Epaper_22-07-07 LHR by Pakistan Today

Thursday, 7 July, 2022 I 7 Zil Hajj, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 368 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

PM orders inquiry into ‘criMinal delay’ in Gwadar breakwater Project ISLAMABAD

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RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday ordered an inquiry into what he called the “criminal delay” in Gwadar breakwater project as the Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf’s government had ignored it despite availability of grants. On his Twitter handle, the prime minister said $445m grant, $484m soft loan and feasibility were available but it baffled the mind as to how the previous government ignored the project. From energy to infrastructure, every project suffered costly delays under the PTI regime, he added. “In a meeting today, I ordered inquiry into criminal delay in Gwadar breakwater project. It baffles mind how PTI govt ignored it despite availability of $445m grant, $484m soft loan & feasibility. From energy to infrastructure, every project under PTI suffered costly delays,” the prime minister posted a tweet. Earlier, the prime minister chaired a meeting to review different development projects in Balochistan and Gwadar. He directed the PM’s Inspection Commission chairman to submit a comprehensive report

over such criminal negligence within one week. In a related tweet, he stressed that time for presentation was over as it was time for action. He said Gwadar was not just about infrastructure development, being part of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor), it had political, economic and strategic value. He further resolved that turning Balochistan’s backwardness into prosperity was his mission and their collective responsibility.

for which $445 million grant and $484 million loan was provided by the Chinese government but it hit the snags. The prime minister said due to its location, the Gwadar port was an important and most suitable hub for the global trade. Through the port, they would have to ensure supply of imported goods to the upper and northern areas of the country. He said for the purpose, there should be best and efficient road and railway infrastructures, adding that through hard work, they would have to move ahead and remove all the deprivation of the province. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Miftah Ismail, Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Faisal Sabzwari, Minister for Energy Engineer Khurram Dastagir, Minister for Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique, PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and other high officials, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The prime minister also directed for taking of all the steps to ensure Chinese investment in Gwadar. so as to promote exports and provide employment opportunities to the people, especially the residents of the area.

ISLAMABAD Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday categorically said that the government would not influence by the threats of Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. Citing reference of recent video of Imran Khan, in which PTI Chairman claimed that they were being harassed, teased or pushed to the wall, the minister said whether any false cases were registered against him “(Imran) or he was put in Kot Lakhpat Jail or provision of medicines were stopped to him. Addressing a press conference, the interior minister said the previous regime had taken all shameful actions against their political opponents and critics and lodged baseless cases against them during their three and half years rule. “Mere asking questions about corruption, embezzlement of Rs50 billion public money, Rs5 billion assets, transferring 458 kanal lands in the name of Bushra Bibi and acquiring 240 kanal land in name of Farah Gogi at Banigala came under harassment, he questioned. He said the PTI chief should also inform the nation about the 2014 sit-in and on whom instructions he held that prolong gathering. The minister said that only inquiry has been started into alleged corruption cases of the former government. No response has been received in ‘Tosha

Khana’ embarrassment of Rs50 billion in public money and Rs5 billion assets cases so far from Imran Khan, the minister posed another question. Sanaullah said that Imran Khan should also tell the nation about drug worth Rs150 million, which was claimed to had been seized from his (minister’s) possession. Referring to a drug case against him, he urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the incident and probe the issue. If I was found involved in any such activity, the court award me capital punishment, he said. However, he said if he was not involved in the drug case then the culprits behind this heinous crime should be given at least life imprisonment. Whether Imran Khan wanted power or NRO, the minister questioned. Replying to a question, he said dialogue process with Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) would be taken forward under the supervision of parliament. He said the military leadership gave a comprehensive briefing to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. It was decided to set up a committee comprising government officials and representatives of political parties to look into the matter with political consensus. He said the parliament would decide to accept or reject any outcome in that regard. To another question, he said PTI has been exposed for opposing the people-welfare plan of

ISLAMABAD staff report

Punjab government for provision of free electricity to consumers up to 100 units. He said election was being held in few districts while the relief was for entire province. Commenting on the purported audio clip of Bushra Bibi, the Federal Interior Minister said that any recording — video or audio — made to expose a person’s criminal offences or misdeed could not be considered a crime, unless it was done to blackmail someone.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday said the country had received 87% above normal rainfall during the ongoing monsoon season whereas the death toll due to heavy rains has surged to 77 since June 14. The minister held a press conference to share the situation of the current monsoon damages across the country where she was flanked by Additional Secretary Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) Jodat Ayaz, and Member Disaster Risk Reduction, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Irdees Mahsud. Sherry Rehman said that the monsoon and premonsoon events were going on along with continuous environmental incidents taking place across the country. “Pakistan has become the sixth most affected country due to climate change whereas the Prime Minister also directed to focus climate change events. Media is also requested to sensitise masses to precautionary measures during the monsoon disasters,” she said. The pre-monsoon started in June that received more precipitation and there were 16 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) events recorded this season due to extreme heatwave which were previously only 5-6 events on average, the minister said. She added that the casualty count had jumped up from 68 in the morning to 77 in the afternoon from June 14 till date after the onset of monsoon season. She commended the efforts of provincial disaster management authorities (PDMAs) and NDMA saying, “PDMAs and NDMA did a great job in ensuring monsoon preparedness.” The minister underlined that overall 87% more rains above average were recorded in the country and the ratio was recorded 49% in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) -28%, Punjab -22%. The highest above normal monsoon rainfall was witnessed in Balochistan and Sindh that received 274% and 261% above normal rainfall, she told the media persons. The PDMAs, she mentioned that had already directed the district administrations to ensure cleanliness and dredging of Nullahs or drains. She lamented that it was a national tragedy to witness 77 deaths which was a great loss for any state and governments had to respond to such tragedies. “The first spell of monsoon started on June 29 and is expected to persist further,” she cautioned.

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“Time for presentations is over. Time for action is now. Gwadar is not just about infrastructure development; being part of CPEC, it has political, economic & strategic value. Turning Balochistan’s backwardness into prosperity is our collective responsibility & my mission,” he posted a tweet. Briefing the prime minister in the meeting, the secretary maritime affairs said the breakwater project at the Gwadar port under concession agreement had to be constructed

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Govt unmoved by Imran’s threats: Sanaullah staff report

77 deaths so far: 87pc above normal rainfall wreak havoc in Pakistan: sherry

Senior politicians for national dialogue to fix ‘broken’ civil, military ties ISLAMABAD staff report

Top politicians from three major political parties of the country on Wednesday called for a national dialogue to fix the ‘broken relationship’ between the civil and military leadership, acknowledging that the use of military as a prop by political parties has aggravated the civil– military imbalance. They were speaking at a high-level political party leaders’ dialogue hosted by the Islamabad Policy Institute, a thinktank, on civil–military imbalance. The discussion, participated by leaders of the three major political parties – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – was held to analyse

the state of civil-military ties in the context of political instability in the country. Speaking on the occasion, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said all three major parties had suffered from the imbalance in the relationship with the military, therefore they should prudently look at the past mistakes and try to rectify them. Urging cooperation among political rivals on this issue, Qureshi asked them not to remain stuck in the past. “If we continue with the blame game, we won’t be able to move ahead,” he said, adding that national consensus would have to be forged on this issue. Criticising the government for giving a role to the Inter-Services Intelligence in vetting postings and appointments of government officials, he said the move

would strengthen spy agency’s involvement in civilian matters. He regretted that PML-N and PPP did not fully implement the Charter of Democracy, which they signed in 2006 for restoring balance of power between various state institutions and reclaiming the space lost by the mainstream political parties. The PTI leader stressed the need to study why these signatories did not fully implement CoD. “There is now a need for an expanded CoD,” he maintained. Chairman Senate Defence Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain, who represents PML-N, said political parties should decide among themselves that “road to Islamabad would not lie through Rawalpindi, Washington or London, but through Constitution and ballot

box” and if they remain steadfast on this then “neither ISI nor any general can encroach on their domain”. He furthered that there should be a realisation that if political parties use military to get power and then rely on them for running affairs, the military would keep deciding the time of their exit. Dealing with this imbalance, Mushahid added, might look difficult, but it could be done if there was a political will and unity among the political forces on the issue. He recalled how the PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto formalised ISI’s role in domestic politics through an executive order issued in 1975. Addressing the audience, PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar said that a dialogue between political par-

ties on this issue was not enough. “Once the political forces reach some sort of consensus on ties with military, a two-pronged strategy would have to be adopted vis-à-vis the army – holding a dialogue with their top brass, but at the same time increasing parliamentary oversight of defence related matters.” He cautioned that civil-military imbalance was no more a governance issue and had instead started undermining the national security because of the widening disconnect between the people and the military. In his concluding remarks, Executive Director of IPI Prof Sajjad Bokhari said it was time for politicians to stop seeking military’s patronage for their electoral prospects. “This opens the door for manipulation,” he remarked.

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MarriyuM, DG iSPr review Plan for PakiStan’S DiaMonD jubilee celebrationS ISLAMABAD

staff RepoRt

INISTER for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and Director General of InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Wednesday reviewed the arrangements for c the diamond jubilee celebrations of Pakistan’s creation in a befitting manner. They were given a detailed briefing by officials of ministry and ISPR on the 75th anniversary celebrations in during the meeting,

said a news release on Wednesday. The meeting reviewed the planned celebrations and preparations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of Pakistan. As per the plan, active participation of the youth in the Independence Day celebrations and competitions would be ensured. It was informed that June 30 date had been fixed for participation in the national songs’ contests being held from July 1-9 and the successful candidates would be invited to Islamabad. The meeting was apprised that the winning candidate’s national song would be aired on the national broadcast from

August 11 to 14. Pakistan embassies across the world will also hold ceremonies to mark the country’s 75th birth anniversary. The diamond jubilee celebrations would be made a memorable occasion to promote national solidarity, unity and cohesiveness. The country’s all cultures and federating colours would be part the festivities. Both the minister and ISPR DG expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made for the nationwide celebrations. The minister appreciated the spirit and devotion of the teams and departments, and their preparations for the national events.

Cabinet not yet approved hike in power tariﬀ: Dastgir ISLAMABAD News Desk

Minister for Power Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan while refuting speculations about power tariff hike on Wednesday said that the cabinet has not yet approved increase in power tariff. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said although the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) determined rebasing tariff but the matter has not yet placed before the cabinet. The matter was discussed in the meeting of Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and it was proposed that tariff would be increase in three parts-July, August and October. However, the government discussed the issue with allied parties that tariff would be not be increased for lifeline consumers and massive subsidy would be given. He said the Punjab government has also announced provision of free electricity to the consumers using up to100 units. He said water inflow in Tarbela dam witnessed

LAHORE: Visitors enjoying rain at historic Badshahi Mosque on Wednesday. photo ZubaiR MehfooZ

significant increase during the last five days and has started its optimal production of 3,864 MW as compared to 1100 MW on July 1. The demand for electricity has also reduced owing to improvement in weather, he added. The minister said there was an average electricity shortfall of 4000 to 5000 MW while people would witness considerable decrease in power load-shedding during the Eid days. He said refueling of K2 nuclear power plant was underway and it would start supplying 1100 MW electricity to the national grid before the Eid, which would further help reduce loadshedding in the country. Khurram said there was also positive development in import of coal from Afghanistan and an agreement was signed between private partners and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Both Pakistani and Afghan governments were only facilitators to the agreement. He said a Pakistani delegation would visit Kabul after Eid to finalize coal imports modalities and they were trying to start coal supply operation from Afghanistan roundthe-clock.

ACE Karachi picks up PTI’s Haleem Adil Sh from Lahore hotel LAHORE News Desk

An anti-corruption unit from Karachi detained Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh in Lahore, spokesperson of the Lahore police said, hours after the PTI said he was arrested by “plainclothesmen” in the wee of Wednesday from Punjab’s capital. Lahore police spokesperson Syed Mubashir confirmed the media that Lahore police had assisted the Anti-Corruption Establishment in the arrest, adding that Haleem was in the ACE’s custody and not the Lahore police.

Earlier, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said on Twitter that Sheikh was arrested by “plainclothesmen” in the middle of the night. “This is not even arrest. It is kidnapping. No rule of law left in the country. This situation is a test for both bar and bench, media and human rights groups,” he said. Umar’s tweet followed multiple posts on social media by Haleem’s daughter, Ayesha Haleem, who said the incident occurred at 3:30am. She also shared video clips. In a video statement on Twitter, Ayesha said: “I don’t know whether this is an arrest or a kidnapping, as there was no

warrant. Neither his lawyers nor his family knows of his whereabouts.” She added that Haleem had indicated multiple times, particularly during the last week, that there was a threat to his life. “He had written letters to relevant authorities, including the chief justice of Pakistan, telling them that there was a threat to his life and that he had received information that plans had been devised to take him into custody and cause him harm.” Ayesha alleged 20 to 25 police mobile units were stationed around their residence during the last week and monitoring people, as well as Haleem’s whereabouts.

She added that the mobile vans included vehicles that were part of the Chief Minister House’s security detail. Moreover, she continued, “there were individuals in civilian clothes, many of whom had criminal backgrounds”. She alleged Haleem had been “politically victimised” by the Sindh government in the past as well as he had been “exposing” them. She recounted that he was booked under terrorism charges a month ago and the time of the offence mentioned was when Haleem was visiting a television channel for a live programme. In a subsequent tweet, she said the Lahore police had denied

arresting Haleem. “Lahore police say … they have no idea where he is and that they do not know of any plans for his arrest,” she said. So i ask #WhereIsHaleemAdil and WHO TOOK HIM.” Plea filed for Haleem’s recovery: Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court for Haleem’s recovery by Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn. The Punjab inspector general of police and others have been made respondents in the plea, which states that men in plainclothesmen had picked up Haleem in Lahore on Tuesday night.

Soldier martyred in north waziristan RAWALPINDI staff RepoRt

A soldier of the armed forces of Pakistan embraced martyrdom in an exchange of fire with terrorists in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said Wednesday. “Sepoy Waheed Khan, 23, resident of Nowshera having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat,” a brief statement issued by the military’s media wing read. The ISPR further stated that the sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate the threat of possible terrorists.

Oil prices slump further, Brent crude under $100 WASHINGTON ReuteRs

Oil prices dropped to a 12-week low in volatile trade on Wednesday, extending Tuesday’s heavy losses as growing fears of demand destruction from a global recession outweighed supply concerns. Brent futures for September delivery fell $2.99, or 2.9 per cent, to $99.78 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $3.19, or 3.2pc, to $96.31. That puts WTI and Brent on track for their lowest closes since April 11, after Brent fell 9pc and WTI fell 8pc on Tuesday. It also put both benchmarks in technically oversold territory with a relative strength index (RSI) below 30 for a second day in a row. If Brent closes at that level, it would be the first time it remains in oversold territory for two days since December 2021. Investment bank Goldman Sachs said the oil sell-off was driven by growing recession fears. Germany’s government borrowing

costs fell to a five-week low as mounting concern about a darkening economic outlook drove investors into safe-haven debt. US stock indexes slipped on Wednesday as investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve’s meeting to gauge the health of the economy and the

pace of interest rate hikes to stamp out spiking inflation. Oil prices were also knocked down by a soaring US dollar , which rose to a near 20-year high against a basket of other currencies. A stronger US dollar makes oil more expensive for holders of other

currencies, which can curb demand. In China, the world’s biggest oil importer, the market worried that new Covid-19 lockdowns could cut demand. China’s crude oil imports from Russia, meanwhile, soared 55pc from a year earlier to a record level in May. Russia displaced Saudi Arabia as the top supplier as refiners cashed in on discounted supplies amid sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Adding to downward pressure on oil prices, Equinor ASA said all oil and gas fields affected by a strike in Norway’s petroleum sector are expected to be back in full operation within a couple of days. Iran said it sought a strong and lasting nuclear agreement with world powers following talks with US ally Qatar on easing stalled efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear pact. Analysts have said a nuclear deal with Iran could add about 1 million barrels per day of crude to world supply. Trade was volatile on Wednesday. Both benchmarks were up over $2 a barrel earlier in the day on supply concerns.

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ecnec aPProveS conStruction of HyDerabaD-Sukkur Motorway, otHer infraStructure ProjectS ISLAMABAD

staff RepoRt

HE Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) here on Wednesday approved construction of Hyderabad–Sukkur Motorway on Built Operate Transfer (BOT) basis with revised cost of Rs. 308,194.00 Million. Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail chaired the ECNEC meeting while among others it was attended by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal; Federal Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar; Planning Development Minister of Baluchistan, Noor Muhammad Dummar; Finance Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra; Federal Secretaries and other federal and provincial senior officers.According to press release issued by finance ministry, the federal government’s share in the project would be Rs. 10.3 billion ( Rs. 9,500 million as Capital VGF, Rs. 300 million as NHA establishment charges and Rs. 500 million as

contingencies ). The project would be executed by National Highway Authority (NHA) and envisages construction of 306 Km long, 06 –lane wide, divided fenced between Hyderabad and Sukkur. The approval of the project is subject to fulfillment of all codal formalities and approval of legislation from National Assembly. The executive committee also considered and approved construction of Lahore-Sialkot Motorway (LSM) link Highway (04-Lane) connecting LSM to Narang Mandi and Kartarpur Narowal including Narowal Eastern Bypass at a revised rationalized cost of Rs. 17,379.949 million. The revised project envisages rehabilitation, dualization and construction of 73-Kms long 04-lane dual carriageway, connecting Kartarpur with Lahore- Sialkot Motorway and Nankana. The project is to be completed in three years.ECNEC also approved Punjab Urban Lane Systems Enhancement Project (PULSE) at a cost of Rs. 25,500 million with FEC of Rs. 1,378.756 million. The project is to be executed by Board

of Revenue (BoR) through Punjab Land Records Authority(PLRA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to develop cadastral mapping including digital land records of urban, peri-urban and rural areas of entire Punjab. The project will be carried out through 100% loan by the World Bank in 60 months period.ECNEC also approved project on construction of Northern section of ring road (Missing Link), from Warsak road to Nasir Bagh road with cost of Rs. 16,489.198 million and fully

funded and executed by the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project envisages construction of 6 lane with total length of 8.7 kms to be completed in three years. The ECNEC further observed that projects fully funded by provinces with no foreign funding may be exempted from consideration by CDWP and ECNEC.ECNEC approved revised project on construction of Mangi Dam in Baluchistan at a cost of Rs.13,247.893 million located about 60 kms east of Quetta

city on Khost river. The federal government would bear only 50 % cost of original approved PC-I and increase in cost due to up-gradation of power supply grid station; transmission line. Any other increase in cost will be borne by the province from its resources. The 61 m high concrete gravity dam has a gross reservoir capacity of 36.4 MCM and annual release of 13.4 MCM. The main objective of the project is to reduce the existing shortfall in the water demand that is being faced by Quetta city. The proposed Mangi dam will enable a supply of 8.1 mgd to Quetta city. ECNEC also gave approval to two projects in Karachi city, one “Restoration and revamping of Orangi Nullah” at revised cost of Rs. 15,007.25 million in Orangi Town, Karachi West district and other “Restoration and revamping of Gujjar Nullah” at revised cost of Rs. 14,854.40 million in Karachi Central district respectively. Projects are being sponsored by NDMA and to be completed in 21 months, the statement added.

MoIP, MoST yet to develop consensus over vehicles’ safety standard ISLAMABAD GhulaM abbas

Though the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) have held various meetings over developing a national standard for vehicles being manufactured/ assembled in the country, the two ministries are yet to develop consensus over the issue. On the direction of The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which has taken notice of poor quality of local vehicles last month, the two ministries are holding meetings on the same issue. However, according to insiders, a consensus has not been made in this regard, for, what the sources claim, reluctance of local auto firms and Engineering Development Board (EDB), an arm of MoIP, regarding accepting the standards set by Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) an organization of MOST. As per an official source, a meeting of the national standard committee was held on Wednesday; however, it ended without any progress for differences among stakeholders. Another meeting in this regard is

scheduled to be held at the MoIP on Thursday (today) to discuss the standard set by PSQCA so far regarding the auto industry. The MoST, after the strong direction by PAC, was asked whether it has developed any standard for ensuring quality of the vehicles. As per available documents, the ministry has informed MoIP and other stakeholders that PSQCA, being the only national standard body, has developed standards for various components/parts of vehicles while many are in process which would be completed within the next three to six months. MoST claims the automobile division is working under Directorate of Standards PSQCA and has developed various standards in the sector. However keeping in view the fact that the Government of Pakistan has acceded to the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the efforts are being made to either formulate local standards based on UN Regulation or directly adopt relevant international regulations. In this regard multiple technical committees of relevant stakeholders

have been working. The updated status is listed below: As per the action plan of PSQCA, regarding safety standards of vehicles, which has been shared with stakeholders, a list regarding the approved and under process standards has been shared with the ministries and stakeholders. Last month the PAC had formed a five-member inter-ministerial committee comprising five ministries to ensure the supply of vehicles in accordance with safety standards while directing the Auditor General of Pakistan and Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) officials to provide details of amounts and taxes collected from consumers by the auto companies. The meeting of the Public Accounts Committee was held under Chairman Noor Alam Khan in which a briefing was given to the committee on the delivery of vehicles. The PAC directed all the concerned ministries to implement other safety standards for vehicles, including Euro-5. The PAC asked the Auditor General of Pakistan to check the accounts of auto companies and production capacity. The PAC also directed the FBR to provide details about the value of import of spare parts of vehicles.

Technology enables farmers to transform country’s agricultural landscape: Ahsan Iqbal ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said technology and innovation would enable farmers to become more knowledgeable and competitive, transforming the country’s agricultural landscape. Addressing an event to unveil a report, ‘AgriTech: Crafting Pakistan’s Journey to Impact’ jointly launched by Telenor Pakistan, Tabadlab and GSMA, he said, “In this age, technology and innovation are the most significant gamechangers that are redefining the dynamics of the agriculture sector.” This report, he said, would further empower the farmers of Pakistan in breaking barriers and revolutionising the Agri sector. Ahsan Iqbal said Telenor Pakistan

was a critical stakeholder in bringing innovation and learning on digitalisation from Norway, and “I look forward to its talented workforce playing a pivotal role in a brighter Pakistan”. The report identifies existing challenges to the sector and evaluates the impact that AgriTech will have on accelerating growth. The authors find that adopting modern agricultural techniques and targeted AgriTech interventions can boost national outputs and improve socioeconomic outcomes. The AgriTech report combines study and insights from the GSMA and Tabadlab’s Centre for Digital Transformation to carve the ideal path forward for Pakistan’s agricultural sector. It highlights how technology and digitalisation boost the nation’s crop yields. The report highlights the importance of aligning public and private sector

approaches towards agritech for increased adoption. In addition, the report shows how agritech operates at the intersection of the technology and agriculture ecosystems, making it essential to understand and analyse drivers and trends of digital technologies as means to unpack agritech in Pakistan. Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Wahab Khan said, “The report presents the blueprint for a better-performing agriculture sector that can result in higher yields for farmers and have an impact of up to USD 10 billion on the nation’s GDP. We know there is an eagerness to make the digital shift, thanks to the immense success of Khushaal Zamindaar in guiding farmers with data-driven best practices in farming.” He said there was also an opportunity for agritech services to become entry points for farmers to become financially

included, given that currently, they constitute less than 30 per cent, so, the next step should be further improve Agritech adoption throughout the county and fortify an industry that employed 40 per cent of the nation’s labour force. Umar Nadeem, a founding partner at Tabadlab, said: “To meet the needs of the agriculture sector, Agritech services must grow. Despite positive trends, significant opportunities exist for the ecosystem to grow and support existing and new entrants. The private sector has been a crucial player in expanding Pakistan’s AgriTech footprint and integrating technology into the farmer’s everyday life, but to successfully address challenges in the agriculture value chain through technology, private agriculture solutions need to be cultivated through increased capital, government support, and innovation cycles.”

CPEC-Agri Cooperation Center inaugurated at PMAS-AAUR RAWALPINDI staff RepoRt

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)-Agriculture Cooperation Center was inaugurated at Pir Mehr Ali Shah (PMAS) Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (AAUR) during a ceremony of understanding China fellowship here on Wednesday. Acting ambassador of China to

Pakistan, Pang Chunxue and Chairman Standing Committee on Defense Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed graced the occasion. Islamabad stock and Asian Institute of Eco Civilization Research and Development (AIERD) Chairman, Zahid Latif Khan were also among the dignitaries of the ceremony, said a press release. Vice Chancellor PMAS-AAUR, Prof

Dr Qamaruz Zaman, conveyed his appreciation to both organizers and said “Pakistan is home to CPEC, thus, we feel it is high time to educate people about Chinese’s system and model”. “Thus, Asian Institute of Ecocivilization and PMAS-AAUR have joined hands and has launched this training program with support from Embassy of People’s Republic of China, Pakistan. We hope through this training

program; we will be able contributing to strengthen Pak-China relation by educating the youth”. CEO, AIERD Shakeel Ahmad Ramey introduced the audience about the fellowship program and highlighted the importance in current scenario. Deputy Chief of Mission Pakistan in Beijing Ahmed Farooq joined virtually and highlighted the current relationship status among two brother countries.

amnesty international ‘alarmed’ over journalist imran riaz’s arrest LAHORE News Desk

Amnesty International on Wednesday said it is “alarmed” by the reports about the arrest of journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz in Pakistan. Urging the authorities to “stop punishing dissenting voices”, Amnesty said in a tweet that it has been a “worrying trend in Pakistan for many years”. “Amnesty International is alarmed by news of journalist Imran Riaz Khan’s arrest and urges authorities to stop punishing dissenting voices, as has been a worrying trend in Pakistan for many years,” wrote Amnesty. Attock police arrested journalist and anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan in Attock on Tuesday night. The journalist’s counsel reported that 17 treason cases have been registered against Imran across Punjab, while he was also filing a contempt of court case against the police. The human rights watchdog said that “journalists have disappeared, faced politically motivated charges and even violently attacked for simply doing their job.” It added that journalism should not be treated as a crime. Following Imran’s arrest, PTI leaders including Chairman Imran Khan, Fawad Ch, Asad Umar, Shahbaz Gill, and others condemned the victimization and expressed support for the journalist.

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PAkiStAn, iRAn tO EnHAnCE COllAbORAtiOn in fiEldS Of EnERgy, tRAdE: MiftAH ISLAMABAD

aPP

EDERAL Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail and Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini on Wednesday expressed intentions for enhancing collaboration in various areas of common interest. The two held a meeting in this regard after Hosseini called on Miftah here, according to a Finance Ministry press release.

PAKISTAN TAKING STEPS TO RESOLVE BOTTLENECKS FOR IMPROVING BILATERAL TRADE VOLUME WITH IRAN The Iranian ambassador said the two countries had great potential for extensive collaboration in the fields of energy, trade and other areas. Miftah Ismail said Pakistan was taking all possible measures to resolve the bottlenecks for significantly improving bilateral trade volume withI-

SHC approves MQM-P plea for hearing against irregularities in recruitments KARACHI Staff RePoRt

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday approved a petition filed by the MQM-P leaders against the alleged irregularities in providing 21,000 government jobs in Sindh. The court approved the request for urgent hearing of the petition and issued notices to the Sindh government and other quarters concerned for arguments on July 14. The bench also ordered the MQM lawyer Tariq Mansoor to appear in the case with preparation. MQM-P lawyer said that the petition was dismissed despite the restraining order. “What you want, the jobs recruitment should be entrusted with the MNAs,” Justice Salahuddin Panhwar questioned the lawyer. “It is the provincial government’s discretion to recruit on jobs in all departments of Sindh,” the counsel said. “The laws were violated in recruitment on jobs from BS-05 to BS-15,” the lawyer argued. “A fake committee was formed and a private entity was entrusted for test,” the lawyer claimed.

Operation on to rescue 10 miners trapped in coalmine THATTA: A rescue operation has been underway in Jhimpir coalmine to safely evacuate 10 miners trapped in the mine since Tuesday. The incident occurred in Jhimpir on Tuesday when rainwater flooded the coalmine, leaving 10 miners trapped. No mine worker yet taken to safety from the coal pit. Local labourers, Rescue 1122 rescuers and the Thatta district administration have been engaged in the rescue operation to safely evacuate the trapped miners. However, the rescue workers facing difficulty due to rainfall, informed Thatta Deputy Commissioner Ghazanfar Ali. NewS DeSk

ran, adding that current trade volume between the two countries was not at the optimal level. He also highlighted deep-rooted cordial and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Iran based on centuries old religious and cultural affinities. He emphasized that Pakistan highly values its brotherly relations

with the neighbouring country. The Iranian ambassador appreciated Pakistan’s economic policies and said the two countries had great potential for extensive collaboration in the fields of energy, trade and other areas. Both the dignitaries expressed their satisfaction on mutual bilateral relations.

UK wants to raise bilateral trade up to £7b with Pakistan ISLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

The United Kingdom (UK) is the third largest global trading partner of Pakistan and is keen to double its bilateral trade up to £7 billion with Pakistan in the next few years to achieve the mutual goal of prosperity for both countries. This was stated by Mahesh Mishra, Counsellor and Group Head (Economic and Trade), British High Commission, while addressing the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), said a press release on Wednesday. The Commercial Counsellor said that the UK was uniquely placed to support Pakistan in transforming its economy. He said that the UK is also third largest

investor in Pakistan and more investors want to explore Pakistan for joint ventures and investment. He said that around 1.6 million Pakistanis living in the UK are sending remittances of about USD 4.5 billion and providing important support to Pakistan’s economy. He said that the UK has placed Pakistan in the “Enhanced Framework” to provide the same level of market access (preferential tariffs) for exports to the UK as were available to it under the EU’s GSP Plus scheme. He highlighted the UK’s development support to Pakistan in cooperation with the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank for its economic reform programmes. He said that he would love to work with the private sector of Pakistan to further promote bilateral trade ties between the two countries. Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel

Eat meat with caution for protection from illness: experts LAHORE Staff RePoRt

Medical experts have appealed to citizens to exercise caution in eating meat during Eidul Azha for protection from illness. They said that eating too much meat causes stomach acidity, and intestinal and other diseases. Health experts at the Lahore General Hospital (LGH), Associate Professor of Medicine Dr Israrul Haq Toor, Gynecologist Dr Laila

Shafiq and Dr Muhammad Masood were shedding light on people’s meat eating habits during Eid days. They warned citizens of heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, uric acid, and joints pain if they did not take special care in eating meat on Eid days. They said the use of red meat not only raised cholesterol and caused high blood pressure but also heart disease and diabetes. “Meat should be used after it has been properly cooked so that it is easily digested,” they said. They stated that avoiding hot chili spices would be beneficial for health. Dr Laila said that red meat was very good for pregnant women and people who suffered from iron d e f i c i e n c y, adding that red meat was essential for pro-

duction of red blood cells and provides vitamin B12 to the body. The experts said that meat would be available in large quantities to everyone on Eidul Azha; however, instead of eating it in large quantities, it should be cooked with vegetables and other items. Moreover, they said that instead of cooking immediately, the sacrificial meat should be left in the open air for a few hours before cooking it, adding that freezing meat for a long time produced germs, which were not good for health. Therefore, due to consumption of such meat, the chances of indigestion, gastroenteritis, heartburn and other diseases increase. They said that cold drinks with red meat were also not good for health. “Old meat damages the gums and increases the risk of cancer,” they said. Medical experts told citizens to take a 6-hour break after each meal and eat more fruits and vegetables to maintain balance. “Meat is a blessing, eat it, but with caution,” they said.

Ambassador Haque lauds IDCPC role for solidifying bilateral ties BEIJING: Pakistan Ambassador to China Moinul Haque on Wednesday met Liu Jianchao, the newly appointed Minister of International Department of Communist Party of China (IDCPC) and appreciated the role of IDCPC for solidifying fraternal ties between Pakistan and China. During the meeting, both sides held extensive discussions on overall relationship between Pakistan and China and also exchanged views for further deepening bilateral friendship between the two countries. Thanking Liu Jianchao for the warm welcome and felicitating him on his recent appointment, Ambassador Haque underscored that friendship with China was the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy enjoying unanimous institutional and public support in Pakistan. ageNcIeS

Munir, President ICCI said that their bilateral trade between Pakistan and UK was still below their actual potential which could be improved with strong mutual efforts of private sectors of both countries. “Pakistan is an attractive market for business and investment and stressed that the investors of the UK should come to Pakistan with technology transfer to capitalize on these opportunities, he added.” He emphasized for frequent exchange of trade delegations and participation in each other’s exhibitions to explore new areas of mutual cooperation between Pakistan and UK. He said that both countries were doing trade in limited items and they should focus on diversification of trade to achieve better results. He also highlighted the opportunities of JVs and investment in CPEC projects for UK investors.

PAC chief recommends slash petroleum prices ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Noor Alam Khan on Wednesday recommended the government to reduce the petroleum prices in view of falling prices in the global market. During the PAC meeting, chairman Noor Alam Khan said that the prices of oil in the world market have come down twice while the government has increased the prices instead of reducing them, adding that the Ministry of Finance, Petroleum Division and the government are requested to provide relief to the people by reducing prices in the country. While talking about the NAB, he said that NAB officers would have to give details of their assets. INP

PR announces 30pc discount in train fares for Eidul Azha LAHORE: Pakistan Railways has announced a 30 percent discount on tickets in train fares to facilitate the passengers on the occasion of Eidul Azha. According to a notification issued here, the reduction in train fares will be applicable to all passengers travelling through trains during the three days of Eidul Azha. The PR has also started Eid bookings on discounted fares, the notification read. Separately, Pakistan Railways also announced to run three special trains on the occasion of Eidul Azha. According to the PR department, three special trains will be operated on multiple routes before Eidul Azha. A Railway spokesperson told that the first special train would depart at 10 am on July 8. It would travel from Quetta to Peshwar via Multan, Sahiwal and Lahore. Staff RePoRt

Thursday, 7 July, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

PM orders inquiry into ‘criminal delay’ in Gwadar breakwater project contInueD froM pAge 01 In this regard, the prime minister directed the Balochistan chief secretary and the secretary planning to formulate a feasible plan for investment in food, agriculture and petrochemicals in consultation with the Chinese companies. The Balochistan chief secretary, secretary maritime affairs, secretary railways, National Highway Authority (NHA) chairman and China Overseas Port Holding Company Pakistan (COPHC) chairman apprised the prime minister of the progress on different uplift projects. The NHA chairman briefed the prime minister about the access of upper and northern areas of the country to the Gwadar port through CPEC’s eastern and western routes. The prime minister also directed the NHA, and ministries of maritime affairs and planning to submit after Eid, a joint review report, regarding ensuring supply of trade goods. The COPHC chairman apprised that a plant with capacity of 1.2 million gallons water would soon arrive Pakistan and start functioning by the end of current year. The chief secretary further briefed the prime minister that out of the total 35,500 households in Gwadar, 31,000 were on-grid whereas 4,500 others had been off-grid. To meet requirements of the on-grid homes, a mini solar park on the basis of built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis in collaboration with the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) and private sector was being installed. NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) would issue a power purchase agreement in that regard, he added. For the supply of power to the off-grid households, the secretary said, 3KW solar home stations were being installed with an amount of Rs1.8 billion. The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to complete the entire process through transparent tendering. He advised that the solar system providing company should be made responsible for a three-year after sale service to facilitate the public. He directed the secretaries concerned to form a complete strategy in that regard. Besides, the prime minister also directed the chief secretary to ensure security of the staff working on different projects in the province and mapping of all the uplift projects. He asked for formulation of a comprehensive security plan in collaboration with the interior ministry and law enforcement agencies, adding that the dream of economic prosperity could not be materialized without peaceful environment. The secretary railway briefed the prime minister over the linkages between Gwadar and other cities of the country and the progress on the new railway tracks. The prime minister directed to ensure all the possible and effective steps in that regard.

YouTube in India bans short film highlighting HR abuses in IIOJK ISLAMABAD: Keeping up its practice of gagging freedom of expression, the Indian government has persuaded YouTube to ban a nine-plus minute short film “Anthem for Kashmir” in India which highlighted the enforced disappearances and fake encounters in India illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). A product of award-winning documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and Sandeep Ravindranath, and Carnatic singer T.M. Krishna, the short film was released on May 12. NewS DeSk

GOvT REduCEs CusTOM duTY On flavORInG POwdERs ISLAMABAD

ShahzaD paRacha

HE federal government has reduced custom duty on flavoring powders for food preparation from 11 percent to 3 percent. According to Finance bill 2022, the custom duty on import of flavoring powders for food preparation would be 3 percent if imported by Sales tax registered manufacturers of snacks subject

to IOCO quota determination till June 2023. Earlier, the customs duty on the import of flavoring powder for food preparation was 11 percent. According to information, Ismail Industries Limited, a company of finance minister Miftah Ismail, is also importing flavoring powder. On the other hand, Pepsico is the biggest importer besides Unilever, Shan foods and Abdul Malik Paracha’s companies are also importing flavoring

Sherry said there were 39 deaths reported in Balochistan due to monsoon rains whereas the season was now shifting from the North to Balochistan. The Quetta city faced urban flooding followed by Turbat and Pasni who also got impacted by heavy monsoon rains, she informed. She warned that the monsoon pattern was prevailing in the South which would head towards Punjab. After the recent rains, she said the dams across the country has received good amount of water as earlier the country was facing drought and crop loss due to water shortage. The NDMA has formed a monsoon contingency plan and held workshop training for the provincial and federal agencies, she said, adding, “during this above normal rainfall relief activities have been done by PDMAs and NDMA.” The district administrations would have to take stock of their requirements for relief efforts and would have to coordinate through relevant forums to federal government for any assistance during monsoon heavy spell, she said. “The provinces will have to take their preparedness seriously. Like Karachi would have faced a storm but the situation subsided after scattered spell of monsoon and also the rivers

powder. Overall, Pakistan has imported more than 4 billion rupees of flavoring powder in the last fiscal year 2021-22. Sources claimed that the federal govt has reduced custom duty on this item to encourage local manufacturing in Pakistan. “Different manufacturers have started preparing local food items from milk, coffee, bakery products; sweets, so that this step will encourage local production and save foreign exchange”, sources added.

Govt unmoved by Imran’s threats: Sanaullah contInueD froM pAge 01 “The reality is that if any recording, whether video or audio, is made to catch someone’s crime, then in my view it is no crime. If it is used to blackmail someone, then it is a crime,” he said in a press conference. “No one can even claim that it is a violation of their privacy,” the minister asserted. His comments come as a reference to the purported audio clip of Bushra Bibi, former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife, and PTI social media head Dr Arslan Khalid that has been doing the rounds on social media. Sanaullah said that the audio clip proved that Bushra Bibi was “involved in a crime”. “A lady of an important status is linking the entire opposition and the nation with treason over a letter, which they (PTI) claimed came from America. “She is doing it to save herself from corruption. She is explaining how it can done with a proper procedure, with proper planning and training,” he stated, adding that no questions could be raised on

such a recording. But if PTI claimed that the recording was false, the minister continued, then Imran should straight up refute it and demand a forensic examination. “Instead, his party members say that the content of the audio doesn’t matter. If the recording is fake, they should say that it is fake so that an investigation is held to prove who is right and who isn’t.” Answering a question on journalist Imran Riaz’s arrest, the minister said that the government was against curbing freedom of expression but if someone was making accusations against anyone without any evidence, that was plain wrong. “If they are talking beyond their professions and are presenting themselves as political workers, then I feel that the shelter which is enjoyed by a journalist — they can’t take shelter under it then.” “Are you a rented journalist that without verifying you have started attacking us? What benefits are you gaining out of it?” he said, urging journalist organisations to take notice of such behaviour.

Fawad accuses Marriyum Aurangzeb of lobbying for her husband ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb of lobbying for her husband and paving the way for him to make millions of rupees. Addressing a press conference, the former federal minister said that no Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

(PTI) minister has been accused of corruption. The PTI leader said the aforementioned as he accused the representatives of the incumbent government for corruption. “The solar project should be investigated,” he added. Furthermore, he said the country’s development has taken a reverse gear ever since the coalition government was formed. Carrying on with the criticism he said it seems that there is no democracy in Pakistan under the present regime. He also urged people to come out against the government to protect their rights.

77 deaths so far: 87pc above normal rainfall wreak havoc in Pakistan: Sherry contInueD froM pAge 01

are not in any flood like situation which is a good sign,” the Minister said. She underscored that it was the sixth day of heavy monsoon rains and the authorities concerned would have to remain vigilant. “MoCC has received update of four deaths in Ghizer due to flashflood in the area”. The minister requested the media to flash the weather alerts and updates so that it could help save lives in the vulnerable areas. “The government is active and the public should also play their role as well to protect themselves and their livestock during inclement weather especially those living in low lying areas.” She highlighted that the recent United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) report showed that Pakistan would have the highest losses as percentage of GDP at 9.2 per cent which is the highest in the region. “The GHG emissions of the region are impacting South Asia. Pakistan hosts highest number of glaciers after polar region that are at risk due to global warming,” she said. “MoCC is active in legislation and coordination and has approved the first National Hazardous Waste Management Policy. The Ministry is not giving NOCs further for importing toxic waste and it has written letters to the consulates of the countries to apprise them

on illegal dumping of hazardous waste to Pakistan from their side,” she added. “Pakistan can recycle only 30% of its waste which is a challenge that demands national response to enhance capacity and management skills of the industry associated to it,” she told the media. “We will start 300 trees’ plantation with the Prime Minister after monsoon to start nature conservation. We will have to take very difficult decisions that will impact industry to ensure climate resilience of the country,” she added. Water scarcity, she said would revive after the monsoon season which was a principle issue of Pakistan as water conservation was a must for its future. Responding to media queries, she said, “Living Indus project will be launched and to be tabled before the federal cabinet and the provinces to clean, protect and restore the River Indus,” she added. Additional Secretary Jodat Ayaz told the media that the issues pertaining to the alleged irregularities in GLOF-I project would be looked into to resolve the matter. Five million dollars procurement was to be done under GLOF II The equipment procurement of US$3 million would take place from March to September 2023 to be deployed and handed over to the PMD to predict GLOF events.

According to details, Ismail Industries Limited is one of the largest food companies in Pakistan, manufacturing a wide range of confectionery items, biscuits, snacks and packaging films under the brand names of Candyland, Bisconni, Snack City and Astro films respectively Finance minister Miftah Ismail a few days ago told this scribe that his company does not import this item and the government has reduced custom duty on request made by Lays.

Covid positivity rises to 4.69pc as 805 fresh cases reported ISLAMABAD: The health officials on Wednesday said that 805 new Coronavirus cases were reported throughout the country during the last 24 hours. As per data shared by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the case positivity ratio is 4.69 percent while 168 patients were in critical condition. One death was reported from Coronavirus during the last 24 hours while 17,150 Covid-19 tests were conducted across the country. Meanwhile, Minister for National Health Abdul Qadir Patel appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders, healthcare staff, vaccination teams, and administration working across Pakistan despite multiple challenges. He advised all provinces and regions to administer booster doses on a priority basis to further improve protection against Covid-19 transmission. He said that in view of the global pandemic situation the Central Health Establishment (CHE) should stringently monitor the health status of incoming passengers at points of entry. He added that CHE would be strengthened to enhance its functionality. The minister emphasized the importance of precautions including social distancing and mask-wearing, especially in crowded places. He also highlighted the need to strictly follow the guidelines for the management of markets for Eidul Azha. Staff RepoRt

Ex-Pindi commissioner, others indicted in Ring Road scam LAHORE: An Anti-Corruption Court indicted former commissioner Rawalpindi Capt (retd) Muhammad Mahmood and two others in Rawalpindi Ring Road scam, on Wednesday. Staff RepoRt

06-07 Comments - 7th July 2022_Layout 1 7/7/2022 12:23 AM Page 1

Thursday, 7 July, 2022

06 COMMENT

Honourable Crime Minister?

Despite Imran Khan’s ‘Ghaddari’ certificates Govt must rethink sedition cases

Position does not make the dishonourable honourable

hILE independent media will disagree with the registration of sedition cases against journalists, PTI chief Imran Khan is least qualified to condemn them. The former PM was responsible or was a willing accomplice, when some of the worst crimes against independent media and working journalists were committed during his tenure. soon after he came to power he used Pemra to suppress airing of criticism of his policies. a number of channels were served notices ‘for propagating false news’ about the PM’s personal life or even for airing ‘defamatory’ clips about the naB chairman. PTI’s Pakistan Media development authority (PMda) ordinance 2021 sought to centralise media oversight under one draconian authority while media outlets needed annual noCs to remain operational. The PMda was widely termed akin to ‘media martial law.’ newspapers following independent policies were denied government advertisements. Fears were expressed that the PTI’s media policies would turn Pakistan unto an authoritarian state. attacks against outspoken journalists who criticized government policies became frequent during the second and third year of the PTI’s tenure. a journalist was shot at while strolling in an Islamabad park, another thrashed outside his home, yet another tortured badly while in police custody. Two well-known anchorpersons were taken off the air under pressure. a number of journalists on the wrong side of the government were abducted and released only after the courts’ intervention. Mr Khan didn’t take notice of the unending persecution of media houses and journalists under his watch. Instead the PTI’s social media posted the hashtag #arrestantiPakjournalists which dropped to second place by evening, but not before it had been used or forwarded more than 28,000 times. Meanwhile IK’s information Minister Fawad Chaudhry maintained that journalists staged attacks on themselves to strengthen their case for seeking political asylum abroad! some of the pro-PTI journalists who are under a cloud these days supported his views Journalists do not indulge in conspiracies or sedition. at times they may use strong words to express disapprobation of the measures of the government or establishment with a view to their improvement or alteration by lawful means. Freedom of speech and expression helps in the improvement of policies and should therefore be promoted.

Dr FariD a Malik

RIME Minister shehbaz sharif was the Chief Guest at the passing out parade of the Pakistan naval academy on June 25. The Commandant addressed him as honourable Prime Minister ( PM ). Respect and honour have to be earned, not forced, as has been the case in the land of the pure. In the words of the ‘ Poet of Resistance’ habib Jalib; ‘Latay hay nam gin kay thane main wo shaamil hain hukumranon main “ ( Those whose names were in the crime register of Police stations are now amongst the rulers ). It is mind boggling why such individuals are being called honourable just because they happen to hold a position against the wishes of the people while serious cases are pending against them. Perhaps it is the first time in human history that more than half of the current cabinet ministers are on bail while the legal proceedings continue against them. he should have been addressed as the PM without the forced honours. While the position remains respectful most individuals who have occupied it have not been up to the mark. only the few democratically elected true representatives of the people stand qualified which include Liaquat ali Khan, Zulfiqar ali Bhutto, Imran Khan the first, ninth and 22nd PMs respectively. while the 23rd does not meet the required standards. The first major organized attack on democratic leadership took place in october 1958 with ayub

Balochistan floods

hE latest bout of rains have killed no less than 27 people in Balochistan, with Climate Change Minister sherry Rehman reporting a total number of 77 dead countrywide, after the country received 77 percent more rains since June 14. With the monsoon not having broken yet, and with the country undergoing an unprecedented heat wave, this should serve as a double wake-up call. The first wake-up call is specific to Balochistan. The ill-preparedness of the province for the rains has much to do with the fact that the province is so poor. Because it does not have many seats in Parliament, and because Mnas are expected to fight for provincial funds, it does not bet much federal largesse. also, because governments in Quetta are not formed without interference from certain quarters, they are not representative, and thus unable to provide the province with a normal mechanism for handling the floods. True, a lot of the houses are of mud, and under-development is partially because development money does not yield as great results as in other provinces, because the population is small and widely spread out. But a more natural government would yield better results. The other wake-up call is for the country as a whole. While Balochistan has been worst hit so far, the coming monsoon will test all four provinces. Just as the recent heat wave is just the shape of things to come, in that it is expected to recur in coming years, it should be realized that monsoonal flood damage is also expected to rise as the climate changes. Monsoon flooding might get worse, but it is hardly something new. The preparations for next year’s monsoons should have begun, and those for this year’s should already be in place. after all, the authorities have had several months to prepare for this year’s floods. These floods come along with the monsoons every year, after all, and are fairly predictable. That may well be their only virtue.

SaMina akhter

housands of Rohingya Muslims rallied in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh’s southeast coast, pleading with the international community to make arrangements for their safe return to Myanmar. Rohingya organized demonstrations under the slogan “Let’s go home” just a day before World Refugee day, with 19 demands, including their prompt and dignified repatriation to Myanmar and the involvement of international organizations in the repatriation. according to reports, their demands include immediate repatriation to Myanmar as full citizens, amendment of the Citizenship act 1982, participation of the us, uK, un, asEan, and other international communities in the repatriation process, repatriation to their respective villages in Myanmar, protection of their rights, dignity, and safety in Myanmar, and an end to the persecution of Myanmar’s innocent people. Bangladesh wants to find a peaceful solution to the Rohingya situation, and it expects Myanmar and the international community to do the same. Its administration began diplomatic attempts to return them and negotiated agreements with Myanmar. But, five years later, not a single Rohingya has returned to their homeland, as they are fearful of being persecuted if they do. To make voluntary repatriations possible, Myanmar must ensure that Rohingya Muslims are not persecuted. Returning refugees will not be persecuted. Bangladesh has done everything it can to ensure the Rohingya return through peaceful means, but nothing has worked out so far. It goes without saying that voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya is the most sustainable and long-lasting solution to the situation. however, because of the Rohingya’s lack of faith in Myanmar’s government, repatriation attempts failed twice in november 2018 and august 2019. Myanmar must ensure that Rohingya refugees are not persecuted upon their return in order to facilitate voluntary repatriations. To this end, the international community and the united nations should increase pressure on Myanmar to create a safe, secure, and dignified environment in which Rohingya refugees can return to their homeland in safety and dignity. We anticipate the international

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

Why the Myanmar military should repatriate the Rohingyas as soon as possible

Deaths and devastation caused by unrepresentative governments

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Khan’s EBdo (Elected Bodies disqualification ordinance). Military Tribunals were set up to try the elected leaders. While most decided to go home without a fight, hussain shaheed suharwardy, the former PM and the mostable lawyer of his times appeared before the tribunal in his own defence. he put up a valiant fight and was exonerated of all charges of corruption. during the proceedings he addressed the bench headed by a serving lieutenant-colonel as my learned friend, but later corrected himself by saying you are neither learned nor my friend. his arguments were so strong that even this learned friend in uniform could not convict him. Fearing for his life suharwardy sb went into selfexile in Beirut where he was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his hotel room. Yes indeed he was an honourable man, honest, able and upright. his party the awami League, is in power in Bangladesh today and the country is credited for leaving behind both India and Pakistan in economic growth. not much has been written about the ablest assembly ever that came into being after the 1970 free and fair elections in the land of the pure. While the house was led by the dynamic leader ZaB, the Leader of the opposition Wali Khan was equally matched. The level of debates and legislation were outstanding. Two consititutions were formulated by this house (1972 interim and 1973 permanent). They were certainly honourable men trying their best to serve the nation. In the words of Wali Khan, “We have been against the political views of Qayyum Khan but we have never accused him of corruption “. despite minor detours of dictators by and large politics remained clean and honourable till the 1985 partyless elections when small businessmen with unlimited greed and ambition entered the political arena with the support of the ‘ Junta ‘ of that time. ayub introduced the Chaudhrys of Gujrat while Zia discovered the sharifs of Lahore and Musharraf promoted the Khans of Lahore and the Tarins of Multan who also happen to be first cousins. Today politics in the land of the pure has turned into big business, totally out of reach of the common and the honourable folks who have earned an honest living. When the government of Imran Khan announced direct elections for the position of ‘Mayor of Lahore’ I decided to contest to turn around my city that has produced six nobel laureates. I made the first call to my friend Comrade Pervez saleh, seeking his advise, he inquired about my budget. I told him Rs 0.5

Crores he said no, it has to be around Rs 5.0 crores. Then I decided to touch base with aitzaz ahsan. another great Comrade. he came up with a figure of Rs 50 crores as it was to be the largest electorate in the country with 75 lakh voters. Though my heart beats for Lahore and the Town hall around which I was raised, such election expenses are beyond my limits of an honourable existence. With easy, unearned money comes crime. as the famous saying goes, “Behind every empire there is a crime”. ‘Crime Masters’ dominate the political arena and then they manage to become ‘Crime Ministers’ riding on the back of the establishment. I feel sorry for the passing out cadets of the naval academy who had to endure the presence and speech of the ‘Crime Minister’ and were then required to present him with a guard of honour before they could wear their ranks. such indignities are uncalled for, especially for the young defenders of our seas who may have to lay down their lives in defence of the motherland. Political dirt should not be spilt around to contaminate institutions that are better off without it. Currently Imran Khan is leading the ‘azadi March’ to bring back honour into the political arena. With the loss of sovereignty there has been an overall decline but the ‘Mecca of democracy’ has been the hardest hit which has been handed over to the ‘Crime Masters’ of our times. Every day there are press conferences to malign Imran Khan whose honour remains above board as he seeks no personal gains in his political struggle. The ‘Vote ki Izzat ‘ gang is now busy in ensuring ‘ note ki Izzat ‘. Cases are being withdrawn , accountability laws are being changed to escape conviction. such self-protecting legislation stinks of dishonour which honourable individuals avoid at all costs. under the ‘Crime Masters’ the country has no future. This dark era must come to an end. a really nEuTRaL Caretaker set-up should be in place to hold free and fair elections before the water goes over the bridge. Without political stability there can be no economic progress, the slide will continue. There has to be a wake-up call, It calls for ‘dishonourable discharge’ of the ‘Crime Brigade’ that rules today in the land of the pure. In the military terms it is time to ‘drum them out’ for a fresh start with new and untainted players who are willing and able to serve, not exploit, the suffering masses.

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

community will play a more assertive diplomatic role in pressuring Myanmar to return the Rohingya. The military takeover in Myanmar on 1 February 2021 has sparked fears in Bangladesh that the new leadership will not follow through on promises to return Rohingya Muslim refugees already residing in the country. despite the Bangladesh government’s strong diplomatic efforts to repatriate Myanmar’s citizens, the Rohingya, the Myanmar government has been hesitant to do so. despite Bangladesh’s best efforts, more than three years after 750,000 Rohingya escaped a horrific military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, repatriation has yet to begin. so far, the Myanmar military has succeeded in deceiving the entire globe. despite being humanitarian and allies of Bangladesh, the international community has failed to take significant action. Myanmar’s military operations in Rakhine are still in the same state as they were five years ago. It was hoped that shared friends of the two countries, such as China, India, and Russia, would resolve the matter, but so far no concrete attempts have been seen. so far, no demands for a change in Myanmar’s policy have arisen in the foreign press. The Myanmar military has remained absolutely silent on the Rohingya citizenship issue. despite the fact that a number of countries put a limited embargo on Myanmar’s generals, such attempts have already been proven ineffective. Five years later, international action is urgently needed to return the Rohingya to their homes. In this

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

case, the Myanmar military cannot remain mute. They believe that the world and international community will forgive them and forget about the Rohingya’s predicament. Because the world spotlight has turned to the crises due to covid-19, ukraine, and afghanistan, Myanmar’s military is hesitant to address the matter. however, this time, Rohingyas began to speak out against the injustice they are experiencing. Following the coup in 2021 and the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Myanmar military is under intense international pressure to support democratic movements. The Myanmar military may profit in the long run if it takes the initiative to return Rohingyas to Myanmar. Myanmar should end its conflict with Bangladesh as soon as feasible in order to maintain regional stability. otherwise, the Myanmar military could face calamity. Myanmar will not be able to withstand international pressure. Myanmar could profit from bilaterally settling the conflict with Bangladesh, and by reinforcing trade relations if the crisis is resolved. as a result, it is in Myanmar’s military’s best interests to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The message is clear: Rohingya refugees do not want to remain in Bangladesh as refugees and do not tolerate Myanmar military injustice. It’s time to resettle the Rohingya in Myanmar; the Rohingyas have set a clear message for the Myanmar military administration with this big march.

The Myanmar military is under intense international pressure to support democratic movements. The Myanmar military may profit in the long run if it takes the initiative to return Rohingyas to Myanmar. Myanmar should end its conflict with Bangladesh as soon as feasible in order to maintain regional stability. Otherwise, the Myanmar military could face calamity. Myanmar will not be able to withstand international pressure.

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Thursday, 7 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

A citizen’s appeal GIVEn the deeply divisive and polarised political environment, charged with hatred and hostility, I along with many other citizens of Pakistan, feel deeply appalled at the degradation of our political atmosphere. I appeal to all the political parties and the people of every political persuasion to pause for a moment and to take a step back to reflect on their behaviours. With anger, allegations and animosity, we can neither reach a desirable destination nor build a great nation. In fact, we will end up destroying the only home that we have. I am convinced that we can all work together to restore peace and goodwill in society. We all must come together for the progress and prosperity of our country. Incessant disagreements and breaking away from one another can only lead to irreparable fragmentation. Thus, this is an appeal for peace, sanity and dialogue because it is the only path that can heal and lead Pakistan towards progress and prosperity. NAEEM SADIQ KARACHI

SOP for guesthouse

Russian response to western sanctions: A threat to US hegemony

PairMan Bazai

CCoRdInG to the unfolding affairs, the us hegemonic status seems to be weakened. The influence of the usa is no more the same as it was in the 1990s and early 2000s. after withdrawal from Vietnam (1973), Iraq (2011), syria (2019), and afghanistan (2021), the usa has lost a bit of its influence over the world. similarly, in the Russo-ukraine crisis, the usa tried to deter Russia from the very start when the diplomatic rounds were in the play. The usa and its allies might have never thought that Russia would invade ukraine and the situation would rise to this intensity. West lived in its belief in its power and influence, and tried to deter and entrap Russia economically and continue its expansion eastward in Europe. But the question remains whether the culture of economic sanctions and embargoes works to stop the crisis or if Russia will pay the cost of its offensive foreign policy with pleasure? some analysts believe that the us sanctions undoubtedly will affect the Russian economy. although Russia will manage the economic crisis within the country, it may never compromise strategically in the region and internationally. a renowned analyst who is an assistant professor and co-director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Fletcher school of Tufts university, Chris Miller, analyzed the Russian stance on the the usa and its Western allies on sanctioning Russia in the first round of sanctions, and said, “Will this deter Russia from doing more? I hope the answer is yes, but I’m afraid that the answer is no. If you want to think about sanctions as a deterrent, you have to think about what price the Kremlin would be willing to pay to achieve its goal.” according to him, if Russian policy is to control Kyiv, several billion dollars of imposed sanctions would be a reasonable price for Putin to pay to get the whole of ukraine. hence, it is to be keenly analyzed if the sanctions on Russia are the solution to prompting it to step back from ukraine. To analyze the effectiveness of us economic pressure on Russia, we need to look at the previous five rounds of sanctions and their impacts on Russia till date. In the first round of sanctions on investment in the donetsk People’s

Republic (dnR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LnR) regions of ukraine, imports and exports of goods, services and technological equipment were banned. The nord stream 2 was also intended to be targeted, and Germany was ready to halt the access of Russia to European energy markets. Russian access to the Eu’s capital and the financial market was restricted through different means. 351 members of Russia’s state of duma and 27 high profile additional members voted in favor of recognition of Luhansk and donetsk. The first round of sanctions seemed limited to Western European allies, and the usa announced the second round of sanctions. In this round, two Russian banks, Vnesheconumbank (VEB), Promsvyazbank (PsP) and five Russian oligarchs, were added to special designated nationals and Block Persons (sdn) by the us department of Treasury’s office of Foreign assets Control (oFaC). The goods and their associated services in oil refining, aviation and space sectors were also banned. The individual designations of leaders and army personnel of Russia and Belarus who contributed or benefitted in destabilizing ukraine directly or indirectly were increased to the figure of 680 individuals and 53 entities. The usa has expanded the trade restrictions on financial and capital markets to hit Russian financial institutions. however, Putin has not given any serious concern to these sanctions, so the us and its Western allies contracted the net further and launched the third round. In this round, the us banned transactions with the central banks of Russia and Belarus. They excluded seven Russian banks and all the banks (except three of them) of Belarus from the society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (sWIFT). Three more Russian banks were intended to be excluded, including the sberbank (the third largest banking group in Russia). Russian carriers were prohibited from using the Eu airspace and airports. The broadcasting of Russian channels (Russia Today and sputnik) was also suspended in Eu states. In the fourth round, further restrictions were imposed on transactions with state-owned enterprises, new investments in the energy sector of Russia, and trade restrictions on steel, iron, and luxury goods. despite the four rounds of sanctions, Russia did not step back from its aggressive policy. The Council of the Eu announced the fifth round of sanctions to bolster the economic pressure on the Kremlin. In it, the Eu expanded the restrictions on imports of solid fossil fuel and goods and exports of jet fuel to Russia. It also prohibited Russian access to Eu ports and Russian and Belarusian transport operators’ entry into the Eu. now, the Russian response to Western built economic pressure can give a clear glimpse of whether the subsequent rounds of sanctions are achieving the Western goal or the Russian policies are being moulded towards its strategic and economic requirements accordingly. Is it easy to prompt Russia to back down from her security goals? absolutely not. In his statements to Reuters, President Putin directly addressed the Western sanctions. he banned the

payment of gas and oil purchases in euros and dollars for the countries who imposed or adopted the imposed sanctions against Russia. Meanwhile, refusing the payment in rubles, he cut off the gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria. he imposed investment restrictions and closed Russian airspace to Eu and us airlines. he refused to return more than 400 Russian-based aircraft leased from Western companies worth $10 billion. he restricted imports and exports to the countries that adopted the enforced sanctions against Russia. The competition continues between both sides, and the sixth round of sanctions is ready to be imposed on Russia. Indeed, the Russian economy is in a relative decline because the estimated dependence of its economy on natural resources is around 95 percent. despite that, it is fighting fairly against the international economic gravity by making parallel alliances, institutions, and mechanisms. until now, Russia has been trying to hold her steps strong. during the discussions regarding the sixth round of sanctions by the Eu Council, some countries economically dependent on Russian oil and gas rejected further sanctioning Russia. They also argue that sanctions are not the solution as the whole of Europe is dependent on Russian oil. Eu states have been importing 2.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and 1.2 million barrels per day of oil products from Russia, from which Russia has been earning over s1 million per day. Certainly, Russia would take further measurements eventually and would not give up. The economic strife between Russia and the West is escalating by degrees. The Eu has now come to the final decision to approve the sixth round of sanctions. The Eu council announced that all the 27 nations have agreed to impose an embargo on Russia and halt 90 nperiod of the seaborne imports of crude oil by this year. The three landlocked nations of hungary, slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been allowed to continue imports via the sovietera druzhba pipeline for an indeterminate period. The West is finally ready to exclude the sberbank from the sWIFT that would affect Russia and the Eu. Considering all the unbinding scenarios, one can conclude that the ukraine crisis has unveiled numerous realities. First, Russia seems no longer a victim of the liberal economic trap and knows how and where to respond in order to counter the economic recession and ensure regional security. second, the us hegemony has been challenged amidst the ukraine crisis. Third, the amount of disagreements among the Eu’s 27 member states over decision-making has highlighted the Eu’s disharmony. For example, certain landlocked nations, such as hungary, were divided over whether to approve a ban on Russian oil and gas imports. Finally, in global affairs, states are idiosyncratically opportunistic. Consider how India, one of the Quad’s members, has boosted its energy imports from Russia at low cost, despite the Quad’s vehement opposition to Russia’s invasion of ukraine. The writer is Research Assistant at the Balochistan Think Tank Network, BUITEMS, Quetta.

KEEPInG in view the boom in tourism in GB, everyone is bent on constructing or converting houses into guesthouses to extract maximum money from tourists. It’s ironic that district administration failed to come up with workable soPs for the new emerging setup. Baltistan being a sensitive border area needs special security measures and regulate the guesthouses to keep a record of visitors with complete correct addresses. The construction of guest house in streets not appreciable. It’s disturbing for the residents to carry out their routine work. The complete record should be provided to police station on a monthly basis. The standard and upkeep and corona measures must be ensured. The soPs are required to be developed in such a manner as not to discourage visitors and our traditional norms and moral standards should never be compromised. SHAKIR H SHAMIM SKARDU

Global climate change CLIMaTE change has been a burning and ignored issue. as the world is pulling harder in the means of Information technology on other hand we are losing nature and this globe is getting unusual day by day. There are countless means that are disturbing the climate and due to that life on earth is striving hard to strive. Japan, Philippines, Germany, Madagascar, India, srilanka and Kenya are the most affected countries in the world by climate change respectively. With reference to the recent German report on the long-term global climate risk index presented, Pakistan stands at the 8th position of the most affected countries of the world by climate change but this time Pakistan has also suffered much and for the first time in Pakistan, 50+ temperature has been recorded that is quite threatening. Jacobabad (a city in sindh) has remained the hottest city in the world this time. The major factors that affect the climate are industries, transportation and deforestation. since the industrial revolution, human beings by their industrial activities have produced carbon dioxide in larger amounts. There is a large number of industries, especially in Pakistan but there aren’t the proper means of dealing with the carbon dioxide and it affects the ozone layer due to the temperature rises up. Carbon dioxide would have been absorbed by plants and trees and oxygen is produced but due to deforestation at a larger scale, this cycle has been affected carbon dioxide isn’t absorbed and less oxygen is being produced that’s quit alarming for the globe. The world needs to take this matter seriously and must take an active part in the mission against climate change by planting more and more trees. GHULAM MURTAZA KARACHI

Independent SBP WhY it is important to make the state Bank of Pakistan independent from the perspective of investors? Investors want long term policies that they can easily follow and understand. They want easy exit options and security of their investment. In Pakistan the politicians in power at any time will impose their own individual skills and understanding on financial policies and budgets that every business and investor have to follow. and with politicians in these positions changing every 3-4 years mean that these policies also change quickly and are short term. While in usa the Reserve Bank of america, an independent organization dictates financial policies based on its organisation’s skills and experience. While the politicians have to follow these policies while conducting their own business of running the government. This way the usa has a long term financial policy that is easy to understand, which investors love. But in Pakistan we see regular flight of investment after every 3-4 years. Therefore to ensure financial stability in Pakistan it is important to make the state Bank of Pakistan an independent organisation with systems and procedures to form long term policies through experts for Pakistan. SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER P ENGR PESHAWAR

Populist Trajectory ThE Election Commission of Pakistan is succumbing to popular mode. Taking notice and opening courts at late night to release shireen Mazari, de-seating those who voted against partly line in the no-confidence move and constantly restraining the government not to take action against agitating PTI leaders are a few examples of the populist trajectory. Protection of the rights of the citizen and upholding the Constitution are basic responsibilities of the state and the PTI has the right to peaceful protest. But putting pressure on the very nascent collation government within days and months of its formation by PTI is unjustified. What about the rights of faceless millions whose rights are trampled on a daily basis? Why are apex courts not ensuring the right to education (article 25-a), right to education, right to safe drinking water, right to health etc? Furthermore, by protecting the rights of a few privileged PTI ilk, the rights of the poorest millions are endangered. Inflation and unemployment have been aggravated during PTI tenure which has broken the back of the lower class. GULSHER PANHWER JOHI

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Thursday, 7 July, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

Boris Johnson’s reign is as good as over “YOU HAVE SAT TOO LONG HERE FOR ANY GOOD YOU HAVE BEEN DOING”

sydney Morning Herald Rob HARRIs

OrIS Johnson’s premiership is in free-fall, and it is now a case of when, not if, he leaves Downing Street with his suitcase, wife Carrie, two small children and rescue dog Dilyn in tow. His authority has evaporated, and even his staunchest supporters can no longer abide Johnson’s lack of fundamental values or integrity. He may last a day, a week or even a month. But his reign is over. Johnson has been prime minister for 1077 days – bringing him almost level with Neville Chamberlain’s 1078 days in office. It’s a comparison he would not take kindly to, although one backbench MP recently referenced the wartime leader when calling on Johnson to quit by repeating the lines Tory MP Leo Amery once said to Chamberlain. “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing,” former trade secretary David Davis said, himself quoting Cromwell. “Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.” Too much of Johnson’s past year has been engulfed in a bonfire of sleaze, blame shifting, lies and deception. The final straw for his now former chancellor rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid – the prime minister’s deceit over the promotion of a man he knew had a history of drunken sexual harassment to deputy chief whip – was ultimately part of a wider pattern. Confronted with a problem that appeared to reflect

badly on his judgment, once again Johnson sought to cover up and conceal in an attempt to avoid confronting the situation. All Johnson’s missteps have basically been the same offence: a complete disregard for the ethics that come with his office. Highlights from Boris Johnson’s political career. Chris Pincher resigned from his role as deputy chief whip last Thursday, after allegations emerged that he had sexually assaulted two men while “incredibly drunk” at the private Carlton Club in central London. In the days following Johnson was accused of having turned a blind eye to the claims. A former senior civil servant earlier this week accused Johnson of “still not telling the truth” about allegations of inappropriate behaviour, claiming Johnson was notified “in person” about a formal complaint against Pincher in 2019. In the end, Johnson could not even deny claims from his former top aide, Dominic Cummings, that the PM once even referred to him as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” long before appointing him in February. The prime minister’s tenure is now so comical that even Neil Parish, forced to quit as a Tory MP two months ago for “accidentally” stumbling across pornography on his mobile phone in the House of Commons while supposedly searching for tractors, appeared on radio to give Johnson a lecture on moral standards. The dramatic resignation letters on Tuesday evening of two of the top men who sit alongside Johnson in cabinet were telling. Sunak cited economic differences, suggesting that Johnson was no longer prepared to take hard decisions essential to combat inflation. But both he and the health secretary primarily stressed the collapse of fundamental values. Javid, widely viewed as a potential successor, wrote that “the British people also rightly expect integrity from their government”. The Tories, he wrote, need to be competent and acting in the national interest, but “the public are concluding that we are now neither”. Sunak added that standards are “worth fighting

“DEPART, I SAY, AND LET US HAVE DONE WITH YOU. IN THE NAME OF GOD, GO” for”. Following on from Oliver Dowden’s resignation as party chair with the words “somebody must take responsibility”, the resignations suggest the mainstream of the party has had enough. Other ministers started to resign as London woke on Wednesday. The latest, Will Quince, the minister for children and families, who wrote on Twitter that assurances he had received from Johnson the night before turned out to be inaccurate. Finally, and rather dramatically, it is all falling apart. After the ongoing scandal of the so-called partygate affair, where life inside Downing Street during COvID was revealed to include drunken gatherings, fisticuffs, vomiting and red wine stains left on the walls, it appeared his days were numbered. Things were so warped that even the senior figure responsible for ethics and propriety provided a karaoke machine for a party. Johnson has survived scandal time and time again – in politics and in high office – but he has now lost the confidence of at least half the Tory backbenchers and many ministers. It is clear that Johnson’s instinct will be to hold on. He has scrambled to replace his two senior colleagues, reportedly yielding to ultimatums and demands of others who threaten to follow them out the door. And without a change to the leadership election rules, there is no formal lever to force Johnson out. His political death might take a while. Under existing party rules he technically has 11 months to turn it round since beating a no-confidence vote last month. But it is not clear what he can offer his MPs as a reason for keeping him. Others in cabinet have pledged their loyalty publicly – perhaps knowing they mightn’t survive a change of leadership. But if more follow in days to come, he will have no choice but to step aside. Johnson’s constant lies have finally caught up with him and left him with nowhere to go. Rob Harris is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

sena’s new avatar Dynastic politics in decline, parties need to look beyond families Tribune

ver since the Shiv Sena’s inception in 1966, its name has been synonymous with the Thackerays. However, a decade after the death of its founder and tallest leader Bal Thackeray, winds of change have swept the once-powerful family to the sidelines. The Thackerays had managed to retain their hold despite the 2005 exit of former Maharashtra CM Narayan rane and Balasaheb’s nephew raj Thackeray, but the recent revolt by eknath Shinde — which led to his elevation as CM — seems to have caused irreparable damage to the dynasty. Shinde has claimed that the rebellion was a fallout of the ‘unfair treatment’ meted out to him, a poor reflection on the leadership of ousted CM Uddhav Thackeray. The latter, Bal Thackeray’s youngest son, has accused the BJP of plotting to finish off his party, but he needs to delve into his own lapses that Shinde capitalised on to win over most of the Sena MLAs. Dynastic politics, termed by PM Modi as a threat to democracy, is in decline across the country. Two grand old parties, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, both ruled by families, find themselves at the crossroads after a series of electoral losses. A rare exception is the Biju Janata Dal, whose current chief, five-time Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, has proved to be a brilliant administrator and a worthy legatee of his father, Biju Patnaik. Back in the late 1980s, it was MGr’s political heir J Jayalalithaa who had eclipsed his widow Janaki in the fiercely fought battle for succession in Tamil Nadu. even as Uddhav struggles to keep the Thackerays politically relevant, the message to all dynasty-centric parties is loud and clear: reinvent yourselves to regain the trust of the masses. Their family fixation has given the BJP enough ammunition to accuse them of depriving commoners of opportunities to occupy top posts. The nomination of tribal leader Droupadi Murmu as the presidential candidate is in sync with the BJP’s policy of rewarding those who have risen through the ranks. At the end of the day, it’s the track record that should invariably count, not the DNA or a sense of entitlement.

Big tech should ban invasive tiktok

FederalisT HELEN RALEIGH

reNDAN Carr, one of the commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission, is urging U.S. big tech companies to ban the popular Chinese app, TikTok, from their app stores due to data security concerns. Carr made his case in a letter addressed to Apple Chief executive Officer Tim Cook and Alphabet CeO Sundar Pichai. Carr shared a copy of his letter in a tweet, stating, “TikTok is not just another video app. That’s the sheep’s clothing. It harvests swaths of sensitive data that new reports show are being accessed in Beijing. I’ve called on @Apple & @Google to remove TikTok from their app stores for its pattern of surreptitious data practices.” TikTok, a popular app for creating short, looping videos, is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet company. Since it debuted in China under the name “Douyin” in 2016, TikTok has experienced phenomenal growth globally. It claims more than 1 billion users worldwide and is especially popular among young people aged 16-24. In the United States, the app is used by about 80 million Americans every month. TikTok collects an enormous amount of data on its users, including IP addresses, browsing history, and biometric information. According to China’s national intelligence law, all Chinese tech companies must turn over any data they collect if the government demands it. researchers have raised serious privacy and data security concerns about TikTok for years. ByteDance claims that U.S. user data is safe because it is stored on U.S. soil, with a backup center in Singapore. ByteDance argues its data centers’ location ensures that neither the company’s Chinese employees nor the Chinese government have access to U.S. user data. CHINA SEES EVERYTHING: But a recent BuzzFeed News report, based on leaked internal TikTok meetings, shows that ByteDance’s Chinese employees have repeatedly accessed nonpublic U.S. user data. One employee of TikTok’s trust and safety department said in a September 2021 meeting that “everything is seen in China.” In another leaked phone call, a TikTok director referred to one Beijing-based engineer as a “master admin”

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS CHOSEN TO COURT TOP TIKTOK INFLUENCERS TO WIN SUPPORT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION’S POLICIES. THE ADMINISTRATION INVITED A TIKTOK INFLUENCER TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO CONVINCE YOUNGER AMERICANS TO GET VACCINATED, WORKED WITH TOP TIKTOK INFLUENCERS TO PROMOTE BIDEN’S INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN LAST YEAR, AND BRIEFED TOP INFLUENCERS ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE THIS YEAR who “has access to everything.” Meanwhile, TikTok’s U.S. staff “did not have permission or knowledge of how to access the data on their own.” BuzzFeed points to these leaked phone calls as evidence that ByteDance “may have misled lawmakers, its users, and the public by downplaying that data stored in the US could still be accessed by employees in China.” In his letter to Apple and Google, Carr referred to the BuzzFeed report as the latest evidence that TikTok “is not what it appears to be on the surface..” Carr stated that TikTok “poses an unacceptable national security risk” due to its data harvesting and Beijing’s “unchecked access” to that data. One analyst has warned that the information TikTok collects today might assist China’s intelligence agencies in blackmailing Americans in the future. APP’S INVASIVE MINING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION: Besides the BuzzFeed report, Carr gave a list of TikTok’s other concerning data practices. For example, in 2019, TikTok paid a $5.7 million fine to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for illegally “collecting and exposing locations of young children, as well as failing to delete information on underage children when instructed to do so.” In 2020, TikTok reportedly took advantage of an iPhone system loophole, enabling the app to access user data, including passwords and cryptocurrency wallet addresses. A year later, TikTok agreed to pay $92 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the app had transferred a “vast quantity of private and personally identifiable user data” to China. Carr said these examples were evidence that TikTok’s pattern of conduct and misrepresentation “put it out of compliance” with Apple and Google app stores’ policies that are supposed to protect consumer privacy and safeguard their data. Therefore, he requested both Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores. If the companies reject his request, Carr asked them to provide explanations by July 8. EVEN MORE CONCERNS: Carr’s letter was powerful, but it didn’t go far enough. Carr only addressed the

data security and privacy concerns, but researchers and human rights activists have voiced other concerns about TikTok and its parent company ByteDance for years. An investigative report by The Wall Street Journal found that TikTok has one of the most powerful algorithms among all social media companies. Some researchers have worried that Beijing would utilize such powerful algorithms to spread its propaganda, influence Americans’ thinking, and shape public opinion in the United States. Ben Thompson, a Taiwan-based analyst, warned, “How much of a leap is it to think that a Party committed to ideological dominance will forever leave a route directly into the hearts and minds of millions of Americans untouched?” An example he gave is that “TikTok could promote a particular candidate or a particular issue in a particular geography, without anyone — except perhaps the candidate, now indebted to a Chinese company — knowing.” We have already witnessed how TikTok tried to influence public opinion this year. The app was full of videos supporting russia’s narrative after russia invaded Ukraine. Given China and russia’s alliance, such a Chinese and russia propaganda campaign through a Chinese app shouldn’t be a surprise. MANY INSTITUTIONS BAN TIKTOK: Given all these concerns about TikTok, Carr’s request of Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores is reasonable and not unprecedented. In 2020, India banned more than 100 Chinese apps, including TikTok, claiming these Chinese apps were “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting user data in an unauthorized manner.” Multiple U.S. military branches barred members from downloading the app onto their government-issued smartphones and tablets. Some private businesses, such as Wells Fargo, also blocked their employees from downloading the app onto their company-issued devices. Former President Trump threatened to ban TikTok in the United States through an executive order, which compelled ByteDance to start negotiating with American companies, including Microsoft and Oracle, about the

APPLE AND GOOGLE SHOULD COMPLY WITH BRENDAN CARR’S REQUEST AND REMOVE TIKTOK FROM THEIR APP STORES IMMEDIATELY

possibility of divesting some of TikTok’s U.S. operations. However, shortly after President Joe Biden came into office, he revoked Trump’s order, and ByteDance quickly shelved its U.S. operation’s divesting plan. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S WRONG APPROACH: Ignoring the various risks TikTok poses, the Biden administration has chosen to court top TikTok influencers to win support for the administration’s policies. The administration invited a TikTok influencer to the White House to convince younger Americans to get vaccinated, worked with top TikTok influencers to promote Biden’s infrastructure plan last year, and briefed top influencers on the war in Ukraine this year. After russia invaded Ukraine, rT America, a russian state-sponsored network, ceased operation after being banned by major U.S. distributors. American people ought to ask the Biden administration and our big tech companies: if we don’t think the russian propaganda machine should operate in the United States, why should we let the Chinese government’s propaganda tool operate unrestrictedly here? Apple and Google should comply with Carr’s request and remove TikTok from their app store immediately. As for the Biden administration, rather than courting TikTok influencers, it should make ByteDance divest TikTok’s U.S. operation to an American company right away. If ByteDance refuses, the administration must ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. As analyst Thompson wrote, “If China is on the offensive against liberalism not only within its borders but within ours, it is in liberalism’s interest to cut off a vector that has taken root precisely because it is so brilliantly engineered to give humans exactly what they want.” Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She’s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Helen is the author of several books, including “Confucius Never Said” and “Backlash: How Communist China’s Aggression Has Backfired.

Thursday, 7 July, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS corporate corner

SECP warnS of rEgulaTory aCTIon If faIr PraCTICES noT adoPTEd In dIgITal lEndIng islamabad

Population Services International, Pakistan in collaboration with National Incubation Center, Karachi hosted second iteration of Make Space Hackathon. pr

SngPl declares historic profit before tax for fy 2020-21 During the year ended June 30, 2021, SNGPL has earned profit before tax of Rs. 15.84 billion, profit after tax of Rs. 10.99 billion and EPS of Rs. 17.32 as compared to profit before tax of Rs. 8.42 billion, profit after tax of Rs. 5.99 billion and EPS of Rs. 9.46 during the corresponding period of last year. Based on the declared profit, the Company has proposed a final cash dividend of 50% (in addition of interim cash dividend at the rate of Rs. 2.00 per share of Rs. 10/- each i.e. 20% already paid) for FY 2020-21. some of the significant factors which helped the Company achieve the results are set out below: a) Decrease in UFG percentage from 12.32% to 8.60% reducing UFG disallowance from Rs. 11.7 billion in FY 2019-20 to Rs 3.4 billion during the year ended June 30, 2021. The substantial reduction in UFG was made possible due to concerted efforts of the Board and the Management in setting an ambitious target for UFG reduction and achieving tangible results in respect of them. b) Re-negotiation of finance costs on the borrowing facilities coupled with reduction in interest rates by SBP helped Company reduce the finance cost by over Rs 8 billion. pr

Mastercard partners with Bank alfalah to accelerate E commerce across Pakistan

Mastercard has announced a strategic partnership with Bank Alfalah, which will see the bank’s online payment gateway infrastructure accept a wider array of cards, including the ability to make China Union Pay online payments in the market for the first time. The technology leader will power more than 13 million cards across Pakistan through the -capabilities of its Mastercard Payment Gateway Services. pr

Islamabad Capital Police to take strict action against route violators Islamabad: Islamabad Capital Police (ICTP) has decided to take stern action against public service vehicles involved in non-completion of routes, misbehavior with passengers and overloading. "Strict action will be taken against those transporters violating traffic routes. The purpose is to provide better traffic facilities to the citizen," while reviewing special report submitted by the Special Squads constituted for checking of route completion. According to details ICTP is utilizing all resources to facilitate the general public and not only issuing traffic violation tickets to the PSVs for overcharging, misbehavior of driver/conductor and incompletion of route but also canceling the driving license of the PSVs drivers who found repeatedly involved in same violation. pr

Staff report

HE Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has cautioned digital lending NBFCs of regulatory intervention, if full disclosure and fair business practices are not ensured by the industry as a whole. SECP called a zoom meeting of the chief executives of NBFCs engaged in digital lending to discuss recent media reports about exorbitant interest rates, inadequate disclosures, and coercive

collection practices, purportedly being resorted to by lending platforms. During the meeting, SECP advised the digital lending NBFCs to adopt best lending practices, ensure full disclosures and fair treatment of borrowers, avoid excessive pricing, deploy a robust complaint resolution mechanism, and ensure privacy protection and data security. The lenders were informed that SECP does not want to stifle this nascent industry with excessive regulatory burden, but would expect the industry to itself practice caution and develop standards that

protect borrowers through adequate disclosure. The representative of NBFCs shared their concerns, chief among which was the existence of a large number of unregulated entities operating in the digital lending sector. The attendees shared that these unlicensed and unauthorized apps are engaged in bringing the regulated sector into disrepute. They were informed that the SECP has already taken cognizance and very soon, in collaboration with other regulators and law enforcement agencies,

strict action will be taken against these illegal platforms. The representatives of NBFCs also shared that even some licensed NBFCs were approached for subletting their license, an offer which the industry participants have rejected. The NBFCs also informed SECP that despite the incidents of complaints in social media, the overall number of these complaints are a very small fraction compared to total number of loans extended by these digital lenders. They said that the number of satisfied customers was much larger in comparison to the unhappy customers.

Engro Polymer & Chemicals, UET Lahore partner for industry-academia linkage

Karachi pr

Engro Polymer & Chemicals (EPCL), a subsidiary of Engro Corporation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the prestigious University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Lahore, to strengthen industryacademia linkage through cooperation in research and innovation along with professional development opportunities for students. The MoU was signed by Jahangir Piracha (CEO of EPCL) and

Professor Dr. Syed Mansoor Sarwar (Vice Chancellor, UET Lahore), in the presence of officials of both institutions, and Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association representatives Haroon Ali Khan (Sr. Vice Chairman) and Abrar Ahmed (Vice President). Under the agreement, EPCL and UET will jointly undertake research and development initiatives at the well-equipped testing facilities of the institute’s Polymer & Process engineering faculty. This partnership will enable quantitative advancements to

EPCL's PVC production process and the Quality function. It will also enhance the knowledge base and availability of technical experts for EPCL’s Techno-Commercial functions. Using these facilities, EPCL may also provide technical and management consultancy, and advisory services, to PVC finished goods manufacturers for optimized performance and innovative solutions. For capability enhancement of UET students and faculty, EPCL will also assist students with pragmatic final year projects, will collaborate with the UET to develop and improve its curriculum, including subject matter specific to polymer industries, to ensure its alignment with the industry needs. According to Jahangir Piracha, CEO of EPCL, “We are continuously striving to introduce new market development and awareness initiatives that enhance sustainability in the construction sector. This strategic alliance with the UET has been envisioned to promote research and development in Pakistan so that the polymer sector can evolve with innovation.

Self-suﬃciency in agriculture foremost goal. PARC chairman islamabad pr

Addressing to a ceremony organized by employees association of PARC (EAPARC) held at NARC Auditorium in the honor of Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali Chairman PARC on his retirement from PARC service, he said that owing to the hard-work of these scientists Pakistan is now self -sufficient in major food crops like wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize etc. Our scientists are always ready to take any challenge faced by the agricultural sector in Pakistan. Dy. Director General NARC, Dr. Shahzad Asad, Secretary PARC Muhammad Ishaq including a large number of PARC’s scientists / employees were also present on the occasion. Speaking in the event, Deputy Director Gen-

eral NARC Dr. Shahzad Asad expressed that under the patronage and leadership of Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, PARC has played its outstanding role in agricultural research and development. Together with the scientists of PARC, we will be engaged in achieving the agricultural goals of the country under modern agricultural research techniques so that the country can achieve the level of R&D at par with international research organizations. The

President of EAPARC Mr. Liaqat Ali Wahla assured that the association along-with scientists will continue its efforts to promote the scientific research and disseminate knowledge at farm gate. He also paid vote of thanks to the Chairman PARC and Senior Management for promoting employees of PARC as a token of encouragement so that they can play their role for achieving PARC’s mandated functions as an apex research organization.

Tree Plantation commences at IIuI A tree plantation campaign at the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) commenced here at the new campus on Wednesday that was inaugurated by Vice President Administration and Finance, Prof. Dr. N.B. Jumani by planting a sapling. As many as 15000 plant saplings of indigenous fruit trees, flowering trees and other plants of medicinal and economic value will be planted in the new campus. IIU Clean & Green Program was initiated by Ecology & Biodiversity Laboratory of Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences (FBAS) along with IIU Horticulture Section in collaboration and sponsorship by Environment and Mangrove Protection “SEMP” and Standard Chartered Bank “SCB”. On the occasion, Dr. N.B Jumani said there is a dire need to address the environment related issues and we must be among the forward ranks to plant sapling to save nature. He urged the entire team of Department of Environmental Science and IIUI community to be active to plant indigenous fruit trees, flowering trees and other plants of medicinal and economic value. He also appreciated the enthusiasm about the current campaign “IIUI Clean & Green” of the Department of Environmental Science and emphasized that all of us should participate in this mega campaign to make Clean and Green Pakistan. On the Occasion, Dean Faculty of Basic and Applied sciences and a known expert on Environment and climate, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Irfan said that trees are important as they purify the climate. He said emerging trends of urbanization are contributing to pollution, and we need to revisit our priorities about climate. He said plantation is a sacred cause which is encouraged by Islam and it also keeps benefiting the humanity for decades. Dr. Kanwal Nazim, President, SEMP and Mr. Owais Lali, head of supply chain, Standard Chartered Bank along with their team participated in the inaugural ceremony while they remained present in the plantation drive at New Campus and during the inaugural ceremony spoke about the importance of environment and tree plantation to safeguard the environment. InCharge, Department of Environmental Science, Female Campus, Dr. Maria Ali was also present in the inaugural ceremony. Former Chairman, DES, Dr. Muhammad Ibrar ShinwarI, Associate Professor, In-Charge, Ecology & Biodiversity Lab elaborated the past experience of tree plantation and its success at IIUI. He hailed the donations and also appreciated the recent cooperation by Environment and Mangrove Protection “SEMP” and Standard Chartered Bank “SCB”. pr

Beaconhouse signs MoU with Pearson-Edexcel for provision of assessment services, international academic qualifications lahOrE pr

Pearson-Edexcel and Beaconhouse School System, Pakistan’s largest network of private educational institutions, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the provision of assessment services and international academic qualifications to support students’ learning by offering world class qualifications. The MoU signing ceremony was

held here on Wednesday at a local hotel, and was signed by Kasim Kasuri, Chief Executive (CE) Beaconhouse, and Emma Whale, Vice President, Pearson Schools Qualifications. The ceremony was attended by the senior leadership team from both organizations, including Premila Paulraj, Director Employability & Qualifications, Pearson South Asia, and Ali Ahmed Khan, Chief Operating Officer Beaconhouse. Under the MoU, Pearson will facilitate the digital transformation re-

quired for the International GCSE examinations to be conducted onscreen and online, along with mock exams via the Mocks Service, marked by Pearson examiners. Beaconhouse will initially be offering Pearson Edexcel International GCSE qualifications at three branches and will later expand to other branches. In addition to this, Pearson will also offer course preparation e-books to students in all available subjects, as well as online teacher training courses to pre-

pare teachers for the relevant Pearson Edexcel exam syllabus. Speaking at the signing ceremony, CE Beaconhouse, Kasim Kasuri stated, “At Beaconhouse, we have always strived to go the extra mile to bring better academic opportunities for our students. I congratulate my team at Beaconhouse and everyone at Pearson Education for this partnership and am confident that this joint effort will be fruitful for further educational excellence at Beaconhouse.”

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Shan MaSood winS PCa Player of the Month award again

Agencies

He Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has once again picked Shan Masood as PCA player of the month for his mesmerizing form in the english County 2022. Shan had previously won this

award in the month of April and this will be the second time the left-hander will be awarded the trophy. The left-hander is currently representing Derbyshire in the ongoing County Championship and he became the first batter to cross the 1,000-run mark during the 2022 season. In doing so, Shan also picked up three MVP

awards as well. Shan expressed his delight after being named the player of the month once again, claiming that consistency is one of the most important traits to have as a cricketer. “The most important requirement of the game is consistency. The game is fast and evolving. People pick up on opposition

and they catch you out so there is no time to fall asleep so you always have evolved,” said Shan. “To back up my early season form and win the award again shows the levels of consistency.” Masood has maintained superb form in the ongoing County Championship, leading the competition’s two divisions with

1,074 runs at an average of 82.74, including three centuries and four fifties. It is worth adding that although the 32year-old was named in Pakistan’s Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka, it remains to be seen who will open for Pakistan as Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq have also been in form.

Afridi to feature in second season of KPL despite injury Agencies Pakistan cricket superstar Shahid Afridi has joined the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) franchise Jammu Janbaz for the second edition of the tournament, which is scheduled for August this year. Shahid Afridi’s last season in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was cut short due to an

injury as the all-rounder withdrew midway through the HBL PSL 7. However, the fan-favorite cricketer is back in action as he will be representing Jammu Janbaz during the second edition of KPL. Speaking about his injuries and physical condition, Afridi said: “I can still play league cricket but doctors have advised surgery but I’m try-

ing to recover back pain through exercise. I can’t play complete Kashmir Premier League due to fitness but definitely will play a couple of matches representing Jammu Janbaz.” After joining the franchise, the all-rounder claimed that he does not need any farewell match as the support of the entire nation is enough for him.

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Thursday, 7 July, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:10

1:30

5:15

5:00

7:08

9:15

ThIEvES caN’T wIN EvEN wITh uMPIRES’ SuPPORT, SayS IMRaN SAHIWAL staff report

ORMER prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan declared on Wednesday that “even with the support of the umpires” thieves cannot win by-elections in Punjab scheduled to take place on July 17. Addressing a public gathering in Sahiwal, Imran Khan expressed his gratitude to the participants for coming in large numbers to the public gathering despite heavy rain and accumulated water in the avenue. The former prime minister said the politics of turncoats has been exposed, adding that ‘lootas’ have joined Asif Ali Zardari and Sharifs for the lust for power and money. Lashing out at his political opponents, Khan said Asif Ali Zardari

Rupee weakens against dollar, closes at 207.9 The Pakistani rupee depreciated by Rs1.06 against the US dollar during interbank trading on Wednesday, closing at Rs207.99 against the previous day’s closing of Rs206.93. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of the dollar in the open market was recorded at Rs206 and Rs209.5, respectively. Similarly, the price of euro decreased by Rs1.45, closing at Rs213.36 against the previous day’s closing of Rs 214.81. The Japanese Yen gained one paisa to close at Rs1.53, whereas a decrease of 91 paisas was witnessed in the exchange rate of the British pound, which was traded at Rs248.96 as compared to its last closing of Rs 249.87. The exchange rates of Emirates Dirham and Saudi Riyal increased by 29 paisas to close at Rs56.62 and Rs55.40, respectively. Earlier on Tuesday, the rupee depreciated by Rs2.37 against the US dollar in the interbank market, closing at Rs206.94 against the previous day’s closing of Rs204.56. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of dollars in the open market were recorded at Rs205.5 and Rs208, respectively. The local currency had closed at a three-week high of Rs204.56 against the greenback on Monday. app

National Bank to launch online system for govt payments ISLAMABAD: The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), on the directive of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, will launch an online system for citizens who will be able to make government payments without incurring any additional charges. In this regard, the PM’s Head of Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi on Wednesday said that the system will start working soon after Eidul Azha. Sufi said that NBP’s president had been given instructions and efforts were afoot to transfer all government payments to the online system within six months. He said an efficient online system which consumers can use to make timely payments without having to pay extra was significant for a cashless economy. “Such a step will prove a milestone in promoting a cashless economy,” he added. staff report

and the Sharif family are only concerned with their wealth they have amassed through corruption and have nothing to do with the public or their interest. He also reiterated his claim that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is trying to ensure the victory of the “imported govt.” “Even if empires are with you, people will defeat you,” Imran Khan said in his message to the political opponents. Imran Khan asked the masses to check voter lists ahead of by-elections to 20 seats of the Punjab Assembly. He reiterated his party’s resolve to win all the 20 seats on July 17. Paying rich tributes to the journalists for standing with truth, he said the government is pressuring the journalists and those who are raising their voice for the country are being booked in fake cases.

IMF advises Pakistan to maintain flexibility in exchange rate ISLAMABAD staff report

Resident Representative IMF in Pakistan Esther Perez Ruiz has said that to realise the export potential, Pakistan needs proactive policies such as exchange rate flexibility, efficient allocation of resources, elimination of subsidies and the creation of a business conducive environment in the country. The Fund’s resident representative was addressing an event “Trade Connectivity” organised by the Economic Advisory Group (EAG) and Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Pakistan. While stating that tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, such as putting restrictions on import, impose serious constraints on growth and sustainability, Perez emphasised that Pakistan should eliminate subsidies besides creating a business conducive environment in the country. Perez said that Pakistan’s exports to GDP reduced from 14% in 1990 to 10% in the 2000s while the country’s per capita GDP growth is very slow compared with its regional competitors. Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar acknowledged the importance of free markets and their role in promoting growth. He agreed that export-led growth is the real aim of Pakistan and free trade will be imperative in this regard. He said the recent import ban was not a well-thought ini-

tiative taken by the government but it was aimed at temporary restraint of import while the uncertain political environment in the country has also further slowed down economic activity. However, the promotion of exports by tapping into new markets, and increasing the export basket by reducing the trade barriers is the ultimate way forward. EAG Chairman Syed Javed Hassan opined that EAG’s Book ‘Trade Connectivity’ looks at the practical aspects of trade and why Pakistan urgently needs to enhance connectivity and thereby intra-regional trade, and also become a trading hub for trade beyond the region. Associate Professor of Economics at LUMS Dr Ali Hasanain said, “Creating and expanding gains from trade is at

the heart of how economies grow. EAG’s book and today’s event are attempts to focus attention on these issues, and provide a compact overview of major issues currently holding Pakistan’s international trade down amongst the least trading nations of the world”. Assistant Professor of Economics at IBA Dr Aadil Nakhoda emphasised Pakistan’s need to make significant strides in participating in global value chains. “The current situation is dire. However, there are opportunities if Pakistan undertakes regional trade agreements, reduces tariffs, focuses on improving the quality of products through technical non-tariff measures (NTMs) and attracts FDI in the manufacturing sectors,” he said.

SBP extends online portal to EMIs, PSOs and PSPs KARACHI staff report

In order to promote digitalization and encourage ecofriendly practices, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has developed online portal called SBP Regulatory Approval System (RAS) to enable regulated entities i.e. banks, electronic money institutions, payment system operators, payment service providers etc. to submit proposals and receive regulatory decisions digitally. Previously, SBP implemented RAS for its various functions aimed at end-to-end digitalization, whereby banks were enabled to electronically submit cases related to banking policy & regulations and exchange policy. With the launch of RAS banks, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Microfinance Banks (MFBs) started submitting their request letters/ proposals on a dedicated online portal to SBP’s banking policy and regulations department. Earlier in October 2020, SBP launched the SBP FX RAS for end-to-end digitization of Foreign Exchange (FX) related case submission process. The objective of this initiative was to provide a fully digitalized platform to the business community and individuals in approaching banks for their foreign exchange related requests. The system turned out to be a huge success as it enabled the customers to lodge their FX related requests from the location of their convenience and also enabled banks to submit FX related cases electronically for regulatory approval of SBP and SBP-Banking Services Corporation (BSC). In a similar vein, RAS for payment systems policy and oversight is being rolled out for industry-wide implementation. RAS will make submission of requests and proposals by regulated entities efficient, easy to track and paperless. Moreover, it will also allow the dissemination of regulatory decisions to regulated entities electronically through RAS portal. RAS will run in parallel with manual i.e. conventional mode of case submissions for a period of a month and a half whereby regulated entities will continue to submit cases manually as well as digitally through RAS. To facilitate users of RAS, a service help desk has also been set up where complaints regarding business and technical aspects of RAS may be lodged. A desk user manual has been prepared to help users navigate through service desk. This will allow SBP to identify and address potential issues that may arise during live operations. The move is expected to create trust and allow regulated entities to get used to the new system.

ECP notifies five PTI members on reserved seats of Punjab Assembly ISLAMABAD staff report

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday notified PTI members on five reserved seats in Punjab in line with the directions of the Lahore High Court (LHC). “The ECP is pleased to declare — Habkook Rafiq Babbu and Samuel Yaqoob — as returned candidates on seats reserved for non-Muslims in the provincial assembly of Punjab, which fell vacant due to de-notification of Ijaz Masih and Haroon Imran Gill vide ECP’s Notification No. F. 17(2)/2022Cord. (3) dated May 23, 2022,” the statement read. Meanwhile, the election commission also declared Batool Zain, Saira Raza, and

Fouzia Abbas Naseem as returned candidates on the seats reserved for women in the provincial assembly of Punjab, which fell vacant due to the de-notification of Uzma Kardar, Aisah Nawaz, and Sajida Yousaf, respectively. On June 27, the LHC directed the ECP to notify the members to the Punjab Assembly’s reserved seats after accepting a plea registered by the PTI. The PTI had approached the LHC against the ECP’s decision deferring the issuance of a notification on the reserved assembly seats till the by-elections on 20 vacant seats were over. The Punjab Assembly has a total of 371 members, of which 20 seats are vacant at the moment and are up for re-polling on July 17.

This brings the total number of MPAs in the Punjab Assembly down to 351. The ruling PML-N has the majority of 165 members. However, four of its MPAs had previously rebelled against the party leadership, of which two are still undecided about staying with the PML-N. This leaves the PML-N with only 163 MPAs. On the other side is the Opposition, therefore the PTI, which is 158 MPAs strong at the moment. But if allotted the five reserved seats after the orders of the LHC, the PTI will also bring up its numbers to 163. In the House, there are five independents, of which Chaudhry Nisar, the former interior minister, is unlikely to vote. While the PPP has 7 MPAs, PML-Q has 10 and the Rah-e-Haq party has one.

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