Friday, 15 January, 2021 I 1 Jumada Ath-Thaani, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 197 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Pakistan records highest coronavirus cases since december 18 g
3,097 new cases emerge as positivity rate jumps to 7.45pc
ISLAMABAD
P
STAFF REPORT
akistan recorded over 3,000 coronavirus cases in a day for the first time since december 18 last, as 3,097 new cases of the coronavirus were reported across the country during the last 24 hours, pushing the national tally of infections to 511,921. the national command and operation centre (ncoc) said on thursday that a total of 41,574 samples were tested, out of which 3,097 turned out to be positive. the case positivity rate jumped to 7.45 per cent in the past 24 hours. the coronavirus claimed 46 more lives over the past 24 hours, lifting the countrywide death toll to 10,818.
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
511,921
LAST UPDATED AT 8:13 AM ON JANUARY 14, 2021
46
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
3,097 DEATHS:
467,234 10,818 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
230,718
147,292
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
62,377
british-swedish firm astrazeneca applies for vaccine registration
there are a total of 33,869 active covid-19 cases as 2,284 patients recovered on wednesday, taking the number of recovered patients to 467,234. so far, sindh has reported 230,718 cases, Punjab 147,292, khyber Pakhtunkhwa (kP) 62,377, balochistan 18,488, islamabad 39,624, azad jammu and kashmir (ajk) 8,540 and gilgit-baltistan (gb) 4,882. over 29,743 cases have been reported across the country since the beginning of the new year while 642 people have died. last month, december 2020, the ncoc reported 80,796 infections. Pakistan is currently in the grip of a second wave of infections with a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus, first identified in the united king-
coronavirus in
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
g
18,488
8,540/4,882 39,624
dom, detected in sindh. the federal government has already made face masks mandatory in public spaces, limited large public gatherings to 300, banned indoor weddings, closed certain religious places, cinemas, and theatres, and instructed public and private offices to adopt a workfrom-home policy and 50 per cent occupancy.furthermore, all provinces have banned indoor dining and limited timings for markets, shops, and shopping malls. Many areas in the country have been placed under smart lockdowns. Meanwhile, astrazeneca has sought approval for its vaccine from Pakistan and has applied for registration to the drug regulatory authority of Pakistan (draP) through a Pakistani pharmaceutical company. the pharma company has submitted data of the clinical trials of the oxford-astrazeneca vaccine to the draP. the draP registration board is expected to register astrazeneca vaccine in its ongoing session, according to sources. the registration board will remain in session until january 15, according to the sources at the Ministry of national health.
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covid-19 situation to decide schools reopening: shafqat STORY ON BACK PAGE
PDM to march to ECP, PTI readies defence g
rasheed says oPP should not negatively affect law and order situation during Protest NEWS DESK
Pakistan Muslim league-nawaz (PMln) stalwart Marriyum aurangzeb has said that the Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM) would take out rallies from different parts of the federal capital and rawalpindi to march to the election commission of Pakistan (ecP) office in regard to the foreign funding case. the PdM will "get a decision from the ecP that it is not giving since 2014", she said while addressing a press conference in islamabad along with other party leaders. claiming that illegal funding had been provided to the Pakistan tehreeke-insaf (Pti) through 23 foreign accounts, the PMl-n leader said that the march on january 19 was to finally get a decision from the ecP on the long pending case. "the case was registered in 2014. what reason does the ecP have [to delay a verdict] when the Pti has accepted that agents did illegal funding? they should be ready to write the judgement," she further said. "[the Pti] accepted that money was gotten illegally through 23 foreign funded accounts that were not de-
Islamabad, Baku agree to enhance trade volume, connectivity g
Pakistan congratulates azerbaijan over nagorno-karabakh’s liberation ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Pakistan and azerbaijan have agreed to promote cooperation in the areas of energy and economy. the agreement was reached during delegation level talks held between the two countries in islamabad on thursday. while talking to azerbaijan’s foreign Minister jeyhun bayramov, President dr arif alvi underlined the need for expanding the bilateral volume of trade and further promotion of cultural and commercial cooperation between the two countries. the president congratulated the government and people of azerbaijan over the liberation of nagorno karabakh. he said that Pakistan highly values its relations with azerbaijan which are based on common faith and cultural linkages. azerbaijan’s foreign minister said that both the countries have a great potential for in-
clared accounts and that money was [deposited] in Pti accounts [through cheques]," she said on the occasion "signs of President [dr arif alvi], sindh governor [imran ismail] and imran khan sahib himself [along with] other Pti leaders are present on those cheques," she claimed. "PMl-n vice President Maryam nawaz will preside over the rally and all PdM leaders will be there," she informed the media persons. furthermore, while responding to the demotion notice issued by advisor to the PM on interior and accountability Mirza shahzad akbar, she said she had "raised valid questions and i stand by them today".
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Pti says ‘party agents’ responsible for any illegality in foreign funding case STORY ON BACK PAGE
MORE INSIDE
Four soldiers martyred in CFV, North Waziristan IBOs; 2 terrorists killed STORY ON PAGE 03
donald trump impeached by us house for second time STORY ON BACK PAGE creasing trade and cultural cooperation. he thanked Pakistan for supporting azerbaijan's stance on nagorno karabakh. he stated that his country would continue to stand by Pakistan on kashmir issue at all international fora. separately, Prime Minister imran khan, while expressing satisfaction at the excellent quality of bilateral political relations between Pakistan and azerbaijan, emphasised the importance of enhancing bilateral trade and energy cooperation. during the meeting, views
were exchanged on matters relating to bilateral relations, and regional and international issues. the prime minister extended sincere felicitations on azerbaijan’s recent success in liberation of its occupied territories. on azerbaijan’s call for support in reconstruction and development of liberated territories, he assured of all possible assistance from Pakistan. foreign Minister bayramov conveyed cordial greetings of President ilhan aliyev to PM imran.
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IHC bars Naeem Bukhari from working as PTV chairman STORY ON PAGE 03
ihc directs govt to contact indian govt once more regarding jadhav STORY ON PAGE 02
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Friday, 15 January, 2021
NEWS
IHC dIreCTS govT To CoNTACT INdIAN govT oNCe more regArdINg JAdHAv CASe
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NEWS DESK
HE Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the federal government to contact the Indian government again regarding the appointment of legal counsel to Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and to ask if the Indian government wanted to pursue the case at all. A larger bench headed by IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah, and comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, conducted a hearing on
Thursday of the case related to the appointment of a defence lawyer for Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. The bench heard the Ministry of Law's plea regarding provision of counsel to Indian spy Jadhav for the implementation of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) decision. The ICJ had directed Pakistan to inform Jadhav of his rights under Article 36 and grant India consular access. The court had also ruled that Pakistan should review the case while considering its
Broadsheet found nothing against Sharif, claims Abbasi KARACHI: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has claimed that Broadsheet found nothing against former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif. Abbasi said this while talking to the media persons after an accountability court heard the illegal appointments in Pakistan State Oil (PSO) case on Thursday. Abbasi alleged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is a source to pressurise politicians. He said that the anti-graft body holds others accountable but it itself should be held accountable for degrading others. Earlier, an accountability court recorded the statement of a witness in the illegal appointments in PSO case. Abbasi along with former PSO MD Imranul Haq, former deputy MD and other accused turned up before the court. A witness in the reference recorded a statement, while the further hearing of the case was adjourned until February 4. The anticorruption watchdog had filed a reference against ex-PM Abbasi and the then petroleum secretary for allegedly appointing Sheikh Imranul Haq as managing director and Yaqoob Sattar as deputy managing director (finance) of the PSO in violation of rules and regulations. The former prime minister and the former petroleum secretary have been on the bail secured from the Sindh High Court in July 2019. TLTP
Panama papers, Broadsheet expose black money of corrupt: Faraz ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has said that Panama Papers and Broadsheet have exposed the black money of the corrupt mafia. In a tweet on Thursday, the information minister said that Broadsheet's facts show as to how the national reconciliation ordinances (NROs) of the past inflicted an irreparable damage to the country. He said this is a problem that started when an NRO was given to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and later another NRO was given to Pakistan People’s Party and PML-N. He said the corrupt leaders of the past looted the people of Pakistan to fill their houses. A couple of days ago, Faraz said that an interministerial committee has been formed to probe the Broadsheet LLC scandal. STAFF REPORT
NAB submits report on Asif’s securities to court LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has furnished a report about over 30 million shares Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif acquired and sold in various firms and banks over the past ten years to the accountability court. According to the record the bureau collected from a private brokerage firm that managed his investment, he owned over 10 million shares in an IT firm, 11.6 million shares in three private banks, 7.7 million shares in Sui Southern Gas Pipelines, and 934,000 shares in Engro Corporation Limited and National Refinery Limited. Asif also owned hundreds of thousands shares in a pharmaceutical firm. The former foreign minister was arrested in the asset beyond means case in Islamabad on December 29 and then produced before a Rawalpindi court the following day for his transitory remand so he could be transported to Lahore. TLTP
laws. The ICJ also asked Pakistan to review Jadhav's death penalty. It is pertinent to mention that the Indian High Commission has not appointed counsel for the captured spy in spite of being sent notices four times. IHC CJ Minallah asked, “Is the Indian government not serious in the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav?” “The government should once again contact India and ask whether it wants to pursue the Kulbhushan case or not,” he added.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan could not appear before the court as he was busy in the presidential reference regarding the Senate elections, so Deputy Attorney General Syed Muhammad Tayyab Shah appeared in his place. In reply to a question on the release of Indian prisoners, Shah confirmed that so far four prisoners have been released, while the fifth will be released on January 22. Further hearing of the case was adjourned till February 3. Pakistan had last month rejected the
12 cops dismissed, 33 punished over negligence in saving Karak temple PESHAWAR TLTP
Twelve cops were dismissed from duty with immediate effect while 33 police personnel were awarded minor punishment of forfeiture of one year of service after the preliminary inquiry report of the Karak Hindu temple attack found them negligent in discharge of their duty. “They show cowardice, negligence, and irresponsibility in the discharge of their official obligations,” the inquiry report stated in view of the available record and facts on file, perusal of inquiry papers and the recommendations of the inquiry officers. It further maintained that the officers failed to
protect the Hindu temple which caused disrepute for the police department in the eyes of the general public. Moreover, the probe has also recommended to the superintendent of police, Frontier Reserve Police (FRP) Kohat regarding minor punishment to the remaining 28 FRP personnel, the report added. Referring to the report, KP Inspector General Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said that there is no room for negligent elements and slanderers in the police department. “On the first day we had said that if the police were found to be negligent, they would go home,” the IG added. “The first priority of the police is the protection of life and property of the people in which negligence will not be tolerated.” On December 30, 2020, a mob, reportedly led by a
Rao Anwar withdraws exemption plea in Naqeebullah murder case KARACHI TLTP
The counsel for former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar decided to withdraw his plea for exemption from personal appearance in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case after the Sindh High Court (SHC) dropped a hint to reject it on Thursday. A two-member bench headed by SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh heard the former police officer's plea seeking exemption, presented by his counsel Advocate Amir Mansoob. Justice Sheikh remarked, "Would it not be discrimination against others if Rao Anwar is excused from attending court proceedings?" The ex-policeman's lawyer maintained that according to a report received from intelligence agencies, his client is facing serious security concerns. On hearing the argument, the chief justice
remarked that in that case "we will order the trial court to hold hearings on a daily basis, and reject your plea". However, the petitioner's counsel pleaded to the court to not reject the plea, saying he will withdraw it. Granting the request, the court dismissed it on the grounds of withdrawal. It may be recalled that former Malir SSP Anwar previously filed an application with the trial court seeking exemption from attendance in court hearing of the Naqeebullah murder case. His plea was rejected in the trial court after which Anwar had challenged the verdict in the SHC. On March 25, 2020, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) had indicted the former SSP and others in the Mehsud murder case. Anwar is accused of being involved in the murder of Mehsud and three others in a staged police encounter in Karachi. Mehsud was killed on January 13, 2018 in Karachi during a fake encounter allegedly staged by Anwar.
assertions of the India Ministry of External Affairs regarding the legal proceedings purportedly under way in the aforementioned case of Indian Naval Commander Jadhav. These reports had been termed as "misleading" and "incorrect" in a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), which added the Indian government was looking for an escape from the legal proceedings in the case. Earlier on July 17, 2019, the ICJ had rejected remedies sought by India, including annulment of military court decision convicting Jadhav, his release and safe passage to India. Jadhav was arrested by authorities from Balochistan in a counter-intelligence operation on March 3, 2016. During the investigation, he confessed to his involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan that resulted in the loss of many precious human lives.
firebrand cleric Maulvi Sharif, vandalised the temple, which, though no longer functional, is considered a revered pilgrimage site by the Hindu community. The historic temple had stopped offering religious service after the 1947 partition when all local Hindu families migrated to India. However, four years ago, the unfrequented temple was handed over to the Hindu community on the Supreme Court’s order. And it has been a pilgrimage site for Hindus ever since. According to reports, local clerics were not happy with the handover of the temple to the Hindu community. The ongoing renovation had reportedly fuelled their anger which set off a chain of events that led to the vandalism. On January 5, the apex court directed the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) chairman to immediately visit the site of the destroyed Hindu temple in southern Karak district and begin its reconstruction. Expressing displeasure over his performance, the apex court asked the ETPB chairman to submit details of the cases pending against properties belonging to the board as well as details of functional and non-functional temples.
Air chief discusses defence ties with Turkish military leadership ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief of the Air Staff (COAS) Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan on Thursday called on the senior military leadership of Turkey and discussed ways in which to further promote Pakistan-Turkey defence ties, especially between the two air forces. The air chief, who is on an official four-day visit to Turkey, held separate meetings with Turkish Minister for National Defence Hulusi Akar and the Turkish Chief of General Staff General Yasar Güler, said a PAF press release. During these meetings, he reiterated his commitment to enhance cooperation with Turkey in the fields of defence production, security and training by capitalising on the respective strengths of each side. Air Chief Marshal Khan also called on Turkish Air Force Commander General Hasan Küçükakyüz. Both the commanders held detailed discussion on enhancing collaboration and exchanging expertise between the air forces of the two brotherly countries to meet the challenges of the contemporary world. The discussion included PAF’s participation in the Anatolian Eagle multinational exercise in Turkey, and the Turkish air force's participation in various exercises organized by PAF, as well was the exchanging and training of pilots. STAFF REPORT
Buzdar terms corrupt as transgressors of nation LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said corruption is a lingering tragedy while the corrupt are transgressors of the nation. In a statement on Thursday, the chief minister regretted that corruption polluted national politics as resources were mercilessly thieved. It is cruel to treat politics as a means of earning because the whole society is devastated due to the bad effects of corruption, he added. The CM asserted that Pakistan would have been a developed country if corruption was avoided in the past and maintained that history will never forgive those who had polluted the society with the cancer of corruption. PM Imran is strenuously working to
build a corruption-free Pakistan and the nation is firmly standing with their leader, he added. Meanwhile, Provincial Minister for Industries & Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal met the chief minister at his office on Thursday and apprised him of the ongoing cleanliness drive. LWMC CEO Imran Ali was also present. The chief minister directed to take every step to remove garbage. “You are assigned the task of cleaning Lahore as you are a hardworking and talented minister,” he said. The CM directed that dysfunctional machinery should be rectified and brought to roads for cleaning purposes. He further directed that government officials and LWMC should join hands to remove garbage and special attention be paid to cleaning of the walled city, poor localities and posh areas. The roads should be
scrubbed with mechanical sweepers and zero-waste operation be completed as soon as possible, the CM added. Buzdar persevered that LWMC should work with renewed zeal and special attention be paid to fixing of streetlights and patchwork. Dedicated support of commissioner Lahore and LDA DG would be available to you, he assured. Therefore, every effort should be made to ensure best cleanliness arrangements for making Lahore a neat and clean city, the CM stated. He said that he would conduct a detailed visit soon to monitor cleanliness situation and availability of civic amenities to the citizens of Lahore. Iqbal informed that 85 per cent garbage has been removed by utilising 40 per cent machinery and 6,300 tons of solid waste will be removed by Friday.
Friday, 15 January, 2021
SHAHZAd AkBAr SeNdS rS500m NoTICe To Pml-N'S uZmA BukHArI
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NEWS DESK
DVISER to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Thursday served a defamation notice seeking Rs500 million in damage to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Uzma Bukhari for "pass(ing) defamatory statements and rais(ing) false and absurd imputations" against him in a television show. The remarks in question are when Uzma, during a late-night show titled Faisla Ap Ka on Aaj TV, accused the adviser of having taken a 50 per cent kickback commission from Broadsheet LLC. Akbar termed these remarks "completely untrue and libelous defamatory statements". The legal notice was sent through his counsel and said
that Uzma must tender an official apology or pay damages. Akbar tweeted that the amount received in damages would be distributed among charity organisations after being received from Uzma. In the notice served to Uzma, Akbar insisted he had been a "target of hateful media campaigns from members of the PML-N and other opposition parties" in an attempt to stop him from playing a "pro-active role he is playing in curbing corruption and ensuring accountability". The notice said that Moussavi had "stated at many occasions that [Akbar] is a man of integrity". A day earlier, Akbar had served a legal notice to PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb over a statement targeting him. The SAPM had announced this in a tweet which had said that, on his instructions, his lawyers had served a
PSX holds gong ceremony to mark listing of ePCl preference shares KARACHI: A gong ceremony was held at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday to mark the listing of preference shares of Engro Polymer & Chemicals Limited (EPCL). The said listing, which brings forth a new investment opportunity from EPCL, took place on 31st December 2020. To open the trading day, EPCL CEO Jahangir Piracha performed the gong ceremony. He was accompanied by PSX Chief Operating Officer Nadir Rahman, board members of the exchange, and senior management of the Consultant to the Issue – Arif Habib Limited. EPCL planned to raise Rs3 billion by offering 300 million preference shares at face value of Rs10 per share. Of the 300 million preference shares, 262.5 million (87.5pc) were offered to and subscribed by the pre-IPO investors, whereas 37.5 million (12.5pc) were offered to the general public. The IPO of EPCL preference shares was extremely successful with subscription applications of more than 202.047 million shares being received against an allocated target of 37.5 million shares in the general public portion of the said IPO. The general public portion of the IPO was thus oversubscribed by 5.39 times or by more than 164.547 million shares per Rs1.645 billion. Speaking on the occasion, PSX COO Nadir Rahman said, “This was an excellent opportunity to invest in the preference shares of a stable, solid, and growing company. EPCL has raised equity capital for further expansion and debottlenecking. The oversubscription level indicates investor confidence in the company. On behalf of Pakistan Stock Exchange, we wish EPCL success.” Meanwhile, EPCL CEO Jahangir Piracha said, “Engro Polymer’s preference shares issue was a landmark transaction, having raised preference equity on non-rights basis in a very tumultuous year. The success of this issue shows the investors’ confidence in EPCL business and its strategic direction. On this momentous occasion, EPCL wants to thank all participating retail investors and our partners who made this issue a resounding success by subscribing to this instrument. EPCL looks forward to continue to contribute towards the economic growth of the country, creating value for all our stakeholders and playing our part in deepening of Pakistan’s capital markets.” NEWS DESK
legal notice to Marriyum for her defamatory statement against him. Like Uzma, Marriyum had alleged during a press conference that Akbar tried to solicit 50 per cent commission in a payment of $25 million to Broadsheet LLC. She has tried to sabotage the anticorruption campaign in the country by leveling false accusations against me that I tried to seek a 50 per cent commission from Broadsheet company, the notice read, adding that the company’s CEO has repeatedly asserted Akbar is an honest man. Regarding the allegations of taking commissions, Broadsheet CEO Kaveh Moussavi spoke to to a local news outlet on the various aspects of his issues with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and during the dialogue, the CEO had confirmed that Akbar was not part of the meeting where the visiting Pakistani
official asked him for bribe. Moussavi stated that he had met the the adviser to the PM on two occasions. At the Royal Gardens Hotel and the Chelsea Arts Club, wherein they discussed ending the litigation. Moussavi said that Akbar was not present when a Pakistani official met him at the Café Rouge and demanded bribes for getting the deal signed with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Akbar has said he met Kaveh Moussavi in 2019 to “negotiate the award price and trying to reduce the payable amount”. He insisted that he had not met with the Broadsheet CEO in 2018. It was claimed that an unnamed individual who accompanied Akbar to a meeting with Moussavi was “more interested in getting his cut than investigating suspects”.
IHC bars Naeem Bukhari from working as PTV chairman NEWS DESK The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday barred Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Naeem Bukhari from working as the chairman of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) after hearing identical petitions against his appointment. IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah stated that there needs to be a clear reason to lift the 65-year age limit for Bukhari's appointment. In this regard, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed that court that two summaries had been forwarded to the federal cabinet on November 13 and 26. The ministry said in reply to a question that the age limit had been relaxed. The minstry said that the reason for the relaxation was that "Naeem Bukhari is qualified for the post". The IHC CJ noted that the cabinet had not made a clear decision on relaxing the age limit, adding that Bukhari was a respected figure but “no one was above the law”. Furthermore, the court noted that the summary sent to the cabinet was not correct.
"Did you inform them of the apex court verdict? By omitting it, you are embarrassing the federal cabinet as well," observed the IHC chief justice, referring to the the Supreme Court decision to set aside the appointment of Ataul Haq Qasmi as the PTV chairman. At the last hearing, the IHC CJ had observed that Bokhari's appointment appeared to have been made in violation of the guidelines set by the SC. The court further remarked that the Ministry of Information was not authorised to appoint PTV chairman. The CJ also remarked that that the court does not typically want to interfere into the executive’s decision, with directives to the ministry to place a revised summary before the federal cabinet for review of the previous decision. The hearing was adjourned for two weeks. Separately, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Thursday said that PTV was a national institution and the restoration of its past glory was the first priority of the government. Addressing the PTV general managers (GMs) meeting, he said that restoration of viewers’ confidence should be the top priority of all PTV channels.
Zardari, Bilawal not invited to Biden inauguration: PPP NEWS DESK The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Thursday clarified that neither party Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari nor former president Asif Ali Zardari had been invited to United States President-elect Joe Biden’s oath-taking ceremony in spite of recent media reports. The ceremony is set to take place on January 20, 2021. Senator Farhatullah Babar told BBC Urdu that no such invitation has been received and put a stop to the rumours which had been circulating on social media and news outlets about the father-son duo heading to the United States. The factually incorrect
news reports had said that Bilawal would reach the US on January 19 and stay till January 22. Bilawal is not the only politician who had been caught in the media whirlwind of false inauguration invitations. Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and Mexican President Andres Obrador had also been rumoured to attend the event, but both have denied the claims. Members of the Biden inauguration committee have indicated that they are not inviting foreign leaders to the January 20 ceremony due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are also urging Americans to watch it from their homes.
WhatsApp policy update: an opportunity in the information age TALHA ASLAM “If you are not paying for the product, you are the product”. The phrase originated in the 1970s in response to television advertising. The world has ushered into a new era with the advent of the Internet, and the means of communications have evolved to alter the means of marketing and advertising. In the digital era, the e-commerce has innovated the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet. The online transaction of data and finances has opened up new venues by bridging gaps between nations, but it has also led to emergence of fifth generation warfare: the information war. Information warfare, in its broadest sense, is a struggle over the information and communications process, a struggle that began with the advent of technologies of communication. It is a battlefield where communication technologies are used to manipulate information provided to the target, who trusts the information provided will remain secure and will not be used against them. Contrary to this, the information is used to make individuals take decisions aligned with the interests of the one pulling the strings. It is done to manipulate nations into discrediting their own institutions by creating a rift of mistrust. Resultantly, the people forgo patriotic feelings and eventually nationalistic vales are undermined, leading
to invasion by foreign values. In 2013, an American whistleblower notified the world that America’s National Security Agency (NSA) is involved in gathering people’s personal data, including that of world leaders, through numerous global surveillance programs with cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments on the pretext of national security. The Guardian, an American daily, reported in 2019, that Israeli spyware was allegedly used to target two dozen Pakistani government officials, including Pakistan’s senior defence and intelligence officials. These occurrences clarify that information warfare is being pursued by various developed nations for ulterior motives. In 2018, an investigation was done by New York Times which disclosed Facebook was sharing access to users’ data with other tech firms, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Spotify and more. In the explanation give by Facebook’s CEO to US lawmakers, it was stated that it Facebook does not sell their users’ data but it does sell access to you. Facebook collects a lot of individual data – everything from email address to the level of the phone’s battery. Simply put, Facebook uses that data to make money. In 2017, the advertising revenue generated by Facebook was around $40 billion, and in 2019, statistics revealed Facebook made $69.7 billion from advertising.
Last month, Facebook was sued by U.S government and 48 states for illegally crushing competitors and wherein the petitioners demanded the company undo its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp, claiming that this move had been in violation of America’s antitrust laws. In a similar move, Facebook and Google were sued by the European Union under antitrust laws. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government issued a notification empowered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to regulate the online content on these digital platforms. The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), in response, has expressed regret that Pakistan had not consulted the stakeholders and urged authorities to reconsider the move. Within the nation itself, the move was not welcomed by many critics of the current regime, and was perceived as an obstruction to individual freedoms. On January 6, the WhatsApp updated its Terms of Services and Privacy Policy, and users were told to agree or to abandon use of the app. Under the new privacy policy, WhatsApp asked its users to agree in sharing their personal information such as profile pictures, status updates, account details, battery strength, mobile and operating system information, transaction details done through WhatsApp, the signal strength and the internet connection being used. The data collected under this new update will be handed over to Facebook. The users felt betrayed and expressed their frustrations on micro-blogging site Twitter.
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4 TrooPS mArTyred IN INdIAN CFv & NW IBoS; 2 TerrorISTS kIlled RAWALPINDI: Four soldiers of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom – one along Line of Control (LoC) and three in intelligence-based operations in North Waziristan – on Thursday, said the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR). According to details, the Indian Army martyred a Pakistani soldier in another ceasefire violation (CFV) in Dewa sector, the military's media wing said. The ISPR said that Indian troops "initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations along LOC in Dewa sector" and, in a prompt response, Pakistan Army inflicted heavy losses on [the] enemy in terms of men and material. "In an intense exchange of fire, Sepoy Nabeel Liaqat, 28, resident of Gujar Khan, embraced martyrdom while responding valiantly to the Indian unprovoked ceasefire violation," the ISPR added. Meanwhile, security forces conducted two separate intelligence-based operations on terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan on Thursday. According to ISPR, two terrorists including an IED expert were killed during the operation. During exchange of fire, three soldiers also embraced martyrdom. The martyred soldiers included Sepoy Azaib Ahmed, resident of Karak, Sepoy Zia Ul Islam, resident of Bannu, and Lance Naik Abbass Khan, resident of district Orakzai, said the ISPR. STAFF REPORT
reNoWNed BuSINeSSmAN mIAN ArIF ZAHur PASSeS AWAy Prominent businessman and industrialist Mian Arif Zahur, the brother of Mian Javed Zahur and Mian Mohsin Zahur has passed away. The deceased’s funeral prayers were offered in Sarwar Colony, Sarwar Road, Lahore Cantt on Thursday. NEWS DESK
Cynthia ritchie, rehman malik end legal battle Both US Blogger Cynthia D Ritchie and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Senator Rehman Malik approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday to mutually withdraw their cases against one another. Justice Amir Farooq accepted Ritchie's request to withdraw the petition seeking the registration of a criminal case against the senator, while the former interior minister also withdrew his petition for registration of a defamation case against the US blogger. The news of the withdrawal from both sides was confirmed by Ritchie's lawyer Imran Feroz Malik. Last year in May, in a video broadcast live on Facebook, Ritchie had alleged that a senior PPP leader had raped her while two other PPP leaders — a federal minister and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani — had "manhandled" and assaulted her on a separate occasion. At the time, the US blogger had said she was choosing to reserve "some of the more graphic details" as her audience might include children. However, she had stated that she would be "happy to go into more detail" with neutral investigative journalists. The allegations leveled by Cynthia had gone viral and became headlines on both television and newspapers. At the time, there had been speculation that the feud between the PPP and the US blogger was due to the latter's "slanderous" remarks on Twitter against late party leader Benazir Bhutto. In this regard, the PPP had filed a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for Cynthia's tweet and had claimed that her accusations against of rape party leaders are in response to that. NEWS DESK
Elon Musk, the richest man on earth, sent a tweet recommending people to use Signal, an app that protects users’ privacy. Whistleblower Edward Snowden vouched for it as well, and said he uses Signal app daily. Following this, there was about 8.1 million users globally downloaded Signal app, according to data from research firm Apptopia; whereas WhatsApp saw a seven per cent decline in its installs. This drop in installs, and the criticism by its users on social media platforms, led WhatsApp to offer an explanation. In its official statement, WhatsApp denounced rumours and reiterated that user’s personal chat data will remain safe under end-to-end user encryption and only data which comes under business transactions, once allowed by the user themselves, would be shared with Facebook Inc for marketing and advertising purposes. In the digital era of innovation and information, it is high time for Pakistan tech industry to step ahead and develop a platform that protects its citizens from being robbed of information. The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan enshrines the right to privacy as a fundamental right under article 14. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should encourage policy makers to strengthen the digitalisation process and develop a platform to prove an opportunities for young entrepreneurs. Furthermore, academic circles and investors should also motivate students to pursue this opportunity and make a fortune for themselves and the national economy. Author is an academician and teaches in Pakistan’s top varsities. His area of interest is international politics and foreign affairs.
04 news
Initiatives to ensure food safety NaWal Tariq The provision of safe food is a global concern and all states across the world are working to address this issue. Pakistan like other countries is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the quality of food for the general public. Safe food has always been one of the most prioritized issue of Prime Minister Imran Khan and he has mentioned it in almost his every address. In view of the prime minister’s instructions, the related stakeholders are working aggressively in this regard, especially the regulatory authorities in the most-populous province of the country, Punjab. Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and more prominently Punjab Food Authority Chairman Umer Tanveer Butt and Director General Rafaqat Ali are trying in their best capacity to carry out his vision. Even in the contemporary situation of coronavirus pandemic, Punjab Food Authority’s Irfan Nawaz Memon, along with his core team, has ensured the provision of safe food through different raids and initiatives. The Punjab Food Authority has taken several historical initiatives recently, including free milk testing, mobile milk testing labs and body cameras, to ensure the provision of safe food for the public. According to the project of body cameras, food safety officers, who work outside their offices, wear body cameras to ensure the authentic and strengthened surveillance system. This initiative is a big step towards the assurance of safe food for the public and eradication of adulteration mafia. This project will also help in maintaining record and proofs. For governments, there has always been the need for enforceable standards that are convincing, which our contemporary government is trying its best to do so, but consumers and industry must also take equal part in it. For consumers, food control systems must provide meaningful protection against real and important hazards. We must understand that government actions are not enough to cater this problem alone. We as nation and responsible citizens must play our part and bring change in ourselves. The producers, manufacturers and distributors should act ethically and provide safe and healthy food to the general public. In fact, even as consumers we should bring, buy and eat food after checking it properly. We need to be cautious in such matters and only then the changes will be done at manufacturing end. One basic aim behind spreading word regarding the initiatives taken by concerned stakeholders is to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers. Everybody has a role to play from farm to table to ensure the food we consume is safe and good for our health. Worldwide, the concerned departments, WHO, FOA and UN, pursue their efforts to ensure food safety in the public agenda and reduce the burden of food related diseases globally. We must prioritize the consumption of safe food over anything for healthy life. There is an immense need of support and positive attitude of public towards regulatory officials. Government officials are working tirelessly for prosperity of the people and our beloved country. We as responsible civilians must support their initiatives and actions and play our due part.
Friday, 15 January, 2021
PM IMran dIrects ProvInces to Protect green areas iSlaMabaD
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STAFF REPORT
RIME Minister Imran Khan has directed all the provinces to evolve a coordinated strategy and monitoring mechanism regarding plantation drive and protection of the green areas. Chairing the weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction, and Development here on Thursday, the prime minister said that environmental pollution is a silent killer, which adversely affects people's health. Emphasising the importance of protection of the environment, the pre-
CM Buzdar approves incentive allowance for 29 PRA officials laHOrE SHAHZAD PARACHA
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved "incentive allowance" for the 29 officials of Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday. According to sources, the provincial finance department has communicated to the PRA chairperson with regard to the approval of the allowance. “The chief minister has approved the incentive allowance for the 29 PRA employees on the recommendation of the selection board. The case for granting the allowance to the PRA officers was placed in the meeting of the selection board, held in July last year under the chairmanship of provincial chief secretary,” the sources said. “The selection board had recommended for incentive allowance worth Rs200,000 to grade-20 officers, Zain Ul Abidin Sahi, Ahsan Raza Chaudhry, Saqib Aqeel and Javed Iqbal Sheikh, worth Rs150,000 to grade-19 officers, Imran Hayee Khan, Ali Mansoor, Rabia Shah and Tahira Javed, worth Rs100,000 to grade-18 officers, Sadia Akmal, Farhan Sattar, Shafqat Rasool Sindhu, Zaka Ullah, Ifra
Tabbasum, Ahmad Hassan, Mohammad Afzal Bashir, Mohammad Afzal and Mohammad Usman Tahir, worth Rs75,000 to grade-17 officers, Kanwal Sabir and Zahoor Mohammad Quershi, worth Rs50,000 to grade-16 officers, Altaf Hussain and Shahbaz Khalid, and worth Rs50,000 to grade-7 employees, Mohammad Kashif, Sajjad Ahmad, Janghir Ali, Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Ilyas, Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Maqsood,” they added. The sources said the police personnel working in the PRA would be allowed incentive allowance only if they do not draw pay in accordance with the pay package of Punjab Police. "The selection board can review the rates of incentive allowance after one year subject to satisfactory performance of the incumbents," the sources further said. It is pertinent to mention that the provincial government had also notified incentive allowance for the regular servants appointed in projects, programmes, policy units and cells, companies, authorities, foundations, and funds. Under the notified policy, grade-22 officers can get up to Rs350,000 while employees from grade 1 to 4 can get Rs20,000 as allowance in addition to their admissible salary.
Pakistan is on path to prosperity SaHibzaDa JaHaNgir Pakistan is at a crucial turning point. Every patriotic Pakistani needs to pray for this great country’s success and stop being apologist. At the time of a global pandemic, there are indicators that despite the world economies being affected, Pakistan is making economic progress. The pandemic itself has not spiralled out of control here, as it has done in other countries. There is progress being made. It is time for reforms within the prison structure, health care, education and infrastructure. Pakistan has been blessed with the most beautiful landscape in the world and tourism is being promoted. The Pakistan army is strong and should be supported. These are our brave warriors who are ready to lay their lives for us. This becomes a taunt for the fickle apologists, who cannot bear to see Pakistan prospering under PTI, when the government is on good terms, as it should be. What is letting Pakistan down? It is the grumbling of the entitled elite, who fear their ill-gotten gains will be subject to accountability. It is not in their interests to conceive of a scenario where Imran khan could succeed. They rejoice in his setbacks and fear at his successes, burying any pretence of patriotism in the mud. Imran Khan is a fearless leader, who will be entrenched in Pakistan’s history with
the greats before him, unlike his contemporary predecessors, who try desperately to regain their power foothills in order to bury any accountability for their corruption and redeem their glory, but their attempts are futile. The recent PDM marches called the public out in groups at a time of Covid-19 pandemic. The virus can take any life, young, old, strong or vulnerable. They held marches despite knowing that the virus can spread and take lives. They only care for their vanity, power and properties scattered abroad, but not for the poor men, who turned up, risking their lives. Despite the irresponsibility of their mission, democracy allowed them to continue with their ill-informed ventures, which called for the downfall of an elected leader. Although in reality, it is known this was nothing but an attempt by a comrade of crooks to save their black money, yet it is baffling that they are so foolish as to believe that Imran could ever have fallen for their attempts at blackmail. Imran is on a course, from which he cannot be deterred. The state of Medina was not formed overnight. Change does not materialise overnight. When Imran came to power, he had a mammoth task ahead of him and anyone thinking that a complete overhaul could be done in a few years, is clearly not a realist.
mier called for taking timely steps to avoid adverse effects of the menace in big cities. He said that the incumbent government has taken various steps on war footing for environmental protection. Stressing the importance of provision of data for land record digitisation, Imran said it will help in better planning and checking land grabbers. He urged for securing green areas in construction projects in the capital. Prime Minister's Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam apprised the meeting of the consultation process on piloting building codes with housing schemes and controlling the urban flooding in big cities.
Turkey inaugurates new consulate building in Pakistan NEWS DESK Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday inaugurated the country’s new consulate building in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Cavusoglu said the new building is a symbol of Turkey-Pakistan friendship, which will be further strengthened in days to come. Appreciating the work of Turkish and Pakistani architects, contractors, and workers who took part in the construction of the new building, he said the Turkish Consulate in Karachi will continue to play its role in enhancing the commercial value of the port city. A mixture of Turkish and Pakistani architecture, the construction of the building began in 2017. Describing Karachi as an extremely dynamic city with a large human resource, he said: "It is not a coincidence that one of the largest consulate buildings in the world is in Karachi.” Cavusoglu also said 22-storey Turkish Consulate building in New York, which is currently under construction, will become operational by the end of this year. Pledging that they will encourage Turkish companies to invest more in Karachi, the top diplomat said Turkish companies are active in many areas including construction, information technologies, waste management, and defense industry. “We will increase these contacts in the upcoming period. We will further strengthen our ties and cooperation with brotherly country Pakistan in every field, especially in the defense industry,” he added. Mentioning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vision for development, Cavusoglu said it aims to work for the development and prosperity not only of Turkey but also of its friendly countries. Turkey's Ambassador to Pakistan Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul and Consul General in Karachi Tolga Ucak were also in attendance of the ceremony. Cavusoglu, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan, also visited the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the South Asian Muslim state, and laid floral wreath on his grave. "I commemorate with respect and mercy Quaid-i-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah, one of the chief architects of Turkey-Pakistan friendship," Cavusoglu said in a tweet. Earlier, Turkey's top diplomat met with Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at the Governor House and discussed issues relating to bilateral cooperation in fields of education, health, science and technology, and trade, state-run Pakistan Television reported. Cavusoglu said the Turkish people have a special place in hearts of Pakistani people as Ankara and Islamabad have always stood together in challenging times. The two nations, he added, will continue to cooperate on all regional and international issues. Ismail, for his part, thanked Ankara for its longstanding support for Islamabad on Kashmir issues, as well as the ongoing cooperation for development of health, education, housing, culture, and other sectors in Pakistan. *With additional writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara
Four killed as fire breaks out in house laHOrE APP
Four members of a family, including three children, were killed when a fire broke out in a house in Wahdat Colony on Thursday. According to the rescue officials, three siblings and their grand-mother were present in a room when thefire erupted due to a heater and engulfed the house. As a result, the victims received severe burns and were shifted to the General Hospital, where they died. The victims were identified as Ariba (8), Hadi (5), Hanan (1) and Rukhsana (52).
Friday, 15 January, 2021
NEWS
05
‘Why should We give you opinion When the issue is political in nature?’, sc tells agp
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NEWS DESK
He Supreme Court (SC) hearing on the presidential reference regarding open ballot polling in the upcoming Senate elections reconvened on Thursday, wherein Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan reiterated that the federal government was seeking the interpretation of Article 226. The large bench comprised Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi. The AGP's statement was in reply to
the questions from the earlier hearing. Justice Afridi asked the AGP: “Why we should give you opinion when the issue is political in nature?” The apex court observed: “If one does not follow the party, its dishonesty and breach of trust.” The court has also questioned the presidential reference seeking its opinion on holding Senate elections though an open ballot and observed that being a political matter; the government should have approached the parliament for making an amendment to the Constitution instead of moving the court. "every country has a supreme court or a constitutional court to interpret constitu-
tional matters," replied the attorney general, adding that the apex court had ruled 23 years ago that decisions should be made without distinguishing between political and non-political questions. "In many countries, including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and the United States, the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution in constitutional and political matters," he added. The attorney general maintained that the upcoming Senate elections are held according to the election Act, 2017 and not the Constitution. "This is why the government has approached the Supreme Court to get its opinion on the matter."
The AGP further claimed that the government had field the instant reference for promoting transparency and accountability in the electoral process, acknowledge respect for the choice of citizen voters. The bench also inquired into what the law entails regarding the composition of the Senate for elections and about the voting process itself. To the first point AGP Khan said, the composition of the Senate has been mentioned in the Constitution, and the procedure is given in the election Act, 2017. Regarding the voting process, he explained "Chapter 7 of the election Act, 2017 gives the full procedure". Justice Ahsan noted: "There are 26 sec-
PDM to march to ECP, PTI readies defence CoNtINuED fRoM PAgE 01 The PML-N leader further said that "such people do not understand defamation when they wave papers [during press conferences] and make false allegations against people". "You tell lies, I will expose you. You disrespect other people, I will disrespect you. You defame others, I will defame you," she lambasted. Meanwhile, the PTI on Wednesday prepared its a new line of defence in the foreign funding case. Instead of outright denying any illegal funding from the United States, the ruling party sent a written response to the election Commission of Pakistan’s scrutiny committee, wherein it claimed that if any funds were collected illegally, the responsibility lies with agents. "The principal has given clear instructions and if the agent goes beyond those instructions without disclosing it to the principal, without seeking ratification of those acts and without even sending that money to the principal, then it is submitted that the principal will not be liable under section 228 and not admit/certify such contents. The fact that the principal neither had knowledge nor has received the proceeds exhibits the bona fide of the principal," the document carrying PTI’s reply went on to argue. The case, which had been originally filed by a founding member of the PTI, Akbar S Babar, claimed that there were irregularities of up to $3 million in handling of foreign funding. The petitioner's counsel, Syed Ahmad Hassan Shah, protested against the continued refusal of the
pakistan records highest coronavirus cases since december 18 CoNtINuED fRoM PAgE 01 AstraZeneca has been a British-Swedish joint multinational pharmaceutical company, which has produced the vaccine in collaboration with the Oxford University. The vaccine, approved by the British Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority, is said to be effective for people of all age groups and could be stored in home refrigerators. The DRAP registration board in its current session will also likely approve registration of China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine. Sinopharm has recently sought permission from Pakistan for emergency use of its Covid-19 vaccine in the country. Pakistan has announced to buy 1.2 million doses of the corona vaccine from Sinopharm, a state-run Chinese firm, which is developing two Covid-19 vaccines.
chan decides not to withdraw resignation: report NEWS DESK Prime Minister Imran Khan's spokesperson Nadeem Afzal Chan has decided not to take Uturn over his resignation under any circumstances, a local news outlet reported on Thursday, saying that the notice has been received by the premier and Chan has given up his office and official vehicle. The premier is yet to take a decision on the resignation letter handed in by the spokesperson, the report said, adding that some federal ministers have advised the prime minister not to accept the resignation. According to the report, the spokesperson had submitted his resignation a day earlier over differences with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime and said in a conversation with his close associates that he would remain in the party after resigning from the post.
scrutiny committee to share the PTI financial documents and contended that by refusing to share the documents, the committee was in violation of eCP Order, issued on May 30, 2018 that rejected the PTI plea of keeping these documents and the scrutiny process secret, reported Geo News. Separately, while speaking on the PDM's plans ahead of the scheduled sit-in, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed told PDM President Maulana Fazl-urRehman to focus on Islam as "Islamabad is not in his fate". Five ministers — Rasheed, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Information Minister Shibli Faraz, Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry, and Law Minister Farogh Naseem — addressed the press conference after a cabinet committee meeting on public order. The interior minister stressed that the opposition should not incite people into violence in the name of religion and also made it clear that PM Imran will not recognise Israel at any cost. "We consider religious forces to be the beacon of Islam," Rasheed said, adding that a committee had been made that comprises Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Pir Noor-ulHaq Qadri and him. "We hope that the Opposition does not negatively affect law and order during its protest outside the election Commission of Pakistan," Rasheed said on the occasion. Speaking about the foreign funding case which prompted the sit-in, he claimed the PTI had shown the signatures of 40,000 people as an endorsement of the party’s stance. The PML-N and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have yet to produce a
single cheque, he added. “Protest is your basic right, but the Supreme Court had stated in the Faizabad sit-in hearing that a protest cannot take place everywhere," Farogh Naseem said on the occasion. "Staging protests in Islamabad is allowed and the prime minister has tweeted in this regard as well," Shibli Faraz said, adding that there will be no obstacles in the way of the PDM sit-in, but that specific spots should be marked for protests. Faraz also jibed at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, and said that as Fazl does not eat pizza, they will serve him halwa. Meanwhile, science minister Fawad Chaudhry slammed the Opposition and said that they had "criticised every state institution — and did not spare anyone." A day earlier, the premier, while chairing a high-level meeting on law and order situation, had said that PDM should be allowed to protest in front of the eCP and that no obstacle should be put in their way. PM Imran had also directed the interior minister to provide fool-proof security to the protesters, and had stated that no one should be allowed to create law and order situation in the Red Zone. During the meeting, PM Imran had also tasked Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed with ensuring that the madrassa students are not able to attend the PDM meeting. PDM chief Fazlur Rehman has already warned of a long march towards Islamabad if Prime Minister Imran does not meet the opposition's demand of resigning by January 31.
Traders demand Peshawar Dry Port relocation within city PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI
The business community has demanded the government to expand Peshawar Dry Port and shift it to another location within the city instead of shifting it to Azakhel, Nowshera. Tajir Ittehad Peshawar President Mujeebur Rehman, while speaking to Profit on Thursday, said that the business community was already suffering due to inflation and employment, while the move [to shift dry port] would prove to be another serious blow. "Peshawar is already devastated due to high prices of essential commodities, terrorism, extortion, kidnappings and unrest. If the government shifts the dry port to Azakhel, it will affect thousands of drivers, exporters and importers." Alleging that the police, customs and other agencies collect bribes between Rs15,000 to Rs30,000 per container for supplying goods from the dry port to Peshawar’s main bazaars, he said that the bribe rate would increase tenfold if the port is shifted from the provincial capital, as goods will reach Peshawar after passing through many police stations and other agencies, resulting in more losses to traders. He suggested that the dry port be shifted to within
the city and expanded with better facilities, adding that members of the provincial assembly, senators and opposition parties in Peshawar would be contacted in this regard. “Still, if the issue is not resolved, we would approach the court in protest,” he said. Furthermore, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Dry Port Standing Committee Chairman Ziaul Haq Sarhadi told Profit that Azakhel dry port does not have any facilities despite the government spending Rs640 million on the project. He added that traders in KP had been demanding a new dry port since 1986. “In 1997, the then Minister Sardar Mehtab Abbasi allocated 64 acres of land at Azakhel in Nowshera district. The present government sanctioned the land and spent millions but the port does not even have proper offices, a banking system or customs agents.” He further said that most warehouses and other buildings were decades old and were earlier used for supplying goods to NATO forces in Afghanistan. Sarhadi further said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had issued a statement that all matters should be shifted to the new port by December 28, adding that such a move would increase the difficulties of traders unless there are provided with proper facilities.
Hafeez Shaikh for timely release of NGMS spectrum ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Finance and Revenue Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has said that maximum sale of telecom spectrum would contribute significantly to the overall economic growth, besides improving the quality of broadband services in the country. Dr Shaikh was chairing a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) Spectrum on Thursday. The minister urged the newly-hired consultants to follow a proactive approach and meet the given deadlines effectively, em-
phasising that the time is of essence in the release of NGMS spectrum. “The entire process of auction must be transparent so that communications/IT services across the country could be expanded.” Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Maj Gen (r) Aamir Azeem Bajwa briefed the committee about latest developments in the sale of available NGMS spectrum in the country. The committee was also briefed that the hiring process for the consultants was completed in December 2020 as per procedure, and that the newly-hired consultants are on board for the sale of available spectrum within the current financial year.
CMYK
tions in the Act that deal with Senate elections." He then inquired when the government does not raise the matter of secret ballots for the election for minority seats, then why the method is used for Senate elections. During the hearing, the chief justice noted that India has opted for open balloting and has clarified the entire procedure. Replying to a question by Justice Bandial on the difference between secret and open balloting, the AGP explained: "The only difference is that in open balloting, the name of the voter is written on the back of the ballot paper. The purpose is to find out which member voted for whom."
islamabad, Baku agree to enhance trade volume, connectivity CoNtINuED fRoM PAgE 01 He also expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s support on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s consistent support and solidarity on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The Azerbaijani foreign minister also affirmed his country’s desire to upgrade bilateral cooperation in all fields. earlier, bilateral ties were discussed in “extensive talks” between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his visiting Azeri counterpart Bayramov. The two sides reviewed the entire gamut of Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues, a Foreign Office (FO) press release said. FM Qureshi underlined the exceptional quality of Pakistan-Azerbaijan political ties and underscored the importance of building a stronger economic relationship. The two sides reaffirmed the resolve to comprehensively upgrade cooperation in the political, security, trade and economic, energy, connectivity, education and cultural arenas. FM Qureshi congratulated his counterpart on Azerbaijan’s historic victory in the recent conflict on Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed support for rehabilitation and reconstruction activities in the newly liberated territories. Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the level of cooperation in the international fora, especially at the United Nations, OIC, eCO and NAM, and reiterated the determination to continue mutual collaboration and support on their respective core issues in the global and regional forums. Qureshi expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s steadfast support to the just and legitimate cause of the Kashmiri people. As member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, Azerbaijan has consistently advocated the principled and legitimate right of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) to self-determination in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, he added. He underscored the importance of an inclusive and broad-based political solution of the conflict in Afghanistan and highlighted Pakistan’s positive contribution to the Afghan peace process. expressing satisfaction at the successful conclusion of 2nd Trilateral Meeting of Pakistan-Turkey and Azerbaijan, it was underlined that trilateral cooperation may be enhanced through specific projects. At the conclusion of delegation-level talks, the two foreign ministers signed an MoU of cooperation in the field of natural emergencies/disasters. The two foreign ministers agreed to remain in close contact and maintain high-level exchanges to further deepen and strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields.
ccoe okay design, implementation plan of ctBcM ISLAMABAD TLTP
The Cabinet Committee on energy (CCOe) has approved the design, principles and implementation plan for the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM). Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar chaired the CCOe meeting on Thursday, wherein the Power Division presented the design/implementation of the CTBCM for consideration and review of the CCoe. The division briefed the committee that in the first phase, consumers with load of 1MW or above will participate in the competitive market. These consumers represent around 16pc of the total electricity sales. More consumers will be added to the market subsequently when the market stabilises and matures. The committee gave approval of the design principles and implementation plan of the CTBCM. The Power Division also updated the committee on the implementation of the circular debt reduction plan. The committee reviewed the implementation status and directed the power ministry to conclude the open items and submit formal proposals to the eCC for decision. The meeting was attended by energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Shibli Faraz, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, and Advisor to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood.
Friday, 15 January, 2021
06 COMMENT
Will the pain never end?
The façade of transparency And of zero tolerance for corruption
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rIMe MINISTer Imran Khan is never tired of emphasizing the need for transparency. It is therefore justified to expect that his government would relentlessly focus on openness and on putting an end to corruption even within PTI ranks. So far the PM’s posturing has neither reduced corruption nor enhanced transparency in government’s dealings. Pakistan’s ranking in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index for the year 2019 dropped from 117 to 120, slipping three spots from the previous year’s place. This is despite all the noise by the government about giving no quarter to the corrupt. The way the PTI government has refused to divulge its sources of foreign funding makes its rhetoric about transparency questionable. For nearly two years the PTI continued to refuse to share its bank statements with the Scrutiny Committee set up by the election Commission of Pakistan till ordered by the State Bank of Pakistan. Meanwhile it denied receiving funds from any objectionable source. It appears that the PTI has concluded that it might not be possible any more to keep the sources of foreign funding a secret in the presence of FATF’s penchant for openness in international monetary transfers and the pressure from the PDM which has decided to hold a sit-in outside the office of the eCP on Tuesday against the delay by the Commission in delivering its verdict in the foreign funding case. In its latest reply submitted to the election Commission of Pakistan the PTI has taken an about-turn over its earlier stand that it had not collected funds from any objectionable source, maintaining instead that the party would not be responsible for its agents having collected money from such a source. Imran Khan’s statement that Broadsheet revelations about the ruling elite were only a ‘tip of the iceberg’ has acquired an ironic ring after revelations by the Broadsheet LLC owner Kaveh Moussavi that an unnamed man who was a part of a government delegation visiting London with PM’s Advisor Shahzad Akbar in 2018 had asked for a cut as he spoke of a bank account with “stolen $1 billion”. Will the PM take action against the man?
The tragedy was international, not just national or local At Penpoint M A NIAZI
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here was an element of déjà vu about the protesters in Quetta. It was not the first time that hazaras had been killed, and not the first time that hazaras had refused to bury people who had been killed by terrorism. The last time had shown the ghettoization of Quetta, as the terrorism had been a blast inside a snooker club in January 2013, followed by another blast in the same place a little later, to catch the rescuers as well. however, the last time, the blasts occurred on a Thursday, and the bodies of 96 protesters were only buried after a visit by the then Prime Minister, raja Pervez Ashraf. Then too the moving force behind the protest was the Majlis Wahdat ul Muslimneen, a party which elects one MPA from Quetta, from its only constituency where hazaras have a majority. hazaras were slaughtered again, but this time a smaller number, 15. This time, there were ‘only’ 15 corpses, again all hazara, all Shia, and there was an unseemly and sometimes heated debate after Imran Khan refused to go to Quetta until the victims were buried. As he bluntly said, he ‘refused to be blackmailed’. Imran had taken his time. While raja Pervez had reached on a Sunday after the blasts took place on Thursday night, Imran went on a Saturday (January 9) after the hazara coalminers in Machh were slaughtered in their beds the Sunday before. hazaras have not suffered only in these two incidents. They are not targeted because they are hazaras, but because they are Shias. They are descended from Mongols, who converted to Islam centuries ago, to the Ismaili version of Shiaism. however, as it declined in numbers, they joined the general exodus from Ismaili-ism to the Isna Ashariya. hazaras died before the January 2013 blasts, and died again afterwards, the next major attack occurring the next month, when a bomb in a market killed 91. They have been targeted in the past by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, but this latest outrage has been claimed by the Islamic State, which does not mean that different people are involved, simply that Lashkar members may have switched to the IS. One reason why militants can switch from one group to another is because of ideological, indeed theological, compatibility. It must be remembered
Trilateral Summit Deepening ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan has pluses, but also an underside
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AKISTAN has hosted a trilateral summit with Turkey and Azerbaijan, which culminated on Tuesday with the meeting of the three Foreign Ministers, the host Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Mevlut Davotoglu of Turkey and Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan. The summit reached an agreement on an increase in defence ties. The last time Pakistan and Turkey were in a multilateral defence arrangement with Turkey was when they were both members of CeNTO along with Iran. Cento was a sort of ‘joint’ in the ring of alliances the USSr threw around the USSr, with turkey being the easternmost member of NATO, and Pakistan the northernmost and westernmost of SeATO. SeATO collapsed after the 1971 War, after the creation of Bangladesh meant that Pakistan was out of South-east Asia, as did CeNTO. Turkish and Pakistani relations continued, as they had since they had since the creation of Pakistan. This was a summit of states all of which have territorial disputes of one kind or another, and all with recent eruptions. Turkey has seen activity recently which saw renewed tensions in its dispute with Greece in the Aegean, which include, but is not limited to, the division of Cyprus. Azerbaijan has a dispute with neighbouring Armenia with the Nagorno-Karabakh region, an imbroglio dating back to cavalier boundary-drawing before the USSr broke up, over which there was another war only recently. Pakistan has a dispute with India over Kashmir, which only recently was worsened by India, not just by its increased aggression on the LoC, but also because it had changed the status of the disputed territory. Turkey has taken a special interest in Azerbaijan, just as it has with the Central Asian republics, and now it wants Pakistan to buttress this arrangement. It is also useful to see this development in the light of the global maneouvring between China and the USA. Turkey is still a NATO member, but it h-has been moving away from the USA recently and closer to China. China has frictions with russia, which backed Armenia recently, and thus grew close to Azerbaijan. Pakistan, of course, has a historic relationship with China. While the deepening of relations is useful, Pakistan must weigh whether it brings it added support on the Kashmir cause, and whether it does indeed bring about additional trade, before deciding whether these ties are beneficial.
M. AwAIs BABAr
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rTIFICIAL intelligence is a new emerging technology. Over time, this will be ready to take more responsibility for humans in the military and commercial markets. After astonishing research, most countries have started working on the blending of AI into their military doctrines. Such a shift is extensively seen in the south Asian region as well. AI is difficult to define because of its comprehensive structure if we define it as “AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.” The significant breakthrough in AI was seen in 2016 when a human lost game from computer programmed, which was the turning point of AI in the commercial market. After hat, great power is struggling more to enter AI in military doctrine. Prominent academicians of the world, such as Stephen hawking and elon musk, called to ban developing autonomous weapons, which will become “Kalashnikov’s of tomorrow.” This revolutionary technology will significantly change the defense sector, such as autonomous weapons in warfare while removing human intelligence and the human error factor. These autonomous weapons will run on algorithms and date, which is a deep concern for political scientists. During the cold war, a russian radar operator saw from from radar screen that several US missiles are moving toward USSr territory at this scenario soviet military protocol indicates to respond with the nuclear attack. however, the operator, whose main job was to report it to a superior, but dismissed it as a false alarm. This rationality factor is ignored in fully autonomous weapons. The USA is currently investing more and more in LAWS (Lethal autonomous weapons system), naturally known as killer robots. These killer robots can detect and engage targets without human intervention; these killer robots are entirely autonomous. The USA
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It seems sci-fi, but in the next decade, technology will give a new look to warfare
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Joint Editor
there from Afghanistan after their uprising against the Barakzai monarch (following the First Afghan War there had failed). They are hazaras because they hailed from the hazarajat of Afghanistan. This is in contrast to the hazarajat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which sustains a hindko-speaking population in its hazarajaat, who are known as hazarawals, not hazaras. General Musa’s boss, President Ayub Khan, was a hazarawal. hazaras are traders, using links with fellow hazaras across the border with Iran. hazaras are thus woven into the weft of Iranian as well as Pakistani Balochistan. however, they have been caught up in ethnic upheaval as well as sectarian unrest. however, while there has been an upsurge in Baloch separatism, it seems to have has passed them by. They have their hands full with sectarian targeting. Imran’s reluctance to go to Quetta was seen as belittling, while his saying he would not be blackmailed was seen as going a little too far, leading to his clarification that he meant the opposition. If compared with how raja Pervez reacted, merely going there was not enough. raja Pervez had sacked the IGP Balochistan and the DG IB as well, but there had been no end to the suffering of the hazaras, as shown by this latest attack. however, Imran has not taken even that action, or any equivalent. The message the hazaras will take is the PM does not care what happens to them. This might not be true, but that is what they will take away. There is also the issue of the wider message, one that becomes less clear with every step away from the corpses. The hazaras might be an isolated and small minority in Pakistan, but what happens to them resounds wherever else hazaras are, which is mainly Iran and Afghanistan. Also, these hazaras are Shias, which means that they will find sympathy in a large number of people in not just Pakistan, but around the world, especially in Iran. The Prime Minister’s going to Quetta should not lack consequences, as raja Pervez’s did. Was the failure to go, or to take action, an admission of impotence? All that talk of a threat to the PM was just a cover for the realization that the visit would serve no useful purpose. But the controversy did serve to focus, paradoxically, on the reality that the Quetta tragedy was not just for hazaras, Shias, or even Pakistanis, but for all Muslims, all human beings. even by going to Quetta, Imran didn’t get more than a bit part.
Al emergence in South Asia
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that a theological construct may contain a large collection of beliefs, but it is not necessary that they will all be operationalized at the same time. Just because the JUI(F) and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi both belong to the Deobandi school of thought does not mean that the JUI(F) will target Shias, or that the Lashkar will struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution. however, it does mean that the JUI(F) and the Lashkar share views both on Shias and the Constitution. This ideological similarity is furthered by the fact that the same individual may be in both organisations, though in different capacities: the Lashkar high official may merely passively sympathise with the JUI(F), while the JUI(F) office bearer will sympathise with the Lashkar. In Quetta, that has led to a strange combination. For more global political reasons, the Majlis Wadat ul Muslimeen has not joined the Pakistan Democratic Movement. The PDM itself is headed by JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur rehman. The Majlis has not joined the PDM, but its welcome, on the day before Imran visited, of PDM leaders Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, showed that it could develop sympathies with it. Quetta is something of a no-man’s land, for while the Baloch are ousted from it, it is disputed between the three power centres of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, the Pasktankhwa Milli Awami Party and the JUI(F). The JUI(F) is not just a Deobandi party, but it is also strongly Pakhtun, with its influence in Balochistan restricted to its Pakhtun areas. It is worth noting that that while the PkMAP has joined the PDM, the Majlis has stayed aloof. The hazaras cannot claim to be disempowered. Though numerically a minority in one city in the country’s smallest province, they produced Gen Muhammad Musa, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, from 1958 to 1966, and then Governor of West Pakistan. It should be noted that such posts are given more value in Balochistan than other provinces, as shown recently by the grant of the Chairmanship of the Senate to a Senator from Balochistan, Aslam Sanjrani. There was similar excitement when Mir Zafarullah Jamali became the first person from the province to become Prime Minister. The Presidency and the Speakership of the National Assembly remain. At the same time, the hazaras of Quetta are not to be confused with the hazaras of Afghanistan, though they both speak the same hazari Persian, which is a version of the Dari dialect used in Afghanistan. The hazaras of Quetta had moved
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believes that this robot is a game-changer to counter Indi?. In the past the USA stopped minor skirmishes China and russia soon. The USA is a more vigorous between these two states, Pakistan believed that once supporter of killer robots. They are the main obstacle these autonomous weapons would active, it would disto a UN resolution which is related to the ban on au- turb strategic stability and South Asia would indulge in the new arms race. tonomous weapons. Another main concern China is also taking in Pakistan about India milsome significant steps to itary modernization is India counter US supremacy in the military domain, which is a The world’s significant power would use AI to suppress the of Kashmiris. It tremendous challenge for is moving toward AI, which is movement would be challenging for a china. China believed that killer robot to find who is autonomous weapons are the a severe concern for the innocent and who is freeonly solution to counter US developing countries. dom fighter because these supremacy. killer robots are just hungry India’s land warfare docPakistan has several times for algorithm and data. They trine (LWD) December 2018 would respond to any minor indicates the integration of called for a primitive ban on stimulus or difference which AI in the military forces to autonomous weapons, but the a human would ignore. counter the existing threat. The world’s biggest India’s military strategists USA, the UK and India believe power is moving toward AI, have a serious concern about that a ban on autonomous which is a severe concern the Chinese Blowfish drone the developing countries. and an autonomous submaweapons is premature. On the for Pakistan has several times rine, fully integrated with AI. Chief of Defense Staff of other hand, Pakistan believes called for a primitive ban on autonomous weapons, but India Gen Bipin rawat has that the introduction of AI in the USA, the UK and India said that “since our adverbelieve that a ban on ausaries are revolutionizing the South Asia is an irrational tonomous weapons is prescope of their defence capacstep of India because both mature. On the other hand, ities, it is better that we catch Pakistan believes that the inup with them before it is too state leadership believed that troduction of AI in South late.” This showing that how Asia is an irrational step of the Indian military is serious they would not afford fullIndia because both state about the integration of AI in fledged war. leadership believed that they the military domain. This would not afford fullmodernization drama serifledged war. however, the ously endangers South option of crisis management Asia’s peace, but on the other hand, Pakistan believes that India’s military and the de-escalation phase is ignored by Indian milmodernization’s main ambition to counter Pakistan itary leadership in these autonomous weapons, which raises concerns for the Pakistan military leadership. and gain leverage on them. International scholars believed that if India inteThe writer can be reached at grated AI in the military domain then who would be responsible for stopping the war between Pakistan and awaisbabar50@gmail.com
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Friday, 15 January, 2021
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. e-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
False statement of PSMA
Perspectives of Corruption ods of the government of a country and those of There is also an attempt by some to explain the society in which they operate, in particular, corruption as a process by which members of soof the procedures and aims of the government ciety can manipulate a political system which is which put particular groups of the population at unable to cope with the demands made upon it. Dr rAjkuMAr sINgh a special disadvantage. In political context the They explain corruption within the framework word corruption has two aspects – social and po- of the ‘leading’ and ‘lagging’ classes existing litical. Social aspect includes social behaviour, within any society undergoing rapid social N India and abroad the issue of corruption moral and religious while political aspect im- change, and very much divided its values and allegiances. In the situadrew the attention of both analysts and plies political and ador tion of who gets what public from the time of the emergence of ministrative from corruption decivil societies in ancient times to the com- politico-administrative. pends in large part on plex politics of the present day. Corrup- Social corruption inthe nature of both the tion is a fact of life. It is as old as the human cludes breach of social Corruption inheres in all political system and the society itself. It exists in one form or another in customs, habits, creeds social systems, feudalism, political elite. Corrupevery society as said by ralph Braibaniti, ‘Gov- affecting people; sexual tion takes place where ernmental corruption is found in all bureaucra- harassment, creation of capitalism, socialism, there is a meeting of cies and in all periods of political development. social evils etc. The opportunity and incliBut its degree is not uniform at all times or under politico-administrative communism. It affects all nation. Three forms of all conditions. It is also obviously more common corruption generally classes of society; all state corruption– parochial, in some societies than in others and more com- defiles the entire strucmarket and systematic– mon at some times in the evolution of a society ture of society much organisations, monarchies are dominant in govthan at other times.’ In recent times corruption more than social aspect. and Republics; all situations ernment organisations. has assumed the shape of a “hot issue” and its The path of corruption Parochial corruption tentacles have become not only widespread but has become clear and in war and peace; in represents a situation also far more serious. The phenomenon has be- smooth when demowhere only ties of kincome very serious both in developed and devel- cratically elected peoall age groups; both sexes ship, affection, caste oping countries. even the international ple have come to and all times; ancient, and so forth determines organisations are busy in arranging scholarly de- constitute the adminisaccess to the favour of bates on the causes and consequences of corrup- trative machinery and medieval and modern power holders while tion because corruption is not only a human overtly or covertly inthe market corruption issue but developmental as well as social and dulge in corrupt practices. signifies a virtually imeconomic issue. India is rated as one personal process in rampant corruption is something which does not need any emphasis. everyone of us of the most corrupt countries in the world. The which influence is accorded to those who can knows it, everyone of us sees it, every moment global corruption perception Index of India is pay the most regardless of who they are. But sysof our life, wherever we go, it is present in some 87th out of 178 countries, slipping from 84th in tematic corruption is primarily a political pheform or the other. The challenge facing corrup- 2009. As a social phenomenon corruption has nomenon where those in power use the tion analysis begins with how to define it. Most become so widespread that it has started eating government to transfer illicit benefits to thempeople know corruption when they see it. The into the vitals of our economy, our polity and our selves or to the clients… that the governing elite problem is that different people see it differently. society. From top to bottom, prime minister to a will seek to expand the flow of illicit benefits The word is often used loosely in a very narrow peon, cutting across every office or organisation through official channels. The presence of corsense and often used with a wide connotation, of all Governments, Central State or local, the ruption is an important hindrance to economic but somewhat confined to morals or public of- vast majority of public officials in this country growth and progressive social change. The problem is all the more important in defences. The etymology of the word can be traced have become corrupt. From the practical viewback to a Latin word meaning “to break”, which point, corruption as defined by the 19th Confer- veloping countries because high political corrupmeans that something is broken, such as, moral ence of european Ministers of Justice, held in tion would impede the establishment of a political Malta in 1994, seems to order and the stability of political institutions and or social code of conserve the overall pur- the legitimacy of the political class. In pre-demoduct and more imporpose, ‘Bribery and cratic societies, where power rested on lineage tantly the violation of other behaviour in rela- and birth, corruption was not a salient issue beany law or administration to persons en- cause the actions of the rulers are perceived to be tive rule. Apart from Rampant corruption is trusted with legitimate. But when politics emanate from the outright graft or something which does not responsibilities in pub- collective activity of the public and where the bribery, the use, abuse lic or private sector power of the politicians is based on public conand non use of power, need any emphasis. which violates their du- sent, corruption takes a newer dimension. Corruplegal or political, for Everyone of us knows it, ties that follow from tion, as agreed by all, is pervasive in all societies, personal or private gain their status as a public though in different degrees and forms. to oneself or others not everyone of us sees it, every official, Corruption inheres in all social systems, feuprivate emrightfully entitled to it, does cover the various moment of our life, wherever ployee, independent dalism, capitalism, socialism, communism. It afagent or other relation- fects all classes of society; all state hues and nuances of we go, it is present in some ship of that kind and is organisations, monarchies and republics; all sitcorruption. Thus the aimed at obtaining uations in war and peace; in all age groups; both term includes all imform or the other. The undue advantages of sexes and all times; ancient, medieval and modproper or selfish exerchallenge facing corruption any kind for them- ern. To say that all was pure and idyllic in the cise of power and selves or others. how- early period of history will be travesty of a truth. influence attached to a analysis begins with how to ever the overall Political issues and related corruption remained public office or to a composition of phe- prevalent during the ancient and medieval period special position one ocdefine it. nomenon of corruption in egyptian, Babylonian and hebrew societies cupies in public life. in case of India and where judges did not hegitate to receive bribes. At large there is no other developing coun- In Greece the growth of corruption was attribinternationally actries may be sum- uted to the increase of economic activity and pocepted definition of corruption. It depends upon the state of aware- marised as follows: 1. Driving force : Individual litical apathy. ness, education, customs and contention, ethics, need and greed 2. Supportive environment: PoThe writer is head of the political science culture, state of economic development and legal litical interference 3. restrictive environment: framework over the interest of the society. high Transparency and accountability 4. Opportunity: department of the B.N.Mandal University, level of corruption is the result of wide diver- Secrecy and complex regulation 05.Corrective Madhepura, Bihar, India and can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com gence between the attitudes, aims and the meth- measures: Certainty of punishment.
It is a serious role
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PAKISTAN Sugar Mills association has printed an advertisement in the newspaper claiming that Government and Cane commissioner have not taken their input in setting Cane price. They also claim that with higher prices of sugar cane the price of sugar would increase. I hope th Government and Cane Commission highlight to the PSMA that at every forum they were engaged in price calculations and in fact the cane Commission had even held a public forum every year to discuss sugar cane prices in which PSMA always takes part. And I hope the Government and Cane Commission also conduct lab testing of sugar content of sugar cane this year and show to PSMA that sugar canes produce 12-15% sugar, while PSMA falsely claims only 6-8% sugar is produced. I hope the Government also highlight how all sugar mills got free loans to install bagasse power plants that supply 90% electricity only to sugar mills. While government is forced to pay capacity charges to these bagasse power plants. The sugar mills and PSMA are becoming bolder and shameless day by day. I think it is time the Government consider ending cane Commission and free cultivation of sugar cane. Instead each Sugar mill should buy a license for sugarcane cultivation. They should than negotiate deals with local farmers in advance, within fixed regions for their mills supply only. While no farmer would be allowed to cultivate sugarcane on their land without license and agreement with Sugar Mill. Cane Commission should only deal with issuing licenses for cultivation and checking unlicensed cultivation. While importing sugar should never be taxed or stopped. Shahryar Khan BaSeer PeShawar
India and the UN reCeNTLy, India won a non-permanent seat of the UNSC for two years. India’s diplomats in the UN tried to get control of the Afghanistan file and the membership of the nuclear non-proliferation panel. Both these issues pertain directly to Pakistan, but our foreign ministry seems to be in deep sleep. Luckily, the Indian efforts to get control of these sensitive issues were turned down by other members of the security council giving breathing space to Pakistan. The Indian government is neither neutral in Afghanistan affairs nor ready to solve the Kashmir issue. however, it still uses all the diplomatic force to try and convince the world otherwise and most of the times is successful too. We on the other hand tend to follow the principle of reactive measures only. Our foreign minister does not seem to have anything significant to neutralize the Indian threat, but he takes pride in the fact that India failed to get control of all important affairs. The foreign minister needs to understand that it was not his or his team’s efforts, but more of other nations not being comfortable with giving India so much control. Our foreign ministry should be more proactive in countering the Indian threat at every forum globally. The worthy minister should leave the internal politics of the country and shamming the opposition to the army of SAPMs and focus on his real job of protecting our interests globally. raja Shafaatullah ISlamaBad
Load Shedding in Pakistan PAKISTAN has god-gifted resources and is the 7th atomic power of the world but unfortunately, due to bad governance and lack of political management, Pakistan has been suffering hugely with load shedding. The whole nation of Pakistan is waiting for the proper solution of load shedding but results are unseen, as we are very familiar in these days, the time table of load shedding has been set by the administration of electricity to cover the short fall of power. In big cities the duration of load shedding is 7 to 8 hours whereas, in small villages, it is 14 to 15 hours. here, the question arises that why we are facing load shedding when we are paying huge amount of bills with extra taxes. Why the government imposes load shedding on us? There are hidden serious issues if we stare deeply to it: the students due to load shedding, get disturbed, the businesses, due to load shedding, face huge disruptions. Pakistan is an atomic power but still not producing atomic energy in vast scale also we have a land of rivers but not utilizing them to produce hydro energy. even we have big resources of coal and gas but still not producing the thermal energy. In Pakistan, the weather is mostly sunny throughout the year and from 365 days almost more than 250 days are sunny but still there is no use of solar energy to produce electricity. In short, the government is not taking the right measures and means to supply electricity. amreen ShauKat turBat
Digital technology IN the world today, digital technology is evolving with each passing day. Though there have been many fields benefitting from digital technology, it is the marketing field that has been thriving a lot on digital technology. And most marketing companies out there are getting rich through larger benefits from the technological advances available. Knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire as the saying goes. With due knowledge and great confidence, we humans can rise up to the new challenges posed by future. An in-depth study begets more knowledge. More interestingly enough, I still remember the difficulties and comprehensive academic procedures we students had faced in acquiring a master’s in computer applications- MCAduring those 2000s college days in my native areas like Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. Nowadays, marketing has to be multifaceted, coping with all kinds of competitive trends out there. For instance, product management, promotion and selling are some of the key areas to be covered by the marketing strategies. Besides this, this dynamic digital marketing world has just got a plethora of revelations. According to a recent survey conducted, almost 93% of the online interactions start with a search engine. On the other side, Getresponse says that the email marketing has been evolving as trustworthy and more relevant like never before. All these interesting revelations point to a clear paradigm shift towards the digital world. That is why the digital marketing matters the most. Apart from making big bucks through wider reach and best output, the digital marketing helps improve the business tie-ups between the marketing companies and the clientele. In short, the digital technology and digital marketing are all real money spinners. The message is clear and even louder across the board. P SenthIl Saravana duraI mumBaI
Friday, 15 January, 2021
08 WORLD VIEW
SeCUlar liberalS deStroyed the arab UpriSingS. don't let it happen again BESIDES THE DICTATORS AND THEIR WESTERN SPONSORS, SECULAR ARAB LIBERALS HAVE BEEN THE MOST REACTIONARY ANTI-DEMOCRATIC FORCE IN ARAB POLITICS IN THE LAST THREE DECADES
Middle eaSt eye
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Joseph Massad
decade has passed since the Arab uprisings against the US- and European-sponsored neoliberal order and the Arab dictators who served capitalist interests, suppressing the economic, political and civil rights of their populations. Hundreds of thousands of Arabs, the vast majority in Syria and Yemen, have since been killed. While the uprisings deposed Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh despite the massive western support all three had received - the uprisings were unable to depose Bahraini, Saudi, Jordanian, Moroccan or Omani autocrats, with those uprisings mostly swept under the rug in the western press. The US and its junior European allies poured in everything they could to depose the Syrian and Libyan autocrats, who had refused to fully submit to imperial diktats, although they were increasingly moving in that direction. The US intervention included at least $1bn of weapons pumped into Syria by the Obama administration, some of which ended up in the hands of rebels linked to al-Qaeda. CARNAGE AND CASUALTIES: Western powers ultimately succeeded in deposing Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, robbing the country of its wealth, and destroying Libya in a war that has had no end except for the ongoing theft of Libyan oil. Although they failed in deposing Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, they managed to ruin Syria and plunge it into ongoing carnage, with hundreds of thou-
sands of casualties. Western tentacles are at play in every Arab country, as they are around the world and they had a crucial role in bringing about the outcome, if not the inception, of some or all of the Arab uprisings. But theirs was not the only decisive role. The question of the outcome of the Arab uprisings must centre on those who claimed to lead the demonstrations, and who came to speak in their name and decide their direction. Here we have two rival, economically neoliberal and politically liberal, contenders: namely, the liberal, secular, middle-class intellectuals and activists and some of their businessmen allies, and the Islamist, liberal, middle-class intellectuals and activists and their businessmen allies. The two rival groups spoke a western liberal language of human and political rights. But they both shied away from the basic issue of economic rights, except to call for mild remedial solutions to alleviate the most extreme effects of neoliberal impoverishment. They never spoke, for example, of land redistribution (while land had been redistributed in Egypt in the 1950s, since the 1970s capitalist restoration, it gradually reverted back to the rich), nationalisation of banks and factories, major limitations on capital flight, a massive increase in taxation on the rich, or even major expansion of state social services. The radical among them, like their western counterparts, thought that calling for a minimum wage was the most extreme of socialist causes. Unlike the secular liberals, who advanced only vacuous rhetoric, the Islamist liberals offered their charities but also their neoliberal "Islamic" banks and schools and hospitals to assuage the effects of neoliberal impoverishment. The two sides of the same coin, however, had different foreign
sponsors. LIONISED BY THE WESTERN MEDIA: The secular liberals, who claimed that the uprisings were of their own making and that the Islamist liberals were interlopers, were not only lionised by the western media and NGOs, but also by US leaders. From the imperialist former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (whose statement about Gaddafi - “we came, we saw, he died” - expressed her glee over Libya’s destruction) to virulently anti-Palestinian presidents of Ivy League US universities, some of whom cheered the liberal goals of the “Arab Spring”. The Islamist liberals were backed mainly by Qatar which calculated that the Muslim Brotherhood would be the safest alternative to the existing dictatorships outside the Gulf region. The Brotherhood, Qatar correctly assumed, would calm protesters with its liberal and religious political rhetoric, without compromising the neoliberal capitalist order. As the project of both groups was to contain and channel the protests to imperialfriendly political and economic ends, there was no contradiction in the alliances they formed. In fact, they both sought the imperial backers of local dictatorships as allies. Aside from the targeted Arab dictators and their US and European sponsors, the main task of the counterrevolution fell to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. They shared with Qatar the goal of safeguarding their thrones, but unlike Qatar, they did not trust any revolutionary effort. The Saudis and Emiratis insisted on protecting local dictatorships at any price, for fear of a domino effect that would end their own rule. The US and European countries, solely interested in their own economic and political investments, opted for stability. If the
spokespeople learned nothing from the failures of the last decade, has doomed them as well. Cosmetic political changes, as in Sudan and Algeria, marked the peak of their success, with no change in the economic realities on the ground. This is what the West dubbed “the Arab Spring”, the history of which I explained at the time in an article in Al-Jazeera as a Cold War US expression borrowed from the 1848 European "Spring of Nations", but associated mostly with the 1968 "Prague Spring". It was named "The Arab Spring" as a ruse but also as a western imperial acknowledgement that its leaders only called for liberal western-friendly rights. The cost in lives of the devastation and suppression of the Arab uprisings has been enormous. The collaboration of the secular liberals-turned-fascists with dictatorships and imperial forces in a number of Arab countries was instrumental and decisive. Yet the major voice of western neoliberal capitalism, The Economist, blames everyone except the secular liberals. A recent editorial pontificated: “There is no one answer to why things went wrong for the other countries that took part in the Arab Spring. Blame foreign powers, from Iran and Russia to the impotent, incoherent West. Blame Islamists, who often stoked division in cynical bids for power. Most of all, though, blame the men who ruled Arab states after they gained independence in the 20th century.” In short, blame everyone except the secular Arab liberals who, other than the dictators and their imperial sponsors, proved that they were and remain the most reactionary anti-democratic force in Arab politics in the last three decades. The lesson of the last decade, however, is that the only way to achieve political and economic democracy is for the Arab peoples, like all peoples around the world, to dispense, in their activism and organising, with western-NGO-supported local secular liberals who hijack their struggles and uprisings, and rid themselves of the imperial hypocrisy of the rhetoric of “human rights”. As for the Islamist liberals, outside Tunisia, they ceased to be a major political force on account of the massive repression to which they were subjected. Instead, the Arab peoples must arm themselves with leaders and a political language that insists unapologetically on ending political and economic dictatorship. It will be a long and arduous struggle, but one that should not allow liberals, of any hue, to destroy it as they destroyed the last attempt.
preservation of a puppet dictator destabilised a country, the imperial powers would support a new contender - if the latter was deemed capable of restoring stability. Otherwise, they would insist on a reversion to dictatorship. If reversion failed, they would plunge the country into chaos, as in Yemen. AUTOCRATIC ALLIANCE: In Egypt, the alliance among the forces of autocracy included the secular liberals, who insisted that if they failed in a democratic competition with the Islamists, they would support the restoration of dictatorship. After the Brotherhood’s 2012 electoral victory, the new government was confronted with a wide array of powerful enemies, both domestic and foreign, and as a result failed to stabilise the country, forcing the US and Europe to abandon it and support autocratic restoration. In Tunisia, the secular liberals were no less unprincipled than the Islamist liberals (represented by the Ennahda party), but the latter learned the lesson from the secular-liberal betrayal in Egypt and kept a low profile. This maintained Tunisia’s relative stability, which so far has not led to outright western support for autocratic restoration. In Libya and Syria, the western imperialists understood well that a stabilising alternative to the existing regimes was an impossible chimera, and decided to plunge the two countries into an ocean of blood, which could guarantee western theft of Libyan oil and weaken the Syrian regime’s tactical alliance with those who resist US diktats in the region. They succeeded in Libya, but had mixed results in Syria. In Yemen, the US launched a war, allegedly against al-Qaeda, but later subcontracted the war. Despite the multi-class alliances that characterised the uprisings, wherein poor peasants and urban unemployed and underemployed were demanding economic rights, what doomed the outcome of these struggles was the liberal, middle-class leadership of the uprisings, secular and Islamist alike, who demanded only political and civil, but not economic, rights. LONG AND ARDUOUS STRUGGLE: That uprisings have erupted in Algeria, Iraq, Sudan and Lebanon in subsequent years, motivated by the very same economic conditions but whose self-appointed liberal
Joseph Massad is Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History at Columbia University in New York.
ican democracy and portray the events as the clearest sign the United States should not dictate global norms. Even U.S. allies, such as Egypt and Israel, could make destabilizing moves in the coming days, as they believe they are likely to face little resistance from a more sympathetic Trump administration compared with its imminent successor. Cairo could escalate its domestic repression before a more skeptical U.S. administration takes over, while Israeli politicians may pledge to annex or construct more settlements in Palestinian territory, particularly as Israel enters a new election season that will empower nationalists. Over the longer term, U.S. adversaries will likely leverage the events of Jan. 6 to thwart the Biden administration’s efforts to reinvigorate democracy promotion abroad, enforce global norms and penalize bad behavior, as well as broader efforts to rehabilitate American credibility and influence on the world stage. Adversaries are also likely to consider how they can exploit the extreme societal divisions on display on Jan. 6, including via further online disinformation efforts,
some of which helped spur the Capitol siege in the first place. Numerous U.S. adversaries — ranging from superpower competitors like China and Russia, to regional actors such as Iran and North Korea, and even local ones like Belarus and Zimbabwe — have publicly portrayed the Capitol siege as proof that the United States is unfit to lead the world. The violence at the Capitol will also feed revisionist narratives from countries such as China and Russia that the U.S.-led Western system of democracy is inherently flawed compared with the governance and alleged stability of authoritarian regimes. In a social media post, the leader of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian legislature’s upper house wrote: “The celebration of democracy has ended. It has, unfortunately, hit rock bottom...America no longer charts the course and so has lost all right to set it. And, even more so, to impose it on others.” Zimbabwe’s president has also called for an end to sanctions on his country, saying that the United States has “no moral right to punish another nation under the guise of upholding democracy.”
For US rivals, the Capitol siege offers a window of opportunity Stratfor
U
S adversaries are likely to see the recent Capitol siege as an opportunity to quickly take action against U.S. interests ahead of Inauguration Day, calculating that a distracted Washington will be ill-equipped to respond to provocations that may strengthen their negotiating leverage with President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration. Since Jan. 6, multiple key national security officials have announced their resignations, reducing the cadre of security experts who have longstanding relationships with President Donald Trump. To avoid anything close to a repeat of the Jan. 6 siege, national security officials in Washington will be laser-focused on guaranteeing the safety of the events surrounding Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, though doing so will risk diverting resources and attention from potential foreign threats. Government officials who have so far resigned in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege include Trump’s deputy national security adviser (who is a key China aide), as well as five senior directors at the National Security Council whose areas of responsibility spanned the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Russia, sub-Saharan Africa, weapons of mass destruction and defense policy. The departures add to a long list of vacancies and turnover that have hobbled the Trump administration. The remaining top officials in the Trump administration will likely spend their final days preoccupied with their own resignation calculus as they weigh their decision against implications for their post-administration employment potential.
NUMEROUS US ADVERSARIES HAVE PUBLICLY PORTRAYED THE CAPITOL SIEGE AS PROOF THAT THE UNITED STATES IS UNFIT TO LEAD THE WORLD Leaders in the U.S. Defense Department will also have to confront widespread criticism about the slow mobilization of National Guard units to the Capitol. Officials at the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, will have to deal with critiques that they ignored the domestic threat of rightwing violence, which could further shift their attention away from potential foreign threats. U.S. adversaries have widely characterized the chaos at the Capitol as evidence that Washington does not have the right to lecture other countries about their behavior. They’ve also claimed false equivalencies between the Capitol rioters and activists in their respective countries to justify their own recent crackdowns on dissent. Some adversaries are likely to use the Capitol siege as a catalyst to take new malign actions, while others will instead use the events of Jan. 6 to justify their existing destabilizing behavior. Iran, whose aggressive behavior escalated in the first week of the new year, could take a series of steps against the United States, such as conducting more provocative maritime actions in the Persian Gulf or encouraging its proxies to target U.S. forces and interests in the region. Tehran may calculate that there would be little to no cost in doing so, and that such moves could bolster its negotiating power with the incoming Biden administration, which has made clear that it will prioritize negotiations with Iran
upon taking office. North Korea, though likely to refrain from any big moves before Biden takes office, could engage in verbal intimidation tactics, particularly if leader Kim Jong Un perceives that even a rhetorical provocation could reinforce his domestic position in the wake of his recently admitted economic failures. China, which has likened the Capitol rioters to pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, could use the chaos in the United States to justify further escalating its ongoing crackdown on dissent in the city — drawing baseless parallels between the siege of the U.S. Capitol and the storming of the Hong Kong Legislative Council by protesters in 2019. Beijing could also make a show of force in hotspots like the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait. Chinese state media has widely characterized the Capitol siege as reflecting a failure of the U.S. democratic system, with the Global Times calling it a sign of “internal collapse”. Russia, whose politicians and media have reveled in the events of Jan. 6, could make repressive moves at home or provocative actions in various operating theaters abroad, such as in Syria or Ukraine. Russian naval or air assets could also probe defenses near sensitive areas like the North Atlantic or Alaska. Russian leaders have eagerly used the violence at the Capitol to lampoon Amer-
Friday, 15 January, 2021
buSineSS 09
CORPORATE CORNER
HiSToriC uPliFT PaCkagE For gB To BE FinaliSEd Soon: aSad umar ISLAMABAD
PESHAWAR: Bank of Khyber (BOK) Board Chairman and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan inaugurates BOK mobile application ‘BOK Digital’ in a ceremony held at the bank’s head office. KP Finance Secretary Atif Rehman and BOK MD Ihsanullah Ihsan were also present on the occasion
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STAFF REPORT
LANNING, Development and Reforms Minister Asad Umar has said that a joint team of Gilgit-Baltistan and the federal government will soon finalise the historic development package for GB. Asad Umar in a tweet on Thursday said that a joint team has been constituted with the help of the GB chief minister, which will soon present the historic development package for the uplift of the region. He further said that the marginalized section of the society and lesser developed areas are on the top priority of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Earlier, in a meeting with the newly-elected lead-
ership of Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday, the Ministry of Planning and Development constituted two technical groups to finalise the integrated development plan on the pattern of the recently announced Karachi Transformation Plan. GB Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid and Federal Minister Asad Umar jointly presided over the meeting. Both the committees will hold a follow-up meeting in the next 15 days and shortlist the most important areas for inclusion in the GB integrated development plan. The committees would work together to identify potential projects in the public sector, as well as in the public-private partnership mode. Asad Umar said that the development needs of Gilgit-Baltistan had been neglected for a long time,
OGRA denies reports regarding fuel price hike KARACHI: Dubai Islamic Bank and EMAAR Karachi Ltd have signed an agreement to promote mortgage financing in the country. Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan CEO Junaid Ahmed and Sohail Baig CEO EMAAR Pakistan signed the accord on the occasion.
Silkbank – Visa: Furthering the ecommerce drive KARACHI: Keeping up with this spirit and the commitment to provide world-leading services, Silkbank has partnered with Visa to utilize their ‘Visa Consumer Authentication Service’ (VCAS), which provides the bank Risk Based Authentication (RBA) to reduce fraud and false declines through an improved online authentication service. Commenting on the development, Naveed Mushtaq, Business Head – Silkbank Credit Cards, said, “Our objective is to be ready for the new era of banking where customers will rely more on digital solutions. With the market fast moving towards online shopping amid Covid, it becomes all the more important to provide enhanced customer experience and security. This initiative is a reflection of our resolve in providing our customers unmatched convenience and will enable Silkbank to offer smarter authentication decisions and deliver the secure and seamless payment experiences consumers seek.
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its upcoming meeting will take up a six-point agenda, including tax waiver on the import of sugar, documents available with this scribe showed. The finance minister has summoned the ECC meeting on Friday to discuss/approve summaries related to different ministries. The Ministry of Industries & Production has proposed a waiver of taxes on the import of sugar, while the interior ministry has sought an approval to a Rs10 million technical supplementary grant to purchase spare parts for 'maintenance of for ongoing fiscal year (2020-21). Meanwhile, the ECC would take up a summary of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives with regard to a TSG amounting to Rs76 billion. The meeting would also deliberate on the Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony proposal to scale up the Road to Makkah Project. In addition, the committee would discuss Textiles and Apparel Policy 2020-25 as well as the National Freight and Logistics Policy (NFLP).
‘Two of world’s biggest health brands coming to Pakistan’ NEWS DESK Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that this year is going to be a game changer for ‘Made in Pakistan’ medical equipment in the health sector, disclosing that two of the “world’s biggest brands” are willing to set up factories in Pakistan. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, the federal minister said Pakistan that was previously unable to manufacture even its own syringe will join the countries that produce modern equipment.
Sindh asks Centre to ban tomato import, allow onion export KARACHI
NEWS DESK The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Thursday denied any further increase in petrol and diesel prices. Earlier in the day, a private media outlet had reported that the authority had recommended an increase in the price of petroleum products by Rs11.95 per litre from January 16. The report had also mentioned that the Petroleum Division had suggested increasing the price of diesel by Rs9.57 per litre, adding that a final decision in this regard would be taken by the Ministry of Finance headed by Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh after consultation with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. Earlier on December 31, the premier had approved an increase of Rs2.31 and Rs1.80 in the prices of petrol and diesel, respectively, contrary to OGRA’s recommendation of Rs10.68 and Rs8.37.
“While considering relief for the people, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the minimum possible increase in prices of petroleum products against Ogra’s recommendations,” a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) press release said. OGRA had proposed an increase of Rs10.68 in petrol price and Rs8.37 in diesel price but the prime minister rejected the proposal in the public interest. Similarly, OGRA had proposed an increase of kerosene oil price by Rs10.92 and light diesel oil (LDO) by Rs14.87 which the prime minister reduced to Rs3.36 and Rs3.95 respectively. Petrol is mostly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, while the highspeed diesel (HSD) is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube-wells and threshers, and so on, while LDO is consumed by flour mills and a couple of power plants.
SECP sees 32pc jump in construction companies' registration ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA
Tax waiver on sugar import among six items on ECC's agenda
but the current federal government and GB administration would jointly formulate and announce an integrated development plan for the people of the region. The minister directed that the requisite approval of all the projects to be included in the integrated plan should be obtained from the relevant forum before the next budget cycle so they could be included in the Public Sector Development Programme 2021-22. The GB chief minister said the initiative taken by the federal government was the first of its kind and it would greatly benefit the people of the area. He said all the potential sectors should be included in this development package and it should be ensured that all projects start in time and are completed on time.
A healthy trend has been witnessed in the registration of construction and real estate companies, as the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 3,383 new companies belonging to this sector in 2020, which was 32pc higher than 2019. The department had registered 2,560 companies and 2,022 real estate/construction companies in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Overall, the SECP registered 20,342 companies last year, depicting an increase of 24pc (3,886 companies) when compared with 2019. The department had registered 16,456 and 13,227 companies in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Sources believe that the construction package an-
nounced by the government last year has started yielding positive results, as people were now moving towards investments in the construction sector. Recently, on the request of builders and developers, the government also extended the deadline for construction package till June 30, 2021. According to Sustainable Development Policy Institute Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri, many businesses in Pakistan had closed down during the Covid pandemic, “so people found it suitable to invest in the real estate and construction sector”. He opined that people in the construction sector remained mostly independent, whereas businessmen were dependent on other sectors such as waiting for imported goods etc. "There could be an amnesty factor behind this rising trend as people do not have any other sector to invest at the moment," he added.
MARKET DAILY
Stocks end lower as investors book profits KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured a volatile session on Thursday, with the indices swaying both ways in search of a clear direction before ending in the red. "The market saw profit booking today after testing the 46,000 level a number of times during the week. Selling activity was mainly observed in banks, cement and E&P sectors, which was caused by a host of reasons including a slight decline in international crude oil prices. Fertilizer stocks, particularly FFBL, performed well on the back of DAP subsidy announced and taken into effect today," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read. SUMMARY: In line with the recent trend, the benchmark KSE-100
Index started the session on positive note, touching its intraday high at 46,272.58 after accumulating 180.62 points. The index, however, failed to sustain the positive momentum thereon and fell to its intraday low at 45,852.83 (-239.13 points). It finally settled lower by 102.61 points at 45,989.35. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index plunged 551.47 points to close at 74,014.92, while the KSE All Share Index lost only 20.54 points, ending at 32,044.00. The session had 182 advancers and 188 decliners. The overall market volumes contracted from 845.20 million in the previous session to 618.52 million shares (-27pc). Average traded value also declined by 26pc, from $167.7 million to $123.7 million. Technology & communications sector remained the top traded sec-
tor with 91.83 million shares exchanging hands, followed by power generation & distribution and commercial bank sectors, exchanging 77.32 million and 58.56 million shares, respectively. Sectors that gragged the benchmark index lower included oil & gas exploration (-144.47 points), cement (-59.79 points) and fertilizers (-41.49 points). Among the companies, Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDC -1.89pc), Hub Power Company Ltd (HUBC -0.90pc) and Engro Corporation Ltd (ENGRO 0.79pc) dented the index the most. Losing 1.19pc from its market capitalization, the oil & gas exploration sector ended as the session’s worst performer, with OGDC (-1.89pc), Pakistan Oilfields Ltd (POL 1.35pc) and Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL -1.07pc) closing in the negative.
STAFF REPORT
The Sindh government has written a letter to the federal government seeking a ban on the import of tomatoes and steps to kickstart the export of onions. Sindh Agriculture Department in the letter said that the province produced most of the country's tomatoes and onions, and that the crops were now ripe for harvest. "Sindh is expected to achieve a good yield of tomatoes and onions this year, but if import of tomatoes and a ban on onion exports continue, the farmers won't be able to receive an appropriate price for these crops," Rahu stated. As per the letter, Sindh cultivated onion crop on 57,900 hectares in year 2019-20 and produced 782,140 metric tonnes of onions, while the crop has been cultivated at 58,200 hectares this year. Similarly, the province cultivated tomatoes on 22,542 hectares in 2019-20 and produced 164,658 metric tonnes, while the crop has been cultivated at 30,000 hectares this year. "Farmers are failing to even meet the production costs of crops due to inappropriate federal policies," the letter read. "Therefore, it is imperative that the Centre take steps for banning the import of tomatoes, while commerce and food security ministries should grant permission for the export of excessive onion yield."
SBP reserves drop $12m to $13.4bn NEWS DESK The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan dropped 0.09pc on a weekly basis, according to data released by the central bank on Thursday. On January 8, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $13,400 million, down $12 million compared with $13,412.3 million in the previous week. The central bank gave no reason for the decrease in reserves. Overall, liquid foreign currency reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $20,519 million. Net reserves held by banks amounted to $7,119 million.
President seeks private sector’s role in tourism promotion ISLAMABAD TLTP
President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed that there is immense potential for development of Pakistan's tourism sector. Talking to a delegation of International College for Tourism and Hotel Management on Thursday, the president said that tourism promotion will help create enormous job opportunities for the youth, adding that the private sector should play its role In this regard. President Alvi noted that the tourism sector is not only a leading source of employment, but also provides opportunities for regional integration and socio-economic inclusion of remote areas. He said the federal and provincial governments are making efforts to develop tourist sites and that these efforts will contribute in transforming the industry into a major sector of the national economy. He added that inclusion of the private sector in these efforts will give a boost to promotion of tourism in the country.
Friday, 15 January, 2021
10 FOreign neWS
WaRy oF BideN tack oN iRaN, isRael Revisits MilitaRy optioNs, NeWspapeR says TEL AVIV
i
Agencies
SRAEL is revising military options for a possible clash with Iran, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government braces for differences with the incoming US administration on Iranian nuclear policy. US President Donald Trump delighted Netanyahu by quitting the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposing sanctions on it that had been lifted in return for limits on activities that could, potentially, produce nuclear weapons in the future. Tehran responded by breaching many of those restrictions. President-elect Joe Biden wants to rejoin the deal if Tehran–
which denies seeking the bomb–returns to strict compliance. Israel, alarmed by Iranian rhetoric that it is a state that should not exist, is wary of the softer line, even though threats of US military action from Trump did not curtail Iran’s nuclear moves. A front-page article in Israel’s largestcirculation daily said the military is crafting three options to “undermine Iran’s nuclear efforts or, if need be, counter Iranian aggression, which will soon be presented to the government”. The paper, Israel Hayom, did not cite any sources. But it went on to quote Defence Minister Benny Gantz as saying: “Israel needs to have a military option on the table.” Israel has long had plans in place to counter Iran. The article appeared
designed to signal that these were now being updated. During the previous Democratic administration of Barack Obama, which championed diplomacy with Iran, Israel occasionally threatened preventive airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites. Some US officials at the time doubted that Israel–whose advanced military includes a reputed nuclear arsenal–could effectively hit Iranian targets that are distant, dispersed and well-defended. Israeli officials have voiced hope that Biden will maintain Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran, involving tough sanctions, until the Iranian nuclear programme is dismantled. But one of them, Finance Minister Israel Katz, acknowledged on Army Radio:
“There are disputes (with Biden) regarding the perspective on Iran, and of course that will prove challenging.” Katz sounded encouraged by Biden’s intent to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme in any re-negotiation of the nuclear deal. Biden’s pick for US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, signalled openness, during a CNN interview on January 3, to consulting “regional players”–a possible allusion to Israel. Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen told Ynet TV the Netanyahu government was not yet in formal dialogue with the incoming administration. But asked if Israel was trying through informal channels to sway Biden on Iran, Cohen said: “Yes. There are efforts.”
South Korea Supreme Court upholds 20-year prison sentence for ex-president Park SEOUL Agencies
South Korea’s top court upheld on Thursday a 20-year jail sentence for former President Park Geun-hye on graft charges that led to her downfall, bringing an end to the legal process and so for the first time raising the possibility of a pardon. Park became South Korea’s first democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office when, in 2017, the Constitutional Court upheld a parliament vote to impeach her over a scandal that also landed the heads of two conglomerates in jail. The daughter of a military dictator, Park took office in 2013 as South Korea’s first woman president. She was brought down after being found guilty of colluding with a
confidante to receive tens of billions of won from major conglomerates to help her family and fund non-profit foundations she owned. Her case has been heard in different courts, including a retrial in July last year, but the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday to uphold a 20-year jail term and fine of 18 billion won ($16.38 million) exhausts her legal avenues. Park, 68, who has been in jail since March 31, 2017, has denied wrongdoing. She was not present in court. The end of the legal process clears the way for a presidential pardon, which her supporters called for. “President Park Geun-hye is innocent,” the right-wing Our Republican Party said in a statement. “The members of Our Republican Party want President Park to be freed as soon as possible.”
The chief of the ruling Democratic party, Lee Nak-yon, has floated the idea of a pardon for Park and another expresident, Lee Myung-bak, also in jail on corruption charges, in the name of national unity. Park is a divisive figure in a country where old Cold War fault lines between right and left can still define political rivalry. A top aide to President Moon Jae-in, who is a liberal, said the president would make a decision on the question of a pardon for Park that reflects the will of the people. Society appears split down the middle. A survey by the pollster Realmeter last week found 47.7 per cent of respondents in favour of a pardon and 48 per cent against. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee faces a final court ruling on Monday on whether he returns to jail on charges he bribed an associate of Park.
North Korea stages military parade after rare party congress: report SEOUL Agencies
North Korea appeared to have stage a military parade on Thursday–an event that would be closely watched by international observers for signs of new military technology–after wrapping up a rare ruling party congress, Yonhap news agency reported. Pyongyang is under international sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The parade, which was not shown live on the isolated nation’s state media, began between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. (0900-1000 GMT) and was still going on as of 8 p.m., Yonhap cited an unnamed South Korean government source as saying. Military aircraft were spotted releasing fireworks in formation, said NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, citing a
source who saw fireworks. Ahead of the congress, commercial satellite imagery had shown troops rehearsing in formation and NK News cited a source who said they heard heavy vehicles moving in Pyongyang on Sunday. On Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Yong Un and a member of the party Central Committee, criticised South Korea’s military for saying it had detected signs of a parade in Pyongyang on Sunday. The move was an expression of the South’s “hostile approach” towards the North, she said in a statement carried by North Korean news agency KCNA. Leader Kim and other North Korean officials had packed into an indoor stadium in Pyongyang on Wednesday to watch performances from military and civilian art troupes and youth groups, mostly on themes of glorifying Kim’s leadership and
reinforcing messaging from the party congress, news agency KCNA reported on Thursday. The congress, which ran for eight days in Pyongyang, was the first since 2016 and just the second since 1980. The performance was the latest in a series of large gatherings this week where Kim and the other attendees did not appear
Fire destroys 500 houses in Bangladesh Rohingya camp DHAKA Agencies
More than 2,000 Rohingya refugees in a camp in Bangladesh were left homeless Thursday after a blaze ripped through over 500 shacks in the early hours, an official said. There were no deaths but at least 10 people were injured as they escaped the fire at around 2:00 am (2000 GMT) at the Nayapara camp, Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Rezwan Hayat said. "The houses were made of tin and bamboo. We have immediately supplied hot food and bamboo and tarpaulins to the affected people to reconstruct their homes," he said. He added that a cooking gas cylinder – used widely in the camp – was the suspected cause. Nayapara in southeast Bangladesh is home to tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees originally from Myanmar, including many who have been living there since the 1990s. Other squalid and congested camps in the area are home to nearly 900,000 Rohingya, most of whom fled a brutal military offensive by Myanmar's military in 2017. Save the Children's Bangladesh director Onno van Manen said the fire was "another devastating blow for the Rohingya people who have endured unspeakable hardship for years". "It stands as another ghastly reminder that children stuck in the camps... face a bleak future with little freedom of movement, inadequate access to education, poverty, serious protection risks and abuse including child marriage."
Four UN peacekeepers killed, five wounded in Mali attack BAMAKO Agencies
to wear masks or follow other social distancing measures, based on images released by state media. North Korea has not reported any confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but it has imposed strict border closures, domestic travel restrictions and other measures to prevent an outbreak.
Four United Nations peacekeepers were killed and five wounded in central Mali on Wednesday after a convoy struck an explosive device and came under fire, the UN said. It was not clear who carried out the attack about 20 km (12 miles) north of the town of Bambara-Maoudé in the Timbuktu region. The UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, said in a statement on Wednesday that three peacekeepers had been killed and six wounded in the attack. A MINUSMA spokesman said on Thursday that a fourth had since died. The dead peacekeepers were from Ivory Coast, the country’s defence ministry said in a statement. MINUSMA has over 13,000 troops to contain violence caused by armed groups in the north and centre of the country. The mission has recorded about 230 fatalities since 2013, making it the deadliest of the UN’s more than dozen peacekeeping missions.
WHO team arrives in Wuhan as China reports first Covid-19 death since May WUHAN Agencies
A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) arrived in Wuhan on Thursday to start a highly politicised probe into the origins of the coronavirus, as China reported its first death from Covid-19 in eight months. The 10 scientists, who must complete a two-week quarantine in Wuhan before starting their work, arrived for their much-delayed mission to examine the origins of the pandemic. The virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and has since billowed out across the world killing nearly two million people so far, infecting tens of millions and eviscerating the global economy. State broadcaster CGTN showed the
plane carrying the team arrive from Singapore to be met by Chinese officials in full hazmat suits. Their trip comes as more than 20 million people are under lockdown in the north of China and one province has declared an emergency, with Covid-19 numbers climbing after several months of being relatively static. China had largely brought the pandemic under control through strict lockdowns and mass testing, hailing its economic rebound as an indication of strong leadership by the Communist authorities. But another 138 infections were reported by the National Health Commission on Thursday—the highest single-day tally since March last year. China reports biggest daily Covid-19 case jump in over 5 months: Clusters are still small compared with
many countries contending with rampant infections and record numbers of deaths, and the first virus fatality in several months—reported in northern Hebei province—seeded alarm across China. Beijing is anxious to stamp out local clusters ahead of next month’s Lunar New Year festival when hundreds of millions of people will be on the move across the country. Health authorities gave no details about the latest death except that it occurred in Hebei province, where the government has placed several cities under lockdown. As infections have spread, northeastern Heilongjiang declared an “emergency state” on Wednesday, telling its 37.5 million residents not to leave the province unless absolutely necessary. As news of the latest death emerged on Thursday, the hashtag “New virus death in
Hebei” quickly ratcheted up 100 million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo. “I haven’t seen the words ‘virus death’ in so long, it’s a bit shocking! I hope the epidemic can pass soon,” one user wrote. No deaths have been reported in mainland China since May last year, with the official death toll now standing at 4,635. WHO arrival: The latest death comes as China braces for the scrutiny the arrival of the expert team of WHO scientists will bring. Peter Ben Embarek, team lead for the mission, said the group would start with a mandatory quarantine at a hotel due to Chinese immigration requirements. “And then after the two weeks, we would be able to move around and meet our Chinese counterparts in person and go to the different sites that we will want to visit,” he said. He warned it “could be a very long jour-
ney before we get a full understanding of what happened”. Beijing has argued that although Wuhan is where the first cluster of cases was detected, it is not necessarily where the virus originated. A new normal for Wuhan markets as Chinese authorities float new theory on origin of Covid-19: “I don’t think we will have clear answers after this initial mission, but we will be on the way,” Embarek added. “The idea is to advance a number of studies that were already designed and decided upon some months ago to get us a better understanding of what happened,” he said. The long-delayed WHO trip comes more than a year after the pandemic began and has sparked political tensions over allegations that Beijing tried to thwart the project.
Friday, 15 January, 2021
SPORTS 11
DOM BeSS’ five-fOr puTS eNglAND iN cONTrOl AgAiNST Sri lANkA ON DAy ONe ENGLAND 127 FOR 2 (ROOT 66 NOT OUT, BAIRSTOW 47 NOT OUT) TRAIL SRI LANKA 135 (BESS 5-30, BROAD 3-20) BY EIGHT RUNS GALLE
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FF-SPINNER Dom Bess claimed five wickets to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 135 and give England the advantage on day one of a Test that took 10 months to start on Thursday. Bess, who returned figures of 5-30, combined with paceman Stuart Broad, who took three wickets, as Sri Lanka were all out in two sessions as the two-Test series resumed in Galle after the original tour was aborted over the coronavirus in March. England lost their openers early but skipper Joe Root, on 66, and Jonny Bairstow, on 47, steered the tourists to 127 for two at close
of play. They still trail Sri Lanka by eight runs. The batting duo put on an unbeaten partnership of 110 after Dom Sibley, for four, and Zak Crawley, for nine, fell to Lasith Embuldeniya’s left-arm spin. Root, who successfully reviewed an lbw call in his favour after being given out by the on-field umpire on 20, reached his 50th fifty in 98 Tests. He has 17 centuries. Bess though remained the hero of the day with his second five-wicket haul in his 11th Test as the venue witnessed its lowest first-innings score, well below Sri Lanka’s 181 against Pakistan in 2000. Sri Lanka suffered a pre-match jolt when skipper Dimuth Karunaratne was ruled out of the first of the two Tests with a fractured thumb. Stand-in-captain Dinesh Chandimal
Nadal, Thiem suffer coaching setbacks ahead of Australian Open MURRAY TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS SYDNEY AGENCIES
World number two Rafa Nadal and last year’s Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem have both suffered setbacks with their coaches unable to make the trip Down Under for the year’s first tennis Grand Slam. Players and officials have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival in Australia before they participate in warmup events from Jan. 31 at Melbourne Park, where the major will be held from February 8-21. Nadal’s coach Carlos Moya said he would not be travelling to Australia due to the strict health restrictions. “After speaking with Rafa, we have decided that I won’t travel to Australia with the team,” Moya, a former world number one, said on social media. “I will follow the tournament from home and will stay with my family, parents and kids due to the delicate situation that Spain is living with the virus. Best of luck to the team.” Nadal, US Open champion Thiem, ranked No.3 in the world, and defending Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic will be among top players quarantining in Adelaide and then head to Melbourne for the team-based ATP Cup and the Grand Slam. Thiem’s coach Nicolas Massu of Chile was not on the flight to Australia, having tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “Before we took off, we received the surprising message from Nicolas Massu that he had a positive test,” Thiem’s father Wolfgang was quoted as saying by Austria’s Kurier daily. “Nico will be tested again in a few days. We hope that he will be negative then and he will be able to follow suit soon.” With restrictions on arrival in Australia, it was unlikely that Massu, a former top 10 player, could be part of Thiem’s team at Melbourne Park. Thiem, who lost to Djokovic in the 2020 final, will train with fellow Austrian player Dennis Novak during the quarantine period when the players are allowed five hours outside their hotel rooms to prepare for the major. Meanwhile, Britain’s former world number one Andy Murray tested positive for the novel coronavirus. According to local media, Murray’s participation in the next month’s event is in doubt due to the infection. The 33-year-old, who is self-isolating and in good health, was awarded a wildcard to play in the main draw of the year’s first Grand Slam and still hopes to compete at the tournament, the local media reported.
scored 28 and put up some resistance in a 56run stand with Angelo Mathews, who made 27 on his return from a hamstring injury. Broad struck twice in an over to send back opener Lahiru Thirimanne, who had scored four, and Kusal Mendis for nought his fourth straight duck - to spell early trouble for the hosts. Spin was introduced in the 11th over and Bess, with his second ball, got Kusal Perera for 20 when the batsman top-edged a reverse sweep to England captain Joe Root at first slip. Sri Lanka had slumped to 25 for three but Mathews and Chandimal stood firm till lunch. Broad came back in the second session to break the stand as he got Mathews caught at slip and Chandimal, who survived a dropped catch by debutant Dan Lawrence before lunch on 22, departed two balls later off Jack Leach. Mathews, whose hamstring injury kept him out of the 2-0 Test series defeat in South Africa, went past 6,000 Test runs during his knock before Bess soon ran through the mid-
dle and lower order. In reply, the tourists slipped to 17 for two after Sibley was caught at first slip and Crawley also back in the pavilion inside nine
Sabalenka stays hot, captures title in Abu Dhabi
Mourinho rues bad result as Tottenham draw against Fulham, City edge past Brighton LONDON AGENCIES
Jose Mourinho slammed Tottenham’s “avoidable” mistakes and lack of killer instinct after Fulham’s Ivan Cavaleiro rescued a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. Harry Kane had put the hosts ahead in the first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Cavaleiro struck in the closing stages to leave Mourinho frustrated. Tottenham have won just two of their last eight league matches and sit in sixth place. A win against third bottom Fulham would have taken them into third place above Manchester City, who made it four successive league victories when Phil Foden earned a 1-0 win over Brighton earlier on Wednesday. Whether Spurs – six points behind leaders Manchester United – will be regarded as title contenders for much longer must be in doubt after this sloppy display. “Once more we concede a goal that is completely avoidable. You have to keep a clean-sheet, not make mistakes. The markers are there. There wasn’t even an advantage in terms of numbers,” Mourinho said. “We have lots of opportunities to kill off matches. In other cases especially away we are winning but then don’t have that ambition to get the goal and kill the game. There are things that are individual mistakes. We have bad results and we should avoid these results.” Fulham looked capable of troubling Tottenham right from the start and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s fierce strike forced a good save from Hugo Lloris. Alphonse Areola made an even better stop to push Son Heung-min’s curler over the bar, but Tottenham struck first in the 25th minute.
Harry Winks’ sweeping pass found Sergio Reguilon on the left wing and he whipped an inch perfect cross into the six-yard box, where Kane dived to power a spectacular header past Areola for his 18th goal of the season. Not even the prolific Kane is perfect and the Tottenham star squandered a good chance to double the lead moments later when he headed over from Serge Aurier’s cross. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was guilty of a bad miss when he shot straight at Areola from Kane’s pass. Son held his head in his hands after the South Korea forward surged clear, only to see his low strike hit the far post and rebound to Areola. Those misses proved crucial as Fulham snatched an equaliser in the 73rd minute. Ademola Lookman sent over a superb cross from the left side of the Tottenham area and Cavaleiro got between Reguilon and Eric Dier to plant a brilliant header past Lloris. Phil Foden fired Manchester City into third place as Pep Guardiola’s men saw off a feisty challenge from Brighton to win 1-0. Much of the recent talk has been about a potential duel between leaders Manchester United and champions Liverpool but Pep Guardiola’s men are now right in the mix. The 2018 and 2019 champions started the season sluggishly but have hit the accelerator in recent weeks and are now just one point behind Liverpool with a game in hand. City played without a recognised striker against Graham Potter’s Brighton but despite not being at their fluent best in soggy Manchester, Foden’s first-half goal proved enough. The home side had a golden chance to take an early lead when the impressive Kevin De Bruyne was put through by Ilkay Gundogan but goalkeeper
overs. Root and Bairstow then batted cautiously to bring up England’s best partnership for all wickets at the venue. The game is being played behind closed doors.
ABU DHABI AGENCIES
Robert Sanchez blocked the Belgian’s right-footed shot. Brighton’s Leandro Trossard had a chance to test the returning Ederson in the City goal but he bent his shot wide. As City found their rhythm, Brighton defender Joel Veltman reacted well to clear and De Bruyne had another chance five minutes from halftime after a swift break but his powerful shot was well saved. City’s pressure finally told in the 44th minute. Foden received the ball from De Bruyne on the left of the attack. The 20-year-old wriggled past two Brighton defenders and stroked the ball inside the near post from the edge of the box with his right foot. It was the England international’s eighth goal of the season – he is City’s top-scorer in all competitions. Riyad Mahrez could have doubled City’s lead shortly before the hour mark but sent his left-footed shot wide after being put through. Moments later City again went close again. Gundogan forced a good save from Sanchez and the rebound fell to Bernardo Silva, who turned and thumped a shot against the woodwork. Brighton’s goal was leading a charmed life and Sanchez denied Joao Cancelo and De Bruyne as the home side kept probing. But City lacked the control they had in the first period and never looked entirely comfortable with such a narrow lead. Brighton engineered some promising situations but failed to properly test Ederson – they had just one shot on target in the whole match. De Bruyne won a late penalty after Sanchez brought him down but substitute Raheem Sterling blazed his spotkick over the bar. City are now unbeaten in their past 14 games in all competitions and have won seven in a row.
Aryna Sabalenka captured her third straight singles title with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in the final of the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open on Wednesday. The fourth-seeded Belarusian followed up tournament wins at Ostrava and Linz to end 2020 by extending her career-best winning streak to 15 matches on Wednesday. She has nine career WTA singles titles under her belt. “I’m really happy to keep winning, and I’ll do everything I can to keep winning,” Sabalenka said. “Nobody likes to lose.” Sabalenka, 22, recorded 18 winners against 13 unforced errors and converted six of her 12 break points to spoil Kudermetova’s bid for her first singles final. Kudermetova had 24 unforced errors and just 13 winners. Sabalenka, ranked No. 10 in the world, won the only previous meeting against Kudermetova in 2015 on the ITF Challenger circuit.
Alex de Minaur wins Antalya Open ANKARA AGENCIES
Fourth-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia secured his fourth career ATP Tour singles title after Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan retired two games into the first set of the final of the Antalya Open on Wednesday in Turkey. The eighth-seeded Bublik was unsuccessful in his bid to play through the pain after sustaining a right ankle injury in his semifinal victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Tuesday. Minaur, who outlasted No. 2 seed David Goffin of Belgium 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 on Tuesday, previously won ATP Tour hard-court titles in 2019 at the Sydney International, the Truist Atlanta Open and the Zhuhai Championships. The 21-year-old avenged a loss in his last final at the European Open in October.
South Africa's Boucher confident of team safety on Pakistan tour CAPE TOWN AGENCIES
South Africa have faith in the security measures put in place for their Test and Twenty20 International tour of Pakistan, coach Mark Boucher said on Thursday as he revealed that he hoped to lure Jacques Kallis back as a batting consultant. South Africa start the first of two Tests in Pakistan on January 26 as they return there for the first time since 2007. Their absence followed an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians. "We have had our (security) guys go there and do a recce of the situation and they have said it is safe,"
Boucher told reporters ahead of the team’s departure. "So from my side there are no issues, we have to get back there and start playing cricket." Boucher made his Test debut in Pakistan in 1997 and went on to play 147 times in a stellar career. He said the conditions will be more suited to his side than most subcontinent nations. "It is tough but different to India and Sri Lanka, where it (the ball) turns. Pakistan is more conducive to fast bowling. Reverse swing was very big, though regulations are tighter these days on how you can work on the ball. "They are historically flat wickets. The areas you score as a batsman are different. If you apply yourself there are a lot of runs out there."
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Boucher also said he wanted to regain the services of 45-year-old Jacques Kallis as a batting consultant after the former all-rounder signed a short-term deal with England for their current Test tour of Sri Lanka. Cricket South Africa did not take up the option of retaining Kallis' services last year, citing transformation targets, but Boucher is hopeful that, with a new board in place, that could change. "He is on my radar in terms of trying to get him back involved in the set-up. I hope we treat him with care as he has shown he has a lot of other opportunities in world cricket. "He is a massive loss but I know Jacques would love to be working in South African cricket. The knowledge he has needs to be utilised."
Friday, 15 January, 2021
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5:45
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TrUmp Impeached by US hOUSe fOr SecOnd TIme WASHINGTON
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UTgOINg US president Donald Trump achieved a rare feat on Wednesday as he became the first president to be impeached twice, this time on charges of inciting an insurrection in last week’s violent attack in the Capitol. The vote in the Democratic-controlled House was 232-197 following the deadly assault on American democracy, although it appeared unlikely the swift impeachment would lead to Trump’s ouster before his fouryear term ends and Democratic Presidentelect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20. The Senate’s Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell, rejected Democratic calls for a quick impeachment trial, saying there was no way to conclude it before Trump leaves office. But even if he has left the White House, a Senate conviction of Trump could lead to a vote on banning him from running for office again. Biden said it was important that a Senate impeachment trial in the early days of his term not delay work on his legislative priorities, including Cabinet confirmations, and urged Senate leaders to find a way to do both at the same time. The House passed a single article of impeachment — a formal charge — accusing Trump of “incitement of insurrection,” focused on an incendiary speech he
delivered a week earlier to thousands of supporters shortly before the pro-Trump mob rampaged through the Capitol. The mob disrupted the formal certification of Biden’s victory over Trump in the November 3 election, sent lawmakers into hiding and left five people dead, including a police officer. During his speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to “stop the steal,” “show strength,” “fight much harder” and use “very different rules.” In a video statement released after the House’s action on Wednesday, Trump did not mention the impeachment vote and took no responsibility for his remarks to supporters last week, but condemned the violence. “Mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence. No true supporter of mine could ever disrespect law and order,” Trump said. With thousands of riflecarrying National guard troops inside and outside the Capitol, an emotional debate unfolded in the same House chamber where lawmakers had ducked under chairs and donned gas masks on January 6 as rioters clashed with police officers outside the doors. “The president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said on
the House floor before the vote. “He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.” At a later ceremony, she signed the article of impeachment before it is sent to the Senate, saying she did it “sadly, with a heart broken over what this means to our country.” No US president has ever been removed from office through impeachment. Three — Trump in 2019, Bill Clinton in 1998 and Andrew Johnson in 1868 — previously were impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate. Democratic congressman Joaquin Castro called Trump “the most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office.” Congresswoman Maxine Waters accused Trump of wanting civil war and fellow Democrat Jim Mcgovern said the president “instigated an attempted coup.” ‘PRESIDENT BEARS RESPONSIBILITY’: Some Republicans argued the impeachment drive was a rush to judgment that bypassed the customary deliberative process such as hearings and called on Democrats to abandon the effort for the sake of national unity and healing. “Impeaching the president in such a short time frame would be a mistake,” said Kevin McCarthy, the House’s top Republican. “That doesn’t mean the president is free from fault. The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters.” Trump’s closest allies, such as Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, went further, accusing
Democrats of recklessly acting out of pure political interest. “This is about getting the president of the United States,” said Jordan, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump in a private White House ceremony this week. “It’s always been about getting the president, no matter what. It’s an obsession.” ‘I’M CHOOSING TRUTH’: Ten Republicans voted to impeach, including Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican. “I am not choosing a side, I’m choosing truth,” Republican Jamie Herrera Beutler said in announcing her support for impeachment, drawing applause from Democrats. “It’s the only way to defeat fear.” In a break from standard procedure, Republican House leaders refrained from urging their members to vote against impeachment, calling the vote a matter of individual conscience. Under the US Constitution, impeachment in the House triggers a trial in the Senate. A two-thirds majority would be needed to convict and remove Trump, meaning at least 17 Republicans in the 100-member chamber would have to join the Democrats. McConnell has said no trial could begin until the Senate was scheduled to be back in regular session next Tuesday, one day before Biden’s inauguration. The trial would proceed in the Senate even after Trump leaves office. McConnell, who is reported to be furious with Trump, said in a memo to his fellow Republicans that he had not made a final deci-
sion on how he will vote on impeachment in the Senate. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, set to become majority leader later this month, said in a statement that no matter the timing, “there will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate; there will be a vote on convicting the president for high crimes and misdemeanors; and if the president is convicted, there will be a vote on barring him from running again.” Biden said work on the economy, getting the coronavirus vaccine program on track and confirming crucial Cabinet posts should not be delayed by the Senate trial. “I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation,” he said in a statement. The Capitol siege raised concerns about political violence in the United States once considered all but unthinkable. The FBI has warned of armed protests planned for Washington and all 50 US state capitals ahead of Biden’s inauguration. Impeachment is a remedy devised by America’s 18th century founders to enable Congress to remove a president who has, according to the Constitution, committed “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” If Trump were removed before January 20, Vice President Mike Pence would become president and serve out his term.
UK asks India to lift restrictions in IOK ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom (UK) has asked India to lift all restrictions in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and allow a team from its High Commission in Delhi to visit the occupied territory for a first-hand assessment of the situation. The demand has been made by the UK Secretary of State for Justice Robert Buckland while replying to a debate on the “political situation in Kashmir” in the Westminster Hall on Wednesday. Responding to the debate, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister, Nigel Adams said the situation in Kashmir remains an issue for India and Pakistan and it should be resolved according to the wishes of Kashmiri people. A British minister and 10 members of parliament spoke about the plight of the citizens of IOK during the debate organised by Sarah Owen. Sarah Owen, British member of parliament (MP), said that lockdown in occupied Kashmir was not for the protection of the people but for coercion. She said that more than 500,000 Indian troops have held the people of occupied Kashmir captive. Kashmiri Muslims were also being prevented from going to hospitals. Indian women were being harassed and raped on their doorsteps, she added. “Do the statements of the members of parliament in occupied Kashmir correspond to their actions?” the British MP questioned. APP
QUETTA: An eye-catching view of the sky in the provincial capital. INP
Covid-19 situation to decide schools’ reopening: Shafqat
ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
ISLAMABAD TLTP
Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Thursday announced that a meeting will be held on Friday to review the coronavirus situation in Pakistan. In a statement on Twitter, he said that the situation has to be reviewed before students can start going back to school. In order to finalise a date for reopening of educational institutions across the country, Shafqat has summoned a meeting of the provincial health and education ministers on Friday. The minister said: “While I desperately want education to continue, the final decision will be on health grounds. Students’ wellbeing will always be a priority.” On January 4, Shafqat had said that the government will make no compromise on children’s health and another meeting will be held to review the latest coronavirus situation in the country. The federal government had earlier announced a phase-wise plan to reopen educational institutes from January 18 which were closed on November 26 to contain the spread of coronavirus. Shafqat’s remarks come as Pakistan battles a second wave of the coronavirus with cases constantly on the rise. The country re-
PTI says ‘party agents’ responsible for any illegality in foreign funding case
ported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases in nearly a month on Thursday. Data issued by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) showed that 3,097 people tested positive for Covid-19
across the country on January 13, raising the national tally to 511,921. The last time Pakistan’s single-day tally crossed the 3,000 mark was on December 18 last year when NCOC reported 3,179 infections.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that they had rigorously followed rules in collecting party funds from its workers abroad and if any illegal practice has taken place in collecting funds abroad, the ‘agents’ assigned the task were responsible while the party has nothing to do with it. According to sources in the ECP, PTI has submitted its response with the commission in the foreign funding case. It may be noted that PTI has been accused of using delaying tactics in the foreign funding case which is pending with the ECP for a long time. The party has been accused of employing legal hurdles and delaying tactics but the action in the foreign funding case has intensified after the announcement of opposition’s protests outside the ECP office on January 19. Earlier, in its replies to the commission, PTI had claimed that the party had not received any illegal funding, but in its recent reply, the party had changed its stance. In a reply submitted to the commission, the PTI said that on the directive of Imran Khan, two agents were deployed for gathering party funds in the United States and they were given clear instructions regarding the party funding.
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
It should be noted that the foreign funding case against PTI was filed with the ECP in 2014 by Akbar S Babar, a close friend of Imran Khan and the founding leader of the party. It was alleged that the PTI had hidden the funding accounts from the commission in which money was deposited from abroad. During the ECP scrutiny, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed the allegation and said that the PTI has 23 accounts. ECP SUMMONS PPP, PML-N IN FOREIGN FUNDING CASE: ECP has summoned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the party funding case. According to details available with Pakistan Today, the PPP and PML-N were summoned on January 18 in a party funding case. Farrukh Habib of the PTI had applied for an inquiry into foreign funding. The PML-N has been directed to appear before the scrutiny committee on January 18 at 12 pm. PPP has been called for scrutiny at 2 pm. In this regard, Habib has contended that the truth is that the PML-N and PPP were involved in amassing illegal foreign funds and the ECP is going to take the two parties to task. He said that the leadership of both PPP and PML-N tells lies in response to each question as both the parties were being led by “corrupt and crook politicians”.