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Sunday, 17 July, 2022 I 17 Zil Hajj, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 376 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Punjab heads to by-Polls amid rigging, violence fears g

eCP SeTS uP CoNTRoL CeNTReS IN ISLAMABAd, LAHoRe To MoNIToR PoLLINg SITuATIoN

Islamabad/laHORE

saleem jadoon

ITH Punjab hours away from the make-or-break by-polls on Sunday, the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) announced to have set up special control rooms at central and provincial levels to monitor election on 20 seats of the provincial legislative assembly. According to the agency, the control

ARMy, RANgeRS, FC dePLoyed To ‘ASSIST’ 52,000-STRoNg PoLICe

rooms will continue working till compilation of polling results. Returning officers (Ros), respective deputy commissioners (dCs), representatives of police, Rangers and Pakistan Army personnel will be present in the control rooms to deal with any untoward situation. The control rooms will promptly resolve any election-related complaints which could be registered in the central control room established in Islamabad by calling on dedicated helplines 051-9210837, 051-

9204403, 051-9204402, and 051-9210838. “The complaint can also be communicated through fax number 051-9204404 and email ddmonitoringisb@gmail.com,” the commission shared. The provincial control room in Lahore could be contacted at landline 04299212620, 042-99212209 and by email at pecpunjabcontrolroom@gmail.com. Rangers, Pakistan Army and Frontier Constabulary personnel will be deployed in Punjab. The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan to review the security measures ahead of the elections. The meeting was attended by the officials of the Ministry of Interior and security agencies. The participants reviewed the law and order situation during the by-elections and also reviewed the letter of Chief election Commissioner (CeC) Sikandar Raja Sultan regarding the deployment of forces in “sensitive constituencies”. during the meeting, the participants expressed satisfaction with the security measures in the constituencies. Meanwhile, the meeting has imposed a ban on the display and possession of arms in Punjab and Sindh. A special control room will be set up at the Interior Ministry on July 16 and 17.

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By-election in Punjab to bury PTI narrative, politics: Marriyum Islamabad staff report

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said that byelections in Punjab would bury the narrative and politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “Today, Imran Khan admitted his defeat in his speech, the way Imran Khan was talking, it seemed that his language and mind were not under his control, and this only happens when a person is scared, defeated, rejected and failed,” she said while addressing a press conference here. Taking a dig at the PTI chairman, she said Imran Khan was fully aware that these four things were in him, he had been rejected and failed, he had already lost the crucial by-election.” “The people of Punjab have

declared war against the unemployment, inflation and economic destruction caused by Imran Khan who has given nothing but pain to the people in the country during four years”, she maintained. She said that Imran Khan made all out efforts to push the country into a Sri Lanka like economic crisis. In the by-elections, the party will emerge victorious which always brought Pakistan out of economic crises and led it towards economic stability, she said. The PML-N took steps to reduce inflation by taking people out of record inflation, and it was the only party that could overcome loadshedding and it freed the country from the scourge of terrorism, broke the back of the terrorists and restored the peace.

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Lot of work to be done to save country from bankruptcy, says Miftah Islamabad staff report

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has said that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to save Pakistan from bankruptcy. Miftah Ismail along with the Minister for information and broadcasting held a press conference and said that Pakistan

is still at the fourth or fifth place among the countries prone to bankruptcy, so there is still a lot of work to be done to save the country from bankruptcy. I can say with certainty that good days have come for Pakistan, but we all have to work together now, adding that he said we will reduce the inflation. Miftah also said that the reason for

the country’s economic problems is not only the subsidy on petrol by the PTI government, but the continuation of their 4year policies as there was a deficit of 5,100 billion rupees in the last year. The finance minister also said that Imran Khan increased the debt of the country by Rs20,000 billion in just 4 years. The country had a debt of Rs25,000

billion in 71 years while the debt of the country increased by Rs20,000 billion in the 4 years of Imran Khan. Miftah Ismail said that the record budget deficit increased in the PTI government due to which the current account deficit also increased. He said that more than seven and a half thousand megawatt power plants

closed in the country on the day when Shahbaz Sharif took oath as the Prime Minister. He said that 5,000 megawatt power plants were closed because there was no fuel and 2,500 megawatt power plants were closed because they were not repaired in time.

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Sunday, 17 July, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS RASHeed SAyS TIMe FoR MILITARy To ‘wALk THe TALk’ oN NeuTRALITy CLAIM ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Awami Muslim League (AML) chairperson Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed asked the miltablishment to “stay away” from Sunday’s by-polls in Punjab to prove its repeated claims of neutrality. In a video statement he posted on his Twitter account, Ahmed, an ally of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, Ahmed Sunday “is a very important day […] I want to request them [the generals] to stay away from the elections”. “I have never seen such an election in the country’s history. […] The nation will not tolerate any rigging or attempts at thuggery,” he added, ostensibly calling the military’s “neutrality” into question. hmed, who had been an ardent proestablishment politician until April when Khan was ousted through a contentious vote of no-confidence, said the military would have to “prove its impartiality claim in tomorrow’s by-poll”. He also termed Sunday a “test day for Pakistan’s political stability”. In his message, the former interior minister also spoke about the government’s formation of a special ministerial committee to pursue high treason proceedings under Article 6 of the Constitution against top leaders of the former PTI government, including Khan. “This [Supreme Court verdict on noconfi not a [fresh] one. These people,

who have been imposed on the nation through one or two extra votes, are foolish [in that they have decided to pursue the matter],” he said. He also asked the government to “not stop” Khan’s path if the nation voted for his party in tomorrow’s polls. “If his path is blocked, a fire will spread that will engulf everyone.” At the outset of his message, Ahmed said a court in Attock has ordered him to appear again on August 8. He said he’s been visiting courts in several districts of Punjab on a daily basis to pursue the “fake cases” registered against him. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) assured “free and transparent” by-elections as 175 candidates are in the run for 20 Punjab Assembly seats. The election campaign ended at 12:00 midnight on Saturday and Voting will begin at 8:00 am on Sunday. The constituencies include PP-7 in Rawalpindi; PP-83 in Khushab; PP-90 in Bhakkar; PP-97 in Faisalabad; PP125 and PP-127 in Jhang; PP-140 in Sheikhupura; PP-15, PP-167; PP-168 and PP-170 in Lahore; PP-202 in Sahiwal; PP-217 in Multan; PP-224 and PP-228 in Lodhran; PP-237 in Bahawalnagar; PP-272 and PP-273 in Muzaffargarh; PP-282 in Layyah and PP-288 in Dera Ghazi Khan. The results of the by-polls would be essential for the July 22 election for the office of chief minister ordered by the Supreme Court. PML-N needs to win at least nine seats to gain a majority in the House.

NA-245: ECP issues notice against posters around Mazar-i-Quaid KARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate for the by-polls in NA-245 for displaying posters and banners around Mazar-eQuaid. PTI candidate Molvi Mehmood has been issued a notice for displaying party banners and posters around the tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah ahead of the bypolls on NA-245. The display of posters and banners is a violation of the electoral campaign guidelines, the ECP said. According to the schedule issued by

the ECP, the by-polls on the national assembly constituency NA-245 Karachi would be held on July 27. Political parties PTI, MQM-P, PPP and TLP are campaigning to claim victory in the polls. Karachi’s NA-245 had been vacated after the demise of PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain on June 9, 2022. PTI’s Aamir Liaquat Hussain won the 2018 general election on NA-245, getting 56615 votes. The runner-up candidate was MQM-P veteran Farooq Sattar who got 35,247 votes. Recently, the Awami National Party (ANP) announced to support Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in the by-election on NA-245 Karachi.

Sindh IGP writes to FIA against hatemongers on social media KARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Sindh Inspector General (IG) of Police on Saturday wrote a letter to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to monitor social media accounts spreading propaganda to fuel linguistic hatred. According to details, Sindh IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon wrote a letter to FIA to monitor accounts spreading hatred on the basis of linguistics. “Stern action will be taken against people spreading propaganda and fear on social media,” the IG Police warned. He urged people to not trust news about the closure of markets and roads, adding that citizens should cooperate with police officers to help them maintain an environment of harmony. The letter comes after linguistic violence ignited following murder of a youth Bilal Kaka at a restaurant over billing dispute in Hyderabad. Three other persons were injured in the incident. The murder incident sparked communal violence in various parts of Sindh including Hyderabad. On July 14, enraged protesters blocked Superhighway at Sohrab Goth against the Hyderabad incident.

PM Shehbaz exempted from appearance in Ashiana Housing case LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Accountability Court on Saturday granted exemption to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from personal appearance in Ashiana Housing Scheme case hearing while Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz has been granted exemption for Ramzan Sugar Mills case for one day. The Fatherson duo did not appear in the two different references as they submitted the plea, requesting the court to allow them exemption from appearing in the hearing. In Ramzan Sugar Mills reference, Hamza prayed that he has been busy in the meetings regarding the after effects of monsoon. While PM Shehbaz has already been given exemption from appearing in the hearings of Ramza Sugar Mills case. After the hearing, the court adjourned the case till August 13.

LAHORE: Polling material being distributed to presiding officers for by-elections. photo by ZubaiR MehfooZ

Punjab seals KP border ahead of by-election ATTOCK Staff RepoRt

Under the guise of maintaining the law and order situation during the by-poll on 20 Punjab Assembly seats on Sunday, the Punjab government on Saturday sealed the points connecting the province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by placing a container on it. Reports citing sources claimed the provincial government received a threat alert from the intelligence agencies following which it took the decision to close the border town. As soon as the border was sealed, long queues of vehicles waiting to get to the other side of the border sprung up. However, reports said if the

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) permitted, passenger buses, patients and residents of the slums could be allowed to cross the bridge since there was a lot of resentment among locals against the decision. FAWAD DECRIES BAN ON GANDAPUR’S ENTRY INTO PUNJAB: Meanwhile, PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry decried the ban imposed by the Punjab government on party colleague Ali Amin Gandapur’s entry into the province. In a series of tweets, he said: “The ban on Ali Amin Gandapur’s entry into Punjab is not only a violation of basic human rights, but it will harm the unity and integrity of the

LHC admits PML-N’s appeal against notification of five PTI MPAs LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday admitted an intra-court appeal filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against the notification of the five Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members of Punjab Assembly (MPAs) on reserved seats. The two-member LHC bench, comprising Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and Justice Muzzamil Akhtar Shabbir, will take up the petition for hearing from Monday (tomorrow). It is to be noted that in compliance with the LHC order, the ECP had issued a notification of five PTI MPAs on July 6, 2022 including three seats reserved for women and two for minorities.

Federation. But entry ban is an attempt to spoil the environment.” In a subsequent tweet, he said: “The real threat to law and order in Punjab is people like Rana Sanaullah and Atta Tarar who are spoiling the election environment by administrative interference.” On Friday, the Punjab government slapped a ban on Gandapur’s entry into the province on the eve of Punjab byelections. In a statement, Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar alleged that Gandapur and Chaudhry Maqbool Gujjar, a PTI member of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, wanted to stir up violence in Punjab. “In a bid to maintain law and

order situation, the provincial government has decided to clamp ban on Gandapur and Gujjar’s entry in Punjab,” he added. Tarar further said the government would ensure peaceful and transparent elections and miscreants who will be involved in violent activities will be dealt with iron hands. The minister claimed that PTI was inciting people after sensing defeat in the by-polls. In his reaction, Gandapur had told the press that he would approach the judiciary against the ECP and the Punjab government. He further said the “imported government” first registered fake FIRs and arrested the PTI workers without any grounds.

Linguistic violence being ignited to impact LG polls: Minister KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Sindh Local Bodies Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on Saturday accused that some groups are trying to ignite linguistic violence in the province to manipulate the upcoming second phase of LG elections. Addressing a press briefing on Saturday, Local Bodies Minister Nasir Hussain Shah talked in detail about the recent violence erupted in the aftermath of Bilal Kaka’s murder in Hyderabad. He said that linguistic violence was ignited under a conspiracy. “The Sindh government would not let any murderer go free,” he vowed and added the purpose of the conspiracy was to impact the upcoming LG polls in the 16 districts of Sindh. Shah said that the government would investigate the issue and bring all those involved in the conspiracy to justice. “Some

political parties are using criminals for their political gains,” he claimed. It is to be noted that linguistic violence flared up in the province after a young boy was shot dead in a local restaurant in Hyderabad.

KP govt striving for a violence free society: CM PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the authorities concerned to complete necessary steps for making functional the Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism (CCoCVE). KP Chief Minister Mahoomd Khan was presiding over the 2nd meeting of the Board of Governors of the Centre of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism here. Minister for Higher Education Kamran Bangash, MPA Dr Ayesha Asad, administrative secretaries of the departments concerned, Chief Coordination Officer Centre of Excellence

and other board members attended the meeting. The chief minister said that the provincial government was taking every possible step to create a peaceful and violence free society, adding that establishment of the proposed centre of excellence was also a part of this struggle. He expressed the hope that the Centre would play an important role in creating a peaceful society by using evidence-based innovative approaches and worldwide research to prevent and combat violent extremism in the province. Briefing about the implementation status of the decisions taken in the last

BoG meeting, it was informed that human resource and finance committees under the board had been constituted and notified as well. These five members HR and Finance committees chaired by the Chief Coordination Officer of the centre also include representatives from the departments of law, establishment, Home, finance and higher education. The agreed composition of the aforesaid committees and formally approved the HR and Financial Regulations 2022 under the board. The board has also accorded approval to initiate the recruitment process of staff required to operationalize the centre.

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Sunday, 17 July, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

PTI AJk MINISTeR FoRCed ouT oF LAHoRe’S ReMIT: dIG oPeRATIoNS LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

HE City Police on Saturday claimed to have forced PTI leader and Azad Kashmir Assembly member Maqbool Gujjar out of the remit of Punjab’s capital due to a ban imposed on him due to the bypolls in Punjab. It is to be noted that earlier, AJK Minister Maqbool Gujjar escaped police custody when they arrested him for entering Lahore early Saturday.

PTI challenges eCP decision on deploying local polling agents LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision on deploying local polling agents during polling for by-polls to 20 Punjab Assembly constituencies being held on Sunday (today). The petition was the Lahore High Court (LHC) filed by PTI Central Punjab President Yasmin Rashid through her counsel Aamir Saeed. She, in the petition, contested that there is no such bar on deploying a polling agent who is a resident of the constituency. “There is no such provision in the Elections Act,” she said and termed the decision made by the ECP to further expose biases against the PTI. She further alleged that such acts are part of pre-poll rigging attempts and asked the LHC to annul the election commission decision. It is pertinent to mention here that PTI has deployed its MNAs from KP to oversee the by-polls in the 20 Punjab constituencies that would decide the fate of the incumbent Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz. According to sources privy to the PTI strategy to foil rigging attempts, as many as 5,000 young PTI activists will be deployed at the constituencies along with lawyers being posted as polling agents of the party. “The lawyers will be made polling agents and will perform their duties in uniforms to foil any rigging attempts immediately,” they said.

Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Operations Sohail Chaudhry informed journalists that the AJK lawmaker was in Lahore despite a ban being imposed on him due to the by-polls being held on Sunday (tomorrow). The Punjab government has barred PTI leaders including Ali Amin Gandapur and Gujjar from entering the province on a concern that they might cause unrest during by-elections. According to the government’s notice, PTI leaders are being barred from entering Punjab from July 15 to July 18. Earlier in the day, Maqbool Gujjar and

Police SHO Atif got into a spat, when the police tried to arrest the minister. “I am an Azad Kashmir minister, and I will not back down,” Gujjar told SHO Atif. The SHO instructed Gujjar to come with the police to the police station and stated that “we will discuss the rest there”. The sources said that the minister escaped police custody by sitting in a car and driving away from the scene. ‘NEFARIOUS INTENTIONS’: PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar said that Gujjar and Gandapur trying to enter Punjab despite legally being barred reflect their “nefarious

Lot of work to be done to save country from bankruptcy: Miftah COnTInuED fROM PAgE 01 Due to all these factors of the previous government, inflation has soared in Pakistan adding that Miftah said that PTI government told all kinds of lies then and are still telling them today, maybe their intentions are good but the thing is that they did not work, they were really incompetent. Miftah Ismail said that Pakistan had to pay $21 billion to the world whereas our government only had $10 billion and the current account deficit of $12 billion was visible, then former Prime Minister Imran Khan started turning away from the world. Miftah claimed that the former PM told the IMF that we are breaking the agreement because of this the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank also stopped funding. He said that when we took over the government, we tried to solve all these problems. It was very easy for us to increase the one percent sales tax from 17 to 18 percent and achieve the target of tax collection, but it surely affected the people. Miftah Ismail said that instead of imposing ‘indirect tax’ like the PTI government, we

imposed direct taxes. We still have to collect Rs7,500 billion and we will do it with the help of Allah. The Finance Minister further said that Imran Khan did not do anything for the country but favored his friends by giving the amnesty scheme. There will be ups and downs in global prices, at that time I will definitely appear in front of you, then you will definitely make memes on me, but we will definitely achieve economic stability, he maintained. Miftah added that you will not see load shedding in summer next year and the foreign exchange reserves will improve by the next financial year. The Minister of Finance said that we will receive deposits of $4 billion from a friendly country in two parts and also an oil facility of $1.2 billion from a friendly country. I hope that this year we will get $3.5 billion from the Asian Development Bank, $2.5 billion from the World Bank and $400 to $500 million from the Asian Infrastructure Bank. He said that all measures have been taken to avoid bankruptcy of Pakistan, but it is also important to stay on the straight path, if we stray a little, difficulties may arise again.

By-election in Punjab to bury PTI narrative, politics: Marriyum COnTInuED fROM PAgE 01 She said the PML-N brought the country’s growth rate to 6%, revived the ailing economy, and introduced the game-changing China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The minister said Imran Khan knew that his government failed to produce even one megawatt electricity during four years, and could not build even one kilometer of road, and only made false promises of ten million jobs and five million houses. He did not even build a university or a hospital during his tenure, which was the reason today he could not even mention a single achievement in his speeches. Terming Imran Khan a habitual liar and a failed politician, she said. PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif entrusted the responsibility of election campaign for Punjab by-elections to Maryam Nawaz who fulfilled the responsibility in an exemplary manner. She said according to the conditions and delimitation of constituencies in Punjab, the PML-N had a clear edge there and owing to the wonderful campaign led by Maryam Nawaz, there was enthusiasm and spirit in the public meetings of PML-N. Rubbishing Imran Khan’s claim that the media enjoyed complete freedom during his rule and there were no restrictions and censorship on the media, the minister quoted Reporters with Borders reports which stated that during the reign of Imran Khan, there were strict restrictions on the media. “Cases of brazen censorship are legion since Khan became prime minister. Newspaper distribution has been interrupted, media outlets have been threatened with the withdrawal of advertising and TV channel signals have been jammed. Journalists who cross the red lines have been threatened, abducted and tortured”, she said while reading the Reporters Without Borders Report. The report further said “Stop covering annoying stories or your family won’t see you alive again.” This, in substance, is the message given to the many journalists and bloggers who have been the targets of kidnappings and death threats since Khan became prime minister. She said during the period of Imran Khan, restrictions were imposed on media institutions, channels were closed, there were threats to the lives of

reporters, she quoted the report as saying and added that The Reporters Without Borders report was the “memoir of Imran Khan”. In the August 2019 report of Human Rights Watch, it was stated that the programs of TV channels were stopped, the programs of Capital TV, Geo News and other channels were stopped. She said if the reporters and staff of the channel did not stop the program, they would be attacked and this report of Human Rights Watch was available on the Internet. The report said that “Since the Imran Khan government, Pakistani media operated in a climate of fear”. In the February 2021 report of CPNE, it said that 10 journalists were killed and many were arrested in year 2020. Rejecting Imran’s lecture on freedom of expression during PTI rule, she said censorship was carried out in the country for four years by giving death threats to journalists through censorship and arm twisting and the journalist not obeying his orders were put in jail. She said by keeping Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman in the custody of NAB, a message was given to the rest of the media houses to behave or face similar fate. She said Hamid Mir was taken off air, Absar Alam was shot in the stomach near his home, Matiullah Jan was abducted and arms of Asad Toor were broken by breaking into the house. Articles can be written on censorship under Imran Khan, she said. During Imran Khan’s tenure, female journalists were attacked and campaigns were launched against them on social media and in this connection she mentioned the names of Asma Sheerazi, Ghareeda Farooqui and Amber Shamsi. She said that Mohsin Baig was arrested and his nose bone was broken when he raised his voice on Imran’s corruption, whereas Syed Talat Hussain had become the first victim of dictatorial thinking of Imran Khan. The minister saluted the journalists who stood firm during the Imran Khan dictatorial rule. Marriyum recalled that Imran Khan crushed his political opponents by sending them to death cells of prisons as soon as he came to power and contrary to his claim of freedom of expression cowardly Imran Khan blocked the voice of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz on the TV screen, even their tickers were not allowed on TV screens.

intentions”. “The PTI leaders trying to enter Punjab have revealed their bad intentions,” said Tarar, adding that it was feared that armed groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would enter Punjab. “Their intention was to spread violence during the by-elections. No one carrying arms will be allowed to enter the province under any circumstances,” he added. The PML-N leader said that it is the Punjab government’s responsibility to maintain the law and order situation during the elections. “Punjab Police, Rangers, and law enforcement agencies will strictly stop

those trying to disrupt peace,” he added. BUzDAR SEEkS SC’S INTERvENTION: Former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar reacted to the ban on PTI’s Gujjar and Gandapur, saying that “no province can close its borders on the citizens belonging to different regions”. He said that the Supreme Court should take immediate action against this “violation” of the Constitution. “The government has turned a blind eye to this whole situation,” added Buzdar. “Hate against people based on language is growing in the country once again,” said the ex-CM Punjab.

Imran will address five rallies in Karachi ahead of local govt polls LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan will hold five public meetings in Karachi ahead of the second phase of local government elections in Sindh scheduled for July 24. According to the details of his campaign, Khan will begin his tour

on July 21 when he will address rallies in Hyderabad and Karachi. During his stay there, the former prime minister will also meet members of the business community and prominent journalists based in and out of Karachi. Other political parties — including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movemnet-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamaat-i-Islami — have also

Control room set up to update public on Punjab by-polls: Marriyum ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said that central control room, a monitoring cell and social media wing have been set up at Central Secretariat of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Model Town Lahore for the by-elections to 20 Punjab Assembly seats being held Sunday (today). In a series of tweets on Saturday, the federal minister informed the central control room would collect correct information from all the 20 constituencies and inform the public and media without any delay. She said it would not only help monitor those who stole ballots and abducted electoral staff during the Daska by-election, but also expose their “evildoings”. Staff RepoRt

launched their elections campaigns in the city. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Sindh government have sought the deployment of the Pakistan Army and Rangers during the polls to ensure a transparent and peaceful election. Khan concluded on Friday his whirlwind election campaign for by-polls in 20 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly.

Highest single-day corona deaths since March ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Ministry of National Health Services recorded 10 new deaths due to Covid-19 on Saturday, the highest since March 3, while it reported 737 cases of the disease. A recent spike in infections after the relaxation of restrictions has prompted Pakistan to reimpose tighter rules on social contact. The total tally of infected people increased to 1.54 million with the newly reported cases, while the death toll rose to 30,438, showed data released by the ministry. On Friday, 22,451 tests for Covid-19 were conducted in Pakistan and the positivity rate stood at 3.28 percent.

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Sunday, 17 July, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

Siblings turn out to be ‘murderers’ of their two brothers in Karachi KARACHI INP

Two brothers turned out to be the killers of their two other brothers in Karachi over a property dispute, police said on Saturday. Confessing to their crime, both men told the police that they were forced to take an extreme step over a property dispute. SSP Faizan Ali told media that Islam, one of those arrested from interior Sindh town of Sakrand, had revealed that he killed Ali Nawaz along with Shahid Hussain in the city’s Medina Colony on July 7, 2022 by attacking him with a gas cylinder. “He further said that his brother Shahid had been released from jail in 2016 after completing 10-year prison term in connection with the murder of his another brother named Rehman,” the SSP informed. “After coming out of the prison, Shahid and I started planning the murder of Ali Nawaz,” he said while quoting Islam. “The police have also seized the cylinder used in the murder,” the SSP said.

Dua Zehra case: IO confirms Zaheer’s presence in Karachi on incident day

ReveRSe tRanSfeRS In naB OR face Sc, actIng chaIRman tOlD LAHoRe

Staff RePoRt

CTING chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Zahir Shah has been cautioned against violating the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) order following transfers of officers probing high-profile cases. Advocate Azhar Siddique wrote a letter to the acting NAB chairman and apprised him that the apex court has already taken notice of the interference in the high-profile cases. “The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on transfers and postings in NAB,” he said, adding that the acting NAB chairman was violating the apex court orders and could lead to contempt of court proceedings against him. He said that if the recent transfers

are not reversed then the apex court would be approached for contempt proceedings against him. It is pertinent to mention here that the

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officers who were investigating corruption cases against the Sharif family and other Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz

PTI decries ban on Gandapur, Maqbool’s entry in Punjab

KARACHI Staff RePoRt

The officer investigation Dua Zehra case, on Saturday confirmed the presence of Zaheer Ahmed, husband of Dua Zehra, in Karachi on April 16, the day of the incident. The investigation officer said that the CDR has been found, saying: “We are impartially investigating into the case.” On the other hand, another plea was filed with the sessions court, seeking to change the investigation officer in the Dua Zehra case. The plea stated that the case has been changed altogether after the medical report revealed that the girl is aged 15-year-old. “The investigation officer is not probing the matter following medical report,” it said, adding that the applicant in the case and family no longer trust the IO. On July 02, the court of Judicial Magistrate Karachi (East) had rejected Dua Zehra father’s plea for changing the investigation officer of the case. The court had dismissed Mehdi Ali Kazmi’s plea to change the investigation officer, saying the C-class report of the IO has not been accepted yet. A report of a medical commission formed to assess age of Dua Zehra, the teenage girl who went missing from Karachi and later claimed to have married Zaheer Ahmed, determined her age at 14 to 15 years keeping in view her physical appearance while the age determined through her teeth is between 13 to 15 years. Her bone ossification test, however, revealed her age as between 16 to 17 years. The report concluded that after consultation between medical experts on multiple factors determining her age, it has been agreed that the girl is aged between 15 to 16-yearold. The report was signed by the chairman and other 10 members of the medical board.

ISLAmABAd Staff RePoRt

Former federal minister and PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has decried the ban imposed by the Punjab government on Ali Amin Gandapur’s entry into the province on the eve of by-elections on Sunday. In a couple of tweets, Fawad said “The ban on Ali Amin Gandapur’s entry into Punjab is not only a serious violation of basic human rights, but it will harm the unity and integrity of the Federation. But entry ban is an attempt to spoil the environment.” The PTI leader in another tweet said “The real threat to law and order in Punjab is people like Rana Sanaullah and Atta Tarar who are spoiling the elec-

tion environment by administrative interference.” On Friday, the Punjab government had slapped a ban on Ali Amin Gandapur’s entry into the province ahead of Punjab by-elections. In a statement, Punjab Home Minister Ata Tarar alleged that Gandapur and Maqbool Gujjar want to carry out violent activities in Punjab. “In a bid to maintain law and order situation, the provincial government has decided to clamp ban on Ali Amin Gandapur and Maqbool Gujjar’s entry in Punjab,” he added. Tarar further said that the government would ensure peaceful and transparent elections in Punjab and miscreants who will be involved in violent activities will be dealt with iron hands. The provincial Home Minister added that PTI was inciting people after forecasting its defeat in the Punjab by-polls. In his reaction, Gandapur had told newsmen that he would approach judiciary against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Punjab government. He further said that the ‘imported’ government first registered fake FIRs and arrested the PTI workers without any grounds. The by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats, vacated after the PTI MPAs voted for Hamza Shehbaz in the CM elections, will be conducted on July 17, Sunday (tomorrow).

Spain-returned couple gunned down in Gujrat GUJRAT: A couple who had returned from Spain recently was shot dead in Gujrat on a monetary dispute on Saturday. The slain couple was identified as Kashif Shahzad and Abida Bibi. Brother of Abida Bibi, Hassan Ali Shah, allegedly gunned down his sister and her husband inside his home after they demanded return of their Rs200,000. Dinga Police Station personnel shifted the bodies to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Kharian for postmortem. Kashif’s brother Shanawar Ali got registered an FIR against accused Hassan Ali Shah. Police have launched an investigation into the murders. INP

(PML-N) leaders have been transferred. In a major reshuffle in the NAB hierarchy, transfers and postings have been witnessed among the high-level officers who were probing cases against the Sharif family, Khawaja Asif, Javed Latif and others. The reshuffle was approved by the acting NAB chairman, issuing orders to transfer an officer of the Lahore bureau to the Karachi chapter. Muhammad Asghar has been transferred from NAB Lahore to NAB Sukkur. Nadeem Ahmed was transferred from NAB Lahore to NAB Islamabad, Khawar Ilyas from NAB Lahore to NAB Balochistan, Muhammad Tariq Khan from NAB Sukkur to NAB Lahore, Mufti Abdul Haque from NAB Islamabad to NAB Lahore and Hina Saeed from NAB Balochistan to NAB Islamabad.

Punjab heads to by polls amid riggeing, violence fears ContInued fRom pAge 01 52,000 POLICE DEPLOYED: Meanwhile, over 52,000 members of police will be deployed in 14 districts across Punjab on Sunday. A spokesperson of the provincial government said security arrangements for over 3,100 polling stations have been finalised. “The government has imposed a ban over carrying and exhibition of arms and remove election camps and banners of opponents,” he said. “The government will act indiscriminately against people involved in such incidents,” he said. “The law enforcement personnel will be alert to tackle any untoward situation.” Punjab police have also set up a control room and finalised their preparations to ensure peaceful holding of by-elections. The provincial police chief, Rao Sardar Ali Khan, said that women police will be deployed at the polling stations reserved for women. In the four constituencies of Lahore, over 9,000 personnel will be deployed for election security, he said. “Safe Cities cameras will help in monitoring the situation,” Khan said. “The department has set up control rooms at the Central Police Office and in districts.” “The police will ensure the safe delivery of the electoral material and ballot papers at any cost,” he said. “Police department will extend all possible assistance to the election commission and those involved in lawlessness will be taken to task.” The personnel of the Anti-Riot Force and the Elite Police will remain on alert. “Surety bonds have also been taken from the candidates of all parties,” he added. Khan has also directed the police to ensure enforcement of the election code of conduct at any cost.

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Sunday, 17 July, 2022

06 COMMENT

Matrix of Disinformation Ecosystem and Society

Pursuit of political gains Under pretext of national security

The future can only be saved by making people media literate

t has been customary on the part of the government to take unlawful actions on the pretext that these were required by compunctions of national security. it is now being claimed that the supreme Court’s detailed judgment on former nJayonal Assembly Deputy speaker Qasim suri’s ruling has propounded a ‘new concept’ that would put an end to illegal actions of the sort. the judgment says “it is clear that the bona fides of the Pti government’s defence of national security must be substantiated by evidence to justify the April 3 Deputy speaker Qasim suri’s ruling”. According to the verdict any defence or immunity claimed by the government on a policy or decision on the grounds of national security cannot escape judicial review unless substantiated with evidence. it is noted in the ruling that “the restraint exercised by the courts in matters of national security should not be absolute”. Hailing the judgment some of the prominent lawyers have held that henceforth no excuse or justification can be claimed by the government on any policy of sensitive nature if it involves rights of the citizens or is considered to be unconstitutional unless the government comes out with solid reasons to justify its defence. it has been claimed that while the High Courts over the last few years had decided a number of cases in line with the intent of the recent supreme Court judgement, it was for the first time the issue was settled in an elaborate manner in what is being dubbed as the “doctrine of limited judicial review in terms of the national security.” Hopefully the judgment would strengthen those judges of the High Courts who try to safeguard citizens’ right of peaceful dissent against those who try to suppress them on the pretext of defending national security. there is a tendency in district administrations to over-react, considering critics of the government to be working on secret agendas dictated by foreign agencies. Only a couple of years back the islamabad police booked a number of highly educated protesters under sedition and terrorism charges for raising slogans and violating section 144. A similar view is taken of journalists who tread on sensitive toes. it will take time and a lot of effort before mindsets created during dictatorial regimes are changed.

MuhaMMad Wajahat Sultan

isinFOrMAtiOn is rampant as a global pandemic worldwide. the echo chambering of information is shaping the consciousness of the people as a manipulative tool for the ulterior motives of global and domestic leaders, corporations, and interest groups. the autonomy of the general and personal will is constantly under the sway of emotional distortion and delusional interpretations of the leaders and politicians widely in the world. the Post-truth era and conformational biases subdue the rational choices and individuals’ rational decision-making mechanisms based on available heuristics and intuitional biases. it is time to sensitize the people at the domestic as well as the global level to statistically thinking, synchronization of the biases with rational agencies, and analyzing the information with objectivity. the factor of “We “ instead of “they” and the phenomenon of polarization in Pakistan that is breeding new grounds of division and new social hierarchies that is ultimately undervaluing our commitment to the mutual and inclusive culture of democracy and institutional harmony. With the rise of identity politics and the wave of democratic deficit, the Post-truth and disinformation narratives are more pronounced. narrative building is an efficient tool in domestic and global politics as a tool to synthesize the selective choices of interest groups or the opinion-makers rather than providing the truth and technical knowledge to leave the decision choices to the people. the persuasive content is based on emotional appeal; for example, Donald trump used his twitter account excessively to bash minorities, immigrants, and the

Acts of omission and Commission

rOUnD 4 million dead voters. the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) has admitted this glaring discrepancy in its records for the upcoming Punjab by-polls. “Human errors,” they say. the Commission says that the errors will be rectified; how it plans to do so in such a short period is anyone’s guess. the folk over at the eCP should have realised that it takes errors less glaring, and smaller, than this for the Pti to call foul on the whole exercise to begin with, specially if they lose. the Pti, of course, isn’t the only party that has a gripe against the eCP. the failure of the rts system during the 2018 polls results tabulation was such a disaster that it has become a permanent part of the pop-cultural lexicon, as a euphemism for the system, so to speak, to be gamed in favour, or against, a political party. the eCP has a lot in common with the judiciary, chiefly in the expectation that it should not only be just but be seen to be just, impartial and neutral. seven-and-a-half decades in, our hapless republic is still a nascent democracy. Democracy is a process, not a state of being; even fluent, old democracies are constantly bettering themselves and even those fluent, established democracies can run into some problems, like the occasional fever of fascism - or something closely resembling it - that rears its head occasionally in them. But in Pakistan’s case, even procedural democracy is floundering. For that, an efficient and meticulous election apparatus is a must. it needs to be equipped with the best equipment and people, at all levels, by those best at their jobs. At the risk of sounding dramatic, the future of our democracy, and by extension, the very future of the republic itself, depends on it.

An example of what can be done

dr MuhaMMad SuleMan tahir

niversities are considered key institutions in the processes of social change and development. it is a general view that great nations have great universities. this motivates significant public and private investment in universities. these days much of the focus is on universities promoting economic growth based on a knowledge economy. no doubt, equally important are the contributions that universities can make to culture, political stability, and positive social change. Great nations are not just built by brilliant scientists, writers and entrepreneurs. rather they also require effective school teachers, engineers and small business owners, and so on. Furthermore, it needs well-informed citizens, critical thinkers and those who engaged in politics and communities. the best universities are populated by highly gifted and motivated faculty and students. the most important role the universities have been assigned is the production of highly skilled manpower and research output to meet perceived targets. Another role that universities may play is in the building of new institutions of civil society, developing new cultural values, and training and socializing people of the new social era. in the economic perspective, the role of universities is to produce new knowledge and commodify it in collaboration with industry. it means that

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 a transportation engineer with post graduations in English literature and political science

The role of universities in nation building

The ECP needs to shape up

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

global community through emotional appeals. the consequence of this emotional appeal was the strict social division in American society that consequently led to the storming of the citadel of American democracy and classic norms of inclusivity. the example of such narrative building from Pakistan society is also pronounced in the form of the islamic vocabulary in the daily speeches of politicians to appeal to the majority of people for their vested interests. the use of a filter bubble in the social commercialization where the existing beliefs of people are perpetuated through the repetitive patterns of the news and narratives that conform to the biases rather than providing the facts and evidence to filter the truth and reality. Agenda setting through selective information is the new normal in society. the world is portrayed as more violent, dreadful, and scary through all the media outlets and academic culture because the lifecycle of shock and crisis is more than the truth. According to George Gerbner Professor ofCommunication studies, this phenomenon is pronounced as the Mean World syndrome. the bMean World syndrome asserts that exposure to violent and scary media consumption of people shapes the negative views of people about the world, that the modern civilization is bad and the living in this era is more violent than in the previous centuries. the violent news and negative consumptions overshadow the critical faculty of people to analyze and sieve the truth. steven Pinker in his book The Better Angels of our Nature proved that we are living in the most peaceful era of the world. the mortality rate declined, life expectancy increased and militaristic conflicts decreased in the last centuries compared to what our forefathers experienced. the narratives are built that the world is at the apocalypse of terror but the reality is oherwise. the maximization of capital over the violent and dreary news and information is systematically entrenched in our society because the shock and crisis can cause more media traffic and subscriptions. the comments in such news and information shape our perceptions about the world that ultimately construct a dismaying picture of contemporary conditions. Disinformation operates in society through some psychological biases. Our mind is always deceiving us but the majority of us don’t know this. the propaganda machinery was firstly used to familiarize people through some selective information. When something becomes familiar individuals tend to confirm those familiar biases and seldom challenge the existing beliefs. the conformational biases and fa-

miliarity biases exploit personal autonomy. For example, it was believed already in Pakistan before covid-19 that vaccines were some propaganda tool to infect the population with diseases. the already existing biases worked well during COviD-19 as the majority of people tend to not get vaccines despite scientific evidence. the misinformation over the Youtube videos and some agenda-setter bloggers propagated that vaccine is lethal for health. the existing and familiar biases against vaccines are entrenched with more propensity and people confirmed these biases through disinformation. this caused a health crisis and policy formulation problems during the pandemic in Pakistan as well as the entire globe when global leaders through their social media accounts campaigned against the covid-19 vaccine. Our brain is reluctant to accept alternative truths and we frequently conform to existing biases. in this way, misinformation shapes our views covertly. Misinformation from socio-political to socio-economic matters put a setback to policy-making and social cohesion. the disinformation in political parlance causes polarization and intimidation to such an extent that people-to-people interactions are estranged, consequently causing alienation and social breakdown. Misinformation in the economic sector causes a policy that favors the short haul rather than a long-term vision. the phenomenon of misinformation has a major impact on the democratic culture of inclusivity, participation, and cohesion. When campaigns to get a franchises and increase voter turnout through misinformation are practiced the people vote for the distorted information subduing their democratic choices freely. in the long term, the people succumb to the false interpretations. the global educational system is not ready to equip the people with media literacy and awareness to sieve the information, standards, and measures to subscribe towards truth. in the era of Post-truth Politics, misinformation is increasing daily but our measures for media literacy are less efficient. it is high time to inculcate media literacy to prepare people for the global pandemic of fake news and propaganda to preserve our sanity, democracy, and environment. the courses to sensitize coming generations about the information landscape must be designed on how to validate and filter certain information. We are living in the most peaceful arena but the most vulnerable realm as it becomes easy to succumb to our psychologies, emotions, and cognitive biases. the progressive societies were founded on objectivity and rational choices. it is most desirable in the 21st Century to fight globally against fake and alternative truths. it is the world’s responsibility to regulate the medium

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

universities must have a candid assessment of indigenous problems and good linkages with the community and industry. Once Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan said that the role of newly established universities in Pakistan is more important than the older higher-education institutions because such institutions have the potential to develop their values and can easily align their priorities with national goals and objectives. no doubt, the Khwaja Fareed University of engineering and information technology (KFUeit) is one such good example among newly established universities in Punjab. expansion and consolidation have both been observable since 2019. now, 180 trained PhD faculty members are contributing to teaching and research at KFUeit. the strength will increase with the ongoing hiring process. the impact factor of research rose from 560 to 4500. it secured more than 25 research grants under the national research Programme for Universities (nrPU). KFUeit is continuously improving its position in different international university rankings like time Higher education (tHe), Ui GreenMetric and sCiMago, etc. Quality education and innovative research are a priority at KFUeit. 100 percent fee scholarship has been announced for Hafiz-e-Quran and the girls in a variety of engineering programmes. such scholarship for girl students is a remarkable effort for women’s empowerment in south Punjab. the scholarship given to the students has crossed a dream figure of rs 1000 million. twenty-eight active student societies are continuously providing students with confidence and character-building opportunities in the form of seminars, webinars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, study circles, book talks, magazines and a variety of competitions. the KFUeit campus has been declared a smoke- and drug-free campus which is a good step for the healthy future of the youth at KFUeit. suitable sports facilities and pieces of training are also available for students. KFUeit-trained athletes won more than 50 medals in different national sports events since 2019. infrastructure has been rapidly expanding since 2019. Already, a state-of-the-art guest house, executive club, sports complex and faculty hostels have been added and in a few months, student hostels and the academic block will become part of the KFUeit infrastructure. A state-of-the-art hi-tech lab has been installed at KFUeit. it will provide the Ms & PhD researchers with modern equipment and

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will facilitate their research. KFUeit also has good linkages with the community and offers a variety of social services to the community with the help of students. these services are in the form of free medical camps, availability of drinking water (Aab-e-Fareed), iftar Dastar Khwan and distribution of rations among needy families, and so on. During the drought in Cholistan, the students of KFUeit managed the supply of water to different water reservoirs by using tankers. they also managed the supply of fresh drinking water to a large number of families in Cholistan. it is a priority to develop an environment-friendly infrastructure at KFUeit. A solar project with a capacity of 145Kv has been installed. Under the Clean and Green Campus project, more than 50000 plants (including 20 percent fruit plants) have been planted on the campus. the University designed and installed its own solar-based wastewater treatment plant and recycled wastewater for use in horticulture and agriculture. electric environment-friendly motorbikes are provided to the security staff for use inside the campus. A Business incubation Center was established. to provide students with all services at one window and to save their time, a ‘student Facilitation Center’ was established. the south Punjab skill Development institute was established in collaboration with nAvttC. More than 600 students are enrolled in different certificate courses. to improve research and collaboration more than 40 MoUs were signed with different national & international universities or organizations. now, KFUeit has planned to propose solutions to the indigenous social and industrial problems. it would revolutionize the whole indigenous scenario. no doubt, with all above said achievements KFUeit is a successful model for all emerging higher education institutions in the country. such excellent planning is the need of time for a better educational future, to address the needs of the region and indigenous society and for better nation-building. KFUeit is an emerging university in all avenues of higher education under the vision of Government of Punjab. such marvelous developments at KFUeit were not possible without the kind support of the Government, and the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff. The writer is Vice Chancellor of the Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Sunday, 17 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

How politics make people suffer

More than a matter of life and death A high-stakes contest for both parties naqi akbar

Y the time, the newspapers of the day hit the stand today (sunday), the byelection battle for 20 constituencies in Punjab must have kicked off in full force spread over the south Punjab, inclusive of the seraiki belt, and also Central and northern limits of Punjab. Practically the process will give a third-party analyst a clean snapshot of what can be cautiously expected in the upcoming general elections in 2023. By-elections have been generally treated as the test case of the level of faith the voter has on the incumbent party in power. On the other hand, it is also a litmus test of the parties waiting in opposition for the next round of elections. the parties’ top leaders grace the election rallies to pump up the potential voter, as well as try to create a swing among the non-committal voter in the target constituency. However, a cursory look at the campaign mood, the tone of the leaders as well as the aggressiveness of the cadre all indicate, very clearly that it is the matter of life and death for the booted-out party; the Pti as well as the lead successor as the result of vote of no-confidence; the PML(n). For the Pti it is a matter to prove that it is still popular with the common person; despite the injustice meted out to the party through what it calls the “unceremonious exit” from the scene given it by the “neutrals”. For the PML(n), it is the matter of a litmus test to prove that it is still a popular party in the major province of Pakistan; rather its home province. We might argue what were the results in the 2018 elections and what might have been the trends in the constituencies’ since the 1970 first general election. However, needless to say; these polls are being held under the most exceptional circumstances. Pti chief imran Khan, equating it as something like jihad, strongly suggests that the narrative built by the party around the paradigm of Us interference like the 1953 Mossadegh coup in iran, squarely rests on how the party performs in the 20 constituencies. the Pti chairman is leaving no stone unturned in the form of verbal barrage; comparisons, playing of selected clips through multimedia to get across the imagination of the crowd. the Pti’s future course of action depends upon these polls. For the incumbent party, stakes are equally high. its leaders leave no opportunity to claim that they took over the reins of power at a time when their hands were extremely tied because of dire economic conditions. they project themselves as a brave political trend, which has a much long-term vision in focus than just winning the race for the provincial assembly. their argument carries weight on the single count that they might not have realized the depth of the economic crisis. in the process of participating in the no confidence move; whether it was a natural outcome in a working democracy or was a creative way to reset things in “hybrid” settings, the incumbent party literally gambled with its political future; in the short

term as well as the long term. Having fathomed the stakes for both the parties, we can imagine to an extent how things are going to move forward once the process is complete by the early hours of Monday. A Pti clean sweep would mean that the booted-out party is able to show to the powers in control that they still matter for the future of the country. Automatically, the Pti will be in the position to claim that its anti-establishment narrative has found massive support in the major make-orbreak province of Pakistan; Punjab. Punjab is in fact the critical key to the road to islamabad. For the PML(n) a good showing of up to a dozen seats means that it can claim the chief ministe ship of the province with more assertive behaviour. similarly, it can also claim that the Punjab voter has stood by its narrative despite the massive inflation spiral during its rule; the economic slowdown due to inflation; or a stagflationary mode in which the economy is moving. the recent somersaults in the context of OGrA notings for price adjustments are influenced by that thought process within the PML(n). they want to prove that despite the pressure of the staff level agreement with the iMF and other pressing imperatives for economic correction; they are willing to pass on the benefits of the depressing price trends for POL in the international market. Given the level of hype connected with the by-elections for the parties in contest; the Pti and the PML(n); any results not of their liking will be opposed tooth and nail by all concerned. the Pti, going by the tempo and the sentiment it has carried along, is most likely to cry foul if its candidates fail to make it. the party is unlikely to go for a soulsearching exercise; an exercise; it might have opted for in normal times. Keeping in view the fact that it has already been in agitation mode since April 10, it is unlikely that it will wait for the result to settle out and ponder. in that context; like scenarios, for instance the Aquino presidential polls in 1986 Philippines. A scenario like the 1977 agitation in Pakistan by the combined opposition against Bhutto in the aftermath of election rigging; or

the 2009 reform movement agitation against the clerical establishment in iran, when reformist candidate Mir Hossain Mosavi failed to be elected as the president of the islamic republic; can be expected in Pakistan. the reaction from the PML(n) might not be that as in case it is defeated; it will certainly like to frustrate the Pti moment of success with countless electoral petitions. Coming back to the Pti; given the polarized political environment in the country, the party cadres are likely to protest, if they lose in even a few seats. statements on twitter by the incumbent Federal interior Minister literally threatening the Pti cadres have helped create an air of fear about the election results aftermath. the instances of law enforcement agencies’ high handedness during the build-up to the May 25 Pti Azadi march are still fresh in the minds of all concerned. A general feeling that the incumbent order has all the support from the relevant quarters, strongly suggests that further human rights abuses in case the protests erupt, at the hands of the law enforcement agencies cannot be ruled out. Here, students of political history of Pakistan may recall, how much tear gas canisters the late Benazir Bhutto was made to inhale during the november 1992 Long March, the merciless beating of PsF LeADer sohail Malik by the Lahore Police, equally inhuman torture meted out to the PPP leader, the late salman taseer, in a distant police station in Lahore. Given the record, refreshed again in the 2014 direct shoot-out with Prof tahirul Qadiri, the week in the follow-up of the bad results for Pti can cause extreme violent scenarios. the ending weeks of July can be the ones, which might not throw up a rapid change at Lahore or islamabad for that matter; but will certainly set the pace for the future of the country. the fall out can further radicalize the polity to unmanageable limits for the established order. it can also trigger dialogue, which can ensure that all the players, including the ultra-radical ones, are ready to live by the system. Coming weeks and months are up for a battle of wits or business as usual. We need to wait and see!

The ending weeks of July can be the ones, which might not throw up a rapid change at Lahore or Islamabad for that matter; but will certainly set the pace for the future of the country. The fall out can further radicalize the polity to unmanageable limits for the established order. It can also trigger dialogue, which can ensure that all the players, including the ultraradical ones, are ready to live by the system. Coming weeks and months are up for a battle of wits or business as usual. We need to wait and see!

The writer is a freelance columnist

tHere has been a vicious cycle that has gradually become a norm in terms of our political dynamics. every political party that comes to power falls into the same rut. it initiates its own development projects, diverts immense capital into them, and makes them their focal point. though there is nothing wrong in initiating new developmental projects, the real problem is in making them the ‘focal point’, as everything else recedes into a blur, including all the initiatives that the predecessors took. While the unfinished grey structures of those projects stand in a neverending stage due to lack of funds, the ones that had been already completed are no less of a canker for the new office-holders. there is no denying that throughout the world, there is a tendency among fresh governments heading into their own direction but that does not normally happen at the cost of the national interest. take india, for example. it has shown considerable maturity by not confusing personal venom with national interest. the orientation towards becoming the ‘next silicon valley’ started years ago under a different leadership, but it has continued under the same set of principles despite the change in governments. these set of principles were not some complex economic agreements, but a mere understanding of the actual politics; not the politics that is driven on half-cooked Machiavellian principles, or the politics that makes political leaders rush to cut the ribbons of half-done projects. it is not the politics that wilfully slows crucial projects just to make a point. now, when we read this, we cannot help but relate them all with our dear country and conclude that the line between the dos and don’ts has definitely gone blur, or was there ever a line? We saw multiple inaugurations of the same Orange Line train. We saw safe Cities Authority, a state-of-the-art project, roiled by vacuum of funds lost somewhere between ‘finance and home departments’ of Punjab government, leading to a shutdown of several cameras across Lahore. With the musical chair for the prime office continuing and a new premier in the house, the trend is not to shift much. However, projects, especially the health card initiative, is not something worth losing in the mayhem. there is a need to realise the economic fragility and the huge national capital that has already been invested. Masses ending up with nothing in the end except another failed promise would not serve anyone. there is a need to realise the complete lack of health-related facilities in the country. We need to do away with petty politics of momentary self-benefits over the interest of the people. though old habits die hard, there is nothing wrong in hoping for the better. the government must realise and set a precedent. it must realise that the people are not to be punted aside by the glib talk anymore. they understand the rhyme now. they see through the curtains of the sombre political manoeuvring. they have been the victims of such brute politics for too long now. therefore, the office-holders must realise that the people, who brought them to power in the first place, end up suffering the most and not their political opponents. And now it is time the people were no more made victim of such politics. MALIK AHMED HASAN LAHORE

Human dignity tHis refers to the article ‘When memory fails’ (June 22), which rightly pointed out the predicament of patients and their families who experience the long goodbye, such as Alzheimer’s disease, where someone knows that he or she is losing something, but is having prolonged trouble doing so. this is indeed a grave situation for the victims who on humanitarian grounds deserve the care and concern of their families, society and the healthcare system at large. While talking specifically about Pakistan, one is disgusted to know that there is a complete dearth of basic facilities to take care of an old-age memory loss and onset of Alzheimer’s disease. similarly, we are quite deficient in providing diagnostic services for early detection and care of this serious ailment. ironically, we also lack proper family and societal response to help unfortunate victims of mental disorders. As a matter of fact, terminally ill or mentally retarded patients are often ignored and are resigned to the life of unmitigated misery and pain. this is an unfortunate situation, to say the least. society needs to have a forward-looking mindset and do whatever is possible within its means to help such victims to pass their twilight years with human dignity and honour. no one should be denied help just because they have an irreversible disease. Denial of available help to such patients amounts to criminal negligence and is unpardonable. nobody knows for sure when the medical science at some point in time may come up with something to offer that may help these unfortunate individuals. We need to keep them as well as we can so that they may take advantage of such a breakthrough whenever it happens. DR NAILA ZIA LAHORE

Water wastage WitH growing water shortages, the government has urged people to conserve water. But first, people need to recognise the reasons for water wastage in households. Many people use hose pipes to wash their cars, driveways, or water plants. instead, they should use watering cans or buckets or a pressure washer to reduce wastage. Also, people should be more mindful of their water usage in daily chores. they must avoid leaving the taps running when washing clothes or kitchen utensils and cutlery, etc. Much of Pakistan’s water wastage stems from poor agricultural and irrigation practices. 60% of irrigation water is lost during the conveyance and application in the field. Due to the absence of knowledge on irrigation scheduling, farmers either under or over-irrigate their fields. this results in a loss of yield and inefficient use of water and fertilisers. Farmers should be encouraged to adopt drip or sprinkler irrigation systems as they are relatively more efficient. Also, the agricultural department must research and choose an irrigation system, which prevents water evaporation and does not leach nutrients from the soil. Besides initiating a widespread campaign to encourage people to conserve water, the government should inform people of water-friendly items to use such as pressure washers. Pressure washers can be provided to customers on fixed monthly instalments. SHAHRYAR KHAN PESHAWAR

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Sunday, 17 July, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

PuTin’s TriP To Tehran is rebuff To biden PUTIN IS LIKELY TO VIEW HIS IRAN TRIP AS A CHANCE TO UPSTAGE AND OUTFLANK BIDEN. HE MAY RETALIATE FOR U.S. MILITARY SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE BY ENHANCING RUSSIAN MILITARY TIES TO IRAN

daily siGnals JamEs PhilliPs

N the eve of President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle east, the Russian government announced that President Vladimir Putin would make his own trip to the region aimed at boosting ties with Iran and discussing issues related to Russia’s brutal conflicts in Ukraine and Syria at a trilateral summit with the leaders of Iran and Turkey. The Kremlin announced that Putin will meet with Iranian President ebrahim Raisi on a visit to Iran on July 19. The two leaders share a hostile view of the United States, which they perceive to be the principal threat to their authoritarian rule and to their individual efforts to revive the Russian and Persian empires by subverting, intimidating, and invading neighboring countries. As a result, both countries have been targeted by U.S. sanctions and are cooperating to circumvent and undermine those sanctions.

one of the goals of Putin’s trip is to improve economic relations between the two sanctions-hit nations, according to Mohammadreza Pourebrahimi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s economic committee. Coordinating new schemes for sanctions-busting will undoubtedly be on the agenda. Putin has demonstrated immense contempt for international norms and human rights by embracing a repressive Iranian regime. Moreover, he is doing that at a critical time when Iran is violating its nonproliferation commitments under its nuclear safeguards agreement and accelerating its ominous nuclear efforts. There is no love lost between Russia and Iran, which have fought five wars against each other and clashed repeatedly since 1651. But the two increasingly isolated, bellicose regimes have found a common interest in opposing the United States, which both see as their archenemy. The two regimes became wartime allies in Syria, where they coordinated their successful efforts to prop up the brutal Syrian dictatorship of President Bashar Assad, which clings to power despite the deaths of more than 400,000 Syrians. DIPLOMATIC SLAP IN FACE? Putin is likely to view his Iran trip as a chance to upstage and outflank Biden. he may retaliate for U.S. military support for Ukraine by enhancing Russian military ties to Iran. Russia has sold Iran tanks, warplanes, submarines, and other arms in the past, but held off on supplying Tehran with offensive weapons in recent years due to the U.N. arms embargo on Iran. That embargo expired in

2020, but Moscow has not announced any major arms sales, perhaps waiting to see whether the lapsed 2015 Iran nuclear agreement can be renegotiated, thereby enabling it to receive payments from Iran after U.S. financial sanctions are lifted. The Pentagon’s defense Intelligence Agency has assessed that Tehran is interested in buying Russian Su-30 fighter aircraft, Yak-130 trainer jets, T-90 tanks, S-400 air defense systems, and Bastian coastal defense systems. Putin may view this trip as an opportune time to announce a major arms sale, which would allow him and Raisi to underscore their budding alliance and joint defiance of the United States. The two leaders also may discuss arms sales going in the other direction. National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Monday that U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred drones, including some that are weapons-capable. Iran’s advanced drones have proven to be lethally effective in airstrikes launched by Iran or its proxies against targets in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab emirates. Putin could find such drones to be useful in his war in Ukraine, where Russian pilots are deterred by Ukrainian air defenses that have turned much of Ukraine’s airspace into a no-fly zone. While in Tehran, Putin also will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip erdogan, another prickly leader who has exploited anti-American sentiments to bolster his authoritarian rule. Turkey has clashed with Russia and Iran over Syria, where it supports Islamist rebel groups along its border,

The Tory leadership contenders: not up to the job LIKE THE FIRST ROUND OF THE CONTEST, THE SECOND CONFIRMS THAT CONSERVATIVE MPS SEEM INCAPABLE OF UNITING BEHIND A NEW LEADER Guardian Editorial

he second round of the Conservative leadership contest to succeed Boris Johnson has produced more of the same. The result amounts to a slight hardening up of the indecisive first round, not a redrawing of the contest. Tory MPs remain deeply divided and factionalised. They do not know who they want to lead them, largely because they do not agree about what they now stand for. Unable even to unite their own party, the Conservatives are in no position to unite the country either. Rishi Sunak remains the frontrunner to be one of the two names that will be put to party members at the end of next week, but his 101 votes leave him a long way short of being the majority choice of the 356 Tory MPs who voted in round two. Penny Mordaunt got the biggest number of new votes, 16, and remains a strong second with 83, but she is likely to face much fiercer attacks now. Liz Truss stays in third place, but her 64 votes mean that she is trailing behind Ms Mordaunt and confirm that she is the candidate of a parliamentary faction, and is not likely to be a unifier. The elimination of Suella Braverman is welcome after she disgraced her post of attorney general by calling for Britain to withdraw from the european convention on human rights. her mainly rightwing votes may strengthen Ms Truss in Monday’s third round. But Ms Braverman had only 27 supporters in round two, so they will not reshape the contest. Tom Tugendhat, whose vote also declined, remains in the game until next week, as does Kemi Badenoch. Both will be using the opportunity provided by the debates to raise their profiles, with a view both to surviving round three and establishing a claim to a cabinet post. But the 108 MPs who supported the three weaker candidates represent a wide spectrum of Tory

views, not a homogeneous block. The elimination of all three would still leave the field wide open and the leadership unresolved. The Tory party has demonstrated that it does not know who it wants as leader. The votes next week may show if it knows who it wants to stop. Mr Sunak is fighting against the angry Johnson loyalists, the obsessive tax cutters, and the sceptics who think he is not up to the job. Ms Truss is battling all those Tories who fear she lacks the necessary skills and who do not want a continuity Johnson government. Ms Mordaunt has to prevent all those from different wings of the party who are threatened by a new broom from allying to stop her. It is possible that the televised debates this weekend will change the momentum. But history does not show much evidence for it. The immediate interest will be in what the candidates say about issues they have avoided so far – like the cost of living crisis and what they really think of Mr Johnson. If the frontrunners land blows on one another, the danger for the Tory party in its current disarray is that the debates will parade the party’s divisions before a much wider audience. The debates will be an important test and opportunity for Ms Mordaunt. She has succeeded thus far in casting herself as the outsider without baggage, even though she remains part of the Johnson government. her campaign planning has also been more subtle than those of her rivals. Now she has to say what she will do to get the country through an unprecedented economic crunch that is reshaping millions of households. If she is deemed to have come through these tests, she will be in a strong position when the election moves to the membership, where opinion polls show that her support is already particularly strong. If not, her rocket may fall to earth very quickly, leaving Mr Sunak and Ms Truss to grind out a contest that will do the Tory party no service and the country no good.

but erdogan has joined the Russian-led Astana diplomatic framework that seeks to exclude the United States from multilateral negotiations over the future of Syria. In addition to a trilateral Russian-Iranian-Turkish meeting about Syria, erdogan and Putin also will address bilateral issues related to the war in Ukraine, where erdogan seeks to position himself as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. THE BOTTOM LINE: Putin is going out of his way to upstage Biden by announcing his own trip to Iran, which he knows will be perceived as a show of defiance against America. While in Iran, he is likely to seek enhanced RussianIranian cooperation on security, economic, and sanctions issues; to push for Iranian assistance in fighting the war in Ukraine; and to discuss a possible diplomatic “solution” for Syria that he hopes will attract Turkish support. Putin may not celebrate his meetings with Iranian leaders with a high-five hand gesture, as he did during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the 2018 Group of 20 summit, when the prince was being shunned by many Western leaders. But make no mistake: Putin’s summit lovefest with Raisi is a dismissive rebuff to Biden. James Phillips is the senior research fellow for Middle Eastern affairs at the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He has written extensively on Middle Eastern issues and international terrorism since 1978.

John bolton, please don’t mention our coups Middle east eye JoE Gill

ood old John Bolton. The US diplomatic hawk, a veteran of US interventions from the Iran-Contra fiasco to his global troublemaking as national security adviser to donald Trump, let the cat out of the bag this week. CNN reporter Jake Tapper used Bolton’s vanity about his iniquitous record to coax him into talking about the regime change activities he had been part of during his 17 tumultuous months working for Trump. Tapper riled Bolton by saying, “one doesn’t have to be brilliant to attempt a coup.” Bolton took the bait, responding: “As somebody who has helped plan coups d’état, not here, but, you know, other places. It takes a lot of work.” Tapper pressed him to say more about “what you need to do to be able to plan a coup, and you you cited your expertise having planned coups”. Bolton said he wouldn’t get into the specifics, before adding, “Well, I wrote about Venezuela in the book, and it turned out not to be successful.” This was the US-backed coup attempt against Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro following his disputed election win in 2018. As Bolton admits, that failed (although US sanctions, for which Bolton was an ardent advocate, are still crippling Venezuela’s economy). Bolton was being interviewed about the chaotic and violent assault on the US Capitol on 6 January last year, which is currently the focus of hearings in Congress. Like Russiagate (the hearings that were supposed to prove how Trump was a puppet of Vladimir Putin, but ended in failure), the 6 January hearings are scrutinising the former president’s role in seeking to overturn Biden’s victory in 2020. however, Trump is not quite revealed as a would-be Mussolini; instead of disciplined stormtroopers ready to carry out his master plan, he was surrounded by clueless clowns and chancers. As for serious coup plotters, Bolton is closer to the real deal, although those who actually carry out coups don’t give tell-all interviews to CNN. (one of them - CIA clandestine services vet John Sipher - even called out Bolton on Twitter, insisting the US doesn’t do coups anymore.) 6 JANUARY AND OTHER COUPS: With Biden’s administration in disarray ahead of the mid-term elections, 6 January has become a defining event that may prove, at least to those who care, the unutterable evil of Trump and his followers - and boost the democrats amid the

EVER SINCE THE IRAN COUP OF 1953, THE US HAS FINESSED A MODEL TO OVERTHROW GOVERNMENTS WHICH USES LOCAL CLIENT FORCES, WILLING AGENTS ON THE GROUND, MEDIA MANAGEMENT AND PROPAGANDA, AND OF COURSE DIRTY TRICKS AND SPECIALIST TROOPS huge disappointment of Biden’s presidency. of course, when it comes to coups outside of the United States, of which there are too many to mention, the democrats are not shy at all in helping to organise the storming of government buildings around the world, even against elected democratic leaders. Washington insiders were predictably furious with Bolton for breaking the omerta of US officialdom, which spends each working day maintaining the narrative of American values of democracy while working just as hard to undermine governments seen to be a threat to US imperial interests. evo Morales, the former president of Bolivia, who was overthrown in 2019 by the military, said the remarks showed that the United States was “the worst enemy of democracy and life”, The Washington Post reported. “This is no surprise,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. “The admission simply shows that interfering in other countries’ internal affairs and overthrowing their governments have become the standard practice of the US government… This is very much part of the US rule book.” Larry diamond, of the Stanford University-hoover Institution, berated Bolton’s admission: “It’s damaging to our efforts to advance and support democracy,” he said. “We have enough trouble already countering Russian and Chinese propaganda.” diamond, as it happens, was a significant player in the overthrow of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, and previously advised the US occupation authority in Iraq following George W Bush’s invasion. UPRISING OR COUP? one of diamond’s more successful productions was the “I am a Ukrainian” video that went viral during the 2013-14 crisis. It appeared to represent the spirit of young Ukrainians fighting a corrupt regime, but was created by a production company funded by the US National endowment for democracy (also known as the National endowment for Regime Change) and led by none other than US State department adviser Larry diamond. The key US player in the February 2014 uprising in Ukraine was President Barack obama’s Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. Thanks to leaked tapes (and the billions of dollars the US funnelled into Ukraine) it is clear that events widely portrayed in west-

ern media as a popular uprising were manipulated by the US to bring down Yanukovych and install a nationalist pro-US regime. In another leaked conversation between eU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet in March 2014, the latter pointed to ballistic evidence that the snipers in Kyiv who shot and killed more than 80 people from both sides in the critical days of the Maidan clashes were not working for the Yanukovych government, but were part of the far right opposition. The US nevertheless blamed the deposed government, creating a narrative around the events that holds to this day. ever since the Iran coup of 1953, the US has finessed a model to overthrow governments which uses local client forces, willing agents on the ground, media management and propaganda, and of course dirty tricks and specialist troops. UKRAINE ENDGAME: of course, this geopolitical chess game - which was treated as rather amusing by Bolton and his interviewer had an endgame, and that is the war in Ukraine. once the new regime in Kyiv, now led by Vlodomyr Zelensky, was installed in 2014, the donbas region broke away and Russia annexed Crimea. A war broke out in the east, widely blamed on Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the US had unerringly backed those forces in Ukraine who saw a war with Russia as the only way to break free from Moscow and reverse the defeat of Ukrainian pro-Nazi forces in the Second World War. This alliance with far right forces was largely airbrushed once Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year. US involvement in coups and regime change strategies in Latin America, Africa, the Middle east and europe are not just a Cold War curiosity. Moments of candour such as Bolton’s remind us they haven’t gone away. The notion that America stands for democracy and freedom across the world still holds within the bubble of US official discourse, but in the week Joe Biden offers total support to the Israeli occupation regime in Tel Aviv and the Saudi government in Riyadh, it fools no one. Joe Gill has worked as a journalist in London, Oman, Venezuela and the US, for newspapers including Financial Times, Morning Star and Middle East Eye.

Sunday, 17 July, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

corporate corner steel cutting ceremony of Pakistan navy Offshore Patrol vessel held in romania ISLAMABAD: Steel Cutting Ceremony of first Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV-II) being constructed for Pakistan Navy was held at M/s DAMEN Shipyard Galati, Romania. Ambassador of Pakistan to Romania Dr Zafar Iqbal graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Owning to the satisfactory performance of 1st Batch of OPVs (PNS YARMOOK & PNS TABUK) in Pakistan Navy; contract for 2nd Batch of OPVs was held with M/s DAMEN. These vessels are multi-purpose and highly adaptive platforms; equipped with state-of-the-art electronic warfare, anti-ship, anti-air weapons/ sensors along with modern self-protection and terminal defence systems. While addressing at the ceremony, the Chief Guest underscored the importance of OPVs in the maritime domain. He emphasized that these platforms will act as force multipliers in enhancing PN capability of safeguarding maritime frontiers and would offer flexibility in conduct of Pakistan Navy’s initiative of independent Regional Maritime Security Patrols in the Indian Ocean Region. The chief guest applauded that Pakistan Navy has been successfully playing its role in providing secure sea environment not only to ourselves but also to the world community. The Chief Guest also appreciated the professionalism of M/s DAMEN Shipyards and cooperation in delivering cutting edge technologies to Pakistan Navy in the form of Offshore Patrol Vessel. The steel cutting ceremony was attended by Chief Naval Overseer (Romania), senior management of M/s DAMEN Shipyards, Gorinchem & Galati and officials of Pakistan Navy. Pr

Public medical colleges’ admission to be started from Oct 17: PMC ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on Saturday decided to start the admission of public medical colleges from October 17, 2022, concluding the entire process alongwith special seats by December 31, 2022. The decision was made at the meeting of the National Admissions Scheduling Committee of the PMC with consensus which was held here to decide the admission schedule for 2022-23 for medical and dental colleges. It was also decided that admissions of all private medical colleges will be concluded by January 31, 2023. Thereafter, admissions to public dental colleges will be concluded by February 14, 2023 and finally, admissions to private dental colleges will be concluded by February 28, 2023. Colleges and universities as per regulations are at liberty to initiate the application process at any time after May 2022. The MDCAT exam result will be declared on October 7, 2022 with over 200,000 students across Pakistan and internationally registered to take the MDCAT exam. Students who gave the MDCAT exam in 2021 will also be able to use their 2021 results equivalenced to the 2022 MDCAT when applying for admissions. For admission to public colleges, each province or territory will determine the merit structure based on the student having qualified the MDCAT at 65% for admission to medical colleges and 55% for admission to dental colleges. Private colleges and universities frame their individual merit criteria for admissions subject to again students have qualified for the MDCAT as per notified eligibility for medical and dental programs. As per regulations framed by the Medical and Dental Council, the National Admissions Scheduling Committee consists of a total of 11 members. The Pakistan Medical Commission as part of continuing efforts to establish consensus-based benchmarks for medical and dental colleges earlier this year had framed regulations for forming the National Admission Scheduling Committee. The committee has a representation of all provinces representing the public colleges and representation of private medical and dental colleges. Every private medical and dental college was requested to submit nominations.

GOvt tO reshaPe Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar PrOGraM, says Miftah ISLAMABAD

ghulAm AbbAs

S thousands of people who applied for the subsidized loan for housing under Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar (MPMG) scheme were worried about their approved loan programs after State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) instructed banks to put on hold further disbursements under the program, the ministry of finance on Saturday has assured that issues related to the scheme would be resolved within week. After the strong resentment showed by the applicants, especially those who had made partial payment (down payment) of the loan to avail the subsidy facility announced by previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI), Minister of Finance Miftah Ismail has announced that his government is reshaping the scheme. In a Tweet, he said many people were writing to him that their loans were approved in the Mera Ghar scheme and that they have spent money based on that approval. “I want to assure you that we are reshaping this scheme and noone will lose their money. We will resolve the issues within the next week,” he said in the Tweet. Earlier Profit had carried a story regarding suspension of the loan program on June 30, 2022 that SPB has paused loan disbursement under Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar (MPMG) scheme till August 31, 2022, along with suspending fresh disbursements under the Prime Minister’s Kamyab Jawan Youth

Entrepreneurship Scheme till July 15, 2022. Soon after the story, the beneficiaries and applicants of the housing program started showing their strong resentment and they even had planned to protest outside SBP in Karachi and in front of the Ministry of Finance in Islamabad against the sudden suspension of the program. The flagship programme was aimed at ensuring availability of adequate housing in Pakistan as well as improving economic activities in the construction sector. The SBP earlier said that the reason for halting both schemes was the same: “Government of Pakistan is considering review/revise features of the subject scheme in light of recent developments in the macroeconomic scenario.” The circular further clarified that in cases where partial disbursements

have already been made till June 30, 2022; financial institutions may release the remaining disbursements under MPMG. As per sources at Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority (NAPHDA) – a dedicated organization established in January 2020 through an Act of Parliament to work on the scheme – the disbursement of subsidy under the house financing scheme has already been stopped by banks as the budget 2022-23 has not allocated any fund for it. The data released by the SBP shows that as of 31 May 2022, PKR 473 billion had been requested, PKR 212 billion had been approved, and PKR 85 billion had been disbursed under MPMG. The outstanding credit for housing and construction stood at PKR 415 billion for the month ending May 2022.

The budget 2022-23 earmarks only PKR 500 million for NAPHDA, which is hardly enough to cater to the subsidy demand of a mere 16,000 to 17,000 under-construction housing units for one year. “The disbursement has already been stopped soon after the budget 2022-23,” said an official on condition of anonymity, adding that the issue with this programme was also related to the rising volume of subsidy after a huge jump in interest rates. As per the programme, the government was supposed to meet the remaining interest rate of what it had announced as subsidy under the lowcost housing scheme. According to the programme, the borrowers were to be charged a financing rate of 3% for the first five years and 5% for the next five years. Under the present interest rate of 13% the government was to bear the remaining interest financing as subsidy. KIBOR + up to 250 bps was decided on for the remaining financing tenor. Meanwhile, an official at the ministry of finance claimed that “it was realized when banks started demanding funds under the scheme that they have crossed the disbursement limit set for the outgoing fiscal year,” he said. “Apart from the huge claims of banks, there was a complete lack of coordination among the concerned departments including SBP, banks and ministry of finance, which ultimately resulted in the mess,” he added. According to the official, the issue is now being reviewed at various forums.

Experts advocate enhanced measures for economic turnaround amid challenges ISLAMABAD XinhuA

As the country has been facing a record high inflation with an unprecedented rise in petroleum and electricity prices and low forex reserves, experts and officials have called for enhanced measures to secure an economic turnaround amid challenges. The agreement reached between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday under which Islamabad will receive over $1 billion in a loan tranche is a welcoming development for the country, Vaqar Ahmed, an economist, told Xinhua. “It will cushion the economy and provide muchneeded support in the face of depleting foreign exchange reserves and rising external debt servicing,” he said, adding that now the government should move forward making significant structural policies to get desirable economic results in the future.

Instead of giving subsidies to people, the government should create opportunities with the aim of overall economic and financial growth, said Ahmed, also joint executive director at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), an Islamabadbased think tank. “Special attention should be given to major areas of the economy including the agricultural sector, export-based industries, science and technology, and special economic zones for economic development,” he said. In an attempt to provide relief to the inflation-hit nation, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday announced a reduction of over Rs18 in the price of petrol and more than Rs40 in diesel price. “There has been a major reduction in global oil prices and therefore the government has decided to pass on the relief to the Pakistani consumers,” the prime minister said, while expressing the determina-

tion of his government to put the country on the path of economic development during the next few months. Taking cues from the dip in global oil prices and the IMF bailout package, bullish sentiments prevailed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the key index gaining nearly 500 points on Thursday. The rupee strengthened against the U.S. dollar at 209.75 in the inter-bank market late on Friday compared with 210.10 on Thursday, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Humayun Iqbal Shami, chairman of the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Economic Forum, said that instead of relying on the IMF, it is necessary for Pakistan to move towards self-sufficiency and for that, the country has all the potential needed. “We need to attract foreign direct investments by providing a desirable environment to foreign investors, promote industrialization, and other vital sectors of the economy,” Shami told Xinhua.

Govt invites petrol dealers for talks after strike warning ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Petroleum has invited petroleum dealers for talks after they announced to go on strike from July 18. Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has demanded the government to enhance the dealers’ margin to six percent. The petrol dealers had threatened to observe a nationwide strike on July 18 if the government fails to fulfill their demand of hike in the dealers’ commission. The union had summoned a session regarding the strike and negotiations with the government over the dealer’s margin. Petrol pumps cannot operate under the current margin, they claimed. The association said that the minimum wage of an employee has reached Rs25,000 and prices of other commodities were also increased. The dealers said that the margin should be increased up to six percent due to increase in the expenditures. Agencies

SECP grants license to SAFCO microfinance company ISLAMADAD stAff rePort

Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has issued Microfinance License to newly established “Non-Banking Microfinance Company” namely SAFCO Microfinance Company (Private) Limited (“SMC”). As per the details, SMC is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAFCO Support Foundation (“SSF”), one of the leading microfinance institutions engaged in providing microfinance services to the low-income marginalized segment of the society. This transformation is first move of its kind by the management and board of SSF which is the result of SECP’ concerted ef-

forts to encourage the companies engaged in microfinance business under section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017, operating as “not for profit” structure to transform into “for profit” structure under linear regulatory structure facilitating the entities to take potential benefits of large capital base, expand financial services, improve efficiency through improved governance and economy of scales. After license, SMCL will work as an entity for benefits of its shareholders along with its clients, it will be able to pay dividends to its shareholders, opening multiple avenues for new local and foreign investments and leverage the competitive interest rates from lenders to expand its operating

and financial outreach. SAFCO has been operating since 2009 having a footprint across the whole of Sindh province with a network of 57 branches providing microfinance services to more than 700,000 unbanked and low-income entrepreneurs, out of them 59 per cent are women entrepreneurs and 80 per cent of them are rural smallholder farmers. The subsidiary has been formed with the vision to seek multiple avenues of like-minded and well reputed mission driven equity investors from both local and international markets. This will allow SMCL to further strengthen its balance sheet and leverage it for massive growth, doubling the outreach in the next five years which reinforces SAFCO

group’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy and Sustainable Development goals of im-

proving the lives of unbanked and low-income businesses in Pakistan.

Sunday, 17 July, 2022 | kaRachI

10 FoReIgn newS

Saudi crown prince SayS uS alSo made miStakeS in puShback to khaShoggi rebuke

RIYADH Afp

AUDI officials indicated Saturday they were keen to move on from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, one day after US President Joe Biden raised it in his talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Tensions between the two men had been high ahead of their first meeting, especially after Biden’s administration last year released an assessment by the intelligence community that Prince Mohammed “approved” the operation that led to Khashoggi’s killing and dismemberment in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate. In remarks Friday night, Biden called Khashoggi’s death “outrageous” and said he had

warned Prince Mohammed against further attacks on dissidents, without specifying what actions he might take. The Al-Arabiya channel quoted a Saudi official saying the pair “addressed the issue of Jamal Khashoggi quickly” and that Prince Mohammed “confirmed that what happened is regrettable and we have taken all legal measures to prevent” a recurrence. Prince Mohammed also pointed out that “such an incident occurs anywhere in the world”, highlighting “a number of mistakes” made by Washington such as torturing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, Al-Arabiya reported. In an interview with CNN, Adel al-Jubeir, minister of state for foreign affairs, cast doubt on the intelligence community’s determination that Prince

Mohammed ordered the 2018 operation, something Prince Mohammed has denied. “We know what the intelligence community’s assessment was with regard to Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction,” Jubeir shot back in an exchange with Wolf Blitzer shared widely on Saudi social media. Accusations that the Iraqi dictator had such weapons trigged the 2003 Iraq War. None were found. ‘Double stanDarDs’ Jubeir also made clear the kingdom believed the Khashoggi affair had been sufficiently dealt with, even though Khashoggi’s remains have never been found. A Saudi court in 2020 jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years over the killing. Their names were never released, and Khashoggi’s fiancee branded the ruling a “farce”. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia investigated this crime. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held those responsible for it accountable, and they are paying the price of the crime they committed as we speak,” Jubeir said. “We investigated, we punished and we put in place procedures to ensure this doesn’t happen again. This is what countries do in situations like this.” Despite lingering discord over the Khashoggi affair, the meeting between Prince Mohammed and Biden “went well with a frank exchange of opinions,” Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst, told AFP. Prince Mohammed “responded to Biden, pointing out US double standards of making a huge noise about Khashoggi (a Saudi) while trying their best to downplay the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh even though she is a US citizen,” Shihabi said, referring to the Palestinian-American journalist shot dead in May while covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank. “But beyond that frank exchange the meeting was very cordial and important to put the bad blood created by Biden’s statement behind them,” he said.

Ivana Trump died of accidental ‘blunt impact’ to torso: oﬃcial NEW YORK Afp

Ivana Trump, the first wife of the former US president, died of “blunt impact injuries” to the torso in an accident, New York’s chief medical examiner said on Friday. The statement did not specify the circumstances, but US media reported that police had been investigating whether the 73-year-old died falling down the stairs at her Manhattan home. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department told AFP in an emailed statement Thursday that officers responded to a call at Ivana Trump’s address on the Upper East Side, and found her “unconscious and unresponsive.” She was pronounced dead at the scene, and the statement added that “there does not appear to be any criminality.” Donald Trump announced her death on Thursday, calling her a “wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman,

who led a great and inspirational life.” He said her “pride and joy” were the couple’s three children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump. Ivana Trump, a model who grew up under communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia, married Donald Trump, then a budding real estate de-

veloper, in 1977. Their first child, Donald Jr., was born later that year. Ivanka was born in 1981 and Eric followed in 1984. Throughout the ’80s, the Trumps were one of New York’s highest-profile couples, their extravagant lifestyle exemplifying the flashy excesses of

the decade. Their power and celebrity grew as Donald Trump’s property business soared, with Ivana Trump taking on a number of key roles in the business. Their high-profile split, rumoured to have been caused in part by Donald Trump’s affair with actress Marla Maples, provided juicy content for New York’s tabloids. Donald Trump and Ivana Trump divorced in the early ’90s and in 1993 the future president married Maples. Ivana Trump went on to enjoy a successful business career of her own, developing clothing, jewellery and beauty products and penning a number of books. She was married four times in her life, once before her marriage to Donald Trump and twice after. On Friday, a US justice official said depositions of Donald Trump, Donald Jr and Ivanka in New York’s civil probe into alleged fraud at his family business had been postponed following her death.

Sikh man, acquitted in 1985 air india bombing, shot dead in canada TORONTO Agencies

Ripudaman Singh Malik, a 75-year-old Sikh man acquitted in the 1985 Air India bombing case was killed by unidentified persons in Canada. Ripudaman Singh Malik was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia on Thursday. Ripudaman and co-accused Ajaib Singh Bagri were acquitted in 2005 of mass murder and conspiracy charges related to the two bombings in 1985 that killed 331 people, a media report said. The report cited a witness who said he “heard three shots and pulled Malik from his red Tesla bleeding from a neck wound.” Another media report said that while police had not initially released the victim’s identity, it confirmed it after Malik’s son, Jaspreet Malik, posted a statement on social media about his father’s shooting. “The media will always refer to him as someone charged with the Air India bombing,” Malik’s son wrote on Facebook. He said that his father had been “wrongly charged” in the case and the court concluded that “there was no evidence against him”. The Canadian police said they are working to determine the motive behind the targeted killing of Ripudaman Singh Malik. On June 23, 1985, the Air India flight 182, carrying 329 people, including 268 Canadian citizens and 24 Indian citizens, flew from Toronto and stopped in Montreal from where it was en route to London and then onwards to its final destination Bombay. The plane was flying 31,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean when a suitcase bomb exploded in the front cargo, killing all on board.

Fir against men who allegedly offered namaz at lucknow’s lulu mall LUCKNOW Agencies

The police in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh registered a first information report (FIR) against Muslims for offering namaz (prayers) in the newly opened Lulu Mall in Lucknow. The FIR was registered following a protest by Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindutva outfit, after a video purportedly showing some Muslims offering namaz in the Mall went viral. In the FIR, the Muslims have been charged for “promoting enmity” between religious groups. The Mahasabha launched a protest in Lucknow against the Lulu group and its owner, Yusuffali M.A., for allowing visitors to offer namaz in the mall arena. The activists of Mahasabha exerted pressure on the district administration for action against the mall management and the people seen in the viral video. Subsequently, the mall’s authorities issued a statement and distanced themselves from the ‘controversy’. Fearing serious backlash and financial losses, the mall management was forced to send out a letter to Sushant Golf City police in connection with the incident. It clarified that those offering namaz were not employees of the mall but visitors, and said it will ensure that no such incident repeats. The management put up notices on the premises stating that it will not allow any religious activity in the mall.

Xinjiang is a hub in Belt & Road cooperation: Xi Jinping URUMQI Agencies

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called the multi-ethnic region of Xinjiang “a hub” in Belt and Road cooperation. The comments were made by the Chinese leader during his visit to Xinjiang from Tuesday to Friday. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is China’s bridge to Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe, owing to its strategic location as the country’s westernmost frontier. It plays a vital role in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a framework of trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. Xinjiang has morphed from a relatively enclosed hinterland into the forefront of opening-up, the president told staff at Urumqi International Land Port Area on Tuesday afternoon, as the country is promoting the expansion of opening up, the devel-

opment of the western regions, and the joint efforts in building the Belt and Road. President Xi stressed advancing the building of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt – the “belt” component of the BRI – and incorporating Xinjiang’s regional opening-up strategy into the country’s overall plan of westward development. At the international land port area, Xi checked the operations of China-Europe Railway Express (Urumqi), the Alashankou port and the Horgos Port, which are all important gateways for cross-border trade. Horgos, literally known as “a place where caravans pass,” used to be a trading post along the northern route of the ancient Silk Road. In 2016, the port launched the China-Europe freight train service and has since witnessed a steady rise in the number of trains passing through it. Despite of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of China-Europe freight trains entering and leaving via Horgos Port exceeded 4,720 in 2020, a 43 percent increase compared with

the total in 2019. According to local customs officials, the services of the China-Europe freight train have been favored by an increasing number of companies during the pandemic thanks to their low prices, large transportation capacity, great stability and connectivity. The Alashankou Port, also known as Alataw Pass, is China’s closest railway port to Europe. In January 2020, cross border e-commerce was launched in the inland port and commodities like toys, digital products and clothing manufactured in the country have been shipped to Europe since. Data from the customs of the inland port shows that more than 57 million cross-border e-commerce packages worth over 1 billion yuan (about 160 million U.S. dollars) have been exported via the port since January 2020. During his inspection, Xi also highlighted the importance of innovating the system for an open economy, the building of large opening-up corridors, better utilizing

both domestic and international markets and resources, and actively serving and integrating into the new pattern of development. China put forth the West Development Strategy in 1999, and since then, the coun-

try’s western regions have achieved remarkable progress. The accelerating GDP growth in western China has suggested a narrowing development gap between the country’s east and west.

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Sunday, 17 July, 2022 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

Sri Lanka hit back after Shaheen takeS four wicketS in firSt teSt GALLE, SRI LANKA

Agencies

AKISTAN’S Shaheen Shah Afridi led an inspired attack to bowl out Sri Lanka for 222 but the hosts hit back with two wickets before stumps on the opening day of the first Test on Saturday. The tourists reached 24 for two at the close of play in Galle after losing their openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique. Azhar Ali, on three, and skipper Babar Azam, on one, were batting at close of play with Pakistan still trailing by 198 runs. Fast bowler Kasun Rajitha trapped Imam leg before wicket for two and Prabath Jayasuriya took down Shafique for 13 with his left-arm spin on a day dominated by the bowlers. Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen stood out withfigures of 4-58 but Dinesh Chandimal’s

attacking 76 and a late cameo of 36 by Maheesh Theekshana gave the hosts a fighting total on a pitch expected to aid spinners. The hosts were tottering at 133-8 but added 89 runs for the final two wickets including a 44-run stand by Theekshana and Chandimal, who hit 10 fours and one six. Shaheen wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Theekshana in the final session of play. The pace spearhead struck in the third over of the day to send back skipper Dimuth Karunaratne for one, and leg-spinner Yasir Shah soon combined with the quick bowlers to have Sri Lanka in trouble after they elected to bat. Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis attempted to rebuild the innings in a 49-run partnership but Yasir, who is making a comeback to the team after a thumb injury that kept him out since August last year, broke through.

Yasir got Kusal caught behind for 21 and Oshda soon followed his partner back to the pavilion in the next over when pace bowler Hasan Ali cut short the opener’s stay on 35. Angelo Mathews then fell for a 15-ball duck as Yasir got the former captain caught at mid-on. Shaheen struck twice after lunch and fellow quick Naseem Shah and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz took a wicket each. Chandimal smashed 19-year-old Naseem for three straight boundaries to bring up his fifty and offer some cheer to the weekend crowd. Chandimal, who made an unbeaten 206 in Sri Lanka’s series-levelling Test win over Australia earlier this week, finally fell to a good catch by Yasir at cover with Ali taking his second wicket. But Theekshana played a defiant knock in just his second Test and put on 45 runs for the last wicket with Rajitha, unbeaten on 12.

‘Keep Shining And Rising’ Kohli responds Oh baby: Maria Sharapova welcomes son Theodore to Babar’s ‘Stay Strong’ message ISLAMABAD Web Desk

Virat Kohli’s slump with the bat has become the talk of the town. The star batter last scored a century in 2019, and since then the

three-figure mark has eluded him. Kohli was dismissed on 16 off 25 balls in the second ODI against England, which prompted Pakistan captain Babar Azam to put out a tweet in favour of him. Kohli has now reacted to Babar’s tweet.

Taking to Twitter, Kohli thanked Babar for his support, and wished him luck. Notably, Babar is currently leading Pakistan in a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. “This too shall pass,” Babar captioned a photo alongside Kohli. Replying to the post, Kohli said: “Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best”. On the eve of the first Test against Sri Lanka, Babar had addressed a press conference and he was asked about his tweet on Kohli. “As a player myself, I know you can go through such a phase (out of form) and I also know what a player goes through in such a phase. In those times, you need support. I just tweeted thinking that it will give just some support. He is one of the best players,” Babar said during a press conference. “He is playing a lot of cricket, and he knows how to come out of these situations. It takes time, if you back players, it will be really good,” he added. Kohli’s last international ton had come in 2019 and after that, the three-figure mark has eluded him. The batter had failed to get going in the Edgbaston Test and then the two T20Is against England.

Felix passes baton to next generation in emotional worlds send-oﬀ EUGENE ReuteRs

Allyson Felix heard the roar of a World Championships home crowd for the first and last time on Friday and while a bronze medal was not the way she wanted to end her track career she said it was more important to “embrace the journey”. Felix and her 4×400 mixed relay team mates were left on the bottom step of the podium in Eugene, Oregon after being caught down the home stretch by the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands. There were many empty seats at Hayward Field but the fans let 36-year-old Felix know they were behind her every step of the way when she took the baton one last time. “It’s really cool to have it at home,” said Felix, who ran the second leg. “It had always

been something I was a little envious when you have an athlete from the home crowd and you hear that roar. “And tonight it was cool because we got that.” Felix won the first of her 11 Olympic medals as an 18-year-old at the 2004 Athens Games when she picked up a 200m silver. She bookended her Olympic career by

winning 400m bronze and 4x400m relay gold at Tokyo last year, becoming the most decorated woman in the history of the sport. Asked what wisdom she had to offer to the next generation of athletes, Felix said: “Embrace the journey. “When you love something this much and you have difficult moments, it can break your heart,” she told reporters. “Every defeat, every feeling of failure, it’s an opportunity to get better. And I wish that I really would have known that earlier.” A final street race in Los Angeles is planned for August to close out her career. “To hear from my fellow athletes and younger athletes – it’s been an emotional day and time period of just messages and I think it’s just something I never expected,” said Felix. “I’m so excited to know this sport is in such great hands.”

NEW YORK AFP

Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, announced Friday she has given birth to a baby boy named Theodore. He is the first child for the 35-yearold Russian tennis star and British businessman Alexander Gilkes, 42, who announced their engagement in December 2020. “The most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for,” Sharapova posted Friday

on Instagram, indicating in Roman numerals that Theodore was born on July 1. Sharapova, who had revealed in April that she was pregnant, is among only 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam by capturing all four major singles crowns at least once. In 2004, Sharapova won her first major title at Wimbledon at age 17 and followed by capturing the 2006 US Open, 2008 Australian Open and the 2012 and 2014 French Open crowns. She also captured a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, losing to American Serena Williams in the final.

Amir claims he can’t be compared with any current Pakistani bowler ISLAMABAD Web Desk

Mohammad Amir was once considered to be one of the best naturally talented bowlers across the globe. However, his reputation was tainted when he was caught in a spot-fixing scandal alongside former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and seamer Mohammad Asif. After serving his ban, Mohammad Amir returned to represent Pakistan on the international stage once again to complete the fairytale. Having spent time away from the game, Amir’s rise to prominence was short-lived. The left-arm pacer, in an interview with a local media outlet, claimed that

he is still currently better than any Pakistani bowler, which includes Shaheen Shah Afridi. Back in the day, Amir’s direct competition was with Mohammad Asif. When asked about who would take more wickets if Amir was still playing, he claimed he doesn’t think a comparison should even exist of his abilities compared to others. “I don’t think there is a competition of myself with anyone. I was the only bowler who was in the ICC rankings. Even when I was dropped after the World Cup, I was still in the rankings for a good year and a half,” claimed Amir. In addition to this, Amir claimed that no other Pakistani bowler has the skills that he has.

Pakistan wants ICC to regulate growth of T20 leagues LAHORE ReuteRs

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday that it has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to devise a way to regulate the growth of lucrative T20 leagues with rising concerns about its impact on the sport’s calendar. South Africa this week pulled out of a three-match bilateral one-day series in Aus-

tralia in January as it clashes with their new domestic T20 competition. The next cycle of the Future Tours Programme (FTP), which lays down which national sides play where and when, is set to be confirmed later this month at the annual conference of the ICC, the global governing body, in Birmingham. Franchise cricket is likely to dominate the busy international calendar, which also includes ICC events like the World Cups in

all formats. “The growth of franchise cricket is impacting the already-crammed international cricket calendar,” PCB chief executive Faisal Hasnain said in a statement. “The PCB is concerned about this development and wants the ICC to formulate a strategy on this issue. “We have sent a proposal to the ICC, which they have added to their meeting agenda. Two other boards have also conveyed their apprehensions to the ICC on this matter and urged the ICC to create a working

group to debate on the expansion of franchise-based T20 leagues.” The ICC has already accepted the new reality, with chairman Greg Barclay, saying last month “there’s not a lot we can do” about T20 leagues dominating the calendar. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is negotiating an extended 10week window for its popular Indian Premier League (IPL) having sold the annual T20 tournament’s 2023-2027 media rights for a

staggering $6.2 billion last month. “Finalising the FTP is very important for us,” said Hasnain, with Pakistan only starting to host international cricket matches in recent years after a long hiatus. “This will give us certainty about which teams will be visiting us and which countries we will be touring. 80 percent of the FTP has already been agreed upon and the remaining 20 percent will be completed in the upcoming meeting.”

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We can’t afford Weak arMy in Pakistan, says iMran ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

AKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan has said that the country could not afford a weak army after witnessing the plight of those countries which failed to build a strong army. Addressing a seminar in Islamabad today, Imran Khan said that a strong army was necessary for the country. He expressed concerns over negative trends on social media and said that the whole world was planning to control social media. The PTI chief questioned the characters who played their role in letting the alleged US conspiracy against the elected government be successful. He criticised that the president sent the cipher to the chief justice but deliberate attempts were made to wrap up the issue and it was told that such ciphers were a routine thing. He also criticised that the Supreme Court (SC) has threatened on the cipher issue instead of carrying out an inquiry.

Khan said that the government did not try to influence judicial matters during PTI tenure. “Democracy is always based on moral values. The United Kingdom (UK) maintains moral values that preserve democracy in its original shape. Freedom of expression and character assassination is discouraged there just because they

have better moral standards. I have never seen such things in Pakistan.” “In the UK, [an elected prime minister] Boris Johnson was removed from his office for telling a lie. But here, Shehbaz Sharif and his son were made the prime minister and chief minister when they are going to face indictment. Hamza Shahbaz becomes an unconstitutional

chief minister [in Punjab] and the government machinery is being used to win the by-polls.” Khan said that the whole nation was looking toward the establishment as they have power. He continued that constructive criticism was necessary to improve the governance issues which will also benefit the establishment. “Journalists should be allowed for constructive criticism otherwise we would never be able to differentiate between right and wrong.” The former prime minister was of the view that fair and free elections were the only solution left to stabilise the country. “The time of martial laws is over and we have to strengthen our democracy now. An independent media is necessary for strengthening democracy in any country. It is also important to regulate social media. There is no need to devise new law but to enforce the available regulations.” He said that the two ruling families of Pakistan were involved in controlling the judiciary and media after they were found involved in corruption.

Sanaullah warns against spreading unrest during Punjab by-polls ISLAMABAD newS deSk

army troops to perform only Qrf duties during Punjab by-polls: isPr RAWALPINDI: Amid rising political heat, the Pakistan Army Saturday announced its troops will perform “only Quick Reaction Force (QRF) duties in case of any law and order situation arising during the polling of by-elections in Punjab”. “The Army troops carried out reconnaissance of the most sensitive locations in respective areas as 3rd tier responders to any law and order situation in line with directions of Election Commission of Pakistan during Punjab by-elections,” an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said here on Saturday. Staff RepoRt

sc to hear imran’s plea against naB law amends from 19th ISLAMABAD: A special bench of the Supreme Court (SC) will hear the petition filed by former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan against the recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999. According to details, a threejudge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial will hear the PTI Chairman’s plea against the NAB amendments on July 19. The special bench – constituted by the Chief Justice of Pakistan – also consists Justice Ijazul Haq and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah. It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister Imran Khan had moved Supreme Court to challenge recent amendments to the National Accountability (NAB) Ordinance by the coalition government. In the petition, the former prime minister prayed to the apex court to declare all amendments made to sections 2, 4, 5, 26, 6, 14, 15, 23, 21 and 25 null and void since they were against the constitution. newS deSk

Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan not to spread unrest during upcoming by-polls to 20 seats of Punjab Assembly. The Interior Minister said that Imran Khan will lose the election, reiterating that law will spring into action if Daska-like situation is repeated. “We will

ensure free and transparent by-elections,” he added. Rana Sanaullah said that he has reports that PTI has called 500 goons to Punjab to spread unrest during by-polls and PTI’s request to deploy polling agents from outside the constituencies was part of the same conspiracy. The PML-N leader also claimed that Asad Qaiser, Ali Muhammad Khan, Murad Saeed are sheltering goons. He warned that action will be initiated against anyone who takes law into his hands.

ECP vows free, transparent Punjab by-polls anew LAHORE Saleem Jadoon

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday reiterated its commitment to free, fair and transparent by-elections to 20 Punjab Assembly seats being held 14 districts on Sunday (today). According to ECP data, as many as 175 candidates are contesting the by-elections for crucial Punjab Assembly seats. The election campaign for by-polls ended at 12:00 midnight (night between Friday and Saturday) and voting is being on Sunday (today). By-elections are being held in 20 constituencies of Punjab Assembly including PP-7 Rawalpindi; PP-83, Khushab; PP-90 Bhakkar; PP-97 Faisalabad; PP-125, Jhang; PP-127, Jhang; PP-140 Sheikhupura;PP-158,Lahore;PP-167, Lahore; PP-168, Lahore; PP-170 Lahore; PP-202 Sahiwal; PP-217 Multan; PP-224, Lodhran;PP-228, Lodhran; PP-237, Bahawalnagar; PP-272- Muzaffargarh;PP-273 Muzaffargarh;PP282, Layyah and PP-288 Dera Ghazi Khan. The ECP has completed preparations for the bypolls. A total of 4.57 million registered voters, including 2.46 million women, will exercise their right to franchise to elect their representatives. A total of 3,131 polling stations, including 731 male, 700 fe-

male and 1700 combined polling stations have been established across the 20 constituencies. A total of 9,562 polling booths have been set up for the by-polls. The ECP has declared 1,204 polling stations sensitive and 696 highly sensitive. Polling stations in Lahore and Multan have been declared sensitive. The results of the by-polls would be essential for the CM vote count, ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. PML-N needs to win a total of 9 seats in the byelections to gain a majority to elect their Chief Minister in the biggest province of the country.

Jalil sharaqpuri, another PML-n lawmaker, tenders resignation, joins Pti LAHORE mian abRaR

Punjab government suffered another blow late Saturday night as another PML-N legislator met with PTI leaders and announced to resign from Punjab Assembly. This is second MPA to tender resignation in as many days while another PML-N lawmaker has been disqualified on fake degree – taking the toll to three lawmakers in two days’ time. Sources told Pakistan Today that Sharaqpuri had met with PTI leader and former interior minister Shehryar Afridi and assured him to join the PTI. However, the sources said that when Shehryar spoke to Imran Khan, he told him to take him to Pervez Elahi as he was not in the city. While Imran Khan was not available for a meeting, Sharaqpuri met with Elahi and tendered resignation. PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza and other PTI leaders were also present on the occasion. The sources said that Hamid Raza played a key role in convincing Sharaqpuri to resign from assembly and join the PTI. Sources in the PTI told Pakistan Today that in next few days, two more lawmakers are set to resign from their assembly membership as the chances of PTI nominee for election of Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi have become brighter. However, today’s by-polls would have a final word on the fate of the election for the chief minister Punjab due after by-polls. Before the resignations of PML-N lawmakers, PTI and PML-N had almost same number of lawmakers in Punjab Assembly – 173 each. The resignation by Sharaqpuri and Faizal Niazi who left the PML-N and joined the PTI may prove to be lethal for the prospects of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.

Maryam contracts coronavirus — again ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz announced on Saturday she has tested positive for coronavirus for a second time. “Covid positive,” she tweeted. It may be mentioned here that Nawaz had spearheaded her party’s campaign for the by-election in Punjab, on which the fate of the government of his cousin Hamza Shehbaz is dependent. She had been on a whirlwind tour of Punjab, addressing rally after rally to garner support for Sunday’s vote. Friday was the last day of the campaign on which she addressed a public meeting in Multan. Nawaz had first tested positive for coronavirus in July last and made her recovery in a few weeks.

Tempers fray as PTI, PML-N vow to win Punjab by-polls ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Amid rising political temperature, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have vowed to win the by-elections being held in Punjab on Sunday (today). Former federal information minister Fawad Chaudhary on Saturday said that whatever strategy the “imported government” adopts, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will secure a landslide victory in the

Punjab by-elections. While holding a press conference in Lahore, Fawad Ch said that it is expected that PTI will win 16 out of the total 20 seats. He alleged the by-elections in Punjab have started with rigging and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) itself is rigging. The former federal minister took a jibe at ECP and said, “ECP says that there is no need for rigging when we are present.” Fawad said every decision of the ECP was overturned in the courts. The court also

suspended the decision not to recruit polling agents from other places, adding Fawad. PTI leader said that yesterday’s decision of the ECP was also rejected by the court. He said that no budget meeting has been held in Punjab at present and whatever expenditure is being incurred is illegal. Fawad also said that in Punjab, planes have been converted into rickshaws. PTI leader alleged that government machinery is being used to block PTI candidates, adding that illegal arrests are being

made in Punjab. He further claimed that anyone who supports PTI is arrested and the people active in the election campaign are also being implicated in fake cases. Fawad said that in a democracy one has to show a majority, but if Hamza Shahbaz is fond of dictatorship then it is a different matter. PML-N to win by-elections from across Punjab: Abid Sher Ali Senior leader Pakistan Muslim LeagueN Abid Sher Ali said that PML-N would win by-elections with thumping majority from

across Punjab. He was holding press conference at Gilani House here, Abid Sher Ali expressed gratitude to all parties of Pakistan Democratic Alliance and Gilani family for extending support towards the candidates of PML N. He hinted that Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were disappointed and wishing politics of dead bodies. In past, Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been winning elections after rigging. He also appreciated local people for their participation in huge public meeting.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk