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sunday, 3 July, 2022 I 3 Zil hajj, 1443 I rs 15.00 I vol XII no 364 I 12 Pages I lahore edition

cracks appear in pML-n aMid ruMours of dar repLacing Miftah g

Kh asif, abbasi come out in support of ‘under fire’ miftah ismail

ISLAMABAD

staff report

mid rumours of return of nawaz sharif’s economic wizard ishaq dar, divisions have deepened within the ranks of the ruling pml-n as senior pml-n leaders Khawaja asif and shahid Khaqan abbasi saturday came out in support of finance minister miftah ismail after the finance minister hinted that he was facing criticism within the party ranks. the finance minister is under pressure since the government announced multiple hikes in petroleum products and the delay in the revival of the international monetary fund bailout programme. along with this, the news of senior leader ishaq dar’s return to pakistan has also added fuel to the fire as

‘gracious support’ will help me perform my job with greater vigour: miftah

many believe that miftah may be shown the door and asked to hand over the reins of the finance ministry to senator-elect. the possible changeover, just a few months after the coalition government took office, has left economists and commentators concerned over its possible impact on the economy and the ongoing talks with the imf. earlier, the finance minister said that he was “not supposed to” appear on national television the night before to announce a hike in the prices of petroleum products but he did so after being asked by prime minister shehbaz sharif. his comments came after a clip of his appearance on a television show was shared on social media. however, the defence minister appreciated his colleague for exe-

cuting his duties “under difficult circumstances” and called him one of the “hardest working” member of pm shehbaz’s team. “fm miftah is among the hardest working members of pm’s team, accessible to all stakeholders. he is performing very well under difficult circumstances, with immense criticism from vested interests — including, and unfortunately, from within pml-n. time to show solidarity with miftah,” tweeted the defence minister. miftah responded Khawaja with gratitude for the ‘gracious and kind’ support. “Khawaja sahib i am grateful for your kind and gracious tweet. this will help me perform my job with greater vigour. thank you sir,” he wrote in a subsequent tweet. hours after asif’s tweet, senior pml-n leader shahid Khaqan abbasi also came out in miftah’s support. “miftah ismail’s knowledge of economics and the pakistan economy is without parallel in pakistan politics today. he is one of the most effective members of pm’s cabinet,” said the former prime minister. the pml-n leader said that the finance minister “played a crucial role in saving pakistan from default and in implementing pml-n’s economic reform agenda”. miftah promptly responded with thanks. “sir thank you for your tweet and support. i am humbled by it and inshaallah will continue to perform to the best of my abilities,” he wrote in response to abbasi’s tweet.

sanaullah warns Imran against holding ‘seditious rallies’ in federal capital ISLAMABAD staff report

interior minister rana sanaullah on saturday warned pti chief imran Khan that his “seditious” rallies won’t be tolerated in the federal capital as this page of anyone sabotaging, threatening or surrounding islamabad has been torn away. “the state is now rid of such threats forever. imran Khan should correct his matters and refrain from creating rebellion and instability in the country. he should indulge in peaceful and national politics,” sanaullah said while speaking to media here on saturday. “all the political parties in the country at the moment are on one side, trying to solve the ongoing crises, while imran Khan is busy abusing everyone and playing the politics of hatred,” the minister said, underscoring the need for political consensus. the interior minister also promised to use “fresh” and “updated” tear gas against pti supporters ahead of the party’s rally in islamabad’s parade ground today — “if the need arises”— advising the participants not to give cause to such a situation. his remarks come as preparations are under way for the party’s power show at the capital’s parade ground today. former prime minister imran Khan will lead a caravan from rawalpindi to the venue in islamabad. his tear gas mention also follows the opposition party’s accusations that the islamabad police had used expired tear gas against pti supporters during the party’s may 25 azadi march — the day former prime minister imran Khan had marched onto the capital for “haqeeqi azadi (true freedom)” along with his party. the marchers were, however, stopped from heading towards d-chowk by the police through tear gas shelling. later, inspector general of police (igp) islamabad dr akbar nasir Khan had said that tear gas used on the protesters had caused irritation in the eyes only. “expired tear gas shells were not used. no other chemicals were used to disperse the crowds on may 25.” at a press conference today, sanaullah said that the expired tear gas, which he claimed was bought by his “predecessors”, had finished. “now they will get everything effective, fresh and up-

dated if the need arises. “but it would be better if they don’t create a situation,” he suggested. the minister also lauded the islamabad police for bringing the situation under control just through rubber bullets and tear gas. “i want to tell them that they didn’t just save islamabad that day, but also democracy.” at the beginning of his talk, sanaullah announced an increase in the salaries of islamabad police. “they had always demanded that their salaries should be equal to those of punjab police. and we have finally accepted their demands in this budget.” this will have an impact of rs788 million on the budget, he added. sanaullah also revealed that payments of rs1.2 billion to the families of martyrs, which were pending for the past four years, would immediately be disbursed as well. separately, a 100-bed hospital will also be built for the islamabad police, he continued, adding that this was important because police officers risked their lives for the security and protection of the public. “i am thankful to prime minister shehbaz sharif who didn’t delay this project despite the current financial crunch.” the minister further announced that the government had increased the ration allowance of frontier corps officers and it would now be equal to that of other armed forces. “fc officers didn’t have any riot equipment and they would just help the police. so we have decided to give funds for riot training of 2,000 officers,” he added.

Khan cautions PTI workers against rigging Punjab by-polls ISLAMABAD staff report

former prime minister and pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) chairman imran Khan sunday warned his party workers and supporters of being wary of rigging during the upcoming by-polls in punjab, now that “the umpires have sided with the government.” addressing his party’s massive power show here at parade ground, Khan asked the state institutions as to why did they allow ‘crooks’ to come into power by toppling his legitimate government through a no-trust vote in parliament earlier this year. “i did not stage a sit-in because we knew that a sea of people will come out in the evening and there were chances of clashes as people were angry due to police crackdown on protesters,” he said while referring to the much-hyped ‘haqeeqi azadi march’ protest that he called off abruptly in may. imran said the incumbent rulers wanted pti to clash with institutions and law enforcement agencies but his decision to end the protest in the federal capital averted bloodshed. the former premier said the incumbent rulers did not have any stake in the country as all their “stolen assets” were stashed abroad. “it makes no difference to them if currency depreciates and country suffers setbacks because they don’t have to live

and die here,” he added. calling the sharif and Zardari families corrupt, imran asked the institutions, “why did you allow thieves to be imposed on pakistan”. “is curbing corruption from the country only my responsibility? they closed down corruption cases worth billions of rupees by amending the nab law,” he remarked. “isn’t it your responsibility too? or only i am responsible to protect this country,” the former pm asked the institutions. “people have taken to the streets across the country and they are sending the message through protests to the institutions that there is still time to save this country from thieves.” imran said people neither have accepted the “us conspiracy” nor will they allow these “thieves” to rule. while referring to a statement of prime minister shehbaz sharif and other political leaders, imran said no premier ever in the world has called his nation “beggars”. “these two families have been ruling this country for 30 years then who is responsible for destroying this country,” imran said while referring to defence minister Khawaja asif’s statement that country was on ventilator. “i want to send a message to everyone that if someone thinks that people of this country will accept those who worship money, then listen to me you are wrong.” the pti chairman led a convoy to the venue from rawalpindi earlier in the day.

the pti leaders have set-up screens in major cities across the country including Karachi, lahore, hyderabad, and sukkur among others to live telecast his speech. ‘Imran Khan’s revoluTIon Is here’: former interior minister sheikh rashid, addressing the parade ground rally, warned the government leaders to not underestimate the reach imran Khan has and that his message has entered every home in pakistan. last month, imran had called upon his supporters to stage countrywide peaceful protests against the rising inflation and amendments to the nab law

on july 2 (today). earlier today, the pti leaders had alleged that the incumbent government led by prime minister shehbaz sharif was interfering with the rally preparations. former interior minister sheikh rashid ahmed claimed banners with statements against pti chief imran Khan were hung in rawalpindi prior to the party rally. alongside rashid, leaders of the former ruling party also alleged that the government was attempting to interfere with the rally’s preparation. the banners were allegedly put up on friday night, accusing the former premier of corruption. a day earlier, pti received permission from the islamabad district magistrate’s office to hold a rally in the federal capital on july 2. Code of ConduCT: pti had given an undertaking to the district administration of islamabad and agreed to 39 conditions for holding a rally on july 2. pti islamabad chapter president of the central secretariat ali nawaz awan signed the undertaking – code of conduct – before islamabad’s deputy commissioner taking full responsibility for any untoward incident and agreeing to be held responsible in case of violation of the agreement. through the code of conduct, the party has agreed that the gathering shall not disturb or disrupt the fundamental rights of citizens, including the right to free-

dom of movement, trade and business, and education, and has assured that it will not block any road – islamabad expressway, murree road or service roads. the former ruling party agreed that the gathering shall end at 12 midnight, stating that it will be the organiser’s duty to ensure the dispersal after the event ends. it nodded that the participants shall not indulge in violence or clashes. under the agreement, the organisers are bound to ensure that the participants are dispersed peacefully, and they do not spend the night or subsequent nights at the parade ground the pti also agreed that the participants shall not enter the red Zone of islamabad; organisers are responsible for the internal security arrangements of the participants and providing the list of the participants to the local police in advance; and that they will be responsible for any damage caused to the public or private property. in the code, it signed a condition that no anti-state, religious, and anti-national slogans shall be made; effigy or flag of any party shall not be burnt; weapons would not be allowed, and the law enforcers can search any vehicle or person coming to attend the gathering. the undertaking also stated that the organisers will respect the fundamental human rights of other stakeholders and the general public.

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Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORe

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SCrEENING of IMrAN KHAN’S SPEECH: PTI LEAdErS brEACH PoLICE bLoCKAdES KARACHI

staff RepoRt

AKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leaders have resisted the police blockades at Karachi’s Sea View after they were stopped from installing a big screen for listening to Imran Khan’s Parade Ground jalsa Saturday. Ahead of the public gathering at Karachi beach, police blocked one track of Seaview

road and a police team tried to stop a truck with speakers. However, the driver managed to take the truck from another track. The police officials charged batons at the truck and broke its window glasses. After failing to stop the truck, police teams stopped another vehicle of the PTI activists from reaching the public gathering’s spot. The PTI central leaders, Ali Zaidi and Imran Ismail conducted a press conference there and said that they sought permission from the concerned officials to install a big

screen at Karachi’s Seaview beach. “Other political parties have also organised programmes at Seaview beach but police is obstructing the preparations of the PTI public gathering since the morning. Due to the police blockades, I became a truck driver.” “This type of behaviour was not even seen during the era of martial law. Is this imported government trying to beat the martial law governments? The current ruling parties must remember that they had

also organised marches and rallies during our government.” “We are being told since the morning that we are not permitted to gather public here. There is no such permission letter as we only have to inform the concerned authorities for such events.” Ali Zaidi said that PTI will screen Imran Khan’s speech at Parade Ground jalsa at Karachi’s Sea View at any cost. A large number of citizens will come here to listen to the speech of Imran Khan, he added.

President directs bank to refund defrauded money to senior citizen ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Karachi cop seeks two goats, cow as bribe to arrest attacker KARACHI: A Karachi policeman in a unique order to a citizen allegedly demanded two goats and a cow as a bribe to arrest the accused, who attacked him. According to ARY News, selling and buying of sacrificial animals has geared up as the Eidul Adha is coming nearer and now even cops have started to demand sacrificial animals in bribes to discharge their duties. Recently, a firing incident took place at the house of a citizen named Azhar Iqbal in the jurisdiction of Ferozeabad police station of Karachi on June 23, and when the victim reached the police station with his application, the already distressed citizen was reportedly asked to buy two goats and a cow for the arrest of the attacker. The victim, Azhar, alleged that when he reached the Ferozeabad police station to lodge a complaint about the firing incident at his house, the SIO there flatly refused to help him and catch the culprits and gave him a unique order. It should be noted that the news of police bribery in Karachi continues to adorn the media. INp

Punjab by-polls: PML-N unveils schedule of Maryam Nawaz’s election rallies LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz will be addressing party rallies from today for her party’s candidates contesting the by-polls in Punjab. PML-N will hold worker conventions in Punjab constituencies where by-polls are scheduled on July 17. According to the schedule, she will be addressing rallies in three constituencies of Lahore on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The PML-N leader will address a public rally in PP-167 Lahore constituency on Saturday, PP-158 on Sunday and PP170 on Monday. The plan from the PML-N came after former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan decided to give a tough time to dissident members in the upcoming Punjab byelections. The former premier has directed the party leadership to launch a campaign to mobilise party workers in the relevant constituencies. staff RepoRt

President Dr Arif Alvi while setting aside orders of the Banking Mohtasib, directed Faysal Bank Ltd. to refund the defrauded money to a senior citizen. The president directed the bank to pay the defrauded account holder the full amount of Rs1.1 million as against the partial payment of Rs388,100. The president passed the directions while accepting a representation of Sardar Arshad Mahmood Jalwana (the complainant), who was deprived of Rs1.1 million

after he disclosed his confidential banking data to an unknown caller, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release on Saturday. The

president observed that the partial payment by the bank was sufficient to prove that the entire claim of the account holder was just and right. The customer had lodged a complaint with the bank which had returned him Rs388,100 but the remaining money was not returned to him despite his persistent efforts. He approached banking mohtasib which closed the case stating that since a partial sum had already been credited to his account, therefore, the complaint was being closed. The complainant then filed a representation with the president against this decision of the mohtasib.

Govt to shift public buildings on solar energy ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

The federal government has decided to shift public buildings to solar energy amid the energy crisis. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Task Force on Solar Energy. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired the meeting, which was also attended by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb. In a statement, the Information Minister said that the meeting reviewed various measures to increase the production of solar energy and decided to shift public

buildings on solar energy. Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the meeting has also decided to set up solar plants where electricity is being provided on subsidy. “The participants have also mulled over formulating policies to promote energy-saving and green energy,” she added. She further said that steps were being taken to further increase the solar energy capacity, adding that the use of solar panels would also enable the government to sale additional power to grid stations. In this regard, the Information Minister said, work on 4,0005,000 MW projects would start soon and the task force would present the recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Monsoon rains: CAA issues alert for Karachi airport KARACHI staff RepoRt

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Saturday issued an alert for Jinnah International Airport after Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast heavy rainfall in Karachi from Saturday to July 5 under the influence of the monsoon system. Widespread rain with wind and thunderstorm is likely to hit Karachi on Sunday (today), Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a weather forecast today. According to the PMD, the first spell of monsoon rains in Karachi is expected to begin from Saturday evening or night. Ahead of the rainfall, strong winds at around the speed of 80km per hour may blow in the port city, said the PMD.

Tharparkar, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin and other districts of Sindh will receive rainfall. Heavy to very heavy rainfall could also hit the region during the wet spell. In a statement, the CAA has directed for taking steps to address an emergency situation and to tackle the strong winds during the rough weather. “All concerned authorities are advised to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures during the forecast period,” reads the circular issued by the aviation authority. The CAA has issued instructions for adding surplus weight with fixed wing small aircraft and rotary wing (helicopters). The CAA has also instructed for transfer of equipment at the airport to a place of safety in case of bad weather. The authority also directed deployment of more bird shooters around runaway to avoid bird strike incidents.

CM lifts ban of markets closure at 9pm until Eid LAHORE app

Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz giving big relief to the people and trader community, has announced to lift the ban of closing the markets and bazaars at 9 pm across the province. The chief minister announced that the decision will be applicable across Punjab from today (Saturday) till the night of Edi-ulAdha, said a handout issued here. Hamza Shahbaz said that the Punjab government took this decision for the facilitation of the trader community and the people adding that it would bring ease in doing business and shopping across the province.

APHC-AJK writes to G20 countries about India’s nefarious designs ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Convener All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter, Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, while urging the G20 countries to take effective notice of India’s plan to hold next G20 summit in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, said that contentious move was a ploy aimed at deflecting the world’s attention away from the Kashmir dispute. According to Kashmir Media Service, in a letter addressed to the heads of G20 nations, the APHC-AJK Convener while highlighting the disputed nature of Kashmir said that the Indian plan to hold such a highprofile meeting in the UN-recognized disputed territory is tantamount to undermining the credibility of the United Nations. Referring to the grim political and human rights situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Saghar wrote that the dire situation in the region is not suitable for holding such a high-profile meeting. He maintained that the Indian government’s proposed plan was a deliberate attempt aimed at creating a smokescreen to hide ground realities in Kashmir and hoodwinking the international community. Urging the G20 nations not to become a part of any such exercise, the APHC-AJK Convener stated that by bringing heads of G20 countries in Kashmir, Indian government wanted to lend legitimacy to its actions it had taken since 5th August 2019. He hailed the G20 countries for their upright stance on people’s right to self-determination. “The people of the occupied Kashmir hope that the G20 countries that have been championing human rights and civil liberties would take into account the disputed nature of Kashmir and influence the government of India to change the venue of the summit,” he added. Mahmood Ahmad Saghar hoped that the G20 countries which had voted in favor of the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir would not get swayed by the Indian propaganda and instead ask New Delhi to resolve the lingering dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions. Meanwhile, the APHC-AJK Convener in a statement thanked the Chines government for taking an upright stance on the issue. He said China has always supported the Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle for right to self-determination. He expressed the optimism that the other members of G20 would also take a bold stance on the issue.

HAS, DMC host conference on ‘Next Generation Healthcare’ ISLAMABAD News Desk

The Health Services Academy (HSA) in collaboration with Dynamic Medical Company (DMC) organized a Medical Conference and Exhibition on Next Generation Healthcare on Friday. Special Technology Zones Authority Chairman Amer Hashmi, ex-Surgeon General of Pak Army, Lt-Gen (r) Asif Mumtaz Sukhera, Health Services Academy VC Prof Dr Shahzad Ali Khan, former Ambassador to China Ms Naghmana A Hashmi, Advisor to GoP on Health Dr Ghazna Khalid, and numerous other professionals from public health sector attended the conference. Lt-Gen (r) Sukhera delivered inaugural remarks. Later, various speakers from South Korea, Singapore, Norway, Finland, Germany, Turkey, China, and Pakistan delivered their presentations on different themes around

genetics. One of the major objectives of this conference was sensitizing the participants, the general public and the government to hereditary or genetic disorders, its timely diagnosis and available treatments. In his speech HAS VC Dr Khan said that Pakistan is ranked among the countries having high alert of genetic disorders, adding that risk factors associated with the genetic defects are primarily due to cousin marriages. Majorly the increased incidence and prevalence of the genetic disorders are associated with lack of pre-natal testing facilities in the country. Ms Hashmi said that medical technology is now an inevitable solution to Pakistan’s inclining disease burden and initiating research evidence-based interventions for genetic diseases in Pakistan will open another dimension of trade i.e. Pak-China Health Corridor. According to Lt-Gen (r) Sukhera, the healthcare system in Pakistan is based on preventive model, and that it needs to shift to

curative model to move forward. He further said that Pakistan needs international collaborators for expanding this proposed project of healthcare development through Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Genomics. After the remarks, thematic sessions by various researchers, genetic specialists, medical doctors were started. During first session, Prof Dr Mubashir Hanif, Director ORIC, Health Services Academy enlightened the participants to genetic counseling which should be initiated at national level. Moving further, Mr. Richard and Mr. Ryan from Airdoc China presented a technological solution to the stigma of rising hereditary disorders. Similarly, Dr. Jurgen Feuerstein from Netherlands, SPL Medical University Nijmegen suggested alternative remedies to treat cancer at an earlier stage. Bilal Mumtaz, a digital healthcare entrepreneur, delivered a lecture on the commercial viability of direct-to-consumer

genetic tests in Pakistan. Lastly, a panel discussion was held around the key takeaways of the conference, in which it was unanimously put forward that the rising burden of the inherited disorders can be decreased via premarital genetic testing and counseling in healthcare system in Pakistan through technological interventions. In his special address, chief guest STZA Chairman Amer Hashmi shed light on the work done by federal govt. through technology zones and specifically advised the VC Dr Khan to get HSA registered as first Med-Tech Zone in Pakistan on private-public partnership model through processing of its licensing by STZA. DMC, the collaborating partner BGI Health (HK) Co. Ltd’s Director Marketing Mr Han and Ms. Christina, presented the company’s clinical portfolio in the domains of molecular diagnostic solutions, healthcare research, and data based artificial intelligence.

Furthermore, Neusoft Medical Systems, China’s Vice President International Business, Mr. Dan presented the 5-year project for national upgradation of medical diagnostic equipment including artificial intelligence (AI), academic and national service network and semi-knock down manufacturing of hightech devices in Pakistan for local consumption and exports as well. It is worth mentioning that DMC in institutional collaboration with HSA and their Chinese partners, plans to set-up a Genetic Reference Laboratory and Research Center for genetic disorders in Islamabad at premise of HSA. CEO, DMC, Mr. Owais Mir during the conference’s closing remarks thanked HSA, Airdoc, DMC, Neusoft, BGI, and all the participants and dignitaries for taking out the time. He mentioned that this conference will create an enabling environment for all medical technology-based research and innovation in Pakistan and this is only the beginning.

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Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORe

JCSC CHIEf HoLdS TALKS WITH IrANIAN PrESIdENT, dEfENCE CHIEfS RAWALPINDI staff RepoRt

HAIRMAN Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza, who is on an official visit to Islamic Republic of Iran, called on Iranian President Sayyid Ebrahim Raisol-Sadati in Tehran. An ISPR statement, released on Saturday, said that matters of bilateral strategic interest and regional security environment including strengthening of bilateral security and defence cooperation between the t o countries were discussed during the meetings. Both sides expressed the desire to initiate meaningful and long-lasting security and defence cooperation between the two countries. The JCSC chairman also had separate meetings with Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Gharaei

KARACHI News Desk

A court on Saturday deferred its decision on the police challan submitted in Nazim Jokhio murder case. Judicial Magistrate Malir’s court will take decision to approve or reject the police challan in Nazim Jokhio

In October last year, the family of Nazim Jokhio said that PPP MPA Jam Awais Gohram Jokhio and his men had allegedly tortured Nazim Jokhio to death as he tried to stop his foreign guests from hunting houbara bustards in the Memon Goth area of Karachi. Police registered a murder case against PPP MPA Awais, his brother MNA Jam Kareem and others. They detained Awais but Jam Kareem left the country and flew to Dubai, only to return later to cast his vote in no-trust motion against Imran Khan.

4-day visit ends: US assistant secretary discusses Pak-US partnership ISLAMABAD News Desk

Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd D. Robinson is in Pakistan to discuss the US-Pakistani partnership and highlight the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations. US Assistant Secretary Robinson during his four-day visit started from June 29 to July 2, met with senior government officials to discuss US-Pakistan cooperation on several topics, including counternarcotics, gender issues, transnational crime, and border security, said a news release issued here on Saturday. Robinson also took part in celebrating the 75 years of US-Pakistan relations and INL’s 40-year partnership with Pakistan under the theme “justice, security, and prosperity.” The US embassy in Pakistan said, on June 30, the Assistant Secretary participated in the groundbreaking of the Anti-Narcotics Force Academy (ANF) construction and training project, valued at $2.2 million (Rs451.7 million), hosted by implementing partner United Nations Development Program

(UNDP). Ministry of Narcotics Control Minister Shahzain Bugti and ANF Director General Ghulam Shabbir Narejo also attended. “On behalf of the US Government, I thank UNDP and ANF for their efforts and partnership with INL on our common objectives of combating drugs transiting through Pakistan and promoting the recruitment, retention, advancement, and gender mainstreaming of women police in Pakistan,” said Robinson. Assistant Secretary also attended a ceremony to celebrate the delivery of $1.44 million (Rs295.7 million) of commodities to the Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a KPK provincial agency that has a drug interdiction mandate. In his remarks, Robinson stated, “The fight against drugs and illicit contraband is a priority for Pakistan, the United States, and the international community, and I recognize that Pakistan faces special challenges because of its neighborhood. But when we work together, we achieve great things.” On July 1, the Assistant Secretary joined Inspector General of Frontier Corps Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa North Major General Adil Yamin, Inspector General of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa South Major General Muhammad Munir Afsar, and senior Frontier Corps leadership for an inauguration and agreement signing ceremony for two joint projects worth approximately $10.5 million (RS2.1 billion). The inauguration celebrated the completion of 45 new structures at FC KP North’s Warsak Training Center, including accommodation barracks for 500 men and 128 women, classrooms, and facilities for physical training. Officials also signed an agreement for the construction of women’s facilities at eight existing FC KP South regional headquarters. US Government-funded project will provide barracks, dining halls, kitchens, and other facilities that will support the stationing of up to 128 women Frontier Corps members at each location. Regarding the women’s facilities, Robinson said, “The United States is pleased to partner with Pakistan to enhance opportunities for women to access justice and to participate in the administration of justice.”

Airlines fares increase as govt imposes super tax KARACHI staff RepoRt

The airline fares have jacked up for passengers travelling abroad following the imposition of a 10pc direct tax in the form of a ‘super tax’ by the incumbent coalition government. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif imposed a super-tax of 10 percent on large-scale manufacturers and industries in the country in order to address the economic woes of the country. The prime minister, while announcing the tough decisions in the wake of the ongoing economic situation, said that industries related to steel, cement, sugar, oil and gas, fertilizers, energy and terminal, and textile will face a 10 percent tax. According to a notification,

the government has increased international airfares for passengers travelling via first class and business class. “The Federal Excise Duty (FDA) RG tax has been increased from Rs10,000 to 50,000 on all

first and business tickets for travel with effect from July 1, 2022,” the notification stated. The Federal Board of Revenue(FBR) has stated that Federal Excise Duty is chargeable on Club, Business and

Eidul Azha: Pakistan railways to run three special trains LAHORE Pakistan Railways has announced to run three special trains on the occasion of Eidul Azha. According to Pakistan railways, three special trains will be operated on multiple routes before Eidul Azha. The spokesperson for Pakistan Railway informed that the first special train would run at 10am on July 8. It would travel from Quetta to Peshawar via Multan, Sahiwal and Lahore. The second special train would run at 6:45pm on July 8 and would travel from Karachi to Lahore via Multan and Faisalabad, he added. The third Eid special train would run at 11:30am on July 13 and would travel from Faisalabad to Karachi via Multan, the spokesperson added. It is to be recalled that on Eidul Fitr last, Pakistan Railways had run five special trains to facilitate passengers returning to their hometown to celebrate Eid in different parts of the country. According to PR, two Eid special trains were run from Karachi to Peshawar and Lahore on April 29 and 30.

Nazim Jokhio case: Court puts oﬀ verdict on police challan till 7th names of the PPP lawmakers and others from the police challan was not taken by the ATC. The counsel representing the suspects had argued before the court that anti-terrorism clauses do not apply to the case, the stance was also seconded by the prosecution, plaintiff, widow of the victim, and investigation officer. The ATC court after the consensus from all sides directed the investigation officer to file challan in the case before the session court. PPP MNA Jam Kareem, MPA Jam Awais Jokhio and others were nominated in the case.

staff RepoRt

Ashtiani, Defence Minister, Maj-Gen Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of General Staff, Major General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of Iranian Navy and Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, Commander of Air Force, Iran. The dignitaries discussed measures to enhance the level and scope of military engagements between the two brotherly countries and pledged to continue to forge deeper ties. Both sides highlighted that common borders should be “Borders of Peace and Friendship”. The Iranian military leadership lauded the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in fight against terrorism. Earlier, upon arrival at General Staff Headquarters a smartly turned-out contingent presented ‘Guard of Honour’ to the Chairman JCSC.

murder case in its hearing on July 7. The police in its challan has recommended excluding the names of Jam Abdul Karim and Jam Awais, two PPP lawmakers, and 11 other suspects from the charge sheet. The police had nominated only three accused in the high profile murder case in Malir area of the port city. On May 23, in a major relief for PPP lawmakers and other suspects in the Nazim Jokhio murder case, the antiterrorism court okayed the transfer of the murder case to session court. However, a decision to exclude

NewS

First class international air tickets under Section 3 of the Federal Excise Act, 2005, said a press release issued. Furthermore, sub-rule(8) of the rule 41A stipulates that FED is chargeable at the time of issuance of air tickets. Thus, the enhanced rate of FED on air tickets under the new finance bill 2022 will be chargeable only on international tickets(Club, Business & First class) issued on and after 1st July, 2022. FBR has further clarified that as federal excise duty is chargeable at the time of issuance of air tickets, therefore, the enhanced rate of federal excise duty at Rs.50,000 (previously Rs.10,000) is not applicable on the Club, Business & First class international air tickets already issued before 1st July, 2022.

Three terrorists killed in NWA Ibo RAWALPINDI News Desk

As many as three terrorists were killed on Saturday in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted on reported presence of terrorists by the Security Forces in general area Ghulam Khan Kalay of North Waziristan District. The terrorists were killed during a fire exchange whereas weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release. The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces, it said.

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Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

Work begins to make Pm’s dream of clean, green Pakistan a reality: marriyum ISLAMABAD

ahmaD ahmaDaNi

ASK Force on Solar Energy on Saturday decided to shift government buildings to solar energy as soon as possible. The task force meeting chaired by its Convener Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reviewed various measures to increase solar energy production in the country. Federal Minister for Information and Broad-

casting Marriyum Aurangzeb and other members of the task force attended the meeting. In a statement, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the government was taking practical steps to facilitate the process of public access to green power under the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. She said that work on solar energy projects has been started to make PM’s dream of a clean and green Pakistan a reality.

She said it has been decided to install solar plants in the areas where electricity was being subsidized. The meeting also considered formulating a policy to save energy and promote green energy, the minister said. She said that relevant authorities have been directed to prepare a feasibility report for shifting government buildings to solar energy. The meeting also considered a plan to provide subsidies and concessional loans to small consumers

Sixth Space Summer School to begin at IST from 25th ISLAMABAD News Desk

The National Center of GIS and Applications (NCGSA) and Space Education Research Lab, a partner lab of NCGSA, will hold sixth Space Summer School for young space enthusiasts from July 25-29 at Institute of Space Technology (IST) to inculcate space knowledge among the students. Space Summer School (SSS) is an annual program designed especially for young generation to educate and encourage them towards the rapidly growing space technology and its applications– through interactive lectures, hands-on activities, workshops, technology demonstrations, webinars, career counseling sessions and an

astronomy night. Since its inception in 2017, SSS has engaged more than 1000 students from around Pakistan, enlightening the participants with latest trends, technologies and research breakthroughs in the space sector and their consequent applications directly contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Targeted towards the students of Grade 5 – 12 in two categories: Abecedarian (Grade 5th-8th) and Virtuoso (Grade 9th-12th), Space Summer School 2022 features a week-long program encapsulating vast spectrum of space knowledge focusing on the regional and global perspective under 6 exploration tracks. The five-day journey of space education begins from Earth and accelerates towards wonders of deep space, covering the tracks of Atmosphere, Aviation, Rocketry, Satellite Technology and Astronomy and Astrophysics.

for switching to solar energy, the federal information minister said. Last year, the capacity to generate electricity from solar was 600 MW and steps were being taken to increase it further, she said. The meeting opined that there was need to promote solar panels to convert public and private buildings to solar energy and attract people towards the solar energy. The minister said that the consumers using solar panels would also

be able to sell additional power to grid stations, which would also help them increase their income. In this regard, she said work on projects of four to five thousand megawatts will start soon. “We will not allow anyone to establish a monopoly in the energy sector but will promote competition”, she said. Installation of solar panels will not only save power consumption in the domestic sector but line losses will also be reduced,

she maintained. The minister said that the task force will formulate its recommendations and present them to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Lahore court grants permanent exemption to PM Shehbaz in Ramzan Sugar Mills case LAHORE staff RepoRt

The Lahore Accountability Court on Saturday issued a written decision to waive the permanent attendance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference. In this regard, the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Sajid Ali Awan ruled in a three-page verdict that Shehbaz Sharif has been appear-

ing in court regularly since 2021. Now he has become the Prime Minister of Pakistan and has to fulfil his constitutional responsibilities. Therefore, the fact is that it is difficult for Shehbaz Sharif to appear in court at every hearing, added the ruling. The written decision further said that there would be no impediment to the trial in his absence. Judge Muhammad Sajid Ali Awan further remarked that in view

of all the facts and circumstances, Shehbaz Sharif’s request for permanent exemption from attendance has been granted. However, Shehbaz Sharif will have to appear in person when the court requires him to do so, he said. Meanwhile, the Lahore Accountability Court has appointed Muhammad Nawaz Advocate to appear in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference as Shehbaz Sharif’s representative.

Pak exports to US set to cross $8b mark: Masood Khan ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan has said that Pakistan’s year-on-year exports to the US have increased by 23% and last year, the total volume of exports, for the first time, crossed $5 billion. During this financial year, exports have already grown to $6.16 billion in the July-May 2021-22 period. The figures of June, which have yet to come, he said, would further enhance the overall volume of total Pakistan’s exports the US. “The United States is an important trading partner and the single largest export destination for Pakistan. The spurt in our exports is a very promising trend”, a press release from Washington on Saturday quoted ambassador Masood Khan as saying. He said Pakistan’s total exports to the US in the sectors of services and IT crossed $2 billion mark. Cumulatively, the total volume of exports should be more than $8 billion, including services and IT. “Pakistan’s tech sector, supported mainly by the United States’ entrepreneurs, has shown extraordinary results. It is poised to continue on its positive trajectory”, he added. In the recent months, the tech startups in Pakistan

CTD nabs 9 members of defunct outfits LAHORE staff RepoRt

The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested nine persons belonging to different defunct organisations. A spokesman for the CTD informed on Saturday that the department conducted 22 intelligencebased operations (IBOs) in different areas, adding that the CTD detained and interrogated 22 suspects during the IBOs. Those arrested include: Muhammad Yaqoob of defunct Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)/ Ghazi Force; Arif Saeed from Lashkar-eJhangvi (LeJ); Abdul Samad from TTP; M Bilal Cheena belonging to Daish; M Muzammil of Daish; M Arif from the TTP; Amir Farooq of Daish and Farooq Ahmad of Daish.

had invested and earned half a billion dollars. The digital enterprises in Pakistan were fast becoming global, ready for exponential growth. “The Pak-US partnership in the tech sector will grow in strength in the years to come”, Masood Khan said. He said, in the last financial year, Pakistan’s imports from the United States stood at $2.4 billion. In the July-May 2021-22 period, these have increased to $2.72 billion. So, imports from the United States increased marginally whereas there had been a huge rise in Pak’s exports. In the recent past, the ambassador said, Pakistan has emphasized closer trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the United States. The remarkable performance of Pakistan’s exports to the US market would reinforce such trends and deepen the engagement between the two countries. Pakistan and the United States held an inter-sessional meeting of trade and investment in March 2022, which was led by Christopher Wilson, Assistant US Trade Representative, from the US side, and Secretary Commerce Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui, from the Pakistani side. Both sides are preparing for a Ministerial meeting under Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) during summer or early fall this year.

Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

corporate corner FBR Uploads Income Tax Return Forms for FY2022 ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has uploaded the Income Tax Return Forms for Tax Year-2022. Separate Income Tax Return Forms for Salaried, Association of Persons (AOPs), Business Individuals, and Companies have been uploaded. The Income Tax Returns can be filed through FBR's Web Portal (Iris System), and Tax Asaan application. FBR has further stated that taxpayers are provided complete guidance about filling all the required particulars in the form. The Income Tax Returns can be filed online also through smart phones by installing the Tax Aasaan application from Google Play Store/App Store. However, to maximize general awareness, a media campaign will soon be launched for taxpayers' facilitation and public awareness. The Salaried/ Business Individuals & AOPs can file their Income Tax Returns by 30th September, 2022 whereas companies can file Income Tax Returns according to their due dates. pR

Ch Shujaat meets Zardari to condole his mother's death LAHORE: Former prime minister and PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Saturday called on former president Asif Ali Zardari to condole the death of PPP cochairman's mother. Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Shafeh Hussain and Tariq Bashir Cheema were also present in the meeting held in Lahore. They all expressed their condolences to PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari on the sad demise of his mother. Moreover, Pakistan Sugar Mill Association President Zaka Ashraf, businessman Malik Riaz, journalist Suhail Warraich and journalist Amir Mir also met with Asif Zardari to express their condolences. PML-N leader Malik Ahmed Khan and APTMA Group Leader Gohar Ejaz along with senior leaders of APTMA also held meetings with the former president to condole his mother's death. newS deSk

Fazl’s close aide Moosa Khan acquitted in assets case PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Saturday acquitted a close aide of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Moosa Khan in the case of an asset. Moosa Khan had been arrested by the anti-corruption watchdog on September 24 last year in connection with the graft cases. Moreover, the bureau had also filed a reference in January against the associate of JUI-F supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman for making illegal appointments. The former DFO Moosa Khan along with three others were acquitted by the accountability court in the assets beyond means case over the failure of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to prove the allegations. The accountability court judge in his short verdict in the reference said the NAB failed to prove charges against Moosa Khan. Moosa Khan is a member of JUI-F’s central council and emir of Paharpur Tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district. The JUI-F leader was facing allegations of possessing illegal assets, as well as making illegal appointments including his son and nephew. Staff RepoRt

PEDO TO ExTEnD POwER gEnERaTIOn TO 224 Mw BY nExT YEaR PESHAWAR

aziz BuneRi

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary Energy Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) is one of the major revenue generating agencies, generating 161 megawatts of ‘cheap’ electricity that would be extended to 224 MW by next year. Addressing a review meeting on ongoing energy projects, Shah claimed that PEDO has generated Rs32 billion

in revenue and its owes Rs40 billion to federal government. New employment opportunities are being created in the province by generating cheap electricity for local industries. Secretary Energy added that additional power generation through net metering is saving millions of rupees in terms of electricity bills. He said 4440 mosques, 8000 schools and 187 basic health units (BHUs) are also being shifted to the solar energy while 13 solar mini-grids are being constructed to promote commercial activities in newly merged districts.

He said, In addition to this, 302 mini micro-hydel stations have been completed in KP’s backward areas where electricity is not yet available. “About 29 megawatts of electricity is being provided to the poor people at the village level,” Shah said in his address. The Secretary Energy informed that 40.8 MW Koto hydropower project in Dir Lower, 11.8 MW Karora power project in Shangla, and 10.2MW Jabori power project Mansehra are in the final stages of completion. While the construction of others projects including 84 MW

CEC reviews security arrangements for by-elections in Punjab LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired a meeting at the Civil Secretariat here on Saturday, to review the arrangements for by-elections, to be held in 20 provincial constituencies of 14 districts of Punjab on July 17, 2022. Members of the Election Commission, Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Home Syed Ali Murtaza, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan, Punjab Rangers’ Additional Director General, secretaries of provincial departments concerned, Lahore commissioner and other senior officers attended the meeting, while commissioners of other respective districts participated through video link. The meeting was told that around 3,141 polling stations would be set up in these constituencies and a total of 175 candidates were contesting the by-elections. CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja said that maintaining law and order situation and providing security to the election staff and voters was a responsibility of the federal and provincial governments and their role in polling process was very important. He added that it was a responsibility of the provincial institutions to ensure peace during the election. He warned that strict action would be taken against those involved in misconduct and irregularities during the election, asserting that violators would be prosecuted under the criminal code and relevant election laws. If any public official violated the code of conduct or acted against the law

on the polling day, action would be taken against them without any discrimination, he warned. He further said that the Election Commission had issued letters to the agencies concerned for deployment of army or rangers personnel outside all sensitive polling stations, especially four constituencies of Lahore and one in Multan. It would also be ensured that all candidates and political parties have equal rights in the election. The CEC said that by-elections had become even more important due to re-election of Punjab chief minister on July 22, adding that the law-enforcement agencies were responsible to maintain law and order. He directed the Punjab chief secretary to make it clear to the provincial government that violation of the code of conduct would not be tolerated under any circumstances, and if anybody violated it, strict action would be taken against him. He said that misconduct might also lead to disqualification from the election, besides initiation of criminal proceedings in that regard. Earlier, Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal briefed the meeting about the preparations for the by-elections and promised that the provincial government would extend all possible support to the Election Commission in that regard. The IGP also briefed the participants about security arrangements and assured that police and the other law-enforcement agencies would perform their duties with utmost honesty and diligence to maintain law and order during the polling process. Rangers and other officials also assured the Election Commission of their complete support to maintain law and order.

KARACHI Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Environment & Climate Change Sherry Rehman agreed to work on various eco-tourism projects. During a meeting held on Saturday at CM house, the two decided to work on de-pollution of Manchhar Lake, development of eco-tourism on Keenjhar Lake and Miani Forest, establishment of fisheries cold chains and development of sustainable Fisheries Management Framework. It was briefed that the federal government has established the ‘National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF)’ to finance the sub-projects that would contribute to enhancing Pakistan’s resilience to climatic and other natural hazards and to strengthen the government’s ability to respond to disasters triggered by natural hazards. The fund was also mandated to support climate related interventions for climate change adaptation and mitigation. It has already committed an amount of US$

Matiltan power project in Swat, 69 MW Lawi power project in Chitral, 6.9 MW Barando power project I Torgarh and 10.5 MW Chapri Charkhel power project in Kurram are also in full swing. He said that work on the World Bank’s financed projects in Swat Gabral in Kalam would also he started soon. He said, “These projects will prove a game changer for overcoming power crisis and stabilizing the economy. PEDO will emerged soon as mini WAPDA in KP owing to fast-track progress on power projects”.

Coordinated efforts, awareness must to control dengue: Kh Salman ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique on Saturday stressed the need for coordinated efforts by the government and public awareness among community to prevent the outbreak of dengue fever. Talking to a private news channel on ‘World Dengue day’, he said the provincial government was making all-out efforts to eliminate dengue and trying its best to provide a safe environment to its citizens, adding, everyone should keep their houses and surroundings clean to avoid spread of dengue virus. He said the federal government was coordinating with provinces regarding technical training and filling resource gaps to control the dengue virus. The minister explained that dengue fever remained a worldwide and regional danger, imposing a significant public health burden on all communities despite the advancement in the field of medical sciences, however, awareness was a key to control the disease. All the stockholders should continue their efforts against dengue, he said and stressed for the need for continuing media awareness on dengue. He urged that the youngsters should play their role in this campaign through the social media as youth were receptive in nature and hold the maximum percentage in population. The minister also appealed the Ulema to impart awareness among people against dengue and assured that the district administration and departments were taking steps on war footing for the success of dengue control campaign.

Saad reviews arrangements for coal transportation from Afghanistan LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday said that stations will be set up at Sibbi, Kundian and Khushal Kot for transportation of coal from Afghanistan. Federal Minister for Railways Kh Saad Rafique was speaking at a high level meeting held here at Railway Headquarters in Lahore. The meeting reviewed various matters related to railway revenue and transportation of coal from Afghanistan. The meeting was attended by the Secretary, CEO and other senior officials. During the meeting, it was decided that stations would be set up at Sibbi, Kundian and Khushal Kot for coal delivery. Kh Saad Rafique directed that availability of wagons for transporting coal should be ensured and track should be repaired at the earliest in this regard. It is important to mention here that the federal government, in view of the rising fuel prices, has decided to import coal from Afghanistan for coal fired power plants. Railway officials have been instructed to implement the decision. Staff RepoRt

Murad, Sherry agree to launch eco-tourism projects Saleem Jadoon

38.78 million nationally for implementing the relevant projects and complimenting the realization of National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) and National Flood Protection Plan (NEPP-IV). Sherry said that the fund was planning to initiate proposal processing for Phase-II by November 2022 with anticipated approval of financing for the same by June 2023. The chief minister said that the NDRMF had approved the project ‘Towards Resilient Marine Ecosystem and Sustainable Blue Economy’ for Rs1.98 billion. The location of the year-long project, (2022-23 & 2023-2024) was the coastal areas of District Thatta, Sujawal, Badin & Karachi. The project consists of two main components: Resilient Marine Ecosystem and Utilization of salinized land. Resilient Marine Ecosystem through Sustainable Management of Fisheries Resource ecosystem includes different components as follows: Establishment of fisheries protected areas through community engagement, establishment of community policing through Fisheries Stewardship Agreements (FSA) in iden-

tified areas, development of Sustainable Fisheries Management Framework (SFMF) for coastal fisheries (all jetties), establishment of fisheries cold chain and development of support facilities on two landing centres. Installation of flake ice machine / chilling unit with cold storage on two landing centres, installation of RO plant for clean water supply along with solar system compatible with RO on two landing centers, expansion of existing floating pontoon on two jetties, establishment & management of field offices (porta cabin), establishment of check posts (porta cabin), installation of chillers / flake ice machines on boats, provision of fish handling equipment to small boats and traders, including iceboxes, fish crates and fish basket. Replacing harmful fishing gears with sustainable gear, sensitization of unsustainable and illegal unreported & unregulated (IUU) fishing. Convert at least 50 fishing trawlers to sustainable fishing boats (gill-netters etc.), monitoring movement of fishing boats through installation of Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) on boats.

The chief minister said that the projects were already approved for the current financial year. He added that he wanted to start work on them at the earliest. The federal minister assured the chief minister that their funds would be released at the earliest so that the projects could be started. He said that the Eco-Tourism Village at Miani Forest Hyderabad was a project worth Rs645 million. He added that the Mini Forest was 13km from Hyderabad city via Hyderabad Bypass. The site had attracted recreational forest area due to its natural beauty and was considered a historical place. Mini Forest was on the national highway which made it easily accessible and connected it with all major cities of the province. The project would have a catchment area comprising not only Hyderabad, but also Karachi and other major regions, he said. Talking about Eco-Tourism Recreational Activities at Manchar Lake, he said that it was a Rs 910 million scheme. “Manchar is the largest shallow freshwater lake in Pakistan and it plays an important role as a natural habitat.”

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Sunday, 3 July, 2022

06 COMMENT

Volunteer work among the Baloch

Within months of PTI government’s fall Improving relations with USA

ONALD Blome, the first full-time ambassador in Pakistan since 2018, was sworn in at a time when relations between the two countries are no more marked by the tensions of the PTI era. PM Shehbaz Sharif told Mr Blome Pakistan seeks deeper ties with the USA. The era of accusing each other is hopefully over, with a period of mutual cooperation taking its place. Pakistan remains relevant to the USA for a number of reasons. It is a country with over 220 million people, and lies in a region which has significant economic and political importance. Being a superpower the USA has strategic interests in the region. While it considers India its principal strategic partner in South Asia, it knows that improved relations with Pakistan will make India realise that the USA is not to be taken for granted. Meanwhile China-Pakistan friendship ensures that Pakistan will remain relevant for the USA. Despite a peculiar geopolitical environment leading the USA and Pakistan to have close ties with each other’s rivals, there are still opportunities for collaborations in non-security spaces. Wherever interests align, there can still be cooperation. Mutual needs are once again promoting goodwill between the two countries. With the USA being Pakistan’s largest export destination, Islamabad is keen to further enhance its exports to the extra-large US market. It might not be a realistic objective for the near future as the annual inflation rate in the USA has accelerated to 8.6 percent in May, the highest since December 1981. As the US economy slows down this year and the next, possibly leading to recession, there is likelihood of Pakistan’s exports declining. The idea is however worth pursuing when the US economy comes out of doldrums. . Pakistan is keen to lure investors. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail welcomed a US delegation which showed interest in investing in different sectors in Pakistan including renewable energy, textile, and agriculture. There are a number of factors that discourage investors from coming to Pakistan that include incidence of terrorism, power-cum-gas outages, shortage of skilled manpower and bureaucratic delays. Pakistan has to work hard to provide a conducive environment for foreign investment. While good relations with the USA must be sought, these must not be at the cost of ties with any other country. Pakistan cannot afford to be a part of bloc politics.

Burhan ahmed Lodhi

ORT Munro, formerly known as Tuman Leghari in Balochi language, is a famous hill station in Koh Sulaiman mountain range near Dera Ghazi Khan district in South Punjab. The local markets in Fort Munro are mainly based on tourism and livestock. The whole land has no medical facility, infrastructure, or educational institutions and people are bound to live in slum houses with extremely rigid landscape and weather conditions. Then the real trouble was faced by women in Fort Munro who were facing male oppression. Being considered as a household item they are forced to spend their entire lives in four walls. No woman in that area is allowed to go to the market or talk to anyone else outside the family. Beating women and forced marriages with young girls is common. Afterwards, due to no education and outside experiences, this tradition has been common for centuries and if nothing is done to impose change, it will remain common centuries after. Our team of Youth Front NGO we went to the local territories among the Balochi people with the motive to spread awareness of education and women’s liberty. Some professional NGO members also brought the medicines and other daily use equipment to help the needy ones. I am thankful to our team members who had given me the chance to write about our experience in Fort Munro. The first interaction did not go well as the locals didn’t even allow us to enter their homes and meet with their families. however, they offer us to come to their local gathering where there would be only males and heads of families. After a deep conversation, it was very disappointing to know that elders who have family control don’t even want to go for

Fragile egos

O much for subtlety. The very next day after noted columnist Ayaz Amir made an fiery speech at a local event in Islamabad, in which he targeted the establishment, he was attacked by unidentified assailants when he was coming out from the office of a private television channel. The columnist-politician’s speech hadn’t even yet eased out of the news cycle by the time he was attacked. The online social commentariat put two and two together. Some defenders of the concerned quarters said that there isn’t any proof to the effect. As if there ever is. But this time, they alleged that the Chakwal politician also made fun of former prime minister Imran Khan in the same speech, with the latter in attendance. They alleged that the culprits could, in fact, be some of the famously spirited supporters of the PTI. An unlikely explanation, but still one that is being peddled by some. The former legislator, in his speech, made some very good points regarding a number of key issues, including the role of institutions, a ceding of space by the civil government to unelected institutions and, also the issue of extensions in the tenure of key positions. We have reached a point in time where these views are not controversial anymore, across the political divide. Between the League’s GT Road districts and the PTI’s educated urban middleclass, the establishment’s core constituencies actually do believe in what the man said. It was one of those rare instances where the supporters of the PTI seemed to enjoy what was essentially a dressing down of their leader. The concerned quarters really should read the room, as it were. They’re going to require a whole lot of manpower now, if they wish to rough up everyone who will espouse these talking points. But that isn’t a principled stance. The principle of the matter, of course, is that no one should be attacked for their political views, even if they aren’t popular views.

Shaza arif

he last two years have transformed the traditional concept of a workplace and working hours. The contagious nature of the COVID19 pandemic forced nearly all organizations around the world to initiate Work from home (WFh) or operate in a hybrid mode. While this approach unleashed new opportunities and offered diverse benefits, it also stirred the conversation regarding a four-day workweek. The concept is not novel, yet it gained renewed traction following the pandemic. The idea is simple: employees work four days a week with the same workload and same pay. The number of working hours is subject to variation. There are some organisations that want the employees to work for longer hours to compensate for the extra off day. Other organisations allow their employees to reduce the required weekly hours while the workload remains the same. The acceptance of this approach is gradually growing worldwide, given that it offers diverse benefits. To begin with, it provides an opportunity to do more focused work in less time. On the financial side, reducing the number of working days can cut an employer’s overhead costs as well as the employee’s transport costs and saves commute time. Simultaneously, it has the potential to create a positive impact on employee productivity, job satisfaction, and personal life. Moreover, technological advancement with

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Lastly, after spending three days with the locals, we wrote a letter to the government officials (can’t name them here) that included our all research and concluding remarks of the project.

It will help solve the fuel and power crises

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

M. A. Niazi

these feelings will result in nihilism which foreighn powers will take as an advantage to encourage them to step into terrorist groups. And we all know that this is so common in inner Balochistan, where people, after facing severe famine, started taking life as meaningless and went on to sucide attacks just for the sake of punishing those they think are the cause of their circumstances. Our team tries its best to change their wrong mindset that had been developed due to unplanned and immature governmental steps. Instead of promoting the area, but these namely school and medical camps had pushed the people even more away from modernism or urbanization. Afterwards, three days of good gathering with the locals, the few elders allowed only our female team members to meet their family and womens. Their scenario is the same as discussed above. They are just restricted to the four walls under the male oppression. Our team tries to teach them the importance of women in society from the social and as well as religious perspective which I guess little bit affected them but, as a fact, the hundred and thousand years of chauvinism cannot be replaced in just a few days. Lastly, after spending three days with the locals, we wrote a letter to the government officials (can’t name them here) that included our all research and concluding remarks of the project. We let them know the current scenarios and negligence from the government side which are greatly affecting the local lives and for which they should be ashamed. Professional NGO members appealed to the government for reopening the school with better planning and initiatives. It was one of many amazing tours with the NGO. Before communicating with the locals, we were thinking that they themselves don’t want to step in the urbanization but after a deep conversation we got to know that they were being distrubed or misguided by unplanned governmental steps and that was very much shocking. Realities are bitter to taste. hopeful for government consideration of Fort Munro and as such many tribal areas of Balochistan and Punjab.

The writer can be burhanahmedlodhi1@gmail.com

reached

The case for a four-day work week

Let them say their piece

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

better opportunities. however, it seems that youngsters there have some worst past experiences. They didn’t share many things but the first day ended with great hospitality and respect from the locals. Afterwards, along with team members and nurses, we established our medical camps especially for polio vaccines and medicines. Our medical members gave free medical check-ups for common dayto-day infections. Locals did not show any kind of hesitation as they are familiar enough with such camps because many NGOs are working to uplift those hilly tribal areas. however, these medical camps and distribution of daily use items are temporary help. Our main motive was to encourage locals to follow the education stream for a better future. On the second day, we met them again to motivate their minds for education. The locals treated us even better than the day before. Surprisingly, we got to know that previously, a school from the government had been opened in that area to which some locals dared to send their children. But they argued that it was just a waste of time as there was no capable teacher and, as a result, children were learning the wrong norms. Afterwards, practically that school shut down which in newspapers and social media was shown as active and working. hence, instead of helping the locals prosper it did great damage to their constructive approach toward education. Similarly, the medical camp had been opened by the government which is still there and we ourselves are the witness of its poor and worse conditions. There was no electricity, water supply etc. and medicines were of cheap low quality. We had an interview there with a father whose son was lying on the bed with a broken leg. he said, “My son’s leg was broken while he was grazing our livestock. Two days had passed, there was no effective treatment, and we are waiting for the seniot doctor to come for an inspection. Since, he was given some painkillers and temporary treatment by the wardboys. he is in severe pain but we can do nothing but just to wait for the doctor to come and look after him.” In respect to these scenarios, the hate had been developed in the locals for the government and for their country as well. They are bitterly surrounded with narcissism. I assumed that if nothing is done,

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

greater availability and accessibility to digital tools has made it convenient to switch to a four-day workweek without any disruption to work. Such advantages have encouraged several organisations to try out this model. Successive experiments in Iceland have proved quite successful. The results revealed that productivity remained the same or improved in the majority of the workplaces and increased employee job satisfaction. In the United Kingdom, 60 companies, with approximately 3000 employees, have also commenced a six-month trial in June. Similarly, Ireland, Spain and Scotland are also experimenting with similar work models. Interest in a four-day workweek is also visible in the Western hemisphere. Thirty-eight companies in the USA and Canada have also opted to practice a four-day workweek for the next six months. There are approximately 31 companies which have already switched to a four-day workweek in the USA. In all likelihood, larger conglomerates will opt for this path paving way for smaller organisations to follow suit. As far as output is concerned, Microsoft Japan’s experiment with a four-day workweek was an interesting case which noted that the results marked a 40 percent spike in productivity. The experiment revealed that increased flexibility stirred a positive impact on overall employee performance. This has been followed by similar trends in various organisations throughout Japan. Likewise, Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand-based company, found the results of its trial so encouraging that it formally declared a fourday week as its modus operandi. These changes manifest that more focused work in less time is possible while observing an additional day off. It can lead to better work-life balance and improved mental health. This approach is not limited to the organisational level only. It can also be implemented at the state level. In early 2022, citizens of Belgium were allowed a four-day workweek. The decision was made to improve the quality of life and the pandemic was a major motivating factor for such action. Likewise, the emirate of Sharjah has also officially implemented a four-day workweek in the public sector. Confronted with environmental, financial, and energy-related problems, a four-day workweek can function as a viable remedy for countries around the world. This becomes even more relevant vis-à-vis de-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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veloping countries such as Pakistan. Reduced working days is a pragmatic measure to encounter several challenges being faced by the country. The energy sector is undergoing a major crisis and is unable to meet the required demand, with a shortfall of 7000 MW. Moreover, intense temperatures have led to more power consumption. With a surge in demand, power breakdowns are likely to soar and be more severe in the future. Shifting to a four-day workweek has the potential to shrink the energy expenses by 20 percent. Resultantly, closure of offices/businesses throughout the country for an additional four to five days a month can provide some relief to the energy sector. The case for a four-day workweek is further strengthened by the fact that the ongoing geopolitical tensions have led to a global rise in oil prices. In Pakistan, there has been a notable increase in oil prices, making it even more important and necessary to decrease its use. A four-day workweek can reduce fuel consumption vis-à-vis commute, as well as provide economic relief to the citizens. It will also save diesel from firing up generators during prolonged power breakdowns. It is pertinent to mention that these measures are also environment-friendly and will be beneficial with respect to climate change. Obviously, the concept of a four-day workweek is more suitable for some institutions and not all, considering the nature of the respective job. For example this approach may not suit hospitals, district administrations, courts and manufacturing industries. Similarly, it might suit some employees over others and may take some time to show positive outcomes. Most importantly, it will require a renewed approach regarding our work practices. however, the experiment is worth a try given its potential advantages. hence, the Government of Pakistan should encourage the move towards a four-day workweek for the public sector and private organisations which can avail such an option. Modern 21st-century problems require new and innovative solutions. It is high time that we review traditional ways of how workplaces are run and explore new measures to reap maximum benefits without compromising on productivity. Moving towards a four-day workweek has the potential to prove beneficial for citizens and the state. Shaza Arif is a Researcher at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad, Pakistan. She can be reached at cass.thinkers@gmail.com

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06-07 Comments - 3rd July 2022_Layout 1 7/3/2022 12:06 AM Page 2

Sunday, 3 July, 2022

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Water pollution WATeR pollution is one of the major threats to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored. Pakistan ranks at number 80 amongst 122 countries concerning consuming water pleasant. Drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater are infected with coliforms, toxic metals and insecticides for the duration of the country. Various ingesting water quality parameters set through WhO are regularly violated. human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate packages of agrochemicals in agriculture are the primary elements contributing to the deterioration of water fines. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the primary elements accountable solely or in combination for various public health problems. M ZAFAR GHOUS RAHIM YAR KHAN

Rape culture

A mismatch of political goals between political leaders and the masses naqi akBar

he Pakistan political scene has been familiar with chief executives of the government, the Prime Ministers, being shown the door unceremoniously; until the smokescreen erodes to show the real powers behind. The coups of 1958, 1999 and the hybrid test tube of 2018 were all preceded by decades when people falsely felt that Pakistan is finally on the track of civilian supremacy. As discussed before with the reference of the other nation states with similar variables, especially Turkey, if the economic dividends have been forthcoming, the common person’s belief in the system remains intact. Turkey’s experiments with complete military domination; quasi-arrangement with compliant politicians and now complete domination of an Islamist party; have been punctuated with manageable economic goals. It has been only the period, when Turget Ozal and Tansu Ciller were the prime ministers, when the economy came under an IMF programme. At that time, Turkey was referred to as a test case of economic reform towards the recovery. Now where Turkey stands is the fact of history. Turkey’s Islamist experience has in fact succeeded on the back not only economic recovery; but also nof impressive growth rates between 2002-2017. Comparing that situation with Pakistan, it has been a different or a dismal story to begin with. Pakistan’s ills started after the end of the fruitless war of 1965; which frustrated its sustained takeoff to economic growth. The 1971 civil war and its military and political fallout left Pakistan with few “disaster recovery” options. The 1970s, instead of witnessing the return towards political sanity; witnessed even more turmoil; with a military dispensation forwarding its own cooked-up agenda for change in 1977. The economic side was initially taken care of by the workers’ remittances from the Gulf States, where there was an era of construction and infrastructural development after their disengagement from colonial powers. There were many opportunities for unskilled and skilled workers to find and earn. In turn these workers sent back their hard earned remittances; firstly to lift their respective households’ living standards and secondly to buck up the country’s foreign exchange. Zia’s survival on the economic question was precisely influenced by that factor. Later the Afghan war helped the government sustain itself. however, a deeper look into the system reveals that it was the time when the internal fiscal contradictions started to put invisible pressure on the resource mobilization of the state machinery. Data processing on the basis of budget figures and economic surveys throughout the 1980s reveals that the deficit was recorded in the range of five to seven percent. here it may be pointed out that when resources are less than expenditures, that situation is called budgetary deficit. The IMF dictates for the post-1988 civilian governments was to keep the deficit at the magical percentage of not more than four percent of the GDP. During the closing years of the Afghan war and Zia government, that deficit was already touching the seven percent mark. It was not just

a coincidence that economist/ central banker V.A Jafri, satirically called Value Added Jafri by the business community, was recommended to 1988 PPP Government led by late BB to have him on board, by the Americans and the powers that be. The period between 1988 to 1999 when the two political parties, the PML(N) and the PPP took turns in Islamabad, the economic questions remained more or less the same. These parties’ willingness to implement IMF-based reforms were the final key to their acceptance or rejection as the civilian face of the system. The events of October 1999, did not free the successor regime to shy away from the IMF. The pressure for reform on that government remained in one way or another. The 9/11-based Paris Club breathing space did allow a façade of economic development or at least consumerism in Pakistan; allowing the middle income group to bask for a while. however deep down the contradictions remained the same. Many readers can recall that when the PPP again reached the corridors of power in 2008; its rule was followed by rapid withdrawal of POL subsidy, pushing the perlitre price of petrol from Rs 60 or so to more than Rs 100 at that time. That subsidy started during the 9/11 days after the Paris Club arrangement was stretched too long until 2007. Automatically it was left to the PPP government to earn an unpopular backlash in 2008. how much economic growth happened, during the succeeding political government of the PML(N) and then the quasi-arrangement under the banner of the PTI, is recent history. All these political periods and the constant interference in the decision-making by the real powers left Pakistan literally at war with all its neighbours. Trade-based economic growth was the first casualty followed by widening current account deficit (CAD). In fact it was observed that a stalled economy experiencing stagflation and consequently importing less, was hailed as an economy whose CAD was under control. To put the discussion on the intended track; during all these five decades; Pakistan continued to slide deep into the economic quagmire. A quagmire, which was influenced by the apparent and invisible political factors and mechanics at work. While the rich and the resourceful thought it opportune to move towards greener pastures around the globe; the middle income groups too tried to invest in education so that their next generations are able to optimize their skills. For the

majority lower middle class and the poor, it has been the only viable option to stay in Pakistan and correct it. Despite many political parties claims to be able to attract “families” into their political rallies; it has been the lower middle and the poor having faith in political struggle and its economic result; who swell the political marches and opposition rallies with their presence. Today; in face of a “super stagflation” scenario; that vanguard is more than willing to radically change the system. We see these expressions in social media where the sections of society whose sanctity was earlier untouched are being taken to task at least in words. What are these indications? Indications of change; where regretfully the political parties inclusive of the just booted-out PTI are still thinking in terms of seats and electoral politics; leaving much of the state structure on old lines; with no real need for reform; especially a meaningful one. Despite the main opposition party’s bid to match the aspirations of the disgruntled average person, the communication mechanism as witnessed strongly suggests that electoral victory is all the opposition wants. Such aspirations have been the part of electoral politics since 1988, when the PPP led by the late Benazir Bhutto disowned many of its radical goals and preferred to settle with the established order. however, this time there is a big mismatch to point out. The common person exhausted by the pressing economic hardship caused by the Stagflation-plus Scenario might not be in the frame of mind to settle for a few proverbial peanuts offered by the real rulers. Pakistan’s 75 years of existence and an unimpressive show of leadership has landed the country and economy in a crisis. The external factors notwithstanding; a complete new social contract within the limits is necessary for correction; a correction, which can deliver as desired. The political parties, especially the opposition, need to go beyond the “family gala”-based “inflation week”. Rather it needs to reach out to masses in a more aggressive way. The same is true of the two other parties; if they wish to be politically alive and not be shrunken to a dead horse. Consequently; it remains upon the minds of the political groups; how much they are able to read the public pulse and redo their roadmaps accordingly.

The political parties, especially the opposition, need to go beyond the “family gala”-based “inflation week”. Rather it needs to reach out to masses in a more aggressive way. The same is true of the two other parties; if they wish to be politically alive and not be shrunken to a dead horse. Consequently; it remains upon the minds of the political groups; how much they are able to read the public pulse and redo their roadmaps accordingly

The writer is a freelance columnist

We all can see the heart-wrenching condition of our society due to increasing higher number of sexually assaulted cases of children who is under 9 to 13 years old. Being a Muslim it’s the worst ever the condition of our society. Not only this after they sex with” little flowers” they brutally killed them. here are the following reasons why society is covered with this rape culture. Rape culture is a sociological concept for a setting in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. Behaviors commonly associated with rape culture include victim blaming, slut-shaming, sexual objectification, trivializing rape, denial of widespread rape, refusing to acknowledge the harm caused by sexual violence, or some combination of these. It has been used to describe and explain behavior within social groups, including prison rape and in conflict areas where war rape is used as psychological warfare. entire societies have been alleged to be rape cultures.The notion of rape culture was developed by second-wave feminists, primarily in the United States, beginning in the 1970s. Critics of the concept dispute the existence or extent of rape culture, arguing that the concept is too narrow or that, although there are cultures where rape is pervasive, the idea of a rape culture can imply that the rapist is not at fault but rather the society that enables rape. There have been many movements that been made in order to address rape culture, such as SlutWalk and Me Too. These movements have helped share people’s stories through the use of hashtags which are embodied and connected to rape. SHAHZAIB SHAIKH KARACHI

A different plague PeDOPheLIA is a mental disorder which is characterized by intense urges, sexual fantasies and sexual behavior towards children age 13 years or younger. Pedophelics are strongly attracted towards younger boys or girls in order to fulfill their intense sexual needs. It seems to be a source of distress for them, which appears to be a new wave that has struck the entire Pakistani society. A society which fought for its freedom in order to have a islamic ordinance, has miserably failed to protect the rights of innocent children. This has been the most taboo subject in our society exclusively in backward areas of Pakistan where this type of molestation takes place in the form of their societal norms where a 50 years old man’s getting married to a 13 years old seems to be their societal standards. This is when we accept the molestation by normalising their societal standards and muffle the voice of an innocent and do not bring them to justice. And when the same aged children get raped by an older man then we remember our responsibilities of bringing them to justice, but unfortunately we fail to do so as well . how many of these pedophilers are still out there and government has been failed to capture them and bring those innocent souls to justice, in addition to that those who are in jails criminals like sohail ayyaz, who was involve in child pronography in order to release his distress and feel pleasure abused 30+ children, should faced with severe punishment including castration, life imprisonment, and the death penalty (publicly) or else sex offenders keep molesting children and case numbers will continue to climbing. ISHRAq ASHRAF ISlAMABAd

Austerity The exponential surge in essential commodities and fuel prices, mainly driven by the global economic meltdown, is predicted to stay here for at least a few months. The public outcry and protests against the fuel prices hike, calling for the reversal of the decision, are understandable; however, they have negligible chances of forcing the government to reconsider its decision, given its compulsions to appease the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to secure loans. The dire economic situation calls for taking drastic austerity measures at an individual level to survive the severe economic shocks. First, people commuting to offices on their private vehicles can opt for carpooling or take public transport that, in addition to taking thousands of cars off the road, thus reducing hefty oil import bills owing to less fuel demand, provide an economical alternative. Second, it is generally observed that electrical appliances, like air conditioners (ACs), lights etc., remain switched on unnecessarily while leaving a room or an office, which costs a significant amount in an electricity bill, especially after the recent hike in electricity tariffs. Thus, it is required to develop a habit of switching off the appliances when they are not needed and minimize usage by limiting consumption to a bare minimum required in these challenging times. Third, buying essential commodities eats away a significant chunk of a household budget; its impact, especially in these testing times, can be partially offset by growing vegetables at home, which will provide a cushion to spend the amount saved in this way on other essentials. hard times often call for adapting to painful realities, which is necessary to survive in challenging times. The alteration in our individual choices and living standards, as described above, can keep us afloat in the current crushing economic situation. ASAd AZIZ KHUSHAB

08 WORLD VIEW 3rd July 22_Layout 1 7/2/2022 10:46 PM Page 1

Sunday, 3 July, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

AbOlish ThE CiA VIOLENT, CRIMINAL, SECRETIVE, LAWLESS, IT IS AN AGGLOMERATION OF MURDERERS AND TORTURERS WHO RAMPAGE ACROSS THE GLOBE WITH IMPUNITY. FORMER CIA DIRECTOR MIKE POMPEO BOASTED OF THE AGENCY THAT “WE LIED, WE CHEATED, WE STOLE”

CounTeRPunCh eVe otteNBeRG

UST about every lousy U.S. foreign policy escapade from the 1950s to the late ‘70s traces back to the CIA. From the catastrophic1953 coup of Iranian president Mohammad Mossadegh, the 1954 regime change of Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz for daring to step on United Fruit’s toes, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the many, some of them quite ridiculous, attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, South Vietnamese leader Ngo Dinh Diem’s demise, a possible right-wing Cuban link to the JFK assassination, the murder of Chilean general Rene Schneider and the overthrow of Chilean president Salvador Allende, the Watergate break-in and much, much more – the CIA’s fingerprints were all over these crimes. It got so bad that two high-level, echt-centrist government officials called for scrapping the CIA: senator Patrick Moynihan in 1995 and president harry Truman in 1963. They were right. A new book proves it. Jefferson Morley’s Scorpion’s Dance, the President, the Spymaster and Watergate, details decades of CIA funny-business, and there was loads of it. Indeed, if you ever wonder how the world got to be such a mess and who’s responsible, read this book. And there’s no reason to believe the nonsense has stopped or that somehow, despite the Taliban, the CIA is just quietly minding its own business and watering its poppy fields in Afghanistan. No. The CIA trained terrorists throughout the greater Middle east and Nazis in Ukraine. They’re still at it, though their adventures on Russia’s border make for by far the most deadly possible disaster in a history riddled with them, for the simple reason that the Russia caper could go nuclear at any time. From the way they’ve behaved, it’s almost as if that’s what the CIA wants. If Biden can control the agency and avert nuclear winter and radioactive global mass death, I’ll be very impressed. Morley’s book focuses on the relationship between president Richard Nixon and CIA director Richard helms. Their somewhat uncomfortable, edgy teamwork led to debacles domestic and foreign. With Nixon’s approval, helms illegally spied on the antiwar movement. Meanwhile the CIA-assisted the murder of General Schneider – because he supported a civilian transfer of power and

would not undo Allende’s legitimate presidency, something which profoundly affronted the testy pride of Nixon and his advisor henry Kissinger – encouraged fascist killers to go after Allende himself. It signaled that the U.S. not only would not stop their excesses, but also supported them. And Chile did not even threaten any vital American interest. It was of international insignificance to Washington. But Morley observes: “Chile mattered as Cold War theater.” And the U.S. stole the show. The anti-Allende coup provided a stellar performance of how Nixon and helms deployed the CIA to the ruin of freedom, fairness, democracy and decency. It ushered in decades of overt fascism under Pinochet. But U.S. elites considered this worth it. Managing the public perception that Washington was winning the cold war remained paramount, and the gaudier the exhibition, the better. This was and remains typical. Washington believes it must be seen as winning and its enemies as utterly depraved. “There is no disputing that the idea of staging a spectacular crime,” Morley writes, “and blaming it on Cuba as a way of overthrowing Castro was in circulation at the highest levels of the Pentagon and CIA in mid-1963.” Sound familiar? Substitute Russia for Cuba and Putin for Castro and you’ll see little has changed in 50 years. The CIA owns a very skimpy playbook, peppered almost exclusively with failed strategies, but this failure never seems to stop the agency from repeating the same idiocy, hoping for a different result – einstein’s definition of insanity. And by that rule, helms was one of the craziest of all. “helms, like Nixon, favored action. Communism, they believed, had to be resisted everywhere.” even with the manifest fiasco of Vietnam, helms and Nixon still doubled-down on the strategy. Now, communism in the twenty-first century may be in retreat, but the fanatical, paranoid sense of a threat to America saturates Washington’s upper echelons. That combined with other governmental maladies is toxic. “One of the chief legacies of Nixon and helms was cynicism,” Morley writes, and later of the American people: “In the absence of a credible explanation of Kennedy’s death, mistrust of government exploded and conspiratorial thinking was legitimized.” And who’s to say it wasn’t legitimate? The CIA, the mafia, the antiCastro Cubans all hated Kennedy, and their skullduggery all intertwined. Indeed, Robert Kennedy assumed some such lethal combo killed his brother, but Morley notes, he could not act on it until he became president. he very

conveniently didn’t. And the JFK assassination was swept under the rug. As Morley writes of French president Charles De Gaulle: “Not long after Dallas, he predicted that American officialdom would shy from investigating the enigmatic crime of Dallas. ‘They don’t want to know,’ De Gaulle said. ‘They don’t want to find out. They won’t allow themselves to find out.’” The late 1970s Frank Church congressional committee investigation of CIA and FBI abuses marked the zenith of government efforts to drag these shadowy criminal enterprises into the light. It’s been steeply downhill and a plunge into darkness ever since. After 9/11 came the insane war on terror, when things got much worse. With carte blanche from the George “Mission Accomplished” Bush administration, the CIA tortured innocent people at black sites all over the world. These pointless and gruesome atrocities were never prosecuted. In fact, Barak “I’m Good at Killing People,” Obama deliberately swept them under the rug and matters only deteriorated during his reign. But they plummeted to rock bottom under Joe “Russian Regime Change” Biden: Thanks to CIA and U.S. special forces in Ukraine, humanity gets to peer over the abyss at nuclear annihilation. According to the New York Times June 25, “some CIA personnel have continued to operate in [Ukraine] secretly, mostly in the capital, Kyiv, directing much of the vast amounts of intelligence the United States is sharing with Ukrainian forces.” Because the Russians, of course, know this, it is a recipe for nuclear Armageddon. If the CIA pulls that off, that will be its worst atrocity yet, far, incomparably worse than its possible involvement in Kennedy’s assassination. Biden proclaims he wants to avoid World War III, but his actions tell a different story. This is something for which he will pay at the polls in 2022 and 2024, but that is cold comfort. We could all be dead by then on account of his nuclear brinksmanship. “As usual it appears that the administration wants to have it both ways: assure the American people that it is being ‘restrained’ and that we are not ‘at war’ with the Russians, but doing everything but planting a U.S. soldier and flag inside Ukraine,” wrote Kelley Vlahos in the June 27 Responsible Statecraft. The Quincy Institute’s “George Beebe…wonders if Washington even knows how far it is going here.” It probably doesn’t and thus plays an iniquitously cavalier game with the fate of humanity. Who’s rolling the dice in that game? The

CIA of course, just the sort of amoral gang dedicated to its own perpetuation regardless of cost that you don’t want anywhere near the borders of a nuclear-armed nation. This is the agency helms bequeathed us: Violent, criminal, secretive, lawless, it is an agglomeration of murderers and torturers who rampage across the globe with impunity. Former CIA director Mike Pompeo boasted of the agency that “We lied, we cheated, we stole.” Those, unfortunately, are merely the agency’s misdemeanors. It’s the felonies that should worry you. The CIA not only collaborates with Nazis, it trains them. And it does so right under the nose of a country deeply, tectonically offended by Nazism and, it happens, armed with more nuclear warheads than the U.S. So currently, the CIA flirts with the ultimate genocide, the extinction of the human species. It is an instrument of evil incarnate. Dissolve it. Eve Ottenberg is a novelist and journalist. Her latest book is Hope Deferred.

NATO has completed its post-Cold War transformation from Europe’s guard dog into America’s attack dog AT THE MADRID SUMMIT, NATO RADICALLY REDEFINED ITS MISSION TO REFLECT A NEW MANTRA WHICH COULD BE ENCAPSULATED AS “KEEP THE RUSSIANS DOWN, THE AMERICANS IN, AND THE CHINESE OUT”

Scott RitteR

he North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, has just wrapped up its annual summit in Madrid, Spain. The one-time trans-Atlantic defensive alliance has, over the past three decades, transformed itself from the guardian of Western europe into global cop, seeking to project militarily a so-called values- and rules-based posture. NATO’s first Secretary General, Lord Ismay, famously noted that the mission of the bloc was “to keep the Russians out, the Germans down, and the Americans in.” In short, NATO served as a wall against the physical expansion of the Soviet Union from the perch it had established in eastern europe at the end of the Second World War. Likewise, the creation of NATO prevented a treaty from being concluded between Germany and the Soviet Union that would enable the reunification of Germany. And lastly, the existence of NATO mandated that the US retain a significant full-time military presence in europe, helping break America’s traditional tendency toward isolationism. At the Madrid Summit, NATO radically redefined its mission to reflect a new mantra which could be encapsu-

lated as “keep the Russians down, the Americans in, and the Chinese out.” It is an aggressive–even hostile–posture, premised on sustaining Western (i.e., American) supremacy. This mission is to be accomplished through the defense and promulgation of a so-called “rules-based international order” which exists only in the minds of its creators, which in this case is the United States and its allies in europe. It also represents a radical break from past practice which sought to keep NATO defined by the four corners of its trans-Atlantic birthright by seeking to expand its security umbrella into the Pacific. The guard dog had, it seems, been re-trained as an attack dog. When an organization undergoes such a radical transformation in terms of its core mission and purpose, logic dictates that there exists a reason (or reasons) sufficient to justify the consequences attached to the action. There appear to be three such reasons. First and foremost is the fact that Russia refuses to accept NATO demands that it exists as a junior “partner” whose sovereignty must be subordinated to the collective will of post-Cold War europe. Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, has made it clear that Russia considers itself to be a great power, and fully expects to be treated as such–especially when it comes to issues pertaining to the so-called “near abroad”–those former Soviet republics, such as Ukraine and Georgia, whose continued ties with Moscow are existential in nature. NATO, on the other hand, while calling Russia a “partner,” was never serious about extending a viable hand of friendship, instead undertaking a thirty-year program of expansion which violated verbal promises made to Soviet leaders, leaving Russia weakened and not to be taken seriously by the self-proclaimed “victors” of the Cold War. When Russia pushed back, a process marked by Putin’s iconic speech to the 2007 Munich Security Conference, NATO undertook a more aggressive stance, promising Georgia and Ukraine eventual membership in the Alliance and, in 2014, supporting a violent coup against a government in Ukraine that kicked-off a series of events which culminated in the ongoing military op-

NATO’S FIRST SECRETARY GENERAL, LORD ISMAY, FAMOUSLY NOTED THAT THE MISSION OF THE BLOC WAS “TO KEEP THE RUSSIANS OUT, THE GERMANS DOWN, AND THE AMERICANS IN” eration being conducted by Russia in Ukraine. Speaking at this week’s NATO Summit, the Secretary General of the organization, Jen Stoltenberg, ended all pretense that the bloc was an innocent bystander in the events leading up to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, noting with pride that NATO had been preparing to fight Russia since 2014–that is, since the US-led coup. Indeed, NATO has, since 2015, been training the Ukrainian military to NATO standards. Not to bolster the self-defense of Ukraine, but rather for the purpose of fighting ethnic Russians in the Donbass. NATO, it seems, was never interested in a peaceful resolution to the crisis, which flared up when Ukrainian nationalists began brutalizing the region’s Moscow-leaning majority. Two NATO members, France and Germany, helped perpetuate a fraudulent peace process, the Minsk Accords, which former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko recently admitted was nothing more than a sham perpetrated for the purpose of buying time so that NATO could train and equip the Ukrainian military for the purpose of forcibly seizing control of both Donbass and Crimea. All the 2007 Munich Summit really did was strip away any pretense that NATO was serious about peacefully coexisting with a powerful, sovereign Russian nation. A truly defensive alliance would have readily embraced such an outcome. NATO, it is now clear, is anything but. NATO has been exposed as little more than a component of American global power projection, providing supplementary military and political backing for an American empire defined by the “rules-based international order” premised on sustained US military and economic supremacy. Keeping America on top, however, is proving to be a bridge too far, largely because the American empire itself is crumbling at its foundations, struggling economically to sustain the so-called “American Dream” and politically to keep alive the flawed promise of American democracy which underpins the very image the US seeks to promote abroad. The extent that the US

can function with a modicum of credibility in the international arena today is determined purely by the level of “buy in” by the rest of the world to the golden idol that is the “rules-based international order.” While the US has been able to strong-arm both NATO and its economic doppelganger, the G7, into actively promoting the “Rules based international order,” Russia and China have come together to create an alternative world view. That is international law, premised on the concepts enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The G7 declared that the BRICS economic forum, comprised of nations who are more aligned with a “law-based” world order, and not a US-dominated “rules-based” one, represents the greatest threat to its relevance on the world stage. NATO, likewise, has declared that the Russian and Chinese challenge to the “rules-based international order” represents a major threat to NATO’s core values, prompting an expansion of NATO’s reach into the Pacific as a counter. In short, NATO (together with the G7 group) is declaring war against the principles of international law that are encapsulated in the United Nations Charter. At its Madrid Summit, NATO has made it clear that it’s ready to shed blood to defend a legacy whose legitimacy exists only among the collective imaginations of its members. And not all of them, either. The goal of the rest of the world now needs to be to seek to minimize the damage done by this beast and find a way to dispose of it before it can do any more harm to the global community. Scott Ritter is a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and author of ‘Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika: Arms Control and the End of the Soviet Union.’ He served in the Soviet Union as an inspector implementing the INF Treaty, in General Schwarzkopf’s staff during the Gulf War, and from 19911998 as a UN weapons inspector.

Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS corporate corner TEVTA holds anti-dengue awareness walk

BAhrIA TOWN, ShANghAI ELECTrIC SIgN AgrEEMENT FOr 220KV TrANSMISSION LINE ISLAMABAD

On the direction of Chief Operating Officer (COO) Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) Zaheer Abbas Malik, an anti-dengue awareness walk was organized at TEVTA Secretariat. The walk was attended by a large number of employees and students. TEVTA is taking special measures to prevent dengue in its institutions across Punjab as per the instructions of COO Zaheer Abbas Malik. In his message on occasion, COO Zaheer Abbas said that special arrangements should be made for sanitation to avoid a deadly disease like dengue. He added, “Do not allow rainwater to accumulate in pots, pans, tires and other items around your homes, institutes, colleges and water should be removed from time to time. We can all fight dengue together. PR

Walee-Nust Launches Pakistan’s First Center Of Excellence For Social And Digital Media Technologies

Karachi: Walee Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Walee), Pakistan’s leading influencer marketing technology company, and the country’s top academic institution, the NUST School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (SEECS) have established Pakistan’s first industryacademia Center of excellence to develop innovative social and digital AI-driven solutions and deeper intelligence to serve the USD100 billion global creator economy. The initiatives will first serve the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan (MENAP) market, which has a digital advertising and ecommerce marketing expected to exceed USD 60 billion in 2022 and an overall potential to double by 2030. The Walee-NUST Center of Excellence (WNCE) for social and digital media technologies is a long-term mutuallybeneficial collaboration by way of research and development activities, continuous upgrading of academic course content and knowledge transfer between faculty, students and Walee’s engineering teams. WNCE can also enhance their professional visibility by way of contributing to publications, leading to higher global rankings. Walee’s adoption of web 3.0 is a strong step in meeting its vision to shape the media-advertising space in the next five years with innovative solutions and techstacks. The physical, co-branded and fully functional tech facility on NUST’s premises will boost participants’ team dynamics when working on deliverables. PR

AhRIA Town (Private) Limited achieved yet another milestone with the signing of an agreement with Shanghai Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Engineering Co. Ltd. (SPTD) on a pleasant Friday afternoon in a graceful ceremony. The officials from Bahria Town and Shanghai Electric graced the event with their presence along with the respectable members of society and media personnel. Set to complete in next 20 months, this project will enable Shanghai Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Engineering Co. Ltd. to engineer, procure and construct 220KV Double Circuit Quad Bundle Transmission Line, which upon completion, connect the state-of-the-art 220KV Grid Station located at Bahria Town Karachi with National Grid. Total length of Transmission Line route will be approx.

12.75km and will link the existing KElectric Transmission Line 220KV Pipri-KDA at M-9 to 220KV GIS Grid Station Bahria Town Karachi. The project will be constructed as per KElectric’s latest specifications on

220KV monopole, which were used by K-Electric for the first time in Pakistan. Shanghai Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Engineering Co Ltd. (SPTD) is a state-owned professional international engineering com-

pany which has been listed in the top 225 International Contractors for years by ENR, USA. Besides completing thousands of diversified projects, the company has previously completed major transmission projects for Ministry of Kuwait, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and Djibouti. A mega power project through which electric power of 350MW will be transmitted to meet the demand of Bahria Town Karachi which is Asia’s biggest and most sophisticated housing society and is one of a kind project undertaken by any private housing society in Pakistan. The 220KV grid station at Bahria Town Karachi was constructed by Bahria Town in a short span of 3 years and supplied with modern technology and machinery imported from Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea. With this accomplishment, Bahria Town will now be able to supply electricity to its residents in Bahria Town Karachi as per the K-Electric’s electricity distribution system.

Atlas Battery Aces Automechanika and Accelerates Eﬀorts to Enter Turkey After the phenomenal success of Automechanika Johannesburg, Atlas Battery, one of South Asia’s leading battery manufacturers, dominated yet another Automechanika event in Istanbul, Turkey. The 15th edition of the conference hosted 825 companies, bringing together industry players from all over the world for an invaluable exchange of technological knowledge and innovation. Automechanika is the world's biggest B2B trade fair

brand, with 17 shows across several countries, making it the ideal platform for networking and presenting products and services. Atlas Battery has a significant history with the platform and has always supported Automechanika’s incredible contributions to the global automotive market. From Dubai to Kenya, Atlas Battery has been supporting Automechanika in its efforts to make the automotive after-market accessible to as many buyers as possible.

It participated in the event under the banner of TDAP (Trade & Development Authority Pakistan) to introduce a wide range of batteries, from four-wheelers and two-wheelers to deep cycle and solar batteries. Atlas Battery has become the pioneer of solar power products in its endeavors to support a greener Pakistan. Atlas is now gearing up to launch itself in Turkey where the industry leaders of the region have shown their proclivity. PR

Worker of Lahore Waste Management Company taking part in a walk to raise awareness against dengue. PR

30 PIA planes hit by birds in current year: Report ISLAMABAD staff RePoRt

Strengthening the Gig Economy - The Hunar Foundation & HarKaam Sign MoU. PR

At least 30 Pakistan International Airline (PIA) planes were hit by birds in the first half of 2022. According to details, PIA has issues a report regarding planes hit by birds in the first half of 2022. According to the report, five bird hits were reported on Jinnah International Airport Karachi. Most incidents of birds colliding with planes were reported at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore, it added. The report added that three similar incidents were reported at Quetta Airport, six at Islamabad International Airport, and two at Peshawar Airport.

One such incident was reported at Sialkot Airport and one at Damam Airport. The report added that three out of the 30 PIA planes were damaged by bird collisions in 2022, while 27 planes remained unharmed. On June 29, according to a report released by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), National and foreign airlines faced massive financial losses due to bird strikes on aircraft inside Pakistan’s airspace in last five years followed by a lack of cleanliness and delay in installation of the bird control system at airports. As per the report, overall 662 bird strike incidents were reported in Pakistan between January 2018 – May 2022.

Irsa raises water share of provinces as rivers start swelling ISLAMABAD: Irsa has increased the water share of all the provinces in the wake of improved water inflow in rivers due to melting of glaciers on mountains following severe heat, and monsoon rains on Saturday. According to Irsa, due to recent monsoon showers and long spell of heatwave in northern areas which has triggered glaciersí melting, the water inflow in rivers has increased. Dams are storing more water and canals have also been run, the water body said. Irsa says that in view of greater water inflow, it has raised the water share of provinces. It says that total water inflow in rivers is 254,000 cusecs while water storage in dams has reached 600,000 cusecs. It further says that water flow in Sindh River at Tarbela is 180,000 cusecs. Whereas, outflow from Tarbela Dam stands at 120,000 cusecs. The water flow in Kabul River at Noshera is 35,000 cusecs, while the water flow in Chashma barrage has been recorded at 157,000 cusecs. In South Punjab, the water flow at Chashma-Jehlum tributary canal is 5,000 cusecs, while in Mangla Dam, the water flow at Jehlum River has been recorded at 45,000 cusecs. In Chenab River, the water flow at Marala is 74,000 cusecs, while in Taunsa barrage, the water flow has been recorded at 99,000 cusecs. Irsa says the water level is also increasing in Sindh barrages. In Gaddu barrage, water inflow is 72,000 cusecs. In Sukkur barrage, the water flow is 55,000 cusecs and in Kotri barrage the water flow has been recorded at 19,000 cusecs. News Desk

Power Supply Constraints: KE Announces Revised Loadshed Timings KArAchI: In light of the ongoing power supply constraints, K-Electric today announced a rationalized loadshed schedule for its customers. The revised schedule is effective July 1, 2022. This step is being taken to provide relief to customers experiencing nighttime loadshed. The shortfall in KE territory has increased from an average of 250 MW – 350 MW to almost 450 MW – 500 MW due to rising temperatures and curtailed fuel supply. Moreover, the shortfall persists round the clock making the nighttime loadshed unavoidable. KE is also facing a power supply constraint due to reduced gas supplies from SSGC, which is down to approximately 90

MMCFD versus the 200 MMCFD gas that was supplied last year. Consequently, two plants in KE's system, one at SITE and one at Korangi, with a combined generation of 200MW, remain non-operational. The release of KE dues from the government against tariff claims will enable KE to pay fuel suppliers in full and negotiate for more gas. Per KE Spokesperson, “This revision in timing is in line with our discussion with various stakeholders including the Ministry of Energy Sindh as well as Commissioner Karachi. We are making every endeavor to seek support in mitigating these issues. Unfortunately, at this time there is a power shortfall at the national level as well as shortage of

gas and RLNG in the country. We are grateful to the Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh for his pledge to solicit additional power and gas to further reduce night-time loadshed. In the meanwhile, and due to limited and finite energy sources, we have redistributed the loadshed timings amongst the customers.” "The updated schedule of the new loadshed regime has been made publicly available on KE's website. Consumers can use their account numbers to find their individual schedule. KE is also duly communicating to registered consumers via KE's SMS service. With that said, uninterrupted power supply will continue to feeders powering Karachi’s industrial zones and strategic feed-

ers including those energizing KWSB and strategic installations such as Karachi Airport," the spokesperson added. The loadshed schedule in place is applicable on a daily recurring basis. Interruptions in power supply due to necessary maintenance on the network, or due to technical faults should not be equated with loadshed. KE teams remain active to rectify known issues. Any customer facing an outage of more than 30 to 40 minutes outside of their loadshed timings is requested to check their KE Live app for an update on their power status; KE’s call center 118 also remains available 24/7. With reports of protests being received from across the city, spokesperson KE

stated, “This is a difficult time for the country in terms of the power supply situation. Global economic challenges are creating vulnerabilities in the fuel supply chain, which is also affecting K-Electric. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience being caused to our consumers. While we recognize the right to protest, at the same time we request our citizens to maintain peace. Over the last 30 days, various KE offices have been the target of protests, which are impairing KE’s ability to conduct its operations in the city.” KE continues to closely monitor the system, adjust and communicate any changes as may be necessary. PR

Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

TeSla hIT by new lawSUIT allegIng raCIal abUSe agaInST blaCk workerS

IFTEEN black former or current employees at Tesla filed a lawsuit against the electric car maker on Thursday, alleging they were subjected to racial abuse and harassment at its factories. The workers said they were subjected to offensive racist comments and behaviour by colleagues, managers and human resources employees on a regular basis, according to the lawsuit filed in a California state court. The harassment, which occurred mostly at Tesla’s Fremont, California, factory, included using the n-word and such terms as “slavery” or “plantation” or making sexual comments such as “likes booty,” the lawsuit said, adding that the automaker’s “standard operating procedures include blatant, open and unmitigated race discrimination.” The filing described one plaintiff, Teri Mitchell, as being regularly harassed by co-workers and managers who used racial slurs and made statements including, “It is rare for Blacks to work here. I don’t know how long you will be able to stay here.” Another plaintiff, Nathaniel Aziel Gonsalves, described harassment by a

supervisor. The complaint described the supervisor as saying that “Gonsalves ‘wasn’t like most Black people,’ that he ‘didn’t act ghetto,’ and further called him a ‘zebra’ because he was ‘neither black nor white.'” Some of the plaintiffs were assigned to the most physically demanding posts in Tesla or passed over for promotion, according to the lawsuit. It said that Montieco Justice, a pro-

duction associate at Tesla’s Fremont factory, was immediately demoted upon returning to Tesla after taking an authorised leave of absence as a result of contracting Covid-19. Tesla did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on Thursday or Friday. The automaker is facing at least 10 lawsuits alleging widespread race discrimination or sexual harassment, including one by a California state civil

rights agency. Tesla in February responded to the expected lawsuit by the California state agency, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, saying it opposes discrimination and investigates all complaints. “Tesla has always disciplined and terminated employees who engage in misconduct, including those who use racial slurs or harass others in different ways. We recently rolled out an additional training programme that reinforces Tesla’s requirement that all employees must treat each other with respect and reminds employees about the numerous ways they can report concerns, including anonymously,” it said in a company blog. On Monday, a federal judge in California ordered a new trial on the damages Tesla owes to a Black former factory worker who accused the company of race discrimination, after he turned down a $15 million award. This month, a Tesla shareholder filed a lawsuit accusing Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk and the company’s board of directors of neglecting worker complaints and fostering a toxic workplace culture. agencies

UAE president meets senior Chinese diplomat on bilateral ties, cooperation Strong quake kill five in southern Iran Tehran afp

A series of strong earthquakes rocked southern Iran on Saturday, killing at least five people, injuring over 90 others and reducing an entire village to rubble. The quakes, including two of magnitude 6.0, struck west of the major port city of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province, the US Geological Survey said. The first rattled an area north of the town of Dezhgan shortly after 2:00 am (2130 GMT), before a 5.7 tremor hit two hours later followed quickly by the second 6.0 magnitude quake, the USGS said. Five people were killed, Hormozgan governor Mehdi Dousti said, quoted by official news agency IRNA. Dousti told state television that the village of Sayeh Khosh, close to the epicentre, had been “completely destroyed”. “Ninety-three people were injured, of whom only seven are still in hospital for treatment,” national emergency services spokesman Mojtaba Khaledi told state television. The broadcaster showed footage of residential buildings reduced to rubble in Sayeh Khosh, which was plunged into darkness in a power outage. In another video, a family was seen sifting through debris and trying to recover their belongings, as a woman was heard screaming in the background. Ambulances and other vehicles tried to navigate roads covered in rubble as shocked residents wandered through the streets. People spent the night outdoors in the provincial capital Bandar Abbas — with a population of more than 500,000, located about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of the epicentre — as long queues formed at gas stations there, state media reported.

President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday met with visiting senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to discuss bilateral ties and ways to boost cooperation. Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, first conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings to the UAE president. Yang said that China regards the UAE, a comprehensive strategic partner, as the priority in its diplomacy in the Middle East. He noted that the strategic guidance offered by the two heads of state plays a key role in the development of China-UAE relations. Since the beginning of this year, the two leaders have led the way to boost the bilateral ties in the new era with a successful meeting and a phone call. Yang reiterated that China firmly supports the UAE in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, while resolutely opposing any interference in the Gulf country’s internal affairs. China highly appreciates the UAE’s support for the Chinaproposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, and is willing to deepen cooperation with the UAE under the two major initiatives, aiming to make positive contributions to lasting world

peace and long-term development, Yang said. He expressed the hope that the two sides will enhance coordination under China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the UAE’s Designing the Next 50 development plan, overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to expand collaboration in civil aviation, energy, finance, investment, infrastructure and other traditional sectors while creating more cooperation highlights in new fields. On global and regional issues, Yang pointed out that China is willing to step up communication and coordination with the UAE and engage in extensive South-South cooperation. Meanwhile, China stands ready to continuously strengthen its cooperation with all Arab countries, jointly practice true multilateralism, and safeguard international fairness and jus-

tice, the Chinese diplomat said. For his part, the UAE leader asked Yang to convey his sincere regards to President Xi, while expressing warm congratulations to the CPC on its 101st anniversary which falls on Friday. Sheikh Mohamed said that the UAE and China enjoy solid mutual political trust and brotherly friendship, serving as a model of mutual respect and trust between countries. It is a long term project to maintain the special comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and China, which has extraordinary importance, said the UAE president. Sheikh Mohamed also pledged to deepen the synergy between the development strategies of the two countries and bilateral cooperation in various fields, actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and contribute to the peaceful development of the region and the world as a whole. agencies

China’s largest coal based ethanol project put into trial operation China’s largest coal-based ethanol project with an annual output of 500,000 tonnes was put into trial operation in Yulin City in northwestern Shaanxi Province on Thursday. The project uses coal as raw material to produce ethanol and other chemical products, and it can convert 1.5 million tonnes of coal annually. Experts said three tonnes of grain can produce one tonne of ethanol, saving 1.5 million tonnes of bio-ethanol raw grain every year when in full service. “Compared with the traditional method of producing ethanol with grain fermentation, the project firstly saves food for us and solves the problem of food security, and it is also of important and strategic significance for the highquality utilization of coal in the future,” said Li Xianfeng, deputy director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ethanol, also known as industrial alcohol, is a widely used chemical raw material that can produce more than 300 kinds of related products. The Yulin project produces ethanol through carbonylation of dimethyl ether, an internationally leading technology with independent intellectual property rights in China. In addition to the four methods of using coal to produce olefin, oil, natural gas and ethylene glycol, the new environment-friendly technology will boost the high-end, diversified and low carbonization development of China’s coal chemical industry. “Through the extension of the industrial category, the added value of the industry has increased by over three times. And over 1,000 jobs will be available by the time the facilities are put into operation,” said Li Junlin, deputy general manager of Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yulin Coal and Chemical Company. agencies

US, Taliban agree to stay engaged WASHINGTON: The United States and Afghanistan’s de facto rulers concluded a two-day meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, and a Taliban spokesperson said the talks focused on freeing frozen Taliban assets. This was the first in-person talks between the two sides in more than three months and the two sides agreed to continue their talks, said a Taliban statement issued after the meeting. The United States does not recognise the Taliban government and a US official warned earlier this week that the Doha talks should not be interpreted as diplomatic recognition of Kabul’s current rulers. Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi led their respective delegations at the meeting. Muttaqi’s spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi wrote on Twitter after the meeting that a US Treasury Representative also attended the meeting and spoke about their discussions with “the US Justice Department and other legal experts on frozen Afghan assets”. A State Department official told Dawn that the US delegation included Treasury Deputy General Counsel Addar Levi and USAID Deputy Assistant Secretary Maria Longi. Balkhi said a White House official also came with them. The Afghan delegation included officials from the finance ministry and the Afghan Central Bank, Balkhi added, confirming that the talks focused on “unfreezing Afghan assets”. The US media reported earlier this week that the US and Taliban officials were working on a mechanism to allow the Afghan central bank to access the frozen funds. The US Treasury withheld about $7bn of Afghan assets after Taliban fighters captured Kabul in August 2021. Median reports suggested that the Taliban were also seeking US support for unfreezing $2b held in European banks. In February, US President Joe Biden freed half the $7 billion, to be used to benefit the Afghan people. The rest was held for ongoing terrorism-related lawsuits in US courts against the Taliban. Most Afghans, including the Taliban and their opponents, want the United States to release the entire amount of $7bn. A State Department spokesperson confirmed to the Voice of America news service that the Biden administration was “working to help find an appropriate mechanism that can serve as a steward of the $3.5 billion that President Biden set aside”. The spokesperson added that Washington was “urgently working to address complicated questions about the use of these funds to ensure they benefit the people of Afghanistan and not the Taliban”. agencies

British Sikh soldiers urge India, Pakistan to make Kartarpur a hub of cultural activities LahOre anadolu agency

A 12-member delegation of British Sikh soldiers visited Pakistan this week, expressing their appreciation for its efforts to preserve the two most holy sites of Sikhism and other historical places related to Sikh religious leaders. The two most revered shrines of the Sikh religion are Nankana Sahib, the place where Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, was born, and Kartarpur, where he passed away while preaching and is located in Pakistan’s Punjab province. In the first such visit, the delegation of British Sikh soldiers visited all of the important Sikh religious and historical sites

in Pakistan. “I am very grateful to the Pakistani military for facilitating this amazing visit for our Sikh soldiers, as for many of them, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Maj. Gen. Celia J Harvey, the deputy commander of the UK’s field army and head of the delegation, told Anadolu Agency. Pakistan opened the Kartarpur corridor on the occasion of Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday in 2019. The corridor is a visa-free border crossing and state-of-the-art religious corridor which facilitates the entry of pilgrims from the Indian side. In a message to the Indian Sikh community, Harvey said: “I will ask the Indian Sikh community to come here and see the facilitation. They can stay here, have food, and

worship as much as they want, and this can be a model project to increase cultural harmony amongst people of both countries.” “I never imagined that this could be so amazing. While standing here in Kartarpur, I can say that this was nothing like I imagined, and I will always remember the warmth and friendliness of the people of this country,” he added, appreciating Pakistan’s efforts to preserve Sikh religious sites. The Indian province of Punjab shares 425 kilometers (264 miles) with the Pakistani province of Punjab. It was a united province till 1947 when the province was partitioned at the time of the independence of India and the birth of Pakistan. Both sides of Punjab still share a similar culture and language called Punjabi.

11 Sports 3 JULY_Layout 1 7/2/2022 11:17 PM Page 1

Sunday, 3 July, 2022 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

HoW DiD PaKiSTan GeT HoSTinG riGHTS for 2025 CHamPionS TroPHy? LAHORE

agencieS

AKISTAN is in line to host the 2025 Champions Trophy and according to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was pressurised by the PCB. After the withdrawal of New Zealand and England tours of Pakistan, ICC was on the back foot and that played in the favour of Pakistan. England and New Zealand also pledged to tour the country again after ICC

announced Pakistan as the hosts for the 2025 Champions Trophy in November 2021. “The ICC was under pressure when New Zealand and England cancelled their tours,” Ramiz said during a press conference at the National Stadium on Wednesday. “And when the pressure was created, we got the Champions Trophy, which means the ICC recognised that Pakistan was treated wrongly.” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) also paid an amount as compensation to PCB for cancelling the tour. Blackcaps will visit Pakistan in Decem-

ber for two Tests and three ODIs. They will return in April 2023 for five T20Is and as many ODIs. England will tour for seven T20s in September while they will return for three Tests after the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the chairman assured that relations between PCB, ECB, NZC and ICC are good. “Our relations with the ICC are good but from a commercial point of view, we feel we deserve more and I’m going raise this issue in [the meeting] in July and I’ll ask them to increase our return,” Ramiz added.

Did Sarfaraz decline central contract in D category? LAHORE

“I don’t know why Sarfaraz is silent, a captain who has won the Champions Trophy. A player who has several achievements, I don’t why he is tolerating such an attitude from PCB,” Tanvir told a local media website. “Had I won Champions Trophy and faced such an attitude, I would have told PCB what they actually deserve. But, I think some players somehow want to be in the team regardless of respect,” he shared his two cents. Tanvir also slammed PCB for keeping Fawad Alam in B category. “They have facilitated all of their friends in full capacity. Otherwise, Fawad should have been in A category of red-ball format contracts. He only plays Test format and look at his performance, it’s injustice to give him the contract in B category,” highlighted Tanvir, who played five Tests and two ODIs for Pakistan.

Web DeSk

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the central contracts list for 2022-23 where they introduced separate contracts for red and white-ball formats Five cricketers Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam and Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi were awarded both contracts. 10 cricketers were handed red-ball contracts while 11 were given white-ball contracts. Seven players were rewarded with emerging contracts. Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led the side to the first-ever Champions Trophy in 2017, was placed in the D category of red-ball contract. Meanwhile, ex-pacer Tanvir Ahmed has empha-

Promising Hussnain selected for Grand Slam Player Development Programme ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan’s promising 14 & under tennis player, Muhammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan has been selected for the Grand Slam Player Development Programme -GSPDP /ITF/ATF 14&U Team to Europe 2022. This is the first time in the history of Pakistan tennis that a 14 & under player has been selected by the ITF/ATF for a team travelling to Europe, said a press release. Hussnain is currently ranked No.2 in Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) 14 & under category. The player has proceeded to Paris on Saturday to attend a two-day training session before participating in Open Stade Francais, Coquette, France from July 4 to 10. Then he will take part in La Balle Mimosa Loire-Atlantique La Baule- Escoublac, France from July 11 to 17. Following that he will partake in Tournoi Loire Vallee, France from July 18 to 24. He is scheduled to chip in Internationale Deutsche Tennis meisterschaften U14 Duren, Germany from July 25 to 30. Finally, he will move to Belgium to participate in Young Champions Cup, Hasselt from August 1 to 7. President of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Salim Saifullah Khan, in a statement, said that the selection of Hussnain was a huge honour for the country and a matter of great pride for the PTF. He said that the selection of the budding player would prove to be a source of great inspiration for the other young players. He said through hard work, dedication and passion for tennis, such targets could also be achieved by them. He also thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating the player and ensuring the endorsement of a visa in a very short time.

sised that Sarfaraz must take a step and decline the contract in this category. He is also surprised by the silence of the wicketkeeper-batter.

Pant rescues India with blistering hundred against England BIRMINGHAM agencieS

Rishabh Pant smashed a blistering 146 and forged a 222-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja to drag India back into the contest in the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Edgbaston on Friday. The tourists were reeling at 98-5 in the second session before Pant combined with Jadeja and launched a spectacular counter-attack racing to an 89ball century, his fifth in tests, in the process. India finished the eventful day on 338-7 scoring at a more than five-runs-an over in the final two sessions. Jadeja was unbeaten on 83, with Mohammed Shami yet to open his account. Earlier, James Anderson (3-52) gave England a strong start on his return from an ankle injury that had kept him out of the third Test against New Zealand. The veteran seamer drew first blood when he had opener Shubman Gill (17) caught at second slip by Zak Crawley and the same bowler-fielder combination sent back Cheteshwar Pujara for 13. Matthew Potts removed Hanuma Vihari (20) after the lunch break and, in his next over, struck a bigger blow when Virat Kohli, in two minds whether to leave or play, dragged the ball onto his stumps to depart for 11. Anderson dismissed Shreyas Iyer with a short ball with Sam Billings flying to his left to take a stunning catch. A batting collapse looked imminent but Pant had other ideas. The left-hander lost no time to assert himself and his nonchalance was evident in the way he treated Anderson – stepping out and even reversesweeping Test cricket’s most prolific fast bowler. Pant’s best was reserved for Jack Leach though. The stumper-batsman he hit the left-arm seamer for

three sixes, including two in the same over. Pant took two runs off Stuart Broad to bring up his fifth test hundred and took off his helmet to soak in the applause. His comrade-in-arms Jadeja completed his fifty in the same over, following it with his trademark battwirling celebration. Part-time spinner Joe Root finally ended Pant’s 111-ball blitz, which was studded with 19 boundaries and four sixes, when the batsman went for a wild slog and Crawly collected the edge at slip. India captain Rohit Sharma missed the match after testing positive for COVID-19 and seamer Jasprit Bumrah has been put in charge. It also forced the tourists to tweak their opening pair with number three batsman Pujara moving up to partner Gill at the top of the order. India are 2-1 up in the series which could not be completed last year following COVID-19 cases in the India camp ahead of the final match at Old Trafford.

Tsitsipas takes on Kyrgios in Wimbledon blockbuster LONDON agencieS

Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Nick Kyrgios in a blockbuster clash at Wimbledon on Saturday, with the winner likely to be the main obstacle in Rafael Nadal’s path to the final. Fourth seed Tsitsipas is the only other top-10 player left in Nadal’s side of the draw, while fiery Australian Kyrgios is a match for anybody on his day. Tsitsipas’s confidence is sky-high after he clinched his first grass-court title in Mallorca last week and he now has an 8-2 record on the surface this season. The Greek player is facing a man he has beaten just once in four matches. Kyrgios, who came out on top when the two players met in Halle last month, has been making waves at Wimbledon on and off the court. His opening win over Britain’s Paul Jubb was marred by his admission that he spat in the direction of fans, whom he accused of being disrespectful, and he also took aim at officials. The 27-year-old, who was fined $10,000 over Tuesday’s incidents, has also been in a testy mood in his post-match press conferences but he remains bullish. “I just feel like I’m comfortable in my own skin,” the 40th-ranked player said after his straight-sets win over Filip Krajinovic. “Some people love to just tear me down. It’s just not possible anymore.” Tsitsipas, who reached the fourth round in 2018, said he was “thrilled” to be facing Kyrgios, who beat Nadal on his way to the quarter-finals in 2014. “I respect him a lot, on the court, what he’s trying to do,” he said. “Although he has been a little controversial in the past, I think he’s playing good tennis.” A win for Kyrgios on Saturday would give him a season-leading 10th victory on grass this summer. Second seed Nadal, chasing a calendar Grand Slam, is aware he has not yet hit the heights at the All England Club after two scrappy performances so far. “I didn’t play much on grass in three years,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said following his four-set win against Ricardas Berankis. “It gives me the chance to keep going, so very happy for that. “I need to improve. The fourth set was much better…. I have to keep working, be humble, even when things are not going well.” Tan progresses: Harmony Tan, who knocked Serena Williams out in the first round, demolished British wild card Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-1 in just 51 minutes to reach the fourth round. The 24-year-old French player broke Boulter five times in a dominant display to disappoint the crowd on Court Two. “I think I like grass,” said Tan, ranked 115th in the world. “I never play on this court but I like to play with slice and volley and everything with my game so I’m really happy. “It was really emotional for the first round against Serena and after it was just playing match by match and today was really good tennis. I don’t know why but it depends on the day.” Tan will next play either 11th-seeded Coco Gauff or Amanda Anisimova, the 20th seed. World number one Iga Swiatek aims for a 38th straight win against unseeded Alize Cornet after she was taken to three sets by Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove in the previous round.

Isner out despite aces record LONDON agencieS

John Isner set a new record for the number of career aces in his third-round match at Wimbledon on Friday but it was not enough to overcome Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The giant American walloped 24 aces but was broken twice in the match and went down 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. The Italian, who did not face a break point in his two-hour, 20-minute triumph, will play 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the last 16. Isner started his match against the 10th seed four aces behind Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic, who has served 13,728. The 37-year-old, who dumped Andy Murray out in the previous round, broke

the record in the third game of his match on Court Two with his fifth ace. “I’m actually very happy to break the record here,” said Isner, who admitted he was not at the top of his game on Friday. “To do it at this tournament I think is pretty cool. Makes it maybe a little more special than to do it at a tournament not of this magnitude.” Andy Roddick, the last US man to win a Grand Slam singles title, way back in 2003, tweeted that Isner’s serve was the “best ever” as he closed in on the aces record. “I’d trade my old one for his immediately without thinking twice,” he said. Isner, who stands six feet 10 inches (208 centimetres) tall, is also in the record

books for taking part in the longest match in tennis history in 2010, against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut. A plaque was unveiled outside Court 18 at Wimbledon to commemorate the contest, which lasted 11 hours and five minutes. “Give him another plaque,” US tennis great John McEnroe said on ESPN. Isner said it was encouraging to see so many American men still in the tournament – eight made the third round, the most at Wimbledon since 1995. “You want to, first and foremost, get maybe at least two players in the top 10, and then maybe you can really talk about some of these guys doing some good things,” said the veteran, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2018.

Sunday, 3 July, 2022

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PM oRdeRS PRobe inTo illegAl ColleCTion of fed AT AiRPoRTS ORDERS INQUIRY INTO ATTACK ON AYAZ AMIR ISLAMABAD

Shahzad paRacha

RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday took strict notice of collection of Rs50,000 federal excise duty (FED) from passengers at the airports. He expressed strong displeasure at collection of federal excise duty from passengers at the airports. He directed that the illegal order to collect federal excise duty at the airports should be immediately revoked and the practice of causing trouble to the passengers should be discontinued immediately. He ordered investigation into the collection of federal excise duty. He said it should be investigated as to how the excise duty was collected from the pas-

sengers without approval of the cabinet. He instructed the finance minister that after an immediate inquiry, strict action under the law should be taken against those responsible for the illegal act. He said those who inflicted suffering

SC issues detailed verdict in CM Punjab election case

on the passengers had no right to hold their posts. The PM asked the finance minister to return the money to the passengers from whom federal excise duty was collected. He called for immediate implemen-

tation of his orders and submission of report after action against the persons responsible. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the attack on senior journalist Ayaz Amir and said that a high-level inquiry has been ordered to bring perpetrators to justice. Taking to Twitter, the prime minister said that he strongly condemns the attack on senior journalist Ayaz Amir and that such attacks on media persons are totally unacceptable in a democratic society. “On my directions, Punjab Chief Minister has ordered a high-level inquiry into the sad incident to bring perpetrators to justice,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said. Earlier, PM Shehbaz and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz had taken a notice of the attack on the senior journalist and analyst by unknown persons. It is pertinent to mention here that unidentified assailants attacked senior journalist when he was on his way back home in Lahore on Friday.

Govt decides to ensure 100pc CCTV coverage of Islamabad: Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

Supreme Court of Pakistan on Saturday issued detailed order regarding Chief Minister (CM) Punjab’s election on July 22 and directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to notify members of vacant reserved seats. The 10-page detailed order from the threemember bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial was written by Justice Ijazul Ahsan. It said that the election for chief minister in Punjab will be held on July 22 at the Punjab Assembly building and the proceedings would be led by the deputy speaker. The order read that during the first phase of voting, the votes of the members would be counted and if both candidates fail to get desired numbers, then a recount would be held. It said that Hamza Shahbaz will run the province as chief minister until July 22 and he and his cabinet would ensure free and fair by-elections in the 20 constituencies. The apex court also directed the Lahore High Court to decide on reserved seats within a week and soon after the decision, the ECP should issue a notification for the successful candidates. During the apex court’s hearing yesterday, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi have agreed on July 22 date for Punjab Chief Minister’s election. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Jamal Mandokhel heard the petition. During the hearing, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked when the results of by-elections in Punjab will would come.

Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan on Saturday said that the government has decided to ensure 100 percent coverage of CCTV cameras of Islamabad Safe City Project during the current fiscal year. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said Safe City Project was need of hour to ensure effective security, prevent crime and effectively maintain law and order in any city of the country including Islamabad. Currently, only 30 per cent cameras of Safe City Project were providing coverage adding that the Prime Minister has decided to enhance its coverage to 100 per cent during the current fiscal year. Instantly, a sum of Rs 40 million has been released to the Safe City Authority to install cameras at all important places, he said. The minister said IG Islamabad and DG Safe City Authority have

been directed to prepare feasibility for 100 per cent coverage. Within a week, after completion of the feasibility, funds would be released for the project, he added. He said the government was also going to set up 100 bed hospitals for Islamabad police which would be completed with an estimated amount of Rs5 billion. The PM would lay foundation of the hospital this month for which an amount of Rs300 million has already been released, he said. He said all efforts would be made to complete the project during the current fiscal year. He said he was grateful to the PM, ministers for Planning and Development and Finance for allocating huge amount to the said project. The minister said the government has also fulfilled the longstanding demand of Islamabad police and their salaries and other perks and privileges have been made at par with the Punjab police which has financial implication of

Rs738 million. Similarly, demand of FC has also been accepted and their salaries and ration allowance having financial impact of Rs1.5 billion have been made on par with ‘Jawans’ of other security forces. He said earlier FC has no antiriot gadgets and now funds have been provided to equip the force with proper gadgets besides anti-riot training to its 2,000 personnel. It needed around Rs 667 million which had already been arranged, he added. Sanaullah appreciated the police team and officials of other intelligence agencies for killing a notorious terrorist Bilal involved in heinous crimes including assassination of DC Nauman Ahsan and other innocent citizens. He said he has given commendation certificates and cash prizes to the raiding team which killed the terrorist. The minister said that he has also asked the IG to revive medals awarding program discontinued in 2018 so such valiant officials could be encouraged.

Australian tourist injured in road accident MUZAFFARGARH newS deSk

An Australian tourist sustained serious injuries as his motorcycle collided with a truck near Head Walo Wala in Kot Addu tehsil on Saturday. According to Rescue 1122, Australian tourist namely Bianco Paul Nichols was travelling from Multan to Quetta when all of a sudden his motorcycle collided with a truck. Rescue 1122 shifted the severely-injured tourist to the tehsil headquarters hospital Kot Addu where he was being treated under the supervision of the police and Rescue 1122.

Tarin argues why Pakistan cannot import Russian oil ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Shaukat Tarin has criticised the federal government for not importing Russian oil. Taking to his official Twitter handle, the former finance minister asked: “If India, Bangladesh [and] Sri Lanka can import Russian oil, why can’t we.” “We can use swaps and also import Diesel/petrol instead of crude. The [government] would much rather pile misery on the poor people of Pakistan but avoid annoying [United States] and [European Union],” he wrote on Twitter. In another tweet, Shaukat Tarin pointed out that the incumbent rulers used to do inflation marches against PTI government when Consumer Price Index (CPI) was around 11 percent and the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) 14 percent. “Now CPI is 21.3 percent and SPI 32 percent. These numbers are heading towards 30 and 40 percent,” the Senator said, adding that the lives of most Pakistanis have become hell amid severe loadshedding. “Why did we bring them when PTI was handling the economy well?” he asked. “While [inflation] is at its peak and hurting the poor and lower middle class the most, the [government] has virtually stopped pro poor programs such as Kamyab Pakistan, Kamyab Jawan and Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar,” he added.

Petroleum dealers threaten countrywide strike from July 18 ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has threatened to observe a countrywide strike from July 18 in favour of their demands. PPDA chairman Abdul Sami Khan said they will ob-

serve a countrywide strike on July 18 and won’t reopen the fuel stations until their demands were accepted including an increase in their commission. Petroleum dealers association leader said the increase in fuel prices is not benefiting them, they are worried due to the increasing cost of doing business. PTI government promised to increase commission by 4pc till June, but the

promise was not fulfilled, Abdul Sami Khan said. He said the cost of doing business has sharply increased, after rising in the electricity tariff, and the interest rate of the bank. Petroleum Dealers Association chairman Abdul Sami Khan said they do not want to take such a decision that ultimately create problems for the masses, but they are facing hardships in doing business, which should be resolved.

IMF doesn’t trust Pakistan because of Imran’s wrongdoing: Maryam Nawaz LAHORE agencieS

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Saturday said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) told the coalition government that it does not trust Pakistan because of the wrongdoings of “fitna” Imran Khan. Addressing party workers in the PP-167 constituency, Maryam termed the agreement signed with the Fund by the “fitna” Imran Khan as a “bad deal”, adding that the former prime minister took a U-turn by breaching the clauses that Pakistan agreed with the global lender. At the outset of her speech, Maryam claimed that PML-N supporters from a single constituency present in Green Town are more compared to the number of people attending “fitna” Imran Khan’s “historic rally” on the Parade ground in Islamabad. Khan and Maryam Nawaz were addressing their supporters in Islamabad and Lahore, simultaneously. Maryam said that the coalition govern-

ment had to make some decisions with a heavy heart, including increasing the prices of petroleum products, because of the wrongdoings of the “fitna” Imran Khan. She further added that if Khan had left something in the reserves, the coalition government would have provided relief to the people. ‘PTI ThoughT I wIll noT come ouT’: “They [PTI] thought that Maryam would not come out to address public gatherings because of rising inflation, but I want to tell them that I stand with the people when times are tough,” she asserted. “They [PTI] thought that Maryam would not come out to address the public gathering because of the rising inflation, but I want to tell them that I stand with the people when times are tough,” she asserted. Taking a jibe at the former prime minister’s statement regarding him not being elected to know the price of potatoes and tomatoes, the PML-N leader said: “I am not as insensitive as him [Imran Khan] that I would say I

am not here to know the price of essentials.” “I am here to know the prices and to stand by the people,” she said. ‘nawaz. Shehbaz To Take PeoPle ouT of crISIS’: Speaking on behalf of the coalition government, Maryam said that the incumbent parties have a “responsibility” to take people out of the difficult times even though these problems were not created by them. She reiterated that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz will take the country out of the crisis by working hard. “We [coalition government-led by PMLN] will try to eliminate all issues created by ‘fitna’ Khan,” she assured the people. Addressing the people, Maryam said that she has come in front of the people to seek help and support for PML-N. “Fitna Khan tried hard to create a Sri Lanka-like situation in Pakistan; however, his plan did not succeed because the people had faith in the lion (PML-N),” she said. maryam exPlaInS meanIng of

‘loTa’: The PML-N leader accused the PTI chairman of looting the mandate of the people of Punjab by handing over the charge to his “puppet” Usman Buzdar. “Punjab is a province of over 120 million people and Farah Bibi — a close aide of former first lady Bushra Bibi — was imposed on the

province,” she said. Explaining who a “lota” is, Maryam said that “lota” is a person who leaves the Opposition to join the government, while all the members who have joined the coalition government were those who left the PTI-led government to join the then Opposition.

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