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Saturday, 14 August, 2021 I 5 Muharram, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 45 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Pakistan’s economy to grow by 4-5Pc in Fy22, says sbP governor g

dr reza Baqir SayS cad likely to remain 2-3pc of gdp in current fiScal year

tate Bank of pakistan (SBp) governor dr reza Baqir has said that pakistan’s economy is estimated to grow by 4-5 percent in the ongoing fiscal year. addressing a press conference on friday, he said that the foreign exchange reserves of the central bank would reach a historic high level once the country receives $2.77 billion on august 23 from the international monetary fund. he said that earlier, the highest ever reserves of $19.5 billion were recorded in the year 2016. he also said that the increase in reserves would help provide coverage to imports into the country, saying that since the country is currently in recovery mode, it needs more imports. he added that addition of $2.77 billion in national reserves is a positive sign for the country’s economy. referring to apprehensions raised by some of the economists about the rising trend of current account deficit (cad),

SayS foreign reServeS Set to reach hiStoric high on 23rd

Baqir said that the deficit would likely to remain at 2-3 percent of gdp during the current fiscal year 2021-22 which is a moderate ratio. moderate increase is a good sign for the economy provided that it should remain sustainable, he said, adding: “We were in deep scramble in 201718 when our cad went up to $19 billion or 6 percent of gdp.” the governor said that there are three signs that the economy could be in trouble due to rising current account deficit. first alarming bell, he said, is that amid growing cad, fluctuation in the exchange rate is high and non-adjustable. Similarly, he said, when the foreign exchange reserves are at the lowest rate then the growing current account deficit can hurt the economy. he also said that about three years ago all the three alarming bells were ringing as the exchange rate was not making two-way adjustments and the country’s forex reserves were also at a very low level. however, Baqir said, now the

situation is the other way round as the country’s forex reserves are going to be at historic highs coupled with a stable market based exchange rate that is making two way adjustments. he said, “about two years ago, our economy was in recession mode but now it has come out of the stabilisation phase and entered the growth phase.” Similarly, he said that about three months ago, pakistan’s gdp growth rate was being foreseen at 2 percent but now it has been proved that it had grown by 4 percent in the previous year while in the current year, according to the SBp estimation, it would grow by 4-5 percent. to a question, the governor said that a higher growth during the past government was unsustainable because it suddenly went down and pakistan had to go again to the international monetary fund (imf) for a new programme. however he said this time growth seems to be sustainable and it would further rise in days to come. elaborating the reasons behind a sustainable growth, the governor said pakistan’s exchange rate is now marketbased and that its forex reserves are also going up. furthermore, he said the imf also accepted that pakistan has shown tremendous performance in increasing the net international reserves replying to another question, Baqir said after the outbreak of covid, the average international debt to gdp increased by around 10 percent; however, pakistan’s debt to gdp ratio remained in control and increased marginally. News Desk

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

KARACHI

NEWS

PML-N LAMbAStS govt for ANti-StAte treNdS rePort, SLAMS iNcLUSioN of JoUrNALiStS

News Desk

AKISTAN Muslim League-Nawaz leaders on Friday took shots at the federal government’s Anti-State Trends Deep Analytics Report, highlighting the issue including journalists and political opponents within the report. National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf and Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry had unveiled the report in a press conference two days back. PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, while addressing a press conference flanked by other party leaders in Islamabad on Friday, said that the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf government had declared its opponents

anti-state in the report for exposing its incompetence. “Under a martial law, political leaders and journalists are called traitors […] what is the difference between [those allegations] and a political government that implicates political parties and patriots as anti-state?” Abbasi asked. “If this government has expertise in anything, it is lying,” he said, questioning why the government has clubbed journalists and the Opposition together with India and Israel based on “mere assumptions”. “A large portion of the report is against Pakistan’s political parties,” he said, adding that it failed to determine whether the tweets were in favour of Pakistan or against its interests.

Asad Umar, Shireen Mazari lambast Afghan blame game being directed to Pakistan News Desk Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari have spoken against the narrative of Pakistan being held accountable for the situation in Afghanistan, where the former said the time to listen to corrupt Afghan leaders has passed, while the latter questioned the US decision to withdraw. The two ministers made their remarks on microblogging site, Twitter, after Prime Minister Imran Khan a day earlier told foreign journalists that the US policy towards Pakistan seems to be changing now that it can no longer be viewed as “useful”, referring to cleaning the “mess” in Afghanistan. Echoing the premier’s remarks, Asad Umar said, “The biggest superpower in the world invades one of the poorest nations on earth. Keeps it occupied for 20 years. Decides to cut losses & leave abruptly. Even before its departure sees the imposed structure start to melt. Must be very frustrating. You feel u need a scapegoat”. If those in the US, he said, pushing for this policy stance succeed to try and cover up their strategic blunders by blaming Pakistan, it will be yet another mistake. The minister added that Pakistan has been and continues to be an agent for stability in the region and urged all stakeholders to work together for peace. The planning minister said it is time to stop listening to the few corrupt leaders in the Afghan government as their inability to carry the Afghan nation with them is the reason they are weak and isolated. “Global and regional players should not sacrifice the interest of the Afghan nation for these few corrupt leaders,” he added. Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, too, slammed the policies of western nations in the region who are now again sending troops to evacuate their embassy staff. “After hasty exit plans by US/NATO delinking withdrawal from peace agreement, now UK & Canada sending troops to evacuate ppl; US sending 3000 troops for same + combat air support to ANA from overseas bases!” There is a tragic absurdity to all this and victims of fallout are Afghanistan and Pakistan, she wrote.

Journalists stranded in Afghanistan can get Pakistani visas on priority: minister News Desk Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Friday announced that the Government of Pakistan will relax the visa policy for journalists and media workers stranded in Afghanistan. The decision was taken in view of the changing situation in Afghanistan. According to a statement issued in this regard, international journalists and media workers, who intend to leave Afghanistan via Pakistan, are urged to apply for a Pakistani visa. The Interior Ministry said it will issue visas to these international journalists and workers on a priority basis. The announcement of a visa waiver by the government of Pakistan is being made in view of the safety of journalists and media workers working in Afghanistan.

“The names of several journalists have been included in this report and when they were are asked for evidence, they said it was based on assumptions,” Abbasi continued. “Is it a crime to speak out against inflation and government performance?” the PML-N leader questioned. Shahid Khaqan also stated that the report showed Kashmir as part of India on the map of Asia and the Middle East. He added the Canadian firm made this revelation in a statement given to Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath‘. “This shows that the government in Pakistan either stole the data or made it up on its own,” he alleged. On the other hand, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry

Fawad Hussain on Friday said nobody from Pakistan was declared anti-state in the digital media wing’s analytic report, issued just a couple of days ago. “The analysis of Rana Sanaullah, Khurram Dastigeer and Shahid Khakan Abbasi reflected that they were not well aware of the latest technology and having lack of enough knowledge,” he said in a statement. He said unfortunately the political parties did not have their political [research] wings so that they could help their leadership to understand an issue in depth. The wing, in its report, provided data of 150 trends that were running on social media networking site-twitter, he said, adding a total of 3.7 million tweets were posted to build an anti-Pakistan narrative.

People of India, Afghanistan and others took part to push that narrative online, he disclosed. He said India did use bot technology to promote anti-Pakistan tweets. Fawad said the report did not comment on the people living in Pakistan, clarifying that “If someone will be taking part in #SanctionPakistan trending right now on social media and opposing it – then it does not mean that he indulged in an anti-state activity.” The media wing of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement had participated in spreading and posting anti-state trends on social media. The data about PTM role in supporting the antistate narrative was included in the DMW report which could be analysed by people themselves. He said the real issue is, who was posting and supporting anti-state narrative. PML-N leadership should better hire the services of any expert to educate them about the contents of the report. The leaders unfamiliar with technology could also contact the ministry’s digital media wing that was set up to guide them. With additional input from APP

Pakistan says it wants broad-based partnership with the US, not transactional ties: FO IsLAMABAD APP

Pakistan on Friday said it wanted to build a broad-based partnership with the United States, rather than transactional relations. “We want to build long term, broad-based, comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnerships, rather than having transactional relations,” the Foreign Office Spokesperson said at a weekly press briefing here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was responding to a question regarding a statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan as saying, “the US was considering Pakistan good only to clear the mess in Afghanistan”. “Pakistan had repeatedly stated that neither should Pakistan be looked at through the prism of another country nor should our relations be viewed narrowly,” he said. The FO spokesperson said that Pakistan would take all such decisions and pursue policies that were in its national interest and contribute to peace and prosperity in the region and beyond. He added that Pakistan and the United States had a history of close cooperative relations, adding that the cooperative

relationship had served the interests of both countries. “We have a convergence of views and interests on a number of key issues including the ongoing Afghan Peace Process. We both believe that there’s no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan,” he said. The FO spokesperson maintained both Pakistan and the United States supported an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan through a process that was owned and led by the Afghan people themselves. He stressed Pakistan played a key role in facilitating the US-Taliban agreement for peace in Afghanistan in February last year. “We consider the United States a friend and want broad-based relations to achieve our shared objective of peace and prosperity in the region and beyond,” he said. To a question on Extended Troika, he said Pakistan would continue to support it to bring lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan. “Pakistan will continue to engage in this platform to undertake collective efforts to expedite the peace process,” he said. The special representatives of Pakistan, the United States, China and Russia met in Qatar’s capital of Doha on Wednesday to discuss the

worsening situation in Afghanistan. Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the members of the Extended Troika discussed the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and explored ways of expediting intra-Afghan peace. He said talks were held for achieving an inclusive political settlement and bringing an end to the four decades-long conflicts in Afghanistan. He mentioned that the delegations of Afghanistan led by the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation Dr Abdullah Abdullah and the Taliban led by Mullah Baradar also had interaction with the Extended Troika. The FO spokesperson said the Extended Troika countries broadly conveyed to the Afghan sides that there was a need for “urgent measures to reduce violence leading to a ceasefire”. It was stressed that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict and the Afghan sides should put forward their peace plans on a priority basis so that progress was made towards a political roadmap, he added. He mentioned that the need for all sides to respect human rights and not indulging in human rights violations was also stressed upon.

PEMRA cannot suspend TV channels’ licences, rules SHC News Desk The Sindh High Court has ruled that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority cannot legally suspend the licences of television channels. According to The Express Tribune, the court gave this

judgement on a petition filed by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association. According to the high court’s verdict, “the powers of PEMRA under section 30 PEMRA could not be delegated to Chairman or any other official of PEMRA by dint of section 13 PEMRA ordinance for suspension of broadcast media licences without framing of rules”.

“Hence forth, the decision of Authority to this extent conveyed by minutes dates 24th April 2020 is also declared null and void. Consequently all action taken by Chairman pursuant to the delegated powers of suspension of broadcast licenses are struck down,” the judgement added.

No vaccine shortage in Sindh, Pfizer doses to arrive soon kARACHI APP

There’s no coronavirus vaccine shortage in Sindh, Health Minister Azra Pechuho said Friday. In a press conference with Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani, she said that the provincial government is prepared to provide ventilators and oxygen cylinders to hospitals if the need arises. “People above the age of 80 years can get the Moderna vaccine,” Pechuho said. “Students travelling abroad will be administered Pfizer. A fresh consignment of the vaccine will soon arrive in Sindh.” On Thursday, over 1,700 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the province, while 38 people succumbed to the deadly virus. In the last 24 hours, more than 200,000 people have been vaccinated. According to the minister, most of the new cases reported in the province were from Karachi. The city’s district Central and East have the highest coronavirus positivity ratio. Earlier this month, the government set up mobile vaccination units across the province to encourage people to get immunised. On Wednesday, the National Command and Operation Centre announced people across Pakistan can now get their second shot of the coronavirus vaccine after 28 days. Earlier, the government was administering the second shot 42 days after the first one. People don’t have to wait for a government SMS to get the second dose as well. You can get the second dose of the vaccine any time after the minimum time interval has elapsed. If you have missed your second shot, you should get it as soon as possible. The NCOC added that from September 10, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to travel. It will be mandatory for the travellers to show their immunisation certificates before boarding. Meanwhile, smart lockdown would be imposed in

different parts of Peshawar district to control the spread of the Covid-19 disease from Friday evening, according to a notification from the office of the deputy commissioner of Peshawar. It added that the smart lockdown would come into effect from 9 pm on August 13 (today) and “shall remain in force till further orders”. The smart lockdown would be imposed in areas including Bara Gate area bound by Bara Road and Al Faisal street Charsadda Road area bound by Canal Road, Charsadda Road and Pajjagi Link Road, Mahal Terai area bound by Dalazak Road and Ring Road Street No 1, Darmangi Garden and Warsak Road. The notification said no entry or exit would be allowed to these localities except for people supplying essential commodities. All types of gatherings would be strictly prohibited. All shops apart from essential services such as pharmacies and general stores would also remain closed. Additionally, congregations in mosques would be limited to five people. The national tally on Friday of total deaths was recorded 79, with 4619 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. The total active coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 86,236 as of 13 August, according to the latest update issued by the National Command and Operation Centre. Out of a total of 79 corona patients who died during the past 24 hours, 74 were under treatment in hospitals and five out of the hospital in their respective quarantines or homes. During the last 24 hours, most of the deaths had occurred in Sindh followed by the KhyberPakhtunkhwa. Out of the total 79 deaths, 38 of the deceased had died on ventilators during their treatment. The maximum ventilators were occupied in four major areas including Multan 43 percent, Islamabad

Capital Territory 43 percent, Peshawar 37 percent and Bahawalpur 40 percent. The maximum oxygen beds was also occupied in four major areas of Abottabad 76 percent, Islamabad 43 percent, Gujranwala 41 percent and Karachi 60 percent. Around 456 ventilators were occupied elsewhere in the country while no Covid affected person was on a ventilator in Balochistan. Some 59,504 tests were conducted across the country on Thursday, including 21,430 in Sindh, 19,017 in Punjab, 10,013 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5,416 in Islamabad Capital Territory, 1,294 in Balochistan, 962 in GB, and 1372 in AJK. Around 979,411 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count. Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 1,089,913 cases were detected that also included the perished, recovered and under treatment COVID-19 patients so far, including AJK 28,654, Balochistan 31,396, GB 9,137, ICT 92,768, KP 150,708, Punjab 369,358 and Sindh 407,892. About 24, 266 deaths were recorded in the country since the eruption of the contagion. Around 6,355 have perished in Sindh, out of which 37 died in hospital and two out of the hospital on Thursday. 11,307 in Punjab out of which 12 deaths occurred in the hospital and three out of the hospital during the past 24 hours. 4,624 in KP, where 20 of them died in hospital on Thursday, 827 in ICT among three deaths in a hospital during the past 24 hours, 332 in Balochistan, 161 in GB and 660 in AJK succumbed to the deadly virus out of which two died in hospital on Thursday. A total of 16,735,031 corona tests have been conducted so far, while 639 hospitals are equipped with Covid facilities. Some 5,095 corona patients were admitted to hospitals across the country.

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

KARACHI

HoStile forceS cannot Harm pak-cHina friendSHip, aSSertS pm

NEWS DESK

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Friday stated that no hostile forces would be able to harm the friendship between Pakistan and China, which he termed as “iron-clad”, and expressed his desire to complete the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in a timely fashion. The premier made the comment during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong in Islamabad in which they discussed bilateral relations, CPEC, coronavirus vaccines as well as mutual cooperation in other sectors. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister’s Office said that the envoy conveyed felicitations on Pakistan’s Independence Day and greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. For his part, Prime Minister Imran “warmly reciprocated” the greetings from the Chinese leaders, the PMO said. PM Imran also appreciated China’s “consistent support” to Pakistan in the country’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and provision of vaccines,

including under the Covax facility. Pakistan’s vaccination campaign against the coronavirus had been launched earlier this year after China donated 500,000 doses of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine. Since then, Pakistan has received millions of vaccine doses from China in the form of donations as well as purchases. It bears mentioning that the Chinese envoy had informed President Dr Arif Alvi earlier this week that China would provide 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to Pakistan by the end of this year. The premier on the occasion stressed there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan as the discussion grew in the context of the regional situation. He expressed Pakistan’s resolve to support efforts for a negotiated political settlement. “China-Pakistan cooperation in trade, commerce and investment, peopleto-people contacts, and mining and natural resources was also discussed,” the PMO added. Talking about CPEC, the prime minister said it was a “transformational project”, adding that Pakistan and China

should “work [more closely]” on it to make it a “high-quality demonstration project” of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. He also iterated the government’s resolve to timely complete CPEC projects. It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 3 accepted the resignation of ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor Authority Chairman Lt General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa and appointed Khalid Mansoor as his Special Assistant on CPEC Affairs to replace the outgoing chief. Khalid Mansoor has served as the chief executive officer of HUBCO and Engro. He has been tasked to complete the second phase of CPEC that contains 27 projects. Mansoor brings with him over four decades of experience working with multiple organizations in energy, petrochemicals, and fertilizer industries. He is expected to lead the second phase of CPEC which will focus on industrial cooperation. Mansoor has extensive experience of working with Chinese companies and has a deep understanding of joint ventures, project development and execution with Chinese partners.

Mansoor is a well-known business leader and has served as President of Overseas Chamber of Commerce of Industry. He has also worked closely with international financial institutions, like the World Bank, IFC, MIGA, OPIC, ADB, DEG, OFID as well as Chinese financial institutions such as China Development Bank, China Exim Bank, ICBC, Sinosure, etc. Asim Bajwa took to social media blogging site, Twitter, to announce his resignation. “I bow my head before Allah Almighty for giving me an opportunity to raise & steer the important institution of CPEC Authority as one window for all CPEC projects, charting the future direction. Wouldn’t have been possible without full confidence& support of the PM & his Govt,” tweeted Gen Bajwa. In a subsequent tweet, Bajwa said that the course is set for future progression of CPEC, this journey will go on. “My best wishes to Kahlid Mansoor sb, who is fully equipped to take it forward. CPEC is life line for Pakistan, it will transform us into a progressive and fully developed country InshaAllah,” he added.

Voters’ data to be synced with technology to check poll fraud: PM ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that for the first time in the country’s history the government will be synchronising technology and data to eliminate any chances of fraud in general elections. “We will hold a ‘21st century’ election with necessary technological arrangements in place to ensure a transparent and fair election,” he said while addressing the launch ceremony of various initiatives of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) at its headquarters. The newly inaugurated projects included the launch of Alien Registration Card, Pak Covid-19 Mobile Vaccination Pass, national certification and renewal campaign, setting up of 66 NADRA registration centres across the country and inauguration of 90 mobile registration vans. The results based on a free and transparent electoral exercise would be acceptable to all, the PM added. On the launch of the Alien Registration Card and

work permit for foreigners, he said the initiative would bring the segment into the social and financial mainstream. He maintained that over three million registered Afghan refugees would also benefit from the facility, that would help them run their businesses legally. Imran Khan said it was the government’s responsibility to facilitate the people in every possible way. The prime minister also inaugurated a latest system based on Artificial Intelligence to curb issuance of fake identity cards. The system has been designed within a short span of time by newly appointed NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik; it would also help detect foreigners in the database. Under the new system, the head of the family will be able to know or verify the details of his family members by simply sending an SMS and informing NADRA in case of any addition or deletion. Earlier on his arrival at the NADRA headquarters, the prime minister reviewed the especially-designed mobile registration van, fully-equipped to provide services of NADRA to people living in remote areas of the country.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Minister for State for Information Farrukh Habib were also present at the event. NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik briefed the prime minister about the different facilities including data collection, fingerprint and photo scanning facilities which will be provided to the people who are unable to visit NADRA centres. The Alien Registration Card and work permit will enable the foreigners and their families to run businesses, get admission in private educational institutions, secure private employment, mobile SIMs, utility connections, open bank accounts, register vehicle and other sale purchases. The holders of the card will also be protected from legal action under the Foreign Act. On the other hand, the mobile application Covid-19 pass will immediately verify the document by organisations or the Pakistanis traveling within Pakistan and abroad. By scanning the QR code on the vaccination certificate, one can easily know the validity of the document that would show the person’s name, passport number and other details.

SC orders Hindu temple attack trial completed in four months RAHIM YAR KHAN INP

The Supreme Court on Friday summoned the concerned commissioner as well as the deputy commissioner in connection with the ransacking of a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan around a week back. The apex court had taken suo motu notice of the incident which had created resentment as well as a sense of insecurity in people belonging to the Hindu community. The court also ordered action against the station house officer who had put a Hindu child in lockup. Besides that, it ordered a decision in the case within four months by conducting a trial of the suspects

arrested in connection with the case on a daily basis. The court also directed the Punjab inspector general of police to crackdown on dacoits in the Bhong area in district Rahim Yar Khan in collaboration with the Punjab government. Similarly, it directed that the offer made by a local landlord to allocate five acres of land for a police station in the area be considered seriously. The CJP expressed concern as to why the SHO who had put a Hindu child in a lockup was still at large. “Only departmental action is not enough. He should be put behind the bars,” he remarked. The Punjab additional advocate general told the court that the provincial government had so far arrested 95 people in connection with the attack on the temple.

Fayyazul Hassan Chohan replaces Firdous Ashiq Awan as Punjab govt spokesperson LAHORE INP

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Friday appointed Fayyazul Hassan Chohan as spokesperson of the Punjab government. Chohan will also hold the portfolio as the provincial minister for prisons. Fayyazul Hassan Chohan will also discharge his responsibilities as the spokesperson of the Punjab government, while the ministry of information will remain with Punjab CM. The appointment follows as Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab Firdous Ashiq Awan had resigned from her post, last week. The resignation came just after the SACM had a meeting with Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar with sources quoting that she may get a new responsibility in the federal government in days to come with Chohan likely to replace her. Awan had said in her resignation that she was quitting as SACM owing to her personal engagements and it was proud for her to work as a member of Usman Buzdar’s team and further the government’s narrative. Citing “unavoidable personal grounds”, Dr Firdous

Ashiq Awan, the special assistant to Punjab chief minister, resigned from her post on Friday last. In her resignation letter, she thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for “posing confidence in me to undertake the herculean task” of highlighting the “outstanding and remarkable performance of the Government of Punjab”. She also expressed her gratitude to Buzdar for his “scrupulous support … from time to time which kept me motivated and steadfast in accomplishing the professional goals set for me by my party”. Firdous said she was “proud” of undertaking the “sensitive” duties as SACM and “putt[ing] in my efforts with utmost dedication to signify the unparalleled and historical achievements by the Punjab government”. She further said she was “delighted” to have served the interests of the Punjab government. However, “due to certain unavoidable personal grounds, I am unable to continue with my present assignment, in the Government of Punjab,” she said, while resigning from the position with immediate effect. A notification issued by the Chief Minister’s Office stated that her resignation had been accepted by Buzdar.

“Punjab police have sought assistance from NADRA for the facial recognition of these suspects,” he added. CJP Gulzar reminded him that the faces of these people were recognizable since they could be clearly seen in video footage of the incident being shown on electronic media. “You have sought NADRA’s help for identification of these suspects, and now it is up to the Authority whether to respond to your request now or in two years,” he said, and added, “Police’s job is not to write letters, but to take action.” The CJP ordered action against dacoits in the katcha area of district Rahim Yar Khan so that peace could be restored there. “Alas! Decades have passed since the creation of Pakistan. And still, we have not been able to get rid of lawless elements,” he regretted.

NEWS

Soldier martyred, terroriSt killed in WaziriStan operation RAWALPINDI INP

The security forces killed a terrorist and captured another in injured condition during an operation in Sararogha, South Waziristan District. However, during an exchange of fire with the terrorists, a Pak Army soldier, Naik Ziaud Din embraced martyrdom. The terrorists were planning to attack the check post. According to an ISPR press release on Friday, on the night of 11-12 August, the Pakistan Army post in Sararogha detected suspicious moves of three to four suspected terrorists in its area of responsibility. A Quick Reaction Force was immediately dispatched to challenge the suspected terrorists. However, the troops were fired upon. Due to effective response, one terrorist got killed and another was apprehended in injured condition. However, during an intense exchange of fire, Naik Ziaud Din, a resident of Mardan, part of the leading troops, got critically injured and embraced shahadat. The apprehended terrorist later revealed that they planned to conduct a raid on a military post. The ISPR said that Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism. Sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.

federal govt announces two-day leave on account of ashura NEWS DESK August 18 and 19 will be public holidays to observe Youm-e Ashura, according to an official notice issued by the Ministry of Interior. Earlier this week, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee sighted the Muharram-ul-Haram moon. Youm-e-Ashura will be marked on August 19. The National Command and Operation Centre earlier this week issued special instructions for managing Muharram-ul-Harram activities with proper Covid-19 standard operating procedures to contain disease spread. The forum issued these instructions keeping in view the recommendations of the Ulema (scholars) concerned regarding Muharram. The NCOC guidelines underlined that all gatherings and processions would be held under Covid-19 SOPs. Furthermore, the use of face masks, social distancing, thermal screening during religious processions would be ensured by the administration of that event. The NCOC guidelines clearly stated that private gatherings would be discouraged in the homes. Hand sanitisers and masks would be provided at the venues of the gatherings and processions by the organisers, it added. The NCOC guidelines noted that the Muharram gatherings would be held in ventilated and open spaces. In addition, coronavirus SOPs would be prominently displayed during rallies and processions throughout Muharram.

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

04 NEWS

KARACHI

PSX ShEdS 100 PoIntS In AnothEr low-volumE SESSIon KARACHI TLTP

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with bearish, range-bound and low volume trend for the second straight day on Friday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding 100.92 points (-0.21 percent) to close at 47,169.84 points. The market opened on a positive note; however, profit-taking prevailed that brought the index down. The KSE-100 Index moved in a range of 197 points, showing an intraday high of 47,320.3 points and an intraday low

of 47,123.3 points. Among other indices, the KSE All Share Index shed 35.78 points (-0.11 percent) to close at 32,269.46 points, while All Share Islamic Index shed 69.56 points (-0.3 percent) to close at 23,084.41 points. A total of 365 companies traded shares in the stock exchange, out of them shares of 147 closed up, shares of 194 closed down while shares of 24 companies remained unchanged. Out of the 92 companies which traded shares in the KSE-100 Index, shares of 31 closed up, 56 closed down, while shares of five companies remained un-

changed. The overall market volumes decreased by 16.81 million to 213.36 million shares. Total volume traded for the KSE-100 Index was 56.39 million shares. The number of total trades decreased by 16,769 to 88,811; and the value traded decreased by Rs2.27 billion to Rs9.28 billion. Likewise, the market capitalisation decreased by Rs15.80 billion. Among scrips, TPLP realised total volumes of 24.52 million shares, followed by GGL (23.91 million) and WTL (11.43 million). Stocks that contributed significantly to the volumes include TPLP, GGL, WTL, TPL

and TRG, which formed 36.55 percent of total volumes. Sector wise, the index was let down by cement with 46 points, oil & gas exploration companies with 23 points, technology & communication with 23 points, oil & gas marketing companies with 18 points and fertilizer with 10 points. The most points taken off the index were by SYS which stripped the index of 32 points followed by MLCF with 19 points, LUCK with 18 points, OGDC with 12 points and MCB with 10 points. The sectors propping up the index were

miscellaneous with 33 points, glass & ceramics with 8 points, tobacco with 6 points, food & personal care products with 5 points and power generation & distribution with 3 points. The most points added to the index were by PSEL which contributed 33 points followed by TRG with 9 points, GHGL with 8 points, FCEPL with 8 points and MTL with 7 points. According to market experts, the PSX witnessed a range-bound session as investors’ participation remained subdued due to the absence of positive economic triggers while some profit-taking activity was witnessed throughout the day. On the earnings front, MLCF posted a net profit of Rs3.82 billion in the fiscal year 2020-21, against losses of Rs3.56 billion in the preceding fiscal year. ASTL also witnessed a net profit of Rs1.34 billion during the fiscal year 2020-21, a turnaround from the same period last year when it incurred a net loss of Rs1.24 billion. TLTP

Dollar reaches Rs164 as rupee shed 55 paisas in a week NEWS DESK Pakistan rupee remained almost flat against the US dollar on Friday and gained one paisa (+0.01 percent) in the interbank. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the US dollar opened at Rs164.01 and closed at Rs164. This is the lowest level of Pakistani rupee against the US dollar since October 06, 2020. Within the open market, the rupee was traded at Rs163.80/164.50 per dollar.

Overall, Pakistani rupee shed Rs0.55 against the US dollar during this week, while depreciation during the fiscal year 2021-22 has been Rs6.64. The local unit has shed Rs3.81 against the US dollar in the current year 2021. According to currency dealers, the rupee ended firmer against the dollar due to reports of inflows from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). They said the rupee remained under pressure due to the higher demand of the foreign cur-

rency for import payments. However, the market anticipated the announcement made by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin regarding the date of inflows from the IMF. Tarin said that Pakistan will get $2.77 billion from the IMF on August 23. They said that such inflows would help the country ease pressure on the external front. However, the ballooning trade deficit remains a concern for the rupee stability, they warned.

Gold consolidates gains to Rs93,000 per 10gm NEWS DESK Gold prices edged up by around 0.40 percent in the international market on Friday and broke the powerful resistance at $1760. At 1205 hours GMT, gold in the

international market was available at $1,760.50 per ounce after gaining $5.60 as compared to its closing value on Thursday last. Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams of yellow metal in Pakistan increased to Rs93,000 after gaining Rs700. The closing prices of

the yellow metal in the country remained Rs92,300 on Thursday last. According to expert, bullish potential in gold price remains intact amid the ongoing weakness in the US Treasury yields, which remains a drag on the US dollar.

Director General PID Karachi Mrs. Irum Tanveer and President KPC Mr Fazil Jamili Planting a sapling in Karachi Press Club on 13th August 2021 following PM Imran Khan’s vision of clean and green Pakistan.

Weekly inflation goes up by 0.61pc NEWS DESK The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on August 12, 2021 for the combined consumption group witnessed an increase of 0.61 percent as compared to the previous week while it went 13.33 percent up on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the combined index was at 151.80 on August 12, 2021 as compared to 150.88 on August 05, 2021 while the index was recorded at 133.94 a year ago on August 13, 2020. The SPI is computed on a weekly basis to assess the price movements of essential commodities at a shorter interval of time so as to review the price situation in the country. The SPI comprises 51 essential items and the prices are being collected from 50 markets in 17 cities of the country. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 18 (35.29%) items increased, 06 (11.76%) items decreased and prices of 27 (52.94%) items remained constant. The SPI for the current week ended on 12th August recorded an increase of 0.61% with most of the items increased, mainly, tomatoes (37.47%), chicken (9.21%), garlic (4.45%), potatoes (1.31%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (1.16%) and gur (1.07%) with joint impact of (0.61%) into the overall SPI for combined group of (0.61%).

Crude prices fall after IEA trims outlook for global demand NEWS DESK Global crude prices went down on Friday after the International Energy Agency (IEA) trimmed its outlook for global oil demand in 2021, citing the rapidly spreading delta variant of the coronavirus and its impact on the world’s economy. At 1240 hours GMT, Brent, the international benchmark for two-thirds of the world's oil, shed $0.20 (-0.28 percent) to reach $71.11 a barrel. Similarly, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) reached $68.84, down by $0.25 (0.36 percent). The price for Opec Basket was recorded at $70.52 a barrel with 0.56 percent increase, Arab Light was available at $71.88 a barrel with 0.72 percent decrease, while the price of Russian Sokol slipped to $70.77 after shedding 1.10 percent. In a report published on Thursday, the Paris-based IEA stated that global demand for oil reversed course in July due to the surge in cases of the Covid-19 delta variant, and is now set to continue at a slower pace for the remainder of the year.

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Crypto market hits $2tr mark again amid bullish momentum The cryptocurrency market turned bullish on Friday and the market capitalisation increased by 4 percent to $2.01 trillion as of 1215 hours GMT. The global cryptocurrency market hit the $2 trillion mark for the first time in nearly three months, as earlier the market dropped below this mark on May 19, 2021. Earlier, the market capitalisation reached the $2 trillion mark on April 7, 2021. The price of Bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, reached $46,330 after gaining 3.31 percent. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of the BTC has reached $870.2 billion. Likewise, ethereum (ETH) price gained 4.02 percent to reach $3,231. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $378.1 billion. On the other hand, XRP gained 5.17 percent to reach $1.03. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $103.2 billion after this increase. Likewise, Cardano (ADA) price reached $2.04 with 15.12 percent increase in its price. Its market capitalisation has reached $65.8 billion after this increase. NEWS DESK

KP govt, Nestlé, WB launch nutrition, hygiene awareness programme ISLAMABAD: Nestlé Pakistan in partnership with the World Bank and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department began community engagement activities under the “Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” (TREK) initiative.The two-day training titled “TREK for Healthier Kids” was held in collaboration with the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) program. It concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony for teachers, distribution of 4,000 reusable bags and 2,300 N4HK books to children in Galiyat. N4HK is one of Nestlé’s global Creating Shared Value initiatives that empowers parents, caregivers and educators to foster healthier eating, drinking and lifestyle habits among school age children. TREK is a collaboration between the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, World Bank Group and Nestle Pakistan under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project. TREK, launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan in December 2020, emphasizes on heritage preservation and destination development while adhering to the fundamentals of responsible tourism. PRESS RELEASE

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL 05

KARACHI

Birth of the new state

The Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of Pakistan

AkISTAN achieved independence as a dominion within the Commonwealth in August 1947. However, the leaders of the Muslim League rejected Lord Mountbatten, the last British viceroy of India, to be Pakistan’s first governor-general, or head of state—in contrast to the Congress, which made him India’s chief executive. Wary of Britain’s machinations and desirous of rewarding Jinnah—their “Great Leader” (Quaid-e Azam), a title he was given before independence—Pakistanis made him their governor-general; his lieutenant in the party, Liaquat Ali khan, was named prime minister. Pakistan’s first government, however, had a difficult task before it. Unlike Muhammad Iqbal’s earlier vision for Pakistan, the country had been formed from the two regions where Muslims were the majority—the northwestern portion he had espoused and the territories and the eastern region of Bengal province (which itself had also been divided between India and Pakistan). Pakistan’s two wings, therefore, were separated by some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of sovereign Indian territory with no simple routes of communication between them. Further complicating the work of the new Pakistani government was the re-

alization that the wealth and resources of British India had been granted to India. Pakistan had little but raw enthusiasm to sustain it, especially during those months immediately following partition. In fact, Pakistan’s survival seemed to hang in the balance. Of all the well-organized provinces of British India, only the comparatively less developed areas of Sind, Balochistan, and the North-West Frontier Province came to Pakistan intact. The otherwise more developed provinces of Punjab and Bengal were divided, and, in the case of Bengal, Pakistan received little more than the densely populated rural hinterland. Adding to the dilemma of the new and untested Pakistan government was the crisis in kashmir, which provoked a war between the two neighbouring states in the period immediately following their independence. Both Pakistan and India intended to make kashmir a component of their respective unions, and the former princely state quickly became disputed territory—with India and Pakistan controlling portions of it—and a flash point for future conflicts. Economically, the situation in Pakistan was desperate; materials from the Indian factories were cut off from Pakistan, disrupting the new country’s meagre industry, commerce, and

agriculture. Moreover, the character of the partition and its aftermath had caused the flight of millions of refugees on both sides of the divide, accompanied by terrible massacres. The exodus of such a vast number of desperate people in each direction required an urgent response, which neither country was prepared to manage, least of all Pakistan. As a consequence of the unresolved war in kashmir and the communal bloodletting in the streets of both countries, India and Pakistan each came to see the other as its mortal enemy. The Pakistanis had anticipated a division of India’s material, financial, and military assets. In fact, there would be none. New Delhi displayed no intention of dividing the assets of British India with its major adversary, thereby establishing a balance between the two countries. Moreover, India’s superior geopolitical position and, most importantly, its control of the vital rivers that flowed into Pakistan meant that the Muslim country’s water supplies were at the mercy of its larger, hostile neighbour. Pakistan’s condition was so precarious following independence that many observers believed the country could hardly survive six months and that India’s goal of a unified subcontinent remained a distinct possibility.

Creation of Pakistan is, doubtless, a miracle. Despite the lapse of over 70 years, India still has to reconcile with Pakistan as a reality. When Jinnah left India on August 7, 1947, Vallabhai Patel said, ‘The poison had been removed from the body of India’. But the Quaid said, ‘The past has been buried and let us start afresh as two independent sovereign States’. The 1916 Lucknow Pact was acknowledged as a pillar of Hindu-Muslim friendship. However, Motilal Nehru, at the behest of the fanatic Hindus, shattered the spirit of peaceful coexistence by formulating his Nehru Report (1928). His son Jawaharlal, outwardly liberal, regarded the creation of Pakistan as a blunder. His rancour against Pakistan reached a crescendo in his remark ‘I shall not have that carbuncle on my back’ (D. H. Bhutani, The Future of Pakistan, page 14).. Jaswant Singh, in his book, Jinnah: India, Partition, and Independence reveal that Jinnah shelved the idea of independent Pakistan by putting his signature to the Cabinet Mission’s recommendations. This Mission envisaged keeping India undivided for ten years. The constituent assemblies were to consider the question of division after 10 years. When Congress refused to accept the recommendations of the Cabinet Mission, the British government decided to divide India. QUAID’S DREAM OF A PEACEFUL SUB-CONTINENT AND INDO-PAK JOINT DEFENCE: Akbar Ahmed, in his paper Why Jinnah matters (`Maleeha Lodhi (ed.), Pakistan Beyond the Crisis State, Chapter 2, pages 21-34) says, ‘Just before his own death, Jinnah proposed a joint defence pact with India as the Cold War started to shape the world and the two power blocs began to form. Jinnah was still thinking as a South Asian nationalist. Since he had won the rights and security of his community through the creation of Pakistan, he thought the problem

of national defence was over….Had Jinnah’s vision prevailed_ and found an echo in India it would have seen a very different South Asia. There would have been two stable nations India and Pakistan, both supplementing and supporting each other. Indeed Jinnah’s idea of a joint defence system against the outside world would have ensured that there would have been no crippling defence expenditures. There would have been no reason to join one or other camp of the Cold War. There would have been open borders, free trade and regular visiting between the two countries’. The Quaid keenly desired that the subcontinent and all of South Asia should remain aloof from the rivalry. Therefore, he proposed a joint defence pact with India. Had India accepted his idea, the two countries would not have been at daggers drawn after independence. Before his final flight (Aug 7, 1947) from Delhi to Pakistan, he sent a message to the Indian government, “the past must be buried and let us start as two independent sovereign states of Hindustan and Pakistan, I wish Hindustan prosperity and peace.” Vallabhbhai Patel replied from Delhi “the poison has been removed from the body of India. As for the Muslims, they have their roots, their sacred places and their centres here. I do not know what they can possibly do in Pakistan. It will not be long before they return to us.” Nehru’s followers continued their antiPakistan tirade in the post-Partition period. Fanatic Hindus in Indian National Congress thought that Pakistan would, at best, be a still-born baby. But, Pakistan was able to survive all hurdles. It proved its viability despite severe politico-economic jolts. A few words about the Quaid’s vision are in order. THE QUAID’S VISION - A DEMOCRACY, NOT A THEOCRACY: Doubtless, the Quaid visualised Pakistan to be a democracy, not a theocracy.

How Jinnah's ideology shapes Pakistan's identity In 1940 in Lahore Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the man who founded Pakistan, gave a seminal speech setting out the need for a separate state for Muslims on the subcontinent. Prior to the division of India in 1947, Hindus and Muslims had lived together across the country. But Jinnah described them as two separate nations. "It is a dream that the Hindus and Muslims can ever evolve a common nationality," he said. "Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs and literary traditions. They neither intermarry nor eat together, and indeed they belong to two different civilisations which are based mainly on conflicting ideas and conceptions." This "Two Nation Theory", as it came to be known, has become the official Pakistani narrative for the creation of the state and key to how Pakistan defines itself. Pakistan was perhaps the first country to be formed on the basis not of a common ethnicity or language, but religion. Yet at the same time it is not, and never has been, a theocracy. This dichotomy is behind much of the debate around Pakistan's national identity and issues such as its treatment of minorities. 'NOTHING IN COMMON': Before partition, there was real concern among Muslims living in British India at the prospect of becoming a minority in a Hindu-dominated independent India. About one quarter of the population was Muslim. Despite the Congress Party's assertions of its secular values, many Muslims were sceptical and feared that the Hindu majority would seek to marginalise them. Jinnah himself was an advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity before becoming disillusioned with the attitude of Congress. But did, for example, a Malayalamspeaking Sunni Muslim from southern India

really have more in common with a Punjabi Shia from the North than with his Hindu neighbour? There existed vast differences in language, culture and religious interpretations between Indian Muslims, even if they were united by a common faith. Jinnah was not the first to articulate the Two Nation Theory, but with the creation of Pakistan he transformed it into a political reality. The theory is now taught to all school children in Pakistan. It is why many see independence as liberation from India, as opposed to independence from British colonial rule. At a tutoring centre in Islamabad, I asked teenagers why Pakistan was created. "Hindus and Muslims had nothing in common other than the fact that they shared a land," one said. "Their religion, their values, and their culture were all different. So that was why a new country was needed to get their rights." But when Pakistan was created, more Muslims stayed on in India than left. And then in 1971 Pakistan itself split in two, with the creation of an independent Bangladesh. "If the Muslims are supposed to be one nation - then how come they are living in three different states?" asks historian and author Ayesha Jalal. She says the official Pakistani narrative favours teaching ideology over history. 'NOT WRONG': But Atta-ur Rahman, a former head of the Higher Education Commission in Pakistan, points to growing levels of intolerance in India towards Muslims as proof that the Two Nation Theory is correct. He claims Muslims who moved to Pakistan have done "far, far better" in terms of literacy levels and economic opportunities than those who stayed in India. He rejects the suggestion that the independence of Bangladesh following a bloody

civil war undermines the idea all Muslims in the subcontinent could be categorised as "one nation". "It was political interests which led to the division; it doesn't mean the Two Nation Theory was wrong," he said. It is clear that the theory is key to Pakistan's national identity. Islam is the principal bond between its ethnically diverse inhabitants. The national language, Urdu, is native to a small minority only. To disavow the theory would be to question the strength of the bond holding Pakistan together. Yet some ethnic groups in Pakistan feel they are treated differently from others. This is particularly the case for people in the western province of Balochistan, where there has been a long-running nationalist insurgency. Jehanzeb Jamaldini of the Balochistan National Party, which campaigns for greater autonomy, says it would have been better for Pakistan to have recognised different ethnic groups as "four or five different nations"

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within a federation. Instead there is a feeling among many in Pakistan that one ethnic group, Punjabis, dominate the rest of the country. ISLAMIC STATE? The Two Nation Theory has also led to debate over whether Pakistan was intended as a secular homeland for Indian Muslims or an Islamic state, and what role religious minorities should play. Most Hindus left Pakistan at the time of partition but there are about two million who stayed. Ramesh Vankwani, a Hindu member of parliament, says he believes in the theory, yet he also says Hindus and Muslims living in Pakistan "are one nation - Pakistani". For Mr Vankwani, Jinnah's statements in the lead up to independence are more important. Just days before Pakistan was created, Jinnah said: "You are free to go to your temples; you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do with

the business of the State." For Mr Vankwani this is proof that Jinnah wanted equal rights for all and that Pakistan was not just for Muslims. But others in Pakistan ask what the point of creating a homeland for Muslims was if it wasn't to be an Islamic state? Historian Ayesha Jalal is clear that Jinnah envisaged Pakistan as a "homeland for India's Muslims", as opposed to an Islamic state. But she says that his theory has been used by Islamists "as an ideological device" to justify claims for Pakistan to be a theocratic state. And as a result, she says, "clarity has gone of how a homeland is distinct from a country run by the guardians of the faith". 'WHAT WAS THE POINT?' These nuanced distinctions are lost on many ordinary Pakistanis. I spoke to the father of a university student accused of inciting a mob to beat to death one of their classmates for having committed blasphemy with his allegedly "atheist" views. Sharafatullah asked me: "We are told Pakistan was created on the basis of the Two Nation Theory. If people are free to be atheists and spread atheist views, then what was the point of creating Pakistan?" Yet at the same time Islamist parties have never been able to garner significant support in elections. After Bangladesh was declared independent in 1971, then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the Two Nation Theory "dead". In Pakistan it certainly is not, but it continues to feed into debates about the country's identity. At the same time in India, Ms Jalal notes that the rise of right-wing Hindu ideology seems to be a surreptitious endorsement of the idea from a country that has long rejected it. Originally published on BBC

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

06 COMMENT

Intra-Afghan talks: Why do they fail?

Celebrating Independence Day Need to follow the Quaid’s ideals

ne is struck by the clarity of the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision about the type of country Pakistan was supposed to be in days to come only three days before Independence the Quaid delivered his presidential address before the newly formed Constituent Assembly of Pakistan which had been assigned the task of formulating a constitution. Jinnah laid out what he considered the basic components of the new country’s polity. Jinnah underlined the need on the part of the government to maintain law and order, so that “the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State.” He wanted Pakistan to be a kind of a welfare state which concentrated on the economic well-being of the underprivileged who frequently face shortages of food and the essential commodities of life. He advocated putting an end to smuggling, hoarding and black marketing with an iron hand. He said those indulging in these crimes ought to be severely punished “because they undermine the entire system of control and regulation of food-stuffs and essential commodities, and cause wholesale starvation and want and even death”. Decades later political parties continue to pay lip service to the Quaid’s welfare ideals but continue to give a free hand to mafias to artificially raise prices of essential commodities. Jinnah underlined the need to build an inclusive society where citizens were not discriminated against on the basis of colour, faith or sect. After Jinnah, the clerics who were initially opposed to the creation of Pakistan, tried to hijack the political narrative of Pakistan’s creation through the objectives resolution of 1949. It also suited some of the politicians to use a religious narrative to gain the support of religious parties or cover up their deficiencies. The Quaid strongly supported civilian supremacy. Under his guidance Pakistan introduced a federal parliamentary system of government through the interim constitution of 1947. This system was maintained in the 1956 Constitution. The decline and degeneration of the civilian institutions helped men in uniform take over as military rulers. Authoritarian rule violated provincial autonomy and imposed curbs on freedom of expression, leading to the break -up of Pakistan. It is time to return to the ideals of the Founding Father to preserve the unity of the country and restore its credentials as an inclusive and genuinely democratic welfare state.

How sound negotiating tactics can help Syed Sarim Fatmi

or almost a year now the Taliban and the Afghan government have been forced to sit in the same room but in vain. Today, both the parties are battling more fiercely than ever 1,800 km away from the table on the grounds of their “shared homeland”. Why is it so? Since the intra-Afghan dialogue initiated (at least for the cameras; in reality, it has not even begun to date) well before the start of troop withdrawal the blame for the Taliban’s fierce advance cannot solely be placed on the pullout and this has a direct linkage to the failure of these talks to cease armed action. Coming back to the why question strolling in the heads of all analysts and policymakers whose interests are tied with Afghanistan, to answer which one needs to get hold over a book titled; Never Split the Difference by an ex-FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss. The former negotiator in this guide to effectively negotiate culminates the skill into getting a “you are right” from your opponent! The moment the three magical words are voiced the ice is already broken into pieces and from here you and your opponent’s interests converge, making a complex negotiation facile. How does one redeem this magical “you are right” should logically be the next query bothering the reader unless he has already read Voss. So, to those who have, they are welcome to skip the next few lines and for others, it is not that mystical as the world may make us think; it’s an art like any other which begins with empathy or to quote the exact expression “tactical empathy”. Building rapport through deference is the first key that unlocks the door for further talk. Afterward, once you neutrally understand the adversary you solely should acknowledge their concerns and put forward your own tactically in a way that makes your concern their concern: for example, if the Taliban want to impose Sharia, the Afghan government can positively acknowledge the demand and be willing to implement Sharia but in the pursuit should slightly slide in a concern about their own future in such a system highlighting their followers who may repel against the ideology. The following reaction would apparently place the Taliban under control of the negotiation who would then be compelled towards finding a way to accommodate the followers of the Afghan government (and automatically its officials). After all, all humans seek is validity that can then take the best out of them! The theory is empirically proven once we

Taliban advances Regime collapsing faster than expected

HErE was a general opinion, even among supporters of the Kabul regime, that it would collapse before the Taliban once US forces withdrew. Still, the speed of the Taliban advance has even caught them by surprise. one effect, perhaps inevitable, has been the apparent deadlock which has struck the Doha talks, where negotiators from neither the government nor the Taliban side know the position from which they are negotiating. The latest provincial capitals to fall, Herat and Kandahar, indicate that the time for the Kabul regime may well be limited, and the Doha talks may move quickly from being a negotiation over the future of Afghanistan to a surrender negotiation. The fall of such important urban centres as Herat and Kandahar indicates two things. First, the increase in the geographical spread of the Taliban attacks. These had previously avoided the Taliban strongholds in southWestern Afghanistan. The latter shows that hesitation is no longer there. The fall of Herat implies a shift in emphasis from the north of the country to the north-west. Second, the Taliban do not seem unwilling now to go for larger conurbations. This has worrisome implications for those who assumed Kabul was secure for the time being. This might explain the US decision to bring in 3000 troops from Germany who will help provide security for the withdrawal of embassy staff from Kabul. Clearly, the USA is preparing for the worst, and wishes to avoid any hostage situation, as it faced in Iran in 1979. It is perhaps not the best time to play ‘I-told-you-so’, but it is so glaring that there should have been more pressure on the Kabul government to come to a political settlement while there was still time. The Taliban negotiators now have little incentive to be purposeful, and will not, so long as there is no deadlock on the battlefield. The Kabul government’s forces have been deprived of too much, especially in terms of logistics and air support, to be able to resist the Taliban.

After seven decades, we have yet to achieve true freedom dr muhammad aFzaal

HAT is freedom? And what is Pakistan? Both questions are to be solved before discussing the question of the freedom-context of Pakistan. Freedom doesn’t mean any lawlessness, principleless ness, going off track or unboundedness. In fact it is the spirit of living and giving others the opportunity to live also. Life must be slavery less and free with freedom-limits, representative of freedom. Liberty doesn’t allow the devaluing of the liberty of others. Pakistan, as all know, was created on 14 August 1947 in the name of Allah and Islam, as reflected in the slogan ‘Pakistan ka matlab kya La ilaha Illallah (What does Pakistan mean? There is no god but Allah). Pakistan is the first state created on the basis of a religion, in our present times. ///no doubt, it is an exemplary creation HIstory cannot give a previous example, as Israel, which is still not a widely recognized state, came into existence later, in November 1948. Today, we have become 74 years old as a nation. It is a tragedy that inspite of gaining nearly threequarters of a century of experience, the past of the last seven decades-plus is not satisfactory. Both from the aspect of modern techniques and parctices, and of Islamic methodologies. It is an unfortunate fact that we are still not actually a free nation. In each field, whether that of culture, religion, educations, laws and their implementation, economy or society, we greatly depend on Western systems, even though our elders, and even we, spoke out and raised slogans against the West, and even took further steps, against the West and Western systems. It is also painful that our Constitution, in common with those of all subcontinent and all Commonwealth countries, is not entirely free from the British, who had made us slaves under their colonial rule in the first place. In spite of all the progress that has been made,

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

These two sides must realize the dreadful price of their egos and genuinely talk in way negotiators are supposed to which is only possible if the international community, foremostly the USA, wholeheartedly incentivize these talks and not just act “responsible” by photographing the two sides on the same table. It is about time the facades of complacency are torn down and real negotiations commence, or it shall be too late for thousands of more Afghans who could be buried besides the empires in this catastrophic civil war in Afghanistan

The writer can be sarimfatmi1@gmail.com.

reached

out

Freedom — in the context of Pakistan

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

look around our friends for a moment here; all we do is solely validate their concerns, or value their views and they are willing to go miles for us. Thus, the trick is neurologically proven and manifested each day and is not magical. Yet, the hypothetical illustration above may sound too simplistic, but I am certain from watching the interviews of both sides of the table in Doha (and the battlefield in Afghanistan) that are full of perpetual blame gaming, with one blaming the other for violence and vice versa, that even this model has not been applied to at least check. The most recent case is the interview of the Afghan chief negotiator Dr. Abdullah Abdullah to Al Jazeera in which he was confronted with the same query about the likelihood of any successful negotiation under the shadow of this constant blame gaming from both sides in whose answer he adversely furthered the notorious game by pointing towards the violent gains of the Taliban in the recent weeks, identifying them as a sign of Taliban’s aversion to peace. It is this attitude of the Afghan leaders that steals the future of many Afghan children who instead of going to schools are sheltering themselves from the war they have nothing to do with. Why cannot the doctor who has seen blood on his land for years just for those children capitulate in his words to give Taliban the illusion of legitimacy by implying that their demands too are justified, and we seek to make space within those demands to accommodate ourselves and our followers! For once, at least, the ice may break by mere words, and guns might be put to rest. I do not intend to sideline the responsibility of the Taliban who too should do the same, but since the Afghan officials are more “educated” or at least they claim to be, then

why cannot they utilize “tactical empathy” that has the potential to save lives, else their higher education and liberal ethics are worthless if they too want to play the same way as the violent Taliban? But let’s go back to reality now. It is a pity that while I was penning down the hypothetical scenario based on the former FBI negotiator’s technique it felt like writing a fairy tale. realistically, the self-inflicted egos on both sides are too high for any breakthrough to happen as neither of the two even strategically want to validate the other. Maybe, the popular discourses have traditionally been arranged in a way that “people” are demonized, instilling a belief that people are inherently evil while in actuality it is the “differences” that are. Similarly, both the Afghan officials and the Taliban, even though they sit in the same room, consider the other non-human with no legitimacy apparent in the stalemate with not even an agenda or framework agreed yet. Yet humans, while they are capable of the worst, they are of good too, and the pages of history are full of it; resolution of Cuban missile crisis, apartheid’s quashing in the USA and South Africa, the NPT regimes, are just a few amongst them. To add another such page these two sides must realize the dreadful price of their egos and genuinely talk in way negotiators are supposed to which is only possible if the international community, foremostly the USA, wholeheartedly incentivize these talks and not just act “responsible” by photographing the two sides on the same table. It is about time the facades of complacency are torn down and real negotiations commence, or it shall be too late for thousands of more Afghans who could be buried besides the empires in this catastrophic civil war in Afghanistan.

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

and there has been undoubtedly been some, we have not become a nation which is imbued with the spirit of freedom. Neither non-democratic nor democratic regimes have been able to change the fate of Pakistan and the destiny of its people. Besides other causes, a major factor has been that we have become accustomed to follow the practices of the West, even if they are not the best for us, in politics and private life. They may not be the worst, but they are not necessarily the best. We should only take what is beneficial and leave alone what is not. We must avoid blind faith in the West. We must be good Muslims and good Easterners, against the West and its worst. It is necessary to develop the habit of using Eastern items of daily use, and eschewing those imported from the West. Avoiding such imports would be a good step towards becoming an independent nation. The proper use of freedom and independence require the following: al-avoiding laziness and being active at all times, both individually and collectively

-being loyal to Islam and Muslims -being loyal to nation and country -implementing Islam in all aspects of life, death and society Not making Pakistan a police state -avoiding strictly handing Pakistan over to the feudal lords Western democracy has totally failed. In fact, the system presently practised is not true democracy. No political party is running, or is based on, democratic means. The learned scholar of Islam, as well as of modernity and the West, as well as the great Urdu poet, Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, very correctly told us about Western democracy in the following famous couplet Jamhooriat ik tarzi-hukoomat hai jis mein/Bandon ko gina jaata hai, tola nahin jaata (Democracy is a ruling system in which/People are counted, not weighed). How right he was! The real meaning of freedom is freedom of the mind. So long as we remain in mental bondage, we will never really enjoy the benefits of freedom. This Independence Day, we must pledge to become truly free, by rejecting those habits of mind which keep us enslaved, and thus unable to enjoy the full benefits of the political independence obtained so many decades ago.

In spite of all the progress that has been made, and there has been undoubtedly been some, we have not become a nation which is imbued with the spirit of freedom. Neither nondemocratic nor democratic regimes have been able to change the fate of Pakistan and the destiny of its people. Besides other causes, a major factor has been that we have become accustomed to follow the practices of the West, even if they are not the best for us, in politics and private life.

-removing the lack of the power of decision making Being united and integrated -being honest and true

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

The writer is a freelance columnist I

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 14 August, 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

Books over drugs THE dream that our children will hold books instead of heroin must not just remain a dream. In Buleda, Kech drugs are supplied so easily under the open sky with no fear, which is why every other person in buleda is a drug addict, including children. The people of Buleda region of district Kech has came out from their homes and took out the third rally on Sunday against the widespread use of drugs. The people had appealed the concerned authorities to take immediate action against the drug dealer and users. Particularly, the new generations who are our future, has to be protected against the use of drugs. The reason behind the unfavorable situations in Buleda is the increasing rate of drug trafficking. We beseech the government to take concrete actions against the smugglers to prevent the future of our youth against narcotics. Fiza NaSir TurbaT

Voice for justice

Story of North and South Korea: Division and thereafter They played leading roles in the Cold War

dr rajkumar Singh

HE Korean Peninsula is an area in present East Asia, divided into two parts North and South following the surrender of Japan in World War II, on 2 September 1945, dominated by two superpowers of the time, the USA and USSr, and both parts of the peninsula adopted their respective master’s system of government to become a Democratic People’s republic of Korea (North), on 9 September 1948 and the republic of Korea (South), on 15 August 1948. As it was the phase of the Cold War in international politics, the two parts of the Korean peninsula went into war, heavily backed by the USA and the US respectively. The war began on 25 June 1950 and ended on 2 July 1953. Both parts became members of the United Nations organisation (UNo) on 17 September 1991, and declaring the end of their internal conflict, agreed to open a new chapter in their relationship of peace, prosperity and reunification on 27 April 2018. The peninsula as a whole is bordered by China to the northwest and russia to the northeast, separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan, occupying an area of 223,155 km with population of above 77 million, as estimated in 2017, with a density of 349.06 per square kilometer. Most scholars admit that it was after a king ‘Koryo’ who ruled a large part of Korean Peninsula during Marco Polo’s time, but in the 19th century this name of the country became famous with the expanding of British and American trade, and today it is used by both North as well as South Korea. Historically, the Korean peninsula has been ruled mainly by three dynastiesSilla, Goryeo, and Joseon. The Silla began ruling in the 6th century, then the Goryeo dynasty was founded in 918, which replaced Silla and, in time, in 1392, the Joseon dynasty overthrew the Goryeo in a coup and defeated them; but throughout the period and even earlier, China wielded a powerful influence over the peninsula. For the first time in the history of the Korean peninsula, Chinese influence was challenged in 1871 by Japan who began to exert equal or more

influence in the peninsula which led the war between China and Japan, the China-Japan War (1894-95), resulting in the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and as a follow up of its Articles, the Chinese Qing dynasty was bound to relinquish the traditional influence it availed earlier. From there onwards the region was opened for russia, Japan, France, and the \USA, which all invested in the country and the nation began modernising in the sphere of the military, the economy, real property laws, the education system and industry. As Korea was already under the occupation of the Japanese military, a suspicious treaty, the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, was assumed to be signed, but not ratified properly by the competent authority. It, however, put the whole peninsula under Japanese control in 1910. The Korean people considered the treaty signed under duress, threat of force and bribes. It resulted in non-violent mass movements of the people beginning in 1919, followed by labour unrest in 1939 in which thousands of people were killed and in Korean history it was the phase of Japanese use of repression and force by the military. Although a significant number of Japanese also settled in Korea, they all returned to Japan after the second World War ended in 1945. The year 1945 is very important in the whole history of Korea Peninsula for it was partitioned between two superpowers of the time, the USA and the USSr when Japanese forces surrendered in the aftermath of second World War, and as agreed, the North of Korea came under Soviet occupation and the South Korea remained under the USA, resulting in the formation of a Communist-inspired government in hew north part while its opposition and pro-western government in south portion of the area. In 1948 they also became separate political entities having got their sovereignty. Along with basic differences between the two, they went into a declared war which lasted for three years (1950-53), but it did not end their claim to be the sole legitimate government of the region. Provisional peace returned between them with the help of the Korean Armistice Agreement which brought about a peace and established a demilitarized zone, but no formal peace treaty was signed. Following the footprints of

the Soviet Union North Korea is a one-party state with a centrally planned economy. In contrast to the South Korea, Article 1 of the state constitution of North Korea mentions it as an ‘independent socialist state’. Although it holds elections but described by observers as sham elections having a totalitarian dictatorship with an elaborate cult of personality around the Kim dynasty, of which the current leader is Kim Jong-un. The single dominant political party is the Worker’s Party of Korea, led and controlled by members of the ruling family. Likewise, according to Article 3 of the Constitution Juche is the official ideology of Korea which is translated as ‘self-reliant’ and it puts all means of production owned directly by the state or state-run enterprises and collectivized farms. Even in the constitution of 2016 there is no basic change ideologically. Since 14 August 2020 the Executive powers of the state is vested in the Cabinet of North Korea headed by Premier Kim Dok-hun who represents the government functions independently. Situated on the southern portion of the Korean peninsula, the independent country, South Korea was an integral part of the peninsula before its division in 1945. Unlike North Korea where a Soviet-backed totalitarian government was formed, South Korea was heavily backed by the USA and formed a capitalist democratic country. After its independence in 1948, and fighting a war with North Korea for three years (195053), it moved on the path of economic development and registered the fastest rise in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990 and became one of the advanced democratic countries of Asia with a record of maximum freedom for press, it however, earned a bad name in corruption at highest levels. Even in last three-four years, corruption remained the main national issue, resulting in fallout of highest Executive of the country and mass demonstration at large scale across the nation. It has also witnessed a heavy loss of life due to the covid-19 pandemic for the first time in its history.

Situated on the southern portion of the Korean peninsula, the independent country, South Korea was an integral part of the peninsula before its division in 1945. Unlike North Korea where a Soviet-backed totalitarian government was formed, South Korea was heavily backed by the USA and formed a capitalist democratic country

The writer is head of the political science department and dean of the Social Sciences faculty of the B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

A Baloch from Turbat, Hayat Mirza Baloch was killed by a FC personal, after a blast in absor, despite being innocent. Now the question is how many parents have to lose their hayats like this? It was called a mistake but the young man was shoted eight bullets that clearly shows it wasn’t a mistake. He lost his life with the dream of being a CSS officer and serve his country. None of us can imagine the heartbreaking scenario of his parents as he was gunned down in front of them. Undoubtedly, Hayat cannot be back but raising our voice is necessary to give him justice. MahNaz MuShTaq TurbaT

Transgender issue in Pakistan PAKISTAN is the second largest Islamic state in the world. Islam has given equal rights to everyone. Through electronic and print media, we found that being an Islamic state; still transgender are neglected by the government and the local society. There is many NGo’s working for human rights, but also they have ignored the transgender. We found, that in Pakistan the transgender are ignored in every walk of life including, education, government jobs, health care and even security for their life. The Supreme Court of Pakistan gave certain rights to the trans community, but these rights are still not properly implemented. Even their own families do not accept them. one of the most sensitive social issues in Pakistan is discrimination and violence against the transgender community. Trans people, also known as the “third” gender, are considered an abomination by society. We stand together in opposition to such abuse and inequality. As believers in human rights and justice, it is our duty to support all marginalised communities as they fight for respect and equality. And as feminists, we believe that we need to keep fighting for gender-based services and resources together. irMa youSuF Karachi

Power problems to continue THErE is a misunderstanding that recent negotiations between the government and IPPs resulting in signing of MoUs have settled the power issues in favour of the client . As a matter of fact , the contracts signed between the parties still hold good . The government does not gain anything materially through these MoUs , as their contents are not binding on the IPPs as long as the wishes of the client ( the government) as mentioned there in are not converted into fresh contracts between the parties . IPPs have not given any legal undertakings to undo the previous sovereign contracts already in force . So there is no occasion of being optimistic prematurely on the final fate of the MoUs . The problem of continuously rising circular debt haunts us as before and the authorities are silent on this grave issue which is eating away our economy. The wretched power distribution system continues unattended with its technical and commercial pitfalls . It is pity that many parts of the country suffer load shedding even in these times of surplus generating capability simply because power can not reach the end consumers because of transmission & distribution bottle necks . only God knows when will our power system will be corrected . ENgr riaz bhuTTa LahorE

Reopening with caution THE Government took a bold decision to lift restrictions on many sectors following a drop in Coronavirus cases. This decision was taken for the sake of economic survival. The business community, industrialists, and mill owners and the general public will benefit from this concession as it would likely revive the economy. However, this also puts the responsibility on everyone to do their part to stop the spread of this deadly disease. It is our collective responsibility to avoid social and physical contact as much as possible. We must all do our part by wearing masks, avoiding unnecessary handshakes, hugging, and close interactions to reduce the spread of Coronavirus. The owners of big Stores and Malls should use their influence on their customers to encourage safe behaviors. I would go to the extent that the business community must not only follow all precautions itself but also refuse to entertain anyone not following the SoPs at their business. Similarly, politicians (MNAs, MPAs, and ministers) and prominent personalities should lead by example and follow all precautions in public. We must as a nation understand that the decision by the government to lift the restrictions was to revive the economy and by no means it should be taken as a declaration that the virus is over. The Coronavirus is still lurking around and we all must exhibit responsible behaviors to stay safe while keeping the economy going. raja ShaFaaTuLLah iSLaMabad

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Biden could have stopped the taliBan. he chose not to. HISTORY WILL RECORD MR BIDEN, A SUPPOSED MASTER OF FOREIGN POLICY FOR DECADES, AS HAVING FAILED IN THIS MOST CRITICAL ASSIGNMENT

new York tImes

Frederick W kagan

HE Taliban is sweeping across Afghanistan seizing more than a dozen provincial capitals in the past week, and is poised to seize more. Afghan defense forces, finding themselves mostly cut off from U.S. air support, haven’t been able to stop them, and the Afghan government may not survive for much longer. The United States has all but abandoned the country. A disastrous Taliban takeover wasn’t inevitable. President Biden said his hands were tied to a withdrawal given the awful peace deal negotiated between the Trump administration and the Taliban. But there was still a way to pull out American troops while giving our Afghan partners a better chance to hold the gains we made with them over the last two decades. Mr. Biden chose otherwise. The way he announced the drawdown and eventual departure of American troops — at the start of the fighting season, on a rapid timeline and sans adequate coordination with the Afghan government — has in part gotten us into the current situation. Reasonable people can disagree about the wisdom of keeping American military forces in Afghanistan indefinitely, even at very low numbers. I and others have argued that the investment, including the risk to American personnel, is worth it to prevent

militant groups from once again overrunning the country. Mr. Biden believes that further expending U.S. resources in Afghanistan is “a recipe for being there indefinitely.” He rightly notes that President Trump had left him few good options by making a terrible deal with the Taliban. That’s a fine argument, but it explains neither the hastiness nor the consequences we are now observing: the Taliban overrunning swathes of the country, closing in on Kabul, pushing the Afghan security forces and government to the brink of collapse and prompting the Pentagon to prepare for a possible evacuation of the U.S. embassy. A responsible withdrawal needed more time and better preparation. History will record Mr. Biden, a supposed master of foreign policy for decades, as having failed in this most critical assignment. As U.S. military planners well know, the Afghan war has a seasonal pattern. The Taliban leadership retreats to bases, largely in Pakistan, every winter and then launches the group’s fighting season campaign in the spring, moving into high gear in the summer after the poppy harvest. At the very least, the United States should have continued to support the Afghans through this period to help them blunt the Taliban’s latest offensive and buy time to plan for a future devoid of American military assistance. American diplomats could have used this time to negotiate access to regional bases from which to continue counterterrorism operations. Simultaneously, the American military should have prepared contingencies in case those negotiations failed. And even that plan would have meant contending with an increasingly brazen Taliban. (A report by the special inspector general for Afghanistan Reconstruction said the Taliban launched its latest offensive after U.S. and coalition forces officially began

offensive drawing was moving down in into its May.) major phase. AdoptSeveral ing a more weeks after judicious apthe presip r o a c h dent’s anwould have nouncement, required Mr. there was no Biden to acclear plan cept two for respondthings in ading to terrordition to a ist threats longer timeemanating line: the f r o m temporary Afghanistan deployment post-withof additional drawal. It U.S. forces was still unand the clear if the slightly inU n i t e d creased risk States would of American continue to casualties. provide air Sending support to additional A f g h a n troops into f o r c e s , Afghanistan Post cover for August 13, 2021. Biden's Saigon whether it could have alwould have lowed the United States to carry out the withdrawal bases in neighboring countries, or how safely without severely disrupting military Kabul’s international airport would be sesupport. When the president ordered the cured — an element essential to the maintepullout, there were some 3,500 U.S. troops nance of a U.S. diplomatic presence in the in Afghanistan. One thousand or 2,000 addi- country. Since then, the U.S. military has protional troops deployed for less than a year could have made a significant difference. vided some support to Afghan forces as the They would have allowed Gen. Austin S. Taliban continues to advance. Unfortunately, Miller, the former U.S. commander in this support has been too limited and late to Afghanistan, to continue supporting the save major cities under attack. In addition, Afghan security forces while simultaneously several details of the withdrawal appear to remain unresolved, including how to keep prepping the withdrawal. Obviously, Mr. Biden did not proceed in the Afghan military operational without the this manner. Instead, he ordered a hasty presence of U.S. contractors for technical withdrawal of the military just as the Taliban support, and how to expedite the immigra-

tion of Afghan interpreters who risked their lives for U.S. troops. Protecting these people is an ethical responsibility and strategic imperative, but the administration’s current Special Immigrant Visa Program is plagued by delays. To be clear, Mr. Trump did put the Biden administration in a bind with a peace deal that specified U.S. troops had to leave by May 1. Still, Mr. Biden blew past that deadline, so pushing for a slightly longer timeline with some extra troops, even if in theory that goes against the peace deal, shouldn’t have been difficult for the administration to accept to permit an orderly, safer withdrawal. The additional financial cost of waiting until early 2022 to complete the retreat would have been bearable with a slightly different budgetary prioritization. (The Senate just approved a trillion dollar infrastructure bill and passed a $3.5 trillion budget plan.) And then there are the optics of an American retreat. Mr. Biden has repeatedly emphasized the importance of getting U.S. forces out the door, because he was tied to the peace deal and lest U.S. soldiers come under Taliban attack. Is this really the type of fearful, defeatist message a global leader should be sending out to the world? Both the U.S. and Afghan governments are now scrambling to mitigate the effects of Mr. Biden’s specific decisions. Amid the chaos, there is an important lesson to be learned: Whether announced by tweet or speech, decisions made without concrete plans or robust implementation strategies are wrong — regardless of which president or party spearheads them. Afghans are paying the price of Mr. Biden’s decision today as the Taliban seizes cities, assassinates officials and begins reimposing its oppressive ideology on a people who have long fought to be free of it. The United States will likely also continue to pay for its actions in Afghanistan. There’s a real danger that militant groups will reconstitute themselves and once again pose a significant threat to the American homeland. With America’s allies left in the lurch, prospective partners will think twice before offering up their support in future conflicts. They know that this is not how a global leader acts. And most important, so do we. Frederick W. Kagan is a senior fellow and director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute. He was part of Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s civilian advisory team in Afghanistan in 2009 and advised three commanders of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan.

Government weakness, not Taliban strength, condemns Afghanistan AFTER 20 YEARS AND THE EXPENDITURE BY THE US OF $2.3TN IN AFGHANISTAN, THE CLAIM THAT THE MILITARY LACKED TIME OR RESOURCES IS AN ABSURD EVASION OF RESPONSIBILITY

Independent Patrick cockburn

The victory of the Taliban in Afghanistan is looking unstoppable as they capture the big provincial cities of Kandahar, Herat and Ghazni without meeting effective resistance from Afghan government forces. Afghan soldiers and security forces are fleeing, surrendering or changing sides as they see no point in dying for a lost cause. The speed of the Taliban success has caught the world by surprise – as no doubt it was intended to do. There has been no “decent interval” between the US departure

and the Taliban attack, as there was in South Vietnam between the final US withdrawal in 1972 and the defeat of the South Vietnamese government by the North Vietnamese army in 1975. The fact that everything the US and Britain fought for in Afghanistan over two decades is collapsing at such a pace underlines the extent of the Western defeat and will reinforce the belief that the era of the US as the sole super power is coming to an end. As with the Soviet Union in the 1980s, failure in Afghanistan has global implications far beyond the country where the war is being waged. In fact, the defeat is more complete than that suffered by the Soviet Union in the 1980s, but after Soviet withdrawal the Communist government in Kabul survived for several years, in sharp contrast to the present debacle. President Joe Biden may have expected the Kabul government ultimately to lose the war against the Taliban, when he announced the full US pull-out on 14 April, but not so swiftly or decisively. It was President Donald Trump who put in motion the final stages of the US pull-out, but it will be Biden who will pay the political price for the American failure. Western generals have the gall to say the US retreat was too precipitate and they needed more time to train and prepare the Afghan armed forces. But after 20 years and the expenditure by the US of $2.3tn in

AN OLD SAYING DECLARES THAT AFGHANS NEVER LOSE A WAR – BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS JOIN THE WINNER BEFORE IT COMES TO AN END Afghanistan, the claim that the military lacked time or resources is an absurd evasion of responsibility. Kabul, with a population of 4.5 million, has yet to fall but the lack of resistance elsewhere in the country suggests that it will not hold out for long. The overall failure of the Western-supported regime in Kabul is not difficult to explain. The Taliban defeat back in 2001 was not as decisive as reported at the time because their forces simply went home to their villages or crossed the border into Pakistan where they and their leadership were safe. The role of Pakistan is a key factor in the US and the Afghan government defeat and follows America’s failure over 20 years to confront the Pakistani authorities. This was understandable since Pakistan has a powerful army, a population of 216 million, and a common border with Afghanistan stretching for 1,616 miles. Pakistan not only supported the insurgents, but directed them strategically and tactically. This was the case when the Taliban first captured Kabul in 1996 and it is likely to be still true as they prepare to take the capital again in the coming days. Yet there is far more to the Taliban victory than a strong foreign backer. Their commanders could recruit fighters willing to withstand devastating US air strikes in support of American ground forces which numbered 100,000 soldiers at their peak strength. The Afghan armed forces never had a similar core of fighters willing to die for a cause. In visits to Afghanistan over the years, I have been impressed less by Taliban strength than by the government’s weakness and

unpopularity. Friends and casual acquaintances would denounce it as no better than a gang of racketeers gorging themselves on US aid money or on juicy supply and construction contracts. Western governments were in a state of denial over this. When Peter Galbraith, a senior UN official in Kabul, said that the US and its allies had no credible local partner – referring to the Afghan government of the day – he was promptly sacked. The blindness was wilful, with Western diplomats visiting Western and Afghan military strongpoints in rural areas politely averting their eyes from the Taliban flags flying from trees and poles in nearby villages. At one time in Kabul, I spotted a notice board beside a police post reading in English capital letters “RING OF STEEL”, but the post was entirely empty. I wondered if the sign could be an Afghan joke, but decided that the slogan, and the absent security forces told one a lot about the capabilities of the Afghan regime. Trillions of dollars were spent by the US in Afghanistan, but Afghan soldiers were often short of food, ammunition, fuel and could not even get defective weapons replaced. These failings were blamed by Westerners on the corruption of the Afghan state and society, but much of the American aid money never made it past the sticky fingers of US consultants and security companies. Wherever this largesse was going, it was not into the pockets of the 54 per cent of Afghans living below the poverty line of $1.90 a day. Deeply cynical though I have been about the strength of the Afghan army and

government, I am still surprised by the sheer speed with which they have disintegrated in the last few weeks. Weaker than even their critics supposed, their final implosion was brought about by a well-planned Taliban military offensive, which focused from an early stage on the north of the country. The dominant ethnic groups here are the Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazara – in contrast to the largely Pashtun Taliban – who were the core of anti-Taliban resistance before 2001. By striking in these northern areas first, the Taliban presumably hope to prevent opposition to them coming together to recreate the Northern Alliance, the old antiTaliban coalition of warlords, which held northeast Afghanistan before 2001. War in Afghanistan is often not what it seems to the outside world. More than in most civil conflicts, leaders, tribes, militias, cities, villages and individuals change sides to join the likely victor. An old saying declares that Afghans never lose a war – because they always join the winner before it comes to an end. Thus Ismail Khan, a powerful warlord in Herat is reported by the Taliban to have joined their forces, though the government sources say that he was captured. Such switches of allegiance explain the momentum of the Taliban advance. Twenty years ago, I saw the Taliban likewise abandon Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Ghazni without a fight. But consolidating these successes may prove difficult because the Taliban are either hated or disliked in much of the country, particularly in the cities, where they will only be able to rule by the use or threat of violence.

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

BUSINESS 09

KARACHI

Pfizer, ModerNa seeN reaPiNg billioNs froM Covid-19 vaCCiNe booster Market NEW YORK

Crypto platform Poly Network rewards hacker with $500,000 'bug bounty' HONG KONG REUTERS

Poly Network, the cryptocurrency platform which lost $610 million in a hack earlier this week, confirmed on Friday it had offered the hacker or hackers a $500,000 "bug bounty". In a statement it thanked the hacker - who it dubbed a "white hat", sector jargon for an ethical hacker who generally aims to expose cyber vulnerabilities - who had returned the bulk of the funds for "helping us improve Poly Network’s security". The network also said it hoped "Mr. White Hat" would contribute to the blockchain sector’s continued development upon accepting the $500,000 reward, which it had offered as part of negotiations around the return of the digital coins. The statement did not specify the form in which it would pay the $500,000. It said the hacker had responded to the offer but did not say if it was accepted. On Thursday digital messages shared on Twitter by Tom Robinson, chief scientist and co-founder of crypto tracking firm Elliptic, showed a person claiming to have perpetrated the hack had said Poly Network offered him the bounty to return the stolen assets. A lesser-known name in the world of crypto, Poly Network is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that facilitates peer-to-peer transactions with a focus on allowing users to transfer or swap tokens across different blockchains. The as-yet unidentified hacker or hackers appear to have exploited a vulnerability in the digital contracts Poly Network uses to move assets between different blockchains, according to blockchain forensics company Chainalysis. According to Friday's statement, the hacker has returned $340 million worth of assets and transferred the bulk of the rest to a digital wallet jointly controlled by them and Poly Network. The remainder, held in tether, was frozen by the cryptocurrency firm behind the stablecoin. "After communicating with Mr. White Hat, we have also come to a more complete understanding regarding how the situation unfolded as well as Mr. White Hat’s original intention," the statement said, without giving further details. Poly Network announced the hack on Tuesday, but the following day said the hackers had begun returning the digital coins they had taken. The hackers said in digital messages shared by Elliptic that they had perpetrated the attack for fun and that it was always the plan to return the tokens. Some blockchain analysts have speculated however they might have found it too difficult to launder stolen cryptocurrency on such a scale.

REUTERS

RUGMAKERS Pfizer Inc, BioNTech and Moderna Inc are expected to reap billions of dollars from Covid-19 booster shots in a market that could rival the $6 billion in annual sales for flu vaccines for years to come, analysts and healthcare investors say. For several months, the companies have said they expect that fully inoculated people will need an extra dose of their vaccines to maintain protection over time and to fend off new coronavirus variants. Now a growing list of governments, including Chile, Germany and Israel, have decided to offer booster doses to older citizens or people with weak immune systems in the face of the fast-spreading Delta variant. Late on Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a booster dose of vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc for people with compromised immune systems. Pfizer, along with its German partner BioNTech , and Moderna have together locked up over $60 billion in sales of the shots just in 2021 and 2022. The agreements include supply of the initial two doses of their vaccines as well as billions of dollars in potential boosters for wealthy nations. Going forward, analysts have forecast revenue of over $6.6 billion for the Pfizer/BioNTech shot and $7.6 billion for Moderna in 2023, mostly from booster sales. They eventually see the annual market settling at around $5 billion or higher, with additional drugmakers competing for those sales. The vaccine makers say that evidence of waning antibody levels in vaccinated people after six months, as

well as an increasing rate of breakthrough infections in countries hit by the Delta variant, support the need for booster shots. Some early data suggests that the Moderna vaccine, which delivers a higher dose at the outset, may be more durable than Pfizer’s shot, but more research is needed to determine whether that is influenced by the age or underlying health of the people vaccinated. As a result, it is far from clear how many people will need boosters, and how often. The profit potential of booster shots may be limited by the number of competitors who enter the market. In addition, some scientists question whether there is enough evidence that boosters are needed, particularly for younger, healthy people. The World Health Organization has asked governments to hold off on booster shots until more people worldwide receive their initial doses. "We don't know what the market forces will be," Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in an interview last week. "At some point, this will become a more traditional market - we'll look

at what are the populations at risk, what value are we creating, and what are the number of products that serve that value. That will ultimately impact price." Pfizer declined to comment for the story. During the company’s secondquarter earnings call, executives said they believe a third dose will be necessary 6 to 8 months after vaccination, and regularly afterward. A MODEL IN FLU SHOTS: If regular covid-19 boosters are needed among the general population, the market would most resemble the flu shot business, which distributes more than 600 million doses per year. Four competitors split the U.S. flu market, which is the most lucrative and accounts for around half the global revenue, according to Dave Ross, an executive at CSL's flu vaccine unit Seqirus. Flu vaccination rates in developed countries have settled at around 50% of the population, and Covid boosters would likely follow a similar pattern if approved widely, said Atlantic Equities analyst Steve Chesney. Flu shots cost around $18 to $25 a

dose, according to U.S. government data and competition has kept price increases in check, with producers raising prices 4 or 5 percent in 2021. Pfizer and Moderna may have greater pricing power for their boosters, at least at the outset, until competitors arrive. Pfizer initially charged $19.50 per dose for its vaccine in the United States and 19.50 euros for the European Union, but has already raised those prices 24% and 25%, respectively, in subsequent supply deals. AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson are both gathering additional data on boosters of their vaccines. Novavax, Curevac, and Sanofi could also potentially be used as boosters, though their vaccines have yet to receive any regulatory authorization. "A lot of these firms aren't even in the market yet. I think within a year's time, all these companies will have booster strategies," said Morningstar analyst Damien Conover, who covers Pfizer. Mizuho Securities analyst Vamil Divan expects at least 5 players in the Covid-19 booster market within a few years. There's still a lot of uncertainty around how boosters would be rolled out in the United States. Still, it is possible or even likely that people will be boosted with different vaccines than they were originally vaccinated with. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is already testing mixed boosting, and other countries that have used so-called mix and match vaccination have not had problems with that strategy. One factor that could curb prices is if the U.S. government continues paying for most or all of the shots administered in the country, rather than leave it in the hands of private health insurers.

US House members introduce bill targeting Apple and Google app stores WASHINGTON REUTERS

A Republican and a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill aimed at reining in powerful app stores run by companies like Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google. The bill is a companion to a measure introduced this week by a bipartisan trio of senators which would bar big app stores from requiring app providers to use alternate app stores and payment systems. Representative Ken Buck, the top Republican on

the House Judiciary Committee antitrust panel, introduced the measure along with Representative Hank Johnson, a Democrat. "For far too long, companies like Google and Apple have had a stranglehold on app developers who are forced to take whatever terms these monopolists set in order to reach their customers," Buck said in an email statement. U.S. consumers spent nearly $33 billion last year in mobile app stores and downloaded 13.4 billion apps, Buck's office said in a statement. Apple has previously defended its app store as

"an unprecedented engine of economic growth and innovation, one that now supports more than 2.1 million jobs across all 50 states." The stakes are high for Apple, whose App Store anchors its $53.8 billion services business as the smartphone market has matured. Google has said that Android phones often have two or more app stores preloaded. The House Judiciary Committee passed six antitrust measures in June, most of them aimed at hemming in tech giants Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook.

Droughts shrink hydropower, pose risk to global push to clean energy SACRAMENTO REUTERS

Severe droughts are drying up rivers and reservoirs vital for the production of zeroemissions hydropower in several countries around the globe, in some cases leading governments to rely more heavily on fossil fuels. The emerging problems with hydropower production in places like the United States, China and Brazil represent what scientists and energy experts say is going to be a long-term issue for the industry as climate change triggers more erratic weather and makes water access less reliable. They also could pose a threat to international ambitions to fight global warming by hindering one of the leading forms of existing clean power. Hydropower is the world's top source of clean energy and makes up close to 16% of world electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This year, climate-driven droughts have triggered the biggest disruptions in hydropower generation in decades in places like the western United States and Brazil. China is still recovering from the effects of last year's severe drought on hydro production in Yunnan province in the southwestern part of the country. Elsewhere, too much water is the problem. Last year in Malawi, for example, flooding and debris from megastorms forced two

power stations to go offline, reducing hydropower capacity from 320 megawatts (MW) to 50 MW, according to the IEA. Those effects have forced power grid operators to rely more heavily on thermal power plants, often fired by natural gas or coal, and to ask businesses to curtail electricity use to prevent outages, according to Reuters interviews with grid operators and regulators. "When we're talking about hydropower we're really talking about making sure we have enough water to get electricity," said Kristen Averyt, a research professor focusing on climate resilience at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. "What does that hydro generation get replaced with?" SHUTDOWN AT LAKE OROVILLE: In California, the State Water Project was forced to shut down a 750-MW hydroelectric power plant at Lake Oroville this month for the first time since it was built in 1967 because of low water levels. In good years, the plant can power half a million homes. Power facilities at Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in the federal government's Central Valley Project in California, were also generating about 30% less power than usual this summer, said Cary Fox, a team leader for the Bureau of Reclamation's operations in the state. The lake usually provides about 710 MW during the summer, but in July was producing only 500 MW, Fox said.

At the huge 2,000 MW Hoover Dam on the Colorado River at the border of Nevada and Arizona, production was also down by about 25% last month, the agency said. One megawatt can power up to 1,000 U.S. homes. Tight power supplies in California, driven in part by low hydropower production, led Governor Gavin Newsom to issue an order on July 30 allowing industrial power consumers to run on diesel generators and engines that emit more greenhouse gases. The order also allowed ships at port to use diesel generators instead of plugging into the grid, and lifted restrictions on the amount of fuel natural gas plants can use to generate power. Environmentalists have criticized the move, saying it will worsen air quality in California and undermine the state's efforts to fight climate change. Tim Welch, director of hydropower research at the U.S. Department of Energy, said the department is researching ways that dams can more efficiently store water during rainy periods so it can be reserved for use during droughts. Hydropower plants in the United States are capable of producing about 80 gigawatts (GW) of energy, about 7% of total energy production, Welch said. DROUGHT IN BRAZIL: In Brazil, where hydroelectric power is the top source of electricity at 61%, drought recently cut water

flows into hydro dams to a 91-year low, the country's mines and energy minister said. To offset the drop in hydropower, the country is seeking to activate thermoelectric plants, mainly powered by natural gas, threatening to drive up greenhouse gas emissions. In July, sector regulator Aneel raised the most expensive electricity rate by 52%, due to the drought crisis. Severe weather events like the current drought will become increasingly frequent with climate change, and Brazilians will need to change their attitudes about water, said José Marengo, a climatologist at the government's disaster monitoring center. "People always thought that water is unlimited, but it really isn't," Marengo said. Brazil Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque said in an online briefing with reporters that a boom in the construction of power lines to reroute electricity to where it is needed and diversification away from hydro to solar and wind will help the country deal with such events in the future, and prevent the need for water rationing. Even so, Brazil will remain reliant on hydropower for years. By 2030, the energy ministry predicts 49% of electricity will come from hydro. The country is also maintaining plans to build more hydro plants, exploring potential cross-border dam projects with Bolivia, Guyana and Argentina, as well as building 2 GW worth of small dams do-

mestically. DAMS - SAVE THE PLANET OR HARM IT? Last year's drought in China's Yunnan province slashed hydro power generation by nearly 30% during the first five months of 2020, according to official data. Output this year remains curtailed by around 10%. Yunnan usually accounts for roughly a quarter of China's total hydro generation, and the province is home to several aluminum smelting businesses that require vast quantities of power to operate. The province restricted metal producers' power use earlier this year, forcing some smelting capacity to be temporarily shut. More disruptions are expected. A recent study by researchers in Nanjing looked at the potential impact of climate change and rising temperatures on hydropower generation in Yunnan. Their models showed decreases in rain and snowfall during the October-April drought season and increases in the summer rainy season. To even out the variability, the researchers proposed more storage capacity more dams and reservoirs. But the diversions could worsen droughts elsewhere, according to experts. China's giant reservoirs on the upper reaches of the Mekong River in Yunnan have already been blamed for reducing downstream flows – affecting water access in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar.

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

Turkey combaTs black sea floods, deaTh Toll rises To 27 SINOP

REUTERS

MERgENCy workers battled to relieve flood-hit areas of Turkey's Black Sea region on Friday, as the death toll rose to 27 in the second natural disaster to strike the country this month. The floods, among the worst Turkey has experienced, brought chaos to northern provinces just as authorities were declaring wildfires that raged through southern coastal regions for two weeks had been brought under control. Torrents of water tossed dozens of cars and heaps of debris along streets, with bridges destroyed, roads closed and electricity cut to hundreds of villages. Media reports said President Tayyip Erdogan was to visit the region on Friday. "This is the worst flood disaster I have seen," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told reporters late on Thursday after surveying damage which extended across the provinces of Bartin, Kastamonu and Sinop. "The risk that our citizens face is high... There is a lot of damage to infrastructure." Twenty-five people died as a result of floods in Kastamonu and another two people died in Sinop, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said.

Sinop Mayor Baris Ayhan put the death toll in his province at three, adding that authorities could not contact another 20 people. He urged the government to declare it a disaster zone. "The infrastructure in Ayancik (district) has completely collapsed. The sewage system is destroyed. There is no electricity or water," he told Reuters. TREES UPROOTED: The floods and fires, which killed eight people and devastated tens of thousands of hectares of forest, struck in the same week that a U.N. panel said global warming was dangerously close to spiralling out of control, and warned that extreme weather would become more severe. Footage of the flood's first moments in Kastamonu's Bozkurt district showed the river there overflowing in a fast-moving deluge which tore up trees and dragged away vehicles. More than 1,700 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas, some with the help of helicopters and boats, AFAD said. Helicopters lowered coast guard personnel onto the roofs of buildings to rescue people who were stranded as flood water swept through the streets, footage shared by the Interior Ministry showed. The deluge damaged power infrastructure, leaving about 330 villages without electricity. Five bridges had collapsed and many others were damaged, leading to road clo-

Wildfire breaks ouT easT of rome, locals evacuaTed ROME REUTERS

Locals were evacuated from small communities around 40 km (25 miles) east of Rome on Friday when a wildfire broke out as the Italian capital faced temperatures of around 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit). Swathes of southern Italy have been plagued by wildfires in recent weeks, with flames ravaging woodland in Calabria, in the toe of the Italian boot, and on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Wednesday saw the temperature reach almost 49 Celsius in south-eastern Sicily, reported as the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe. read more The heatwave is now moving north and overnight 25 families were evacuated from their homes as fires spread through the nature reserve of Monte Catillo, near the Rome suburb of Tivoli, firefighters said in a tweet. Around 30 residents of a home for poor children and orphans were also evacuated to escape the flames. Wildfires also broke out overnight near the town of Otranto, in Italy's southern heel, firefighters said. A nearby seaside resort was evacuated due to the choking smoke and the coastal road heading south from Otranto was closed to traffic. Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Thursday promised financial help for communities hit by the fires, and a plan of action to replant forest areas and make the Italian countryside more resilient to natural disasters.

russian bus blasT kills TWo, injures 17 MOSCOW REUTERS

An explosion on a bus killed two people and injured 17 in the southwestern Russian city of Voronezh on Thursday evening, TASS news agency reported, and counterterrorism officials were coordinating investigations into the blast. The cause of the explosion, which took place near a bus stop when about 30 people were on board the bus, was still unclear. Video footage published online showed the blast tearing the vehicle apart from the inside, with windows and debris sent flying in all directions. Specialists of the FSB security service were studying materials from the site, the National Antiterrorism Committee said in a statement, adding it was looking for those responsible for the incident.

sures, AFAD added. Parts of the roads were also swept away.

Turkey's meteorology authority said further heavy rain was expected in the central

and eastern Black Sea region and warned of the risk of further floods.

Six people killed in mass shooting in Plymouth, England REUTERS Six people, including a child, were killed in a mass shooting in the city of Plymouth in southwest England on Thursday evening, in an incident described by the British Home Secretary as "shocking". Two females and three males, including the suspect, died from gunshot wounds at the scene of the incident, the Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement. Another female died a short time later in hospital, the police added. One of the people killed was a child under 10 years old, Luke Pollard, a local lawmaker from the opposition Labour Party, said in a tweet. Police had earlier described the shooting as a "se-

rious firearms incident" and said the situation was contained. The police added that the incident was not related to terrorism. The United Kingdom has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world, and mass shootings are rare. This was the first mass shooting in the country for 11 years. Sharron Turner, 57, who lives behind the scene of the shooting, was quoted by The Times newspaper as saying that a gunman had "kicked in" the front door of a semi-detached house before shooting a mother and her daughter. Turner said she had been told that the man, who was dressed in black and grey, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon. After the attack, the gunman escaped through a park behind the house and shot two dog walkers, The

Times reported. "The incident in Plymouth is shocking and my thoughts are with those affected," Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Twitter. Devon and Cornwall Police said they were called to the Keyham area of the city at 6.10 p.m. on Thursday. "Investigations are continuing into the incident and disruption to the road network in the Keyham area will remain throughout the night," the police said. The South Western Ambulance Service earlier said it had responded to the incident with a significant number of resources, including Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART), multiple ambulances, air ambulances, multiple doctors and senior paramedics.

As school activity shut down amid Covid, 911 drug calls for youth skyrocketed LA HONDA REUTERS

This April, a friend of high school ice hockey player Sequoyah Klingele became concerned when Sequoyah wasn’t responding to messages. The friend went looking for the 16-year-old and found him unresponsive in a house in La Honda, California, a small town in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The friend dialed 911, police records show. There was nothing emergency responders could do: Sequoyah, who had accidentally overdosed on methadone, had been dead for several hours. Last year, with schools, youth sports and other programs closed nationwide in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the rate of drug-related 911 calls for young people aged 20 and under increased by 43%, an analysis of emergency response data by Reuters found. For the previous three years, rates had remained stable at about 25 emergency drug responses per 100,000 calls. During the pandemic, those numbers spiked to more than 37 per 100,000, according to data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System. Last year, NEMSIS collected data on 27.3 million 911 emergencies from 47 states; 10,166 of those were drugrelated calls involving young people. The last four years’ worth of call data

NEMSIS shared with Reuters include granular information about each call, such as the age of the patient and the type of medical issue, without identifying anyone. The NEMSIS data, collected voluntarily from 911 response agencies nationwide, represents about 87% of all U.S. emergency responses. Because the number of agencies that report data vary annually, it is not possible to compare the total number of young people requiring drug-related emergency care from year to year. More than 80% of the drug emergencies involved use of opioids such as pain medications, fentanyl and heroin, but included all classes of drugs. The rate of emergency calls involving young people who required naloxone – a drug that reverses an opioid overdose – increased by 34% from

2019 to 2020, to the highest rate of use since at least 2017, the earliest data available, according to NEMSIS data. Naloxone successfully revived a patient about half the time, the data showed. Brandon Marshall, an epidemiologist at Brown University who studies overdoses and drug use, said shelter-inplace and other social restrictions both exacerbated risk factors for youth to start using drugs and created a more dangerous environment for drug use, resulting in more extreme emergencies. Typically, drug use among young people is social, with friends around to help amid an overdose situation, he said. That changed during the pandemic. “What we know is that the way that people use drugs during adolescence shapes and influences their drug use later on and into adulthood,” Marshall

said. “What's alarming me is that if people become accustomed to using isolated and not in a social setting now, that establishes itself as a norm that could continue to put people at risk, well into adulthood.” Last year, about 93,000 people nationwide died after overdosing, a nearly 30% increase from the year before, according to data released in July by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National data separating out the number of children and young adults who died won’t be available until late this year or early 2022. Reuters obtained data from nine cities and states; eight of the jurisdictions showed a significant increase in youth overdose deaths in 2020. Los Angeles, for instance, reported 37 drug overdose deaths among those 17 years old or younger, up from the previous three years when between 10 and 15 children died annually. The trend follows in Denver, which reported 10 deaths among minors in 2020 after only seeing three overdose deaths in 2018 and 2019 combined. In cities such as San Francisco, paramedics say they are dealing with the grim fallout from drug abuse by the young. Jeff Covitz, a paramedic in the northern California city, said many of the calls he attends involve street fentanyl often cooked up in illicit labs, which can require more than three times as much naloxone to reverse than heroin.

saturday, 14 August, 2021

spoRTs 11

KARACHI

PreMIer League fLexes fInanCIaL MusCLe as fans fLoCk baCk for new season LONDON

AFP

HE Premier League returns on Friday in front of full crowds for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic hit and with little sign of the financial turmoil of the past 18 months slowing the arms race for talent in the transfer market. Newly-promoted Brentford open the 2021/2022 season at home to Arsenal in front of a first full house at the Bees new 17,500 capacity stadium, which opened last year. "This is the kick-off to a new world where we have never been before," said Brentford manager Thomas Frank. Despite the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, the Premier League has told fans to expect spot-checks to prove they have been fully vaccinated or provide evidence of a negative test in the past 48 hours before entering stadiums. The UK government has not yet implemented a vaccination passport scheme, but could do so in the coming months for events with crowds of over 20,000.

"It is a momentous moment," Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told the BBC ahead of the expected return of 300,000 fans across the 10 top-flight matches this weekend. "It does feel like it is a return to some sort of normality. We will always be cautious and put safety first." TRANSFER RECORDS SmASHED: The economic bounce from a return of fans through the gates and agreement for a £4.7 billion ($6.5 billion) three-year domestic television rights deal from 2022 has already been evidenced in the sums spent by Premier League clubs on new players. As even some of the biggest names across the continent such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan have had to sell and shed big earners from their wage bills, the English giants have splashed out. Defending champions Manchester City have broken the Premier League transfer record with the £100 million signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa and could do so again before the end of the month as they pursue Tottenham striker Harry Kane. The England captain has made his desire to leave Spurs clear and is a major doubt for

Tottenham's opener against City on Sunday. Manchester United have also spent over £100 million on Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane as they aim to end an eight-year wait to win the title. Chelsea showed their title credentials in

beating City three times towards the end of last season, including in the Champions League final to cap a remarkable transformation under Thomas Tuchel. The Blues on Thursday added the missing piece of a prolific goalscorer by signing

England see oﬀ Rahul but India still well-placed in second Test LONDON AFP

England finally saw the back of KL Rahul but India remained well-placed in the second Test at Lord's on Friday. India were 346-7 at lunch on the second day, with opener Rahul out for 129 after adding just two runs to his overnight score. But, given that England captain Joe Root was the only one of the hosts' batsmen to pass fifty in last week's rainmarred drawn first Test at Trent Bridge, it remained to be seen if India already had sufficient runs for a commanding first-innings lead. Ravindra Jadeja was 31 not out following his useful 56 in Nottingham. After both teams gathered on the outfield to mark 'Red for Ruth Day', a cancer charity event in honour of Ruth Strauss, the late wife of former England captain Andrew Strass, India resumed on 276-3. Rahul had batted in largely difficult conditions throughout the whole of

Thursday's first day to be 127 not out. But having scored two off Friday's first ball, from Ollie Robinson, Rahul mistimed a drive, a shot he had played so well on Thursday, off the seamer's next delivery low to Dom Sibley at short cover. It was the end of a more than six-

and-a-half hour innings of 250 balls that included 12 fours and a six. Slow walk back - India's KL Rahul trudges back into the pavilion after being dismissed for 129 in the second Test against England at Lord's on Friday It gave Robinson, in just his third Test, a second prize wicket in this in-

nings after removing India captain Virat Kohli for 42 with the new ball late Friday. India's 278-4 soon became 282-5 when Ajinkya Rahane, looking a shadow of the batsman who scored a Test hundred at Lord's in 2014, fell for his overnight one when edging James Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, to Root at first slip. One consolation for India was they now had two attacking batsmen at the crease in Rishabh Pant and Jadeja. Pant signalled his intentions by driving his second ball, from Robinson, down the ground for four. He had made a typically brisk 37, including five fours, when he edged a cut off a wide ball from fast bowler Mark Wood, recalled after Stuart Broad suffered a series-ending calf injury, and was caught behind by opposing wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. India's 331-6 then became 336-7 when Mohammed Shami fell for a duck after tamely chipping off-spinner Moeen Ali to midwicket.

former player Romelu Lukaku for £97 million from Inter Milan. "We will try to compete for every title in every competition we enter but I also think it will be a huge step forward if we can maintain the same quality, attitude and effort that we showed last season," said Tuchel. KLOPP RELYING ON FORTRESS ANFIELD: Liverpool have only added the signing of Ibrahima Konate to bolster Jurgen Klopp's options at centre-back after an injury-ravaged 2020/21 season left the Reds needing a late-season revival to secure a place in the top four. However, they will be boosted by the return of Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez from long-term injuries and Klopp believes his side will benefit more than most from the return of supporters to fortress Anfield. "We have so many things which you can’t sign," said Klopp. "You can't sign the atmosphere we can create in the stadium, you can't sign Anfield, you can't sign our anthem. "That’s what we have to use obviously. There are different approaches obviously out there and we have no influence on that."

Lukaku joins Chelsea from Inter Milan on five-year deal LONDON REUTERS

Chelsea signed striker Romelu Lukaku for a second time on Thursday as the Belgian returned to the Premier League club from Inter Milan, seven years on from his departure. A Chelsea statement did not mention the agreed transfer fee, but media reports say the deal is worth a club record 97.5 million pounds (S$180 million). Lukaku has penned a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge. “It has been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature,” Lukaku told the Chelsea website. “The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.” The Belgium international leaves Inter after two successful seasons in Italy, where he scored 24 league goals as the Nerazzurri clinched their first Serie A title in 11 years last season. The move marks a return to the European champions for Lukaku, who made 15 appearances for the Blues over two seasons either side of a successful loan spell with West Bromwich Albion in 2012-13. He was then sold to Everton in 2014 following an impressive loan at Goodison Park, having failed to score a single goal in a Chelsea shirt. “The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A,” Lukaku continued. “I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together. “Since I left Chelsea, it has been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies.

French football hails Messi’s PSG move, but will the beleaguered Ligue 1 benefit? AGENCIES Paris Saint-Germain’s surprise signing of Lionel Messi has been hailed as a shot in the arm for France’s cashstrapped football league, but experts warn that the Argentine superstar’s arrival is not all good news for an increasingly unbalanced Ligue 1. Call it the revenge of the “farmers' league”. As the least prestigious of Europe’s major football leagues, France’s Ligue 1 is well-accustomed to the derogatory moniker, the “farmers' league”. But now that the world’s most famous footballer has joined the farm, it’s time for a little payback. On Tuesday night, hours after Lionel Messi signed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, the league’s Twitter account posted an image of a goat leaning on a farm’s fence with the shirts of Ligue 1’s top players hanging on either side. The caption read, “The farmers have a new goat” – a reference to Messi’s unofficial standing as football’s “GOAT”. Capping a decade of sensational signings by Qatarowned PSG, the Argentine’s surprise move to Paris has been met with a mix of shock and delight in France, where few pundits had openly entertained the idea that Messi would one day play Ligue 1 football. In terms of prestige, it dwarves even the club’s record €220 million purchase of Neymar in 2017. In unusual comments praising a club's transfer dealings, Ligue 1 chief Vincent Labrune – a former president of PSG’s arch-rivals Marseille – celebrated Messi's signing as a big win for French football in a statement on Wednesday. “Messi’s arrival will bolster the attractiveness and visibility of our championship across continents,” Labrune

said, thanking the club’s owners for creating what he called one of sport's biggest global franchises. PSG FANS HAIL 'START OF A NEW LEGACY FOR PARIS': Instead of lamenting the widening gulf between the free-spending Parisians and the rest of the pack, PSG’s domestic rivals have also hailed the arrival of Argentina’s six-time Ballon d’Or winner. “Can you imagine Messi coming to town?” asked Saint-Etienne coach Claude Puel, celebrating a “huge boost” for the French league. His Brest counterpart Michel Der Zakarian struggled to contain his enthusiasm, telling reporters: “We say that we have a shit league, but if we manage to bring in a player like that, it would be exceptional. I’m not going to be polite here – but he gives me a hard-on.” In normal times, PSG’s rivals may well have frowned at the Parisians’ latest move to catch another star. But these are no ordinary times for clubs whose revenues have been hollowed out by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving many teetering on the edge of a cliff. Indeed, it’s no surprise French football sees a saviour in the Argentinian superstar. According to economist Christophe Lepetit, a member of French football’s DNCG auditing body, Paris SaintGermain’s lavish spending has helped raise Ligue 1’s profile by luring the world’s top players to France. “In recent years, the club’s high-profile signings have countered the notion that the Ligue 1 is a ‘farmers' league’, and Messi’s arrival will further debunk the myth,” he says. PSG’s star transfers – which in recent years has included the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, David Beckham and Kylian Mbappé – have also helped to qualify another criticism levelled at Ligue 1: that it is merely a “feeder league”, nurturing young talent that is

then sold off to the highest bidder. Instead, Lepetit says, “PSG prove that French football can also attract and hold on to the biggest stars in the game.” The challenge for Ligue 1 officials is now to ensure the league’s heightened star power translates into an increased global audience – and thus greater revenue. “Talent scouts are already very familiar with the French league, but many in the wider public may discover it now, thanks to Messi,” says Lepetit. “And by watching PSG’s league games, they may discover new players and

clubs they want to follow.” Boosting Ligue 1’s global audience is crucial to French hopes of improving the rotten deal they get from television broadcasters when compared with Europe’s “big four” leagues: England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga. Three years ago, Neymar’s signing helped push the value of Ligue 1’s international broadcasting rights from €25 million up to €80 million. But that is still only a fraction of what the Premier League and La Liga earn, and less than half the money fetched by the Italian and German leagues. With legions of fans scattered across the globe, Messi should be an even greater pull than Neymar. Unfortunately for the French league, however, news of his arrival comes just days after it signed off on a new three-year broadcast deal following months of bitter wrangling – meaning the Argentine will be aged 37 by the time that deal expires. A DEAD RUBBER? Until a more lucrative deal is signed with the broadcasters, and the dividends are spread out across the board, there is little evidence to suggest that other French clubs will benefit from PSG’s most prestigious signing yet. Amid the euphoria prompted by Messi’s arrival, some have likened his move away from his boyhood club Barcelona to that of another illustrious Argentine, the late Diego Maradona, more than three decades ago. But Maradona’s bold 1984 switch to Italy was precisely what Messi’s transfer is not: a transformative move that singlehandedly put southern minnows Napoli – then the butt of rival Italian fans’ racist jokes – on the football map, breaking the richer northern clubs’ stranglehold on Serie A.

Saturday, 14 August, 2021

prayer timings

NEWS

Taliban capTure Three more provincial capiTals in relenTless push

ALIBAN insurgents detained veteran militia commander Mohammad Ismail Khan on Friday after they seized the western city of Herat, a provincial council member said. The insurgents also captured three more provincial capitals as they press a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling the capital, Kabul. Khan, who has been leading fighters against the Taliban in recent weeks, was handed over to the insurgents along with the provincial governor and security officials under a pact, provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi told Reuters. “The Taliban agreed that they will not pose any threat or harm to the government officials who surrendered,” Hashimi said. Khan is one of Afghanistan’s most prominent warlords. Known as the Lion of Herat, he battled Soviet occupiers in the 1980s and was a key member of the Northern Alliance whose US-backed forces toppled the Taliban in 2001. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Khan had been detained. Meanwhile, the capture of Lashkar Gah — Helmand’s provincial capital — came after facing some of the heaviest fighting in the last two decades. Hundreds of foreign

troops were killed there over the course of the nearly two-decade war. The insurgents have taken more than a dozen provincial capitals in recent days and now control more than two-thirds of the country just weeks before the US plans to withdraw its last troops. Attaullah Afghan, the head of the provincial council in Helmand, said that the Taliban captured the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah following heavy fighting and raised their white flag over governmental installations. He says that three national army bases outside of Lashkar Gah remain under the government’s control. Atta Jan Haqbayan, the provincial council chief in Zabul province, said the local capital of Qalat fell to the Taliban and that officials were in a nearby army camp preparing to leave. Two lawmakers from Afghanistan’s southern Uruzgan province said local officials surrendered the provincial capital, Tirin Kot, to the rapidly advancing Taliban. Bismillah Jan Mohammad and Qudratullah Rahimi confirmed the surrender on Friday. Mohammad said the governor was en route to the airport to depart for Kabul. KANDAHAR, HERAT CAPTURED: The latest advances came hours after the insur-

gents captured the country’s second and third largest cities in a lightning advance. The seizures of Kandahar and Herat mark the biggest prizes yet for the Taliban. While Kabul isn’t directly under threat yet, the losses and the battles elsewhere further tighten the grip of a resurgent Taliban, who are estimated to now hold over two-

thirds of the country and continue to press their offensive. With security rapidly deteriorating, the United States planned to send in 3,000 troops to help evacuate some personnel from the US Embassy in Kabul. Separately, Britain said about 600 troops would be deployed on a short-term basis to

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support British nationals leaving the country, and Canada is sending special forces to help evacuate its embassy. Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes amid fears the Taliban will again impose a brutal, repressive government, all but eliminating women’s rights and conducting public executions. Peace talks in Qatar remain stalled, though diplomats are still meeting, as the US, European and Asian nations warned that any government established by force would be rejected. “We demand an immediate end to attacks against cities, urge a political settlement, and warn that a government imposed by force will be a pariah state,” said Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy to the talks. the associated press

Pakistan urges Afghan leaders to talk to Taliban National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf on Friday said Pakistan was urging Afghan leaders to try to quickly reach a politically negotiated settlement with the Taliban to avoid further violence in Afghanistan. The adviser made the appeal while speaking to reporters in Islamabad. He stressed that the fall of city-after-city in neighbouring Afghanistan underscores the need to expedite the peace process. “Trust me, if they sit down, they will be able to come out with some sort of settlement and we will respect whatever Afghans decide,” Yusuf said. He added: “History will judge us very badly and poorly if we don’t put all efforts behind [this] for a political settlement” on the Afghan crisis. Yusuf also defended Pakistan, saying it has done its best to facilitate the Afghan peace process in the past. At the stage, “we can give only one message: Pakistan cannot be a guarantor for peace, we can only facilitate. We will facilitate whatever we can,” he said. “Everybody needs to respect what Afghans decide politically,” Yusuf said. Pakistan has repeatedly rejected allegations of taking sides in the Afghan conflict. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, during the inaugural session of the Pak-Afghan Bilateral Dialogue in Islamabad in June, had said that Pakistan had taken a “very clear decision” to not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. In an interview on Aug 11, Prime Minister Imran Khan had accused the United States of seeing Pakistan as useful only in the context of the “mess” it is leaving behind in Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting. The premier had insisted Islamabad was not taking sides in Afghanistan. “I think that the Americans have decided that India is their strategic partner now, and I think that’s why there’s a different way of treating Pakistan now,” he had said. A political settlement in Afghanistan was looking difficult under current conditions, he added. The prime minister had said he tried to persuade the Taliban leaders when they were visiting Pakistan to reach a settlement. “The condition is that as long as [President] Ashraf Ghani is there, we (Taliban) are not going to talk to the Afghan government,” the prime minister had said, quoting the Taliban leaders as telling him.. news desk

Pakistan achieves compliance with 4 more APG recommendations ISLAMABAD tltp

Pakistan has achieved compliant/ largely compliant rating in four more recommendations of the Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering, leading aggregate to 35/40 recommendations rated as compliant or largely compliant. According to a statement issued on Friday, the APG on Money Laundering published results of Pakistan’s third Mutual Evaluation follow-up Report on Thursday. As per the report, Pakistan is now in the top tier of countries that have achieved a rating of compliant/ largely compliant for over 35 of the 40 FATF recommendations. Moreover, Pakistan has also achieved the rating of largely compliance / com-

pliance in all big six recommendations of the FATF which includes R.3 (money laundering offence), R.5 (terrorist financing offence), R.6 (targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism & terrorist financing), R.10 (customer due diligence), R.11 (record keeping) and R.20 (reporting of suspicious transactions). The Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) of Pakistan led the whole process of Pakistan’s mutual evaluation cycle and defended the ratings during their discussions in the Mutual Evaluation Committee Meetings of APG. After this upgrade, Pakistan is well placed in technical compliance in comparison to many of the countries. For example, if Pakistan’s position is compared against G20 countries, then Pak-

istan is on 4th after Italy (38), Saudi Arabia (38) and UK (38), according to the statement. It said that Pakistan would continue this momentum in addressing remaining gaps identified in the Mutual Evaluation Report-2019 and would seek upgrades in the remaining 5 recommendations, in the fourth follow-up report. Pakistan’s MER was adopted in August 2019 in which Pakistan was rated compliant and largely compliant in 10 out of 40 FATF recommendations for technical compliance. Pakistan carried out major legal reforms with the enactment of 17 laws along with relevant rules and regulations. These laws not only strengthened the systems in Pakistan but also brought in sustainability, said the statement.

UK says US pullout from Afghanistan a ‘mistake’ US AND UK SEND TROOPS TO HELP EVACUATE EMBASSIES IN AFGHANISTAN Britain on Friday slammed the United States troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, warning the Taliban’s resurgence would create a breeding ground for extremists that threatened the world. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday announced that some 600 troops would help evacuate British nationals from the country, as the Islamists seize more control. But he told Sky News television the US decision to withdraw troops “leaves a very big problem on the ground”, handing momentum to the Taliban. He predicted it would benefit Al-Qaeda, who were given safe haven by the Taliban before the September 11, 2001 attacks that prompted the West’s 20-year in-

volvement in Afghanistan. “I’m absolutely worried that failed states are breeding grounds for those type of people,” he added. “Of course Al-Qaeda will probably come back,” he said, warning that would lead to “a security threat to us and our interests.” “I felt that that was a mistake to have done it that way, that we’ll all as an international community probably pay the consequences of that,” Wallace said of the Doha agreement signed between the United States and the Taliban. The agreement, signed under former US president Donald Trump last year, left Britain with no choice but to withdraw its troops, he said. afp

England to play two T20s in Pakistan before Twenty20 World Cup The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday confirmed that the England cricket team will play two Twenty20 internationals in October on their first tour of the country since 2005. “The England men’s side will visit Pakistan in October for two Twenty20 internationals. Both matches will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on 13 and 14 October,” said the PCB release. Eoin Morgan’s side, along with Heather Knight’s team, will arrive in Islamabad on Oct 9 and they will depart for Dubai on Oct 15 for the Twenty20 World Cup that will take place in Oman and the United Arab

Emirates from Oct 17 to Nov 14. England’s women will also play three one-day internationals on October 17, 19 and 21 at the Rawalpindi stadium. “We are delighted to welcome both the England men’s teams for what will be their first tour to Pakistan since 2005, and the England women’s team, who will be touring Pakistan for the first time,” said PCB chief executive Wasim Khan. New Zealand’s cricket team will also tour Pakistan in September — their first after a gap of 18 years — one of many tours that will further restore Pakistan’s image as a safe

host for international matches. The West Indies and Australia are also due to play in Pakistan in the next seven months. Pakistan became a no-go area for international teams after a deadly 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore. But a rapid improvement in security in recent years has gradually seen the return of international cricket, with Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and South Africa touring in the last six years. England last toured Pakistan in 2005. In 2012 and 2015 Pakistan had to host England in the United Arab Emirates. afp

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