CMYK
17 January, 2021 I 3 Jumadi-ul-Sani, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 199 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
Pakistan aPProves astraZeneca covid-19 vaccine for emergency use g
‘It Is the fIrst coronavIrus vaccIne to get a green lIght from DraP’
ISLAMABAD
a
STAFF REPORT/AGENCIES
straZeneca’s covid-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in Pakistan, the health minister said on saturday, making it the first coronavirus vaccine to get the green light for use in the south asian country. Pakistan, which is seeing rising numbers of coronavirus infections, said its vaccines would be procured from multiple sources. “DraP granted emergency use authorisation to astraZeneca’s covid vaccine,” health minister faisal sultan stated. approval has been given to get more than a million doses of sinopharm’s vaccine from china, he said. “We are in the process to obtain Western
origin and other vaccines both via bilateral purchase agreements as well as via the covaX facility,” he said. the chinese vaccine is awaiting approval from the Drug regulatory authority of Pakistan (DraP), which has received and reviewed its data. Pakistan is speaking to a number of vaccine makers, and sultan said the country could get “in the range of tens of millions” of vaccine doses under an agreement with china’s cansinoBio. the vaccine company’s ad5-ncov covid-19 candidate is nearing completion of Phase III clinical trials in Pakistan. efficacy is a key factor, said sultan. “We have and are watching the evolving stories around efficacy of a number of vaccines.” sultan said preliminary results of the
coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
516,770
LAST UPDATED AT 8:12 AM ON JANUARY 16, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
45
2,432
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
SINDH:
PUNJAB:
472,099 10,908
233,396 KP:
62,996
148,488 BALOCHISTAN:
18,537
AJK/GB: ISLAMABAD: 8,583/4,882 39,888
cansino may come in by mid-february. he added that Pakistan was considering to engage with russia’s sputnik v vaccine. Pakistan reported 2,432 new coronavirus infections and 45 deaths in last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to more than 516,000 and deaths close to 11,000. “our aim is that the bulk of the population will be covered free,” the minister said, adding that private sectors could also be allowed once supply was available to an authorized company. sultan added that Pakistan had adequate cold chain facilities for most kinds of vaccines. on thursday, astraZeneca had sought approval for its vaccine from DraP. the company had applied for registration through a Pakistan-based pharmaceutical company besides submitting data of the clinical trials of its vaccine. a day earlier, sultan had told media that the government is confident of acquiring the vaccine by the first quarter of the current year, but is adopting a ‘look-before-you-leap’ strategy to ensure procurement of a medicine of the highest efficacy. he had said the government was under close contact with a few international firms manufacturing the covid-19 vaccine. “We will get the vaccine from the firm which prepares it the earliest,” he had added. sultan had also negated the impression that the government had delayed the procurement of the drug and said it was a matter of days before orders to purchase the vaccine would be placed. the special assistant had said although the country had a population of 200 million, 100 million were under the age of 18, and therefore would not be vaccinated. “as 100pc population cannot be vaccinated in any country, we need to target 70pc of the vaccineable population, which is 70 million,” he had said.
ECP opposes Senate polls through open ballot ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
the election commission of Pakistan (ecP) on saturday opposed the presidential reference seeking an opinion of the supreme court (sc) about holding senate elections through open ballot. In its reply submitted to the sc, the ecP rejected the possibility of holding senate polls through open ballot and said that the elections would be held as per the constitution. senate polls are defined in articles 59, 219 and 224 of the constitution. furthermore, as per article 226, all elections under the constitution, other than those of prime minister and chief minister, shall be held by secret ballot, the ecP said in its reply. “the constitution does not allow open ballot elections for the senate.” the ecP, in its reply, also gave reference to the Indian constitution. the federal government had moved to the sc to seek its opinion over holding senate elections through open ballot. a five-member bench, comprising chief Justice of
India likely to face US sanctions over Russian S-400 missile systems deal NEW DELHI AGENCIES
the united states has told India it is unlikely to get a waiver on its planned acquisition of russian s-400 air defence systems, raising the risk of sanctions similar to those imposed on turkey for buying that equipment, people aware of the matter said. the trump administration has been telling the Indians to drop the $5.5 billion deal for five missile systems and avoid a diplomatic crisis, saying new Delhi did not have a wide waiver from a 2017 us law aimed at deterring countries from buying russian military hardware. that position is unlikely to change under the Biden administration that takes over next week and that has promised an even tougher us approach towards russia, the people aware of the discussions told reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. India says it needs the longrange surface-to-air missiles to counter the threat from china. India and china have been locked in a face-off on the disputed himalayan border since april, the most serious in decades. new Delhi has also affirmed
Pakistan gulzar ahmed, Justice mushir alam, Justice umar ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul ahsan and Justice Yahya afridi, is currently hearing the reference. earlier on January 14, continuing his arguments before the apex court over the reference, attorney general Khalid Javed had said, “In this matter, an amendment in the constitution is not required. It needs interpretation of the constitution and the sc can interpret the constitution. the reference is based on this question that the sc should interpret article 226 of the constitution as it has mandated the court to interpret.” meanwhile, the sindh government has recommended a "show of hands" method and opposed any changes in the way senate elections are held. adviser to sindh chief minister on law murtaza Wahab confirmed that the provincial government is against the open ballot method. he said that the sindh government's response in the reference will be filed next week.
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more inside
Nepalese team claim first winter ascent of Pakistan’s K2 STORY ON PAGE 12
nawaz, Bilawal question delay in PtI foreign funding verdict STORY ON PAGE 03 its right to choose its defence supplies, potentially setting up an early point of friction with the new us administration. “India and the us have a comprehensive global strategic partnership. India has a special and privileged strategic partnership with russia,” foreign ministry spokesman anurag srivastava said about the proposed s-400 purchase. “India has always pursued an independent foreign policy. this also applies to our defence acquisitions and supplies which are guided by our national security interests.” the united states imposed
South Africa land in Pakistan for the first time in 14 years
sanctions on turkey last month for its acquisition of the russian air defence systems under the countering america’s adversaries through sanctions act (caatsa) a us embassy spokesperson in Delhi said the united states was aware of reports of India’s planned purchase of the s-400s, but noted there had been no deliveries yet. “We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with russia that risk triggering sanctions under the caatsa. caatsa does not have any blanket or country-specific waiver provision.”
PIa to appear before london, malaysian courts over lease payment issue
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
STORY ON PAGE 05
STORY ON PAGE 11
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Sunday, 17 January, 2021
NEWS
CoroNAviruS KiLLS 45, iNfeCtS 2,432 iN A dAy: NCoC ISLAMABAD
t
STAFF REPORT
he national tally of total active Covid-19 cases in Pakistan reached 33,763 on Saturday, as 2,432 more people tested positive for the deadly virus and 2,793 people recovered from it during the last 24 hours. Forty Two corona patients who were under treatment in hospitals and three in their respective homes or quarantines died on Friday, according to the latest update issued
by the National command and Operation Centre (NCOC). During the last 24 hours most of the deaths had occurred in Punjab followed by the Sindh. It added that out of the total 45 deaths during last 24 hours, 22 patients died on ventilators. No Covid affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) while 333 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in Pakistan. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 49
Govt to contact Broadsheet to gain info about Nawaz’s assets: Gill LAHORE: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill has said that the government will write a letter to the UK-based law firm Broadsheet to gain more insight about the assets of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif. Talking to media persons on Saturday, Dr Shahbaz Gill said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has categorically stated that no national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) will be given to the opposition for looting the national exchequer. Gill said that leaders of the opposition parties are making a hue and cry over non-issues and trying to escape from accountability. He said that efforts are also being made by the opposition to file a baseless lawsuit against him. He said that PML-N is distorting facts regarding Broadsheet revelations to prove party supremo Nawaz Sharif innocent. He said that Broadsheet revelations are an addition in the record of PML-N’s corruption. He said the investigations of Broadsheet were halted because NRO was given. The nation’s money was given as compensation as interrogations were stopped, he stressed. TLTP
NA speaker mulls all parties parliamentary group to highlight Kashmir dispute ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continue supporting the just struggle of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination. Talking to MNA and member Kashmir Committee Naureen Farooq on Saturday, the speaker said that Pakistan stands by the Kashmiri people and will continue to provide diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people at the international level till a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people is realised. The speaker and the Kashmir Committee member also discussed the formation of an All Parties Parliamentary Group to highlight the Kashmir dispute at the international level. The speaker said that the brutality and barbarism that India has inflicted on occupied Kashmir is unprecedented, adding that the silence of international human rights organisations on state sponsored commission of grave human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir was incomprehensible. He further said that India has tried to deprive the Kashmiri people of their basic rights by changing the demography of the illegally Occupied Kashmir. He urged the UN Security Council to take immediate notice of deprivation of basic human rights. The speaker said that the present government has fully highlighted the issue of Kashmir at the parliamentary and diplomatic level. He said that Parliamentary Kashmir Committee, Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights have been asked to further highlight the issue of human right abuses in the occupied valley. “The time is not far when the Kashmiri people will be blessed with freedom,” he remarked. Asad Qaiser said Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the partition of the sub-continent and its resolution is imperative for regional peace and stability. He said that the move by the Indian government on August 5, 2019, has exposed India’s so-called democratic face. STAFF REPORT
percent, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) 33 percent, Bahawalpur 55pc and Lahore 33pc. Maximum oxygen beds (alternate oxygen providing facility other than ventilator administered as per medical requirement of Covid patient) was also occupied in four major areas of Peshawar 46pc, Multan 38pc, Karachi 39pc and Rawalpindi 27pc. Some 42,422 tests were conducted across the country on Friday, including 13,340 in Sindh, 14,390 in Punjab, 6,591 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 6,784 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 586 in Balochistan, 360 in GB,
and 371 in AJK. Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 516,770 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment Covid-19 patients so far, including AJK 8,583, Balochistan 18,537, GB 4,882, ICT 39,888, KP 62,996, Punjab 148,488 and Sindh 233,396. About 10,908 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion. Around 3,769 perished in Sindh among 14 of them died on Wednesday. 12 of them died in hospital and Two out of the hospital. 4,387 in Punjab had died with 17 deaths in
Bilawal to skip PDM's protest outside ECP NEWS DESK In a major blow to the opposition parties' effort to increase pressure on the incumbent government, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has decided that he will not be a part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) protest in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday. A delegation of PPP will attend the protest outside the ECP's office in Islamabad, saying Bilawal will visit Umerkot on the day of the protest and will then attend the PDM's rally planned for Sargodha on January 23. Meanwhile, PPP's senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said the leadership and senior members of the party will attend PDM's protest as planned. He was speaking to the media after a meeting of the party in this regard. Kaira went on to say that there are
currently no clear details regarding the participation of the party's chief, adding that Bilawal will 'look up his schedule to make his presence in the rally certain'. On Thursday last, Federal Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem said that protest is the basic right of the opposition, adding that the law will take its course if the protesters take the law into their hands. He advised the protesters to protest as per the law as civilised citizens. “Protest is your basic right, but the Supreme Court has stated in the Faizabad sit-in hearing that a protest cannot take place everywhere.” The PDM has announced the protest as it demands the incumbent government to step down. PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan by January 31 and has warned of a long march towards Islamabad if he does not do so.
Govt taking tough decisions to reform institutions: Shibli NEWS DESK Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is taking tough decisions to bring reforms in the national institutions. Talking to a private television channel, the information minister criticised the opposition parties for damaging the image of national institutions. He said the government is taking all possible steps to
restore image and efficiency of the institutions through reform programmes. He said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) ruled the country for three decades but no proper attention was paid to improve the performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan Steel Mills and other organisations. Commenting on PIA plane’s seizure in Malaysian capital, he said that grounding the plane at the airport was a strange matter which would be looked into in detail.
past 24 hours. 16 of them perished in the hospital and one out of the hospital. 1,773 in KP where 11 of them died in hospital on Friday, 450 in ICT where one of them died in the hospital on Friday, 190 in Balochistan including one death in the past 24 hours, 101 in GB and 238 in AJK among one of them succumbed to the deadly virus in hospital on Friday. A total of 7,326,431 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 631 hospitals are equipped with Covid facilities. Some 2,840 corona patients were admitted in hospitals across the country. SMART LOCKDOWN: Meanwhile, the district administration of Peshawar imposed smart lockdown at 6:00pm on Saturday in five areas of the city. According to a notification issued in Peshawar, the lockdown was imposed in selected areas of Hayatabad, Kohat Road, Warsak Road, and Yakatoot areas due to an increased number of corona cases. The people in the aforesaid areas have been directed to avoid unnecessary movement.
Shujaat, Cheema elected as PML-Q president, secretary general NEWS DESK The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PMLQ) on Saturday elected Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as its party president and Minister for Housing and Works Tariq Bashir Cheema as the party’s secretary-general. According to a press statement, both Cheema and Hussain were elected unopposed as no candidate came forward to contest their roles. The statement said that the internal election process for the party had started in October last year across Pakistan from the tehsil level. With central elections held in Lahore recently, the party's electoral process was now complete, it added. Newly-elected party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain thanked the provincial-level party chiefs for reimposing their trust in his leadership. He also ordered the provincial party presidents to work on the reorganisation of the party in all provinces. Earlier, during the elections for the provincial leadership, the party had elected Tariq Hasan as the party president in Sindh, Saeed-ul-Hasan Mandokhel to lead the party in Balochistan and Mehboob Allahjan for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of PML-Q. The party had elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its president for the same province, while in Gilgit Baltistan the party will be led by Asadullah Khan.
London says IHC warrants for Nawaz non-executable in UK NEWS DESK The UK government has refused to take legal action against deposed prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif on basis of his arrest warrants issued by foreign courts. In September, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued non-bailable warrants for Sharif in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills probe after he failed to appear despite repeated summons. Following their issuance, the court through the Pakistan High Commission, London delivered the warrants to Sharif at his London residence. In response to a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson from Stephen Timms — Labour MP from Newham, a London borough — on behalf of a Pakistan-origin constituent, Khalid Lodhi, South Asia and Afghan Directorate (SAAD) of the UK Foreign Office said: “The UK law sets out clearly and publicly what the Government can and cannot do on immigration matters, we act strictly in accordance with the rules in all sides.” “Mr Sharif’s status under Pakistani laws is a matter for the Pakistan government and legal system. As such,
the non-bailable arrest warrants which have been served by the Pakistan High Commission in London have no legal bearing on his current status in the UK,” it added. “The UK police cannot arrest someone in the UK on the basis of non-UK court orders,” said the letter. While the Foreign Office observed the absence of an extradition agreement between the two countries it recalled that such developments have been made in the past. “If any extradition request were to be submitted through the proper channels it would be considered in line with the UK laws,” it said. Sharif left Pakistan for Britain in November 2019 to get medical treatment after being granted eigh-week conditional bail from a seven-year jail sentence for corruption. He has since refused to return and launched afresh attacks on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government and the military establishment. In October last, the federal government in a letter to British Secretary of State for the Home Department Priti Patel, reminding her she is “duty bound” to deport Sharif to serve his jail sentence. The deposed premier “has been responsible for pillaging the state and I trust that you will be
supportive of our efforts to bring those responsible for corruption to account”, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar said in the letter dated October 5. A report, citing sources, further suggests Johnson’s office confirmed receiving a letter from Timms and said to have forwarded it to the FO to address the issue. According to it, Johnson was unable to act in this matter and had no authority and the FO was the right forum to deal with such matters. Responding to a question, Timms said: “I wrote to the Prime Minister about this, on behalf of a constituent, to ask what the Government’s approach was.” Timms had written to 10 Downing Street on December 6, asking Johnson if any arrangements were made to send back Sharif. The letter had further said London was bound to deport Sharif. Lodhi said he had also written a letter to Patel informing Sharif is a “convicted [person] in Pakistan”, had “absconded” the trial and therefore should be sent back “immediately”, the report said. His letter said Sharif came to London for medical treatment and has been staying in the UK for more than a year now.
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
MaryaM terMs Broadsheet scandal ‘a slap on govt’s face’ LAHORE
p
STAFF REPORT
AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday claimed that the Broadsheet scandal “is a slap on the face of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government”. Talking to reporters outside Lahore’s accountability court, Maryam said, “The government tried to use Broadsheet against [former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif, but Allah Almighty has once again vindicated him.” “They themselves have got trapped into it. They are so corrupt that they demanded a ‘commission’ from the asset recovery firm,” she alleged. Maryam said that Prime Minister Imran Khan feels danger from PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif, adding that Shehbaz and Hamza Shehbaz are being
KARACHI Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that there was no doubt Prime Minister Imran Khan was "a criminal", and that he was shifting blame on the agents managing two US companies registered on the latter's orders in the PTI foreign funding case. He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will protest in front of the ECP office in the capital on Jan 19, urging people to join the opposition's march and to save the country from "injustice". "Why is the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) not taking action when the evidence is clear-cut?" he questioned, claiming that the nation "is protesting against the ECP's negligence in fulfilling its Constitutional duties". Nawaz's statement comes days after the PTI submitted a written reply to a questionnaire given by the ECP scrutiny committee in which it claimed that if any funds were collected illegally through the two US companies registered on Imran
‘SHEHBAZ AND HAMZA ARE BEING VICTIMISED FOR POLITICAL REVENGE’ victimised for political revenge. She claimed that PM Imran considers Shehbaz as his alternative and that is why he has thrown him into a jail. “Both Shahbaz and Hamza will definitely come out of the jail and take part in politics too,” she said. She further said that PM Imran is an inexperienced player and he will be left alone this year, adding that his advisers and ministers “have started to understand the truth.” Responding to a question, Maryam said that the opposition parties would hold a big protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on January 19. “The PDM will decide about the sit-in after January 31,” she added. When a reporter asked about PPP
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s planned absence from the ECP protest, Maryam said she is unaware of it. Earlier, Maryam arrived in the accountability court to meet Shehbaz and Hamza, where the hearing of the money laundering case was underway. She and Shehbaz kept whispering to each other. The sources said that Maryam apprised Shehbaz of Nawaz’s message and health condition during the meeting. Some PML-N workers had clashed with police personnel after being stopped to enter the accountability court’s premises. The political activists, including female workers, were seen pushing the on-duty police officials, who were trying to stop them from entering the court building.
PML-N SUPREMO URGES PEOPLE TO JOIN OPP'S JAN 19 PROTEST TO SAVE COUNTRY FROM ‘INJUSTICE’ Khan’s written instructions, the responsibility lies with their agents managing the two LLCs. Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday demanded that the facts behind the foreign funding case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should be made public. "There are very serious allegations that the PTI is a foreign-funded party. Their own member has raised allegations. But unfortunately, whether it is the court or the Election Commission, the truth has not been put forth before the people. This is why the Pakistan Democratic Movement will protest on January 19 outside the Election Commission of Pakistan and will demand that the case be taken to its conclusion and all the facts of the case be made public," Bilawal said.
He said the people must be told which people from which countries "gave so much money to PTI". He said if a citizen from India or Israel funds a Pakistani party, there must be a reason behind it, adding that it must be probed why this money was given to PTI and if the PTI did facilitate those people in any way or not since coming to power. Bilawal said whether its Pakistan's economy or its health sector, "our government has failed and this is why the people are suffering," adding this is why PDM demands that they should step down. Bilawal criticised the delay in the procurement of a vaccine by the government, saying that all the gains made during the fight against coronavirus in the earlier months of the outbreak will be lost at this rate. "The only solution to come out of this difficult situation is the vaccine," he stressed.
He said Pakistan has made no arrangements for import of the vaccine, whereas India, Bangladesh and Western countries are moving very quickly to secure the vaccine. "The Sindh government was expecting to roll out the vaccine in January. We were told to be prepared by January so the vaccination can begin," Bilawal said. He said the Sindh government is prepared to ensure vaccination for frontline workers who are most vulnerable and the most important. "It seems we will have to wait for a long time." Bilawal said that his party will produce good results in the Senate elections as the party is ready to stand by any challenges. He claimed there are conspiracies at play to engineer Senate elections this time around, adding all the ‘ATMs’ will be asked to kick in. He also claimed the rigging is being planned by means of introducing show-ofhands in the elections as this will controvert an institution. “We want to introduce transparency in the system instead. The transparency we seek to bring about is based on the democratic and constitutional values,” he asserted.
Sindh seeks Centre’s permission to procure vaccine KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The Sindh government has urged the Centre to allow it procure a coronavirus vaccine, cautioning that a delay in procurement would make the country a “pariah” one. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho — while commenting on State Minister for Health Dr Faisal Sultan’s statement that the federal government wanted to obtain the vaccine with the highest efficacy — claimed: “You [Pakistan] have been left behind in the race [to procure a dose].” “Look at other countries, are UK, US, Europe all rushing? Even African countries have started procurement. India has started vaccination, Turkey has started. [If] we continue to sit back, our people will get sick and die,” she added. Dr Pechuho said in the government continued to delay the process, “the country will become a pariah internationally. Like polio, [Pakistanis] will have to show a coronavirus vaccination certificate, it would become hard to travel”. The presser comes a day after Dr Sultan said the government was still “striving” to secure the first batch of vaccines for frontline healthcare workers. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) even announced to have opened registrations for frontline healthcare workers who are set to receive the first doses of the vaccine. “[However] the final order has not yet been placed and accepted [by any
03
ptI, MQM discuss senate election, by-polls KARACHI
Nawaz, Bilawal question delay in PTI foreign funding verdict STAFF REPORT
NEWS
vaccine manufacturer],” he said. In December, the government repeatedly said it had not only secured 1.1 million doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine, but it was also negotiating additional doses from alternate sources. At the time, Dr Sultan had repeatedly stressed that the initial doses were set for delivery around March, but he was “hoping” they could be secured by the end of January or start of February. On Friday, he told a publication the government’s “target is to procure the vaccine in the first quarter of the current year, and we are confident of doing so. But it is quite difficult to say on which date we will acquire the vaccine”. In her press conference, Dr Pechuho said that every vaccine had some side effects but there were no reports of major problems caused by any of the vaccines that are being used around the world. She further said that it was important for people to be vaccinated as soon as possible so that they will be protected from the serious health problems that are caused by Covid-19. Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah, who also addressed the press conference alongside Dr Pechuho, said that the federal government should allow the Sindh government to procure a vaccine if the Centre is unable to place orders. Pechuho said that the Sindh government wanted to procure Sinopharm, which is produced by China, as well as other vaccines being manufactured around the world. The minister said trials of the Sinopharm vaccine had been successful and pointed out that it was being used in China, UAE
and Bahrain as well. “We have had no reports of any problems [caused by Sinopharm],” she told reporters. “The Chinese government had allowed ICCBS (International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences) to procure the vaccine as it conducted its trials. But the Chinese government told us to contact them through the federal government or the foreign ministry. “So this is my request to the federal government to allow us to procure this vaccine,” the minister added. She said the Centre should also play its part in providing vaccines to Sindh but the provincial government must be allowed to procure vaccines for its residents also. She emphasised that the Sindh government wanted to start a vaccination drive as soon as possible “so our people can be safe and secure”. The health minister also stressed that more than one vaccine will have to be
procured as it will not be possible to get just one in a quantity that would be enough to vaccinate the entire population. Speaking about the Sputnik V vaccine, which has been developed by Russia, Pechuho said: “We cannot place orders with manufacturers because other countries have already placed orders for huge quantities.” The Sindh health minister ruled out the Pfizer vaccine, saying that the country does not have the required storage facilities. When asked about the patients of the UK virus variant, Pechuho said that all five of them were doing well and assured that the virus had not spread. In December, the federal cabinet approved $250 million in funding to buy coronavirus vaccines, initially to cover the most vulnerable 5 per cent of the population, including the frontline health workers.
STAFF REPORT
A delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday visited Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P) headquarters to discuss a joint strategy between the federal coalition partners in the upcoming Senate elections, by-polls, and overall political situation. The PTI delegation, headed by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, comprised Khurram Sherzaman, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and Haleem Adil Shaikh. MQM-P leaders including Faisal Subzwari, Kanwar Naveed Jamil and Javed Hanif welcomed them. During the meeting, both sides discussed the overall political situation, cooperation between the PTI and MQM-P in the Senate election and by-polls on vacant seats of the provincial assembly. The MQM-P reminded the PTI of its promises with the party before joining the federal coalition, sources said, adding that the two sides also reviewed the progress on a written agreement between them. The matter of delay in implementation of the Karachi development package and other uplift projects was also put forward before the PTI delegation. It is pertinent to mention that PTI has approached other coalition partners also to devise a joint strategy between the coalition for the upcoming Senate elections. A day before, Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned Pakistan Muslim League– Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to enquire about the health of the ailing party president while they discussed the upcoming Senate polls. As the two government allies exchanged greetings and wished speedy recovery of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s health while discussing political matters, the Prime Minister reportedly told him that Punjab’s Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will likely reach out to him in a bid to lobby for upcoming parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister expressed his wish that the ruling party would like to contest Senate elections in alliance with the PML-Q. According to the sources privy to the intimate details of this phone call, PML-Q’s Elahi has reassured Prime Minister Khan of all-out support acknowledging the two maintain a political alliance. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh chapter has claimed to develop a software for detecting horse-trading during the forthcoming Senate elections. The PTI Sindh chapter made efforts to stop horse-trading through a ‘software’ that will generate unique voting patterns to each member of provincial assembly (MPA) ahead of the Senate polls. PTI Sindh leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi claimed that different voting patterns will be issued to all MPAs during the Senate elections. He said that the software has the capability to detect the violation of the voting pattern by lawmakers. Firdous Shamim Naqvi said that they could spot those voting wrongfully during the polls. Sources said that the polling agent will play an important role in a unique voting pattern. The senior leader announced that the software has been developed and a demonstration will be made by the political party soon.
04 NEWS Dr Sania Nishtar convenes consultation on upcoming one window Ehsaas service ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar on Saturday convened a consultative meeting at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) with all four executing agencies under the stewardship of Ehsaas to develop a collaborative perspective on standardized beneficiary targeting that is one of the components of One Window Ehsaas. Along with Secretary PASSD, Mohammad Ali Shahzada, MD Pakistan Bait ul Mal, Aon Abbas Buppi, and CEO of PPAF, Qazi Azmat Isa attended the meeting. Under the Ehsaas framework, social protection programmes are delivered through respective executing agencies and Ehsaas strategy stipulates that their impact can be maximized through integrated beneficiary service delivery. To serve the purpose, the creation of the One Window Ehsaas for all social protection operations has been commenced that aims to assist beneficiaries of Ehsaas and reduce duplication and abuse. Overall, One Window Ehsaas envisages actions in five areas including creation of physical one-stop-shop centers, Ehsaas eportal linking all Ehsaas services, Ehsaas Android app, Cognitive API Architecture approach and standardized beneficiary targeting. “In order to better identify and characterize Ehsaas beneficiaries, standardized beneficiary targeting is a point of convergence for all Ehsaas implementing agencies executing several social protection and poverty alleviation programmes”, said Dr. Nishtar. She added, “Principally, standardized beneficiary targeting is critical for the implementation of Ehsaas One Window Policy and it will ensure policy coherence, while reducing fragmentation and duplication. It will also be linked with all social protection initiatives so that benefits accruing to a specific household through multiple programmes can be tracked.” The meeting discussed that in order to ensure integrated beneficiary delivery service, a shift needs to be made for all socio-economic targeting to use Proxy Means Test. Ehsaas is developing a new National Socioeconomic Registry (NSER) for improved beneficiary targeting. Once developed, it will underpin Ehsaas One Window operations with ease which will enable Ehsaas implementing agencies to access data from the survey database in real time and will enable them to ascertain eligibility of potential beneficiaries. Ehsaas NSER survey is currently in the field with the status of 63pc completion and is expected to be digitally accomplished by June 2021. APP
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
CENtrE, SiNDh joiN haNDS to rESolvE KaraChi iSSuES KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
HE federal and Sindh governments have expressed the resolve that problems being faced by the people of Karachi will be resolved jointly by taking all stakeholders on board. The determination was expressed by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar and Information Technology Minister Ameenul Haque while addressing a joint press conference on Saturday. Murad Ali Shah said that it has been decided by the federal and provincial governments that all issues of Karachi will be resolved together. He said that Mahmoodabad Nullah has almost been cleared from encroachments and work to
remove encroachments from Gujjar Nullah will be started soon as per orders of the Supreme Court. The CM shed light on the progress that the provincial government has made so far in Karachi’s developmental works. He said that the federal and provincial governments, after Karachi rains that had wreaked havoc in the city, came up with a comprehensive plan to drain water. “To begin with, work started on the Mehmoodabad Nullah, in which 205 houses were broken or completely levelled to clear the nullah.” On encroachments in the city, he said that an initial survey showed that thousands of structures need to be removed. So far, the government has not faced any resistance while removing encroachments from the nullahs, the CM added. Speaking on the occasion, Asad
Umar recalled the federal and provincial governments had already promised to work together for the development of Karachi. He said encroachments at the drains are being removed as per joint decision, adding that work on Karachi Circular Railway project is underway and hopefully will be completed before the start of ML-1 project. Asad Umar said that political parties would get several opportunities for politicking; however, there is a need to work together for the country’s development. Addressing the criticism about Pakistan still not having placed an order for the coronavirus vaccine, Umar said, “We have not lied to the nation about vaccine procurement.” He added that the vaccine will reach Pakistan by March. Earlier, the chief minister chaired Karachi Coordination Committee ses-
sion to deliberate over Mehmoodabad Nullah’s encroachments. The session, attended by key officials from federal, provincial, and city governments and other institutions, was briefed that the 19.03-kilometer long nullah had a number of encroachments and some of which have been removed. The CM said those aggrieved as a result of this clearance drive will be rehabilitated. He acknowledged the understanding ensured by those whose structures are being razed down in the drive. “It is our city and we will not leave affectees alone,” said the CM, noting that the government is looking after their rehabilitation arrangements. The CM said the committee has handed over Rs30 million to commissioner Karachi for the purpose of resettling the victims of nullah clearance drive.
CM Buzdar lays foundation stone of Sheikhupura-Gujranwala dual carriageway LAHORE STAFF REPORT
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Saturday laid the foundation stone of Sheikhupura-Gujranwala dual carriageway project. Punjab’s Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal and some senior officers of the concerned departments were also present on the occasion. Buzdar said that the 43-kilometre long project will be completed under the public-private partnership with
the cost of Rs5.7 billion, adding that thousands of travellers will benefit from better transportation facilities with the completion of the project on a daily basis. He said, “After the completion of the project, an easy access from Gujranwala to Motorway’s M-2 section and Sheikhupura will be possible. The private partners will be responsible for the repair and maintenance of the project for 25 years. The construction of road will interlink two industrial cities, besides providing better transportation facilities to the citizens and saving time and fuel.” Buzdar added that a new era of real change in the province has been started. “For the first time, projects
have been designed according to the needs of people and after consultation with public representatives. Backward areas are being turned into developed ones while new universities and hospitals are being set up in far-flung areas. Every city will be given a separate development package,” he said. “Personal likes and dislikes affected the development projects in the past and resources were wasted by ignoring the public priorities. The incumbent government has focussed on development of every area. Everyone is being taken onboard for sustainable development and prosperity of the people.”
Another doctor dies of coronavirus ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The deputy director of the emergency ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) died of coronavirus late Friday night. Dr Manzoor Ahmad Khan had contracted the contagious disease in December and was on a ventilator for several days, a tweet said. The nation is currently battling a second wave of the coronavirus and has reported over 516,000 infections and 10,908 deaths since
the outbreak of the virus in February last. In the last 24 hours, the government portal keeping track of the disease posted 2,432 new infections of the coronavirus after conducting 42,422 tests with a positivity ratio of 5.73pc. Over 13,000 healthcare workers had been infected with the virus and more than 100 had died so far, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) last said. The NCOC said the highest number of coronavirus cases among healthcare workers
was reported in Sindh, at 4,631. Meanwhile, Dr Faisal Sultan, state minister for national health services, said the government has yet to finalise any orders for a coronavirus vaccine. In separate interviews, he said that the government was striving to procure a vaccine that was effective and affordable. “We are hoping to have vaccines for frontline workers within the first quarter,” he said but cautioned that no date could be provided because the orders were still pending.
Six in 10 women in Pakistan face internet restrictions, study finds Six out of ten women internet users in Pakistan who took part in a study face some kind of restriction from their families while accessing the internet, a new study by a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) finds. The study, titled “Women disconnected: Feminist case studies on the gender digital divide amidst Covid-19”, conducted by Media Matters for Democracy, examines the impact of gender digital divide on women during the coronavirus pandemic and is based on a survey with 215 women from across the nation and a series of in-depth interviews. A majority of the respondents of the survey said they are only allowed to use the internet for attending online classes or talking to family via WhatsApp. More than a third of those surveyed acknowledged higher restrictions on the use of the internet for girls than boys, with 16pc saying girls are not allowed to use it at all. Key findings of the research indicate that 40pc of the women surveyed use the internet every day, with the usage becoming higher as family income rises. Half of the respondents who use the internet daily, come from families with over Rs60,000/- monthly income while 7 in 10 of those who do not use the internet come from families with below Rs300,000/- monthly income. A whopping 80pc of the respondents who are unable to use the internet are from South Waziristan, one of the newly merged districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The cost of the internet continues to be
a concern with 76pc of the respondents saying that the internet is expensive and more than a third saying it was beyond the reach of an average person. Mobile appears to be the main mode of connection for women who took part in the survey. As many as 88pc of the respondents who use the internet said that they are accessing the internet through their own devices and 78pc of those using their own devices are using mobile phones. The study indicates that the need for internet usage among respondents increased with the Covid-19, with 8 out of 10 respondents saying they felt the need to use it more during the lockdown. At the same time, a number of them lost regular access to the internet due to the lockdown which barred them from using the internet in workplaces, educational institutes and other places that they had previously used to connect. Prior to the pandemic, many women accessed the internet outside their homes but their problems now include slow speed and reduced access due to family members using the same connection or devices. The respondents and interviewees also indicated that surveillance at home has become stricter and threats of domestic violence more pronounced as men remain in the house and many women are unable to step out to purchase mobile data. The research also finds evidence that women in the newly merged districts are unable to connect to emergency health services in case of emergency due to lack of connec-
tivity. The lack of communication combined with a lack of local emergency health care has resulted in fatalities of women, including during childbirth. Researchers say that the unavailability of official data about the gender digital divide being available by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) or local service providers also posed challenges. Therefore, much of the research was based on anecdotal evidence and reported incidents. Commenting on the research, Zoya Rehman, one of the researchers, said, “We were trying to look at the lived experiences of women and, of course, there’s no monolithic woman either, which is also something we assert in this research project. These experiences cannot be seen through one kind of lens and you can’t brush them with one stroke.” Another researcher, Hija Kamran, regretted that despite access to the internet being acknowledged as a fundamental right, “many people continue to be disconnected” in Pakistan. “Our study finds that the gender digital divide is not merely an inconvenience, it, in fact, hinders growth and opportunities and is life-threatening for women who are not able to access the internet because either there are infrastructural barriers, or it is unaffordable, or due to patriarchal restrictions,” she said. “It is the responsibility of the government to ensure every citizen has access to open, affordable, and safe internet in Pakistan,” Kamran underlined. NEWS DESK
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
PIA to APPeAr before London, MALAysIAn courts over LeAse PAyMent Issue ISLAMABAD
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APP
EDErAl Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Saturday Pakistan International Airline (PIA) failed to pay the lease of the aircraft that was held in Kuala lumpur on time due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Malaysian court issued an order without listening to any arguments by the airline. During a media briefing in the city, the minister said PIA officials will appear before a london court on January 22 and before a Malaysian court on January 24 after which the national carrier would "accept the decision of the courts". PIA had acquired the plane on an expensive lease during the PMl-N tenure, he added. The minister said the government believed in taking practical steps for the welfare of the common man. He said that the government had announced a 110-km long rawalpindi ring road project which would not only help resolving traffic issues but also create job opportunities and give a boost to economic activities in the area. Sarwar said an amount of rs6 billion has been credited to rawalpindi administration in that regard and hoped that the project would be initiated before June 2021. He said five small dams including Daducha, Mujahid, Papin, Chehan and Mahuta Mohra are being constructed in rawalpindi to meet the irrigation needs of local farmers and these would also be helpful to overcome water shortage issues. Sarwar said that rs50 million were approved for a plan to solve the issue of low gas pressure in the twin cities while practical work has been started in that regard. replying to a question about the upcoming Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) protest, in which Opposi-
NEWS
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India likely to face us sanctions over russian s-400 missile systems deal CoNtINuED fRoM pAGE 01 “We have not made any waiver determinations with respect to Indian transactions with russia,” the spokesperson told reuters. There was no immediate comment from russian officials. Moscow has previously said that the sanctions imposed on Turkey were illegitimate and showed arrogance toward international law. INITIAL PAYMENT IN 2019: India made an initial payment of $800 million in 2019 toward the russian deal and the first set of missile batteries are expected towards the end of this year. russia has traditionally been India’s main weapons supplier but in recent decades the Indian government has turned to the United States and Israel for new planes and drones. US officials believe there is still time for Delhi to reconsider, and that the punitive measures would only kick in if the deal with the russians was “consummated.” Washington has told New Delhi that if India acquires the S-400 it would affect how its systems interact with US military equipment that India now has and would jeopardise future arms transfers such as high-end fighter planes and armed drones, according to the people aware of the matter. “There is a narrow chance India can avoid sanctions, presuming the S-400 purchase is completed. At the moment, it’s a good bet that sanctions will be applied against India,” richard rossow, a specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said. But the outcome could depend on how India-US defence cooperation progresses, he said, adding that India had been working with Washington on security in Asia more than ever before and this could be a mitigating factor.
tion parties will gather outside the Election Commission of Pakistan on January 19, he said holding a protest is everyone's right but it should be held under the law and democratic norms. "The people have rejected the narrative of PDM," he remarked. later, the minister also inaugurated the gas supply project to the seven villages of Takht Padi Union Council of rawat. Malaysian authorities on Friday seized a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Boeing-777 at the Kuala lumpur airport. The PIA plane was seized on the orders of a local Malaysian court over the non-payment of aircraft lease dues,
usc cfo reveals irregularities, requests impartial inquiry against Md ISLAMABAD: Utility Store Corporation (USC) Chief Financial Officer Hamoord-ur-rehman has levelled serious allegations on the USC managing director and requested the corporation’s chairman to hold impartial inquiry into the matter, Pakistan Today learnt on Saturday. According to sources, Hamoord, in a letter to the chairman and audit and finance committee, highlighted alleged irregularities and unlawful practices of the managing director and requested to immediately reverse all postings in the finance and accounts section, which were done without his recommendations, besides initiating disciplinary action against the managing director and general manger (Hr&A) under the concerned service rules. The CFO also asked the chairman to conduct a special audit of all the payments, which were made after October 1 last year by the finance department without his knowledge and approval, and all the illegitimate benefits received by the managing director. As per details, the CFO raised serious concerns over the posting of grade-18 officer Haider raza as acting General Manger Finance on September 25 last year, saying Haider was not qualified and experienced for such a position related to finance. Similarly, he also objected the postings of finance manager, manager accounts and accounts officers, violation of reporting channel and board’s resolutions, and illegal payments worth billions of rupees released by the managing director. The CFO alleged the managing director was using three vehicles, including Toyota Fortuner and Toyota Corolla, under the name of protocol duty and drawing fuel of all the vehicles, besides getting monetisation of rs95,000 and personal fuel card. AHMAD AHMADANI
sources disclosed. PIA had leased two planes, including the Boeing-777, from a Vietnamese company in 2015. The plane was seized after passengers were already on board. The aircraft's 18-member staff also became stranded in Kuala lumpur due to the seizure, and will now quarantine for 14 days as per protocols, the sources said. "The passengers are being looked after and alternate arrangements for their travel have been finalised," read a tweet shared by PIA on its official account. Sources said that the leasing company had filed a case against PIA in a
UK court in October 2020 for its failure to pay the leasing fee, worth about $14 million, which had been pending for a period of six months. In response, the PIA had maintained that since the Covid-19 pandemic had seriously affected the aviation industry, there should be a reduction in the overhead charges. In the meanwhile, the leasing company kept an eye on the activities of PIA, and as soon as it received the information of Flight 895's scheduled landing in Malaysia, it appealed to the Malaysian court to seize the aircraft as per the international civil aviation leasing laws, sources added.
WhatsApp delays enforcing new privacy policy following backlash AGENCIES Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp is delaying an update aimed at increasing business transactions on the platform after a storm of concern from users who feared that the messaging platform was watering down its privacy policy in the process. WhatsApp users received notification this month that it was preparing a new privacy policy and terms, and it reserved the right to share some user data with the Facebook app. That sparked global outcries and a rush of new users to competitor private messaging apps including Telegram and Signal. WhatsApp on Friday said it would delay the new policy launch to May from February, that the update was focused on allowing users to message with businesses, and that the update does not affect personal
conversations, which will continue to have end-to-end encryption. “This update does not expand our ability to share data with Facebook,” it said in a statement. “While not everyone shops with a business on WhatsApp today, we think that more people will choose to do so in the future and it’s important people are aware of these services,” it said. NO LOG OF MESSAGES OR CALLS: Facebook has been rolling out business tools on WhatsApp over the past year as it moves to boost revenue from highergrowth units like WhatsApp and Instagram while knitting together e-commerce infrastructure across the company. Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014 but has been slow to monetize it. The app already shares certain categories of personal data, including the user’s phone number and IP address, with Facebook.
Abbas announces long-awaited Palestinian elections RAMALLAH AGENCIES
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Friday announced dates for the first Palestinian elections in more than 15 years, setting legislative polls for May 22 and a July 31 presidential vote. Abbas's Fatah party, which controls the Palestinian Authority based in the occupied West Bank, and the Hamas Islamists, who hold power in Gaza, have for years expressed interest in taking Palestinians back to the polls. A long-standing rivalry between the two main Palestinian factions was seen as a leading factor in stalling progress towards a new vote. But Fatah and Hamas have lately been engaged in unity talks, reaching an agreement in principle in Sep-
tember to hold elections in 2021. Hamas on Friday welcomed Abbas's announcement. "In recent months, we have worked to overcome obstacles in order to reach this day," it said in a statement. It added that it looked to "free elections in which voters can express themselves without pressure and without restrictions, in all fairness and transparency". A statement on the official Palestinian Wafa news agency said Abbas has signed "a presidential decree concerning elections", specifying the May and July dates. "This announcement was eagerly awaited," Palestinian analyst Arif Jaffal, head of the Arab World Democracy and Electoral Monitor, told AFP. "It is a very important step," he said. The 2005 Palestinian presidential vote saw Abbas elected with 62 percent support to replace the late Yasser Arafat.
CMYK
ecP opposes senate polls through open ballot CoNtINuED fRoM pAGE 01 The provincial government is of the view that the open ballot method is "against the Constitution and the freedom of expression". Wahab said that the Constitution is "clear" on Senate elections. He said that in the Sindh government's response Articles 226 and 63-A of the Constitution have also been referenced. He said that Article 226 clearly lays out the process to conduct Senate elections. The Sindh government spokesperson said the open ballot method is in contrast to the very "soul" of the Constitution. "We will provide strong justification against this method with references from the Constitution in our response," Wahab said.
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
06 COMMENT
Accountability farce
Unanswered questions PTI government’s corona vaccination plan
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hile Pakistan is yet to place orders to purchase a coronavirus vaccine, india began on Saturday the world’s biggest drive aimed at vaccinating more than 1.3 billion people against covid-19. An estimated 10 million health workers will be vaccinated in the first round, followed by policemen, soldiers, municipal and other frontline workers. health Services SAPM Dr Faisal Sultan maintains that the delay had been caused by the government’s quest for a vaccine of the highest efficacy. That Dr Sultan has promised to place the orders for the vaccine indicates the government has already concluded which one is the most efficacious. But when he says in the same breath that the government would get the vaccine from the firm which prepares it the earliest, it shows there are other considerations than efficacy that have stood in the way A sum of $250 million has reportedly been allocated for the purchase of the vaccine. Are the funds sufficient for covering expenses over three phases of the vaccination mentioned by Dr Sultan? A former federal health Minister has questioned if the funds had actually been released to the health Ministry. Was the delay caused by hopes of obtaining a free vaccine from Covax? Was the government waiting for the trials of the Chinese firm Cansino which is yet to be registered with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan? Acquiring the vaccine(s) is not enough. even the USA faced a shortage of trained vaccinators when it came to administering the doses. Dr Sultan has concluded the total vaccineable population is 70 million, that has to be immunized by the end of this year. This requires tens of thousands of trained vaccination personnel. When is the government going to hire and train the required health workers? The vaccination of 70 million requires an app to help the government track the drive and ensure that nobody was left out. has this been prepared? As the first phase of the vaccination is to begin presumably within two to three months, has the government started preparing the list of the first batch of the recipients, likely to comprise millions? After the 18th Amendment can such lists be prepared without consultations at the Council of Common interests? When will the government convene its meeting besides taking the Parliament on board?
PTI’s double standards and the broadsheet scandal
Arif NizAmi
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he process of accountability has always been a bit of a mockery in the chequered history of Pakistan. But under the present dispensation it has touched new lows- from sublime to the ridiculous. Sensational claims have been made by the CeO of Broadsheet llC london based firm Kaveh Moussavi. he was hired by dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2003 to probe into the alleged ill-gotten wealth and assets of about 220 people, primarily amongst them former prime minister main nawaz Sharif. Prime Minister imran Khan, in his quixotic pursuit of Sharifs’ ill-gotten wealth, saw in the Broadsheet saga a window of opportunity of getting troves of new information on them. The government has readily paid around 6 billion Rupees to the firm for breach of contract. The fine imposed by the court was $28 million. Moussavi is relishing his new role as a whistleblower granting interviews to different Pakistani news outlets, making all kinds of wild and often contradictory allegations. he has claimed that $1 billion (belonging to nawaz Sharif) had been transferred from Saudi Arabia to an unknown account in Singapore and that he could trace it provided he got his 20 per cent cut. he also alleges that a Pakistani general met Moussavi offering him a new contract on behalf of the government of Pakistan provided
Impounded aircraft National carrier becomes a source of embarrassment for country yet again
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n ongoing legal dispute between Pakistan international Airlines (PiA) and a company that leased the national carrier two Boeing 777s in 2015, pending in a UK court, has resulted in one of those aircraft being impounded in Kuala lumpur Malaysia shortly after it landed there from Karachi leading to passengers being deboarded. PiA’s failure to pay the leasing fee amounting to $14 million of both aircrafts for the past six months is perhaps understandable due to how hard the aviation industry has been hit by Covid-19, but that does not explain why the aircraft were being sent on international flights despite there being a clear risk of them being seized. either someone was asleep on the job or PiA’s senior management simply has no understanding of international civil aviation leasing laws. This is exactly the sort of negligence that occurs when a state run institution hires incompetent people without any merit who are comfortable in the knowledge that their job is secure due to the lack of accountability and performance critique. even the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), hardly a shining example of what a competent aviation regulator should be, has expressed its displeasure over how careless the PiA has been. This is the second such avoidable incident related to the aviation sector within a year that has caused considerable international embarrassment, the first one being Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan declaring on the national Assembly floor that 262 pilots in Pakistan held fake licenses. not only was the accusation blown out of proportion but was handled so recklessly, that competent career pilots with up to date and authentic legal paperwork were grounded by their employers. PiA defaulting on its lease payments will mean that other aircraft lessors will be less inclined to work with it due to its high credit risk. The national carrier was drowning in debt much before the pandemic, consistently in need of bailouts and does not afford the legal fees that will pile up due to this case, never mind the lease it has been unable to pay but will eventually have to. it seems that apart from the more conventional flight delays caused by bad weather or a faulty aircraft being repaired, passengers travelling on PiA have to be wary of chances that the aircraft they have boarded could be grounded due to the airline not paying its bills on time. This will surely do some damage to revenue numbers that are already struggling. heads should roll for this debacle but given PiA’s track record, nothing more than a slap on the wrist of a mid-management level employee should be expected, at best.
Sexually victimized The problem needs serious attention Sheikh Abdul rASheed
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AKiSTAn has become a country where sexual abuse is the most ubiquitous form of violence against children and women. Sexual exploitation of children and women is a long-standing and unbridled iniquity that haunts our society. The evil reminds us that we have failed to safeguard our most vulnerable citizens for a long time. A very few of the painful and hair-raising incidents of sexual abuse against females that occurred in 2020’s last two months must be mentioned here. in December, just three days after her marriage, a woman was gang-raped in the presence of her in-laws in the Farooqabad area of Punjab’s Sheikhupura district. A young girl was gang-raped in larkana district of Sindh. in november, six girls of 5 to 15 years of age were raped in Kasur district’s Sarai Mughal village. A woman and her four-year-old daughter were allegedly subjected to rape for three days in the Kashmore district of Sindh. The barbarous and degrading actions of sexual abuse occur very frequently in Pakistan’s society with not even slight hesitation or fear of punishment. These activities, which can never be regarded as normal and socially acceptable, are the worst case of human rights violation. Such unkind deeds are the evidence of the existence of moral degradation, barbarity and viciousness. Globally, the age at which a person may give effective and full consent to marriage is generally set between 12 to 18 years. Pakistan under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 has set the age 16 for girls and 18 for boys to give consent to marriage. While Sindh, under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, sets 18 years of age for both genders. Forcible sexual relations or sexual intercourse with a person under the age of consent is regarded as a statutory rape. The definition shows that child marriage is a statutory rape. Regrettably, in Pakistan, statutory rape, not unlike most countries across the world, is
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he gets his cut. Barrister Shehzad Akbar, the accountability czar of the government whose favourite hobby horse is to relentlessly pursue the Sharifs is also quite reliant on Broadsheet for that smoking gun. So, how could he miss out on meeting Moussavi and thus inviting the wrath of the PMl-n. Resultantly, Akbar has already sued a PMl-n spokesperson for making allegations that he had received kickbacks from Broadsheet. The skewed nature of the so-called accountability process and a yawning gap between its stated and real purpose becomes quite evident from Moussavi’s allegations. Though never in doubt, the real purpose of forming nAB (national Accountability Bureau, becomes even more evident from these disclosures. Once tales of those erring politicians adequately twisted by the nRO (national Reconciliation Ordinance) was readily promulgated, the King’s Party was successfully launched and parliamentary elections held in 2002 under the Musharraf regime. This is how the PMl-Q (Pakistan Muslim league Quaid e Azam Group) was able to form a government. interestingly, the politicians whose names were sent to Broadsheet reads like the who’s who of the politicians of the early 2000s. But conspicuously absent were the Chaudharys of Gujrat. And many names in the list joined the Kings Party soon, to enjoy the fruits of power and also to save their skin. Despite massive political engineering european Union observers described the elections seriously flawed .Mainly owing to rampant misuse of State resources to fund some parties (mainly PMl-Q. The opposition parties rightfully criticise the relentless use of nAB by the present government for victimization of its opponents. But they have no answer to the legitimate question of not reforming or scrapping the accountability watchdog altogether when in power. The answer is quite obvious. Sharif, in fact, in his second term, was the architect of the much discredited ethsab Bureau formed under the tutelage of his crony Saif ur Rehman. Most of the dirt dug up on Benazir and Zardari was done by Saif ur Rehman. Admittedly, both Zardari and after him Sharif, in their last terms used nAB sparingly to victimise their opponents. The Public Accounts Committee(PAC) has also taken note of the Broadsheet affair and has directed the auditor general of Pakistan as well as nAB for complete investigation in the matter. The meeting that
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enormously pervasive. UniCeF reported that 21 percent of girls are married under the age of 18 and 3 percent before 15. Victims of statutory rape experience adverse long term psychological effects and physical mutilation which include sexually transmitted diseases it shows that in Pakistan the situation for children and women has become startling and precarious as the horrific crimes against them have become increasingly commonplace. They have been molested, raped and murdered by beasts roaming around freely in the garb of human beings. Sahil, a local nGO, revealed that around 2,846 cases of rape and sexual abuse in 2018 and 3,832 in 2019 were reported across Pakistan. in the first six months of 2020, around 1489 children were sexually abused. in reality, for the state, protection of children and women has become a superhuman task. All this has created a sense of fear and a feeling of constant horror among children, women and their families. They could not sleep with ease and solace. The fact is that survivors of rape can experience strenuous and agonizing sentiments and feelings. With a slight variation, every survivor reacts to disturbing incidents. The survivors face unpleasant effects which include flashbacks, ephialtes, intense disquietude, long-lasting dejection and despondence. They face the lack of interest in activities they enjoyed previously and focus on their work and schooling. They
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
was held on Thursday was marred by its members protesting on the remarks made in a federal cabinet meeting on alleged corruption of the PAC as well as Department of Auditor general of Pakistan. it is strange that a government headed by a person who claims transparency and going after the corrupt as its main plank is so sensitive about its own accountability. According to Sherry Rehman the current PAC has recovered over Rs 4.4 billion so far. “The amount is more than what has been recovered by nAB”, she contended. Khan has blamed his party legislators for being unable to defend the government against the opposition, painting its departments as corrupt and incompetent. The prime minister is miffed that the PAC is headed by a PM nominated MnA, while the AGP was appointed by the previous government as well. he reckons that the audit department ignored the irregularities of those institutions that “pleased” the compromised auditors, and audit paras were against those who did not. ironically, the tussle began when a PTi member, Raja Riaz, insisted that special assistant on petroleum nadeem Babar be summoned to investigate lPG (liquified petroleum Gas) issue. Double standards about accountability are further amplified by the PTi government’s shifting stance on the foreign funding case before the eCP (election Commission of Pakistan). After dilly dallying for two years the ruling party has taken a novel stance that since foreign funds were collected through agents, the party could not be held responsible. it had refused to share its accounts with the scrutiny committee of the eCP. But now, on the orders of the the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), it was forced to do so. it is indeed ironical that a government that has never tired of emphasising transparency in the affairs of the state seems is found wanting on standards it has set for others. The least that was expected was that the ruling party would at least put an end to corruption within its own ranks by now, if not the country that it is running. it is no surprise that despite all the hullabaloo about eliminating corruption, Pakistan’ s ranking in Transparency international’s latest corruption index for the year 2019 dropped three points from 117 to 120. Kaveh Moussavi’s not so infrequent revelations have further made a joke of the flawed accountability process. The prime minister should answer some of the specific allegations made by him. Furthermore, has he been rehired for the same purpose? And exactly what has been paid to him and under what heads should also be disclosed as well? Charity begins at home. high time full disclosure is made in this matter. Arif Nizami is Editor, Pakistan Today. He can be contacted at arifn51@hotmail.com http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk
develop a sense of deep distrust of others and think that the world is not a safe place to live. The science of psychology terms rape a form of torture. Rape survivors develop feelings of shame, indignity, fear and bewilderment. They feel overwhelmingly vulnerable to sexual attackers. Besides, in most cases, victims of rape always face the threats of ostracism or killing by family members to safeguard so called honour. Shockingly, police have been found reluctant to register most rape and gang-rape cases and arrest the accused. After stories of these painful incidents go viral on the social, print and electronic media, and people take to the streets to protest against the incidents, police per force lodge the cases and bring about some arrests. This behaviour of the force is the result of the existence of inefficiency and corruption, and involvement of influential people in the cases. The cases of rapes and gang rapes should be dealt in special courts established under the Anti-Rape (investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020, for speedy trials of accused rapists. Punishment of chemical castration that the Ordinance, 2020 introduces for rapists is inadequate. however, the perpetrators of this heinous crime deserve to be awarded stringent and harsh punishment commensurate with their inhuman and monstrous activities. it will help reduce the sexual abuse incidence in the country. To ensure the administration of justice to victims of the heinous crime, there is a desperate need to take concrete measures for the effective implementation of punishments awarded to sexual abusers under Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The law has introduced imprisonment for 10 to 25 years for rape and hanging or life imprisonment for gang-rape.
However, the perpetrators of this heinous crime deserve to be awarded stringent and harsh punishment commensurate with their inhuman and monstrous activities. It will help reduce the sexual abuse incidence in the country. To ensure the administration of justice to victims of the heinous crime, there is a desperate need to take concrete measures for the effective implementation of punishments awarded to sexual abusers under Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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The writer is a freelance columnist
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Sunday, 17 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
A tribute to the leader of peasantsMuhammad Fazil Rahu
The tribe of apologists Ceaseless sermons on self-sanctifying virtue and innocence
Candid Corner rAoof hASAN “When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time, they create for themselves a legal system that authorises it and a moral code that glorifies it.” —Frederic Bastiat
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T is a painful sight to endure ceaseless sermonising by apologists of criminals on self-sanctifying virtue and innocence. in the current times of caustic confrontation, the vile spectacle is enacted with monotonous frequency. it is understandable also because at stake is the survival of the traditional brand of politics in the country, perpetuated by a sequence of oligarchs who relish masquerading as democrats. But this pretension of democracy is used only as a cover to hide their crimes and despotic indulgences, amply demonstrated by the fact that none of these parties have ever conducted free and transparent elections within their ranks to allow aspirant individuals to assume leadership roles. The divisions are sharp and different responsibilities are assigned to different people with members of the ruling family alone qualifying to lead the party, generation after generation. it is through this process of belittlement of individuals that some are resigned to the role of subservience to others who purchase loyalty just as they are wont to purchase votes at the time of elections. Much as they are aware of their exclusion from the leadership echelons, they lack the grit and courage to protest and, consequently, are reduced to being ‘workers’. Thus, a subordinate class takes shape within the party to act as apologists of the rulers. The spectacle enacted by them is perpetually on display as one sees fleet after fleet of individuals hailing from this tribe of apologists rising to defend their masters without a shade of logic or reason. This slavery is so deeply ingrained in their psyche that it even shows on their faces. The corruption of the traditional ruling elite has been laid bare time and again, but there is no shame to concede and apologise. instead, legions hailing from this tribe of apologists are given the task of defending their corrupt, even convicted and absconding leaders on every conceivable media outlet, in every conceivable manner. This is a degenerative spectacle displaying complete absence of self-esteem, or a desire for cultivating
equality within the party rank and file by annulling the despicable practice of some being more equal than others. i have yet to figure out how their respective competence is gauged except by the quantum and extent of swearing loyalty to their masters. This subservience to crime is on display in multiple shapes and shades but, most importantly, its wickedness is in full view when they are parroting their hymns endlessly as if they were the images of some celestial being. Unfortunately, this culture of division among people is the root cause of most of the ills that our system is afflicted with. When the desire and ambition to rise to the pinnacle is forfeited, the need to compromise with mediocrity takes over. That is why our society is overflowing with surfeit of non-performing and non-delivering individuals who never excel in their respective fields, but are consigned to playing subservient roles which are rooted in employing and benefitting from corrupt practices, just like their leaders do to satisfy their insatiable lust and egos. These people feel no shame in rubbishing a plethora of irrefutable evidence proving the corruption and complicity of their leaders. Over time, they have become so used to doing this that it has taken roots as a deeply embedded habit. even more importantly, such people become incapable of engaging in a constructive dialogue that would be based on facts and figures. instead, what we witness are these legions of apologists brandishing their poisonous swords with abandon in their bid to subdue their opponents into submission. When that does not happen, they degrade themselves to the use of invectives in a bid to impose their viewpoint. So, instead of logic and reason doing the rounds, it is a plethora of expletives flying across that vitiates the environment further. every shred of reason is drowned in these putrid juices, overtaken by a wild celebration signifying freedom from the confines of decency. it is as if this tribe of apologists has come from the wild, playing their games by the rules of the wild. The reform process of any magnitude is a mammoth undertaking. it is not a simple task encompassing guidance along a few rudimentary lines and teaching a few leading principles. These legions of apologists have sunk so low that the task of reform would involve virtually re-educating them so that they could conduct themselves as humans by forsaking the vile indoctrination that they have assimilated in profusion. A lot of grime has to be taken out which germinates slavery. instead, self-esteem has to be injected into their veins.
As i said earlier, it is not going to be easy. in fact, there is no certainty that it could be done because there are layers upon layers of deceit and deception they are buried under. They are virtual captives. The lure of easy profit has taken its hold. it has to be exterminated from their thinking so that there is space to espouse the ethic of honest and honourable work and the courage to fight for securing their rightful place among the echelons of their party, not as subservient apologists but as aspirants who have as much right to steer the ship as anyone else. Democracy must begin from home, from the political parties which these oligarchs have taken for their personal properties. This should be a binding precondition to these people talking about the need for democracy in the country. A non-democratic political party cannot breed democracy. let transparent and democratic elections be held within every political party as a precursor to them becoming vehicles of democracy in the country. in the event that does not happen, these parties lose their locus standi for demanding a democratic polity. in the ultimate analysis, it is the guilt within these oligarchs which has to be probed. losing faith is not an option. it was Philip Dick who said thus: “Guilt – if there was any guilt – spread out and diffused itself over everybody and everything. Perhaps, at some point in time, at some spot in the world, a moment of responsibility existed”. The objective should be living by hope rather than degenerating further into the pit of slavery. it is this inherent good within all of us that one has to engage so that it could be brought out to guide people along the path of comprehensive reform. Anything short of that will not help to transform either the fate of the people, or the future of the state. A continuation of a past soaked in corrupt and despotic indulgences is a sure recipe for unmitigated disaster. This is what we have nurtured all along. This is the spectre we are confronting today. This has to be remedied and the only way to ensure that is to begin by espousing and practising democratic tenets within the political parties. it should not come about in years because time is not on our side. it has to be cultivated and implemented immediately. Before the next elections, may be!
The objective should be living by hope rather than degenerating further into the pit of slavery. It is this inherent good within all of us that one has to engage so that it could be brought out to guide people along the path of comprehensive reform. Anything short of that will not help to transform either the fate of the people, or the future of the state.
The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank. Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com. Twitter: @RaoofHasan
FAZil RAhU (1934 - 17 January 1987) A leader who rendered selfless services for the peasants and poverty-stricken masses of Sindh. he laid down his life for the rights of downtrodden people and created mass awareness against the dictatorial regimes that had badly joggled the political structure of the country and curtailed constitutional machinery from working he still rules on the hearts of the poor people of Sindh because he was an echoing voice of their rights and never compromised on those.. he was among those very few leaders of this country who had an inner attachment with the people of his land. Mohammad Fazil Rahu was born and brought up in the family of Ahmad Khan Rahu a landowner and notable figure of Rahuki- A Small town of district Badin. Whenever attempts were made to deprive Sindh of its rights Rahu stood up front to foil those attempts. he was an integral part of all campaigns set into motion for the rights of Sindh. Rahu was deeply inspired by the ideology of Sufi Shah inayat Shaheed, he started his political career by contesting BD elections of 1962 and was elected as a member of the Union Council Tarai and later he became chairman of that union Council. When the campaign for Presidential elections of 1965 was at full swing, the prominent leftist vividly supported Mohrama Fatma Jinnah and became part of her caravan. in 1966 when the then ruler of the country- Ayub Khan allotted the lands of district Badin to his bosom friends, Rahu was the first political leader of the area to have revolted against that decision, and from that day he became a bitter pill to swallow for the dictators. Along with another prominent leader of Sindh Rasool Bux Palijo, the Rahu of Badin was the moving spirit behind the “ One Unit Dissolution” Movement. And later that duo also launched a Province-wide campaign for the publication of voters list in Sindh. Rahu led a historical procession against the one unit move from Badin to hyderabad. After Ayoub and Yahyah he also locked horns with general Zia-Ul- haq and led huge processions during the MRD Movement, After Palijo was Jailed he led the MRD movement and kept mobilizing political leaders and people from across the country to wrangle with the dictator of the time. he was imprisoned several times in different jails of the country for supporting the cause of peasants and poor masses and for foiling the conspiracies hatched against his land. Rahu is credited for creating awareness among peasants, laborers, and the poor class, he taught them the way of raising the voice for their rights. Rahu served as the general secretary of Sindhi Awami Taherik, Senior vice President of Awami national Party, President of Sindhi hari Tahrik, and Joint Secretary of MRD. Under a deep-rooted conspiracy he was axed to death on 17 January 1987 when he was addressing a huge gathering in Golarchi. every year on his death anniversary a large number of people gather on his mausoleum to pay homage to the brave son of Sindh KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA SuJAWAl
Non - synchronised development in power sector in the face of numerous autonomous power companies in the generation , transmission and distribution sectors , it is next to impossible that synchronised development is ensured in these companies so that country’s generation , transmission and distribution systems expand proportionally and are compatible with each other to give a safe and a reliable power supply system across the country . And this can not happen with the present set - up where administrative and technical control is distributed among different power companies without a unified central body to see that the power network accross the country is planned constructively and projects are simultaneously executed in the generation , transmission and distribution sectors to ensure a synchronised development as and where needed. The power breakdowns , blackouts and load shedding will continue to be witnessed in the absence of a proper centralized effective administrative & technical control over the whole power system. The fact that load shedding is going on in different parts of the country inspite of surplus generation proves the point . People are rightly talking of mismatch of generation , transmission and distribution systems being one of the main causes of poor and unreliable power supply system . The brunt of inadequate , inefficient and incompetent masters of the power sector has to be borne by the hostage and hapless consumers in industrial , commercial and domestic sectors for no fault of theirs . ENgR RIAz BHuttA lAHORE
We must embrace change The British ruled india for over two centuries. Although they looted and plundered the wealth of the Sub-continent, they established a good system of governance to strengthen and prolong their rule. During the British rule, there was relative harmony between different communities. A British national laid foundation of the All-india Congress and hindus Flourished in the field of education. The hindus very quickly understood the British and started getting close to them. They realized that the British needed educated people to govern through the locals. hindus quickly embraced modern education in the British system that changed the language of instruction to english making the Madrassah-based education network obsolete. Muslims on the other hand were not open to embracing the new education system trying to hold on to their past glory. As the educated persons through the new system were given preference over illiterates, hindus started getting better positions in the British Raj, while Muslims were left to lower-level labor-intensive jobs. Sir Syed Ahmed felt that without education Muslims will remain backward and marginalized. he established an educational institution with the intention to help Muslims get access to modern education. Unfortunately, the religious bigots labeled him as a “Kafir” or their agent and spent full and parties tried to sabotage his efforts. he persisted, which started to bring a slow change. The students who studied in his institution started a movement for freedom from the British. Mr. Jinnah, a man of foresight also joined the freedom movement, but congress opposed him. however, Jinnah persevered for a separate state to rid Muslims from hindu domination and succeeded. RAJA SHAfAAtullAH ISlAMABAd
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
08 WORLD VIEW
How Israel buIlt a nuclear programme rIgHt under tHe amerIcans’ noses IN 1967, DURING THE SIX-DAY WAR, WITH THE US STILL IN THE DARK, ISRAEL SECRETLY ASSEMBLED TWO NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVE DEVICES NONE OF THE NINE AEC TEAMS THAT VISITED THE DIMONA SITE BETWEEN 1961 AND 1969 WAS EVER AWARE OF THE SUPER-SECRET SIX-STORY UNDERGROUND FACILITY Haaretz
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Avner Cohen And WilliAm Burr
n a recent op-ed piece in this newspaper, we revealed that Henry Kissinger, then a professor of government at Harvard University, at the conclusion of a private visit in Israel in January 1965, shared with U.S. diplomats in Tel Aviv his conviction “that Israel is already embarked on a nuclear weapons construction programme.” While the record of the discussion does not tell us what impact that observation had on Kissinger’s audience, much less how he had reached that conclusion, as contemporary historians, we know that the statement was in sharp contrast with the U.S. government’s uncertain state of knowledge of the Israeli nuclear program. While suspicions abounded, during this period the U.S. government never had definitive evidence, let alone conclusive proof, that Israel was seeking a nuclear military capability. Other declassified U.S. documents from the period reveal that senior U.S. officials were puzzled about the state and future direction of the Israeli nuclear complex at Dimona. Suspicions notwithstanding, the most recent prior U.S. inspection at Dimona, on January 30, 1965 – only two days prior to Kissinger’s briefing at the embassy – reported that it found no “weapons-related activities” at the site, and also suggested that the Dimona complex was in a state of institutional slowdown and budget cuts, with morale among staff low. To assess what the state of U.S. knowledge about Dimona was at the time, one must revisit the barely known U.S. visits to Dimona during the early- to mid1960s. That requires drawing on a range of formerly classified documents, some of them made available only recently. Thus, it becomes possible to identify, in retrospect, the sources of the American errors in their assessment of the Dimona project. And err the Americans did. *** When John F. Kennedy became president, in 1961, he made it a priority to have U.S. scientists visit the Dimona complex regularly to check suspicions that the Israelis aimed to develop nuclear weapons capabilities. As we detailed in Haaretz last year, such visits began in May 1961, but tensions over them began to grow in the spring and summer of 1963, when Kennedy engaged, first, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, and then his successor, Levi Eshkol, in a battle of letters intended to force them to accept visits of U.S. scientists to Dimona on a twice-yearly basis. When the U.S. team visited Dimona in January 1964, construction of most of the complex was either complete or near completion. Indeed, the reactor had reached criticality, with its nuclear fuel sustaining controlled chain reactions. That made the visit important for constituting a baseline for future evaluations. The one-day visit lasted about 11 hours. Subsequently, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission reported to the U.S. Intelligence Board that the “team believes that all significant facilities at this site were inspected.” The U.S. team’s readiness to accept the Israeli story was already manifest in the first American visit to Dimona in May 1961. It was then that Israel provided both the rationale and the narrative for Dimona as a peaceful project. Manes Pratt, the center’s founder and director, presented it as an “interim stage” on Israel’s path toward nuclear power. The presentation of Dimona’s master plan as intended for peaceful use only was consistent with Ben-Gurion’s pledges, including one he personally conveyed to Kennedy two weeks later, during their meeting in new York. Ever since, the U.S. teams had continued to view Dimona as essentially a civilian-scientific enterprise, believing that, as the first team reported, following the 1961 tour, “nothing had been concealed from them.” In 1964, then, the team’s bottom line was, just as it had been in 1961, that the site lacked the necessary facilities – for plutonium recovery and reprocessing – required for a weapons program. As the team put it, “Israel, without outside assistance, would not be able to produce its first nuclear device until two or three years after a decision to do so, that is, the time required to construct plutonium separation facilities and fabricate a device.” *** In late September 1964, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Tel Aviv was instructed to meet Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, for the purpose of setting a date for the next U.S. visit to Dimona, which the State Department
hoped would occur sometime in October. Perhaps trying to avoid an inspection altogether, Eshkol did not respond to the American requests and then bypassed the embassy altogether by dispatching a personal message to President Johnson – via a U.S. go-between, presidential adviser Myer (Mike) Feldman – requesting to postpone the next Dimona visit until after Israel’s upcoming planned election, in november 1965. Eshkol cited concerns that a leak of the visit would undermine his political standing. Somewhat jokingly, Eshkol told Feldman (or wrote to Johnson via Feldman) that “there is no possibility that the Dimona reactor could be converted to military purposes in so short a period of time.” Eshkol’s request stirred suspicions in Washington. On October 23, national Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy directed the State Department, the CIA and the AEC to explore both the political and technical implications of the request. In a joint memorandum, those agencies did not accept Eshkol’s reasoning. Indeed, State Department officials saw it as a “pretext.” A key question was whether the Israelis could use the two-year time lag – from January 1964 to January 1966 – to build the “missing link” that would be needed for production of weapons, i.e., a chemical separation plant for producing plutonium at the Dimona site. The technical analysts believed so, noting that the Israelis already had enough uranium on hand that if, during those two years, they operated the reactor at a “power level designed to maximize plutonium production, it could produce 6 to 12 KGs of plutonium.” That would have been enough to produce material for up to “two test devices.” Shaping the U.S. technical assessment was the explicit – but erroneous – assumption that Israel lacked a chemical separation plant on-site. Creation of such a facility, so the assumption went, would require a new top-level political decision. Once such a decision had been taken, roughly another two years would be needed to build the plant. In 1961, President Kennedy learned directly from Ben-Gurion that Israel had plans to build “a pilot reprocessing plant” in three or four years to produce plutonium as a reactor fuel, but the Israeli leader had stressed that the Dimona complex was solely peaceful. At the time of the January 1964 visit, however, the Israelis told the U.S. team that they had delayed indefinitely the plans to construct the pilot plant, although they showed them the space at Dimona where it would have been built. Given the concern that the Israelis could build a reprocessing plant in the absence of a U.S. inspection, the AEC-CIA-State memo led Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Averell Harriman to conclude that an inspection should not be postponed. In a memo to Bundy, Harriman dismissed the credibility of Eshkol’s political argument, noting that Ben-Gurion had accepted a U.S. visit in 1961 and that deputy defense minister Shimon Peres was on board with Eshkol’s 1963 decision to allow visits. It is “our inability to fathom the argument for delay” that “heightens our security fears,” wrote Harriman. In contrast to Eshkol, who denied that Israel could “convert Dimona to military purposes in such a short time,” U.S. experts worried about exactly such a possibility. They considered a two-year period without inspections as “highly dangerous.” Rather than reject Eshkol’s proposal outright, however, Harriman supported Ambassador Barbour’s proposed three-point compromise: 1) to have a U.S. visit in the next month or two, 2) “a waiver on the Israeli commitment [that the U.S. had assumed] of subsequent six-monthly visits until after the 1965 elections,” and 3) “an offer not to communicate the results of the visit to nasser until after the november 1965 elections.” *** The U.S. 1965 inspecting team comprised three senior government nuclear experts from the AEC and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency: Ulysses M. Staebler, Floyd L. Culler and Charles McClelland. They received a briefing at the State Department on January 15, where they were told that their mission had both intelligence and diplomatic ramifications. With the apprehension about a prospective Arab-Israeli arms race, evidence that Dimona was for peaceful purposes could be used to reassure Egyptian president nasser. The inspection could also put in perspective the varied reports about suspicious developments concerning the Israeli nuclear program, including that the complex had been “secretly expanded” since the 1964 inspection, Israel’s purchase of uranium oxide (yellowcake) from Argentina, and the departure of French technicians from the site, all of which U.S. intelligence took as facts.
The visit to Dimona took place on Saturday, January 30, 1965, a little more than a year after the preceding one. The scientific host of the team was the nuclear physicist IgalTalmi, who escorted the team during its entire three-day stay in Israel. Within five days, on February 5, 1965, the State Department sent national Security Adviser Bundy a preliminary draft of the team’s report, along with the Department’s take on the findings. According to the report, the team agreed by consensus that, despite the restrictions, “the visit provided a satisfactory basis for determining the state of activity at the Dimona Site.” The draft summary (the full report remains to be declassified) did not even hint at the possibility that the Israelis may have been concealing anything during the visit. notably, the available documents show that this possibility – deception and concealment – had been raised in the interagency technical meeting in Washington that preceded that visit. nonetheless, in retrospect, it appears that that is exactly what was going on during this inspection and the others. According to American journalist Seymour Hersh, in his 1991 book “The Samson Option,” prior to the Dimona visits, Israel implemented a large-scale deception operation that amounted to concealing the reprocessing plant under construction and continual misrepresentation of the reactor’s purposes. *** While the AEC inspectors appeared reasonably confident in their findings, they took it for granted that continued inspections were necessary. Shaping the drive for inspections were lingering doubts about Israel’s ultimate intentions. As noted earlier, key officials pointed to warning signs, such as the yellowcake purchases, that the Israelis were up to something. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for near East and South Asian Affairs Rodger Davies, and science attaché physicist Dr. Robert Webber at the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, among others, suspected that Dimona was intended for military security, not scientific research, and that Israel may have secretly decided to develop a weapons capability. They had abundant circumstantial evidence to support those suspicions, but none of them seemed to have a clue about the missing link to weapons, the hidden chemical separation plant, although Webber raised the possibility that the Israelis had undertaken some such activity, somewhere. And he insisted that the AEC inspectors were greatly mistaken to discount Dimona’s potential as a military project. Whether either Webber or Davies was aware of Kissinger’s embassy briefing remains unknown, but knowledge of it would have doubtless increased their doubts. Suspicions about how Israel would use the yellowcake persisted, not least because during the inspection Israeli officials treated questions about “procurement of uranium from abroad ‘outside the scope of the visit.’” Another source of concern was the discovery by U.S. intelligence that Israel had secretly contracted with a French aviation company, Marcel Dassault, for development and production of a two-stage, nuclearcapable, short-range ballistic missile. The uncertain knowledge of the mid-1960s sharply contrasts with the more certain situation of the 1970s, by which time U.S. intelligence had concluded that Israel had nuclear weapons. That suggested that the AEC assessments of Dimona in the 1960s were incorrect, indeed altogether misleading. That became manifestly true in 1986 when the real secrets became publicly known through the revelations of whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, which were confirmed by French sources and published in the London’s Sunday Times. A key revelation in 1986 came from Francis Perrin, the French high commissioner for atomic energy from 1951 to 1970, who acknowledged to the Sunday Times that the Dimona nuclear complex had been conceived from the start as a complete and dedicated nuclear weapons infrastructure. It included a plutonium-producing reactor and a large underground chemical reprocessing plant for extracting weapons-grade plutonium from the reactor’s irradiated rods. According to French journalist Pierre Pean, in his book “Les Deux Bombes” (Paris, 1982), the construction of the chemical reprocessing plant was completed, with some delays, as the final stage of the Dimona complex, around 1965. According to Pean, Israel started plutonium production in late 1965 or 1966. The reprocessing plant was the crown jewel of the entire Dimona project. We also know, from a document published last year by the authors of this article as part of an academic paper, that Prime Minister Eshkol shared with his senior cabinet colleagues in September 1963
how fearful he was that the reprocessing plant, then under construction, might be discovered by visiting American scientists. That did not happen. none of the nine AEC teams that visited the Dimona site between 1961 and 1969 was ever aware of the super-secret sixstory underground facility. *** From today’s perspective, more than half a century later, the question of why the United States failed to discover the secret plant right under its nose remains intriguing. We suggest that the prime reasons for that American failure were varied. First and foremost, U.S. intelligence failed to discover what exactly France – both its government and its industry – had agreed to supply to Israel. To be fair, it is not that the U.S. did not try, but the French would share only partial and misleading information with the Americans. French authorities supplied the Dimona package that they had made available to Israel, supported by ample technical assistance. Few in the French government, and no Americans, knew that the government-to-government deal, as published by Pean, tacitly allowed a reprocessing plant, supplied directly by the French firm SaintGobain, which specialized in chemical and nuclear-related products. While the CIA was familiar with Saint-Gobain’s work for the French nuclear program, whether it learned of its secret assistance to Israel prior to 1986 remains unknown. In the absence of accurate and complete intelligence on the French role, the United States had to rely on the information that it could collect in Israel, whether openly or covertly. Here lies the second source of the U.S. failure: the political inability or unwillingness to ensure that the inspections were comprehensive enough to detect suspicious activities. The policy and intelligence failures were intertwined. Washington viewed physical access to Dimona as essential both for verifying Israeli pledges about the plant’s civilian mission and for ensuring others that Israel did not change its declared course and go nuclear. In retrospect, however, this approach was too trusting, perhaps even naive. Unless the inspection visits were grounded in a firm protocol, Washington could not deter or prevent a determined state like Israel from going nuclear. A related problem was that U.S. inspectors accepted too uncritically the Israeli claim that Dimona was a step in a plan to introduce nuclear power to Israel. After all, did an “interim stage” civilian nuclear project like Dimona really make sense, technologically and/or financially, for a small and resource-limited country like Israel? Was it sensible for a country that had recently inaugurated its first nuclear reactor (in Soreq) to initiate a larger nuclear project, described as an interim step, when it had not yet approved a comprehensive plan for nuclear power? The AEC scientists should have given that story a far more skeptical analysis. Based on the declassified material available to date, one can summarize the American conventional wisdom in the mid-1960s as follows: If Israel decided to change course and to embark on nuclear-weapons production, it would need to build a chemical plant for the extraction of plutonium, and that would require a political decision. The U.S. was reasonably confident that it could detect such a decision, even if it was made in secrecy. This overconfident and somewhat naive working assumption was fundamental to U.S. thinking at the time. Missing from the American intelligence analysis of the period were not only basic facts about the French role, but also a lack of understanding – and appreciation – of how far the Israelis would go in concealing their progress. It is worth recalling that Hersh, in “The Samson Option,” cited anonymous Israeli sources who told him that the visitors to the Dimona reactor were shown a fake control room that reflected misleadingly the reactor’s operations at the time. Even if the inspectors were not as trusting as they appeared to be, the available evidence does not suggest that they had any understanding that Israel was willing to undertake a sophisticated large-scale effort to conceal what it was doing. *** Upon reflection, the U.S. failure to discover Dimona’s underlying secrets – that it was, as the authors of this artice have argued in the past, a military project and that there was a secret plutonium plant – was practically unavoidable. U.S. intelligence had not detected the scope of the French-Israeli deal. Policymakers avoided going to the mat for the sake of a comprehensive inspection. Moreover, Washington failed to understand Israel’s national security culture. That is, the U.S. government did not comprehend that Israel was so committed to the nuclear project that it was willing to wage a complex operation to see it through. What Henry Kissinger told U.S. diplomats in 1965 – that Israel had a “nuclear weapons production program” – amounted to a prediction. In 1967, during the Six-Day War, with the U.S. still in the dark, Israel secretly assembled two nuclear explosive devices, just in case, an event reported five decades later by The new York Times. It was in the following years that Washington began concluding that Israel had the bomb. President nixon’s meeting with Prime Minister Golda Meir in September 1969 made the United States complicit in Israel’s policy of nuclear opacity. Thus, when Henry Kissinger became nixon’s national security adviser, in January 1969, he was already aware of Israel’s alleged weapons program, which has remained as much an official secret in Washington as in Tel Aviv, although it remains the “worst kept secret.” Avner Cohen is professor of nonproliferation studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) and the author of “Israel and the Bomb.” William Burr, a Senior Analyst at the National Security Archive, George Washington University, directs its Nuclear Documentation Project.
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
BUSINESS 09
In A fIRst, GwAdAR housInG PRoJeCts Get PoweR fRoM nAtIonAl GRId ISLAMABAD
Minister stresses national strategy to enhance milk, meat production LAHORE
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WO mega housing projects in Gwadar have been connected with the national grid under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan Today learnt on Saturday. Electricity connections were approved and installed at the China Pakistan Investment Corporation’s (CPIC) projects International Port City and China Pak Golf Estates. The development is being dubbed as a milestone in the development of the city as the two residential projects are the first in Gwadar’s private sector,
where power connections have been successfully installed. CPIC is a leading international developer and it is at the forefront of real estate development in Gwadar and promotion of the city globally. The company had won the “Best Real Estate Development of the Year” title at the Shenzhen International Property Awards in 2018 and “Best International Real Estate Developer of the Year” award from the then governor of Sindh. Commenting on the achievement, CPIC Chief Engineer Waqas Moazzam said that the development was another great milestone, which his corporation delivered in Gwadar by powering up their projects. “Now not only our inter-
nal infrastructure is complete but the projects are ready for the people to live in. We have injected billions of rupees into Gwadar’s economy, which can be seen on the ground. In the coming years, the CPIC’s projects will be the only choice for both local and international professionals looking for high quality living within a secure gated community,” he added. The CPIC had completed development works on the first two phases of their mega project International Port City in 2019 with all internal infrastructure, including parks and recreational facilities. While a show home is being built on the site. Waqas further said that his corpora-
tion’s vision from day one was to develop world class societies. “For the city to develop to its true potential and attract leading local and international talent, high quality and integrated residential communities within a secure environment are essential,” he said. He asserted that when his corporation started the projects, no developer in Gwadar had commenced any significant development works on their projects. “However with our experienced international team, Chinabased consultants, drive, determination and perseverance, we have achieved this milestone and added another Gwadar’s first accolade to our decorum,” Waqas concluded.
TLTP
The Punjab government is striving to make the best use of natural resources in the livestock sector and in this regard joint cooperation is needed in various fields to uplift the national economy. Punjab Minister for Livestock Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak expressed these views on Saturday while chairing a consultative meeting, wherein officials of the Federal Ministry of National Food Security & Research were also represented. The aim was to formulate a national strategy to enhance the overall production of milk and meat. The minister directed the authorities concerned to prepare a plan in collaboration with the federal government to enhance semen quality and production and further consultation was agreed in this regard. Dareshk said that all the individual efforts be channelised to facilitate decision-making for the development and promotion of the livestock sector. In addition, consultation with private experts, research institutes and business representatives in breed improvement, vaccine production and other fields should be ensured, he further said. During the meeting, Secretary Livestock Capt (retd) Saqib Zafar briefed about Punjab Livestock Growth Strategy and discussed the challenges which livestock sector is facing, including breed improvement, foot and mouth disease vaccine, FMD free zones, technology transfer and extension models. He also briefed about the new initiatives taken at the provincial level including house job model, academic and research cooperation with Dalm University Denmark and upcoming livestock census. The additional secretary Ministry for National Food Security assured all possible support for the betterment of the livestock sector and said that consultative meetings like this are of key importance in this regard. The meeting was also attended by additional secretaries including livestock secretaries, director generals, pro-vice chancellor, animal husbandry commissioner, Corporate Dairy Farm Association representatives and other livestock experts.
Govt urged to establish rail link with Afghanistan to boost bilateral trade PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI
After Iran and Turkmenistan laid railway tracks to further expand their trade with Afghanistan, Pakistani traders have also demanded the construction of a railway system with Afghanistan to boost bilateral trade. Shahid Hussain, former senior vice president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries, told Profit that most countries in the world are opening up new avenues for their goods to reach international markets and "Pakistan should also extend its rail network to Afghanistan to easily export its products to the neighbouring country". He said that in order to increase its trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, Pakistan would have to construct railway tracks
from Peshawar to Jalalabad in the first phase; from Jalalabad to Central Afghanistan in the second phase; and then onwards to Central Asian countries in the third phase. "It will not only boost Pakistani exports to Afghanistan, but will also facilitate the country's trade with Central Asian countries." It may be noted that three days ago, a delegation led by Uzbek Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov met with Pakistan Railway Minister Azam Khan Swati in Islamabad. Apart from the rail project in Afghanistan, freight train service and other important issues were discussed during the meeting. Under the plan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan will be connected through rail via Afghanistan. Other Central Asian republics, including Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, will also be able to join
the proposed railway project. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan also signed a joint call letter, requesting a $4.8 billion loan from international financial institutions for the project. According to sources, the federal government in 2016 had decided to extend the track of Pakistan Railways from Peshawar to Kabul and then to Central Asian states under the Central Asian Economic Corridor project. The Asian Development Bank had also expressed interest in providing loans for the project. Pakistan Railways had then decided to conduct a feasibility study of Peshawar to Jalalabad and then from Jalalabad to Kabul track. A full feasibility report of the project was due to be completed in June 2017, but the same couldn't be done for unknown reasons.
Pakistan, China vow to further enhance tourism cooperation
ISLAMABAD TLTP
A three-member committee has been constituted to review air service agreements between Pakistan and other countries where consultations will be held with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and private airlines. The members of the committee include PIA chief commercial officer, director air transport and senior joint secretary of the Aviation Division. The Cabinet Secretariat in a letter stated that the first meeting of the working group for reviewing the air service agreements will be held on January 20 in the office of the senior joint secretary of Aviation Division in Islamabad. It will deliberate upon the expansion of flight operations of the national carrier to foreign countries, as well as regarding its frequency and routes. The review process will also cover the matters related to agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed with other countries, besides holding consultation on the requirements of the necessary amendment. The agenda of the working group’s meeting also includes reviewing traffic rights in light of the agreements with foreign countries.
Annual maintenance of 500kV Rawat grid station to be carried on Jan 18-19 ISLAMABAD APP
ISLAMABAD TLTP
Pakistan and China have vowed to further deepen their bilateral engagements to promote cooperation in the fields of tourism, culture and people-to-people contacts. The resolve was expressed during a meeting between Pakistan's Ambassador to China Moinul Haque and Chinese ViceMinister of Culture and Tourism Zhang Xu in Beijing, said a press statement issued here on Saturday. During the meeting, both sides noted that all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China has provided a strong foundation for further enhancing bilateral engagements in the domains of tourism, culture, media and heritage protection. Both sides agreed that expansion of bilateral tourism could become a new area of cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing.
Panel formed to review air service agreements
LAHORE: R A roadside vendor prepares tea for his customers near Abbot Road. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ
The spokesman of National Transmission and Despatch Company Ltd (NTDC) has said that the annual maintenance work on 132kV Bus Bar at 500kV Rawat Grid Station will be carried out on 18 & 19 January 2021. Subsequently, partial load management will be observed from 9 am to 5 pm on 132kV and 66kV grid stations of IESCO, said a press release issued on Saturday. The spokesman said that these grid stations and feeders include Chakwal, Chakri, Adyala, Gujar Khan, Jatli, Badshaan, Pinanwal, Dandot, Talagang, Choa Syedan Shah, Noorpur Sethi, Bhagwal, Jand, Lakarmar, Danda Shah Bilawal and Tamman. However, there will be complete shutdown at 132kV grid station Dina and its connected feeders. The spokesman appealed to the consumers for their cooperation so that the maintenance is completed timely. He said that annual maintenance of Bus Bar at 500kV Rawat grid station will result in smooth and uninterrupted power supply and facilitate consumers of Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Islamabad areas.
Remittances likely to cross record $28 billion this year Pakistan is expected to receive record remittance inflows of up to $28 billion this year, as initiatives launched by the government and central bank to facilitate overseas workers have started yielding positive results despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Overseas Pakistanis residing in Gulf states in general, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia in particular, are likely to maintain an upward momentum in remittances, a report published in Khaleej Times read. They contributed 60.14 per cent of the total inflows during the July-December 2020 period. Pakistan received $14.203 billion remittances during the first half of the financial year 2020-21, against $11.37 billion in the same period last year — a strong growth of 24.9 per cent. This is the highest half-yearly
growth since financial year 2006-07. “This strong growth in workers’ remittances is attributable to the increased use of formal channels on the back of sustained efforts by the government and State Bank of Pakistan to encourage inflows through official channels,” said the central bank in a statement. As per the breakdown of remittances, overseas Pakistanis residing in the UAE remitted $2.96 billion during the July-December 2020 period, compared to $2.78 billion in the corresponding period last year — a growth of 6.5 per cent. Workers residing in Dubai sent 5.6 per cent more money back home, as they remitted $2.45 billion during the first half of fiscal year 2020-21. Overseas Pakistanis in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah sent $418.4 million and
$34.5 million in remittances, respectively, showing an increase of 5.6 per cent and one per cent. Meanwhile, remittance inflows from Saudi Arabia also recorded a significant increase during the first half of fiscal year 2020-21. Overseas Pakistanis remitted $3.96 billion, compared to $3.17 billion in the corresponding period last year — a growth of 24.6pc. “Workers residing in other GCC countries remitted $1.62 billion as against $1.52 billion in the same period last year, reflecting a growth of 6.6 per cent,” according to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the central bank. In December, Pakistan received $2.4 billion remittances, compared to $2.1 billion in December 2019, showing an in-
CMYK
crease of 16.2pc. This is the seventh month in a row that remittances crossed the $2 billion mark. It provides a new lifeline to a struggling Pakistan economy, which is expected to return to growth this year. In addition to the Gulf region, remittance inflows from the United Kingdom rose to $1.88 billion from $1.23 billion in the same first-half period last year, recording a record growth of 51.7 per cent. Pakistanis residing in European Union states remitted $1.29 billion, showing a strong growth of 41.7 per cent. Remittances from the United States also registered a growth of 47.5 per cent with $1.2 billion remitted during the July-December 2020 period, against $816.8 million remitted in the previous year.
Analysts said the country may receive record remittances of up to $28 billion if the similar upward growth trend continues in the second half ending on June 30, 2021. Pakistan received $23 billion in remittances during the financial year 2019-20. “Interestingly, the government’s full year target is $21 billion while the central bank expects remittance inflows ranging between $24 billion to $26 billion. The current run rate indicates that inflows may hit $28.4 billion,” said Muzammil Aslam, chief executive at Tangent Capital Advisors. “Tangent Capital expects low travelling volumes, improved product profiles including introduction of Roshan Digital, and more digitisation will keep remittances to robust this year,” he added. NEWS DESK
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
10 FOREIGN NEWS
Armin LASChet PiCked AS new LeAder of GermAny'S CdU PArty BERLIN
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ERMANY’s Christian Democrats elected Armin Laschet as chairman on Saturday, aiming to unify their divided party behind a centrist who they hope can succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor when she steps down after federal elections in September. Laschet, premier of Germany’s most populous state and the self-styled Merkel continuity candidate, won a runoff ballot of party delegates against arch-conservative Friedrich Merz. Merkel, Europe’s predominant politician and a consistent winner with German voters since taking office in 2005, has said she will not run for chancellor again, and since she stepped down as CDU leader in Dec. 2018, the party has struggled to find a suitable successor. North Rhine-Westphalia premier Laschet, who beat Merz by 521 votes to 466, said he would do everything he could to ensure the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), could “stick together through this year.” They could then work towards making sure that “the next chancellor in the federal elections will be from the (CDU/CSU) union,” he said in his victory speech. Saturday’s digital election will be confirmed by a postal vote with legally binding results expected on Jan. 22. THE ‘TOOLS’ FOR THE TOP JOB? Merkel said last year that Laschet, 59,
had “the tools” to run for chancellor, the closest she has come to endorsing anyone. In his candidacy speech, Laschet said the next leader’s task would be to earn trust for both himself and for the party and emphasised his ability to integrate all of its wings. “I keep hearing that you also have to be able to polarise. I say: no, you don’t have to,” he told an empty conventional hall, from which the congress was livestreamed to delegates due to the pandemic. “Woulda, coulda, shoulda’ is not politics. You have to master the tools of centrist politics, the ability to unite.” But after his narrow run-off victory, Laschet must move swiftly to unite the
Philippines, China vow cooperation for postpandemic recovery MANILA
party or risk eroding its support and leaving its in a weaker position to negotiate a coalition should it - as currently predicted - come first in September’s elections. By tradition, the CDU chairman is usually - though not always - the chancellor candidate for the CDU and CSU, and the conservative bloc is on course to win September’s federal ballot. However, polls show Markus Soeder, the CSU leader, is the conservative most favoured by voters. Some CDU lawmakers want dynamic Health Minister Jens Spahn to run for chancellor, though he backed Laschet for the party leadership. Soeder was one of the first to congratulate Laschet and said he was looking for-
ward to working with him. “Together we will continue the Union’s success story,” he wrote on Twitter. Soeder wants to give the new CDU leader time to win over voters and, with his help, unite the party - or else unravel. He has called for the Union to decide on its chancellor candidate only after state elections in mid-March, leaving open the possibility he could run if Laschet stumbles. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz from the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partner in Merkel’s ruling coalition, wished Laschet luck for “the big task.” “This year will be a challenge for all of us,” Scholz, who is the SPD candidate for chancellor, said on Twitter. Opinion polls give Merkel’s conservative bloc around 36pc of votes, followed by the Greens on around 20pc and the Social Democrats on 16pc. CDU sources say Laschet, a centrist, would be well suited to negotiating a possible coalition government with the Greens. Green Party leaders Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck said Laschet must redefine the CDU after Merkel as well as set the course to modernise the economy in an environmentally sustainable way. Merz, who narrowly lost a 2018 bid for the CDU leadership, had said in his leadership speech that he wanted to bring the political debate back to the centre. Merkel was succeeded in 2018 as party leader by her protegee Annegret KrampKarrenbauer, who struggled in the role and said last year she would step down.
India starts world’s largest Covid-19 vaccination drive NEW DELHI
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Foreign ministers of China and the Philippines on Saturday committed to prioritising post-pandemic recovery efforts as senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi wrapped up a week-long visit to four Southeast Asian countries. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in March imposed one of the world’s longest and strictest lockdowns to contain the virus, grounding to a halt what was one of Asia’s fastest growing economies before the pandemic. “As a friend of the Philippines and your closest neighbour, we will firmly stand with the people of the Philippines until the defeat of this virus,” Wang said in his opening remarks at a meeting with Manila’s foreign minister. The two countries should cooperate on the response to the pandemic for mutual benefit, he added. With nearly 499,000 cases and almost 9,900 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest Covid-19 infections and casualties in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia. But Manila has trailed regional peers in securing vaccines. Philippines’ foreign minister, Teodoro Locsin, said close cooperation to beat the pandemic enhanced ties and deepened the friendship between the two nations, adding that collaborative work on economic and infrastructure projects had resumed. Since taking office in 2016, Duterte has pursued warmer ties with China, setting aside a territorial spat in exchange for pledges of aid, loans and grants. Manila is buying 25 million doses of Sinovac Biotech’s experimental Covid-19 vaccine, with the first 50,000 expected to arrive in February.
India started inoculating health workers Saturday in what is likely the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccination campaign, joining the ranks of wealthier nations where the effort is already well underway. India is home to the world’s largest vaccine makers and has one of the biggest immunisation programs. But there is no playbook for the enormity of the current challenge. Indian authorities hope to give shots to 300 million people, roughly the population of the US and several times more than its existing program that targets 26 million infants. The recipients include 30 million doctors, nurses and other front-line workers, to be followed by 270 million people who are either over 50 years old or have illnesses that make them vulnerable to Covid-19. For workers who have pulled India’s battered healthcare system through the pandemic, the shots offered confidence that life can start returning to normal. Many burst with pride. “I am excited that I am among
the first to get the vaccine,” Gita Devi, a nurse, said as she lifted her left sleeve to receive the shot. “I am happy to get an Indiamade vaccine and that we do not have to depend on others for it,” said Devi, who has treated patients throughout the pandemic in a hospital in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state in India’s heartland. The first dose was administered to a sanitation worker at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital. New Delhi, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted
the campaign with a nationally televised speech. “We are launching the world’s biggest vaccination drive and it shows the world our capability,” Modi said. He implored citizens to keep their guard up and not to believe any “rumors about the safety of the vaccines.” It was not clear whether Modi, 70, had taken the vaccine himself like other world leaders as an example of the shot’s safety. His government has said politicians will not be considered priority groups in the first phase of the rollout.
‘Saudi to reopen Qatar embassy in coming days’ RIYADH AGENCIES
Saudi Arabia expects to re-open its embassy in Qatar in the coming days, Saudi’s foreign minister said on Saturday, following a USbacked detente last week in a three-year-old dispute between Arab states. It is just a matter of logistics, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told journalists in Riyadh when asked about embassy reopenings. Full diplomatic relations will resume, he added. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar in mid-2017 accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar denied that and said the embargo was meant to undermine its sovereignty. Riyadh on Jan 5 announced a breakthrough US-backed deal to end the row with Doha, to try to strengthen an Arab alliance against Iran. The countries have opened up their air spaces to each other and some flights have resumed.
Japan's suicides jump 16pc in Covid-19 second wave: study TOKYO AGENCIES
Suicide rates in Japan have jumped in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly among women and children, even though they fell in the first wave when the government offered generous handouts to people, a survey found. The July-October suicide rate rose 16pc from the same period a year earlier, a stark reversal of the FebruaryJune decline of 14pc, according to the study by researchers at Hong Kong University and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. “Unlike normal economic circumstances, this pandemic disproportionately affects the psychological health of children, adolescents and females (especially housewives),” the authors wrote in the study published on Friday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. The early decline in suicides was affected by such factors as government subsidies, reduced working hours and school closure, the study found. But the decline reversed - with the suicide rate jumping 37pc for women, about five times the increase among men - as the prolonged pandemic hurt industries where women predominate, increasing the burden on working mothers, while domestic violence increased, the report said. The study, based on health ministry data from November 2016 to October 2020, found the child suicide rate spiked 49pc in the second wave, corresponding to the period after a nationwide school closure. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga this month issued a Covid-19 state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures in a bid to stem the resurgence. He expanded it this week to seven more prefectures, including Osaka and Kyoto. Taro Kono, administrative and regulatory reform minister, told Reuters on Thursday that while the government would consider extending the state of emergency, it “cannot kill the economy.” “People worry about Covid-19. But a lot of people have also committed suicide because they have lost their jobs, they have lost their income and couldn’t see the hope,” he said. “We need to strike the balance between managing Covid19 and managing the economy.”
Uganda's Museveni declared winner of presidential poll, rival alleges fraud KAMPALA AGENCIES
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won a decisive re-election victory on Saturday, elections officials said, but his main rival Bobi Wine alleged widespread fraud and said citizens should reject the result. Museveni won 5.85 million votes, or 58.6pc, while main opposition candidate Wine had 3.48 million votes (34.8pc), the Electoral Commission said at a news conference on the final results from Thursday’s election. Earlier, Wine accused Museveni of fabricating the results and called the poll “the most fraudulent election in the history of Uganda”. In a phone interview before the final results were announced, he urged citizens to reject the results. Wine, a singer-turned-lawmaker, also
said his home in the capital, Kampala, was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers and that the military was not allowing him to leave. The army’s deputy spokesman, Deo Akiiki, told Reuters that security officers at Wine’s house were assessing threats he could face by going out: “So they might be preventing him in the interest of his own safety.” Soldiers and police were out in force patrolling Kampala on Saturday. Museveni, 76 and in power for 35 years, campaigned for another term arguing his long experience in office makes him a good leader and promising to keep delivering stability and progress. Wine, 38, galvanised young Ugandans with his calls for political change and pledged to end what he calls dictatorship and widespread corruption. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyag-
ulanyi, said on Friday he had video proof of voting fraud, and would share the videos as soon as internet connections were restored. The government ordered the internet shut down the day before the election, and the blackout was still in place. Electoral Commission Chairman Simon Byabakama said on Friday that under Ugandan law, the burden of proof rested with Wine. Reuters has not independently verified Wine’s claims. The United States and the European Union did not deploy observer teams, but the US State Department’s top diplomat for Africa, Tibor Nagy, said in a tweet early on Saturday that the “electoral process has been fundamentally flawed”. He cited fraud reports, denial of accreditation to observers, violence and harassment of opposition members, and the arrest of civil society activists.
Sunday, 17 January, 2021
SoUth AfricA LAnd in PAkiStAn for the firSt tiMe in 14 yeArS
Manchester UnitedLiverpool top of the table clash headlines crucial weekend London Agencies
Karachi
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HE South African cricket team arrived in Karachi on Saturday to play two Tests and three Twenty20 internationals on their first tour of Pakistan in 14 years. The team, led by wicketkeeperbatsman Quinton de Kock, was whisked from the airport under statehead level security accorded by the hosts, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The 21-member squad had two Covid-19 tests before their departure from Johannesburg which all came back negative, and they will be further tested on their arrival. Officials say the squad will stay in individual isolation until the results of the first round of testing are released before they start training in a ground adjacent to their hotel. Pakistan and South Africa will play the first Test in Karachi from 26 January. The second Test starts in Rawalpindi from 4 February while Lahore will host all three Twenty20 internationals on 11, 13 and 14 February. South Africa's head coach Mark Boucher has showed satisfaction with the security arrangements in Pakistan. "We've had our (security) guys go there (to Pakistan) and do a recce of the situation and they have said it is safe," Boucher told reporters ahead of the team's departure on Friday. "So from my side there are no issues, we have to get back there and start playing cricket," said Boucher, part of South Africa's last tour
to Pakistan in 2007. International cricket was suspended in Pakistan following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. Pakistan has gradually hosted teams again in the last five years before
Test cricket was revived in late 2019 when Sri Lanka toured for two Tests. South AfricA SquAd: Quinton de Kock (captain), Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Ke-
shav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde, Daryn Dupavillon, Marco Jansen.
Australia frustrated as rain dampens Gabba decider BrisBane Agencies
A heavy downpour frustrated Australia on day two of the fourth Test decider in Brisbane on Saturday, with play abandoned after tea and India spared from resuming on 62 for two in reply to the home side’s first innings 369. India number three Cheteshwar Pujara was eight not out, with stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane on two at the teabreak before a storm broke over the Gabba. With more rain forecast over the remaining days, Australia may have little time to bowl India out twice and seal the series 2-1. Home captain Tim Paine betrayed his displeasure in an animated discussion with the field umpires after they inspected the field and called off proceedings.
“No doubt disappointing to the spectators,” Australia assistant coach Andrew McDonald told reporters. “It would have been nice to get some play there...but the decision was made by the officials and that’s their role.” India will have been more than happy to turn in early. The tourists only need to draw the Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, two years after their breakthrough 2-1 series win in Australia in 2018/19. To emerge with a tied series would be a massive achievement for Rahane’s side, which has battled a mounting injury toll throughout and lacked a single first-choice bowler to call on in Brisbane. They are already a man down in their pace attack, with Navdeep Saini having suffered a groin injury on day one. Australia, thwarted by India’s
wounded batsmen in the drawn Test in Sydney, are likely to ponder another lost opportunity on day two, having resumed in the morning on 274 for five. Paine (50) and all-rounder Cameron Green (47) were in good shape to set a platform for a much bigger total but surrendered in a collapse when three wickets fell in four runs. Paine was caught in the slips by Rohit Sharma off paceman Shardul Thakur, with Green following after being bowled by all-rounder Washington Sundar, one of two Test debutants in the Indian side. Pat Cummins (2) became the third victim when trapped lbw by Thakur. Playing his 100th Test, Nathan Lyon soaked up the acclaim of the home crowd, pushing Australia past 350 before he was bowled by Sundar for 24 off 22 balls.
Starc chipped in a valuable unbeaten 20 before paceman T. Natarajan (3-78), the second of India’s Test debutants but the pick of their bowlers, wrapped up the innings by bowling Josh Hazlewood for 11. India’s reply began shakily after lunch, with the relentless Pat Cummins having opener Shubman Gill caught in the slips for seven. Rohit and Pujara built a 49-run partnership before the former threw away his wicket for 44 when he attacked Lyon and top-edged to Starc at long-on. Rahane and Pujara then took no chances, adding only two runs to India’s total in six overs to tea before the rain came. “I thought we stuck to our plans,” said Rohit. “If we bat well tomorrow, you never know, anything can happen.”
Liverpool and Manchester United face off on Sunday (today) as the Premier League’s top two teams for the first time since 1997 – with the rivalry between England’s most successful clubs rekindled by a fascinating title race. United top the table after the New Year for the first time since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 thanks to an 11match unbeaten run to take them past Jurgen Klopp’s men. Liverpool have surrendered top spot after three league games without a win and could drop to fifth place on Sunday (today) if results go against them. The last time United and Liverpool locked horns in a title race was 12 years ago. Back then United were hardened winners under Ferguson, who saw off Rafael Benitez’s challengers to win a third consecutive league title. Now it is United who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits are the “hunters” chasing the champions. Ferguson, who arrived at Old Trafford in 1986 with United firmly in Liverpool’s shadow, once famously said his goal was to knock them “off their perch” and he went on to win 13 league titles. But United have been displaced as top dogs even in their own city by Manchester City. And fans have been forced to watch Klopp spearhead another era of glory at Anfield, winning the Champions League in 2019 before ending the club’s 30-year wait for a league title last season – putting them just one behind United’s record tally of 20. But, in a strange and at times soulless season in empty stadiums, the relentless consistency shown by Liverpool in recent years has dropped off. Hampered by a series of injuries, most notably to talismanic centre-back Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool have already dropped more points in 17 games than they have in either of the past two seasons. That has allowed United to overtake them despite a slow start to their own campaign. Solskjaer’s men won just two of their opening six games, suffering a humiliating 6-1 reverse at the hands of Tottenham at Old Trafford. But, on the road, United’s form has been remarkably consistent. Come Sunday (today), it will be almost a year to the day since they last lost an away game in domestic competition – on their last visit to Anfield. Since then Bruno Fernandes’ arrival has helped transform United’s fortunes. On Friday, the Portugal playmaker won his fourth Premier League player-of-the-month award in 2020 by picking up the prize for December. “Unfortunately a good signing for United,” said Klopp. “He is a very influential player for United obviously, involved in a lot of things. “I know people talk mostly about the goal involvements, which is very important stuff, but he is a link-up in a lot of other situations as well.” Without the silverware on his CV to rival Klopp or City boss Pep Guardiola, Solskjaer’s credentials for one of the biggest jobs in football are questioned every time he has a couple of bad results. But the Norwegian has guided United into a position his more storied predecessors, Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, could not manage. “The last few years, there have been two teams running away with it already by the end of October,” said Solskjaer. “Now, at least, we’re in it at half-way. We’re a much better side now than a year ago.” Questions remain over whether United’s revival is for real or another false dawn, of which there have been several in the post-Ferguson era. Liverpool’s three-decade drought without a league title stands as a warning of how far even giants can fall. One of Klopp’s first iconic phrases when taking charge in 2015 was his ambition to change the fatalism around the club’s mentality from “doubter to believer”. Should United become the first visiting side to win at Anfield in the league for nearly four years, it is they who will have the new-found confidence that a 21st league title in 2021 is possible.
Sri Lanka begin first Test fight-back after Root's double century GaLLe Agencies
England captain Joe Root scored a double-century, but Sri Lanka began a spirited fight-back to close day three of the first Test in Galle on 156 for two in their second innings, trailing the visitors by 130 runs. Opener Lahiru Thirimanne anchored the Sri Lanka innings with an unbeaten 76 and will resume on Sunday (today) morning with nightwatchman Lasith Embuldeniya, who has yet to score. It was a vastly improved effort on the home side’s first innings score of 135, as they chase down England’s first innings total of 421. Kusal Perera (62) was the first wicket to fall, caught at deep point by Jack Leach after trying to launch seamer Sam Curran to the boundary. Spinner Leach then had the out-of-form Kusal Mendis caught by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for 15 shortly before bad light took the players from the field. Root will be disappointed his side did not make further inroads on a turning wicket, but it was still a memorable day for him as he brought up his fourth Test
double-ton with a score of 228. He also became the seventh English batsman to pass 8,000 Test runs but was the last man out, caught on the mid-on boundary off spinner Dilruwan Perera (4-109), whose excellent performance on the third morning kept England somewhat in check. Root’s control and ability to sweep Sri Lanka’s spinners pointed to a strong return to form after he went throughout 2020 without reaching three figures. England resumed the third morning on 320 for four as Root and Buttler (30) scored 52 runs in quick time before Sri Lanka received a bit of luck. A massive six from Root into the stands left the ball out of shape. When it was replaced, the home side suddenly found movement that had been lacking up to that point. Seamer Asitha Fernando (2-44) removed Buttler and Curran in successive balls, before Dom Bess was run out in a mix-up with Root as the visitors lost three wickets for 10 runs. Perera then removed the final three batsmen as the home side picked up six wickets for 101 more runs in the morning session.
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GoswAmi's chATs expose fAke iNdiAN clAims AbouT pulwAmA iNcideNT
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HE leaked WhatsApp chats of Arnab Goswami, an anchorperson of Indian Republic Tv, exposed the sinister designs hatched by Modi's government to blame Pakistan for the false Pulwama attack, followed by a botched air strike on Balakot during 2019. According to Indian media, a 500-page document regarding chats of Arnab Goswami with Partho Dasgupta, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Broadcast
CHATS SHOW GOSWAMI HAD INFORMATION ABOUT BALAKOT ATTACK THREE DAYS BEFORE IT HAPPENED Audience Research Council (BARC), revealed damning information related to Goswami's closer ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office and members of the ruling government. These chats showed that Goswami had prior information about some of the sensitive
Iran test-fires ballistic missiles on targets at sea TEHRAN AGENCIES
Iran's Revolutionary Guards test-fired ballistic missiles against targets in the Indian Ocean as they wrapped up a two-day exercise, their official website reported Saturday. The missiles of "various classes" targeted "the enemy's battleships and destroyed them from 1,800 kilometres (1,125 miles) away," according to the Sepahnews website. The missiles were fired from central Iran with the targets located in the "northern Indian Ocean," the Guards said. A video released by state television showed two missiles being launched and targets being hit at sea. Iran's armed forces chief of staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri was present on the second day of the drill, alongside Guards chief Major General Hossein Salami and aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh. Using "long-range missiles for maritime targets indicates that if the enemies ... show
any ill will towards our national interests, maritime trade routes or territory, they will be targeted and destroyed by our missiles," Sepahnews quoted Bagheri as saying. "We do not intend to carry out any attack," he said, adding that the exercise showed Iran's readiness to defend itself "with all its strength" against any aggressor. Dubbed Great Prophet 15, the exercise also featured a drone attack on a missile defence system followed by the launch of a barrage of "new generation" surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. The war games come at a time of rising tensions with the United States in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration. It was Iran's third military exercise in less than two weeks after a naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday and Thursday, and an army drone drill on January 5-6. The exercises started two days after Iran marked the anniversary of the assassination of revered Guards commander Qasem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January last year.
Taliban kill 12 pro-govt militiamen in Afghanistan insider attack HEART: Two Taliban fighters who had infiltrated a base of pro-government Afghan militiamen killed 12 of them, officials and the insurgent group said Saturday. The night-time attack at a post manned by the militiamen occurred in the district of Ghorian in the western Herat province late on Friday, the governor for the district Farhad Khademi told AFP. “Twelve pro-government militiamen were killed in the Taliban attack in Ghorian district last night,” he said. Herat provincial council member Mohammad Sardar Bahaduri confirmed the attack and said it was carried out by two Taliban fighters who had infiltrated the base. “The militiamen were dining when the attack happened,” he said. The Taliban also said two of its fighters had carried out the attack and then returned. In a separate incident, a vehicle carrying policemen was struck by a roadside bomb in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters. AGENCIES
events and details including the Balakot attack, three days before it happened. According to Indian social media, the chats clearly indicated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plotted over deaths of Indian soldiers to get sympathy and public votes for the 2019 elections.
NepAlese TeAm clAim firsT wiNTer AsceNT of pAkisTAN’s k2 NEWS DESK A team of Nepalese climbers on Saturday made history after becoming the first to summit Pakistan's K2 in winter, according to a trekking company leading one of the expeditions.Dozens of mountaineers have been competing over the past few weeks to summit the world's second highest mountain, the last peak above 8,000 metres to be topped in wintertime."WE DID IT" tweeted Seven Summit Treks."The Karakorum's 'Savage Mountain' been summited in most dangerous season: winter. Nepalese climbers finally reached the summit of Mt K2 this afternoon at 17:00 local time."Since the maiden attempt in 1987-1988, just a handful of winter expeditions have been attempted on the storied 8,611-metre (28,250-feet) mountain in the Karakoram range along the Chinese border.None had got higher than 7,650 metres until Saturday when the good conditions allowed the climbers to push ahead.However, Mountaineer Sergi Mingote died during the climb of K2, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday (Jan 16)."Sad death of Sergi Mingote on K2. He wanted to keep on making history by being part of the first expedition to climb this mountain in winter and a tragic accident ended his life," Sanchez wrote on Twitter, describing him as a "great sportsman".
In one of the chats of February 14, 2019, Goswami commented on the Pulwama attack, “This attack we have won like crazy.” He also bragged about the impacts of this attack raising the image of his supreme leader (Modi). The message was sent on the same day when 40 CRPF personnel were killed after a convoy of security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked at Lethpora, Pulwama district in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Arnab Goswami, in his chats, further claimed that Modi’s government was about
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to take a big step against Pakistan, and that it would be much bigger than any such attack before. Goswami had information about the Indian designs on February 23, 2019, and the infiltration attempt took place on February 26, in which Pakistan Air Force shot down the intruding Indian plane in a dog fight. The leaked chats created a storm in India where many journalists, TV anchorpersons, bloggers, and noted personalities bitterly criticized Modi’s government for staging false attacks on Indian soldiers and blaming Pakistan, merely for the sake of winning elections. In their Twitter posts, they called it the level of nationalism of the Indian rulers and the inhuman acts of bigots. Rahul Mukherji, an Indian researcher, on his Twitter handle, posted, "There was never any doubt that Pulwama was an insider job. And now it’s proven." He said forty lives were lost 'just to win an election'. Another Indian Twitterati said, "It’s like our government is using our soldiers as their pawns to win elections."
India wants to destabilise Pakistan through sectarian violence: FM MULTAN STAFF REPORT
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that India wants to destabilise Pakistan by disseminating sectarian violence in the country. Talking to the media persons on Saturday, the foreign minister said that Pakistan has exposed the negative role of India to the international community by providing irrefutable evidence of Indiansponsored state terrorism in Pakistan. About Kashmir, the foreign minister said that Kashmiri youth are being martyred in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir getting declared as terrorists. He added that voices are also being raised in the European countries about Indian atrocities in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the debate on IoK earlier in the week in the British parliament has made it clear that “Kashmir is not India’s
internal issue.” He said that contrary to India’s portrayal of Kashmir as its internal issue, British parliamentarians have made clear that the issue is in fact a globally recognised dispute. He termed the development in the UK as “success of Pakistan’s diplomatic approach” and a “source of encouragement for Kashmiris”, expressing confidence that such voices would further expose the “real face of India”. On the upcoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden, who is due to take oath on January 20, he said many congressmen are familiar with the region and the atrocities perpetrated against Kashmiris. “We expect them to raise [their] voice in the US Congress to save the unarmed Kashmiris from Indian tyranny and prolong[ed] military siege,” he said. He added that the Joe Biden administration is also talking about the human right violations being committed in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
US capitals on edge for armed protests as Trump presidency nears end AGENCIES Washington, D.C., was locked down and US law enforcement officials geared up for proTrump marches in all 50 state capitals this weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops to try to prevent the kind of violent attack that rattled the nation on Jan 6. The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed protests outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud. Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security. Texas closed its Capitol through Inauguration Day. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a statement late Friday that intelligence indicated “violent extremists” may seek to exploit planned armed protests in Austin to “conduct criminal acts.” The scramble followed the deadly Jan
6 attack on the US Capitol in Washington by a mix of extremists and Trump supporters, some of whom planned to kidnap members of Congress and called for the death of Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of Biden’s victory in November’s election. Law enforcement officials have trained much of their focus on Sunday, when the antigovernment “boogaloo” movement flagged plans to hold rallies in all 50 states. In Michigan a fence was erected around the Capitol in Lansing and troopers were mobilized from across the state to bolster security. The legislature canceled meetings next week, citing concern over credible threats. “We are prepared for the worst but we remain hopeful that those who choose to demonstrate at our Capitol do so peacefully,” Michigan State Police Director Joe Gasper told a news conference on Friday. Explainer: Can Trump pardon himself? Would the courts reject the move? DOMESTIC EXTREMISTS: The perception that the Jan. 6 insurrection was a success could embolden domestic extremists motivated by anti-government, racial and partisan
grievances, spurring them to further violence, according to a government intelligence bulletin dated Wednesday that was first reported by Yahoo News. The Joint Intelligence Bulletin, produced by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center, further warned that “false narratives” about electoral fraud would serve as an ongoing catalyst for extremist groups. Thousands of armed National Guard troops were in the streets in Washington in an unprecedented show of force after the assault on the US Capitol. Bridges into the city were to be closed, along with dozens of roadways. The National Mall and other iconic US landmarks were blocked off into next week. Experts say that the capitals of battleground states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona are among those at most risk of violence. But even states not seen as likely flashpoints are taking precautions. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said on Friday that while his state had not received any specific threats he was beefing up security around the Capitol in Springfield, including adding about 250 state National Guard troops.
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