Issuu

Monday, 6 June, 2022 I 6 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 337 I 52 Pages I Lahore Edition

PM for ‘grand dialogue’ by all stakeholders for raPid develoPMent g

Calls for develoPIng Consensus over eConomy

LAHORe

staff report

rIme minister shehbaz sharif on sunday stressed the need for initiation of a grand dialogue by all the stakeholders over vital sectors of the economy if they wanted to move ahead on the path of progress and prosperity. addressing an inauguration ceremony of Indus hospital in lahore, the prime minister said nations were not formed on the basis of the construction of magnificent buildings but hard work, integrity and sacrifices coupled with the use of the latest knowledge and technology evolved them. he said that a consensus should be developed over the national economy in such a manner that it should not be disturbed by a change of government. he opined there were certain sectors of the economy such as information

PTI Turns down offer, says no Talks wITh ‘faIled regIme’

technology and industrialisation through which the country could move ahead. The prime minister underlined that they should think above themselves and their personal likes and dislikes and accord top priority to the progress and prosperity of the nation. he maintained that a country could not survive on debts. sharif regretted that Pakistan should have been at the forefront of the Islamic world in terms of progress and development. Comparing Pakistan’s export volume with neighbouring Bangladesh, he said its annual exports now touched the $40 billion mark while Pakistan had an export value of $27-28 billion. The prime minister referring to the global economic meltdown said that they had increased the petroleum prices with a heavy heart. he also termed the previous government’s decision of decreasing petro-

leum prices in the month of march as a ploy as they had not extended any kind of relief to the masses during their rule. The prime minister further assured that they would try their best to provide relief to the poor and said that the government was looking to ease out impacts of price hikes by extending financial relief to over 70 million people. he stressed that they had to stand on their feet with sheer qualities of hard work, sacrifices, unity and proper planning. on load-shedding, the prime minister said he had chaired an emergency meeting wherein he sought a mechanism to decrease its duration. he said the government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) could not make arrangements for the purchase of oil and gas as these two components were mainly used for producing power and now these had been priced very high in the global market. he also hinted to announce further austerity measures shortly in the face of economic challenges. The prime minister said he was ready to be held accountable for his two and half months of rule but what about the previous rulers who had governed the country in the last three and half years. he expressed the optimism that with unity and hard work, the country would rise to the horizon and no one would be able to match its speed. sharif, while lauding the efforts of the hospital’s administration and founders, urged the philanthropists to come forward and donate generously for alleviation of the sufferings of the poor and deserving people in the field of health and education.

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PTI decides to contest by-elections to 20 PA seats: Qureshi ISLAMABAD staff report

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf core committee on sunday developed a consensus and decided to contest by-elections to 20 seats of the Punjab assembly fell vacant after the de-notification of PTI legislators over defection. PTI’s core committee meeting was held at Bani gala with its Chairman Imran khan in the chair who returned from Peshawar after weeks of stay there before and after the long march on may 25. while briefing the media after the core committee meeting, PTI vice Chairman shah mehmood Qureshi made the announcement. Talking to the media, Qureshi expressed his apprehensions that the Punjab government would employ all tactics and resources to influence the by-polls. “The eCP has a big responsibility here and if they fail to ensure transparency in elections, then a big question mark will be raised on general elections which are to be held soon,” the PTI leader said. The election Commission of Pakistan announced last month the byelections to 20 vacant seats on July 17. Qureshi informed that PTI Chairman Imran khan would hold a meeting on monday to contemplate over

Terror-financing case filed against KU suicide bomber’s husband, others newS DeSk a terror financing case has been registered against habitan Bashir and other accused in karachi university suicide attack. Police Inspector sanaullah has been complainant in the case against the accused. habitan Bashir and others nominated in the case, have been accused of providing funds for april 26 suicide attack in the university. Police is searching for suicide bomber shari Baloch’s husband habitan Bashir and his accomplices in the case. four people including three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in attack on a van carrying Chinese teachers of Confucius Institute at university of karachi. shari Baloch was the first woman bomber of Bla who blew herself up at the gate of karachi university targeting three Chinese teachers. The attack reflects nefarious designs of Baloch terrorists against Chinese projects in Pakistan who have long been opposing the China Pakistan economic Corridor as the CPeC route passes through Balochistan. shari Baloch was also a

part of terrorist pack which killed Chinese teachers. according to the Bla, shari was the group’s first female bomber. In a written statement, the Bla said, “shari Baloch has added a new chapter in the history of Baloch rebellion.” In the CCTv footage of the attack, a woman wearing a burqa is seen standing outside the Confucius Institute. as the van comes closer to her, she pushes the button

and blew herself up. according to news agency reuters, the Bla has shared via email a photo of a woman wearing a burqa who is seen with her two children. Police and other officials have not yet confirmed this picture but it is being claimed on social media that this woman is shari Baloch. according to local media reports, the bomber was a student of karachi university. karachi Police

Chief ghulam nabi memon told media that according to the information we have received, the woman bomber was probably a student of the university. media reported that the woman, a student of m.Phil, had said ‘bye’ to her friends on Twitter at 12:10 pm. In a purported video released by the group, a Bla spokesperson said the purpose of the attack was very clear. he warned that a special unit has been formed to attack Chinese officials and projects in Balochistan. after shari Baloch’s death, her husband made a tweet and expressed ‘proud’ of his wife’s death and said it was a ‘selfless act’. habitan Bashir Baloch, who is being identified as shari Baloch’s husband, said in his tweet, ‘shari Jaan, your selfless work left me speechless. Today I am blown away with pride. mahroch and mir hasan would be very proud considering what a great woman their mother was. you will continue to be an important part of our lives. after the karachi attack, there is increasing pressure on the Pakistani government regarding the security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this blast will affect the CPeC project.

the allocation of tickets. The ex-foreign minister said his party had also decided that none of its mnas would appear before the national assembly speaker, who has summoned some PTI members from monday to verify their resignations. Qureshi said their resignations had already been approved and notified by then speaker Qasim khan suri. “hence, there is no need to appear before speaker raja Pervez ashraf again.” Qureshi said Interior minister rana sanaullah had expressed his intention to arrest the leader of the most popular party in the country, adding that “there could be no bigger political blunder than this”. he warned of a strong reaction to any such action by the government. “you have to give your reaction immediately if you receive any report through social media or other media that this imported government has taken any such step,” he told the public. he also called out the government for raising prices of petrol and edibles beyond the purchasing power of the masses. he also questioned the “silence” of foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on the government’s talks with the TTP, saying the PTI government was lambasted by the opposition for such an approach.

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more inside

President, PM condemn hurtful comments of India’s BJP leaders STORY ON BACK PAGE

sana says government will arrest Imran once his bail expires STORY ON BACK PAGE in today’s issue

attention Some readers have complained that they are not getting the magazine with their newspaper copy. Please call or WhatsApp us at the following number to register a complaint. Contact: 0307-7338168 irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk

02-03 NEWS 6 JUNE_Layout 1 6/6/2022 1:07 AM Page 1

Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

GovT ReleaSeS RS1,575.06M To avIaTIon SeCToR FoR 17 PRojeCTS In 11 MonTHS

NEwS DESk

HE government has so far released funds amounting to Rs1,575.06 million, under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2021-22) against total allocation of Rs3,558.20 million to advance 17 different projects and schemes to ensure improved services in the aviation sector. Out of the total disbursement of Rs1,575.06 million, around Rs733.7 million have been spent on the aviation

sector projects during first 11 months of the current fiscal year, according to official data available with APP. As per the PSDP document, an amount of Rs11.077 million had been allocated for construction of double story Ladies Hostel/Barrack with provision of third storey along with Mess, Recreation Hall and allied facilities at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Rs37.581 million for construction 2X double storey Barrack with provision of third storey for Corporal to Inspectors and Assistant Director along

Pakistan congratulates China on successful launch of Shenzhou-14 NEwS DESk Pakistani ambassador to China Moin ul Haque on Sunday expressed greetings on the successful launch of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spacecraft carrying three astronauts to the Tianhe core module of China’s space station for a six-month mission. “The government and people of Pakistan congratulate the Chinese government and people on the launch of Shenzhou-14. Best wishes to the three astronauts who will be in orbit for 6 months”, the ambassador stated. Muhammad Zubair, a media’s representative from Pakistan said that China’s successes in space exploration and station contractions are remarkable, which would not only help Chinese but the whole world for the betterment of human beings. “Pakistan and China are working closely in the space industry for a long time. Pakistan’s first low-orbit satellite BADR-A, was launched by China in 1990 through Long March 2E rocket while later many other communications satellite have been launched. In the future, Pakistan, China will explore more opportunities in the space “, Zubair expressed. He further said that the successful launch of Shenzhou-14 is an amazing achievement of Chinese scientific research team and this would help China continue to strengthen cooperation with other countries.

Brother of deceased PTI activist seeks FIR against PM, Hamza, others MARDAN

with separate Mess and allied facilities, Recreation Hall at Quetta Airport, Rs20 million for construction of Airport Security Force (ASF) Camp at Islamabad International Airport and Rs50 million for construction of Barrack accommodation for ASF personnel along with Mess and allied facilities, Ladies Rest Room MT, Store, Kote Magazine, Quarter Guard and OC Accommodation/Room at Skardu Airport. Similarly, Rs39.534 million had been kept for construction of Barrack accommodation for ASF personnel along

Govt to clear outstanding dues of newspapers, says PM Shehbaz ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced that the government will clear its outstanding advertising dues of newspapers on priority to alleviate the serious cash crunch being faced by the industry. He also instructed that all dues should be reconciled by June 30. He further said that his government did not believe in political victimisation and will therefore clear advertising dues of the previous government. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society led by its President Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Naz Afreen Saigol Lakhani. The prime minister assured that the

government advertising rates of the newspapers will be adjusted in line with inflation. He also committed that no new taxes and duties would be imposed on the newspaper industry in the coming budget and that the government would consider providing additional relief measures to help crisis ridden newspaper industry to cope up with the extraordinary inflationary pressures. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Fahd Hussain were also present. The APNS delegation comprised of senior members: Mujeebur Rahman Shami, Jamil Ather, Shahab Zuberi, Ramiza Nizami, Umar Shami, Imtinan Shahid, Mumtaz Tahir, Mohsin Bilal, Awais Khushnood, Waseem Ahmed, Munir Gillani and Humayon Gulzar.

Rail accidents reduced to 56 during 2021-22: PR oﬃcial ISLAMABAD

StAff RePoRt

APP

The brother of a PTI leader Ahmed Jan who died during a long march has approached KP police for registration of an FIR against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Maryam Nawaz and others. The application for registration of an FIR was submitted at Chota Lahore police station in district Swabi. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Maryam Nawaz, IG Punjab, IG Motorway Police, RPO Rawalpindi, and DPO Attock have been nominated as accused on the application submitted for registration of an FIR. In his plea, Mehmood Jan, the brother of deceased PTI leader, said that his brother joined Azadi March to exercise his democratic right but the authorities illegally blocked motorway through containers. “My brother fell down from the bridge while trying to remove the container,” he said and blamed the act of illegally blocking the motorway as the cause of his brother’s death. It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister Imran Khan had visited the residence of a PTI activist Syed Ahmed in Mardan who died during the party’s long march

Pakistan Railways has beefed up precautionary measures to reduce accidents from 152 in 2020 to only 56 in years 2021-2022. The drastic decrease in accidents has been witnessed due to the efforts being undertaken to reduce trespassing at unmanned level crossings and unauthorized locations. The safety of train operations as per the performance agreement signed with the prime minister through the Federal Minister for Railways, the department had shown considerable progress owing to safety of trains, an official told APP. The present government was taking several steps to improve the Railway services including the issues related to tracking maintenance that was given top priority, the official added. In this regard, the official said that 47 unmanned level crossings were upgraded and manned and 1,561 unauthorized locations (trespassing sides) were closed. He said the punctuality of trains was improved and all the trains were being monitored, reviewed, and rectified. To facilitate passengers, a mobile application

“Pak rail live” has also been launched for real-time tracking of trains. The official said due to close monitoring of trains at Divisional Headquarters and Ministry level, the punctuality of trains has improved from 63 percent in the financial year 2019-20 to around 84 percent. To a question, he said that first aid posts are established in Assistant Station Masters offices and Police Help Line Centres at all Railway Stations where paramedical staff/staff trained in first aid is available along with first aid box/emergency kits round the clock. He said the first aid box/emergency kits were available with In-charge Guards in all running trains who were trained in first aid and provide first aid to ill passengers. The official said that in case of serious illness In-charge Guard calls the doctors at the next coming station for providing further medical care. Due to consistent efforts by the present government, the freight sector had also shown considerable improvement and an average of 25,054 tons per day had been transported from Karachi during 2021-22 as compared to 23,051 tons per day during 2019-20, he added.

Annie, Get Your Gun! CITY NOTES M A NIAZI

Fans of bhangra rap have been shocked by the murder of Shubheep Singh Sidhu, better known as Sidhu Moose Wala, who as gunned down in Mansa as the result of an inter-gang rivalry. I’ve known that the original rappers, all fine upstanding members of the AfricanAmerican community, would get gunned down with depressing frequency. But it seems that this is extending to East Punjab. The East Punjab police must have egg on their face, because theory withdrew the security from Sidhu, along with 400 others, in a bid to end the VIP culture there. So long as there isn’t a round now of doubling security for existing VIPs. It wouldn’t be so

with Mess and allied facilities, MT, Store, Visitors Room, Ladies Rest Room, Kote Magazine, Quarter Guard, and OC accommodation/Room at Chitral Airport, Rs21.285 million for construction of double storey Barracks for ASF at Faisalabad Airport, Rs6.213 million for construction of double storey Director South Secretariat Offices ASF along with allied facilities adjacent to ASF HQs Karachi, Rs500 million for construction of Rain Water Harvesting Kasana Dam at Islamabad International Airport, Rs57.719

million for construction of triple storey living accommodation for ASF personnel at Lahore Airport, Rs3.952 for construction of triple storey living Barrack for ASF personnel along with Mess, Recreation Hall at Multan Airport, Rs96.108 million for developing Reverse Linkage between Mamara Research Centre (MRC), Turkey and Pakistan Meteorological Department Islamabad, Rs239.736 million for installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Karachi, Rs580 million for installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Multan, Rs370 million for installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Sukkur, Rs1,144.995 million for new Gwadar International Airport (NGIA project), Rs350 million for up-gradation of ASF Academy at Karachi and Rs30 million for up-gradation of ASF Academy, Karachi (Feasibility & Supervision).

bad if other Punjab VIPs made the claim. But just watch our VIPs suddenly remembering their drug connections. However, the team around Imran Khan must get ready for the new challenge. They should realise that gang warfare can be used as an excuse, and someone might decide to make the stories a reality: Imran is talking freely of the threat to his life. Let’s hope the Punjab police might realise that he’s an exPM, apart from the captain of the 1992 World Cup winners. The Punjab police over here is probably turning against the PTI because of the way one of its supporters, clad in a burqa, was videoed during the Long March in Islamabad following a constable, calling him repeatedly a ‘piece of sh-t’. Though in a burka, the PTI supporter proved she was ‘foreign-return’. The cop has been complimented for his patience, but I

suspect he didn’t understand what was being said to him. The English was too ‘high’. I mean, PTI supporters should try cops with Punjabi oaths. Then we’d see how forbearing they would be. Nobody joined the Punjab police in the hope of being called names.

China’s Shaanxi Hydro Power Group to build WWTP in Sialkot NEwS DESk The foundation of Sialkot’s first Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) has been laid which is to be built by China’s Shaanxi Water Resources & Hydro Power Engineering Group Company Ltd (SWEG), according to Gwadar Pro. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif laid the foundation of WWTP which is to be built in the northern part of the city. The plant will be completed with an amount of Rs. 1,830,017,429, covering an area of 239 acres. On average, 68.23 cusecs of contaminated water will be treated and used for farming as per WHO guidelines. Last year, Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Program (PCIIP) awarded the contract of the project to Shaanxi Water Resources & Hydro Power Engineering Group Company Ltd (SWEG), China. As per the official document, the completion date for the whole of the work is 730 days. SWEG has executed several mega projects in China. From Shaanxi, the company extended its business to different provinces of China, followed by its expansion from China to Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh and other countries.

Nobody became Punjab Governor to be sworn at either, and Baleeghur Rehman has come because it’s a nice job, not because you would be called inappropriate names. His arrival means that Hamza Shehbaz can remain CM even though the PTI members voting for him are disqualified. If the Governor doesn’t ask him to take a vote of confidence, his next test will be the passage of the budget. That can be done with a simple majority of those present and voting. If Speaker Pervez Elahi wants to be nasty, and he probably will, he can force a division on every vote, which will leave the Treasury exhausted. One of the things the Punjab government wants to avoid is too much proliferation of weapons. Moose Wala’s killing may be just the thin edge of the wedge. We’ve got noises emerging from Imran Khan’s camp of civil war, and bringing the KP police to the next Long March. There’s an element of envy that we aren’t like the USA, where there’s been the usual school killing, store killing, church killing, and so on. However, some sort of apotheosis

was reached in Charleston, Cirginia, where a man who had been warned about dangerous driving in a street where there was a party with lots of children running around, came back with an assault rifle. Before he could use it, one of the women partygoers pulled out her handgun and shot him dead. That put me in mind of the musical Annie Get Your Gun! That was based on the life of Annie Oakley, the 19th century female sharpshooter who was part of Buffalo Bill’s show. Annie Oakley was a great believer in female self-defence. Does that mean we are going to see Dr Shireen Mazari take inspiration too, and turn up at the next Long March with a machine gun? People are not happy with the police, though. Nor how a motorcyclist was beaten to death in Gujranwala on suspicion of theft. It made me wonder: maybe Imran shouldn’t be blamed for the accusation-as-proof philosophy by which he has operated so far. Maybe he’s just expressing the widely held belief that there’s no smoke without fire, with innocence until proven guilty just a piece of liberal nonsense.

02-03 NEWS 6 JUNE_Layout 1 6/6/2022 1:07 AM Page 2

Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

TRanSPoRT DePT BeGInS TeST Run oF InTRa-DISTRICT BuS SeRvICe

NEwS DESk

HE Department of Transport has started test trial of modern buses of Sindh People’s intradistrict bus service. Provincial Minister for Information Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon led the trial of buses from Model Colony to Awari Tower. He was accompanied by Provincial Labor Minister Saeed Ghani, Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant Waqar Mehdi and others. Talking to media on the occasion,

Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the promise made by PPP Sindh government to the citizens of Karachi is going to be fulfilled as test run has started today. He added that 240 buses under Sindh People’s Intra District Bus Service will ply on seven routes of Karachi city and 10 buses in Larkana city. He said the buses would be run and maintained by National Radio Transmission Company (NRTC) for the next 12 years. He said that test drive of buses has

been started today Inshallah, People’s Intra District Bus Service will start it’s formal operations in current month in Karachi, Larkana. Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Abdul Sattar Edhi BRT Orange Line buses have also reached the depot. The Orange Line will also be launched soon. This is the commitment of Pakistan People’s Party’s leadership. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Party leadership had given us a special task to complete Mass Transit projects in the city.

The credit for these buses goes to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and former Transport Minister Syed Owais Qadir Shah who had made this reality. He said that network of mass transit has been planned for Karachi city. If we get more time, the network of such excellent transport system will be spread in Karachi and it will not be limited to Karachi only, it will spread all over Sindh. The Provincial Minister said that the transport department was working hard day and night on the directions.

Pakistan fully committed to address climate change issue: FO NEwS DESk Foreign Office Spokesperson on Sunday said that Pakistan was fully committed to take ambitious actions to address climate change and environmental hazards. “Going forward, we reaffirm our resolve in taking action on combating climate change, protecting biological diversity, and reversing ecosystem degradation,” the spokesperson said in a press release in connection with the observance of World Environment Day. Pakistan was already in the midst of one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to expand and restore its forests. “In its quest for a Green Future, Pakistan is working towards setting national policies in motion to achieve by 2030, 60% of our energy mix, clean and green, and shift 30% of road transport to electric vehicles, as envisioned in its recently submitted

Govt releases Rs1,949.72m for 13 petroleum sector projects in 11 months

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement,” it was added. The spokesperson further said that Pakistan joined

the international community in celebrating the “World Environment Day 2022” on the theme “Only One Earth”. “As one of top ten most climate-vulnerable countries, Pakistan highly values the global efforts to combat climate change, halt and reverse biodiversity loss, reduce pollution, and restore ecosystems,” the spokesperson said. It is imperative for the international community to take ambitious actions and translate political commitments on combating climate change and environmental degradation into tangible steps on ground. “For developing countries like Pakistan, raising ambition would not be possible without provision of sufficient means of implementation including climate finance, technology and capacity-building support by developed countries,” it was added.

Govt to introduce measures in budget for promoting women entrepreneurship: Murtaza

NEwS DESk The government has released funds amounting to Rs1,949.72 million to execute seven ongoing and six new petroleum-related projects during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2021-22) against a total allocation of Rs3,249.54 million. Out of the total disbursement of Rs1,949.72 million, around Rs586.54 million have been spent on petroleum projects to accelerate oil and gas exploration activities and achieve selfsufficiency in the energy sector, according to official data available with APP. As per the PSDP document, funds amounting to Rs1,473.683 million had been earmarked for seven ongoing schemes, out of which Rs 263 million were meant for the establishment of the National Minerals Data Centre (NMDC), Rs345.321 for the Expansion and Up-gradation of Pakistan Petroleum Core House (PETCORE), Rs30 million for Geological Mapping on 50 Toposheets, out of 354 unmapped Toposheets of Outcrop Area of Balochistan Province, Rs385.336 million for strengthening and up-gradation of Karachi Laboratories Complex (KLC) at HDIP Operations Office, Karachi, Rs 76.580 million for the supply of 13.5 MMCFD gas at Doorstep (Zero Point) of Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Sindh, Rs 230 million for the supply of 30 MMCFD gas at Doorstep (Zero Point) of Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Rs143.446 million for up-gradation of POL testing facilities of HDIP at Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and ISO Certification of Petroleum Testing Laboratory at Islamabad. Similarly, for six new schemes, the government had earmarked Rs1,775.857 in the PSDP, out of which Rs40 million were kept for the development of Strategic Underground Gas Storages (SUGS) – hiring of consultancy services for Bankable feasibility study and transaction advisory services (PC-II), Rs30 million for Legal Consultancy Services for drafting of Model Mineral Agreement and updating of Regulatory Framework.

NEwS DESk Federal Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmood on Sunday said that the government would provide relief to the industrial sector, especially women entrepreneurs in the federal budget as the upcoming budget would be business friendly and pro-poor. He urged the women entrepreneurs to play their due role in boosting economic activities for achieving sustainable economic growth and social prosperity in the country. While talking to a delegation led by Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) led by Vice President Rafat Malik, the minister said that private sector was the catalyst for economic growth and the government would facilitate them in promoting business activities which would help in reviving the economy. We are intend to take the country forward by ensuring sustainable economic growth, he said adding that Pakistan needed a big increase in exports to meet its economic challenges and reducing pressure from its foreign exchange reserves. He urged the business community, especially women entrepreneurs to play their role in economic development of the country as government was working hard for economic turn turn around, rupee stability against dollar. Pakistan needed a big jump in exports to cope with economic challenges and urged the business community to play role to boost exports, he expressed.

He said that private sector was the driver of economic growth and the government would facilitate them in promoting business activities that would help in reviving the economy. He stressed the need for productivity enhancement and competitiveness of SMEs in the local and global market to achieve sustainable development in Pakistan. The federal budget will be a business-friendly budget, he said adding that the government would take solid initiatives to utilize the potential of women entrepreneurs through NPO, SMEDA, TUSDEC and other relevant MoIP organizations so that women entrepreneurs could excel in their relevant fields. The government is focusing on entrepreneurial opportunities for sustainable employment growth, skill-based education, and engagement of youth and women in socio-economic affairs, he added.. Speaking on the occasion, Riffat Malik, Vice President of FPCCI, said

that women have been playing a pivotal role in the growth of the export-oriented industries and all other sectors of national economy. One of the objectives of FPCCI was to unite businesswomen as well as women workers in order to create new opportunities for them and providing them level playing field create for them, she expressed. She urged the government to support them to help encourage entrepreneurship among women entrepreneurs. The FPCCI wanted to ensure that the confidence of women to work with equal rights along with men in every sector of the economy, she said adding that ignoring half of any country’s population was counter intuitive in promoting the economic growth of any economy. She urged the government to formulate policies for the promotion of women business, stress on legislation for ease of doing business and providing a conducive environment to women for their economic empowerment.

NEWS

Posters expose India’s anti-Kashmir designs in IIojK NEwS DESk In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, posters have appeared in Srinagar and other areas to record the protest against the divisive policies being pursued by the Hindutva BJP and RSS, fearing possible genocide of Kashmiri Muslims. The Jammu and Kashmir Political Resistance Movement (JKPRM) and various other profreedom organisations have displayed the posters, Kashmir Media Service reported. The posters read, “Indian Hindutva rulers targeting Kashmiri youths, violating international laws by denying handover of martyrs’ bodies to their families, as the current Indian anti-Kashmir policy is a big challenge and threat to peace in the region.” The posters expressed serious concern over the silence of United Nations and the world community over the continued Indian aggression and atrocities on people of Kashmir. The posters said the Modi-led fascist Indian regime was changing the demography of the Muslim majority in IIOJK by different tactics and is misleading the international community about the actual ground situation of the territory. “Kashmiris are united to raise demand for the right to self-determination, mandated under the UN resolutions. Indian state has caged us and is terrorizing, targeting, killing, harassing and arresting the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” said a Hurriyeat leader to media in Srinagar, the posters added.

PMl-n awards ticket to de-seated PTI MPa for lahore by-poll LAHORE StAff RePoRt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has awarded the party ticket to a former PTI MPA Nazir Chohan, who was de-seated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for voting in favour of Hamza Shahbaz during the election of chief minister Punjab. The PML-N awarded ticket to Nazir Chohan for PP-167 and PML-N leaders including Shaista Pervaiz Malik accompanied him to submit his nomination papers. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has faced backlash from within the party over the plan to award party tickets to dissident PTI MPAs in Punjab Assembly who were de-seated for voting in favour of Hamza Shahbaz during the election for chief minister Punjab. According to sources within PML-N, the local PTI leadership in the constituencies are not ready to accept dissident PTI lawmakers as their candidates. “PML-N has faced a severe backlash from local party leaders and therefore, some of them will be contesting elections as independent candidates,” they said. The sources further shared that the PML-N will not field its candidate against the dissident lawmakers. “If PML-N awards party tickets to dissident MPAs then it might result in divisions with the ranks besides also chances of defeat for the candidate,” they said.

PM sends helicopters to douse KP blaze ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday directed to provide two helicopters to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to help douse the wildfires that have been raging in five districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for over 24 hours. In a tweet, Sharif said the choppers were being immediately sent to the district at the request of the agency. “The full aerial support will boost the efforts of Rescue 1122, district administration & forest department to extinguish the fire,” he said. At the request of the local administration, Sharif also directed that air support be provided immediately to control the fire in the Babuzai area. According to rescue officials and locals, the wildfires broke out in different areas of districts Shangla, Haripur, Swat, Lower Dir and Mohmand on Saturday. The wildfire — the second that the country has suffered in less than two weeks — engulfed large swathes of forestland in the Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Footage aired on broadcasters showing giant flames sweeping through the grass and trees as firefighters and local volunteers endeavoured to put the fire out. More teams are being sent to the site as firefighters are struggling to douse the flames due to the mountainous terrain of the affected area, said Shangla Deputy Commissioner Zia ur-Rehman.

230 modern coaches to be added to Railway fleet by June-end ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan Railways has procured a total of 230 modern passenger coaches not only to modernise the department but also to facilitate the passengers. Talking to APP, an official of the Ministry of Railways said that first batch of the procured coaches would be arriving by the end of June,

adding that “the high power locomotives, 4,000 horsepower have been procured to enhance payload for maximising freight revenue”. He said that the process for installing Radio Frequency Identification System (RFIS) over the railway network had been initiated, which would transform the department on modern lines by effective and efficient monitoring of rolling stock.

The process for installing Automatic Train Protection (ATP) in locomotives had been initiated and would be operational after the complete installation of Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) at 31 stations, he added. The official said in order to monitor the train operation 24/7 and to ensure and improve punctuality, the central control office situated in Pakistan Railways Headquarters Office, Lahore as well as the control offices in all

seven operational divisions were working. “These control offices work round the clock and the department has taken several measures to improve punctuality and reduce running times of the trains”, he said. The official further shared that the spare rakes and coaches had been stationed at Lahore and Karachi, to ensure the departure of trains on time and besides these spare coaches had also been stationed at major stations en route

to address untoward situations to running trains. To a question, he replied that level crossing gates on the entire system had been duly connected telephonically with operational stations to ensure timely closing of gates to avoid detentions and accidents. The official said VHF (Walkie Talkies) sets were also provided for prompt communication between train crews and stations.

04 NEWS 6 LAHORE_Layout 1 6/5/2022 11:59 PM Page 1

Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

CPEC trAnsMission ProjECt fostErs soCio-EConoMiC dEvEloPMEnt IsLAMABAD

Xinhua

UHAMMAD Haris Mahmood, a 27-year-old operation staff working at the Lahore Converter Station of the ±660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line project, is elated on finding the project a great platform to polish his technical skills as he worked with his Chinese colleagues. “I feel very proud to be working on this first HVDC project in Pakistan,” Haris told Xinhua. “This project is a backbone of our

transmission system. I am amazed by the reliability and stability this project has brought into our power system.” As a key project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Matiari-Lahore transmission line project was completed by the Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company (Pvt.) Limited and started its commercial operation in September of 2021. It has the maximum capacity to transmit electricity of 35 billion kilowatthours annually. Haris is one of the 38 Pakistani employees who work with the 23 Chinese employees at the Lahore Converter Station all year round

to ensure the smooth operation of the project. “We adopt a mentor-apprentice training methodology in our work, in which Chinese employees provide one-on-one workshops to Pakistani employees to help them quickly build their operation and maintenance skills,” said Wu Mingxing, the Chinese operation and maintenance supervisor at the station. From personnel training to equipment assistance, the 886 km-long Matiari-Lahore transmission line project has a lot of Chinese features. It was invested, constructed and is being operated by the State Grid Corporation of China in accordance with Chinese standards, with approximately 98 percent of the

project’s equipment being supplied by Chinese companies. “The project is guided by the concept of green and low-carbon development which China is actively practicing. It has brought green and clean electricity to Pakistan,” said Yuan Jie, deputy director of the construction, operation and maintenance department of the Pak Matiari-Lahore Transmission Company (Pvt) Limited. “Large capacity, long-distance transmission, high efficiency and low losses are the four main advantages of the project, serving as a guarantee of minimising its environmental impact,” said Yuan.

Insufficient power has always been a pain point plaguing Pakistan’s economic development. The transmission line project has resolved an electrical shortfall in about 9.3 million Pakistani households, and around 7,000 jobs had been created for the locals during the construction of the project. “The transmission project has alleviated the job problem of a portion of the local lowincome population, and its long-term benefits will be evident and beneficial to the Pakistani people,” Usman Ali Ashraf, CEO of Kamran Steel in Lahore, told Xinhua. “‘Made in China’ and ‘Chinese technology’ has taken root in Pakistan thanks to the transmission project, which is consistently helping enhance Pakistan’s power grid and foster the country’s socio-economic development,” said Qu Wentao, station manager of the Lahore Converter Station. “It is one of the best examples of ChinaPakistan friendship through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the CPEC projects,” he said.

Eﬀorts afoot to douse ravaging wildfire in Swat swAT syed shahabuddin

Minister warns climate change will expose country, future generations to harm IsLAMABAD staff report

Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Sunday said the effects of climate change will be detrimental to the future of the country and coming generations without taking necessary mitigation measures. In her message on World Environment Day, the minister said the purpose of celebrating the day was to spread awareness among the people regarding climate change. Rehman said not only Pakistan and South Asia, but the whole world was being affected by the extraordinary effects of climate change. “Climate change is the biggest challenge of the 21st century. We stand at the forefront of the global meteorological emergency as a Pakistani,” she said. Pakistan, she said, was one of the few countries in the world to face the severe effects and threats of climate change. “We are facing extreme temperatures and severe drought. Our forests are burning, glaciers are melting and rivers are drying up. We have to be careful in using water,” Rehman said. The minister said that the humans were doing a lot of injustice to the land and natural environment, adding, “We should not pollute the sea, air and our land”. She suggested that there was a need to adopt climate culture to deal with the climate crisis. “Every citizen has to play his role for the protection of environment and protection of his mother earth. A clean and healthy environment is possible only when every citizen fulfils his national and moral responsibility,” Rehman said. She urged the people that there was only one Pakistan on this planet, and only by protecting the environment can we save it.

The occurrence of continuous wildfire has risen to alarming levels in Swat District while the fire in Chakesar Tehsil of Shangla District has been extinguished. According to District Forest Officer Waseem Khan, the wildfire has been extinguished in Abuha of Barikot Tehsil, Pathanay area of Babuzai Tehsil, Segram and Sarsaini areas of Kabal Tehsil, Kot of Charbagh Tehsil and Muraday hills in Matta Tehsil. He, however, said that efforts are being made to control the fire in the Karakar area of Barikot Tehsil, Chamtalai, Bihar and Braham Patai areas of Khwaza Khela Tehsil and Deoli of Kabal Tehsil. DFO Wasim Khan said that the fire in Sarsenai has affected trees planted over 100 hectares under Tsunami bullion

tree plants while 15 hectares of forest has been destroyed. Swat Deputy Commissioner Junaid Khan said that in view of the increasing incidence of fire, he has constituted a four-member high level inquiry committee. The heads of intelligence agencies have been included in the committee and they have been directed to carry out an inquiry and submit a report as soon as possible. “The fire broke itself or by someone else, an inquiry will be held in this regard and involved persons will be dealt with sternly,” he claimed. He said that besides the Pakistan Army, Police and Swat Levies personnel, TMAs personnel and firefighters of Rescue 1122, Forest Department and Wildlife Department personnel are constantly engaged in the operation. “Help from community is also sought through announcements from

mosques in various parts of the District. Locals and LG representatives are also taking part in the relief efforts,” the DC informed. Volunteers from the Civil Defense and Al-Khidmat Foundation are also involved in the firefighting process. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner

Bilateral trade volume between Italy and Pakistan has exponentially grown to €1.52 billion

News Desk Bilateral trade volume between Italy and Pakistan has exponentially grown from € 1.42 billion in 2019 to €1.52 billion in 2021. It is the first time that Pakistan’s exports are more than imports in Italy. According to the Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, Andreas Ferrarese, although global trade shrank during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan’s exports to Italy in 2021 grew by 22.1%, with a total value of €763.51 million. In the same period, Italian exports to Pakistan saw an increase of 48.6%, with a total value of €754.06 million. The trade volume in Jan-Feb 2022 stood at €289.37 million compared to €203.41 million during the same year in 2021. With its unique geo-strategic location and im-

proved security conditions, the Ambassador further said that Pakistan offers excellent investment opportunities for Italian companies. With a population of around 220 million and a constantly growing demand for high-end products, Pakistan remains an attractive market for Italian manufacturers and businesspeople. It is worth mentioning that remittances from Pakistani workers in Italy hit an all-time high. With the figures of $711.7 million in FY22, Italy has become the seventh-largest center of worker remittances to Pakistan globally and the top one in the EU countries. Moreover, Italy is home to more than 150,000 Pakistanis, the largest Pakistani diaspora in Europe (after Brexit). Engaged in various production sectors in Italy, they continue to contribute to both countries’ economies. He further stated that Italy is among the top ten exporting countries for Pakistan globally and the third largest trade partner in European Union. Apart from business and trade, Italy has carried out significant projects in archaeology, agriculture, health, culture, and tourism. Italy’s Archaeological Mission is one of the oldest present missions in Pakistan and has made significant contributions to Pakistan’s already rich archaeological sphere. The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad is committed to boosting commercial ties between the two countries. The Ambassador informed that both countries should explore all the possible avenues focusing on agriculture, machinery, textiles, and tourism.

Shangla District Ziaur Rehman said that the fire on Ali Jan’s peak in Chakisar Tehsil has been controlled. On the other, four victims of the fire have been buried. Relief and food items have been delivered to the affected family and compensation will be announced by the provincial government soon, he said.

Pakistan to counter disinformation, propaganda against CPEC: Ashraf IsLAMABAD Monitoring report

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said Pakistan would leave no stone unturned to counter a malicious disinformation campaign against the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. “CPEC has over the years been a victim of a malicious disinformation campaign by the detractors of CPEC and China […] exploitation of extremist and ethnic elements to sabotage the construction of CPEC cannot be overruled,” he said while addressing the CPEC Media Forum. The media has a responsibility to report fairly and factually on CPEC, said Ashraf, adding there is a need for large-scale outreach efforts towards mitigating the apprehensions of local communities for those vicious propaganda campaigns. Ashraf said that a multi-dimensional outreach strategy comprising all stakeholders both from Pakistan and China is the need of the hour. “Think tanks, media and educational exchanges will also prove instrumental in this effort … We all need to come together to ensure the success of this valuable corridor,” he said. The speaker believed that through CPEC, China has given a vote of confidence in Pakistan’s potential to build a better future, saying the country’s pursuit of being a geo-economic hub in the region is linked with the success of CPEC. “I have witnessed the high-quality execution of the CPEC projects across the country.

Citizens asked to take preventive measures to avoid heat-related illness News Desk Health experts on Sunday advised the citizens to ensure taking special preventive measures to protect them, especially children from heat-related illnesses in the prevailing high temperature. According to them, parents and teachers must have measures in place to prepare for and manage the risks associated with extremely hot weather as children and young people are more susceptible to heat stress. Health expert, Dr. Wasim Khawaja said that the heat-related illness included conditions based on the severity of a child’s condition like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, etc. He added that the symptoms of heat

illness included heavy sweating, cold, pale or clammy skin, fast or weak pulse, nausea or vomiting, muscle cramps, tiredness or weakness, dizziness, and headache. Medical expert, Dr. Sharif Astori said that heat stress can be induced by high temperatures, heavy workloads, and clothing inappropriate for heat and humidity. He said that heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature, the body temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down. Meanwhile, in the wake of the recent wave of high environmental temperature in different parts of the country, through its ad-

visory, the National Institute of Health (NIH) also asked to take necessary measures. The objective of this advisory was to take time-appropriate actions for preparedness, response, and prevention of the events or incidents of heatstroke. The NIH asked to increase the number of water coolers as increased access to drinking water can help encourage student behaviors to stay hydrated besides ensuring electric fans are in working condition. The advisory suggested the practice of acclimatization as during the acclimatization period, changes occur as the body adapts to the stress of repeated exposure to heat. There is a strong evidence base that acclimatization can reduce heat injuries.

Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

PM FoR ‘gRanD DIaLogue’ By aLL STaKeHoLDeRS FoR RaPID DeveLoPMenT contInueD froM pAge 01

HBL launches its First Impact and Sustainability Report KArAchI pr

HBL, the largest commercial bank in Pakistan, launched its first Impact and Sustainability Report for 2021. The report outlines HBL’s institutional interventions, to serve the needs of the communities, people and the planet. highlights of the Report: • HBL approved the “No new coal” policy in 2020 • The Bank aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. • Chairman HBL has announced to increase HBL’s philanthropic funding to 1.5% of Bank’s profit after tax from 2023 • HBL Foundation granted over Rs. 2.7 billion to healthcare, education, and community development programs in a decade, impacting more than 9 million lives • HBL powered Ehsaas Kafalat Program disbursed Rs. 175 billion to more than 4.3 million underserved women across Pakistan • Pakistan’s largest bank funded Rs. 240 million in support of communities, employees, and their families during Covid19 pandemic. The Bank is committed to sustainable development and promoting high levels of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices in the banking industry. HBL has put in place a set of practices that help it to take better and more informed decisions about measuring performance and continually improving the well-being of people and the planet. All the businesses, investments and operations are designed strategically to create a more sustainable, equitable, and financially inclusive world where the present population can meet their needs without borrowing or depleting the resources of future generations. HBL’s vision is focused on improving people’s quality of life, and thus plays a conscious role in Pakistan’s financial ecosystem. Above all, the Bank understands the impact that it creates, its responsibility to the people of Pakistan and the environment at large. HBL’s Impact and Sustainability measurement and management enables the Bank to optimize programs and contribute to protecting the country’s resources. Sultan Ali Allana, Chairman – HBL, commenting on the report said, “I am delighted to share the first Impact and Sustainability Report of HBL. We at HBL believe that it is incumbent upon us, being a part of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), to embody the key value of maintaining a balance between what we do and what we share. Our wide outreach across the country enables us to keep a finger on the pulse of society. It is for this very reason that our spending on social and developmental causes is the highest in the industry and certain sectors of the country. We consider ourselves to be a bank with a soul. For over 10 years, we have been supporting a wide array of projects both in the private and the public sector, with a particular focus on health and education through the HBL Foundation. We hope this report will serve to remind us all that we are who we are because we have been fortunate to receive what has been graced upon us by Allah. It is therefore imperative for us to give what we can for the betterment of those who need it the most.” The full Impact and Sustainability Report 2021 and further details on HBL’s Sustainability strategy are available on the website: www.HBL.com/sustainability.

E said with such noble deeds, they could earn the blessings of this mundane world and the world hereafter. The prime minister said that during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab, they had set up and upgraded various hospitals in the province. He stressed the need for an enhanced network of health facilities across the country and referred to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 250-bed state-of-the-art hospital in Muzaffargarh which was set up during the 2010 floods by Turkey. He also appreciated philanthropists for their donations which would be spent for serving humanity.

The prime minister said that during his tenure as chief minister, he had activated Punjab Endowment Fund with a deposit of Rs20 billion and supported a large number of orphaned children with the fund. He also lauded the contribution of Dr. Amjad Saqib and said if good and generous people wanted to extend support to the government in the provision of relief to the masses in the health sector, they could be encouraged and should not be politically targeted. He regretted that the previous government had closed the endowment fund and chief minister’s self-employment scheme in the province and assured Saqib that such like schemes would be revived soon. The prime minister said they had

also set up Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI) which became a world-renowned hospital, but the previous government of PTI politicised it and caused immense damage. The PTI government had destroyed all departments and entities, he claimed. Earlier, the prime minister took round of the different sections of the hospital and interacted with the staff and patients. PTI rejects grand dialogue with a ‘failed regime’ Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) however rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of holding a “grand dialogue”, saying that no dialogue could be held with a failed regime installed from backdoor.

PTI decides to contest by elections to 20 PA seats: Qureshi contInueD froM pAge 01 The PTI leader also said the party would get cases registered against police officers who roughed up and tortured PTI activists on May 25. He said women parliamentarians would also stage a protest in Islamabad or Rawalpindi against the government. Qureshi said the party would also mobilise overseas Pakistanis to lodge protests in their respective cities. “We are also preparing content and overseas Pakistanis will share it with elected

representatives abroad because no civilised society allows such interference.” PTI To challenge delImITaTIons: The PTI leader said the party had also decided in principle to challenge the new delimitations by the ECP wherein voters’ addresses had been changed for no reason. He asked the masses and the party representatives to check their data by sending a text message to 8300 and in case of change in constituency, the same must be reported to the party and the ECP for rectification.

Alvi urges sustainable consumption to combat climate threat ISLAMABAD staff report

President Dr Arif Alvi Sunday said the adverse impacts of climate change needed to be reversed by adopting sustainable consumption, protecting natural water resources, ensuring fertile soil and taking collective transformative action on a global scale by developing partnerships with all concerned authorities to save our planet. The president expressed these views while offering greetings on the occasion of World Environment Day. The 2022 World Environment Day campaign — #OnlyOneEarth — calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore the planet Earth. The president said Pakistan was among the worst-hit countries in terms of climate change due to fast melting glaciers, unpredictable rain patterns, dry spells and drying up of our water sources which posed serious challenges to the government and to the people. Highlighting the need for environment-friendly practices, he said it was achievable by educating our youth about dealing with this challenge and adapting the methods of the green environment today for a better future. “I am proud to state that in Pakistan, our presidency is the world’s first in becoming ISO certified green, energy-efficient Presidency. With our 1MW solar power project, we not only cater to our power needs to zero net billing but also contribute to the

national grid,” he said He also invited all the institutions to learn from the Green Presidency Initiative and save energy so as to serve the public in an effective manner. The president further regretted that Pakistan’s forests, biodiversity and wildlife resources had suffered from the adverse effects of climate change, change in land use, and habitat destruction due to population increase. He urged the need to make continuous efforts through a number of initiatives under long-term planning and programmes to deal with the challenge of climate change. “Existing meagre forest resources are crucial to environmental stability and needed serious interventions to improve and enhance the overall forestry, wildlife and biodiversity sectors,” he said. The president noted the United Nations’ World Environment Day (WED) was dedicated to focusing attention and taking positive action on issues related to the environment. “This year’s theme is meant to encourage people around the world to think about their connection to nature — including food and agriculture,” he added. He said a healthy environment played a key role in meeting many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “With eight years left to meet the target date of 2030, the world will need to pick up the pace and put greater efforts in finding better solutions to pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss in order to truly transform societies and economies,” he emphasised.

Weather forecast: pre-monsoon rains expected in third week of June ISLAMABAD ahmad saad

later this month, it added. Day temperature is expected to re-

main above average across the country, especially during the first half of June.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted above-average rains in most parts of the country in June as a premonsoon spell was expected to begin in the third week of the month. The weather agency, in its monthly outlook, predicted more rains in the second half of June. “Northeastern Punjab, Kashmir and the adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Sindh are expected to receive above-average rainfall during the forecast period,” the report said. Most parts of Balochistan and GilgitBaltistan may also receive average rainfall

cMYK

High temperatures in high altitudes are likely to increase the rate of snow-melt in northern areas, subsequently increasing the chances of water flow in the upper Indus Basin. On Saturday, the Met Office forecasted the day temperatures will likely remain unusually high in most parts of the country during the next four to five days. Day temperatures in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Sindh and eastern Balochistan are expected to remain high. Occasional dust storms or dusty winds may blow in the afternoon or evening during the period. Meanwhile, members of the public have been advised not to venture into the direct sunlight and take precautions to prevent the risk of heatstroke.

PTI’s Central Information Secretary Farrukh Habib, in a video statement, said that the idea of a grand dialogue has been offered by the incumbent government to hide its failures as well as the inflation that has hit the country in the first 50 days of it coming into power. “Those who served as a curse to the poor people have laid the foundation of political and economic chaos in the country,” said Habib, adding that the incumbent government was making “hilarious claims “ of fixing the economy by increasing oil, electricity, and gas prices by 40-45%. “The main beneficiary of their grand dialogue will not be health, economy and education but Maqsood chaprasi,” alleged the PTI leader.

Technology can accelerate financial inclusion for persons with disabilities, finds Mastercard study KaRachI: A compassionate approach to the financial needs of persons with disabilities, supported by innovative technology solutions, has the potential to address the needs of the most vulnerable members of society across the M.E.A Region, according to the latest white paper from Mastercard. The study, Bridging the Disability Gap: An Opportunity to Make a Positive Impact, reveals that digital inclusion is the pathway to financial inclusion for persons with disabilities. As governments adopt and prioritize policies to improve accessibility of services, this paves the way for public and private sector financial institutions, mobile network operators (MNO), fintech providers, and other organizations to develop and apply solutions. Umar Hashmi, Vice President, Global Product and Engineering, Mastercard, said: “At Mastercard, we are a purpose-driven organization and put into practice our belief in ‘doing well by doing good’. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of who we are, and we bring this to life by deploying products, services, and partnerships that are aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), based on ‘leaving no-one behind’.” pr

Karachi police recover Dua Zehra from Bahawalnagar lahoRe: The police on Sunday recovered Dua Zehra, a teenage girl who had gone missing from her Karachi home and later surfaced in Punjab, in a raid in Bahawalnagar. Police also arrested her young husband, Zaheer Ahmad, taking the couple into protective custody. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zubair Sheikh, the two were recovered from the Chishtian city of Bahawalnagar district after conducting several raids. He further said the police also arrested a facilitator during the raid and handed him over to the Lahore police. The Anti-Violent Crime Cell of Karachi police with the help of Punjab police conducted the raid. Sheikh informed that police launched raids in all provinces, including Kashmir, and collected data of hundreds of people and recovered the girl after short-listing these people. Zehra and Ahmad would be presented before the court in Karachi on Monday, Sheikh said, adding the couple was not using their mobile phones to hide their location. Sheikh said the couple would possibly be shifted to Karachi later today. He said the court would decide with whom Dua would stay. staff report

Police rescue child, kill abductor in Lahore shootout lahoRe: Police on Sunday recovered a fiveyear-old child and killed a man who had purportedly abducted him and was demanding Rs100 million for his release during a raid in the Batapur town of Lahore. Sharing details of the raid, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ali Butt said the police after receiving a tip-off regarding the suspect reached the Bhaseen village of the town, and after surrounding the place, asked the suspect to surrender himself before the state. staff report

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Monday, 6 June, 2022

06 COMMENT

Soaring global inequality

The President and legislation Refusal of assent smacks of partisanship

ResIDeNT Arif Alvi’s return for reconsideration of two bills smacks of a partisan spirit that ill becomes his office. The shehbaz government’s entire legislative programme, in the shape of the National Accountability (Amendments) Bill 2022 and the elections (Amendment) bill 2022, has thus been refused assent. however, this will serve as a delaying tactic only, both the bills cannot be refused assent if they are passed again. however, this means that the government will have to find the space on the legislative calendar if it wants the bills passed again. The precedent so far, with the latest example being the sindh Local Government Bill in December 2021, which was passed on November 26, refused assent, and passed again on December 11. The sindh Governor did not accord assent, but the bills were notified as passed after the passage of ten days. This attention to the fine print of legislation, which includes the president having suggested amendments to the bills, contrasts with his cavalier rubber-stamping of whatever legislative or executive actions the pTI government sent up to him. This included not just legislation, but also the promulgation of ordinances, none of which he ever asked to be reconsidered, which he could have done using the same provisions as he did to sway the appointment of the new punjab Governor. It was also notable that he used this power of asking for reconsideration to push the pTI’s point of view, which he did in the letter he sent while asking for reconsideration. It is the pTI’s own fault that the president is its only means of doing so; had it not been for the ill-considered decision to resign from the National Assembly, it would have been able vocally to express its point of view. The president is a politician, but the office is not supposed to be partisan, and its powers are certainly not supposed to be used to further political ends. This particularly applies to the sort of pointless posturing that president Alvi seems to be indulging in. his refusal to swear in the pM, then this ministers, and his footdragging over the punjab Governor, merely showed that he may be able to cause some inconvenience, but he is not able to make the government deviate from its purpose, so long as it makes up its mind. president Alvi has merely shown the limits of presidential power, without achieving anything.

The Covid-19 pandemic worsened the problem

Dr Omer JaveD

N identifying some of the main economic challenges facing a covid-19 pandemic-hit world, a recently published report ‘Chief economists outlook: May 2022’ by World economic Forum (WeF), and based on the opinions of a number of leading economists globally, pointed out ‘The barrage of shocks and disruptions and the subsequent overload on the capacity of policy-makers and institutions risks diverting focus towards rising economic nationalism, causing a damaging pull-back from economic integration and a shift away from progress on humanity’s long-term goals, such as combating climate change, reducing inequality and preparing for demographic change.’ Inequality was already rising over the last many decades under the assault of neoliberal policies in many parts of the world, at the back of diminishing role of government, and regulation to virtually unfettered markets, and has not only reduced the extent of predistribution and redistribution policies, it has also allowed much greater perpetuation of extractive institutional designs of the politico-economic elites to use public policy, including using largely unregulated markets to their advantage. highlighting about the role of predistribution and redistribution policies, a June 2015 WeF pub-

The power crisis

he severity of the power crisis can be gauged from the prime Minister’s direction that power load shedding be restricted to two hours, which had reached several hours in cities, and much longer in rural areas. As the mercury stays up, with expected relief from the monsoon weeks away, the demand for electricity keeps going up, but the supply remains problematic. The shortfall has reached 7300 MW, and may grow. It was bad enough that the previous government failed to order furnace oil on time, but now generation plants are being shut down as they run out of fuel because they are no longer being extended credit. Another factor, which goes beyond the immediate crisis, which is one of financing, is the inexorable rise in demand, which is because of population growth. This is exacerbated by the tendency towards urbanization, with the residents of rural areas using more electricity when they shift to the cities. Defence Minister Kh Asif has suggested early closure for markets as a means of reducing demand. That suggestion is on a par with that calling for offices, schools and markets to increase their weekly offs. These are not so much suggestions as declarations that nothing can be done. The government should not forget that an end to load shedding was one of the proudest achievements of the previous pML(N) government. It would be a pity if it presided over a return to load shedding as soon as it returned to office. previously, load-shedding was occurring because the national grid was shot of generation capacity. Now the capacity is there, but the money to use it may not. This financing problem means that while the hot weather will end, the load shedding problem will continue. If the present government intends to fight the next election, it cannot afford to have an electorate in the dark.

How the Modi regime is using films as propaganda

Saima afzal

oseph Goebbels, and his master Adolf hitler used the media before the second World War to create hatred against Jews. They made movies based on propaganda against the Jewish minority population and succeeded in radicalizing the whole nation. similarly, Indian pM Narendra Modi in India is using the media and the film industry to demonize minority Muslims and showing them an evil entity. India is known as a counterfeit broadcast factory when it comes to agenda-setting, framing, and disseminating fake news. several movies have been released by India on the Kashmir situation in the past. The Kashmir Files is a Indian hindi-language film produced this year by Zee studios, and is based on the story of the exodus of Kashmiri hindus during the Kashmir Insurgency. It depicts Indian efforts to rewriting the historical events of Indian-occupied Kashmir based on deceit and lies to distort reality and justify its brutal actions there. The film highlighted the issue of the “massacre” of Kashmiri pandits (hindus) and their eviction from the occupied valley. It portrayed one side of the story that proves Kashmiri Muslims had evicted the hindus from Kashmir whereas the reality is the opposite. historically, the story of the Kashmiri pandits’ exodus is an extraordinarily difficult one to tell. on one side there are stories of thousands of pandits who left the Valley during the insurgency that erupted in Indian-occupied Kashmir in 1989, sug-

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 holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund.Prior to this, he did MSc. in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom), and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places. He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality, macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth’.He tweets @omerjaved7

The Kashmir Files: Facts Vs Fiction

Prime Minister’s two-hour pledge

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

lished article ‘What is predistribution?’ pointed out ‘…helping the less well-off through the redistribution of income through taxes and government programs – referred to as tax-and transfer programs. … For policymakers concerned about the incomes of those at the bottom of the income ladder, a predistributionist approach would favor raising wages, perhaps by increasing the minimum wage, over increasing government transfers to those workers in the form of, say, earned income tax credits.’ Although global supply shock explains in part the role of pandemic in creating this disruption, it strongly appears that weakly regulated markets and supply chains, have led to over-board profiteering, along with allowing some sectors, for instance the pharmaceutical industry– to reap unfair level of profits, as remaining unregulated, in addition to being safeguarded by intellectual property rights (IpRs) to the extent to enable them to take advantage of their importance during the pandemic, to in turn, reap windfall profits. Renowned economist Jayati Ghosh, in an interview to ‘Democracy Now’ in April, pointed out with regard to unfair level of profiteering during the global supply shock, that ‘The prices themselves have gone higher than you would expect given the actual impact on supply… and that’s because there’s been very feverish speculative activity in what are called the commodity futures markets.’ A recently released report ‘profiting from pain’ by oxfam revealed the shocking extent of rise in global inequality during the pandemic, as ‘Billionaire wealth has soared during the CoVID-19 pandemic as companies in the food, pharma, energy, and tech sectors have cashed in. Meanwhile millions of people around the world are facing a cost-of-living crisis due to the continuing effects of the pandemic and the rapidly rising costs of essentials, including food and energy. Inequality, already extreme before CoVID-19, has reached new levels. There is an urgent need for governments to implement highly progressive taxation measures that in turn must be used to invest in powerful and proven measures to reduce inequalities.’ over decades of neoliberal assault had already led to a serious increase in inequality globally, not to mention the role of procyclical policies, especially during the pandemic, which have not allowed

much needed inclusive growth, where growth did take place like in pakistan roughly over the last two fiscal years on one hand, and on the other, lack of capacity to deliver meaningful stimulus during the pandemic in the global south, have both lead to a seriously acute level of inequality. economics Nobel laureate, Joseph stiglitz, in an article ‘of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%’ that he wrote back in 2011, highlighted the serious nature of inequality, even in the context of developed countries, as ‘The upper 1 percent of Americans are now taking in nearly a quarter of the nation’s income every year. In terms of wealth rather than income, the top 1 percent control 40 percent. Their lot in life has improved considerably. Twenty-five years ago, the corresponding figures were 12 percent and 33 percent. … While the top 1 percent have seen their incomes rise 18 percent over the past decade, those in the middle have actually seen their incomes fall.’ The situation of inequality, it strongly appears, has worsened over the years, as the same report by oxfam pointed out with regard to inequality ‘oxfam’s research has found that: Billionaires have seen their fortunes increase as much in 24 months as they did in 23 years. Billionaires in the food and energy sectors have seen their fortunes increase by a billion dollars every two days. Food and energy prices have increased to their highest levels in decades. 62 new food billionaires have been created. The combined crises of covid-19, rising inequality, and rising food prices could push as many as 263 million people into extreme poverty in 2022, reversing decades of progress. This is the equivalent of one million people every 33 hours. At the same time a new billionaire has been minted on average every 30 hours during the pandemic. This means that in the same time it took on average to create a new billionaire during the pandemic, one million people could be pushed into extreme poverty this year.’

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gesting that the community suffered enough intimidation to abandon their homes. on the other hand, the accounts of Kashmiri pandits who stayed behind in Kashmir contradict claims by pandits in the diaspora who say that Kashmiri pandits suffered ‘a genocide’ and were forced ‘into exile’. Understanding the experience of the pandits, caught between Kashmir’s Muslim majority and the ambitions of the Indian state, is an intricate affair. The descriptions of the flight of the pandits from Kashmir are highly politicized and contentious. Apparently, the film is based on historical reassessment which reflects the Indian government propaganda aimed at fostering prejudice against Kashmiri Muslims. The film was declared tax-free in several states of India and became a box office success. It is also widely believed that the film had the BJp/ Rss government’s patronage and support. Vivek Agnihotri, film producer endorsed the film as depicting the “truth of Kashmir” that gives message as the exodus of Kashmiri pandits is a “genocide”. The Jawaharlal Nehru University is seen as an antinational, terror-friendly institution in the film. Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which granted ostensibly autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, is labelled as one of the main causes for the evacuation of the Kashmiri pandits. however, the media specialists described the film as a work of fictional and agenda-driven historical reconsideration that was created without facts, lies, and plenty of distortions” aimed at provoking hatred against Muslims. shubhra Gupta, an acclaimed and established Indian film critic and columnist has rated the film a 1.5 out of 5 stars; for the sole reason that, the film was held to be a work of propaganda aligned with the ruling party’s discourse that only aimed to stoke the “deep-seated anger” of pandits. The film has been also declared tax-free in haryana, Madhya pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tripura, and Uttar pradesh. The Kashmir Files was released on over 630 screens in India on 11 March 2022. The film earned $3.55 crore at the domestic box office on its opening day. on its second day, the film showed growth of 139.44 percent and earned $8.50 crore, taking its total domestic box office collection to $12.05 crore. Rahul Desai another Indian film critic called The Kashmir Files film as a defensive and dishonest dive into the past where every Muslim was a Nazi and every hindu, a Jew. Desai graded the film in the fol-

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lowing words, “totally unconvincing screenplay with weak characters, it is a propaganda that strove only to tune in with the hindu nationalist mood of the nation rather than offer genuine empathy to the displaced victims”. Amid the international criticism of the agendadriven film The Kashmir Files, the singaporean authorities refused the classification of The Kashmir Files for “its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of hindus being persecuted in the ongoing conflict in Kashmir”. singapore has banned the Bollywood movie The Kashmir Files, assessing it to be “beyond” the city-state’s film classification guidelines. A joint statement was issued in singapore by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth (MCCY), and the Ministry of home Affairs (MhA). They said that the film’s representations “have the potential to cause enmity between different communities, and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in our multiracial and multi-religious society,” they said. Under the film classification guidelines, “any material that is denigrating to racial or religious communities in singapore” will be refused classification. In India, the movie has been lauded by the ruling camp, including prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home Minister Amit shah, with it coming forward to shower praise on the performances and the content.The Indian government’s fake media machine is using Bollywood to propagate its expansionist designs, the character of Indian media has been completely exposed at national and international levels. The film is so sensitive that it burns old wounds and hurts emotions not solely of hindus in particular but Muslims as well, who are demonstrated to be the brand ambassadors of terrorism. It is time that the BJp-led Modi government in India should realize that using media against any minority would further divide the Indian society. The BJp is disseminating the wrong impression across the globe, it will tarnish India’s image and would lead the Indian state towards anarchy. Breaking the deadlock created by this film industry is possible only if the people of every state across India, realizing their duty, come forward to stop the process of division between society, mainstream, and social media. Unity, peace and stability only possible when minorities are protected and they are given their due rights. The writer is an Islamabad based analyst and can be reached at sarahamidkhan21dec@gmail.com.

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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

Who is the loser? pAKIsTAN, once again, is wallowing in a political, democratic and constitutional crisis. What has been going on for the last three to six months – taking unconstitutional steps by both the government and the opposition in order to ‘’surprise’’ each other, does it depict a true sense of democracy? The pTI led government says it has won the game by defeating the attempts of horse-trading and foreign intrigue. Contrarily, the opposition professes that it will get a victory after the verdict issued by the supreme Court against the unconstitutional act of the Deputy speaker of the National Assembly – the abrogation of a noconfidence motion against the pM. If both are champions then the question is: Who is the actual loser? one cannot escape the conclusion that the state and its constitution are the actual losers. once again democracy proved ineffective in this country. I got astonished by the fact that no pM of pakistan completed a five-year tenure – the basic code of democracy. It does not mean democracy is not acceptable to this country rather it is the best form of government to welcome the vision of the founder of this state. There are some politicians, who, due to their selfinterest in gaining power, tarnish the values of democracy. This is a moment of reflection for us that we could not implement a true sense of democracy in seventy-five years of independence. If it continues in future it will not only deter our economic growth and political stability, but it will also attract geopolitics to the country. ALI HAIDER LAHORE

The instigator in mob superiority How do mobs operate?

a letter from Prometheus agha iqrar harOOn

Wo reports of mob lynching of two Ashrafs–one Ashraf in patoki and another Ashraf in Gujranwala, within less than three months, remind me of several mob lynching and mob justice cases and the smooth acquittal of a majority of accused. From the Mashaal Khan case to the sialkot lynching of a sri Lankan engineer, the death sentence are handed to less than six accused while electronic evidence (videos and so on) showed over one hundred persons were involved in these two separate brutal crimes. on March 21, one Mohammad Ashraf known as Ashraf papparwala (Rice cracker vendor) had an argument with guests at a wedding ceremony in pattoki and he was lynched to death inside the marriage hall. The guests-cum-killers enjoyed their lunch after killing him and placing his dead body at the corner of the hall where they were enjoying their wedding event. The incident came to the limelight when footage, allegedly showing Ashraf’s body near an apathetic crowd that continued eating at the wedding, went viral on social media and aroused public anger at the callousness on display. I fear the fate of killers would not be different than of the Mashaal Khan case or the sialkot lynching case. We also remember that two real brothers were lynched in sialkot in 2010 and the gory incident continued for several hours and their dead bodies were also beaten up. Life goes on, so does the brutality. on May 30, Muhammad Ashraf known as Ashraf Kabaria (Junkman) died in police custody after a violent mob tortured him for allegedly stealing a motorbike. The video of the incident shows a violent mob brutally torturing Ashraf before handing him over to the police. The police, in spite of taking him to the hospital for medical aid, took him to the police station where he succumbed to his wounds. The first case of mob lynching I covered was of Master Aslam in Gujranwala where a teacher was lynched to death in front of his seven-yearold daughter and his wife within minutes. Killers tried to make the case a blasphemy issue but the circumstantial evidence I collected were enough to understand that it was a personal vendetta and it was a sheer case of brutal killing but painted as a religious issue. Years after, the court also confirmed the credibility of my investigation.

even in this case in which over 100 persons lynched Aslam to death, only four accused were penalized and I do not remember what was the ultimate end of the case and whether anyone was hanged in this case or not. Mob justice and mob lynching have been an important issue for writers to comment and for psychologists to find out what kind of state of mind triggers such horrific incidents. sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists link such behaviour with animal instincts we all possess on a different level. There are many popular viewpoints explaining mob justice and mob lynching. The majority of us believe that aggression that comes from inequality in society, lack of education, disbelief in social norms and ethics, mistrust of the judicial system, and desire to do something good against bad are some of the main components that can be further expanded. I would not comment on the above-mentioned possible reasons that may trigger mob justice or mob lynching. We know mob lynching had been popular even in developed societies of North America and europe and the 1960s was a shocking era when we document mob lynching in europe and the United Kingdom. I read several pieces of research and academic papers to understand the mob lynching phenomenon after the sialkot lynching as a student of social sciences because I left that lynching takes place when a large size mob gathers. Is it the “Mob superiority” behind to act anything wishes to? somehow or other the answer is Yes. We usually watch a large-scale protest scene where the mob can remove barricades and even remove huge containers on its way and stand against tear gas or water cannons for several hours. however, when the size of the mob starts shrinking, aggression goes down because “Mob superiority” is lost and then intelligent riot police start action against scattered smaller groups. Riot police charges them in a form of a bigger mob than the protestors having its own “Mob superiority”. one of the most interesting research I read about Mob superiority is the work of stuart stevenson published in February 2021. his paper “The psychodynamics of lynch mobs: Grouping, ganging or lynching” helps us to understand the “mob mentality” and the method of force that is as old as humanity, and the group dynamics that ‘harnesses the mob’. he believes that the group phenomenon that drives a lynching is the product of an extremely complex combination of external and internal events. Moreover “Mob superiority” instantly brings “Moral superiority” and the mob believes that whatever it is doing is morally right. This state of mind provides moral justification for the assault or murder of an individual who is identified as belonging to one group— usually a mar-

ginalized, weak and resource-less, or hated group— by a group of individuals or a gang who belong to, or represent, another group and who believe they have an unofficial mandate to exact justice. This ‘justice’ can go as far as a public execution. Though the work of stuart stevenson is interesting and useful for an understanding of mob justice I would prefer to include the work of Charles-Marie Gustave Le Bon (May 1841 – December 1931) for getting a deep understanding of the psyche of the Mob or Crowd. his work “The Crowd: A study of the popular Mind” published in 1895 is still considered by researchers as one of the best pieces on “Crowd psychology”. he believes that any large group of people develops a focus as a “crowd” when all those involved accept one dominant idea and if they have a common goal, the stage is set for the crowd to act. The common goal can be anything– lynching someone or removing barricades from their way to attack any building. There is a catch in his work also that needs to be taken into account when someone is working to review any act conducted by the mob. Gustave believes that the influential ideas that motivated a crowd to act never emerge from within the crowd but come from an external source. This “someone” I can call “instigator”. he believes thata motivated crowd is impulsive and has lost the capacity to reason and indulges in a primitive, animal-like state of mind. Therefore, we can say that in the majority of cases of attacking state property or lynching a man, there is at least one “instigator” who is not part of the crowd. I am not saying that Gustave’s theory is the ultimate one because several theories of crowd behaviour have come after Gustave’s work and some sociologists and psychologists today believe that individuals in a crowd are very aware of their actions. It is the power of being part of a group with which they identify and an awareness of the power the mass of individuals can exert that inspires them to action. however, all new theories do not rule out the possibility of an instigator triggering the situation from the outside of the group. The lynching of a human is the cruelest and most painful act we observe in the 21st century but the reality is that the animal instinct of human lives inside him– always and everywhere! “Friends, be men. Let sense of shame from all men NHomer—-Iliad

A motivated crowd is impulsive and has lost the capacity to reason and indulges in a primitive, animal-like state of mind. Therefore, we can say that in the majority of cases of attacking state property or lynching a man, there is at least one “instigator” who is not part of the crowd

The writer is an international award winning journalist who has been in the field since 1988 and appears in national and international media as analyst and political scientist.

Sectarianism violence I want to draw your attention to an extremely unfortunate issue of sectarianism in our country. As Muslims, we preach tolerance but act with vengeance, a dichotomy exists between our actions and what we say. Between the 1980s till 2021, thousands of shia Muslims have been killed in sectarian violence in pakistan. Fortunately, there is a downward trend in mass or targeted killings of shia Muslims during the last few years in pakistan, however, the level of tolerance towards the religious beliefs of others and conflicting issues have reduced to a great extent, which is not only causing hatred against each other but leading to killings of innocent shia Muslims. The main reasons for this conflict could be, but are not limited to, lack of education, external interference, foreign funding for religious groups etc.In my opinion as a student, we need to encourage dialogues between religious groups, regulation the curriculum and propagate freedom of expression. I must urge the government and people in power to act upon the law against sectarianism to stop this cruelty. We need to unlearn the hate that we have been taught against those who are different from us. ISHMAL ZAHRA LAHORE

Servants of the nation DURING my service as an upper-division clerk in the commissioner office of Rawalpindi, I saw that an honest and hardworking officer who cares for people would always focus on discharging his/her duties at the best rather than appeasing higher-ups. one such officer that I had the honour to work with was Mr Wajihuddin who was appointed commissioner Rawalpindi at a time when the movement against the martial law of General Ayub Khan was at its peak. The public was protesting, taking out rallies, and staging sit-ins in Rawalpindi and other parts of the country on a daily basis. The commissioner was appointed after two of his predecessors failed to control mobs and reinstate law and order. When he took charge, I was working in the control room responsible for collecting the information from various sources and presenting it to the commissioner. he changed the process and kept close contact with the DIG and deputy commissioners asking for daily progress. he frequently went on visits to various parts of the city to make sure everything was under control. he did not let the police use a heavy-handed approach and advised the administration to refrain from violating the rights of people and would only allow the use of force if the red line was being crossed. The commissioner discharged his duties with full honesty and served the public in a true sense unlike the civil servants of today who are more interested in keeping the higher-ups and politicians happy instead of performing their job. My purpose in recalling his service is meant to inspire today’s civil servants to adopt a similar demeanour and be honest and upright in their service. RAJA SHAFAATULLAH ISLAMABAD

Pathetic education system oNe of the reasons for pakistan’s poor literacy rate is the absence of educational reforms and the lack of decorum in institutes. Cheating, deception, fraud are commonplace in most examination boards of the country — especially amongst the high schoolers during board examinations. even university students are promoted based on forged results. Although rote learning, memorising and cheating allow students to progress from one academic level to another, they cannot achieve much in life without any real knowledge or skills. often students cheat or rotelearn because of lackadaisical teaching. Teachers either simply read the content of the textbooks or assign tasks to students without any proper instructions. Resultantly, students’ grasp of concepts is weak and quells their creativity and curiosity. poor teaching outcomes often compel students to opt out of education and start working to support their families. however, they usually end up in low-skilled jobs and cannot move up the social ladder later. our weak education system is the chief reason behind pakistan lagging in overall societal and economic development. There are fewer individuals that are equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute back to the economy, which will continue shrinking if the education system is not reformed. The government must overhaul the entire system from primary schooling up to the university level. strict measures should be enforced to alleviate cheating and bribes in institutes. There should be regulatory checks on administration and teaching faculty to ensure that they are fulfilling their duties. ZAKIR ULLAH MARDAN

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08 WORLD VIEW

Hindutva Has strong links witH fascism – but today’s leaders want to forget tHem ITALIAN HISTORIAN MARZIA CASOLARI RIGOROUSLY EXPLORED HOW SOME INDIANS WERE INFLUENCED BY THE DESTRUCTIVE EUROPEAN IDEOLOGY

TElEgraph RamachanDRa Guha

AST month, a teacher of political science in Uttar Pradesh’s Sharda University posed this examination question to his students: “Do you find any similarities between Fascism/ Nazism and hindu right-wing (hindutva)? elaborate with the argument.” The teacher was suspended by the university authorities, on the grounds that the very posing of the question was “totally averse” to the “great national identity” of our country and “may have the potential for fomenting social discord”. This column seeks to answer the question the teacher in Sharda University was forbidden from asking his students. I use, as my main sources, the writings of the Italian historian, Marzia Casolari, in particular an essay she published in the economic and Political Weekly in 2000 titled “hindutva’s Foreign Tie-up in the 1930s”, and a book she published 20 years later, titled In the Shadow of the Swastika: The Relationships Between Indian Radical Nationalism, Italian Fascism and Nazism Casolari’s work is based on a prodigious amount of research conducted in archives in Italy, India, and the United Kingdom and draws on primary materials in several languages as well. She demonstrates that in the 1920s and 1930s, the Marathi press covered the rise of fascism in Italy with great interest, and mostly admiringly, thinking that a similar ideology in India could likewise transform a backward agrarian country into a rising industrial power and bring order and regimentation to a disputatious society. SPIRIT OF MILITARISM: These glowing articles on Benito Mussolini and fascism, several of which Casolari quotes, may very well have been read by KB hedgewar and MS Golwalkar (the pre-eminent leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and by VD Savarkar and BS Moonje (the pre-eminent leaders of the hindu Mahasabha) – all four of whom had Marathi as their mother tongue. Thus, as Casolari writes, “By the late 1920s, the fascist regime and Mussolini had many supporters in Maharashtra. The aspects of Fascism, which appealed most to the hindu nationalists, were, of course, the supposed shift of Italian society from chaos to order, and its militarisation. This patently anti-democratic system was considered a positive alternative to democracy, seen as a typical British institution.” A key figure in Casolari’s researches is Dr BS Moonje, a major ideologue of the hindu right-wing.

Moonje visited Italy in 1931 and met many supporters of the fascist regime. he was deeply impressed by Benito Mussolini and his ideology, and by his seeking to infuse the spirit of militarism among the youth. At his request, Moonje was granted a meeting with Mussolini himself. When the Duce asked the fawning Indian visitor what he thought about the fascist youth organisations, Moonje replied: “Your excellency, I am very much impressed. every aspiring and growing nation needs such organisations. India needs them most for her military regeneration.” Of his conversation with the fascist dictator of Italy, Moonje remarked: “So ended my memorable interview with Signor Mussolini, one of the great men of the european world. he is a tall man with broad face and double chin and broad chest. his face shows him to be a man of strong will and powerful personality. I have noted that Italians love him.” Moonje was awed by Mussolini’s personality and swept away by his ideology, with its glorification of perpetual war and its contempt for peace and reconciliation. he quoted with approval statements of the Italian dictator such as this one: “War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to meet it.” And this one too: “Fascism believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. It thus repudiates the doctrine of Pacifism which is born of renunciation of the struggle and [is] an act of cowardice in the face of sacrifice.” Moonje was a mentor to the future founder of the RSS, KB hedgewar. As a young student in Nagpur, hedgewar stayed in Moonje’s house, and it was Moonje who sent hedgewar to study medicine in Calcutta. After his trip to Italy, Moonje and hedgewar worked hard to bring the hindu Mahasabha and the RSS into closer collaboration. Casolari informs us that in January 1934, hedgewar chaired a conference on fascism and Mussolini, with Moonje making one of the main speeches. In March of the same year, Moonje, hedgewar and their colleagues had a long meeting where Moonje remarked: “I have thought out a scheme based on hindu Dharm Shastra which provides for standardisation of hinduism throughout India… But the point is that this ideal cannot be brought to effect unless we have our own swaraj with a hindu as a dictator like Shivaji of old or Mussolini or hitler of the present day in Italy or Germany. But this does not mean that we have to sit with folded hands until some such dictator arises in India. We should formulate a scientific scheme and carry on propaganda for it.” Moonje drew a direct parallel between Italian fascism and the ideology of the RSS. Thus he wrote: “The idea of Fascism vividly brings out the conception of unity amongst peoples. India and particularly hindu India need some such Institution for the military regeneration of the hindus… Our Institution of Rashtriya Svayamsewak Sangh of Nagpur under Dr hedgewar is of this kind, though quite independently conceived.” Casolari observes that “the RSS method of recruitment was practically identical to that of the Balilla youth organisation in Italy. Shaka members, for instance, were

grouped according to their age (6-7 to 10; 10 to 14; 14 to 28; 28 and older). This is amazingly similar to the age bands of the hierarchical organisation of the fascist youth organisations… The hierarchical ordering of RSS members, however, came after the organisation was founded and may well have been derived from Fascism.” Casolari quotes a police officer’s note of 1933, which says of the RSS: “It is perhaps no exaggeration to assert that the Sangh hopes to be in future India what the ‘Fascisti’ are to Italy and the ‘Nazis’ to Germany.” The note further observes: “The Sangh is essentially an antiMuslim organisation aiming at exclusively hindu supremacy in the country.” Casolari’s research also has some interesting insights into the worldview of Savarkar. She writes that “[in] about 1938, Nazi Germany became the main point of reference for the hindu Mahasabha, under Savarkar’s presidency. Germany’s rabid policies regarding race were taken as the model to be adopted to solve the ‘Muslim problem’ in India.” Among the remarks by Savarkar quoted by Casolari are these: “Germany has every right to resort to Nazism and Italy to Fascism and events have justified that those isms and forms of Government were imperative and beneficial to them under the conditions that obtained there.” “Nationality did not depend so much on a common geographical area as on unity of thought, religion, language and culture. For this reason the Germans and the Jews could not be regarded as a nation.” “In Germany the movement of the Germans is the national movement but that of the Jews is a communal one.” “A Nation is formed by a majority living therein. What did the Jews do in Germany? They being in minority were driven out of Germany.”

“[T]he Indian Muslims are on the whole more inclined to identify themselves and their interests with Muslims outside India than hindus who live next door, like Jews in Germany.” Savarkar is, of course, an iconic figure for the hindutva regime in power in India today. Casolari’s book also contains a passing reference to another hindutva icon, Syama Prasad Mookerjee. In the inter-war period, the Italian government sought energetically to cultivate Indian intellectuals and politicians who might be sympathetic to fascism. Their work was furthered by Giuseppe Tucci, the most eminent Italian Orientalist of his generation and a supporter of fascism himself. Tucci corresponded regularly with Moonje and, in the 1930s, was also in contact with SP Mookerjee, the then vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, and in the fullness of time to become the founder of the Jana Sangh, the predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Writing to his mentor, the fascist philosopher, Giovanni Gentile, Tucci described Mookerjee as “our most important collaborator” in Calcutta. Marzia Casolari is not the first scholar to explore the parallels between hindutva and fascism. however, she has done so with more rigour and in greater detail than anyone else. her research demonstrates that the teacher in Sharda University had asked his students a legitimate and important question. By not allowing them to answer it, and by suspending the teacher himself, the university administrators have demonstrated their fear of the truth. And perhaps, even more, fear of their political bosses, who would wish us to forget that the founders of hindutva were greatly inspired by european fascism. Ramachandra Guha’s new book, Rebels Against the Raj, is now in stores. His email address is ramachandraguha@yahoo.in.

global middle class will grow by three times by 2030 World Economic Forum DELOITTE

he world as we know it is continually changing, and one of the fundamental drivers is digital transformation. At its core, digital transformation isn’t about Internet “unicorns.” It’s about using the latest technology to do what you already do – but better. What is a unicorn you ask? A unicorn is a privately held startup company whose valuation is over $1 billion. Venture capitalist Aileen Lee coined the term in 2013 in reference to a mythical animal as a representation of such lucrative ventures which were highly rare at the time – with only 39 companies listed, whereas today there are over 450 worldwide with a combined valuation of over US$1.5 trillion… For the rest of us, digital transformation refers to the adoption of digital technology to transform services or businesses. This is achieved by replacing manual (non-digital) processes with digital ones or replacing outdated digital technology with upgraded digital technology. The global economy is undergoing a digital transformation as well, and it’s happening at breakneck speed. SO, WHAT IS THE DIGITAL ECONOMY? The digital economy is the economic activity that results from billions of everyday online connections among people, businesses, devices, data, and processes. The backbone of the digital economy is hyperconnectivity which means growing interconnectedness of people, organisations, and machines that results from the Internet, mobile tech-

FROM THE FUTURE OF WORK TO CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, DIGITAL ECONOMIES ARE ALL ABOUT USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO DO WHAT YOU ALREADY DO—BUT BETTER nology and the internet of things (IoT). The digital economy is taking shape and undermining conventional notions about how businesses are structured; how firms interact; and how consumers obtain services, information, and goods. Professor Walter Brenner of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland states: “The aggressive use of data is transforming business models, facilitating new products and services, creating new processes, generating greater utility, and ushering in a new culture of management.” Recently, TechCrunch, a digital economy news site, noted, “Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate… Something interesting is happening.” What is it about these companies that allows them to re-imagine the traditional boundaries and value proposition of their industry? What can these young companies teach you about leading a digital transformation in your industry? how will you adapt to the emerging fluidity found in traditional roles? There are some fundamental areas of digital transformation central to business success in the digital economy.

FUTURE OF WORK: People regularly work from different offices, their home, or a local coffee shop – now even more so since the pandemic has pushed remote working to the fore. While where we work has changed, we all expect the same level of connectivity experienced in the physical office. The emergence of this flexible, global enterprise requires organisations to manage a dynamic ecosystem of talent and enable next-generation digital business processes that prove to be effective, even when distributed across various places and time zones. The 2020 pandemic has certainly fast tracked this transition in some respects, at least in the short term, but has also highlighted the need for organisations to adopt a more open minded approach to longer term digital enablement of the workforce. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: In the digital economy, all customers – business-to-business as well as businessto-consumer alike – want to interact with businesses when and where they want and in a fashion that is most convenient for them. Additionally, customers desire engagement with brands through experiences that are seamless, omnichannel, direct, contextual, and personalised. It has become crucial to give all customers a personalised and unique journey right from the minute they

land on a business’s website, all the way to making a purchase in your store and beyond. THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT): The Internet of Things (IoT) connects the digital and physical worlds by collecting, measuring, and analysing data to predict and automate business processes. As sensor prices continue to drop, we are on the cusp of an era where everything can be connected – people, businesses, devices, and processes – to each other. The melding of the physical and digital world brings every asset into a digital domain where software dominates. IoT solutions enable businesses to analyse data generated by sensors on physical objects in a world of intelligent, connected devices. This data can transform businesses, revealing hidden patterns and insights that can help you make more informed decisions and take action more quickly. When an organisation can understand its physical and digital asset inventory at any given moment, it can operate with precision previously unimaginable, paving the way for the ultimate lean enterprise. This will not be a nice-to-have differentiator, but an imperative for any digital business within the next two years. DIGITAL SUPPLY NETWORKS: While the global middle class is expected to expand threefold by 2030, there is increasing pressure on essential business resources, which are growing at a slower rate of 1.5 times. The answer to this mismatch lies in how enterprises securely share data in real time to enable next-generation commerce applications to thrive. The digitisation of everything is creating new intelligent digital networks of networks that fundamentally change the way commerce is managed, optimised, shared, and deployed.

Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

corporate corner Welfare of overseas Pakistanis top priority: Sajid Turi

PIACL SuCCESSfuLLy uNDErgOES OPErATIONAL SAfETy AuDIT by IATA KaRaCHI pr

Federal Minister for overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi, has said that welfare of Overseas Pakistanis is included in priorities of the present Government. He said Overseas Pakistanis played key role in development of the country. Addressing inauguration ceremony of Facilitation Desks for Overseas Pakistanis at various Police Stations of Parachinar, Federal Minister said that present Government will left no stone unturned for provision of maximum facilities to Overseas Pakistanis and their dependents in all walks of life. Federal Minister appreciated role of OPF for welfare of Overseas Pakistanis and their dependents. He said that with the establishment of Facilitation Desks complaints of Overseas Pakistanis and their dependents will be resolved timely. Prior to this, Federal Minister inaugurated Facilitation Desks at Police Stations of Parachinar and Sadda. A large number of notables were also present on the occasion. pr

Power suspension schedules According to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO)’s spokesman, System Maintenance/Development Work is in process. Therefore power supply of below mentioned feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per given schedule: On 06th June, From 07:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Katariyan, F Block, Holy Family, Bani, Vanhar, Daroot, Khawhiyan, Mail, GOR, Industrial, New PTN, Pothohar, Pak Iron, Fazal Rubber, Mumtaz Steel Mill, MG Steel Mill, Fazal Ghee Mill, Capital Steel, Ittehad Foundation, Race Course, Askari XI, Misryal Road, Railway Colony, New Westridge, Iqbal Road, Amir Hamza, Radio Pakistan, Millatabad, Range Road, Dhok Chowdhury, Charing Cross, Westridge feeders and Surroundings will be closed. IESCO management apologizes to its esteemed customers for the power outage. If the work is completed ahead of time, the power supply can be restored even before the scheduled time and the surrounding power will be cut off. pr

AKISTAN International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) successfully underwent operational safety audit by IATA for renewal of PIA’s IOSA registration. It was an extensive audit of all major function and departments with reference to safety assurance. IOSA Operational Safety Standard is published by IATA. IOSA is a world-wide accepted standard, and a benchmark qualification recognized by international regulatory bodies such as EASA & FAA and is a basic requirement for having code share agreements. PIA is maintaining its IOSA Operator status since 2005. Every 24 months IOSA Registration is renewed

by IATA, based on an extensive IOSA Audit by Foreign Auditors of IATA endorsed Audit Organization. PIA underwent IOSA renewal from 23rd May 2022 to 27 May 2022. 937 Safety requirements of IOSA standard manual (edition14 revision 1) were verified by six qualified senior auditors. The functions and records of Flight operations, dispatch operations, flight services, organizational management, ground handling, cargo operations, engineering & maintenance and security operations were audited and verified conformance with the IOSA Standard. After every IOSA, findings if any, are addressed within a given timeframe and IOSA registration renewal is done. All departmental Chiefs, and General Managers and equivalents, continuously endeavor to run the op-

Every year on 5th of June, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on behalf of Ministry of Maritime Affairs, organize Mangroves Plantation to encourage awareness for the protection of the environment. This year, the activity is being performed as a special event of the campaign being launched by the Ministry namely “Let’s make our Ocean Blue” to celebrate and bring awareness on the upcoming World Ocean Day on 8th of June. For the purpose, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) commemorated the theme "One World Earth" of World Environment Day 2022 through mangrove’s plantation and debris collection

at mangrove hatchery site of Mai Kolachi Road on which huge number of people including students of Environment Studies from Bahria University Karachi also participated. World Environment Day, led by the United Nations Environment programme, is celebrated annually on 5th of June by the nations around the world to raise awareness about the degrading environment and encouraging people to take collective action for the protection of the environment. Speaking as Chief Guest on the occasion, the Additional Secretary Maritime Affairs, Mr Asad Rafi Chandna stressed on collectively working for the bet-

Islamabad pr

(IIUI) is among world’s Top 300 Universities for the SDG initiatives for No Poverty (201-300), in Top 600 Universities for SDGs Gender Equality, Climate Action and Peace (all in 401-600), in Top 600+ Universities for SDG Industry and Innovation and in Top 800 Universities for SDG Quality Education (601-800). The recent positive results generated by IIUI are another addition to varsity’s

streak of shining in reputed rankings across the world. These results are the outcome of continued reforms and initiatives introduced by the university management that includes preparation of the university's new strategic plan that also helped in gleaning an exact view of the university accomplishments on a scientific basis. The university leadership believes

The 5th Generation Warfare by syed m Hamza In the realm of warfare, the use of non-kinetic resources is growing with every passing day. In addition to cyberattacks, 5th generation warfare (5GW) involves the spread of misinformation and propaganda with the help of internet, media platforms and artificial intelligence. “Data is the new oil” has become a common refrain as data is a valuable commodity for political gains and monetary benefits. People belonging to the upper strata of society have always been interested in buying media outlets to further increase their social stature. It is due to the power that media offers, Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post newspaper for $ 250 million in 2013 and Elon Musk offered $ 44 billion for buying Twitter. There are myriad ways in which technology can be used by adversaries to create deterrence, anarchy and political schism in our society. In the history of hybrid warfare, one of the most devastating cyberattacks included the use of a malicious computer worm,

erations according to the requirements of the PCAA regulations and in accordance with IOSA Standard. Ensuring operational safety 24/7 is a continuous challenge and all tiers of the management and of frontline operational personnel are focused towards ensuring safe operations. CEO PIA, Air Vice Marshal Amir Hayat, appreciated all management & employees of PIA, especially, the efforts of IOSA project lead Ms. Seema Zaman GM Corporate Quality & Safety Assurance PIA and her team of competent IOSA internal auditors and departmental DQCs ( Department Quality Controllers) for an effective overall management of the Quality Assurance Program including maintenance of PIA’s IOSA registry and timely advisories to ensure that PIA remains compliant with regulations and subscribed standards.

Ministry of Maritime Aﬀairs observes World Environment Day terment of the environment of Karachi that has already been destroyed by 50-55 million gallon of raw sewerage falling daily in seawaters. Chairman KPT, Mr. Syedain Raza Zaidi informed that KPT has started mangrove’s plantation campaign to create awareness among citizens of Karachi on the important ecological functions of mangroves like nutrient cycling, coastal protection, hydrological regime, and fishfauna production. The Additional Secretary, Mr. Asad Rafi Chandna and Chairman KPT Syedain Raza Zaidi planted mangrove saplings and concluded the proceedings. pr

IIUI ranked 164th in Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022 International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) is placed on 164th rank out of total 616 universities in Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022. The 2022 Rankings includes 31 territories. According to recent Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022, IIUI is in 3rd position in Pakistan, while IIUI stood 1st in international outlook across Pakistan. IIUI, earlier was placed among 201-250 universities in this rankings, while it has improved its place being in the 164th number in recent Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022. Few days earlier, Times Higher Education World Universities Impact Rankings (aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals) 2022 also ranked International Islamic University Islamabad

Stuxnet. The covert mission code-named “Olympic games” was conducted by the United States and Israel against Iranian nuclear program using Stuxnet. The classified effort started under the regime of George W Bush in 2006 when General James Cartwright who was then head of US Strategic Command introduced the idea. Overall, the cyberattack which was finally executed under the Obama administration was responsible for destroying 1,000 of Iran’s 6,000 centrifuges at the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. In the area of perception and opinion building, technology also plays a major role. During the U.S elections in 2016, far-right content was promoted and pushed through social media outlets for the support of Republicans. Andrew Bosworth, a Facebook executive and a close friend of the firm’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, claimed the company was responsible for Donald Trump’s victory during US elections. According to an indictment issued by special counsel Robert Mueller, a Russian

that upcoming ranking will be much more positive as new reforms and initiatives have entered into the mature stages through various steps taken such as implementation of the university’s strategic plan and academic audits. The university is now all set and in a better position to submit its accomplishments and achievements with an approach of quantifiable analysis that will lead to improved and realistic university rankings in future. The university has also started a comprehensive work on research and enterprise under the supervision of the office of Vice President, Research and Enterprise (R&E). The university leadership has appreciated the hard work of the team specially the office of VP, R&E and Directorate of Quality Assurance and Development (QAD) for untiring efforts to make it possible in a proper manner to this global ranking.

organisation called the Internet Research Agency bought ads on social media to help the former president during his campaign. The Russian organisation was responsible for promoting Donald Trump and disparaging Hillary Clinton. It is pertinent to mention here that Donald Trump’s campaign has also been accused of discouraging 3.5 million black Americans from voting by showing them negative ads about Hilary Clinton on Facebook. The gravity of situation and power of technology can be realised by studying the report issued by Pew Research Center which suggests, black voter turnout rate declined for the first time in 20 years during U.S presidential elections in 2016. Unfortunately, Pakistan has also been subjected to 5th generation warfare due to nefarious motives of the adversaries. The report “Indian Chronicles”, published by the Brussels-based organisation EU DisinfoLab, which meticulously exposed a network of 500 fake media outlets that India had been using for 15 years to portray a negative image of Pakistan in the European Union and the United Nations should be eye-opening for the nation. Amidst all the

Pakistan Navy Observes World Environment Day Islamabad pr

Pakistan Navy celebrated World Environment Day to create awareness and significance of environment particularly focusing on marine environment. World Environment Day is observed globally on 5 June to raise awareness on significance of healthy and green environment. It aims to promote healthy measures for improving quality of life. This year's theme of World Environment Day is ’Only One Earth’, which calls for transformative changes to policies and choices to enable cleaner, greener and sustainable living in harmony with nature. To show firm resolve and create awareness various lectures were organised highlighting importance of environment. Additionally, PN launched various initiatives, such as Trees & Mangroves Plantation, campaign to ban use of polythene bags, collection of solid waste in harbours, Reed Bed Reverse Osmosis Plants for Sewerage Water Treatment and ’Three Bin System’; to segregate trash for landfills, recyclables for reuse, and compost the organic material to enrich soil was introduced. Pakistan Navy always endeavors to secure marine environment for safer and cleaner oceans. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi in his message on World Environment Day reaffirmed PN resolve and commitment to make every effort for betterment of our environment. He urged all to come together and embrace best practices and principles for the protection and preservation of our shared asset, The Environment.

recent political turmoil, this nation has been through, hostile intelligence agencies are exploiting the situation by trying to turn the nation against it’s military. A set of fake audio recordings of former senior military officials were leaked on social media to malign the prestigious institution. Afterwards, all those former senior military officials clarified that the recordings were fake and voices in those recordings did not belong to them. There are a few steps that can be taken by policy makers to thwart the spread of propaganda in Pakistan during these trying times. In this era of “Information Warfare”, we do not have offices of social media giants in our country, which has become a huge hurdle in blocking of anti-state content. Opening offices of social media companies would eliminate the hindrance that is present in censorship matters as it would offer a direct contact of our government officials with the representatives of social media companies. An effort to ensure censorship by opening offices of social media platforms in Pakistan was made by government officials through ‘Citizen Protection Against Online Harm Rules 2020’.

In response, the tech companies combined and threatened to make their services unavailable to 70 million Pakistani internet users as they believed it was an attempt against freedom of speech to censor content. Policy makers should now have negotiations with individual social media company instead of trying to handle all of them in a single attempt. Another step, albeit a technical one, can be introduction of alternate social media applications that can be censored by the government to counter weaponized narratives of enemy. One great example is China, where people use applications such as WeChat as an alternative to Facebook, whilst Baidu is commonly used instead of Google, yet the country is making huge progress economically, technologically and militarily. Lastly, the intelligentsia should raise awareness of hybrid warfare to halt the spread of misinformation as it is the need of the hour. People should be guided about the detrimental results of sharing content without verifying it beforehand. The author can be @mhamza252@hotmail.com

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Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

RUSSiA STRiKeS Kyiv foR fiRST Time iN WeeKS, bATTle RAgeS iN eASTeRN UKRAiNe kYIV

agencies

USSIA struck Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with missiles early on Sunday for the first time in more than a month, while Ukrainian officials said a counter-attack on the main battlefield in the east had retaken half of the city of Sievierodonetsk. Dark smoke could be seen from many miles away after the attack on two outlying districts of Kyiv. Moscow said it had hit a repair shop housing tanks sent from eastern Europe. Ukraine said Russia had carried out the strike using long-range airlaunched missiles fired from heavy bombers as far away as the Caspian Sea – a weapon far more valuable than the tanks Russia claimed to have hit. At least one person was hospitalised but there were no immediate reports of deaths from the strike – a sudden reminder of war in a capital where normal life has largely returned since Russian forces were driven from its outskirts in March. “The Kremlin resorts to new insidious attacks. Today’s missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal – kill as many as possible,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak wrote in a tweet. Ukraine’s nuclear power operator said a Russian cruise missile had flown “critically low” over the country’s second largest nuclear power plant. The attack was the first big strike on Kyiv since late April, when a missile killed a journalist. Recent weeks have seen Russia focus its destructive

might mainly on frontlines in the east and south, although Moscow occasionally strikes elsewhere in what it calls a campaign to degrade Ukraine’s military infrastructure and block Western arms shipments. UkrAInE cLAIMS HALF OF SIEvIErODOnEtSk: Russia has concentrated its forces in recent weeks on the small eastern factory city of Sievierodonetsk, launching one of the biggest ground battles of the war in a bid to capture one of two eastern provinces it claims on behalf of separatist proxies. After retreating steadily in the city in recent days, Ukraine mounted a counter-attack there, which it says took the Russians by surprise. After recapturing a swathe of the city, Ukrainian forces were now in control of half of it and continuing to push the Russians back, said Serhiy Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region that includes Sievierodonetsk. “It had been a difficult situation, the Russians controlled 70% of the city, but over the past two days they have been pushed back,” Gaidai said on Ukrainian television. “The city is now, more or less, divided in half.” The claims could not be independently verified. Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in Sievierodonetsk, a battle that could determine which side carries the momentum into a protracted war of attrition in coming months. Britain’s defence ministry said on Sunday that Ukrainian counterattacks there over the past 24 hours were likely to blunt any operational momentum that Russian forces had previously gained.

Putin warns West of hitting new targets if Ukraine supplied with long-range missiles President Vladimir Putin warned the West that Russia would strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longerrange missiles, the TASS news agency reported on Sunday. If such missiles are supplied, “we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting,” Putin was quoted as saying in an excerpt of an interview with Rossiya-1 state television channel. Putin did not name the targets Russia planned to pursue if Western countries began supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles. He said the “fuss” around Western weapon supplies to Ukraine was designed to drag out the conflict. Ukraine has been seeking Multiple Rocket Launch Systems (MLRS) such as the M270 and M142 HIMARS to strike troops and weapons stockpiles at the Russian forces’ rear. US President Joe Biden announced plans this week to give Ukraine precision HIMARS rocket systems after receiving assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside Russia. Although Russian officials have warned that the US decision to supply Ukraine with advanced rocket systems could exacerbate the conflict, Putin said it would not bring on any fundamental changes on the battlefield. agencies

Russia was deploying poorly equipped separatist fighters in the city to limit the risk to its regular forces, it said. Moscow said its own forces were making gains in the city. Ukraine’s army said Russian forces continued to mount assault operations with the aid of artillery and controlled the eastern part of Sievierodonetsk. “The situation is tense, complicated,” Mayor Oleksandr Stryuk told national television on Saturday, saying there was a shortage of food, fuel and medicine. “Our military is doing everything it can to drive the enemy out of the city.” In neighbouring Donetsk province, which Moscow also claims on behalf of its separatist proxies, Russian forces have been advancing in recent days in territory north of the Siverskiy Donets river, in advance of what Ukraine anticipates would be a push on the major city of Sloviansk. Ukrainian officials said at least eight people were killed and 11 injured in Russian shelling in the province overnight. crAckInG wEAPOnS LIkE nUtS: In an interview with Russian state television, President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would hit new targets if the West supplies longer-range missiles to Ukraine. But he also dismissed the impact of advanced rocket systems promised by Washington to Ukraine last week, saying these would not affect the course of fighting. The United States is already training Ukrainian troops on its HIMARS rocket launchers, which would be able to hit positions far behind Russian lines. Kyiv says such weapons will

help it shift the war’s momentum. Putin, in excerpts of his interview quoted by Russian news agencies ahead of broadcast, said that if the West supplies longer-range missiles, “we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting”, without specifying the targets. Russian forces had been hitting Ukrainian weapons systems and “cracking them like nuts” he said, dismissing the new U.S. rockets as “meant to make up for the losses of this military equipment” and not likely to change the battlefield balance. Kyiv sharply rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday for saying it was important not to “humiliate” Moscow, and to allow the Kremlin an “exit ramp” in future peace talks. Ukraine has bristled over what it considers pressure from some European allies to relinquish territory to secure a ceasefire, which Kyiv says would let Moscow solidify its grip on occupied areas and regroup for future attacks. “Calls to avoid humiliation of Russia can only humiliate France and every other country that would call for it,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted in response to Macron’s remarks. “Because it is Russia that humiliates itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. This will bring peace and save lives.” read more In an overnight address, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said only Putin could give the order to stop the war: “The fact that there is still no such order is obviously a humiliation for the whole world.”

Toll likely to rise as 49 die in Bangladesh port depot fire SItakuNDa afP

At least 49 people died and hundreds were injured after a fire sparked a huge chemical explosion at a shipping container depot in Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday. The toll was expected to rise, with some of the more than 300 people injured in serious condition, officials said, while volunteers reported that there were more bodies inside the smouldering, wreckage-strewn facility. The fire started late on Saturday at the depot in Sitakunda, which stores around 4,000 containers, many of them filled with garments destined for Western retailers. The facility is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the major southern port of Chittagong. Following the fire, containers holding chemicals exploded, en-

gulfing firefighters, volunteers and journalists in an inferno, hurtling people and debris through the air, and turning the night sky a blazing orange. Buildings located kilometres away rattled with the force of the blast. Elias Chowdhury, regional chief doctor, told AFP that the number of dead was 49 but would increase. Firefighters continued to douse pockets of fire with hoses on Sunday. “The death toll will rise as the rescue work has not been completed yet,” Chowdhury said. “These people — including several journalists who were doing Facebook lives — are still not accounted for.” Reazul Karim, operations director of the fire department, said that at least seven firefighters died and that at least four others were missing.”Never in our fire department history have we lost so many firefighters in a single

incident,” Bharat Chandra, a former senior firefighter, told AFP. “There are still some bodies inside the fire-affected places. I saw eight or 10 bodies,” one volunteer told reporters. Mujibur Rahman, the director of B.M. Container Depot, the firm operating the facility with around 600 workers, said that the cause of the initial fire was still unknown. The container depot held hydrogen peroxide, fire service chief Brigadier General Main Uddin told reporters. “We still could not control the fire because of the existence of this chemical,” he said. ‘FIrEbALLS FALLInG LIkE rAIn’ – Mohammad Ali, 60, who runs a nearby grocery store, said the blast was deafening. “A cylinder flew around half a kilometre from the fire spot to our small pond when the explosion occurred,” he told AFP.

JUH moves SC seeking intervention in plea against Places of Worship Act A Muslim body, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking intervention in a pending petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. According to Kashmir Media Service, the plea said that petitioner advocate Ashwini Upadhyay has raised grounds which have already been considered and decided by the constitution bench of the top court. Even if all the allegations of the petitioner are assumed to be true, it is nothing but seeking a correction of historical wrongs, the Muslim body said. “This court has categorically held that the law cannot be used as a device to reach back in time and provide a legal remedy to every person who disagrees with the course which history has taken and that the courts of today cannot take cognizance of historical rights and wrongs unless it is shown that their legal consequences are enforceable in the present. “In fact, this court categorically held that this court cannot entertain claims from actions of the Mughal rulers against Hindu Places of Worship in a court of law today,” the plea said. The organisation said there is no conflict between the Waqf Act and the Places of the Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 as alleged by Upadhyay as Section 7 of the 1991 Act gives it an overriding effect over other enactments. “Further, in any event, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act,1991 being a special vehicle act to preserve the secular fabric of the country will in any event take precedence over a general enactment,” it added. “Needless to say that if the present petition is entertained, it will open floodgates of litigation against countless mosques in the country and the religious divide from which the country is recovering in the aftermath of the Ayodhya dispute will only be widened,” the plea said. agencies

Three dead, 11 wounded in Philadelphia shooting PHILADELPHIA: Gunfire killed three people and wounded at least 11 others in one of downtown Philadelphia’s most popular entertainment districts late Saturday night, authorities said. Police officers were patrolling the area on South Street in downtown Philadelphia, largest city in Pennsylvania state of the United States, when they heard multiple gunshots and witnessed several suspects firing into a large crowd just before midnight, Police Inspector D. F. Pace said during a news conference. An officer shot at one of the suspects from about 30 feet (9 meters) away, but it is unclear if the suspect was hit, Pace said. “You can imagine there were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street, as they do every single weekend, when this shooting broke out,” Pace said. Two men and a woman were among those killed in the shooting, he said. Their names were not made public by authorities. The conditions of those who were wounded by gunfire remains unknown. Two handguns were recovered, including one with an extended magazine, police said. No arrests have been made. Pace said police were asking business owners to review video from surveillance cameras. The department said on Twitter to avoid the area. South Street is known for its entertainment venues and nightlife with multiple bars, restaurants and businesses. The associaTed Press

N. Korea launches multiple ballistic missiles: Seoul SEOUL: North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into waters off its east coast Sunday, South Korea’s military said, a day after Seoul and Washington completed their first joint drills involving a US aircraft carrier in more than four years. Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons programme this year despite facing crippling economic sanctions. “Our military detected eight shortrange ballistic missiles fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang, North Korea into the East Sea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the Sea of Japan. The launches took place over about 30 minutes on Sunday morning, it added. “While our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches, South Korea and the United States are closely cooperating and maintaining a full readiness posture.” afP

Blasphemous remarks: Protest by Arab world compels BJP to suspend its spokeswoman NEW DELHI Mian abrar

Strong protest and boycott of Indian products in across Arab world has compelled the Indian ruling party, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to suspend the basic party membership of its spokeswoman and major propagandist, Nupur Sharma, for her blasphemous remarks against Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). In a statement released by the BJP, the ruling party of India said it had suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma on June 5 from the primary membership of the party following objectionable and communal statements by them on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Islam. The move comes after a sustained and strong social media campaign in across gulf states calling for boycotting Indian products and calls by Muslim clerics to boy-

cott India and its prime minister Modi who is main architect of Islamophobic and genocidal incidents in across India. The Grand Mufti of Oman Sheikh Ahmad bin Hamad Al-Khalil has announced the boycott of Indian products after spokespersons of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made blasphemous remarks. The Delhi unit of the BJP expelled its spokesperson Naveen Kumar from primary membership against the same offence. The party also released a statement signed by BJP general secretary Arun Singh distancing itself from these statements, without naming either Ms. Sharma or Mr. Kumar or contextualising the statement with their utterances. This comes after violence broke out in Kanpur and a flood of protests on social media especially from Gulf countries. “During the thousands of years of the history of India every religion has blossomed

and flourished. The BJP respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities of any religion. The BJP is also strongly against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people of philosophy,” said the statement. It then goes on to say that “India’s Constitution gives the right to every citizen to practice any religion of his/her choice and to honour and respect every religion. As India celebrates 75th year of its Independence, we are committed to making India a great country where all are equal and everyone lives with dignity, where all are committed to India’s unity and integrity, where all enjoy the fruits of growth and development.” In the suspension letter served on Ms. Sharma, the party said that she had “expressed views contrary to the party’s position on various matters which is in clear violation

of Rule 10 (a) of the Constitution of the Bharatiya Janata Party”. According to sources in the party, the controversy over the statements was becoming bigger by the day, provoking violence in Kanpur on June 3, and with growing protests in the Gulf countries as well. This is probably one of the first instances of BJP spokespersons being suspended from the primary membership of the party, clearly demonstrating that protests came from serious quarters. Hashtags calling for the boycott of Indian goods in Gulf countries trended on Twitter and more seriously, the Grand Mufti of Oman tweeted from his official account, denouncing the statement. The Grand Mufti of Oman Sheikh Ahmad bin Hamad Al-Khalil has announced the boycott of Indian products after spokespersons of India’s Bharatiya Janata

Party (BJP) made blasphemous remarks. Two spokespersons of Indian extremist party BJP, Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, made objectionable remarks against Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) during a panel discussion on an Indian news channel. Grand Mufti of Oman cals for India’s boycott: The Grand Mufti of Oman along with Twitter handles with a large following have called for the boycott of Indian products. The Grand Mufti of Oman Sheikh Al-Khalili tweeted that the “obscene” comments of the spokesperson of India’s ruling party amounted to a “war against every Muslim”. Several middle eastern countries including Saudia Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have reportedly removed Indian products from their superstores. Meanwhile in Kuwait, pictures of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been posted on trash bins.

11 Sports 6 JUNE_Layout 1 6/5/2022 9:53 PM Page 1

Monday, 6 June, 2022 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

BRAZil No loNgER REly oN NEymAR: TiTE TOkYO

Agencies

razil no longer rely on superstar Neymar to win games, manager Tite said Sunday, with an Olympic gold medal-winning generation looking to step up at the World Cup. Neymar underlined his importance to Tite’s side by netting the 72nd and 73rd goals of his Brazil career in a 5-1 friendly thrashing of South Korea in Seoul last week. That took him within striking distance of the legendary Pele’s record of 77 goals for the five-time World Cup winners. Tite played down Brazil’s dependence on Neymar as his team prepared to face Japan in a friendly in Tokyo on Monday, saying a new generation of players

are ready to share the load. “I have been in charge of the national team for a long time, and in that time I have made lots of mistakes and also made some good decisions,” he said. “We have a new generation coming through and one good thing I have done is to try out a lot of players. Now we are not so dependent on one attacking player.” Brazil won gold at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics last year, beating Spain 2-1 in the final after extra time. Olympians like Richarlison and Bruno Guimaraes have broken into Tite’s senior squad, and assistant coach Cesar Sampaio said it was a “happy problem” to have. “The players with experience and the players who won the Olympic gold here in Japan are now coming together,” said the former midfielder.

“We have players with a lot of speed and creativity, especially in attack.” Brazil will be looking to round off their two-game trip to Asia with a win against Japan at Tokyo’s Olympic stadium on Monday. Japan, who will be playing at the venue for the first time since it was rebuilt to host the Games, warmed up with a convincing 4-1 win over Paraguay last week. Manager Hajime Moriyasu said his players will have to be “brave and aggressive” to beat Brazil — something Japan have never achieved in a full international. “We want to make our mark at the World Cup and the game against Paraguay was a start towards that,” said Moriyasu. “We need to go further than we’ve gone before and try to overcome our limits. I want the players to do that tomorrow.”

Captain’s heroics earn Sri Lanka consolation win AGeNcIes

ACP athletes learn from French Climbers at NUST IsLAMABAD Pr

Athletes from Alpine Club if Pakistan slingwith students from NUST join a 2-day Workshop on sport climbing held at NUST Sports Complex. Introductory lectures were delivered and safe use of climbing gear was taught through demonstration. The videos n documentaries were also screened. The practical sessions were held at NUST climbing arena. The purpose was to attract youth towards this challenging sport n equip them with basic sport climbing skills n knowledge. The participants took great interest in the learning. At the end of the workshop the participants were awarded certificated. Air Vice Marshal ( R) Dr. Rizwan Riaz, Pro Rector RIC,Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Baig, Director Field Administration Air Comodor (R) Shahid Nadeem, Ali Hasnain Syed, Director Student Affairs, Col (R) Qaiser Mustafa, Fy. Fire Tor ( Sports) Brig R Ikram, AFPm, Aftabur Rehman Rana, MD, PTDC, Abu Zafr Sadiq, President Alpine Club of Pakistan and Saad Tariq Siddique VP, Adventure Foundation Pakistan were also present at this occasion.

Unbeaten Fulton rips Roman to keep super bantamweight titles wAsHINGTON AFP

Undefeated Stephen Fulton held on to his two world super-bantamweight boxing titles Saturday with a unanimous decision victory over fellow American Daniel Roman. Judges awarded Fulton the 12-round victory by scores of 119-109, 120108 and 120-108 at the Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “I made a hell of a statement tonight,” Fulton said. “I told you I would make an easy fight depending on how I felt, and I woke up feeling good.” Fulton, 21-0 with eight knockouts, kept the World Boxing Council crown he won by majority decision over countryman Brandon Figueroa last November and the World Boxing Organization title he took by unanimous decision over compatriot Angelo Leo in January 2021. Roman, 29-4 with one drawn, was the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion in the 122-pound (55.3kg) division until losing both belts to unbeaten Uzbek Murodjon Akhmadaliev in 2020. Fulton said he wanted to face Akhmadaliev for an undisputed crown. “I’ve got to,” he said. “We’ve got to finish this up.” Roman, who was coming off a career-long 13-month layoff, said Fulton’s victory showed he was the best in the division. “This fight proved who was the best fighter in the division,” Roman said. “Fulton was the better man. I wish him the best. Let him go and achieve what I couldn’t achieve, the undisputed.” Fulton, 27, used superior jabs and counterpunches plus faster footwork to control early rounds. Roman, 32, began pressing the attack harder in the seventh round but could not overcome Fulton’s dominating moves. “Any moment he had, I took it right away from him,” Fulton said. “I neutralised the threat.”

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu led from the front as Sri Lanka recorded a commanding 93-run win in the third and final ICC Women’s Championship match at the Southend Club, Karachi on Sunday. Pakistan won the series 2-1 courtesy of their eight-wicket and 73-run win in the first two matches. At the end of the series Pakistan occupy the top-spot in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 cycle with four points from three games, Sri Lanka collected two points from their win today – this series was the first in the new championship cycle which will determine the six qualifying spots (top five plus the host) for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Today’s win was Sri Lanka’s lone victory in their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years, before the ODIs, the visitors had lost the T20I series by a 0-3 margin. Set a 261-run target, Pakistan were pegged back after a decent start. The hosts slumped from 41 for no loss to 48 for four in nine overs and never recovered from the mini collapse. Second ODI centurion Sidra Amin (19) was the first to go. Her opening partner Muneeba Ali (16) was run out while captain Bismah Maroof (0) and Nida Dar (5) were dismissed in quick

succession as Sri Lankan bowlers tightened the screws. Omaima Sohail fought hard for her 40 off 61 balls (four fours) but her dismissal in the 28th over further increase Pakistan woes. Sidra Nawaz (7) and Fatima Sana (12) were dismissed in the search of quick runs as the required run-rate mounted. Diana Baig (0) was run out without facing a ball. Aliya Riaz stood firm at one end with a fighting half-century (sixth of her career), she was the ninth batter dismissed in an attempt of clearing the boundary. The right-hander hit four fours in her 56 off 82 balls. Athapaththu capped off a brilliant day in the field with a two-wicket contribution with the ball in her six overs. Oshadi Ranasinghe took two wickets while three batters were run out. Sri Lanka sealed their win with Anam Amin’s wicket in the 42nd over. Earlier, Athapaththu who had struggled to get going on the tour finally displayed her immense batting prowess with a scintillating century to set a solid platform for her side’s imposing total after she won the toss and opted to bat first for the fifth time on the tour (three T2oIs, first and third ODI). The left-hander posted the sixth century of her career off the 82nd ball of her innings, her blazing innings was punctuated with 13 fours and a six and she

fell shortly after for 101 with Nida Dar dismissing her in the 31st over of the innings, Sri Lanka were 156 at that stage. Athapaththu is the only century maker for Sri Lanka in the ODI format and her innings today once again proved her immense value to country’s women cricket. Athapaththu took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers after the early loss of her opening partner Hasini Perera (3) and Hansima Karunaratne (0). The two were back in the dressing room with a mere four runs on the board in two overs. Athapaththu found an able partner in Harshitha Madavi, the duo added 152 for the third-wicket. After Athapaththu’s departure, Madavi kept the scoreboard moving for Sri Lanka. She was eventually dismissed in the 44th over for 75 off 128 balls (three fours). Madavi added 60 for the fourth-wicket with Kavisha Dilhari (28). Sri Lanka finished their 50 overs at 260 for seven which is their highest total against Pakistan, Anam Amin and Fatima Sana took two wickets apiece for the hosts. sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 93 runs: Sri Lanka 260 for 7, 50 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 101, Harshitha Madavi 75; Anam Amin 2-43, Fatima Sana 2-51) Pakistan 167 all out, 41.4 overs (Aliya Riaz 56, Omaima Sohail 40; Chamari Athapaththu 2-20, Oshadi Ranasinghe 2-29).

Swiatek surpasses Serena’s streak for second French Open title PARIs The AssociATed Press

Iga Swiatek’s winning streak began to feel like a burden, she said, with all of the attention it gained as it grew, all of the pressure to keep it going, especially with a Grand Slam title in the offing. As good as her forehand is, as skilled as her hit-the-ball early reflexes are, as much as her serve keeps improving, what Swiatek needed, above all, was a way to shut out the noise, to ignore all the stats and facts, and to find a way to focus — match to match, set to set, game to game, point to point, shot to shot. During the French Open, she did that away from the court by reading (Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers” was one choice) and on the court by singing in her head (a Dua Lipa song she called a “guilty pleasure”). Most of all, she allowed her play to rule the day. Thanks to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over 18-year-old American Coco Gauff in Saturday’s final, the top-ranked Swiatek leaves Roland Garros with her second championship — and a run of 35 matches without a loss. “It is, like, basically the hardest part of the job, I would say, because you can see at Grand Slams that there are a lot of surprises. It’s not easy to cope with all that different atmosphere and the pressure,” Swiatek, who is 21, said after adding this trophy to the one she won in Paris in 2020 while ranked outside the top 50. “For me, I felt the baggage. The hardest thing is like not letting yourself think about that and overanalyse and not letting yourself think about all the numbers and the odds.” Ah, yes. The numbers. They’re impressive. Swiatek has won her past six tournaments. She has won 56 of her past 58 sets. She is 42-3 this season. She has won 16 sets by a 6-0 score. And her unbeaten streak now is one

better than the best Serena Williams ever had, 34, and equals the longest this century (Williams’ older sister, Venus, had a 35-match run in 2000). “Kind of doing something more than Serena did,” Swiatek said, “it’s something special.” Swiatek has emerged as a dominant figure in tennis, stepping into a gap that presented itself with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena out of action for nearly a year and three-time major champ Ash Barty announcing in March she would retire at age 25 and relinquish the No. 1 ranking. That allowed Swiatek to move up to the top of the WTA, and she’s shown she is a deserving resident there. “She does a good job of taking the pressure moments and really rising to the occasion. And today she rose to the occasion,” said the 18thseeded Gauff, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam final and hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament. “I do that pretty well, too, but today, she was just on another level.” Gauff is now 0-3 aGainst swiatek: “The past couple months have truly been amazing and you totally deserve it,” Gauff told Swiatek, then added with a chuckle: “Hopefully we can play each other in

more finals, and maybe I can get a win on you one of these days.” On the warmest day of the tournament, with the temperature at 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius), just a few puffs of white in the blue sky at the outset turned into thick, foreboding gray clouds by the second set, accompanied by a thunderclap. The match ended after 1 hour, 8 minutes, before the rain arrived. Gauff did not get off to the best of starts: It was 4-0 in a blink. Swiatek broke serve right from the get-go, with plenty of help from Gauff, who put a forehand into the net, double-faulted — eliciting some sighs of “Aww” from the crowd — dumped a forehand into the net, and pushed another forehand long. Not in all cases, of course, but often, the spectators at Roland Garros tend to back an underdog or whichever player is trailing — both of which applied to Gauff. So there was a surfeit of shouts of “Allez, Coco!” One person yelled, “Coco, you can do it!” There were repeated cries of her chant-ready, two-syllable first name. As things appeared to be getting away from her, Gauff slapped her thigh or covered her eyes, shook her head or looked up toward her parents in the stands.

Root stars as England beat New Zealand in 1st Test News Desk Former England captain Joe Root scored an unbeaten century to give successor Ben Stokes a winning start to his reign with a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s on Sunday. Root stood down as England skipper in April after five years and a record 64 games in charge. But he remains far and away the team’s best batsman, with his decisive hundred at the ‘Home of Cricket’ paving the way for just England’s second win in 18 Tests as they went 1-0 up in a three-match series against the reigning World Test champions. England, set 277 to win, finished on 279 for five, with Root 115 not out — his first fourth-innings hundred at this level — after the hosts had slumped to 69 for four. He received excellent support from wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (32 not out) in an unbroken stand of 120, with the pair denying New Zealand a breakthrough after England resumed Sunday on their overnight 216 for five. Root became just the 14th batsman and only second from England to reach the landmark total of 10,000 career Test runs when he completed his 26th hundred at this level Root was also the joint youngest player to score 10,000 Test runs, equalling retired England captain Alastair Cook’s record of 31 years 157 days. The series continues at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge on Friday. Brief scores: New Zealand 1st Innings 132 (M Potts 4-13, J Anderson 4-66) England 1st Innings 141 (T Southee 4-55, T Boult 3-21) New Zealand 2nd Innings 285 (D Mitchell 108, T Blundell 96; M Potts 3-55, S Broad 3-76) England 2nd Innings 279-5 (J Root 115 no, B Stokes 54; K Jamieson 4-79) Result: England won by five wickets Series: England lead three-match series 1-0

Monday, 6 June, 2022

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PrESIDEnt, PM ConDEMn ProFanE rEMarKS BY InDIa’S BJP lEaDErS ISLAMABAD

staff report

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday condemned in strongest possible words the hurtful comments of India’s BJP leaders about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and said that these derogatory and controversial remarks had hurt the feelings of all Muslims around the world. Commenting to the growing trend of Islamophobia in India where Muslims lived in millions, the two leaders said that merely suspending and expelling party officials was not enough but BJP must shun and denounce its extremist and fascist Hindutva ideology. In his separate statement, President Alvi said that India under Modi’s hateful Hindutva philosophy was trampling re-

ligious freedoms of all its minorities and persecuting them without any impunity. “Allowing such Islamophobic remarks

Pakistan expects GDP growth to slow to 5 percent amid fiscal consolidation ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s GDP growth will slow to 5 percent for the upcoming fiscal year beginning on July 1, from 5.9 percent in the outgoing year, following budgetary tightening aimed at winning International Monetary Fund (IMF) support, the government said. The planning ministry made the estimates ahead of the annual budget to be presented on June 10. “Keeping in view external and local uncertain economic environment, GDP growth will slightly taper off and is envisaged at 5 percent for 2022-23 on the back of agriculture (3.9 percent), manufacturing (7.1 percent) and services sector (5.1 percent),” said the ministry in a working paper seen by Reuters. The paper said the fiscal consolidation will be pursued to bring down the deficit through a combination of expenditure management and revenue enhancement. Pakistan’s foreign reserves have been on a steep decline in recent months — falling to $9.7 billion, less than 45 days of imports — and its double-digit inflation and a widening current account deficit have put it in a tight spot. Moody’s has changed Pakistan’s outlook to negative from stable. Pakistan has been waiting for the IMF board to clear a seventh review to resume a $6 billion rescue package signed in 2019 after both sides concluded talks in Doha last month. The paper said the fiscal deficit for the JulyMarch portion of the outgoing fiscal year had widened to 4 percent of GDP, compared to 3 percent of GDP for the corresponding period last fiscal year. The current account posted a deficit of $13.8 billion (3.5 percent of GDP) in July-April of the outgoing financial year, it said. Average inflation was recorded at 11.3 percent during JulyMay of the current fiscal year, as compared to 8.8 percent in the comparable period of the previous year. The new government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who took over from ousted premier Imran Khan in April claims that it has inherited a dire economic crisis. reuters

to continue without punishment constitutes grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice

and marginalization which will create a cycle of violence and hate,” he added. He called upon the world community, United Nations and international human rights organizations to take a serious notice of rising Islamophobia and systematic religious persecution in India without impunity and take all steps necessary to put an end to it. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned in strongest possible words the hurtful comments of India’s BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH). “Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note & severely reprimand India. Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme. All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH),” tweeted the premier.

Sana says government will arrest Imran once his bail expires ISLAMABAD staff report

The police detail of Imran Khan deployed outside his residence in Islamabad will duly arrest the former prime minister once his bail in over a dozen cases linked to a protest march will expire on June 25, said Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan on Sunday. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman — who has been residing in Peshawar ostensibly to avoid arrest in as many as 14 cases, all linked to his little over day-long march on Islamabad — is expected to return to Islamabad later today. In a series of tweets, Sanaullah said the security detail deployed outside Khan’s Bani Gala residence would arrest him on the expiry of his protective bail. “Imran Niazi [sic] has been named in more than two dozen cases registered across the country under charges of rioting, sedition, spreading chaos and armed attacks on the federation,” he tweeted. The “same security” provided to Khan would arrest him with “great enthusiasm” as soon as his bail period ends, the minister added. The former prime minister is expected to reach Bani Gala in the official helicopter of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister. He is also expected to summon a meeting of the party’s core committee and take important decisions to decide on the future course of action.

Khan’s decision to return comes days after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted him transit bail until June 25 in the cases his party considers politically motivated. After Khan called off his march, he and members of his party were booked in cases registered at police stations across Islamabad over allegations of arson and vandalism in the capital. Following the complaints, he petitioned the court through his counsel Babar Awan. He also appeared before the court as Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan took up the petition on Thursday. The judge approved Khan’s request for bail and subsequently forwarded the orders to an additional sessions judge in Islamabad. “A person who spreads chaos in the country on a daily basis, who has complete disregard for moral and democratic values and who calls his opponents traitors and Yazidis […] how can he be the head of a political party in a democratic society?” Sanaullah wrote on Twitter, adding this was the “moment of reflection” for the nation. Meanwhile, an Islamabad police spokesperson said the administration has not been informed by Khan’s security team about his arrival. However, the police have nevertheless put in place stringent security arrangements. The spokesperson further said the police were not provided with the list of people currently present inside the house.

Seven terrorists killed by security forces in two separate IBOs RAWALPINDI staff report

At least seven terrorists were killed in two separate Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) in Bannu and North Waziristan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the ISPR, Security

Forces conducted Intelligence Based Operations in Jani Khel, Bannu District and Hassan Khel, North Waziristan District, on reported presence of terrorists on Sunday. “During intense exchange of fire, 7 terrorists got killed; 5 terrorists in Jani Khel and 2 terrorists got killed in NWD. Weapons and ammunition

was also recovered from the killed terrorists,” the statement said. Per the ISPR, the killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces. Locals of the area appreciated the operations and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the area.

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Imran Khan returns to Bani Gala from Peshawar ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday returned to his Bani Gala residence in Islamabad, weeks after staying in Peshawar before and after the long march. The PTI chairman was due to head a meeting of the PTI core committee at Bani Gala on Sunday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday informed that Chairman Imran Khan is coming to Islamabad on Sunday (today). Fawad Ch had informed that the PTI cheif would chair an important session of the PTI core committee in Islamabad. The former Information minister said that the Interior Minister claims that he would not let Imran Khan travel from KPK to other provinces but he is coming to the capital tomorrow. The Supreme Court should take notice of the interior minister’s threats, he demanded. The PTI leader said that they are not a militant party like the Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI-F), they are a party of middle-class people. The consequences would be grave if the country’s biggest federal party is pushed to the wall, he added. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Sunday announced that former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan will be arrested as soon as his pre-arrest bail would expire. In a statement issued today, the interior minister said that he welcomes Imran Khan’s return to Islamabad and said that he has been provided security as per law. “Imran Khan is nominated as a suspect in more than two dozen cases pertaining to arson and vandalism,” he said and added that he was also booked in cases related to carrying out armed attacks against the federation. staff report

25,533 companies registered with 51% growth in FY 21: SECP ISLAMABAD: During the fiscal year 2020-21, 25,533 new companies were registered showing a growth of 51 percent, said a Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Annual Report 2021. According to the annual report, the total number of registered companies has reached to 145,913. The trend, witnessed in formation of companies, was that approximately 68 percent companies were registered as private limited companies, 29 percent were registered as single-member companies, while 3 percent were registered as public unlisted, association’s not-for-profit, trade organizations, foreign companies and limited liability partnership, the report said. Furthermore, 99 percent companies were registered online and around 33 percent of the companies were registered in same day. The report said that in the financial year 2020-21, the construction and real estate sector took the lead with the incorporation of 4,394, trading with 4,062, IT with 2,835, services with 2,264, corporate agricultural farming with 80, food and beverages with 1,070, ecommerce with 949, education with 664, textile with 333, pharmaceutical with 566, tourism with 498 each, fuel and energy with 165, engineering with 585, marketing and advertisement with 565, transport with 254, healthcare with 196, mining and quarrying with 294, chemical with 327, cosmetics and toiletries with 239, auto and allied with 318, communication with 176, broadcasting and telecasting with 149, cables and electric goods with 244, power generation with 221, steel and allied with 151, paper and board with 99, and 3,835 companies were registered in other sectors. Foreign investment was reported in 529 new companies. These companies have foreign investors from Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea (South), Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, the US, Uzbekistan and Yemen, report said. staff report

Pakistan to benefit from Indonesian’s palm oil export: Envoy ISLAMABAD staff report

Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan, Adam Mulawarman Tugio on Sunday said that Indonesia lifted the global ban on palm oil export from last week and now palm oil supply in Pakistan would be improved. Indonesia is the largest supplier of palm oil to Pakistan as the palm oil would now be available in the local markets, Ambassador Adam Mulawarman Tugio told APP here. In this regard, the Indonesian government is paying a special attention to increase the supply of Palm oil into Pakistani markets. He acknowledged that due to the ban on exports of palm oil, people and traders of Pakistan had faced difficulties. For that matter, the Indonesian embassy in Islamabad will fully cooperate with the local market, said the ambassador. Last week, Indonesian President Joko

Widido lifted the ban on palm oil exports. The Ambassador said that in early May, 2022, the Indonesian government temporarily banned global exports of palm oil for local market regulation and stabilization. Moreover, ambassador apprised that considering the global trade dynamics and the global supply chain, the decision was made on palm oil exports, which would improve price stability in Indonesia’s domestic market. The Ambassador said, with the arrival of holy month of Ramzan, edible oil consumption in Indonesia also increased and it becomes difficult to provide edible oil to the local Indonesian market of 270 million people with global exports. Replying to a question, he said that the global consumption of palm oil worldwide was currently 70 MT, of which 33 MT was produced in Indonesia. Similarly, Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of palm oil, which also im-

pacts the local Indonesian market and has to be adjusted according to its prices, he said. In response to another question, he said that Pakistan was a big consumer of Indonesian palm oil as Islamabad was exporting $2.8 billion worth of palm oil annually from Indonesia. Adam M. Tugio said the policy was designed to meet the demand for palm oil in the local market in Indonesia, both at domestic and industrial level. Meanwhile, talking to APP, Amir Waheed, former president of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and Palm Oil Exporter from Indonesia, appreciated the resumption of palm oil exports by the Indonesian government. Amir Waheed said that there would be a stabilization in ghee and edible oil prices in the local market. He said that the ban on palm oil export from Indonesia has an impact on both industrial and domestic levels in Pakistan.

He said that due to demand and supply, local prices of edible oil had increased. Senior business leader and former president, ICCI Atif Ikram, said that the Indonesian government has taken a good step by restoring palm oil supply to Pakistan. According to the data issued here by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the palm oil import surged by 46.74 percent during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year. The palm oil import during July-March (2021-22) was recorded at $2,730.668 million against the imports of $1,860.934 million in July-March (2020-21), the data said. On the other hand, the soybean import also went up by 113.73 percent to $103.283 million as compared to the import of $48.325 million during last fiscal year. On a year on year basis, the palm oil import witnessed an increase of 5.43 percent during March 2022 as compared to the same

month of last year. The palm oil import during March 2022 was recorded at $290.524 million against the import of $275.549 million in March 2021), according to PBS data. The soybean import during the month under review also increased by 100 percent to $11.750 million as compared to the zero import of the same month of last year. Meanwhile, on a month to month basis, the palm oil import declined by 6.21 percent in March 2022 as compared to the import of $309.766 million in February 2022. The import of soybean, however, went up by 27.7 percent in March 2022 as compared to the imports of $16.772 in February 2022. It is pertinent to mention here that ‘Edible Oil’ prices have gone following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The two countries produced about 71% of the world’s sunflower oil, and the recent absence of exports had caused demand for substitutes, including palm oil, to spike.

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