ISLAMABAD; E paper – March 5, 2020

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Thursday, 5 March, 2020 I 09 Rajab, 1441 I Rs 20.00 I Vol X No 246 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

US laUncheS airSTrike againST Taliban To ‘defend afghan forceS’ g

US oFFIcIAL SAyS AIrSTrIKe TooK PLAce AGAINST TALIBAN FIGhTerS Who Were ‘AcTIveLy ATTAcKING’ AFGhAN checKPoINT IN heLMAND

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he US launched an airstrike against Taliban fighters to defend Afghan forces on Wednesday, an American military spokesman said, as violence spirals after a string of deadly attacks by the insurgents, throwing the country’s nascent peace process into grave doubt.

News of the airstrike in southern helmand province — the first in 11 days — came hours after US President Donald Trump told reporters he had had a “very good” chat with the Taliban political chief, who on Saturday signed a historic deal with Washington to withdraw foreign forces. Since the signing in Doha however, the militants have ramped up violence against Afghan forces, ending a partial weeklong truce that provided a rare reprieve to war-weary residents.

US Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Sonny Leggett tweeted that the airstrike took place against Taliban fighters who were “actively attacking” an Afghan forces checkpoint in helmand province.

“This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attack,” he tweeted.

“We call on the Taliban to stop needless attacks and uphold their commitments. As

we have demonstrated, we will defend our partners when required.” he said insurgents had carried out 43 attacks on checkpoints in helmand on Tuesday alone. The insurgents killed at least 20 Afghan soldiers and policemen in a series of overnight attacks, government officials told AFP on Wednesday, casting a pall over peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban, due to begin on March 10.

“Taliban fighters attacked at least three army outposts in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz last night, killing at least 10 soldiers and four police,” said Safiullah Amiri, a member of the provincial council.

A defence ministry official speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity confirmed the army toll, while the provincial police spokesman hejratullah Akbari confirmed the police fatalities.

The insurgents also attacked police in central Uruzgan province Tuesday night, with the governor’s spokesman Zergai ebadi telling AFP: “Unfortunately, six police were killed and seven wounded”.

The news of the attacks came after Trump told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that he had a “very good” relationship with Taliban political chief Mullah Baradar, with the pair speaking on the phone for 35

minutes, according to the insurgents.

“The relationship is very good that I have with the mullah. We had a good long conversation today and you know, they want to cease the violence, they’d like to cease violence also,” he said.

But on Wednesday, US military spokesman Leggett warned that the “Afghans and US have complied with our agreements; however, Talibs appear intent on squandering this (opportunity) and ignoring the will of the people for peace”.

‘COMMON INTEREST’: Trump has touted the Doha deal as a way to end the bloody, 18year US military presence in Afghanistan — right in time for his November re-election bid.

Under the terms of the deal, US and other foreign forces will quit Afghanistan within 14 months, subject to Taliban security guarantees and a pledge by the insurgents to hold talks with the national government in Kabul.

The agreement also includes a commitment to exchange 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the Afghan government in return for 1,000 captives — something the militants have cited as a prerequisite for talks but which President Ashraf Ghani has refused to do before negotiations start.

Trump has said the Taliban and Washington both “have a very common interest” in ending the war. Since Saturday’s deal signing, the Taliban have been publicly claiming “victory” over the US and on Monday they announced they would resume attacks on Afghan national forces.

Ghani’s government last week sent a delegation to Qatar to open “initial contacts” with the insurgents, but Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen on Tuesday said the militants would not meet Kabul’s representatives except to discuss the release of their captives.

Apparent differences between the Doha agreement and a separate joint US-Afghan declaration made in Afghanistan underline the obstacles facing negotiators.

The US-Taliban deal committed to the release of prisoners, while the Kabul document only required both sides to determine “the feasibility of releasing” captives.

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Pakistan hopes Afghan deal will secure peace STORY ON BACK PAGE

Senate passes Zainab Alert Bill STORY ON PAGE 03

Govt’s letter to UK resulted in updates on Nawaz’s health: Firdous

STORY ON PAGE 02

PM calls for early privatisation of non-profitable entities STORY ON PAGE 12

Govt approves longterm lease of PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel STORY ON PAGE 11

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Thursday, 5 March, 2020

NEWS

Col (r) InaM CaSe: SC queStIonS MIlItary Court trIal oF retIred oFFICer ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday wondered how a civilian/retired army official can be court-martialed as it resumed hearing on a petition filed by the Ministry of Defence against a Lahore High Court (LHC) decision directing for the immediate release of Lt Col (r) Inamur Rahim.

Earlier in January this year, a threemember bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Munib Akhtar, took up the petition against the LHC order which had declared Rahim’s detention “illegal”.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the apex court further asked the reasoning behind applying the Official Secrets Act, 1923, on a retired military officer. Additional Attorney General (AAG) Sajid Ilyas Bhatti responded that the ex-military man had been released but was still under investigation.

Justice Alam noted that the military had levelled serious allegations against Inam before releasing him. “He was not released on court orders,” he added. To which, AAG Bhatti affirmed that there were “other” reasons behind the release.

Rahim, a petitioner in multiple cases of allegedly missing persons, was picked up from his residence by law enforcement officials in December last year. Subsequently, on Jan 2, the Defence Ministry

informed the LHC that Rahim was in the custody of its subordinate agency and that he was being probed for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act, 1923 — the antiespionage law.

Announcing its verdict on a petition on Jan 9, the LHC had termed Inam’s detention against the law and directed authorities to set him free. However, on Jan 11, the government moved the Supreme Court against the order, saying that the detainee is “part of a spy network”.

Subsequently, on Jan 22, the Defence Ministry assured the apex court that Inam will be released when “certain conditions” are met.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Justice Akhtar remarked that the concerning matter was about the serious allegations and not the release. “The apex court has already said a civilian cannot be court-martialed,” he said adding that an amendment to the constitution would be required to do so.

He further observed that court-martial of a retired colonel would be a violation of SC directives. The judge remarked that only a criminal court can decide on a crime of civilian nature committed by a military officer or a civilian.

Justice Akhtar also noted that a courtmartial cannot be conducted over civil of-

fence without the permission of the federal government and criminal courts are empowered to stop the court-martial proceedings.

Justice Alam questioned whether individuals were “picked up” without thorough deliberation. Justice Akhtar remarked that with valid evidence, the commanding officer has to decide whether the case should be referred to a court or the suspect be court-martialed.

When Defence Ministry’s Director Law Falak Naz started to speak, the bench remarked that the additional attorney general was present to represent the government and pointed out that he could not speak without permission of the court or the counsel.

“You can only reply when questioned by the bench,” said Justice Akhtar and reminded Naz that her job was to assist the additional attorney general.

Bhatti maintained that the LHC had issued a detailed judgment in the case and sought time to respond to points raised in it. The AAG informed the apex court that he would reply after consulting with concerned authorities.

Accepting his request, the bench gave the AAG three weeks to submit a reply and adjourned the hearing.

Justice Alam also directed Bhatti to come prepared to explain whether a civilian can be court-martialed in light of Section 549 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Section 94 and 95 of the Pakistan Army Act 1952.

Govt's letter to UK resulted in updates on Nawaz's health: Firdous SAPM SAYS ‘IF NAWAZ’S CONDITION IS AS CRITICAL AS [THE PMLN] SAYS IT IS, THEN HE SHOULD BE IN HOSPITAL’ PML-N LEADER MUSADIQ MALIK SAYS GOVT IS MISSTATING FACTS REGARDING EX-PM’S HEALTH ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday said that there was an outpouring of press conferences immediately after writing a letter to London.

She was referring to a letter the government wrote to authorities in the United Kingdom for the deportation of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who it alleged violated the eight-week bail by staying in London for medical treatment for the past three-and-a-half months.

The SAPM made these remarks while speaking at a press conference outside the parliament on Wednesday.

“We sent the letter to London but even people from Australia returned … the letter was so effective that the PML-N has started updating the nation about Nawaz’s health.”

She added that the “taunts the government is receiving over [Nawaz’s] health, it

is actually the PML-N that is playing politics over it”.

Raising questions about the former premier’s health, Awan said that the PMLN has not submitted “any document about any procedure or investigation or documents made when he was admitted to the hospital and discharged from it.”

“If his condition is as critical as [the PML-N] says it is, then he should be in the hospital, not resting at home with his family and relatives.”

“Scientists around the world have not been able to come up with a cure for what illness [Nawaz] has … the treatment he is receiving at home should be shared with all the cardiology hospitals in Pakistan so that the poor people can also benefit from such a cure for their heart ailments,” she said.

‘GOVT MISSTATING FACTS’: Meanwhile, during a press conference earlier in the day, PML-N leader Musadiq Malik said that the government is “misstating facts” regarding Nawaz’s health.

“It was the government that took the decision about Nawaz’s board … it was the board that decided to send Nawaz abroad for treatment. This was the government’s decision and now they are misstating facts,” he said.

He added that doctors from London and America have examined the former premier and “all arrangements are being made before his next surgery”.

Referring to a statement made by the party chief earlier this month that Nawaz’s treatment has been delayed twice because his daughter was not granted bail to be with him, Malik said, “it is our wish that surgery not be delayed if we do not get justice”.

“The government spokesperson says that we haven’t submitted [Nawaz’s] reports. We have submitted reports to the Lahore High Court (LHC), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the Punjab government on December 4, Dec 21, January 13 and February 12.”

PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar, while addressing the same press conference termed the government’s letter to UK authorities “illegal”.

“The LHC’s bail is still continuing, the IHC gave bail on medical grounds … all their steps are illegal.”

Malik added that the leader of the opposition would be returning soon and dates for Nawaz’s surgery were being finalised.

Violence against girls not only common but widely accepted, says UN report ISLAMABAD APP

Despite gains in education, violence against women and girls is not only common but widely accepted, a new United Nations report revealed on Wednesday.

Although more girls are going to school and staying in school than ever before, little headway has been made to help shape a more equal, less violent environment for them, warned the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef), together with UN Women and the non-governmental organisation, Plan International, in their report, ‘A New Era for Girls: Taking stock on 25 years of progress.’ The report, released ahead of the 64th session of the UN Commission on

the Status of Women, underlined, among other disturbing trends, that despite the number of out-of-school girls having dropped by 79 million in the last two decades, one in every 20 girls aged 15 to 19 — around 13 million — has faced sexual assault in her lifetime.

In South Asia, while the report notes that the practice of child marriage has almost halved in the last 25 years, 30 percent of girls are still married before they reach their 18th birthday.

The report found the prevalence of being ‘overweight’ among girls aged 15 to 19 nearly doubled touching 155 million from 75 million in 1995 due to negative trends in nutrition for girls. It also found that suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among adolescent girls

aged 15-19, surpassed only by maternal conditions. While girls became more likely to be in secondary school than boys in just the last decade, violence and harmful practices against women and girls was the harsh reality. Around one in five adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 in South Asia who have been married or lived with a partner, have experienced do-

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mestic violence, according to the report.

“While the world has mustered the political will to send girls to school, it has come up embarrassingly short on equipping them with skills and support they need not only to shape their own destinies but to live in safety and dignity,” Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.

Pak-Iran border closed for 11th day, 370 pilgrims return QUETTA INP

Another 370 pilgrims reached Pakistan from Taftan through the Pak-Iran border on Wednesday. Their immigration procedure and screening was completed and they were shifted to Pakistan House for quarantine. The Pak-Iran border is closed for trade for the 11th day in a row. The Pak-Afghan border also remained closed for the third consecutive day. A total of 2,270 pilgrims are in quarantine at Pakistan House as of Wednesday. They have been given food, tents, blankets and protective masks. They are being screened for coronavirus after every 48 hours. Some pilgrims had staged a protest two days ago and demanded they be let out of quarantine.

PM's aide dismisses rumors of understating coronavirus cases ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Wednesday dismissed rumours that the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan were being understated amid the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament. Speaking to media in Rawalpindi, Mirza said rumours of a higher number of confirmed cases in the country were “100 per cent untrue”. In response to a question that the actual number of cases was around 250, Mirza said: “This is 100pc untrue. In fact, it is 200pc untrue.” The fifth edition of PSL kicked off on Feb 20 and is scheduled to continue till Mar 22 with matches in numerous cities including Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi and Lahore. So far, five cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country — three in the federal areas and two in Karachi. Mirza today said standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the coronavirus were working well and needed to be further strengthened. “Our simple policy is working so far, [it] is working very well and it needs to be further strengthened.

“We need to prepare ourselves for a worstcase scenario but we should hope for the best,” he said, adding that the result of the coordinated efforts — both at the federal and provincial levels — would have a positive result.

With regards to school closures in Islamabad and federal areas, Mirza said at this stage the federal government did not recommend the closure of schools. He added, however, that provincial governments were independent and the Centre had no objection to their decisions to close schools.

Fawad urges Punjab govt to move court for Shehbaz's disqualification NEWS DESK: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday suggested now that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is not returning to Pakistan as per the agreement, the Punjab government should move court for the disqualification of his guarantor National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif. The PML-N supremo is currently on bail to seek medical treatment in London. Nawaz, who was serving a seven-year jail term in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference, was allowed to travel abroad in November last year on the intervention of the Lahore High Court (LHC), which, following a guarantee by Shahbaz that his brother would return within due time, directed the government to let the former premier travel abroad. On Tuesday, the PTI minister took to Twitter, saying the cabinet had conditioned Nawaz’s departure with money under the light of the court decisions but the courts later allowed the former premier to travel Shehbaz’s guarantee. Fawad Chaudhry urged the Punjab government to fulfill its responsibility by bringing Sharif back through the court. A day earlier, Pakistan formally approached the British government for the deportation of PML-N supreme leader.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

Senate paSSeS Zainab alert bill LAW COVERS ALL CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN; SPECIAL COURTS WILL BE BOUND TO DECIDE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES WITHIN THREE MONTHS ISLAMABAD

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HE Senate on Wednesday passed the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, 2019, paving the way for the child protection legislation to become a law more than two years after the body of nine-yearold Zainab Ansari, a rape-murder victim, was found in Kasur in 2018.

The gory incident had sparked outrage in the country and raised questions over the security of children and responsibilities on the part of the authorities concerned to prevent increasing incidents of child abuse in Pakistan.

The was presented for approval in the upper house by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Swati and was passed despite objections to some of its provisions by opposition lawmakers.

The bill, which will have jurisdiction across the country after becoming a law, was already passed by the National Assembly in January this year.

As per the draft then presented in the

NA, the maximum punishment under the bill for child abuse and killing is life imprisonment with a fine of Rs1 million, as the proposal of death penalty was rejected by an NA committee. The minimum sentence will be 10 years.

A helpline will be set up to report missing children while the government will establish the Zainab Alert, Response and

OiC reps visit loC, briefed about indian ceasefire violations ISLAMABAD

Recovery Agency (ZARRA) to issue an alert for a missing child. This agency will be led by a director general who will be appointed by the prime minister after public advertisement.

PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who heads the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, informed the house that the committee

Sindh's 'immature' politicians should stop killing journalists, Firdous says ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

STAFF REPORT

A six-member delegation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) visited the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday and was briefed about Indian ceasefire violations.

The delegation, headed by OIC Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir Yousef M al Dobeay, will visit Chokothi and interact with victims of Indian ceasefire violations.

Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the OIC for extending their steadfast support to the people of occupied Kashmir.

In a high-level meeting with members of the OIC, along with Ambassador Yousef M al Dobeay and reiterated that the people of Pakistan and Kashmir turned towards the OIC and Muslim community for their active support to resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute.

Ambassador al Dobeay appreciated prime minister’s participation in the Makkah Summit in 2019 and reiterated OIC’s principled position on the Kashmir dispute, calling for its peaceful settlement in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the people of Kashmir.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday said Sindh’s “immature politicians” should stop the killing of journalists who unveil truths instead of accusing the ruling party of subjugation of the press.

The remarks came after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of implementing a sustained and systematic campaign to repress the press and rob media personnel of their rights.

“This immature politician should take steps with regard to the murder of journalists in Sindh,” Dr Awan said, throwing jibe at the PPP boss while ad-

ppp to put up fight against privatisation, says bilawal LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday said the PPP won’t let the government privatise these state institutions which were built with the blood and sweat of labourers. Addressing a conference on labour rights in Lahore on Wednesday, he said that every citizen of Pakistan was feeling the brunt of economic mismanagement of the government. “Price-hike in the last fifteen months is unprecedented. This government has sacrificed the rights of labourers at the altar of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Moody, Bloomberg or any other financial institution cannot tell whether the economy is going in the right direction. If one wants to know about the economy then he will have to ask the working class of Pakistan,” he said. STAFF REPORT

had held 7-8 meetings to discuss the Zainab Alert bill and made some amendments to it.

He said under existing laws, police often refuse to register a First Information Report when a child is reported missing by his or her parents. This leads to the wastage of crucial initial time after the child’s disappearance.

But under the bill’s provisions, police will be bound to register an FIR within two hours of a child being reported missing by their parents. Police officials failing to comply with this provision will be punished with an imprisonment of two years and a fine of Rs100,000.

According to the bill, which Khokhar said now covers all crimes against children, special courts will be bound to decide child sexual abuse cases within three months.

He said the committee was ready to incorporate further changes based on proposals by lawmakers to improve the bill.

Zainab was abducted, raped and murdered in 2018 and her body was found in a garbage dump in Kasur on January 9. It was the twelfth such incident to occur within a 10-kilometre radius in the city over a 12-month period.

Later, serial rapist Imran Ali, who had killed Zainab, was arrested and hanged till death in October 2018.

dressing the media. “Bilawal sahab, this government has no such agenda! We plan to introduce legislation for the protection of journalists against the [socalled] ‘freedoms’ you have provided them in Sindh,” she added. “Bilawal should provide justice to the family of a journalist who was killed in Sindh [last month]. The systematic killing of journalists who speak the truth should be stopped,” the special assistant remarked.

She was referring to the murder of Aziz Memon, who had earlier accused Bhutto’s party and Naushehro Feroze police of threatening him for his unflattering reporting of Bhutto’s widely-publicised ‘train march’ in 2019.

Awan also slammed the PPP over the state of public institutions in Sindh, saying the PPP had run them into the ground and “left them in such a condi-

tion that the incumbent government cannot revive them”.

“We are regulating institutions such as [the Pakistan] Steel Mills, which were left in shambles [by the PPP],” Dr Awan said, referring to the steel and heavy metal products entity, which Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to hand over to China late last year for revival via a government-to-government deal.

“This a government that is sympathetic to the people; this prime minister is not in power to run his personal businesses,” she added.

Turning then to the previous ruling party of Pakistan, the SAPM lambasted the politics of the PML-N, saying its ideas about ‘leadership’ and conducting business were confined to handing over important positions to their leaders’ children.

Khalilur Rehman Qamar swears at Marvi Sirmed on live TV, draws outrage SOME SENATORS CONDEMN KHALI-UR REHMAN'S MISOGYNISTIC REMARKS, OTHERS DEMAND PROBE OF AURAT MARCH Popular writer and controversial figure Khalilur Rehman Qamar, cursed journalist and social activist Marvi Sirmed on live television on Tuesday night, with no remorse.

The topic of discussion was none other than Aurat March and Qamar expressed his disdain towards the kind of slogans that are raised during the yearly protest. In response to a question by the host, Qamar started off by saying, “When the court has denied the usage of slogans like ‘Mera jism, meri marzi’ (My body, my choice), then it hurts me deeply when figures like Marvi Sirmed use these slogans.” As soon as he said this, Sirmed interrupted

his response by reiterating the same slogan over and over again. This left Qamar baffled and he started yelling at her in a demeaning manner.

“Tere jism men hai kya? (What is in your body) Don’t talk in between.

Thookta nahi hai koi tere jism pe (No one would even spit on your body). Shut up you b****. Beech men nahi bolo (Don’t talk in between),” he said.

The host, a woman herself, chimed in asking Sirmed to stay quiet, without calling out Qamar for his vulgar use of language. The incident, of course, has ignited a fierce debate on social media, with a number of people supporting Qamar’s

blatant disrespect, while a number of women are rallying to get him banned from TV. The president of the channel has issued an apology to Sirmed while Senator Sherry Rehman has asked for the writer to be boycotted.

SENATORS DEBATE AURAT MARCH: Speaking in the upper house today, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Krishna Kumari Kohli condemned Rehman, saying he had disrespected all women through his remarks.

She said Rehman should not be invited to any talk show in the future. "It is because of people like Khalilur Rehman that women are out protesting on the streets," Kumari added. NEWS DESK

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JCp approves Justice Mazahar naqvi's elevation to SC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Wednesday approved the name of Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi for elevation to the Supreme Court. A meeting of the JCP was held to consider Justice Naqvi’s name for elevation to the apex court as a position in the top court remains vacant after the retirement of former chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa. Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed had proposed Justice Naqvi’s name. Currently, Justice Naqvi is the third senior-most LHC judge and is known for his expertise in criminal law. In case of elevation, he will work as the Supreme Court judge until August 31, 2025. Justice Naqvi has authored more than 37000 judgments including the last month order that declared a special court’s Dec 17, 2019 verdict in a high treason case unconstitutional. He had also banned media coverage of the MQM founder Altaf Hussain. Justice Naqvi also came into limelight when he ordered then Punjab government to make Model Town incident report public. Recently, he granted bail to PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case. Sources said representatives of superior bars have decided not to oppose Justice Naqvi’s elevation to the apex court.

Caa told to satisfy auditor on islamabad airport corruption ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Wednesday gave last chance to Civil Aviation Division (CAA) to satisfy the Auditor General of Pakistan upon their objections highlighting corruption in the construction of new Islamabad International Airport (IIA). The committee led by Chairman Rana Tanvir Hussain gave 15 days to the secretary aviation to provide the entire record of the IIA and furnish a report to the committee to fix the responsibility of malpractices. The audit officials informed the committee that Project Director of Islamabad International Airport made an unauthentic payment without detailed measurement of each item of work done in the measurement book. The audit officials maintained that the authenticity of the payment could not be verified due to the nonmaintenance of measurement books. The committee was also briefed that the CAA constructed a secondary runway parallel to the main runway with a distance of 210 meters between the center lines of both the runways against the recommended distance of 1035 meters at cost of Rs 719.9 million. The Project Director of NBBIA, said that runway basically served the purpose of the parallel taxiway as originally planned, under normal conditions, however, it would be utilized as a runway during an emergency only. The PAC chief, however, rejected the management stance and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to share its inquiry report in that regard. The audit official also informed that CAA also made irregular payments due to unauthorized change of the joint venture.

The committee directed FIA to furnish an inquiry report to the committee in two week’s time and fix responsibility on the officials behind this irregular payment.

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SC SummonS CDA ChAIrmAn, CAPItAl’S mAyor In envIronmentAl PollutIon CASe ISLAMABAD

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HE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday summoned the Mayor Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) and Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) to appear before the court in environmental pollution case on Thursday.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the suo moto notice case regarding environmental pollution in Islamabad’s Sector I-9 Industrial Area.

During the course of proceedings, the chief justice said the capital’s industrial area had arrived in the middle of the city.

He asked who gave permission to establish an industrial zone within Islamabad city?

The counsel for the CDA said it was part of the master plan.

The chief justice said he had heard that Islamabad and Canberra (an Australian city) were designed at the same time. He remarked that the Canberra city was in same position in which it was designed, but Islamabad was touching Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa from one side and Lahore from the other side. He said the court would never allow Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and CDA to do that.

Government not setting up more dispensaries in Islamabad, Senate told ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Azam Khan Swati on Wednesday informed that Senate that currently there was no proposal under consideration with Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital (FGPC) to establish more dispensaries in the Federal Capital. Responding to a question during Question Hour, he pointed out that the Rural Health Centres (RHCs) were being upgraded to cater for the rush/load of patients in PIMS and FG Polyclinic Hospitals. He said at present there were 28 dispensaries, attached with FGPC including MCH Center Aabpara and G-7-3/4 (Civil Surgeon Dispensary) have been upgraded in order to reduce the rush/load on Government Hospital. To another question, the Minister said the charges of stents were exactly according to directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan as notified by Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) vide notification No. F. 9-11/2017-DD(P)/ DRAP dated 6th July, 2018. Expenditure of cardiac surgeries and stents were not received in advance by the hospital, he added. He said the day patient undergoing procedure, implants, surgical instruments or any other item required during procedure were arranged by the patient or his relatives, which was duly verified by the hospital, for re-imbursement by the parent department.To a separate question, the minister said DRAP Employees Service Regulations, 2015 has been framed under Section-24 of DRAP Act, 2012.

The rules were vetted from Establishment Division, Finance and Law Ministries, he added. APP

He said the buffer zone in the industrial area was demolished and asked who lived in this buffer zone.

Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan said the green belts had also been demolished and asked where were the industry regulators?

The chief justice asked who was representing the industry. The representative of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry appeared before the court and said they had repeatedly approached the CDA for establishment of new industrial zone.

He said the CDA was going to establish a new industrial zone in Islamabad’s Sector I-17. The chief justice said I-17 sector would be centre of the city after 10 years.

He said the textile style industry

should be established in Islamabad while the steel factories should be shifted to Gujranwala or Peshawar.

The chief justice asked the Director General Environmental Protection Agency Farzana Altaf that her department was also not working. Farzana Altaf said her department did not have an inspector. She said the department was implementing the apex court’s November 15, 2018 verdict. She said warehouses were being establishing instead of industry in Islamabad.

The chief justice said the whole nation had become shopkeepers and were selling smuggled and foreign items. Shops were visible in the entire country, he added.

Senate passes University of Islamabad Bill, 2020 ISLAMABAD APP

The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill for the establishment of University of Islamabad to bring immense social benefits for the local population of the twin cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi and their adjoining areas.

The bill –the University of Islamabad Bill, 2019 – was moved by Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood.

The university would provide education and scholarships in such branches of knowledge as it may deem fit, and to make provision for research, service to society and for the application, advancement and dissemination of knowledge in such manner as it may determine in accordance with the guidelines of the professional accreditation councils.

The university shall be open to all persons of either gender and of whatever religion, race, creed, class, color or domicile and no person shall be denied the privilege of the university on the grounds of religion, race, caste, creed, class,

color or domicile. All recognized teaching in various courses shall be conducted by the university or the colleges in the prescribed manner and may include lectures, tutorials, discussions, seminars, demonstrations, distance learning and other methods of instruction as well as practical work in the laboratories, hospitals, workshops and other governmental or private organizations.

The chancellor of the university shall be nominated by the Board of Directors of Foundation for the Advancement of Innovation, Research and Education (FAIRE) for a renewable period of five years through a resolution passed with two third majorities.

However, the term of the office of the chancellor may be reduced through a joint resolution of directors of the foundation depending on such reasons as availability, health conditions, resignation etc.

The chancellor may, upon the recommendation of the Review Panel, remove any person from the membership of the Board of Governors on the ground that such per-

son has become of unsound mind or become incapacitated to function as member of the Board of Governors; or been convicted by a court of law for an offence involving moral turpitude or absented himself from two consecutive meetings without just cause or been guilty of misconduct, including use of position for personal advantage of any kind, or gross inefficiency in the performance.

The University of Islamabad, a private sector entity, was a project of FAIRE duly registered with Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) as a non-profit organization for establishing a new University at Bahria Golf City, Murree Expressway Islamabad.

The university would be a comprehensive university offering programs in Management Science, Computer Science, International Relations and Mathematics. It brings immense social benefits for the local population of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and adjoining areas. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objects through the above university in a private sector.

‘Accountability process to continue for fairness in policing affairs’ ISLAMABAD APP

The police will continue accountability process to improve functioning of department and bringing transparency in policing affairs,a police spokesman on Wednesday said. It was stated by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Waqar Uddin Syed while chairing a meeting held to review the performance of investigation officers of Saddar Zone. SP Saddar Muhammad Umar Khan, all SDPOs, SHOs and investigation officers were also present on the occasion. DIG (Operations) said the police accelerated performance accountability of those officers serving at police stations and investigating various cases.

He scrutinized the performance of each police official and directed to transfer two investigation officers to other divisions over poor performance.

Waqar Uddin Syed ordered to issue show cause notices to 25 investigation officers for not having up to the mark performance while ten officials were issued warnings to improve their performance.

170C

PrAyer Timings FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:37

12:44

4:57

6:53

6:35

7:51

Pakistan understands value of peace: Alvi ISLAMABAD APP

President Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday said that Pakistan understood the value of peace and it had been continuously talking of peace which was in sharp contrast to the belligerent designs of India.

Addressing at the inaugural session of a seminar titled “Global strategic threat and response 2020’, organized by the Center for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), the president said after assuming power, Prime Minister Imran Khan made a peaceful gesture to India, offering it to resolve all the issues peacefully. The PM’s offer of ‘taking two steps if India takes one’ was not reciprocated by the eastern neighbour, he said. Pakistan, as peace gesture, had also returned the Indian captured pilot, despite Indian aggression during February last, he added. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, renowned defence analysts, experts, diplomats and academics attended the event. The president, dilating upon the topic, said that the global order was rapidly changing, but he was disappointed with such developments as the humanity still refused to learn from its bitter experiences of wars. History was the witness to the fact that wars were used as tools for exploitation and loot of the regions and resources and with the passage of time, dynamics of warfare had undergone a sea change from gun powder to the supersonic missiles, he observed. He regretted that the Muslim world had also suffered due to the interests of others. With wars, peace could not be achieved, neither such spectacles could contribute towards the rebuilding of nations, he added. The president said the world had been confronted with latest challenges like xenophobia and Islamophobia.

Due to these changes and threats, it was necessary for Pakistan to have nuclear capability to thwart all ill designs of its enemies and secure itself, he added.

The president observed that in the modern warfare and technological revolution, it had become imperative to preserve resources, besides adoption of a strategy to look beyond the current trends. Along with such issues, poverty, education, health, pollution and social disparity were the other common challenges, faced by the world community, he added.

The president said the technological revolutions in the modern warfare also brought complexities as with slight error, the world could be plunged into disaster as evident during Cuba crises. The president said it was an era of cyber and hybrid wars and the technological revolution. Human DNA took thousands of years to change but the artificial intelligence could take hours to develop such software, he added. About the impacts of social media, the president said that now these tools were used to affect minds of the people which could be another type of warfare. The president also shared his concerns over the ‘new destructive economic order,’ quoting certain renowned authors and scholars.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

NEWS

05

KP energy dePt failS to utiliSe alloCated fundS PESHAWAR

K

AZIZ BUNERI

HyBER Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Energy and Power Department could hardly spend 6.9 per cent from the allocated Rs9 billion for various projects to increase the province’s electricity production in this year’s annual development programme.

According to the documents, the KP Finance Department had released Rs3.8 billion out of Rs9 billion in which the department could spend only Rs623 million on various projects.

Provincial government allocated token funds for 496 MW project in Kohistan-Supat Power Project on in which KP has 26 per cent shares while Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) had the 74 per cent share.

For access to energy construction on river and tributaries, a development bank project, the department could not spend even a single rupee out of the Rs700 million allocated amount.

For access to Energy-Solarization of Schools and BHUs, a project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for which Rs 879.4 million were

FOURTH POLIO CASE REPORTED IN BALOCHISTAN KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Balochistan health department confirmed the fourth polio case of the year in the province on Wednesday. The number of children affected by polio in Pakistan this year has reached 20. A seven-year-old child was diagnosed with the virus in District Sohbatpur.

This year, 10 cases have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Sindh and four from Balochistan. At least 128 polio cases were recorded across the country in 2019. All the new cases are from families on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. Officials have also confirmed that the polio virus was detected in 50% of the sewerage samples collected from across Pakistan.

allocated, only Rs 69.48 million could be spent by the relevant department so far.

The KP finance department could not release funds for KP Hydro Development Project (KalkotBarikot-Patrak HPP-47 MW Gabral0Kalam HPP110MW and Patrak-Shiringal HPP-22 MW) and thus a major project that could increase the province’s electricity generation have been postponed. Meanwhile, only Rs337,000 were spent on the Rs56.28 million project for the project of restructuring of the electric inspectorate of KP Energy. While Rs15 million were allocated for the capacity building programme for the energy and power sector, only Rs2.9 million could be utilised.

For the feasibility study for the establishment of provincial transmission and dispatch company projects, for which Rs10 million were allocated, no funds were released and thus the project was further delayed.

Similarly, the purchase of land for the Petroleum Institute of Technology in Karak, for which Rs200 million were allocated, could not be implemented because the authorities failed to release funds for it.

Also for the feasibility study of wind energy in

KP, the government failed to release Rs70 million allocated for the project. The energy department was able to spend Rs41.48 million on the solarisation of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

Allocated funds of Rs39 million were spent on the installation of solar systems in 100 villages across the province. Rs316 million were allocated for the electrification of un-electrified villages in KP which had been successfully completed.

Sources told this scribe that work on several important projects in KP has been delayed due to the coronavirus. In these projects, four are near completion.

Out of the projects for which the token funds have been allocated by the provincial government, some of these projects are being constructed in collaboration with the ADB and some in public-private partnerships for which funds can be released at any time. According to sources, the provincial government is facing financial crises due to lack of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and a number of projects are pending. If the federal government releases the province’s NFC Award and the net hydel profit of the province, these projects can be completed on time, sources added.

Activist Jalila Haider wins International Women of Courage award

PAKISTAN ASSURES IRAN OF ALL-OUT SUPPORT AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK ISLAMABAD

NEWS DESK

APP

Jalila Haider, a human rights activist from Balochistan, will receive the International Women of Courage award from US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Wednesday (today), said an official announcement.

The US State Department’s spokesperson’s office identified Haider as “the Iron Lady of Balochistan,” who founded “We the Humans – Pakistan”, a non-profit organisation to lift local communities by strengthening opportunities for vulnerable women and children.

She specializes in defending women’s rights and provides free counselling and legal services to poverty-affected women. The first female attorney of her Hazara community, Haider led a peaceful hunger strike to recognise the right to life for the Hazaras following a series of targeted attacks.

She has taken up the cause of many other vulnerable communities. As Balochistan’s President of the Women Democratic Front and Balochistan’s branch of the Aurat (Woman’s) March, “she fought against violence against women in public spaces, at work, and at home,” said her brief introduction released by the State Department.

Secretary Pompeo will host the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) Awards at the Department of State on Wednesday to honor 12 extraordinary women from across the world. The First Lady of the United States Melania Trump will deliver remarks to recognise the extraordi-

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday held a telephonic conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javed Zarif and expressed grief “over the loss of precious lives” due to outbreak of coronavirus in the country. Iran on Wednesday reported 15 new deaths from the novel coronavirus and 586 additional cases, bringing the overall toll to 92 dead and 2,922 infected. The Shia holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, is the epicentre of Iran’s coronavirus outbreak and where its first deaths were reported on February 19. In Pakistan, all the confirmed five novel virus cases are linked to Iran. Qureshi also assured Zarif of Pakistan’s all-out support in containing the spread of contagious disease. Both the ministers also agreed to jointly take measures against the epidemic of COVID-19 which has spread to more than 30 countries, killing over 2,700 and infecting at least 80,000 – mostly in China. FM Qureshi also thanked his Iranian counterpart for condemning the recent wave of violence against Muslims in India.

On Tuesday, Zarif in his tweet had urged Indian authorities “to ensure the wellbeing of ALL Indians.

nary accomplishments of these women. Now in its 14th year, the Secretary of State’s IWOC Award recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment, often at great personal risk and sacrifice.

Since the inception of this award in March 2007, the department has recognized 134 women from 73 countries.

PATS contest to enhance combat skills of participants: COAS RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

SHC cancels Khursheed Shah’s bail in assets case SUKKUR STAFF REPORT

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday declared the decision of accountability court Sukkur to grant bail to Syed Khursheed Shah in assets beyond means case as void. The accountability court had granted bail to Khursheed Shah in December after the accountability bureau’s delay in filing reference against him. The court had also ordered Shah to submit a surety bond of five million rupees. The NAB had challenged the accountability court’s order at the Sindh High Court (SHC) Circuit Bench Sukkur, which had suspended the bail decision. The NAB had informed the bench that Syed Khursheed Shah along with 17 co-accused facing charges in Rs 1.23 billion assets beyond means reference.

Provincial minister Awais Qadir Shah and Farrukh Shah MPA have been among 18 accused, facing graft charges in the reference. The counsel of Khursheed Shah had argued before the high court bench that the accountability bureau has failed to prove charges against his client.

The high court after hearing arguments of the sides has declared the bail order of the accountability court as void. Khursheed Shah, a PPP stalwart and former leader of opposition in National Assembly, has been ailing and admitted at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Sukkur.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday said that sharing of best experiences through International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) competition will not improve combat skills of the troops but also help integrate armies of participant countries.

He said this while addressing a prize distribution ceremony at the conclusion of the three-day event organised at National Counter Terrorism Centre( NCTC ), a training area near Kharian, from March 1-3, military’s media wing, the ISPR, said in a statement. Being one of the toughest military competitions, PATS was aimed at testing survival Skills and physical limits of the participants in short period of time spread over 62 hours including 25 field events.

Apart from Pakistan Army, PAF, 16 foreign countries including Belarus, China, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, KSA, Maldives, Palestine, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA and Uzbekistan participated in the event conducted from March 1-3 in challenging terrain at NCTC and surrounding areas. The army chief distributed prizes among the winners and runner up.

Karachi Corps was declared overall best team, Multan Corps came second while Rawalpindi Corps remained third. Turkey clinched gold medal in International Teams while KSA, Sri Lanka and South Africa shared the silver medal. Pakistan Air Force secured Bronze medal.

Speaking on the occasion, Gen Qamar congratulated the participants for successful completion of the event. He said that sharing of best experiences through series of events will improve combat skills and help integrate armies of participant countries.

“Training and team work are the hallmark of every soldier, confronted with multifarious challenges in diverse terrain, one has to be in the best physical and mental fitness for a robust and prompt response, COAS emphasized,” he maintained.

The COAS further said that spirit of sacrifice and patriotism, makes a force formidable in the face of any adversity. He thanked all foreign participants for being part of the event and for showing their prowess.

Commanders Mangla and Gujranwala Corps, senior military officials from Pakistan Army, PAF and defence attaches from various countries were present on the occasion.

It is pertinent to mention that NCTC, being state of the art facility with large capacity to impart quality training to combating terrorism in all kinds of terrain, has been recognised as a world class training facility attracting other armies for training with the Pakistan Army.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

The violence in Delhi is noT a ‘rioT’. iT is TargeTeD anTi-MusliM bruTaliTy WHAT DELHI WITNESSED OVER THE PAST WEEK IS THE INDIAN EQUIVALENT OF ‘NIGGER HUNTING’, TARGETED VIOLENCE AGAINST MUSLIMS, LED BY MOBS OF HINDU NATIONALISTS, MAINLY SUPPORTERS OF THE BJP, INDIA’S GOVERNING PARTY, MANY CHANTING ‘JAI SHRI RAM’ AND ‘HINDUON KA HINDUSTAN’ GuardiaN

i

kENaN Malik

N August 1958, gangs of white youths began systematically attacking West Indians in London’s Notting Hill, assaulting them with iron bars and meat cleavers and milk bottles. One policeman reported a 300-strong mob shouting: “We will kill all black b*******. Why don’t you send them home?” The attacks continued for a week before order was restored.

The incident is still referred to as the “Notting Hill riots”. It was nothing of the sort. It was a vicious week-long racist attack.

Mr Justice Salmon, sentencing nine white youths at the Old Bailey, called it “nigger hunting”. There is, though, a long history of describing racist violence as a “riot”, to por-

tray it as a general violent mayhem rather than as targeted attacks.

And so it is with the violence that over the past week has engulfed parts of the Indian capital, Delhi. Journalists and politicians have talked of “rioting” and “communal violence”. That’s no more accurate than describing the attack on Notting Hill’s black residents as a “riot”. What Delhi witnessed over the past week is the Indian equivalent of “nigger hunting”, targeted violence against Muslims, led by mobs of Hindu nationalists, mainly supporters of the BJP, India’s governing party, many chanting “Jai Shri Ram” (“glory to Lord Rama”) and “Hinduon ka Hindustan” (India for Hindus).

The violence began after a local BJP politician, Kapil Mishra, told a rally last Sunday that unless police cleared the streets

of protesters against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he and his supporters would do it themselves.

The CAA is a new law that allows undocumented migrants from neighbouring countries to seek citizenship in India – except if they are Muslim. It’s the first law since India gained independence that explicitly excludes Muslims, and has generated widespread protests.

Within hours of Mishra’s ultimatum, BJP gangs started attacking anti-CAA protesters. Within days, they were burning down Muslim houses, shops and mosques. And Muslims themselves. At least 39 people have been killed, including a policeman. Hindus, too, have been attacked and their houses burnt. This has led some to portray the events in Delhi as general lawlessness, even primarily as Muslim violence. In 1958,

many West Indians armed themselves with bricks and bats, some ganged up looking for whites to attack. That did not detract from it being a racist assault on local blacks. Nor does the fact that Muslims in Delhi have also responded with violence diminish the Hindu chauvinism and anti-Muslim hostility that lies at the heart of the “riots”.

The BJP is driven by the ideology of “Hindutva”, or “Hinduness”, seeing the Hindu way of life as the only authentic model for India. All of India’s Muslims should have been packed off to Pakistan at partition, a government minister, Giriraj Singh, said last month.

Like many European reactionary groups, the BJP has won popular support largely because of disaffection with the failure and corruption of mainstream parties, especially Congress, which has governed India for

most of its post-independence history. When the BJP came to power in 2014, its Hindu chauvinism was kept on a short leash. A resounding second victory in elections last year has, however, given the prime minister, Narendra Modi, licence to pursue exclusionary policies without restraint.

In August 2019, the government stripped Muslim-majority Indian held Kashmir of its autonomous status – a demand of Hindu nationalists since the 1950s – and dealt brutally with local protests. Then came the CAA, part of a two-pronged attack on Muslim citizenship. The second prong is the creation of a national register of citizens, compelling all Indians to provide documentation of their citizenship. Millions of poorer Indians have no such paperwork. For non-Muslims, this is unlikely to be too great a burden – the amended citizenship law provides a path to citizenship. Muslims, however, excluded by the CAA, fear that they will be deemed “foreigners” even if they have lived in India for generations; that they may end up as India’s Rohingya.

While the attempt to exclude Muslims reveals the chauvinist ideology of the BJP, mass opposition to the CAA, from Hindus and Muslims alike, shows the depth of hostility to bigotry. In Delhi, too, amid the violence there have been many stories of Hindus protecting Muslim neighbours, and of Muslims aiding Hindus.

What is playing out in India is not a simple religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims but a political struggle between two visions of India: between those who see it as an open, secular nation and those who wish to create a chauvinist Hindu state. Who prevails in this struggle matters not just to Muslims, or to Indians, but to all of us.

Kenan Malik is an Observer columnist.

The American defeat The lives of Moroccan women in Afghanistan

L a timeS aNDREW BaCEViCh

Is “peace in our time” in Afghanistan at hand? President Trump thinks so. He described the agreement signed Saturday by an American diplomat and a Taliban official as providing “a powerful path forward to end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home.” We must hope that he is correct.

Yet the prospective end of the longest war in U.S. history does not find Americans dancing in the streets. With the spread of the coronavirus and the ongoing drama of the Democratic primaries, Afghanistan figures at best as an afterthought in news media and the public mind. Besides, the nation has long since grown weary of armed interventions that drag on and on as if on autopilot. No Gettysburg, no D-day — just sporadic reports of bombs dropped and people killed.

Even so, while the peace plan may not prompt Americans to celebrate, it ought to provide an occasion for sober reflection. At least for now, our instinctive urge to move on, to forget, can wait.

After nearly 20 years, the United States has accomplished exceedingly little in Afghanistan. The truth is, in this faraway Central Asian country, we have sustained a major defeat.

The deal signed over the weekend, which in the details began fraying almost immediately, amounts to an admission of failure. The Trump administration’s desire to call it quits has overridden what justified a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan in the first place.

THE TRUTH IS, IN THIS FARAWAY CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRY, WE HAVE SUSTAINED A MAJOR DEFEAT. THE DEAL SIGNED OVER THE WEEKEND, WHICH IN THE DETAILS BEGAN FRAYING ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, AMOUNTS TO AN ADMISSION OF FAILURE Here are the facts. Despite the loss of more than 6,000 American dead and the expenditure of roughly a trillion dollars, U.S. forces have never come close to defeating the Afghan Taliban. Indeed, government figures put the enemy-initiated attacks in the last quarter of 2019 at a nine-year high.

Programs aimed at building Afghan military and police forces able to provide security have also failed. So too have efforts to install in Kabul a unified government that commands the support of the Afghan people. There are today two rival claimants to the Afghan presidency.

As for the $9 billion in U.S. taxpayer money expended to reduce the cultivation of opium, that effort has yielded essentially nothing, as a detailed report in the Washington Post made clear in December.

Afghanistan today reportedly produces more than 90% of the world’s opium supply. And efforts to curb rampant corruption have come nowhere close to success, with Transparency International ranking Afghanistan among the world’s most corrupt nations.

Each of these figured as major U.S. policy objectives. None have resulted in mission accomplishment.

Only with regard to the education of girls — an estimated 3.5 million are today attending Afghan schools — can U.S. efforts be said to have achieved even modest success, with political dysfunction and inadequate security putting even that modest achievement at risk.

But wait, some will say: Since U.S. forces arrived in Afghanistan more than 18 years ago the United

States has not experienced a recurrence of 9/11. But this assumes a non-existent causal relationship. Taliban fighters have not been waging a global jihad targeting the United States. Their purpose remains what it was when Afghan mujahideen resisted Soviet occupation in the 1980s: They are determined to oust foreign occupying forces. If the just announced peace deal holds at all, and Trump withdraws U.S. troops as he has repeatedly vowed to do, the Taliban will have achieved precisely what they have long fought for.

That’s victory.

The central lesson for the U.S. in this long and futile conflict, compounded by our experience in the Iraq War, is plain: The proper mission of the U.S. military is to deter and to defend — a statement that ought to be inscribed over the main entrance to the Pentagon, if not added to the oath of office taken by the commander in chief. Never again should it be the purpose of American forces to overthrow regimes in distant lands with vague expectations of being able to install a political order more to our liking. That way lies only more “endless wars.”

If senior U.S. national security officials can absorb that lesson, then perhaps the war in Afghanistan will not have been a complete waste.

Alas, that assumes a capacity for learning that in Washington is not much in evidence.

Andrew Bacevich is a contributing writer to Opinion. He is president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and author of “The Age of Illusions: How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory.”

New StateSmaN Elif Shafak

Throughout the Middle East, nowhere is the need for change more urgent – and the silences more deafening – than in the areas of gender and sexuality. Patriarchal norms are so deeply rooted across the political spectrum that even the most seemingly liberal segments of societies can be homophobic, transphobic and misogynist underneath the veneer of “modernity”.

Patriarchy loves nothing more than hypocrisy.

You can do whatever you want secretly, so long as you never openly challenge the existing order and carry on doing what everyone else is doing in public.

Do not rock the boat. Do not cross the hudud – boundary. Especially if you are a woman. Female writers of Middle Eastern origin who try to understand the complexity of the issue and give a voice to the voiceless, therefore, do not have an easy task.

This, however, is just what the French-Moroccan author Leïla Slimani dares to do in her first work of non-fiction, Sex and Lies.

The book is composed of a series of interviews with Moroccan women from different backgrounds and age groups. They all have a story to tell: a middle-class woman saving up to “have her hymen restored”; a young woman from a poor family who has shown enormous resilience to rebuild her life after she was raped; a therapist who sees all kinds of cases in her professional life and has herself suffered from domestic violence. Some behave in traditional ways when they are next to their relatives or friends; others fight back. They all try to navigate their own way in a strictly male-dominated order.

These women are not victims and Slimani is careful not to portray them as such. In a country where homosexuality is punishable by law and gay couples are beaten in their homes or on the street; adultery is a criminal offence; virginity remains a taboo; women wearing miniskirts are attacked in public and blamed by the police for seducing their attackers; and rape victims are married off to their rapists in the name of saving “family honour”, there are many personal stories that remain untold. Slimani’s book is an honest account of these silences: “Listening to these women, I became determined to shine a light on the reality of this land, which is far more complex and more troubled than we are led to believe.”

Sexual taboos can be more challenging to write

about than political ones. As the Moroccan journalist Sanaa El Aji says: “The two new taboos are religion and sex. People get hysterical about them.” This is not only the case in Morocco; as a writer from a Turkish background, I am moved by Slimani’s words. The women she talks to could just as well have been Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian, Palestinian, Iranian, Turkish.

Slimani talks to Nabil Ayouch, the French director and writer of Moroccan origin whose film Much Loved triggered a hostile reaction in Morocco. “We cover ourselves in false virtue even while, by forbidding sexual relationships outside marriage, our system promotes the commercialisation of the body, and especially violence to and exploitation of the female body,” he says. He points out that sex wasn’t always regarded as a taboo in Muslim-majority societies.

“We’re forgetting that it’s we Arabs, we Muslims, who shocked the West with our erotic texts in the 15th century.” Similarly, in the Ottoman empire there were many widely circulated books on homosexuality, bisexuality and eroticism, which would shock modern readers. One of the most challenging questions is how and why, as our societies modernised, gender and sexuality became more difficult to talk about.

After the Algerian journalist Kamel Daoud wrote about Germany’s 2015 New Year’s Eve sexual assaults, when many women across the country reported being molested by men described as being of Arab appearance, he was heavily criticised by a number of French academics for spreading “orientalist clichés”. Slimani, however, says: “I do understand that these intellectuals prefer to preach caution from the safe distance of their faculty offices in France. But it none the less seems to me impossible to deny the reality of sexual deprivation as a social fact, a vast problem.” She elaborates on the difficulty of talking about the impact of imperialism. Many of her French friends tell her that colonisation ended long ago, saying “we can’t blame ourselves for everything”, but Slimani believes it is important to understand how patriarchy becomes a symbol of identity under threat in postcolonial cultures. “The realm of sex becomes the only space where men can exercise their dominance.”

Slimani shares the reactions she has received for writing about this issue. European writers of Middle Eastern origin who question the cultural norms they grew up with are often accused of betraying their motherlands or being the pawn of Western powers.

Unfortunately, in a world full of xenophobia, racism and sweeping generalisations about the Other, it is becoming harder and harder to have nuanced conversations. But this is exactly why we need to have open debates. Gender inequality and sexual subordination are not side issues. They are at the heart of everything. We must confront this taboo, this injustice and inequality, that affects the lives of people – men and women – in so many untold ways. For that I salute Leïla Slimani for writing this important, honest and brave book.

Elif Shafak’s most recent novel is “10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World” (Viking) Sex and Lies by Leïla Slimani, Faber & Faber, 176pp, £12.99.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

FOREIGN NEWS 07

Greece uses tear Gas on miGrants at border as row with turkey worsens

AT LEAST 25 DEAD AFTER TORNADOES TEAR THROUGH TENNESSEE TENNESSEE AGENCIES

KASTANIES/LESBOS

G

AGENCIES

REEK security forces used tear gas and water cannon on Wednesday against hundreds of migrants trying to cross the border from Turkey, as Athens and Ankara accused each other of lying about what was happening.

More than 10,000 migrants have been trying to breach the border since Turkey said last Thursday it would no longer abide by a 2016 deal with the European Union to halt illegal migration flows to Europe in return for billions of euros in aid.

Turkish officials said Greek forces had killed a migrant on the border on Wednesday, a claim denied by Greece.

Plumes of black smoke drifted above the Kastanies border crossing as Greek soldiers fired warning shots in the air.

A Reuters witness saw teargas canisters being thrown from the Turkish side of the border toward Greek police over a high razor wire. The Greek government later released a video it said showed Turkish border guards were firing the canisters.

Greece and the EU accuse Turkey of deliberately encouraging the migrants to attempt to cross the border as a way of pressuring Brussels into offering more money or supporting Ankara’s geopolitical

aims in the Syrian conflict.

Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees and faces another influx from an upsurge in fighting in northwest Syria, says the EU is not providing anything like enough help to deal with the scale of the migrant crisis.

Turkish officials said Greek forces had killed a migrant and wounded five others on Wednesday at the border, prompting Greek government spokesman Stelios Pet-

sas to say: “Turkey is disseminating fake news… I dismiss this categorically.”

Greece similarly denied a Turkish claim on Tuesday that its forces had killed three migrants at the border. Video footage on Wednesday showed migrants carrying an injured comrade away from the border.

It was unclear how he had been hurt.

HUMAN RIGHTS: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told lawmakers of his ruling AK Party in Ankara on Wednesday that

Greece, and the EU generally, must “act in line with the Human Rights Declaration and respect the migrants arriving on their land”. EU leaders on Tuesday pledged 700 million euros to help Greece handle the migrant crisis and urged Turkey to hold up its end of the 2016 accord.

They fear a repeat of the 2015-16 migrant crisis, when more than a million migrants came to western Europe via Turkey and the Balkans, straining European security and welfare services and boosting support for far-right parties.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for his tough anti-immigrant stance, said 130,000 migrants had already passed the Greek border from Turkey and that they must be stopped as far south as possible. It was unclear how he arrived at that figure, which is much higher than any previously mentioned.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov of Bulgaria, which also shares a land border with Turkey, called after talks with EU officials on Wednesday for renewed dialogue with Ankara on how to handle the migrants and shore up regional stability.

An unknown number of migrants have also arrived on Lesbos and other Greek islands from the nearby Turkish coast in the past week, though choppy seas discouraged sailings for a second consecutive day on Wednesday.

Russia says rebel positions in Syria's Idlib have merged with Turkish army posts KREMLIN HOPES PUTIN, ERDOGAN CAN AGREE JOINT MEASURES AT SYRIA TALKS MOSCOW AGENCIES

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that fortified rebel positions in Syria’s Idlib province had merged with Turkish observation posts, and that artillery attacks on nearby civilian areas and Russia’s air base in Syria had become daily.

The allegations, made by Major-General Igor Konashenkov, are likely to increase tensions ahead of a planned meeting on Syria in Moscow on Thursday between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan.

Ties between Moscow and Ankara have come under severe strain in recent days since 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in an air strike in Idlib, the deadliest attack on the Turkish army in nearly 30 years.

Turkey has responded by stepping up its attacks on Syrian government forces,

while Russian military police have helped to secure a strategic town that Syrian government forces recaptured from rebels they are trying to oust from Idlib. Moscow has long backed President Bashar al-Assad in his nine-year-old war against rebels.

Konashenkov, in his statement, accused Turkey of failing to meet its obligations under agreements on Idlib with Moscow, and of helping anti-Assad rebel forces instead.

He said Turkey had poured enough troops into Idlib to make up a mechanized division, said Konashenkov, violating international law. There was no immediate response from Turkey, which has traded blame with Moscow over the upsurge in violence in Idlib.

KREMLIN HOPES FOR JOINT MEASURES AT SYRIA TALKS: The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan would be able to agree on a set of joint measures for the Syrian province of Idlib when they meet for talks in Moscow on Thursday.

“We plan to discuss the Idlib crisis…

We expect to reach a common understanding on the crisis, the cause of the crisis, the

bloomberg quits 2020 us presidential race, endorses Joe biden NEW YORK AGENCIES

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday and endorsed former vice president Joe Biden. It was a stunning collapse for the former New York City mayor, who had his 2020 hopes on the Super Tuesday states and pumped more than $500 million of his own fortune into the campaign. Bloomberg announced his departure from the race after a disappointing finish on Super Tuesday in the slate of states that account for almost one-third of the total delegates available in the Democratic nominating contest. He won only the territory of American Samoa and picked up several dozen delegates elsewhere. Biden, meanwhile, won big in Southern states where Bloomberg had poured tens of millions of dollars and even cautiously hoped for a victory. “I entered the race for president to defeat Donald Trump,” Bloomberg said in a statement.

“Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump — because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.”Two of Bloomberg’s former Democratic rivals, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden as the moderate alternative to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders just the day before Super Tuesday.

Tornadoes ripped through Tennessee early Tuesday, leaving at least 25 people dead, destroying buildings and toppling power lines hours before the southern US state voted in Super Tuesday primaries. Voting hours were extended due to the devastation the twisters wrought when they touched down shortly after midnight — rubble was strewn across the state capital Nashville. Residents ran for their lives as their homes came down around them. Tens of thousands lost power to their homes, officials said.

“TAKE COVER NOW! THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM!!!” the National Weather Service tweeted as one tornado tore through an area west of Nashville. A television broadcast showed cars piled up, hangars destroyed and what appeared to be dozens of aircraft smashed into each other at Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport. The Nashville Police Department circulated aerial photographs of many buildings missing roofs and homes destroyed — standing next to houses that escaped damage. “In the hours ahead, we will continue deploying search and rescue teams, opening shelters across the state, and sending emergency personnel to our communities hit hardest,” Governor Bill Lee wrote on Twitter. Lee said late Tuesday that the toll had risen to 25 during the day. Among the victims were two people in Nashville killed after being struck by debris, police said. Mayor John Cooper said around 150 people had been transported to medical facilities while nearly 50 buildings had collapsed in the city, the hub of the US country music scene.

AT LEAST 17 DEAD IN BRAZIL'S SOUTHEAST DUE TO RAINS RIO DE JANEIRO AGENCIES

harmful effects of the crisis and arrive at a set of necessary joint measures,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Erdogan said on Monday that he hoped to achieve a ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib in talks with Putin this week.

At least 17 people have died in southeastern Brazil’s since Sunday due to heavy rains in the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, authorities said. Twelve people died in Sao Paulo early on Tuesday and at least five people died between Sunday and Monday in Rio de Janeiro. The state of Sao Paulo said an additional 46 people remained missing. Brazil has seen very heavy rainfall so far in 2020, especially in the country’s southeast. Over the weekend, Rio de Janeiro authorities said the region received as much rain as was expected for more than half of the month of March. The rains have also highlighted the country’s weak infrastructure. In nearby Minas Gerais state, almost 50 died in late January due to rain, with 25,000 people being displaced. One of the people who died early on Tuesday in Sao Paulo was a firefighter who was on duty helping victims.

UN nuclear watchdog admonishes Iran for denying access to two sites VIENNA/PARIS AGENCIES

The U.N. watchdog policing Iran’s troubled nuclear deal with major powers admonished Tehran on Tuesday for failing to answer its questions about past nuclear activities at three sites and for denying it access to two of them.

Reuters first reported on Monday that the IAEA planned to issue a second report in addition to its regular quarterly update on Iran’s nuclear activities, rebuking Iran for less than full cooperation in general and for failing to grant U.N. inspectors access to one or more sites of interest.

The regular report showed Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium nearly tripling since November to more than a tonne, as Tehran continues to breach key limits of its steadily eroding nuclear deal in response to renewed U.S. sanctions against it since Washington pulled out of the accord in May 2018.

The extraordinary second report delved into the International Atomic Energy Agency’s open questions and Iran’s denial of access to sites which two senior

diplomats said are believed to have been active in the early 2000s.

“I judged it necessary to produce a second report because I thought the situation is serious enough to merit such a move on my part,” new IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who took office in December, told Reuters in an interview in Paris.

The second confidential IAEA report to member states seen by Reuters said Iran has not provided access to the agency to two locations … and not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify agency questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities. “We have insisted and despite all our efforts we have not been able to get that, so the situation requires on my part such a step because what this means is that Iran is curtailing the ability of the agency to do its work,” he said, adding that he hoped Tehran would reverse course after the IAEA’s board meets next week in Vienna. What exactly is thought to have happened at the three sites, none of which the IAEA has visited before, is unclear. They are also different to the site in Tehran to which Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu drew attention in 2018, calling it a “secret atomic warehouse”, where the IAEA later found traces of uranium.

Discussions with Iran aimed at explaining those traces of uranium that was processed – but not enriched – are ongoing, despite the agency previously encouraging Iran to do more.

SANITIZING: The second report said the IAEA’s open questions include whether natural uranium was used at one of the three sites, one that the IAEA has yet to say it wants to visit.

At one of the other two the agency has seen activities “from early July 2019 onwards that were consistent with efforts to sanitize part of the location”, it said.

The term “sanitize” is often used to denote construction or demolition work intended to remove traces of nuclear material. Diplomats who tipped off Reuters about the second report said the agency was looking at sites which – like the Tehran one where uranium particles were found – were mentioned in a trove of data on Iran’s past nuclear activities that Israel calls the “atomic archive”, which it says

its agents seized in Iran.

A diplomatic source said one of the sites was Marivan. The source also said that the IAEA was trying to corroborate a possible past military project.

Since long before the deal the IAEA has had information suggesting that “largescale high-explosive experiments”, involving high-precision detonation systems suitable for the core of a nuclear bomb, were conducted in the region of Marivan, at least one of which was in 2003. The archive appears to contain information supporting or expanding on that. U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA believe the Islamic Republic had a secret, coordinated nuclear weapons program that it halted in 2003, long before the 2015 deal.

That is also roughly the time at which an exiled Iranian opposition group exposed the existence of Iran’s underground uranium enrichment complex at Natanz. The revelation raised international alarm about Tehran’s covert nuclear activities, which it later declared to the IAEA. Tuesday’s second report also said Iran had informed the IAEA that it “will not recognize any allegation on past activities and does not consider itself obliged to respond to such allegations”.

While the 2015 deal drew a line under Iran’s past atomic activities, the IAEA’s non-proliferation mandate must also account for all nuclear material and activities. If previously unknown items come to light, it investigates.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

08 COMMENT

A Mard’s Perspective on Aurat March 2020

Coronavirus’ economic challenge for Pakistan Inaction despite several heads-ups

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hE PtI government’s attention has so far been concentrated on preventive measures to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19). Equally important however is the likely impact of the epidemic on the national economy. According to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Outlook, COVID-19 presents the global economy with its greatest danger since the financial crisis of 2008. the US Federal Reserve has cut short-term rates by half a percentage point, the biggest cut in more than a decade, in view of the evolving risks from the infectious disease. factory activity has fallen to its lowest on record, bringing down world business activity. Pakistan cannot remain unaffected by the negative development in Chinese economy. the British government estimates that up to a fifth of the country’s workforce may be off sick during the peak of a possible coronavirus epidemic in the country. the USA, China and United Kingdom, the three largest importers of Pakistani goods, are planning for the worst.

But are we? the regional picture should especially worry Pakistan’s economic managers. the virus is now penetrating into the countries of the Middle East where millions of Pakistani workers are employed and the PtI government hopes to send more there, particularly to Qatar.

After 230 cases of the virus already confirmed in the Middle East, businesses are coming under pressure. In the UAE, where 27 cases of coronavirus have been reported, business activity is on the way to decline.

Shares in the leading global property developer, Emaar Properties PJSC, fell 10 percent this week, while Emirates Airline has reduced its flights and asked staff to take unpaid leave for a month. In case of the virus continuing to spread while there are no signs of a vaccine before the end of the year, and the downturn in the Middle East economy might lead to the layoffs of tens of thousands of Pakistani workers. there is a need therefore for policy makers to concentrate on making emergency plans to face the headwinds in case the coronavirus turns into a pandemic in the region. there has been a sudden withdrawal of $263 million out of $3.47 billion investment in Pakistan’s government securities.

A financial expert ascribes this to panic created by coronavirus. this should be yet another eye-opener.

March Faraz TalaT

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hE most profound piece I can write about the Aurat March from a male perspective, would be a blank page that invites quiet introspection instead of compulsive opinionating. But allow me to challenge myself, and recreate that effect through actual words.

Yes bhai sahib, you are allowed to have an opinion on women’s issues. What could possibly stop you? But the first thing you need is not wisdom, intelligence, or political acumen, not even compassion.

What you need foremost is ‘humility’, and the acknowledgement that your experience may not be enough next to someone who has walked the earth for 30 years in a woman’s body. this is the same humility you exhibit before a car mechanic when you listen attentively to his advice, instead of teaching him how a carburettor is supposed to be fixed. Perhaps his advice isn’t entirely sound, but even you admit that it’s coming from a place of greater experience and agency.

Last year’s Aurat March took the nation by a storm; a nation that was clearly unprepared for so many women slipping out of the zanana section of whatever venue they’re supposed to be safely contained in. this time, our brethren were better prepared. they descended violently on the posters the women organisers had put up. they filed a petition in court against the Aurat March, calling it ‘antistate’. I have not been made aware of any specific rape or death threats towards the dauntless women organizing this event, but I doubt it wouldn’t be the case this time. I’d love to have my pessimism proven wrong, but I do not believe that a year that started off with raging forest fires and whispers of a world war would be the lucky year where misogynists sponta-

NAB references

Women molestation in educational institutions

Weight of multiple cases cannot mask incompetence

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nCE again, the national Accountability Bureau (nAB) has filed a reference against opposition politicians for them allegedly abusing power while in office. the reference is against Yousaf Raza Gillani for suspending the rules while Prime Minister and thus allowing Asif Zardari, then President, to pay a small amount and keep cars he had been gifted by the presidents of the UAE and Libya. A reference has been made against Mr Zardari for taking the car. the reference against Mian nawaz Sharif is on the same grounds as well. Mr Zardari is further accused of using Omni Group money to pay for the vehicles (and Omni Group CEO Anwar Majid has thus been included in the reference). It seems that the reference is part of the set of references involving Mr Zardari, the Omni Group and money laundering, the investigations of which have involved him being arrested by nAB, and subsequently being enlarged on bail for health reasons. nAB may have the leaders of both the PPP and the PML(n) dead to rights, but its record against these and other leaders is not encouraging. While it did obtain a conviction against Mian nawaz over the Avenfield Flats, he too has been granted bail, and was even allowed to go abroad. the new reference may be ascribed to the PtI’s attempts to have him sent back, which have led to an extradition request by the Pakistan government being sent to the UK. the PtI government has responded to accusations that it whitewashes its own leaders (as the opposition claim it has done in the sugar and flour cases) and targets the opposition’s through such references or preceding investigations by claiming that nAB is independent and free to act accordingly.

If that is so, nAB has got to answer for the fact that its numerous failures so far mean that taxpayers’ money spent on it has been largely wasted, with the bails granted to ex-Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbassi and ex-Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and the high Court direction to nAB not to persecute PML(n) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah, whom it is investigating for illegal assets after the Anti-narcotics Force failed to stop him getting bail in a drugs case. the nAB can only defend itself against charges of being a political tool if it concedes monumental professional incompetence.

Molesters get selected as teachers Malik aslaM awan

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t is an oft-repeated saying that the parents cause their children to descend down on earth and the teachers refurbish them with knowledge and spirit to ascend the heights of glory. It is agonizing and painful to note that some wolves have managed to sneak into the sacred profession to adulterate the sanctity of the highly esteemed profession. Educationists are recruited to the profession through public service commission but it is strange to know how such “Rasputins” manage their entry and deceive the highly educated and experienced members of the various commissions. Figures of women molestation cases-in colleges and universities- are ever rising and reaching an alarming state day by day.

Morbid minds manage themselves assimilated-by fair or foul means– in universities, especially those of government sector. Such morbid minds are too mordacious to the whole society even causing the mordant decay and alarming risk to life of the victim.

Several voices have been heard in universities and colleges that male teachers molest their girl students. In Karachi, Faisalabad, even Islamabad, several cases have created a ruckus, causing widespread panic amongst parents. Our country finds its origin on Islamic ideology, and our society hinging on Islamic principles has no forbearance for those causing molestation to young girls. Stormy ripples cause an earthquakelike upheaval in the structure of society. People in general, and parents in particular, get frightened and think in terms of changing the institution but where would the girls go? Is there any institution too secure as compared to other institutions? the answer is exclusively in the negative. then what would be the other option for parents to make their young daughters secure from molestation? College and university female students ‘almost’ have sufficient maturity but feel helpless before their male teachers and feel shy of intimating parents. to muster courage to lodge a complaint before the higher authorities of the college or university is a matter of utter shame. Most of the parents of affected girls feel too hesitant to lodge a complaint because the higher authorities and inquiry committees don’t seem to be so active to take action against the offender– there is a large mordant segment in society which takes such crimes as a rou-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

What offends our masculinity the most, are the neously combust and just leave us be. the male case against the Aurat March goes one posters. Even if the posters outright screamed, ”Drop of two ways. the first involves the cartoonish criti- dead men!”, we pray that you’d be able to see this as cism of women’s basic rights itself; where the objec- mere expression of frustration against centuries of option isn’t so much about the demands of the Aurat pression, and not an actual plot for male genocide.

March, but simply the act of women doing something You understand jokes, right? Remember those dad other than their culturally-approved duties of feeding jokes comparing wives to witches and angry demons?

Sometimes women make their husbands and gigjokes too. Smile! gling coquettishly through I’m not here to be a dupattas half-covering traitor to my gender, and their faces the second objection Allow yourself to be wrong about I’m certainly not here to comes from men who women’s issues. Forgive yourself, win favour with the feminist ladies. I’m simply have convinced themhere to relieve my brothselves of being masterbhai, for not knowing the ers of the burden of mistrategists when it comes struggles of an average woman. cromanaging the Aurat to the feminist movement.

“Of course women should You will not be faulted for not March.

Allow yourself to be have rights, and I totally allow my women to read having first-hand experience with wrong about women’s issues. Forgive yourself, books and have periods,” menstrual-shaming, just as you bhai, for not knowing the he says and waits for apof an average plause, “But I just can’t won’t be thought of as a lesser struggles woman. You will not be condone the way feminists faulted for not having these days are conducting person for not knowing the first-hand experience their movement, which is dietary habits of an Azerbaijani with menstrual-shaming, way too provocative and just as you won’t be impractical.” You’re welfisherman. But you will be faulted thought of as a lesser percome, ladies! son for not knowing the Rarely would this for your refusal to learn dietary habits of an Azersecond kind of strategist baijani fisherman. lend his insight to the But you will be faulted first group of loud-andfor your refusal to learn. proud misogynists. he You will be faulted for wouldn’t stop his male buddy objectifying a female student at his univer- your hubris in assuming that you have everything figsity, and tell him that his behaviour is provocative ured out, and that you can confidently instruct women and counter-progressive. he won’t stop his friends on what they should or shouldn’t be marching for.

Sometimes, it’s okay to just listen. commenting on a girl’s dress unless that girl just happens to be his sister. his political hot takes are Faraz Talat is a medical doctor from Rawalpindi reserved strictly for the ‘females’, who by the fact of being female, have ostensibly no idea what to do and an ardent traveller who writes frequently about science, social politics and international relations. with a political movement.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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offender to extort money from him, while it is an established fact that after lodging such complaint tine matter and criminal sexual assaults on women the plaintiff has no recourse to withdraw the comor children don’t touch their minds to realise it is plaint as the case is non-compoundable, so there is a heinous crime. An individual in a Muslim soci- zero chance of blackmailing. the charge of blackety cannot bear such criminal assault as routine mailing is concocted to give criminal shelter to the matter– one is too sensitive about making our off- accused.

A second rampant and condemnable practice is spring safe from sexual assaults. But when our young girls face molestation from a teacher, we the concocted counter-case against the victim or her family members to become stunned, shiverforce her to retreat and ing in anger, and find no get frightened of being way to move forward. implicated in false cases Weaker sections of leading to incarceration society find no social in jail. Some influential backing to thwart and reThe incumbent government and criminals cause assassisist such criminal asnation attempts on vicsaults and feel parliamentarians are required to tims or her relations to themselves alone; some think if they report the join their heads together to enact make them frightened to migrate to some other matter to police, they a law to secure the victims of place. All the aforemenwill have to face mordant questions from po- criminal assaults and her parents tioned illegal practices are resorted to under the lice officials. Sometimes police officials, having from the malice of molesters. For criminal patronage of police black sheep in obtained gratification lieu of heavy gratificathis purpose a commission from the molester, turn tion. In government and turtle the whole situation comprising retired honest judges private offices, the moto the utter disfavour of lestation of female subthe victim girl and her of the Supreme Court and ordinates has also parents. Being a social resounded. Female subreputed bureaucrats be worker and hailing from ordinates are harassed to a political background, I constituted to punish the have nefarious ends and often had to monitor the above mentioned such cases and found the criminals and make the victims scenario is created and police officials making sarcastic remarks to the safe from police malpractices. repeated by the sme means, and through the victim and posing blunt questions to the victim The police officers found guilty of same officials, as discussed above. and the parents, which such malpractices may be the incumbent govwe can’t bear in any ernment and parliamencase. the same practice immediately dismissed from tarians are required to is repeated during the service and punished severely join their heads together trial of the case. the opto enact a law to secure ponent counsel puts the victims of criminal crude, grilling questions assaults and her parents to the victim, leaving her from the malice of moburied in shame. lesters. For this purpose It is a rampant practice in police that the investigation officer, having a commission comprising retired honest judges of heavy gratification from the offender, had a bent the Supreme Court and reputed bureaucrats be conto safeguard his heinous crime. Legal lacunae are stituted to punish the criminals and make the vicinserted in the case and the culprit of criminal as- tims safe from police malpractices. the police sault escapes punishment. It is the oft-repeated officers found guilty of such malpractices may be heinous and shameful practice of police black immediately dismissed from service and punished sheep that they portray a scenario to create a blem- severely ished impression that the victim is harassing the The writer is a freelance columnist.

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 5 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

Plight of Besieged Kashmiri Women in IHK

AN OPEN LETTER TO MODI How Modi might do penance, and why he should SIrajuddIn azIz DEAR FRIEND,

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hAT I address you as a friend is no formality. I own no foes. My business in life has been for the past many years to enlist the friendship of the whole of humanity by befriending mankind, irrespective of race, colour and creed.

I hope you will have the time and desire to know how a good portion of humanity who have been living under the influence of that doctrine of universal friendship, view your action. We have no doubt about your bravery or devotion to your fatherland, nor do we believe that you are the monster described by your opponents. But your own writings and pronouncements and those of your friends and admirers leave no room for doubt that many of your acts are monstrous and unbecoming of human dignity, especially in the estimate of men like me (MKG) who believe in universal friendliness.

Such are your humiliation (of Assam) the rape (of Occupied Kashmir) and the swallowing (of innocent blood). I am aware that your view of life regards such spoliations as virtuous acts.

But we have been taught from childhood to regard them as acts degrading humanity. hence we cannot possibly wish success to your arms.

But ours is a unique position. We resist British imperialism no less than Nazism. If there is a difference, it is in degree. Our resistance to it does not mean harm to the British people. We seek to convert them, not to defeat them on the battlefield. Ours is an unarmed revolt against British rule. But whether we convert them or not, we are determined to make their rule impossible by non-violent non-co-operation. It is a method in its nature indefensible. It is based on the knowledge that no spoliator can compass his end without a certain degree of cooperation, willing or compulsory, of the victim.

Our rulers may have our land and bodies but not our souls…..

In non-violent technique, as I have said, there is no such thing as a defeat. It is all ‘do or die’ without killing or hurting. It can be used practically without money and obviously without the aid of science or destruction which you have brought to such perfection. It is a marvel to me that you do not see that it is nobody’s monopoly. You are leaving no legacy to your people of which they would feel proud. They cannot take pride in a recital of cruel deed, however, skilfully planned. I, therefore, appeal to you in the name of humanity to stop the (genocide)……

During this season when the hearts of the peoples (South Asia Nations) yearn of peace, ……. Is it too much to ask you to make an effort for peace during a time which may mean nothing to you personally but which must mean much to the millions of our (People) whose dumb cry for peace I hear, for my ears are attended to hearing the dumb millions?

I am, Your sincere friend, “ Narendra Modi, that is not a text crafted by me; these are contents of a letter, written in 1940 to the diametrically opposite leader(?)

Adolf hitler by your own Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi-- The Mahtama, as you prefer to

address him. I have merely altered the loca- friends, they were and are lovely human betions, time and made it relevant to what you ings- it is mind boggling which species of huare ruthlessly pursuing (the words in brackets mans stuff the ballot boxes in your favour - or are mine). Please read the letter again, isn’t it is it some excellent engineering of results?!

Kashmir has been sunk in sorrow for ala battle between the highest regard for humanity against the unthinkable, diabolical and sa- most 75 years. Their aspirations are subtanic evil. Gandhi was 71years old when he merged in a sea of tears and blood. humanity wrote this; you are 69years old, but have learnt at large, except the OIC, wonders why Nanothing from the pages of your own history. ture has expunged reason from New Delhi.

You represent an evil mindset. Gandhi wasn’t War is always a spectacle of indescribable listened to by hitler, who went on to invade horror. When will the large majority of sencountries, ripped them, caused the holocaust sible Indians rid themselves of this menace, and where did he end??? he committed suicide this protégé of Nathuram Godse ’s (the fanatin a bunker, in the ruins of Berlin. Do you have ical hindu who shot Gandhi). hinduism is a a bunker in New Delhi? If not, how about con- religion of peace and tolerance. What a structing one, it will serve you well, sooner pleasurable sight it was to see the hindus of Delhi Create a cordon off around their Musthan your evil mind can anticipate.

Narendra, (I am rarely impolite , but I can’t lim brothers, allowing them to offer their Fritell you what pleasure it is to address in the day prayers, last week, without fear and in manner done here, for you don’t represent hu- peace! The aberrations must be flushed out manity, civility or basic decency of a living by the good Indians, the sooner, the better.

By the speed with which you shoot every Soul). Learn from the goodness that resides in hinduism and which is present in most Indi- rising head, India would need more cemeterans. The India of Nehru, Gandhi, Abdul Kalam ies than homes. War is an enemy to humanity and more so to two Azad, Rafi Kidwai, nuclear states.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad That’s not an opand so many othrs, tion. My Prime was a great country.

Minister Imran You are taking it towards anarchy, un- It is a wonderment that the same Khan, who otherwise is mercurial, rest and Gujarat should produce a man has shown great inhumanness. In the statesmanship in media, yours and who stood for universal continuously reglobal, you normally have the brotherhood, the Mahatma, and minding you about your duty towards truest appellation also unleash upon humanity, the the wellbeing of prefixed to your Kashmir and all name, “the butcher of Gujrat”– you evil man Narendra Modi is. What Muslims and other have containers of a paradox! India is Gandhi. India minorities living in India. he has blood on your can never be Modi. shown more matuhands–- you can rity than you can shake hands and ever think of; it is embrace, any that time you showed wishes to embrace some statesmanevil, but your hands ship like wisdom. and mind shall reImran Khan opens the Kartarpur corridor, main dirty and evil. how long will you terrorize the innocent while you raze to the ground mosques and men, women and children of the Valley of churches. Abandon being a paternal pimp to Kashmir? Narendra, you shall taste the invoca- the likes of Amit Shah. Such low flatterers tions and supplication of the orphans, the wid- will ruin you. When you realize that it would ows, the dispossessed, the underprivileged– it be late. Mr Modi, act now, lift the curfew in is but natural that you would be struck with the Kashmir, give Kashmiris the right of selfdetermination and be good to all the hindus, thunderbolts of their woes.

This is not a threat, but a reminder for you Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Jews– to learn from history-- by the way do you read they all love India, but not you.

Mr. Modi, for the atonement of the grave anything other than The Devil’s Dictionary?

Joseph Stalin was incensed and angry at the sins you have committed against your country belligerence of Tito of Yugoslavia, who re- and people, it may do you good to park yourself fused his dictation. Stalin sent several assas- in the city of Varanasi; sit on the banks of the sins who failed in the task. Marshal Tito kept Ganges and dip your bloodied fingers into the ignoring this, but finally wrote this letter: flowing river, it will turn red , but keep the fin”Stop sending people to kill me! We have al- gers immersed till the waters run clear - you ready captured five of them, one of them with may have to sit there till eternity.

It is a wonderment that the same Gujarat a bomb and another with a rifle. …… if you don’t stop sending killers, I will send a very should produce a man who stood for universal fast-working one to Moscow and I certainly brotherhood, the Mahatma, and also unleash wont have to send another.” Returning to my upon humanity, the evil man Narendra Modi is. usual civility, Mr. Prime Minister Modi, just What a paradox! India is Gandhi. India can imagine how many such written and unwritten never be Modi.

From letters, are waiting to be put into your mailbox, A Pakistani friend(just like The Mahatma) with the hope you would stop the genocide of Muslims in Kashmir and India. You don’t repThe writer is a freelance columnist. resent an average Indian. I have many Indian

SIR, while being ‘deported’ from an abortive visit to IhK, a Kashmiri woman told harrowing tales of Kashmiri women under military siege. Earlier, Irish Times, in an editorial dated August 8, 2019 (“Kashmir crisis – A dangerous provocation”) blew the lid off on Indian atrocities. Abolition of Articles 370 and 35-A are invasion of personal and religious identity of Kashmiris. These articles disallow Indians from other states to buy property In Kashmir. A Kashmiri woman marrying a foreigner or non-Kashmiri loses her hereditary proprietary entitlement. These articles were abolished to forcibly buy property, and brides in Kashmir (as practiced in other Indian states). To insult Kashmiri women, Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini announced that the ‘party workers can now go to Jammu and Kashmir and marry "fair" women there’ (India Today August 10, 2019).

The idea is to use Kashmiri women as bonded labour. They could not seek khul’a (wife-initiated divorce) under hindu religious code.

Al Jazeera reported 'Kashmir women are the biggest victims of this inhumane siege. Sense of fear deepens as Indian politicians stoke misogyny with talk of freedom to marry 'white-skinned' Kashmiri women’ (Al Jazeera dated August 21, 2019). Kashmiri leaders, now under detention, had announced to stall triple talaq (divorce). But, India touts triple-divorce penalization as ‘justice for Kashmiri women’. No dynasty, including the ‘Slaves’, the ‘Delhi Sultans’, the Moghul, or the British rulers penalized the pronouncement of triple talaq. None of the four eminent jurists, Ahmed bin hanbal, Shaf’ie, Malik, and Abu hanifa penalized it under Quran and Sunnah.

Why does India not do justice to hindu women by giving them the right to divorce (disallowed under hindu religious code)? Let India punish those who forced hindu widows like Sharbati Bhai, Roop Kanwar, and their ilk to commit satti (widow self-burning). Why was ‘a four-yearold girl, named Surjo, boiled in a tub and then beheaded to please gods as part of a religious sacrifice’ (Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, June 25, 2005)? Why are the women in period still barred from Sabrimala Temple despite Supreme Court’s order?

DEEba MaLik RawaLPinDi

The Congo Virus ThE Congo virus, which is the cause of thousands of deaths, is now rearing its ugly head in Pakistan. Recently a patient suffering from the virus passed away at the Fatima Jinnah hospital of Quetta. Four more people were diagnosed with the same disease at the same hospital. Dr. Sadiq said that all patients are residents of Quetta. Two patients have been admitted at the hospital whose test reports will be available on Monday. Whether they both are the victims of the Congo virus or not is as yet unknown.

According to the administration, the number of people diagnosed with the virus in the province has risen to 19. Four people have died because of the disease. The government of Balochistan must do something for the eradication of the Congo virus and protect the people from it immediately. ikhLaq ahMED baLochiSTan

Weak Civic Infrastructure RECENT rains in Karachi have left a question mark on the performance of our civic agencies. They have evidently failed to cope up with the disaster which resulted in loss of precious lives. Most of the deaths reported during rains were due to electrocution which occurred because people did not take safety measures while using electrical appliances inside their homes during the rainy season. A lack of resources and the incapability of city government caused water drainage issues, making the power network vulnerable in many areas. Electrocution of three young boys in Defence as seen in the heart-breaking video on social media was the result of energized TV/Internet cables and immense water logging. Taking a lesson from the recent rain-related incidents, instead of blaming each other, now it's time to take serious and concrete measures. All concerned authorities should revisit their infrastructure to find out and fix prevailing flaws. Officials from all concerned authorities must develop a combined strategy to tackle emergency situations like this.

GuLShan naz kaRachi

Over Loadshedding of Electricity I want to direct the attention of the concerned authorities to the problem of over loadshedding in our city, Karachi. I am a student, as well as a responsible citizen of Karachi. I pay all my taxes and bills before the due date. Then why are we facing these problems? Is it my mistake that I pay all my utility bills on time? If K-electric has a problem that some of us paid bills and others did not, I have a suggestion. They should start a prepaid billing system. It means that people have to pay first for the use of electricity. If they don’t pay, they won’t get electricity. This will also prevent the wastage of electricity.

Munib-uL-haSSan kaRachi

Babar Azam BABAR Azam is currently playing for Karachi Kings im the PSL championship. Before this, he played wonderfully in Blast T20 amassing 541 runs in just 11 innings. he scored five fifties and one century. The young cricketer became the first Pakistani player who scored more than 500 runs in a T20 tournament. During his last inning where he scored 63 runs, Babar completed 4000 runs in T20 cricket to become the eighth Pakistani batsman to complete 4000 runs in the T20 format of cricket. All of us are proud of this champion cricketer who contributed to the prestige of Pakistan around the world. We hope that Babar Azam will continue his wonderful performance in coming days as well. May Allah the Almighty bless you, O our champion!

SohaiL Shoaib kEch

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

WHO Warns OF glObal sHOrtage OF medical equipment tO FigHt cOrOnavirus WASHINGTON/GENEVA

t

AGENCIES

HE World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of a global shortage and price gouging for protective equipment to fight the fast-spreading coronavirus and asked companies and governments to increase production by 40% as the death toll from the respiratory illness mounted.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Tuesday in an emergency move to try to prevent a global recession and the World Bank announced $12 billion to help countries fight the coronavirus, which has taken a heavy toll on air travel, tourism and other industries, threatening global economic growth prospects.

The virus continued to spread in South Korea, Japan, Europe, Iran and the United States, and several countries reported their first confirmed cases, taking the total to some 80 nations hit with the flu-like illness that can lead to pneumonia. Despite the Fed’s attempt to stem the economic fallout from the coronavirus, U.S. stock indexes closed down about 3%, safe-haven gold rose 3% and analysts and investors questioned whether the rate cut will be enough if the virus continues to spread.

U.S. lawmakers were considering spending as much as $9 billion to contain

local spread of the virus.

In Iran, doctors and nurses lack supplies and 77 people have died, one of the highest numbers outside China. The United Arab Emirates announced it was closing all schools for four weeks.

The death toll in Italy, Europe’s hardest-hit country, jumped to 79 on Tuesday and Italian officials are considering expanding the area under quarantine.

France reported its fourth coronavirus death, while Indonesia, Ukraine, Argentina and Chile reported their first coronavirus cases.

About 3.4% of confirmed cases of COVID-19 have died, far above seasonal flu’s fatality rate of under 1%, but the virus can be contained, the WHO chief said on Tuesday.

“To summarize, COVID-19 spreads less efficiently than flu, transmission does not appear to be driven by people who are not sick, it causes more severe illness than flu, there are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics, and it can be contained,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva.

Health officials have said the death rate is 2% to 4% depending on the country and may be much lower if there are thousands of unreported mild cases of the disease. Since the coronavirus outbreak, prices of surgical masks have increased sixfold, N95 respirators have tripled in cost and protective gowns cost twice as

Facebook gives WHO free ads in battle with coronavirus misinformation AGENCIES

much, the WHO said.

It estimates healthcare workers each month will need 89 million masks, 76 million gloves and 1.6 million pairs of goggles. The coronavirus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, has spread around the world, with more new cases now appearing outside China than inside.

There are almost 91,000 cases globally of which more than 80,000 are in China.

China’s death toll was 2,946, with more than 166 fatalities elsewhere.

In a unanimous decision, the Fed said it was cutting rates by a half percentage point to a target range of 1.00% to 1.25%.

Finance ministers from the G7 group

of rich countries were ready to take action, including fiscal measures where appropriate, Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said. Central banks would continue to support price stability and economic growth.

In the United States, there are now over 100 people in at least a dozen states with the coronavirus and nine deaths, all in the Seattle area.

Amid criticism of Americans not being able to get tested for coronavirus unless they met certain limited criteria, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday that anyone can now get tested with a doctor’s order under new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Facebook Inc will provide free advertisements to the World Health Organization (WHO) as it seeks to ensure users are not misinformed about the virus, its risks and how to react to it, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday.

“We’re giving the WHO as many free ads as they need for their coronavirus response along with other in-kind support,” Zuckerberg said in the Facebook post. Users who search for posts on the virus on Facebook would now see a pop-up that directs them to the WHO or local health authority for the latest information, Zuckerberg said. He also pledged again that the company would remove false claims and conspiracy theories flagged by leading global health organizations to help combat misinformation about the coronavirus.

Facebook will be working with global health experts and give support and “millions more in ad credits” to other organizations. In February, the company said it would ban advertisements for products offering any cures or prevention around the coronavirus outbreak, and those that create a sense of urgency around the situation. The disease, believed to have originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has spread around the world, infecting nearly 93,000 people globally as of March 3. Other social media platforms have been taking steps to improve their coverage of the virus.

Searches on Pinterest for “coronavirus” take users to a curated web page while WHO launched an account on video app TikTok late last week.

Airlines rush to boost demand Researchers identify two as coronavirus shreds playbook coronavirus types as China cases dwindle for crisis management SHANGHAI AGENCIES

CHICAGO/SYDNEY AGENCIES

The rapid spread of coronavirus cases worldwide is complicating a standard strategy used by airlines when disease, disaster or conflict hit travel destinations: lower fares and redirect flights to troublefree areas.

For now, some airlines have resorted to suspending change fees for new ticket reservations in the hope of winning over hesitant travelers until it becomes clearer where coronavirus outbreaks are localized and which routes could benefit from price drops. While lower fares have proven effective in the past in reviving demand, aviation consultant Samuel Engel said, “The pocketbook only works so far against emotion.” The coronavirus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, has spread around the world, with more new cases now appearing outside China than inside.

JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O), which does not fly to Asia, was the first airline to launch free rebooking options last week, as it became clear that cases were not isolated to China. JetBlue pulled together and announced its plan in a matter of hours, President Joanna Geraghty told Reuters.

“We tried to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers and think about what we would want if we were, for example, booking a spring-break trip right now,” Geraghty said.

U.S. majors have since followed suit with varying waivers on change fees for new reservations to many destinations, a switch from a previous policy that covered only pre-booked flights to areas hardesthit by the coronavirus.

In Latin America, Peruvian low-cost

carrier Viva Air was holding a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss measures, Declan Ryan, executive chairman of the board of directors, told Reuters.

But with none of the offers so far guaranteeing money-back refunds, travelers say the policies are not enough.

“I understand that there are a lot of question marks right now for the industry on how this will unfold, but I don’t feel like there’s a truly customer-friendly policy out here,” said Amanda Elman-Kolb of Chicago, who has put on hold plans for a family trip to Europe in August.

Declining demand to fly abroad is not limited to U.S. travelers. International travel to the United States will fall 6% over the next three months amid coronavirus concerns, the largest decline since the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the U.S. Travel Association forecast on Tuesday.

With extra widebody jets on hand after suspending flights to China, South Korea, Japan and northern Italy, major U.S. airlines are deploying them on domestic routes, a process known as upgauging. American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), for example, is flying passengers from Chicago to San Francisco on a 787 Dreamliner, rather than just the usual narrowbody like a 737 or an A321.

DEFLATED BOOKINGS: Europe’s biggest carriers warned on Tuesday that the epidemic was upsetting growth, with Ryanair (RYA.I) Chief Executive Michael O’Leary forecasting a “very deflated booking environment” for the next two to three weeks before recovering.

“After Easter if things have settled down, temperatures in Europe are rising, I think there will be a significant decline in the spread of the virus. Airlines will then respond with seat promotions, seat sales that will get people back traveling very quickly,” he told Reuters.

Scientists in China studying the coronavirus outbreak said they had found two main types of the disease could be causing infections.

The researchers, from Peking University’s School of Life Sciences and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, cautioned that their analysis examined a limited range of data, and said follow-up studies of larger data sets are needed to better understand the virus’s evolution.

The preliminary study found that a more aggressive type of the new coronavirus associated with the disease outbreak in Wuhan accounted for about 70% of analyzed strains, while 30% was linked to a less aggressive type. The prevalence of the more aggressive virus decreased after early January 2020, they said.

“These findings strongly support an urgent need for further immediate, comprehensive studies that combine genomic data, epidemiological data, and chart records of the clinical symptoms of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” they wrote.

Their findings were published on Tuesday in the National Science Review, the journal of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Also on Wednesday, one of China’s top medical associations confirmed that the median incubation period of the coronavirus is five to seven days and the maximum 14 days.

The remarks by Du Bin, chairman of the critical care medical branch of the Chinese Medical Association, mark the most conclusive assessment of the virus’ incu-

bation period by a government-affiliated medical organization to date.

The revelations came amid a fall in new coronavirus cases following crippling restrictions imposed on the world’s second largest economy to stop its spread, including transport suspensions and the extension of the Lunar New Year holiday.

NEW CASES DOWN: Mainland China had 119 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said, down from 125 the previous day, in a broad trend that has seen numbers of new cases fall from the middle of February.

The total number of cases on the mainland has now reached 80,270. The number of deaths rose by 38 to bring the total toll for mainland China to 2,981 by March 3.

All but one new death occurred in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak. With the number of new daily infections overseas now exceeding new cases in China, Chinese officials have begun to seek ways to control the spread of the virus outside of China and guard against future outbreaks.

Authorities have asked overseas Chinese hoping to return home to reconsider their travel plans, while cities across the country have set up quarantine rules for those entering from high-risk places.

An infected person is known to have arrived in China from Iran, one of the virus’ new hotspots, last week.

China is encouraging domestic producers of medical protective equipment to export protective suits to meet overseas demand as the virus spreads, Cao Xuejun, an official with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

taiwan to 'have no problem' maintaining gdp growth of 2pc this year TAIPEI AGENCIES

Taiwan will ‘have no problem’ maintaining economic growth of 2% this year, its statistics chief said on Wednesday, amid concerns that a coronavirus outbreak could hit the economy of the island which is a key part of the global technology supply chain. Taiwan, whose largest trading partner is China, cut its estimate for 2020 economic growth to 2.37% last month as the outbreak threatened its export-reliant economy. Chu Tzerming, minister of the statistics agency, told parliament that a T$60 billion ($2 billion) stimulus package would help soften the virus impact. He said the package would give a 0.23% boost to GDP growth this year. Analysts at ANZ this week cut their GDP growth forecast for Taiwan to a five-year low of 1.6% from 2.1%, citing weaker export and domestic demand due to the virus.

Taiwan tech firms, who have large manufacturing operations in China, have been under particular pressure over the virus, which has infected more than 80,000 people and killed nearly 3,000 people in China. Apple supplier Foxconn warned on Tuesday revenue would drop 15% in businesses including consumer electronics and telecommunication products in the first quarter, but that it would recover thereafter as production returns to normal in China. Taiwan’s benchmark index has fallen about 6% so far this year.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

BUSINESS 11

CORPORATE CORNER OneLoad empowering local users to connect to digital world ISLAMABAD: OneLoad, a retailer app that aggregates numerous telecom and banking services, has been helping micro retailers to provide over 50 telecom and banking services to the people, while freeing them from making prepayment for more services they can sell in a given day. OneLoad was conceived by Muhammad Yar Hiraj, a technology entrepreneur who developed this app in partnership with Systems Limited. The app has served more than 150 million walk-in customers since its launch three years ago and is regularly used by over 32,000 active retailers across the country. OneLoad is an access point to the digital world for the masses through the neighbourhood retailer. The company is rapidly expanding its retailer base and integrating numerous financial services including EasyPaisa, Jazzcash, and other banking services (such as cash deposits and withdrawals, money transfers and account opening for banks) to generate more income for the retailer with minimal preinvestment. Oneload’s contribution to the digital economy and its business model was recently acknowledged by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). PRESS RELEASE

Engro bags eight GDIB awards KARACHI: Engro Fertilizers Limited and Engro Energy, two subsidiaries of Engro Corporation, have won eight awards at this year’s Diversity Hub Pakistan's 2020 GDIB Awards, hosted by HR Metrics. Engro Fertilizers was recognized with six awards, the highest number for any company, at the event. The company won three awards for best practices in diversity and inclusion (D&I) vision and strategy, leadership and accountability, and job design and compensation. In the progressive category, it was awarded for practices related to recruitment and development, benefits and work-life balance, and assessment and measurement of its initiatives. Further, Engro Energy secured two awards for Best Practices in the categories of D&I learning and education, and community, government relations and social responsibility. PRESS RELEASE

KARACHI: Procter and Gamble (P&G) recently reinforced its commitment to gender equality by arranging a #WeSeeEqual Dialogue in partnership with UN Women at a local hotel. P RES S REL EA S E

GOvT appROvEs LOnG-TERm LEasE OF pIa’s ROOsEvELT HOTEL ISLAMABAD

T

GHULAM ABBAS

HE Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has approved to give on long-term lease Pakistan International Airline's Roosevelt Hotel in New York. In a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Privatisation held on Wednesday, it was informed that the federal government, on the recommendation of the privatisation committee, has decided to lease the said hotel.

The committee was surprised to know that the government had made this decision "on a one-line paragraph summary" forwarded by the privatisation committee.

It was also surprised to know that the PIA Investments Limited, which owns the hotel in New York, was registered in British Virgin Island.

Interestingly, a consultant hired for privatisation, informed the committee that the federal cabinet had already approved a summary regarding the "privatisation" of Roosevelt Hotel.

However, Privatisation Minister Muhammadmian

SBP sells Rs109.6bn worth of PIBs KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has raised Rs109.6 billion through the sale of Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs), according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

SBP data showed that the cut-off yields for all tenors decreased, reflecting the lower inflation result for February.

The yields on 3-year bonds fell by 46 basis points, from 12.05pc to 11.59pc; the yields on 5-year bonds also decreased from 11.4pc to 11pc; while the yields on 10-year bonds dropped from 11pc to 10.85pc. As per the auction result, the initial target was Rs100 billion.

Out of the Rs243.74 billion for the 3-year PIB, SBP accepted Rs38.35 billion. For 5-year

APP

LAHORE: A women delegation from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry visited Akhuwat College University, Kasur. The delegation was led by FPCCI Vice President Roohi Rizwan. P RES S REL EA S E

PIB, the central bank accepted Rs32.15 billion out of Rs105.68 billion, whereas it accepted Rs38.1 billion for 10-year PIB, out of Rs74.49 billion.

There was one bid for the 20-year bonds, which the SBP accepted. The next auction will be held on April 13, 2020.

The lower yields on the PIBs reflect mitigated inflationary pressures. The inflation rate had fallen to 12.4pc year-on-year (YoY) in the month of February, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

This was a much-needed relief, as the inflation rate had jumped up 14.56pc year-onyear (YoY) for the month of January, the highest in almost a decade. The SBP last month had said that the spike in inflationary pressure was a ‘transitory’ phenomenon.

'Govt utilised record 39pc development budget in eight months' ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Bond Advertising Chairman Jamshed Qureshi and CEO Seema Jaffer receive awards from President Dr Arif Alvi, Special Assistant to PM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and APNS President Hameed Haroon. P R E S S R E L E A S E

Soomro clarified said that the hotel was being given on long-term lease and was not being privatised. "The amount that would be received as a result this step would be spent on the revamping of PIA." He also claimed that unlike the impression, the hotel was not making profits for the past few years.

"Selling the hotel in New York will cost a lot in taxes, therefore, the ministry is considering a proposal to operate the hotel through a joint venture or leasing it out on a long-term basis.”

He continued, “We are not selling the Roosevelt Hotel. Its location is very important, but its income is declining. Leasing out the property is the best option for Pakistan,” the minister said.

During the meeting, which was chaired by MNA Syed Mustafa Mahmud, the committee showed its displeasure over the absence of the PIAIL managing director and finance director. The Aviation Division officials informed the committee that the said officials were travelling overseas for pre-arranged meetings and hence could not participate in the scheduled standing committee meeting.

However, the committee chairman directed the

Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar said on Wednesday that the government had witnessed a record 39 per cent utilisation of the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (FY20).

"This is the highest recorded utilisation of the development budget in the past six years or so," a press release quoted the minister as saying.

Earlier, the maximum utilisation of PSDP was witnessed in FY15), when it had touched 32pc.

In a tweet, Asad Umar said during the first five months of the current fiscal year, around Rs87 billion worth development funds were utilized, whereas the last three months had witnessed utilisation of Rs187 billion.

The minister said Peshawar-Karachi Motorway Project (Sukkur-Multan section) had been completed up to 99 per cent with Rs17.7 billion expenditure on the project

during the year.

Likewise, he added, FaisalabadKhanewal road project had witnessed 98pc physical progress with Rs5 billion allocations for the project.

Highlighting the progress made so far to ensure water security for Pakistan, Asad Umar remarked that during the first eight months of FY20, an amount of Rs2.5 billion had been spent under the Phase-II of the National Program for Improvement of Watercourses in Pakistan, which translated into a 50pc utilisation rate.

Work on Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project had also been initiated with Rs2.8 billion already spent on the project, Umar said, adding that for the construction of small dams in Khuzdar, an amount of Rs125 million had been utilised.

The minister said the PTI government was committed to transparent completion of all the ongoing projects, and had been working to ensure diligent monitoring and evaluation of all the projects.

During the current financial year, more than 200 projects were expected to be completed, he added.

division to ensure the presence of PIAIL officials in the subsequent committee meeting so that they could brief properly on PIAIL’s privatisation.

Meanwhile, the Aviation Division’s joint secretary gave a detailed presentation on the performance of PIA for the 2015-2019 period. He informed about PIA Domestic Network; passenger & cargo analysis; market share analysis on international and domestic level and the airline’s profit and loss.

“Presently, the fleet of PIA consists of 32 aircrafts to support its national and international business. The passenger analysis shows that it has increased from 4.39 million to 5.29 million in 2019. While for the same period, cargo has increased from 37.69 million to 48.18 million.”

The committee was informed that for revenue enhancement, PIA is planning product improvement, expansion on lucrative routes, partnerships, enhancing network coverage and increasing ancillary revenue sources & cargo. On the other hand, the cost cutting includes re-negotiation of contracts of services & supplies and reduction in maintenance cost & rentals due to induction of ground support equipment.

Foreign divestment in Tbills reaches $174m KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI & ARIBA SHAHID

Total gross divestment during March 2020 has reached $174.41 million, according to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Foreign investors divested $103 million net worth of treasury bills (T-bills) on March 3, according to data from the Special Convertible Rupee Account, which tracks inflows and outflows from foreign countries. Most of the selling is originating from the United Kingdom. The net investment in T-bills from July 2019 to date amounts to $2.941 billion dollars. Previously, foreign investors divested $67 million of T-bills on February 28, with total gross divestment in February 2020 reaching $263 million. According to Samiullah Tariq, director at Arif Habib Ltd, this is of note, as this is the first time there has been net selling in eight months. “The positive is that when you look at the outflows, we have a currency parity. That means that a free float exchange rate is working well.” he said. Tariq also said that the outflow was generally normal, as there has been a general flight towards safety out of fears of a recession linked to the Coronavirus outbreak. “Foreigners are selling their T-bills from places like Pakistan and India, and instead are investing in Japan or the US”, he said.

BOK posts Rs1.3bn profit for 2019 PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

The Board of Directors of The Bank of Khyber (BOK), during its 160th meeting on Wednesday, reported a Rs1,306 million profit after tax (PAT) for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The meeting was presided over by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan and was attended by KP Finance Secretary Atif Rehman. The board noted that during the year 2019, the bank’s deposits increased to Rs182,168 million whereas its investments stood at 146,911 million. An increase of 16pc was witnessed in the net advances of the bank, which soared to Rs109,742 million as compared to Rs95,012 million in the previous year. The bank’s total assets reached Rs306,305 million, registering an increase of 37pc over last year. The board was informed that by the end of year under review, the bank was operating with 169 branches and three sub-branches wherein 84 branches were functioning as dedicated Islamic banking branches. The board expressed satisfaction on the annual results and advised the management to work more diligently to achieve the targets and play its proactive role in the socio- economic uplift of the province.

PM terms 2020 as ‘year of job creation’, experts think otherwise LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI

Economists on Wednesday declared as "unrealistic" Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement that "2020 would be the year of job creation and economic growth".

Talking to this scribe, Dr Nadeemul Haque, economist and former deputy chairman of the planning commission, said that he does not agree with PM Khan's statement.

"Sadly, 2019 saw the rise of Pakistan Administrative Services, also known as District Management Group. 2020 will not be any different," Dr Haque said.

Agreeing with him, former Sindh governor

Muhammad Zubair said no way 2020 would be the year of providing jobs. "How could that be possible, since there is a direct relationship between growth and employment."

He said as the country's GDP is expected to grow at around 2.3pc, it is feared that more jobs would be lost than created.

Dr Ikramul Haq, an economic expert and tax consultant, said with double-digit inflation, economic stagnation and a high interest rate, it is difficult to create new jobs.

He noted that the existing businesses are struggling and that there are layoffs in all industries. "Creating new jobs in this scenario is not possible. It requires investment for expansion and growth," he maintained.

He said as the growth is not going to be more than 2.5pc in 2020, the government cannot create jobs – around 2 million jobs are required for young people alone for which the country needs GDP growth of at least 6pc.

"The government has no plan for it and mere desire will not work," Dr Haq said.

Talking to this scribe, acclaimed economist Dr Qais Aslam said PM Imran's statement is a very encouraging declaration for a nation that has a huge youth bulge and is currently starved of jobs. "This a good omen, particularly at a time inflation is between 12.5pc to 14.6pc and when the country has lost approximately one million jobs to the downward trend in economic growth."

Dr Aslam said that with more than three million unemployed people and about two million youth coming of employable age of 18 years, Pakistan needs jobs for more than five million people. He said that the population growth rate of the country is near 2.9pc while according to recent estimates, the population growth rate is 0.3pc more than the GDP growth rate. "In order to be sustainable, the GDP growth rate should be double than that of population growth rate, i.e. 6pc."

The three sectors that remained the main contributors to the GDP during 2018-2019 included service sector (60pc), agriculture sector (19pc) and manufacturing sector 21pc.

Dr Aslam said that a major portion of

disguised unemployment is in the agricultural sector, while in the large-scale industry -- the backbone of income generation, productivity and employment -- is on the decline due to various inefficiencies, especially high input costs and energy costs.

The premier had pinpointed the government's spending on housing, education and poverty alleviation programs as its priority in 2020 to spearhead in the creation of new jobs.

“Public sector investment in housing would enhance the demand for products manufactured by many private sector firms as cement, iron, and other essential items as well as would enhance demand for labour in the real estate market," Dr Aslam said.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

12 BUSINESS

ECC APPRovES MEASuRES to booSt REMittAnCES thRough bAnking ChAnnElS REMITTANCES TRANSFERRED INTO BANK ACCOUNTS WILL BE EXEMPTED FROM WHT FROM JULY 2020

PSX places Adam Sugar Mills on defaulters’ list LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday placed Adam Sugar Mills Limited (ADAMS) on the defaulters’ segment for non-compliance of clause 5.11.1(i) of PSX regulations i.e. disclaimer of opinion of the statutory auditor in the audit report for the year ended September 30, 2019. As per the said clause, “A listed company may be placed in the defaulters’ segment if its statutory auditor has issued a qualified opinion on the ongoing concern assumption or has issued a disclaimer or an adverse opinion in the audit report. “Upon placement of such company on the defaulters’ segment, the exchange shall only initiate actions under regulation 5.11.2(a) and 5.11.2(b). “However, if the audit report for the following year also contains any of the above concern(s)/opinion(s), trading in shares of the company shall be suspended immediately by the exchange and the company shall be given 90 days to rectify the non-compliance, failing which, the exchange shall initiate further actions against the company commencing from regulation 5.11.2(e).” ADAMS was incorporated in Pakistan in 1965 as ‘Bahawalnagar Sugar Mills Limited’. In 1985, the name of the company was changed to its present name Adam Sugar Mills Limited. The company is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of sugar.

Senate body recommends wheat support price at Rs1,400 ISLAMABAD APP

Senate's Standing Committee on National Food Security & Research on Wednesday recommended fixing minimum wheat support price at Rs1,400 per 40kg to ensure better return to local farmers and to encourage them to grow additional wheat. The committee, which met with Senator Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah in the chair, observed that wheat prices in local markets were the lowest when compared with regional markets. Besides, other crops, including oilseeds, have been providing better returns than wheat. Speaking on the occasion, the committee chairman noted that local wheat requirements would increase from 26 million tonnes to 36 million tonnes by 2028, adding that local farmers should be encouraged to grow additional wheat in order to meet the future demand. The committee was informed that about 2.353 million tonnes of wheat was available in the country, which was more than enough to cater to the local requirements. Looking into the carry-forward stocks of about one million tonnes, to be available by the arrival of new crop in the markets, it was decided that wheat would not be imported into the country. Briefing the meeting, National Food Security & Research Secretary Dr Hashim Popalzai said that the wheat crisis, which had emerged due to demand-supply gap, was fully under control and the prices of the commodity had witnessed a declining trend in local markets. He informed the committee that till date, Punjab has 1.407 million tonnes storage of wheat, Sindh has 0.278 million tonnes, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.129 million tonnes and Balochistan 0.00304 million tonnes to fulfil domestic requirements, adding that Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Supplies Corporation has stored 0.536 million tonnes of wheat. The committee was told that 8.25 million tonnes of wheat, to be procured during the current season, would require an amount of Rs277.119 billion so that strategic reserves of staple food grains could be ensured while local consumption issues during the season could be tackled. The food secretaries of Punjab and Sindh apprised the meeting about the arrangements of wheat procurements and facilitation of growers in selling their produce on official rates. It was also informed that wheat procurements in Sindh would start on March 15, while the same would commence in Punjab from April.

ISLAMABAD

t

STAFF REPORT

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Wednesday approved a host of measures to encourage and facilitate overseas Pakistanis in sending their remittances through official banking channels.

The approval was granted during an ECC meeting chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

As per the details, the ECC approved continuation of an incentives scheme, which was launched in 2018-19 for banks and exchange companies, for the ongoing calendar year as well.

Under the scheme, financial institutions would be incentivised Rs0.50 per $1 on 5pc growth, Rs0.75 per $1 on 10pc growth and Rs1 per $1 on 15pc growth.

The committee also approved that the amount of remittances transferred into bank accounts would be exempted from withholding tax with effect from July 1, 2020, whereas a ‘National Remittance Loyalty Programme’ would be launched from September 1, 2020, in collaboration with major commercial banks and government agencies, through which various incentives would be given to remitters through mobile apps and cards.

The ECC okayed a technical supplementary grant of Rs9.6 billion during the current financial year to finance these initiatives.

Taking up other agenda items, the ECC ap-

A NATIONAL REMITTANCE LOYALTY PROGRAMME WILL BE LAUNCHED FROM SEPT TO INCENTIVISE REMITTERS THROUGH MOBILE APPS AND CARDS

proved a proposal by the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training for a technical supplementary grant of Rs5 billion in favour of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for FY20, with instruction for a judicious and need-based distribution of funds among the universities.

It also gave a go ahead to a proposal by the National Security Division for a technical supplementary grant amounting to Rs15 million for the Strategic Policy Planning Cell (SPPC) created in the division with the approval of the prime minister to act as an intellectual hub for evidence-based policy input on key national security issues.

Meanwhile, the committee gave an approval to a proposal of the Ministry of Defence for a technical supplementary grant amounting to Rs34.528 million for internal security duty allowance for the Pakistan Air Force.

On a Petroleum Division proposal, the ECC approved allocation of gas to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and provisional tight gas incentive for Rehman-4 Well in Kirthar Block, subject to the finalization and approval of requisite thirdparty certifications for tight gas for the same well.

The ECC also discussed a proposal regarding quarterly adjustments of the K-Eectric Limited for the period from July 2016 to March 2019.

In the light of input and discussion by the members, the ECC set up a committee comprising Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan, Minister for Economic Affairs Muhammad Hammad Azhar, the Planning Commission’s deputy chairman, the sec-

PIA relocating its headquarters to Islamabad KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is shifting its head office to Islamabad from Karachi as the relocation process is currently in full swing.

Sources in the Aviation Division said the framework plan in this regard had been sent to Prime Minister Imran Khan for final approval, while details regarding relocation of the head office from Karachi to the federal capital had been finalized.

The PIA head office would be set up in the terminal building of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, while its car parking area would be brought to commercial use by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Marshal Arshad Malik has played an important role in making the relocation possible, sources said, adding the move was agreed after numerous meetings with the Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS).

According to the Aviation Division, the finance

and engineering departments and situation room are currently present in Karachi, whereas marketing, procedure bureau, central reservation control, revenue management, HR and security and vigilance department have been shifted to Islamabad.

Earlier talking to reporters, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said three more planes would be added to the PIA fleet after completion of formalities.

“Of the total 31 PIA planes, four were grounded when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf came to power.”

He further informed reporters as to how two aircrafts had been repaired with a cost of $3 million, a new plane had been added to the fleet, and another plane would be inducted by the end of this month.

The minister further elaborated as to how the Aviation Policy 2019 had started to be implemented to improve the PIA’s efficiency. Sarwar told reporters that the financial condition of the national carrier was improving gradually. STAFF REPORT

WB to support human capital in Pakistan with $300m injection ISLAMABAD: The World Bank (WB) has committed to providing $300 million to support human capital and livelihoods in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.

As per a press statement released by the WB, $200 million out of the total would be dedicated towards the Punjab Human Capital Investment Project, which aims to strengthen health services and ensure social protection for the poor and vulnerable households in selected districts of the province.

Illango Patchamuthu, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, said, "This project will help Punjab to invest in early years now to create a productive workforce for the future. Pakistan's

strongest asset is its people. Investing at the start of life, especially for girls and women, is essential to empower citizens to thrive."

In addition, WB acknowledged Pakistan for accelerating investments in healthcare and education of children to help the population live up to their productive potential.

"The project aims at increasing the quality and uptake of health services. These will include maternal care, immunization and childbirths to be attended by qualified professionals. The intended benefactors are expected to be 18 million people," the WB statement read. STAFF REPORT

retary Finance and a representative from the K-Electric to examine the issue in detail and recommend to ECC within a week a solution and roadmap for resolving the issue. Moreover, the ECC deliberated upon a proposal by the Ministry of Energy to further extend till June 2020 the grant of subsidy to agricultural tubewell consumers in Balochistan.

Earlier, the ECC was briefed that nearly 30,000 agri consumers in Balochistan had been given subsidy since Jan 1, 2015, with 40pc subsidy shared by the federal government and 60pc contributed by the Balochistan government.

However, recovery of dues from the farmers against the electricity consumed over and above the limit of subsidy had been negligible and attempts to recover these dues from defaulters in the past had not been successful, the meeting was told.

The ECC discussed the issue in detail and set up a committee, including the power minister, to discuss the issue with the Balochistan government and ensure a credible solution to the problems impeding a judicious execution of the scheme, for which the federal government alone was contributing Rs9 billion annually, and also allowed the extension of subsidy until a solution to the issue was found by the committee to put in place.

Regarding a proposal by the Ministry of Industries and Production for the revival of Tuwairqi Steel Mills Limited (TSML), the ECC discussed the issue and asked the ministry to resubmit a proposal in the light of recent and ongoing developments on different issues concerning stakeholders.

PM calls for early privatisation of non-profitable entities ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that the privatisation of non-profitable institutions and unused government properties was in the national interest, as it would not only reduce the burden on the national exchequer but would also help the government procure financial resources for social and welfare development projects. He said this while chairing a review meeting regarding the progress on the privatisation of various government institutions and properties. The meeting was attended by Planning Minister Asad Umar, Privatisation Minister Mian Mohammad Soomro, Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafiz Shaikh, Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser on Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain and Special Assistant to PM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.

The Privatization Division secretary briefed the prime minister about the privatisation process, saying that the privatisation of seven institutions and properties would be completed this year.

"These include two RLNG power plants, SME Bank, Services International Portal-Lahore, Jinnah Convention Centre-Islamabad as well as 27 government properties. The PM was informed the seven transactions would be completed by May and June this year. Speaking on the occasion, PM Imran called for all possible efforts to complete the process of privatisation within the stipulated timeframe. He said in this context, inter-ministerial coordination should be improved so that quick action could be taken on all unresolved affairs.

MARKET DAILY

Bearish spell continues as KSE-100 sheds 293 points KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Bearish trend continued at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday, as the indices remained in the negative zone for most part of the day amid lack of triggers.

Major positivity was witnessed in the cement sector following the announcement of statistics regarding cement dispatch in February 2020.

According to media reports, domestic

cement sales witnessed an increase of 31.69pc YoY while exports surged by 47pc.

On a month-on-month basis, domestic sales appreciated by 14.5pc whereas exports fell by 7.18pc.

Losing 437.24 points, the KSE-100 Index touched its intraday low at 38,762.44.

It settled lower by 293.28 points at 38,906.40. Among other indices, the KMI30 Index lost 1,001.36 points to end at 60,923.33, while the KSE All Share Index depleted 135.10 points, closing at 26,919.79.

Out of the total traded shares, 112 advanced and 187 declined.

The overall market volumes declined from 225.28 million in the previous session to 186.99 million. Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +0.80pc), Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL -1.01pc) and The Bank of Punjab (BOP -1.03pc) topped the volume chart, exchanging 23.36 million, 19.24 million and 15.94 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that drove the KSE-100 Index south included oil & gas exploration (-

107.42 points), power generation & distribution (-53.18 points) and fertiliser (-44.72 points). Among the companies, Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO -46.16 points), Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC 45.11 points) and Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC -43.04 points) dented the index the most.

Despite the overall negative trend in the market, the cement sector gained 1.74pc in its cumulative market capitalization, with Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK +0.39pc),

Bestway Cement Limited (BWCL +2.96pc) and Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL +2.38pc) closing in the green.

On the financial side, Shell Pakistan Limited (SHEL -6.09pc) announced its financials for FY19. The company's revenue increased by 7.26pc YoY while its cost of sales surged by 8.11pc. This resulted in a decline in gross profit margin from 8.28pc in FY18 to 7.56pc in FY19. The company's earnings per share deteriorated further from Rs-10.30 in FY18 to Rs-13.88 in FY19.

YOU: AnOther PsYchOdrAmA tO KeeP YOU entertAined “The millennials’ obsession with romanticising psychopaths is increasing day by day and YOU is being held accountable”

By Mahnoor azad

L

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

ET’s talk about YOU, well, not you, I mean the most talked about season “YOU”. A Satirical drama that’s highly addicting but also comprises of some deep flaws. The millennials’ obsession with romanticising psychopaths is increasing day by day and YOU is being held accountable. After vampires and serial killers, people are now swooning over psychopaths. Yes, I’m hinting at Edward Cullen and Ted Bundy, but there is definitely a trend where people are getting smitten with the bad guys in hopes of somehow fixing them so they can live their own romance novel.

YOU is an adaptation of Caroline Kepnes’ novel of the same name. It’s addictive, it’s funny and it will surely give you all kinds of creeps. The main character, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgely), a sapiosexual, goes to great lengths to pursue an aspiring writer Beck who is way too far from being smart. The show would definitely not work if Beck had bought some curtains and was aware of the privacy options on social media. Joe gathers all her personal information with the aid of social media, something that warns us to be careful about what we put up on our social media accounts.

The series is narrated by Joe himself with a sardonic

tone to it. It’s like the viewer is looking at the world through his eyes and mind.

His bitter one-liners are the best thing in the whole series.

He is seen throwing shade at the shallowness of the minds of the modern era. But soon we see that he’s not as different from them as he claims to be. Like every other psychopath, Joe is incredibly charming and manipulative.

His ideas of protection are twisted and toxic, whereas Beck’s indiscretions are appalling. And Love (Joe’s new love interest in season 2) turns out to be the female version of obsessive Joe. Although Badgely has done a great job impersonating Joe and making the character riveting, the series comprises some annoying characters but they do keep the show going. All the characters in the series are destroying each other which makes it really hard to feel bad for any of them.

YOU treads a fine line between love and mania. The definition of love in this series particularly is blurred by mania. Joe is a maniac disguised as a lover. Love is not toxic and a lover is definitely not a stalker. There’s a difference between obsessing over someone and stalking. No matter how much Joe’s “humanity” is shown, it certainly does not justify his murders. He is seen helping a little boy in one scene and in the next, he’s stabbing someone. However, Joe

has enough humanity to make him relatable but not enough to make his actions justifiable.

The show is clever enough to tell us that sympathising with Joe is to mitigate his criminalities.

Similar to all the anti-heroes, the millennials have started to love, Joe is also the product of this cruel society, he’s got a past which has molded him into what he is today. Season two of the series tries to mellow the psychotic blow of the first one by shedding some light onto his childhood to create a better understanding of Joe’s character, eventually evoking some kind of sympathy in viewers for him. Joe grew up under the shadow of his abusive father and a mother, who’s the epitome of the bword, her going back to the father despite the toxic relationship they had after telling Joe that “It’s going to be the two of us now” affected Joe’s formative years.

As the show proceeds, you start realising that it’s actually going in circles with the same things happening again and again. Joe is a psychopath and a hopeless romantic who keeps obsessing over confused and no-sowitty ladies with an absurd need of protecting them, killing a friend or two of theirs on the quest of attaining them and when he finally does, Repeat. To sum it up, his motto probably goes something like this: I came, I saw, I conquered, Onto the next one, let’s go.

Another thing I learned from the show is that if I buy a hat and dip my head a little low, no one will recognise me. With that being said, the show manages to keep you hooked till the end with its plot twists. So, go ahead, watch it and let us know if you agree with what we think of “YOU” (pun intended).

Hadiyya, Amna & Saira Rang Rasia launched its Spring/summer '20 premium lawn collection

CUT DOWN ON PLASTIC USE.

Aamir & Hadiyya

Adeel & Sophya

HOLD COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE.

Amber Liaqat

Mahrukh Manan

Areej & Anny SHoaib

Saira Tiwana

BE AWARE OF CHEMICALS IN YOUR GARDENS AND ON YOUR LAWN.

Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick to release two days early

Kareena Kapoor takes Taimur for an outing, he Katrina Kaif feels Kartik Aaryan’s pain as gives a shout-out to paparazzi ‘Aye bhai log’ he arrives at an event hours after a surgery

Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise, is set to hit the screens on June 24, two days before its scheduled release. According to Variety, Paramount Pictures made the announcement Monday.

The new film, a follow-up to Tony Scott’s 1986 action drama Top Gun that shot Cruise to fame, will see the Hollywood action star reprise his role as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.

Maverick will be set in a world of drone technology and will explore the end of the era of dogfighting, with Cruise portraying a flight instructor.

Whiplash star Miles Teller will play the son of Goose, Maverick’s co-pilot (played by Anthony Edwards in the original), who’s his new protege. Val Kilmer will also reprise his role as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky in the sequel.

Directed by Oblivion fame Joseph Kosinski, the sequel is penned

by Peter Craig, Justin Marks, and Eric Warren Singer. The ensemble cast also features Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Jay Ellis, Bashir Salahuddin, Danny Ramirez, and Monica Barbaro.

Kareena Kapoor’s son Taimur has a massive fan following of his own and continues to win hearts with his cute antics. The little one ventured out with his actor mom and grandmother Babita on Wednesday and was seen calling paparazzi, “Aye bhai log”.

A video of Taimur being held in the arms of his caretaker as he says “Aye bhai log” to the photographers waiting outside their residence has surfaced online. While Kareena doesn’t show her reaction, Babita is seen smiling at Taimur’s antics. In another video, he gets excited on spotting some dogs on the roadside and says repeatedly, “doggy, doggy.”

The three-year-old recently accompanied his parents, Kareena and Saif Ali Khan, for the shooting of their new commercial. Hairstylist Yianni Tsapatori had shared a video from the shoot in which Taimur can be seen helping him out in handling the hair blower in order to make Kareena’s hair blow gently with the breeze. He had captioned the video, “New assistant or...the boss?!” Several Bollywood celebrities had reacted to the video. Deepika Padukone told Yianni to “steal him!!!”

Kartik Aaryan arrived at a press conference for the IIFA Awards in Mumbai on Wednesday with an injured hand. The actor was all suited up for the event and had his bandaged hand in an arm sling. He was soon joined by Katrina Kaif who asked about his well being and was seen caressing his hand as the paparazzi clicked them.

The actor was all smiles for the camera as he posed in a dark suit.

Katrina, meanwhile, looked stunning in a black dress.

The fans of the two were delighted to see their chemistry and asked filmmakers to cast them together. A fan wrote on Instagram, “OK cast them. Already they. Look Hella cute together .” Another commented, “Want these two in a movie please.” One more wrote, “They look good together.” Kartik had injured his hand during the promotions of his Valentine’s Day release, Love Aaj Kal. The actor was later spotted with a hand bandage on various occasions. He then flew to Jaipur to begin shooting for his upcoming film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, with no time for the injury to heal. As per reports, he recently returned to Mumbai after wrapping up the Jaipur schedule and realised that it was a ligament tear and had to undergo a surgery at the Hinduja hospital.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

14 SPORTS

Malan Maiden ton, ngidi six-for clinch south africa's first series win of Boucher era

Bavuma ruled out of the remainder of this series as he manages his hamstring injury, Malan has made the strongest case possible for his position to be reconsidered.

But Malan did not battle alone. He shared in three crucial stands - 91 runs with Jon-Jon Smuts, 81 with Heinrich Klaasen and an unbeaten 90 with Miller which saw South Africa home. Earlier, Lungi Ngidi's career-best 6 for 58, which was shared between the top and tail of the Australia innings, in combination with stellar death bowling kept the visitors to

271. South Africa's attack were collectively impressive, with no-one going for more than six runs an over, and particularly good in the last 10 overs, where they took 6 for 49.

Australia would have been disappointed they did not add more - especially after half-centuries from Aaron Finch at the top of the order and D'Arcy Short in the middle - but even more frustrated with their inability to defend a good total, especially after getting rid of de Kock early. He was bowled by the third ball of the innings, being dismissed by Mitchell Starc for the third time in five white-ball matches across this series when he played for swing but was beaten by the left-arm angle.

Malan and Smuts then knuckled down but only after Smuts was reprieved: he was on 17 when Cummins overstepped and the stand was worth 32. It grew to 91. The hallmark of their partnership was patience as they saw off eight boundary-less overs before Malan pulled Marnus Labuschagne for six. Smuts was the more eager of the pair to get going but it cost him, as he went after an Adam Zampa delivery and was caught at long-on. Kyle Verreynne failed to follow on from his promising debut and was dismissed three overs later when he swung at Cummins and sent him straight to midwicket. By then, Malan had reached fifty, off 68 balls.

Klaasen brought the same level of calm he displayed in his debut hundred and partnered Malan for a crucial 65-run stand. He was the more expressive hitter and went down on one knee to send Ashton Agar, picked ahead of Josh Hazlewood, over long-on for six and then swept him for two fours.

“steadily proceed” with preparations for the Games while coordinating with the International Olympic Committee.

IOC head Thomas Bach on Tuesday reiterated his backing for the Games, urging athletes to prepare “full steam”.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked schools to close this month, companies are encouraging employees to work from home and sporting events are being canceled or played in empty arenas.

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee on Wednesday said it had stepped up measures to protect runners and spectators

for the torch relay, which starts this month.

The number of visitors will be limited and the runners will be monitored, the committee said in a statement.

Some of the concerns were fueled by Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto, who said on Tuesday Tokyo’s contract with the IOC “could be interpreted as allowing a postponement” until the end of the year, although she reiterated the government remained committed to the Games.

Hashimoto also indicated the end of May could be a key date for making any final decision.

SOUTH AFRICA 274 FOR 4 (MALAN 129*, KLAASEN 51) BEAT AUSTRALIA 271 (FINCH 69, SHORT 69, NGIDI 6-58) BY SIX WICKETS

SpOrTS DeSK South Africa secured their first series win in 12 months and the first since Mark Boucher's appointment as coach by completing the highest successful chase in Bloemfontein against Australia. On a slow surface, run scoring was not free-flowing, and South Africa's initial required rate of 5.44 an over had swelled to 7.60 by the 40th over. But with a well-set opener in Janneman Malan and a fiery finisher in David Miller, South Africa held the nerve

to earn their new white-ball captain Quinton de Kock his first cup even though it was not his show.

True to their word from four days ago, the rookies in the South African line-up put their hands up and ensured that de Kock's duck did not extend their trophy drought. Malan, who became the first batsmen to be dismissed off the very first ball of their debut match last Saturday, scored his first international hundred two days after being left out of the ODI squad to tour India next week. With Temba

Japan coronavirus cases hit 1,000 mark as Tokyo insists Olympics on track TOKYO AGENCIES

Japan’s confirmed coronavirus infections rose above 1,000 on Wednesday, most from a quarantined cruise liner, as Olympics organizers dismissed speculation that the Tokyo Summer Games could be canceled.

Twenty-three new infections had been reported by Wednesday night, from Yamaguchi prefecture in the west to Hokkaido in the north, underlining the virus’s spread across the country and raising questions about whether the Games, due to start in late July, can go ahead.

The virus is spreading worldwide, with South Korea, Europe and Iran hit hard, and several countries have reported their first confirmed cases, taking the total to some 80 nations hit with the flu-like illness that can lead to pneumonia. The number of cases in mainland China, where the outbreak originated in December, reached

80,270, while the death toll had risen by 38 to 2,981 by March 3. There have been more than 125 deaths outside China.

The new cases in Japan pushed the total over 1,000, according to Reuters calculations - 706 are from the Diamond Princess cruise liner, quarantined for weeks off Yokohama. Twelve people have died in Japan, six from the cruise chip, the health ministry said. The president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics said the option of cancelling the Games was not on the table, responding to deepening speculation of a delay or cancellation.

“I am totally not considering this,” Yoshiro Mori told reporters at a briefing when asked about a possible cancellation.

Asked when the organizers could decide on changes to the Olympics, Mori, a former prime minister, said: “I’m not God, so I don’t know.”

FULL STEAM AHEAD: The comments came after the government’s chief spokesman said Tokyo would

The revolution Kieron Pollard led AGeNCIeS September 22, 2010: Kieron Pollard makes the eyebrow-raising decision to turn down a West Indies central contract in order to become a T20 freelancer. He's just 23. It positively offends some people; Michael Holding, for one, lays into Pollard, saying he is "not a cricketer". In a way, Holding is right. Pollard is unlike anything the world had seen before. And he has been more than just a cricketer. He has been a true pioneer, a T20 trailblazer. When T20 was still in its infancy and the future seemed unclear, he dared to give up the security of a central contract, instead choosing to back his incredible all-round skills and fitness to lead the way.

If a growing number of people feel they can forego a national contract and make a living off of T20 leagues, they have Pollard to thank. To name just a couple: One of Pollard's team-mates at Mumbai Indians, Mitchell McClenaghan, did just that in 2017. And more

recently, 20-year old Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, who went toe to toe against Pollard in Lucknow last year, expressed a desire to evolve into a T20 specialist.

Pollard himself, having been there and done that at (nearly) every T20 - and T10 competition in the world, is now set to become the first player to get to 500 T20s, against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Half a thousand games. And oh, he's a mere 34 runs away from joining Chris Gayle in reaching 10,000 runs in T20 cricket.

So where did it all begin? Pollard made his maiden T20 appearance in the Stanford tournament, all the way back in 2006. He hadn't played first-class or even List A cricket at the time. And the likes of Ricardo Powell and Mervyn Dillon were playing alongside him - that's how long ago it was.

That tournament was a bit of hit-andgiggle, as was so much T20 cricket then, but there was something about Pollard. He launched mighty sixes, tricked batsmen with

his pace variations, and was a fantastic fielder. In short, the perfect T20 package.

His 38-ball 83 in the semi-final was a template for the kind of innings he could play, the kind of innings the format would increasingly see more of. Three years later, on a much bigger platform, at the Champions League T20 in Hyderabad, he unleashed an assault for the ages. With Trinidad & Tobago needing 51 off 24 balls, Pollard went cray-cray and put his team in the semi-finals and his name firmly on the T20 map.

In 2010, just before he opted to become a gun for hire, Mumbai Indians shelled out US$750,000 (plus an undisclosed additional amount) to break a tie with three other franchises to get him on board in the IPL. Plenty have questioned Pollard's sense of loyalty over the years because of his difficult relationship with the West Indies board. But it's worth noting that when he has been in an environment that has looked after him, that loyalty has been unquestionable.

Mushfiqur rahim rested for final Zimbabwe odi as Bangladesh prepare for Pakistan AGeNCIeS Mushfiqur Rahim, the only Bangladesh player to have opted against travelling to Pakistan, will not be considered for the third, and final, ODI against Zimbabwe on Friday as the team wants to prepare for the one-off ODI against Pakistan in Karachi early next month, chief selector Minhajul Abedin has said. "Mushfiqur will not be playing as we want to see one of the youngsters in this game, before they are picked for the Pakistan ODI next month. We don't want to hand them a debut there," Minhajul said, confirming that there wouldn't be any changes to the existing squad for the last game of the series. The senior wicketkeeperbatsman, who didn't make the journey for the first two legs of the three-part tour stressed last week that he would not change his mind on the matter despite BCB president Nazmul Hassan's tough stance against him, where he said that Mushfiqur was "contract-bound" to tour with the rest of the team. Minhajul said that the BCB had met Mushfiqur over the weekend for discussions and that Mushfiqur hadn't budged. "We saw in separate newspapers that he may go and then he may not go. So we asked him to tell us directly, and he has let us know," Minhajul said. Hassan, who had stated before announcing the tour dates in January that every player had the right to choose whether he wanted to tour Pakistan or not, made a U-turn after Bangladesh's win over Zimbabwe in the one-off Test match - where Mushfiqur scored an unbeaten 203 - expressing his dismay at Mushfiqur's decision. "We are expecting that he would go. Not only him, but every contracted player should go," he had said. "Players have to think about the country, and not just themselves.

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

SPORTS 15

CoLIN MuNro, boWLerS DISMANTLe LAhore QALANDArS

I

Islamabad's campaign was well and truly back on track, while Lahore, in the most spectacular fashion possible, might have finally doomed theirs in front of a despairing home crowd that emptied by the wicket.

The STeyn Spell: Operating from ball one at the furious speed that ensures he's one of the biggest draws wherever he plays, the South African performed his role to perfection in the powerplay, keeping the runs down as Lahore's batsmen sought to see him off.

It was something they couldn't really afford to do, given the enormity of the target they were chasing, but it's not like going after him would have guaranteed results. Indeed, Lahore's premier attacking batsman tried to knock him out of the park the second ball he faced, but all Lynn could manage was a top edge to mid-on, where Rumman Raees stood in wait. Steyn's three powerplay overs would go for just 10, and he wasn't required again till numbers 10 and 11 were at the crease for Lahore. The intensity had long seeped out of the game, and he was the main reason why.

Asif Ali's cameo Did it impact the result? Probably not. But for a batsman so low on confidence, don't be surprised if the six balls the 28-year old faced today play their part in helping him rediscover some of the venom that has been absent from his game of late. Islamabad had momentum when he came in, but at 159 for 3 in 17.3 overs, it still required his innings to power them to within a whisker of 200. Exquisitely timed off-side drives saw him fetch two fours off his first two balls, and he still had time to thwack Salman Irshad for six off the penultimate delivery.

His 20 off 6 balls was his highest score this season, and ensured the momentum remained with his side at the change of innings. It might just herald the return of an Asif that Pakistan, and not just Islamabad United, have missed.

The match-losing innings Curiously brought in to replace Fakhar Zaman at the top of the order, Salman Butt struggled to get any momentum through what in the end was a torturous 24-ball stay that produced 21 runs before he finally sliced Gohar to point. But, it wasn't just the fact he allowed the asking rate to continue rising that hurt his side. As he batted alongside Ben Dunk, he was content to take singles that put Dunk on strike at almost every opportunity, forcing the Australian to take ever-increasing risks, anticipating the need for another single-handed knock. Soon enough, his luck ran out with a low-percentage slog. Next over, Butt finally loosened his arms as he tried to loft Gohar over cover. He ended up scooping it straight to the fielder, and from that moment, Lahore's fate was sealed.

SportS DeSk

F anyone was beginning to get carried away by Lahore Qalandars' performance on Tuesday, they were brought sharply back to earth by a team that reverted to type in spectacular fashion. Having put in their best performance of the season against Quetta Gladiators, Lahore provided a reminder of their worst qualities in a 71-run thrashing at Islamabad's hands. Set 199 to win, Lahore's batsmen failed to replicate the heroics that had seen them surge to 209 just 24 hours earlier. Only a 38-run tenth-wicket partnership ensured they crawled to 127 by the end, but it was still the second-lowest total of the season, and the heaviest defeat by runs in PSL history.

Islamabad needed a win, having managed just one win before today, and their trusty opening combination came to the rescue. Colin Munro and Luke Ronchi took Lahore's attack to the cleaners as Islamabad rocketed to fifty in the powerplay. Sohail Akhtar was perhaps a touch guilty of too much chopping and changing, using seven bowlers in the first 12 overs. By then, the 100-partnership had been brought up, and even when Ronchi holed out off Mohammad Hafeez, Islamabad had enough batsmen to come and keep hitting. Munro ended up batting through the innings, compiling 87 off 59.

It didn't help Lahore that Shaheen Afridi was struck down by injury, with Usman Shinwari unable to muster the wicket-taking threat that has made Afridi arguably Lahore's most prized asset. But, if there was hope they'd make the best of a bad situation, that didn't happen. And the chase was immediately hamstrung when Dale Steyn removed Chris Lynn off the second delivery. Ben Dunk and Samit Patel would fall cheaply, too, and suddenly, the batsmen who could potentially get them out of the hole they'd dug themselves were back in the pavilion.

So what did Lahore do instead? They kept digging, of course. Patel spooned one to long-off, and the lower middle order folded like a deck of cards in the face of an Islamabad attack that sensed not just a win but a significant boost to their net run-rate. All five bowlers Islamabad used got themselves in the wickets, with Zafar Gohar arguably the pick of the lot, his figures of 3 for 31 in four overs just rewards for the discipline he had showcased upon returning to the side.

PSL spectators set to undergo medical screening at NSK amid coronavirus fears AGeNCIeS The Sindh Government has announced that the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches will go ahead as scheduled in Karachi. According to details, the government of Sindh has assured the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that their health experts have given clearance for the matches as the coronavirus situation is under control. Although inorder to be on the safe side, the spectators, who will come to the stadium to watch the matches, will have to undergo medical screening before they can enter the venue. Also hand sanitizers will be available for people inside the stadium. In the wake of two coronavirus cases emerging in Karachi this week, all educational institutions in Sindh are to be closed until March 13, the Sindh government has announced. Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, addressing the people of the province, maintained that there was no need to worry.

Scoreboard Lahore QaLandarS InnInGS: L ronchi c Patel b Mohammad hafeez...........................................................................48 c Munro not out...................................................................................................................87 Shadab Khan (c) c Patel b Muhammad Faizan.................................................................7 ca Ingram c dunk b Salman Irshad.................................................................................29 17.3 outside edge and taken, appeal for a catch, turned down. The bowling team reviews, ultra edge shows a spike, oUT. 159/3 asif ali not out ....................................................................................................................20 extras.............................................................................................................7 (b 1, lb 3, w 3) ToTaL ............................................................................................198/3 (20 overs, rr: 9.9) did not bat: rizwan hussain, hussain Talat, dW Steyn, rumman raees, Zafar Gohar, akif Javed Fall of wickets: 1-103 (Luke ronchi, 11.1 ov), 2-113 (Shadab Khan, 12.3 ov), 3-159 (colin Ingram, 17.3 ov)

PSL TODAY’S MATCH VS 7:00 PM PeShAWAr zALMI

RAWALPINDI

QueTTA GLADIATorS

Sarfaraz Ahmed can be considered for World T20 squad: Misbah AGeNCIeS Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq on Tuesday revealed that former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed was under consideration for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Misbah, while speaking to a local news outlet, said that the 32-year-old was performing well in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 and added that the wicket-keeper batsman was on track with his fitness which could lead to a possible call-up. Furthermore, the chief selector said that there will be additional matches following the conclusion of the PSL 2020 in order to determine who gets picked in the World Cup squad. “Sarfaraz has been playing very well in the PSL 2020 and he is also fit.

While he is in consideration for the World Cup, there will be matches after the PSL to decide which player will get the call,” he said. The former skipper was revoked of his role of leading the national side in Test and T20 cricket in October last year over his poor fitness and declining performance of the team. Sarfaraz currently leads the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL 2020.

Yousuf accuses Misbah of allegedly staging mutiny against Younis in 2009 AGeNCIeS Former Test cricketer Mohammad Yousuf has accused current Pakistan head coach and his former teammate Misbahul-Haq for staging the infamous mutiny in 2009 against then national captain Younis Khan. Back then, more than 10 players of the team had gathered, locked themselves in a room and plotted against Younis, who was allegedly too strict with the players. They had also sworn on the holy book to not leak the names of the rebels, only to see the news leaked to the media minutes after their meeting had ended. While several players have admitted over the years that they were part of the rebellion, the identity of the ringleader had remained unknown, until now. Yousuf, in a recent TV show, revealed that Misbah was the one who led the mutiny as he was upset over Younis reprimanding him for his slow batting during the 2009 World T20. It is pertinent to mention here that Yousuf has lashed out at Misbah multiple times over the years and was extremely critical when Misbah was named the head coach of the national team last year.

PM Imran congratulates Darren Sammy for receiving honourary citizenship AGeNCIeS Peshawar Zalmi captain Darren Sammy and batting mentor Hashim Amla along with owner Javed Afridi called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday in Islamabad.

The prime minister congratulated West Indies batsman Sammy on receiving honourary Pakistani citizenship and praised him for playing his role in helping in reviving international cricket in the country. Welcoming Amla, PM Imran said he was happy that the whole Pakistan Super League was being staged in Pakistan.

“People are happy too,” PM Imran said. “It is encouraging to see the stadiums filled with enthusiastic spectators.” “This will send a positive message from Pakistan to the world,” he added. Earlier, Karachi Kings Head Coach Dean Jones, President Wasim Akram along with the Kings owner met the prime minister.

Jones even tweeted a picture of their interaction.

“Stop laughing Imran! I know you got me first ball at MCG Imran Khan,” he tweeted along with a picture of him shaking the prime minister’s hand.

Last week, the prime minister met Windies legend Sir Vivian Richards, Australian great Greg Chappell and

Shane Watson at his official residence in Islamabad.

Watson expressed his delight after meeting the former World Cup-winning captain. “This was incredibly special for me to meet and chat with one of my cricketing

CMYK

hero’s, the Great All-Rounder, Imran Khan. What an inspiring life he has lived on and off the cricket field!!! So amazing to hear Sir Viv, Greg Chappell and Imran relive the good old days!!!”

Thursday, 5 March, 2020

NEWS

PAkiStAN hoPeS AfghAN deAl will SeCURe PeACe QURESHI SAYS PAKISTAN IS NOT PARTY TO ISSUES BETWEEN US AND AFGHANISTAN ISLAMABAD

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APP

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that with the peace deal inked in Doha last week between the US and Taliban, “a new ray of hope has emerged” for the decades-long war in Afghanistan to finally end.

His remarks came during a session of the Senate in which he provided a briefing on the peace deal. It came as Afghanistan saw an uptick in violence once more following a brief reprieve from a ceasefire agreement.

At least 20 Afghan soldiers and policemen were killed in Taliban attacks on Wednesday, with the US launching an airstrike to ‘defend’ Afghan forces.

Qureshi, however, expressed confidence that peace will be secured in Afghanistan.

“The road ahead will be difficult; there will be many hurdles,” he said, adding: “We must unite the various stakeholders and have them realise that a war

is not the solution to the situation in Afghanistan.”

The foreign minister said that the use of force has already been tried and now it is time to tread an alternate path — an approach Pakistan had been recommending for a while and had finally been successful in convincing others of.

“Pakistan is not a party to the issues between the US and Afghanistan,” Qureshi was quick to warn. “Our role is that of a facilitator.”

“These decisions have to be made by Afghanistan, as is their right.”

He said that the Taliban used to say that their fight is against the coalition forces. “When the possibility of a withdrawal of forces emerged, talks began to take place.”

Qureshi said that as part of the withdrawal process, five military bases will first be vacated and the process will take 14 months to complete.

He said that the US had been fearful of being targeted in an attack similar to that of 9/11. “It will take some time for the lack of trust to dissipate.”

SAYS PEACE WILL ONLY BE POSSIBLE WHEN ALL AFGHAN PARTIES ARE ON THE SAME PAGE Speaking of the release of prisoners, a key component of the peace deal, the foreign minister said that the measure will have to be “two-sided”.

He said that the prisoners being held by the Taliban will also have to be released. “We hope that the parties will be able to decide the matter amicably.”

Qureshi said that it will only take this one step after which other things should naturally follow for the realisation of peace.

“Peace will only be possible when all Afghan parties are on the same page,” he said.

He said that intra-Afghan dialogue will soon commence and the offer made

by Norway to host the talks is still on the table. “We will hopefully be able to sit down and decide where the talks should be held.”

Qureshi said that restrictions on Afghanistan will be reviewed and that the US will reach out to the UN Security Council so that Afghan representatives can be removed from the United Nations’ roster.

The foreign minister said that the Taliban had expressed their willingness to

stop targeting American and coalition forces and that the use of Afghan soil by Al-Qaeda or anyone else against the US or their allies will not be allowed. He said that those “who are involved in terrorist activities will not be allowed to engage in fund raising”.

He said that the US had indicated that approval in this regard will be sought from the Security Council.

Qureshi said that as part of confidence building measures, the US had also committed to the development of the country.

He expressed the hope that Afghan soil would not be used against Pakistan.

It was unfortunate that in past the Afghanistan soil was used against Pakistan, he said adding, “We do not want any role of India in Afghanistan.”

Seeking parliament’s guidance, the foreign minister said, “Parliament can guide the government regarding the peace deal as it is joint issue and we need to show unity.”

Later, the House was prorogued sine die.

Pakistan on road to development, says PM Imran SAYS 39PC RAISE IN DEVELOPING SPENDING DURING FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF CURRENT FISCAL YEAR HIGHEST IN SIX YEARS ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said with accelerated development spending, stable rupee, 73 per cent decrease in current account deficit, growing exports and enhancing cement sales, Pakistan was moving on the road to development.

“Pakistan is moving on the road to development with accelerated development spending; rupee stable; current account

deficit down by 73 per cent; exports growing; cement sales up,” Imran Khan said in a tweet posted on his social media account.

The prime minister in his tweet also attached an audio-video report of Planning and Development Division, depicting 39 per cent raise in developing

spending during the first eight months (July-February) of the current fiscal year 2019-20, highest during this period of the last six years.

According to the report, the percentage of development spending in July-February period of previous fiscal years

remained 32 per cent in 2014-15; 31 per cent in 2015-16; 29 per cent in 2016-17; 32 per cent in 2017-18; and 23 per cent in 2018-19.

The report also highlighted the government’s commitment and priorities of spending and financial assistance in various projects of national interest including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The report mentioned that the spending of Rs17.7 billion in the current fiscal year on Karachi-Peshawar Motorway – 99 per cent of work on that protect had been completed; Rs24.6 billion on Havelian-Thahkot section of Karakorum Highway Phase-2; starting of work on Rs309.6 billion Mohmand Dam Hydro Power Project; Rs3.7 billion on JaglotSkardu road; Rs5.5 billion on the second phase of national programme for improvement of canal system; Rs3.7 billion on 10 billion tree tsunami programme and various other projects depicted the government’s seriousness to achieve socioeconomic development in the country.

Cabinet-approved perks for lawmakers will cost Rs300m ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government ostensibly to ensure privileges for the members of parliament has approved certain amendments to Section 10 of the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 1974. According to sources, the federal cabinet during a meeting on February 25 approved the amendments to ensure perks, including 25 air tickets among other things, to 446 lawmakers that would cost taxpayers Rs300 million. The lawmakers will be able to avail 25 business class air tickets from the respective constituency to Islamabad or vouchers worth over Rs0.8m that could also be used by their family members for travel. These amendments would be presented in parliament for approval later on. They said that these amendments were proposed by the Parliamentary Affairs Division through a summary to the federal cabinet following the demands of some parliamentarians. Documents available with Pakistan Today disclosed that the Cabinet considered the summary titled ‘The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020′ dated February 7 and approved the proposal given in the summary. As per available documents, a meeting chaired by Minister for Aviation Division was earlier held on Feb 10 and attended by the parliamentary affairs minister and parliamentary leaders in Senate.

Journalist Aziz Memon died of 'natural causes', NA committee told ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior on Wednesday was informed that Sindhi journalist Aziz Memon had died a natural death as the medical report did not confirm any violence or poisoning. Additional Inspector General Police Hyderabad Dr Waliullah Dal and other police officers briefed the committee, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, that journalist Aziz Memon was the patient of hypertension, sugar and his medical report did not confirm any murder. He said Memon’s brother had nominated the deceased’s fellow cameramen in the First Information Report (FIR). The cameraman, who brought him to Rohri Canal had already been arrested. Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was being constituted on request of the deceased’s brother to probe the real cause of the death of the journalist will be notified within a day or so. DPO Naushero Feroze said the issue of Aziz Memon’s death has been politicized. Aziz Memon met him several times and he never demanded any security from the police. The committee directed the Sindh Police to keep the committee updated about the probe of the murder. A report should be sent to the committee. Briefing the committee about the murder of Shahnaz Ansari, MPA, the additional IG said all four accused has already been arrested.

Coronavirus death toll rises as global outbreak deepens OVER 93,000 CASES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED ACROSS THE WORLD AS AUTHORITIES CONSIDER NEW QUARANTINE ZONES AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS Governments around the world are scrambling to contain the spread of COVID-19, which is growing globally even as transmission in China, where the virus originated at the end of last year, continues to show signs of slowing. There are more than 93,000 cases around the world – the overwhelming majority in China – but as deaths are reported in Italy, Iran and the United States, authorities are considering new quarantine zones and travel restrictions.

In the US, officials have confirmed over 100 cases and nine deaths. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it has “heightened” concerns and urged local communities to begin thinking about ways to stop the virus from spreading.

In India, sixteen Italians have tested positive for coronavirus as the total number of known cases in the country rose sharply to 28.

Meanwhile, in Italy, the government has

decided to close schools and universities across the country until mid-March in a further attempt to contain the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe. The government shuttered schools and universities in the worstaffected regions in northern Italy some 10 days ago and quarantined a handful of towns at the epicentre of the outbreak. However, the contagion has spread, with at least 79 people dying and more than 2,500 infected.

CORONAVIRUS SPREADS ACROSS IRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that novel coronavirus has affected almost all of Iran’s provinces but the country will get through the outbreak with a “minimum” number of deaths.

“This disease is a widespread disease,” he said during a cabinet meeting. “It has reached almost all our provinces and in one sense it is a global disease,” he added.

Friday prayers in Iran have also been

cancelled across all provincial capitals. Friday is the main congregational day of prayer in Islam, and traditionally an important event for Iran’s clerical rulers.

BAGHDAD NOT CONFIRMING FIRST CORONAVIRUS DEATH: Iraq’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday that it was not clear whether a death reported as Iraq’s first coronavirus death had in fact been from the new virus.

A local health department said earlier on Wednesday that an elderly man in the Kurdish province of Sulaimaniya had succumbed to the disease.

Iraq has so far has recorded around 30 cases of the new coronavirus: one Iranian student who has since been sent home, plus Iraqis who had all visited Iran recently.

EGYPT BARS ENTRY OF QATARI NATIONALS: Egypt has decided to bar the entry of Qatari nationals, including those who have valid residency in Egypt, amid fears over the coronavirus.

The measure will take effect from March 6 until further notice. Qatar had on Sunday imposed a temporary restriction on entry to its territory on visitors from Egypt via intermediate points because of the virus’s spread.

MALAYSIA ANNOUNCES 14 NEW

CASES: Malaysian authorities announced 14 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and added that the spike was the result of a second wave of infections that began late last month.

“After 11 days of no reported cases, a second wave (of infections) began on the 27th February 2020,” Malaysian Health Ministry’s Director General Noor Hisham Abdullah told a news conference in Putrajaya.

Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah pilgrimage for citizens and residents DUBAI: Saudi Arabia suspended Umrah pilgrimages to the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina for Saudi citizens and the kingdom’s other residents due to coronavirus concerns, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia reported its first case of the new coronavirus on Monday from an individual who had not disclosed his visit to Iran when entering Saudi Arabia. “Based on the recommendations of the committee appointed to monitor coronavirus...it has been decided to suspend Umrah for citizens and residents in the kingdom,” SPA said, citing an official source in the Saudi interior ministry. The decision will be reviewed regularly and reversed when the situation changes, it added. Saudi Arabia last week halted Umrah visas for foreigners and banned Gulf citizens from visiting the two cities because of the virus. It also banned tourists from at least 25 countries where the virus has been found, and on Tuesday it limited arrivals of travelers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Pilgrimage is a big business for Saudi Arabia and is the backbone of plans to develop tourism under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious economic reform agenda. Visits by pilgrims accelerate during the holy fasting month of Ramzan, beginning this year in late April. In late July, some 2 million pilgrims are expected for the week-long Hajj, the world’s largest annual gathering of Muslims, which has a separate visa regime. AGENCIES

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