Issuu

Thursday, 18 March, 2021 I 3 Shaban, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 259 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Imran stresses InclusIve natIonal securIty approach to meet emergIng challenges g

SayS initiative to bring benefit for nation-building, national Security

ISLAMABAD

staff report

riMe Minister imran Khan on wednesday inaugurated the twoday islamabad Security dialogue, a first-of-its-kind security dialogue with an aim to define the country’s new strategic direction in line with his vision of peace, regional connectivity, and development partnerships with the world. Quoting national Security adviser dr Moeed yusuf, who conceived the portal, Prime Minister’s office (PMo) said that the aim of the initiative is to “bridge the gap between intellectuals and policymakers”. the conference will seek to build a “comprehensive security framework that will enable the country to unfold its untapped potential in becoming a hub of

PM callS for Peaceful Solution of KaShMir diSPute, afghan war

global and regional development”, the PMo added. the national Security division (nSd) plans to make the conference an annual event to parallel the world’s leading security dialogues, it further said. addressing the gathering, Prime Minister imran said that Pakistan needed to have a debate on the concept of national security, observing it encompassed more than just matters and affairs related to strengthening the security forces. “we are slowly realising that national security relates to areas which no one thinks about,” he said and added the security conference is a strategic forum envisioned as the country’s leading intellectual platform for issues of national security. he said that it was high time for Pakistan to get a stronghold of national security by

expanding its domain inclusive of climate change, economic stability, and food security, besides focusing on military might. the prime minister stressed the need for addressing the challenges of several non-traditional security threats confronting the people. “a secure state is one where people own their country and realise they have stakes in it [the system],” he said, pointing that the “goals of national security could not be achieved in an environment with a handful of affluent and a sea of the poor populace”. imran said that good relations with states and regional neighbours were also paramount for national security. he noted economic prosperity could not be sustained without peace in the neighborhood and adding Pakistan was poised to become a trade and transit hub for the extended region. he noted that Pakistan was situated at the confluence of two big markets — iran and central asia — besides china who he observed is the world’s second-largest economy. the prime minister called upon india to give the people of occupied Kashmir their right to self-determination in line with the united nations Security council resolutions (unSc). recounting august 5, 2019 when india revoked the special status of held Kashmir in a unilateral move, he said for an enabling environment for meaningful dialogue, “india must take the first step forward”. on afghanistan, he said that after the people of afghanistan, Pakistan has the greatest stake in the peace process and vowed to continue extending assistance for a political settlement between taliban and Kabul.

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Fazl urges Nawaz to return after Zardari snub ISLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM) chief Maulana fazlur rehman on wednesday held a telephonic conversation with deposed prime minister and Pakistan Muslim league nawaz (PMl-n) supreme leader nawaz Sharif and urged him to return to Pakistan, reports said. the development came a day after the opposition alliance announced to postpone the March 26 long march to islamabad after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) linked its resignations from the legislative assemblies with nawaz’s return — a condition PMl-n termed out of the question. after spending a year in prison, nawaz, 71, secured a conditional bail in november 2019 to travel to london on the pretext of medical treatment and has since refused to return. his party insists that despite being summoned by the courts, that declared him a proclaimed offender in separate corruption trials, the former premier will only return after the completion of his medical treatment. in the conversation with nawaz, fazl expressed his reservations, suggesting the former prime minister to return to the country,

reports citing sources said. fazl said that with top PMl-n leading abroad in self-exile, it was difficult to execute decisions taken by the alliance. he said that the “bitter experience” of election for Senate chairman and deputy chairman was “also an outcome of nawaz not being in the country”. the trust was further damaged when reports emerged claiming the PMl-n MPs did not cast vote for the Jamiat ulemae-islam-fazl (Jui-f) candidate, Maulana abdul ghafoor haideri, contesting for deputy chairman slot. the two also discussed the position adopted by the PPP with regard to en masse resignations. reports further said nawaz assured fazl of his cooperation in order to take forward the antigovernment campaign through joint efforts in the future. both leaders also exchanged views on the political situation and the decisions taken by the opposition alliance. NAWAZ EXPANDS ON DELAY IN MARCH: Separately, nawaz said that the PPP had a different view on the requirements for the upcoming long march. the PMl-n supremo made these comments while responding to questions in london.

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Thursday, 18 March, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

PAKIStAN urgeS MoBILISAtIoN of fuNdINg for Poor NAtIoNS UNITeD NATIONs

'TODAY, EVERY NATION IS STRUGGLING TO RECOVER FROM THE WORST HEALTH, ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN A CENTURY, INDUCED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC'

APP

AKISTAN’S ambassador to the United Nations and president of its Economic and Social Council Munir Akram has underscored the need for the international community to mobilise the financing required to enable the developing countries to build back better from the devastation inflicted by the coronavirus. “Today, every nation is struggling to recover from the worst health, economic and humanitarian crisis in a century, induced by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Akram said at a meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the

Caribbean on Sustainable Development. In this regard, he called for equality in the distribution of and access to the Covid19 vaccine, making it available to each and everyone — rich or poor — as soon as possible. “Else,” he warned, “the virus will roam and return.” While all countries have been adversely affected by the pandemic, the Latin American and Caribbean countries have recorded the sharpest economic contraction of 7.7 per cent, with exports falling by 13 per cent and 2.7 million firms,

PIA’s passenger flight suffers bird strike, returned to Karachi airport safely kARACHI APP

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-368, with 162 passengers on board, suffered a bird hit while taking-off and it was brought to Karachi Airport safely. The passengers on board the plane were shifted to the lounge while the damages done to the plane’s right engine due to bird strike were being assessed, said a spokesperson of the PIA on Wednesday. All 162 passengers would be taken to Islamabad through an alternate plane, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson said that air safety is a joint responsibility of both institutions and society and everyone will have to play a collaborative role in this regard. This incident occurred one day after the airline’s safety department initiated a safety awareness week. The safety awareness week includes health, safety and environmental awareness, hygiene at the workplace, fire safety and training sessions and also safety procedures to be adopted during work, a spokesperson of the PIA had said on Tuesday. The sessions are planned to be held for all job functions and in particular passenger handling services, technical ground support, cargo, engineering & maintenance and medical services. A session on SAFA Awareness will also be held. A fire extinguishing and evacuation drill and safety awareness walk is also planned during the week. PIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik, sharing his views on the occasion, had said that safety is PIA’s foremost priority and the safety awareness week is being conducted to further improve upon and sustain the standards. He had said that more such training and awareness programs were being planned. Adviser to PIA CEO AVM Amir Hayat, Captain Mohsin Ausaaf, Chief of Engineering Amir Ali, Chief Commercial Officer Ali Tahir Qasim Chief Information Officer, Khalid Barlas, senior officials of Passenger Handling Services and airline employees are participating in the Safety Awareness Week. PIA conducts regular trainings on various safety aspects to inform and update its employees on current practices in the aviation industry. The airline’s safety audits are conducted by international organisations.

SHC extends PPP leader’s bail in NAB cases kARACHI INP

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday extended the pre-arrest bail of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Nisar Khuhro in two cases of wealth beyond means and abuse of authority. During the proceedings, a prosecutor for National Accountability Bureau (NAB) told the court the probe against Khuhro is on the inquiry stage and a progress report will be presented after the conclusion. At this, the judge summoned a report from the prosecutor in the next hearing. Later, the court extended Khuhro’s pre-arrest bail adjourned the hearing. NAB Sukkur contends the petitioner being the food minister had approved guarantees of postdated cheques from different mills/traders contrary to the approval granted by the chief minister on the recommendations of officials of the food department for the crop year 2016-17.

mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, having closed down amid the region’s rising debt. In UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and in other forums, Akram said, there was an emerging agreement on a number of actions that need to be taken. Citing Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative for debt relief in April last, he welcomed the temporary suspension of debt by the G20 that brought “breathing space” to the developing countries, while also calling for its expansion.

The developing countries, which need about US$4.2 trillion for Covid-19 recovery and Sustainable Development Goals’ achievement, do not have access to the reserve currencies to create additional liquidity, he said. The creation of new Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and redistribution of unutilised quotas from richer to the developing countries, will be critical to providing that liquidity, Ambassador Akram said, adding that Prime Minister Khan had proposed the creation of 500

Pakistan urges representation of world’s under-representative regions in UNSC New YORk APP

Pakistan has called for giving the world’s under-represented regions the opportunity to serve in an expanded United Nations Security Council to make the 15-member body more representative, transparent and accountable as it confronts increasingly complex challenges. Speaking at the stalled Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform, Ambassador Munir Akram said that the objective of the exercise was to enhance the Council’s credibility and legitimacy. Progress in the negotiations is held up as India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, known as ‘Group of Four’, have remained inflexible in their push for permanent seats in an enlarged Security Council, while the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group opposes any additional permanent members, saying it would not make the Council more effective. The Security Council is currently composed of five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — and 10 non-permanent members elected to serve for two years. In his remarks, the Pakistani envoy said that the Security Council’s membership and size must be expanded so that all UN Member States have the opportunity to serve on the Council. “Every seat added to the Council must demonstratively contribute to enhancing the ‘representativeness’ of the Council,” he added. In this regard, Ambassador Akram said that the UfC’s proposal for expansion in the non-permanent category envisages larger allocations of seats for the underrepresented regions of Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. On the other side, he said that the G-4’s proposal to add six new permanent seats and four non-permanent

members would only benefit them. “The representation of the rest of general membership, excluding the existing and new permanent members (i.e. 182 States), would remain at 8 per cent — exactly where we are at present,” the Pakistani envoy explained. “The Council’s expansion would thus be for the benefit of only the six additional permanent members,” he added. The Pakistani envoy took issue with the progressive erosion of the ‘open’ culture of the Council’s work by the ever more frequent ‘closed’ meetings, saying such meetings were not provided for under the rules of procedure. Today, he said, non-members of the Council are not allowed to participate even in most of its ‘open’ meetings on an equitable basis. As regards strengthening the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council, Ambassador Akram said that among the ways was to achieve it that the role and authority of the 193-member Assembly must be reinforced in determining the representation of members in the Security Council. Also, he added, that Security Council’s encroachment on the functions of other UN organs must be halted and reversed, and a mechanism evolved to enable states to seek redress if their rights have been impinged by Council’s actions or decisions. Full-scale negotiations to reform the Security Council began in the General Assembly in February 2009 on five key areas — the categories of membership, the question of veto, regional representation, size of an enlarged Security Council, and working methods of the council and its relationship with the General Assembly. Despite a general agreement on enlarging the Council, as part of the UN reform process, member states remain sharply divided over the details.

SC orders SHC to review Durrani’s bail in NAB case IsLAMABAD INP

Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Sindh High Court (SHC) to review the post-arrest bail it granted to Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in a wealth case. In December 2019, the high court granted bail to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader in the reference pertaining to possessing assets beyond his known sources of income and directed the Ministry of Interior to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL). A three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, ordered the SHC to review its verdict within two months. It further directed the high court to decide the case on the basis of the facts admitted

or established on the record. The Supreme Court further instructed that a bench comprising senior judges should hear the bail request. “There should be a ground for granting bail [in graft cases],” Justice Bandial said. In July 2018, NAB had approved an inquiry against Durrani over various allegations of corruption. The first inquiry pertains to an allegation of accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income by Durrani; the second relates to 352 illegal appointments made by him; and the third pertains to embezzlement of funds for the construction of the MPA Hostel and construction of the new Sindh Assembly building, as well as in the appointment of project directors for the said projects.

billion SDRs. Akram also proposed mobilisation of significantly larger concessional finance for the poorest countries. He also called for a halt in the illicit flow of trillions of dollars out of the poorer countries to tax “havens”. “Stolen assets should be returned expeditiously and unconditionally,” he said. He stressed the need for advanced countries to fulfill their pledge to mobilize $100 billion annually as climate finance for building back better and transition to a sustainable global economy and keeping global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius. Akram told Latin American leaders that he had proposed the creation of a public-private facility for sustainable Infrastructure Investment under the auspices of the United Nations to help developing countries bridge the existing sustainable infrastructure investment gap. “We must build equitable trade, taxation, and technology regimes and enable the developing countries to unshackle the potential of their peoples for sustainable production and consumption,” he added.

LHC rejects NAB’s plea for cancellation of Maryam’s bail News Desk The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday rejected the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea for the cancellation of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s bail. The order was issued by a two-member bench in response to the anti-graft body’s application in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case. The court said that the PML-N VP’s bail cannot be suspended immediately. The written order also noted that NAB claimed that Maryam did not appear before it despite repeated summons. The court directed the federal home secretary to file a detailed reply to the anti-corruption body’s request by April 7. Moreover, NAB has summoned Maryam on March 26 in the the same case. Reports citing sources suggested the anti-graft body has unearthed new evidence in the case which prompted it to serve a summon on PML-N VP. Maryam last appeared before the agency in August when her supporters and PML-N activists attacked the NAB offices in Lahore. Following the violent episode, the hearing was postponed. On Saturday, it approached the LHC for the cancellation of Maryam’s bail, saying the suspect was taking “undue benefit” of her bail and is not cooperating with the agency despite being offered a reprieve. Maryam — who was arrested in August 2019 in the case — was granted bail in November 2019 but was directed to surrender her passport as the prosecution feared she might flee the country. NAB suspects Maryam of involvement in money laundering through investments of variable heavy amounts being the main shareholder of the CSM. It has alleged that she was involved in money laundering with the help of some foreigners during the period of 1992-93 when her father Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister. The agency informed the court that the PML-N vice president had not been able to give satisfactory answers to its inquiries regarding her shares in the mills. She was also unable to explain how she attained the funds to establish Shamim Sugar Mills, it said. It further said that Maryam had not filed her tax returns for many years and was suspected of being in possession of assets beyond known means.

ECP’s refusal to support PTI’s ‘electoral engineering’ being taken as ‘rebellion’: Bilawal News Desk Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, strongly condemning the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government’s continuous attacks on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), alleged that ECP’s refusal to become a partner in the “rigging” and “electoral engineering” with the PTI is being taken as ‘rebellion’. In a statement issued on Wednesday,

PPP CHIEF SAYS INDEPENDENT ELECTION COMMISSION VITAL FOR VIBRANT, GENUINE DEMOCRACY the PPP chief said that ECP has to conduct its business in accordance with the Constitution and the relevant laws. “Threats to ECP to compel it to toe PTI’s electoral fraud strategies has to be condemned in strong terms. Entire, nation

and its constitution stand with the ECP as the national institution,” he stated. Bilawal further said that the demand of resignations from the chief election commissioner (CEC) and members of the ECP are blackmailing tactics on the

part of the PTI government, which has accumulated millions of dollars through foreign funding as a dubious political party to grab power. The PPP chief maintained that an independent Election Commission was necessary for a vibrant and genuine democracy and warned that any attempts to subjugate and hold ECP hostage to the whims of the PTI regime would be vehemently resisted by all the democratic forces.

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

KARACHI

anoTher 500,000 doses oF covid-19 vaccine arrive From china

NEwS DESk

NOTHER batch of coronavirus vaccine donated by China arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday. The vaccine batch, which consists of 500,000 doses has been shifted to a warehouse. The vaccine company Sinopharm will provide the vaccine to Pakistan in phases. Frontline health workers and elderly people will get inoculated on priority basis. Pakistan expressed its thanks to the Chinese government for speedy delivery of coronavirus vaccine. Officials confirmed that another batch of China’s Sinopharm vaccine has arrived on Wednesday which will be given to elderly population (60 & above) as well as the critical patients of Covid19. Mass vaccination centers have been set up across Pakistan just ahead of the arrival of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm. “We have set up these centers in

THREE MAJOR LAHORE HOSPITALS FACE VACCINE SHORTAGE Islamabad, Multan, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. More will be established across other cities,” a senior official dealing with the vaccine program project in Pakistan told Gwadar Pro. Pakistan has signed a deal with Beijing Institute of Biological Products for the delivery of Sinopharm vaccine that aims to fight against Covid-19. Pakistan will purchase 1.2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine from Chinese manufacturer Sinopharm, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had confirmed earlier. “The Cabinet Committee has decided to initially purchase 1.2 million doses of the vaccine from the Chinese company Sinopharm, which will be provided free of cost to frontline workers in the first quarter of 2021,” Fawad had said. The

Zaheer babar appointed PaF new chief ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has on Wednesday conferred its new leadership charge to Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar after the prime minister approved the appointment. New Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar joined the air force back in 1986 as a fighter pilot and has discharged his duties as head of the fighter squadron, an operational air base and regional air commander. Babar has been delivering on the post of Deputy Chief of Air Staff. Separately, the PAF fighter jets took part in a full-dress rehearsal for the upcoming Pakistan Day (March 23) parade. The PAF jets took to the skies, demonstrating various acrobatic skills during the rehearsal. INp

Un leaders speak out against islamophobia and anti-muslim hatred UNITED NATIONS: Underlining that “diversity is a richness, not a threat”, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for greater investment in promoting social cohesion and tackling bigotry in a message on Wednesday to mark the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. “We must continue to push for policies that fully respect human rights and religious, cultural and unique human identity,” he said in a video broadcast during a commemorative event held online, organised by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in which Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also took part. “As the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and tribes were created to know one another,” the UN chief said. Nearly 60 countries are members of the OIC, which designated March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The secretary-general cited a recent report to the UN Human Rights Council which found that suspicion, discrimination and outright hatred towards Muslims had risen to “epidemic proportions”. Examples listed included disproportionate restrictions against the Muslims manifesting their beliefs, limits on accessing citizenship, and widespread stigmatisation of Muslim communities. app

federal health ministry had recently launched a registration drive across the country in collaboration with National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) advising the masses to register to have jabs of vaccine. “Vaccine is being administered to people who have registered online to get free dose of vaccine. The vaccination will continue until the whole population gets jabs of vaccine,” a spokesperson of health ministry said. Early this week, authorities announced to administer jabs of vaccine to people aged 70 & above at their door step. “We have advised people aged 70 & above to stay home as we have taken steps to administer jabs of vaccine to them at their door step as per directives given by Prime Minister Imran Khan,” a spokesman of the health ministry said.

On March 5, 2021, Pakistan approved the emergency use of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for people over 60 years of age, a statement by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said. Since then, a large number people in Pakistan, mostly frontline health workers, have been administered doses of Sinopharm vaccine. The vaccine has had great results so far, Pakistani authorities said. Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities have confirmed they have placed an order to purchase single-dose Chinese vaccine Ad5-nCoV vaccine (Cansino Bio) for COVID-19 and its first batch is expected to be delivered to Pakistan shortly. According to officials of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHS, R&C) the single-dose Chinese vaccine could be administered to people of all ages as it was found effective among people from 18 to 80 plus years of age during trials in Pakistan and other countries of the world.

PM directs to adopt zero-tolerance policy against land mafia

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed the provincial authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against land mafia in Punjab. The prime minister said this while chairing a meeting in the provincial capital on Wednesday. Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik and Inspector General of Punjab Police Inam Ghani and high officials attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed measures being taken for curbing the land mafia in the province.

Prime Minister Imran, while ordering the IGP and the chief secretary to launch an operation against land grabbers across the province, said that the land mafia has become a menace to the society. The premier also directed the use of administrative machinery to keep a check on hoarders which deserve no leniency. PM Imran was presented a report on the actions taken against illegal housing societies. Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar called on Prime Minister Imran and briefed him about the provincial administrative affairs and progress of development projects in Punjab. Meanwhile, the premier said that the government is pursuing the policy of indiscriminate accountability and the supremacy of the constitution and law. He was talking to a delegation of office-bearers of various organizations of lawyers led by Punjab Advocate General Ahmed Awais. The prime minister said that the legal fraternity has a vital role in dispensation of justice. Members of Pakistan Bar Council Shafqat Mehmood and Ishtiaq Khan, Punjab Bar Council Executive Committee Chairman Sardar Abdul Basit and Vice Chairman Amjad Iqbal Khan, Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Zahid Mehmood Raja, High Court Bar Association (Multan) President Syed Riaz-ulHassan Gilani and High Court Bar Association (Rawalpind) President Sardar Abdul Razzak were part of the delegation.

PDM’s rift revealed its ‘game of vested interests’: Qureshi ISLAMABAD app

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said the rift in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has exposed the fact that both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were manipulating each other for their vested interests. “The entire alliance is based upon the game of personal gains,” Qureshi said in his remarks to the opposition’s postponement of its oft-boasted long march due to differences over submission of en masse resignations from assemblies. Qureshi said that PDM’s political parties even cast doubts over each other in Senate elections, however “now the cracks in their union had become fully revealed”. He maintained that PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari made resignations conditional with the return of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, which was turned down by

PML-N Vice president Maryam Nawaz in the same meeting. Due to differences, he said, Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl’s (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman canceled the long march and left the conference. Qureshi recalled that he had always termed PDM an “unnatural alliance of interests” among political parties which were way different in their manifesto and ideology. He said that his own statements regarding the demand for resignations were on record where he had categorically predicted that PPP would not resign and “sacrifice their government in Sindh”. He said that the alliance of PDM was meant to avoid the action of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against their corruption. “Both the PPP and the PML-N were using each other for their interests so that they may part ways after the fulfilment of their objectives,” he added. The FM stated that they opposition parties had gathered in the PDM to rescue themselves.

President for implementation of single national curriculum ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

President Dr Arif Alvi has called for removing disparity among different streams of education in the country by ensuring implementation of the single national curriculum. Addressing the ceremony of top position holders of Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) 2020 on Wednesday, the president said that it is the need of the hour to give incentives to the students to motivate them

ALVI SAYS STUDENTS SHOULD BE GIVEN INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE THEM for education. He said that practice of critical thinking plays a pivotal role in students’ life. Dr Alvi said that character building of individuals is necessary behind the formation of a great nation. The president said that students should improve their analytical skills along with their education to cope

with the requirements of the modern era. He said that corruption destroys the institutions and the country, and students should adopt the qualities of truthfulness and loyalty towards the nation. Dr Alvi said that poverty alleviation by providing better education and health facilities to the masses is the core motive behind the formation of “Naya Pakistan”.

news

Two civilians embrace marTyrdom; TerrorisT killed in swaT ibo RAWALPINDI: The Security Forces on Wednesday conducted intelligence based operation (IBO) in Kanju area of Swat and killed a terrorist of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Swat faction and apprehended the other whereas two civilians were martyred in response to the firing of the terrorists. The security forces conducted the IBO in Kanju area on confirmation of presence of terrorists, said an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media release. It added that during exchange of fire, terrorist Mukarram was killed while his associate terrorist was apprehended. Due to terrorists’ firing two local civilian pedestrians were also martyred. Both the terrorists of TTP Swat remained involved in terrorists’ activities against security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs), demolition of schools, extortion and targeting killing. Staff RepoRt

Govt values freedom of expression, striving to resolve journalists’ problems: Faraz ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday said that the present government valued freedom of expression and it was striving to resolve the problems of journalist community. Addressing a seminar on “freedom of press and resolution of media crisis”, he said that the media was an important stakeholder as it pointed out weaknesses of the government though constructive criticism. The media should also highlight the achievements of government, he added. Faraz said that it was the responsibility of government to protect the lives and property of the media persons. Unfortunately, the opposition had rejected a bill tabled by a PTI member in the parliament, which was aimed at ensuring timely payment of salaries to the media persons. However, the government was working on another bill for the security of working journalists, he added. He said that the PTI government was in favour of a mechanism under which media workers should get their salaries on time. The government had paid outstanding dues of the media houses, he added. Faraz also said the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists had a commendable history and had produced leaders like Minhaj Barna, who made untiring struggle for the rights of journalists. Such leaders were a beacon of light for the generations ahead, he added. He appreciated the media persons for performing their duties during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic bravely and effectively. Staff RepoRt

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

Buzdar aPProveS PunjaB SaHulaT Bazaar auTHoriTy LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

HIEf Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar gave in-principle approval to the establishment of Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority by disbanding Punjab Model Bazar Management Company on Wednesday. The chief minister chaired a meeting to review the establishment of Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority and extension in the scope of Sahulat bazaars across the province. Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, chief secretary, secretary industries and others attended the meeting. The chief minister will be the patronin-chief while the industries minister will perform as chairperson of the authority. He directed to early complete the identification of land for setting up subsidized Sahulat bazaars in districts. The CM affirmed that Kisan platforms will be established in the Sahulat bazaars to facilitate the farmers to directly sell their agricultural products. He said that

CM SAYS 400 BAZAARS ARE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN PROVINCE the authority will establish Sahulat bazaars in various parts of the province while the facility will also be extended to the level of every district and tehsil to function round-the-year. The facility of Sahulat bazaars will rid the people of price-hike, he said, adding that more than 400 Sahulat bazaars will be established by the authority to provide flour and other essential items at notified rates. The government will go to every extent to control prices for providing substantial relief to the citizens, reiterated the chief minister. Meanwhile, a delegation of federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (fPCCI), led by former president Mian Anjum Nisar and Senior Vice President Kh Shahzeb Akram, called on Chief Minister Buzdar to discuss problems being faced by the industrialists. Industries Minister Iqbal, secretary industries, PBIT CEO and others were also present.

Talking on the occasion, the CM assured to resolve the genuine problems of the business community without delay and assured to continue parleys in future as well. The coronavirus pandemic affected business activities while the government gave a relief package to the business community to let business activities continue, he said. “Now, another coronavirus wave has surfaced. The government understands the genuine issues of the business community and a focal person will be deputed in the CM Office to help resolve their problems,” he assured. “We will counter the latest virus attack while managing business activities,” the CM stated and assured to take every possible step to facilitate the business community as it is the linchpin of the economy. The CM iterated that solid steps have been taken to ensure ease of doing business and assured to provide every possible facility for business activities. The PTI govern-

ment has improved the business environment as industrial development is imperative to strengthen the economy, he added. The CM assured that the existing industrial estates will also be developed along with the establishment of new industrial

Govt changes anti-Covid slogan after recommendations from CII NEWS DESK The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on Wednesday ordered that the anti-Covid slogan ‘Corona se darna nahi, larna hai‘ (Let’s fight Covid instead of being afraid

of it) should be avoided for campaigns and reporting on print and social media. In a notification, the ministry said, "Instead, the slogan 'Corona waba hai, ehtiyaat jis ki shifa'a hai (Corona is a disease, whose cure is prevention) shall be used from now onward". According

to a tweet of the ministry, the decision to change the slogan was made after the recommendations from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). As of reporting time, Pakistan's coronavirus positivity rate is 6.06 per cent with 2,351 new infections and 61 deaths in the past 24 hours.

SHC seeks Sindh govt’s reply over hike in milk prices The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the Sindh government, Karachi commissioner and other respondents on a petition challenging a recent hike in fresh milk prices. A division bench of the SHC directed all the respondents to furnish their detailed reply to the petition by next hearing. The petitioner stated before the court that one litre of milk is being sold for as high as Rs140 against the official rate of Rs94 in the city. He said authorities have failed to enforce official rates and requested the bench to direct them to take measures to bring down prices of milk. Earlier, the Sindh’s bureau of supply and prices had written a letter to all the divisional commissioners across the province, instructing them to take actions against abrupt hike in fresh milk prices. The letter had said that the special assistant to Sindh chief minister (SASCM) has expressed serious concern over “deliberate price hike of fresh milk throughout the province”. NEWS DESK

KP reverses retirement age to 60 years The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has reversed its decision of increasing employees’ retirement age by three years in view of increasing pension liabilities. The decision was taken during a meeting of the provincial cabinet in Peshawar with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair. Later, briefing media persons about the cabinet decisions, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Kamran Khan Bangash said all recruitments will be made through KP’s Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) in future. He said the cabinet has directed the KP Public Service Commission to establish new zones within one month. The special assistant said the cabinet approved funds for promotion of science and technology. He said the chief minister has directed the food department to finalise Ramzan package. NEWS DESK

Two labourers scorched in fire in Gujranwala GUJRANWALA: Two labourers were scorched as fire in a plastic factory gutted a huge stock of products, raw material and machinery, and damaged its structure near Kangani Wala at GT Road, Gujranwala on Wednesday. According to details, the fire first initiated in a unit before engulfing other units of the plastic factory. Eight fire-brigade vehicles reached the scene and started efforts to extinguish the fire, which was brought under control after efforts of more than two hours. Meantime, a huge stock of products and raw material was gutted and the fire damaged the machinery and structure. The two labourers, who were scorched in the incident, were shifted to a nearby hospital through ambulance. INP

zones where facilities will be provided on a priority basis to promote pro-industry culture in the province. The rapid industrial development will generate new employment opportunities while strengthening the economy, said the chief minister

13-year-old girl sexually assaulted in Attock AttOcK APP

Two persons allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl at her house in Dhoke fateh, Attock on Wednesday. The incident was occurred within the limits of Attock city police station. According to police sources, Sajida Bibi, mother of the victim, reported to the police that her daughter, aged 13, was alone at her house and other family members were at fatehjang to attend a marriage ceremony, when a local shopkeeper, identified as Umer Shah, along with his unknown companion forcefully barged into the house, put knife at her daughter’s neck and committed sexual assault. Later, the culprits managed to flee from the scene. The police, after medical examination of the girl, registered a case against both the accused and started further investigations. The spokesman of district police informed that DPO Khalid Hamdani has taken notice of the incident and ordered to arrest the accused within 24 hours as there is zero tolerance policy against the culprits involved in crimes against women and children.

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

Fazl urges Nawaz to return after Zardari snub continued from page 01 In a video shared on Twitter by a reporter, Murtaza Ali Shah, Nawaz said that the long march was all set to be held on time. He stated that the PPP had asked for time to go to the Central Executive Committee (CEC). To a question regarding Ali Ali Zardari’s intentions, he said that he views the situation the same as the questioner who had claimed that PPP and Zardari had a plan to harm PDM to secure a deal. GOVT READY TO ASSIST ‘EMERGENCY’ RETURN: Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that the government was ready to issue an emergency traveling document to Nawaz within 24 hours if he wished to return to Pakistan. The PML-N supremo’s passport had expired in February after the government refused to renew it in an attempt to speed up his extradition from the United Kingdom. The expired document rendered the former prime minister unable to travel anywhere on a Pakistan passport. “If he wants to return, the government can give him permission within 72 hours,” Rasheed said at the time. He said on Wednesday that both the government and interior ministry had never created any hurdle in the passport renewal process, claiming Nawaz himself did not approach the authorities concerned to do so.

Analaysis: Hope, disbelief mark Indo-Pak ceasefire declaration anKara agencies

As guns have fallen silent along the 740-kilometre (460-mile) Line of Control (LoC) that divides the state of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan, farmers in Ranbir Singh Pura, Kathua, Bisnah, and Hiranagar are returning to their fields to cultivate world-famous aromatic basmati rice. Due to relentless incidents of shelling, which peaked at over 5,000 in 2020, dozens of hamlets had either abandoned their farms or were living in bunkers. Although the LoC had witnessed the occasional exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops since 2008 in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in India’s commercial capital Mumbai, their frequency jumped after February 2019, when Indian air force planes dropped bombs on the Pakistani village of Balakot. When India’s Director General of Military Operation (DGMO) Lt Gen Paramjit Singh Sangha and his Pakistani counterpart Maj Gen Nauman Zakaria abruptly announced that troops on both sides will be holding back their guns as of midnight of February 25, it surprised many across the globe. It also brought a sense of relief to a large population living along the divided and world’s most heavily militarized border. On the Indian-administered side, this line is guarded by three military corps, made up of seven infantry and mountaineering divisions, besides several battalions of six different paramilitary forces. The Pakistani side has stationed two corps – the Rawalpindi corps with three infantry and armoured divisions and a strike corps headquartered in Mangla in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to guard this frontier. According to official figures, nearly 3 million people out of some 12.6 million in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) live along the LoC. Similarly, out of the 4 million people in AJK, some 2.15 million live near the dividing line. So the constant shelling of mortars and snipers not only put the lives of more than 5 million people on edge but also affected their livelihoods. The topography of the LoC is such that from Siachen Glacier in the Ladakh region to the Hajipeer Pass in Uri that make up the entire Kashmir Valley and Kargil district, India commands the heights and thus holds advantageous positions.

UN leAders sPeAk oUt AgAINst IslAmoPHobIA ANd ANtI-mUslIm HAtred united nationS

aPP

NDERLINING that “diversity is a richness, not a threat”, United Nations SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres called for greater investment in promoting social cohesion and tackling bigotry in a message on Wednesday to mark the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. “We must continue to push for policies that fully respect human rights and religious, cultural and unique human identity,” he said in a video broadcast during a commemorative event held online, organised by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in which Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also took part. “As the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and tribes were created to know one another," the UN chief said. Nearly 60 countries are members of the OIC, which designated March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The secretary-general cited a recent report to the UN Human Rights Council which found that suspicion, discrimination and outright hatred towards Muslims had risen to “epidemic proportions”. Examples listed included disproportionate restrictions against the Muslims manifesting their beliefs, limits on accessing citizenship, and widespread stigmatisation of Muslim communities. The study also highlighted how Muslim women face “triple levels of discrimination” because of their gender, ethnicity and faith, he added, while the media and some persons in power had further compounded stereotypes. “Anti-Muslim bigotry is sadly in line with other distressing trends we are seeing globally - a resurgence in ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazism, stigma and hate speech targeting vulnerable populations, including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities as well as others,” the secretary-general said. Stressing that “discrimination diminishes us all”, the UN chief called for safeguarding the rights of minority communities, many of whom were under threat. “As we move toward ever more multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies, we need political, cultural and eco-

nomic investments to strengthen social cohesion and tackle bigotry,” he stated. The secretary-general underscored that fighting discrimination, racism and xenophobia was a priority for the United Nations. Following a fall-out in relations between many Muslim countries and some Western nations in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States - and subsequent attacks in London, Madrid and Bali - the Organisation established the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) in 2005. Miguel A´ngel Moratinos, the current UNAOC High Representative, recalled the initiative was launched as a “political soft power tool” whose objectives included promoting mutual respect among diverse cultures and religions. “Despite progress made in building bridges of understanding through the promotion of intercultural and interfaith dialogue, manifestations of anti-Muslim hatred persisted and morphed into different forms,” he said. “Islamophobia cannot be seen in isolation from the worrying increase in xenophobia and hate speech against minorities, including immigrants and other faith communities.” Moratinos said that mutual respect, interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence could be achieved “when there is broad space for everyone to practice the rituals of their religions or beliefs freely and safely”. For the president of the UN General Assembly, Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir, any form of discrimination, including based on religion or belief, “is a deeply personal attack”. He urged countries to re-commit to the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other related instruments, expressing hope that they would lay the foundation for national laws to end hate speech and hate crimes. “Today our conversation is focused on Islamophobia, but the source of this scourge is a source that imperils us all. The answer is solidarity, equality, and respect for the equal dignity and entitlement to fundamental human rights of every individual,” he said. Bozkir added that protecting people from extremism required a global strategy that included defeating all forms of violent ideologies.

He called for building resilience to discriminatory, exclusionary, and intolerant teachings, and developing respect for the religious and cultural practices of others. Urging tolerance, he looked to young people as a source of hope. “Young people are the leaders and upstanders of tomorrow – and it is our duty to teach them that every individual is entitled to equal dignity and inalienable human rights,” he recommended. “Beyond formal education, we must instill within them a moral compass to help them navigate difficult situations. I applaud the work of the UN Alliance of Civilizations for their programming which promotes interfaith and intercultural dialogue for young people. I believe this is critical to the progress of humanity.” Underscoring the importance of the Day, Foreign Minister Qureshi said that it would send a clear message against contemporary challenges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, negative stereotyping and stigmatisation, raise international awareness about increasing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiments, and promote the message of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and interfaith and cultural harmony. "The idea behind commemorating this day is to exhibit unfettered solidarity with humanity, convey a strong message of respect for human dignity, and reiterate our common commitment to ‘unity in diversity’," he said, adding, "This day is about uniting, not dividing." "Let us not allow those who want to divide us, to negatively portray this day as being against any region, religion or country. "Disinformation and distortion of facts is our common enemy. And it is these tools that purveyors of hate use to nourish their self-serving agendas," Qureshi added. The tragic events in Christchurch two years ago, in which 51 worshippers lost their lives, were a grim reminder of what the hateful ideologies could accomplish, he pointed out, saying the way the prime minister, the government and the people in New Zealand responded was both emphatic and empathetic. Noting that the phenomenon of Islamophobia is not new, he said it had grown considerably over the last two decades. "Today, expressions of Islamophobia are unmistakable in the manifestos of far-

right and neo-fascist parties, which openly call for expulsion of Muslims, politicisation of the hijab, frequent mob lynchings by cow vigilantes, discriminatory laws, state-sponsored pogroms, deliberate vandalism of Islamic symbols and holy sites, and attempts to link and equate Islam and Muslims to terrorism," the foreign minister said. "Covid-19, that should have united us, has led to rise of negative narratives and hate speech in some countries, holding Muslim minorities responsible for spreading the virus," he said. The latest report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has revealed that such policies have served to perpetuate, validate and normalize discrimination, hostility and violence towards Muslim individuals and communities. "The natural reaction of the Muslims to situations like unresolved disputes and festering conflicts, foreign occupation, and denial of the right to self-determination, is political disagreement with specific policies. It should not be taken as or depicted as an 'Islamic' reaction against universal values or freedoms," the foreign minister said. "Islam is a religion of peace. It should not be judged by acts of a fringe group of extremists who exist in all societies, religions or belief system. " The world, he said, could not continue on this spiral of hate. It benefitted only extremists on all sides and results in polarized societies and ultimately violence. "We, Muslims, unequivocally condemn the practice of insulting Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Respect for all religions and Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) is an article of faith with us. Similarly, we oppose all acts of violence on the basis of religion or belief. We only expect empathy and solidarity from others," Qureshi said. "The way forward is dialogue and understanding. Only if we are able to better understand each other’s perspective, will we be able to create peaceful and harmonious societies. "The United Nations is the best platform to nurture this understanding. The secretary-general should convene a global dialogue on countering rising Islamophobia and promoting inter-faith harmony, as a step to foster engagement," he added.

France to give Rs12.3bn loan for Karachi Red Line project iSLamaBad ghulam abbas

The French government has agreed to provide a soft loan of Rs12.3 billion (65 million euros) for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line Project in Karachi. In order to facilitate the credit, Ambassador of France in Pakistan Marc Barety and the French Agency for Development (AFD) country director signed a credit financing agreement with Secretary Economic Affairs Division Noor Ahmed in Islamabad. The project would be co-financed by Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Green Climate Fund and AFD. According to officials, the red line is proposed to connect with the green line (currently under construc-

tion) at Numaish station for seamless and connected operations. The red line services will then continue on the shared common corridor from Numaish station till Merewether Tower. Officials said the soft loan of Rs12.3 billion for the project shows the substantial efforts made by development agencies towards the betterment of people’s livelihoods. “It will be one of the very first collaborative operations for AIIB and GCF in Pakistan on urban development,” a French embassy press release stated. The project includes construction of 26.6km BRT corridor in Karachi, encompassing the both red line corridor (24.2km) and common corridor segment (2.4km) as well as feeder and direct services routes to the nearby communities. Beyond the 26.6km corridor infrastructure, the proj-

ect is innovative in many ways, and on climate change mitigation, the choice is made for the bio-methane hybrid bus technology, powered by a dedicated waste methanisation plant. This technology combined with the massive transport supply, will further limit CO2 emissions from the public transport system. The holistic street approach for this urban development project is to include organization and facilities for the all public space along the BRT corridor, whereas its gender and social inclusion dimensions are through the adoption of good practices in accessibility and gender mainstreaming. In addition, the project includes a support component for the transition of the existing bus sector with the integration of informal operators into the new system, which is an essential prerequisite for their proper and full commissioning.

Imran stresses inclusive national security approach to meet emerging challenges continued from page 01 Imran said that food security was another issue, adding that the government will launch a comprehensive programme regarding this in the coming weeks. In April, he said, the government will launch a comprehensive strategy to address the availability of food through accurate mapping of the exact demand of the commodities. The prime minister also pointed to the issue of climate change and said that it was also an area concerning national security. He said that the issue was something that no one had paid attention to before when actually it was a very “frightening thing” which had the potential to overshadow everything else for upcoming generations. “Pakistan is among those countries taking steps to tackle climate change,” he said, adding his government had been internationally recog-

nised for the Billion Tree Tsunami initiative. ‘COHERENT NARRATIVE’: In his address, Dr Yousuf called for initiating a national security dialogue in parallel with the world’s best security platforms. “As a country as important as Pakistan, we should have a platform where ideas can be exchanged, and others may come and join the dialogue,” Yousuf said. “Our goal is to make it an annual event paralleling the world’s best security dialogues, where the world would come and talk to us on our soil, on our terms,” he added. The SAPM said that Pakistan needs a coherent narrative to promote its reality to the world, adding: “We have been treated unfairly over the years, especially by the foreign media that paints Pakistan in a negative light; that’s an area that’s our responsibility to address.” Yousuf maintained that perhaps the most

important and relevant aspect for today’s occasion is this idea of the culture of more inclusive policymaking. “We have immense talent in universities, faculties, youth, the think-tanks. A lot of money is spent, and a lot of good ideas are generated. Unfortunately, the public sector was not geared up to take these up and use them optimally,” he noted. He said that the national security division created a pool of experts a year ago, where Pakistan’s best minds in the aspects related to comprehensive security, be it traditional security, diplomacy, climatic security, and food security were brought together to advise the government. “The recommendations that we are giving today are part of their partnership,” he maintained. THE CONFERENCE: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will deliver a keynote on Thursday.

cmYK

The summit, in which top scholars and diplomats would also participate, will be live-streamed to reach a wider audience. It can also be watched on its Twitter account. The event is being organised by the NSD in collaboration with its advisory board, comprising five leading think tanks including the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies, Islamabad Policy Research Institute, Institute of Strategic Studies, Institute of Regional Studies and Institute of Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis of the National Defence University (NDU). The venture aims to bring together global and local intelligentsia to debate the country’s critical national security issues and generate ideas to work towards combined solutions to complex challenges. One of the key objectives of the forum is to include and engage the country’s influ-

ential research institutes in the policymaking on domestic and international issues. The idea of transforming the think tanks into policy hubs is to help make informed policy decisions. The dialogue also aims to help bridge the divide between university researchers and policymakers, organisers told a foreign media outlet. Some of the invited experts include former US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter, National Security Advisor (NSA) Dr Yusuf, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, and director of International Crisis Group’s Asia programme, Laurel Miller. The dialogue will bring current and former officials and local and global security and policy experts to discuss comprehensive dimensions of security, not only national security but also the economic, environmental, and human security.

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

06 COMMENT

Containing the Container

Is the party really over? The differences in Opposition’s camp

The time has come

ISHFUL thinking has led government leaders to write a premature epitaph for the PDM. Despite an exchange of hot words in the Tuesday meeting, opposition leaders tactfully postponed a decision on the alliance’s future course of action. There were sharp differences over the issue of resignations from assemblies between the PPP and the rest of the allies. The matter had been kept pending so far as it was considered to be the last option to give the government a final and decisive push. The issue was raised because the majority of the allies insisted on resignations from the assemblies as a precondition to make the long march successful. The PPP, which rules the second largest province in the country, has managed to complete the first half of its tenure despite strong pressures from the Federal Government, including attempts to overthrow the Sindh government by buying the loyalties of its MPAs. It would be unrealistic to expect that the PPP would resign halfway through its tenure without a guarantee, which none is in a position to provide, that the resignations would lead to the overthrow of the PTI government at the Centre followed by fresh elections. The resignations would allow the federal government to make inroads in the province at the PPP’s expense and provide an opportunity to the PM to go ahead with wresting the control of the Sindh islands and to rescind the 18th Amendment. The PPP might agree to resign some months before the general elections, but presently retaining the government is an existential issue for the party. The other members of the PDM face no problem of the sort. The PPP’s CEC is likely to meet ahead of ZAB’s death anniversary on April 4. Hopefully the constituents of the PDM would realise that it suits the opposition to remain united while facing a vengeful government. The PDM being a united front, it can only be run successfully through consensus rather than a majority vote. Fortunately there are sensible voices in the alliance. A prominent PML(n) leader has maintained that If the PPP doesn’t agree on resignations the other parties could go ahead and resign, while keeping the door open for the PPP to join the long march or the subsequent dharna.

Dr FariD a. Malik

n the checkered political history of Pakistan only two parties were launched by ideologues. In november 1967 it was Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party ( PPP ), while Kaptaan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI ) was launched in April 1996. Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, after being knocked out of politics by the Establishment-launched Mian Muhammad nawaz Sharif, formed his Millat Party in August 1998. Almost all other outfits were incubated at the Freemasons Lodge of Democracy located at 33 Davis Road. These events took place in the city of Lahore which was rightly termed by Bhutto as the Leningrad of Pakistan. While both Bhutto and Kaptaan struggled their way to power, Leghari Sahib merged his party with the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) led by the crafty evergreen Chaudhry Brothers of Gujrat who also happen to control the Muslim League House on Davis Road after ousting the Sharif Brothers of Gawalmandi, Lahore. It seems Kaptaan has come full circle and is now getting ready to take on the system with the help of the party ideologues as the electables surrounding him have not been able to deliver the promised change. Who will 'Contain the Container'? Kaptaan is indeed a fighter, he has been blamed for some U-turns, but no one cannot be bought or arm-twisted to submit. Barring a few Co,mrades, amongst the corruption-riddled parliamentarians on both sides of the House, he stands out. Only ideology can drive change. Bhutto came into power with the help of the ideologues, so was able to deliver. Eventually he got rid of them, which led to his downfall. When he was cornered, his family went looking for them but it was too late by then. The Quaid-e-Awam could not be saved.

Media freedom Not possible to run a modern state without it

HE Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has organized a national seminar on ‘Freedom of Press and Resolution of Media Crisis’ as part of its ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign this year, which has already seen it hold seminars in all provincial headquarters. That the PFUJ, essentially a trade union, has felt the compulsion to address this issue in this way shows first that it is not merely a case of media organizations facing the government, but that journalists’ organizations are also worried by the curbs that are being placed on journalistic freedom, not just because that is just a bad or wrong thing, but because it affects journalists’ working conditions. There have been two developments which have made it seem that there has been an expansion of media freedom. First has been the proliferation of the electronic media, which has made it more difficult to do what censors have always tried to do: conceal information. Second, there has been a process of elections and judicial activity, creating constituencies which need the propagation of information about abuses. However, journalists and news organizations have not just had to contend with having certain areas and institutions being placed beyond criticism, but forced to deal with two new realities. First is unrelated consequences: instead of facing legal action, journalists are just abducted, or killed, or beaten up. news organisation find they risk economic strangulation, not just by the stopping of advertisements, but by bans on circulation in certain areas, enforced by strong-arm tactics. Journalists cannot help putting two and two together, which is why the combination of government claims of press freedom and the rising lack of freedom on ground has led to such worry amongst media professionals. The need for media freedom should not be under-valued. It is not a luxury to be granted. It is actually an essential component of a vibrant democracy. The troubles being faced by the media across the border show that an illiberal regime tries to curb the media. The regime needs to decide its own nature. It will find that, liberal or not, ‘selected’ or not, it is simply not possible to run a modern state without allowing media freedom in the true sense of the term.

Austerity measures The PM has kept his word

MuhaMMaD ZahiD riFat

AKISTAn is a developing country where dire need for austerity measures in every sphere of national life cannot be over-emphasized ensuring every penny is spent for the specific purpose it is meant for. Islamic teachings also tell us to shun lavish spending in public and private sectors and adopt adequate measures for ensuring austerity and simplicity. Federal and provincial governments following presentation, discussion and approval of the federal and provincial budgets, issue a number of circulars for appropriate implementation of the budgetary measures. These circulars are topped by a circular enlisting austerity measures by all government functionaries. Over the years these austerity measures continue to be enlisted in the circulars as an annual ritual. Once the circulars are issued, nobody bothers to see that these measures are strictly followed by all down the line also. This scribe has seen these austerity measures circulars from time to time as a professional journalist. Austerity measures normally are topped by prohibition of proceeding abroad for treatment at government expense for such diseases and ailments for which adequate facilities and provisions are available within the country, no procurement of new official cars and other luxurious items. But these are only meant for being put in the official files concerned. Austerity measures circular issued following the Federal Budget for financial year 2020-21 is pretty short one. It bans purchase of new cars and motor cy-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Managing Editor

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Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Kaptaan launched his movement with the help of the ideologues but came into power without them. Change is not the domain of the electables. Those who have strengthened the status quo cannot deliver change, so it is back to the ‘Container' and the 'Ideologues'. Comrade Ahsan Rasheed and Ms Saloni Bokhari are not there to regroup the 'Soldiers of Change' but most of them will certainly respond to the call of change only if the tried and failed turncoats are not on the roof of the 'Container' this time. While a lot has been written about the political journey of Bhutto and his eventual fall, not much has been documented about the rise of Kaptaan. As I closely worked with Comrade Ahsan Sahib, the main architect of the rise of PTI in Punjab, I consider him to be the Chou-en- Lai of the party. Kaptaan rightly acknowledged his services in his inaugural speech to the nation. He organized 'Think Tanks' where policies were formulated and then presented to the Chairman followed by open discussions. There was a 16-member Shadow Cabinet, mostly of qualified experts in their field. The First 100 Days Plan was also deliberated upon. Dr Arif Alvi as General Secretary operated from Karachi, while Kaptaan ran the Central Office in Islamabad and Ahsan Sahib worked from the Punjab office located in Model Town Extension. In Punjab, the party was organized at the grass root level. While Kaptaan was the leader Ahsan Sahib was the Manager. I am not sure how much he opposed the entry of the opportunists into the party but he did try his level best to strike a balance in the best interests of the movement. The mammoth Lahore Jalsa of 30 October 2011 was a major lift-off for the party. Electables came in droves. By the next gathering at Mazar-e-Quaid on 25 December 2011 the stage was loaded with old and failed faces of the past who have always been the part of the problem not the solution that the party aimed for. That night, Ahsan Sahib had arranged a dinner at the Sheraton Hotel for both the ideologues and the electables. Javed Hashmi had come on board, the right leaning elements within the party were euphoric about his entry. As we were driving to the hotel one of them started praising the heroics of Hashmi Sahib. I patiently listened and then finally posed a simple question, “Why did he join the Zia Cabinet?” There was silence, I could see the smile on the face of Ahsan Sahib. Later on my hunch proved right, Hashmi Sahib as President proved more disastrous for the party than all the other past and the present lot that remain to hijack the movement for real change. The dinner proved to be the proverbial 'Last Supper' for the old guard of the party who had worked hard in building the movement. One by one, most of them were cornered, Ahsan Sahib survived but cut to size. As Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) were important for Karachi, it was decided to issue a policy statement. Originally it was discussed that a clear

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cles for official use and also enjoins using paper on both sides to ensure maximum use of official stationery. But there are also no restrictions whatsoever on additional austerity measures by anyone treading the corridors of power at the national and provincial levels. One such instance is none else but that of PTI Chairman/Prime Minister Imran Khan who coming into power after the 2018 general election had vowed to set an example of austerity in the utilization of public funds by the Prime Minister’s House and the Prime Minister’s Office. The Prime Minister has ever since then been keeping his word as strictly as possible, fulfilling his promises and ensuring the expenditures are reduced to the maximum possible on both, thus saving the precious public money and also setting an appreciable and praiseworthy example for all the government functionaries down the line. The incumbent PM lives in his own bungalow and has no camp offices anywhere, unlike the previous rulers, and has taken measures to adopt austerity measures wherever possible so that the money thus saved is utilized for some purposeful purposes aiming at welfare and well-being of the masses at large. This scribe would like to mention why this subject has been chosen, ahead of the upcoming federal and provincial budgets. Pakistan had its first TV channel in the public sector in 1964 which had complete monopoly for over three and half decades when the first private-sector channel came into existence at the turn of the new century. Following scientific, technological and information technology developments, innovations and inventions and increasing demand for the electronic media, there has been virtually mushroom growth during the last two decades. Electronic media both in public and private sectors is functioning round the clock, and their programmes can easily be broadly be divided into dramas, entertainment, news, crime, violence, discussions and debates mostly about political developments and economic situations. These discussions generally take place in the form of talk shows which are generally participated in by political leaders from ruling and opposition parties, economic experts, businessmen and leaders from other concerned quarters. And, in a recent talk show by a private sector channel, it was purposefully or unintentionally mentioned by the participants that the expenses of the PM Office had increased in the allocated budgetary pro-

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message would be delivered, "no Privatization" but later on it was toned down to "Turnaround of all PSEs ". A committee was formed to formulate a policy on the way forward. Members were flown to Karachi on a private aircraft, lodged in a five-star hotel, but the policy was never presented or discussed. Ahsan Sahib was fighting his battle with cancer, the party was polarized with Javed Hashmi leading the right wing and Shah Mahmood Qureshi the rest by default, both having no roots in the party. I tried my best to convince Ahsan Sahib to take on both the newcomers with the help of the ideologues as most of us knew their game of self-interest. Within the party, Ahsan Sahib was made to lose the position of President Punjab while Dr Arif Alvi was pushed out as General Secretary by Pervez Khattak. In the provincial elections of 2013, there was a conspiracy to keep Ahsan Sahib out to block his chances of becoming the Chief Minister. A similar sinister game was played in Multan in 2018, as a result of which Usman Buzdar managed to get this coveted position again bypassing the old guard. I am repeatedly asked about the team and policies of the party which, in my opinion, was most prepared ever to lead the much needed change movement till the entire line-up was hijacked by failed and discredited electables who have always managed to retain power but with no delivery. The list of the Shadow Cabinet Members is with me together with the policies that were framed but never implemented, and the First 100 Days Plan also met the same fate. Yes there are certain electoral realities which can only be countered through ideology as was done by Bhutto and Mujib in the 1970s. Change requires directional realignments which have not been done. The bureaucracy is used to a pay-for-service approach, 'no gain no pain', otherwise they keep their eyes closed. The system is non-functional and fully choked. It is a perfect example of the blind leading the blinding into darkness and chaos. In the words of Lee Iacocca, the legendary US business leader; "Where is our outrage? Throw the bums out ". Kaptaan get the ' Container ' going, the ideologues are willing and ready to fight for real change this time around. After being deposed from power many fallen leaders have entered the political heartland of Pakistan, some to a hero's welcome, while others in disgraceful retreat. In 1977 when Bhutto landed in Lahore after being released from detention, the crowds were unending. From the airport to the Shadman residence of nawab Sadiq Hussain Qureshi where he was staying, there was a sea of people. Occasionally he would come on the porch to wave, finally around midnight a request was made for the dispersal of his well-wishers who wanted to have a glimpse of their leader. After losing power, nawaz Sharif traveled on the GT Road to rally his supporters but the show was disappointing. Indeed ideology lives on while power fades away. The Kaptaan's welcome will be more like Bhutto's as he too believes in change. The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

visions during the last two financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 in contradiction to the austerity measures. Such presentation of facts and figures by the participants without quoting the official facts and figures in a wrong manner, just when every information can easily be obtained from websites of the federal ministries and divisions and also by surfing the Internet, a facility available in every household. This prompted this scribe to search for the actual facts and figures from the Finance Ministry sources and also the budget documents for the last two financial years as the information so poured out wrongly was not easily swallowed. Hence this article based on the information from the available quarters concerned. It may been mentioned here putting the actual position before the readers that as a matter of fact the expenditures of the Prime Minister’s Office had actually been reduced quite considerably as promised by the PM . As per budgetary provisions, expenditure relating to employees had increased slightly owing to the annual increments, which is the basic right of every government functionary and cannot be denied, and operating expenses on the other had come down from Rs 218 million to Rs 46 million, indicating a huge cut. Similarly, saving the readers from mention of budgetary facts and figures, expenditures under heads of Entertainment and Gifts, Miscellaneous Expenditure, Wages of Household Servants, Discretionary Grants and Prime Minister’s Estate Garden Establishment had shown reduction in varying figures, forcefully indicating that the Prime Minister is strictly adhering to his commitment and vision of austerity. Facts and figures which this scribe got from official quarters just repudiate as incorrect the data which was presented by the participants in the talk show as Prime Minister Imran Khan is sincerely and strictly keeping his word, ensuring that expenditures of the PM Office are kept on the lower side possible and minimum burden is placed on the exchequer .In doing so continuously, the PM as not only kept his word but also setting an example for all other political leaders as well as government functionaries to reduce avoidable, nonessential and wasteful expenditures without compromising on their working and performance. Participants of TV channel talk shows, irrespective of their political affiliations, must ensure they come fully prepared on the possible topics or subjects which are likely to be dilated upon in the discussion so as not to cut a sorry figure by putting forward wrong facts and figures. The writer zahidriffat@gmail.com

can

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

reached

Thursday, 18 March, 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

Yemen crisis it is unfortunate to know that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been going on unabated with no strong solutions in sight. the recent exclusive reports on CNN have just highlighted the sorry state of Yemen and also the poor plight of numerous malnourished children in the region. Big thanks and full credit go to CNN for their extensive coverage of the Yemeni crisis. there have been plenty of newborn children facing acute malnutrition. heartrending pictures and their treatment-related difficulties in hospitals have been highly shocking to the core. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has warned of malnutrition-related child death in great numbers in Yemen. All these disturbing things cannot be brushed aside by pointing the finger at others. All the stakeholders including the world community must be held accountable to the ongoing Yemen crisis. Our world is full of opportunities and various activities like agriculture. But incidentally due to the ill-mannered regime and government inaction, Yemen has been literally pushed to the corner of total humanitarian problem. Right now famine has also been projected to raise its ugly head across the region. the international community should not think twice to help out Yemen through strong food assistance and other financial backup programmes. i have the strong urge to love the natural world and support greenery activities across the board because my native areas like Korkai, tiruchendur, tuticorin, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari and tirunelveli in tamil Nadu have been under the canopy of rigorous agriculture activities. Given that Asian continent has been home to beautiful natural world and farming activities for longer time, it is also high time to analyse the possible chances to create and encourage farming activities in Yemen to a greater extent possible. Such well-planned green activities will surely help fight Yemeni crises like shortfall in food and malnutrition. P SEnthil Saravana Durai MuMbai

The Enigma that is Self-determination

Similarly, the international Covenant on Civil

Talha ali

ith several secessionist movements, the Kashmir crisis and the israel-Palestine dispute in limelight again, the concept of selfdetermination becomes ever-more important. Yet, this concept that now dates back to more than a century, remains equally as unsettled, or as Deborah Cass put it, as much “a penumbra of uncertainty” now as it was at the conclusion of the First World War. Most of us almost take it for granted that we are a “national” of a state, but for much of history, national identity always remained malleable. the Peace of Westphalia, the Napoleonic wars and the Congress of Vienna showed that you could, for example, be French one year and Prussian the next. Even in modern history, the conflict of Bosnia-herzegovina in the aftermath of the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide evidenced that people often regard their nationality as much less important than ethnic, religious or tribal allegiance. to that end, it is increasingly important to explore the tenets of the concept of self-determination and the lacunas that exist in its implementation. the idea of self-determination postulates that peoples of a state or country have the legal right to decide their own destiny in the international system. it proclaims that peoples of a country “own” that country in the sense that they decide their own fate through the process of, for example, elections and voting. international Law codifies this concept as witnessed in Resolution 1514 (XV), the Declaration on the Granting of independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which stressed that all peoples had right to self-determination, and that they had the right to “freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development”.

and Political Rights makes an effort to declare self-determination as a “right of all peoples” in its first article. in fact, even the UN Charter pledges to uphold “equal rights and self-determination” in its Articles 1 and 55. it is thus clear that this concept is one that is firmly entrenched in law. But when it comes to international law, the role of “power” always raises an essential question in its effective implementation. Just like how the USA refuses to recognize the international Court of Justice’s judgement in Nicaragua v USA, or how China rejects the permanent court of Arbitration’s decision against it, so similar remains the story of an exercise of the right of self-determination. Nowhere better is this illustrated in the Palestinian and Kashmiri peoples’ exasperated but well-recognized right to self-determination. in other words, it is a concept of limited application, used only when acceptable to the Great Powers. this has been the case since perhaps its inception as a concept in modern history, when in January 1918, a President of the so-called “New World”, the USA, Woodrow Wilson, went across the Atlantic as a Messiah for a Europe ravaged by war, and delivered his famous ‘Fourteen Points Address’ where his 5th point extolled the virtues of selfdetermination in declaring; “A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims… that in determining such questions… the interests of the populations concerned must have equal weight with the equitable claims of the government” But this ambitious Wilsonian idealism was stillborn. With the USA out of the League of Nations and returning to isolationism, the European states only half-heartedly implemented the concept. indeed, colonial peoples were denied the right to self-determination by the victorious states of the First World War, and those possessions belonging to defeated states were brought under a so-called “mandate system” whereby territories that were not considered ready for self-government were allotted to the victorious powers, so as to “tutor” them for independence. thus, subsequently, international law has time and again made efforts to keep the implementation of a right to self-determination as limited as possible. One example of this is the famous Aaland islands Case where the essential question was whether the wishes of the inhabitants of a territory overrode the sovereignty of the state. With the decision coming in favour of Finland, the Council of the League effectively made it clear that state sovereignty would most likely always prevail over territorial sovereignty. this principle haunts the resolution of the Kashmir and Palestine dispute to this day by giving moral primacy to sovereignty over self-determination.

it is no secret that towards the end of decolonisation, the colonising powers left hastily, leaving a legacy of irrational political maps leaving whole regions and peoples in disarray. this is most prevalent in Africa where a brief look at its map reveals straight boundaries for hundreds of kilometers, drawn by colonial draftsmen with little reference to physical features, ethnicities of inhabitants or topography. Resultantly, people were divided from their tribes, families and kith and kin, with state identity imposed upon them that they perhaps never wanted. Not surprisingly, many of the former colonies experience violent secessionist movements, as seen in the form of Katanga’s attempt to secede from the Congo, for example. to counter floodgates of claims of secessionism, self-determination had to be limited. the Frontier Dispute Case achieved this, where the international Court of Justice developed the concept of “uti possidetis juris”, arguing that in the case of newly independent states, the status quo of their territory should be in line with that of the previous dependent territory, when it was once colonized. in other words, since independence was primarily acquired within the frontiers of pre-existing colonial territory, these boundaries that exist in the status quo cannot be altered unilaterally through the claim of the right to self-determination. Arguably, the saga of self-determination may be said to have ended with uti possidetis when it gave legal primacy to colonial borders over “interests of populations concerned”, in the words of Wilson. An even more interesting concept is the idea of “economic self-determination”, which espoused the freedom of states to control and operate their economies without external interference. if self-determination is to be judged on this standard, then it would not be wrong to claim that almost no former colony has actually gained independence. in the aftermath of the Second World War, the former colonial powers gathered at Bretton Woods to formulate a new economic order which came at the detriment of former colonies. industrial prices rose dramatically, while those of primary produce and raw materials (major exports of decolonised states), fell sharply. how ironic is it that the raw materials that drove five centuries of colonisation were suddenly devalued so extensively when they were no longer in Western interests? Dependency theorists of international relations have explained this at great length with their explanations of the world being divided in “core”, “periphery” and “semi-periphery” states. this whole story leads to one conclusion; the concept of self-determination is an enigma which, on the one hand, is claimed by law to be for “all peoples”; yet at the same time, that very body of law also denies it through the colonial legacy of uti possidetis. As stated, international law cannot be analysed without the question of power. it thus remains to be seen whether the international system evolves into a more rule-based system where self-determination gains enough momentum to transform into an essential right that transcends national security concerns, in the same way that the bans on slavery and torture have become. The writer is a former member of the provincial civil service and can be contacted at zafar.aziz.ch@gmail.com.

Education and Poverty EDUCAtiON is the third eye of man. it not only enables a person to read and write but also provides a proper way to spend a prospective life. Undoubtedly, it is a blessing for us in various courses of life. Nowadays, the majority of households are deprived in terms of cost of education particularly Poors and middle class students. Most of them accomplish their primary and secondary education from government institutions. But when it comes to the higher level, dues of university are above their limits. Owing to which, maximum students could not achieve their goals in their future. Rural areas are affected more badly as compared to urban areas of Pakistan. Similar trends can be observed in all provinces. So, it is the responsibility of the government to take care of needy students by giving them education relief. in this way, our literacy rate would be enhanced. aSiM PanhwEr Sukkur

Senate chairman thE battle for Senate election is yet continued in the country and as soon as the final battle started, there was a very great competition between Sadiq Sanjrani and Yousuf Raza Gilani. Sanjrani needed one swing vote and another one to retain the top slot in the upper house. And theUpper house of Parliament was set to select another Senate chairman when the news directly emerged that Sanjrani toppled Gilani to become new Chairman with 48 votes. Certainly, it was a big loss for the PDM since Yousuf Raza belongs to the opposition. the polls were conducted by the Senate Secretariat officials. But it was a tough competition this time. Gilani's defeat against Abdul hafeez Shaikh was a good win and was the most watched contest. i hope the Senate officials would carry the new competitions likewise. barkatullah turbat

Conundrum? BACK in the early 1960s, Mossad, israel Spy agency, spirited out Adolf Eichmann of Argentina after defecting him there to israel to try him for crimes against the Jews(humanity) committed in the holocaust. he was tried under the law that was non-existent at the time of committing actual crimes, for the law that made binding upon him to carry out his duties as per the code of rules. the trial brought his eventual execution. Adolf Eichmann, as one may know, was a German-Austrian SS-Obersturmbannführer and major holocaust Organizer—final German solution to the “Jewish question”. he was responsible for the shipment of Jews to the death camps. Not long ago, a judgement was pronounced at the international Court of Justice ,positing that the court has jurisdiction over the crimes (read: “war crimes”) committed in the occupied territories of Palestine by israel. the judgement caught a sharp reaction from both israel and Palestine. Former rejected the decision with sharp criticism whereas the latter hailed the decision as the decision could possibly pave a way for trying the “involved members” for the similar charge put forward in the case of Adolf hichmann by israel: “crimes against humanity”. Now, the above cases confront us with a huge “conundrum”. in the former case, the trial was fairly being criticized for some good reasons: 1) trying someone by the law that was not existent at the time, for the law that made binding upon him to carry out the responsibilities without vetting the substance of responsibilities;2) the speedy nature of trial;3) reversible errors in the trial. in the latter case, in iCC judgement, the court finding is being criticized for the reason that as israel is not signatory to iCC so the court has no jurisdiction over the crimes (amount to “war crimes”) committed in the occupied territories of Palestine—a fair position. this is where the theory of justice, moral philosophy come into play to decide on the legality of trial in the first case and the jurisdiction in the second case. Judging by the doctrine of “legal positionism”, the trial was legitimate in the first case as the israel was mighty enough by that time to assert its authority whereas the “jurisdiction” in the second case would be legitimate depending thoroughly upon the strength of “iCC” in implementing its writ. MuhaMMaD tayyab rawalPinDi

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

How THe UK meDIa promoTes IslamopHoBIa THE SOCIETY OF EDITORS HAS BEEN CALLED OUT BY HUNDREDS OF JOURNALISTS AFTER CLAIMING THE COUNTRY'S MEDIA LANDSCAPE WAS NOT PLAGUED BY BIGOTRY

middle easT eye

Faisal HaniF

he Society of editors may not be known for comedic genius, yet its claim that the UK media is not bigoted is not only absurd, but laughable. So self-righteous was the statement by the society’s executive director, Ian Murray, that the editors of the Guardian, Financial Times and huffPost all objected to it. More than 250 journalists, writers and broadcasters of colour have signed an open letter describing the statement as proof of “an institution and an industry in denial”. The society has since pledged to be part of the solution, perhaps aware of just how barefaced its attempt at grandstanding was. The evidence is plentiful, and it isn’t only domestic analysis or observation pointing to the UK media’s bigotry. Several years ago, a UN report on the refugee crisis found that Britain’s right-wing media “was uniquely aggressive in its campaigns against refugees and migrants”. This aggressiveness is largely a proxy for the media’s favourite racism: bigotry against Muslims. PERPETUATING TROPES: For Muslims, the UK media’s bigotry goes beyond the sneering, name-calling and hypocrisy in its coverage, and the misrepresentation of their beliefs. In perpetuating tropes and fabricating stories that are the envy of the far

right, it has made conditions harder for them as citizens. If cancel culture exists, then the British media are its most active purveyors and Muslims its most egregious victims - facing everything from being forced to apologise for terrorist attacks, to being linked to crimes they know nothing about. examples of Islamophobia among journalists are plentiful and, as if on cue, a 600word apology by columnist Julie Burchill to Ash Sarkar appeared on Tuesday to evidence this point. It isn’t simply the tropes Burchill launched at the young journalist, accusing her of being an "Islamist" and "worshipping a paedophile" among other things, but, as Sarkar herself has written, the media coverage cast Burchill as the victim. her abuse was described as “comment” whilst the episode was framed as an example of cancel culture. Another example is the case of Waj Iqbal, a former council taxi licensing officer who was subjected to a Mail on Sunday exclusive that accused him of being a “fixer” for paedophiles. The allegations cost him his livelihood, kept him from his children and contributed to the collapse of his marriage. And he isn’t alone in being falsely accused: various other instances in recent years have led to damages being paid to Muslim individuals. The Telegraph claimed it acted in “good faith” when it falsely maligned a Muslim scout leader with almost every anti-Muslim trope in circulation: antisemitism, oppressing women, standing against “British values” and promoting terrorism. The Times, now notorious for its anti-Muslim agenda, has its own roll-call of libel payouts to individuals, having wrongly claimed that a Muslim banker supported female genital mutilation, just months after levelling false accusations against an imam who challenged

Prime Minister Boris Johnson. And it’s not just outside of newsrooms where conditions are increasingly inhospitable, as Muslim journalists have been documenting the demands made of them. recently, the Brussels correspondent at the Financial Times revealed that she was asked by a senior member of the Society of editors board “to go to my ‘local mosque’ to find some Isis bride-wannabes”. Among other things, this shows how the successful integration of Muslims into cohesive communities is used against them. TROLLING AND BLAME GAMES: Meanwhile, the narrative of “Muslim grooming gangs” is continually peddled, despite academic research and even the government’s own report showing it to be “a scandal with no substance”. This has led to Muslim journalists being trolled with “what about the grooming gangs?”. And it’s not just newspapers, but also broadcasters who partake in the blame game under the guise of scrutiny. This past Sunday, journalist Aina Khan was accused on the BBC’s Big Questions of undermining the victims of terrorist attacks just because she dared to raise the double standard of scrutiny faced by British Muslims. Not all Muslims are subject to such robustness; some elicit favourable treatment from the media, making their trade out of generalisations and promises that Muslim extremism can be tackled by reforming Islam, turning would-be scrutinisers into fans over the course of an interview. Last year, the normally inquisitorial journalist emma Barnett was said to have “framed” imam Taj hargey as “a saviour of British Muslims” on BBC radio - the same hargey who has previously propagated farright myths, such as the emergence of an “Islamic republic of Britain”, and for whom

Pizza express’s halal chicken signified “covert religious extremism and creeping Islamic fundamentalism”. even when the country was supposed to be coming together to tackle Covid-19, headlines peddled fear of “huge spikes” during ramadan. This was no accident, considering one of the main purveyors of anti-Muslim rhetoric has openly declared that it was okay to describe Muslims as “different”. And despite all that has transpired over this extremely difficult year, just this past this week, baseless allegations that Muslims weren’t taking the pandemic seriously were still being defended in the Mail on Sunday. CURBING CIVIL RIGHTS: With most stories on Muslims focused on the topic of terrorism, the curbing of civil rights has already followed. It was even used as an early foray in the campaign against Meghan Markle, when her praiseworthy campaign of producing a new cookbook alongside women from a West London mosque for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire was headlined: “Duchess’s mosque linked with 19 terrorists”. Quite apart from the fact that the men under suspicion had not been convicted of terrorism, the message was clear: Markle was hanging out with the wrong type of people. There is undoubtedly a hierarchy of racism, where Islamophobia is not just accepted, but a standard by which newspapers and broadcasters now do business. This is a world in which Muslim “Islamist” prisoners are not the same as other prisoners; where Muslim parents calling for the same things as “non-threatening” Christians and Jews are portrayed as militants; and where Islamophobia in the Conservative Party cannot be compared with alleged antisemitism in Labour without eliciting accusations of what-aboutery.

It is a world where, without any evidence, it can be said on national television that radicalisation is happening in Islamic schools, mosques and other community settings, and that “Sharia courts” operate a parallel legal system to which authorities turn a blind eye. This creates an environment where a four-year-old Muslim boy can be referred to the government’s “anti-extremism” Prevent strategy, and an airline’s chief executive can openly advocate extra checks on Muslim male travellers. It has also led to an absurd situation where people who consume meat often reared in horrific circumstances have the audacity to claim that they are better than their fellow carnivores, because they somehow kill the animal better. HOLDING POWER TO ACCOUNT: What this latest episode with the Society of editors shows is that professionals of colour now have the ability to hold major institutions to account. While their power is still limited, there is a growing awareness and a will to challenge the collective behaviour of the media. The UK media cannot be allowed to shift its already inexhaustible energies exclusively towards Muslims. White supremacist institutions continue to succeed because they are always shifting the goalposts of racism. If you can no longer openly berate people for their skin colour, then attacking their supposed values and beliefs is the new way to proclaim your superiority. Don’t be fooled; this is racism by other means. Faisal Hanif is a media analyst at the Centre for Media Monitoring and has previously worked as a news reporter and researcher at the Times and the BBC. His latest report looks at how the British Media reports terrorism.

Sri Lanka races to be another Myanmar GOTA CHANGE

new sTraiT Times

T is hard to be a Muslim in Sri Lanka as it races to be another genocidal Myanmar. The burqa ban and the closure of more than 1,000 madrasahs, schools that teach Muslims religious education, are but the latest ammunition in the Indian ocean island state's ethnic arsenal against the close to two million minority. Sri Lanka has 22 million people, 70 per cent of whom are Singhala Buddhists. hindus and Christians make up the rest. Most recently, President Gotabaya rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka has made it mandatory for Muslims to cremate the dead, a dictate which is in vi-

olation of Islam. The government's argument is that cremation of those who die of Covid-19 is safer, though there is no scientific basis for such a ruling. on the contrary, the World health organisation has ruled burial of those who die of Covid-19 to be safe. reports are reaching international media that the government is forcing Muslims to cremate the dead, even if the deceased died of other causes. According to The Guardian, 11 affected families, both Muslim and Christian, took up a legal battle against the cremations, accusing the government of violating their freedom of religion and fundamental rights under the constitution. The Supreme Court gave the appeal short shrift, dismissing the case without any evidence being called. human rights activists in Sri Lanka and in the United Kingdom tell the english daily "the policy is part of an ongoing attack on Sri Lanka's Muslim community". Pub-

lic Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara let this motive slip when he told the press that garments are sign of religious extremism. If this be the case, which it is surely not, then religious garments worn by the faithful of other religions must be signs of religious extremism, too. Let's be blunt. It is not the burqa of the Muslims nor the saffron robes of the Buddhists that make extremists. It is injustice that turns one to extremism. This is true for the Middle east, Near east or Far east. And extremism isn't something new in Sri Lanka. Contrary to what the Sri Lankan government wants the world to believe, extremism didn't start with the 2019 easter attacks on churches and hotels that killed 268 people. It has an older vintage. The Sri Lankan government has had a bad history when it comes to dealing with ethnic minorities. The rise and the eventual fall of the LTTe, or the

The Delhi Bill

Lieutenant Government

Undermining elected government is anti-democratic

WITH PROPOSED LAW, CENTRE ARROGATES POWER TO ITSELF, UNDERMINES DELHI’S ELECTED GOVERNMENT, GOES AGAINST SC indian express

Editorial

or at least three years during the AAP’s second stint in office in Delhi, beginning 2015, policy decisions on a range of issues, from air pollution control to law-and-order management, seemed to be held hostage to the party’s frequent run-ins with the Centre. Much of the conflict stemmed from the ambiguities of Article 239AA which empowered Delhi’s Lt Governor to refer “any matter” to the President in case of a difference with the Council of Ministers. The matter seemed to have been laid to rest in 2018 by a five-judge Supreme Court bench which upheld the preeminence of Delhi’s elected government in matters other than police, public order and land. Now, a new Bill introduced by the Centre in Parliament on Monday threatens to rake up the power-sharing controversy again. It has revived apprehensions of a bid by the Centre to circumscribe the powers of Delhi’s elected government. The “government” in Delhi, according to this piece of legislation,

is synonymous with the LG, whose advice or opinion must be sought before taking action on any cabinet decision. Its “statement of objects and reasons” claims that the Bill seeks to give effect to the 2018 judgment, but the proposed law actually goes against the spirit of the landmark apex court verdict, and its insistence that the Centre and the Delhi government “should uphold the spirit of cooperative federalism”. It will also be a huge step backwards for Delhi’s quest for full statehood, a promise held aloft by every political party — including the BJP — at various times to the electorate. The 2018 verdict inaugurated a period of relative calm in relations between the Delhi government and the Centre. encouraged by the apex court’s imprimatur, the Delhi government stopped sending files on executive matters to the LG before the implementation of decisions. This had the effect of giving the AAP government a freer hand on governance matters, enabling it to implement policy decisions such as free bus rides to women, doorstep delivery of rations to the city’s residents, free electricity to those using less than

Liberation Tigers of Tamil eelam, was arguably the most violent. The LTTe may have not come to life if the then Jayewardene government did not send the army into Jaffna, thereby forcing Tamils to take up arms. Not unlike what is happening in Myanmar. even in the thenCeylon of the 1970s, anti-terrorism was an excuse for ethnic cleansing. Not that the LTTe were harmless. Violence begets violence. The 2009 director of the Institute of race relations, a UK charity, A. Sivanandan, put it thus in his article on ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka: "The violence of the violated is never a matter of choice, but a symptom of choicelessness — and often it is a violence that takes on a life of its own and becomes distorted and self-defeating." Like in Myanmar, with the persecuted Muslim rohingya gone, the army is turning on its own people. This is not an impossibility in Sri Lanka. But Sri Lanka can choose to be different. And better.

200 units of power and mechanisation of sewage cleaning operations. More recently, the Centre and the Delhi government presented a united front during the crisis wrought by the CoVID-19 pandemic. Though LG Anil Baijal did not always see eye to eye with the Kejriwal government, especially on decisions such as restricting Delhi’s medical resources to its residents, differences were resolved without much ado. The implications of the proposed law extend well beyond the AAP vs BJP political conflict. By making it mandatory for the elected government to route all files through the LG, it threatens to take away the autonomy that any elected government legitimately requires for governance. Surely the BJP-led Centre does not mean to send out the message that it supports greater autonomy for Delhi’s government only if a BJP government rules Delhi. The Centre must rethink this ill-advised move. It would do well to revisit Justice D Y Chandrachud’s note in the 2018 verdict: “In a democratic form of government, the real power must subsist in the elected arms of the state”.

Tribune, Chandigarh

he contentious issue of distribution of powers between Delhi’s elected government and the Lieutenant Governor had more or less been settled, it was felt, following the verdict of the Constitution Bench in 2018 that the L-G’s concurrence was not required on issues other than police, public order and land. With the Centre introducing the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021, in the Lok Sabha, the dispute has been revived, putting the BJP and AAP back on a collision course. The Kejriwal government’s indignation is justified. There is little to disagree with its contention that the ‘democratically and constitutionally dangerous move’ will render the elections and elected government meaningless. The Supreme Court ruling, which came after constant AAP-Centre runins since 2015, had given the Delhi Government a freer hand. As a consequence, it had stopped sending files to the L-G before implementing policy decisions, though he was kept in the loop regarding administrative developments. As the party explores legal challenges to the dilution of powers that the proposed legislation is set to enforce, the Centre claims the amendments ‘further define’ the responsibilities and that ‘government’ in any law made by the Legislative Assembly shall mean the L-G, whose opinion will have to be obtained before taking any executive action. The repercussions of the amendments go far beyond the political feud. Making it mandatory for an elected government to route all files through the L-G, in an effort to tilt the balance of power, infringes on its autonomy. It also all but ends the hope of full statehood for Delhi, a promise made by every party at one time or the other. The L-G, at present, does have the power to refer any matter over which there is a disagreement to the President, though even here the SC made it clear that the L-G ‘should not act in a mechanical manner without due application of mind so as to refer every decision of the Council of Ministers to the President’. The Centre’s move is ill-advised.

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

BUSINESS 09

KARACHI

ECC APPrOvES COST SuBSIdy MEChANISM fOr NAPhdA hOuSING uNITS

corporate corner

ISLAMABAD

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra chairs a deliberation session to discuss and review the drafts KPRA and Tax on Services Bills. PR

ISLAMABAD: Prominent Saudi business figure and Managing Director -- Investments of the Aljomaih’s Holdings, Abdulaziz Hamad Aljomaih, met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the federal capital. He discussed matters related to foreign direct investment in Pakistan. PR

PSO launches e-procurement through SAP Ariba KARACHI: Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has once again taken the lead by launching e-procurement through SAP Ariba. The new e-procurement solution will significantly enhance the company’s strategic and operational capabilities and provide a level playing field to a large pool of suppliers while also increasing efficiency and reducing turnaround time. Speaking at the occasion, Managing Director & CEO - PSO, Syed Muhammad Taha said: “PSO has once again proven that we are an energy company that gets to the future first. The pandemic has accentuated the importance of being agile and digitally ready in the fast evolving business landscape. Being technology driven is no longer a choice, but a necessity.” PRESS RElEASE

TPL Trakker partners with National Incubation Centers to facilitate startups KARACHI: TPL Trakker, Pakistan’s leading IoT Company providing Tracking, Telematics, Mapping and Location Based Services, along with TPL e-Ventures, a venture capital investor, have partnered with National Incubation Centers in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Following the partnership, TPL Trakker will provide customized Location Based Services (LBS), to all the startups engaged at NIC, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Speaking at the occasion, Sarwar Ali Khan, CEO, TPL Trakker said, “At TPL Trakker, we have made it a part of our mission to be a catalyst for innovative startups and entrepreneurs through our products and services. We take deep pride in empowering businesses through our LBS APIs. Our strengths in data localization, scalability, cost-efficiency and customer service are driving small and medium sized businesses as well as established brands, in Pakistan and across the globe. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration together.” PRESS RElEASE

Bank Alfalah enters Malaysian market through agreement with NS Cashpoint KARACHI: NS Cashpoint recently entered into a partnership with Bank Alfalah to better serve the Pakistan remittance corridor. The association with Bank Alfalah will allow both the entities to mutually benefit from each other’s brand value and service offerings in the APAC region, while harnessing the larger technological advancements of LuLu Financial Holdings, the parent company of NS Cashpoint. This partnership will enable affordable and faster crossborder transfers, thus driving greater value proposition for Pakistani expats in Malaysia. “Bank Alfalah always wants to offer customers the best service which would meet their expectations, through strategic alliances with our overseas partners. With these type of alliances, we are always working to improve our service levels and expand our product offerings,” said Faisal Rashid, Head Financial Institutions, Home Remittance & International Business, Bank Alfalah. PRESS RElEASE

SHAHZAD PARACHA

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the stipulated eligibility criteria and payment mechanism for cost subsidy against 100,000 housing units constructed under the Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority (NAPHDA). The ECC meeting was held under the chair of Federal Finance and Revenue Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. According to details, the NAPHDA chairman submitted to the ECC revised proposals pertaining to eligibility criteria and modalities for payment of cost subsidy; and payment of subsidy on beheld of the allottees and other entities like Workers Welfare Fund, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in July 2020. The committee approved the stipu-

COMMITTEE OKAYS IMPORT OF 300,000MT WHEAT THROUGH TCP lated eligibility criteria and payment mechanism for cost subsidy against 100,000 housing units to be constructed during the phase-I by the end of the year. It asked the NAPHDA to facilitate access to housing finance at affordable rates to expand housing ownership in accordance with the prime minister’s vision. Meanwhile, the committee approved a summary seeking permission to enter into negotiated procurement agreements for the construction of lowcost housing through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Besides, it also approved a summary about revision in key parameters of markup subsidy scheme for housing finance, as recommended by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), to ensure maximum participation by fulfilling a relatively relaxed el-

igibility criteria. Furthermore, the Ministry of Industries and Production presented a summary on ‘Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) for operations of SNGPL-based fertiliser plants between September 2018 to November 2019'. After seeking input from relevant stakeholders, the ECC deferred the summary, with a direction to calculate LPS on the actual cost incurred and submit a revised proposal for consideration. The ministry then tabled a summary regarding the decision of the authority on Fuel Charge Adjustment (FCA), over which the committee directed the secretaries of finance and power divisions to deliberate further and present an updated proposal in the next meeting. Moreover, the Power Division sub-

Turkish investors express keen interest in Pakistan’s tourism sector ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

As the government has decided to involve the private sector in the country’s hospitality industry, the Tourism Hotel Managers Association of Turkey (TUROYD) seeks an opportunity to invest in Pakistan's tourism sector. According to officials, a delegation of TUROYD, led by its President Ali Can Aksu, called on Minister of State/Chairman Board of Investment Atif Bokhari at the BOI Office to discuss investment opportunities and to offer specialised services/expertise pertaining to Pakistan's tourism and hospitality industry. TUROYD is an association of hotels and tour operators that aims to ensure the activation and development of civil society ac-

tivities in the field of tourism as well as supporting the people and organizations related to the industry. The association is currently offering specialized services to 71 countries across the globe. Giving a presentation during the meeting, Ali Can Aksu noted that tourism dynamics have drastically changed due to the ongoing pandemic, owing to which their association is working towards ecological tourism. "We are actively looking for new tourist destinations and Pakistan has the potential to become one of the top tourist destinations in the world." The BOI chairman welcomed the delegation and informed them about the government's initiative towards tourism promotion. The government is looking into privatizing state-owned tourism sites

which can be an ideal opportunity for interested investors like TUROYD, he added. Bokhari said both countries can collaborate to set up specialized institutes that offer training to the hospitality and service industry. "Keeping in view our religious and cultural values, the Pakistan government is looking to promote family-oriented tourism and Turkey can help us achieve this goal effectively." Meanwhile, the BOI secretary assured the delegation of all possible assistance in materializing their investment endeavors in Pakistan. "BOI, being the apex body of the government for investment promotion and facilitation, is acting as one window facility for foreign investors," he added.

Pakistan, Uzbekistan agree to form working group on cargo transportation ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to form a joint working group (JWG) for future coordination in connection with "access to Pakistani seaports". This was agreed upon when Uzbekistan Railways Deputy Chairman Akmal Kamalov along with a delegation called on Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi on Wednesday. The delegation apprised the minister of their visit to the ports in Karachi and Gwadar, and discussed the way forward for cargo transportation. Uzbekistan, which currently relies on Iranian seaport of Bandar Abbas for external trade, is exploring other options and is prioritising Pakistani ports because of short distance, being more economical and due to some political considerations. Uzbekistan is working with Pakistan on the development of two options — the first is the TransAfghan railway project while the second is the road route via China. Last month, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan had signed a roadmap in Tashkent for the construction of almost 600km of Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway line. The

project, which is expected to take five years for completion at an estimated cost of $4.8 billion, enjoys the backing of international lending agencies including the World Bank. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has been desirous of acceding to the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA), an agreement between China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to facilitate transit traffic and trade. Pakistan has been supporting Uzbekistan in this regard also. The road project under this agreement would provide an alternative link between Pakistan and Central Asia while bypassing Afghanistan through the Karakoram Highway which connects Gilgit-Baltistan to China’s Xinjiang region and further on to Central Asia. STAFF REPORT

mitted a proposal regarding the payment of outstanding dues and settlement of tariff issues with the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government. To tackle the issue, a sub-committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Adviser to PM for Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain. A Power Division summary regarding GOP sovereign guarantee against financing facility of Rs15,250 million from local banks for the evacuation of power from 2×660MW Thar Coal Based Project was approved by the ECC. Regarding wheat import, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research updated the committee about the import of 300,000MT of wheat through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), which the committee approved. The chair also okayed technical supplementary grants (TSGs) worth billions for the railway ministry, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and other departments.

Growers to get cotton-specific subsidies: Imam ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

National Food Security and Research Minister Syed Fakhar Imam said on Wednesday that cotton growers would soon be given special incentives by the federal and provincial governments in the form of cottonspecific subsidies. Imam said this while chairing a meeting regarding the revival of cotton crop in the country. NFS&R Secretary Ghufran Memon, along with agriculture secretaries from all provinces, was also present on the occasion. The federal minister noted that currently there were three major varieties of cotton seed available in the country. Similarly, about 23,000 tonnes of certified cotton seed was available with a germination percentage of 75pc, as compared to 47pc last year. He said that Punjab Seed Council has introduced 17 new varieties, including a double-gene variety, whereas Sindh has introduced three new varieties. "Cotton growers will be given subsides on pesticides for whitefly and pink bollworm, as well as on cotton seed. It will be ensured that the subsidies reach the farmers and do not get lost in the middle," he added. In addition, he said, subsidy on tractors, loan markups and fertilizers would also be announced for the farmers' community in general. He advised against the mixing of cotton varieties “as it lowers the quality of cotton”, and also stressed on reducing the trash content in cotton that can lead to lower profitability. He further advised district-wise monitoring of cotton growth and said that a total of 6 million bales of cotton were expected to be grown this year. The Sindh representative informed the meeting that out of 341 cotton gins, only about half were functioning in the province due to declining cotton production. It was suggested by the Sindh agriculture ministry that a sum of Rs3 billion was estimated for the revival of cotton crop in Sindh in terms of research, genetic engineering among other services for the farmers. It was also suggested that a minimum support price should be timely announced as an incentive for farmers. Meanwhile, Punjab agricultural representative pointed out the need for streamlining the availability of pesticide, seeds and the area-wise identification of varieties at hand. Likewise, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agriculture secretary informed the meeting that DI Khan cultivates cotton but needs incentives for better produce. "Ginning mills should be set up in KP to increase cotton cultivation following the model of sugar mills," he added. Lastly, Balochistan DG agriculture said that 17 districts of the province were producing cotton (currently in production phase). "Four districts of Balochistan are producing organic cotton while more organic cotton production is being promoted in Balochistan. The provincial government is also signing MoUs with various companies to support the production of non-GMO cotton seeds."

MARKET DAILY

Stocks gain 593 points to storm past 45,000 level KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Bulls dominated the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday, with the benchmark index crossing the 45,000 mark amid improved market sentiment. Global equity markets, on the other hand,

displayed a negative trend, whereas crude oil prices also moved south, with WTI crude price declining 0.90pc to $64.23 while Brent crude price dropping 1.04pc to $67.68 (as at 3:54pm PST). "The market continued accumulating gains after clarity on the political front, whereby PDM (an alliance of opposition parties) have put their plans for country-

wide demonstration in abeyance. Resultantly, investors took interest across the board with particular focus on tech stocks, followed by banks, cement, O&GMCs and E&Ps. Rupee's persistent appreciation also contributed to the positivity, along with news that the government is engaging banks to launch international bonds for external financing," a report

CMYK

issued by Arif Habib Ltd read. SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the green zone throughout the session, registering its intraday high at 45,540.63 after gaining 683.57 points. It settled higher by 593.25 points at 45,450.31. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 848.14 points to end at

74,910.27, while the KSE All Share Index gathered 394.84 points, closing at 31,058.15. The overall market volumes improved from 408.42 million shares in the previous session to 508.84 million shares (+25pc). Average traded value also increased by 25pc, from $128.3 million to $160 million. TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +7.49pc), Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd (BYCO +10.99pc) and Pakistan Refinery Ltd (PRL +5.16pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 34.43 million, 31.67 million and 26.73 million shares, respectively.

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

EU EnvoyS agREE fiRSt China SanCtionS in thREE dECadES BRUSSELS

AGENCIES

HE European Union agreed on Wednesday to blacklist Chinese officials for human rights abuses, two diplomats said, the first sanctions against Beijing since an EU arms embargo in 1989 following the Tiananmen Square crackdown. EU ambassadors approved the travel bans and asset freezes on four Chinese indi-

viduals and one entity, whose names will not be made public until formal approval by EU foreign ministers on March 22, as part of a new and wider rights sanctions list. While the sanctions are mainly symbolic, the adoption marks a significant hardening in the EU’s policy towards China, which Brussels long regarded as a benign trading partner but now views as a systematic abuser of basic rights and freedoms. The 1989 EU arms embargo on China, its second-largest trade partner, is still in

gunmen kill at least 58 in attack on niger market sellers

place. “Restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses adopted,” one EU diplomat said. The Chinese officials were accused of human rights abuses against China’s Uighur Muslim minority, EU diplomats told Reuters. They said the move reflected deep concern about the Uighurs in Europe, the United States and Canada. Activists and UN rights experts say at least 1 million Muslims are being detained in camps in the remote western region of

8 killed in 3 separate spa shootings in US WASHINGTON

NIAMEY

AGENCIES

Eight people, six of whom were Asian women, were killed in shootings at three different spas in the US state of Georgia on Tuesday, with a 21-year-old man in custody on suspicion of staging all three attacks, police said. The shootings came with many Asian-Americans already on edge following a recent spike in hate crimes against the community, and triggered immediate fears that Asian-run businesses may have been deliberately targeted. Four of the victims were killed at Young's Asian Massage near Acworth, a suburb of Georgia's capital city Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County sheriff's office told the paper the victims were two Asian women, a white woman, and a white man, while a Hispanic man was wounded. The Atlanta police department separately confirmed that four women were found dead at two business establishments in northeast Atlanta, identified as the Gold Massage Spa and Aroma Therapy spa. Police told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that all four Atlanta victims were Asian women. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported the country's foreign ministry had confirmed that four of the victims were of Korean descent. Authorities have identified Robert Aaron Long as a suspect in all three shootings. Based on the pattern of surveillance video from the shooting scenes, Atlanta police spokesman Sergeant John Chafee told AFP: “It is extremely likely our suspect is the same as Cherokee County's, who is in custody. “We are working closely with them to confirm with certainty our cases are related,” he added. Long was taken into custody after a “brief pursuit” about 240 kilometres from Atlanta, according to a statement by the

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked a group of civilians returning from market day in a volatile corner of Niger, leaving at least 58 people dead and then burning granaries to the ground, the government said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday’s massacres, though people belonging to the Islamic State (IS) in the Greater Sahara group are known to be active in the Tillaberi region where the villages were attacked. The victims were returning home from a large livestock market in Banibangou, near Niger’s troubled border with Mali. The suspected extremists also destroyed nearby granaries that held valuable food stores. The announcement was read on Niger state television Tuesday evening by government spokesman AbdourahmaneZakaria , who declared three days of national mourning for the victims. Monday’s attacks underscore the enormous security challenges facing Niger’s new president, Mohamed Bazoum, who won the election in late February to succeed outgoing leader Mahamadou Issoufou. Monday’s attack echoed a January massacre that left 100 people dead in two villages also in the Tillaberi region that hadn’t been claimed by any group or militia. Attackers staged mass attacks on Niger’s military in the Tillaberi region, killing more than 70 in December 2019 and more than 89 in January 2020. It’s near the area where four US Special Forces soldiers were killed along with five Nigerien colleagues in 2017.

three killed, over 1,000 hurt as iranians celebrate fire festival DUBAI AGENCIES

At least three people were killed and more than 1,000 were hurt as crowds across Iran leaped over bonfires and fireworks in an annual fire festival ahead of the Iranian New Year, state media reported early on Wednesday. Of the 1,030 injured, 87 had lost a limb, the head of the national emergency services, PirhosseinKoulivand, told state television, with home-made fireworks and improvised explosives causing to casualties. Koulivand said three people were killed during the celebrations which started at sunset on Tuesday and went on late into the night. Many ignored authorities’ warnings against gatherings in the Middle East country worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Police arrested 25 people in the capital Tehran, the semi-official news agency Fars reported. The ancient Zoroastrian feast, called Chaharshanbe Suri (Scarlet Wednesday), is held on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Iranian calendar.

india’s coronavirus infections rise by highest in three months BENGALURU

Xinjiang. The activists and some Western politicians accuse China of using torture, forced labour and sterilisations. The Dutch parliament followed Canada and the United States in labelling China’s treatment of the Uighurs as genocide, which China rejects. On Twitter, the Chinese mission to the EU republished comments on the new sanctions made on Tuesday by China’s ambassador to the bloc, Zhang Ming, saying that Beijing would not change its policies. “Sanctions are confrontational,” the Chi-

nese mission said on Twitter. “We want dialogue, not confrontation. We ask the EU side to think twice. If some insist on confrontation, we will not back down, as we have no options other than fulfilling our responsibilities to the people.” China denies any human rights abuses in Xinjiang and says its camps provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism. Beijing has on numerous occasions invited EU ambassadors to Xinjiang but envoys say they cannot visit under the strict conditions and monitoring set by Chinese authorities. The EU has also called for the release of jailed ethnic Uighur economics professor Ilham Tohti, who was jailed for life in 2014. He was awarded the European Parliament’s human rights prize in 2019. The EU’s full sanctions list of 11 names approved by EU ambassadors also includes officials from Russia, Libya, South Sudan and North Korea, diplomats said.

Georgia Department of Safety on Facebook. Describing the scene in northeast Atlanta, the city police department said: “Upon arrival, officers located three females deceased inside the location from apparent gunshot wounds.” While on the scene, officers were advised of shots fired across the street, where they found a fourth female victim. Adriana Mejia, niece of one of the victims, said the family was “devastated” after her uncle was shot and that they were praying for his recovery. “We never know when we're at the wrong place at the wrong time because this was so all of a sudden,” she said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was assisting in the investigation, a spokesman told AFP. 'MARGINALISED MINORITIES': The shootings come as reports of attacks against Asian-Americans, primarily eld-

ers, have spiked in recent months — fuelled during the Covid-19 pandemic, activists believe, by talk of the “Chinese virus” by former president Donald Trump and others. News of the shootings came just hours after the release of a report by the advocacy group, Stop AAPI Hate, suggested a marked increase in hate crimes against Asia-Americans — with women disproportionately affected. In a tally of incidents reported to the group between March 2020 and February this year, almost 70 per cent of AsianAmerican survey respondents said they had faced verbal harassment and just over one in 10 said they had experienced physical assault. While racial motivation can be hard to establish, a study by the Centre for the Study of Hate and Extremism at CSU San Bernardino also found that reported anti-Asian hate crimes nearly tripled

Merkel’s party slides in poll as anger grows over virus management

AGENCIES

BERLIN

India’s daily coronavirus infections jumped by 28,903 on Wednesday, data from the health ministry showed, for the highest increase since December 13 and taking the nationwide tally to 11.44 million. Deaths swelled by 188, the highest figure in two months, to stand at 159,044. India has the world’s highest tally of infections after the United States and Brazil. Nearly 62 percent of infections in the past 24 hours and 46 percent of the deaths were reported by the western state of Maharashtra, the country’s worst affected. The federal government has blamed crowding and a general reluctance to wear masks for the spike, ruling out the virus mutations that have been a factor in Western countries. Maharashtra, home to India’s commercial capital of Mumbai, is among the states that have already tightened rules to curb the spread of the virus.

AGENCIES

Support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives has hit its lowest level in a year, a poll released on Wednesday showed, as frustration over her government’s management of the coronavirus crisis grows. Facing a federal election in September without Merkel, who is standing aside after four terms, the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Bavarian CSU sister party dropped 4 percentage points in a week to 29 percent, the Forsa poll showed. That is the lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in

Germany in March 2020 and follows historic defeats in two regional votes on Sunday. The Greens were the biggest winner, up 3 points at 21 percent, while the other main parties stayed unchanged. The Social Democrats, junior partner in Merkel’s right-left coalition, were on 16 percent. Many Germans are angry about a sluggish vaccine rollout which was this week dealt a further blow by a decision to suspend AstraZeneca doses over safety fears. Infections are rising just as some lockdown restrictions have been eased and in addition to the vaccine problems,

comprehensive testing systems are not yet in place. Firms in Europe’s biggest economy have complained about delays in aid payments and a face mask procurement scandal within the conservative bloc has tainted its reputation further. Deputy leader of the pro-business Free Democrats Wolfgang Kubicki said Merkel needed to sack ministers. “There are only a few months until the election but changing (Jens) Spahn as Health Minister would help establish new confidence in the state among the population,” Kubicki told RND media, adding Economy Minister Peter Altmaier should also go.

across 16 major US cities including New York and Los Angeles — even as overall hate crime fell seven per cent. Georgia is home to nearly 500,000 Asian residents, or just over four per cent of its population, according to the Asian American Advocacy Fund. The Democratic party in Georgia called Tuesday's shooting spree “horrifying”. “As details continue to emerge, this attack sadly follows the unacceptable pattern of violence against Asian Americans that has skyrocketed throughout this pandemic,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams, who is also the state party's chairwoman. In an address to the nation last Thursday, US President Joe Biden forcefully condemned what he called “vicious hate crimes against Asian-Americans who have been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated”. “It's wrong. It's un-American. And it must stop,” he said.

Biden vows Russia’s Putin will ‘pay a price’ for US election meddling WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin will face consequences for directing efforts to swing the 2020 US presidential election to Donald Trump, and that they would come soon. “He will pay a price,” Biden told ABC News in an interview that aired on Wednesday. Asked what the consequences would come, he said, “You’ll see shortly.” His comments come after a US intelligence report on Tuesday bolstered longstanding allegations that Putin was behind Moscow’s election interference, an accusation Russia called baseless. At the same time, Biden noted that “there’s places where it’s in our mutual interest to work together” such as renewing the START nuclear agreement, adding that the two leaders have a known history. AGENCIES

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

sporTs 11

KarachI

SwAShBuCkling gurBAz StArS in AfghAniStAn'S win Over zimBABwe ABU DHABI

AGENCIES

PENER Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed a fiery half century to anchor Afghanistan's convincing 48-run win over Zimbabwe in the first Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The dashing right-hander cracked seven towering sixes and six boundaries in his dominating 45-ball 87 to steer Afghanistan to an imperious 1985 in 20 overs after they won the toss and batted at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Ace spinner Rashid Khan (3-28), Karim Janat (2-14) and Fareed Ahmad (2-31) then restricted Zimbabwe to 150-7 in their 20 overs to give Afghanistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second match is on Friday and the third on Saturday, both also in Abu Dhabi. It was Gurbaz who gave the cavalier Afghanistan the robust start of 80 in just eight overs and continued after Janat (26) fell, adding another 74 for the second wicket with skipper Asghar Afghan who made a 38-ball 55. Asghar hit six boundaries and two sixes. Gurbaz holed out to leg-spinner Ryan

Burl while Asghar fell to pacer Blessing Muzarabani in the final over as Afghanistan added 42 in the last five overs. Muzarabani was the pick of Zimbabwe bowlers with 2-38 while Richard Ngarava took 2-43. Asghar hailed the team's spirit. "The first game of the series is very important," said Asghar. "If you win, the morale is high. Rahmanullah and Janat partnership was good. Then bowlers were very good." Zimbabwe were also off the track rapidly, putting 38 by 4.5 overs but then lost wickets at regular intervals to lose the momentum required for the big chase. Opener Tinashe Kamunhukamwe scored a quick 37-ball 44 with four boundaries while Sikandar Raza and skipper Sean Williams made 22 each which were not enough. This becomes Afghanistan's ninth win in 10 Twenty20 internationals against Zimbabwe, with just one defeat. Afghanistan: Asghar Afghan (captain), Karim Janat, Usman Ghani, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Amir Hamza, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fareed Malik.

Zimbabwe: Sean Williams (captain), Richmond Mutumbami (wk) Tarisai

Musakanda, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, , Ryan Burl,

T20I rankings: Kohli jumps back into top five, Buttler moves up to 19th DUBAI AGENCIES

Indian captain Virat Kohli has moved back into the top five of the ICC's T20I rankings for batsmen, while England's Jos Buttler jumped into the top 20 as a result of performances in the ongoing five-match series in Ahmedabad. Kohli, who has led the T20I rankings before and currently tops the ODI table, gained 47 rating points and moved up one slot after making unbeaten scores of 73 and 77 in the last two matches. Buttler meanwhile advanced five places to 19th after his match-winning 83 had fired England to a 2-1 lead on Tuesday. Jonny Bairstow, who shared a 77-run partnership with Buttler in the third T20I, jumped two places to 14th, while Jason Roy was rewarded for scores of 49 and 46 in the first

two matches by moving up to 24th. In the bowlers' rankings, Jofra Archer (34th), Mark Wood (39th) and Sam Curran (74th) all made gains. For India, Shreyas Iyer (31st) and Rishabh Pant (80th) made up ground in the batting list, while Washington Sundar (11th), Shardul Thakur (27th) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (45th) all advanced in the bowlers' rankings. In the ODI rankings for batsmen, West Indies' Shai Hope shot up to joint-seventh, after he had been named the Player of the Series against Sri Lanka for his recent scores of 110, 84 and 64. Following West Indies' 3-0 series win, Nicholas Pooran (32nd), Evin Lewis (44th) and Darren Bravo (99th) also climbed up the rankings, while seamer Alzari Joseph advanced seven places to a career-best 27th in the bowlers' list. Afghanistan's Hashmatullah Shahidi was the biggest mover in the Test rankings for batsmen, leaping 47 spots to

90th, after becoming the first person from his country to score a double-century, against Zimbabwe. The team's captain Asghar Afghan, who scored 164 and shared a fourthwicket stand of 307 with Shahidi, moved up to a career-best 65th on the list. Rashid Khan, who bowled almost 100 overs in the second Test, vaulted nine places to 32nd in the bowlers rankings. Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams, who had kept Afghanistan waiting with his defiant 151 after following on, moved to a career-high 24th on the batting list with 621 rating points, the most by any player from the country since Brendan Taylor in 2014. BABAR IN TOP 10 OF ALL FORMATS: Pakistan captain Babar Azam ranked among the world's best batsmen in the rankings. He was placed at the third number in T20I and ODI rankings while in the Test rankings, the 26-year-old was positioned at number six.

Rublev joins criticism of ATP ranking system; Thiem to take a break after early exit DUBAI AGENCIES

Andrey Rublev has added his voice to criticism of the current ATP ranking system with the Russian world No 8 suggesting after winning his opening match in Dubai on Tuesday that it does not work in his favour. Alexander Zverev, the German world No 7, recently described the revised system as “absurd” because he is ranked lower than Roger Federer even though the Swiss missed an entire year due to knee surgery.

The system was introduced to protect players who are unable to travel and compete because of the coronavirus pandemic. While players can add points to their tally, they do not drop the points accumulated from the previous season. “If we would have the normal system, I would be like No 4 in the world I think. So what do you think is better for me, to be No.8 or No.4?” said Rublev when asked if he agreed with Zverev’s statements. “With the system that we’re having now, for me, it’s much tougher to be No 4, so here

is the answer.” Rublev extended his winning streak at 500-level tournaments to 21 matches after he beat Finnish qualifier Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 6-4 in the second round in Dubai. The second-seeded Russian, who has won his last four events at this level dating back to Hamburg last September, will next tackle American 15th seed Taylor Fritz in the last-16 stage. Meanwhile, reigning US Open champion and Dubai top seed Dominic Thiem crashed out of the tournament to a rock-solid

Lloyd Harris, who earned the first top-10 win of his career with a 6-3, 6-4 result against the Austrian. The South African qualifier, who recorded his maiden top-20 victory last week over Stan Wawrinka in Doha, continues to hit new heights in the Middle East as he set up a third-round meeting with Serbian 14th seed Filip Krajinovic. THIEM TO SKIP MIAMI: The world No 81 was unstoppable on serve, dropping just one point behind his first serve throughout the 72-minute encounter. Thiem will skip the upcoming Miami Open and says he needs some time to “regroup” ahead of the clay swing in April. “I just need to reset myself a little bit to really go fresh into the clay season. Obviously right now I’m in a tough period and just it wouldn’t be the right thing to go to Miami,” explained the world No.4.

Man City quest for Champions League title after easy win in round of 16 BUDAPEST AGENCIES

Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to forget their previous Champions League failures after cruising into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday that sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory. The Champions League is the one trophy that has remained elusive to Guardiola during his five years in Manchester with City failing to ever get beyond the last eight under the Catalan. But the runaway Premier League leaders will get the chance to break that barrier next month as they showed why they are the bookies’ favourites for the competition

with another classy performance in Budapest, which hosted both legs of the tie due to coronavirus restrictions on travel between England and Germany. Early goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan killed off any hope of a fightback from the Germans as City recorded a 24th win in their last 25 games in all competitions. “What happened in the past is the past,” said Guardiola, who won the Champions League twice as coach of Barcelona but has been unable to replicate that success with Bayern Munich or City. “In the quarter-finals one bad game, (a few) bad minutes can punish you. “Now it is the best teams in Europe. The quality every time is higher and hopefully we can maintain this mood.”

De Bruyne and Gundogan were two of a host of first-team regulars left out by Guardiola for Saturday’s 3-0 win at Fulham and City looked refreshed in a fast start. De Bruyne blasted in the opener from outside the box off the underside of the bar on 12 minutes. Six minutes later a flowing move from back to front saw Phil Foden release Gundogan in behind the Gladbach defence to score his 15th goal of the season. “The start obviously helps a lot,” said De Bruyne. “We were patient in the beginning and then scoring the two goals gives us a bit of a cover knowing they need to come out a little bit more. I think we controlled the game.” Gladbach have now lost all seven games since manager Marco Rose an-

nounced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season to join Borussia Dortmund. ROCK SOLID CITY: Defensive frailties have been the cause of City’s previous Champions League exits under Guardiola. They conceded six goals to Monaco over two legs in 2017, five to Liverpool a year later, four to Tottenham in 2019, and suffered a shock 3-1 defeat to Lyon last season in a one-off tie in Lisbon. However, the signing of Ruben Dias has transformed Guardiola’s men into the complete team this season as they remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. City have now kept seven consecutive Champions League clean sheets. With no

Donald Tiripano, Brandon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava.

One member of national squad for Africa tour tests positive for Covid-19: PCB NEWS DESK The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced that a player named in the national squad for the upcoming tours in South Africa and Zimbabwe has tested positive for coronavirus. "A total of 35 tests of the South Africabound Pakistan men’s national cricket team were conducted on Tuesday. All the squad members have tested negative, except for one player," the cricketing body said in a statement. The cricketer, who was tested positive, is expected to isolate at his residence. The second round of tests would be conducted on Thursday at the team hotel. Pakistan had named a large squad for the assignments in Africa, where they will play three ODIs and four T20Is in South Africa before moving to Zimbabwe, where they will play two Test matches and three T20Is. The white-ball squad will leave for Johannesburg on a charter plane on March 26. The rest of the players, who will only play the Tests in Zimbabwe, will join the squad later after flying across on a commercial flight to South Africa before boarding a charter flight to Zimbabwe. This will be Pakistan's first assignment after the PSL was postponed abruptly following seven positive Covid-19 cases.

key players missing through injury, the wealth of options Guardiola has to choose from is another reason this could finally be City’s year for a major breakthrough in Europe. Fernandinho, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling were all introduced off the bench in the second half to give Dias, Joao Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodrigo and Bernardo Silva an early night ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. By then, City will know their next Champions League opponents. On this form, they are the side to avoid in Friday’s quarter-final draw. REAL MADRID BEAT ATALANTA TO REACH QUARTERS: Real Madrid avoided another early Champions League exit by beating Atalanta 3-1 to win the tie 41 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three years. Sergio Ramos marked his return from injury by converting a penalty after Karim Benzema continued his scoring streak by capitalising on a glaring error from Atlanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello.

Thursday, 18 March, 2021

Prayer Timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:36

12:14

3:07

7:01

5:27

6:52

PRemieR DiReCts na sPeakeR to foRm inteR-PaRty PaRliamentaRy Committee to DisCuss eleCtoRal RefoRms ISlAmAbAd

sTaff rePorT

RIME Minister Imran Khan, in a letter, directed National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser interparty parliamentary committee to discuss electoral reforms and to review the election reforms bill tabled by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government in October 2020. Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar shared the premier’s letter addressed to the NA speaker in a tweet on Wednesday, wherein PM Imran stressed upon Qaiser the need to form a plan “on how to introduce best practices including the use of technology and introduction of EVMs (electronic voting machines) to strengthen our electoral system and democracy”. The premier, in the letter, highlighted that the treasury bench had submitted a bill for “meaningful electoral reforms to remove the prevailing stigma attached to our electoral process”. He underscored that the recent Senate elections had brought to the forefront the prevailing issue of vote buying and selling. The prime minister highlighted that the government had moved the Supreme Court (SC) in this regard and the judiciary directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure transparent, fair, and free elections and stated that secrecy of the ballot was not absolute”. Prime Minister Imran lamented the fact that the electoral body had not paid heed to the demands for transparent election and that

the SC had not released a verdict in favour of open ballot. He further said that the cries of rigging were made by the losers of every election, and how this “has now begun to destroy the entire credibility of all elections in Pakistan, casting a shadow of doubt over our entire democratic process as well as the functioning of our parliamentary system”. “It is in the interest of democracy in Pakistan to establish a credible and transparent electoral system and put an end to all venues that allow for corrupt practices that are eroding our parliamentary democracy,” he maintained. “I would also suggest a definitive time frame for reaching agreement on all these issues that marred the transparency of our elections so that enough time is given to institute the reforms before the next general elections,” the letter read. A day earlier, Prime Minister Imran had decided to form a bipartisan committee comprising government and opposition parties to help prepare proposals for constitutional amendments for electoral reforms and also to award provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Sources in the ruling Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) had told Pakistan Today that the government had started efforts to pave the way for transparent elections and the premier had decided to reach out to the opposition as the government as well as the opposition have reservations over the Senate elections. After consultation with the prime minister, Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Babar Awan had called on NA Speaker Qaiser and had discussed the formation of a parliamen-

Dollar falls to Rs155.74 as rupee maintains winning streak Pakistani Rupee made a giant leap against the US Dollar, gaining 98 paisas (+0.63pc) in the interbank on Wednesday. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the USD opened at Rs156.72 and closed at Rs155.74 on Wednesday. This has been the highest level the local currency has witnessed against the greenback since March 6, 2020. Rupee has gained Rs1.40 against the greenback in the last three days, while it has gained Rs3.34 against the dollar since February 19. Within the open market, rupee was traded at 155.80/156.50 per dollar. As per currency dealers, PKR continued with its recovery during the day despite a high demand for foreign currency. They said that the sentiments remained positive due to improved inflows of export receipts and workers’ remittances during the first eight months of the current fiscal year. news desk

CoRonaviRus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

612,315

LAST UPDATED AT 7:39 AM ON MARCH 17, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

2,351 DEATHS:

575,867 13,656 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

261,823

189,362

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

76,819 11,161/4,965

19,247

48,938

tary committee on electoral reforms. During the meeting, it had been agreed upon to form a parliamentary committee to finalise proposals including the holding of Senate elections through an open ballot. Furthermore, the meeting had agreed to form a committee on constitutional and electoral reforms. The committee would be chaired by NA Speaker Qaiser and the oppo-

sition and the government will be given equal representation in the committee. The committee would review in detail the constitutional, legal aspects and reservations of the opposition regarding the GB’s interim province and work out a consensus strategy while deciding whether the committee will also review the pending election reform bill.

The committee would consult on the proposed amendment to the constitution related to the Senate elections. Qaiser had said that important legal issues can be reformed through legislation. The government and the opposition should resolve public issues amicably. The lack of reforms in the Senate elections is a spectacle, he had added.

Abbasi asserts EVMs ‘akin to a wolf taking care of sheep’ Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has asserted that the government’s assertion to establish an electronic voting system is “akin to a wolf taking care of sheep”. Addressing a press conference alongside PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb, the former premier said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government’s plan to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs) was another method to steal votes. “If someone takes the machines away or makes the data disappear then where will we go?” he asked, further claiming that members of the ruling party were those “who themselves are involved in stealing elections and who themselves came into power after the most controversial elections held in Pakistan’s history”. Speaking on the letter Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote to National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser, Abbasi said that the person who does not sit in the NA sessions had the audacity to write to its speaker. He referred to the letter as “two ignorant men writing to each other”, and pointed out that even though a month has passed since the incident wherein 20 presideing officers (POs) were kidnapped during the NA-75 by-election, no action has been taken. “And these members of the House are writing to one another saying the election system has been destroyed. The system has always been in place. You must catch the one who destroyed it. “You must nab the one who kidnapped the presiding officer in Daska and the one who stole votes. You must catch those who put cameras in the Senate. You must catch those who appointed the presiding officer of the biggest institution’s election — the Senate polls,” said Abbasi. He went on to say that the presiding officer “did not see instructions that the stamp on votes can be put anywhere inside the candidate’s box on the ballot paper and has made the senate polls controversial”. “And now they are talking of electronic voting machines.” Continuing to lambast the move, Abbasi asserted that Qaiser did not know the rules of the parliament, alleging that “If the speaker knew of parliamentary rules, [he would not have been a silent spectator] when the premier took the name of five opposition leaders and bad-mouthed them. They were defamed and accused but the speaker remained silent”. “Even he did not have the courtesy to call out the incident as wrong,” he added. The former premier alleged that the speaker also prevented the media from going to the parliament lodges where the opposition MNAs and senators live. The former PM took more shots at Qaiser, claiming that the speaker did not fulfill the duties of his authority and his responsibility, adding that the NA speaker was a coward and shameless. “If he has any respect for the rules and any courage. If he wishes to remain unabashed and without shame and continue his employment, then he can go on,” Abbasi said. “The speaker is supposed to be non-partisan and one who earns the opposition’s respect.” He added that the speaker “is one who neither lets the leader of the opposition speak and who does not see the empty front row of benches”. news desk

Foreign direct investment falls 30pc in eight months

PsX asks firms to explain unusual trading activity KARACHI TLTP

KARACHI sTaff rePorT

The net inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) declined 30pc during the first eight months (July–February) of the current financial year (2020-21) owing to a significant increase in outflows. According to data released by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday, the FDI fell to $1.3 billion during first eight months of the current fiscal year as compared to $1.85 billion in the corresponding months of last year. “Inflows under this head declined 16pc to $1.98 billion during July-February FY21 as compared with $2.36 billion in the corresponding period of last year. However, outflow under this head increased 35pc to $683 million during the period under review as compared with $507 million last year,” the SBP stated. The overall inflow of private foreign investment fell 43pc to

$1.04 billion during the period under review as compared with $1.83 billion last year. The portfolio investment from the equity market witnessed massive outflows during the period. The portfolio investment saw an outflow of $256 million in 8MFY21 as compared to $26.3 million in the same period of last year. Foreign public investment recorded an outflow of $132 million during the period under review as compared with inflows of $2.16 billion last year.

China, Netherlands and Hong Kong remained the top three investors in Pakistan with net FDI of $494 million, $117.8 million, and $106.3 million, respectively. In the month of February 2021, the country fetched $155 million worth of net foreign investment, with China emerging as the largest investor in Pakistan, with a net direct investment of $91 million, followed by UK and Germany who invested $11.5 million and $8.5 million, respectively.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday issued notices to six listed companies, seeking explanation for unusual movement in the prices of their traded shares during the past three months. The notices were issued to Service Fabrics Limited; Soneri Bank Limited; Mughal Iron & Steel Industries Limited; Premium Textile Mills Limited; Fazal Cloth Mills Limited; and Indus Dyeing & Manufacturing Co Limited. “Listed companies are required to respond promptly by disclosing the following to the public if unusual movements in the price, or volume, of traded securities are observed: details of any matter or development of which it is aware that is or may be relevant to the unusual movements; and a statement of the fact that it is not aware of any such matter or development,” the exchange said in a statement. PSX said that while reviewing the trading data of the companies, it had been observed that the prices of companies had experienced substantial changes during the last three months. “In case of any material/price sensitive information that is likely to affect the market price/volume, the companies are required to share the same with the exchange for its onward dissemination to all market participants,” it added. The stock market said that in view of above and in absence of any material announcement, the companies have been advised to furnish the reason and/or any material information in their knowledge which may have resulted in substantial decrease in price.

US may miss May 1 deadline to exit Afghanistan, warns Biden WASHINGTON agencies

US President Joe Biden has said that it would be “tough” to meet the deadline to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by May 1, as agreed with the Taliban in a deal secured under Donald Trump. The Taliban insurgents have largely stuck to a promise not to attack US or other foreign troops since the agreement was struck in February last year, but they say the date to end America’s longest war is inflexible. “Could happen, but it is tough,” Biden said when asked about the May 1 deadline in a TV interview broadcast on Wednesday. “I’m in the process of making that decision now.” Also read: Biden vows Russia’s Putin will ‘pay a price’ for election meddling The Taliban quickly reacted to Biden’s comments, with a spokesman telling AFP there would be “consequences” if the United States did not stick to the agreed timetable — further raising pressure on the fragile peace process. Biden also took a direct swipe at Trump’s Afghanistan policy, saying it “was not a very solidly negotiated deal” that the then-president oversaw.

“The failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my presidency… has cost me time and consequences. That’s one of the issues we’re talking about now, in terms of Afghanistan,” he added. The United States is supposed to pull out all its troops by May 1 in an agreement that saw the Taliban agree to peace talks with the Afghan administration of President Ashraf Ghani. The insurgents also vowed not to allow territory to be used by “terrorists” — the original goal of the US invasion following the September 11, 2001 attacks. But the supposed peace talks held in Qatar since September have made little progress. Washington wants to jump-start the process and get the Taliban and Afghan government to agree to some form of power-sharing. Major urban centres in Afghanistan are in the grip of a worsening terror campaign in the form of deadly attacks targeting politicians, civil servants, academics, rights activists and journalists. The Taliban deny all responsibility but the government says they are to blame — either directly, or by using proxies. As the May deadline looms closer, Russia on Thursday hosted a conference that drew high-level delega-

tions from the Taliban and Afghan government — as well from the United States, Pakistan and China. At the talks, the insurgents are led by the Taliban’s co-founder and deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, while the Afghan government side is headed by former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah. Pakistan, which holds the most outside influence over the Taliban, is represented by veteran diplomat Mohammed Sadiq, while the US sent long-time Afghan envoy Zalmy Khalizaid. Analysts suggest a face-saving compromise on the US withdrawal could be hashed out, with Washington saying it has met its obligations while leaving some US experts attached to Afghan forces in advisory roles. A complete exit of US troops — given the vital air cover provided to Afghan ground forces — would further loosen Kabul’s tenuous grip on the countryside. Trump, who dubbed the conflict America’s “endless war”, cut troop numbers during his final days in office to 2,500 — their lowest figure since the start of operations 20 years ago. Afghanistan has been engulfed by a two-decade insurgency by the Taliban since the militants were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001 for harbouring the AlQaeda terror network.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk