Wednesday, 30 December, 2020 I 14 Jumada Al-Awwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 181 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
Pakistan confirms first cases of Uk coronavirUs variant g
NAB arrests PML-N leader Khawaja Asif in assets case
Virus could spread rapidly in pakistan if preVentiVe measures aren’t taken, warns pma
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI STAFF REPORT
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Hree cases of the more contagious variant of coronavirus first identified in the united kingdom have been confirmed in sindh, provincial health authorities confirmed tuesday. according to the sindh Health department, the authorities took 12 covid-19 samples of the uk travellers, out of which six were positive and three showed the new variant of the virus in the first phase. “the genotyping showed 95 per cent match of the new variant from the uk. these samples will go through another phase of genotyping,” said meeran yousuf, a spokesperson for the department. “meanwhile, the contact tracing of these patients is in process and their contacts are also being isolated,” she said.
the provincial health department has informed special assistant to prime minister (sapm) on national Health services dr faisal sultan of the development. the new variant, referred to by some experts as the b.1.1.7 lineage, is sweeping across swathes of britain and prompting high levels of concern among its european neighbours, which have now cut transport links. it is not the first new variant of the pandemic virus to emerge but is said to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the previously dominant strain in the uk. scientists say it is about 40 to 70 per cent more transmissible. while it was first seen in the uk in september, by the week of december 9 in london, 62 per cent of positive cases were due to the new variant. that compared to 28 per cent of cases three weeks earlier. the country reported almost 40,000 new infections as
coronavirUs in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
475,085
the mutated variant causes the number of cases and hospital admissions to soar. the discovery of the new strain, just months before vaccines are expected to be widely available, has sowed fresh panic in a pandemic that has killed about 1.7 million people worldwide. PMA CONCERNED WITH NEW VARIANT: pakistan medical association (pma) on tuesday expressed concern over rapidly spreading new covid variant in different countries and feared that the new variant could spread in pakistan as well if preventive measures could not be adopted across the country. the pma, in a statement, observed that people are not getting fully recovered even after being declared negative. the new variant has already reached 15 countries and is also affecting the below-15 age group. the people need to take preventive measures and wear a mask until the vaccine is available in the country. the pma demanded uniform policy on covid-19 in consultation with all the stakeholders as the second wave is providing more lethal and deadlier. IR TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS: the development comes as pakistan is currently in the midst of a second covid-19 wave. pakistan reported the highest number of deaths during the second wave, and the second-highest since the beginning of the pandemic, with 111 people dying in the country on thursday. the ministry of national Health services (nHs) said that it is vigilant about the emergence of the new variant in pakistan. However, dr faisal admitted that the situation in the health sector of the country was depicting a gloomy picture.
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release asif or prepare for befitting response, maryam tells goVt NEWS DESK
the national accountability bureau (nab) on tuesday arrested pakistan muslim league-nawaz (pml-n) leader khawaja asif in assets beyond means case. the pml-n leader was arrested from fellow party leader ahsan iqbal’s house in islamabad. nab spokesperson nawazish ali asim confirmed that asif has been arrested in a case of assets beyond means. the arrest was made soon after a pml-n meeting concluded. asif, the former foreign minister, is facing charges of irregularities in a housing society. the nab had initiated an inquiry against developers of sailkot’s kent View Housing society, including khawaja asif. “evidence collected so far prima facie reveals that you established a housing project – namely kent View Housing society sialkot – which has been operating illegally,” a nab’s call-up notice said. it alleged that he illegally sold plots in excess of the approved layout plan of 137 kanals in collusion with the management of the society. it claimed that the pml-n leader in connivance with revenue authorities obtained relevant approvals despite the fact that society was in illegal occupation of state land. meanwhile, pml-n Vice president maryam nawaz has threatened the government of a befitting response for ‘kidnapping’ party lawmaker if he is not released shortly. maryam was talking to the media following asif’s arrest. the government is visibly fraught with distress over the pakistan democratic movement (pdm), said maryam, adding that now it is going for desperate measures. asif’s arrest goes on to show how anxious the government has become as it reckoned the power of pdm, claimed maryam. asif has told nab to do whatever it could do as he and the party are ready for whatever the consequences may be, she said. even the courts have often acknowledged and admitted that nab has become a tool of political engineering in pakistan, she said and claimed that prime minister imran khan is using the accountability bureau for political vengeance. the pml-n Vp said that asif is not arrested but is kidnapped and that nab detained him without any case at the behest of pm imran.
Pakistan renews call for independent inquiry into Kashmir extrajudicial killings ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
LAST UPDATED AT 8:18 AM ON DECEMBER 29, 2020
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
63
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
1,776 DEATHS:
425,494 9,992 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
212,093 136,669 KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
57,746
18,099
8,235/4,853 37,390
pakistan has made renewed calls for an independent inquiry under international scrutiny into the extrajudicial killings of three labourers in indian-occupied kashmir in July. the indian troops killed three civilians — including a 16-yearold boy and a 25-year-old man who was father to a 15-monthold son — in the region’s shopian district that has been the scene of frequent gunfights between indian security forces and freedom fighters. initially, the army claimed to have killed three “hardcore terrorists” in amshipora village during a search operation that led to a gunfight. it said the militants were hiding in a “cowshed of a lone house in the orchard”. However, the official version began to unravel when family members of three missing persons from a remote village in rajouri district filed a complaint with the police, and local activists raised concerns on social
more inside
PPP decides to collect resignations, refuses to follow ‘dictation’ STORY ON BACK PAGE
pm wants acceptance of opposition’s resignations in no time STORY ON PAGE 03
media. last week, after four months into the incident, indian police indicted an army officer, capt. bhoopendra singh, who used the alias maj bashir khan, accusing him of the killings and staging the deaths as a fake gunfight. a police inquiry revealed singh, with assistance from two of his informers, killed the men, planted illegal weapons on the bodies and branded them “hardcore terrorists”.
in a statement issued tuesday, foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez chaudri said: “the revelations that weapons were planted on the bodies of the labourers martyred in occupied kashmir — to make it look as though they were armed fighters in a staged gun battle — are only a tip of the iceberg of indian crimes against the kashmiri people.”
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no pressure on pakistan to recognise israel: Qureshi STORY ON PAGE 03
cabinet approves fc deployment in gb for three years STORY ON PAGE 02
02
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
NEWS
cabinet approves fc deployMent in gb for three years ISLAMABAD
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MIAN ABRAR
HE cabinet approved the deployment of Frontier Constabulary (FC) in GilgitBaltistan (GB) for a period of three years and they will be deployed along the forests and green areas to prevent any damage to the greenery and to aid the Billion Tree Tsunami scheme, Pakistan Today has learnt. Moreover, during Tuesday's meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan took a very strong stance on the resignations of the opposition parties during the meeting and told the federal cabinet that no flexibility would be allowed towards the opposition, which wanted to derail the democratic system in the country for petty personal gains During the meeting, Federal Minister for Human Rights Shirin Mazari expressed reservations about the agreement between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to sources, despite the opposition of Mazari, the cabinet
approved the agreement between the NAB, FIA and FBI. Under the agreement, both countries will have access to the assets of their citizens. In this regard, PM Imran said that after this agreement, the secret assets of Pakistanis will no longer be hidden in the US. During the meeting, the premier directed the energy minister to take immediate measures to end the gas shortage in the country. The Petroleum Division briefed the cabinet on the availability of gas in the country. Ministry of Interior and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) briefed the cabinet on the time required for removal of encroachments on Margalla Road, Islamabad. The cabinet was also informed that the Ministry of Defence has formally applied to the CDA for approval of the building plan. The contract for the wedding hall in Sector E-9 has been cancelled. The protective wall on Margalla Road will be moved within its approved limits within a period of 6 months. Wetlands will be constructed in three months’ time to clean the drain passing through the same sector. In addition, underpasses will be
no great leaders remain in the Jui-f, says dissident member Former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) senior leader Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani announced the separation of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Pakistan (JUI-P) from the Maulana Falzur Rehman-led faction, stating that there was no great leader in the faction. "We have inherited politics from the great leaders [but] these members are no longer members of this party," said the former leader of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. Sherani clarified that while Fazl had created a new faction, neither he nor the other leaders present with him during the presser were a part of it. "We have always been and will always remain a member in accordance with the constitution of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam," Sherani stressed. "What is happening now is devoid of truth and honesty," he said, slamming Fazl for whatever transpired between the party's members. He added that the core belief of the 'true' JUI was to follow the teachings of Holy Quran and Sunnah and that his companions needed to make their own decisions as to "whether to please God or to follow their own desires". "God's curse is on liars and traitors," Sherani said on the occasion. NEWS DESK
constructed in these sectors in partnership with Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force and CDA to reduce traffic congestion. The cabinet was assured that no vegetation inside Islamabad would be eliminated or allocated for construction. PM Imran ordered the removal of FC camps and traffic police offices on Margalla Road as well as the encroachments, including wedding halls at E-8 and E-9. The PM further said that the encroachments should be removed within three to six months and the green belt should be restored. The cabinet also authorised the CDA to use 120 acres of land to set up a Special Technology Zone (STZ) in Islamabad. The cabinet also decided to register a case against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah for using inappropriate language against the state institutions. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan briefed the meeting on the current situation of the pandemic. The cabinet was told that passengers arriving from the United Kingdom were being monitored and a final decision on the vaccine would be taken soon.
FO rejects allegations of forced conversions in Pakistan ISLAMABAD APP
The Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday rejected allegations of forced conversions in the country, terming them as “fictitious, politically motivated or based on mala fide intent of the detractors to malign the country in the international community”. In response to queries, FO Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chauhdri said, “As per the principles of Holy Quran and Sunnah, there is no forced conversion in Islam.” He said that no institutionalised or consistent pattern of forced conversions existed in the country. “After investigations, most of the reported allegations revealed that they were either fictitious, politically motivated or based on mala fide intent of the detractors to malign the country in the international community,” he added. “A case in hand is the disclosures of EU DisinfoLab regarding the network of spreading disinformation, being operated by the Indian
The Supreme Court (SC) Karachi Registry summered Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during a hearing pertaining to the Karachi illegal encroachments case on Tuesday, wherein Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed was dismayed over the unpreparedness of the top provincial official. "Shall we frame charges against you and send you to jail as you are unaware of the issues this city faces?" the CJP asked on the occasion, as CM Murad had failed to present a report on the anti-encroachment drive in the port city. The CJP noted that multi-storey buildings were built on a permit for a one-storey building. "Government lands are out of your hands," CJP Ahmed said, pointing out that the case has been ongoing for years without sufficient progress to address the issues. After a brief recess, CM Murad, accompanied by Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law, Anti-Corruption Establishment Murtaza Wahab and Minister for Local Government Nasir Shah, asked for two weeks' time to prepare the report. NEWS DESK
intelligence agencies,” he further said. “There have been few incidents of forced conversions by individuals and non-state actors, but there is no evidence of complicity of any state institution. Whenever such case is reported, all state institutions take swift action against the perpetrators,” the FO spokesperson said. Zahid said that in some instances, the state becomes party to a case against the perpetrators in the court in order to ensure speedy and effective justice. “Foundations of our state are firmly laid on the principles of father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and appropriately reflected in the Constitution. The constitutional provisions are supplemented further by the legal and administrative framework to protect our minorities from any forced conversion,” he said. “Our judiciary has been very vigilant and clear on the promotion and protection of the basic human rights of minorities.
NEWS DESK A house fire in Kashmir Colony resulted in three young siblings losing their lives, as the fire department was reportedly delayed in arriving at the scene. The police reports said that the fire broke out in the two-storey building, and the family lived on the first floor. The siblings were between the ages of one and six. Furthermore, The parents and one other daughter were injured in the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Speaking on the incident, Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that the fire might have been caused by a gas leak, but further investigations are needed. The police also suspect a short circuit might have been the cause of the fire. Ghani also noted with concern the delay in the arrival of the fire brigade vehicles despite the fact that a fire brigade office was nearby. Ghani offered condolences to the family and said that quality treatment would be ensured for their injuries. A day earlier, a fire broke out on a cargo ship docked at the Karachi port; the ship was anchored at Berth 11 of the port, according to port sources. The blaze erupted when goods were being offloaded from the ship. Last week, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives had said that Karachi would be getting 50 new fire tenders worth Rs1.40 billion from China on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s orders. These trucks are included in the package that was given to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) by the federal government,” the ministry spokesperson had said. The fire trucks, which have been fitted with highpressure water guns, would be brought in by ship. Earlier this year, the Sindh High Court (SHC) was told that out of the 44 fire tenders the city has, only 14 were functional. On the other hand, over 80 per cent of buildings in Karachi do not have emergency exits.
PDM, Maryam promoting enemies' agenda: Faraz ISLAMABAD
sc questions preparedness of sindh cM regarding Karachi encroachment case
The cabinet was also informed that, during the second wave of the pandemic, Pakistan has become self-sufficient in terms of medical equipment, including ventilators, masks and other equipment being manufactured domestically. The cabinet approved the appointment of Dr Muhammad Saeed Khan Jadoon as Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) director general. It also approved the release of Rs219.30 million to the Ministry of Health, which will be used in the recently completed Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Centre in Islamabad. The cabinet approved the appointment of 16 federal drug inspectors in Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) as well as the allocations of their jurisdictions. The meeting also approved the appointment of Javed Ghani as Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman. The cabinet ratified the decisions taken at the meeting of the privatisation committee held on December 24, 2020 as well as the decisions taken at the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) held on the same day.
Karachi house fire Kills three siblings
STAFF REPORT
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said that the leadership of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), especially PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, was promoting the antiPakistan agenda of Indian lobby. Briefing media about the decisions of the federal cabinet while flanked by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, Faraz said that the cabinet took strong exception to the
opposition leaders' statements against Pakistan Army and said that the opposition was pleasing the enemies of the country, noting that these statements were immediately picked by Indian TV channels. He said after the decision of Central Executive Committee (CEC) of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), it has become clear that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has become a thing of the past. He also said that the opposition failed to get resignations of the democratically elected government. Prime Minister Imran Khan has already stated in Chakwal that if the NRO was not granted to
former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari by the Musharraf regime, the situation could have been different. The spirit of the federation should be kept intact especially after the enactment of 18th amendment, he remarked. He claimed that the Sindh government deliberately creates a shortage of commodities and increases prices for political point-scoring. He said that the year of 2021 was the year of progress and economic stability and that the incumbent government would fulfil all its all promises after completing its five years tenure.
New IHC judges to take oath today ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Babar Sattar and Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, who were appointed as additional judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday, will take oath on Wednesday. The ceremony will be administered by IHC Chief Justice Justice Athar Minahllah.
Meanwhile, the courtrooms of the newly notified judges have been made and their nameplates are also installed. Earlier this month, a meeting of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed approved the nominations which came from Justice Minallah for appointment as judges. The meeting — which comprises
besides the chief justice of Pakistan senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, chief justice and senior-most judge of the IHC, Minister for Law and Justice, Attorney General of Pakistan, members of the Pakistan Bar Council and Islamabad Bar Council — was held in the Supreme Court building under Article 175-A of the Constitution.
Sattar has studied Master of Law (LLM) at the Harvard School of Law. He is also a writer, columnist and analyst. While Jahangiri, a former advocate general for Islamabad, is an expert in criminal, constitutional and civil laws. He was elected as president of the IHC Bar Association in 2016. With the new appointments, the total strength of IHC judges has gone up to nine. Recently, the parliament increased the sanctioned strength of the IHC from seven to 10.
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
pM wants acceptance of opposition’s resignations in no tiMe ISLAMABAD
r
STAFF REPORT
EFUSING to bow down before the opposition parties’ blackmailing tactics, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser to immediately accept the resignations of the opposition members as soon they arrive. The decision was taken in a meeting with the NA speaker. The meeting decided not to bow to the blackmailing of the opposition parties over the issue of the resignations.
SEEKS 25,000 ELECTRICITY METERS INSTALLATION IN RAILWAYS COLONIES The premier, in a major move for the continuation of the democratic process, clearly directed the NA speaker to accept the resignations after in-person verification of the elected representatives. “The resignations should be accepted within 30 minutes after verification,” he said, directing the speaker to initiate contacts with the two Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers who have submitted their resignations from the
buzdar terms opp’s campaign against institutions as deep-rooted conspiracy LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, terming opposition's sinister campaign against national institutions as a “deep-rooted conspiracy”, said on Tuesday that its perfidious narrative has met its logical end, adding that the anti-government drive has no worth. “Respect of institutions is binding on all as these are the pride pillars of the state,” the chief minister said in a statement. He said that the nation has not forgotten the era of mega corruption and plunder when manor houses were built at the expense of hard-earned money of the people. Buzdar said that those who enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle at the expense of taxpayers’ money are not leaders but looters. The government is working hard to wriggle the country out of the quagmire of the crises and special attention was paid to provide necessary facilities to the citizens, he added. The chief minister further stated that the government is working hard to bring improvement in the lives of the people and the country has moved forward due to the holistic institutional reforms, he said. Nothing is more important than public welfare, he further said. He regretted that the past governments had ignored the problems of the people adding that the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government took solid steps to improve the national economy. The past rulers did nothing for the public, in their respective tenures, and opposition had no agenda other than the protection of looted money, he maintained and regretted the country was left behind due to the menace of corruption. Those who looted the national exchequer have no right to speak about the people, he insisted. Buzdar remarked that the country would have not indebted, had there been no corruption in the past and stressed the looters will have to be answerable for their deeds. Elimination of corruption, loot and nepotism is crucial for the development of the country. The chief minister said that the journey of public service will be continued by the PTI. The decisions taken in the larger interest of the country have started yielding positive results because the PTI government is sincere with the citizens, he concluded. STAFF REPORT
lower house of the parliament. Separately, PM Imran directed the authorities concerned on Tuesday to install as many as 25,000 electricity meters in railways colonies at the earliest. He instructed that the process of installation of meters in residential colonies of railway employees be completed within a period of four months. He formed a coordination committee to monitor the process.
PM Imran called for the installation process to be commenced immediately. He said that every single penny of the national exchequer is the nation’s trust, which will be spent wisely. “Those inflicting losses on the exchequer deserve no concession,” he declared. According to a report, the government incurs losses to the tune of billions of rupees due to non-installation of meters in railway colonies. Railway employees consume free of cost electricity, putting a financial burden on the railway department, it said. The premier expressed displeasure over this state of affairs after Railway Minister Azam Swati apprised him on all these details.
No pressure on Pakistan to recognise Israel: Qureshi ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday reiterated his position regarding the possibility of Pakistan normalising diplomatic ties with Israel and said Islamabad was not under any external pressure to do so. While Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with Israel, a debate was sparked in November after Prime Minister Imran Khan during an interview revealed Islamabad was under pressure from "friendly nations" to accept Tel Aviv. While he did not disclose the identity, many believe the countries to be Arab states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which has recently formalised its relationship with the Jewish state. In a statement, Qureshi said that Pakistan's position on Israel -- that it will not recognise the country until a just solution of the Palestinian question is achieved -- was "clear and unequivocal", and the government "stick[s] to it". Responding to the reports of a government delegation visiting Israel during either of the two terms of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the '90s, the foreign minister demanded a clarification from the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N). Following the report of him accompanying the delegation, Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Ajmal Qadri, while confirming the trip, claimed he “found Nawaz Sharif very passionate to develop a relationship with Israel”. During the visit, he said, he called on the top officials of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cabinet members. “The people of the [Pakistan's] Foreign Ministry wanted to know if [Islamabad] could
develop [a public] relationship with Israel,” Qadri told a private news channel. The foreign minister also rejected the notion of Saudi putting pressure on Pakistan in this regard, saying Islamabad enjoys historical ties with Riyadh. He further said that an important delegation from the oil-rich Kingdom, including his Saudi counterpart, will soon visit Islamabad. "All this indicates that our bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia will be further strengthened," he said. Qureshi noted that India was using its soil against Pakistan through the provision of training and financial assistance to terrorists and militant organisations. The foreign minister said that he alarmed the international community through an evidence-based dossier that India could stage a false flag operation to divert global attention from its internal woes. He said that the EU DisinfoLab report on the Indian disinformation network also unveiled New Delhi's nefarious designs about Islamabad. Referring to the opposition parties' protest movement, the foreign minister said that the opposition's narrative to bring the government under pressure has become ineffective. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan enjoys public support, therefore, he will not resign on the desire of the PDM alliance. In response to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's threat of a long march to Islamabad, if the prime minister does not resign before January 31, Qureshi said: "[Even] with PDM protests, long marches and rallies, the government will not go anywhere." "I am telling PDM today that Prime Minister Imran Khan will not resign on January 31. Why are they waiting for January 31," he questioned.
PM constitutes 12-member committee for granting provincial status to GB ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS
Prime Minister Imran Khan has constituted a committee to finalise the process of granting provisional provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). A notification regarding the 12-member committee had been issued last week. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan has been pleased to constitute the committee to work on mainstreaming provisional provincial status of Gilgit-Baltistan,” the notification said. The committee, headed by Minister for Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, would be comprised of federal minister for law & justice, GB chief minister, the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP), Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary, Ministry of Defence secretary, Ministry of Finance secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs secretary, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs member, GB chief secretary, co-opted members from National Security Institutions, and GB Council joint secretary. As per the notification, Terms of Reference (ToRs) have also been set for the committee, under which it would prepare a report regarding giving provisional provincial status to GB in light of United Nations resolutions on Kashmir. The committee would also keep in view the country’s principled stance on Kashmir and the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan's decision on GB
reforms while giving its recommendation. The committee shall submit its report within 60 days. According to sources, the committee has started working on the given task. It would also consider the historic documents and findings of previous committees and forums on matter. The Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) would also pass a unanimous resolution soon demanding an early granting of provisional provincial status, a longstanding demand of the people of the area. A consultation process for the same has already been started among political parties and members of the GB assembly in Gilgit. The provincial assembly has already passed a number of unanimous resolutions regarding constitutional rights to GB in the past. PM Imran, during his last visit to Gilgit, had also said that it was the government's top priority to grant the provisional provincial status to GB as promised earlier. It is noteworthy that after the formation of another committee regarding the reform in GB, opposition parties in GB have started criticising the
federal government for using delaying tactics as there was no need to deliberate the matter more. A high-power committee formed by the previous government had already worked on the subject for two years, the opposition pointed out. Earlier, Gandapur had claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was going to give provisional provincial status to GB as per the demand of the people. He had said that his government has consulted the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government, Hurriyat leadership, international experts, and all other stakeholders on whether or not giving provisional provincial status to GB will adversely affect Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir. He had added that the unanimous view on the matter is that giving provisional provincial status to GB will not have negative consequences. Furthermore, the minister had said that opposition was partaking in dirty politics over this matter as it will require a constitutional amendment, which needs twothird support of the parliament and it is not possible without the cooperation of the opposition.
NEWS
03
punjab may extend school closures: minister LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday hinted at an extended closure of schools across the province given the inflation in the number of fresh cases of coronavirus. Punjab School Education Minister Dr Murad Raas, while speaking at an event, said while the government wanted to open the institutions, it may have to consider the option of extending their closure "given the current circumstances". In November, the government shut the schools and postponed exams nationwide until January 11 to try to curb new coronavirus infections and a rise in the number of people in hospital with virus-related complications. The decision to close schools, officials said at the time, was based on an increase in the rate of positive test results in the country. More than 19 percent of new cases were from educational institutions, where the rate of positive results had nearly doubled in one week to reach 3.3 percent. Last week, the Sindh government said it was “unlikely” for schools to be allowed to resume classes from mid-January citing the second wave of the disease. Raas said he was not in favour of closing educational institutions, observing the pandemic had wreaked havoc on education. "A joint meeting of all education ministers will take place on January 4 where the decision to extend schools closure or not will be taken," he said. The minister said the provincial government suspended examinations for Grade-V in accordance with its assessment policy. "When it came to the exams of fifth graders, teachers were helping students cheat [to clear the exams]," he said, explaining the Punjab government's decision. The minister said that the proposed Private School Education Act will be sent to the cabinet for approval and will get an official nod within three months. Raas said that private schools can now get registered with the provincial government online, adding that 31,000 private schools had done the same. Speaking about the Punjab government's measures for education in the province, he said that a "Child Education Book" had been launched which met international standards in quality of education. He told participants of the meeting that from next year, teachers' retirement cheques will be deposited directly into their accounts. STAFF REPORT
Karachi police to get breathalysers to curb drunk driving incidents Due to a large number of drunk driving accidents which have caused many fatalities in the city, the Karachi police will for the first time have breathalysers to discourage the practice of driving a vehicle after consuming alcohol. According to police officials, the Sindh police were in the process of acquiring about 90 breathalysers for their traffic management arm that would be first deployed in different parts of Karachi and then expanded to other districts of the province. Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Saeed Arain confirmed that the tender for procurement has already been forwarded to the relevant department. Currently, policemen use conventional methods to determine whether the driver is under the influence of alcohol or not. The suspected drivers are taken to government hospitals where the medico-legal team conducts tests. NEWS DESK
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
04 NEWS
MCL FAiLS MiSERAbLy iN AChiEviNg REvENUE tARgEtS LAHORE
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SHAHAB OMER
HE Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) has failed miserably in achieving its revenue targets, Pakistan Today learnt on Tuesday. According to the details, the MCL, having 22 sources of revenue, had set a revenue target of Rs1121.8 million by December 20 this year. In the first six months of the current year, the MCL was able to collect only Rs79.5 million while around 71 per cent of the total revenue was collected. According to the documents available to Pakistan Today, the MCL, which had set a target to collect Rs402.877 million through Urban Immovable Property Tax (UIPT) in the first six months of this year,has failed to collect even a single penny through the tax so far. Similarly, in the case of General Bus Stand Receipts, the MCL has collected only Rs242.742 million against its target of Rs402.877 million. In terms of Municipal Property Rents, the MCL's half-yearly target was Rs46.027 million while the amount received was Rs35.104 million. The target for collection of arrears of rent of municipal properties was Rs4.603 million while the corporation staff was able to collect only Rs2.848 million. In terms of Ground Rent Sui Gas, the corporation could not collect a single penny against its target of Rs0.853 million.
Four killed, nine injured due to road accidents in Chiniot CHINIOT: At least four people were killed and nine others were injured in separate road accidents in different localities of Chiniot on Tuesday. According to the details, a mini-truck collided with an over-speeding passenger bus at Chiniot Road near Darhata Stop. Two mini-truck riders Mohammad Iqbal and Mohammad Aslam were killed on the spot, while eight passengers were injured in the accident. A woman named Bushra Bibi was killed while her husband Noor Mohammad was critically injured when a trailer ran over a motorcycle at Tarkhanawala Road near Thatthi Bala Raja Morr. In another incident in the city, a truck crushed to death a 16-year-old motorcyclist. The dead bodies and injured persons were shifted to different hospitals and investigations were started by the local police after registering separate cases at concerned police stations. INP
SC orders complete revival of KCR KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed on Tuesday ordered the complete revival of the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR). Hearing the case pertaining to the revival of the KCR project at the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s (SCP) Karachi Registry, the CJP asked the Sindh deputy advocate general about the position of the project. “Alhamdulillah local train is running in the city and the work on the underpasses for the KCR and mass transit plan is underway,” the Sindh deputy advocate general replied. Pakistan Railways (PR) Secretary also appeared before the court and apprised the court that the KCR can cover 70 percent of the city, but there are some issues regarding the lands of the PR. To this, the CJP directed him to talk with the Sindh government, resolve issues and ensure 100 per cent revival of the KCR. Later, the SCP ordered immediate recovery of the encroached land of the PR. “The PR should conduct an anti-encroachment operation itself and recover the illegally-occupied land”, the order of the SCP said. The court also directed the Sindh Rangers director general and Sindh Police inspector general to provide security to the PR’s officials during the antiencroachment drive. On November 10, the SCP had issued contempt notices to the PR and Sindh government over failure to implement its orders regarding the KCR project. The court had expressed displeasure over the non-implementation of its order and observed that the authorities had failed to implement the order in letter and spirit. TLTP
Naval chief, UAE envoy discuss maritime security ISLAMABAD: UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi called on Chief of Naval Staff of Pakistan Admiral Mohammad Amjad Khan Niazi here on Tuesday. According to a press statement, matters of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation in the maritime domain were discussed in the meeting.They also exchanged views on maritime security situation during the meeting. TLTP
In terms of Sanitation Fee, the MCL failed to collect a single penny from Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) against its target of Rs21.329 million. The corporation also failed to collect full revenue from the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) in terms
of Sanitation Fee. Thecorporation collected only Rs28.082 million from the WASA against the target of Rs37.918 million. In terms of Sanitation Fines, the MCL had a revenue target of Rs1.896 million, but it collected Rs1.736 mil-
lion. The corporation had to collect Rs33.178 million under the financial head of Parking Stand Fees from the Lahore Parking Company (LPC). However, the corporation could not even receive a single penny from the LPC. The MCL also failed to achieve its half-yearly revenue target from public toilets, as it received Rs3.368 million instead of Rs3.555 million. The revenue target for issuance of death and birth certificates was Rs948 million, out of which only Rs166 million could be collected by the corporation. In terms of Tender fee, the corporation had to recover Rs1 million, but it recovered only Rs470,000. The MCL received Rs0.151 million against its target of Rs0.711 million in terms of Industrial School Fees.Similarly, the target of Rs94.795 million in terms of Profit on Investment could not be met. The sources in the MCL believed that one of the major reasons for failure in achieving the revenue targets was lack of seriousness on the part of the officers. A meeting was also held by the top officials of the corporation in this regard, in which the concerned officers were reprimanded for not meeting the targets. On the other hand, a responsible official of the MCL said that due to the situation of Covid-19 and lockdown, most of the staff members of the corporation were sent home and field operations were also restricted. Therefore, the revenue targets could not be achieved.
Sindh raises objection to cabinet’s decision on census KARACHI TLTP
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, raising objection to the federal cabinet’s decision of approving the National Census 2017. The decision of approving the census was made by the federal cabinet on December 22. The chief minister stated in the letter: “In pursuance of Part II of the Federal Legislative List and Schedule IV of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, the results of the National Census 2017 have been pending approval of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) since the time of survey. In this regard, the summary moved by the Ministry of Statistics on November 09, 2017 was deliberated upon at the CCI, which through its decision on November 13, 2017 had directed that third party validation of one per cent census blocks in each province should take place before compilation of the final results.” “Later on November 24, 2017, the CCI had decided to further enhance the sampling proportion from one
per cent to five per cent in each province. The decision of third party validation was made in the light of the agreement reached by the parliamentary parties, which led to the passage of the 24th constitutional amendment, allowing for the 2018 general elections to be held on the basis of provisional census results,” the CM wrote. The CM further wrote that the matter of finalising the census results remained pending since March, 2018. But on November 11, the members of the CCI were informed that the federal cabinet has set up a committee, headed by Minister Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, to make recommendations for finalisation of the census results. “This unilateral decision of the federal cabinet was
clearly in negation of the parliamentary parties’ agreement as well as the earlier decisions made by the CCI,” the CM pointed out. “Instead of addressing the concerns of the provinces and in particular of the province of Sindh, the committee submitted its recommendations to the federal cabinet without engaging with the Sindh government, which is direct negation of the earlier decision of the CCI.” He further wrote: “It is most unfortunate that the federal cabinet, which is headed by you {Prime Minister Imran Khan} just like the CCI, approved the recommendations of the committee on December 22. It is regrettably stated that the federal cabinet failed to adhere to the decision of the CCI, which speaks volumes of the sanctity that the federal government shows to decisions of important constitutional bodies like the CCI.”
505 children found and handed over to their parents in Larkana during 2020 LARKANA PPI
As many as 505 children were found and sent to their homes by the Khidmat Masoom Welfare Trust (KMWT) in Larkana during 2020. It was stated in the KMWT’s annual report issued here on Tuesday. KMWT Chief Haji Anwer Ali Khokhar told the media that 36 boys and girls were found
in January, 45 in February, 43 in March, 41 in April, 50 in May, 43 in June, 42 in July, 49 in August, 45 in September, 40 each in October and November, and 31 in December this year. He said two aged women were also found and sent to their heirs while one aged woman expired in their centre and laid to rest at Abu Bakar graveyard. He said several issues of 14 women were also resolved during the year and
they were sent to their homes. He told that food packages worth Rs0.8 million were distributed among the 360 poverty-stricken families during the lockdown period. A house worth Rs.1.5 million at Golimar Street in Allahabad area was given to a widow, mother of four minor children. The inauguration of the house was carried out by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Larkana Masood Ban-
gash. Khokhar urged parents to buy things for their children and never set them alone, as when children do not get things of their choice, they go from one shop to another or one street to another and get lost amid big markets. He appealed to the mothers, who throw their babies at garbage dumps, to hand them over to his trust, where they will be taken care of in a better way.
Pakistan playing active role in promoting regional peace: Mushahid ISLAMABAD APP
Pakistan Senate’s Standing Committeeon Foreign Affairs ChairmanSenator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Tuesday said the country has played active role in promoting regional peace and security. In a meeting with the 12-member parliamentary delegation of Djibouti, led by National Parliament of Djibouti President Mohamed Ali Houmed here,
Mushahid discussed matters of mutual significance and bilateral importance, pointed towards the atrocities inflicted upon the innocent people of Indian-occupied Kashmir (IIOJK), and said: “Pakistan wants resolution of the long standing issue in accordance with the UN resolutions and international laws.” Mushahid said that
Pakistan and Djibouti are intertwined in social, political and cultural similarities. Both are Muslim countries and their strategic locations enhance political importance in the international arena. He said that Pakistan values its relations with Djibouti and other African countries and desires to expand mutual collaboration with a renewed zeal under Engage Africa Policy. “Like Djibouti, Pakistan has too adopted a balanced policy towards the eastern and western countries. This approach brings both the countries more close”, Mushahid added. He further said that a visit of the parliamentary delegation from a friendly country of African region would augur well for both the sides.
“We need to follow more robust approach to build strong multifaceted cooperation. Pakistan and Djibouti share a special bond of friendship and cordial relations.” The meeting was also attended by Senators Seemi Ezdi, Nuzhat Sadiq, Sitara Ayaz, Javed Abbasi, Mian Atiq Sheikh, Asif Kirmani, Mirza Mohammad Afridi.The leader of the delegation thanked Mushahid for his sentiments and warm welcome. He termed the visit highly important and underscored the need for enhanced parliamentary cooperation. He emphasised the need for enhanced institutional linkages and cooperation to benefit from expertise in various sectors. Later, the delegation also visited Senate Museum and Senate Hall.
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
NEWS
05
ECC LIKELy TO APPROVE SUPPLEmENTARy GRANT Of RS2.27bN fOR HEC ISLAMABAD
T
AHMAD AHMADANI
HE Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has sought the federal cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) approval for a supplementary grant of Rs2.268 billion to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in order to avoid an expected cancellation of a credit facility under a World Bank (WB) project. According to sources, the ECC, in its meeting on Wednesday, will make a decision regarding the supplementary grant under the
THE GRANT HAS BEEN REQUESTED TO AVOID CANCELLATION FOREIGN FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF PAKISTAN'S HIGHER EDUCATION WB project – Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP). Sources told Profit that HEC failed to complete nine Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) of the project due to shortage of funds which may lead to the cancellation of the credit facility. “The International Development Association (IDA) can cancel $218 million in financial support for the country’s
education sector.” Now, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has requested the supplementary grant so that it can meet the conditions for accomplishing DLIs, stressing that it would “also ensure further disbursement of foreign exchange to the government.” The funds required for completion of the DLIs for the current financial year are es-
timated at Rs3.86 billion. However, by curtailing its expenditures to some extent, the commission has planned to meet some of the DLIs by using Rs1.5 billion from its own resources, while the remaining amount has been requested from the government. According to documents available with this scribe, the government had entered into a financing agreement with the IDA for a budgetary support credit facility of $400 million for the WB project. Of this amount, the association has already disbursed $55 million while further disbursement amounting to $273 million would be made after the completion of DLIs by HEC.
ECC allows relending foreign loans on same terms as borrowed THE MOVE MIGHT INCREASE COST OF ELECTRICITY, SAYS OMAR AYUB ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved the relending of foreign loans on the same terms as borrowed by the government. As per Economic Affairs Division’s (EAD) Relending Policy 2020, relending rate for provincial governments, autonomous bodies and Development Financial Institutions (DFI) will be at the actual rate while 2 per cent penal interest will be charged on amounts that remain unpaid for 30 days after the due date. Similarly, one time fixed administrative charges at the rate of 0.25pc will be charged at the time of each disbursement, while DFIs are allowed to charge 3pc further spread from end borrowers.
federal govt increases power tariff by Rs0.18 per unit LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The federal government has increased power tariff in the country by Rs0.18 per unit. According to a notification issued by the federal power ministry, after an increase of Rs0.18 per unit, the average tariff in the country has increased to Rs13.53 per unit. The notification stated that consumers using up to 300 units monthly will get an increase of Rs0.15 per unit and in case of an increased usage Rs0.3 per unit will be added to their tariff. The increase in power tariff will be added from the ongoing month, read the notification adding that the hike in tariff will remain in place for 10 months. It is pertinent to mention here that in addition to an increase in electricity prices at the national level, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) also announced a hike in electricity rates for three state-owned power distribution companies (DISCOs), including MEPCO, GEPCO, and SEPCO, on Monday. However, the final decision on the hike in power tariff by NEPRA would be made by the federal government.
KP cabinet approves revised industrial policy PESHAWAR
According to documents, relending rates for provincial governments and DFIs was 12pc under the policy for 2009, 9pc under the policy for 2016 and 13.1pc as of June 2020. Similarly, the relending rate for autonomous bodies was 15pc under the policy for 2009, 12pc under the policy for 2016, and at 15.75pc as of June 2020. According to EAD Secretary Noor Ahmed, the primary objective behind the introduction of Relending Policy, 2020, was to cover the cost of borrowing as most borrowing agencies were either defaulting in repayment or accumulating arrears on account of delayed payments. It is relevant to note here that relending rates under the policies for 2009 and 2016 have reflected changes in the average cost of borrowing, while the average cost of external borrowing by the
federal government for the last five years was at 3.6pc per annum with the rupee depreciating by 9.1pc per annum against US dollar during the same period. A revision in the existing relending policy was required to accurately reflect the changes in borrowing cost of the federal government, exchange risk coverage (ERC) and to have an in-built fiscal incentive to encourage repayments by borrowers. On finding variation in the average cost of borrowing and exchange risk, the EAD proposed the ECC to approve Relending Policy, 2020 to relend foreign loans to all entities on the same financing terms as borrowed by the government. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan, during a meeting of the ECC held earlier in the month, had stated that the move might increase the cost of electricity. “Relending foreign loans on the same financing terms as borrowed might increase the cost of electricity as the cost of borrowing would also be included in the price of electricity,” he warned.
SECP registers 16,929 new companies in FY20, posts 17pc growth ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 16,929 new companies in FY20, as compared to the previous corresponding financial year, indicating a growth of 17 per cent, an annual report by the said. According to the details, approximately 71pc companies were registered as private limited companies, 26pc were registered as single-member companies, while 3pc were registered as public unlisted, association’s not-for-profit, trade organizations, foreign companies and limited liability partnership. The total number of registered companies in the country now stands at 120,395. Out of these, 98pc companies were registered online and around 44pc companies registered on the same day. In the period under review, the trading sector took a lead with the incorporation of 2,863 companies, followed by information technology (IT) with 2,027, services with 1,929, construction with 1,752, tourism with 829, real estate development with 773, and food and beverages with 637 companies. Similarly, the education sector registered 609
new businesses, corporate agricultural farming followed with 496, engineering with 437, marketing and development with 398, textile with 370, pharmaceutical with 349, mining and quarrying 294, healthcare with 284, transport with 282, chemicals with 264, auto and allied with 195 companies. Likewise, the fuel and energy sector registered 189 new companies, logging followed with 186, ecommerce with 181, communication with 165, cosmetics and toiletries with 157, broadcasting and telecasting with 152, power generation with 142, cable and electric goods with 140, paper and board with 134, steel and allied 74, arts and culture with 53 companies. Furthermore, foreign investment was reported in 550 new companies, while 27 foreign companies established places of business in Pakistan during the last fiscal year. During the period under review, SECP issued 46 licenses to not-for-profit associations under section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017. Besides, licenses of 45 not-for-profit associations were renewed, while licenses of 30 non-profit associations were revoked due to non-compliance. As of June 30, 2020, the number of companies licensed under section 42 of the Companies Act totalled 933.
Trump administration bolsters order barring US investment in Chinese firms
STAFF REPORT
WASHINGTON
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet has approved a revised industrial policy for industrial development, which it said would empower the province through balanced and sustainable industrial growth by capitalising on indigenous endowment, leading towards equitable distribution of socio-economic dividends, job creation and inclusive economic growth. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan, while the announcement was made by Special Assistant for Information Kamran Khan Bangash, Advisor to Chief Minister on Science and Technology Ziaullah Bangash and Special Assistant Abdul Karim during a press conference after the meeting. According to the new policy, all stakeholders would be provided with facilities through one window operation while local and foreign investors would be supported by a conducive environment to conduct business. The ministers called on all stakeholders to invest in the province for the development of industries and take full advantage of investment opportunities in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
AGENCIES
The Trump administration on Monday strengthened an executive order barring U.S. investors from buying securities of alleged Chinese military-controlled companies, following disagreement among U.S. agencies about how tough to make the directive. The Treasury Department published guidance clarifying that the executive order, released in November, would apply to investors in exchangetraded funds and index funds as well as subsidiaries of Chinese companies designated as owned or controlled by the Chinese military. The “frequently asked questions” release, posted on the Treasury website on Monday, came after Reuters and other news outlets reported that a debate was raging within the Trump administration over the guidance. The State Department and the Department of Defense had pushed back against a bid by Treasury Department to water down the executive order, a source said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday
that the announcement “ensures U.S. capital does not contribute to the development and modernization of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) military, intelligence, and security services.” “This should allay concerns that U.S. investors might unknowingly support (Chinese military-controlled companies) via direct, indirect, or other passive investments,” he added. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday that China is firmly opposed to the “smearing of China’s military-civilian integration strategy.”“Politicizing economy and trade, abusing the power of the state, stretching the concept of national security, such actions go against the principles of market competition and international trade that the United States has always prided itself with,” the foreign ministry’s spokesperson’s office told Reuters. Specifically, some media outlets reported that Treasury was seeking to exclude Chinese companies’ subsidiaries from the scope of the White House directive, which bars new purchases of securities of 35 Chinese companies that Washington alleges are backed by the Chinese military, starting in November 2021.
The DLIs were agreed to with the World Bank by HEC and the government. However, due to financial constraints, the allocation for HEC was not enhanced; rather it was decreased to Rs59.1 billion in FY20 as compared to Rs65 billion during FY19. Therefore, HEC could not spare any amount for meeting the expenditure on achieving the DLIs during FY20. In FY21, HEC demanded an amount of Rs104 billion under the current budget against which IBC of Rs70 billion was conveyed by the Finance Division, however, the allocation was further reduced to Rs64.1 billion in the federal budget 2020-2021.
Pakistan confirms first cases of UK coronavirus variant CONTINuED fOR PAGE 01 He said the situation was the “worst” when compared to other South Asian countries. Last week, countries across the globe shut their borders to Britain due to fears about the new strain, causing travel chaos. Pakistan followed suit shortly after and on Monday the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) extended the suspension of UK arrivals for another week. The initial ban, which was imposed at the recommendation of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), was to stay until the midnight of December 29. The restrictions introduced through the previous communique are still in place. Pakistan passport holders, who have travelled to the UK on a visitor or temporary visa, will be allowed to return to the country but will have to show a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, conducted within 72 hours prior to flight. The passengers will also take a PCR test on arrival in Pakistan under arrangement with the Directorate of Central Health Establishment or regional health staff and will stay inside the airport or in a government facility until the PCR test is taken. They will observe a mandatory enforced home quarantine for seven days. The trace and test apply to all passengers arriving from the UK.
WILL COVID-19 VACCINES PROTECT AGAINST THIS VARIANT? CONTINuED fOR PAGE 01 Scientists say there is no evidence that vaccines currently being deployed in the UK — made by Pfizer and BioNtech — or other Covid-19 shots in development will not protect against this variant. “It’s unlikely that this will have anything more than a minor, if any, effect on the vaccine’s effectiveness,” said Adam Finn, a vaccine specialist and professor of paediatrics at Bristol University. Britain’s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance also said Covid-19 vaccines appeared to be adequate in generating an immune response to the variant of the coronavirus. “We are not seeing […] any gross changes in the spike protein that will reduce vaccine effectiveness so far,” said Julian Tang, professor and clinical virologist at Leicester University. Pakistan renews call for independent inquiry into Kashmir extrajudicial killings Allegations of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings of civilians have haunted the occupied region for decades as the Indian security forces have sought to crush the ongoing freedom movement, which they claim has an allegiance to Pakistan. The Foreign Office observed the list of Indian crimes against the people of Kashmir was long. “More than 300 innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, have been martyred in fake encounters and staged cordon and search operations during the last one year.” “Pakistan has been consistently drawing the international community’s attention towards extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris by the Indian occupation forces to further perpetuate India’s illegal occupation of the region.” The statement recalled similar findings of extrajudicial killings had been reported by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in two reports on occupied Kashmir in 2018 and 2019. “The horrific act of extra-judicial killing of the Kashmiri labourers, as well as other such acts over the past three decades, warrant investigation by a UN commission of inquiry, as recommended by the OHCHR, to expose the brutalities of Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir,” the FO said. “Nothing short of an inquiry under international scrutiny will either meet the requirements of justice or be accepted by the Kashmiris people. No cover-up exercises can anymore hide India’s crimes and save it from international censure.” “Pakistan reiterates its calls upon the international community to hold India accountable for its crimes against the Kashmiri people and work for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the statement said.
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
06 COMMENT
India’s brazen attack
Talking peace but waging war PTI’s offer for dialogue
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Untenable stand on the UNMOGIP as also on Kashmir
HeRe is a need no doubt on the part of the Pti government to dissuade the PDM from further public rallies and marches at a time when the second wave of coronavirus is taking a heavy toll of lives. But for this the government should have addressed the oppositions’ concerns regarding the Pti government introducing a one -party rule after the senate elections and the ongoing one-sided persecution of the opposition leaders by naB. What is more, any serious offer of talks should have been accompanied with gestures of goodwill like the release of opposition parliamentarians presently in naB custody, as suggested by PML(F) secretary general Muhammad ali Durrani also. instead naB has expanded its investigation into the Chaudhry sugar Mills case to include former prime minister nawaz sharif’s younger daughter asma nawaz also. the offer of dialogue made at a presser by information Minister shibli Faraz, accompanied by two oter federal ministers, was predicated on the condition that PML(n) Vice President Maryam nawaz and PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman would not be included in the opposition’s negotiating team. When an adversary is genuinely interested in holding talks, he does not insist on nominating the other’s negotiating team. it is the height of non seriousness to invite the opposition for talks while charging its components with being anti-Pakistan, antiarmy and pro-india while characterising the entire opposition alliance as a gang of looters and a bunch of liars. the remarks made at the media conference highlighting differences among the opposition parties, particularly between the PPP and PML(n), show that the press conference was in fact a naive attempt to divide the opposition. the government wanted to create a perception that while it was open for dialogue, the PDM was not. the presser would instead lead many to conclude that it was a gimmick which showed the Pti leadership had little interest in talks. the government move would weaken the position of those few in the PDM who want the allied parties to go back to Parliament to resolve differences with the government instead of confronting it head on. the press conference thus is likely to strengthen the hardliners in the PDM.
Amjed jAAved
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akistan has approached the United nations to investigate the recent attack on a United nations’ Military Observers’ Group vehicle. this is not the first time india has done so to harass the UnMOGiP. Pakistan’s recourse to the Un is india’s achilles Heel. so it is as india’s stand on disputed kashmir is a rigmarole of inconsistent myths. to avoid internationalization of the kashmir issue, india’s own former foreign secretary Jagat singh Mehta offered proposals (rebranded by Parvez Musharraf) to soften the LOC in exchange for non-internationalisation of the kashmir dispute for 10 years. Mehta presented his ideas in an article, ‘Resolving Kashmir in the International Context of the 1990s’. india had no consistent stand on kashmir. there was a time when sardar Patel presented kashmir to Pakistan in exchange for Hyderabad and Junagadh. Reportedly, the offer was declined as Pakistan’s prime minister Liaquat ali khan thought it could retain not only kashmir but also the other two. Jawaharlal nehru approached the United nations’ for mediation. He kept harping his commitment to the plebiscite. However, at heart, he did not care about the disputed state’s constituent assembly, indian parliament or the United nations. nehru discarded Maharajah’s and kashmir assembly’s ‘accession’; in a letter dated 31 October 1947, addressed to the disputed state’s prime minister, he shrugged off ‘accession’. He reiterated in new Delhi on 3 november 1951, that ‘we have made it perfectly clear before the security Council that the kashmir Constituent assembly does not [insofar] as we are concerned come in the way of a decision by the security Council, or the United nations’. again, at a press conference on 11 June 1951, he was asked if the proposed the constituent assembly of kashmir ‘decides in favour of acceding to Pakistan, what will be the position?’ he reiterated, ‘We have made it perfectly clear that the Constituent assembly of kashmir was not meant to decide finally any such question, and it is not in the way of any decision which may ultimately flow from the security Council proceedings’. He reemphasised his view once again at tat press conference, “we have made it perfectly clear before the security Council that the kashmir Constituent assembly does not [insofar as] we are concerned come in the way of a decision by the security Council or the United nations.” at a press conference on 24 July 1952, when asked what the necessity of plebiscite was now that he had got [accession by] the Constituent assembly, he
Pak-Saudi relations Sound diplomacy required
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OReiGn Minister shah Mehmood Qureshi has confirmed that a high-level saudi delegation is to visit Pakistan soon to “further strengthen” relations between the two countries. Coming from Mr Qureshi, the statement is quite bold and optimistic considering his recent unnecessary and undiplomatic rant censuring saudi arabia over its reluctance to call an OiC conference on the kashmir issue. nevertheless, despite the spat, norms of effective foreign policy dictate that room for finding common ground through conversation should always be present. Pakistan and saudi arabia’s relationship has endured through all sorts of civilian and military setups of the past, and the current Pti government, despite minor hiccups, has maintained a seemingly cordial rapport with an old ally. However, problems related to financial aid and regional politics, both of which go hand in hand to an extent, remain unresolved. the Pti government received a bridge loan of $3 billion to beef up foreign exchange reserves and another $3.2 billion as an oil credit facility back in late 2018 of which, so far, $2 billion has been recalled by saudi arabia in two separate $1 billion tranches. Both debt collections have coincided with Pakistan refusing to take sides in any of saudi arabia’s many regional conflicts. exactly a year ago, Prime Minister imran khan had to face severe embarrassment when he cancelled a confirmed trip to Malaysia on saudi arabia’s insistence, for a summit challenging the OiC. arch saudi rivals iran and turkey, attendees of the kuala Lumpur summit, are important allies for Pakistan and any move to sever ties with either under pressure would be a grave mistake; financial dependence on one country should not influence foreign relations with others. the Gulf countries’ recognition of israel, with an expectation of saudi arabia to follow next year and supposed pressure on Pakistan to consider doing the same, although not an immediate concern, can easily become a point of contention in the future. the upcoming visit of saudi dignitaries therefore should be treated as a valuable opportunity to heal old wounds and ensure that any new ones do not open up. all this of course has to be done with finesse in order to keep Pakistan’s interests first. One hopes the Foreign Ministry is up to the task.
The second wave has proved worse than the first ShAzA Arif
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He second wave of covid-19 has once again disrupted the daily lives of Pakistanis and has brought uncertainty about how long the situation will last. the first covid-19 case in Pakistan was reported on February 26, after which the number of cases started increasing gradually. in the month of June, major cites reported that hospitals were lacking the capacity to cater to all the patients due to the surge in the number of positive cases. However, within a few weeks, the figures started declining and, to a certain extent, life was returning to normal as offices, educational institutions, industries, and restaurants started reopening phase-wise. Despite the fact that around 6000 people have lost the fight against this pandemic till september, Pakistan has performed a lot better than the Western countries where both the positivity rate and death rate have been visibly higher. the reasons for Pakistan’s early success against the first wave included: immediate lockdown in March followed by “smart lockdowns”─ certain areas where the virus breakout was localized were sealed off. this helped in curtailing the spread of the virus; the national Disaster Management authority (nDMa) was able to expedite the process of providing medical supplies/PPes to hospitals in all the provinces; international flights were suspended and the eastern and western borders were sealed. these measures had empirical impact with the number of the cases dropping to below 500 per day, and the death rate came down to single figures in late august. the steps taken by the Pakistani government were rational, and meant not only to control the number of cases, but also take into consideration daily wage earners. as the winter set in, there was a fresh spike in the number of positive cases across the world. the countries that were successful in flattening the curve were
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Amjed Jaaved is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com.
The second wave of Covid-19
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
replied “Maybe theoretically you may be right. But we have given them assurance and we stand by it.” Following simla accord (1972), india stopped reporting ceasefire skirmishes to the Un. But, Pakistan has been consistently reporting all such violations to the Un. india feigns it does not recognise the UnMOGiP. But, then it provides logistic support to the UMOGiP on its side of the LOC for reporting mostly on basis of newspaper reports. india keeps harassing the UnMOGiP vehicles occasionally. not long ago, three members of the UnMOGiP had a close call along the LoC in azad Jammu and kashmir after indian troops shot at and injured two locals who were briefing them on the situation after ceasefire violations. india even asked UnMOGiP to vacate 1/aB, Purina Lila Road, Connaught Place, from where it has been functioning since 1949. Given the discord between both countries over UnMOGiP’s mandate and functions, the secretary General has said in the past that the group could be terminated but only through a decision of the security Council UnMOGiP is financed through the Un regular budget. UnMOGiP derives its authority from the 21 aril 198 security Council Resolution that empowered the United nations Commission for india and Pakistan to establish “such observers as it may require.” Professor Rosalyn Higgins, later an iCJ Judge, said in 1970 that “this resolution would seem clearly to fall within the terms of article 40 of the U.n.’s Charter even though that article was not specifically mentioned. the authority for establishing UnMOGiP thus emanates from Chapter Vii rather than Chapter Vi.” article 40 authorises the Council to “call upon the parties to comply with such provincial measures as it deems necessary.” Chapter Vi pertains to disputes on which the Council can make “recommendations.” Chapter Vii deals with acts of aggression on which it “decides.” the UnMOGiP authority was confirmed when the UnCiP was replaced by a special Representative, sir Owen Dixon, on 30 March 1951 by declaring that the “Group shall continue to supervise the cease-fire in the state”. it functions under the control and supervision of the secretary-General. after the 1965 War, india-Pakistan Observation Mission soon vanished; UnMOGiP survived. the tashkent Declaration also bound the parties to withdraw “to the positions they held prior to august 5, 1965, and “observe the ceasefire terms on the ceasefire line.” On 1 October 1972, Un Under-secretary General C.V. narasimhan said in new Delhi: “there has been no written request from new Delhi to withdraw Un Observers from the indian side of the old ceasefire
line in Jammu and kashmir.” He added they were there under a security Council resolution followed by an india-Pakistan agreement. they could not be withdrawn as long as the resolution remained. this was said after the simla accord, which simply stated that “in Jammu and kashmir, the line of control resulting from the ceasefire of December 17, 1971 shall be respected by both sides without prejudice to the recognized position of either side”. till 1953, india was, at least verbally, committed to the plebiscite. But it has since been making frantic efforts to warp the United nation Organization and woo the Usa in her favour. For instance, during the temporary absence of Pakistan’s representative india tried to get the `india-Pakistan Question’ deleted from the Un agenda. india based her plea on the security Council’s 1996 informal decision about deleting dormant questions. the Question was deleted, but was restored to the agenda upon the Pakistan representative’s arrival. at india’s behest, Us Congressman stephen solarz elicited the statement from Bush-administration high-level diplomat, John H. kelly, that a plebiscite was no longer possible. to india’s chagrin, John R. Mallot, the Us state Department’s point man for south asia in 1993, corrected kelly’s faux pas. He told the House Foreign affairs sub-Committee on asia and the Pacific on april 28, 1993 that kelly ‘misspoke’ in 1990 when he said that the United states no longer believed a plebiscite was necessary in south asia. there is no UnO resolution abolishing the UnMOGiP role. similarly, there is no resolution incorporating india’s volte face that india-occupied kashmir had acceded to india through the so-called state assembly’s resolution. a subsequent accession resolution, passed by the occupied kashmir’s ‘constituent assembly’ is also void. this resolution violates the security Council’s resolutions forbidding india from going ahead with the accession farce. aware of india’s intention to get the ‘instrument of accession’ rubber-stamped by the puppet assembly, the security Council passed two resolutions to forestall the `foreseeable accession’. security Council’s Resolution 9 of 30 March 1951 and affirmative Resolution 122 of 24 March 1957 outlaws accession or any other action to change status of the kashmir. india’s belligerence is an open invitation to war, perhaps a nuclear armageddon. india’s attitude negates the cardinal principles in inter-state relations, that treaties are to be observed. india qualifies as a rogue state. it should be shunned as a pariah and subjected to sanctions.
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struck by a second wave. similarly, in Pakistan the cases also began to rise in thousands after October 29. By mid-november, the number of patients on ventilators spiked to 200 percent in Peshawar, 200 percent in Multan, 148 percent in karachi, 114 percent in Lahore and 65 percent in islamabad. Furthermore, by the end of november, six percent of the individuals undergoing tests were reported positive which was indeed a cause of concern. in the second week of December, the daily death toll once again crossed 100 which has put considerable burden on the healthcare facilities. in addition, the second wave has also penetrated into the rural areas which were previously unaffected during the first wave. this is especially worrying since sOPs are extremely difficult to implement in such areas. the recent surge is the result of a number of reasons. Firstly, it should be kept in mind, that in mid-september educational institutions and wedding halls were allowed to re-open under so-called strict sOPs. Unfortunately, it was widely observed that neither the wedding halls nor the educational institutions were complying fully with the given sOPs. Consequently, the number of new cases increased significantly. in fact, even though indoor functions are banned for the time given the recent surge, people are still hosting large private events at home. secondly, once the lockdown restrictions were relaxed, people became less apprehensive, especially since the first wave had not led to a high mortality rate. Hence, this lack of fear led both the policymakers and the public to adhere to sOPs even less than before. in fact, during this time, instead of setting a good example, many public officials also held large meetings, events and gatherings in full view of the media without wearing masks or observing social distancing. Many of the same are now COViD-positive, and a few have even lost the battle against the disease. thirdly, the rallies organized by different political parties have also played a major role in the spread of the virus. in the last two months, a number of antigovernment rallies were organized by the opposition
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parties in various cities. Consequently, people gathered in large numbers, making it impossible to maintain social distancing. in winters, large gatherings considerably expedite the process of virus transmission─ not only the coronavirus, but also other seasonal viruses. Consequently, if individuals already infected with some sort of seasonal flu get the coronavirus, the chances of surviving becomes less likely for the elderly, and in the younger population the symptoms become considerably more aggravated and prolonged. this is the reason why the second wave has become more lethal than the first. Healthcare workers have demanded that another lockdown is the only solution to control the second wave. However, imposing another lockdown will have devastating impacts on the economy. the government has once again been forced to shut down all educational institutions till 11 January to curb further spread. Moreover, different private and public places have been directed to regulate their timings and reduce the strength of employees. Markets are once again directed to close early. the policy of identifying hotspots and imposing micro-lockdowns is also in full swing. Likewise, flights from the Uk have been suspended over concerns of a new more contagious variant of the coronavirus. However, all the government’s efforts will not bear any fruit until the masses (as well as government offices and officials themselves) do not follow the sOPs. Families wanting to take winter vacations in tourist places and en masse Christmas celebrations could prove to be fatal. We should all err on the side of caution. it is hoped that Pakistan will start the process of vaccination by March or april 2021, but this second wave must come under control before them. simple and easy measures─ wearing masks, avoiding unnecessary gatherings, keeping our social bubbles as small as possible and social distancing, are the only solutions to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our country. The writer can cass.thinkers@gmail.com
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Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
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
Sheikh Ayaz a phenomenal poet of his land
Erratic behaviour by media Freedom of expression must not be misused
mAlik muhAmmAd AShrAf
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rticle 19 of the Pakistan Constitution reiterates the freedom of expression and speech in these worlds “every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression and there shall be freedom of press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court {commission of} or incitement to an offence.” the constitutional provision for freedom of expression and media is in consonance with the internationally recognized role of the state to regulate all the entities within its territorial limits in such a way that they contribute to the strengthening of the state, its ideological moorings, national interests and the moral values of the society with a view to promote peace and tranquility in the country. in fact there is no concept of unbridled media freedom in the world and rightly so. it is universally recognized that freedom comes with responsibility. the media in any state has to exhibit sense of responsibility while enjoying its freedom. the social Responsibility theory propounded by Dr Robert Maynard Hutchison, Vice Chancellor of Chicago University, in 1947, which is regarded as the Magna Carta of the modern concept of freedom of expression, unequivocally said “freedom comes with responsibility.” it also emphasized the need for media to provide accurate, truthful and comprehensive account of events, act as a forum for exchange of comment and criticism, present and clarify goals and values of the society and make sure that it projects a representative picture of the constituent groups of the society. the report also reiterated the fact that society and public have a right to expect high standards of performance and as such intervention can be justified to secure the public good. ethical and professional codes of conduct for the media drawn up by UnesCO, international Federation of Journalists, Media associations, Press Councils in the countries where a self-regulatory arrangement is in place and the code of ethics which forms the part of Press Council Ordinance in Pakistan invariably espouse the prin-
ciples of the social Responsibility theory pro- meanwhile the channel has unleashed a smear campaign against the authority and its chairman. pounded by Hutchison Commission. Judged on the touchstone of the foregoing, Without waiting for the court decision on the the media landscape in Pakistan presents a very fine and ban order, an anchor of the channel has dismal picture. While it zealously tends to even filed a petition in the Lahore Court chalmaintain and protect its freedom, it is not show- lenging the appointment of the chairman ing the sense of social responsibility that goes PeMRa salim Baig, claiming that it was made with freedom of expression. the introduction in violation of the rules. the court reportedly has of the private electronic media channels in the issued notices to the respondents, namely the media landscape of the country has radically Federal Government, PeMRa, the DG PeMRa changed the media culture in the country. the and the Chairman PeMRa. this action by the media channels, in their craze for better ratings, channel is surely a vindictive move and has often tend to cross the red line set by the Con- nothing to do with the real issue. What will transtitution, media regulatory laws and the licens- spire as a result of the court proceedings cannot ing conditions, forcing the regulatory body, be predicted but i would like to make one obserPeMRa, to take appropriate action to prevent vation that the appointment of the current Chairsuch indiscretions. But the dilemma of the reg- man salim Baig was made by the Ministry of ulatory authority is that whenever it moves to information and Broadcasting in the light of the check violations of the regulatory laws, it faces supreme Court orders. as for as his suitunjustified flak from ability for the post of the concerned media Chairman PeMRa is outlet and also by concerned, my obsersome representative bodies of the media No entity in the state, including vation is that it is for the first time that whose actions reflect media, is outside the purview PeMRa is headed by a trade unionism rather truly professional and than honest evaluation of law. In case any party feels competent officer. an of the issue involved. officer of the informaDemonstrations are that it has been wronged by a tion Group (Css) he held to condemn the regulatory authority it can seek has served as press secregulatory authority retary to Prime Minisand even smear camredress for the complaint ter Benazir Bhutto and paigns by the conperformed his ducerned media are run through appropriate forums or also ties as Principal inforagainst the authority and its chairman. even go to the court instead of mation Officer, a pivotal position responRecently PeMRa indulging in mudslinging and sible for publicity of found an electric chanthe government polinel violating the regumaligning the concerned cies and narrative on latory laws and crucial national issues licensing conditions, institution or the person as well as handling whereupon it imposed heading it. There is no room for government media refinancial penalty on the lations. it is pertinent to channel and also orsuch an erratic behaviour by mention that in recogdered temporary clonition of his performsure of the concerned media in any society ance as a bridge channel. in fact that between the governchannel had also been ment and media, the persistently running aPns conferred the malicious, unethical and fabricated content targeting other media award of best PR man of the year on him, an unhouses, media buying houses and advertisers. precedented happening in the history of PakPeMRa took the action according to the law. istan. Who else would be the most suitable man such actions do happen wherever media outlets to head an organization like PeMRa? the redeeming aspect of this entire episode commit violation of the regulatory law. it may be pointed out that Ofcom, a media regulatory is that PBa, a representative body of the broadauthority in the Uk, has imposed financial casters, has through a press release not only conpenalty on Republic Bharat tV a few days ago demned the action of the media channel but also for offensive hate speech against Pakistan and reaffirmed its commitment to adhere to rule of its people. a statement by the authority said, law and the independence of the institutions that “We concluded that this was a serious breach of have been assigned to uphold and implement law. our rules which warranted the imposition of it is a laudable stance. no entity in the state, instatutory sanctions. these include: a financial cluding media, is outside the purview of law. in penalty of £20,000, payable to HM Paymaster case any party feels that it has been wronged by General; a direction not to repeat the pro- a regulatory authority it can seek redress for the gramme; and a direction to broadcast a state- complaint through appropriate forums or even go ment of our findings on a date —and in a form to the court instead of indulging in mudslinging and maligning the concerned institution or the —to be determined by Ofcom.” the channel however filed a petition against person heading it. there is no room for such an the PeMRa action in the sind High Court. the erratic behaviour by media in any society. court after preliminary hearing has suspended Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. the orders of the authority till 14 January, asking PeMRa to submit its findings in the case. in the He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com
tHe Poet who rejigged sindh Poetry with his phenomenal literary work sheikh ayaz was perhaps the most influential literary figure of sindh during the 20th century. Mubarak ali sheikh aka sheikh ayaz was born on 2 March 1923 in shikarpur, a historically rich city of sindh. . the literary aura of shikarpur persuaded young ayaz to dive into the ocean of Literature. as a young lawyer, he had never thought that people would rarely remember him as a lawyer, and rather he would be remembered for his majestic poetry. ayaz,s poetry comprises multiple genres, he did not confine himself to romantic poetry only but infused hope and courage among the people through revolutionary poetry as well. His vast study of human history, society, and culture enabled him to create awareness about the gusty social norms that were prevalent in society at that time and still exist throughout his life, he campaigned against the evil feudalistic mindset, injustice, intolerance, extremism, and violence conducted upon women. keeping in view his contributions to literature and reputation as a lawyer the then Prime Minister Zulfikar ali Bhutto installed him as the Vice-Chancellor of sindh University. as an academician he took steps to create interest among the students for literature and poetry, furthermore, he made unflagging efforts for the development of the university during his tenure. kehaldas “Fani” was among his early mentors who played a vital role in his grooming as a poet. He introduced him to different aspects of poetry and literature and ayaz capitalized on the teachings of his mentor for the rest of his life. ayaz brought forward different dimensions of sindhi Poetry .he carried the legacy of Latif; said Jami Chandio. the exuberant poet was always optimistic for the bright future of sindh, and wrote relentlessly to keep the young generation aware of upcoming challenges. the eminent poet is also credited for translating shah Jo Risalo into Urdu besides that His Book Bor bare akash is considered a literary marvel of the sindhi language His demuring slant against the feudal lords led him to imprisonment several times. He was often criticized by his contemporaries for his grim perspective against a particular class of the society eminent Urdu poets Faiz and Faraz used to eulogize his contributions to sindh Language. the Legendary Poet authored around 50 books of his poetry along with it he also wrote novels and short stories in the sindhi Language KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA SuJAWAl
Political flaws BeFORe independence subcontinent people were upright against the government of British for succeeding freedom. With the passage of time, their sacrifices brought colour in the shape of a free country. after that, every leader wanted to bring unique changes for the structure of the state. History says, in the time of 1990s the government of Benazir and nawaz sharif got entirely collapsed. Further, in 1999 General Musharraf began the marsh law. so, again it was one of the huge barrier for the development of the country. time passed, every government claimed to take responsibility for the state's masses and provide them magnificent changes but all in vain. now, PM imran khan has taken the footsteps towards the prosperity. But nothing good happens for the people of state. Leaders have been oath a lot for the prosperity, but it converts into adversity. if one talks about the constitutions of Pakistan, each individual has the right of liberty and freedom of speech, but the grounds of realities are quite different. Let them avoid other basic rights, now seventy years completed yet the facilitation of electricity invisible different areas of state. Yet the state has lack of blessed politicians. WALEEd LAL TuRbAT
Jinnah and Naya Pakistan tHis weak was the 145th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-azam Mohammad ali Jinnah. He was born on 25th December 1876 and served as the leader of all india Muslim League from the year 1913 under Pakistan’s creation. We clearly know the history of Pakistan independence. even it is visible with no doubt that Quaid-e-azam was one of the great legends along with allama iqbal who have tried their best for a separate homeland. He has encouraged muslims for important duties. as we can see Jinnah’s 14 points are very famous in the agreement. in this day many of programmes are being held in radio and television channels to highlight and share different speeches and life of first Governor General of Pakistan. He was known as the first Governor General of Pakistan while Pakistan came into being. if we will compare our modern leaders, political parties members. i can openly say that Jinnah’s party was united as compared to our leaders. since he has dreamt for Pakistan’s creation. as a great legend accompanied with his helpful followers he has expected much for Pakistan to become a prosperous nation. But i wanna just ask to a community of Pakistan what works they are involved in . they are leaving the minor aspects of their founder. so would they be gaining a peace country. in fact we do see the politics is just valued. neither our justice nor our modernization. Quaid-e-azam said Pakistan is a Muslim country but what signs are seen now in a government’s impression. Believe me i have not seen any successful leaders in Pakistan except him . so the question arises why the newly leaders of Pakistan are badly blamed. the reason he is attached in bad jobs to get the country’s image a worst one. the religious figures, citizens will pay homage to the father of our nation. One of the messages of Quaid-e-azam i like the best which is about corruption. today is 145th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-azam Mohammad ali Jinnah. He was born on 25th December 1876 and served as the leader of all india Muslim League from the year 1913 under Pakistan’s creation. We clearly know the history of Pakistan independence. even it is visible with no doubt that Quaid-e-azam was one of the great legends along with allama iqbal who have tried their best for a separate homeland. He has encouraged muslims for important duties. as we can see Jinnah’s 14 points are very famous in the agreement. in this day many of programmes are being held in radio and television channels to highlight and share different speeches and life of first Governor General of Pakistan. He was known as the first Governor General of Pakistan while Pakistan came into being. if we will compare our modern leaders, political parties members. i can openly say that Jinnah’s party was united as compared to our leaders. BARKAtullAH tuRBAt
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
08 WORLD VIEW
The unTolD sTory oF AmericAn AiD To isrAel IT IS NO SECRET THAT ISRAEL IS THE WORLD'S LEADING RECIPIENT OF US AID SINCE WORLD WAR II. ACCORDING TO DATA PROVIDED BY THE US CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, ISRAEL HAS RECEIVED $146 BILLION OF US TAXPAYERS' MONEY AS OF NOVEMBER 2020
Middle east MoNitor
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Dr ramzyBarouD
N december 21, the United States congress passed the cOVId-19 Relief Package, as part of a larger $2.3 trillion bill meant to cover spending for the rest of the fiscal year. as usual, US representatives allocated a massive sum of money for Israel. While unemployment, thus poverty, in the US is skyrocketing as a result of repeated lockdowns, the US found it essential to provide Israel with $3.3 billion in 'security assistance' and $500 million for US-Israel missile defence cooperation. although a meager$600 dollar payment to help struggling american families was the subject of several months of intense debate, there was little discussion among american politicians over the large funds handed out to Israel, for which there are no returns. Support for Israel is considered a bipartisan priority and has, for decades, been perceived as the most stable item in the US
foreign policy agenda. The mere questioning of how Israel uses the funds – whether the military aid is being actively used to sustain Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, finance Jewish settlements, fund annexation of Palestinian land or violate Palestinian human rights – is a major taboo. One of the few members of congress to demand that aid to Israel be conditioned on the latter's respect for human rights is democratic Senator, Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, who was also a leading presidential nominee for the democratic Party. "We cannot give it carte blanche to the Israeli government … We have the right to demand respect for human rights and democracy", Sanders had said in October 2019. His democratic rival, now Presidentelect, Joe Biden, soon countered: "The idea that I'd withdraw military aid, as others have suggested, from Israel, is bizarre," he said. It is no secret that Israel is the world's leading recipient of US aid since World War II. according to data provided by the US congressional Research Service, Israel has received $146 billion of US taxpayers' money as of November 2020. From 1971 up to 2007, a bulk of these funds proved fundamental in helping Israel establish a strong economic base. Since then, most of the money has been allotted for military purposes, including the security of Israel's illegal Jewish settlement
enterprise.despite the US financial crisis of 2008, american money continued to be channelled to Israel, whose economy survived the global recession, largely unscathed.In 2016, the US promised even more money. The democratic Barack Obama administration, which is often – although mistakenly – seen as hostile to Israel, increased US funding to Israel by a significant margin. In a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, Washington and Tel aviv reached a deal whereby the US agreed to give Israel $38 billion in military aid covering the financial years 2019-2028. This is a whopping increase of $8 billion compared with the previous 10-year agreement, which concluded at the end of 2018. The new american funds are divided into two categories: $33 billion in foreign military grants and an additional $5 billion in missile defence. american generosity has long been attributed to the unmatched influence of proIsraeli groups, lead among them american Israel Public affairs committee (aIPac). The last four years, however, required little lobbying by these groups, as powerful agents within the administration itself became Israel's top advocates. aside from the seemingly endless 'political freebies' that the donald Trump administration has given Israel in recent years, it is now considering ways to accelerate the
Does the international liberal order have a future?
NatioNal iNterest
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Joseph s Nye Jr
aced with a divided government and a polarized public, Joe Biden will have limited leeway in domestic politics, but more room for innovation in foreign policy. even so, a good part of his agenda will be inherited from the Trump administration. Great power politics are here to stay, and china’s power is increasing. Fortunately, asia has its own internal balance of power, and while many countries want access to china’s growing economy, they also welcome an american security presence to maintain their independence. Maintaining our alliances with Japan, Korea, australia, and improving relations with India is a north star for foreign policy. So too is restoring relations with europe, and trust in NaTO. The harder questions arise over the institutional structure of world order, where Trump was the first president since 1945 to call into question the american liberal international order. Should Biden try to revive it, or is it an ancient relic? The american order after 1945 was neither global nor always very liberal. It left out more than half the world (the Soviet bloc and china) and included many authoritarian states. american hegemony was always exaggerated. Nonetheless, the most powerful country must lead in creating global public goods, or they will not be provided and americans (among others) will suffer. The current pandemic is a potent example, as are problems of climate change, non-proliferation, and a stable international monetary system, to name but a few. and if one imagines the foreign policy agenda over the coming decade, these issues are likely to increase in importance. Biden should aim for rulesbased international institutions because it is
in our national interest. But how does this fit with the great power competition? The answer may lie in variable memberships. after the cold War, neither Russia nor china could balance american power, and the United States overrode sovereignty in pursuit of liberal values. The United States bombed Serbia and invaded Iraq without approval by the United Nations Security council, and bombed Libya to protect the citizens of Benghazi. Russia and china felt deceived by the hubris of american unipolarity. Since then, the growth of chinese and Russian power has set stricter limits to liberal interventionism. Russia and china stress the norm of sovereignty that was enshrined in the UN charter in 1945. States can go to war only for self-defense or with Security council approval. Taking a neighbor’s territory by force has been rare since 1945, and has led to costly sanctions when it has happened (as with Russia’s annexation of crimea in 2014). Limited cooperation is possible within the UN, for example, on the deployment of peacekeeping forces in troubled countries, and political cooperation has limited the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This important dimension of a rules-based order remains. On economic relations, many rules will require revision. china’s hybrid state capitalism underpinned an unfair mercantilist model that distorted the functioning of the World Trade Organization. The result will be a partial decoupling of global supply chains when security is at stake. although china complains when the United States prevents companies like Huawei from building 5G telecommunications networks in the West, this position is consistent with the sovereignty and security that china itself practices with regard to the Internet. Negotiating new trade rules can help prevent the decoupling from escalating into rampant protectionism. at the same time, we can continue cooperation in the crucial financial domain. ecological interdependence, however, poses an insurmountable obstacle to sovereignty, because the threats are transnational and obey the laws of biology and physics rather than the logic of contemporary geopolitics. Such issues threaten everyone, but no country can manage them alone. On these issues, we must also think in terms of exercising power with others rather than over others, something many americans chafe at. Ideology is not relevant. The Paris agreement and the World Health Organization
help us as well as others. The difficult question for Biden will be whether the United States and china can cooperate in producing global public goods while competing in the traditional areas of great power rivalry. can we learn to manage cooperation and rivalry at the same time? cyberspace is another new issue—partly transnational, but also subject to sovereign government controls. The Internet is already partly fragmented. Norms regarding free speech and privacy on the Internet can be developed among an inner circle of democracies, but will not be observed by authoritarian states. The Global commission on the Stability of cyberspace, of which I was a member, outlined a set of rules barring tampering with the Internet’s basic structure that are also in the authoritarian states’ interest if they want connectivity. But when they use proxies to interfere in elections (which violates sovereignty), norms will have to be reinforced by rules such as those the United States and the Soviet Union negotiated during the cold War (despite ideological hostility) to limit the escalation of incidents at sea. The United States and like-minded states will have to announce the norms they intend to uphold, and deterrence will be necessary. and liberal countries will have to participate fully in bodies like the International Telecommunications Union and not leave standard-setting to china. a recent chicago council on Global affairs poll showed that the american public wants to avoid military interventions and what Trump called “endless wars,” but not to withdraw from our alliances or multilateral cooperation. and the public still cares about values. The United States would continue to criticize authoritarian countries’ human rights records. The question Biden faces is not whether to restore the liberal international order. It is whether the United States can work with an inner core of allies to promote democracy and human rights while cooperating with a broader set of states to manage the rules-based international institutions needed to cope with transnational threats such as climate change, pandemics, cyber-attacks, terrorism, and economic instability. can america learn to manage a “cooperative rivalry?” Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is a professor at Harvard and author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump.
timetable of delivering the remainder of US funds as determined by the last MOU, an amount that currently stands at $26.4 billion. according to official congressional documents, the US "also may approve additional sales of the F-35 to Israel and accelerate the delivery of Kc-46a refuelling and transport aircraft to Israel." These are not all the funds and perks that Israel receives. Much more goes unreported, as it is channelled either indirectly or simply promoted under the flexible title of 'cooperation'. For example, between 1973 and 1991, a massive sum of $460 million of US funds was allocated to resettling Jews in Israel. Many of these new immigrants are now the very Israeli militants that occupy the West Bank illegal settlements. In this particular case, the money is paid to a private charity known as the United Israel appeal which, in turn, gives the money to the Jewish agency. The latter has played a central role in the founding of Israel on top of the ruins of Palestinian towns and villages in 1948. Under the guise of charitable donations, tens of millions of dollars are regularly sent to Israel in the form of "tax-deductible gifts for Jewish settlement in the West Bank and east Jerusalem," the New York Times reported. Much of the money, falsely promoted as donations for educational and religious purposes, often finds its way to funding and purchasing housing for illegal
settlers, "as well as guard dogs, bulletproof vests, rifle scopes and vehicles to secure (illegal Jewish) outposts deep in occupied (Palestinian) areas. Quite often, US money ends up in the Israeli government's coffers under deceptive pretences. For example, the latest Stimulus Package includes $50 million to fund the Nita M. Lowey Middle east Partnership for Peace Funds, supposedly to provide investments in "people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation … between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of supporting a negotiated and sustainable two-state solution." actually, such money serves no particular purpose, since Washington and Tel aviv endeavour to ensure the demise of a negotiated peace agreement and work hand-inhand to kill the now defunct two-state solution. The list is endless, though most of this money is not included in the official US aid packages to Israel, therefore receives little scrutiny, let alone media coverage.as of February 2019, the US has withheld all funds to the Palestinian authority in the West Bank, in addition to cutting aid to the UN Palestinian Refugees agency (UNRWa), the last lifeline of support needed to provide basic education and health services to millions of Palestinian refugees. Judging by its legacy of continued support of the Israeli military machine and the ongoing colonial expansion in the West Bank, Washington insists on serving as Israel's main benefactor – if not direct partner – while shunning Palestinians altogether. expecting the US to play a constructive role in achieving a just peace in Palestine does not only reflect indefensible naivety but wilful ignorance as well.
Dangerous games in cyberspace UNLIKE IN THE NUCLEAR SPHERE, THERE ARE NO RULES GOVERNING THE INCREASINGLY INTENSE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE USAND RUSSIA IN THE CYBER SPHERE CarNegie MosCow CeNtre
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Dmitry treNiN
HeRe’S a distinct feeling of deja vu. Just when some Russians were heaving a sigh of relief that this time, unlike four years ago, Russia was not accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election, news came of a massive hack of several U.S. government agencies. again, accusing fingers were almost immediately pointed at Russia. Some called it an invasion; others compared it to Pearl Harbor. Senior politicians demanded retribution. Yet the present case is different to 2016. essentially, the hacking was aimed at collecting information, rather than manipulating the target country or causing physical damage. Spying is, of course, one of the world’s oldest professions, and has been universally considered an inalienable part of statecraft. everyone does it. Of all nations, the United States is perhaps best equipped for it, and is likely most active. edward Snowden and Wikileaks have supplied mountains of evidence to support that. attribution of cyberattacks is notoriously tricky. Yet the americans are certain that the origin of the current massive hack in the United States is the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which celebrated its centenary last Sunday. If—despite the official Kremlin denial—that is the case, it is indeed a major achievement for Moscow, and an indicator of its cyber power. But it comes with strings attached. Tit-for-tat is an established modus operandi among hostile intelligence services. What is not clear is what kind
of retaliation the United States will eventually decide upon. President-elect Joe Biden will probably be in charge by the time the U.S. response is launched, and it might go beyond sanctions. How far beyond? Ron Klain, the incoming White House chief of Staff, has suggested that it could well be a cyberattack, going beyond a “mirroring” hacking operation. Therein lies the problem. In the hybrid war now being fought between america and Russia, the information domain is a principal battlefield, and cyber tools are the weapons of first resort. Yet unlike in the nuclear sphere, there are no rules governing the increasingly intense rivalry. The line between cyber espionage and cyber warfare is rather blurred. Latter-day Trojan horses can do much more than furnishing critical intelligence: like their ancient model, they can disable the adversary’s defenses or even manipulate the enemy to their advantage. It’s true that something of that kind was always possible: remember the World War II-era radio games. Yet now the scope, scale, and impact of such operations is incomparably greater. cyber intelligence, however intrusive, is one thing. cyber war is another. a kinetic state-versus-state collision, traditionally known as a shooting war, is yet another category. Yet democratic Senator Richard durbin has already called the operation attributed to SVR an act of war. The United States policy does allow for the use of military force in response to hostile actions short of war, as is commonly understood. Of course, the decision will rest with the U.S. president. Dmitry Trenin is the director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre.
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
BUSINESS 09
GOVT SeTS $20.86BN TexTILe, APPAReL exPORT TARGeT uNDeR New POLICy ISLAMABAD
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sHaHZaD ParCHa
HE federal government has set a target of $20.86 billion for textiles and apparel export during the next five years. According to the details, the Commerce Ministry has fixed a $13.6bn export target of textiles and apparel in the ongoing fiscal year, while the government has set a target to export textile products worth $14.7bn in 2021-22, $16.3bn in 2022-23, $18.3bn in 2023-24, and $20.8bn in 2024-25.
In this regard, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet is likely to approve the Textile and Apparel Policy, 2020-25 in Wednesday’s meeting, sources privy to the information told Profit. The main objectives of the proposed policy are to leverage the advantage of a complete textiles and apparel supply chain by encouraging value-addition at each stage of processes, especially in the finished products, to restore the profitability of cotton farmers by increasing yield, improving quality and decreasing cost of pro-
CORPORATE CORNER BOP president inaugurates Taqwa Islamic Banking Nasir Bagh branch at Peshawar
Peshawar: The Bank of Punjab Islamic Banking Group has extended its network by inaugurating its 100th Taqwa Islamic Banking branch at Nasir Bagh Peshawar. The branch will facilitate individuals, business community, and traders of the vicinity in conducting their day to day banking operations including deposit account opening, riba free certificate issuance, foreign remittances, financing arrangements, conducting transactions of local and international trade business at competitive business terms in shariah compliant manners. The branch was inaugurated by BoP President and CEO Zafar Masud. The event was attended by various executive personalities of the vicinity, representatives of business community and management team of the bank. Press release
Qatar Airways reflects on an extraordinary year in 2020 DOha: At the close of an extraordinary year and one of the most challenging in the history of aviation, Qatar Airways reflects on its achievements in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said, “This year has been unlike any other, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting people and businesses all around the world. Aviation has been one of the most affected industries, with a unique set of challenges resulting from a more restrictive travel environment and subdued demand.” “However, at Qatar Airways we have never shied away from a challenge and I am immensely proud of our response. Firstly, we never stopped flying throughout the pandemic, fulfilling our mission of taking stranded passengers home on scheduled and charter flights. We were able to do this thanks to our varied fleet of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft that allows us to respond quickly to market changes, as well as the incredible efforts of our staff.” Press release
VIS reaffirms corporate governance rating of Allied Bank Ltd. at CGR-9+ KaraChI: VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (VIS) has reaffirmed the corporate governance rating of Allied Bank Limited (ABL) at "CGR-9+". The rating signifies a very high level of corporate governance. The previous rating action was announced on April 2, 2020. The assigned rating incorporates a well-established corporate governance framework rolled out by the bank supplemented by strong financial transparency and effectively functioning board and management level committees. The rating reflects an effective and proactive approach for the strategic alignment of the bank's manifestos with the implementation of the same by the management on both operational and tactical levels. Press release
duction, and strengthening the Man-Made Fibre (MMF) sector to make this chain export-oriented as well as supporting textiles and apparel value-chain for not only baseline monitoring reports (BMR), but also new capacities. Sources said that the textiles and apparel sector occupies a pivotal position in Pakistan’s economy having the most intensive backward and forward linkages as compared to any other sector. “The sector contributes approximately 60pc in total exports of Pakistan and 40pc in industrial employment,” they said, adding
that it encompasses a distinctive and self-reliant value-added production chain from cotton to ginning, spinning, weaving, knitting, processing, finishing to apparel and home textiles. The policy also stresses upon the need to formulate marketing and branding strategies to promote ‘Made in Pakistan’, facilitate international buying houses to establish offices in the country, and initiate mass level training programmes, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and women for skill development. Earlier in March, Prime Minister (PM)
Imran Khan had given in-principle approval to the proposed on the recommendation of a task force on textiles. It may be noted that previous textiles policies were formulated to enhance exports to as much as $26 billion, which required to be met through the support of fiscal measures; however, these targets were not achieved due to non-payments under the respective facilitation schemes, in addition to non-allocation of funds for infrastructure development, vocational training, productivity and compliance-related programmes.
PM to sign joint appeal to WB for investing in trilateral railway venture
ISLAMABAD aPP
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will sign a joint appeal to the World Bank (WB) for investing around $4.8 billion in rail link among Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan in the near future. The development came during a meeting with the delegation of Uzbek-
istan that had called on PM Imran here on Tuesday. The Uzbek delegation was led by Uzbek Minister for Transport Makhamov Ilkhom and included First Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Kudratov Laziz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sidiqov Furqat and Charge d`Affairs of Uzbekistan to Pakistan Tashmatov Sadulla. It may be noted that Presidents of
Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have already signed the trilateral joint. The meeting discussed the Trans Afghan Rail Project that would connect Pakistan and Uzbekistan via Afghanistan, while the dignitaries highlighted matters pertaining to the mutual interest and cargo train service. Central Asian Republics (CARs) would also be able to join in the project later.
In this regard, Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati vowed to strengthen the regional economy by executing joint ventures with CARs. Under the trilateral joint venture, a 573 kilometres long railway track would be laid with 27 railway stations, 912 different structures and seven tunnels. The shortest track would run from Peshawar to Kabul, and from Kabul via Mazar Sharif to Uzbekistan.
Industrial production to reach historic levels in 2021: Hammad Azhar
ADB calls for decisive reforms to put Pakistan’s economy on track
IsLaMaBaD: Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar has claimed that 2021 will be a historical year for industrial production in the country. Talking to a private news channel, the federal minister said that Pakistan’s economy is becoming stronger despite the coronavirus pandemic. “The country’s macroeconomic indicators are increasing to a great extent due to prudent policies and programmes introduced by the current government,” he added. The minister said the construction of new factories in the country would also improve the national economy, besides creating job opportunities. He said that the government is closely monitoring the prices of essential items, sugar and edible oil to ensure uninterrupted supply at fair prices while the availability of wheat and sugar stocks has ensured a steady supply of both commodities across the country. The minister added that wheat stock position is sufficient for the domestic consumption and average per day release to the provinces is also satisfactory. TlTP
MONITORING REPORT Pakistan’s lack of export competitiveness, chronic fiscal deficits, and low labour productivity are the root cause of the country’s sizeable macroeconomic challenges, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a study ‘Pakistan: Reviving Growth through Competitiveness’, carried out in association of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), released Monday. The report that examines constraints to Pakistan achieving strong, sustained, and inclusive growth and proposes key sector reforms to boost the country’s economic competitiveness, suggested that Pakistan must take decisive reforms to free the economy from its binding constraints.
Historic oil price collapse worries headed into 2021 NEW YORK aGeNCIes
The year 2020 was like no other for oil prices. Even as global prices end the year at about $51 a barrel, near the average for 2015-2017, it masks a year of volatility. In April, U.S. crude plunged deep into negative territory and Brent dropped below $20 per barrel, slammed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a price war between oil giants Saudi Arabia and Russia. The remainder of 2020 was spent recovering from that drop as the pandemic destroyed fuel demand around the world. While the short-lived decline of U.S. oil futures below negative-$40 a barrel is not
likely to be repeated in 2021, new lockdowns and a phased rollout of vaccines to treat the virus will restrain demand next year, and perhaps beyond. “We really haven’t seen anything like this – not in the financial crisis, not after 9/11,” said Peter McNally, global sector lead for industrials, materials and energy at research firm Third Bridge. “The impact on demand was remarkable and swift.” Fossil-fuel demand in coming years could remain softer even after the pandemic as countries seek to limit emissions to slow climate change. Major oil companies, such as BP Plc and Total SE, published forecasts that include scenarios where global oil demand may have
peaked in 2019. World oil and liquid fuels production fell in 2020 to 94.25 million barrels per day (bpd) from 100.61 million bpd in 2019, and output is expected to recover only to 97.42 million bpd next year, the Energy Information Administration said. “Every cycle feels like the worst when you’re going through it, but this one has been a doozy,” said John Roby, chief executive of Dallas, Texas-based oil producer Teal Natural Resources LLC. DeMaND sLaCKeNs: As coronavirus cases spread, governments imposed lockdowns, keeping residents indoors and off the roads. Consumption of world crude and liquid fuels fell to 92.4 million bpd for the
year, a 9% drop from 101.2 million bpd in 2019, EIA said. The changing landscape poses a threat to refiners. About 1.5 million bpd of processing capacity has been taken off the market, Morgan Stanley said. Worldwide crude distillation capacity is expected to keep rising, according to GlobalData, but falling demand and weak margins for gasoline, diesel and other fuels has prompted refineries in Asia and North America to close or curtail output, including several facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Shutdowns in more developed economies “increase refineries’ exposure to the highly competitive product export market,” BP said in its outlook, released in September.
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
10 foReiGN NeWs India finds six cases of virus variant, may extend UK flight ban MUMBAI AGENCIES
India has found six cases of a more infectious strain of the coronavirus, which has prompted border closures around the world, in people arriving from Britain and will likely extend a flight ban to guard against it, officials said on Tuesday. All six of the infected people had been kept in isolation, the health ministry said in a statement, adding that their fellow travellers were being traced. “Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine,” the ministry said. India had suspended all flights from Britain until the end of the month over worry about the infectious variant of the virus but about 33,000 passengers had flown in from late November, before the ban was enforced, the ministry said. Of those arrivals, 114 people were found positive for the coronavirus and their samples were being checked for the new variant, which has been detected across parts of Europe and Asia, it said. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the ban on flights from Britain would probably remain in force into the New Year.“ I foresee a slight extension,” Puri told reporters. “I do not expect that extension to be a long or indefinite extension.” With 10.22 million confirmed infections, India has the second-highest novel coronavirus case load in the world, behind only the United States. But on Tuesday it reported 16,432 new cases, the lowest daily rise since June 25, the health ministry said. More than 148,150 people have died of Covid-19 in India, according to ministry data. Health authorities expect to start a vaccination drive for some 300 million people early next month, with the Serum Institute of India, which is making the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus shot, expecting its emergency approval within days.
'Covid-19 pandemic severe, but not necessarily big one,' WHO warns crisis may get worse GeNevA AGENCIES
The novel coronavirus has had a devastating impact around the globe, but the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday that worse pandemics could lie ahead, urging the world to get "serious" about preparedness."This is a wakeup call," WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told reporters at a briefing marking a year since the UN agency first learned of the new virus spreading in China. Since then, Covid-19 has killed nearly 1.8 million people around the world, out of over 80 million infected. "This pandemic has been very severe," Ryan acknowledged. "It has spread around the world extremely quickly and it has affected every corner of this planet, but this is not necessarily the big one." He stressed that while the virus is "very transmissible, and it kills people... its current case fatality (rate) is reasonably low in comparison to other emerging diseases." "We need to get ready for something that may even be more severe in the future." WHO senior advisor Bruce Aylward also cautioned that while the world had made huge scientific progress to address the coronavirus crisis, including developing vaccines at record speed, it remained far from prepared to ward off future pandemics.
US HOUSe OverrIdeS TrUMp'S veTO Of Key defenCe bIll WASHINGTON AGENCIES
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HE Democratic-led US House of Representatives voted on Monday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defence policy bill, a rebuke that underscored divisions in the Republican Party during Trump’s final weeks in office. The 322-87 House vote, in which 109 Republicans joined Democrats to override Trump’s veto, leaves the bill’s fate to the Republican-led Senate, where a final vote is expected this week. If the Senate seconds the House action, the bill becomes law. It would be the first veto override of Trump’s presidency. Trump, who is angry that some Republicans have acknowledged his loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election, vetoed the defence bill last Wednesday. Biden will be sworn in as presi-
dent on January 20. Trump said he blocked the legislation because he wanted it to overturn liability protections for social media companies unrelated to national security, and he opposed a provision to rename military bases named after generals who fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the Civil War. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed what she described as “an overwhelming bipartisan” vote to override Trump’s rejection of the bill and predicted the legislation would become law despite the president’s “dangerous sabotage efforts.” “The president must end his eleventh-hour campaign of chaos and stop using his final moments in office to obstruct bipartisan and bicameral action to protect our military and defend our security,” Pelosi said in a statement. Another top Democrat, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, said he believes the Senate will join the House in rejecting Trump’s veto.
Twenty Democrats, including the prominent progressive, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, opposed the override. Representative Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, urged Republicans ahead of the vote not to side with the president. “The world is watching what we do,” the Texas Republican said. “I would only ask that as members vote, they put the best interests of the country first. There is no other consideration that should matter.” The legislation, which addresses a host of defence policy issues and includes a pay raise for US troops, has been passed by Congress every year since 1961. The bill had earlier passed both chambers of Congress with margins greater than the two-thirds majorities needed to override if president’s veto needed. But Trump vetoed it anyway and the bill went back to Congress for a possible override.
Gaza armed groups fire rockets into the sea in first joint exercise GAZA AGENCIES
An array of Palestinian armed groups launched rockets into the Mediterranean Sea off the Gaza Strip on Tuesday at the start of what they called their firstever joint exercise, which Israeli media described as a show of force organised by Iran. Gaza is run by Hamas and also home to other groups. The exercise was announced on behalf of a joint command set up by the groups in 2018. Eight rockets streaked through a cloudless sky in Gaza towards the Mediterranean after Abu Hamza, spokesman for a group, delivered a speech launching the drill. It will include land and coastal exercises described by the groups as a test of their preparedness for any future confrontation with Israel. Israeli media said the drill was organised by the groups’ sponsors in Tehran to demonstrate risks Israel could face if Iran comes under US or Israeli attack in the waning days of the Trump administration. On the eve of the exercise, a large portrait of Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed last January in a US attack in Iraq, was erected along Gaza’s main coastal road. Tensions between Iran and Israel have risen since the November 27 assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Iran has
blamed Israel for his death; Israel has neither confirmed nor denied a role. Tuesday’s Gaza missile display did not trigger any sirens in Israel, whose drones keep a close eye on Gaza and which em-
Thousands march against Nepal PM's dissolution of parliament KATHMANDU AGENCIES
Thousands of opponents of Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli marched through the streets of Kathmandu on Tuesday urging him to reverse his decision to dissolve parliament and call for early elections. The protesters, who say his decision on December 20 was unconstitutional, rallied outside his office despite coronavirus curbs on gatherings. Oli says internal squabbling and a lack of cooperation from his party have paralysed decision-making, forcing
him to seek a new popular mandate. Police officials overseeing security said at least 10,000 people were on the streets to participate in the march, one of the most intense protests the country has witnessed since Oli dissolved parliament. “We have tactfully managed the rally of about 10,000 protesters,” said Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, a police spokesman. The country’s top court will in January continue hearing dozens of petitions filed against Oli’s political move and his plans to press ahead with parliamentary elections next year on April 30 and May 10, less than two years before the scheduled date.
ploys a sophisticated missile interception system. Due to last 24 hours, the exercise included fighters from Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees and smaller armed groups.
‘Many injured’ as strong earthquake strikes Croatia, Slovenia shuts power nuclear plant as precaution ZAGREB: An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck a town in Croatia on Tuesday, with the emergency services saying many people had been injured and video footage showing people being rescued from rubble near the epicentre. The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said the quake hit at a depth of 10 km (6 miles). The N1 news channel reported that the epicentre was in the town of Petrinja, 50 km from Croatia’s capital Zagreb. N1 quoted a Petrinja town official as saying that a 12-year old child in Petrinja had been killed, but gave no details. It showed footage of rescuers there pulling out a man and a child from the debris. Both were alive. Other footage showed a house with a roof caved in. The reporter said she did not know if anyone was inside. Tomislav Fabijanic, head of emergency medical service in Sisak near Petrinja, said there were many injured in Petrinja and in Sisak. AGENCIES
More Rohingya refugees sent to Bangladesh island BHASAN CHAR AGENCIES
Bangladesh moved a second group of Rohingya Muslim refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, despite opposition from rights groups worried about the new site’s vulnerability to storms. The United Nations says it has not been involved in the relocation but urged the government to ensure no refugee is forced to move to Bhasan Char island, which only
emerged from the sea 20 years ago. The Bangladesh navy took the 1,804 Rohingya to the island in five ships, with the refugees sitting on wooden benches on deck, some clutching ducks, pigeons and chickens in bamboo baskets and wearing orange life vests and masks against the coronavirus. A first group of 1,642 Rohingya, members of a minority group who have fled from violence in Myanmar, were relocated from their camps near the Myanmar border to the isolated island earlier in the month. The move has faced opposition, espe-
cially from aid groups worried about a disaster in a country that regularly faces severe weather, especially along its coast. In 1991, nearly 143,000 people were killed when a cyclone whipped up a 4.5metre (15-foot) tidal surge. The government has built a 2-metre (6.5 feet) high embankment for 12-km (7.5 mile) to protect the island along with housing for 100,000 people. It dismisses the risks. “The island is completely safe,” Foreign Minister Abdul Momen said in the capital, Dhaka. Upon reaching the island, navy per-
sonnel on a jetty helped the refugees ashore, many of them with sacks of belongings slung over their shoulders. “Bhasan Char is better,” said one middle-aged man who arrived with his wife and three children from a refugee camp of bamboo and plastic shelters packed across muddy hills near the Myanmar border, where some one million Rohingya live. The man said the head of his old camp had convinced him that the island was a better option. Tractor trailers and army trucks took the refugees to their new concrete
homes and bunk beds. The government says the relocation is voluntary but some refugees from the first group have spoken about being coerced to go. The human rights group Amnesty International also expressed concern. “(A) lack of transparency in the consultation process with refugees, and allegations from within the community about cash incentives being offered to Rohingya families to relocate to Bhashan Char as well as use of intimidation tactics are making the relocation process questionable,” the group said.
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
Southee getS 300th teSt wicket for NZ AS PAkiStAN LoSe three iN chASe of 373 MOUNT MAUNGANUI
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WING king Tim Southee snared his milestone 300th wicket as New Zealand sensed victory over Pakistan at stumps on day four of the first Test in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday. New Zealand declared their second innings at 180-5 and Pakistan, set an unlikely target of 373, will go into the final day at 71-3. Azhar Ali will resume on 34 with Fawad Alam on 21. The Black Caps need to sweep the two-Test series if they are to be in contention to make the World Test Championship final at Lords in June. Although Pakistan are out of the running for the final they are keen to improve their world ranking of seven. But their cause was not helped when the wizardry of Southee and swing partner Trent Boult removed both openers PAKISTAN 239 for nought. In New Zealand’s second inAND 71 FOR 3 (AZHAR 34 nings, the Pakistan quicks strugNOT OUT, ALAM 21 NOT OUT, gled to get any assistance from who was thought to have broken SOUTHEE 2-15) NEED ANOTHER one toe while batting on Sunthe fourth-day wicket, but Southee and Boult immediately 302 RUNS TO BEAT NEW ZEALAND day, but has now been diaghad the ball dancing to their tune. nosed with a second broken toe, 431 AND 180 FOR 5 DEC Abid Ali fended a rising sent down six overs to have none Boult delivery and was caught be(BLUNDELL 64, LATHAM 53, for four. New Zealand began their hind, while Shan Masood was second innings at the start of the NASEEM 3-55) caught at first slip off Southee and day with Tom Latham and Tom BlunPakistan were two down for no runs after dell putting on 98 in the first session. 14 deliveries. Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail proMohammad Abbas briefly troubled vided some resistance for 15 overs and 37 runs before Latham, who sent three edges towards the slips, Southee was back in action. while a loud lbw appeal against Blundell was turned He broke the partnership with a full delivery to down with the TV umpire unable to distinguish Sohail (9) which was chipped to Mitchell Santner at whether the ball hit bat or pad first. short cover – making Southee only the third New Otherwise the batsmen were untroubled, with Zealander, after Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori, Yasir Shah getting six overs but unable to produce to take 300 Test wickets. any turn of note. Southee has 2-15, and Boult 1-24. Neil Wagner, After lunch it was clear the declaration was ap-
proaching as New Zealand dropped their risk-free approach and wickets fell as the total rose. Blundell was bowled for 64 when trying to slog Abbas over midwicket and New Zealand were 111-1. Eleven overs later they were 5-170 as Pakistan bought wickets with a short-ball approach. Latham, who had feasted on ones and twos and ran on misfields to keep the scoreboard ticking over, opened up with a textbook cover drive to the boundary to reach his 20th half-century. He was dismissed soon after for 53 when he mistimed a pull shot and was caught in the deep. Kane Williamson’s attempted pull shot was top edged to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and he was gone for 21, while Henry Nicholls went for 11 when his pull shot was caught by Abbas at fine leg. For Pakistan, Naseem Shah was the most effective bowler with 3-55.
Chelsea, stung by Arsenal defeat, held 1-1 by Villa LONDON AGENCIES
Chelsea, overhauled by coach Frank Lampard after their weekend loss to Arsenal, battled to a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa on Monday as Oliver Giroud’s firsthalf header was cancelled out shortly after the break by Anwar El Ghazi. Lampard made six changes to the team that began Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to the Gunners - a performance he described as “lazy” - and his gamble on Giroud paid off when the France striker stooped to head in a cross by Ben Chilwell in the 34th minute. It was Giroud’s third goal in four league starts this season, a contrast to a poor run for Timo Werner who has failed to score in the league since November 7. The German, signed from RB Leipzig in the summer, appeared only as a substitute on Monday.
Villa drew level in the 50th minute when El Ghazi sidefooted a volley at the far post through the legs of Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy after a longrange cross by Matty Cash. Chelsea protested in vain that their defender Andreas Christensen had been fouled in the build-up by Jack Grealish. Both sides pushed for a winner to keep themselves in contention at the top of the table. Villa’s John McGinn rocked the goal frame when his fierce shot smashed against the bar from 25 yards out with Mendy only able to watch. In the dying seconds, Chilwell almost won it for Chelsea when he hit a near-perfect volley just wide from an angle. Lampard said his players had responded to his criticism after the loss to Arsenal. “Nobody let me down tonight, the attitude was great. We just did not get the rub of the green,” he told Amazon Prime. Villa coach Dean Smith said his in-form side, who beat Crystal Palace on Saturday 3-0 despite playing much of the game with 10 men, were thriving on their momentum.
SPORTS 11 Mulder, Sipamla star as South Africa complete innings victory against Sri Lanka PRETORIA: Rookie seam bowlers Wiaan Mulder and Lutho Sipamla took two wickets each as South Africa bowled injury-hit Sri Lanka out for 180 to complete a handsome victory by an innings and 45 runs on day four of the first Test at Centurion Park on Tuesday. The tourists resumed their second innings on 65 for two on a wicket that provided plenty SOUTH AFRICA 621 of assistance for the seam bowlers and (DU PLESSIS 199, ELGAR 95, when dangerous MAHARAJ 73, BAVUMA 71, opener Kusal Perera was out MARKRAM 68) BEAT SRI LANKA 396 for 64, their (CHANDIMAL 85, DE SILVA 79, hopes of saving 66 NOT OUT, SIPAMLA SHANAKA the Test were realistically 4-76) AND 180 (PERERA 64, over. Sri Lanka HASARANGA 59, SIPAMLA had suffered crippling injuries 2-24) BY AN INNINGS to their bowling AND 45 RUNS attack in the Test and were also without middleorder batsman Dhananjaya de Silva for the second innings, a major concern for their home series against England that starts on January 14. The tourists posted an impressive 396 in their first innings, but allowed South Africa to amass 621 in reply, and will need to find more potency with the ball ahead of the second Test that starts in Johannesburg on January 3. “A Test match is never easy and it has been a year since we won one, so it feels good,” South Africa captain Quinton de Kock said at the post-match presentation. “To finish how we did is very pleasing. There were a lot of demons in the wicket. Day one we were disappointed with our bowling performance, but we came back towards the end and then came out with the bat and showed some great character. Our planning was really good and that is what we will take forward to the second Test.” All-rounder Mulder (2-39) showed in Sri Lanka’s first turn at bat that he was able to get movement off the wicket with his gentle medium pace, and created a number of chances on the fourth morning before he finally got reward. An inswinging delivery saw Dinesh Chandimal bowled for 25, before Niroshan Dickwella edged to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock (10). When Anrich Nortje (2-47) induced an edge from the blazing bat of opener Perera, the game was effectively up for the visitors with their score on 114 and five wickets down. Dasun Shanaka (6) became the sixth wicket in the Test for debutant seamer Lutho Sipamla (2-24) as he also provided a catch for De Kock, and Vishwa Fernando was run out on the stroke of lunch. South Africa bowled part-time spinner Aiden Markram after the interval in tandem with Keshav Maharaj in a bid to raise their slow over rate and avoid a sanction from the International Cricket Council, but it lowered the intensity of their attack. That allowed Sri Lanka’s debutant all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga to rack up a maiden Test half-century in only 46 balls, before he was caught in the deep off Sipamla for an excellent 59. “We were in the driving seat scoring almost 400 runs (in the first innings), but we lost bowlers to injury and that is why it ended up like this,” Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne said. “As a batting unit I am happy. I hope the young fast bowlers can do the job for me in the second Test. We will need a positive mindset.” AGENCIES
India turn tables on Australia in Melbourne to level series MELBOURNE AGENCIES
A rejuvenated India shorn of Virat Kohli turned the tables on Australia to claim the second Test within four days in Melbourne on Tuesday, a rousing eight-wicket victory that breathed life into the series. Needing only 70 runs for victory after bowling Australia out for 200 by lunch, opener Shubman Gill (35 not out) and stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane (27 not out) guided India home in a blaze of shot-making to square the series 1-1 ahead of the third Test. Having bowled India out for 36 in the crushing eightwicket win in Adelaide, Australia’s pacemen steamed in with their usual vigour but were repelled by a belligerent Gill, who enjoyed a fine Test debut. The match belonged to Rahane, however, who took over the captaincy after the wreckage in Adelaide, with regular skipper Kohli returning to India for the birth of his first child. Named man of the match, Rahane scored a brilliant 112 in India’s first innings 326 and superbly marshalled a rejigged side featuring four changes from the demoralised Adelaide 11. Fittingly, he struck the winning run off spinner Nathan Lyon before tea, sending Indian fans into raptures in the sunbathed crowd of 13,021. India finished 70 for two. “Really proud of all the players, they played really well,” Rahane said at the post-match presentation. “Coming after Adelaide, the way they showed their characters, that was really important. The talk was all about showing that attitude on the field, showing that intent on the field and character, that matters a lot.” Kohli was delighted with the victory and hailed the
performance of stand-in skipper ‘Jinks’. “What a win this is, absolutely amazing effort by the whole team. Could not be happier for the boys and specially Jinks who led the team to victory amazingly,” he tweeted. “Onwards and upwards from here.” Two years after smashing a depleted Australia by 137 runs in the Boxing Day Test, India’s bowlers again had the measure of their opponents on the MCG’s drop-in wicket. The tourists rattled through Australia INDIA 326 for 195 in the first innings and restricted them to 200 in the second despite the (RAHANE 112, JADEJA loss of paceman Umesh Yadav, who LYON 3-72, STARC 3-78) 57, managed only a handful of overs before hobbling off with a calf strain AND 70 FOR 2 BEAT early on day three. 195 (BUMRAH 4AUSTRALIA Seamer Mohammed Siraj filled 56) AND 200 (GREEN 45, the breach superbly, taking 3-37 in the second innings and five wickets SIRAJ 3-37) BY EIGHT overall in a stellar Test debut. WICKETS Recalled all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with three wickets in the Test, with 2-28 in the second innings, after contributing 57 with the bat. Completing the selectors’ triumph, recalled wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant scored a valuable 29 in partnership with his captain to help lift India out of Reduced to 99 for six on day three, however, Ausperil on day two. Australia’s selectors will be hoping regular opener David Warner is fit to play after Joe Burns’s tralia’s faint hopes of setting India a proper chase were snuffed out when young all-rounder Cameron Green (0 and 4) twin failures with the bat. Tailenders Starc (14 not out), Pat Cummins (22) and heaved at a Siraj short ball and was caught by a leaping Hazlewood (10) showed stiffer resistance than a number Jadeja for 45. Australia captain Tim Paine pulled no of their batting team mates to push Australia to 200 for punches in assessing his team’s performance and lamented their poor batting displays. the first time in the series.
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“Obviously we are very disappointed, played pretty poor cricket, pretty sloppy cricket for the majority of the Test match,” he said. “You have got to give the India attack credit, they bowled beautifully to us. “As a batting group we are very disappointed with what we have put up in the first two Test matches.”
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020
PRAyER TImINGS
NEWS
PPP decIdeS To coLLecT reSIgnaTIonS, refuSeS To foLLow ‘dIcTaTIon’
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NEWS DESK
FTER a session of the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Central Executive Committee (CEC), Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari announced that the party will collect their resignations of its members from the national and provincial assemblies, it emerged on Tuesday. The session was chaired by Bilawal, who said during the meeting: “We have determined to take the democratic forces along”. “PPP will not follow anyone’s dictation,” it was said during the meeting. “We cannot become the new PNA [Pakistan National Alliance].” Bilawal also said that the CEC had decided to launch a contact campaign with the peasants, lawyers, traders and doctors organisations. The PPP chairman added that they had “collapsed the government during the budget session of the parliament”. Legal experts had been consulted in regards to the actions which could be taken against the government, and had
PPP WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE SENATE ELECTIONS AND FACE THE PTI, ANNOUNCES BILAWAL said “submitting resignations the government could erase the 18th Amendment of the constitution”. “The government could also annul other democratic laws in case of resignations,” the experts warned, to which members of the meeting noted these laws to ensure the democratic norms came after a lot of struggle. According to sources, legal experts also told the CEC session that resignations from assemblies could not hinder the upcoming Senate elections. The meeting also lamented Pakistan Democratic (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s absence from Larkana to commemorate the 13th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, reports said. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not at-
Biden warns of Trump officials’ ‘roadblocks’ to transition WILMINGTON: President-elect Joe Biden is warning of massive damage done to the national security apparatus by the Trump administration and “roadblocks” in communication between agency officials and his transition team that could undermine United States’ security. During remarks Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said his team has faced “obstruction” from the “political leadership” at the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget as they’ve sought to gather [the] necessary information to continue the transition of power. “Right now we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It’s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility,” Biden said. He warned that his team needs “full visibility” into the budget process at the Defense Department “in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit.” He also said they need “a clear picture of our force posture around the world and of our operations to deter our enemies.” Biden’s remarks came after he was briefed by members of his national security and defense teams and advisers, including his nominees for secretary of State, Defense and Homeland Security, as well as his incoming national security adviser. The president-elect said his team found that agencies “critical to our security have incurred enormous damage” during President Donald Trump’s time in office. “Many of them have been hollowed out in personnel, capacity and in morale,” he said. “All of it makes it harder for our government to protect the American people, to defend our vital interests in a world where threats are constantly evolving and our adversaries are constantly adapting.” AGENCIES
tend Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary due to local politics,” the leaders said at the meeting. So far, the majorities of the parties in the PDM are siding with the PML-N’s stance of sending in the resignations. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has yet to discuss the matter with PDM President Fazl. It is likely that Nawaz will consult PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari to “save the PDM from any harm that could possibly inflict if the component parties take divergent views publicly on important issues like Senate polls and by-elections”. PDM’s next meeting is on January 1 at Jati Umra in Lahore where it is expected the alliance will discuss details relating to its future strategy, resignations from assemblies and the long march. In a press conference after the meet-
ing, Bilawal announced that the PPP would participate in the Senate elections and would face the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) from within the assemblies. “PDM can win if it contests the Senate elections together,” Bilawal said. Referring to the CEC, he said the body “endorsed” the PDM’s decision that all opposition lawmakers will submit their resignations to party leaderships by December 31. However, he added that “This is the CEC’s opinion which will be presented before the PDM. The final decision will be taken with the consensus of the PDM and with the CEC’s approval”. The PDM had so far not decided when the resignations should be used and that this decision would be taken with consensus by the alliance. He reiterated his demand for PM Imran’s resignation and warned that the premier would be ousted if he did not step down. The PPP chairman also condemned the arrest of Khawaja Asif by NAB during the press conference.
China rejects reports about ending financial support to Pakistan URGES MEDIA’S ROLE TO CONSOLIDATE IRON-CLAD SINO-PAK FRIENDSHIP ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
China has rejected reports about gradually ending its financial support to Pakistan pledged under the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Responding to a question during a press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that such reports are groundless and both countries are resolute in pushing forward the construction of this mega project. The spokesperson said that the CPEC International Coordination and Cooperation Working Group held its second meeting last Friday, in which both sides reiterated their commitment to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. Earlier this month, China again bailed out Pakistan as it agreed to immediately provide a $1.5 billion financing line to repay the $2 billion Saudi Arabia debt. China has not given the loan from its State Administration of Foreign Exchange, commonly known as SAFE deposits, nor has it extended a commercial loan. Instead, both the countries have agreed to augment the size of a 2011 bilateral Cur-
rency-Swap Agreement (CSA) by an additional 10 billion Chinese Yuan or around $1.5 billion. This has increased the size of the overall trade facility to 20 billion Chinese Yuan or $4.5 billion. The CSA is a Chinese trade finance facility that Pakistan has been using since 2011 to repay foreign debt and keep its gross foreign currency reserves at comfortable levels instead for trade-related purposes. In a separate media briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the media of Pakistan and China should continue to play their bonding role to tell the story of cooperation and consolidate iron-clad friendship between the two countries. Wenbin hoped that friends from the press in both countries will continue to play their bonding role in this connection. He said that the Sixth CPEC Media Forum, hosted by the Chinese embassy in Pakistan and organised by China Economic Net and Pakistan-China Institute, was convened online and offline on December 28.The spokesperson said the virtual event was attended by around 100 participants including diplomatic envoys from both sides and Chinese and Pakistani representatives from the media, think tanks and universities. He said under the theme of “Post-epidemic China-Pakistan Media Cooperation”, the participants had in-depth discussions on promoting friendship and cooperation between China and Pakistan, and telling the true mutually beneficial nature of China Pakistan Economic Corridor cooperation to people of the two countries.
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India arrests Muslim teen for walking Hindu girl home at night under new law NEWS DESK A Muslim teenager was detained in India’s Uttar Pradesh state for walking a Hindu girl home at night after attending a birthday party. He was arrested under a new anti-conversion law popularly called the “Love Jihad” law. According to Times of India, the incident apparently began with an allegation of “theft” which, turned into one of “Love Jihad”. At 11:00 pm on December 14, the two were walking through a street in Nasirpur village. “Locals spotted them, attacked him and handed the two over to police,” the boy’s mother said. In a purported video of the incident, the mob is seen armed with rods and sticks, beating him up. There had been a theft at the village earlier that day. “They suspected us of being thieves and stopped us and beat him up,” the girl, 16, said. “Four members of her family, including her father, said they wouldn’t press charges,” a local influential said. An hour later, the father filed a complaint saying the “boy had told my daughter he was Hindu and would speak to her on the sly [...] (That day), he was running away with her to marry her and convert her [to Islam].” However, the girl denied the allegation. “He was not trying to convert me,” she said. “The accused was booked under sections 3 (conversion by fraud, misrepresentation, coercion, allurement or marriage) and 5(1) (punishment for forced conversion) of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance [among other criminal sections],” police said. In November, Uttar Pradesh state became the first Indian province to pass a law against allegedly forced or fraudulent religious conversions, laying out prison terms for anyone compelling others to convert their faith or luring them into these conversions through marriage. The anticonversion law does not name any religion but critics call it Islamophobic for being solely imposed with the objective of preventing “Love Jihad”, which hardline Hindu groups describe as a conspiracy to convert gullible Hindu women to Islam by misleading them with promises of love and marriage. Officials in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, said the law will help prevent fraudulent religious conversions and was designed to protect young women.
Second Indian state steps closer to enacting ‘Love Jihad’ law LUCKNOW: Lawmakers in a central Indian state controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hardline Hindu nationalist party approved legislation on Tuesday that would make pressuring a woman to convert to their husband’s religion a crime punishable with imprisonment. Although no religion is specified in the legislation, critics say it is aimed against the country’s Muslim minority. Hardline Hindu groups have accused Muslim men of waging a campaign, dubbed a “Love Jihad”, to lure Hindu women to Islam with promises of marriage. The Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020, will be enacted in Madhya Pradesh once it receives approval from the state’s governor, a leader in Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “This law will prevent innocent girls being forcefully converted on [the] pretext of marriage,” said Narottam Mishra, Home Minister in the state’s BJP-led government. Virtually identical legislation was passed last month in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a northern state also controlled by the BJP. As many as 30 Muslim men were arrested there earlier this month under the new law for allegedly compelling women to change their religion after getting married. Other Indian states — Haryana, Karnataka and Assam — have said that they are planning to bring in similar anti-conversion laws. Under the new law, a man and woman belonging to different religions will have to give at least two months’ notice to the district magistrate before they get married and they will be given permission if there are no objections. AGENCIES
Explainer: How worrying is the new Covid-19 variant found in Britain? LONDON AGENCIES
A new variant of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Britain and prompting high levels of concern among its European neighbours, some of which have cut transport links. The strain, referred to by some experts as the B.1.1.7 lineage, is not the first new variant of the pandemic virus to emerge, but is said to be up to 70 percent more transmissible than the previously dominant strain in the United Kingdom. ARE THE CONCERNS JUSTIFIED? Most scientists say yes. The new variant has rapidly become the dominant strain in cases of Covid-19 in parts of southern England and has been linked to an increase in hospitalisation rates, especially in London and in the adjacent county of Kent. While it was first seen in Britain in September, by the week of December 9 in London, 62 percent of Covid19 cases were due to the new variant. That compared to 28 percent of cases three weeks earlier. The governments of Australia, Italy and the Netherlands say they detected cases of the new strain. It was identified in the Netherlands in early December.
A few cases of Covid-19 with the new variant have also been reported to the ECDC, Europe’s disease monitoring agency, by Iceland and Denmark. Media reports in Belgium say cases have also been detected there. “It is right to take it seriously,” said Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London. Shaun Fitzgerald, a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge, said the situation was “extremely concerning.” WHY? The main worry is that the variant is significantly more transmissible than the original strain. It has 23 mutations in its genetic code — a relatively high number of changes — and some of these are affecting its ability to spread. Scientists say it is about 40 percent to 70 percent more transmissible. The UK government said on Saturday it could increase the reproduction “R” rate by 0.4. This means it is spreading faster in Britain, making the pandemic there yet harder to control and increasing the risk it will also spread swiftly in other countries. “The new B.1.1.7 [...] still appears to have all the human lethality that the original had, but with an increased ability to transmit,” said Martin Hibberd, professor of emerging infectious disease at the London
School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. WILL COVID-19 VACCINES PROTECT AGAINST THIS VARIANT? Scientists say there’s no evidence that vaccines currently being deployed in the UK — made by Pfizer and BioNtech — or other Covid-19 shots in development will not protect against this variant. “It’s unlikely that this will have anything more than a minor, if any, effect on the vaccine’s effectiveness,” said Adam Finn, a vaccine specialist and professor of paediatrics at Bristol University. Britain’s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance also said Covid-19 vaccines appeared to be adequate in generating an immune response to the variant of the coronavirus. “We are not seeing [...] any gross changes in the spike protein that will reduce vaccine effectiveness so far,” said Julian Tang, professor and clinical virologist at Leicester University. DOES THE NEW VARIANT AFFECT TESTING? To some extent, yes. One of the mutations in the new variant affects one of three genomic targets used by some PCR tests. This means that in those tests, that target area, or “channel”, would come up negative. “This has affected the ability of some tests to detect
the virus,” said Robert Shorten, an expert in microbiology at the Association for Clinical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine. Since PCR tests generally detect more than one gene target, however, a mutation in the spike protein only partly affects the test, reducing that risk of false-negative results. ARE THERE OTHER SIGNIFICANT SARS-CoV2 VARIANTS ABOUT? Yes. Strains of the Covid-19causing virus have emerged in recent months in South Africa, Spain, Denmark and other countries that have also raised concern. However none, so far, has been found to contain mutations that make it more deadly, or more likely to be able to evade vaccines or treatments. DID THIS NEW VARIANT ORIGINATE IN BRITAIN? Vallance said on Saturday he thought the new variant might have started in the UK. Some scientists in Europe have credited British expertise in genomic surveillance for identifying the mutation. “The UK has one of the most comprehensive genetic surveillance programmes in the world — 5 percent to 10 percent of all virus samples are genetically tested. Few countries do better,” Steven Van Gucht, head of viral diseases at the Belgian Institute of Health, told a news conference.
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