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Sunday, 12 June, 2022 I 12 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 343 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

PPP toP brass dePlores byPassing Parliament in talks with ttP ISLAMABAD

mian abrar

akistan People’s Party (PPP) top brass saturday deplored federal government’s dialogue with the banned terrorist outfit, tehreek-e-taliban Pakistan (ttP), tehreek-e-taliban afghanistan (tta), bypassing of the parliament and called for making Parliament on board over the issue. a high level meeting of PPP was held in Zardari house islamabad to discuss in depth the issue of terrorism particularly in the light of recent developments in afghanistan with the tta & ttP. the hybrid meeting presided over by former President asif ali Zardari and party chairman bilawal bhutto Zardari was attended by senior party leadership. the meeting was attended among others by two former prime ministers yousuf raza Gillani, raja Pervez ashraf, Faryal talpur, sindh chief minister murad ali shah, syed khursheed shah, sherry rehman, nayyer bukhari, najmuddin khan, President PPP kP chapter, Faisal karim kundi, humayun khan, ch yasin, Qamar Zaman kaira, chaudhry manzoor, nadeem afzal chan, akhunzada chattan, rukhsana bangash, nisar khuhro and Farhatullah babar. a statement issued by secretary General PPP Farhatullah babar said that the meeting reiterated the Party position that all decisions must be taken by the parliament and thus the parliament must be taken on board. the party also decided to reach out to allied parties to create consensus on the way forward. “PPP believes that all decisions must be taken by parliament. will be reaching out to allied parties to create consensus on the way forward,” Fm bilawal said in a tweet.

Party wants all decisions to be taken by the Parliament

on June 3, Pakistan welcomed the ceasefire announced by the banned ttP, as the federal government for the first time publicly acknowledged it was negotiating a peace deal with the outlawed outfit. the confirmation from the government came a day after the ttP extended the ceasefire for an indefinite period after the Pakistani tribal jirga visited kabul and held talks with the ttP leadership. both sides have been holding talks for the last several weeks but the Pak-

istani side until now remained tightlipped. Questions were asked about whether the current government was on board with talks with the ttP as military officials held a series of meetings with the militant outfit in recent days in the afghan capital. Federal information minister maryam aurangzeb, in a statement, said the talks with the ttP were taking place at the government level. “talks with the ttP began in 2021 and these negotiations have been taking

Miftah says economic crisis result of financial mismanagement

ISLAMABAD Staff report

minister for Finance miftah ismail on saturday blamed the misgovernance of the past governments for the damage to the economy which he claimed compelled the administration of shehbaz sharif to present one of the toughest budgets in Pakistan’s history. addressing the post-budget press conference in islamabad, the minister said if the menace of maladministration was not addressed in a timely manner, it’d cause further devastation. “which is exactly why this government had to present an austerity budget to address those issues,” he said. ismail was flanked by minister for in-

formation and broadcasting marriyum aurangzeb, minister of state for Finance and revenue aisha Ghaus Pasha and officials from the Finance division. he stressed the need to fix the country administratively, otherwise, the economy won’t survive. “we ask other nations for loans, packages and deposits. Pakistan is a proud country, a country of proud people, a nuclear power […] we will have to fix our economy,” he said. “we should not incur such expenditures that we cannot afford.” the minister said the budget was presented at a time when the country was experiencing hardships. “at least for the last 30 years, i have never seen such difficult times where on one side Pakistan is faced with an inter-

nationally challenging environment and on the other, the governance mechanism has worsened,” ismail remarked. Unfortunately, no measures were taken by the previous government to fix the economy, he declared. citing massive bleeding of cash in the power and gas sectors, ismail said during the last fiscal year alone, rs3,400 billion in losses were recorded in the two sectors owing to subsidies and defaults. the minister said subsidies of over rs 1,100 billion were given to the power sector. the circular debt has reached rs500 billion, taking the total losses of the sector to rs1,600 billion, he said. the country wasn’t able to bear those losses, which, if not addressed, would damage the economy, he added. likewise, the minister said, rs400 billion in subsidies was given in the gas sector coupled with rs1,400 billion circular debt whereas the sui northern Gas Pipelines limited (snGPl) faced a loss of rs200 billion. Gas valuing $2.4 billion was lost annually at the network of the company which had never been accounted for. however, he assured the government would provide gas to the industry at rates that were competitive in the regional market. the minister said the previous government had caused huge damages to the economy, however, Prime minister shehbaz sharif took difficult decisions and would continue to take more, if required, to put the country back on track.

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place at the government level,” the minister said, confirming the peace talks with the banned group. the minister also confirmed that the afghan taliban were acting as mediators between the two sides. she said that civil and military representatives were part of the Pakistani side holding talks with ttP. she said the government welcomed the ceasefire announced by the ttP. but the PPP’s latest statement suggested that all the coalition partners were not on board.

in return for a ceasefire, Pakistan reportedly released certain ttP prisoners and even pardoned some who were convicted in terror cases. there was, however, no official confirmation. the ttP has put forward several demands including reversal of Fata merger, monetary compensation and allowing them to keep their arms. the Pakistani side, however, wants them to lay down their arms and is also reluctant to restore the status of Fata. there were questions asked about whether the Pakistani team holding talks with the ttP had the mandate to discuss matters that involve constitutional amendments. the information minister clarified that the negotiation committee had the mandate. “whatever decision the team will arrive at would be approved by the government and Parliament.” the peace process resumed last month after Pakistan sent a clear message to the afghan taliban government that it would no more tolerate cross-border terrorist attacks. over 120 Pakistani security forces were martyred this year in terrorist attacks mostly carried out by the ttP from across the border. in april, frequent cross-border terrorist attacks compelled Pakistan to launch retaliatory air strikes targeting the ttP hideouts across the border. it also warned the afghan taliban to take stern action against the ttP, which was operating with impunity from the afghan soil. the afghan taliban, feeling pressure from Pakistan, once again persuaded the ttP to engage with Pakistan. a few weeks ago, a Pakistani delegation led by Peshawar corps commander lt General Faiz hameed visited kabul and held talks with the ttP. the talks led to renewal of truce by ttP for may 30 which has now been extended indefinitely.

PTI not to leave field empty for rivals in by-polls: Qureshi MULTAN Saleem Jadoon

Vice chairman Pakistan tehreek-einsaf (Pti) makhdoom shah mehmood Qureshi on saturday said that Pti is truly a political party, which will never leave field empty for the opponents in by-elections. “the Pti wants transparent elections and would never allow anyone to hijack or manipulate the public mandate.” talking to media persons after acceptance of nomination papers of Zain hussain Qureshi for by-polls to PP 217, shah mahmood Qureshi stated that Pti would continue its fights for elimination of outdated system in the country. he also alleged that the state resources are being utilized for the electioneering of Pml-n candidate. responding to a question about grand dialogue on economy, Qureshi stated that grand dialogue is not a bad thing but it should be done during the tenure of the government which secured fresh mandate after general elections. he stated the present government was a temporary regime, based on political parties having different political ideologies. he stated that achievements of last regime of Pti were mentioned in economic survey unveiled by this “imported government.” the Pti government performed outstandingly in exports, remittance, industrial growth, agriculture uplift and many other sectors of the economy. Qureshi declared that the Pti

wants transparent elections and would never allow anyone to hijack or manipulate the public mandate. responding to a question, shah mehmood Qureshi remarked that he did know about the duration of the present assemblies. to another question about issuance of ticket to Zain Qureshi, makhdoom shah mahmood Qureshi observed that Zain hussain Qureshi was nominated after due consultation in the party.

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NEWS

SharIf, SoN Secure Pre-arreST BaIl IN MoNey lauNDerING caSe lahORE

Staff rePort

HE prime minister and his son and Punjab chief minister Saturday obtained interim bails from a special court in Lahore in a reference accusing them of laundering billions of rupees out of Pakistan, claiming they were innocent and the complaint against them was politically motivated. Shehbaz Sharif and members of his family, including Hamza Shehbaz, are facing charges of money laundering of at least Rs16 billion using accounts operated in the name of their businesses and low-level employees, according to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Both Sharif and Shehbaz appeared before the court in the money laundering case. At the outset of the proceedings, Sharif went to the rostrum and requested Special Court (CentralI) judge Ijaz Hassan Awan to “let me explain the truth about his bail” in the case. He said there was nothing new in the case as both National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA cases were the same [agencies] in nature. He said the authorities made Ashiana-i-Iqbal Housing and Ramzan Sugar Mills cases against him. The dirty money watchdog alleges that Sharif and Shahbaz have “fraudulently and dishonestly” caused a Rs213 million loss to the national exchequer in the latter reference. The judge asked if the prime minister did not hold shares in the sugar production

business operated by his family. On this, Sharif replied in the negative, saying: “I’m neither a director nor owner, or even a shareholder in the mills. And I was wrongfully accused of abusing power in the housing society case.” He said the Lahore High Court (LHC) had already given a verdict in his favour. He said the NAB challenged his bail in the Supreme Court. “But the anti-graft watchdog faced embarrassment when the top court chided it for lack of evidence,” he told the judge. Sharif said that after spending his days in a NAB prison, he verbally informed the FIA of all the facts. He contended the courts decided his cases on merit and he was acquitted. He said the FIA was reprimanded for not

presenting a charge sheet against him in court. He alleged the agency was in fact delaying the charge sheet in order to find a way to arrest him. During the hearing, a report regarding non-bailable arrest warrants for Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz and two other accused was also submitted to the court. According to the report, Salman was not found at his home address of Jati Umra as he had fled to London and never returned. The other two accused also had not been served with warrants as Malik Maqsood Ahmad — frequently referred to as Maqsood Chaprasi — died under mysterious circumstances in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Tahir Naqvi was out of the country. The court was informed that a letter had

PTI leaders get extention in interim bail

been written to the relevant agency for the confirmation of Ahmad’s death. The judge, however, ordered the FIA to initiate proceedings to declare Salman and Naqvi as proclaimed offenders. ‘DIAMONDS FOR NRO’ Meanwhile, talking to the media after the hearing, Punjab government spokesperson Attaullah Tarar lashed out at former prime minister Imran Khan. He said consultants be called for the medical examination of the Khan’s mental health. He said former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar threw away billions of rupees in subsidies to the “sugar mafia”. He accused the former Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government of accepting diamonds for quashing court cases against its rivals.

PM asks Parliament to take up blasphemous comments of top India leaders IslamabaD

lahORE

Staff rePort

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday sought a debate in the upcoming session of the National Assembly to adopt a resolution condemning the recent remarks by officials from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that insulted Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.). Nupur Sharma, the spokeswoman of the party, had made insulting remarks against the prophet in a TV debate, triggering a wave of condemnation at home and from the Islamic world. The party has since distanced itself from her remarks and suspended the spokeswoman. Another BJP spokesman, Naveen Kumal Jindal, was expelled from the party over comments he made about Islam on social media. Leaders of Muslim groups in India have called for legal action against Sharma in response to the comments The prime minister requested the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to hold a debate over the matter in the upcoming session on June 13 (Monday), his office said in a press statement. Sharif, while strongly condemning the comments, said that with the adoption of a resolution in the National Assembly, Pakistan wanted to give a message to India and the rest of the world the Islamic world was ready to give any sacrifice for the honour of the prophet. He said the sentiments of about 1.25 billion followers of the faith across the world were hurt by such profane remarks over which they have been strongly protesting. On Sunday, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran summoned Indian envoys over the officials’ remarks, while Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan also issued statements condemning the remarks.

A district and sessions court in Lahore on Saturday extended until June 18 the interim bails granted to nine Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, in a case linked to purported vandalising of public property during the party’s long march on May 25. The PTI leaders included Rashid, Mian Akram Usman, Muhammad Zubair Khan Niazi, Imtiaz Mehmood Sheikh, Mian Mehmood ur-Rasheed, Mian Shafqat Mehmood, Malik Nadeem Abbas, Murad Raas, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Yasir Gilani, Hammad Azhar, Andleeb Abbas, and Ijaz Chaudhry. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Saima Qureshi also ordered the investigation officer (IO) in the case to complete his probe at the earliest. The said MPs had to rush to the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore for bails on Friday after it issued non-bailable arrest warrants for them in the case. Last month, the Punjab police registered a total of 42 criminal cases against senior PTI leaders and workers for alleged agitation in the aftermath of the march.

LAHORE: Women activists of Jamaat-i-Islami taking part in Awami Aman March to show respect and love for Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) on Mall Road. Photo by zubair Mehfooz

Textile industry set to unravel under power crisis KaRaChI afP

Number of cinema houses in Pakistan shrinks to 135 IslamabaD Staff rePort

As many as 846 popular cinema halls have been demolished in various parts of country including Hyderabad during the last 3 decades. According to a report of Pakistan Film data base, the number of cinema halls in Pakistan have reached to 135 which was 981 in last 3 decades. In Sindh including Karachi division, there were almost 257 cinemas, out of which 218 cinema halls were demolished while only 39 cinema houses were in running condition. In Punjab there were almost 611 cinema halls including Lahore but now 90 cinema houses were exists in the province, In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa there were 68 cinema halls but now number of packed houses reduced to 06 only. In Baluchistan there were around 24 cinema halls in last 3 decades but there are only 3 cinemas. In Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir no cinema house exists at present. The cinemas in Hyderabad whose buildings demolished included Rahat, Nishat, Shalimar, Odeon, Qaiser, Shams, Hill top, Firdous, Elite, Capri, Bombino, Venus, Koh-eNoor,Chandni, New Majestic, Noor Mahal, Chiragh Mahal, Shaheen and Sangeet, Pakistan and Marvi of Hyderabad, however only two cinemas Bombino and Shahab are in running condition and screens movies.

Pakistan’s textile exports are set to dramatically dip as the sector is hobbled by a nationwide energy crisis forcing daily power cuts on factories, with an industry leader warning about “a state of emergency” for the manufacturing hub. The nation is in the midst of a dire economic crisis, with runaway inflation, a depleted rupee and dwindling foreign exchange reserves hampering energy imports. Meanwhile, a heatwave has caused a surge in electricity demand, leaving a shortfall of over 7,000 megawatts — one-fifth of the country’s generation capacity — on some days this month, according to government figures. The energy shortage has hit the vital textile industry, which supplies everything from denim to bed linen towards markets in the US and Europe, and accounts for 60 percent of the country’s exports. “The textile industry is in a state of emergency,” Qasim Malik, the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce in the manufacturing hub of Sialkot, told AFP.

With authorities forced to ration the power supply with staggered blackouts, Malik said the “unannounced and unscheduled” outages disrupt the textile supply chain, which is “causing millions of rupees of losses”. “Should the power cuts persist there could be a decline of more than 20 percent in exports,” warned Sheikh Luqman Amin of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Larger factories tend to have independent power plants, leaving small- and medium-sized factories in cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot most exposed. Owners have complained of power cuts of eight to 12 hours on a daily basis and face the dilemma of lower production or installing generators powered by petrol, which is also sharply rising in cost. “We can’t accept new orders because we are already behind on previous ones,” said Sialkot garment factory owner Usman Arshad. “Things can’t continue to go on this way.” Despite the nation’s economic woes, textile exports surged 28 percent to a record $17.67 billion in the fiscal year July-May 202122, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) reported this week.

Govt to collect Rs750b petroleum levy in FY 2022-23 Ghulam abbas In a move to meet the revenue generation targets set under new budget, the federal government has set a target of collecting Rs750 billion on account of the petroleum development levy in the next fiscal year 2022-23. According to Budget documents, the federal government has set a target to collect Rs750 billion on account of the PDL in the next fiscal year 2022-23. The government has estimated to collect Rs135 billion on account of PDL during the outgoing fiscal year. Overall, the target of FBR taxes would be Rs7,004

billion which includes Rs2,573 billion direct taxes and Rs4,431 billion indirect taxes. The direct taxes include Rs2,528 billion taxes on income, Rs515 million capital gains value, Rs6.947 billion ordinary collection (WWF) and Rs7.46 billion contribution under companies’ profits. On the other hand, the indirect taxes include Rs953 billion customs duty, Rs3,076 billion sales tax and Rs402 billion federal excise duty. Budget document states that the government has estimated to collect Rs10 billion from mobile handset levy, Rs25.09 billion receipts of ICT administration and Rs53 million airport fees.

Academy for women entrepreneurs 2022 launched IslamabaD Mian abrar

US Embassy Islamabad’s Counsellor for Commercial Affairs John Coronado on Saturday congratulated more than 115 Pakistani women entrepreneurs on their selection to the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) 2022 in a virtual launch event on June 11. This U.S. training program supports women worldwide in building their own businesses. The move is part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relations and an ongoing effort to empower Pakistani women to realize their

economic potential and increase prosperity for all Pakistanis. During his remarks, Coronado spoke about the need to support women entrepreneurs: “When women are economically empowered, they reinvest in their families and communities, strengthening the social fabric and improving education and skill levels of the workforce.? This multiplier effect spurs economic growth and enhances stability.” With mentoring and guidance from established Pakistani entrepreneurs, the AWE participants will undertake a three month, rigorous online training program

developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and American natural resource company Freeport McMoran. Through AWE, participants learn core business skills and will meet weekly to discuss the material with experienced local mentors and U.S. experts. AWE is designed to cultivate entrepreneurial know-how, help women entrepreneurs connect with funding opportunities, enhance opportunities for business expansion, and increase the likelihood of entrepreneurial success. Four of the U.S. Mission to Pakistan’s Lincoln Corners in Multan, Muzaffarabad,

Khairpur, and Peshawar will lead AWE Pakistan 2022, with support from the Pakistan American Cultural Center and the DOVE Foundation. Lincoln Corners in Peshawar, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Larkana took part in AWE Pakistan 2021. Toward the end of their AWE journey, participants will have the opportunity to compete for seed funding from the U.S. Mission to Pakistan to further grow or establish their enterprises. Upon completion, the participants will join the global AWE network, which offers further growth opportunities, as well as the community of U.S. exchange program alumni.

Deputy Governor SBP urges for gender inclusive policies IslamabaD Staff rePort

Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan Sima Kamil has urged the Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) to prepare gender-inclusive policies. She said this in a ceremony, jointly hosted by the Citi Foundation and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) with regard to the 14th Citi Microentrepreneurship Award (CMA). Kamil on the occasion commended all the community members who have established small businesses with the help of micro loans. In her message, she exclaimed that she was immensely happy to note that almost 60% of award winners are women. “The State Bank of Pakistan recognizes microfinance as an effective tool for an inclusive financial system as it gives access to those socio-economic segments, especially enterprises, who are otherwise neglected. The SBP has enhanced the limit for micro-enterprises and micro-housing from 1 million to 3 million to support the financing needs of the low-income segments,” Ms Kamil added. The Deputy Governor SBP further added that the share of women borrowers currently is just 20% and urged the MFIs to be gender-inclusive policies. She especially commended the efforts of the Citi Foundation and PPAF for strengthening the microfinance sector in Pakistan through these years. Citi Country Officer & Managing Director Ahmed Bozai of Pakistan while addressing the ceremony said, “These aspiring individuals are a living testament of how hard work, perseverance, and determination can spell success, despite very little capital and resources.

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Sunday, 12 June, 2022 | KARACHI

PM lauDS ecoNoMIc TeaM for uNveIlING ‘BeST’ BuDGeT lahORE

aPP

RIME Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday praised his economic team for presenting the ‘best’ federal budget in the current scenario. He expressed these views while chairing a high-level meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leadership in Lahore to discuss the country’s political and economic situation. The meeting was attended by

PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, Federal minister, Rana Sanaullah, Saad Rafique, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and others. Punjab CM Hamza Shahbaz also attended the meeting and apprised the prime minister about the upcoming budget of Punjab. The meeting also discussed the upcoming by-polls in Punjab. The PML-N huddle directed Maryam Nawaz to take out rallies in connection with the election campaign. Addressing the occasion, PM Shehbaz Sharif said he is aware of the

problems being faced by the people of Pakistan. We are trying hard for the solution and provision of relief to the general public, he added. The coalition government is trying hard to control the increasing problem of loadshedding. The sales tax on the solar panels has been waived off to provide alternate to the masses. It is pertinent to mention here that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail presented the budget for the financial year 2022-23 (Budget 2022-23) in the National Assembly on Friday.

Punjab govt suggests 15pc pay raise for employees in budget INP Following increase in the salaries of federal government employees suggested in the national budget, the Punjab government, too, is considering proposing 15 percent raise in the salaries of its employees in the budget for the next financial year (2022-23) to be presented day after tomorrow (June 13, 2022-Monday). Sources informed that the proposal of five percent raise in retired employees’ pensions had also been inserted in the budget document. They disclosed that the finance department had

completed its working in this connection. Furthermore, they added, a relief package would also be introduced in the budget in view of rising inflation. Sources explained that steps to control the prices of essential items had also been listed in the money bill which the Punjab government would take to provide relief to the inflation-hit people. Apart from that, they went on to add, there would be mention of the steps the provincial government would take to conserve energy so that load-shedding hours could be curtailed. However, the sources revealed, no new taxes had

been announced in the budget. Besides that, it was learnt that this had been decided that the ‘Sahulat Package’, which had been announced to provide flour to people at cheaper rates, would continue in the next financial year as well. Sources claimed that there would be good news not only for the government employees but also for daily wagers in the provincial budget. Large amounts had been allocated for development projects, they told. As just two days are to go to the presentation of Punjab budget, the decision as to who will present will be taken soon.

Ministry says government probing Karachi temple’s desecration IslamabaD Monitoring rePort

Khar’s son passes away lahORE Monitoring rePort

Abdur Rehman Khar, son of former Punjab governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar and a former Punjab minister himself, died in Lahore late on Friday, his niece confirmed. Khar, who was suffering from lung cancer, was receiving treatment for the disease for two years. His funeral was offered at his native town of Darra Khar Gharbi in Kot Addu tehsil of Muzzafargarh at 11:00 am on Sunday, Jannat Khar tweeted. He remained minister for small industries in the second Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government from 1993 to 1996. He was elected MPA on the PPP ticket in the 1993 general elections from PP-255 (Muzaffargarh-V).

Minister calls for collective efforts to protect oceans from pollution IslamabaD Monitoring rePort

Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman called for collective efforts to protect oceans from pollution, saying healthy and clean oceans mean healthy humans. “The oceans produce 50 to 75 percent of our planet’s oxygen. Our earth’s weather, environment and rainfall depend on the sea … We are one of the lucky countries whose border is with the sea,” the minister said in her message on World Oceans Day. Highlighting the importance of oceans, and the biological and environmental aspects associated with them, Rehman said that people should keep the beach and the sea as clean as their homes. The minister regretted that humans have turned the oceans into piles of waste and plastic, citing studies that there are 51 trillion pieces of plastic in the surface water of oceans alone. “Pollution and waste in the oceans is a major concern […] The pollution affects not only marine life but every living thing on land,” she said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said authorities were trying to trace and arrest suspects who this week desecrated a Hindu temple located at a home in Karachi. In a statement, the ministry said that an investigation was still underway, and that those who attacked the temple on Wednesday before fleeing the scene “will not escape justice and the government will deal with them with the full force of law.” The statement came a day after New Delhi condemned the incident. Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson at India’s External Affairs Ministry, expressed concern on Thursday over the vandalisation of the temple, claiming it was “another act in the systematic persecution of religious minorities” in Pakistan. However, MoFA rejected Bagchi’s allegation of systematic persecution, instead saying such violence was taking place against minority Muslims in India. Sanjiv Kumar, an administrator at the temple, told The Associated Press on Friday that he was at his home nearby when five or six armed men entered the temple Wednesday, asked two boys who were inside painting

the walls to leave, and proceeded to desecrate it. They fled the scene before he and other residents rushed to the temple. Anger has been growing in Pakistan against India since last week when two spokespeople for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made comments seen as insulting to Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) and his wife Bibi Aisha (R.A.). Under pressure from the Islamic world, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party suspended one official and expelled the other, saying it rejects the insulting of religious figures. On Friday, more than 10,000 supporters of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party rallied in Lahore, condemning New Delhi for what the protesters said was its failure to take action against the two politicians who used blasphemous remarks against Islam’s prophet. The party’s young leader, Saad Rizvi, addressed the crowd in Lahore. The party gained prominence in the 2018 elections, campaigning on the single issue of defending the blasphemy law, which calls for the death penalty for anyone who insults Islam. A similar rally, attended by more than 2,000 people, was also held in Karachi.

Plane makes emergency landing after mid-flight scare KaRaChI Staff rePort

A private airline’s Peshawar bound flight on Saturday made an emergency landing at Peshawar airport after turbulence in flight owing to rough weather. Flight PA-602 faced some turbulence owing to bad weather, causing fear and panic among passengers of the flight. Flight Captain with presence of mind and expertise steered the aircraft to the high altitude. The Captain communicated with the air traffic controller of Peshawar airport and sought permission for an emergency landing of the flight. The flight safely landed at Peshawar airport, sources informed. The flight scare incident took place yesterday, according to sources. A passenger aircraft of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had narrowly escaped a major accident after one of its tyres burst during landing at

Jinnah International Airport, Karachi on last Monday. The ATR plane – flying from Gwadar to Karachi – was carrying 60 passengers. Air Traffic controller told the captain that he had witnessed some rubber pieces on the runway. The captain cautioned the air traffic controller before landing at Karachi airport. However, the pilot demonstrated professional skills by managing to safely land the aircraft on the runway. All passengers and crew members of the plane remained safe. Sources informed that when the engineers inspected, one of the tires of the aircraft was burst. A PIA spokesperson has said that Gwadar air traffic controller had informed the captain about the tire burst. “It is feared that there was something on the Gwadar Airport runway which damaged the tyre,” the spokesperson said. An investigation into the incident has been launched.

NEWS

PM approves new transit visa policy for afghan citizens: Sufi IslamabaD inP

Head of PM’s Strategic Reforms Initiatives Salman Sufi Saturday said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had approved a new transit visa policy for the Afghan immigrant citizens. Taking a notice of the issues faced by the Afghan citizens and the illegal immigration, the prime minister had accorded his nod to the new policy of issuance of on arrival visa to Afghan citizens going abroad through Pakistan, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. On his twitter handle, Sufi posted, “Taking notice of issues faced by Afghan citizens, at request of Rana Sanaullah, PM Shehbaz has approved on arrival visa for Afghan refugees who need to pass thru (through) Pakistan to reach their destination country which has approved their immigration.” Sufi further informed that under the new policy, the Government of Pakistan would issue 30-day transit visas to the Afghan citizens within 24 hours. Those countries that had granted immigration to the Afghan citizens, could apply for transit visas from Pakistan, he added.

easyPaisa shutters card payments on online gateway TaImOOR hassaN Telenor Bank-backed EasyPaisa has decided to shutter card payments on its online payment gateway which it offers through various banks. As the competition grows stronger and the rupee devalues against the dollar, keeping the card payments going was an expensive proposition and felt to be unsustainable by Easypaisa. In an email sent to its partners today, EasyPaisa said that it was shutting down the payment gateway because of a ‘critical change’ in their business process. “As part of the company strategy, we will be discontinuing card payments on the Easypaisa payment gateway from 30th June 2022 onwards,” the company said. An official from EasyPaisa confirmed the news of the shutdown of its gateway and said that the company was going to focus on its core business of mobile wallets which had now touched 10 million accounts. Omar Moeen Malik, Head of EasyPaisa Branchless Banking Business, said that their card transactions on the payment gateway were significantly less than wallet transactions. The company has seen a decline in merchants using EasyPaisa payment gateway, which have moved on to other inexpensive card processing options. Merchants such as online sellers on Instagram or Facebook use payment gateways like EasyPaisa to accept card payments against an order. EasyPaisa offers payment gateway through different banks and therefore charges a higher rate than gateways from acquirers such as HBL or UBL, making EasyPaisa gateway expensive for merchants. On the other hand, devaluation of the rupee against the dollar means payments to Visa and Mastercard on card payments have also become expensive, making it a costly affair for EasyPaisa to keep its online card processing service running through the gateway. “When the gateway was introduced, we made the card options available then have a consolidated gateway with payment options. It was never a focus. The space now has evolved to the point that there are new payment processors in the market such as NIFT and PayFast. There are multiple players so for a merchant now, getting a Visa and Mastercard processing is not difficult,” Omar told Profit. “The rates offered are also better than EasyPaisa because EasyPaisa gets the gateway from acquiring banks and then offers it to the merchants.

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04 news

AsIf OppOses ‘ObstACles’ IN MushARRAf’s RetuRN ISLAMABAD

StAff report

inister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said there should be no obstacles to the return of former president retired Gen. Pervez Musharraf given his critical health condition. The former military strongman is critically ill and has been hospitalised in Dubai since last month, his family said Friday. They asked for prayers for his health while denying local media reports back home that he is on a ventilator.

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Musharraf has been living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2016, when he was allowed to leave Pakistan on bail to seek medical treatment abroad. A death sentence against him, handed down in absentia in 2020 in a treason case related to the state of emergency that Musharraf imposed in 2007 while in power, was later overturned. Responding to the development through a tweet, Asif, while referring to the removal of the government of Nawaz Sharif in 1999, said events of the past should not in any way obstruct Musharraf’s homecoming. “May he recover fast and spend his re-

maining life with dignity and in peace,” he said. Over the years, the former president was said to be very ill and was unlikely to travel home. Friday’s statement from Musharraf’s family, posted on Twitter, followed newspaper reports in Pakistan and statements attributed to his friends saying he was gravely ill. “He is not on the ventilator. Has been hospitalised for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment,” his family said, adding he has been suffering from amyloidosis, a chronic metabolic disease in which abnormal proteins build up and damage organs such as the heart, kidney

and liver. Musharraf seized power in 1999 by ousting the elected government of then-prime minister Sharif. Under his rule, Pakistan became a key ally of the United States in the war on terror following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in America. He approved NATO’s transport of military equipment to landlocked Afghanistan through Pakistan and for the US to use Pakistan’s air bases for logistic support. In 2007, he imposed an emergency rule and placed several key judges under house arrest in Islamabad and elsewhere in Pakistan.

First PIA passenger flight arrives in Xian after six months BEIJING App

First flight of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) landed at Xian Xianyang International airport on Saturday after lapse of almost six months. A PK-854 with 240 passengers on board left Islamabad International Airport this morning and landed in Xian at 16:48Â local time. The same PIA aircraft will leave for Islamabad from Beijing Capital International Airport on June 12 (Sunday). All the passengers will undergo 14day quarantine in Xian as per Covid-19 control and prevention measures imposed by the local government on the international passenger flights under the guidance of the joint prevention and control mechanism. Talking to APP, Muhammad Sabir Jan, a Pakistani manufacturer of dental and surgical instruments based in Beijing who was stranded in Pakistan due to nonavailability of PIA flights for China, expressed his great pleasure after arriving in Xian, China. He informed that he went to Pakistan for a business trip in December last but could not return as no PIA flight was available for China due to closure of Xian airport following the Covid-19 control and prevention measures slapped by the Chinese authorities. Sabir Jan, Founder and CEO, Sawuat

Surgical Pakistan said that he was very excited to be in China and is looking forward to see his family members as well as friends in Beijing. The national flag carrier resumed its weekly flights between Pakistan and China after the permission of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to resume its commercial passenger flights between the two countries. The PIA will operate a weekly passenger flight between Islamabad-Xian and Beijing-Islamabad route.

As per the latest policy of Covid-19, all the passengers travelling from Islamabad to China were required to posses 02 PCR negative reports conducted within 48 hours from 02 different designated labs. They were also required to get Covid-19 IGM within 48 hours before boarding. All the passengers underwent a rapid PCR test at the airport before the flight departure. The final decision on resumption of direct flights operated by Pakistan International was taken at a meeting be-

tween the foreign ministers of Pakistan and China held in Guangzhou, China last month. The two leaders also agreed on the increase direct flights between the two countries according to the development of the epidemic. PIA suspended its flight operation between Pakistan and China in December last year after the closure of Xian airport following the Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control measures imposed by the Chinese authorities.

Authorities turn blind eye to LPG vans risking thousands of lives MULTAN App

Unchecked public vehicles posing life threat to masses by using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) despite ban on its use in public transport as it could turn into mishaps but the department concerned playing the role of a silent spectator. A large number of APV passenger vans, wagons, auto-rickshaws and other private passenger vehicles using LPG without any fear. The sale of LPG in continued in the city through hidden points at back side of Vehari Chowk wagon stands and the adjacent areas of general bus stands. Most of the passengers avoid travelling through the LPG user vehicles but they have no choice to reach home without such risk. Talking to APP here on Saturday, a citizen namely Arshad Ali said that almost all passenger wagons and APVs using the LPG openly but no one paying focus on the issue related to public safety. He said that he usually feel smell of LPG while travelling through any public transport and complained to the staff of the transport but they refused of using LPG. He said that he had been travelling on the public transport

from last seven years but no one seen checking the vehicles at any point. He said that should a proper mechanism to control sale of LPG and strict action must be taken against the vehicles using LPG putting public lives on risk. He said that dozens of incidents have been reported in the past in which many people lost their lives but there was still no control on it by the department concerned. Another citizen namely Farhat Shah said that the district regional transport authority (RTA) must pay special focus on the issue and launch a comprehensive crackdown against the vehicles using LPG instead of

Pakistan rejects ‘arbitrary’ US report on religious freedom ISLAMABAD Monitoring report

Foreign Office has rejected Washington’s report on the deteriorating religious freedom in Pakistan, saying that it is an “arbitrary” and “subjective” assessment. “The inherent problem with such kinds of reports, unilateral in nature, is that they are devoid of the element of constructive engagement,” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said during a weekly media briefing. Such reports often do not fully take into account the ground realities and efforts that are being undertaken by a country, and are not very helpful in advanc-

ing this discussion, he added. “At the same time, we have seen that such reports are invariably lopsided. You can see clearly some double standards in these reports, in terms of the problems of human rights in different countries and different situations, and the way they are portrayed in these reports,” he said. Pakistan is strongly committed to the respect for human rights which are universal in nature, Ahmad said, adding that it is deeply dedicated to ensuring the respect for human rights and religious freedoms in the country. The spokesperson said Pakistan has taken a lot of reforms to promote and protect the rights of religious minorities and it continues to engage constructively with all its partners on these matters.

doing paper formalities. He said that the people involved in sale of LPG must be treated with iron hands in order to prevent any untoward incident, Farhat demanded. The spokesman of Punjab Highways Patrol (PHP) Rauf Gilani said that strict action was being taken against the public vehicles using LPG. He said that various incidents have been reported in the past in which vehicles caught fire due to LPG leakage causing into death of people. He said that most of the vehicles were using LPG in CNG cylinder which was not an easy task to find by the PHP officials. When contacted City Traffic Police (CTP) Spokesman Muhammad Adnan, he said that CTP was not only issuing challans to LPG users but also impounding vehicles over the violation. He said that it was clear policy of CTP that no one would be allowed to put public lives at risk. He however, maintained that District Regional Transport Authority (RTA) was responsible to stop sale of LPG in public transport. A driver namely Ghulam Shabir informed that he used LPG twice or thrice a week and saved Rs 500 because LPG was not costly as compare to CNG or petrol. He said that he converted the vehicles from LPG to petrol before any check point.

Sunday, 12 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

PIA Damascus flight operations halted after Israel’s attack: Spokesman ISLAMABAD agencies

A spokesman for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday said the flight operations of the national flag carrier to and from Damascus had been suspended after the Israeli forces resorted to bombardment at the Syrian capital’s airport the other day. “Both runways are inactive due to bombing at the Damascus airport that led to complete suspension of (flight) operations there,” Spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khand said in a news release here. Following this, he said, the PIA had to cancel the flight PK135 from Karachi to Damascus that was scheduled to take off on Friday morning carrying 170 passengers. Similarly, he said, a flight PK-136 was due to bring 169 passengers from Damascus; however, the flights were cancelled due to the runways being completely inactive. The spokesman regretted the inconvenience faced by the passengers, explaining that the flight’s cancellation was unavoidable due to the confronted operational issues. He said the flights would be rescheduled as soon as the runways were restored; otherwise, the passengers would be transported through alternative means. Accordingly, he said, all passengers were being informed through PIA’s call centre.

KDA allows catching trout fish through permit by using fishing rod NARAN app

Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) Saturday after a ban of two years on the catching of German Trout fish in River Kunhar at the tourist destination Naran Valley granted permission to catch trout through a permit by using a fishing rod. Tourist Sikandar Khan got first permit by paying 10000 rupees. According to details two years ago, catching the rare German brown trout fish in the Kunhar River was banned for conservation, following the strict measures taken by the KDA and keeping in view of the tourist’s interest, a limited number of trout fishing through fishing rod were allowed in River Kunhar under the supervision of River Rangers through a permit. While addressing the ceremony, Chairman KDA Dr. Aimal Zaman Khan said that Naran Valley has been blessed with beautiful weather and scenic snow-capped mountains. The rare German brown trout fish in the waters of the river Kunhar is a great gift to the nature and its protection is our prime responsibility, we are taking measures to preserve the rare species and increase its population in the River Kunhar, adding he said. Dr. Aimal Zaman said that KDA is working on the promotion of tourism in the area and creating opportunities for tourists to participate in positive and healthy activities through Destination Trout Trophy Fishing Scheme. The chairman disclosed that KDA intends to establish the School of Aquatic and Marine Life in Naran to encourage a new generation of tourists and aware them through a massive campaign. He said that in the future, a world-class trophy fishing competitions will also be organized in Naran, through permits fifty percent of the income would be given to Community River Rangers who are locals guarding the river in their areas and the rest of the proceeds will be spent on the breeding of trout fish and International Fishing Gala. On the occasion, Director General KDA Tariq Khan said that Kaghan Valley is one of the most beautiful natural valleys in Pakistan and millions of tourists are coming here every year, KDA is providing guidance and facilities to each of them. He further said that controlling fishing is a positive activity that is limited to sports and not meant as a commercial activity, It is an important step in promoting tourism in the region and a new theme of catching fish and enjoy. In addition to building and repairing infrastructure in the valley, KDA is also developing new tracks to attract tourists, adding Tariq Khan said.

HAjj 2022: Over 8,500 PIlgrImS flOwn tO SAuDI ArAbIA In fIve DAyS ISLAMABAD

agencies

HE Ministry of Religious Affairs on Saturday said that around 8,500 Pakistani pilgrims were flown to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, since the start of a pre-Hajj flight operation on June 6. “Through Hajj flights operation in the last five days, 8,500 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia,” the religious affairs ministry said in a statement. “More than 1,500 pilgrims will be flown to Madinah by 5 Hajj flights on Saturday,” it added. The first Hajj flight carrying Pak-

istani pilgrims departed from Islamabad on June 6. Pakistan will operate 42 flights to transport 14,007 Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia under the “Road to Makkah” initiative this year. Pakistan has been allotted a quota of 81,132 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj, with 32,000 people using a government scheme and 48,000 traveling through private operators. Hajj pilgrims are also being informed about the flights through the website and SMS on their mobile numbers, said spokesperson. The religious ministry has urged all Hajj pilgrims not to enter the premises of Riaz-ul-Jannah without prior permission from Saudi authorities.

Miftah says economic crisis result of financial mismanagement CoNtINueD fRoM pAge 01 The government had no other options but to make difficult decisions and the budget reflected that, he reiterated. Ismail said during the current fiscal year, there was almost an Rs4,598 billion deficit. The four biggest deficits in the country’s history were witnessed during the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, he declared. He said owing to the huge debts taken by the previous government, the incumbent government set aside Rs3,950 billion for debt servicing, which was equal to two defence budgets of the country. The minister enumerated the total revenue target had been set at Rs7,004 billion and if non-revenue resources were added, it would take the total revenue to Rs9,000. Of it, an amount of Rs4,000 billion would be the share of provinces, hence the net collection with the government would be around Rs5,000 billion. He said if Rs4,000 billion were spent on debt servicing, then the amount remaining with the federal government would be a mere Rs1,000 billion to manage its all affairs. If other liabilities were also counted, then the country would actually start the new fiscal year with an Rs600 billion deficit. He said it was unfortunate that despite having huge resources, the country was facing such difficult times. Once it was ahead of India and Bangladesh, but due to mismanagement, “we have come to this bad situation”. Ismail said that in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the government had increased its share by 40 percent, or Rs 100 billion. He said Prime Minister Sharif had recently talked to the Indonesian president to lift a ban on the import of palm oil, as it caused a steep hike in its price to $1,700 per ton in the international market. The government, he said, had also proposed a package of Rs20 billion for the promotion of seed oils, aiming to increase their production which would help reduce the external dependency on producing cooking oil. The minister said in the budget, the government proposed one percent tax on the properties held abroad by the local people. With respect to tax measures on personal income, he said the government decided to provide relief to the small and medium-income salaried persons as taxes were being reduced on those drawing monthly salary up to Rs200,000 per month, however, taxes were being increased on those getting a monthly salary of over Rs1 million. He said the government had also decided to

bring 2.5 million small businessmen into the tax net, who would be charged the fixed tax ranging from Rs3,000 to Rs10,000, which would be collected along with the utility bills. To a question about a cut in the funds allocated for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), he said the government had reduced all government expenditures. With respect to the privatisation process, Ismail said the government was committed to continuing the process, and two large public companies would be sold immediately. To a question with regard to the measures to reduce inflation, the minister maintained that the government’s first and foremost target was fiscal consolidation, to save the country financially. Ismail gave an open offer to all litigant businessmen to withdraw their cases as the government was ready for out-of-court settlements under its ease-of-doing-business measures. He said the government had set a target to bring 2.5 million shopkeepers into the tax net, who would be charged with a fixed tax of Rs3,000 to Rs10,000. The minister said as the agriculture sector development was on top of the government’s agenda, it decided to withdraw duties and taxes on different agriculture implements, including seeds and agro-machinery. The government also allocated Rs21 billion in the federal budget 2022-23 to increase crops yield, besides uplifting the livestock sector, he added. Minister of State Pasha on the occasion explained the tough decisions announced in the budget were aimed at stabilising the economy. In such circumstances, she said, the government had tried its best not to pass on the impact of tough decisions and revenue measures to the common man. She said the measures to enhance revenue were anti-inflationary, and the government had also increased allocation for the BISP, besides providing significant subsidies on inputs to promote the agriculture sector. The relief measures in the agriculture sector would help the country attain self-sufficiency in commodities, she added. Pasha said additional taxes were imposed only on the wealthy people, in order to avoid further burdening the poor. She said the world was passing through the super cycle of inflation and Pakistan was also not an exception, which was badly hit. To another question, Pasha said: “We took measures to decrease the import-led consumption in order to help ease the inflation rate.”

Police obtains record of Aamir liaquat’s legal heirs KARACHI inp

Police on Saturday said that they have received information from NADRA regarding the legal heirs of Aamir Liaquat Hussain, however, currently no one has claimed a share in the inheritance. The police said that they have sealed the house where the renowned TV host died and it would be reopened following clearance in the post-mortem report. “No one has so far claimed inheritance in the property and we will hand it over to his legal heirs,” they said. Sharing the record of NADRA, the officials said that so far his daughter and son have emerged as his legal heirs as the record shows divorce certificates of two of his wives including Bushra and Tuba. “The divorce of his third wife is not yet registered as she had currently filed a plea for khula in a Bahawalpur court,” they said and added that the third wife could also claim share in inheritance if her divorce is not yet finalized. It is pertinent to mention here that politician and famous television host Aamir Liaquat Hussain has been laid to rest in the compound of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine on Friday. Aamir Liaquat’s funeral prayers were offered at a mosque adjacent to the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, with his son – Ahmed Aamir – leading the congregation. A large number of people including prominent politicians Imran Ismail, Farooq Sattar attended his funeral. The deceased televangelist had booked a grave for himself during his lifetime on the premises of the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. Aamir Liaquat Hussain – who was also a PTI MNA from a Karachi constituency – was found unconscious at his house situated in Khudadad Colony of the metropolis. The 50-year-old was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Climate Change declared as major reason behind unprecedented forest fires peSHAWAR app

The Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department has declared `Climate Change’ as major contributor behind unprecedented fire incidents occurred in different forests of the province. In a detail report prepared by the department on 210 incidents of forest fire occurring during period from May 23, 22 to June 9, 22, it is observed that rising temperature, a key indicator of climate change, caused more evaporation of moisture from ground, drying out the soil and making vegetation more flammable. At the same, winter snowpacks are melting about a month earlier, meaning that the forests are drier for longer periods of time. “Natural causes include climate change, lightening, temperature transmission through rocks drought and heat continue with rising greenhouse gas emissions, we expect more wildfires in years ahead, especially with the fire seasons getting longer,” warns the report.

As per Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) statistics national rainfall for the month of March 2022 was 62% below normal and ranked 9th driest month since 1961 while rainfall was largely below normal over all parts of the country with Baluchistan (-66%), Sindh (-65%), Punjab (65%), KP (-66%) & AJK (-48%) all experienced extreme deficient rainfall. National rainfall for the month of April 2022 was 74%, largely below, normal and ranked 2nd driest month since 1961 while rainfall remained largely below normal over all parts of the country with Punjab (-89%), KP (-79%), Baluchistan (-78%), AJK (-56%) & GB (-51%) all experienced extreme deficient rainfall. National rainfall for the month of May 2022 was 48.4% largely below normal while rainfall remained largely below normal over all parts of the country with Baluchistan (91%), Sindh (-91%), GB (-59%), Punjab (46%), AJK (-37%) & KP (-25%). Therefore, the decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature inordinately is a trig-

ger for fires, the report explains. Regarding anthropohic activities, it said human action includes advertent or inadvertent action by Grazers, tourists/ visitors/ rivals etc. The tourist visiting forests for recreation purpose incidentally cause the forest fire and this year the biggest awareness drive was carried out by KP Forest Department during March and April educating the tourist through social media, banners, pamphlets and brochures distribution. The Forest dependent communities traditionally burn dry grasses to get tender grass for livestock which sometimes results in forest fires due to winds and casual attitude of communities. The report also mentioned rumours circulating in the areas that the government was providing compensation or was to provide compensation for damages in forests and this may also have contributed to some of the fires. About preventive measures, the report says while climate change requires another level of multi-sectoral action, KP’s Action Plan 2017 has been updated as 2022 and an

CMYK

exercise for preparation of dealing with more and more fires has already been submitted. KP Forest Department and Wildlife Department are designed to protect designated areas – therefore a joint action plan (with cost sharing) needs to be framed with private and communal owners before the onset of next Fire Season with determined roles and

responsibilities of both in advance to counter fire in private areas effective and timely. From now onwards all the plantations and other such activities like sowing or Assisted Natural Regeneration will be planned for only designated Forests to avoid any further clash with locals on converting their grazing lands into forests, report added.

06-07 Comments 12 June 2022_Layout 1 6/12/2022 12:03 AM Page 1

Sunday, 12 June, 2022

06 COMMENT

Zelenskyy: A Comedian-turned- Fighter-Politician

Pleasing IMF without causing an uproar

Zelenskyy had played the President during his tv CAREER

Budget 2022-23

iNANCE Minister Miftah ismail presented an austerity-driven budget that will cause pain to a large number of people as they pay their gas, electricity and petrol bills. Also when inflation further reduces purchasing power, the budget however also provides a little help to economically vulnerable sections of population that include the bracket with less than Rs 40,000 per month income, government employees and pensioners. Fat cats will pay more. Super tax will be enhanced on the banking sector, which earned windfall gains due to higher interest rates and risk-free investment in government securities. the tax rate will be increased on banking companies to 45% from the current 39% there will be a two percent tax on earners of above Rs300 million per annum. taxes on cars over 1,600cc will be increased. For the secretive and so far defiant small retailers, the budget provides a fixed income and sales tax regime that ranges from Rs3000 to Rs10,000 as per final settlement. this gives one hope that the class comprising tens of thousands of small traders would be tamed in coming days to pay full dues. taxing the real estate sector is definitely a positive measure despite the low rate of taxation. the sector comprises a rent-seeking elite that prefers to either stash its wealth in unproductive plots or siphon it offshore. the budget document proposes five percent tax on income on non-productive and unutilized plots and farm houses, 15 percent capital gains tax from four to six years on immovable property as well as advance tax on purchase of immovable property. the budget spells out important measures to fulfil the iMF’s demands. having removed the major chunk of the Pti’s fuel subsidy over two instalments ahead of the budget, the government has also re-imposed sales tax and petroleum levy. After bending over backwards the government is confident that it will soon have an agreement with the iMF. A question is being asked however whether there will be a mini-budget soon, in case the Ukraine war lingers on and wheat and petrol prices continue to rise.

DR RajkumaR Singh

ARLiER to the outbreak of Russia-Ukraine declared war on 24 February 2022, very few of us were knowing Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, popularly famous as Zelenskyy who is the sixth President of Ukraine and bravely fighting against the army of a one-time superpower, Soviet Federation for about one and half month. Born on 25 January 1978 in a Jewish family located in southern Ukraine, his father was a professor and computer scientist at the Kryvyi Rih State University of Economics and technology, while his mother was professionally an engineer. Although coming from an intellectual background, he was not much interested in his parental profession and preferred to join, at the age of 17 in a local team competing in the KVN, a popular Russian television show of comedians liked by the people due to their funny and intelligent answers. initially, he was invited to join the Ukrainian team which was a part of KNV’s Major League, but a year later he created and began heading the Kvartal 95 which also became a performer in the Major League of the Russian Federation. Years later his team started producing tV shows for Ukrainian television channel 1+1 but his entire team moved to another channel of Ukraine called inter. in an important breakthrough, from 2008 he started producing feature films and continued his career in Love in the Big City (2008), Office Romance (2011), Love in Big City 3 (2012), and Eight First Dates along with many sequels made in 2015 and 2016. Although his country Ukraine remained an integral part of undivided USSR before the early 1990s, Zelenskyy was full of patriotism and in 2014 de-

Mines and minks Part spitefulness, part extravagent

Glimpse of a murky future? Rabail anjum

ith the latest meteorological reports on the extremity of weather conditions in Pakistan, the magnitude of an imminent climate catastrophe is evident– the unforgiving tremors of which can be already felt. the most recent events– the recordbreaking heatwave, the glacial outburst in hunza, and the droughts in Cholistan and Pir Koh– are all horrifying manifestations of nature’s wrath. With hellish temperatures, the environment is wreaking a rebellious havoc avenging the atrocities committed against it by humankind. thus, it is a matter of pressing urgency that we start addressing climate change rather seriously. in this case, we can easily see our media failing to fulfil its role. there is a serious lag in our response to climate change, with minimal state action trying to fill in the gap, with neither the media nor the civil society playing an active role in addressing this emergency. One report by the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [iPCC] points undisputedly towards anthropomorphic interventions as the primary cause of climate change, and perhaps common consciousness validates it further. With growing economies and rampaged insensitivity towards common goods it is of no surprise that the unpredictability of Mother Nature’s behaviour postures retribution. here, Pakistan becomes an important case point that demonstrates this. the geographical location of the country, given its diverse landscape and thus weather variability, makes it highly sensitive to climate change. this sensitivity does not hinge solely on geographical conditions, but also on the socio-economic make-up of the country with agriculture being a significant contributor to the Pakistani society making up around 36 percent of total employment, according to World Bank figures in 2020, which although reduced because of the startup boom, nevertheless is still not insignificant. the above underlines an imperative that highlights that the impending danger pertaining to Pakistan’s climate doom most closely afflicts two important aspects: food security and displacement. their effects are mutually reinforcing. Food security pertains to the availability of food, in the production of which suitable weather is crucial. Unpredictable weather conditions– rain and heat–

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 head of the political science department of the B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India and can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

The Environment Crisis

hE Sappers, as the engineering corps in the armies of the world are affectionately called, proudly boast that they are ‘the first to enter the battlefield and the last to leave.’ that last-toleave bit refers to, in case of retreat, their laying of mines in the area they are letting go of. that is to render the area automatically hostile to the army taking their place. Some referred to the previous government’s provision of an outrageously large fuel subsidy as a minefield for the party that comes to power after it. Unfair adjective? Well, that’s what the previous interior minister himself called this strategy on live television. No accusation but a proud claim! Everything else by way of extravagant expenditure by the former government seems small fry in comparison to the fuel subsidy, at least in terms of cost incurred. it is assumed that the lavish expenditure on, say, the Rs 1 billion on the two VViP aircraft that the former prime minister signed off on, or his penchant for travelling a couple of kilometres every day by helicopter, wasn’t for the purpose of inflating the tab that the succeeding government would have to pay for, but was only the result of a fondness for luxury, despite his claims to the contrary. the world over, populists like the former premier say that they are against ‘politics as usual’ on account of their being outsiders. On horseback. But they soon start acting like usual politicians during their ascent. And then, when in power, they really outdo their opponents in this regard. the spending patterns of the previous administration - who had projected themselves as quite Spartan, with attempts at ostentatious austerity that bordered on the foolish rather than achieving fiscal space - turned out to be far more lavish in certain cases than any of the supposedly plush lifestyles of its predecessors.

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

manded that the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture ban Russian works of culture from entering the country. in response, the government, since 2015, has prohibited Russian artists and cultural works. in the same year Zelenskyy became a star in the popular series Servant of the People in which he played the role of the president of Ukraine and played the role of a high school history teacher in the 1930s where he highlighted the country's corruption. As his works were issue-based, his serial Svaty, meaning in-laws, was banned in the country in 2017 but unbanned i 2019. he has a good knowledge and command of Russian language but of late also began working in Ukrainian and his romantic comedy, i, You, he, She, appeared in the home language in 2018. however, in the meantime, his political aspirations took a definite shape when his production company registered a new political party named Servant of the People denying the fact that it had any political will to run the country, but soon in early October 2018, almost three months before the presidential campaign, supposed to be a forerunner in the estimation of public opinion and it was on 31 December 2018, that he announced his presidential candidature for the post on the New Year’s Eve address of the nation through television channel. his announcement of contesting presidential election gave unease to the then President Petro Poroshenko who was a traditional campaigner of the party rarely using social medias for the purpose, while Zelenskyy always took help of modern technology and media methods to convince the mass of the people. he expressed his wish before the masses to work as an antiestablishment, anti-corruption symbol. in the course of the election campaign his opposition charged him of benefiting Russia if he came to power. it however, had no impact on public opinion and he won the presidential candidature by a secured majority in the first round held on 31 March 2019, followed by the final round on 21 April where he got 73percent of votes while his opponent won only 25 percent of total votes polled. he was declared elected and his term began on 20 May 2019. From 2014, when a pro-Russian government was overthrown in Ukraine and in place an anti-Kremlin establishment took over, Russia began eyeing closely developments there and started encircling the country strategically and ultimately by force. After becoming president, Zelenskyy appointed Volodymyr Groysman as Prime Minister. he was the first Jewish president in the history of Ukraine, and Ukraine also became the first nation, after israel, to have a Jewish head of state and head of government. On assuming

office, he initiated or proposed several improvements in the national interest but on most issues he failed to get positive support to move further. however, after assuming the presidency, he received the first foreign policy challenge from Russia when Putin declared to offer Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens living in the separatist areas of eastern Ukraine which was continuing for the last five years, causing a displacement of thousands of people. in addition, some issues also erupted with Donald trump, and Joe Biden. With the covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, Ukraine was badly affected like other nations, but, Zelenskyy structured a nationwide framework to control the pandemic and also implemented necessary measures in this health emergency. Ukraine’s external threat increased by the end of 2021 when Russia began assembling troops and war materials along the Ukraine border and started joint naval exercises with Belarus, stationing a significant Russian flotilla in the Black Sea. the Russian move gave a red signal to western countries, NAtO members as well as Ukraine, and they all feared a possibility of Kremlin’s invasion on Ukraine in the near future. Although, Western intelligentsia and leaders tried to foil the Russian invasion by negotiation but all efforts went in vain as Russian preparations reached an advanced stage worsening the situation further and leading to the start of a declared war between the two on 24 February 2022. the Western powers including the NAtO countries and several other countries imposed strict sanctions, mostly economic, on the Kremlin. it appeared that Russia never hoped to continue the war for such a long period, still it is going on and likely to move further as all indirect and possible help were being provided by western powers, the USA, NAtO members and some neighbouring countries of Ukraine. More than 90 days have passed with advance and retreat on the Russian side and it is likely to continue for some days or till a permanent ceasefire/treaty on the end of the war is reached between the two- Russian Federation and Ukraine as well. the writer is presently Professor and head, Department of Political Science and Dean of Social Sciences at B.N. Mandal University, Madhepura (Bihar), india. his 21 books published in addition to 900 articles in national and international journals and daily newspapers from 25 foreign countries.

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those in the thar region, they are endangered with the threat of severe droughts and extreme water stress. With excruciating heat waves to compound the effect of lack of basic necessities, these people have negatively impact agricultural yields (both quantity to migrate. Most of these move to the urban centres and quality), as wel as availability of (rich) agricul- looking for refuge and access to a better life. But tural lands, livestock and freshwater. According to a given the already dense population concentration in report by the international Federation of Red Cross urban centers, scarce resources are further strained [iFRC] Climate Center 2021, several studies have leading to more issues than solutions. tried to predict agricultural productivity under the inA similar picture can be drawn for the inhabitants luence of the climate change trends that prevail so far. of the mountain who fall prey to glacial outbursts and these estimates paint a rather gloomy picture, a mass flooding consequently adding to displacement. glimpse of which is necessary. Furthermore, it is of no surprise that we are a One of the studies conducted by Delahvi et al. water-stressed country and so climate change is mak2015 quotes a decline of approximately eight-10 per- ing it worse as it obfuscates water availability both cent in agricultural yields by 2040, with a tempera- qualitatively and quantitatively. Lack of rainfall not ture increase between just 0.5-2 percent. this implies only results in droughts but also leads to the concenan exacerbation of the already food shortage that af- tration of pollutants in water making it unfit for conflicts the country as these figures are nowhere to be sumption. On the other hand, extreme rain showers improved, at least in the near future. not only result in flooding but also flush out urban the impact of this is also multifaceted. the spill- pollutants into groundwater resources thus leading to over from the agri-insecurity can be both quantitative increased contamination. this may lead to a surge in and qualitative. the former includes larger economic vector-borne diseases, an example of which is the impacts including increased import bills and deficits, cholera emergency we are afflicted with today. unemployment and inequalGiven the diversity of ity. the latter includes aslandscape and weather conpects of multidimensional ditions, the climate doom in poverty pertaining deeply to the country is unequivocally health issues such as malnuvaried and context specific In the end, it all depends on our will trition and increased vulnerbut is still looming for the to address and rectify, and, our ability to disease. entire nation. For effective Moreover, food insecuresolve to recognize our lack of ‘appeasement’ efforts rity does not mainly rest with nature, we must transseriousness as an integral part of with crop-related agriculour words into action. this environmental crisis that we face late tural activities but branch Awareness is one core asout to livestock and fishing pect, and perhaps an obvious inter alia other sub-doone. there is a dire need to mains. the iFRC report esidentify that this existential timates the livestock contribution to be 53 percent issue has intensified and affects us at a species level. of the total agricultural GDP and 12 percent to na- the main problem lies not more in the issue that aftional figures. Extremity and instability of weather flicts us but in the inability to identify that the problem conditions leads to stressed out livestock which will exists. implementation wise, the local government sysconsequently reduce dairy and meat production– tem can play a pivotal role. its proximity to the context consumption of which is quite high in the typical allows it to have a hands-on approach in finding soluPakistani diet. A similar picture can be drawn for tions to the problem. Communication and information fisheries. Cumulatively this adds to the vicious cir- gathering can be better; community response and owncle of poor living standards and inequity in the ership is likely to be prompt and positive. it is also country. As far as displacement is concerned, when more likely to be resource-efficient and monitoring can climate change makes living conditions hostile, it be streamlined and deeply evaluative. creates what are called climate refugees. Mostly in the end, it all depends on our will to address concentrated in Sindh and Balochistan, rising sea- and rectify, and, our resolve to recognize our lack of levels and soil erosion not only degrades the aquatic seriousness as an integral part of this environmental ecosystem and reduces the catch but at the same crisis that we face. time, becomes a major contributing factor towards inland displacement. An aspiring political analyst, the author is an Land submerges in water so people can’t live Economics and Political Science graduate from there, as a consequence of which they have to move. LUMS with a keen interest in International Politics For people living in extreme hot weathers such as

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06-07 Comments 12 June 2022_Layout 1 6/12/2022 12:03 AM Page 2

Sunday, 12 June, 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 to make the economy better

PAkIsTAn ‘s rEndEZvous WITh ThE IMF This time on the powder keg! naqi akbaR

hE federal budget has been announced by the time these lines are being read. With resources at critical level, there is practically no “breaking news” for the bewildered population in terms of growth or comfort. One can still find many sugar-coated announcements in the budget speech for the consumption of shouting anchors, caption makers as well as that section of society; which still innocently believes that the order of the day; the government; visible as well as invisible has good news for them. the announcement of the federal budget; the conclusion of the new iMF programme and the political direction for the country by the powers to be in the background make it a most risky iMF facility to date. A run through the Pakistani experience with the donor agencies since the days when the economic planning paradigms were set up in the country, reveals that instead of coming to age; the economy has in fact bogged down in the quicksand of donor agency conditionalities. that state of affair's biggest fall out has been the gradual transformation of the economy into a high-cost one. An economy not tuned to grow, rather experience stagflation. An economy where rising prices hit at the purchasing power of a broad section of the public. however, unlike growing economies where it is a sign of progress; the former type of inflation depresses the economy. it may be pointed out that budget deficit has not been the scourge of the democratic era, rather a look back into the trends during the years of first Afghan war of 1980 to 1987 reveals that the ailment to the budget exercise had started to register itself; though the economic managers choose to look the other way. Pakistan has been a recipient of the iMF SDRs since the pro-US dispensation headed by Ayub Khan. At that point of time; the iMF inputs were limited to coverage of the imports, while the dollar rate was artificially kept stable to allow the business decisions to be based on stable footings. the growth rates witnessed in the first five years of the 1960s were precisely due to the above-mentioned strategy. Pakistan was creating an industrial base; especially the textile sector. it involved installation of capital infrastructure in the form of new machines. that issue was directly linked with the products where Pakistan wanted its presence to be noted and appreciated by the world market. Likewise, many other sectors of the economy also benefited from the stability and it is a sad story since then, that after that decade Pakistan did not see a progressive value addition in infrastructure; whether it were dams, watercourses; industry-specific infrastructure or anything associated with the growth of the economy. the second plan period between 1965 and 1970 was characterized by slow growth. the

reason for that was the embargo imposed by the USA on Pakistan in the aftermath of the 1965 War in the domain of military equipment. Forced by the threat perception; Pakistan was compelled to pay hard cash for the procurement of Chinese and French weapon systems. that situation pushed the economic growth towards slowdown; prompting civil and urban unrest. What happened afterwards is history. the fall-out of that situation was to be faced by the left-wing government of ZAB; when his left-leaning finance minister had to devalue the Rupee to the tune of 131 percent; making the Dollar equal to approximately Rs 10, from the previous level of Rs 4.75 per dollar. Available records show that the PPP government did depend on iMF SDRs through its tenure; though the nature of dependence was much within the decent limits; as is affordable for countries like Pakistan. these payments were classified as BoP assistance loans, to cover the trade deficit requirements. the estimated inflows during the PPP years as recorded in Economic Surveys puts the figure at $1 Billion between 1973 and 1977. As said earlier, the succeeding Zia regime too followed the same trajectory; though during the closing years, the budgetary resource mobilization faced deficit scenarios; though of not an alarming dimension. here it is worthy to note that the iMF as a matter of principle encourages its partnering economists to constantly monitor the economies they are working in. the rationale is to detect any signs of economic ailment, so that the same is neutralized in time. As a consequence; the succeeding civilian set-up which ruled Pakistan from December 1988 to October 1999 had a baggage of economic correction as dictated and advised by the iMF. With greater emphasis on what the Fund Economists termed “Resource Mobilization”. During the period under review, since 1988, the 1993 intervention already discussed in these pages was a political and economic one. Despite the fact that no iMF representative was in Parliament or any other institution; there was a sort of sovereign and unspoken guarantee from the deep state that whosoever who is willing to un-

dertake reforms as envisaged by iMF will get the throne. in 1993, it was the willing Benazir Bhutto and in 1997 it was Nawaz Sharif, who was willing to do the iMF bidding. that situation still lingers on. the reason for that state of affairs indicates even more clearly that origins of the crisis rest during the Ayub era and also the characteristics the Pakistani state adopted since then. those characteristics meant that Pakistan will be a client state for the western systems; whether it is Soviet expansionism, islamic fundamentalism, threat to US interests in the Gulf, and so forth. today Pakistan cannot be left alone by the iMF or the Western financial system as any ignoring of the dire situation in Pakistan will mean abandoning the country to trends and forces not desirable. the current economic scenario has an end; which means another intervention by the iMF in the hope that things will reform for good this time. however, the stakes this time seem to be too complex. the sitting government might be willing and has the mandate to conclude another adjustment programme or facility with the iMF; yet it is presiding over a polity which is highly polarized for any consensus. the political polarization reflected in the political system is of an extent that might well make it difficult for the current dispensation to run the program as desired. the recent near-riot situation over POL availability is only a small indication that this current iMF programme is being built on a powder keg; which can explode any time. An explosion, which cannot even be controlled by the powers who matter; or any of the political forces; in the government and the one left out in the cold; the so-called reform and change movement of Pakistan; the Pti. how the powers run the new iMF programme; how the current dispensation is able to manage the economy and polity out of the crisis situation are the million-dollar questions. however, the basic bet is, whether the ailing body of Pakistani economy or polity will be able to survive this major surgery without any major structural damage or not. Pakistan without doubt is faced with the biggest tests of its times.

How the powers run the new IMF programme; how the current dispensation is able to manage the economy and polity out of the crisis situation are the milliondollar questions. However, the basic bet is, whether the ailing body of Pakistani economy or polity will be able to survive this major surgery without any major structural damage or not. Pakistan without doubt is faced with the biggest tests of its times

The writer is a freelance columnist

thE federal government has decided to slash the petrol quota of government officials and the cabinet by 40%. the power ministry has recommended instituting work-from-home policies in offices on Fridays to reduce the demand for fuel and energy. in my view, it’s time to leave or abandon our luxury living on state expenses to play some meaningful role in evolving our economy. the above steps taken by the government could be considered secondary steps and may not be so helpful in evolving our deteriorating economy. For primary steps to evolve our economy with strong determination and a practical approach in the right direction, we must consider the following steps: 1) in government offices, there must be a complete ban on the use of inverters/Air conditioners except at the highest levels including Minister and Secretary offices. 2) the government must make a mechanism for petrol stations to ensure the sale of fuel with the entry of the registration # of vehicle/bike on the fuel receipts for the purpose of FBR data. there must be a check for above 300 litres monthly use for private consumers for the purpose of income tax and filer status. 3) the government must not develop and make any allotment of houses, flats & plots exceeding 10 Marlas on an ownership basis in any state housing society drawing funds from the National Exchequer. the house/flats/plots size must be of 3 marlas, 5 marlas, 8 marlas and 10 marlas to accommodate all ranks or classes of officials. 4) there must be additional taxes on houses/flats exceeding 10 marlas and electricity units used over 800 units in a month. We must focus seriously on expanding our exports and reducing the level of imports. the vehicles import of new vehicles must be banned to control our foreign exchange reserves. All imports must be banned that could be produced in Pakistan with quality assurance and reasonable pricing. 5) All religious tours of state heads, cabinet members and officials must be on a self-financing basis. 6) We must develop our rural areas as much as possible to generate income sources for rural residents. 7) taxpayers’ money must be equally utilized by all classes of people living in Pakistan. We should not see much difference in state-run hospitals, schools and power/water supply in the city area and in remote areas. 8) there must be a strong check on public funds use and any misappropriation of funds must not be tolerated and rule of law must prevail at all levels without any procedural delays. 9) there is a need for additional dams to overcome the energy crises due to increasing population needs. the state policymakers must seriously think about the increasing population issue as it may adversely affect our national resources in the coming years. 10) Our state departments’ resources will continue to face budget issues if we do not control theft in water distribution. Sui gas connections, electricity use and bribery are left open for all. All purchases of single items exceeding above 50 thousand rupees must be linked with CNiC/Passport # and the sale data record must be linked to FBR Data. 11) in the present world, no developing country can improve the economy without foreign investment and especially of direct nature investment and for this purpose, we need a business favourable environment in Pakistan. For a favourable business environment, we have to first control our law and order situation, which may not be so appealing to foreign investors. there is also a need to encourage local investors to invest in the local industry. 12) We must expand our relations with other countries and more specifically with neighbouring countries for mutual interests without compromising our identity as a Muslim country. the above steps will help to evolve our economy. KHALID MUSTAFA ISLAMABAD

human rights violations WE are a group of academics who are deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan. in the last two months, there has been an alarming rise in human rights violations in Pakistan, including suppression of freedom of speech and making of fake blasphemy cases against political rivals. We have seen concerning reports in April and May 2022, such as the arrest of political opponents including a female academic, former human rights minister, and outspoken activists, and cases and raids against several prominent tV anchors. these troubling developments violate the minimal requirements of democratic government, fundamental freedoms under the Constitution of Pakistan, and the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. ASSOCIATE PROF. HARIS AZIZ AUSTRALIA

k-Electric it may not even remember, but when K-Electric had taken charge of power distribution in Karachi many, many years ago, it had promised to end loadshedding and ensure uninterrupted power supply. Soon afterwards, it forgot all its promises and for well over a decade it has subjected the financial hub of the country to the worst kind of loadshedding imaginable. the KE, just like its predecessor, has failed to tackle long-standing issues related to power generation and line losses in transmission and distribution. the company mints billions of rupees by overbilling the consumers, but it has yet to be held accountable. to add insult to injury, KE has also been carrying out maintenance works in different areas of the city in this oppressive summer heat, causing further prolonged power shutdowns that often last a whole day. the anguish of people unable to go about their daily lives can only be described as traumatic. As a result, people have resorted to buying alternative sources of power-generation, resulting in further expenses incurred on their purchase and maintenance. this provides temporary relief, but is not a solution to the problem. Does anyone, the government, the KE or the power regulators, have a solution to the problem? Or will the people continue being subjected to power cuts despite being billed for their ‘expected’ usage? ANWAR HUSSAIN KARACHI

08 WORLD VIEW 12th June 22_Layout 1 6/11/2022 10:14 PM Page 1

Sunday, 12 June, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

IrAn Is bAckIng out of the nucleAr deAl thAt us hAd AlreAdy reneged on for yeArs THE IAEA, THE UNITED NATIONS’ NUCLEAR WATCHDOG, HAS ALREADY SAID THAT IT BELIEVES THAT IRAN IS ONLY “WEEKS AWAY” FROM HAVING A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH QUANTITY OF ENRICHED URANIUM TO PUT THEM WITHIN REACH OF A BOMB

inteRcept

muRtAzA HuSSAIN

he nuclear deal negotiated by President Barack Obama and Iran in 2015 was based on a simple premise: In exchange for lifting economic sanctions, Iran’s nuclear energy program would be put under strict international surveillance. the deal made sense for both sides. Iran would get sanctions relief and the chance to integrate itself in the global economy, and the United States would get an off-ramp to avoid yet another costly war in the Middle east. the agreement never really got a chance to take hold, however, because the U.S. broke its word. In a fit of personal pique at his predecessor — and with the encouragement of Israel and the Gulf Arab states — President Donald trump violated the accord by unilaterally reimposing sanctions and waging a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at collapsing the Iranian economy. the deal has been on life support ever since. Now, the Iranians may be ready to pull the plug on this sick patient. this week, Iran informed the International Atomic energy Agency that it would be removing 27 cameras that monitor nuclear sites — cameras that were installed as part of the 2015 agreement. this move was described by IAeA Director General rafael Grossi as a “fatal blow” to the agreement, in a statement that also called on both sides to return to the deal.

Grossi is right that the nuclear deal may now be in its final days. But it would be wrong to attribute its death to this final step — which comes only after years of overt violations by the United States. the U.S. and Iran now appear to be on a glide path to a conflict that no one wanted and that diplomats spent years of negotiations trying to avoid. When the deal was signed in 2015, it seemed these efforts had borne fruit. the successful push by hawks aiming to kill the agreement has now brought things to a breaking point. the original motive of the nuclear deal was to avoid a war over this issue that was already looming a decade ago. With no deal, we might again be hurtling toward exactly that war. Under trump, the Iranian government continued to partially comply with the nuclear deal in the hopes of reviving it if a Democratic administration came back into power. President Joe Biden did win the White house in 2020, but instead of going back to the deal, he has chosen to maintain the sanctions that trump imposed — the very measures the nuclear deal was intended to lift. the sanctions devastated the Iranian economy and drove millions of middle-class Iranians into poverty. If they are lifted in future — doubtful, at this point — it is still unlikely that Iran would ever get the investment from Western companies that it hoped to receive following the original deal. It’s clear now that U.S. sanctions on Iran could be reimposed with any shifting political winds in the U.S. that is a situation which makes it virtually impossible for foreign enterprises to invest there. the Iranian side lost much when the deal was torpedoed. Now the international community is going to take a possible hit to its aim of stopping nuclear proliferation. the removal of some of the surveillance cameras at nu-

clear sites means that the world is moving closer to the murky status quo ante that existed before the 2015 nuclear deal. Although Iran has not said it would build a bomb, whatever nuclear activities that it conducts now will be done with drastically diminished international oversight. the IAeA, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, has already said that it believes that Iran is only “weeks away” from having a significant enough quantity of enriched uranium to put them within reach of a bomb. the loss of their surveillance capacity now means Iran could cross that threshold without them even knowing. “today, the IAeA is ‘flying blind’ about the details of Iran’s activities because it is unable to retrieve surveillance data being stored on the agency’s cameras as a consequence of U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018,” said John tierney, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in a press release about the news of the camera removals. “these new steps mean the IAeA is losing more data every day and it will be harder to trace every aspect of Iran’s nuclear program should negotiators find a diplomatic offramp to escalation. Once again, the United States, and the world, are better off with the limitations on Iran’s nuclear program than without them.” At first blush, it might make sense to blame Iran for the rapidly closing window of a revived nuclear deal. Yet to do so ignores the history of the deal and absolves the U.S. of its actions: Why should Iran be expected to continue its compliance during talks over a new deal while the U.S. has not taken any steps toward restoring its own compliance? the removal of the cameras is another sign of the failures of Washington’s posture toward Iran. the trump

US spent over $21 billion on Afghan police, got 'barely qualified mall guards' Reason

FIONA HARRIGAN

fter spending over $21 billion trying to train a national police force in Afghanistan, the United States splurged on equipment rather than focusing on institutional reform and churned out police trainees who were effectively "barely qualified mall guards," per an international observer. that's according to a sprawling new report published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGAr) that examines what went wrong in America's costly and ineffective management of the Afghan National Police (ANP). the SIGAr report notes that "two decades of conflict had left little to reform in Afghanistan" by the early 2000s. "the entire criminal justice system—from police to courts to prisons—had to be rebuilt, and with the help of a largely illiterate Afghan population." the U.S. has no national police force and lacked any centralized standards or precedent to apply to the ANP. training and advising fell to a piecemeal collection of departments and agencies, creating inefficient bureaucratic processes that butted up against deeply corrupt institutions in Afghanistan. No effective, rights-protecting national police force has ever existed in Afghanistan. Both before and after U.S. involvement in the country began, the police had a reputation for arbitrary detentions, torture, and human rights abuses, which affected the Afghan population's receptiveness to newly trained officers. But the Afghans trained in American facilities were ill-equipped to perform tasks necessary to their jobs. It was so bad that in 2007, one international observer remarked, many graduates of U.S. training facilities were like "barely qualified mall guards." recruitment standards were lax and often colored by the corrupt Ministry of Interior, which prioritized personal and factional allegiance over legitimate qualifications. further, "between 70 and 90 percent of the graduates of U.S. police training centers were illiterate." they were incapable of taking complex notes, reading warrants, or jotting down license plate numbers. Militia fighters also filled the ranks of the new police force, with one U.S.contracted trainer noting, "we train who we can get." All the while, the yearly attrition rate for trainees floated around 15 percent (but may have been up to 30 percent). the SIGAr report criticizes an approach to police assistance that "resembled failed efforts by the Soviet Union, other international donors, and former Afghan government administrations." the U.S. and its partners came to focus on "the hardware of police-building—equipment, infrastructure, organizational restructuring—over less tangible goals." that ultimately led to heavy investments in increased strength and a relative lack of attention to corruption and institutional abuse. But simple needs were still overlooked: In 2005, it was estimated that the ANP required

NEW SIGAR FINDINGS SHINE A LIGHT ON AMERICA’S DYSFUNCTIONAL EFFORTS TO TRAIN THE AFGHAN NATIONAL POLICE, WHICH “ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO INCREASING CRIMINALITY” IN AFGHANISTAN 3.4 million basic items like communication equipment and cold-weather clothing. this ultimately helped create a militarized police force, which was only exacerbated by the nature of instruction for trainees. "Police training courses put almost 90 percent of their emphasis on military skills such as weapons handling, roadblock establishment, and improvised explosive device identification. Only about 10 percent of the curriculum" focused on things like human rights or Afghanistan's constitution, while no time was spent on domestic violence or women's rights. eventually the Department of Defense took over the police-training initiative from the Department of State, though it lacked expertise in managing a civilian police force. that was largely done at the behest of former Defense Secretary Donald rumsfeld, who lobbied for special funding from Congress as no such money existed in the Pentagon budget. "Since fiscal year 2005," the SIGAr report notes, "Congress has appropriated over $21 billion… specifically to support the ANP." Despite all the money and time the U.S. devoted to building the ANP, the SIGAr report finds that the police force "actually contributed to increasing criminality." It was at least partially because of this dysfunction that the taliban began to regain support among some Afghans, who were simply looking for someone to enforce law and order. State police had been "extorting and beating locals" and "regularly abducting and raping young boys." By the time President Joe Biden announced the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, it was clear that the ANP was incapable of staving off disorder. When the taliban took Kabul in August, they did so with effectively no resistance from Afghanistan's military or police. Misconceptions and misplaced optimism plagued U.S. efforts to build a police force in Afghanistan. But sheer ignorance doomed the program too. "No one even knew how many police were actually on duty in Afghanistan" by 2006, years after the American training initiative began. As with so many other SIGAr reports, these findings drive home how futile nation-building efforts are when carried out by government bureaucrats who refuse to take stock of prohibitive realities in the country they hope to transform.

administration bet that it could simply strong-arm Iran into sacrificing its nuclear program without offering sanctions relief or any other concessions in return. even though trump did not want to suffer the consequences of a full-scale conflict with Iran, his withdrawal from the deal has set up for exactly that outcome: the U.S. will continue to reap what trump sowed. Although Biden served as vice president in an administration that had made the nuclear deal a diplomatic centerpiece, he has been unwilling to return to compliance in a manner that might salvage the agreement. With nuclear monitoring now curtailed, the same hawks that have long pushed for attacking Iran’s nuclear program will continue to do so. Although Iran has little hope of coming out victorious in a direct confrontation with the U.S. and its allies, it has advanced ballistic missile capacity as well as proxies on standby in many countries. A war with Iran would mean casualties and suffering for the U.S. and its allies unlike any of the wars with nonstate actors that America has fought in the two decades since 9/11. A new war in the Middle east is simply not worth it from the perspective of U.S. interests. the best-case scenario is a signed agreement that controlled Iran’s nuclear program, while giving the Iranians a piece of the global economic pie that would be theirs to lose. Obama himself calculated that such an outcome made the most sense for all involved. Due to the structural inability of the U.S. government, including the Biden administration, to stick to its signed diplomatic agreements, the war that Obama tried to avoid may yet break out. the deal to avert confrontation was already in hand. We should remember, as costs of the conflict mount, that it was the U.S. that blew up the off-ramp.

once again, europe reveals it has surrendered to Israel IF EUROPE CONTINUES TO AVOID HOLDING ISRAEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS SYSTEMATIC CRIMES AND VIOLATIONS, THE STATUS QUO OF APARTHEID WILL REMAIN INTACT Middle east eye

SAmI Abu SHeHAdeH

he address delivered by the president of the european Parliament, roberta Metsola, to the Israeli Knesset last month might have been one of the least responsible speeches I’ve ever heard from a foreign leader with regards to Israel. Coming from Malta, a country that has traditionally expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and representing a block that has pushed a values-based foreign policy, rule of law and accountability, Metsola could have been expected to speak truth to power. Instead, we heard the opposite: a european surrender to Israel’s policies of annexation and apartheid, as denounced by Amnesty International and human rights Watch. Paying lip service to the two-state solution at the end of her speech did not change the fact that Metsola failed to mention the terms occupation, colonisation or annexation, nor did she discuss Palestinian rights, international law or UN resolutions. her message was clear: europe-Israel relations will not be affected by Israel’s systematic crimes and violations of Palestinian human rights. She adopted the Israeli Zionist narrative completely - something I would have expected from an Israeli official delivering a speech to the european Parliament, and not the other way around. Metsola missed no opportunity to reaffirm her position, ignoring that Israel is not a country only for Jews, but one where 20 percent of the population is made up of Palestinian citizens. She showed great admiration for former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, who infamously said there was “no such thing as Palestinians”, and did not address the more than 65 Israeli laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel, including the racist ban on Palestinian family reunifications approved in March. Metsola did not even mention Shireen Abu Akleh, the Al Jazeera journalist shot by Israeli forces last month, and made no public call for justice. her speech was all about reassuring Israel that apartheid won’t harm bilateral relations. LACK OF CREDIBILITY: Metsola also spoke of common values and europe’s deep bond with the

state of Israel. Did she even think about how Palestinians would feel about this? What values are shared? the denial of rights? Colonisation? Opposition to equality? Demolition of homes? Separation of families? If she meant justice and equality, then she knows very little about Israel. Unfortunately, Metsola is not alone in her position. Whenever the eU implements any kind of accountability in the Israel/Palestine context, it is always against the Palestinian people. Oliver Varhelyi, hungary’s member of the european Commission, has criticised the content of Palestinian textbooks and pushed a freeze on european aid to Palestine. he is not a lonely anti-Palestinian voice in the eU. the question of Palestinian textbooks is a political talking point used by those who oppose the very existence of Palestine, but as an Israeli lawmaker, I never heard any european requests to review the Israeli textbooks that systematically negate the existence of the Palestinian people and deny the Nakba. When it comes to Israel, the word of right-wing think tanks and even settlers seems to have more weight in Brussels than the reports of international rights groups on Israeli apartheid. even the eU Court of Justice ruling on the labelling of settlement products is not being implemented. So what credibility could europe have when it comes to taking a position on the two-state solution? to most european countries, the savage attack by Israeli forces at Abu Akleh’s funeral cannot be justified, and many were surely shocked to see thousands of Israeli Jews chanting “death to Arabs” during the recent Jerusalem flag march. Such scenes cannot be separated from the daily realities of occupation and laws promoting a system of Jewish supremacy on both sides of the 1967 border. europe, Israel’s main trade partner, has enough tools to bring about change, including by implementing Article 2 of the eU-Israel trade agreement, which conditions its implementation on respect for human rights. Peace is a construction based on justice. If europe continues to avoid holding Israel accountable for its systematic crimes and violations, the status quo of apartheid will remain intact. those are not the values we were told europe stands for. Sami Abu Shehadeh is a member of the Israeli Knesset representing the Joint List.

Sunday, 12 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

corporate corner ZEM builders win 'RCCI Construction Technology Award 2022'

GovT AlloCATES RS118 bIllIon FoR CPEC-RElATEd RoAd PRojECTS ISLAMABAD

ZEM Builders, one of the leading real estate companies in Pakistan was presented the 'Construction Technology Award’ by the President of Pakistan, Mr. Arif Alvi at the RCCI Technology Awards organised by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry at President House, Islamabad. CEO of ZEM Builders, Mr. Zeeshan Akram Qureshi received the award that recognises ZEM Builders as a forerunner in revolutionising industry practices by putting innovation at the core of everything they do. pR

ITP's campaign in full swing to check traffic rules violations

ISLAMABAD: The campaign of Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) to check violation of traffic rules is in full swing and special efforts are being made to maintain traffic disciple in the city. The main objective of this road safety campaign is to ensure safety to people while road users are being educated for lane discipline during drive. Following directions of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Dr Nasir Akbar Khan, Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Syed Mustafa Tanveer has constituted special teams to control lane violation on various roads and ensure smooth flow of traffic in the city. Strict checking is being made against those not using helmets during bike ride. ITP’s team remain present on all important roads including Islamabad Expressway, Srinagar (Kashmir) highway to educate road users about traffic rules ITP’s FM Radio 92.4 is also disseminating the messages about road safety and to educate audience about traffic rules. SSP (Traffic) has appealed the citizens to cooperate with the force by following traffic laws. He said that action would be taken against those not following lanes during drive as the sole purpose is to ensure safe road environment in the city. He hoped that citizens will follow traffic rules and help ITP through their cooperation in ensuring secure traffic system in the city. Those violating traffic rules will be fined and safer road environment would be ensured through constant monitoring, SSP (Traffic) Syed Mustafa Tanveer maintained. The force issues traffic violation tickets not as a punitive measure but the purpose is to ensure safe road environment in the Capital and secure the lives of the people, the SSP (Traffic) added. pR

Staff RepoRt

EDERAl government unveiled a Rs727 billion development program, with Rs118 billion set aside for new and ongoing connectivity projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program and Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC). According to Gwadar Pro, bulks of funds have been earmarked for road projects along the western alignment of CPEC. The majority of these projects are underway in Balochistan to connect northern and eastern parts of the country with the Gwadar port. The government has also kept funds for feasibility study of an expressway project to link Pak-Afghan border point of Ghulam Khan in KP to CPEC’s M-14 Motorway, the shortest

link for Kabul with the Gwadar port. Among the prominent CPEC projects, Rs 16 billion has been earmarked for upgrading the existing national highway between Dera Ismail

Khan District of KP and Khuzdar District of Balochistan into a dual carriageway to link CPEC’s M-14 and M-8 motorways. These projects will drastically re-

duce travel time between Islamabad and the Gwadar port. Another Rs2 billion has been set aside for Nokundi-Mashkhel Road in Balochistan under CPEC. Similarly, Rs 7.8 billion has been allocated for two sections of M-8 Motorway in Makran and Kalat divisions of Balochistan. M-8 linking Sindh with Gwadar and several sections of this eastwest motorway is already operational. Also, over Rs 6 billion has been allocated for different projects to connect Gilgit with Chitral to provide an allweather CPEC corridor in northern parts of the country. Rs 1.4 billion has been set aside for Havelian-Thakot section of Karakoram Highway, an extension of CPEC’s Hazara Motorway. The government has also kept Rs 6 billion for upgrading the existing N-25 highway into a double carriageway. The road links Karachi with Gwadar, Quetta and Pak-Afghan border point Chaman in Balochistan.

Farm workers kill dog-like bats amid attack on mango orchard

122,000 students seek scholarships under EUSP for FY-2022 ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

FAISALABAD Staff RepoRt

Mega-bats attacked mango orchards in Mamoo Kanjan area here, local farmers reported on Saturday. The workers at fruit orchard, finding the mega bat with wing spans of around four-andhalf feet killed it with blows of sticks, local farmers said. The bat was damaging the trees and fruit yield for last several days, according to farmers. The bats with wing spans of more than four feet with a dog-like face also being reported in rural areas of Sindh for last few years. Thousands of wild bats attacked fruit farms in Nawabshah near Rohri Canal in July 2021. Flocks of fruit-eating wild bats attacked banana and mango farms in the area and damaged the fruit yield at several farms of the area, local police said.

“Policemen tried to kill attacking flocks of bats and get rid of many of them,” officials stated. In December 2019, mega-bats attacked standing crops in a village in Sujawal district of Sindh. The large-sized bats attacked fruit farms in Village Nodo Baran in Sujawal district, local villagers said. The farmers claimed to kill around 40 bats with firing in the village. Before it the bats in such a big size were eported in the katcha area of Piryalo town in northern Sindh in year 2015. These creatures were reportedly eating mangoes and dates in fruit farms of the area. According to reports these bats are not only scary for their size and ability to inflict harm on the farms and orchards. But, the bats, also called large flying foxes or fruit bats, can sometimes act as reservoirs and vectors for a range of diseases and viruses which are potentially lethal to humans and other animals.

As many as 122,000 applications have been received by the students under the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship Program (EUSP) for the fiscal year 2022 and its screening process will begin soon. According to an official source, an amount of Rs9.5 billion was allocated to award scholarships to the deserving outstanding students for the EUSP for the fiscal year 2022. During the Fiscal Year 2020-21, a total of 138133 scholarships were awarded to the deserving students amounting to Rs13.2 billion under the EUSP. EUSP aimed at providing higher education opportunities for 200,000 students (50 percent girls) coming from under-privileged backgrounds having family income of Rs45,000 per month or less of the applicant student. The four-year Ehsaas undergraduate Scholarship Program (EUSP) worth Rs24 billion was launched in the year 2019. The project envisaged providing merit and need based scholarships over 4-5 years of undergraduate education including tuition fees and stipends to cover living expenses, to study in HEC recognized 135 public sector Higher Education Institutions.

Chinese companies to help promote solar energy in Pakistan ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Chinese companies manufacturing solar panels will have to play a crucial role in the generation of Alternative Renewable Energy (ARE) in Pakistan. At the moment, according to a market survey, more than 90 percent of solar panels and other related equipment are being imported from China. Chinese companies are executing and running solar power projects in Pakistan including 300 MW solar power projects which is operational under the umbrella of ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) In a recent interview, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said, “solar is very critical to Pakistan’s need today” and added, “I am expecting that China, which has the most experience in the world in solar, will come to Pakistan and help the country get more sustainable energy”. He also welcomed more Chinese companies to come to

Pakistan and establish solar panel manufacturing plants in the country. Pakistan targets an on-grid Alternative Renewable Energy (ARE) generation mix of 20 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030, adding the policy targets the development of ARE projects mainly on competitive bedding, unsolicited mode limited to G2G and new technologies. Pakistan has a population of over 225 million. Approximately 88 percent of the population has access to electricity while 12 percent remains un-electrified. The annual per capita electricity consumption in Pakistan is around 550 kWh as compared with the world average of 3,081 kWh per capita. National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) approved Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2021 with demand supply projects till 2030. Under IGCEP, the current installed capacity of 34,776 MW will become 61,112 MW by the end of 2030. Apart from the committed pipeline projects, the IGCEP requires an addi-

tion of 10,062 MW of ARE capacity by 2030. In order to encourage the production of renewable energy in the country, the government announced on Friday sales tax exemptions on imports of solar panels and their distribution. Presenting the budgetary proposals for the next fiscal year in the National Assembly on Friday, Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said that the energy sector has pivotal importance for the people as well as the industries and trade in the country, adding that at the moment fuel prices were skyrocketing, which made thermal energy expensive. “For these sectors and the people we gave an additional subsidy of 214 billion rupees,” the minister noted. The Finance Minister proposed tax exemption on import and local supply of solar panels. He said soft loans from banks will be arranged for the people who consume less than 200 units of electricity to purchase solar panels. The previous government of Prime Min-

ister Imran Khan had imposed a 17 percent general sales tax. The imposition of taxes on solar panels has received criticism from different quarters.

Earlier in May, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the reversal of the decision to tax the solar panels, which will be implemented in FY23.

Sunday, 12 June, 2022 | karachi

10 Foreign neWS

U.S. SeeKS hegeMOny ThrOUgh ‘IndO-PAcIfIc STrATegy’: chIneSe MILITAry OffIcIAL BEIJING

Agencies

HE United States is seeking to maintain regional hegemony through its “Indo-Pacific Strategy,” which seriously jeopardizes the overall and long-term interests of countries throughout the region, Zhang Zhenzhong, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China’s Central Military Commission, told reporters on Saturday at the 19th ShangriLa Dialogue in Singapore. His remarks came after a speech at the dialogue by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who presented the next steps of the Indo-Pacific strategy while making accusations about China which Zhang described as false. “We express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to this,” Zhang said. A StrAtegy Serving U.S. intereStS: The U.S. “Indo-Pacific Strategy” is divisive, and designed to trap the region into a geopolitical game and confrontation, Zhang said. It seriously impacts the ASEANcentered (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) regional cooperation architecture and seriously harms the overall and long-term interests of countries in the region, he added. The strategy is designed to destroy peace, Zhang said. He added that the

mainstream voice of Asia-Pacific countries is peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, but the U.S., in contrast, advocates competition between major powers and creates military confrontation. He said the strategy went against the historical trend and served the United States’ own interests against the common will of the regional countries, and stressed that for these reasons it must not succeed. tAiWAn iSSUe ShOUld be hAndled prOperly: The Taiwan issue is the one most likely to lead China-U.S. relations into conflict and confrontation, Zhang said, adding that if

Martyred Mattoo’s family awaits justice for last 12 years SRINAGAR Agencies

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, justice continues to elude the family of a 12th class student, Tufail Mattoo, for the last twelve years. According to Kashmir Media Service, Tufail Mattoo was martyred on this day in 2010 after being hit by a teargas shell fired from very close range by Indian police near Ghani Memorial Stadium in Srinagar when he was returning home from tuition. His killing had triggered massive anti-India demonstrations in the territory and over 125 peaceful protesters were martyred by Indian troops, paramilitary and police personnel in just few months in 2010. Tufail Mattoo’s name is a synonym to the bloody summer of 2010 in IIOJK. Despite the passage of more than a decade, the family of the martyred student continues to await justice and his killers are still roaming scot-free while bloodbath is going on unabated in the occupied territory. Political experts and analysts based in Srinagar say that whether it is the killing of Tufail Mattoo or other human rights violations by the occupational troops, India has never been serious to probe any crime in IIOJK and instead of punishing its troops, New Delhi is rewarding them for killing innocent people in the occupied territory. They say that the killer Indian troops are enjoying impunity under the draconian laws in IIOJK but the Kashmiris will never forget the hot blood of their young martyrs and will continue their just struggle for securing their inalienable right to self-determination till complete success. Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders have paid rich tributes to Tufail Mattoo on his 12th martyrdom anniversary and all the martyrs of 2010 mass uprising.

it is not handled properly, it will have a subversive impact on bilateral relations. He said U.S. actions since the beginning of this year, such as sending officials to Taiwan region, arms sales to the region and claiming to strengthen Taiwan’s “self-defense capabilities,” undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests. The actions send a “wrong signal” to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and risk making the situation across the Taiwan Straits tense again, which is extremely dangerous, he warned. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is a part of China, the Government of the People’s

Republic of China is the sole legal government of China and the People’s Liberation Army will relentlessly safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added. indiSpUtAble SOvereignty Over SOUth ChinA SeA: Zhang also touched on the South China Sea issue. China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters, he said, adding that for a long time, normal navigation and overflight activities of all countries in the South China Sea have been unimpeded, and there has never been a problem with the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. Over the past two decades, China and ASEAN have worked together to steadily advance the consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, thus maintaining overall stability in the South China Sea, he added. The 19th Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, opened in Singapore on Friday evening after a two-year COVID-19 pandemic hiatus. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe is leading the Chinese delegation to the dialogue, and will address a plenary session on Sunday.

EU’s von der Leyen in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s EU membership progress European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen went to Kyiv on Saturday for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said they would discuss Ukraine’s reconstruction and progress towards European Union membership. “With President Zelenskyy I will take stock of the joint work needed for reconstruction and of the progress made by Ukraine on its European path,” she said in a post on Twitter. The discussions “will feed into our assessment” of Ukraine’s readiness to be considered a candidate country to begin lengthy negotiations, including needed reforms, she told a group of journalists travelling with her. This was her second trip to Kyiv since the Russian “special military operation” in late February. Her last one, on April 8, was to hand Zelenskyy a questionnaire his officials needed to fill out to provide details that would help inform the European Commission’s opinion it has to give to the European Council, representing the EU’s 27 member states. Zelenskyy told a conference in Denmark on Friday that grand statements that Ukraine was part of the European family should be followed

up with actions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) receives a questionnaire to begin the process for considering his country’s application for European Union membership from EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 8, 2022. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, will give its opinion on Ukraine’s candidacy request on June 17, with the bloc’s heads of state expected to discuss it at a summit a week later. Even if approved, the process to become a full member takes several years and can be vetoed by any member state. Ukraine remains in control of the Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk where hundreds of civilians are sheltering, the region’s governor said on Saturday. “The information about the blockade of the Azot plant is a lie,” Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region partially controlled by pro-Russian forces, said on Telegram. Ukraine has said some 800 people were hiding in several bomb shelters underneath the Azot plant, including about 200 employees and 600 residents. Agencies

AIMPLB asks Muslim scholars not to participate in Islamophobic TV debates NEW DELHI Agencies

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has appealed to the Islamic scholars and intellectuals not to participate in debates on the Indian TV channels as the sole intention of these channels is not to reach any conclusion through a constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam and its followers. For years, debates in majority of Indian TV channels have been flagged for islamophobia. Many Muslim activists have recently launched a social media campaign urging boycott of TV debates that fuel anti-Muslim sentiments. #StopGoingToGodiMediaDebates was trending on Twitter last week. A joint statement of the President, Vice-Presidents & General Secretary of the Muslim body says that by participating in such programs they are not able to do any service to Islam and Muslims; instead, become reason for their own direct insult by involving Islam and Muslims. President Maulana Syed Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi and vice presidents Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, Maulana Kaka Sayeed Ahmed Oomeri, Maulana Syed Shah Fakhruddin Ashraf, Maulana Syed Arshad Madani and Syed Ali Mohammad Naqvi have issued the joint statement, AIMPLP General Secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said. “The intention of these programs is not to reach any conclusion through constructive discourse but to ridicule and defame Islam and Muslims. To gather some legitimacy, these TV Channels need Muslim faces in their debates. Due to their obliviousness, our Islamic scholars (Ulema) and intellectuals become victims of such agendas,” reads the statement. AIMPLB’s request comes in the wake of inflammatory remarks of two BJP functionaries on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). “If we boycott such programs and channels, not only it will affect their TRP negatively, but they will also fail in achieving their desired outcome through these debates,” it adds.

Amnesty Int’l asks Indian government to probe recent killings in IIOJK NEW DELHI Agencies

Ukrainians handed out Russian passports in Kherson: agencies MOSCOW: The authorities in the Moscow-occupied city of Kherson in southern Ukraine handed out Russian passports to local residents for the first time on Saturday, news agencies reported. Russia’s TASS agency said 23 Kherson residents received a Russian passport at a ceremony through a “simplified procedure” facilitated by a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in May. “All our Kherson residents want to obtain a passport and (Russian) citizenship as soon as possible,” the regional administration’s pro-Moscow chief Vladimir Saldo was quoted as saying by TASS. “It’s a new era that is beginning for us… It’s the most important document a person can possess in their life,” Saldo told the RIA Novosti agency. The Kherson authorities said the timing of the passport distribution was chosen with Russia Day in mind. It falls on Sunday and is a public holiday to mark Russia’s independence from the former Soviet Union. It is an occasion for many Russians to display national pride. Agencies

Amnesty International (AI) has urged the Indian government to ensure a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the recent killings of civilians in Kashmir Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Amnesty International India-chapter in a statement said that the Indian authorities must take urgent steps for the protection of the people of Kashmir. Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International India Board, in the statement maintained that the sheer impunity with which the human rights of the people of IIOJK have been systematically disregarded by Indian authorities must end if we are to fulfill the rights of victims and help ensure that such abuses against civilians are not repeated.

Washington Post fires reporter in center of online battle NEW YORK The AssociATed Press

The Washington Post has fired Felicia Sonmez, who triggered a vigorous online debate this week over social media policy and public treatment of colleagues after she criticised a fellow reporter for retweeting an offensive joke. The Post said Friday it would not comment on personnel issues. But a copy of a termination letter sent Thursday, accusing her of “insubordination, maligning your coworkers online and violating the Post’s standards on workplace collegiality and inclusivity” was published on the Mediaite website and quoted in other news accounts.

The outspoken political writer, whose second stint at the Post began in 2018, declined comment Friday. The incident began when Sonmez tweeted a screenshot of an offensive joke that a colleague, Dave Weigel, had sent out on Twitter, adding the comment: “Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed.” The Post suspended Weigel for a month for his retweet, according to published reports. That prompted another reporter, Jose Del Real, to criticize Sonmez online. While saying Weigel had been wrong, Del Real called for compassion. “Rallying the Internet to attack him for a mistake he made doesn’t actually solve anything,” he wrote. That led to

a contentious back-and-forth, with Sonmez accusing Del Real of attacking her. As an online debate widened and drew in more people, Post executive editor Sally Buzbee sent out two memos calling on staff members to show respect for each other. The second, on Tuesday, was more stern: Buzbee wrote that “we do not tolerate colleagues attacking colleagues either face to face or online.” As it consumed more attention, a handful of Post employees tweeted their support of the newspaper as a good place to work. Sonmez noted that those people were among the newspaper’s best-paid stars, and suggested there has been a longstanding double standard in how social media policy is ap-

plied to them. She also retweeted a screenshot that said Del Real had blocked her on Twitter, adding the comment, “So I hear the Washington Post is a collegial workplace.” While it was consuming attention, another Post reporter, Lisa Rein, tweeted to Sonmez: “please stop.” Sonmez, who worked at the Post in the early 2010s, left and rejoined, sued the Post and its top editors last year, charging discrimination in barring her from covering stories related to sexual assault after she had previously gone public as an assault victim herself. In the termination letter, signed by Human Resources Officer Wayne Connell, the Post said that in questioning the motives

of colleagues, Sonmez was undermining the Post’s reputation for journalistic integrity and fairness. “The same is true of your baseless derision directed to our policies and practices, and our commitment to a safe and supportive work environment,” he wrote. Sonmez’s union, the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, said it is committed to ensuring that workers are only disciplined with just cause, but that it did not comment on individual personnel issues. One Post columnist, Karen Attiah, tweeted on Friday that Sonmez had “always been incredibly kind and supportive” of her, and had reached out when Attiah had been the target of online abuse.

11 Sports 12 JUNE_Layout 1 6/11/2022 11:08 PM Page 1

Sunday, 12 June, 2022 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

PAkistAn cricket teAM creAtes UniqUe recorD AgAinst West inDies

AgENciEs

AKISTAN registered their second victory of the series after yet another splendid display from skipper Babar Azam and opener Babar Azam before requiring Mohammad Nawaz to come up with his career-best figures to ensure the win. The Men in Green have taken an unas-

sailable 2-0 lead in the series and have also registered their 10th successive victory against the visitors. Pakistan’s last ODI series defeat against West Indies came in 1991 and since then, Pakistan has never lost a series against them. The second ODI win has given Pakistan 20 valuable points as the series is also part of ICC ODI Super League, which is a qualification round for the 2023 World Cup

in India. Pakistan’s 120-run victory yielded some fantastic performances, especially from Mohammad Nawaz who returned his careerbest figures of 4-19. The left-handed bowler disrupted the visitors’ entire middle-order as he took important wickets of Shamrah Brooks, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, and Rovman Powell.

Ambitious Ali Asfand aims at creating history in cricketing career PEsHAWAR Agencies

Babar Azam breaks Javed Miandad’s international record NEWs DEsK Star batsman and Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, has been on a record-breaking spree as of late and he has broken yet another one. Babar, after hitting a century in the first ODI, scored 77 off 93 deliveries against the West Indies last night. The flamboyant number one ranked batter, with the help of those 77 runs, overtook Javed Miandad’s world record of scoring most fifties in consecutive innings across all formats. Babar Azam has 9 consecutive fifties as opposed to Miandad’s 8 and Rahul Dravid, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Kumar Sangakkara’s 7. Here’s the breakdown of Babar’s efforts which landed him with another world record: n n n n n n n n n

196 v. Australia 67 v. Australia 55 v. Australia 57 v. Australia 114 v. Australia 105* v. Australia 66 v. Australia 103 v. West Indies 77 v. West Indies

(Test) (Test) (Test) (ODI) (ODI) (ODI) (T20I) (ODI) (ODI)

Fury in talks to face winner of Joshua v Usyk rematch: Daily Mail

LONDON ReuteRs

WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury is in talks to face the winner of Anthony Joshua’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk despite having repeatedly spoken of hanging up his gloves, the Daily Mail newspaper reported. Fury knocked out fellow Briton Dillian Whyte in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium in April to retain his heavyweight crown, telling fans afterwards it was unlikely he would fight again. His wife, Paris, later told BT Sport that he would return only for a title unification bout. Usyk beat Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September last year to seize the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said in February that the rematch with Usyk would take place in May. However, the bout has since been delayed several times after Usyk returned home to Ukraine to join a territorial defence battalion following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.

Ambitions are critical to achieve the zenith of one’s career and 17-year old Ali Asfand has set the target of being remembered as a big gun of the game. The leftarm spinner hails from Faisalabad and is amongst 107 cricketers of the Pathways Program despite facing stiff resistance from his family. “My family often got furious at me as I used to bunk classes to feature in cricket matches. They tried to force me to leave the game and encouraged me to secure a good future by pursuing my education. But cricket remains my passion and I want people to remember me as one of the stars of the game. Though I am pleased that I navigated my way through all the tough experiences, it would have been better if I had my family’s support from day one,” Ali told PCB digital. Ali Asfand was the leading wicket-taker of National U19 Cup where he claimed 10 wickets while representing Central Punjab Blues U19. He then grabbed 25 wickets in eight red-ball matches in the National U19

Championship. The 17-year old is delighted with the new PCB initiative that includes a monthly stipend of PKR30,000, free education and coaching by foreign experts, and says this will assist him to follow his career in cricket. “The PCB Pathways Program has convinced my parents to accept my passion, which will not only enhance my cricket skills but will also help me secure quality education and a monthly stipend that will allow me to look after my expenses before I turn into a professional cricketer. I look forward to taking full advantage of the presence of international coaches in the PCB Pathways Program, which, in turn, will prepare me better for the Pakistan Junior League, which can be a platform to demonstrate my talent and potential,” he added. Ali idealizes the veteran slow left-arm orthodox Zulfiqar Babar who represented Pakistan in 29 international matches. “I am impressed by Zulfiqar Babar and used to watch his bowling on television. I want to master the art of deceiving a batter with the spin like him,” Ali said.

Mitchell, Blundell hit tons as New Zealand turn screw on England LONDON Agencies

Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell hit centuries as New Zealand pummelled England to reach 481-5 before rain forced an early tea on the second day of the second Test at Trent Bridge. Taking advantage of a flat pitch and lacklustre England bowling, Mitchell was unbeaten on a masterful 162. Blundell reached 106 before becoming the only wicket to fall in the opening two sessions, with Test debutant Michael Bracewell scoring a brisk 40 not out before the rain delay. Mitchell and Blundell amassed a 236-run partnership for the fifth wicket to leave New Zealand in complete control as they bid to level the three-Test series after losing the opener at Lord’s by five wickets. A journeyman with little Test pedigree until this series, Mitchell was only given his chance in the first Test after Henry Nicholls failed to recover from Covid-19 in time. Six years ago, Mitchell had a season playing for Blackpool in the Northern Premier League and scored just two centuries. The 31year-old batsman arrived in England with just one Test hundred to his name since his 2019 debut, but now he has three following his 108 at Lord’s. Mitchell’s latest century, his highest in Tests, came up in 184 balls, with England dropping him for the second time in the match after his milestone moment. New Zealand are showing why they are the Test world champions, ruthlessly pressing home their advantage after scoring 318-4 on Friday thanks to their aggressive shot-making and England’s miscues. England fast bowler James Anderson had defended Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first, insisting the players backed their captain’s “aggressive” call.

Anderson’s faith proved misguided as England gave a sloppy display just as bad as Friday’s, which including three dropped catches and another close call that eluded two slip fielders. England, winners of only two of their previous 18 Tests, had to make inroads with a second new ball that was only seven overs old. But Blundell’s back-foot drive off Anderson underlined nothing had changed overnight as it rattled into the fence for the first boundary of the day. Mitchell, who had scored 81 on Friday after being dropped by Joe Root on three, moved within touching distance of his ton after pulling a short Anderson delivery for a crunching four. Having survived an lbw appeal from Matthew Potts, Mitchell brought up his century with a fortuitous edge off the England seamer. If that was an ungainly way to reach the hundred, it was out of character with the rest of Mitchell’s classy innings. As he did on Friday, Mitchell went on the offensive against spinner Jack Leach but, on 104, he rode his luck with a lofty blow that was dropped by Potts as it trickled to the

boundary. Mitchell was attacking with impunity, crushing Leach and Potts to the boundary as the partnership raced past 200. Adding to England’s woes, their pace bowler Stuart Broad discovered that a Nottingham pub he part-owns had to close after a “significant fire” in the early hours of Saturday morning. New Zealand were in complete control and Blundell nudged a single off Leach to reach his third Test century from 191 balls. Looking to punish England further, Blundell was dismissed when he drove Leach to Stokes at mid-off. Mitchell and Bracewell bludgeoned Leach and Stokes with a boundary barrage that produced 27 runs from the first two overs after lunch. A towering Mitchell six off Leach got stuck in the Pavillion fence, but the ball was soon retrieved and the onslaught continued unabated. Mitchell launched Leach for another six in the next over before bringing up his majestic 150. Bracewell showed no signs of stage fright as he repeatedly battered Potts to the boundary before the mid-afternoon rain provided a merciful break for England.

Woods joins Jordan, James in billionaire club: Forbes NEW YORK ReuteRs

Tiger Woods has joined Michael Jordan and LeBron James in a select group of elite athletes with a net worth of at least $1 billion, business magazine Forbes reported. The 15times major winner, who returned to competition at the Masters in April 14 months after nearly losing his right leg in a car crash, has made over $1.7 billion in prize money, endorsements and other ventures, according to Forbes. Woods is tied with Sam Snead for the most wins on the PGA Tour with 82, but Forbes said his winnings from golf account for less than 10 percent of his career earnings, with the bulk of his net worth attributed to endorsements with brands like Nike and Rolex. The 46-year-old has achieved billionaire status despite not being involved in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. Earlier this month, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman told the Washington Post that Woods had turned down an offer that was “mind-blowingly enormous” in the high nine figures. Six-times NBA champion Jordan was the first athlete to reach the milestone, and was joined by four-times NBA champion LeBron James just last week, after the magazine estimated the Los Angeles Lakers player’s worth at $1 billion.

Sunday, 12 June, 2022

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BuDget tO tRiggeR stORm OF inFlAtiOn, unemPlOYment, wARns tARin islamabad

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ORMER Finance Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shaukat Tareen has hinted that the government proposed budget 2022-23 would trigger a storm of inflation and unemployment, as they would get no relief from International Monitory Fund (IMF) despite massively overburdening the inflation-ridden masses. Speaking at a joint press conference with PTI senior leaders Omer Ayub and Muzammil Aslam, Tarin said that Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail presented a very confused budget, as he tried to befool the masses through jugglery of words. He said that the government has set unrealistic growth targets in the budget 2022-23 which it would never be able to meet. Tarin said that the budget has a deficit of Rs4.2 trillion and we saw the highest GDP growth in three years. He asked Finance Minister to be serious at least on the economy, as if the debt had been increased, the reality must be told

that the economy grew considerably, remittances and exports remained at record levels, adding that the agricultural growth of the imported government would be less than ours, as it would not even touch 3.9 percent. The former finance minister said large scale manufacturing (LSM), housing, services sector, remittances, and exports all witnessed robust growth during PTI’s tenure. Tarin said that the incumbent withdrew the incentives provided to the industries that would cause their closure, which is alarming. PTI senator made it clear that the government would further increase petrol prices, inflation has gone up to 24 percent, and unemployment would increase further and could soar to 25 to 30 percent. Tarin said the government will impose a petroleum levy of up to Rs35 which would bring another storm of inflation in the country. We think that they should also have increased income tax but now they would present bring fixed income tax,” he added. He said that they have set a target of

Rs699b subsidies proposed for next FY 2022-23

petroleum levy of Rs750 billion, which will trigger a storm of inflation, adding that we gave Rs1 trillion worth of subsidies to the power sector. Tarin further said that this year capacity charges will go up to Rs1,400 billion. I have left 43% of new taxpayers in the data which the government is not using. I think they will have a problem with IMF because a time bomb fined in the budget. Speaking on the occasion, former Federal Minister for Energy and Senior Leader of PTI Omar Ayub said that now the prices of food items will skyrocket, we have left the price of electricity at Rs16, but now it will increase to Rs39 or Rs40 per unit, adding that when the power rate would touch Rs40 per unit, won’t the people stone them? He said that since the imported government was imposed through a conspiracy, our banking ranking has been on the decline, adding that in June-July, the power shortage will be 7,000 MW. He alarmed that petrol price would soon cross triple century, and could soar past Rs300 or Rs310 per liter. Omer Ayub

stated that these people are hell-bent to destroy the businessmen, as the sole agenda of imposing the imported government was to ruin the Pakistan economy, which was thriving first in our time. He was alarmed that the fuel prices would exceed Rs300 or 310 per liter in the coming months, adding that it would destroy agricultural and industrial sectors and the inflation would batter down a common man, adding that the Sui gas bill of the people would see 400% rise. Expressing his surprise over the gas load shedding in the summer, he said that industries were going to be shut down, as how will they earn money and how will they pay salaries. PTI Spokesman for Finance and Economy Muzammil Aslam said that interest payments will increase by Rs1,000 billion in just one year, our remittances have also decreased, adding that this year’s deficit will exceed Rs7,000 billion. The rate will increase by more than 35%. He that they had already given a mini budget by increasing the price of petrol before the budget.

Drone technology can make cotton crop highly profitable: Director CCRI

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The government has earmarked a total Rs699 billion worth subsidies for various sectors out of which Rs490 billion worth subsidies have been proposed only for the power sector in the budget for fiscal year 2022-23. According to budget documents Rs490 billion worth subsidy has been proposed for the power sector out of the total Rs699 billion worth subsidies for next FY 2022-23. As per details, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) will receive Rs180 billion worth subsidy, while Power Holding Private Limited (PHPL) will obtain Rs35 billion subsidy during the FY 2022-23 and Rs225 billion has been allocated for Inter-DISCO tariff differential. Similarly, Rs3 billion subsidy is proposed for tariff differential to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Rs7 billion subsidy is earmarked for industrial support package, and Rs20 billion subsidy is allocated for the zero-rated industrial subsidy. Likewise, K-Electric (KE) will receive Rs80 billion subsidy out of which Rs60 billion subsidy is for KE’s tariff, Rs13 billion for industrial package and Rs7 billion subsidy is for tube well. Furthermore, the government has earmarked Rs71 billion worth subsidy for petroleum products out of which Rs40 billion subsidy is for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Rs6 billion subsidy is for Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and APL liabilities and others while Rs25 billion worth subsidy is for the domestic consumers through Price Differential Claims (PDC) (PM Package) during the next FY 2022-23. It is also learnt from the budget documents that the government has allocated Rs7 billion subsidy for PASSCO out of which Rs2 billion subsidy is for wheat operations and Rs5 billion subsidy is for wheat reserved stock. As per documents, the government has earmarked Rs17 billion worth subsidy for Utility Store Corporation (USC) out of which Rs6 billion subsidy is for Ramzan Package and Rs12 billion subsidy is allocated for USC (PM Package).

Director Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI) Dr. Zahid Mahmood said that use of modern drone technology could help make cotton crop profitable by reducing production cost. He expressed these remarks on the occasion of practical demonstration of the use of drone technology on cotton crop, in detection of pest, irrigation requirement and overall monitoring of the field. Similarly, soil health, soil moisture and actual condition of cotton

field could be ascertained properly. Based on the information gathered through drone technology, the accurate use of agricultural interventions is made possible, said Dr Zahid. “Drone could also help conserve water for irrigation. In drone technology, about 90 percent water could be conserved. Using drone also saves a lot of time and fertilizers. More pesticides, fertilizers and micro-nutrients are sprayed in less time than the traditional method of

spray. It works 40 times faster than the traditional method,” he said listing the benefits of drone technology. Earlier, a Training Programme For Improved Cotton and IPM was organized in which the experts highlighted different aspects of Integrated Pest Management IPM and termed it cost effective and profit generating. On this occasion, Ahmed Judit Bilal, Maleeha Malik and many other scientists attended the event. App

Fazlur Rehman, Ch Shujaat vow to work together laHORE StAff report

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman met with veteran politician and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at his residence in Islamabad on Saturday. Both the leaders discussed the overall political situation of the country and agreed to continue to work in harmony with each other ‘for the progress and prosperity of the country’. They also concurred to continue to meet with each other in future as well. Matters related to the federal budget also came under discussion at the meeting. Fazl and Shujaat expressed the optimism that the coalition government would resolve the issues confronting the people. They also held the last government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) responsible for the

economic plight of the country. JUI-F Central Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri was also present on the occasion. It merits mention here that PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has decided to part ways over political differences. According to sources, widening cracks in the PML-Q appeared to become more pronounced on Friday after two of its key faces were found divided on political lines. Sources say that Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi is a supporter of PTI Chairman Imran Khan while Chaudhry Shujaat wants to support PML-N. Chaudhry Shujaat wants to see his children work with the Sharifs in future while Pervaiz Elahi’s son Moonis Elahi is eyeing his political future with Imran Khan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also visited the house of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and discussed joint political strategy.

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Petrol price to reach Rs310 per litre in coming days: Omar Ayub Former federal minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub has criticized the incumbent government’s budget for the next fiscal year, saying that petrol prices would soar to Rs310 per litre. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, Omar Ayub pointed out that the PTI government had left the price of electricity at Rs16 per unit which would shoot up to Rs40 per unit next month. “Similarly, the petrol prices would soar from Rs300 to Rs 310 per litre,” he noted. Omar, while quoting the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, said that the gas bill would increase 400 percent and those who had been paying Rs1350 bill will pay Rs3400. The former minister noted that the incumbent government was going to bring down the business community. “The pressure will increase on the rupee and the government will fail to meet its targets,” he added. Terming the incumbent government ‘imported’, Omar Ayub said that since these people came into power, the country’s banking ranking has been dropped. Taking over the presser, PTI Senator Shaukat Tarin termed the government’s budget as ‘non-serious’, criticising many of the figures and targets for various sectors and areas. “They should understand that the numbers don’t lie no matter how much spin-doctoring you do,” Shaukat Tarin said, adding that the budget has a deficit of Rs4.2 trillion. Tarin said the government has fixed the target of 5 percent GDP growth with a share of the agricultural sector at 3.9 percent, claiming the target to be unrealistic with existing water crisis and soaring prices of fertilizers. He noted that the government has set the target of 7.1 percent growth in the manufacturing sector, adding that PTI’s growth rate in the sector was 7.2%. The former finance minister said the government will impose a petroleum levy of up to Rs35 which would bring another storm of inflation in the country. “Tax rates on banks have been increased by 12 percent, their growth figures are non-serious,” he added. Talking about subsidies in the power sector, the former minister said the PTI government gave Rs1 trillion worth of subsidies to the sector. “They’re working by that same old logic of old Pakistan,” he added. inp

Domestic, foreign debt markup to swallow Rs3.9tr in FY 2022-23 islamabad AhmAd AhmAdAni

The domestic and foreign debt markup will swallow Rs3.9 trillion out of the total budget outlay during the next financial year 2022-23 while the country’s interest payments on foreign and domestic debt would further go up due to higher loans. According to budget documents, the federal government has projected that it will spend 3.95 trillion on mark-up payments on domestic and foreign debt in the upcoming fiscal year. Previously, the government had allocated Rs3.059 trillion on mark-up payments on domestic and foreign debt for the ongoing fiscal year. However, actual payments swelled to Rs3.143 trillion on mark-up payments on domestic and foreign debt during the ongoing fiscal according to revised estimates. Of the Rs3.95 trillion earmarked for interest payments on domestic and foreign loans, Rs3.43 trillion will be mark-up on domestic debt and Rs510.97 billion on foreign debt during the next financial year. For the outgoing year, Rs3.05 trillion was earmarked to pay mark-up on foreign and domestic loans, but the target was later revised upwards to Rs3.14 trillion. As per budget documents, external receipts for fiscal year 2022-23 have been projected at Rs3.12 trillion. The government has projected Rs269.2 billion in project loans and Rs722.3 billion in programme loans. The government had anticipated an inflow of Rs2.69 trillion in external loans in the outgoing financial year, but now according to revised estimates it expected receipts of Rs2.96 trillion.

IMF not happy with relief for salaried class: Finance Minister islamabad ShAhzAd pArAchA

Finance minister Miftah Ismail has said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not happy over providing relief to the salaried class in the budget. Addressing a post-budget press conference alongwith Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, Miftah Ismail said there will be a tightening of fiscal policy. “Although we have taxed the rich class despite the fact, the IMF is not happy adding that we may have to reduce the personal income tax slabs”. Finance minister also said that we have presented the budget at a time when Pakistan

is in a difficult time. “I have never seen a more difficult time in the last 30 years where there are global challenges on one hand and nothing has been done by the government or administration on the other,” he said. The Finance Minister said that growth and controlling inflation is our goal but our first goal is to achieve financial stability and divert the country from the path left by Imran Khan. “Our second goal is to provide relief to our poor people for which we are taking difficult decisions. The government is trying to handle the economic affairs of the country so that the country does not face a situation like that of Sri Lanka,” he said.

He said that the government has given a subsidy of over Rs 1100 billion for the power department during the current financial year. Despite subsidy, the reason for high cost of electricity is mismanagement, lack of electricity rate fixing system, transmission distribution losses are unbearably high, bill collection rate is very low, and last 3, 4 years, he added. I have done very little work on it, the country’s economy cannot afford such a loss, he added. He also said that the reason for the deterioration in the country was not only that Imran Khan and his team were incompetent but also a big reason that many of his people were involved in embezzlement. The Finance Minister said that we have

all heard about the Rawalpindi Ring Road. It is also known that sugar was sold for Rs 48 and sold for Rs 96. Everyone knows how bribes were given as gifts. Like Imran Khan, if I leave everything and start making cases against these people, then who will do my job. Minister for State Dr. Ayesha Ghous Pasha said that the budget has adopted a strategy of minimizing the burden on the people and there are many measures in the budget in this regard. While replying to another question, he said that this is an anti-inflationary budget as not only petroleum products consumption but indirect taxes have been reduced. Replying to a question with regard to inflation measures in the budget, the finance

minister said that how can one change the international cycle of super price increase. All we can do is that we didn’t raise direct taxes, we didn’t tax agriculture. “ He said that a subsidy of Rs. 400 billion has been given in the gas sector in the current financial year. If we have promised to supply gas to the industries then it is clear that we will definitely supply gas to them and if India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are getting cheap gas then we how can we make our people expensive, he added Miftah Ismail said that the Prime Minister used to say that taxes should be increased on oil marketing companies like banking companies but I always said that it is not possible; however we have to see that SNGPL gets Rs 2.4 billion every year.

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