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Friday, 23 April, 2021 I 10 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 295 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

imran vows unwavering fight against terrorism after ‘Cowardly’ Quetta attaCk g

Rasheed confirms explosion as suicide attack, says it was aimed at disrupting peace ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

day after a car bomb blast ripped through Serena Hotel’s parking in Quetta, leaving four people dead, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack” and expressed his resolve to “not allow the scourge of terrorism to rise again”. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives in the condemnable & cowardly terrorist attack in Quetta yesterday,” the prime minister said in a tweet. “Our nation has made great sacrifices in defeating terrorism & we will not allow this scourge to rise again. We remain alert to all internal & external threats.” Reports citing people familiar with the situation suggested Imran personally monitored the situation on the ground until late at night and directed the Ministry of Interior to probe the incident thoroughly. In his message, President Dr Arif Alvi said that “enemies of the nation” wanted to stoke unrest in

the country through “their nefarious designs”. In a statement carried by the state-owned APP agency, Alvi said the culprits, who committed this heinous act in the holy month of Ramadan, were the enemies of country and Islam. He also prayed for the departed souls to rest in peace and for the grant of patience to their families. ‘ATTACK AIMED AT DISRUPTING PEACE’: In a press conference, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, while confirming that the blast was a suicide attack, said that the objective was to “dis-

rupt peace in Pakistan”. “The [attacker] was a suicide bomber and used C4 explosives [a plastic explosive used in military operations], weighing between 60 to 70 kilogrammes. He stayed in the car which has been sent for forensic [analysis],” he said. The minister further said that six of the injured remained in hospital, while one or two were in critical condition. Rasheed said that the attack was carried out by the same “forces which opposed the country’s development and wanted to undo the stability gained by the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) government”, as well as disrupt Quetta’s peaceful environment. He had on Wednesday blamed New Delhi for the bombing, telling a private news channel that Pakistan had only one enemy and it was India.

LAHORE The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday approved the post-arrest bail request of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif in the assets beyond means and money laundering case. The verdict was announced by a three-member full bench constituted by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Monday to decide afresh the request after a division bench gave a split decision on it last week. Headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, the bench comprised Justice Alia Neelum and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi resumed hearing on Wednesday.

The new bench was constituted after the members of the division bench issued a split decision on Shehbaz’s bail petition, sending the matter to the Chief Justice Khan for the nomination of a referee judge. Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar, who headed the bench, allowed the petition, while its other member, Justice Asjad Javed Ghural, dismissed the same on merits. Shehbaz had moved the high court for postarrest bail in the reference — filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) — in March, five months after he was sent to jail on judicial remand by a trial court. The dirty money watchdog had arrested Shehbaz in September after the LHC denied him further relief of pre-arrest bail in the case. In his bail request, Shehbaz alleged the NAB

lahore

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karachi

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iftar: 6:39 PM

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fiqah-e-jafaria lahore

islaMabad

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Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

778,238

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Pakistan, China say all security measures in place for Chinese nationals STORY ON PAGE 03

LHC grants bail anew to Shehbaz in wealth case Staff RepoRt

fiqah-e-hanfia

LAST UPDATED AT 7:24 AM ON APRIL 22, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

5,857

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

676,605 16,698 proceedings against him had been prompted by mala fide intention, ulterior motive, and considerations extraneous to law. He said that the registration of a series of cases in quick succession against him and his repeated arrests at the behest of the government had been a classic example of misuse of the process of NAB to muffle the voice of the opposition.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

275,081

279,437

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

109,704 AJK/GB: 16,026 / 5,215

21,242 ISLAMABAD:

71,533

Friday, 23 April, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

Pm imrAN summoNs Ncc meetiNg to review risiNg covid-19 cAses ISLAMABAD

MiAn AbrAr

RIME Minister Imran Khan has summoned an emergent meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) for Covid-19 on Friday as key decisions are expected from the meeting in the wake of rising coronavirus cases and deaths across the country. Sources told Pakistan Today that the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran will be attended by federal ministers, chief ministers and chief secretaries of the four provinces. The meeting will review the pandemic situation across the country. In this regard, Pakistan Today learned that the meeting chaired by the PM would evaluate its options to counter the recent spike in infections of Covid-19. Over the past week or so, the average positivity ratio across the country stand at 11 per cent and the numbers are not dropping down from five thousand new infections on a daily basis. The source said that the meeting led by the prime minister would discuss the possibility of imposition of lockdown in major cities of the country with a rate of more than ten per cent, while business activities in major cities and areas could be suspended and offices closed.

Active covid-19 cAses surge to 84,935; 98 more die ISLAMABAD TLTP Pakistan has reported 5,857 new coronavirus infections during the last 24 hours, raising the total tally to 778,238 nationwide. According to the official data issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday, 57,591 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, from which 5,857 tests returned positive, showing a positivity rate of 10.16 per cent. About 98 more succumbed to coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the country-wide death tally to 16,698. Most of the deaths occurred in Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Meanwhile, 3,986 patients recovered from the deadly disease in a day taking total recoveries to 676,605. According to NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases across the country were reported to be 84,935. The NCOC data showed at least four Pakistani cities where ventilator occupancy rates had crossed 80 per cent as a third wave of Covid-19 sweeps through the country. The highest number of ventilators occupied in the country was found to be in Mardan with 100 per cent occupancy, followed by Gujranwala with 88 per cent occupancy, followed by Multan at 85 per cent and Lahore at 82 per cent. The NCOC further reported that the highest number of oxygen bed occupancy in the country was in Gujranwala at 85 per cent followed by Peshawar at 74 per cent,

It is said that the decision of lockdown is likely in the cities of coronavirus with a rate of more than ten per cent. Businesses are likely to be suspended and offices closed in

Abbasi claims NAB should investigate Pm imran, calls for Ncoc shutdown Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) stalwart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi took shots against the sitting government, the sugar producers, and the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), calling for their arrests and shutdowns. Speaking to the media outside an accountability court in the federal capital, the former premier said that PM Imran, along with 40 per cent of the sugar producers in the country, should be placed in jail. He accused the government of mishandling the pandemic and said that Pakistan is one of the only countries in the world where people must pay for the vaccine themselves. In this regard, he said that the NCOC should be shut down. The government has been unable to buy a single coronavirus vaccine, the former PM continued, adding that a country like Pakistan with a population of 230 million people is vaccinating its people through charity. “It is unfortunate that coronavirus cases keep increasing in Pakistan, while the world is controlling it,” he said. He also condemned the attack against the former chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Absar Alam. Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday summoned former prime minister Abbasi for questioning in connection with its fresh graft inquiry against him. The PML-N stalwart is required to turn up before the NAB Rawalpindi office on April 26 along with the record. The inquiry pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and the illegal appointment of Syed Wamiq Bokhari as its managing director. Abbasi is alleged to play a role in the appointment of Bokhari during his stint as petroleum minister. The PML-N leader is already facing two references instituted by the bureau. One of them pertains to alleged illegal appointments in the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) while the other is related to the award of an LNG Terminal-I contract to a firm at Port Qasim Karachi at exorbitant rates. news Desk

JcP recommends appointments of 12 new additional judges in LHc ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) on Thursday recommended the appointment of 12 new additional judges in the Lahore High Court (LHC). The JCP met here under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed. Senior judges of the Supreme Court (SC), the attorney general, the law minister and other members attended the meeting. The nominees include Shan Gul, the Punjab additional advocate general, Ali Zia Bajwa, Abid Hussain Chatta, Barrister Tanvir Sultan, Raheel Kamran Sheikh, Muhammad Raza Qureshi, Anwaar Hussain, Tariq Nadeem, the assistant advocate general, Ahmad Nadeem Arshed and Amjad Rafique, the Punjab additional prosecutor, as well as district and sessions judges Safdar Salim Shahid and Shakil Ahmed. The JCP had referred the recommendations to the Parliamentary Committee on Judges’ Appointments. APP

Nowshera at 67 per cent and Swabi at 67 per cent. About 57,591 Covid-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours out of which 12,881 were conducted in Sindh, 28,829 in Punjab, 8,007 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 5,344 in Islamabad, 1,096 in Balochistan, 565 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 725 tests were conducted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Out of the total 16,698 reported deaths, there had been about 4,562 deaths in Sindh, 8,829 in Punjab, 2990 in KP, 649 in Islamabad, 226 in Balochistan, 104 deaths in GB and 423 deaths were reported in AJK. The NCOC also reported that a total of 11,377,423 tests had been conducted since the outbreak of the virus. There are about 633 hospitals with Covid-19 facilities with more than 5,400 patients admitted across the country, it added. Punjab has reported 54 more deaths from the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours. According to Punjab’s Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, 2,902 new infections were reported across the province during the same period, taking the provincial tally of cases to 279,437. A total of 28,829 samples were tested, out of which 2,902 turned out to be positive. Of the new cases, Lahore reported 1,466 infections, Multan 204, Faisalabad 179, Rawalpindi 133, Sargodha 110, and Bahawalpur 103. Around 2,351 people recovered from the disease, taking the number of recoveries to 226,380. Sindh recorded 734 more Covid-19 cases during the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 275,814.

the lockdown cities and areas. The NCC will give final approval to the lockdown decision in the most affected cities. On the other hand, according to the

data released by the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), 57,591 Coronavirus tests were conducted during the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of

Gulf between PPP, PML-N widens as latter boycotts key meeting ISLAMABAD MiAn AbrAr

Differences between the opposition parties in the upper house of the parliament further intensified on Thursday as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) boycotted the meeting convened for division of the chairpersons of the Senate standing committees between the treasury and opposition. According to the sources, despite an invitation by Yousaf Raza Gillani, PML-N’s Musaddiq Malik did not attend the meeting convened to decide the matter. According to sources in both the opposition parties, an important meeting was convened between the

government and opposition delegations on the issue of formation of standing committees in the Senate. The government delegation included Leader of the House Senator Shehzad Wasim, Federal Ministers Shibli Faraz and Azam Swati while the opposition was represented by Gillani and Senator Sherry Rehman. The PML-N delegation refused to attend the meeting of the government and opposition delegations. According to sources, the PML-N has sought the chairmanship of 27 committees for the opposition in the Senate. Sources said that the opposition had proposed a formula of chairing 22 committees while the government would get chairpersonship of 16 committees.

Court extends detention of Asif in NAB case LAHORe inP

An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday extended the judicial remand of PML-N MP Khawaja Asif in assets beyond means case until May 6. The former foreign minister was produced before the court as Accountability Judge Asad Ali Chaudhry resumed the hearing. “When will a reference be filed [against Asif] in the case,” the judge asked a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor. To which the latter said the inquiry against the accused has been converted into an investigation. The court directed the prosector to submit a reply at the next hearing. The matter was adjourned until May 6. According to the charge sheet against Asif, NAB was carrying out investigations against him under Clause 4 of the NAB Ordinance, 1999 and Section 3 of the Anti-

Money Laundering Act, 2010. “Before assuming the public office in 1991, the total worth of Khawaja Asif’s assets was Rs5.1 million which increased to Rs221m in 2018 after serving on different posts that do not match with his known sources of income,” said the statement. “Accused Khawaja Asif claimed to have received Rs130 million from a UAE firm M/s IMECO, but during the course of the investigation, he failed to present any solid evidence of receiving this amount as a salary,” it said. “This clearly shows that the accused tried to prove his income through fake sources.” Moreover, NAB alleges that Asif was also running a company, Tariq Mir and Company — registered in the name of his staffer — through his frontmen. It said that an amount of Rs400 million was deposited in the account of Tariq Mir and no sources of this huge amount were disclosed.

code 19 tests to 1,137,742. A further 5,857 positive cases have been reported. The number of coronavirus patients in Pakistan has reached 778,238. So far, 275,081 in Sindh, 279,437 in Punjab, 19,704 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 71,533 in Islamabad, 21,242 in Balochistan, 16,026 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 16,026 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). It is pertinent here to mention that a special plane of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) carrying 0.5 million doses of the SinoVac vaccine arrived at NurKhan Airbase, Islamabad, from China on Thursday. The consignment is procured on payment from China. The consignment arrives as Pakistan gears up to provide vaccine jabs to all its people across the country after Eidul Fitr. Moreover, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood said on Thursday that Pakistan and China have set a new model of cooperation in combatting the Covid-19 pandemic and all countries should uphold multilateralism to fight the disease. Representing Pakistan at the six-country Vice Foreign Ministers’ Video Conference from Islamabad, the foreign secretary underscored the global community needed solidarity and cooperation to fight the pandemic. Hosted by Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, the video conference was attended b Vice-Foreign Ministers and Foreign Secretaries from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Foreign Secretary Sohail appreciated China’s initiative to set up this forum and said today’s conference was taking place at a time when the region was battling against the pandemic. Despite challenges posed by Covid-19, he said, Pakistan and China carried forward the momentum of development and construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He lauded China’s remarkable achievement in eradicating extreme poverty.

Police open probe into shooting of journalist ISLAMABAD MoniToring rePorT

Police have opened an investigation into Tuesday’s shooting and wounding of a journalist and former Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chief. Absar Alam, who is in his 50s, was shot at in a park close to his home in Islamabad, police said in an initial statement. He was shot in the ribs and was in hospital but out of danger, police said. “I have not lost my spirit, and I will not lose my spirit,” Alam said in a video message he recorded in a car on his way to the hospital after the attack. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s relations with the press and broadcasters have become increasingly strained since he took office after an election in July 2018. In a rare statement, the military denied involvement in the shooting. “We vehemently deny this. The military has nothing to do with this,” the military’s InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) wing told Reuters. Activists claim the crackdown on the media since 2018 has left 3,000 journalists and other media workers jobless. Amnesty International and the Community to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on authorities to investigate the shooting and find those responsible. The shooting “highlights the dangerous climate that all members of the press face in Pakistan if they dare to criticise the country’s powerful military”, said Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator. Reporters Without Borders (RWB) ranked Pakistan among the five dangerous countries for journalists in 2020, when four journalists were killed.

Three ‘Eid Special Trains’ to run on Eidul Fitr NewS DeSk Three special trains will be operational during the upcoming Eidul Fitr holidays under the purview of Pakistan Railways, it emerged on Thursday. According to details, the trains will run from Quetta to Rawalpindi, Karachi to Peshawar, and Karachi to Lahore. However, as per the government directives to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the trains will only operate at 70 per cent capacity. The special trains will be equipped with Economy, Business, AC and AC Lower coaches,

Friday, 23 April, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

TArEEN sAys AssurEd of mEETiNg wiTH imrAN LAHORe

Staff RepoRt

HE ice between Imran Khan and his once close friend Jahangir Tareen appears to be breaking as the disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leader on Thursday said he had been assured of a meeting with the prime minister “in a few days”. Speaking to the reporters outside a district and sessions court in Lahore, Tareen said that he had been “contacted by some individuals from Islamabad who said that our group [of PTI parliamentarians] would have a meeting with the prime minister in a few days”. “Our entire group will meet the prime minister soon,” said he, adding that his relationship with Imran was not “weak”. In March, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered two cases against Tareen and his son Ali Tareen on charges of

corporate fraud and money laundering. The cases were registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating of public shareholders), and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) — with sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 — on March 22. One of the cases claims Tareen transferred Rs3.14 billion from the accounts of his JDW-Group to Faruki Pulp Mills Limited (FPML), a company said to be owned by his son and a relative. The money was then transferred to the accounts of his family members. Likewise, the second complaint says “voluminous withdrawals amounting to at least Rs2.2 billion were fraudulently and dishonestly made through a trusted cash rider”. Today, Tareen claimed “fake cases” had been registered against him which did not have anything to do with the FIA. “These are cases concerning the Securities and

NAB summons Punjab minister in sugar probe LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leader and Punjab Irrigation Minister Mohsin Leghari on May 4 in connection with the probe into last year’s sugar scam. He has been directed to appear before the Rawalpindi office of the dirty money watchdog. Reports suggest a combined investigation team (CIT) of the agency will quiz the ruling MP. Leghari has also been directed to bring the record pertaining to the subsidy awarded on sugar between 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, the documentation of the export permit was also sought. The agency is investigating the sugar scam under the AntiMoney Laundering Act, 2010, and has also summoned Punjab Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry on the day. INp

Pakistan, China say all security measures in place for Chinese nationals ISLAMABAD: China and Pakistan Thursday denounced the terrorist attack in Quetta and said there were no casualties of Chinese citizens in the terrorist attack that hit the private hotel in Quetta, Balochistan. On the night of April 21 local time, a car bomb attacked a hotel in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan province, Pakistan, causing many casualties. Separate statements issued by both countries said that all the Chinese nationals were safe and all necessary measures were in place for the safety and security of Chinese diplomats and nationals. An official statement issued by the Chinese Embassy confirmed that Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong was leading a delegation on a visit in Quetta on the same day. “(However), when the attack occurred, the Chinese delegation was not in the hotel. Till present, no reports of casualties of Chinese citizens in the attack have been received,” the statement said. “China strongly condemned the terrorist attack, expresses condolences to the unfortunate victims, and sympathy to the injured,” the statement informed. Meanwhile, Foreign Office (FO) spokesman also strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Quetta. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the martyred and we wish a quick recovery to those injured. Such cowardly acts cannot shake our resolve to resolutely fight the scourge of terrorism,” a statement said. “Thorough investigations, from all angles, are being carried out in the Quetta blast. MIaN abRaR

Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR),” he said. He claimed the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) had also investigated his businesses during their tenure and sent notices. “But not even the PML-N turned a civil case to a criminal case,” he said. Earlier on Tuesday, a local publication quoted Tareen as saying: “We have been assured that the prime minister is ready to meet us. However, [I want to make it clear that] we will only meet Imran and not a governmental committee.” Today, he reiterated that his group will not meet any committee and will only meet the prime minister. Tareen expressed confidence he would “definitely get justice from the court” but remained silent when asked if those who had “conspired” against him would be successful. Speaking alongside Tareen, provincial

minister Nauman Langrial said that he had called on Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar who had mentioned and praised Tareen. “The chief minister recognised Tareen’s services for the PTI,” he said. During the proceedings today, the court extended the interim bails of Tareen and his son until May 3. Additional District And Sessions Judge Hamid Hussain conducted the hearing during which the defense told the court that his clients are completely cooperating with the authorities. The counsel further informed the court that the record against all the claims, made by the agency, is being provided to the probe team. At this, an FIA investigation officer (IO) said the accused has not submitted complete record. The court returned the file to the IO after inspecting it. The judge ordered the agency to submit a complete inquiry report during the next hearing.

Ties with Iran heading towards positivity, cooperation: Qureshi TeHRAN app

After concluding his visit to Iran, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that ties between Islamabad and Tehran have taken a direction of positivity and cooperation. In a video message, the foreign minister said that fraternal relations between the two nations had deepened following his visit to the country. Qureshi said that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had acknowledged that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran had improved remarkably over the last two-and-a-half years. He said that his meetings with Rouhani, Foreign

Minister Javad Zarif, and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf focused on strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing people-to-people contacts. “It was agreed that, like Pakistan, the parliament of Iran should also play a role in countering the growing trend of Islamophobia in the West,” said Qureshi. On the situation in Afghanistan, he said that Tehran and Islamabad had greater consensus on the issue for efforts towards peace and stability. Qureshi said that the Iranian side had also updated him regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) talks with the United States. He said that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Pakistan and Iran would open trade centers in border towns of the two countries.

PAKISTAN-ORIGIN STUDENT BLINDED, DISFIGURED IN NEW YORK ACID ATTACK New YORk Staff RepoRt

A 21-year-old Pakistan-origin college student from Long Island in New York was assaulted by a suspect who doused her with acid on her own driveway in an attack activists want investigated as an antiMuslim hate crime. Nafiah Ikram was left severely burned and nearly blind in the appalling March 17 Elmont attack, New York Post reported. Her father, Sheikh Ikram, 50, described the incident as a “planned attack” and said Nafiah was targeted on her way home from work. “No it’s not a random attack, it’s a planned attack,” Ikram told The Post. “If it was a random attack why did […] they waited for her to come home,” Ikram said, adding the suspect could have attacked his wife, who was outside moments earlier. “They come very closely to her and it was so much acid, like almost […] you can say one pound.” Nassau County Police confirmed the nature of the attack and said cops were looking for a tall slim man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and gloves. “The male suspect was carrying a white-colored cup containing a dark-colored substance which he then threw at the victim’s face,” the police said in a statement. Authorities believe the man may have fled in a 2013 or 2014 red Nissan Altima. Nafiah, who is studying medicine at

Hofstra University, and has plans to be a doctor, was rushed to the hospital by her mother, who also works there. “If I was not home if my wife was not home […] it would be maybe too late for her to even survive,” Ikram said. The family does not believe Nafiah was targeted in a hate crime but says they have no idea why anyone would want to hurt her, let alone in such a vicious manner. “Why? We don’t have enemies,” Ikram pleaded. “My daughter, she is 21. She don’t have any enemies from her childhood. She is a very friendly person.” Nafiah is just starting to talk again, but still struggles to eat or drink, because acid burned her throat, her father said. “She is very scared. My wife, she sleeps with her every night,” Ikram shared. “She cannot shower herself, she gets scared when the water goes in her face.. so my wife has to go in the washroom with her to bathe her. And both arms are burned, she can not do anything. So it’s very, very painful.” Nafiah struggles to see even a few feet in front of her, and the family is praying she will be able to regain her vision. “It’s really looking very poor. They [the doctors] don’t have answers for us. They did say ‘miracles do happen.’ “ “So, so far really, we are just hoping and praying that miracles do happen to people, and maybe it will happen to my daughter too.”

Top Pakistan, Turkish, Afghan diplomats to discuss Afghan peace prospects IsLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey will hold talks in Istanbul on Friday, Ankara said, after a wider Afghan peace conference was postponed because the Taliban said they would not participate. The planned peace talks in Turkey were scheduled for April 24 to fast-track an agreement between the Taliban and Afghan government in light of the announcement by Washington that foreign troops would leave

Tareen had returned to Pakistan in November after ending his seven-monthlong self-imposed exile after falling out with Prime Minister Imran following an inquiry into the last year’s sugar scandal that accused several sugar producers — including him — of “underreported sales and fraud”. At the time, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar had declared sugar-producing units under Tareen’s JDW-Group were found guilty of “double billing” and “overinvoicing” as well as “corporate fraud”. Tareen had rejected the findings of the Sugar Inquiry Commission. “I am shocked at the kind of false allegations levelled against me. I have always run a clean business. All Pakistan knows I always pay full price to my growers,” he had said in a tweet. “I DO NOT maintain 2 sets of Books. I pay all my taxes diligently. I will answer every allegation and be vindicated IA.”

Afghanistan by September 11. No new date has been set for those talks. Turkish Foreign Ministry said Friday’s three-way meeting would cover “recent developments regarding the Afghan peace process, cooperation in the fields of security, energy, connectivity, and irregular migration”. On Monday, Pakistan urged the Taliban to remain engaged in the Afghan peace process after the armed group said it would now shun summits about Afghanistan until all foreign forces leave. The decision was taken after the United

States said last week it would withdraw all troops by September 11 this year, later than a May 1 deadline set out by the previous administration. Taliban and Afghan government negotiators began peace talks last year in the Qatar capital of Doha, but progress was slow and violence continued to escalate in Afghanistan. Washington was attempting to speed up the process, which included pushing for the summit in Turkey that was to be attended by over 20 countries and global bodies.

“Today a new crossing point in Mand and Pishin had been opened which would not only benefit the locals but also strengthen bilateral trade,” said Qureshi. He added that he was returning to Tehran “very satisfied”. The foreign minister had reached Tehran on Tuesday for a three-day official visit. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Qureshi held delegation-level talks with Iranian officials. The two sides discussed the regional security situation, including the latest developments in the Afghan peace process and the Kashmir dispute. They also deliberated on strengthening regional cooperation under the umbrella of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). Qureshi’s visit was part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

HEC warns public against fake attestation agents News Desk The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Thursday issued a warning to the general public, advising them to be wary of the individuals who are masquerading as “attestation agents”. The HEC said that it had been brought to the attention of the body that certain individuals are posing as attestation agents and trick people with offers of helping them get their degrees attested. The individuals use fake stamps and tickets on real degrees and transcripts. All such degrees and transcripts, with fake stamps, are liable to be confiscated when submitted to HEC, the body warned. “All concerned are advised to be extremely careful in this regard, and follow the prescribed procedure for attestation instead of engaging potentially fraudulent agents,” it added.

Friday, 23 April, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

PakisTaN likEly To faCE uPComiNg ClimaTE ChaNgEs duE To gEograPhiCal loCaTioN: usaid ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

NITED States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Energy Office Director Don McCubbin has said Pakistan is likely to face the upcoming climate changes due to its geographical location. He stated this in a recent webinar organised by the USAID regarding “Earth Day” in

Islamabad. McCubbin said that issues like climate change, water shortage and air pollution are directly linked to Earth Day and Pakistan is challenged to face the upcoming climate changes due to its geographical location. He further said that Pakistan is one of the countries, where highest temperatures are recorded. To address such issues, the Pakistan and US governments have been working on projects to generate electricity without pollu-

tion and overcome water storage, he said. McCubbin also noted that under the USAID-Pakistan partnership programme, $171 million have been spent on the Tarbela, Gomal Zam, Satpara and Golen Gol hydropower projects. In addition, there are three ongoing projects, including Kaitu Weir, Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam rehabilitations, costing $256 million. USAID’s Energy Project Management Specialist Nadeem Habib said that the

USAID is partnered with the government of Pakistan on 11 wind energy and four solar energy projects, which together add 860 MW of clean energy to the national grid. These projects will help Pakistan meet its goal of having 30 per cent of the national energy supply from renewable and clean energy resources, he said, adding that the USAID has also participated in energy transmission and distribution in Pakistan, such as the Champee Transmission line.

“We have worked with the Pakistani government to build the capacity of the National Transmission and Despatch Company to expand the institution,” Habib said. “USAID has also been working with energy distribution companies to bring in new technologies, such as smart electricity meters, which were introduced in 2013-14 by USAID in collaboration with Pakistani government to continue to improve the transmission and distribution sector.”

ET&NC punishes delinquent official after finding falsification in vehicles’ registration LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

The Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department (ET&NC) has revealed that several non-customs paid Toyota Land Cruiser, Prado and Corolla vehicles were registered against motorcycle numbers in Multan under the guise of feeding of unfed data. The documents revealed that Motor Taxation Clerk Younis Khan, stationed at ET&NC Multan's motor branch, had changed classes of several vehicles while feeding the unfed data. The inquiry report said that while being posted in Multan, Younis had performed multiple transactions through unfed function in MVRS via his login. Whereas the audit team of ET&NC had checked the data of 247 imported vehicles and imported auctioned and local auctioned vehicles for the period from March to July, 2020 and found that the data of those vehicles was different from the manual record. According to the report, Younis had fed the data of a Toyota Corolla on the record of motorcycle number MNM-9473 and fed a Honda City data on the record of tractor number MNW-9530. The report further added that Younis had alleged that Zawar Hussain, previous MTC in Multan (now under suspension), had stolen his password and entered data without his knowledge. He had alleged that the functions performed through his user were not visible at the front end but were traceable from the back end of the MVR application, through which the fake particulars of those vehicles were entered in the computer database. On the other hand, Hussain had appeared before the inquiry committee and submitted his written statement, stating there that all the allegations levelled against him were false and baseless. The report added that during the questioning session, Younis had admitted that he was aware of the procedure to change the password and user of login.

LAHORE: Farmers are busy in harvesting a crop in the provincial capital. ZuBAiR MEHFOOZ

Women–devoid of appreciation for their relentless contributions, selfless services

IMTIAZ RAFI BUTT Men are considered superior to women owing to their strong physical, emotional and psychological makeup. Their profound social and economic role in society enhanced their superiority further. Since the beginning of time, men were believed to hold a higher pedestal merely on the basis of physical strength as they used to toil to earn livelihoods for their family, whereas women confined themselves to domestic household chores against no material remuneration. It was beyond imagination that women could operate heavy machinery, perform hard labour in the fields, transport heavy material, fight wars, fly jets, drive cars and perform hazardous or perilous tasks. Social recognition is only granted to labour that yields quantifiable compensation. Today, use of technology, modern machinery and intelligence has abridged the impact of physical strength and women can now perform all the tasks that were considered impossible for them. It is needless to mention that women were always involved in prudently planning the expenses of their houses without any recognition or appreciation. Although women are now being recognised for their capabilities and contributions, but still it is long before their pivotal role is duly appreciated. Women have been unable to achieve their rightful place in society. They have not been appreciated for their irreplaceable role in the household, spirit of sacrifice, loyalty and devotion to family. Most women sacrifice their lives for their household and fail to engage in any economic or social activity which painfully diminishes the acknowledgement of their contribution. Even modern western liberal societies

have miserably failed to recognise the rightful status and respect for women that they truly deserve. Women are extremely emotional by nature and sometimes these overwhelming emotions hinder them from achieving worldly success. This is the reason why it is an observed fact that unsuccessful women are exhibiting enormous leadership and management skills yet not achieving the desired results. Women living in villages and outskirts of large cities are toiling hard in the fields, looking after households as well as taking care of livestock yet they receive no recognition or wage for their efforts. It is a sad fact that women who outshine in a particular tangible field are able to get recognition whereas their irreplaceable intangible contribution in maintaining households, family building, educating and upbringing of children and supporting men in achieving worldly feats remains unrewarded and uncompensated. It is astonishing to note that even the uneducated women are remarkable managers, resourceful in budget making, visionary and extremely tactful in planning the future of their children. Napoleon rightfully said, “Give me good mothers and I shall give you a great nation.” The relationship of husband and wife is extremely complicated. It is extremely sad that women are judged on the basis of their conduct, understanding and behaviour as a spouse alone. Against general perception, women are extremely sensitive, loyal and hardworking. They transform homes into heavens, cater to the needs of everyone in the house, support and encourage men in difficult times, explore the best avenues for spending with austerity, bear the hardships of child birth and their upbringing are few of the most arduous tasks they perform. My mother Zaitoon Begum was also like that. I was only two months old when my father Rafi Butt passed away in an air crash in 1948 at the age of 39 years. This catastrophe changed our lives over-night. We were two siblings a brother and a sister. Our mother refused to marry in spite of tremendous pressure from the whole family. She was extremely insecure. I was not allowed to play outside however my friends were allowed to come and play with

me. On school days my mother or aunt would wait outside till the school ended. My mother who was not highly educated or skilled and never wanted me to be out of her sight took the difficult decision of sending me to Lawrence College Ghora Gali only for my better future. In order to safeguard me from the emotional trauma of being an orphan, my mother always reassured me that my father was a successful businessman who was residing in United States for work. It dawned upon me at the age of 14 that my father had martyred long time ago. She always told me about the personality, services, accomplishments, connections, relationships and feelings for the nation of Rafi Butt and consciously inspired me to develop these characteristics in my personality. She never mentioned that Rafi Butt was a wealthy man rather always reiterated that he was a noble and respectable man. She always said that she had learnt a lot from Rafi Butt in her seven years of blissful marriage. Quaid-e-Azam and renowned politicians, statesmen, bureaucrats, businessmen, poets, writers and journalists were his personal friends. I was unsure of my future at the time and would sometimes ignore her discourse but now I realize that my mother instilled the benchmarks of prominence and success in my mind otherwise I am afraid I would be living an ordinary life with trivial goals. Although my mother never achieved any astonishing social, economic or political feats yet she was definitely a super woman as she ensured that her son has a broad vision and sets a high benchmark with challenging goals for himself. It was my mother who made me fall in love with my father and his idol Quaid-eAzam. She instilled in me a sense of belonging and nationalism. She transformed me into a true humanitarian and Pakistani. When I look back I can conclude that all my success and achievements are due to the wishes and prayers of my mother and I know that she is smiling at me from heaven. In spite of being a housewife, she was truly a superwoman. The writer is the chairman of Jinnah Rafi Foundation.

Pakistan wants to cement ties with Saudi Arabia: president ISLAMABAD TLTP

President Dr Arif Alvi has said that Pakistan highly values its relations with Saudi Arabia and wants to further strengthen them. The president said this while talking to Pakistan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Lieutenant General (retired) Bilal Akbar, who called on him on Thursday. The president said that both the countries have shared bonds of history, culture, traditions, faith and values, and hold commonality of views on regional and international issues. Emphasising the need to facilitate Pakistanis residing in Saudi Arabia, the president asked the ambassador to help address the issues being faced by the Pakistani community. He congratulated the ambassador on his appointment as Pakistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and expressed the hope that he would make concerted efforts for further strengthening bilateral economic and investment cooperation. The president asked the ambassador to make all-out efforts towards the exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. He also highlighted the need to raise the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir at all available fora in Saudi Arabia.

Friday, 23 April, 2021

KARACHI

PM diREcts EAc AgAiNst iMPosiNg MoRE tAxEs ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Thursday chaired a meeting of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) and directed them against overburdening the masses with more taxes. Heading the meeting of the restructured EAC, the prime minister said that rather than imposing new taxes, out-of-the-box solutions should be proposed for providing relief to the masses. He directed the EAC members including Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, economic experts and others to present long, medium and short term road maps of important sectors of the economy including energy, construction, price stability, agriculture, tourism, social

protection, subsidies, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), remittances. He said that the council should remain fully functional for making suggestions on economic issues and further consult with the experts for recommendations on improving economic activities in the country. The prime minister said that the government’s measures have improved the business environment besides also boosting investor confidence. “We are eyeing to devise economic strategies in consultation with the business sector in order to ensure their sustainability,” he said while adding that reforms in the tax system to further simplify it was among the top priority of the government. The PM also sought suggestions from EAC members to further organise public private partnership.

NEWS According to the handout, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood gave a detailed presentation and outlined key priority areas for productive discussion including sustained and inclusive economic growth, employment generation, price stability mechanism, tax reforms, housing sector, ease of doing business, pension reforms, rationalization of subsidies, food security, revamping power and energy sectors, social protection network, health and improvement in overall governance. Ministers briefed the committee about the initiatives taken and progress made in their respective areas while private members of the EAC also gave their valuable input regarding strengthening the blue economy, need for road-to-market infrastructure development, import substitution, mechanized farming, gender-sensitive employment initiatives, harmonizing tax and tariff structures, climate change, SMEs, and streamlining circular debt and other power related issues. The finance minister underscored the importance of provincial participation in concerned areas for working out holistic solutions to the current economic problems. In his concluding remarks, he stated that there is a need to instill confidence and build public sentiment for sustainable and all-inclusive economic growth.

imran vows unwavering fight against terrorism after ‘cowardly’ Quetta attack CONTINuED fROM PAGE 01 “We had handed over the command of 13 security check posts to police, and the Frontier Corps were also ready to leave several others before this bloody incident,” he said Thursday. Without elaborating, Rashid said a final decision will be taken after investigations, adding that he had directed Balochistan Chief Secretary Mathar Niaz Rana to immediately look into the incident. He said that Gwadar and Balochistan were important for the country’s progress, terming the port city the “future” of the country.

LHc grants bail anew to shehbaz in wealth case CONTINuED fROM PAGE 01 He also said that the bureau failed to collect any evidence of any corruption, kickbacks, misuse of any public office for personal gain by him throughout his political career. THE CASE: Sharif, along with his son Punjab Assembly opposition leader and PML-N Vice President Hamza Shehbaz, was indicted in November in the Rs7 billion reference involving charges of money laundering and assets beyond means. The reference mainly accuses Shehbaz of being a beneficiary of the assets held in the name of his family members and frontmen, who had no sources to acquire such assets. It says the family members and the frontmen of the family received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. In addition to these remittances, the bureau says, billions of rupees were laundered by way of foreign pay orders, which were deposited in the personal bank accounts of Hamza and his brother Suleman Shehbaz. The reference further says Shehbaz and his family failed to justify the sources of funds used for the acquisition of assets.

PM stresses on uninterrupted flour supply to common man ISLAMABAD TLTP

LAHORE: Light peeks through dark clouds at sunset in the provincial capital. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

GHCL, PPIB heads to continue work till regular appointments NEWS DESK The government has allowed GENCO Holding Company Limited (GHCL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Muhammad Imran and Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) Managing Director (MD), Shah Jahan Mirza, to continue work in the same capacities as well as take up additional charges until regular heads are appointed to the positions. Sources privy to the development informed Profit that Muhammad Imran’s contract had ended on January 3. However, upon completion of three years of employment contract, the board reviewed his performance and

resolved unanimously that he should continue work in the same capacity for next 12 months. Meanwhile, the government has mandated GHCL’s Board of Directors (BoDs) to initiate the recruitment process for the appointment of a chief executive officer as per provisions of Companies Act, 2017, Public Sector Companies (Corporate Governance) Rules, 2013 (amended in 2017) and Public Sector Companies (Appointment of Chief Executive) Guidelines, 2015. Sources said that the government has also allowed the incumbent CEO to compete in the selection process for the new candidate. Similarly, the government has

given PPIB MD Shah Jahan Mirza the green signal to continue work as Alternative Energy Development Board’s (AEDB) CEO in addition to his own duties for a period of two months or till appointment of a regular head, whichever was earlier. The post was advertised on Jan 14 whereas applications are currently under scrutiny and interviews of the shortlisted candidates would be carried out soon. It is pertinent to mention here that the power division had solicited federal cabinet’s approval regarding the appointment of new heads of GHCL and AEDB which it was granted.

Oil extend losses into 3rd day on US stock build, pandemic fears TOKYO AGENCIES

Oil prices extended their losses into a third day on Thursday as a surprise build-up in US crude inventories and a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in India and Japan fuelled fears that a recovery in global economy and fuel demand may be stalled. Brent crude futures fell 18 cents, or 0.3%, to $65.14 a barrel by 0721 GMT, following a drop of $1.25 on Wednesday. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.18 a barrel, after losing $1.32 on Wednesday. Both contracts dropped more than 2% on Wednesday, closing at their lowest since April 13. They are down about 3% so far this week. US crude oil stockpiles unexpectedly edged higher in the week ended on April 16, the Energy

Information Administration said on Wednesday, with the inventories rising by 594,000 barrels, against analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 3 million-barrel drop. “An unexpected and high increase in the US inventories fuelled concerns over weak demand which came against expectations for a strong recovery in demand,” said Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst with Rakuten Securities. “What is hurting the market sentiment is also the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading again at a fast pace in India and Japan despite the fact there had been hopes that the spread of vaccination would improve the infection situation,” he said. India, the world’s third-largest oil user, reported on Thursday 314,835 new cases of the coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, the highest daily increase recorded anywhere. Japan, the world’s No.4 oil importer, is ex-

CMYK

pected to issue a third state of emergency on Tokyo and three western prefectures that could last for about two weeks, according to media reports. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, a producer group known as OPEC+, are heading for a largely technical meeting next week in which major changes to policy are unlikely, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and OPEC+ sources said. “Earlier this week, the market rose briefly on news of Libya’s force majeure on exports, but concerns over the spread of the pandemic in Asia are outweighing the Libya’s news now,” said Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at commodities broker Fujitomi Co. Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) declared force majeure on Monday on exports from the port of Hariga and said it could extend the measure to other facilities due to a budget dispute with the country’s central bank.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed the resolve to take all possible steps for uninterrupted provision of flour to the common people and ensuring stability in prices of the commodity in consultation with all stakeholders. The prime minister said this while talking to a delegation of flour mills associations of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Thursday. The delegation presented various suggestions regarding timely supply of wheat, availability of flour to the people at affordable prices and easy inter-provincial movement of wheat. The meeting also discussed matters related to flour supplies and its availability on reasonable prices. The delegation members thanked the premier for holding a meeting with them for the flour-related issues. They presented recommendations before PM Imran regarding the availability of flour and its supplies across the country. The prime minister assured the delegation to review all the suggestions. He said that the recommendations tabled by the flour mills’ representatives will be reviewed by the federal government. He said that the uninterrupted flour supply to the nationals and stability in its price possess importance for the federal government. He added that the government will take the necessary steps after holding consultations with the stakeholders.

NEPRA likely to notify decrease in power tariff MONITORING REPORT The electricity rates for consumers are expected to go down by over 61 paisas per unit under monthly fuel cost adjustments for March as the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) takes up a public hearing on April 28 in this connection. As per details, the petition seeks a reduction in consumer tariff for Discos on account of fuel cost adjustment of electricity consumed in March. The lower fuel cost, on approval by the regulator, would be adjusted in consumer bills in the upcoming billing month of May. The Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) on behalf of Discos has demanded a reduction of 61 paisas per unit to pass on the benefit of a better energy mix with consumers. The CPPA said it had charged consumers a reference fuel tariff of Rs6.23 per unit in March while the actual fuel cost turned out to be Rs5.61 per unit and hence 61 paisas per unit should be adjusted in consumers’ bills for next month.

Friday, 23 April, 2021

06 COMMENT

TLP’s rampage

TTP in India’s service Serena Hotel attack

eT another terrorist attack in Balochistan within nine days, and this time at one of the most protected premises in Quetta— the posh Serena hotel. Fortunately the Chinese ambassador and officials accompanying him who were supposedly the target, were not inside the hotel during the attack. Despite failing to go beyond the hotel’s parking lot, the suicide bomber had enough blasting material in his car to kill at least four and inflict injuries on at least 12 people who were inside the hotel. What one subsequently heard from the Balochistan administration was no more than empty heroics, like no one would be allowed to disturb the law and order in the province. The country’s security agencies were once gain found napping A variety of groups is involved in terrorist attacks in Balochistan. These include the offshoots of the sectarian terrorist network Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) that mainly target the hazara community for its Shia faith. The Indian government is deadly opposed to the CPeC in general and Gwadar port in particular. The RAW therefore aids and abets Baloch terrorist groups who oppose any development activity in the province. These groups have frequently attacked military personnel and those escorting the staterun Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDCL), besides killing several poor Punjabi and Seraiki labourers engaged in building roads or structures. About a couple of years back Baloch separatists had even launched an armed assault on the Chinese consulate in Karachi. What is worrisome is that responsibility for the attack on Serena hotel, apparently targeting the Chinese delegation, was claimed not by any Baloch separatist group but by the Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Years ago the TTP had for months taken over control of Swat where it claimed it had established a government based on the Islamic Sharia. evicted from Swat in military operation Rah-e-haq, it took shelter in Afghanistan from where it has continued to launch terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP has recently strengthened itself by bringing together a number of splinter groups under its umbrella. The Serena attack corroborates the view expressed in a Pakistan dossier handed over to the UN Secretary General that the TTP is on the Indian agencies’ payroll. The security has to brush up their performance to deal with a potent threat.

How the past shapes the future At Penpoint M A NIAZI

he Tehrik Labbaik Pakistan protests are convulsing the country, and to better understand them, one must recall two events, to illustrate some of the forces at work. That the events go back to the end of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th shows the forces are part of a continuity, not a harking back to an ancient past. The first incident was how Sultan Abdul hamid II of Turkey, got the French government to stop the putting on of a play about the holy Prophet (PBUh), back in 1889. It is interesting for a number of reasons, not least because France was involved. One reason was because it dealt, as the present case does, with something that was out of the purview of the French government. It also took place when the Ottomans were weak, and being forced out of europe. It also took place at a time when France had joined them in the Crimean War three decades before. That parallels the Pakistan government’s concerns about offending France, and thus the rest of the eU. The Sultan at no time threatened to expel the French Ambassador from Istanbul. The Ambassador was too useful in conveying his messages to Paris. The Sultan had threatened to go to war, and for his final interview with the Ambassador, had dressed in military uniform, showing that he intended to lead the military in person. he did not specify how the military would be used, but while France had no land borders with Turkey, the Ottomans still had North African possessions to act as a point from which to fight French forces in Algeria and Tunisia. There was also the Mediterranean, where the Turkish navy could attack the French. It probably would have been slaughtered, but it was still a possibility. An interesting aspect is that the French government did not say it had no control over the playwright or the theatrical company staging the play, but stopped it. It made no pleas that it was an issue of freedom of speech or artistic freedom. It is possible that the French involvement in the Suez Canal caused it not to wish any disruption. While militarily, it did not really run the risk of losing, it seems that it did not feel that the losses it would have faced even in winning were worth it. The French government was to go to war in the First World War, against those same Ottomans. By his intervention, Sultan Abdul hamid prevented blasphemy taking place, providing an example of nahy anil munkar (preventing the forbidden), which, along with amr bil maruf (ensuring the right), is supposed to be the purpose of an Islamic government. This was an object lesson in stopping blas-

Coronavirus complacency If there is to be a lockdown, why delay?

F the situation is as bad as the NCOC says it is, and it does seem so, why delay the lockdown it says may have to be imposed if there is a continued rise in cases? That the situation is dire should be plain. The country’s number of new cases is about 5000 a day, and the number of daily deaths is also mounting. The positivity rate has also hit unbelievable levels. The death rate has not matched it yet, as it will probably do in coming days. It is almost as if the only thing holding back the government is the Prime Minister’s insistence that a lockdown would be economically disastrous. There is a definite sense of satisfaction conveyed at the mounting cases in India, which seems as unfortunate as it is misplaced. however, there were odd echoes in India’s approach. One reason why cases are mounting is the Modi government’s belief that it had anything to do with the comparatively light hand laid upon the country by the first wave of the pandemic. This led it to open up too soon, and wink at violations of social distancing and to ignore failures to wear a mask. There was also the belief that the country had been saved by prayer, and the allowing of such superspreader events as the Kumbh Mela. Both the self-adulation and the belief in the power of prayer are present here, the latter being symbolized by the complete freedom to taraveeh congregations. If a strict lockdown is indeed imposed, then those congregations will pose a dilemma. There will also be the problem of eid shopping, which was such a headache last year, and by which shopkeepers set such great store (and of which they convince the PM too).After having faced off the TLP protests, would the government like to take on the same forces on the prayer issue? There are more vaccines coming in, but not enough seem to have been delivered to make a difference. There should be no false pride in saving people’s lives.

The world must cooperate FAIZAN AlI

he current period of the 21st century is characterized by the high and advanced tech systems integrated to almost every aspect of our lives. emerging technologies are moving rapidly and transforming the lives of the human beings. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data technology has been around for decades, governments have been paying increased attention to them in recent years, as the interactions between AI technologies, Big Data and political, social, and economic systems have increased in scale, scope, and impact. “Artificial intelligence is that activity devoted to making machines intelligent, and intelligence is that quality that enables an entity to function appropriately and with foresight in its environment.” “Big data refers to the large, diverse sets of information that grow at ever-increasing rates. It encompasses the volume of information, the velocity or speed at which it is created and collected, and the variety or scope of the data points being covered (known as the “three v’s” of big data).” There is a global race to develop, own, finance, dominate, and propagate artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. This will saturate the competition of the future and further divide nations based on their ability to capture these gains in a competitive global landscape. The concerned “researches and developments” are moving at a surprising pace. This rush for advancement has enabled these dualuse technologies to be disruptive as these emerging technologies are leading to the development and deployment of new military capabilities that could undermine strategic stability. States are rushing to expand digital hegemony

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Expelling the French ambassador would seem an odd punishment, for it has no sanction in the Sharia which prescribes the death sentence. If indeed the French President is guilty of blasphemy, then he must be treated accordingly.

AI and data analytics: The need for regulatory change

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

phemy, not punishing it, or protesting against it. It must be noted that what Sultan Abdul hamid did was not so much as express his displeasure or register his protest, as avert a law and order problem. The Sultan was not on very firm ground himself. he ended up deposed by the Young Turks two decades later. he probably did not want protests raging throughout his country, and his final message to the French Ambassador was that he was the ruler of the ‘Balkans, Iraq, Syria, Mount Lebanon, hejaz, the Caucasus, Anatolia and the capital’ was probably not listing out where he would draw his Army, burnt the places he did not want to erupt. To truly understand the TLP protest, the story of Ilam Din Shaheed helps, who also provided a potent reason for the creation of Pakistan. his story starts with the overturning of the conviction of Mahesh Rajpal by the Lahore high Court; Rajpal had published a book in 1923, Rangeela Rasool, which contained blasphemous matter against the Prophet (PBUh). There had been outrage all over India, and Rajpal had been charged under Section 153 PPC, for acting so as to provoke a riot. Convicted by the Lahore sessions court, the Lahore high Court decided on appeal that blasphemy against prophets could not be prevented, as that would be a restriction on freedom of speech. All legal remedies had been exhausted, though perhaps, one could argue, there was an appeal to the Privy Council, and if that was rejected, a petition to the Secretary of State. Anyhow, Ilam Din, who was only 21, stabbed Rajpal dead in April 1929. The trial and appeal took place quickly, and Ilam Din, the carpenter’s son, was hanged on 31 October 1929. One of the features of the case was Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s appearance on appeal. It was the only case he lost. Ilam Din’s body was brought for burial on Allama Iqbal’s personal assurance there would be no riot. 200,000 are said to have attended the funeral. The absence of a blasphemy law had led Ilam Din to take the law into his own hands. There were to be many reasons for the creation of Pakistan, but one of them was the desire to have a law which punished blasphemy against the Prophet (PBUh). It was not until 1986 that Section 295C was added to the Pakistan Penal Code. So strong has been the feeling on this that when Punjab Governor Salman Taseer spoke of changing

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it, he was assassinated by a police guard, ASI Mumtaz Qadri. This is where the TLP took off. Qadri was duly hanged, but the principle of legality does not seem to have been established. The state seems to be forcing Muslims into antistate actions. Ilam Din murdered a publisher, while Qadri murdered a Governor. TLP protesters kidnapped a DSP. While a Governor outranks a DSP, it is the latter who is at the business end of maintaining the writ of the state. Already, the clashes have led to the killing of several protesters and policemen. France must note the government’s readiness to sacrifice lives so as to keep its ambassador in the country. It is also worth noting that the TLP is basically Brelvi. The misconception had somehow arisen that Brelvis are less inclined to violence than Deobandis or Ahle hadith. This is patently incorrect. The reason is that Brelvis and Deobandis are both hanafis, and Ahle hadith are also Sunnis. The same texts are prescribed in the seminaries of all three, and all have a core belief in the Prophethood. The orthodox punishment of that blasphemy is indeed death, not as a particularly cruel fiat, but as a law and order issue. The assumption is that believers will punish blasphemy with death, so the state might as well maintain its monopoly over violence by making it a crime and punishing it with death. expelling the French ambassador would seem an odd punishment, for it has no sanction in the Sharia which prescribes the death sentence. If indeed the French President is guilty of blasphemy, then he must be treated accordingly. Merely expelling his representative won’t cut it. Then there is the representative nature of the TLP. It did not get votes in the 2018 election, being able to get only two MPAs elected in Sindh. That such a party could hold the whole country hostage is a comment on the administration, not on either the people of the country or the party. By stating that he shared the objectives of the TLP, and objected only to its methods, Prime Minister Imran Khan was actually telling its negotiators not to weaken. Actually, this is what the blasphemer dislikes intensely: the readiness of Muslims to die for the Prophet (PBUh) and his religion. Proposing that blasphemy be equated with holocaust denial, even if it succeeds, will not wing it with the orthodox, who held blasphemy a capital offence long before the holocaust took place, let alone its denial. It should not be ignored that, those who helped develop the TLP in the hope it would draw off Brelvi votes from the PML(N), did not know they were dealing with such a touch-button issue. The belief that an appeal to national interest will outweigh one to the honour of the Prophet (PBUh) is as touching as it is forlorn.

through AI platforms and data dominance. The explosive growth of electronic data for analysis is boosting the impact of AI. The big data growth is exceeding the human brain’s ability to digest what it is learning. Over the recent few years, analytics have been improved in efficiency, speed, and reduced in costs. These are also being employed in cyberspace and are now considered essential tools in information warfare. hence, these technologies are emerging as non-traditional security threats for states. emerging technologies may shape the balance of power among the states. Realism dictates state’s national interests are primary, and should be advanced in all circumstances and by all means available at the state’s disposal, be they economic, military or diplomatic, and through hard or soft power alike. Realists explain international politics as being governed by the pursuit of power and self-interest, and by a lack of trust between states. Since all states seek to maximize power in such a lawless world, realism emphasizes the prevalent nature of conflict and competition in world politics. This in turn validates the acquisition of military capabilities by states, sufficient at least to deter attacks in a dangerous and uncertain world. So, the states are actively and aggressively exploring and pursuing AI and other emerging technologies for an edge over their competitors. “The existing regulatory control regimes need to be readjusted to mitigate the dark side of the emerging new technologies of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data analytics.” The drive towards technological advances for

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

The writer is a member of staff. different purposes is faster than the enacting of the laws and regulations needed for preserving data privacy or sensitive information, and concerns for technologies versus the governments’ dimensions of security paradigms. The emerging technologies, on the other hand, require multilateral or unilateral treaties for regulation of their use and their non-proliferation. Technologies like AI, vast databases, sensor data, and information operations are intangible and may not be easily subject to traditional solutions such as arms control treaties. The existing governance mechanisms including arms control regimes seem to be insufficient to restrain new technologies. however, with the potential opportunities provided by the emerging technologies such as big data and the AI integrated systems, not much has been done in regulation of these technologies. The relevant states and international bodies, such as that of the UN, have adopted a wait and see approach to the advancements. All of them are painfully slow in their response and no restrictions are there on nation-states or companies building, developing and integrating, and hence exploiting, these emerging technologies. This lack of regulation or relevant international laws is challenging and it may furthermore become more problematic if no progress is made in this regard. In order to preserve the security landscape of the world, the establishment of norms of behaviour such as the Tallinn Manual (2009), a standard for normative behavior in cyber operations; use of law enforcement and developing some soft measures such as codes of conduct for scientists, communities of researchers, industries and enterprises and new legal processes may enhance cooperation among states and prove to be more suitable approaches for regulating the proliferation of these disruptive and dangerous technologies.

In order to preserve the security landscape of the world, the establishment of norms of behaviour such as the Tallinn Manual (2009), a standard for normative behavior in cyber operations

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The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Friday, 23 April, 2021

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

Foreign policy issues siR, Foreign Policy is too complex an issue to be a subject of discussion, whatever the pressure, to be discussed by ministers with a political or extremist religious party agitating on the streets. this crisis in which Pakistan has been involved, and its citizens subjected to harassment is a self- inflicted wound. it was highly irresponsible for federal ministers and others to get involved with an extremist group, making demands that do not fall within their jurisdiction. Diplomatic relations exist not just between countries having the best of cordial relations but also countries with whom relations are very tense. even countries engaged in war have to sit at the table with their adversaries to negotiate terms of ceasefire, or in the worst of circumstances, terms of surrender or the fate of POWs. We cannot isolate ourselves from the comity of nations. When the mediocrity that dominate the corridors of power, embark on exploiting religion and indulge in fabricating accusations against their adversaries, to dislodge them from power, including their belief in finality of Holy Prophet PBUH, then our external enemies cannot be blamed for inciting public sentiments. Zia exploited religion to involve us in a proxy war and his legacy haunts us. We are still fighting to eradicate terrorism and sectarian divide. Unfortunately, those at the helm of affairs, are not aware of the diplomatic norms and channels through which delicate issues between nations are to be resolved or discussed. Chaos and extremism occur in such countries and their economies suffer. as for the issue of finality of Holy Prophet muhammad and his nobility which is ordained by almighty allah sWt, it is a settled matter in Holy Quran, and cannot be so fragile to be dented by any human being, especially those belonging to another faith. Ali MAlik TAriq lAhorE

Deconstructing Iqbal’s embodiment and selfhood discourses Iqbal’s death anniversary was on April21

Yasir KiYani

xistentialism began in the 19th century and became prevalent in Continental philosophy, so a few dominant themes and modes of thought, particularly around the question of embodiment and selfhood, which pervade these existential philosophies must be seen in juxtaposition with the profound insights of allama iqbal. First, the rejection of the Cartesian duality of mind and body is present not only in iqbal’s thought but is shared by both atheistic existentialists like merleau-Ponty and sartre and ethico-religious existentialists like Kierkegaard and marcel. existentialists regard the human individual as both mind and body. they do not, however, view him as the Cartesian res cogitansa body plus mind- but rather, as a dynamic unity. to exist is to be embodied and human existence is none other than this relation between embodied consciousness and the world. in the Gulshan-i-Raz-i-Jadid (new Garden of mysteries), iqbal writes, Tan-o Jan Ra Do Ta Guftan Kalamast Tan-o Jan Ra Do Ta Deedan Haramast To talk of body and soul as two separate entities is hardly true, To see them as two things is a sin. existentialists generally dismiss as unintelligible any ontological notion of a consciousness apart from the body or which takes the body as its object. marcel cautions that any reference to our bodies ought not to be construed as a relation of possession. For my body is not an object; it is not something which is other than myself in the way that the external world is. the body is in fact the frame of reference around which the world is organized and which allows consciousness to pursue its concrete possibilities with respect to its projects and movements. the body is lived and experienced as the context and medium for all human strivings. echoing this sentiment, iqbal believes that the mind or nafs is the pure act while the body is only the act become visible. He quotes the following from Rumi: Bade az ma mast shod, na ma azu Qaleb az ma hast shod, na ma azu It is not we that get intoxicated through wine; rather the wine which gets intoxicated through us.

It is not we that live through body; the body receives life through us. For humanist existentialist Jean-Paul sartre, the body is experienced as a mode of becoming. in Being and Nothingness he contemplates whether consciousness has any discrete ontological status apart from the body. He concludes that the body is co-extensive with personal identity (it is a “perspective” that one lives). expressing a view not dissimilar from iqbal’s, sartre declares that consciousness “exists” its body. Furthermore, for iqbal, the self is not a concept or a thing, but rather a dynamic process through which the soul becomes embodied. in the Javed Namah he points out that the dualistic picture of soul and body is only an illusion created by language: You say that body is the receptacle of soul. Don’t be foolish; consider the soul’s secret; tangle not with the body. It is not a receptacle; it is a state of the soul To call it its vehicle is a confusion of terms. thus the body, for iqbal, is a mode of Reality and as such is necessary. matter is in truth spirit, only in space-time reference. He writes in the Reconstruction that “the unity called man is body when you look at it as acting in regard to what we call the external world; it is mind or soul when you look at it as acting in regard to the ultimate aim and ideal of such acting.” and from Zabur-i-Ajam we see iqbal point out: Be jan pushide ramz-e qa’inat ast Badan hale z ehval-e hayat ast The secret of the universe is concealed in the soul, The body is merely one of its modes of expression. the project of existentialism is to reach an authentic existence, to recognize forms of “bad faith” and foster personal authenticity. Religious existentialism assumes it is a true relationship with God which makes the individual an existent being, since reality itself is spiritual and life and self cannot be split along the Cartesian plane. Kierkegaard, for instance, defines the self as a synthesis of the temporal and eternal; we are not only finite psychical beings but also spiritual beings who become most fully ourselves in relating to the God who created us. melancholy, despair, anguish and boredom are all manifestations alienation from God. in all forms of despair the individual is alienated from his real self and that self can be attained only when it relates itself to its creator. in Armaghan-e-Hijaz (Gift of the Hejaz), iqbal writes: To ham misl-e man az khud dar hijabi Khank roze ke khud ra baz yabi You too like me are concealed from yourself. Lucky will be the day when you discover yourself. For existentialists, self-estrangement ultimately results from a loss of will and vitality and its result is inaction. to iqbal, however, the main purpose of the Quran is “to awaken in man the higher consciousness of his manifold relations with God and the universe.” therefore it is essential man regain his true spiritual self and thus

his freedom and creativity. in one major respect, however, atheistic existentialism differs from iqbal’s thought, on the question of the origin of the self. For sartre, “man finds himself thrown into existence” while human life itself is absurd. and how could it be otherwise, without belief in God? life and freedom are equally purposeless and both the world and our existence are without justification.that absence of meaning why, to sartre, the human condition is sunken in anguish. But iqbal draws his inspiration from the Qur’an, which asserts, “We have not created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between in sport: We have not created them but for a serious end: but the greater part of them understands it not.” (44:38) to Kierkegaard boredom and melancholy are universal conditions of existence and in fact spiritual ailments. Ultimately there is no escape except through faith. iqbal believes that life is purposive and has specific ends to fulfill. He elaborates in the Reconstruction that “to live is to shape and change ends and purposes and to be governed by them. mental life is teleological in the sense that, while there is no far-off distant goal towards which we are moving, there is a progressive formation of fresh ends, purposes, and ideal scales of value as the process of life grows and expands.” similarly Kierkegaard stressed constant striving. He claims that the dynamic character of existence is manifested in the unique individual who strives to exist as an authentic person. existence, therefore, truly belongs to one who strives for it. to Kierkegaard “spiritlessness is the misfortune of man.” this stagnation of spirit is the real cause of hopelessness, and what he refers to as “the sickness unto death”. similarly, iqbal too believed that “in the life of the spirit there is no standing still”.. in Payam-e-Mashriq (message of the east) he proclaims, Zindagi-e rahravaan dar tag o taz ast o bas Qafela-e moj ra jade o manzel koja ast? Life is constantly on the move, struggling and marching on its way, and that is all. Can you imagine any destination or goal for the caravan of waves of the ocean? and again in Bal-e-Jibreel he affirms: Har ek muqam se aage muqam hai tera Hiyat zauq-e safar ke siva kuch aur nahin Your destination is beyond any destination; Life is nothing but a desire for an unending journey. to Kierkegaard, to be lost in spiritlessness is “the most terrible thing of all”. iqbal cautions against this state of “conscious inertia” and ghaflat. Ultimately, to iqbal, spiritlessness is equivalent to non-existence- an existential condition he greatly bemoaned, as we conclude with these verses: Tan-e Bey Rooh Say Bezar Hai Haq Khuda-e Zinda Zidoon Ka Khuda Hai. God is fed up with spiritless Body He is the living God and is God of the living. The writer can yasirkayani@pujc.edu.pk

reached

The PM’s powers anOtHeR cabinet reshuffling took place on Friday. Consequently, Pm appointed ex- PPP minister shaukat tareen as Federal minister for Finance and Revenue by replacing muhammad Hammad azhar. However, he has already been a member of the economic and finance committee since april, 2019. Yesterday there was a big debate regarding shifting ministers in tV news channels and we have came to be known that a prime minister in the country has the authority it constitutional powers to appoint any unelected persons. this is for sure that a prime minister in the country can reject any ministers whose performances are not good or not bringing any change. Recently there occured a transpiration since Hammad azhar got removed after 18 days as it was a short time and was given energy ministry by Prime minister imran Khan. in fact it is Pm’s wills and directions to run the country in his way whether smoothly or badly. the citizens of Pakistan just want changes in the country and that changes should not be made just on cabinet. i request the government of Pakistan to work actively for the country. BArkATullAh TurBAT

Life under the Bridges as we all know that Karachi is the mega-city or you can say the overpopulated city. in order to control the vehicles and transportation of this mass level of population the city has so many bridges fly-over and underpasses. Urbanization is the major issue of the city because in ruler areas people are deprived of many basic needs which are commonly responsibility of the government. Karachi is the economic hub of Pakistan. there are so many families who are migrating from rural areas to the urban areas especially in Karachi, in order to have enough bread and butter which is sometime not available in the ruler areas. When these families come to Karachi they don’t have adequate shelter to live so they start living under the bridges or fly overs. and these settlements under the bridges add expanding day by day. these families are living under the bridges or fly overs from decades. these families are living in Golimaar, nazimabad, shershah, and so many other areas. in order to earn some money those people have acquired many small occupations. including selling fruits and vegetables, selling balloon, selling fish, and some of them take some clothes and give something small but new. and this is possible that because of the continuous expansion and settlements and lack of job opportunities the people do some crimes for example theft, snatching., robbery and the most worst thing beggary Which is continuously destroying and demolishing the image of the country. these beggars include males, females and the innocent kids. they are doing this awful act as their profession or occupation which is making it usual in the city. most of them are not CniC holders and obviously When does huge part of operation is not Bing counted in the total population of a country, they will definitely proved to be a burden on the country’s economy and on resources as well. this part of population is not only deprived of the shelter but also deprived from all the privileges and immunity of the adequate life. Can you imagine these families are living without electricity, without gas, and edible water on the other hand they are also deprived of the adequate severage system. another thing those people are also deprived of educational facilities. the most problematic thing is they are not interested in having education. their kids which are also the part of the future generation of Pakistan are not getting education and because of them the illiteracy rate in Pakistan will more raise. in the end i would like to say government should do adequate steps for their settlements and especially for education. i think they should have separate colonies. Otherwise this illiterate group of people will become unmanageable for Pakistan. One important step that recent government have taken “Koi bhukha na soye” is basically a program of providing food to poor people, and i think this is the huge problem of this population. if those people will have food at free of cost they will definitely stop committing crimes which they were doing to fullfil their stomach. and their life stander will be getting better. DuA FATiMA kArAChi

Friday, 23 April, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

IndIa’s descent Into covId hell “THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF BEDS, SHORTAGE OF OXYGEN, SHORTAGE OF DRUGS, SHORTAGE OF VACCINES, SHORTING OF TESTING”

Guardian

HannaH Ellis-PEtErsEn

ooking out over a sea of jostling, maskless faces gathered at a political rally in West Bengal on Saturday, the indian prime minister, narendra Modi, proudly proclaimed that he had “never ever seen such huge crowds”. A mask was also noticeably absent from Modi’s face. That same day, india registered a record-breaking 234,000 new coronavirus cases and 1,341 deaths – and the numbers have kept rising since. The country has descended into a tragedy of unprecedented proportions. Almost 1.6 million cases have been registered in a week, bringing total cases to more than 15 million. in the space of just 12 days, the Covid positivity rate doubled to 17%, while in Delhi it hit 30%. Hospitals across the country have filled to capacity but this time it is predominately the young taking up the beds; in Delhi, 65% of cases are under 40 years old. While the unprecedented spread of the virus has been partly blamed on a more contagious variant that has emerged in india, Modi’s government has also been accused of failures of political leadership from the top, with lax attitudes emulated by state and local leaders from all parties and even health officials across the country, which led many to falsely believe in recent months that india had defeated Covid. “Leadership across the country did not adequately convey that this was an epidemic which had not gone away,” said k Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of india. “Victory was declared prematurely and that ebullient mood was communicated across the country, especially by politicians who wanted to get the economy going and wanted to get back to campaigning. And that gave the virus the chance to rise again.” in West Bengal, where Modi’s government has refused to curtail the drawn-out state elections that his

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to win, Modi and his home minister, Amit Shah, continued their public meetings and roadshows into this week even as queues of ambulances lined up outside hospitals across india. on Saturday, the same day as Modi’s rally, the state registered 7,713 new cases – the highest since the pandemic began. Three candidates running in the election have died from the virus. By Sunday, #ModiMadeDisaster began trending on Twitter. Doctors on the frontline broke down, speaking of the deluge of dying Covid patients they had been unable to treat due to a lack of beds and inadequate state and central government preparation. Dr Amit Thadhani, director of niramaya hospital in Mumbai, which is only treating Covid patients, said he had given warnings about a virulent second wave back in February but they had gone ignored. He said now his hospital was “completely full and if a patient gets discharged, the bed is filled within minutes”. Ten days ago, the hospital ran out of oxygen, but alternative supplies were found just in time. “There are people lined up outside the hospital trying to get in and every day we are getting calls every 30 seconds from someone trying to find a bed,” said Thadhani. “Most of these calls are for patients who are critically ill and do need hospital care but there just isn’t enough capacity and so there is a lot of mortality happening. Everyone has been stretched to their limit.” Thadhani said this time round the virus was “much more aggressive and much more infectious” and was now predominately affecting young people. “now it is people in their 20s and 30s who are coming in with very severe symptoms and there is a lot of mortality among young people,” he said. The haunting blare of ambulance sirens continued to ring out across the capital almost non-stop. inside Lok nayak government hospital in Delhi, the largest Covid facility in the capital, overburdened facilities and a shortage of oxygen cylinders meant there was two to a bed, while outside patients waiting for beds gasped for air on stretchers and in ambulances, while sobbing relatives

stood by their sides. Some sat with oxygen cylinders they had bought themselves out of desperation. others died waiting in the hospital car park. in Mumbai, which was the first city to bear the brunt of the second wave, Dr Jalil Parkar of Lilavati hospital said that “the whole healthcare system has collapsed and doctors are exhausted”. “There is a shortage of beds, shortage of oxygen, shortage of drugs, shortage of vaccines, shorting of testing,” said Parkar. “Even though we opened another wing for Covid, we still don’t have nearly enough beds, so we have had to put some patients in the corridors and we have turned the basement into a triage area for Covid patients. We have people waiting in ambulances and wheelchairs outside the hospital and we have to sometimes give them oxygen out there. What else can we do?” Even those in the upper echelons of power struggled to find beds for their loved ones. Vijay Singh kumar, the national minister for transport and a BJP MP in the state of Uttar Pradesh, resorted to Twitter with the plea: “Please help us, my brother needs a bed for corona treatment. now beds are not being arranged in ghaziabad.” Announcing a six-day lockdown to prevent the complete collapse of the healthcare system, Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind kejriwal, did not mince his words. “The Covid situation in Delhi is grim,” he said on Monday. over 99% of iCU beds in the capital were occupied that day and by Tuesday, several of Delhi’s top hospitals, all with hundreds of Covid patients, had declared oxygen emergencies, warning they had just hours of supplies left. States such a gujarat and Uttar Pradesh stand accused of covering up the true death toll from coronavirus, with the numbers of bodies stacking up in hospital morgues far outnumbering official fatality figures. Among the worst-hit cities in Uttar Pradesh was Lucknow, where 22year-old Deepti Mistri – a mother of one who had no preexisting health conditions – was among the city’s dead, after falling ill with Covid on 14 April. Her uncle Saroj kumar Pandey, an ambulance driver who raised her from childhood, said he had desperately tried to find her a hospital bed when, two days later, her

oxygen level began to drop dangerously to below 50% but could not find anywhere that had room. “i realised Deepti needed oxygen immediately so i arranged for a cylinder for her myself,” he said. “i put her into the back of a relative’s car with the oxygen while i went around to a dozen private and government hospitals trying to find her a bed and a ventilator. But nowhere would take her.” Eventually, late at night on 16 April Pandey found her a bed in a small six-bed private clinic in Lucknow. it was not a Covid hospital but they agreed to take her for a single night to give her oxygen while Pandey continued his search for a hospital bed. “We kept looking all night but nowhere had a bed or ventilator for her,” he said. “in the morning the clinic discharged her at 5am, so we had no choice but to bring her home. Deepti died a few hours later because she did not have oxygen and hospital care. She should be alive today.” Twitter and Facebook have become a devastating catalogue of hundreds of thousands of urgent pleas for help finding hospital beds, oxygen, plasma and remdesivir, the drug experimentally used to help treat Covid patients, which remains in short supply in hospitals across the country. The dead, meanwhile, have continued to overload crematoriums and graveyards in the states of Uttar Pradesh, gujarat and Delhi faster than they could be burned, and families waited days to cremate their loved ones. on Sunday, Delhi’s largest cremation facility, nigambodh ghat, ran out of space, despite doubling its funeral pyres to more than 60. State governments in Delhi and Mumbai have been scrambling to rebuild the temporary Covid facilities they had dismantled months earlier, while the central government announced an amping up of the vaccination programme which would mean anyone over the age of 18 will be eligible from 1 May, though a shortage of supplies remains an issue. An edict from the government ruled that all oxygen meant for industrial use would now be diverted to hospitals to meet the unprecedented demand, and indian railways said they were all set to operate special trains specially designed to carry liquid oxygen and oxygen cylinders, dubbed the “oxygen Express”. Thousands of Covid beds have also been arranged in train carriages. Still, many fear that it is too little, too late. “The seriousness of the situation should have been realised months ago but instead governments were in denial and gave out messages that the virus was not that dangerous any more,” said Thadhani. “i’m worried that we still have not seen the worst.” Mohammad Sartaj Alam contributed reporting.

Macron’s antI-MuslIM fake news In the ft needs urgent correctIng Middle east eye

MUSLIM-BAITING PLAYS A VENOMOUS PART IN MAINSTREAM FRENCH POLITICS. THE BRITISH MEDIA SHOULD NOT BE ITS ACCOMPLICE

nabila ramdani

ny political strategist hoping to get a controversial message across to an educated audience would be hard-pressed to look beyond a letter in the Financial Times from the president of France. The FT is widely viewed as a peerless newspaper of record – one read by power brokers everywhere – while the chef d’etat of the French republic is one of the most powerful chief executives on earth. Hence, Emmanuel Macron was taken very seriously indeed when he spread fake news about his country’s five million Muslims in the FT last november. in a few toxic paragraphs, he conjured up a picture of lawless council estates where Muslim parents are poisoning the minds of little girls while covering their bodies under burkas. Without a shred of evidence, the president wrote: “Visit the districts where small girls aged three or four are wearing a full veil, separated from boys, and, from a very young age, separated from the rest of society, raised in hatred of France’s values.” The president also stated that these children spend their time in hellhole communities surrounded by “hundreds of radicalised individuals, who we fear may, at any moment, take a knife and kill people”. introducing disturbing biological references into his narrative, Macron said these areas were “breeding grounds for terrorists in France”. if the purpose of this sulphurous prose was to spread collective guilt, it certainly had the desired effect. An actual president had confirmed what venal propagandists have been saying for years – that France has been overrun by alien hordes, and that murderous, cradle-to-grave radicalism is widespread. Everyone from anonymous social media trolls with swastika avatars to the kind of racist pop-philosophers who currently dom-

inate French political thinking now had the president’s backing. WHOSE FAKE NEWS? The letter was a particularly important one, and received much international publicity, because Macron was also using it to accuse the FT of fake news. He was angry about an FT column that, he claimed, had misrepresented his position on islam. The article by an FT correspondent was wiped off the FT website, while the president’s writing – billed by Macron himself as a collection of “simple facts” – was published in full. The problem was that hardly anything that Macron wrote was true. The president had simply reproduced despicable tropes with no facts to support them. We now know this for sure because, four months on, nobody has been able to provide a scrap of evidence to prove Macron’s wicked deceit – neither the French authorities, nor the FT. Following readers’ queries, the FT put barrister greg Callus, the newspaper’s complaints commissioner, on the case. He was asked to justify a letter that continues to do untold harm to French Muslims, but after an excruciatingly lengthy process, has not been able to do so. Callus launched an investigation last December, and it was only in March that his convoluted adjudication was published. it stated: “i must admit that i myself was highly sceptical of one aspect of this claim, namely the use of the term ‘full veil’ being used in respect of the head-coverings worn by girls of this age.” The defamation lawyer added that these claims “trouble me” and that “i might still not be content to positively assert that these facts are true or have been established definitively”. yet, Callus stopped short of correcting or apologising for these untruths, saying he had “no general jurisdiction to fact-check

or adjudicate statements by world leaders or others who appear in the news”. FT editor Roula khalaf has in fact opposed a Society of Editors’ statement about the alleged lack of bigotry in the media, noting: “There is work to be done across all sectors in the Uk to call out and challenge racism. The media has a critical role to play, and editors must ensure that our newsrooms and coverage reflect the societies we live in.” HOLLOW WORDS: in light of the Callus adjudication, khalaf’s words might sound hollow and hypocritical. This is especially the case now that Macron’s incendiary allegations have been exposed. in fact, the burka (or niqab) – a full-veil garment that covers a woman’s body, including her face, apart from the eyes – is actually banned in France, and anyone would face a possible prison sentence if they forced a child to wear one. There is not a single recorded incident of a child in a burka, let alone any prosecutions or convictions. The urban myth that Muslims hide their offspring away, while teaching them to hate, is similarly obscene. This simply plays into macabre legends about communities who prey on the young, including their own. instead, calls to relevant bodies – from France’s interior Ministry, to police and prosecutors – have not yielded supporting facts. Sources there were all baffled by such sensational and reckless fantasies – ones that would instantly make front-page news if they were true. in an era when cameras are everywhere, there are no images to back up Macron’s fabrications about these infant sociopaths either. More than four months on, shining a light on such chronic perversions of the truth is particularly important, because they continue to play a venomous part in mainstream French politics. Earlier this year, far-right national

Rally leader Marine Le Pen sparred with interior Minister gerald Darmanin in a live TV debate about which one of them is toughest on islam. They were ostensibly discussing the place of religion in a secular republic, and how to deal with criminals who are drawn to terrorism, but as usual, the spreading of collective guilt took precedence. The terms “islam” and “islamist” were regularly interchanged, as Muslims per se were portrayed as a dangerous underclass largely made up of savage misfits prone to suicidal barbarism. There was no mention of the most highprofile lone-wolf terrorist outrages of last year being carried out by a Russian Chechen, a Tunisian and a Pakistani – instead, the implication was that Macron’s “breeding ground” estates on the edges of major cities, such as Paris and Marseille, produce all the knifemen. COURTING THE FAR RIGHT: Both Le Pen and Darmanin have disgraceful records for Muslim-baiting, and were more than happy to show off their prejudices to a mass audience of voters. Le Pen and her father, the convicted racist, antisemite and Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen, are past runnersup in elections to become president of France. Both represented the national Front, now known as the national Rally, a party founded by extreme nationalists who supported nazism and France’s collaborating Vichy regime during the Second World War, and indeed by those furious about an independent Algeria. The party’s current incarnation remains a dynastic vehicle for the Le Pens, with Marine Le Pen currently the favourite to once again go head to head with Macron in the 2022 presidential election, just as she did in 2017. This is why Macron covets Le Pen votes, and is moving so drastically to the right as he tries to take them. Demonising minority

groups by using weasel words is very important to this objective, as is obvious from the passage through parliament of Macron’s draft measures seeking to tackle radicalism. Macron originally called it a bill to combat “islamist separatism” – a concept that fitted in neatly with the kind of Muslim estates depicted in his FT letter – but now it is described as legislation “bolstering the respect of the principles of the Republic”. ENEMY WITHIN: Such rhetorical tweaks have not stopped the Macron administration from proposing much stricter controls on Muslims, however. Closer monitoring of the perceived enemy within ranges from tougher rules on the funding of religious organisations, to banning home-schooling for Muslim children (even in the middle of a global pandemic, when such classes are being encouraged for all others). The emphasis is on increased security, and the usual crackdowns on those who display their religious affiliation via their choice of clothing, for example. Thus, another spectacular inaccuracy in Macron’s FT letter was his claim that the French state “never intervenes in religious affairs”. Perhaps the most disingenuous, however, was Macron’s allegation that “i will not allow anybody to claim that France, or its government, is fostering racism against Muslims”. As with so much of the president’s double-speak, it is not worth the pink paper it is written on, despite its promotion by certain sections of France’s media. British outlets should know better. The FT is not a member of iPSo, Britain’s regulatory independent Press Standards organisation, but claims to adhere to the iPSo Code in relation to accuracy and accountability. in such circumstances, the FT should stop its complicity in spreading hatred against entire Muslim communities in France, and stand up for the truth by apologising and publishing fact-based corrections to Macron’s letter. Nabila Ramdani is an award-winning French-Algerian journalist, columnist, and broadcaster who specialises in French politics, Islamic affairs, and the Arab world.

Friday, 23 april, 2021

buSineSS 09

kaRaChi CORPORATE CORNER

CHIna aGrEEs To oPEn KHunjEraB BorDEr for TraDE ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

Pakistan Cables Limited has led the way in establishing a first of its kind industrial urban forest in the country, spread across 2.5 acres and home to approximately 40,000 trees at the Pakistan Cables new factory site, construction of which is underway at Nooriabad.

Bank alfalah posts Q1 profit growth of 23pc LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

Bank Alfalah Limited declared a profit after tax of Rs3.471 billion on Thursday for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 — which is 23% per cent higher against Rs. 2.281 billion for the corresponding quarter last year — according to a press release issued by the bank. The results reflect strong underlying performance across businesses, supported by the improving economy. Lower nPL charge also eased pressure on the profitability of the bank, the statement added. Earnings Per Share (EPS) stood at Rs1.95 (Mar 2020: Rs1.59). Asset quality remained strong, denoted by non-performing loans ratio of 4.18pc at end March 2021, marginally lower than December end. Absolute non -performing loans reduced by Rs506 million during the first three months. Revenue was marginally down from last year. The key reason being sharp decline of 625 bps in the discount rate leading to 12.3pc drop in net markup income, however, increase in earning assets and deposits supported revenue. non-markup income stood at Rs3.833 billion, increasing by 41.5pc, with strong contribution from capital gains and fee income. non-markup expenses were 4.5pc higher compared to the same period last year, driven largely by higher compensation costs, the full year impact of new branches opened last year along with expenses attributable to new initiatives. The bank said that it continues to invest in technology, people and businesses while maintaining credit discipline, to improve market share and to become the leading transactions bank. The cost to income ratio of the bank stood at 59.7. The bank’s focus remains on re-profiling its deposit base. Total deposits stood at Rs913.213 billion, 20.9pc up year on year and 3.6pc higher than December 2020. Current deposits are the main driver, up 25.1pc year on year and 5.9pc since December 2020. The Bank’s CASA ratio of 79.7pc remains a leading indicator in the industry. Gross advances were reported at Rs. 606.838 billion, up by 16.6pc year on year and 1.0pc versus December 2020. At quarter end, the bank’s gross advances to deposits ratio stood at 66.5pc. The shareholders’ equity dropped mainly due to dividend payout and AFS gain realised during the quarter. At the close of the first quarter, Bank Alfalah remains adequately capitalised with CAR at 15.60pc.

Pakistan to resume kinnow export to Iran MONITORING REPORT Iran has lifted restrictions on the import of Pakistani kinnow which had been in place since 2012. Taking to Twitter, Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi tweeted, “I am pleased to share some good news for our citrus farmers. Following discussions, (I am) happy to announce that Iran has lifted restrictions on the import of Pakistan’s kinnow.” Qureshi had met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the presidential palace on Tuesday. He also met with Pakistani diplomats in Tehran to discuss ways of strengthening economic and trade relations between Pakistan and Iran. Local media reports quoted officials and persons related to the matter saying that export of the fruit will increase substantially in the coming season and it is a good omen for farmers too as Iran is one of the largest markets for kinnow worth around $45 million. Experts have expressed hope that Iran could be the number one market again as it was a border-sharing country while Russia was a distant country so trade with the latter involved logistic challenges.

Hamdard Pakistan celebrates Youm-e-Babul Islam LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

Hamdard Pakistan on Thursday paid tribute to Muhammad bin Qasim on the occasion of Youm-e-Babul Islam. Founder of Hamdard Pakistan, Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said was considered the torch-bearer of Youme-Babul Islam’s movement and every year he celebrated this historic day as a festive in an annual ceremony at Hamdard Public School. Hamdard Pakistan’s Chief Mutawalli Sadia Rashid said that to commemorate the entry of Islam in Sindh, Hakim Mohammed Said established Madinat al-Hikmah on the exact place where bin Qasim’s army setup its first camp.

OLLOWInG Pakistan's persistent requests, China has agreed to open Khunjerab border for trade but with stiff conditions in view of the Covid-19 situation. Under the conditions set by the Chinese government, Pakistani exporters and importers would not be allowed to enter China and would instead load and unload goods on Pakistan’s side of the border for inspection and sterilisation. According to well-informed sources, Chinese exporters would leave the goods on a specific location of Pakistan’s side of the border from where importers may receive them after following the SOPs. Similarly, exporters would also leave their goods at the same location which buyers from China would receive after completion of the same process on their side of the border. As per documents available with Profit, personnel and the vehicles of both parties have been directed to work in different time frames to avoid direct contact. In this regard, loading and unloading, dropping and hanging up the trailer are to be done separately when the cargo inspection channel is opened. The opening of cargo inspection channels will be implemented in two phases keeping in view that disinfection and sterilisation facilities at Khunjerab-Sost

ALL PROCESSING OPERATIONS TO BE CARRIED OUT ON PAKISTANI SIDE; LOCAL TRADERS SLAM UNJUSTIFIED CONDITIONS Port will function from May 1. "In the first phase, from April 1 to April 30, both sides should conduct activities separately. There is no need to repositioning the container after unloading. The operation area is on the Pakistani side of boundary under no 7,” Chinese authorities clarify in their reply. noting that the entire process would be carried out in Pakistan, local traders have termed the conditions unjustified. Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) former president, nasir Raki, said that the one side opening of the border would only benefit Chinese traders. “It is unfortunate that no Pakistani would be able to enter China despite medical clearance. We would not even be able to cross the border after getting vaccinated with vaccines produced by China itself. This is one sided trade,” he said, adding that local traders would not accept the conditions. Earlier last month, Islamabad had asked China to reopen the border to facilitate cross-border trade and people-to-people exchanges. In a letter sent to the Embassy of China in Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated that

the border was closed on December 1, 2019 as per schedule due to the winter season, while its opening on April 1, 2020 was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. “To support the lives and livelihood of the local population on both sides of the border, it is imperative that regular cross-border trade and P2P exchanges may be resumed. Therefore, the border may be opened from April 1,” the ministry stated. “The esteemed embassy is requested to take up the matter with relevant quarters to open the border on the said date for smooth and regular cross-border movement.” China-Pakistan border remains closed from December 1 till March 31 every year due to severe weather conditions, as per the bilateral agreement. For the rest of the year, however, the border remains open for two-way movement of passengers as well as transportation of goods and cargo. The border was opened for a few weeks in July last year to facilitate the release of stranded containers, and again in September, to shift medical material gifted by the Chinese government to GB to deal with Covid-19.

Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL) announces Q1 financial results LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

The company reported Q1 revenue of Rs11.6 billion, registering 18 per cent growth year-over-year, illustrating strong and sustained topline growth. Facing a sharp increases in commodity costs due to inflation and Covid-19 related challenges, the company took initiatives to improve cost-efficiency and accelerate financial performance. As a result, the gross margins improved by 480bps compared to last year.

The business also continued to drive efficiencies in distribution and administrative expenses through multiple savings initiatives. Consequently, the Company registered a profit after tax of Rs 547 million versus a loss of Rs131 million in the same period last year. Led by its largest brand, Olper’s, the dairy and beverages segment reported revenues of Rs10.7 billion, registering a 15pc growth on a YOY basis. The company added to its portfolio by launching the Olper’s UHT Economy Pouch at Rs50 price point. Other recent launches also contributed

to growth by gaining healthy market share in a short span of time, despite strong competition. The ice cream and frozen dessert segment reported stellar 84pc growth in revenue, increasing to Rs903 million versus Rs491 million for the same period last year. By preempting an early start to the summer season, the division capitalised on its recent retail footprint expansion, created excitement by introducing two new innovations, and launched its summer blockbuster campaign to record its highest ever volumes in the (January-March) period.

Shell Pakistan posts Q1 profit of Rs1.9bn KARACHI PRESS RELEASE

Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) on Thursday announced the first quarter financial results, posting a profit after tax of Rs1,948 million compared to the loss of Rs4,332 million in the same period last year. Q1 saw a significant recovery compared to a very tough last year. The encouraging turnaround is mainly driven by continued focus on strategic priorities and operational excellence. The success was supported by increasing international oil prices coupled with the

appreciation of the Pakistan Rupee against the US dollar by 5pc during the quarter. During the quarter, the company continued to grow its network by adding seven new sites. SPL decided to issue right shares to ensure a healthy financial and cash position, to meet working capital requirements and to enhance shareholders’ value. The rights process was completed in Q1 2021. The right issue was fully subscribed by shareholders and the allotment of shares was made on March 2. Shell Petroleum Company Ltd. invested Rs9 billion, increasing its shares in Shell Pakistan from 76.1pc1 to 77.42pc.

DEG re-enters Pakistan insurance market through stake in TPL Insurance LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG), a wholly owned subsidiary of KfW Group based in Cologne, Germany, has acquired a 19.9pc equity stake in TPL Insurance by investing PKR 466.5 million on a fully diluted basis. The acquisition follows TPL Insurance’s announcement made in June last year to the PSE on DEG’s interest in acquiring an equity stake in the company subject to approval from the board of directors, shareholders, SECP and other regulatory bodies. This foreign collaboration will help TPL Insurance to develop its Agriculture and Micro Insurance segments, thereby increasing penetration of insurance in Pakistan. TPL Insurance intends to further develop its digital assets and bring efficiencies through digitization of business processes. The equity injection will also improve the financial strength and underwriting capability of TPL Insurance.

Tesla under growing China pressure after customer complaint BEIJING AGENCIES

Tesla Inc came under increased pressure in China on Thursday from regulators and state media after Monday’s protest by a disgruntled customer at the Shanghai auto show went viral and forced the electric car maker into a rare apology. The singling-out of Tesla in China, which accounts for 30% of the U.S. firm’s global sales and where it makes cars at its own factory in Shanghai, comes amid ongoing U.S.-China tensions and as other foreign firms have encountered backlash. “China will continue to open up its market to foreign business, but that does not mean foreign companies will be offered any privilege,” the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, said in an opinion piece on the “Tesla blunder”. On Monday, an unhappy customer clambered on top of a Tesla at the auto show in protest over the company’s

handling of her complaints about malfunctioning brakes, triggering a social media storm, with regulators and state media also weighing-in. Late on Wednesday, China’s market regulator urged Tesla to ensure product quality in the country, while the official Xinhua news agency said that Tesla’s apology was “not sincere”. Tesla sells roughly 30% of its cars in China, made

at its Shanghai factory. “The arrogant and overbearing stance the company exhibited in front of the public is repugnant and unacceptable, which could inflict serious damage on its reputation and customer base in the Chinese market,” the Global Times write. Tesla, whose cars are popular in China, declined to comment, but said in a statement it would share data on the

brake incident with regulators, after a local regulator demanded it. In videos that went viral from Monday’s car show, a woman wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “The brakes don’t work” shouted similar accusations while staff and security struggled to restore calm. Tesla on Tuesday apologised to Chinese consumers for not addressing the complaint in a timely way, and said it would launch a review of its service operations in the world’s biggest auto market. However, the Xinhua news agency said Tesla’s apology fell short. “A big company should have the responsibility of being a big company, no company can do whatever it wants,” it said in a commentary on Wednesday night. “If a company does not rectify when it has a problem, if it does not change a problematic senior executive … it will eventually make mistakes again,” it said. Tesla came under scrutiny in China when the military banned its cars from entering its complexes, citing security concerns over cameras in its vehicles.

Friday, 23 April, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

IsraelI polIce, palestInIans face off In Jerusalem JERUSALEM

AGENCIES

IgHTLy clashes and other violent incidents between Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem during Ramazan have laid bare simmering tensions in the city. Palestinians and Israeli police have clashed amid a dispute over evening gather-

ings at Damascus gate after Iftar, the breaking of the daytime fast during Ramazan. Meanwhile, a video on social media app TikTok purporting to show a Palestinian slapping an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man on Jerusalem's light rail train has drawn protests by Israelis and calls by some rightwing politicians for tougher police action. The incidents, which followed the start of Ramazan on April 13, threaten to break

millions face hunger as myanmar crisis worsens, united nations says YANGoN AGENCIES

Food insecurity is rising sharply in Myanmar in the wake of the military coup and deepening financial crisis with millions more people expected to go hungry in coming months, the United Nations said on Thursday. Up to 3.4 million more people will struggle to afford food in the next three to six months with urban areas worst affected as job losses mount in manufacturing, construction and services and food prices rise, a World Food Program (WFP) analysis shows. "More and more poor people have lost their jobs and are unable to afford food," country director Stephen Anderson said in a statement. "A concerted response is required now to alleviate immediate suffering, and to prevent an alarming deterioration in food security." The WFP said market prices of rice and cooking oil had risen by 5 per cent and 18 per cent respectively since the end of February, with signs that families in the commercial capital of yangon were skipping meals, eating less nutritious food, and going into debt. The agency plans to expand operations, tripling to 3.3 million the number of people it assists, and is appealing for $106 million, it said. A Myanmar junta spokesman did not immediately answer phone calls to seek comment. Myanmar’s army seized power from the democratically elected civilian government on February 1, plunging the Southeast Asian nation into turmoil and cracking down on mass protests and a nationwide civil disobedience movement with brutal force, killing more than 700 people, a monitoring group said. The crisis has brought the banking system to a standstill, shuttering many branches, leaving businesses unable to make payments and customers unable to withdraw cash. Many people depend on remittances from relatives abroad. Most imports and exports have been halted and factories have closed. The World Bank forecasts Myanmar's gDP to contract 10 per cent in 2021, a reversal of previously positive trends. Before the coup, the WFP said about 2.8 million in Myanmar were considered food insecure. The coronavirus pandemic took a heavy toll of the economy, which had been growing as it emerged from decades of isolation and financial mismanagement under former military governments.

renowned scholar Wahiduddin Khan dies at 97 NEWS DESk Renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan passed away in New Delhi due to Covid-19 complications on Wednesday night, Times of India reported. Khan, 97, is survived by two sons and two daughters. His son Saniyasnain Khan said Khan was admitted to a hospital last week after he had a chest infection and he had tested positive for Covid-19 too. Born in Azamgarh in 1925, the cleric was educated at a traditional seminary. A known peacenik who advocated peaceful co-existence and counselled moderation in conduct, he crusaded against extremism and orthodox interpretations of the holy texts. Khan penned over 200 books, including a commentary and a translation of the Quran in English, Hindi, and Urdu. His lectures, many of them available on youTube, are immensely popular. He also founded the India Islamic Culture Centre in New Delhi. He had hit the headlines when he gave his “peace formula” for the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute and asked Muslims to forego their claims on the disputed land in Ayodhya. Although, the request was rejected by a huge section of the Indian Muslim community. Khan was honoured with the Padma Bhushan — the third-highest civilian award of India — in 2000, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan — second-highest civilian honour — in January.

a sustained period of relative quiet in a contested city at the core of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Palestinians say police have tried to prevent them from holding their usual Ramazan evening gatherings outside Damascus gate, a historic landmark on the north side of Jerusalem's walled Old City. Israeli police have fired stun grenades and sprayed foul-smelling skunk water to

disperse the Palestinians, who in turn have discharged fireworks towards them. “Palestinians love to relax in this area after evening prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the occupation (Israel) doesnot like it. It is a matter of sovereignty,” said Jerusalem resident Mohammad Abu AlHomus, pointing to metal barricades thrown up by police in the area outside Damascus gate in recent weeks.

Israel's police have not said why they erected the barriers, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to Reuters' repeated requests for comment. In statements issued over the past week, the police said they had arrested several Palestinians for throwing stones and attacking officers. There have also been some street skirmishes between Palestinian and Israeli civilians. Police arrested four people in one such fight on Jaffa Road in downtown Jerusalem on Wednesday night, Israeli media reported. “Jews won't be scared to walk around Jerusalem!,” said a leaflet distributed on WhatsApp calling for Jewish protests at Damascus gate on Thursday night. Israel claims all of Jerusalem, including the eastern sector captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as its capital. Palestinians seek to make East Jerusalem, including its Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, capital of a future state.

How long does protection from Covid-19 vaccines last? AGENCIES How long does protection from Covid19 vaccines last? Experts donot know yet because they are still studying vaccinated people to see when protection might wear off. How well the vaccines work against emerging variants will also determine if, when and how often additional shots might be needed. “We only have information for as long as the vaccines have been studied,” said Deborah Fuller, a vaccine researcher at the University of Washington. “We have to study the vaccinated population and start to see, at what point do people become vulnerable again to the virus?” So far, Pfizer’s ongoing trial indicates the company’s two-dose vaccine remains highly effective for at least six months, and likely longer. People who got Moderna’s vaccine also still had notable levels of virus-fighting antibodies six months after the second required shot. Antibodies also do not tell the

whole story. To fight off intruders like viruses, our immune systems also have another line of defence called B and T cells, some of which can hang around long after antibody levels dwindle. If they encounter the same virus in the future, those battle-tested cells could potentially spring into action more quickly.

Even if they donot prevent illness entirely, they could help blunt its severity. But exactly what role such “memory” cells might play with the coronavirus — and for how long — isnot yet known. While the current Covid-19 vaccines will likely last for at least about a year, they probably would not offer

lifelong protection, as with measles shots, said Dr Kathleen Neuzil, a vaccine expert at the University of Maryland. “It’s going to be somewhere in the middle of that very wide range,” she said. Variants are another reason we might need an additional shot. The current vaccines are designed to work against a particular spike protein on the coronavirus, said MehulSuthar of the Emory Vaccine Centre. If the virus mutates enough over time, vaccines might need to be updated to boost their effectiveness. So far, the vaccines appear protective against the notable variants that have emerged, though somewhat less so on the one first detected in South Africa. If it turns out we need another shot, a single dose could extend protection of the current shots or contain vaccination for one or more variants. The need for follow-up shots will also depend partly on the success of the vaccination push globally, and tamping down transmission of the virus and emerging variants.

Explainer: Why India is shattering global infection records NEW DELHI AGENCIES

The world’s fastest pace of spreading infections and the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases are pushing India further into a deepening and deadly health care crisis. India is massive — it’s the world’s second-most populous country with nearly 1.4 billion people — and its size presents extraordinary challenges to fighting Covid-19. Some 2.7 million vaccine doses are given daily, but that’s still less than 10 per cent of its people who have gotten their first shot. Overall, India has confirmed 15.9m cases of infection, the second-highest after the United States, and 184,657 deaths. The latest surge has driven India’s fragile health systems to the breaking point: understaffed hospitals are overflowing with patients. Medical oxygen is in short supply. Intensive care units are full. Nearly all ventilators are in use, and the dead are piling up at crematoriums and graveyards. HOW DID IT COME TO THIS? Authorities were lulled into believing the worst was behind them when cases started to recede in September. Cases dipped for 30 consecutive weeks before starting to rise in mid-February, and experts say the country failed to seize the opportunity to augment healthcare infrastructure and aggressively vaccinate. “We were so close to success,” said Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan who has been tracking India’s pandemic. Despite warnings and advice that precautions were needed, authorities were unprepared for the magnitude of the surge, said K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India. Critics have pointed to the government deciding to not pause Hindu religious festivals or elections, and experts say that these may have exacerbated the surge. “Authorities across India, without exception, put public health priorities on the back burner,”

Reddy said. Consequently, India’s 7-day rolling average of confirmed daily new cases has risen over the past two weeks from 6.75 new cases per 100,000 people on April 6 to 18.04 new cases per 100,000 people on April 20, possibly driven by new variants of the virus, including one that was first detected in India, experts say. India’s top health official Rajesh Bhushan would not speculate on Wednesday why authorities could have been better prepared, saying: “Today is not the time to go into why did we miss, or did we miss, did we prepare?” WHY IS INDIA'S HEALTH SYSTEM COLLAPSING? India only spends a fraction of its gross domestic product on its health system, lower than most major economies. As the virus took hold last year, India imposed a harsh, nationwide lockdown for months to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. This brought terrible hardship to millions, but also bought time to implement measures to plug critical gaps, like hiring additional health care workers on short-term contracts, establishing field hospitals and installing hospital beds in banquet halls. But authorities didnot take a long-term view of the pandemic, said Dr VineetaBal, who studies immune systems at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune city. Suggestions for permanent improvements like adding capacity to existing hospitals or hiring more epidemiologists to help track the virus were widely ignored, she said. Now authorities are scrambling to resuscitate many emergency measures that had been ended once the numbers fell. A year ago, India was able to avoid the shortages of medical oxygen that plagued Latin America and Africa after it converted industrial oxygen manufacturing systems into a medical-grade network. But many facilities went back to supplying oxygen to industries and now several Indian states face such shortages that the Health Ministry has urged

hospitals to implement rationing. The government in October began building new plants to produce medical oxygen, but now, some six months later, it remains unclear whether any have come on line, with the Health Ministry saying they were being “closely reviewed for early completion.” Tanks of oxygen are being shuttled across the country to hotspots to keep up with the demand, and several state governments have alleged that many have been intercepted by other states en route to be used to meet local needs. WHAT COMES NEXT? India is faced with the massive challenge of trying to prevent its health care system from further collapse until enough people can be vaccinated to significantly reduce the flow of patients. The good news is that India is a major vaccine producer, but even after halting large exports of vaccines in March to divert them to domestic use, there are still questions of whether manufactures can produce enough fast enough. “Vaccination is one way to slow down the spread — but this really depends on the speed and availability of the shots,” said Reddy of the Public Health Foundation. Already several states have said they have shortages in vaccines — although the federal government denies it. India said last week it would allow the use of all Covid-19 shots that have been greenlit by the World Health Organisation or regulators in the United States, Europe, Britain or Japan. On Monday, it said it would soon expand its vaccination program from people aged 45 to include all adults, some 900m people — well more than the entire population of the entire European Union and the United States combined. Meanwhile, Reddy said some states have had to implement new lockdowns but long-term, it was up to individuals as well to do their part. “As a society, it’s crucial that we maintain public health measures like masking, physical distancing and avoiding crowds,” he said.

Friday, 23 April, 2021

SPORTS 11

KARACHI

BANglADeSh reAch 474-4 AFter MoMINUl ceNtUry PALLEKELE

AGENCIES

APTAIN Mominul Haque completed a century beside newcomer Najmul Shanto as their 242-run partnership lifted Bangladesh to a commanding 474-4 against Sri Lanka after two days of the first test on Thursday. Shanto, who started the day on his maiden test century at 126, was out for 163 soon after lunch to end their thirdwicket stand. Mominul reached his 11th test century in the morning session and was out, too, before tea in the only other wicket to fall all day. Mushfiqur Rahim was on 43 and Liton Das on 25 when play was ended 96 minutes early due to bad light. Play will resume 15 minutes early on day three after 25 overs were lost on day two. The batsmen have done remarkably well considering they came into the test amid intense criticism after losing a home series to West Indies and losing six white ball games in New Zealand. They are without their best player — all-

rounder Shakib Al Hasan — and best fast bowler – Mustafizur Rahman — both of whom are playing in the Indian Premier League. “I am really happy for the boys," Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo said. “They have taken a lot of criticism over the last couple of weeks. They have come back and put in a big performance in foreign conditions. They were positive and hungry, and worked really hard. Some of them got good rewards.” Shanto showed why he was rated so highly in Bangladesh with 163 in his seventh test. Batting for more than eight hours, Shanto faced 378 deliveries. He hit 17 boundaries and a six. Dropped on 28 by Niroshan Dickwella, Shanto showcased his test match temperament by not taking any undue risks. Mominul was more free-flowing

with some elegant strokes, including 11 boundaries. His 127 was his 11th test hundred, the most by a Bangladeshi batsman. “We didn’t get as much support from the wicket as we thought,” Sri Lanka seamer Vishwa Fernando said. “We felt it was dry underneath and it’s now a batting wicket. Today, the plan was to cut down the runs and fence them in.” Despite a nice grass cover, the Pallekele pitch was slow and the fast bowlers had their work cut out. Much was expected of Lahiru Kumara, who has the ability to clock 150 kph, but he got little help from the track with even his bouncers rarely rising above waist level. The batsmen were quick to go on the back foot and pull him to midwicket but Kumara was also guilty of not bowling to a probing line and cre-

BANGLADESH 474 FOR 4 (SHANTO 163, MOMINUL 127, MUSHFIQUR 43 NOT OUT, LITON 25 NOT OUT, VISHWA 2-75) VS SRI LANKA

ating pressure. Kumara did dismiss Shanto when he took a return catch but much more was expected of him when he was picked ahead of Asitha Fernando. Allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva picked up the other wicket of Mominul, who edged to Lahiru Thirimanne in the slips. Sri Lanka has the third new ball available in five overs, but dry areas are appearing on the pitch which should also help Bangladeshi's spinners. They have a first test win overseas in four years in sight. “There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us to even consider thinking of winning this test,” Domingo said. “We know it looks like a good wicket but the amount of heat that’s been on it ... . There’s a bit of a rough developing outside the right-hander’s offstump, hopefully our spinners can come into it. Batting second after a big score, there’s always a little bit of tiredness. There’s scoreboard pressure. It takes one or two mistakes, a couple of good spells from one or two bowlers, and you have got a real chance of taking 20 (Sri Lanka) wickets."

Pakistan eye T20I series win against Zimbabwe HARARE AGENCIES

Harare threw up a fun T20I contest in the first game, though both Zimbabwe and Pakistan were far from pleased with how things unfolded. Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams termed his side's performance in the field "inexcusable" after they shelled no fewer than five catches, including an opportunity to send Mohammad Rizwan packing early; Rizwan went on to carry his bat and score 82 of Pakistan's 149 runs. Babar Azam was similarly displeased, admitting the batsmen didn't perform well enough, and that Pakistan's 11-run victory was "not a convincing win". Both sides promised to bounce back, an opportunity they will have in the second game, which is set to take place at the same venue on Friday. Zimbabwe may wonder if they have already squandered a big chance to give their higher-profile opposition a bloody nose; if Pakistan are quite as poor at any point across the remaining games, that will be a serious concern for the visitors. Both Azam and Rizwan spoke of the adjustment it took from the higher-bouncing pitches in the Highveld in South Africa to the less lively ones at the Harare Sports Club. Now that that adjustment has been made, presumably, Pakistan should be more attuned to the conditions and perhaps less troubled by some of the factors they deemed unknown on Wednesday. The hosts, however, would know that it was only a lack of experience that prevented them from taking a 1-0 lead in the series. They simply don't play enough international cricket; they have only played three T20Is

- all against Afghanistan - between the last time these two sides played an international series last year and now. Pakistan have been their most familiar big-name opponent of late, and matching them nearly every step of the way in the first match should have given Zimbabwe confidence that they could be competitive. in tHe spotliGHt: Blessing Muzarabani continues to be Zimbabwe's spearhead with the ball and arguably their most important player. He was, once more, comfortably the best fast bowler for his side in the first game, and resumed a running battle with Azam that has seen the lanky fast bowler finish on top more often than not. Of the last five times the Pakistan captain has been dismissed against Zimbabwe across formats, Muzarabani has been the bowler on four occasions. Even if the pitch is not quite as springy as the one at the SuperSport Park and at the Wanderers might have been, Muzaranabi is able to extract enough extra bounce to keep batsman on their toes in more ways than one. Pakistan's middle order continues to be a pressing concern, with every combination the visitors have tried on tour blowing up in their faces. Rizwan mentioned after the previous game how he almost had a pact with Azam regarding how one of them needed to stay there till the end, and while that speaks of the confidence in their own abilities, it also shines a light on how little they appear to trust the batsmen lower down. Haider Ali remains woefully out of form, while Danish Aziz has struggled on tour, too. Mohammad Hafeez, perhaps more surprisingly, is also yet to hit his stride, which means Pakistan remain vulnerable at later stages of their innings. With games running out before the T20

SQUADS Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 2 Wesley Madhevere, 3 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Sean Williams (captain), 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard Ngarava. pakistan (possible): 1 Babar Azam (captain), 2 Mohammad Rizwan, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Sharjeel Khan/Danish Aziz, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Mohammad Nawaz, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Hasan Ali, 9 Mohammad Hasnain, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Usman Qadir. World Cup later in the year, there are numerous spots up for grabs, but if only there were the personnel to grab them. team news: Brendan Taylor missed the last game with a gastrointestinal infection but should be fit to return in the second game. That might mean a direct swap with Regis Chakabva, who struggled behind the stumps. Pakistan rested Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali in the previous game, and just about got away with that. And the question of whether they trust themselves to back their secondary bowlers - as much as what they can a misfiring middle order - remains. pitCH anD ConDitions: The weather should be clear once more, and similar conditions are to be expected as in the first game. The sides would be playing on a fresh pitch, though.

Nadal fights from a set down against world No 111 Ivashka, Fognini disqualified BARCELONA AGENCIES

Rafael Nadal had to fight back from a set down to defeat Belarus qualifier Ilya Ivashka on Wednesday as the Spaniard survived an early test in his bid to win the Barcelona title for the 12th time. The 34-year-old Nadal, who suffered a surprise quarter-final exit at the hands of Andrey Rublev in the Monte Carlo Masters last week, dropped the first set against the world No 111 before pulling through 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. It was Nadal’s 62nd win in the tournament against just four defeats. “He played well. He played at a very high level, and I didn’t, especially at the beginning,” said Nadal who has lost only once on clay to a player outside the top 100 and that was 17 years ago. “Then I think I changed a little bit the way I played. I was more aggressive later, and the match changed a lot. I’m happy I fought hard today to be in the third round. That’s what I needed after the loss at Monte Carlo.” In Thursday’s quarter-final, Nadal will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the 2014 and 2015 Barcelona champion, who defeated Chile’s Christian Garin 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-1. Nishikori has two career wins over Nadal in 13 meetings but has never got the better of the world No three on clay. Fiery Italian Fabio Fognini was defaulted from the event for verbally abusing a line judge. The 33-year-old was trailing world No 147 Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-0, 4-4 when he clashed with the official and was defaulted by the umpire for unsportsmanlike conduct. Fognini is one of only a small number of players to have been defaulted from a match. The most famous incident involved world No 1 Novak Djokovic who was disqualified from the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball. Nick Kyrgios was defaulted at the Rome tournament in 2019 after hurling a chair on to the court. Fognini, the world No 27, is no stranger to being disqualified. At the 2017 US Open, he was booted out of the tournament and fined $24,000 for a series of insults aimed at a female chair umpire. Elsewhere on Wednesday, Monte Carlo champion and second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas eased past Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-0, 6-2. It was a far more comfortable afternoon for the Greek than the last time he faced Munar. That was at the 2020 French Open where he dropped the first two sets before winning their first round tie. Monte Carlo runner-up Rublev, seeded three, also progressed with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Italian lucky loser Federico Gaio.

Man City fight back to sink Aston Villa, Tottenham give Ryan Mason a winning start LONDON AGENCIES

Manchester City closed in on the Premier League title as the leaders fought back to win 2-1 at Aston Villa on Wednesday in their first match since withdrawing from the European Super League. Pep Guardiola’s side were rocked by John McGinn’s opener for Villa after just 20 seconds. But City recovered impressively as Phil Foden equalised before Rodri put the visitors ahead. City defender John Stones threatened to derail his team’s charge when he was sent off for a reckless foul on Jacob Ramsey just before half-time. However, Villa were reduced to 10 men as well when Matty Cash earned a second booking for chopping down Foden in the second half. City are 11 points clear of second placed Manchester United and need a maximum of eight points from their remaining five games to clinch a third Premier League title in four seasons. City’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple was shattered in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea. That loss, coming a week after 10-man Leeds won at the Etihad Stadium, raised the

possibility of a remarkable late-season collapse from a City side who led the table by 17 points just a few weeks ago. But their gritty display at Villa Park was a big step towards the title given their remaining fixtures feature few daunting tests. Before returning to the title race, City face Tottenham in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday and then travel to Paris Saint Germain for the Champions League semi-final first leg next week. City’s bid to win the Champions League for the first time is unlikely to have much neutral support after their involvement in the failed European Super League. But Guardiola earned praise when he criticised the controversial plan prior to City becoming the first club to withdraw on Tuesday evening. CitY baCk on tRaCk: Relieved to be able to focus on football again, Guardiola made eight changes from the loss to Chelsea, with Kevin De Bruyne absent as he recovers from foot and ankle injuries. City were caught cold in the first minute when Stones misjudged Tyrone Mings’ freekick. Ollie Watkins flicked his cross into McGinn’s path and the midfielder guided a clinical finish past Ederson from 12 yards.

But Guardiola’s team had won their previous 16 away games in all competitions and they responded emphatically. Riyad Mahrez’s stinging strike was repelled by Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez before Foden equalised in the 22nd minute. Foden drilled a pass to Mahrez on the edge of the Villa area and the Algerian picked out Bernardo Silva’s over-lapping run. Silva’s low cross reached Foden eight yards out and the England playmaker planted a cool finish past Martinez. City’s sustained pressure was rewarded in the 40th minute as Silva dinked a cross towards Rodri and the Spanish midfielder glanced his header over the out of position Martinez from close-range. Just as City looked in complete control, Stones made needlessly wild and high lunge as he tried to stop Ramsey’s break four minutes later. Peter Bankes gave a booking but after consulting the pitchside monitor the referee ruled it was a red card offence, sparking a furious reaction from Guardiola as he berated fourth official Anthony Taylor. Guardiola’s frustrations began to ease when Cash, booked moments earlier, saw red for a crunching foul on Foden in the 57th

CMYK

minute. That was the signal for City to go into game-management mode as they kept Villa at bay for a priceless win. son FiRes spURs to win: Tottenham made a winning start to life after Jose Mourinho as Son Heung-min’s last-minute penalty sealed a vital 2-1 victory against Southampton in their first match since withdrawing from the controversial European Super League. Mourinho was sacked on Monday after 17 turbulent months in charge of the north London club, but his shock exit was overshadowed by the fall-out from the bitter Super League row. Languishing outside the top four and knocked out of the Europa League by Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham would have benefitted more than most from the proposed Super League. But instead they were forced to become one of six Premier League clubs to withdraw from the reviled breakaway tournament on Tuesday after a furious backlash. Celebrating the Super League’s demise and calling for Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to quit, a handful of fans gathered outside the stadium holding signs that read: “We said no to Super League” and “Thanks for NO memories. Time to say goodbye. Levy

out”. The Super League was dead in the water just 48 hours after its creation, forcing Tottenham to focus on a more traditional way of making it into Europe’s elite. Against that backdrop, a win in the first match of the post-Mourinho era was essential and they achieved it thanks to their first recovery from a half-time deficit this season. Danny Ings put Southampton ahead, but Gareth Bale equalised before Son converted a last-gasp penalty. Tottenham move into sixth place, two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Mourinho’s failure to lead Tottenham into the top four and a deteriorating relationship with his squad proved his downfall. The axe fell just six days before Tottenham’s bid to win a first trophy since 2008 against Manchester City in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Mourinho. But for now, former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason has been placed in charge on a caretaker basis and this was an encouraging start before he has to pit his wits against City boss Pep Guardiola.

Friday, 23 April, 2021

pRAyeR timings

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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DIssenT In The bench as sc resumes JusTIce Isa hearIng

NEWs DEsk

HE larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) showed its members at odds with each other as they resumed the hearing of Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday. A 10-member larger SC bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Maqbool Baqar,

Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Aminuddin Khan resumed the case on Thursday. During the proceedings, Justice Maqbool Baqar urged Additional Attorney Gen-

eral Amir Rehman not to repeat his arguments from earlier in the interest of saving time. At this, Justice Munib Akhtar chimed in and told the government’s counsel that there is no race as he may take time. Justice Baqar did not take kindly to this remark, and chided Justice Akhtar over decorum and interrupting a senior judge. The situation got more intense as Justice

Baqar and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah also got into an argument over the latter asking the former to allow the counsel to proceed. Justice Baqar stated that if “someone wanted to drag the matter for [their own] motive, then it is a different reason”. He added that a coercive attitude will not be allowed [in the courtroom]. “[The] whole world is watching this case!” he maintained.

Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah threw their support behind Justice Baqar and therein asked the counsel to keep in mind that one member of the bench, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, was retiring. Later, Justice Umar Ata Bandial announced that the bench was taking a short break. However, Justice Baqar left the courtroom in protest before rising of the bench.

India records biggest ever rise in coronavirus cases anywhere in the world HOSPITALS ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN INDIA HAVE ISSUED NOTICES TO SAY THEY HAVE ONLY A FEW HOURS OF MEDICAL OXYGEN REQUIRED TO KEEP COVID-19 PATIENTS ALIVE NEW DELHI Agencies

India reported on Thursday 314,835 new cases of the coronavirus over the previous 24 hours, the highest daily increase recorded anywhere, as its second wave and similar surges elsewhere in the world raised new fears about the virus. Hospitals across northern and western India including the capital, New Delhi, have issued notices to say they have only a few hours of medical oxygen required

to keep Covid-19 patients alive. More than two-thirds of hospitals had no vacant beds, according to the Delhi government’s online data base and doctors advised patients to stay at home. “Covid19 has become a public health crisis in India leading to a collapse of the healthcare system,” Krutika Kuppalli, assistant professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of South Carolina in the United States, said on Twitter. The previous record one-day rise in cases was held by the United States, which had 297,430 new

Oman suspends travel from Pakistan, India: state TV IsLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

Oman will bar entry to arrivals from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh starting April 24, as part of measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, state TV reported. The decision was taken by the Supreme Committee — tasked with tackling the coronavirus pandemic — to curb the spread of coronavirus, Sultanate of Oman Television announced. The committee said the ban would cover passengers who passed by any of the three countries over the past two weeks. “The ban begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday, 24 April 2021, and continues till further notice,” a statement carried by state-owned Oman News Agency said. Omani citizens, diplomats, or health workers and their families arriving from the said countries are exempted and will undergo the prescribed entry procedures upon entry in the Sultanate. Muscat has also decided against allowing children below 12 years into commercial complexes and other trade outlets. “The Committee instructs commercial complexes, commercial outlets, restaurants, and cafeterias to comply and limit the entry therein of customers to 50% of the outlets’ capacity. Legal action will be taken against any party that fails to abide by the decisions,” the statement said. Earlier this month, Oman imposed a lockdown to restrict travel and movement throughout the nights of Ramadan, effective April 14, in a bid to limit transmission of the contagion disease, a statement on the Oman News Agency said. Oman reported 1,077 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 deaths from Covidrelated complications on April 21, according to the Covid-19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

cases on one day in January, though its tally has since fallen sharply. India’s total cases are now at 15.93 mllion, while deaths rose by 2,104 to reach a total of 184,657, according to the latest health ministry data. Television showed images of people with empty oxygen cylinders crowding refilling facilities in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh as they scrambled to save relatives in hospital. “We never thought a second wave would hit us so hard,” Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the executive chairman of Biocon & Biocon Biologics, an Indian healthcare firm, wrote in the Economic Times. “Complacency led to unanticipated shortages of medicines, medical supplies and hospital beds.” India has launched a vaccination drive but only a tiny fraction of the population has had the shots. Authorities have announced that vaccines will be available to anyone over the age of 18 from May 1 but India won’t have enough shots for the 600 million people

who will become eligible, experts say. Similar surges of infections elsewhere, in South America in particular, are overwhelming health services there. Health experts said India had let its guard down when the virus seemed to be under control during the winter, when new daily cases were about 10,000, and it lifted restrictions to allow big gatherings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has come in for criticism for holding packed political rallies for local elections and allowing a religious festival at which millions gathered. On Thursday, despite the biggest public health emergency the country has faced in a generation, people were voting in the eastern state of West Bengal for a new state assembly in an election that Modi has been campaigning in. “It’s a festival of democracy and everyone is participating. You can see the queues,” said Krishna Kalyan, a candidate from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan: COAS NEWs DEsk Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan and our sole aim is helping Afghans achieve a peaceful, sovereign, democratic, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. He said this while talking to Afghan Ambassador Najibullah Ali Khil, who called on him in Rawalpindi on Thursday, reported Radio Pakistan. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including Afghan Peace Process, enhanced bilateral security and defence cooperation and effective border management between the two brotherly countries were discussed. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s contributions to conflict prevention in the region and their relentless support provided in Afghan Peace Process.

NASA converts carbon dioxide from air on Mars into breathable oxygen AgENcIEs In its first activation, toaster-sized instrument dubbed MOXIE, short for Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, produced about 5 grams of oxygen. This is equivalent to roughly 10 minutes’ worth of breathing for an astronaut, says NASA. LOS ANGELES: NASA has logged another extraterrestrial first on its latest mission to Mars: converting carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into pure, breathable oxygen, the U.S. space agency said on Wednesday. The unprecedented extraction of oxygen, literally out of thin air on Mars, was achieved Tuesday by an experimental device aboard Perseverance, a six-wheeled science rover that landed on the Red Planet Feb. 18 after a seven-month journey from Earth. In its first activation, the toaster-sized instrument dubbed MOXIE, short for Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, produced about 5 grams of oxygen, equivalent to roughly 10 minutes’ worth of breathing for an astronaut, NASA said.

Although the initial output was modest, the feat marked the first experimental extraction of a natural resources from the environment of another planet for direct use by humans. “MOXIE isn’t just the first instru-

ment to produce oxygen on another world,” Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, said in a statement. She called it the first technology of its kind to

help future missions “live off the land” of another planet. The instrument works through electrolysis, which uses extreme heat to separate oxygen atoms from molecules of carbon dioxide, which accounts for about 95% of the atmosphere on Mars. The remaining 5% of Mars’ atmosphere, which is only about 1% as dense Earth’s, consists primarily of molecular nitrogen and argon. Oxygen exists on Mars in negligible trace amounts. But an abundant supply is considered critical to eventual human exploration of the Red Planet, both as a sustainable source of breathable air for astronauts and as a necessary ingredient for rocket fuel to fly them home. The volumes required for launching rockets into space from Mars are particularly daunting. According to NASA, getting four astronauts off the Martian surface would take about 15,000 pounds (7 metric tons) of rocket fuel, combined with 55,000 pounds (25 metric tons) of oxygen. Transporting a one-ton oxygen-conversion machine to Mars is more practical

than trying to haul 25 tons of oxygen in tanks from Earth, MOXIE principal investigator Michael Hecht, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in NASA’s news release. Astronauts living and working on Mars would require perhaps one metric ton of oxygen between them to last an entire year, Hecht said. MOXIE is designed to generate up to 10 grams per hour as a proof of concept, and scientists plan to run the machine at least another nine times over the next two years under different conditions and speeds, NASA said. The first oxygen conversion run came a day after NASA achieved the historic first controlled powered flight of an aircraft on another planet with a successful takeoff and landing of a miniature robot helicopter on Mars. Like MOXIE, the twin-rotor chopper dubbed Ingenuity hitched a ride to Mars with Perseverance, whose primary mission is to search for fossilized traces of ancient microbes that may have flourished on Mars billions of years ago.

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