opened the session on a bearish note, but managed to change its course later in the day to close in the green.

A 45-minute 'market halt' was triggered for the third time this week after the KSE-30 Index fell 5.96pc to 15,039.17 points during the initial trading hour.

A 'market halt' is a standard protocol for risk management purposes which is triggered when the KSE-30 Index moves 4pc either way and remains there for five consecutive minutes.

Similar 'halts' were also witnessed at various global equity markets, as investors resorted to panic-selling amid growing coronavirus tensions.

Meanwhile, news of foreign investors pulling out almost one-sixth of their investment in treasury bills (Tbills) during the last three weeks fur-

ther created panic among investors.

Net outflows from T-bills reached $606.54 million in first 12 days of the current month, whereas total divestment from Pakistan’s capital markets (including equity, T-bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds) stood at $671.37 million during the said period.

According to latest data published by the State Bank of Pakistan, the country's total liquid foreign exchange reserves rose by $36 million to $18,905 million (as on March 6, 2020). The reserves previously stood at $18,869 million (Feb 28, 2020).

Losing 1,689.78 points, the benchmark KSE-100 Index touched its intraday low at 34,266.91. However, as trading resumed after the 45minute halt, the index rebounded and touched its intraday high at 36,212.38 after accumulating 255.69 points. It finally settled higher by 104.19 points at 36,060.88.

The index's one-week return was recorded at -5.65pc.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index appreciated by 618.82 points to close at 55,908.04, whereas the KSE All Share Index lost 19.01 points, ending at 25,291.96. Of the total traded shares, 138 advanced and 174 declined.

Sectors that rescued the KSE-100 Index from bloodbath included oil & gas exploration (+116.76 points), pharmaceutical (+34.62 points) and oil & gas marketing (+28.07 points).

The overall market volumes increased from 230.70 million shares in the previous session to 290.47 million shares, with The Bank of Punjab

(BOP -0.98pc), Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +0.58pc) and Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL -0.06pc) topping the volume chart. The scripts had exchanged 31.11 million, 25.71 million, and 20.95 million shares, respectively.

Through a notification, the PSX announced to launch the NIT Pakistan Gateway Index on March 16. The index aims to track the performance of stocks that represent 50pc free-float market cap of the KSE-100 Index. It will be made live with a base value of 10,000 points.

Is Pakistani market ready for a rate cut?

KARACHI ARIBA SHAHID

Central banks around the world are getting aggressive with their rate cuts. With the developed world heading towards negative interest rates, Pakistan is currently sporting a 13.25pc policy rate following a cycle of monetary tightening that ended in June 2019, after which the policy rate has remained stable.

However, with international oil prices dropping drastically below expectations owing to the rampant spread of coronavirus and its impact on global economic sentiments, Pakistan is hopeful for ease in inflation. This is backed by the addressing of supply shocks that were witnessed in January.

As per the analysis of financial institutions in Pakistan, two out of twenty-four expect the policy rate to remain unchanged.

IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME FOR A CUT? A contrarian view regarding the cut this time is that the State Bank of Pakistan did not choose to go for a rate hike while inflation was rapidly rising. A general observation regarding the SBP is that it is quick to hike but is slow when it comes to easing. Commentators feel that this strategy by the SBP is a prudent way to use the tool it has.

The SBP takes a number of factors into account while deciding the monetary policy.

‘SBP SHOULD CONSIDER THE COUNTRY’S UNCERTAIN INFLATION OUTLOOK AS WELL AS THE GROWING PRESSURE ON ITS CURRENCY’ Umer Farooq, Economist & Investment Analyst at AKD comments, "The SBP should tread prudently considering i) the inflation outlook remains uncertain - though oil shock carries downside risk and ii) pressure on currency following carry-trade outflows."

INFLATION: While oil prices are low, the immediate inflation outlook may be on the lower side of the spectrum, however, the outlook for oil prices is uncertain considering the political nature of the commodity. The oil shock has definitely changed outlook, but the market is still unsure as to which way the prices will settle. AKD questions the need for a cut given the delay in the monthly fuel adjustment and normalization of food prices after a mini supply shock.

With the full extent of coronavirus unknown to the markets, and the decline in oil prices further accelerated by a price war, the future dynamics are uncertain. Analysts thereby believe that the SPB should be reactive, rather than proactive in matters concerning monetary easing.

The weekly SPI Inflation numbers have been released by the PBS for the week ended 12th March 2020. The SPI increased by

0.71pc. Out of the 51 items in the basket, the average price of 14 items increased, while the prices of 9 items decreased.

As per Naushad Chamdia, CEO of Standard Capital Securities, "We expect a fall in inflation from 12.4pc to anywhere between 9.9pc-10.3pc in March."

He further comments, "This fall will drag inflation below its YTD Moving average of 11.5 for this month."

Speaking on policy rate expectations, he notes, "Keeping our CPI expectation in mind, we feel some 200bps spread is necessary for this policy rate at least."

FOREIGN OUTFLOWS: With a dollar liquidity shortage around the world, hedge funds are on a selling spree that has not spared gold either.

Keeping that in mind, more dollar outflows are expected in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year. However, as per Saad Hashmi, Executive Director Research & Business Development at BMA Capital, "The outflow is not a local issue, it has more to do with the selling spree international funds are undertaking for liquidity. Considering that, and recovery of the PKR today, it

is expected the hot money outflow will not be a deterring factor preventing the SBP from a cut."

The outflows of dollars and the value of rupee is a concern for the SBP considering how insider sources reveal that the central bank intervened in the foreign exchange market by selling dollars.

The SBP intervened at 4pm on Friday to bring the dollar down to Rs157.25 by pumping liquidity.

ARGUMENTS FOR A CUT: However, if we look on the other side, AHL expects a 100bps slash in policy rates, exceeding the modal expectations of the market. While speaking to profit, the AHL team commented, “The expectation is in line with lower inflation, downturn in the global commodity and equity markets, and the fear of a global recession.”

They further comment, “The cut is necessary to mitigate the risk due to coronavirus. Considering global monetary easing, thus the rising rate differentials.”

Hashmi commented on the global trend of cuts in order to bolster demand in the wake of dampened sentiments due to coronavirus. He believes that the SBP will follow in order to prop up consumption sentiments in the economy.

PRESSURE ON SBP: Prime Minister Imran Khan had said on Wednesday that as

inflation was coming down, interest rate would also come down and people would easily opt for loans for housing.

Textile millers and economic experts on Tuesday had urged the government to reduce the interest rate, currently at 13.25pc, to a single digit.

“We [Pakistan] need an emergency reduction in interest rates…world interest rates are headed to zero or negative and we must also bring it to a single-digit immediately,” said APTMA Punjab Vice-Chairman Aamir Sheikh.

Acclaimed Economist and Professor at the Institute of Business Administration, Dr. Adnan Haider notes, “After observing some recent updates (mostly favorable), I am predicting a cut (most likely, 100 to 150bps) this time. Inflation forecast is also revised (11.54pc for FY2020).”

Economist Dr Qais Aslam said that 13.25pc interest rate by SBP was set in a bid to attract ‘hot money’ by speculators from abroad who get loans where the interest rate is 1.5pc and get a pure profit of 12pc.

“Also, the fear is that if they take out all their money at once, the economy will go bankrupt. It is advisable to bring these interest rates to 8pc so that local investors can decrease their cost of doing business and the real economy might pick up and so would our GDP growth,” he said.

4 Ways to Become More Resilient

Lunch at ayLanto Dha

This week Daily Paperazzi was invited to Aylanto DHA for lunch.

W

e got a very pleasant welcome and a great service.

The décor and interior really struck us as beautiful. The café has a very modern, chic feel to it. With nice comfortable sofas, and fragrant flowers placed in

vases as centerpieces, the seating is luxurious. The lighting was dim, which leads to a romantic yet sophisticated atmosphere. We loved the little terrrace area on the 2nd floor, which allows the right amount of sunlight to enter.

tamato soup

We started off with ordering a rich in flavour Tomato soup, by far the best ive had.

Before ordering, we were served sliced carrots and cucumbers with a dip, as well as a breadbasket with butter, on the house.

We happily munched away as the vegetables were cold, fresh and crisp, while the bread was soft and warm - straight out of the oven!

chilli garlic prawns And for appetizers we ordered Chilli garlic prawns, Loaded with flavour, with a little bit of fire, it is definitely a perfect treat for all spice lovers.

decked beed

For our mains, we decided to go with jalepeno chicken, pizza and decked Beef One can't go wrong with Aylanto’s jalepeno chicken, our top pick whenever we go. Pizza was fresh and the crust was perfectly toasted with the right amount of cheese and vegetables.

Decked beef is one dish almost anyone and everyone that lives in Lahore has tried. It’s everyone’s favourite too! The caramelised onions and jalepenos are what make it what it is. A must try to anyone that hasn’t already. It was cooked to perfection and tasted delicious.

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

pizza

to be or not to be... James bond Here’s something that has always intrigued me about the James Bond movies. Why do so many actors not want to be part of the most successful movie series in history? (And the Bond films beat everything else in longevity – though they now make less money than pictures featuring aliens and men in capes.)

The most famous reluctant Bond was sean connery who created the role and then refused to act in On Her Majesty’s secret service.

The part went to an unknown: George lazenby. But even lazenby refused to star in Diamonds Are Forever, the follow-up. The producers went to Richard Burton (very odd choice) who turned them down, leaving them with no choice but to persuade connery to come back.

Timothy Dalton said he was fed up of being Bond after starring in only two movies (of which licence to Kill was such a flop that it nearly killed off the whole franchise). Fortunately the Us studios ( who distribute the films) wanted Pierce Brosnan anyway so nobody really minded. And more recently Daniel craig, the current Bond, swore that he would never, ever star in another Bond movie (he would rather slash his wrists with broken glass, he said) before finally signing on for another (perhaps two more, even), no Time To Die, which will be in cinemas later this year.

R

esilience is good for you: Research shows that people with resilient qualities are at a lower risk of depression. Other research found that resilience helps people perceive pain less intensely. still more research shows that people with health challenges function better, emotionally and physically, when they’re more resilient.

Try These ideas To become more resilienT: be kinder To yourself: self-attitude alone won’t make you resilient, but being understanding of yourself may inspire you to make positive progress, rather than feeling stuck. “Believing in ourselves overall and having self-confidence in our abilities to cope with stress is critical for resilience,” Dolan says. “if we have hope and confidence we can manage something, that increases the likelihood we will effectively get through it.” seek social supporT: You can’t build resilience in a vacuum: Resilient people seek support from friends or relatives, rather than isolating themselves and ruminating about their worries. create a supportive network, and reach out when you need encouragement. “if you surround yourself with a world that is more like the one you think you need to be your best self, you’re probably more likely to experience that best self,” Ungar says. look ahead: Resilient people are more likely to focus on ways to make the most of the present and future, rather than dwelling on upsetting events in the past. “Highly resilient people move toward positive solutions to their problems,” Dolan says. “events that happened in the past are unchangeable. Our reactions to those events, however, are under our control. The more we can move beyond negative feelings about the past, the better equipped we will be to enjoy the present and prepare to cope with future stressors.” manage your healTh: When you’re coping with trying circumstances, don’t neglect your physical needs. eating healthily, sleeping enough, and getting regular physical activity should prepare you to react to your situation optimally. some research found that exercising consistently may make you more resilient and stress-resistant. “engaging in behaviors that increase physical health also bolster resilience,” Dolan says. “Getting good sleep, eating healthfully, taking care of medical issues as they arise, and getting appropriate amounts of exercise all provide a person with the physical wellbeing necessary to face stressors.”

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln was wrestling champion of his county in Illinois. He fought in nearly 300 matches and lost only one.

As comedian Bob Hope lay on his deathbed in 2003, his wife Dolores asked where he’d like to be buried. His reply: “Surprise me.”

The Eiffel Tower leans slightly toward the shade on sunny days.

Irrfan’s Angrezi Medium to re-release in Delhi, Kerala; kapil sharma jokes akshay kumar grabbed here are all the cuts CBFC suggested in the film his ad: ‘apart from 8 films, he also snatches irrfan’s Angrezi Medium will be re-released in Kerala, Delhi and ads from small people like me’

Jammu and Kashmir -- regions where cinema halls will remain shut till March 31 due to the coronavirus outbreak. On Thursday, it was announced that cinema halls and schools will be shut in several regions as an effort to prevent the highly-contagious virus from spreading. " Angrezi Medium has been a journey i shall cherish all my life.

The one thing i've learnt from its making is that whatever be the obstacle, if we pour our heart and soul into something, the universe will have our back. As the film now reaches india, we have already received unabashed love from Dubai and other international territories. Due to unforeseen circumstances it will however not release in Kerala, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir. We hope for the same affection and support you've been giving us since day one. Our movie will reach these places when the time is right, but rest assured, just like irrfan said, 'wait for us'," said the film's producer Dinesh Vijan.

Meanwhile, the central Board of Film certification (cBFc) has suggested several cuts in Angrezi Medium including one where abusive word “**utiya” was replaced with “Bhutiya”.

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar “snatched” an advertisement project from comedian Kapil sharma, the TV star has claimed. Talking to filmmaker Rohit shetty and Akshay during their promotional visit to his TV show The Kapil sharma show, Kapil joked Akshay had ‘snatched’ an advertisement project for an insurance company from him.

Kapil shared a video from the episode featuring sooryavanshi director and actor. in the video, Kapil says while introducing Akshay and Rohit on his show, “Rohit sir ne Ajay sir ke saath singham banai, Ranveer ke saath simbaa banai. Ab Akshay sir ke saath sooryavanshi banai hai. To sir aisi kaun si cheez thi jo singham aur simbaa nahi kar pae jo aap Akshay sir ko lekar aye ho sooryavanshi me (Rohit has made singham with Ajay Devgn, simbaa with Ranveer singh. so what was left that Ajay and Ranveer could not do and you had to rope in Akshay for sooryavanshi)?” When Rohit asked him to watch the film, Kapil said jokingly, “Kuch log bahar bol rahe hain jo un dono ne kaamaya tha sara Akshay paaji le gae.

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

14 SPORTS

PAndEmic ShUtS dOwn EvErESt AS nEPAl SUSPEndS PErmitS

KathMandu

n

Agencies

EPAL on Friday barred climbers from all mountains -- including Everest -- over the coronavirus pandemic, in a major blow to its tourism industry.

The move could cost the Himalayan nation tens of millions of dollars in rev-

enues drawn by the world's biggest mountain, and expedition organisers said it would cause a financial disaster.

"The government has decided to suspend all spring expeditions and scrap permits for the time being. The decision can be reviewed after analysing the global scenario over the coming month," tourism minister Yogesh Bhattarai told AFP, adding no more visas would be given on arrival

Formula One in turmoil as season-opening Australian Grand Prix cancelled

for foreigners. Nepal's move came a day after China barred access from its side. The country, still recovering from a major 2015 earthquake, was hoping to attract two million tourists for the first time in 2020.

"This is disappointing news for both our expedition leaders and our clients who have trained for months for this year’s climb," said Lukas Furtenbach, head of US-based Furtenbach Adventures. Every spring tents cities of hundreds of foreign climbers and support staff grows at the foot of Everest and other peaks. All have to live in close quarters. As the air thins, breathing is already difficult at higher altitude -- adding to medical risks if there is an outbreak of any kind among climbers.

Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, one of the biggest Everest expedition organisers, said the decision was right because there could "10 times" the harm if there was an outbreak on a mountain.

"I urge climbers to not panic because they can't climb this season, our mountains will always be with us," Sherpa said.

Nepal has issued only five permits for the season but none for Everest so far.

Climber Vanessa Estol from Uruguay was hoping to be the first woman to summit Everest from her country.

"Climbing Everest was a dream. I feel really bad," said Estol.

"I was training and planning for a year.

But safety is always first."

Everest attracts hundreds of mountaineers from all over the world each spring, when a window of good weather opens up between late April and the end of May, prompting a rush for the summit.

Last year's spring window saw a record 885 people summit Everest, 644 of them from Nepal and 241 from the northern flank in Tibet. This will be the third time in the last decade that Everest's summit will be empty. Santa Bir Lama, president of Nepal's mountaineering association, said the cancellation will have "devastating" repercussions on the country's tourism.

"Companies will suffer and workers even more. But it is a responsible thing to do considering the risks," Lama said.

Many guides and support staff depend on the short climbing season for the bulk of their annual earnings.

Greek organisers scrap Olympic torch relay because of crowds athEns Agencies

Greece's Olympic Committee on Friday said it was cancelling the rest of the torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Greek soil as large crowds had turned out despite coronavirus warnings. "The rest of the torch relay on Greek soil has been cancelled," the committee said, adding that the Olympic flame would be handed over to Tokyo organisers on March 19 as scheduled, but without spectators. It noted that crowds had ignored "repeated warnings" not to gather in force at stopovers in the torch relay. Greece has so far declared 117 cases of the coronavirus, one of whom died on Thursday after 10 days in hospital. The move was announced after a large crowd mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler as he lit a cauldron in the city of Sparta.

Butler had starred as the ancient Spartan King Leonidas in the 2007 epic '300', and repeated his famous line from the movie -- 'This is Sparta' -- for gathered media.

UEFA postpones all Champions League and Europa League matches next week nYon

English football shuts down to halt coronavirus spread

MElbournE

Agencies

Agencies

Formula One's season was thrown into turmoil Friday with the Australian Grand Prix cancelled just hours before cars were due to hit the track amid fears that more races will be called off as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll. The decision follows April's Chinese Grand Prix being postponed and with the second race of the year in Bahrain due to be held without spectators, leaving huge question marks over the rest of the calendar.

"We will in the coming days be looking at races that are more imminent like Bahrain and Vietnam," F1 chief Chase Carey said in Melbourne.

"And we will have further announcements and decisions on how we navigate the short-term elements of our schedule. We know there are issues there." The future of the Australian race, the first of the season, was also in doubt Thursday when McLaren pulled out after one of its team members tested positive for the virus. McLaren revealed Friday that 14 other staff were now in a mandatory two week quarantine after being in close contact with the man, casting doubts on whether it will be able to compete in Bahrain even if the race goes ahead. The McLaren employee was among eight Formula One personnel who went into isolation after showing flu-like symptoms typical of the disease this week. The other seven - including four from the Haas team -- all returned negative results.

All UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week have been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, European football's governing body said on Friday.

The move comes after two of next week's four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs -- between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon -- had already been called off on Thursday.

That followed Real's announcement that their squad had been placed in quarantine after one of the club's basketball players tested positive for the virus. Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has also tested positive for the virus.

Two other matches scheduled for next Wednesday, between Barcelona and Napoli and between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, were initially due to go ahead behind closed doors.

"In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed," UEFA said in a statement. "Further decisions on when these matches take place will be com-

US Soccer president resigns amid gender equity dispute

Accident investigators to publish Sala crash report

nEW YorK Agencies

US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro resigned on Thursday as the federation was slammed by superstar Megan Rapinoe for "blatant sexism" in its latest response to a gender discrimination lawsuit by the US women's team. Rapinoe wasn't the only critic of the federation after comments made in court papers this week in which US Soccer said playing on the men's national team "requires a higher level of skill based on strength and speed" than does playing on the women's team. The documents argued that the men bear more responsibility than the women when representing their country.

The documents were filed on Monday in the gender discrimination lawsuit filed by the US women against the federation in March of 2019. They are seeking $66 million in back pay under the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act with the case set to go to trial on May 5. Federation vice president Cindy Parlow Cone will take over as president in accordance with the federation bylaws, Cordeiro said. Cone was among those voicing criticism of the remarks in the documents, which Cordeiro said Thursday he did not review thoroughly.

England Agencies

municated in due course."

The postponements also affect all the second legs of the Europa League last-16 round. Six of the eight first-leg matches were played on Thursday, four behind closed doors, including Manchester United's 5-0 win away to LASK Linz in Austria.

The other two matches, between Inter Milan and Getafe and between Sevilla and Roma, were called off.

UEFA also confirmed that the draws for the Champions League and Europa League quarter-finals, which were supposed to be held next Friday, March 20, were postponed as a consequence. The body will hold a crisis meeting next Tuesday to work out a way forward for their club competitions and for Euro 2020, which could now be postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

England Agencies

Fourteen months after a plane crash claimed the life of footballer Emiliano Sala, British air accident investigators are to publish Friday their final report on the tragedy.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is to present the findings in a briefing at its headquarters in Aldershot, southern England. Sala, 28, was killed when the plane carrying him and pilot David Ibbotson crashed in the Channel on January 21 2018, days after he had joined then-Premier League Cardiff City from French side Nantes.

The single-propeller Piper PA-46 Malibu aircraft vanished from radar off the Channel island of Guernsey.

Sala's body was later recovered from the wreckage as part of a private, crowd-funded search, but Ibbotson's corpse has still not been found.

In August last year, the AAIB said Sala and Ibbotson -- who were the only people on board the plane -- were likely to have been exposed to "potentially fatal" levels of car-

The English Premier League suspended all fixtures until April 4 on Friday after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for coronavirus. Matches in the English Football League, Women's Super League, all football in Scotland and international friendlies for England and Wales have also been suspended.

"Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time," the Premier League said in a statement. Everton also announced a player is in self-isolation for seven days after reporting a high temperature. The rest of their first-team squad and coaching staff have been told to stay away from all of the Merseyside club's sites. Leicester City had three players go into self-isolation on Thursday and Bournemouth said goalkeeper Artur Boruc and four staff members were taking the same precaution.

bon monoxide. Exposure at such levels "can reduce or inhibit a pilot's ability to fly an aircraft depending on the level of that exposure", it added.

Sala was signed to Cardiff for ÂŁ15 million ($19 million, 17-million-euro) in a deal that had only been completed a few days before the crash.

The footballer travelled to the Welsh capital to complete the deal, then returned to northwest France to collect belongings and bid farewell to teammates.

Sala was returning to Cardiff to take part in his first training session there. Following the incident, there were reports the pilot was not licensed to fly at night.

Earlier this week, British police said it would take no further action against a man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with Sala's death. In June 2019, Dorset Police arrested a 64-year-old man from North Yorkshire on suspicion of manslaughter by an unspecified unlawful act.

But Detective Inspector Simon Huxter said police "will not be seeking a formal charging decision... in relation to homicide offences".

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

SPORTS 15

HBL-PSL 5: MuLtan SuLtanS defeat PeSHawar ZaLMi By 3 runS KARACHI

t

AGENCIES

He Multan Sultans on Friday defeated the Peshawar Zalmi by 3 runs to win their Pakistan Super League (2020) clash on Friday at the National Stadium in Karachi. Hammad Azam and Adil Amin were unable to see Peshawar Zalmi to victory even after two no-balls were bowled in the last over and it looked as if Zalmi would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Zalmi were rattled with an early setback when right-handed opener Kamran Akmal, who has been dangerous throughout the tournament, fell cheaply for 2 from 7 balls. He was clean bowled

by Mohammad Irfan.

Wahab Riaz tried his hand at batting up the order but the move did not prove beneficial. He was sent to the pavilion after he scored only 3 runs off 7 balls, caught by Moeen Ali off a Sohail Tanvir delivery. Umar Amin and Imam-ul-Haq put up a solid partnership. The former scored 29 from 23 balls, hitting four 4s

while the latter scored 56 from 41 balls, hitting two 6s and four 4s before he was dismissed. His wicket was also picked up by Sohail Tanvir.

Shoaib Malik pitched in with a much-needed 30 runs off 25 balls, hitting two 6s and a four before Shahid Afridi

caught him out off an Ali Shafaq delivery. Haider Ali, who has earned the critics' nod after a string of impressive performances throughout PSL 2020, fell cheaply to Ali Shafaq. He was caught by Moeen Ali, scoring only 1 run off 4 balls. earlier, the Multan Sultans handed

"The Yellow Storm" 155 runs to win after finishing at 154/6 from their 20 overs. Zeeshan Ashraf was the pick of the batsmen for the Sultans as he scored 52 off 39 balls, hitting seven 4s and a 6 before he was dismissed by Rahat Ali. Skipper Shan Masood scored 28 off 23 balls, hitting three boundaries before he was dismissed by Hassan Ali, caught

by Umar Yamin.

Khushdil Shah scored a quickfire 30 off 20 balls, hitting two huge sixes to give some stability to the side after Moeen Ali and Ravi Bopara earlier for 0 and 5 respectively.

Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi was sent to the pavilion after he made 19 runs from 13 balls, hitting a six and a four each. He was caught by Umar Yamin off a Wahab Riaz delivery.

Rahat Ali's performance with the ball stood out as he picked up three important wickets to finish up with figures of 3/24 from his four overs. Mohammad Amir Khan, Hassan Ali and Wahab Riaz each picked up a wicket to restrict the Sultans to 154/6.

Australia crush new Zealand in first odi SYDNEY AGENCIES

Australia crushed New Zealand by 71 runs in the first one day international at an empty Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. After New Zealand earlier kept the home side to 258 for seven, the Australian bowling attack dominated the Kiwi batsmen to dismiss the visitors for 187 in the 41st over. Cricket Australia barred spectators from the match in response to the coronavirus pandemic, leading to the strange sight of players acknowledging milestones to empty grandstands.

It was also revealed that Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson was in quarantine early in the day and had been tested for the virus after feeling unwell.

However, he was subsequently cleared of the virus and returned to the

AustrAliA 7 for 258 (WArner 67, finch 60, lAbuschAgne 56, sodhi 3-51) beAt neW ZeAlAnd 187 (guptill 40, lAthAm 38, cummins 325, mArsh 3-29) by 71 runs

covid-19

ipl postponed till April 15, india v sA odi rescheduled MUMBAI AGENCIES

The start of the Indian Premier League, the world's most lucrative cricket competition, has been postponed from March 29 until April 15 over the coronavirus, the Indian cricket board said Friday.

Sports events worldwide have been upended by the deadly virus, including this weekend's Formula One Australian Grand Prix as well as football and NBA basketball.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to suspend IPL 2020 till 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) situation," the BCCI said in a statement.

The two-month Twenty20 competition is estimated to gener-

ate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy and involves cricket's top international stars like england's Ben Stokes, Australia's David Warner and Indian captain Virat Kohli.

Chinese mobile-maker Vivo paid $330 million to be the top sponsor for 2018-2022 for the league.

It involves eight franchises playing 60 matches to packed, raucous stadiums of tens of thousands of spectators -- plus cheerleaders -- all around India.

India has so far reported relatively few virus cases, but a jump to more than 70 in recent days and the first confirmed death have prompted authorities to discourage public events.Moreover, The India versus South Africa ODI series has also been rescheduled.

Less than 24 hours after it said the remainder of the home ODI series between India and South Africa would be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, the BCCI on Friday decided to call off the matches in Lucknow (March 15) and Kolkata (March 18) for now. A BCCI statement said both they and CSA had decided to "reschedule" the series and that South Africa would visit India at a later date to play three ODIs, with a revised schedule.

The statement seemed to suggest that the two teams would play a fresh set of three ODIs even though technically the first ODI had been completed in this series, though it was a washout without a ball being bowled in Dharamsala.

CMYK

ground to rejoin his teammates. Australian skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and chose to bat, with the home side at one stage looking at a score in excess of 300 following a superb opening partnership from Finch and David Warner.

But once Warner (67) and Finch (60) were dismissed, the Australian innings lost momentum and New Zealand clawed their way back into the game, despite a late flourish from Marnus Labuschagne, who made 56 from just 52 deliveries. New Zealand must have given themselves a good chance of taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, but some superb Australian bowling in the first 10 overs meant the visitors were always behind in the run chase.None of the New Zealand batsmen was able to dominate -- Martin Guptill top scored with 40 -- and wickets fell at regular intervals as Australia took control.

hbl psl todAy’s mAtch vs 7:00 pm iSLaMaBad united

KArAchi

KaracHi KingS

hBl SCORECARD MultAN SultANS Rohail Nazir c †Kamran Akmal b Rahat Ali ......................................................................................14 Zeeshan Ashraf † c †Kamran Akmal b Rahat Ali ...........................................................................52 Shan Masood (c) c Umar Amin b Hasan Ali .....................................................................................28 MM Ali b Rahat Ali ........................................................................................................................................0 RS Bopara c Hammad Azam b Mohammad Amir Khan .............................................................5 Khushdil Shah not out ...............................................................................................................................30 Shahid Afridi c Umar Amin b Wahab Riaz .........................................................................................19 Sohail Tanvir not out ..................................................................................................................................0 EXtRAS: 6 (lb 1, w 5) tOtAl: 154/6 (20 Overs, RR: 7.7) DID NOt BAt: Ali Shafiq, Mohammad Irfan, Imran Tahir FALL OF WICKETS: 1-32 (Rohail Nazir, 5.1 ov), 2-92 (Zeeshan Ashraf, 11.3 ov), 3-92 (Moeen Ali, 11.5 ov), 4-103 (Ravi Bopara, 13.6 ov), 5-105 (Shan Masood, 14.4 ov), 6-134 (Shahid Afridi, 18.4 ov) BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-34-1 Rahat Ali 4-0-24-3 Mohammad Amir Khan 4-0-37-1 Wahab Riaz 4-0-20-1 Shoaib Malik 3-0-27-0 Hammad Azam 1-0-11-0 Peshawar Zalmi Kamran Akmal † b Mohammad Irfan ..................................................................................................2 Imam-ul-Haq c Shan Masood b Sohail Tanvir ..................................................................................56 Wahab Riaz (c) c Ali b Sohail Tanvir .....................................................................................................3 Umar Amin b Ali ...........................................................................................................................................29 Shoaib Malik c Shahid Afridi b Ali Shafiq ...........................................................................................30 Haider Ali c Ali b Ali Shafiq ......................................................................................................................1 Hammad Azam c †Zeeshan Ashraf b Sohail Tanvir .....................................................................7 Adil Amin not out .........................................................................................................................................7 Hasan Ali not out .........................................................................................................................................1 EXtRAS: 15 (b 5, lb 2, nb 2, w 6) tOtAl: 151/7 (20 Overs, RR: 7.55) YET TO BAT: Rahat Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan FALL OF WICKETS: 1-3 (Kamran Akmal, 1.2 ov), 2-8 (Wahab Riaz, 2.3 ov), 3-56 (Umar Amin, 8.6 ov), 4-126 (Imam-ul-Haq, 16.4 ov), 5-128 (Haider Ali, 17.2 ov), 6-130 (Shoaib Malik, 17.6 ov), 7-140 (Hammad Azam, 18.6 ov) BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 4-0-26-3 Mohammad Irfan 4-0-19-1 Ali Shafiq 4-0-31-2 MM Ali 4-0-27-1 Imran Tahir 3-0-30-0 Shahid Afridi 1-0-11-0

Saturday, 14 March, 2020

NEWS

europe now 'epicenTre' of coVid-19 pandemic: wHo MORE THAN 4,900 KILLED, ALMOST 135,000 INFECTED WITH CORONAVIRUS AS HAVOC WREAKS ACROSS GLOBE GENEVA/SINGAPORE/WASHINGTON

T

AGENCIES

He World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that europe was now the “epicenter” for the global coronavirus pandemic, and warned it was impossible to know when the outbreak would peak. “europe has now become the epicentre of the pandemic,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual press conference.

He said that the continent had now “more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China”.

“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” he said, referring to the global numbers.

The virus, which first surfaced in China in December, has now killed more than 5,000 people, with cases around the world topping 134,000, according to an AFP tally.

Tedros said that the deaths passing the 5,000 mark was “a tragic milestone”.

Maria Van Kerkhove, who heads the WHO's emerging diseases unit, said that it was not possible to predict how the pandemic will develop. “It is impossible for us to say when this will peak globally. We hope that it is sooner rather than later,” she added.

Their comments came as countries in europe and around the world put in place dramatic measures to halt the spread of the virus, including closing schools and tightening borders. Tedros said that such measures could help, but stressed that countries needed to take "a comprehensive approach”.

"Not testing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not quarantine alone. Not social distancing alone. Do it all," he said.

He stressed the need to do more to "detect, protect and treat" cases.

“You cannot fight a virus if you do not

know where it is,” he said, calling on countries to “find, isolate, test and treat every case, to break the chains of transmission”. “every case we find and treat limits the expansion of the disease,” he said.

“Do not just let this fire burn,” he added.

He further said that any country that looks at the experience of other countries with large epidemics and thinks “that won't happen to us” is making a deadly mistake.

Michael Ryan, who heads the WHO's emergencies programme, stressed that socalled social distancing measures, including banning public gatherings and school closures, “are not a panacea”.

CORONAVIRUS WREACKS HAVOC: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife, Australia’s minister for home affairs and a Chelsea soccer player are among new cases of the coronavirus that has infected almost 135,000 people and killed more than 4,900 worldwide.

The virus has disrupted sport, schools and society and spares no one. It has also forced the sealing off of entire countries, draconian government measures not seen in peacetime, and the scrapping of global sporting and cultural events from Broadway to basketball. Governments and central banks readied more emergency measures to tackle the economic impact of the coronavirus on Friday, helping financial markets pare some of their steep losses, while more major events were cancelled or postponed.

United States lawmakers and the White House neared agreement on a coronavirus economic aid package, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she hoped to announce a deal on Friday. experts warn that due to a lack of testing and unreported cases, many more people may be affected by the outbreak that emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Health authorities around the world

Trump declares naTional emergency WASHINGTON AGENCIES United States President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on Friday, the most significant move yet by the US government to head off the coronavirus outbreak. Trump's declaration came as many public and private institutions have taken action, including canceling major events, temporarily banning large gatherings, closing schools and telling people to work from home, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Wall Street appeared to rally on Friday's opening bell, initially soaring around 1,200 points after economic fears over the coronavirus drove the markets to their worst day since the Black Monday crash in 1987. The US as of Friday had surpassed 1,700 confirmed or presumptive cases of the coronavirus, and the death toll climbed to 41.

face the prospect of services being overwhelmed. “We are anticipating 20 per cent of the population in the first wave to be affected,” Kerry Chant, the chief medical officer for the New South Wales (NSW) state government. Home to more than 7 million people, NSW is Australia’s most populous state, and Chant said models suggested 5 per cent of the state’s population – some 350,000 people – would need hospital treatment as a result of coronavirus.

Australia has recorded nearly 160 infections and three deaths from the flu-like disease. Among the infected is one of its highest-profile government ministers, Peter Dutton, who is in charge of home affairs. He said he was feeling fine.

Movie star Tom Hanks announced in Australia on Thursday that he and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, had both tested positive.

Trudeau said Friday he would be in isolation for two weeks after his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, tested positive for coronavirus. She said that she was “experiencing uncomfortable symptoms”, adding that she would “be back on my feet soon”.

Canada has reported 145 cases of the virus, a three-fold gain from a week ago.

There has been one death.

In Rome, all Catholic churches have been closed to stem the spread of the pandemic that has killed more than 1,000 people across Italy. The churches will reopen when a broader Italian government crackdown on public gatherings expires on April 3, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the papal vicar for Rome, said in a statement.

Catholic faithful have been exempted from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass.

The Vatican had spent days resisting having to take the drastic measure of shuttering places of worship in the overwhelmingly Catholic country.

It closed its museums and even the Saint Peter’s Basilica — parts of its soaring dome designed by Michelangelo — to tourists as the death toll continued to mount.

All masses, weddings and funerals across Italy have also been called off as the

government imposed a blanket closure of restaurants, bars and almost all shops except food stores and pharmacies.

LOYAL FRIENDS: The european Union (eU) executive on Friday unveiled a raft of measures to protect the european economy from the coronavirus outbreak, and promised it would do whatever it takes for hardest-hit Italy. The assurances by eU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen came a day after eCB head Christine Lagarde stoked fury in Rome by implying that shoring up Italy’s precarious financial situation was not her job.

She said that the commission, the eU’s powerful bureaucracy, would try to provide Italy with whatever support it needs to overcome the challenge of the coronavirus.

“Whatever is necessary, we support.

Whatever they will need, we will answer,” she added. By contrast, South Korea – where an outbreak surged at around the same time as Italy’s – reported the number of people recovering from the virus outpaced new infections for the first time, raising hopes that Asia’s biggest epidemic outside China may be slowing. French President emmanuel Macron said the country was facing its worst public health crisis in a century and announced measures including the closure of schools, creches and universities from Monday.

Meanwhile, the spread of the virus at its epicenter in China’s Hubei province has slowed markedly amid strict transport curbs on movement and lockdowns.

Just five new cases were reported on Friday in the provincial capital of Wuhan, where the virus was first detected in December, and no locally transmitted infections were reported in the rest of China. Travellers in europe rushed to board flights to the US after President Donald Trump imposed sweeping restrictions on travel from the continent, a decision that angered european leaders and frightened investors.

NO TIME FOR RECREATION: Disney will close its giant theme parks in Florida, California and Paris and pull the releases of major blockbusters including “Mulan” over the coronavirus, it announced Thursday.

The resorts are among the largest theme parks in the world, each drawing tens of thousands of visitors each day. They will remain shut at least until the end of March.

“In an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure,” a Disney spokesperson said.

Universal Studios Hollywood, another major theme park in Los Angeles, also announced it will temporarily close beginning Saturday, until at least March 28.

CORONAVIRUS IN THE SPORTS WORLD: A host of major sporting events were affected, with the Players Championship golf halted and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix scrapped. Nepal closed Mount everest to climbers.

Calls grew in Britain for the Premier League season to be stopped with the news that Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi has tested positive. All of Chelsea’s firstteam players and coaching staff would selfisolate, the club said.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has also tested positive. The Premier League is due to hold an emergency meeting on Friday.

Several of europe’s soccer leagues are already on hold, the top men’s tennis circuit was suspended for six weeks, the National Hockey League shut down and cricket matches have been ordered to be played without fans. earlier in the week, the virus placed a major question mark over the “Greatest Show on earth”, the Tokyo Olympics, with Trump saying “maybe they postpone it for a year”, sparking furious denials from officials in the Japanese capital who insisted they were moving ahead with preparations for a “safe and secure” Games on schedule, starting in July.

LOSING LOVED ONES: european leaders warned things would get worse before they get better. “It’s going to spread further,” British Prime Boris Johnson told a news conference. “I must level with you, level with the British public – more families, many more families, are going to lose loved ones before their time,” he added.

China, US spar over origin of coronavirus BEIJING AGENCIES

A Chinese government campaign to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic is fuelling a row with the United States, with a Beijing official promoting conspiracy theories and Washington calling it the “Wuhan virus”.

The spat comes as China tries to deflect blame for the contagion and reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to buy the world time by placing huge swathes of its population under quarantine.

With cases falling in China and soaring abroad, Beijing is now rejecting the widely held assessment that the city of Wuhan is the birthplace of the outbreak.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian went a step further on Thursday, saying on Twitter that “it might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan” — without providing any evidence.

He doubled down on his claim on Friday by posting a link to an article from a website known for publishing conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks. Censors usually vigilant against rumours have also allowed Chinese social media users to spread similar

claims about the US being behind the virus.

A video showing a US health official saying some flu victims were posthumously diagnosed as having had COVID-19 was among the top searched items on China’s Twitter-like Weibo this week, with some users saying it was evidence the virus originated in the US. Zhao posted the clip on Twitter.

Dali Yang, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, said he believes Zhao was “tweeting in his official capacity”.

China’s intention in promoting the conspiracy theory is “to divert from domestic discontent” over the handling of the outbreak, which has killed more than 3,100 people in the country.

Asked if Zhao was representing the government’s view, fellow foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Friday that “the international community, including (people) in the United States, have different views on the source of the virus”.

“China from the beginning thinks this is a scientific issue, and that we need to listen to scientific and professional advice,” Geng said.

SEAFOOD MARKET: The push to question the origin of the disease contradicts China’s own initial assessment about the source of the virus, which has

now killed nearly 5,000 people worldwide. Gao Fu, head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in January “we now know the source of the virus is wild animals sold at the seafood market” in Wuhan.

Chinese authorities themselves saw Wuhan and the rest of Hubei province as a threat as they placed the region of 56 million people under strict quarantine to contain the epidemic.

But Beijing began sowing doubts in late February, when Zhong Nanshan, a respected expert affiliated with the National Health Commission, told reporters “the epidemic first appeared in China, but didn’t necessarily originate in China.” Scientists, however, have long suspected that the virus jumped from an animal at the Wuhan market to a human before spreading globally.

The World Health Organization has said that while the exact path the virus took between its animal source and humans is still unclear, COVID-19 was “unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019”.

Christl Donnelly, a professor of statistical epidemiology at Imperial College London, said genetic analysis of coronavirus samples collected from around the world shows a common ancestor in China. “This is not in any way blaming a particular country,” she told AFP.

WUHAN VIRUS: The United States, meanwhile, has angered China by using language directly linking the virus to the country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called it the “Wuhan virus”, prompting Beijing to reject the term as “despicable” and “disrespecting science”.

US President Donald Trump started a televised address to his nation on Wednesday by speaking about the outbreak “that started in China”.

The language is “part of his dogwhistling politics,” said Australian National University researcher Yun Jiang.

The WHO warns against naming infectious diseases in a way that encourages discrimination against ethnic groups. Robert O’Brien, the US national security adviser, on Wednesday insisted that the virus originated in Wuhan.

Blaming the pandemic on a lack of cooperation from Chinese officials and a cover-up when the outbreak first emerged, O’Brien said this had “cost the world community two months to respond” to the threat.

Beijing called his remarks “extremely immoral and also irresponsible”. Jiang said that “by sowing doubts into people’s mind about where the virus originated, they’re trying to deflect part of the blame for the outbreak”.

Virus sparks wild stock market swings PARIS AGENCIES

Global stock markets endured a whipsaw session Friday over the surging coronavirus crisis that is upending events across the planet and affecting people from all walks of life including sports stars, celebrities and world leaders. The virus has disrupted sport, schools and society and spares no one, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the latest to announce he was in self-imposed quarantine after his wife tested positive. It has also forced the sealing off of entire countries, draconian government measures not seen in peacetime, and the scrapping of global sporting and cultural events from Broadway to basketball. Japan’s stock market plunged more than 10 per cent at its low on Friday, following the worst day on Wall Street since the crash of 1987 as traders scrambled to sell everything on fears the virus will catapult the world into a deep recession. But the Nikkei rallied to close six per cent down on huge volatility as traders weighed emergency big-bang measures by central banks in the United States and eurozone, and government fiscal stimulus packages.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk