Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 I 20 Rajab, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 235 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
PM IMran says ‘PakIstan Is eyeIng $50bn It exPorts In next few years’
stAff REpORt
P
RIme minister Imran Khan while addressing the National e-Commerce Convention, stated that the government was planning on expanding the information technology (IT) sector in a few years, as he urged the youth to take advantage of the “technological revolution”. “We have given small incentives and in a span of a year or two, our IT exports have jumped from $2 billion to $3.75 billion. Our youth has taken much advantage of the small incentives provided by the government,” the prime minister stated. The premier stated that the government would move the hurdles in the way of the youth so they could benefit from the “technological revolution”.
CoronavIrus In
PakIstan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,501,680
LAST UPDATED AT 7:17 AM ON FEBRUARY 21, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
31
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
1,360 DEATHS:
1,403,968 30,040 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
564,522
499,063
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
214,955
35,274
42,669/11,358 133,839
The Pm further announced that the government has decided to grant a complete tax exemption to registered freelancers. “The system in the country has stopped the majority from rising in the country […] all the other countries have a structure through which people rise,” the prime minister said, adding that he had made the cricket team from scratch, but they still excelled. “Whenever our nation has been given the opportunity, they have excelled […] and this can only happen in a country where God has given natural talent to people. This can never happen anywhere else,” he said. The Pm also said that the government was also focusing on revamping the cricket structure in the country, and they had succeeded in changing it to a certain extent. “They might also become cricketing giants in the days to come, they might become
undefeatable.” He further said that the government was also focusing on revamping the cricket structure in the country, and they had succeeded in changing it to a certain extent. “They might also become cricketing giants in the days to come, they might become undefeatable.” the Pm lamented that the education system in the country was stopping the youth’s talent, while on the other hand, in the Western world, it was completely the opposite. He noted that the education sector was linked with the IT sector. “We are conducting crash courses and indulging youth in taking higher IT-related courses.” Pm Imran Khan said IT-related courses would help empower women as they could earn money while sitting at home. He said women could “work in any environment” if they have IT skills and support their families. Talking about former microsoft boss Bill Gates’ maiden one-day visit to Pakistan, the prime minister said he had invited the billionaire to seek his support in the IT sector. “So, I am not announcing it now, but I will give you good news in the coming days.” earlier, Senator Faisal Javed Khan took to Twitter and stated that Pakistan had witnessed an “exponential growth” in the e-commerce sector in the recent past, which will also help attract international payment gateways offer through services here. The senator said 45% increase in Pakistan’s e-commerce market contributed to a “worldwide growth rate of 29% in 2021”. Senator Javed said Pakistan reached its highest ever IT exports in the last six months. He said that IT exports during the fiscal year (FY) 21-22 increased by 36%. the senator had added that Pakistan would be able to cross $3.5 billion mark during the ongoing financial year.
Ex-spy chief named in Suisse accounts g
Son says information ‘ not correct ’ LAHORE: Staff CorreSpondent
A former spy chief and one of the closest aides of slain military strongman Gen. Zia ul-Haq has been named in a list of 1,400 people from Pakistan, and thousands from around the world, who trusted an iconic Switzerland bank to hold their fortunes worth millions of dollars. The data on more than 18,000 bank accounts, collectively holding more than $100 billion, operated by Credit Suisse, one of the world’s most iconic banks, ranging from the 1940s to the 2010s was leaked to Germany newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which shared it with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and 46 other news organisations, including the New York Times and the Guardian. It is understood the Credit Suisse clients in the leaked data include customers who have done nothing wrong and have an entirely reasonable expectation of privacy in their financial affairs. As the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rahman helped funnel billions of dollars in cash and other aid from the United States and other countries to the fighters, called mujahedeen, in Afghanistan to support their fight against the Soviet Union, a Times report said. In 1985, the same year President Ronald Reagan called for more oversight of the aid going into Afghanistan, a joint account was opened in the name of three of Rahman’s sons — Akbar, Haroon and Ghazi Khan. By 2003, the account would grow to hold $3.7 million, the leaked records show. In 1986, another account was opened in Akbar ’s name which grew to hold $9.2 million in November 2010. Akbar and Haroon did not respond to requests for comment from the Times. In a text message, Ghazi called information about the accounts “not correct,” adding: “The content is conjectural.” Pakistan Today could not immediately verify the authenticity of the claim. Rahman never faced charges of stealing the money. He died in 1988 in a plane crash which also killed then-president Gen. Haq and the US Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Lewis Raphel.
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Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 | LAHORE
NEWS
PAK-TuRKEy cooPERATion in REligiouS EducATion SySTEM nEEdEd To bE EnhAncEd: PM KhAn ISLAMABAD
P
Staff RepoRt
RIME Minister Imran Khan appreciating the Turkish model of systematic and institutionalized religious education system has stressed the need to enhance bilateral cooperation to exchange best
practices and information in that arena. He stated this while talking to Head of Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Ali Erbas, who called on him here on Monday. Premier Imran Khan expressed hope that the visit of Dr. Erbas will help in strengthening linkages between the religious institutions of the two countries.
KP begins drive to vaccinate over 1mn children against polio ISLAMABAD
Egyptian delegation calls on Railways Minister Azam Swati ISLAMABAD Mian abRaR
A high level Egyptian delegation accompanied by Egyptian Ambassador called on Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Azam Khan Swati here on Monday. The delegation discussed various opportunities and venues of railroad cooperation between Pakistan and Egypt. The visit was follow up to the meeting between Egyptian Ambassador Mr. Tarek Mohammed Hussein Dahroug and Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Azam Khan Swati held in October 2021. Federal Minister for Railways welcomed the guests and expressed that their trip to Pakistan would be productive for both nations. The delegation was given a video presentation on current initiatives and projects of Pakistan Railways. Egyptian Ambassador thanked the Federal Minister for his warm welcome and appreciated the initiatives taken by the Pakistan Government to make Pakistan Railways a viable entity. The delegation gave a video presentation of the technical capabilities of The Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) to Federal Minister for Railways. Federal Minister for Railways appreciated the capabilities of AOI and apprised the delegation that Pakistan Railways is open to collaborating in all aspects of its business. The meeting was followed by a lunch invitation by the embassador of Egypt to Pakistan Mr. Tarek Mohammad Hussein Dahroug to all senior officials of Pakistan Railways at the Embassy of Eygpt. The delegation comprised Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Organization for Industrialization for Development Ahmed Hamed Morssi, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Organization for Industrialization for Technical Affairs, Abdel Mohsen Abdel Sadek Abdel Salam, President of Hasco Global Consulting Dr. Hany Kamal Shahin, President of Infra-one Company Dr. Mahmoud Mohamed Elsaid Elsayed Gamaleldin, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SEMAF Manufacturing Abdalla Abdelhafez Hassan Hammouda and Adviser to the Chairman of the Board of Directors for SEMAF Marketing Dr. Nanees Khalil Mohammed Mohammed Ahmed.
steadfast support to Pakistan on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He also appreciated Turkey’s close cooperation with Pakistan on the joint initiative to combat rising Islamophobia. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dr. Erbas reiterated Turkey’s principled position on the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
He commended the establishment of Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Authority by Pakistan and extended Turkish assistance in that respect. Prof. Dr. Erbas also conveyed cordial greetings of Turkish leadership to the Prime Minister and reaffirmed Turkey’s desire to strengthen bilateral relations with Pakistan in all fields.
UNICEF boss acknowledges Pakistan’s efforts towards children rights, SDGs
Staff RepoRt
A five-day anti-polio campaign targeting over one million children began in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, an official said. Abdul Basit, coordinator for polio eradication at the Emergency Operations Center of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told the media that drops will be administered to more than one million children aged up to five to eradicate the crippling virus. Some 5,700 mobile teams sent by the health department will administer antipolio drops to the children in six districts of the province, the official said, adding the teams will also be deployed to railway stations, bus stops and other public places. Pakistan is one of the world’s only two countries where polio remains endemic. The country reported just one polio case in 2021, compared to 84 in 2020. The health experts believe that consistent efforts made by the government have helped in controlling the crippling infectious disease affecting children in the country, and urge further work to sustain the accomplishment in 2021 for completely eradicating polio this year.
He expressed satisfaction over the excellent bilateral relations enjoyed by Pakistan and Turkey spread across a broad spectrum of religious, cultural, linguistic, and educational linkages, people-to-people contacts, and commonality of interests – a relationship that is without any parallels. The Prime Minister thanked the Turkish Government and leadership for Turkey’s
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell on Monday acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts for the realisation of children rights and the progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), she appreciated the response of the government in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The official, who is on her maiden visit to Pakistan after assuming office, affirmed continued collaboration with Islamabad on ensuring child rights and sustainable development agenda in line with the government’s priorities and her department’s mandate. Russell also expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s support to UNICEF in facilitating its humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. Qureshi congratulated Russell on her appointment and expressed the hope that collaboration between Pakistan and UNICEF would further strengthen during her tenure. He
outlined
the
government’s
commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of children and recalled the proactive role played by Pakistan internationally in furthering this cause. The foreign minister appreciated the vital work being carried out by UNICEF, both globally and in Pakistan, for the
realisation of SDGs especially those related to children. He shared the steps taken domestically to strengthen the protection and welfare framework for women and children in the country such as the Ehsaas programme and healthcare cards. He highlighted that Pakistan’s Covid
response was fully inclusive covering its citizens and refugees alike. Qureshi emphasised that despite progress over the years, children remained vulnerable across the globe, particularly in places of protracted conflicts and foreign occupation such as in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
IHC serves notice on FIA for ‘exceeding authority’ in Baig arrest ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday served a show-cause notice to the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for “exceeding authority” during the raid to arrest former senator and analyst Mohsin Jamil Baig.
The agency arrested Baig on Wednesday after a dramatic scuffle in which the man fired a pistol toward police and hit one officer in the head with the weapon, injuring him. Baig was detained days after he appeared on a television chat show. On the show, he suggested that Prime Minister Imran Khan had shown favouritism by granting an award to a
minister, Murad Saeed. Authorities say police and the FIA went to Baig’s home on a complaint from Saeed, who is the minister of communication. In his complaint, Saeed had accused Baig of tarnishing his character. As officers tried to arrest Baig, he pulled out a pistol and fired in their direction but didn’t hit anyone, said Mohammad Ali, a police inspector. Pictures circulating on social media showed Baig beating an officer from the agency. He was then arrested. Days later, his wife challenged the cases registered against Baig by the cybercrime wing and the Margalla police station under sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), respectively. Today, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who was hearing the petition filed by Baig’s wife through the Journalists Defence Committee (JDC) of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), declared the FIA raid a misuse of authority. “Such a role by an agency or the state in a democratic country is not tolerable,” Justice Minallah said. Justice Minallah asked the cybercrime wing director, Babur Bakht
Qureshi, to read out comments made by Baig during the chat show and explain if they featured any derogatory remarks. Qureshi said the references from a book authored by Khan’s former spouse Reham Khan were “defamatory”. The court reiterated its objection and asked Qureshi whether the agency’s role was to ensure the protection of people or serve public officeholders. He then issued a show-cause notice to Qureshi and adjourned the hearing until February 24. It also summoned the attorney general in the next hearing. “[The] attorney general should satisfy the court on abolishing the section 21(d) pertaining to this [cyberstaking] offence of PECA,” the court remarked. Section 21(d) reads: “A person commits the offence of cyberstalking who, with the intent to coerce or intimidate or harass any person uses information system, information system network, the internet, website, electronic mail or any other similar means of communication to take a photograph or make a video of any person and displays or distributes it without his consent in a manner that harms a person.”
Indian delegation to arrive on March 1 for water talks ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
An Indian delegation will be visiting Pakistan for a threeday meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission starting on March 1, Pakistani officials said on Monday. The Permanent Indus Commission will hold its annual meeting in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad from March 1 to March 3, according to Ehsanullah Shahzad, a deputy director at the Pakistani Ministry of
Water Resources. “Agenda is being finalised. Delegation will be comprising of ten members as we have been informed by the Indian side for 117th Permanent Indus Commission Meeting,” Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, Pakistan’s Commissioner for Indus Waters said. Shah will be leading the Pakistani side during the threeday talks. The discussions are likely to be focused on Pakistan’s objections to Indian hydroelectric projects
namely Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Lower Kalnai (48 MW) and Kiru (624 MW) in Chenab basin in Jammu and Kashmir and few small hydroelectric projects in Ladakh. In recent years, India has begun ambitious irrigation plans and construction of many upstream dams, saying its use of upstream water is strictly in line with the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), signed between the two countries in 1960. Pakistan has opposed some of these projects saying they violate the World Bank-
mediated treaty on the sharing of the Indus waters, upon which 80 percent of its irrigated agriculture depends. Under the IWT, India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run-of-the-river projects on the western rivers subject to specific criteria for design and operation. The pact also gives the right to Pakistan to raise objections to designs of Indian hydroelectric projects on the western rivers. Pakistan has raised objections on the design of these projects.
Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 | LAHORE
Saad demands end to practice of promulgating ordinances ISLAMABAD
c
Staff RepoRt
LAIMING the latest Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, was promulgated with a mala fide intent, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MP Khawaja Saad Rafique said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government must end the practice of issuing ordinances. Speaking to the media after appearing in an accountability court in connection with the hearing of the Paragon housing scam, he said the purpose of the ordinance was to increase pressure on media and stifle the opposition. “One day all these ordinances will be
govt reviews progress on foreign-funded projects in KP, balochistan ShAhzAD PArAchA Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan chaired the meeting of National Coordination Committee on Foreign-Funded Projects (NCC-FFP) and reviewed the projects being implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. At the outset, the Minister expressed that triad approach, which is physical progress verification by the SUPARCO’s satellite through EAD & SUPARCO collaboration, financial tracking and use of gantt charts, will be used for efficient monitoring and smooth implementation of the projects. Mian Asad Hayaud Din, Secretary EAD briefed the committee that 34 foreign-funded projects are under implementation by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for which Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Union (EU), World Bank (WB), China, France, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and United States of America have provided $3,651 million. While reviewing the projects, it was highlighted that due to dedicated efforts of NCC-FFP and regular follow-ups, the project implementation by the government of KP is now picking up pace. As a result of this, the number of problematic projects is reduced from 6 to 3. Similarly, the number of partially satisfactory projects has come down from 11 to 7. The Minister directed to closely monitor the remaining projects; set timelines for resolution of all the impediments; and put projects on track. While discussing the ADB-Funded Access to Clean Energy Investment Program, GoKP informed that out of 8,000 schools, installation of solar facilities in 5,946 schools has been completed. The remaining schools will be completed by the end of June 2022. Similarly, 53 health units have been solarized whereas contracts for the remaining 134 health units have been awarded and work is under progress. Under the Micro-Hydropower Plant (MHPP) Component, 287 MHPPs have been installed whereas remaining 411 MHPPs are underway. The Committee also reviewed the progress on “Pehur High Level Canal Extension Project” for which ADB has committed $86.41 million. This project intends to develop a new irrigated area of over 8,727 hectare in Swabi and Nowshera districts located in the middleeast of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which water resources for agricultural production are currently dependent on rainfall only. After completion of this project, the 75,000 population will benefit from this project. The National Coordination Committee on Foreign-Funded Projects (NCC-FFP), headed by the Minister for Economic Affairs also reviewed the progress of foreign-funded projects by the Government of Balochistan (GoB). The Additional Chief Secretary (Development) and relevant provincial secretaries of Balochistan also attended the portfolio review meeting. At present, 12 foreign-funded projects amounting to $509 million are being implemented by the GoB. During the review, it was highlighted that out of 12 projects, 2 projects were problematic and 4 projects were partially satisfactory.
withdrawn, and those issuing them will come crashing down,” he added. When a reporter asked him about the meeting between PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and estranged PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, Saad said he would not comment on that. He pointed out that ordinances were promulgated only when the parliament was not in session. “I have been extremely disappointed by President Arif Alvi, who has only served Prime Minister Imran Khan and brought a bad name to the President House,” he regretted. “The entire nation is screaming and praying to The Almighty Allah to rid them of this government. But the prime minister and his team have no shame.”
The MP insisted when he was the minister for railways, he had considerably brought down the deficit and had streamlined the affairs. “We were going in the right direction. But when Sheikh Rasheed took over, he, in a bid to erase our achievements, decimated the department instead,” he alleged. Saad said even today there were honest officers in the Pakistan Railways, and it was the government’s job to get work from them. “But sadly, this government is not focused on its job,” he said. He was of the view that Imran Khan’s speech at Mandi Bahauddin did not suit the man who was the prime minister. “Long march as well votes of no-trust both are required to send this government home,” he opined.
PTI govt feels jittery about Tareen’s meetings with opposition NewS DeSk The PTI government appears to be jittery about Jehangir Khan’s purported meetings with the opposition amid their efforts to oust the premier. Meanwhile, the nine-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, as well as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have agreed to bring a noconfidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan but are not currently considering a similar move regarding Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser or Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. Though some government functionaries are playing down Mr Tareen’s supposedly clandestine meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif, a source privy to the development says the government is indeed wary of ongoing activities in the opposition’s camp, especially the flurry around Mr Tareen. “The activities of Mr Tareen, members of his group and the government’s allies are being closely monitored by government agencies and reported to the top man,” the source said. In the case of Jehangir Tareen, particularly, he said the government faced a dilemma. “If the government grills him again through the Federal Investigation Agency in the sugar scam to pressure him, it may backfire in the form of a revolt by around 10 MNAs and 30 MPAs which Tareen claims to have the backing of. If the government acts as an onlooker, the opposition may end up working things out with him.” Mr Tareen’s purported meetings with PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Shehbaz Sharif have not been acknowledged or denied by either side. However, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry played down Mr Tareen’s meetings with the opposition and hoped his fellow party leader won’t ditch the PTI. In a media talk in Pind Dadan Khan on Saturday, when asked whether Jehangir Tareen was supporting the PDM in its planned no-confidence motion, he said: “I have a respectable relationship with Tareen sahib. As far as I know him… I don’t think he will take any decision that damages the party. He will remain with the party (PTI).” When asked whether PM Khan or any ministers have plans to meet Mr Tareen to allay his concerns, Mr Chaudhry said: “I don’t know about his meetings with opposition leaders, but we have good relations with him and do not feel the need for a special meeting with him.” The minister believed the lawmakers backing Mr Tareen were seasoned politicians and would not part ways with the party for something that has an uncertain future. When asked if the Tareen group and the government’s allies were being monitored by agencies, Mr Chaudhry denied this impression, saying: “No such thing is happening as such monitoring is illegal.”
But sources in the Tareen camp said the former PTI secretary general was keeping his cards close to his chest. “One thing is for sure: none of the group members is willing to say goodbye to Mr Tareen and that is his strength for negotiating in the fastchanging political landscape,” they said, indicating that “things do not look good for the premier in the current scenario”. Sources said top leaders of both PPP and PMLN were keen to have Mr Tareen join them but since a PML-N ticket is considered a hot commodity in Punjab, the party is confident it will be the ultimate destination of those parting ways with the government. A PPP leader is of the opinion that there is many a slip between the cup and the lip and, therefore, the Tareen group may join the party of the Bhuttos seeing it as a strong candidate forming the next government. About solely focusing on ousting the prime minister, a source in the PDM said: “The main opposition parties — PML-N, PPP and JUI-F — have agreed, in principle, to table a no-trust move against PM Khan, and not others.” The opposition was “exclusively” working on this plan and once it achieved the “magic number” it would execute it, he added. Moreover, PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah on Saturday again claimed that the opposition had achieved the support of “more government MNAs” than required to send Imran Khan home. He had earlier claimed to have the backing of over 20 treasury lawmakers. Talking to reporters in Lahore, Mr Sanaullah said the government’s own members were frustrated with it (over soaring inflation and poor governance) and not interested in contesting the next election on PTI tickets. He claimed that the opposition was not looking towards any “umpire”, a reference to the establishment, saying all institutions should work within their constitutional ambit. Castigating PM Imran Khan over what he said was his crude choice of words during a speech in Mandi Bahauddin, the PML-N leader asked if the address befitted a prime minister. Similarly, PML-N information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said the premier’s speech displayed his nervousness about his foreseen departure. “We want to give good news to the people of Pakistan that soon they will get rid of the selected premier through a no-confidence move,” she told a presser here, adding that the ‘umpire’ needed to be neutral. “The umpire should give an ‘out’ if he (Imran Khan) is out. Our preparation to bring a no-trust move against Imran Khan is complete. I want to tell Imran that power is slipping out of his hands,” Ms Aurangzeb said, adding that his “rented spokespersons” won’t stand by him when he would be sent packing. The PTI’s coalition partners — PML-Q, MQM and BAP — are also treading carefully.
FM Qureshi calls German counterpart, discuss Afghanistan situation NewS DeSk Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve in supporting the international community in its efforts to strengthen peace and stability in Afghanistan. In a telephonic conversation with German Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock on Monday, he highlighted Pakistan’s role in evacuation operations from Afghanistan. Qureshi informed that Pakistan has so far facilitated over 90,000 evacuations. He said the urgent need is to avert a humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in
Afghanistan, which will adversely impact stability in the region and beyond. The two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. Qureshi briefed his German counterpart on the grave human rights violations being committed by India after its illegal, unilateral action of August 5, 2019. He also conveyed to Baerbock that Germany is a valued, longstanding partner of Pakistan and the latter is committed to further enhancing bilateral relations in all dimensions, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, energy, climate change and radicalisation.
Baerbock appreciated Pakistan’s assistance in its evacuation operations from Afghanistan and hoped for Pakistan’s continued support in this regard. Qureshi invited the German minister to visit Pakistan at the earliest convenience. He added that her visit would be helpful in preparing for the prime minister’s visit to Germany. He also congratulated his German counterpart on recently assuming her office. The FO statement stated that Pakistan and Germany have maintained a “good trajectory of bilateral relations and remain committed to further enhance our cooperation”.
NEWS
03
govt carrying out measures to promote SME sector: Tarin APP Federal Minister on Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin on Monday said that the government is actively carrying out all measures aimed at boosting the country’s SME sector. During a meeting with All Pakistan Bedsheets & Upholstery Manufacturers Associations (APBUMA) led by its Chairman, Arif Ehsan Malik, the minister appreciated the contribution of the association in the economic growth of the country. He said, growth of the SME sector leads to employment generation, export promotion and boost overall business activity in the country. The finance minister heard all issues and asked State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to resolve their issues on priority basis, it added. Earlier, Chairman APBUMA briefed the finance minister on the working of the association and informed that as member wise it is the largest association of SMEs in the country. This sector is one of the major contributors in terms of exports and contributes up to $2 billion in revenue. He further apprised that the association is currently facing various problems especially related to sales tax refund and liquidity crunch. Chairman APBUMA thanked the finance minister for providing support and addressing their issues.
climate minister announces plantation of over 540 million trees in Spring ISLAMABAD MonitoRing RepoRt
Minister for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said the government has set a target of planting over 540 million trees during the spring season for dealing with environmental problems. A nationwide spring tree plantation campaign from February to April will be launched on February 22 under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programme, Aslam said in a statement. “Three-month (February-April) season provides an unprecedented opportunity to plant as many trees as possible all over the country for dealing with various environmental problems,” he said. The minister said that an overarching strategy for actions has been formulated, adding that people from all walks of life in the Asian country are expected to participate in the drive. Noting Pakistan is a highly climate-vulnerable country, Aslam stressed the importance of the forest in its efforts to cope with climate risks, particularly floods, torrential rains, desertification, sea-level rise and heatwaves, which have become increasingly frequent due to global warming.
Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 | LAHORE
04 NEWS
TURkey ReCaPiTUlaTeS iTS PRinCiPled PoSiTion on iioJk
a
NEwS dESK
statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated that the head of Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey Professor Dr Ali Erbas recapitulated Turkey’s principled position on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Monday. In a meeting with Premier Imran Khan,
he conveyed cordial greetings of Turkish leadership to the prime minister and reaffirmed Turkey’s desire to strengthen bilateral relations with Pakistan in all fields. He also commended the establishment of the Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Authority in Pakistan and extended Turkish assistance in this respect. PM Imran expressed satisfaction over the excellent bilateral relations enjoyed by Pakistan and Turkey spread across a broad
spectrum of religious, cultural, linguistic, and educational linkages, people-to-people contacts, and commonality of interests – a relationship that is without any parallels. The statement said that PM Imran appreciated the Turkish model of a systematic and institutionalised religious education system and stressed bilateral cooperation to exchange best practices and information in this arena.
SHC declares appointment of JSMU’s VC as void KARACHI Staff report
He underlined that Dr Erbas’s visit will help in strengthening linkages between the religious institutions of the two countries. The PM appreciated Ankara’s close cooperation with Islamabad on the joint initiative to combat rising Islamophobia. He concluded by thanking the Turkish government and its leadership for steadfast support to Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute.
Court seeks FIA record in Sabir Hashmi bail case
FBR broadens investigation against Hareem Shah
LAHORE
LAHORE: Chairman Nouman Wazir presents souvenirs to Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar at the inauguration ceremony of FF Grade 80 Steel. pr
Sindh cabinet approves formation of PFC NEwS dESK The Sindh cabinet approved the formation of the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) on Monday, which it had agreed to do in separate deals with the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) earlier this year, while announcing that the mayor, as well as representatives from townships and union councils, would be a part of the PFC. According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister House, the decision was made during a meeting of the cabinet, which was presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. It is pertinent to note that following the approval of the controversial Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2021 by the provincial assembly in November last year, the Jamaat-i-Islami had held a month-long sit-in in Karachi in January that ended only after the Sindh government agreed to further amend the law. Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, while announcing the agreement, had stated at the time, “Karachi mayor would be chairman of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. The Provincial Finance Commission would be set up within a month of the local government elections. Similarly, the city administration would have its due share in motor vehicle tax.” “Those health and education sectors which were withdrawn from the control of local government are returned back,” he had said. Meanwhile, the PSP had held a separate week-long protest earlier this month that ended with the Sindh government and the party signing a 10-point agreement. The agreement had said the Sindh government agreed to activate the Provincial Finance Commission in its true letter and spirit with composition of its members and further to create (Divisible Pool) for the smooth running of the affairs of Local Government.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday declared appointment of Dr. Amjad Siraj Memon as vice chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) as void. A bench of the high court directed that the office of the vice chancellor should be filled according to the merit list in the relevant summary. The court also ordered holding interviews again for the vice chancellor’s office of the JSMU and sending the names of short-listed candidates to the chief minister of Sindh. The court directed the chief minister to decide the matter and dismissed the petition. Prof Dr Lubna Ansari Baig, one of the candidates for the post of VC, through her lawyer filed an appeal against an order of a single-judge bench of the high court. The lawyer pleaded for the suspension of the last year’s June 22 notification, which notified Prof Dr Amjad Siraj Memon as VC of JSMU. The counsel for the appellant also contended that the appointment of VC was illegal but also against merit.
Staff report
SHAHzAd PARACHA
The sessions and district court on Monday sought record from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a bail plea of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) worker Sabir Hashmi, who was taken into custody for running a smear campaign against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Additional Sessions Judge, Yaseen Shaheen heard the bail plea of Sabir Hashmi, while. Advocate Syed Farhad Ali Shah appeared before the court on behalf of the PMLN worker. The lawyer in his arguments said according to FIR my client has not committed any crime and he is only booked due to his affiliation with the PML-N. FIA without complaint from the government, cannot register a case and pleaded with the court to pass orders for bail of Sabir Hashmi. Later, the court sought record from the FIA and adjourned the further hearing of the case until Febru-
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has broadened tax-related investigations against TikTok star Hareem Shah. According to sources the tax department has obtained bank account details of Fizza Hussain alias Hareem Shah and has found out that she owns a plot in a society of Islamabad. It also emerged that she was the shareholder in one construction company registered with the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) however, later she had resigned from the directorship Sources said that the tax department has also decided to probe the other shareholders of that company in order to get the investment-related information. It is pertinent to note that Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) has forwarded the alleged money laundering related complaint against Fizza Hussain to the FBR subsequently, the intelligence and Investigation unit of FBR started the probe. In addition, sources said that the Financial Monitoring unit has also generated a suspicious transactions report (STR) against Hareem Shah. The Intelligence and investigation Inland Revenue of FBR had directed her to appear on February 17, 2022, but she sought some time through her lawyer to appear before the investigators.
ary 23. According to FIA, the social media activist, Sabir Hashmi, was involved in running a smear campaign against PM Imran Khan on social media platform Twitter in form of hashtags. The FIA’s Cyber Crime Circle
also seized mobile phone of the accused and launched further investigation. The FIA frequently investigates cybercrimes such as these ones and often brings the people responsible to justice.
Chief Executive OfficerPakistan Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah briefs the visiting delegation of Sweden Advance Management Technology AB Company led by its CEO at Railways Headquarters Lahore. pr
PECA amendments: Is freedom of speech of Pakistani citizens under attack? NEwS dESK The government has passed yet another law to suppress free speech, which will further strip the public of basic civil rights . Already, the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) has been used to arrest journalists and activists for online content that is critical of the government. Now, the amendments made to the law, over the weekend, through an ordinance, will further give state authorities sweeping powers to prosecute, arrest and imprison dissenting voices. The government has justified the new amendments in the name of security and to combat “fake news” online. Media organizations, lawyers and human rights activists promise to challenge the ordinance and protect free speech in Pakistan. It is pertinent to note that a day earlier, President Arif Alvi signed two ordinances on Sunday making changes in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016, and the Elections Act, 2017. Both laws were signed by the president after the Cabinet approved them. The changes made in the elec-
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tronic crimes act have been made under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022. Under the ordinance, the definition of a “person” has been broadened to include any company, association, institution, organisation, authority, or any other. Furthermore, anyone found guilty of attacking a person’s “identity” will now be sentenced to five years instead of three years. The ordinance also states the informant or the complainant shall be “aggrieved person, his authorised representative, or his guardian, where such person is a minor or a member of the public in respect of a public figure or a holder of public office”. Cases falling under PECA will be supervised by a high court and the trial court will have to conclude the case within six months. “The court shall submit a monthly progress report of any pending trial to the concerned high court and shall give reasons for the inability of the court to expeditiously conclude the trial,” says the ordinance. Apart from sending the report to the high courts, copies of the progress report will be sent to the law secretary if the case is registered in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 | LAHORE
NEWS
CJCSC, Australian Chief of Defence Forces discuss matters of professional interests RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza was called on by Chief of Defence Forces Australia General Angus J. Campbell, who is on official visit to Pakistan, at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi on Monday, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The military’s media wing said that during the meeting of Australian Defence Chief with the CJCSC, matters of bilateral professional interest with particular reference to global and regional security environment and cooperation between the two Armed Forces came under discussison. Later 11th Round of Pakistan – Australia, Defence and Security Talks and 8th Round of 1.5 Track Security Dialogue were held at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi. Pakistan side was headed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee whereas the Australian side was headed by Chief of Defence Forces Australia. Both sides reviewed the ongoing cooperation between Pakistan and Australian Defence Forces in the fields of mutual exchange, training programs, joint exercises and other Defence related activities. Both sides reiterated the resolve to further strengthen and enhance security and defence cooperation between the two countries.
Punjab govt to launch Spring Tree Plantation Campaign today LAHORE Staff RepoRt
Under the Prime Minister’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, the Punjab government will launch the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign on Tuesday. The authorities have set a target of planting 74 million saplings during the drive to be continued by the end of April. Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal presided over a meeting through video link to review the arrangements for the campaign, at the Civil Secretariat here on Monday. The Chief Secretary directed the relevant departments to play their due role for making the campaign a success. He also asked the officials to ensure full participation of civil society and scouts in the plantation. He mentioned that suitable arrangements should be in place to look after a sapling after it is planted. He also issued instructions to start a community mobilization and awareness campaign about the benefits of trees. The forest secretary briefed the meeting that a target has been set to plant 74 million saplings in Punjab during the Spring Tree Plantation Campaign – 32.86 million in government forests, 8.78 million in defence department, 7.98 million in other departments and 24.45 million on private lands.
Ex-spy chief named in Suisse accounts CONTINuED fROM PAgE 01 The data further shows as many as 1,400 Pakistan nationals are linked to approximately 600 accounts. These accounts are diverse in nature and include individuals who are, or have been in the past, under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on graft charges. There are also instances where the accused opened these accounts while the investigation was ongoing and the dirty money watchdog was unaware of the transactions. Numerous politicians opened their accounts while holding public offices but failed to disclose this information in their asset declarations submitted at various times to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The average amount in accounts held by Pakistan nationals was CHF4.42 million (Rs841 million). Some two hundred accounts held more than CHF100 million (Rs19 billion), and more than a dozen accounts were securing over a billion. ‘OUT OF CONTEXT INFORMATION’ Credit Suisse said it “strongly rejects” allegations of wrongdoing. “Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the bank’s purported business practices,” the bank said in a statement issued in response to the consortium’s reports.“The matters presented are predominantly historical […] and the accounts of these matters are based on partial, inaccurate, or selective information taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the bank’s business conduct.” The bank said it had received “numerous inquiries” from the consortium in the past three weeks and reviewed many of the accounts in question. “Approximately 90 percent of the reviewed accounts are today closed or were in the process of closure prior to receipt of the press inquiries, of which over 60 percent were closed before 2015,” it said.
05
GilAni AnnounCES To ChAllEnGE PECA in CourT LAHORE
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Shahab omeR
ORMER Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, has announced to move court against the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Speaking to media at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretariat here on Monday, Gilani also slammed amendments introduced in PECA through an ordinance. “The PECA is a fear factor for the government and such laws are made to harass the media and opponents. The government is taking such steps to hide its incompetence,” he said.
He said all political parties and the media have rejected the ordinance and even the Parliament should not ignore it. “The Senate met on February 17 and the ordinance was presented on February 18. Not tabling ordinances in the Senate and National Assembly means that the government does not believe in the Parliament,” he argued. Gilani alleged that whenever a law is presented in the Senate, the Chairman of the Senate did not follow proper procedure for its approval. “The government wants to harass the media, civil society and social activists by enacting such laws,” he said and added that the PPP was launching Long March to oust the PTI regime. Spelling out the strategy of the long
march, Gilani informed that the long march would start from Karachi on March 27 and would reach Badin on the same day and the first night would be spent there. According to the former prime minister, the convoy will then reach Hyderabad and stay there on the night of March 28. “On April 1, we will reach Sukkur and on April 2, we will arrive first at Rahim Yar Khan and then Bahawalpur. The public convoy will then leave for Multan on April 3 and a grand rally will also be held at Nasir Bagh in Lahore which will be supported by the Members of Parliament,” he said. Gilani further added that it was decided in the PPP Central Executive Committee meeting that the members of
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would not resign from the assemblies. “That is why the PDM won the byelections and the Senate elections. Every day petrol prices are increased, people do not have jobs and there is lawlessness everywhere,” he added. The opposition leader in the Senate further said that when Imran Khan was on the container then the media was with him, then why not now? “The foundations of the government have been shaken and the situation is out of their hands. The opposition is organized inside and outside the parliament and is fighting for the rights of the people. We are also in touch with PML-N, Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties regarding the long march,” he concluded.
Government accelerates move for according provisional provincial status to GB ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbaS
As the government has accelerated process of granting Gilgit Baltistan a provisional provincial status, almost all major political parties have agreed for required legislation. According to provincial ministers and lawmakers from opposition parties, a consensus has finally been made among all major political parties regarding making GB a provisional province through amendments in the constitution. During the past two weeks number of meetings among the stakeholders has been held in Islamabad where a draft proposal regarding amendments in the constitution, prepared after thorough deliberations, was discussed. Earlier, GB Chief Minister GB Khalid Khurshid had circulated among members of the GB Legislative Assembly and his cabinet a draft bill seeking to amend the Constitution of Pakistan to grant “provisional province status” to the strategically-located region, asking them to submit their “feedback and views”. Later the same draft was shared with heads of political parties including PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, MQM, PML-Q and others by their representatives in the GB assembly/cabinet for due approval and feedback. The bill has suggested a number of key amendments to the Constitution of 1973 seeking representation of the GB in the country’s National Assembly and the Senate, besides the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). According to an insider, both the center and re-
gional government are intending to complete the process early. After developing major consensus on the draft reform bill, the stakeholders have also constituted a committee of 18 members including experts, lawmakers and bureaucrats, to finalize the transitional plan and other related arrangements before and after the amendments in the constitution. As per Information Minister GB, Fathullah Khan, the final draft bill would be approved by federal cabinet before the same is cleared from GB assembly through a resolution. Subsequently the same would be presented in the National Assembly for legislation, which needed a two-third majority in the house. “Since the issue of Kashmir has been protected through the bill and GB would be granted a provisional provincial status till a plebiscite on Kashmir, all major political parties and stakeholders are agreed on the proposed bill,” he claimed. Though GB would be treated as a province, but the exemptions and subsidies available in the area would remain unchanged. “As long as the word ‘provisional’ remains with our province, the whole region will be exempt from taxes, wheat subsidy will be maintained and we will get all the benefits that the people of other parts of the country will get,” GB Law Adviser Syed Sohail Abbas Shah said. He said that GB is entering the national mainstream for the first time. “After becoming a provisional province, we would be happily going for polls in 2023 for the benefit of the wider national interest. We would sacrifice the remaining three-year tenure for the major cause,” Speaker Provincial Assembly Syed Amjad Zaidi said while replying to a query.
In a bid to align GB with other provinces through a constitutional affirmation of its provincial status, the political parties of the region have agreed on premature termination of the incumbent government. On the other hand Opposition Leader in GB assembly and President of PPP in the region Amjad Hussain said that the assembly must end prematurely and next elections are held alongside the general elections held in other provinces. The opposition leader said that all stakeholders have agreed on the provincial status, and it would be formally announced soon. The opposition leader said that over the past 70 years, the people have developed a sense of deprivation. He said that Pakistan’s position and the United Nations’ resolutions on the Kashmir dispute should remain intact as the people get their due rights under the Constitution of Pakistan. Therefore, he added, the political leadership of the region has agreed on the interim provincial status. A leader of PML-N also claimed that the party like other opposition parties had agreed to the draft proposals regarding granting provincial status to GB. Atauulah Shihab, head of JUI-F in GB claimed that his party has supported the move in larger interest of the deprived area. “We, however, have asked the stakeholders to give equal representative to GB in parliament in the same way like other provinces,” he added. It is worth noting here that locals have demanded constitutional rights for the territory for a long time. Now, as the government moves ahead with this, there will be four seats for GB in the National Assembly (NA) and seven in the Senate.
PPL discovers hydrocarbon reserves in Sindh TLTP Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has disclosed that it has made a hydrocarbon discovery from exploratory well, Mohar-1, in the Latif Block (the “Block”) in Sindh. In a notice sent to the Pakistan Stock Exchange
(PSX) on Monday, the PPL said it holds a 33.30 per cent working interest, Eni Pakistan Limited holds 33.30 per cent and United Energy Pakistan Limited (UEPL), formerly known as BP Pakistan, which is an operator of the block, holds the remaining 33.40 per cent working interest in the block. “The well was drilled and tested using the operator’s
PSC refuses to retake CSS Screening Test Exam after paper leakage
internal expertise and in consultation with the Block’s joint ventures partners. The well was drilled to a depth of 12,111 ft. with reservoir target of Lower Goru Sands,” read the statement. PPL made a similar discovery of hydrocarbons back in September last year, from exploratory well, Jugan-1, in the Latif Block (the “Block”) in Sindh.
Met office forecasts snowfall in Murree today ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
INp
The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) announced on Monday that it would not retake the CSS Screening Test Exam as its paper was leaked soon after the start of the exam. The FPSC sources said that the paper was leaked after the exam and not before it. If it leaks after the exam, it does not affect the examination process, they added. They said that after the exam, the paper was uploaded on social media platform Facebook. They informed that 10 pages bearing Serial No 41329 were posted on the Facebook. The pages were put on the table then their images were taken. And these images were posted on some private CSS academy’s Face Book account.
As per the rules, the examination staff take back answer sheets from every candidate and no candidate is allowed to bring his/her mobile phone. Sources believe that images were taken by some supervisor of exami-
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nation hall. As many as 62,000 candidates took the CSS Screening Test Exam held yesterday (Sunday). The exam was conducted at 297 examination centres in 20 cities.
Pakistan Meteorological Department on Monday has forecast another spell of snowfall in Muree and Galiyat on Tuesday (today) and Wednesday. Following the Met office forecast, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Murree Waqas Sikandari has issued for the concerned departments for proper arrangements during the snowfall. Traffic police and other relevant departments have been directed for the completion of necessary measures to ensure the safety and hassle-free travel of the people. On the other hand, cold and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country during the next twelve hours. However, rain with gusty winds (light snow over hills) is expected in north Balochistan and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the evening/night. According to Met office forecast for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, partly cloudy and cold weather is expected in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Baramula.
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Tuesday, 22 February, 2022
06 COMMENT
New wave of terrorism
Pak-India trade Need for a joint govt-opposition stand
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APM on Commerce, Textile Industry and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood maintains that trade with India is the need of the hour as it is beneficial to both countries. earlier this month similar views were expressed by country’ leading businessman and industrialist Mian Muhammad Mansha. Around this time, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report highlighted the issue of Pakistan having one of lowest trade-to-GDP ratios in the world. The Bank’s report noted that the country does not have significant trading ties with neighbours in South Asia. There is a perception that the trade with India could lower the prices of agricultural goods and reduce transport expenses incurred on commodities imported from far-off countries that could be acquired from India at cheaper rates. Furthermore, a resumption of Pak-India trade could create an environment conducive to a peaceful resolution of the disputes that divide the two countries, the most vital as well as most complicated being the Kashmir issue. It needs to be noted that despite a full-fledged India-China war, recent bloody clashes and lingering border disputes, China and India have managed to maintain their trading relations which has benefitted both. What is required on the part of Pakistan, however, is to continue its unstinted and unwavering moral and political support to the Kashmiris’ right of self-determination and opposition to the ruthless use of force by India. Trade relations between Pakistan and India have been suspended since August 2019 when New Delhi revoked the law providing special status to occupied Kashmir. The year 2021 started with a surprise announcement of ceasefire on the LoC while COAS Bajwa maintained when addressing the PAF graduation ceremony that that it was time to extend a hand of peace in all directions and Pakistan stood firmly committed to the ideals of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. The year however ended in no major breakthrough. The issue of trade relations with India is too important a matter to be decided by the ministry of trade alone. What is surprising is that the PTI government as a whole has not taken ownership of Razak Dawood’s position despite his being one of the Prime Minister’s closest aides. For purposes of validation and endorsement, the matter could be taken to Parliament for a joint governmentopposition stand.
Better policing is the way forward Mohib AsAd
T
he ongoing wave of terrorism was widely expected by the Law enforcement Agencies once the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. The reasoning was based on many assumptions. Firstly, the apparent victory of the Taliban was expected to embolden our own home-grown fringe right wing. Secondly, that the groups fighting the LeAs in the erstwhile FATA would have a friendly haven in Taliban controlled Afghanistan, and could do hit-and-run against Pakistani authorities. Thirdly, our resident groups would be able to import more buddies from across the western border, now free from fighting the Americans, and thus the numbers of the Tehreek i Taliban (TTP) would swell. Fourthly, that external enemy powers would use this new scenario to infuse more money into terrorism in Pakistan so as to destabilize the national security of Pakistan; the ideal paradigm for present-day hybrid warfare. Fifthly, that the sleeper cells maintained by external and internal enemies of the country would be reactivated to further roil the waters. These assessments have by and large come true. The pattern is clear and defined. The armed forces, the police, society at large, minorities, have all been separately targeted. The number of casualties so far are few and in small numbers, (each human life and limb is precious and priceless), but this is not the end of this present wave but possibly the urban beginning of a few months of mayhem by criminals eager to justify their keep to their sponsors. There has also been an increase in the petty crime and street offences in urban centers. Whether there is a connection is a moot question, but there is certainly a great public disquiet on the issue. everything needs to be taken as dots to be connected to see the wholis-
tic picture. The problem which commentators like me face in analyzing and then initiating any debate is that we do not have the requisite information and therefore can only generalize our opinion on previous history of terrorism in this country, and the solutions of choice adopted world-wide to douse the flames. We are lucky to have an army which has the resolve, wherewithal, and acquired skills to defeat guerrilla insurgents as they have amply demonstrated in the last decade. But as Joe Biden present POTUS said somewhere, the urban terrorist is not hunted by a soldier in battle fatigues and night goggles, but the lowly cop walking the beat in his neighborhood of responsibility. every act of terrorism is a criminal offence in some police station of the country. So for a successful counterterrorism strategy, the state needs to look at, organize, enrich, and empower the police. however much of a distaste you may have for the police, the stark reality is that there is no option B. As enunciated earlier the clear reading is that we are at this time in a wave of hybrid war of which terrorism organized by internal and external enemies is a part. And for this reason, a different set of policing skills needs to be infused into the system. My take is as follows: Firstly, the Special Branches need to be trained by officers of the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI for better collection, collation, and action thereon. Modules to be taught must include agent creation and maintenance because unless the police is able to infiltrate these criminal cells, they will not be able to pre-empt offences.
Every act of terrorism is a criminal offence in some police station of the country. So for a successful counterterrorism strategy, the state needs to look at, organize, enrich, and empower the police.
Development in Lahore While commendable, still raises some pertinent questions
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SMAN Buzdar has received a litany of criticism and doubt over the course of his tenure as Chief Minister Punjab and while much of it was warranted, some of it stems from the perception that his lack of experience makes him inept to deliver, which is unfair. One commendable achievement of the Punjab government under the PTI is the road development in Lahore that has relieved the busy city somewhat of crippling traffic congestion. The Lal Shahbaz Qalandar underpass in the center of Lahore is one such example that has immensely helped the flow of traffic there. It is commendable that three similar projects are nearing completion in heavy traffic areas of the city as well. Yesterday, an investment worth Rs60 billion by the Dhabi group to develop Mubarak Center, dubbed the ‘tallest building in Lahore’, was secured by Punjab government during the CM’s visit to Dubai. The foundation for a ‘Central Business District’ that will be constructed on the site of soon to be de-notified Walton airport has also been laid recently. Although many of the advantages of these projects are somewhat obvious, there are equally obvious questions and observations to be asked and made in light of such aggressive infrastructure development. The fact that this strategy to ramp up high visibility projects close to election season is a carbon copy of the PML-N is undeniable and therefore it would make it even more difficult for the PTI to maintain the profile of ‘the party of change’ than it already is. The Punjab government should also be prepared to receive and deal with the same complaints and requests from its parliamentarians and their respective constituents that the PML-N did when it indulged in such hyperdevelopment: why is Lahore the recipient of such luxuries being built and delivered on time using taxpayer money? The Punjab government will have to address some of these concerns at which point demands for funds will be made and doling out cash may be the only solution to retain electables. Where it plans to find that money is another debate altogether.
The writer is a freelance columnist
Is Sehat Card the best solution? Underfunded public sector hospitals gain very little AMir hAMeed
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O one can deny that national healthcare is desperately needed in Pakistan. This sector has been ignored since decades resulting in severe hardship for our low-income groups (which means by far the great majority of people in our country). Most of our public hospitals were built a long time ago, some of them, like Mayo hospital, Lady Wellington etc, were built before partition. The vacuum created by the governments neglect of the health sector has been filled to a great extent by private hospitals. however, the common person is unable to afford treatment in private hospitals. While the recent announcement of a health Card for all eligible families is a welcome relief, one wonders if the health Card is really the best solution. The health card scheme provides medical insurance to each family up to Rs. 1 million per family per annum. The medical insurance is provided by the State Life Insurance company to which the government will pay an insurance premium of Rs.2820 per family per annum. This health card has been in use for some time in KP province and is now being extended to the other provinces. The experience of the health card in KP province can be used to build a fairly accurate model for the whole country. In KP province the government paid an insurance premium of Rs.2820 per family per annum for 7.5 million families at a total annual cost of Rs.23 billion. It was assumed that each family consists on average of 4.7 persons, which means the insurance cost was Rs.600 per person. Based on current population statistics the total cost for the whole country will be
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Secondly, the selection, training, equipment, and funding for the provincial Counter-Terrorism Departments (CTD) needs to be upped to the same level as is availed by the Motorway Police, so that the right quality of policemen volunteer to serve in these recently created units. The CTD must have their safe houses, transport, wireless and internet, and proper body armor. Thirdly, one of the weakest areas in our police system is officer safety. hundreds of police are killed or injured in targeted attacks by fly-by killers, mostly to create panic. By the very nature of their functions, the police cannot be insulated from the street, but a lot of such incidents can be avoided or challenged by better training in officer safety, and less reckless behavior. Many policemen have this false sense of security that their uniform is some kind of body armor. The killing of police officers is bad in two ways; one, it lowers morale in the force. Two, it leads to many policemen becoming trigger-happy resulting in many tragedies. So, train in officer safety. Fourthly, we are, as a nation, very poor at organizing institutional memory. The Police Rules 1935 (Still in effect, believe it or not) lay a great stress on maintenance of particulars of crimes and criminals at the level of the Police Station, the district, and provincial. For effectively dealing with the inter-provincial offence of terrorism, we need to have comprehensive information available with the National Police Bureau in Islamabad as a national archive updated each day and available to all district police officers throughout the country. Fifthly, it is common knowledge that witnesses in cases of terrorism resile in court due to fear. It is now imperative that statements made to investigating police officers by accused persons be admissible in evidence, subject to the right of cross-examination. The present law, enacted in 1872, and kept as such by successive governments be annulled. We need to trust our police. Sixthly, it is common knowledge that most persons arrested in terrorism are granted bail very soon by courts. It may largely be due to poor and incompetent prosecution. Or it might be due to other reasons. An in-depth review of the bail system needs to be done and laws made to tighten the regime. Lastly, this ongoing hybrid war on our law and order already has an equally hybrid response in the National Action Plan. Sadly, the Plan which has the backing of the whole nation is floundering. enforce all articles of the Plan in letter and spirit and we will defeat the enemies of Pakistan.
I
Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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Rs.134 Billion per annum. The current construction cost of building a hospital in Pakistan is Rs.1.5 million per bed. Generally, a full-sized hospital has 600 beds so a midsize hospital can be considered to have 300 beds. This means the construction cost of a 300-bed hospital is Rs.450 million. A liberal estimate of equipment, fixtures, fittings etc is another Rs.450 million. Therefore a 300 bed fully operational hospital would cost not more than Rs. 900 million. This means that in the government’s health insurance budget of just one year, 150 new fully operational public hospitals could be built. Imagine the kind of economic boost the country would get if the government started a mega project of building 150 new hospitals across the country simultaneously. The amount of cement, bricks, steel, paint etc that would be used, not to mention the number of jobs that would be created. Further, on an expenditure of Rs.134 billion the government would collect around Rs.20 billion in taxes, thereby reducing the net cost of the scheme to Rs.114 billion. This would be the utilisation of one year’s health card cost. Subsequent years health card budget of Rs.134 billion per annum could be used to cover
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
the operational running costs of the 150 hospitals (equivalent to Rs.70 million per month per hospital). This would create many permanent jobs for doctors, nurses, cleaners etc and would generate another Rs. 25 billion per annum in taxes. In the alternative health care scheme outlined above the 150 government owned hospitals would provide free medical treatment to the general public, creating jobs and generating tax revenue. experience of the health card in KP province has shown that 70% of the people who received the health card, used it in private hospitals to get medical treatment, and only 30% used the health card in government hospitals. While this may be understandable because there aren’t enough public hospitals, it is a pity that government money (public funds) are being used to enrich owners of private hospitals who are already multi billionaires. Using the KP experience as the basis one can say that, in the current health card scheme, around Rs.90 billion (70% of Rs.134 billion) of public money will find its way into the already bulging pockets of private hospital owners every year. Whether State Life Insurance company will be bankrupted by this health card scheme or not, is another story.
Experience of the health card in KP province has shown that 70% of the people who received the health card, used it in private hospitals to get medical treatment, and only 30% used the health card in government hospitals.
I
Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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The writer is a freelance columnist
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
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Tuesday, 22 February, 2022
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
Infections in poultry
Israel’s gloomy reality Israel’s accomplishments are now tragically marred with domestically charged struggles which ominously undermine its very existence.
dr Alon ben Meir Righting the WRong: Israel’s achievements since its establishment are remarkable. In science, cybertechnology, medicine, agronomy, military innovation, aviation, and entrepreneurship, Israel has excelled while reaching the pinnacle of military prowess unmatched by any other regional power. In spite of these impressive achievements, Israel failed to become the country that millions of Jews envisioned it to be. Although Israel is threatened by extremist Palestinians, radical Islamic groups, and Iran, it is powerful enough militarily to tackle such threats and prevail. The real danger Israel faces is largely self-made, emanating from multiple fronts which successive governments failed to address. These failures include the continuing occupation, unending discrimination, rampant poverty, growing social discord, and the frictional relations with American Jewry; together they point to a gloomy reality and pose a grave danger to Israel’s survival as we know it. human rights violations in the occupied territories. Other than the thirst for annexing more Palestinian land and stern opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, the continuing occupation is designed to keep the conflict simmering and to provide the rationale behind Israeli “concerns” over national security. It is sad to admit that the Jews who suffered from the horrors of persistent discrimination, segregation, and persecution culminating with the holocaust, which led to the establishment of Israel, would violate the Palestinians’ human rights to such a degree. how can any Israeli justify the terrible abuses of the Palestinians’ human rights to which they are subjected daily? Prolonged incarcerations, demolished homes, forced evictions, night raids, segregation, and denial of economic and social rights, not to speak of the relentless attacks on and harassment of innocent Palestinians by settlers forcing them to leave their land and property. As Amnon RazKrakotzkin stated in hannah Arendt in Jerusalem, “… we have to observe that in the Israeli public debate, the term ‘peace’ still does not mean primarily the fulfillment of Palestinian rights, including the rights of the refugees, but rather the principle of separation…” In January 2021, B’Tselem stated that “A regime that uses laws, practices and organized violence to cement the supremacy of one group over another is an apartheid regime.” The same sentiment was precisely echoed earlier this
month by Amnesty International. Try as it may to defend itself, the reality on the ground in the territories speaks volumes about the brutal mistreatment of Palestinians by Israel. According to B’Tselem, last year Israel killed more than 300 Palestinians, over one-fifth of whom were children—the deadliest year since 2014. It should shame every Israeli Jew who has become complacent regarding the ugly occupation, which savagely erodes Israel’s moral standing in the eyes of the international community. Although antisemitism has been in play from time immemorial, can anyone suggest that the treatment of the Palestinians by Israel is not contributing to the rise of antisemitism? It is crucial that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved because as long as the occupation continues, it will not only further undermine the Palestinians’ right but will further intensify Israel’s domestic problems. economic dispaRity: Over the past two decades Israel’s economy has consistently grown, making it one of the most stable economies in and outside the region. The average per capita earning is on par with most eU countries and the US. For this reason, it is hard to grasp why successive Israeli governments would fail miserably to address the debilitating economic disparities among the Israeli population, Jews, and Arabs alike. As Thomas Jefferson eloquently stated, “experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor.” According to a December 2021 survey, over 2.5 million Israelis—including over 1 million children—live in poverty, with 932,000 households living in a state of economic distress. The country that spends billions on building settlements and massive infrastructure in the West Bank, in addition to the billions more spent on security, allows over one million children to go hungry, especially at the early stages of their cognitive development. This is not only unconscionable but criminal. To think that this is happening to a people that have been yearning to live with dignity among their fellow Jews defies the very reason behind Israel’s creation. social disconnect: After more than seven decades of existence Israel dangerously lacks social cohesiveness, which is the hallmark of a viable and strong community. Although significant improvement has taken place between Jews of different cultural and racial backgrounds, there is still a huge social cleavage between Sephardic (Middle eastern and North African) Jews and Ashkenazi Jews who are of european origin, and discrimination against and scorn for Israeli Arabs.
In addition, there is a clear social schism between secular and Orthodox Jews, between Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox, as well as between reform and conservative Jews. Just think, 40 percent of secular Israeli Jews said they hate haredim, and nearly 20 percent of traditionalists stated that they dislike haredi Jews. That the Jews who finally established an independent state would show this much intolerance and contempt for their fellow Jews is nothing less than disgraceful. The ingathering of the Jews from all corners of the world—regardless of skin color, religious affiliation, cultural or political background—was first and foremost the very foundation for Israel’s creation. Many of Israel’s political leaders are sadly preoccupied with their petty politics. They lack the moral courage and the fortitude to speak out against this socially ugly phenomenon and foster the continuing estrangement between different segments of Israeli Jews. This has an even greater effect on the Israeli Arabs, which only deepens their alienation from the Jewish population. political fRagmentation: even after more than seven decades of existence Israel remains deeply divided politically, with scores of political parties each claiming they have the answer to the country’s multiple challenges. In every election over 20 political parties compete; new parties with colorful names are created and the leader of every party wants to be the prime minister. Not once has a single party been able to form a government on its own, settling instead to form coalition governments which by their very nature require compromises and often settle on the lowest denominator. The current Bennett-Lapid coalition government exemplifies that to perfection. By way of example, since all the parties could not reach a consensus on a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they agreed NOT to deal with it, albeit it is the most critical issue facing the nation. It is understandable that Jews who immigrated to Israel from various countries will have different political views. But one would think that after 73 years, new generations of Israelis would settle on fewer political parties representing the mainstream of the political spectrum— left, right, center, and religious. This would allow for the formation of a coalition government that enjoys a significant majority and can get things done. Instead, political bickering and party and personal interests are consistently placed above the nation’s interests. As James Madison explained, the problem is that when political factions obtain power, they put their interests above the common good, “both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” Netanyahu and his party epitomized this horrible reality.
It is sad to admit that the Jews who suffered from the horrors of persistent discrimination, segregation, and persecution culminating with the Holocaust, which led to the establishment of Israel, would violate the Palestinians’ human rights to such a degree.
Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com
INFeCTIOUS diseases remain a constant threat since old ages. Different viruses emerged from time to time and devastated the civilizations. The emergence of new microbes and pathogens also posed a major risk to food safety and food security. New viruses emerge from existing viruses by getting changes in the genome through mutation. Mutations are attained by viruses through phenomena of antigenic shift and antigenic drift during genetic re-assortment in virus replication. The emergence of hyper-virulent viruses results in sudden and unexpected disease outbreaks in human and animal populations. The prevailing prophylactic measures of immunization against mutant viruses failed due to variations in the antigenicity of mutated virus strains. Adeno viruses are a group of diverse viruses which affect a wide range of mammalian species including humans as well as domesticated and wild avian species. Virus classes that infect avian species are known as Aviadenovirus. Aviadenovirus are responsible for avian diseases of inclusion body hepatitis, hydropericardium syndrome and gizzard erosions. Siadenovirus cause diseases in turkeys and pheasants while Atadenovirus produce disease in layer poultry. Aviadenovirus has five classes and 12 strains having individually distinct disease capabilities. Avian adenovirus got its first recognition during 1963 in the USA and in Pakistan during 1987 by devastating the poultry industry of Pakistan. Currently, adenovirus is causing field outbreaks of inclusion body hepatitis in commercial poultry with high economic losses. Losses to the poultry industry of Pakistan by these viruses are estimated at 80 million rupees annually. This contributes negatively to the availability of per capita required animal origin protein to the rapidly growing human population of Pakistan. This results in nutritional deficiencies in children and adults as well as uneven food supplies. At the national level, the ratio of beef and mutton production to the meat pool have constant production or decreasing tendencies. hence, the poultry industry is playing a vital role to bridge the gap. Pakistan poultry industry has an annual turnover of 750 million rupees with a 10% annual growth rate. Though the avian adenoviruses are not zoonotic in nature and rearing of adenovirus free flocks contributes to the production of healthy chicken meat. environmental factors and animal diseases impose their impact on human health and wellbeing and are the key to one health concept. These viruses can be controlled through bio-security measures and immunization. The new concept of vaccines production is of recombinant vaccines which are safer and more reliable, also nullifies the probability of reversion of vaccinal strains of the virus to the pathogenic ones. Prevention and control measures against pathogens are the need of the hour to build a healthy nation. The study was concluded in collaboration with eminent scientists, Prof. Dr. M. Yasin Tipu, Dr.Raheela Akhtar and Dr. Arfan Ahmad. HAFIZ MUHAMMAD ANWAR-UL-HAQ LAHORE
Foodbank DIFFeReNT reports focus on economic analysis of fishery, reveals that globally export and productivity rate of fish gradually enhance year after year. In Pakistan inland capture fisheries gaining more importance rather than marine capture fisheries because inland fishing is undertaken in irrigation canals, rivers and other reservoirs and generally serves subsistence needs. Further in many regions of the country, it became a traditional practice. Karachi fish harbour handles about 90% of total fish production and 95% of seafood products are exported almost all over the world from this port. Seafood’s export fishery sector earned 169.46 million US dollars and 166.87 million US dollars in 2013-14 and 2015-16 respectively showing a decline of 12% per annum. however, in (2015-16) GDP reached 4.5% and a significant increase was observed in 2016-17 with the difference of 0.8% and was obtained 5.3%GDP. From Dec 2016 to July 2017 fishery department earn 183.5million USD through the export of seafood and their products which was 10% more as compared to the 166.87 million USD dollar of the last fiscal year 2015-16. During 2017-18 exports of fish and fishery products increased in quantity almost 21.6pc and in value 10.5pc. however, during (FY 2020) 317.305 USD dollars were earned through the export of 130.148 thousand metric tons of fish and fishery products. Furthermore, it is roughly estimated that 30 to 35% of Pakistani seafood is annually imported by over 50 countries of europe. Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Thailand are major buyers of Pakistani fishery products. Pakistan’s fisheries sector plays a substantive role in order to overcome the poverty ratio and accomplishing the goal of food security. It also moderately participates in economic and social growth that make no more than 0.4% GDP of the total economy. Most people near the coasts of Sindh and Balochistan belong to the fishery sector and are substantial members of the aquacultural GDP. however, to increase the economic potential, it is necessary to run small scale aquacultural practices across the country. Moreover, round about 390,000 people are directly attached to the fishery department while 900,00 to 1,800,000 are indirectly attached in the form of processing, retailing and transporting. Despite auspicious agro-climatic conditions and widespread sources of fresh, marine and brackish water, Pakistan’s aquacultural industry is facing difficulties to accomplish its selected goals. This industry is limited in its diversity and to some extent carp species, trout and tilapia are making it dominant all over the world. While coastal and marine aquaculture like shrimp forming is near to vanish. Pakistan’s fish industry shows almost 1.5% of growth production rate in the last five years which is substantially slower than Bangladesh and India growth rate. In Pakistan, post-harvesting is gaining importance but now it is contributing moderately in this sector. Researchers believe that the fisheries sector in any country has great opportunities to become the strongest engine of eco-social development and growth. The fundamental potential of the fishery sector is not measured in growth and production. however, this sector offers much more opportunities in form of boosting effective exports profits, maximum funding to coastal communities, offering handsome jobs, improving food security and domestic hygienic food and dominant economic gender inequality. After all this discussion it can be summarized that in Pakistan aquaculture industry need more attention and some rapid actions are required to fulfil the demand for fish. In this way fishery sector can be utilized as an economic booster and not only easily attain a satisfactory growth rate, fulfil the demand for protein but can also enhance the options for food security, employment and livelihood. The Pakistani government is taking steps to improve the Fisheries Department including launching new fishing techniques, Improvement in advanced products, reinforcement of advisory services and enrichment of per capita. By acting upon these outstanding supportive opportunities Pakistan will achieve its targeted goals very soon. TASMIA SHABANA LAHORE
08 WORLD VIEW 22nd February 22_Layout 1 2/21/2022 11:08 PM Page 1
Tuesday, 22 February, 2022
08 WORLD VIEW
WhaT does The unchecked rise of violenT hinduTva groups mean for india? INDIA IS A CHAOTIC PLACE AT THE BEST OF TIMES. BUT FOR THE STATE TO ALLOW, AND IN FACT EVEN ENCOURAGE VIOLENT INDEPENDENT GROUPS TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES, IS THE STATE SHOOTING ITSELF IN THE FOOT Scroll ShoaIb DaNIyal
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NDIA’S democracy is going through some troubled times. exhibit 1: On Wednesday, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Uttar Pradesh who holds the rank of a minister expressed his support for two men accused of shooting at hyderabad member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, Asaduddin Owaisi. India is no stranger to political violence. however, even by those standards, a minister from the ruling party cheering on the assassination attempt on an MP is new. This comes a few months after senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s house was attacked and set on fire by hindutva extremists. Communal violence directed at minorities in India is a decades-old phenomenon, dating right to the moment of Independence. But India is seeing a new wave of vigilante violence by hindutva extremist groups so powerful that even top Muslim politicians are under attack. What does this mean for the future of Indian politics? When did this new wave start? In 2015,
Mohammed Akhlaq, 52, was lynched by a mob from his own village who accused him of eating beef. What was truly remarkable in this grisly crime, however, was the support the accused received from powerful sections. Not only did they get bail soon, they received explicit support from the BJP: an MLA promised them jobs and they were even invited to a party rally by chief minister Adityanath. Akhlaq’s lynching set off a pattern. In 2018, a Union minister garlanded eight men convicted of murdering a Muslim cattle trader from Jharkhand when they were out on bail. Two years later, another Union minister led a crowd to chant about “shooting traitors dead”, a slogan used frequently by hindutva leaders to oppose the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Support from the highest levels means that hindutva radicals have upped the ante in the past few years. Gau rakshaks or socalled cow protection groups have established an iron grip over states such as Uttar Pradesh, assaulting and, at times, killing people with few legal repercussions. Increasingly, hate crimes against Muslims have started to be broadcast by the perpetrators themselves, assured of the fact that little criminal punishment will follow. In fact, they know that the violence may even be rewarded politically. In 2017, for example, a Muslim man was hacked and burnt to death,
with the murder being captured on video by the attacker himself. Incredibly, the gruesome killing did not lead to outrage but shows of strength by hindutva groups, who hoisted religious flags over a local court in Udaipur. As Scroll.in reported in 2021, broadcasting a hate crime is now a career advancement tool for many hindutva leaders. Moreover, associating with hate crime is beneficial even at the highest levels. In 2019, for example, the BJP nominated Pragya Thakur as its Lok Sabha candidate for Bhopal. Thakur is an accused and under trial in the 2008 bombing case in which 10 people were killed and 82 injured in the Muslim-majority town of Malegoan. The impact of the widespread growth of violent groups is obviously immense as far as the country’s 200 million-strong Muslim community is concerned. The country’s largest minority now feels physically unsafe and unprotected by the law. This was partly the reason behind the massive mobilisation in 2020. While the new Citizenship Amendment Law was the proximate cause, fears around physical safety also played a significant part in prompting Muslims from around the country to hit the streets. At the moment, the Bharatiya Janata Party has, tacitly if not openly, supported these new groups. however, it must be noted that many of these new groups have no ac-
The credit suisse leaks expose an industry that has got away with too much for too long I WON’T BE HOLDING MY BREATH FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION OR AN INQUIRY INTO ITS ACTIONS – OR INTO ANY OTHER BANK FOR THAT MATTER Guardian Prem SIkka
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OW do the banks continue to get away with it? The latest revelations about Credit Suisse provide yet another glimpse into the corrosive nexus of banks, corporations, accountants, lawyers and financial intermediaries that enables the wealthy and political elites to profit from illicit practices. The bank itself is no stranger to predatory practices. Since 2001 it has been fined at least 47 times by the US authorities and paid fines totalling $10.7bn. Since 2010, it has also been fined on at least six occasions by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and paid fines totalling more than £300m. The fines have become just another cost of doing business, and are passed on to customers. Credit Suisse is not alone. The roll of dishonour shown by the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers, Pandora Papers, hSBC leaks, Luxembourg leaks and others shows that virtually every major bank is involved in predatory practices. All these leaks have provoked a public debate – but have drawn a minimal response from governments. Credit Suisse is authorised by the FCA, and the latest revelations ought to trigger an independent inquiry in its UK operations, especially as the bank is a repeat offender. however, the chances of that happening are low. The UK government is busy promoting deregulation and a culture of entrepreneurialism – and will not wish to highlight the darker side of this. This culture is a major enabling factor in predatory practices. In the City of London, stealing a march on a competitor, at almost any price, to gain a financial advantage is considered to be a skill, while promotion, status and profits are linked with meeting business targets. In such a system any “deal” is acceptable as long as it is profitable. The problem resides more in being caught than engaging in dishonourable or illegal activity. The smart business activity resides in constructing mechanisms through which benefits are derived from suspect activities while escaping any responsibility for their operations. hence, a lot of attention is paid to building opaque structures and using financial experts to conceal nefarious practices. The UK Treasury has never been keen on investigating the organisational culture of banks, and predatory practices remain institutionalised. The Credit Suisse leak once again shows that there is an elaborate labyrinth of structures in this world that is difficult to penetrate. The state can respond by promoting transparency and accountability, shutting down offending
businesses and prosecuting their senior officials. however, the probability of this is low, as the political system has little independence from big business. Political parties are funded by corporate money and rarely bite the hand that funds them. They parade themselves as “business-friendly”. Thus, little attention is paid to cleaning up the banking sector, even though it is routinely implicated in scandals. The threat of bankruptcy and regulatory action can discipline large banks and their executives, but that has largely been eliminated as the state has shown willingness to shower vast amount of moneys on the sector. The 2007-8 crash revealed that the UK banks had engaged in reckless risk-taking and fraudulent practices. The state responded by dutifully handing out £1.1tn of cash and guarantees to bail out ailing banks. They were further propped up by the subsequent injection of £895bn of quantitative easing. Such policies have removed the threat of bankruptcy from major banks and emboldened them to engage in predatory practices. When profits are privatised and losses are socialised, there is little economic incentive to curb nefarious practices. The regulatory environment can check predatory practices but is weak. In 2012, hSBC, a bank registered in the UK, was fined $1.9bn by the US authorities for money-laundering failures. hSBC “accepted responsibility for its criminal conduct and that of its employees”. It escaped prosecution by entering into a deferred prosecution agreement. There was no UK inquiry. A subsequent 2016 US report revealed that the British chancellor, George Osborne, and the financial services regulator intervened seemingly with the aim of protecting hSBC. Despite demands, there has been no ministerial statement to explain this intervention. Perhaps we are beginning a new chapter. Last year, in a first for the FCA, NatWest was convicted for money laundering after it voluntarily pleaded guilty and paid a fine of £264m. This was not followed by prosecutions of any directors, whose remuneration was presumably augmented by profits from such illicit practices. That said, last year NatWest was fined $35m by the US Department of Justice for “spoofing” – a type of market manipulation – and the press release referred to NatWest as “a repeat offender”. This did not prompt an investigation into the bank’s practices in the UK. Overall, with the veneration of entrepreneurial culture and a compliant state, there is little immediate prospect of cleaning up the banking industry. Prem Sikka is a member of the House of Lords, and an emeritus professor of accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield.
tual organisational links with the BJP, with outreach networks often more via social media than anything else. As Scroll.in had reported in 2021, an infamous extremist priest from Uttar Pradesh, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, often receives tacit support from the BJP rank and file. however, in some cases, BJP functionaries on the ground were also annoyed with the attention Saraswati was able to garner – attention that should have come to the BJP. Since then, Saraswati has had run-ins with the BJP. In August 2021, a video of him surfaced abusing female leaders in the BJP. In January, he was arrested by the BJP-led government in Uttarakhand for hate speech. Similar unintended effects can be seen with the rise of cow protection gangs. With cattle trade grinding to a halt, farmers in the hindi belt have been forced to let loose cows that have stopped giving milk. The effect of this has been the rise of massive herds of feral cattle, roaming states like Uttar Pradesh, causing huge losses to crops and a large number of automotive accidents. So much so that it is also one of the main hurdles for the BJP in the ongoing Assembly elections. Yet, gau rakshaks are so powerful that a year after they allegedly shot dead a police officer in Uttar Pradesh, they even installed a statue of the man accused of the killing. At the moment, it is unclear how the
BJP can stop them, even if it, hypothetically, would want to. Similar chaos was seen in Delhi in 2020, where BJP leaders, including most infamously Kapil Mishra, threatened anti-CAA protestors. Actual violence broke out only a few hours later. The week-long riots that followed were not only devastating to the victims but also India’s image. Ironically, the Delhi Police has itself claimed that the riots – that it should have been responsible for stopping – could not have been a “greater international embarrassment” for the Modi government given that they took place at the same time President Donald Trump was in the city. Indians like to claim to be on the cusp of superpowerdom but anyone looking from the outside and observing even the national capital not immune to a complete breakdown in law and order would probably come away with a very different impression. India is a chaotic place at the best of times. But for the state to allow, and in fact even encourage violent independent groups to establish themselves, is the state shooting itself in the foot. While these extremists do benefit the ideologically-aligned BJP in the short term, inevitably there is a high chance of this spinning out of control with unpredictable consequences. The example of Pakistan is a relevant one, given there too, the state handed significant control over to extremist groups, leading to a long, and still ongoing, spell of chaos. Notably with 1.3 billion people, India is more than six times the size of Pakistan and, should vigilante violence cross a threshold, far more difficult to control. The prime minister of the second-largest nation would surely have a lot to do. Why then is he spending his time launching tiny developmental works?
measuring poverty properly AS MALAYSIA TRIES TO RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC AND THE FLOODS, IT HAS A CHANCE TO ADOPT EFFECTIVE POLICIES TO IMPROVE LIVING STANDARDS IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES Project Syndicate Nurul Izzah
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he 2019 Oscar-winning film Parasite attracted a global audience for its arresting portrayal of South Korea’s stark income inequality. The movie’s rendering of a lowincome household’s acute sense of alienation resonated widely, no doubt because similar sentiments are palpable in many other countries. And the gap between the haves and have-nots is growing, thanks to the dual challenges of COVID-19 and climate change. The poor suffer the most in times of crisis because they lack the social capital that protects those who are better off. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., the arc of inequality bends towards more inequality. That makes it imperative for policymakers to address the widening divide between rich and poor and craft adequate safety nets for those most in need. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which tracks non-income measures of deprivation like education, health, and living standards, is an essential tool in mapping the scope of the problem. My country, Malaysia, joined the global network of countries that use the MPI in 2013, after years of using outdated methods to measure poverty. In 2019, a scathing critique by then-UN Special Rapporteur on extreme Poverty and human Rights Philip Alston finally led the government to revise its definition. The MPI continues to play a role in Malaysia’s response to income inequality. In April 2021, Fatimah Kari, an economics professor specialising in poverty at the University of Malaya, led an MPI survey among the bottom 40 per cent of income earners in my constituency of Permatang Pauh in Penang. The goal of the survey was to reflect the impact of the pandemic on impoverished households. Along with the usual measurements, the survey assessed income loss due to the pandemic, relative access to online education for children, and overall well-being in relation to home confinement during lockdowns. The pilot project aimed to test a “COVID-adjusted” blueprint to measure poverty that could be adopted by Malaysia’s federal government for use at the national level. Six months later, Mustapa Mohamed, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for economic Affairs, announced the government’s intention to revamp the national MPI methodology in response to the study. The new methodology would complement the design of more robust safety net programmes, news that was welcomed by legislators who have been urging the government to use the MPI to understand and
meet the needs of lower-income households. The change also was timely: in addition to the economic difficulties brought about by the pandemic, the country has been devastated by heavy rains. Officials repeatedly referred to the recent floods as a oncein-a-century phenomenon, but the last major flood happened only eight years ago, displacing almost 300,000 people. The latest disaster affected an estimated 80,000 people across nine states. In the immediate aftermath, NGOs and community groups stepped in to organise aid distribution. Ordinary Malaysian men and women risked their lives to rescue victims stranded in flood-stricken areas. These efforts contrasted sharply with the government’s relative unpreparedness. The current administration has turned to quickfix schemes to stave off the economic impact of the pandemic, with profound consequences for the entire budget. One programme allows citizens to withdraw funds early from their retirement savings. It has been reported that a total of RM101 billion ($24.1 billion) has been withdrawn from Malaysia’s employees Provident Fund (ePF). Over six million members now have less than RM10,000 in their ePF accounts, and more than half of these have less than RM1,000. In fact, some 22 per cent of the government’s total pandemic economic stimulus consisted of withdrawals by Malaysians from their own retirement funds. But with more than 15 per cent of Malaysia’s population expected to be 60 years or above by 2030, the scheme is a formula for disaster. Its loudest proponents include the disgraced former prime minister, Najib Razak, whose conviction for corruption last year has not deterred him from brazen that encourage cash-strapped retirees to deplete their savings further. As Malaysia tries to recover from the pandemic and the floods, it has a chance to adopt effective policies to improve living standards in vulnerable communities. The development of a realistic MPI is a necessary first step, because it would enable the government to comprehend in detail the main challenges, from lack of sanitation and access to clean water to internet coverage for online education, confronting the poorest Malaysians. Well-designed MPI studies can bring these important facets of people’s lives to policymakers’ attention, in addition to measuring the overall gap between the richest and poorest. equipped with this knowledge, governments, including Malaysia’s, can begin to mitigate the social tensions so brilliantly rendered in Parasite. Nurul Izzah Anwar is a member of the Malaysian parliament.
Tuesday, 22 February, 2022 | LAHORE
Turkish minisTer for religious affairs Terms islamophobia grave menace based on exTremism ISLAMABAD
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Press release
URKISH Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Ali Erbas has said that Islamophobia is a grave menace based on extremism and its mass dissemination by anti-Muslim elements has resulted in misleading and negative image of Islam. He expressed these views in his address as Chief Guest at a seminar on the topic of ‘Islamophobia: dimensions and its possible solutions’ held here at the International Islamic University (IIU) on Monday. The seminar was jointly organized by University’s Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) and Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue (IRD). The Turkish Minister said that disseminating misguidance and hatred is tantamount to following the devil. The Turkish Minister of Religious Affairs said Western media outlets are trying to distort the image of Islam and atrocities against Muslims are on the rise even in India and Myanmar. He said that the language based on Islamophobic content is common on electronic and
social media and Western media houses are pursuing anti-Islamic policy. Dr. Ali Erbas called upon intellectuals, media, leaders, researchers and human rights organizations to raise voice against the mistreatment of Islam. He maintained that Islam is a religion of peace and mercy which emphasizes justice and respects the rights. He said that these are high times for Muslims to thwart anti-Islamic conspiracies through unity, knowledge and wisdom. Address-
ing the seminar, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said that Islamophobia had started with the proclamation of Prophethood. He said that the Heads of States of Pakistan and Turkey are known across the world to utter the word of truth, therefore both countries are active to tackle the challenge of Islamophobia. He referred to the Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech at the United Nations saying that the PM represented the
sentiments of Muslims across the world. The Minister of Religious Affairs said that the worst form of Islamophobia is in India where Muslims face this negative attitude every day. He thanked the government of Kuwait for raising the voice of Muslims in the assembly. The Minister for Religious Affairs said that Hindutva was being promoted under the leadership of Modi. "Instead of damaging our property in response to blasphemous attempts, we must speak to the world with arguments and preaching Islam, " he said. Pir Noorul-Haq Qadri said that it was time to promote Islam’s message of tolerance and peace in the world. Rector of the University Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai in his speech said that there is large a number of Islamic University graduates in the Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs. "At the moment, we have to formulate a narrative to dispel misconceptions against Islam," he said. He said that the Islamic University is working on the exchange of delegations to promote academic relations with Turkish universities through the Mevlana program.
151 girls abducted from Sargodha recovered, police inform SC NewS DeSK The police on Monday informed the Supreme Court that 151 girls, who were abducted from Sargodha, have been recovered, according to Express Tribune. The police informed this during the hearing of Sobia Batool case by a three-member bench of the apex court, presided by Justice Maqbool Baqir. Batool was abducted from Sargodha
district in November, 2021. District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Rizwan Ahmad Khan informed the bench that on the court’s order, an operation was carried out to recover the missing girls and as a result, 151 girls were rescued from different areas of Sargodha division. He added that 21 girls have been rescued from brothels, however, Sobia Batool has not been found. He elaborated that 16 accused have been arrested and some of the
European Union Special Representative for Human Rights H.E. Mr. Eamon Gilmore called on Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari at her office in Islamabad. The ambassador of the EU to Pakistan Ms. Androulla Kaminara was also present in this meeting. Both sides broadly discussed the ongoing EU funded development and humanitarian projects in Pakistan. They had a discussion, specifically, on the project of 'Haqooq-e-Pakistan'- a project for the promotion of Human Rights in Pakistan that has reached near to its end.
recovered girls have provided marriage certificates. The bench expressed concern over the abduction of the girls from Sargodha, deeming it a result of “incompetence and failure of police”. Justice Baqir stated, “It is a matter of great abuse that despite the First Information Report (FIR), the recovery was so lax”. The apex court judge also questioned the DPO whether the recovered girls had their FIRs registered and ordered Station
House Officers (SHO) of police stations, where cases were registered, to be notified. The court further directed the Inspector General of Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan to take steps to rescue abducted girls across the province and ordered the police to take steps for the recovery of Sobia Batool. The court also rejected the bail plea of accused Muhammad Umair, who was arrested in Sobia Batool’s kidnapping case.
Umer Lodhi, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan present along with Engr. Ahmed Hammad Rasheed, President of Alkhidmat Foundation, during the signing ceremony of Ramadan Donation Drive.
EBM exhibits exciting new product range at Gulfood 2022 KARACHI Press release
English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM) participated in the Gulfood Exhibition 2022 where its vibrant and dynamic pavilion impressed international visitors and buyers, who left the pavilion with a stronger desire to learn more about EBM's brands and aspirations to grow their business internationally. This year, EBM showcased its innovative cake range which has garnered immense success in Pakistan and is well-poised to grow around the globe. These include, ‘Peek Freans Smile- doughnut cakes icing coated, sprinkle covered, cream filled rings of delight; and ‘Peek Freans Sooper Soft Bakes’– plain cakes, with the perfect balanced
flavor of egg and milk, uniquely shaped yet perfectly rooted in tradition. These products come as a testament to EBM’s continued investment in R&D and innovations to further its international footprint. Global engagements and platforms like Gulfoods hold major significance for EBM in their endeavor to expand and grow the market. The Managing Director and CEO of EBM, Dr. Zeelaf Munir, while speaking on the occasion, said, “We hope to continue our investment, both at home and abroad, to fulfill the evolving needs of our consumers who look for high quality innovative offerings. Despite COVID-19 challenges and supply chain disruptions around the globe, we were able to sustain operations and have in fact grown our business twofold. We remain committed to providing healthy and affordable nutrition to our consumers in Pakistan and beyond.” Director Business Development at EBM- Shahzain Munir stated: “The exhibition was a roaring success. We were able to introduce to the audience our innovative cake range which received a very positive response. International markets are, and continue to remain, an important focus for growth, for our business and consequently our country.” With a global presence in up to 30 countries, EBM proudly exports to the United States, Canada, the UK, the Middle East, and Africa. It has the largest production capacity in Pakistan and has been a market leader for more than 50 years. The company sees itself at the forefront of the continuous evolution of the FMCG industry, at home and abroad.
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Ahsen Zeeshan, Marketing Lead Sanofi Pakistan CHC, Prof Ignacio, past President of World Allergy Organisation, Prof Zakirullah and Dr Zeeshan Hassan, Medical Lead Sanofi Pakistan CHC, at the Allergy Expert Meeting 2022 held at Lahore. International and local experts provided insights on allergy management techniques.
shehzad roy urges govt to remove tax on contraceptives NewS DeSK Renowned singer and Pakistan’s goodwill ambassador for population and family planning Shehzad Roy has called attention to the country’s lack of access to contraceptives to help control population growth. In a tweet, Shehzad said that 17 percent of Pakistani couples want to use contraceptives but can’t get them because of their high cost. “17% couples in Pak [Pakistan] want to use contraceptive but can’t access it,” he wrote. He asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin “to waive off tax and give strong message that, exponentially growing pop is a huge issue.” Shehzad has remained at the forefront of activism for several years.
nail hammering incident: kp announces free treatment for woman PeSHAwAR staff rePort
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Monday announced free treatment for the woman who reportedly had a nail hammered into her head on a “fake” peer‘s directions in order to give birth to a male child, and her husband.Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said the woman will be provided free treatment for her mental illnesses. She will also be given free medical advice and psycho social support. Earlier, SSP Operations Haroon Rasheed said the woman, an Afghan national, was brought to the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar on Feb 4 with a nail hammered into her head. “I talked to the woman and her husband. The woman has mental issues,” the police officer said. He revealed that she already has two sons and a daughter, dispelling the impression that she was yearning for a baby boy. The woman’s husband said her wife is suffering from mental illness, claiming that Jinn (ghosts) hammered the nail into her skull. According to a neurosurgeon at the hospital, the woman was pregnant and had a severe head injury when she was brought to the health facility. A nail was successfully removed from the patient’s head during a surgery.
islamabad police trying to facilitate public in every possible way: igp ahsan Younas ISLAMABAD Press release
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younas has said that Islamabad police is trying to facilitate public in every possible way. He said this while listening issues of public as well as police officials during khuli kacheri in Central Police Office. The IGP directed relevant police officials to resolve their issues and gave them timeframe for the purpose. On the occasion, Muhammad Ahsan Younas said that Islamabad police has launched "WhatsApp Based Services" and 28 police services on Public Facilitation centre working 24/7 to facilitate citizens. "We are trying our best to resolve public grievances in every possible way" he maintained. The IGP while hearing public complaints strictly directed all zonal officers to take immediate and strict action against land grabbers. “No one would be allowed to grab property of any citizen” he added. Islamabad police chief said that it is our prime responsibility to provide protection to the lives and property of the citizens and resolve their problems on priority. He said that citizens at `Open Court’ should be behaved in a respectful manner and their trust on police department to be won through resolving their issues. He said that interaction with people also ensures accountability of the policemen and they should address public complaints on merit by considering them their own issues. The IGP emphasized that positive image of policemen should be ensured before them through unbiased approach towards anyone. Police chief hoped that interaction during `open kutcheries’ would help to promote friendly policing. Such interaction with citizens are aimed to promote community policing, resolve the issues of people at their door steps through merit and curb activities of anti-social elements, he added.
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WaSim aKram SayS ‘induCtion to PCB HaLL of fame WouLdn’t HaVe Been PoSSiBLe WitHout Waqar youniS’
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ORMeR Pakistani cricketer and bowling legend Wasim Akram thanked bowling partner Waqar Younis after the latter congratulated him on his achievements throughout his career. “Thanks buddy, wouldn’t have been possible without you at the other end,” Akram wrote on Twitter replying to Younis’s tweet. Sharing pictures of Akram, Younis congratulated Akram for his contribution to Pakistan cricket. “Pride of performance, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, ICC [and]
HBL PSL 7: Virat Kohli fan spreads some love at Lahore stadium
PCB Hall of Fame. 916 inter [wickets] with three hattricks,” he wrote sharing some stats of his bowling career. Calling him a “legend”, former Pakistan cricket team coach Younis said heroes come and go but “legends are forever”. These two were arguably the most lethal bowling partners throughout the ’90s. They were known for quick bowling and knew how to bowl reverse swing. Famous bowling partners — mostly known as the two Ws — share a special bond and keep a track of each other’s professional life. It is pertinent to note that Akram has been formally inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Hall of
Fame. The 1992 World Cup winner and former captain Akram, who took a total of 916 wickets and scored 6,615 runs in his international career from 1984 to 2003, was inducted into the PCB Hall of Fame by veteran West Indies cricketer Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards. Sir Vivian Richards, one of the all-time greats and an ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, presented Akram a commemorative cap and plaque before the beginning of the 28th match in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), played between Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators. Akram is now one of the eight Pakistan stalwarts who are members of the PCB Hall of Fame.
HBL PSL 7: Babar shares his thoughts on Karachi Kings exit
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The country’s biggest cricket tournament, Pakistan Super League (PSL) is going on in full swing at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. The tournament is a fan favourite for obvious reasons. Cricket lovers wait for this time of the year to witness some good cricket in their home country. While the league showcases international and local talent, there is still some void among the fans as they wish Indian cricketers too could visit Pakistan. Recently, among several fans at the Gaddafi Stadium, a cricket enthusiast was seen with a banner of Indian batter Virat Kohli. “I want to see your century in Pakistan,” the photo banner read. The picture of the fan holding the image quickly went viral on social media. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also shared the picture, saying “someone is spreading love at the #GaddafiStadium.” It is pertinent to note that Virat Kohli is arguably one of the most-watched players in the current crop of cricketers, has scored 70 centuries in international cricket.
Karachi Kings skipper Babar Azam on Monday finally spoke up on his side’s terrible campaign throughout the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL)’s seventh edition. Karachi Kings, who were the only team to have the longest streak of defeats with eight consecutive losses in the tournament, created another unwanted PSL record after losing to Quetta Gladiators on Sunday and got eliminated from the race to the playoffs in the tournament. In his latest tweet, Babar admitted that his squad could not do well at their end but there is still so much to “reflect, learn and improve” from the experience. Pledging to come back stronger in the next PSL edition, Babar expressed gratitude towards his and Karachi Kings fans for supporting and believing in the team despite their misfortune.
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Speaking on the occassion, the former bowler said that representing Pakistan in international cricket for a good 18 years was an “honour and every wicket and run he earned during his career was priceless.” “I can’t thank God Almighty enough for providing me the opportunity to serve this great country at the highest level,” he added. Akram went on to say that he would like to thank all his fans who have been his “greatest strength”, his family and friends for always standing by him during the incredible journey.
China to send 96 Paralympians to participate in Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics Staff RepoRt The Chinese delegation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics was officially established on Monday. A total of 96 Paralympians of Team China will compete in 73 events across all six sports, its largest ever participation in the Games. This marks China’s sixth appearance at the Winter Paralympics. The Chinese delegation includes 68 male and 28 female athletes with an average age of 25. The oldest Paralympian is 45-year-old Alpine skier Zhang Haiyuan, while the youngest is snowboarder Geng Yanhong at 17. 85 of them will make their Paralympic debut in Beijing 2022. The Beijing Winter Paralympics will be held from March 4 to 13.
PM Imran says ‘Pakistan would become competitive in Winter Olympics’ NewS DeSk Prime Minister Imran Khan has predicted that Pakistan will soon become competitive in the Winter Olympics as the Swati children now have a place to practice skiing. The PM has shared a video of snow-covered lands of Gabin Jabba in Swat Pakistan, which he called a newly discovered site for skiing in the country. The video showed children skiing in the picturesque landscape surrounded by snowy mountain tops
and trees. “This is a newly discovered skiing area in Gabin Jabba, Swat. Now that children are learning to ski in Swat, InshaAllah soon Pakistan will become competitive in Winter Olympics,” PM Imran Khan wrote. It is pertinent to note that PM Imran Khan witnessed the inaugural ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022, during his recent visit to China. Among other athletes, Muhammad Karim from Gilgit-Baltistan was the only Pakistani athlete to participate in the Olympics.
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PPP’S long MArCH for bringing no-ConfidenCe Motion AgAinSt ‘inCoMPetent govt’: bilAwAl peshaWar
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HAIRMAN Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that his party’s long march will be for bringing no-confidence motion against the incompetent and illegitimate government of Premier Imran Khan. While addressing the workers’ convention here on Monday, Bilawal instructed PPP workers to contact the public and expose the lies of Imran Khan. He said that the Party needs workers who want to work and stand by the party as the workers did with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Bilawal Bhutto said that PM Imran Khan
did not fulfill his promise of providing one crore jobs and fifty lac houses. “He did not provide a single job and got his own house in Bani Gala regularised. All his promises to the youth of this country proved to be false. He has created the worst economic crisis of the history of Pakistan. All his promises about education, employment, economy, elimination of corruption, law and order, promises to growers, labourers and women were proven false,” he claimed. Chairman PPP said that on the very first day in the parliament, he had called Imran Khan “selected” and today the whole world knows that he is selected. “Imran Khan’s Pakistan is the most corrupt Pakistan according to a report of the Transparency International. The PPP never left the field open for Imran Khan because
we never let any dictator rule without resistance,” he added. He said the PPP resisted dictators like General Yahya Khan, General Zia and General Musharraf. “We asked our friends not to resign and to contest the elections and then Imran Khan lost every bye-elections, Senate election and local government election. Now, our long march will weaken this government. We are democrats and will not attack the parliament or the PTV. Now, our friends have are also on the same page,” he said. He said that we will reach Islamabad with our long march and will put our demands before this selected government. Bilawal Bhutto said that the PPP workers are ideological workers; they are brave who will never compromise on their ideol-
PM Khan to leave for Moscow on two-day official visit tomorrow islaMabaD MiAn AbRAR
Prime Minister Imran Khan would depart for Moscow on a two-day official visit to Russia on Wednesday, 23rd February 2022. The visit comes amid the media claims of the possibility of war between Russia and Ukraine by the western governments led by the US. According to the official announcement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including members of the Cabinet. The bilateral summit will be the highlight of the visit, the statement said. Pakistan
and Russia enjoy friendly relations marked by mutual respect, trust and convergence of views on a range of international and regional issues. “During the Summit meeting, the two leaders will review the entire array of bilateral relations including energy cooperation. They will also have wide-ranging exchange of views on major regional and international issues, including Islamophobia and situation in Afghanistan,” the statement added. The visit of the Prime Minister will contribute to further deepening of the multifaceted Pakistan-Russia bilateral relationship and enhancement of mutual cooperation in diverse fields.
Senate chairman calls on PM islaMabaD APP
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, his office said. During the meeting, the two discussed the political situation in Balochistan and the progress on the ongoing development schemes in the northern and southern regions of the province under the centre-funded uplift packages. The prime minister also assured him of taking all steps for the progress and prosperity of the province.
Capt Haider Abbas martyred in Kohlu attack islaMabaD StAff RePoRt
Pakistan Army lost another young officer as fleeing terrorists opened indiscriminate fire at a raiding party of security forces in District Kohlu of Balochistan on Sunday. According to the ISPR, based on intelligence information about presence of terrorists in a hideout near District Kohlu, Balochistan, the security forces conducted a clearance operation in the area. “As soon as troops started cordoning the area, Terrorists, while fleeing the hideout, opened indiscriminate fire. During ensuing heavy exchange of fire, Captain Haider Abbas embraced shahadat in pursuit of the terrorists,” the statement said. “A deliberate follow up operation, however, continues in the area to deal with the perpetrators who have suffered casualties but were able to escape into nearby mountains,” the statement said. “Security forces operations to eliminate the terrorists will continue and they will not be allowed to sabotage hard earned peace in Balochistan,” it added. Namaz-e-Janaza of Shaheed Capt Haider Abbas was offered at Karachi. Corps Commander Karachi, Lieutenant General Muhammad Saeed attended the funeral. Serving officers, soldiers, relatives of Shaheed and large number of people attended the Namaz-e-Janaza. Shaheed was buried with complete military honour.
ogy, country and the blood of martyrs. “These workers successfully fought against terrorists who are the killers of our civilians, policemen, soldiers and the children of APS. The government has bowed before these terrorists but the people will not. These terrorists should ask for pardon first and then produce themselves before the law for accountability,” he said. “Whatever the government is doing is wrong and the people of Pakistan and the Parliament should be taken into confidence before talking to these terrorists,” he added. Chairman PPP said that the name Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was given by the PPP and this was the achievement of the PPP. “Through 18th amendment in the constitution, the PPP made the people of the province to govern their own people. The
people cannot forget the party which gave employment to the youth. The women of this province and the entire country cannot forget the BISP. PPP is still fighting for the rights of the labourers,” he added. Bilawal said that the Sindh government is fighting for minimum wages to be Rs 25,000 and it wanted to give more to the labour class. “The Sindh government has restored the students’ union. We will also restore students’ union in KP and other provinces. We want to give free medical treatment of cancer, liver, kidney and heart like in Sindh”. He said that he had long ago challenged the PTI government to show any hospital like NIVCD anywhere in Pakistan but the PTI government has not accepted that challenge yet.
Kabul ambassador warns against foreign militants operating from Afghanistan Kabul StAff RePoRt
Expressing concern over the presence of foreign militant groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul warned their presence threatens Islamabad and the region. Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have recently intensified over the fencing of the Durand Line. Islamabad has emphasised the need to complete the fencing along the British-era border, while the Taliban government is standing against the idea of more fencing on the line.
“Terrorist organisations present in Afghanistan have been posing threats to the security of Afghanistan as well as to other countries, including Pakistan. ISIS is there, remnants of al-Qaeda are maybe there. There are other elements like TTP, Baloch insurgents […] and many other groups,” Mansoor Ahmad Khan told TOLOnews. Khan also spoke about the terrorist threats along the Durand Line while stressing Islamabad’s aim to expand relations with Kabul. “The fence was erected or installed in the previous years when the cross-border
terrorism was at its highest and one of the ways the state and government [in Islamabad] thought of dealing with this issue [… ] was to erect a fence,” he said. Terrorism in border towns has surged following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. The increasing attacks inside Pakistan since August last has proved to be a security nightmare for the security agencies. The incidents of the past few weeks have raised major red flags for the security apparatus, especially in Balochistan where the army lost several of its soldiers in recent attacks.
Local steel industry under threat due to smuggling through Pak-Afghan border ghulaM abbas Despite tall claims of documenting and monitoring imports and exports at PakAfghan border, the smuggling of steel from the neighboring country continues unabated. The local steel industry, through a letter sent to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on February 18, 2022 has informed that smuggled steel bars of non-Pakistani origin are openly available in Wana, Mir Ali, Miran Shah, Bannu, DI Khan and Karak. The steel bars are abundantly available in the cities near Angoor Adda-custom border post at very low prices, indicating that smuggling is occurring either through the custom border post or in a location near the area. As per the letter sent to FBR, Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP), the industry is facing a new threat of smuggling of steel from the Afghan border which is destroying the domestic steel industry. Now, the smuggling
of steel from Iran is also taking place. The steel bars are available at prices ranging from Rs138,000 to Rs150,000 in these cities whereas the international price of steel bars is $772 (plus freight of $40)
and it is subject to the duties and taxes of 71 per cent that is Rs97,675/-. Hence, the landed price of non-Pakistani origin should be Rs242,373/-. It is estimated that around 50,000
tons of steel has been smuggled in the last couple of months, amounting to a revenue loss of PKR 4.8 Billion to the national exchequer. “We are outreaching you to draw your kind attention towards the threat posed by smuggling of steel from the Afghan border which is destroying the domestic steel industry of the country,” Wajid Bukhari of PALSP said in the letter. A sustained and organized smuggling for a long time is throttling the economy of our country. Until and unless we as a nation are able to stop this threat, no amount of loans from international lenders will be able to rescue our country’s economy. The Pak-Afghan border was fenced to curb terrorism as well as the menace of smuggling of goods. If we are unable to stop the smuggling, it will not only be a loss to national exchequer but it will also render a great blow to the economy and especially the steel sector; resulting in joblessness and a major dent to the investment of the country.
Information minister toying with media fraternity: Joint Action Committee Monitoring report The media Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), and the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) today walked out of the meeting with the Information Ministry, calling the engagement a farce.
The JAC has announced that all discussions are being suspended until the “draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) are reversed.” In a statement, the JAC said that the “information minister is toying with the media fraternity in the guise of engagement and keeps passing ordinances against freedom of speech while giving the impression that media fraternity is being engaged.” It added that there is “a grave trail of examples where the ministry of information is tampering with
freedom of speech, muzzling the journalists’ right to report, and financially crippling the media to influence journalism.” The fraternity had warned of this before and appealed to the prime minister previously as well that a dangerous trend had been emerging which is creating a distance between the government and the public as well as the media workers. All media bodies stand united to defend freedom of expression and people’s right to information, it added.
Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk