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Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 I 7 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 338 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

Govt vows to brinG down loadsheddinG to 3.5 hours from today g

abbasi promises loadshedding will be reduced to three hours by june 16

islamabad

staff report

ederal government on monday announced to reduce the loadshedding of electricity from today to three and a half hours, assuring the nation that the loadshedding will further reduce in july as the production of coal plants is increased. Federal ministers of the pakistan muslim league nawaz (pml-n) shahid Khaqan abbasi, Khurram dastgir, marriyum aurangzeb, and others made the announcement at a press conference here on monday. shahid Khaqan abbasi said the

loadshedding to be reduced to two hours by june-end

loadshedding will be reduced from today to 3 and a half hours and from june 16, it will also be less than 3 hours. he further stated that the government will reduce the loadshedding to one and a half to two hours only from june 30, and will be able to further reduce load shedding in july. abbasi began the press conference by presenting the reasons for the energy shortfall, holding the former government responsible. the country's electricity demand has exceeded 25,000mw during the summer, he said. he highlighted that when the current government assumed charge, the electricity generation capacity was at

17,000mw which was increased to more than 21,000mw over the past three weeks. he went on to say that the government and cabinet were sorry for the current loadshedding but asked for time to resolve the existing issues. "today, we are producing 21,000mw which means we have a shortfall of 4,000mw," he said, adding that this translated into a little more than four hours of loadshedding to fill the supply and demand gap. we have decided that from tomorrow (tuesday) we will reduce loadshedding to three-and-a-half hours, he said, adding that additional money had been paid while oil had also been arranged to ensure this. "we are hopeful that by tomorrow loadshedding will be reduced to 3.5 hours." in the next phase when coal is imported, the duration of loadshedding will further reduce by june 16, he said. "by june 30, the duration will be less than two hours, close to an hour-and-a-half." he expressed the hope that the government would be able to reduce this further during the month of july. the pml-n leader further said that the government was not interested in making excuses and was focused on fixing the issues plaguing the country. he lashed out at the former government for the lies it told regarding establishing power plants, saying that pakistan was unable to fulfil its electricity demand for the summer.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

No plan to freeze foreign currency accounts: assures Miftah islamabad app

the government and state bank of pakistan (sbp) on monday refuted baseless claims circulating on social media regarding Foreign currency accounts, roshan digital accounts and safety deposit lockers. the government of pakistan and the state bank of pakistan assure all account holders maintaining Foreign currency accounts (Fca), roshan digital accounts (rda) and safety deposit lockers in banks in pakistan that their accounts and lockers are completely safe, and that there is no proposal under consideration to put any restriction on them, said finance ministry in a statement. “there is absolutely no plan to freeze foreign currency accounts or roshan digital accounts or take over people private lockers. we have never even contemplated these steps. nor will we ever do it. speculation on social media about this is wrong and coming from biased quarters,” tweeted Finance minister miftah ismail. according to the statement, rumors were circulating on social media that the government or state bank of pakistan is considering freezing or placing

restrictions on withdrawals from Foreign currency accounts, roshan digital accounts and safety deposit lockers. such rumors are absolutely incorrect and baseless, it said and clarified that such a proposal has neither been considered presently nor in the past. moreover, foreign currency accounts including roshan digital accounts are legally protected under the Foreign currency accounts (protection) ordinance 2001, and the government and sbp are committed to protecting all the financial assets in pakistan including the ones mentioned above. the government and sbp are taking all necessary measures to ensure macroeconomic stability in the country. the recent difficult decisions taken by the government, including the reduction of subsidy on petroleum products, will pave the way to reach an agreement with the international monetary Fund (imF) and release of its tranche and financial assistance from other multilateral agencies and friendly countries. “we are confident that these measures will relieve the temporary stress being faced due to elevated global commodity prices and geo political tensions, and eliminate uncertainty in the economy,” the statement added.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

ImRAN SOld NAtIONAl INtEREStS fOR dIAmONd RINGS: mARRIyUm AURANGzEb ISLAMABAD

INp

EDERAL Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb Monday said that PTI chairman Imran Khan sold the national interests for the sake of five-carat diamond rings, referring to the alleged leaked audio of property tycoon with his daughter in which both were talking

about some diamond ring in exchange for getting some benefits. The information minister said that Imran Khan was busy in his era to make money in the nexus of Farah Gogi and former first lady Bushra bibi. Defending the advertisement to newspapers, Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “I have the prerogative to give the advertisements to the media on the completion of the 75 years of diplomacy as

Response sought from petroleum ministry, Ogra on historic petrol price hike LAHORE

it was an important milestone.” She said that PML-N has been clearing the mess of PTI and on the directions of PM Shehbaz Sharif the incumbent government is also paying the backlog of Rs3.28 billion due to the media industry pending since the PTI era. “The PMLN only give advertisements on the completion of PakTurkey relationships. But the PTI went to the court against these advertisements and from

there as well they returned empty handed and gave the impression that they are against the Pak-Turk ties,” she added. She alleged that Imran Khan looted the Tosha Khana and used the PMO for his personal use. The information minister claimed that Imran Khan made the rich country poor and unemployed where foreign investors did not come in his four years of government.

Judge sends back petitions challenging Punjab CM election to LHC boss

Staff repOrt

Serving notices on the federal government, the Ministry of Petroleum and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the respondents nominated in yet another petition filed against the increase in the prices of petroleum products to submit their responses in the next hearing of the petition. The court, however, directed the petitioner to withdraw the name of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had also been nominated as a respondent in the case. Justice Shahid Kareem heard the petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) through Azhar Siddique. Speaking on the occasion, the petitioner’s counsel said that there was no mechanism for an increase in petrol prices. He further said that already a two-member bench of the LHC was seized with the hearing of a petition related to the levy of sales tax on petroleum products. “This matter is of public interest. Therefore, the court is requested to look into it,” Siddique said. He was of the view the OGRA was not authorised to recommend an increase in prices in the absence of a mechanism. “Therefore, it is prayed to the court to declare government’s decision of hike in petrol prices as null and void,” he requested. It is pertinent to mention here that the coalition government has increased the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs60 a litre in less than a week.

LAHORE Staff repOrt

Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Shujaat Ali Khan on Monday sent a set of petitions challenging the election of Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab chief minister back to the chief justice. Justice Khan heard a set of petitions seeking to nullify the election of Chief Minister Shehbaz. During the hearing, Azhar Siddique contended the case was almost completed in the court of Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti but the files were instead sent to this court.

Justice Khan observed there was no order available regarding the transfer of the files. So, the judge returned the petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI), Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, Munir Ahmad and others back to Justice Bhatti. The top judge was hearing petitions against Shehbaz. The petitioners contended that after the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 63-A, Shehbaz had lost his constitutional right to remain in power and requested the court to restrain him from holding office as he had lost the majority in the provincial

assembly. The court was requested to declare all measures and actions adopted by the incumbent chief minister as “illegal and unconstitutional”. During the May 30 hearing of the case, Justice Bhatti remarked the Supreme Court short order specified that votes of the dissident members would not be counted if the voting was pending. “If we apply this order on past cases then it means that all decisions will be reversed,” CJ Bhatti remarked. Chief Minister Shehbaz also submitted his 16-page reply to the court on May 23 in which he insisted that his

Senate passes one bill, refers two others to committees

ECP ordered to explain why it put off notification of reserved PA lawmakers

ISLAMABAD app

LAHORE Staff repOrt

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to file a response over refusing a notification for the appointment of lawmakers on reserved seats which fell vacant after the latter de-notified them on charges of floor-crossing. On May 23, the commission removed the membership of 25 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers — including five elected on seats reserved for women and minorities — who had defected and voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Hamza Shehbaz in the election for the office of Punjab chief minister on April 16. The high court had given the commission until June 2 to decide on the matter after the PTI accused the latter of dillydallying on the matter to benefit its rival party. But on that day, the commission deferred the notification until the by-polls on the 20 general seats scheduled for July 17. Subsequently, the PTI moved the high court against the ruling. Today, the court of Justice Shujaat Ali Khan directed the top election agency to file a reply within 10 days after a lawyer representing the government also sought time for submitting a response. DE-SEATING OF DEFECTORS: The denotification of the MPs came shortly after PTI approached the top electoral body to issue a notification of the latter’s decision to de-seat dissident legislators on charges of crossing the floor under Article 63-A of the Constitution. Article 63-A provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party, but the government aims to find out whether that also applies before they cast their votes. It reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill (budget) or a Constitution (amendment) bill”. With these 25 lawmakers no longer members of the assembly, Shehbaz, who won for the chief minister with the help of the dissident legislators, has lost his majority in the Punjab Assembly, raising questions about the status of his government. Shehbaz got 197 votes in the chief minister’s election but is now left with the support of 172 members in the house. A candidate requires the support of at least 186 lawmakers in the 371-member House to be elected as the chief minister.

election was held in accordance with the rules and constitution of the country. He held that the election for the chief minister was held before the interpretation of Article 63-A by the Supreme Court and the interpretation did not affect the election. He further stated that the investigation related to the election by the former governor was illegal and the Punjab Assembly secretary, too, had no jurisdiction to inquire into the election. Shehbaz requested the court to dismiss petitions against his election after imposing a fine on the petitioners.

Vice President PML-N Punjab Arsalan Shaikh in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefing him on the arrival of Special Representative of China’s President Xi Jinping next week. pr

No reduction likely in poultry prices in near future: PPA LAHORE Shahab Omer

The Pakistan Poultry Association (Northern Region) has indicated that due to high prices of raw materials, poultry feed and import duties, there is no possibility of reduction in poultry prices in the near future. Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club here on Monday, the chairman of the association, Dr. Abdul Karim, said that Pakistan’s poultry sector, as a producer of primary foods, plays an important role in the country’s economy and provides low cost protein to the common man. “Our industry uses the by-products of agricultural produce, maize and other cereals, as feed components and thus provides employment to the people and also drives the wheel of sub-sectors. Poultry not only provides excellent opportunities for food exports to neighbouring countries but also acts as a regulatory factor in controlling the prices of meat, pulses and vegetables,” he informed. Karim said that the poultry sector had been facing deficits and losses for the last five years and due to increase in input cost, increase in feed price, devaluation of rupee, electricity bills and high bank discount rates, all sections of the business were facing huge losses. “During all this time (the last five years) our sector has almost gone into deficit. The poultry business also faced severe difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in minimal exports of poultry products. Now the recent sharp rise in prices of petroleum products, further depreciation of the rupee and increasing load shedding have further aggravated the situation. We have brought all the current situation to the notice of the policy makers but they have shown utter indifference. This business has deteriorated to such an extent that it cannot be revived and the

attitude of government agencies has further aggravated the problem of poultry farmers,” he lamented. Kareem believed that the ‘production cost’ in the agricultural sector in general and in poultry in particular was a misrepresentation because no farmer would understand it. “Farmers only understand their input cost which has gone up by more than 200 per cent and due to various factors, the poultry sector has been repeatedly accused of selling at exorbitant prices and profiteering for the last five years”. Karim suggested the government, to address the situation by abolishing all import and sales taxes on imports of raw materials, chemicals and machinery used in the preparation of basic food used in the poultry sector. “Similarly, sales tax on sale of basic food (grains), flour, meat, eggs, milk, fish, vegetables, fruits, edible oils etc. should be abolished and allow import of tax-free solar energy systems for food production enterprises and issue loans for installation of such energy systems without markup because in order to keep the poultry sector sales tax free, in fact the sales of all the primary food sectors must be tax free,” he suggested. Later, when Profit asked if a reduction in poultry prices would be expected, Karim replied that it would be difficult to predict a reduction in poultry prices due to the rising value of the dollar and exorbitant taxes on imports. When asked who regulated the prices of poultry, he replied that these prices were regulated by the market. “In fact, the market [Poultry market] gives rates based on its input cost and if the input cost does not come down and everything becomes more expensive then there is a fear that the prices will not come down. However, there is no prospect of a reduction in prices right now,” he maintained.

The Senate passed one private member’s bill and referred two other bills to the relevant committees after their introduction in the House. The House passed the Smart Institute of Sciences and Technology Bill, 2022 which was sponsored by the Senators Dilawar Khan (Independent), Naseebullah Bazai (Independent) and Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai (BAP). A PTI lawmaker Senator Fawzia Arsahd moved two bills including the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition on Employment of Children Bill, 2022 and the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Both bills were referred to relevant committees after their introduction. The chair deferred some bills due to the absence of relevant lawmakers, which were the Pakistan Animal Science Council Bill, 2022, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2022 (Amendment of Article 142 and substitution of Article 175A), the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Amendment of section 123B, insertion of new section 123C in PPC and subsequent amendments in Schedule II of Cr. P.C). The House passed three motions under Rule 126 (7) and referred three bills for consideration in the joint sitting. These bills were the Trained Paramedical Staff Facility Bill, 2019, the Maternity and Paternity Leave Bill, 2020 and the Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Resolution against blasphemous remarks to be sent to UNSG: Chairman Senate NEwS DESk Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Monday condemning blasphemous remarks of India’s BJP leaders about our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that copy of resolution unanimously passed by the Senate would be sent to the Secretary General of United Nations (UN) with his sign. Chairing Senate session in his remarks, he said that a delegation would be sent to UN for handing-over the copy of resolution to its Secretary General and registering a protest in the front of him. He appreciated the suggestions given by the lawmakers during the debate on the blasphemous remarks of India’s BJP leaders.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

NAb StARtS PRObE INtO RS2.9bN AllEGEd EmbEzzlEmENt IN KP COvId fUNd

AzIz BuNERI

HE National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa launched probe into alleged corruption and irregularities of Rs2.9 billion in the KP Coronavirus Fund. The NAB has already seized details and records of funds from the Health Department. According to sources, it has been decided to summon members of National Assembly on the allegations of million of rupees benefits to their companies during the pandemic. Statements of some members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, government officials and health department officials will also be recorded. The NAB investigation team has also visited Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, Abbottabad and other districts to collect details of funds spent by the administration on quarantine facilities.

Earlier, the Auditor General of Pakistan special audit report had identified financial irregularities of over Rs 2.9 billion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Coronavirus Fund. The report said that by misusing administrative powers, billions of rupees have been contracted out to favored individuals and a loss of billions of rupees have been incurred to the exchequer. Despite the first position of world class Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Center, a local laboratory, Islamabad Diagnostic Center (IDC) was awarded contract of PCR tess for Rs449 million. According to the audit report, there were irregularities of more than Rs373 million in the rapid antigen test while Rs368 million was illegally paid to the rapid response team. The Auditor General identified irregularities of more than Rs2.9 billion in Coronavirus Fund. According to the audit the report,

purchase of oxygen cylinders at a higher price caused a loss of Rs 44 million to the exchequer. The special audit report also revealed a suspicious purchase of a cardiac monitor worth Rs45 million. During the technical review, the management preferred a local laboratory MS Islamabad Diagnostic Center and downgraded the world class Shaukat Khan Memorial Hospital and Research Center which had offered to give 4,000 test results daily while MS Islamabad Dynastic center does not even have the capacity to even conduct 200 tests daily. According to the audit report, there have been irregularities of more than Rs373 million in the rapid antigen test. The Director General of Health Services had sought quotation for rapid antigen test on 26 April 2021 and MS Ijaz Enterprises was selected on the basis of fair bid. The report said that Rs368 million was paid to Rapid Response Team One and Rapid Response Team Two as per

the records of the Director General of Health Services. The team member was paid Rs3,500 and Rs4,500 per day respectively but the payments were not approved by any forum. People who have been paid on a daily basis are already receiving monthly salaries from the state exchequer. Moreover, the list of members of Rapid Response Team was provided by the District Health Officer without mentioning their positions. According to the audit, all the expenditure incurred in this regard has been incurred in a dubious manner. The Additional Deputy Commissioner in each district was asked to provide a list of taxi drivers who facilitated the Rapid Response Teams. Each taxi driver was paid Rs3,000 for daily but only the record of January 2021 was available. The report said that an unauthorized payment of Rs127 million has been made to the contractor for disposal of Coronavirus waste.

IHC disposes of plea regarding vote of overseas Pakistanis ISLAMABAD app

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday disposed of the petition related to right to vote for overseas Pakistanis after the petitioner withdrew the case. Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case filed by a citizen. The chief justice remarked that a petition could be moved only once an amendment

was made in the law. The petition was filed before time as the president had already sent back the matter. The court said how it could assume as no amendment was made so far. Justice Minallah said maybe the parliament review the amendments. The petitioner’s lawyer Arif Chaudhry said that the government had to introduce legislation in accordance of the judgment of the top court in 2018.

The court asked whether it should withdraw powers from Parliament. At this the lawyer said the bench could keep the case pending. The chief justice remarked that whether the overseas Pakistanis did not use postal ballot in last general elections. There were 13 states in America that did not give voting rights to overseas. The court disposed of the case after the petitioner withdrew the case.

Pakistan summons India envoy over blasphemous tirade of top Modi aides ISLAMABAD/NEw DELHI Staff repOrt

Imran summons meeting to finalise strategy for Punjab by-polls ISLAMABAD INp

PTI chairman Imran Khan has summoned a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Board Punjab on Tuesday. Sources privy to the development told that PTI’s provincial parliamentary board will meet on June 7 to discuss the issue of awarding tickets for by-polls on 20 Punjab seats. PTI has decided to award election tickets to the party workers in the by-polls which would be held on 20 vacant seats in Punjab on July 17. After the preliminary decision by the parliamentary board, the final decision of awarding party tickets will be taken by the central leadership of PTI, it emerged. It is pertinent to mention here that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that polling for byelection on 20 general seats of Punjab Assembly will be held on July 17. The ECP has announced a schedule for election on 20 provincial seats vacated after defecting MPAs of the PTI were de-seated. The ECP had deseated 25 dissident PTI MPAs who had voted for PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz Sharif in Punjab chief minister’s election.

The Foreign Office on Monday summoned Suresh Kumar, India’s chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, and conveyed Pakistan’s condemnation in “strongest possible terms” of blasphemous remarks two top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders made on a TV debate and on Twitter. “Pakistan once again calls on the international community to take immediate cognizance of the grievously aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India,” a separate Foreign Office statement said. The move came after Nupur Sharma, a spokesperson for the radical party ruling India since 2014, and Naveen Jindal, a journalist-turned-politician, made speculative remarks that were seen as insulting Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) and his wife Aisha Siddiqa (R.A.), triggering a wave of condemnation at home and from the Islamic world. The controversial remarks follow increasing violence targeting India’s Muslim minority carried out by Hindu nationalists who have been emboldened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regular silence about such attacks since he was first elected in 2014. Responding to the events, Pakistan said the comments were totally unacceptable and not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but also of Muslims across the world. Kumar was told Pakistan deplored the belated and perfunctory disciplinary actions taken by the government in New Delhi against these politicians which cannot assuage the pain caused to the Muslims. Modi’s party took no action against them until Sunday when a sudden chorus of diplomatic outrage began with Qatar and Kuwait summoning their Indian ambassadors to protest. The BJP suspended Sharma and expelled Jindal and issued a rare statement saying it “strongly denounces insult of any religious personalities,” a move that was welcomed by Qatar and Kuwait. Jindal said on Twitter he had questioned some comments made against Hindu gods. “I only questioned them but that does not mean I am against any religion.” ‘ALARMING RISE’ IN COMMUNAL VIOLENCE: The Foreign Office statement said

Pakistan was deeply concerned at the alarming rise in communal violence and hatred against the Muslims in India. “Muslims are being systematically stigmatized, marginalized and subjected to a well-orchestrated onslaught from radical Hindu mobs with full connivance and support of the security apparatus across various states in India. The growing mainstreaming of the reprehensible anti-Muslim sentiment and the increasing attempts at depriving the Muslims of their centuries-old places of worship [by] citing frivolous historical claims, are nothing but the obvious outcomes of the deep-seated Islamophobia in the Indian society.” The statement added Pakistan strongly urges India to unequivocally condemn the sacrilegious comments of the BJP leaders and ensure they are held accountable through decisive and demonstrable action against them for attacking the dignity of the prophet. “The government of India is also reminded of its obligations under international law to take immediate steps to protect its minorities from human rights violations, ensure their safety, security and well-being and allow them to profess and practice their faiths in peace,” it said. Meanwhile, Pakistan also called on the international community, including the United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), especially their rights machinery, to take cognisance of and stop the dangerously rising Hindutva inspired Islamophobia in India, and prevail on New Delhi to prevent the systematic rights violations against minorities in the country. COORDINATED RESPONSE FROM MUSLIM WORLD: India is facing major diplomatic outrage from Muslim countries after Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned its envoys on Sunday over the ugly episode. In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said it summoned the Indian envoy to voice “disappointment of Qatar and its total rejection and condemnation to the controversial remarks made by an official in the ruling party in India against Prophet Muhammad.” According to the statement, Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi handed a note to the Indian envoy asserting that “these insulting remarks would lead to incitement of religious hatred, and offend more than two billion Muslims around the world.”

German fm to arrive in Islamabad today ISLAMABAD app

Foreign Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock will be arriving in Pakistan on Tuesday on a two-day official visit, at the invitation of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. This will be FM Baerbock’s maiden visit to Pakistan, the Foreign Office said Monday. During the visit, the two foreign ministers will hold delegationlevel talks on the entire range of bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and global issues. Foreign Minister Baerbock will also call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit of FM Baerbock is part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and is expected to impart further boost to the multifaceted Pakistan-Germany relationship. Germany is a valued partner of Pakistan, both bilaterally and in the context of the European Union. The two countries have long-standing, cordial relations marked by mutual respect and close cooperation. The two sides attach special importance to strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, including trade and investment, energy, defence, and people-to-people contacts. Pakistan and Germany completed 70 years of diplomatic ties in 2021. This milestone was celebrated by the two sides in a befitting manner, with a series of events held in Pakistan and Germany.

PtI mNA warns to launch suicide attack if Imran Khan is harmed NEwS DESk A PTI lawmaker has threatened to carry out a suicide attack if harm befalls even a “single hair” on party Chairman Imran Khan’s head, it emerged on Monday. The threat has been made by PTI MNA Attaullah in a video doing the rounds on social media. Several noted journalists have also shared the video of the enraged PTI leader. “If a single hair on Imran Khan’s head is harmed, then those running the country be warned: Neither you nor your children will remain. I will be the first to carry out a suicide attack on you, I will not let you go. In the same way, thousands of workers are ready,” Attaullah said in the video. The shocking statement also drew criticism on Twitter. Journalist Talat Hussain asked and answered his own question: “What was the law called under which such threats were taken into account? Oh yes, the AntiTerrorism Act!” The purported threat to Imran’s life was first spoken of by Faisal Vawda during the last few weeks of his government in late March. In the beginning of April, the former information minister, Fawad Chaudhry, had disclosed that a plot to assassinate Imran had been reported by security agencies. Later the same month, after the PTI government’s ouster, the Lahore deputy commissioner had cautioned the party against going ahead with a rally in the city and had advised Imran to address the gathering virtually in light of “severe threat alerts”. On May 14, the former prime minister had reiterated that his life was in danger and that he had recorded a video in which he had taken the names of all those who “conspired against me” since last summer. The next day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the relevant authorities to provide foolproof security to Imran Khan. At the time, the Prime Minister’s Office said similar instructions were also issued to the provincial governments. “Moreover, a chief security officer has also been provided to [the] former prime minister on the directions of [the] PM,” it had added.

Bani Gala was headquarter for corrupt practices during PTI govt’s term: Maryam Nawaz NEwS DESk PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan and said that his residence of Bani Gala had been the “headquarters for corrupt practices” during the PTI’s government’s tenure. Addressing the PML-N’s social media team here, Maryam talked about the alleged

audio recording between real-estate tycoon Malik Riaz and his daughter that had emerged one day prior, according to which former first lady Bushra Bibi had refused to accept a three-carat diamond ring and had instead demanded a five-carat one from the Riaz clan. Shedding light on the allegations of corruption levelled against Farah Khan aka Farah Gogi — a close aide of Bushra Bibi who flew to Dubai back in April — Maryam

said that she acted as Imran Khan’s frontwoman to carry out corrupt activities. “This is a small case which is enough to open the eyes of the nation and the world. Everyone should know the extent of bribery that took place [under Imran Khan’s nose] for each job placement, appointment, or transfer in Punjab,” she added. Talking about the previous government’s performance, the PML-N leader said that

Khan not only failed to deliver in the last four years but could not present an account of his performance during his tenure either. She added that the country was about to default and the foreign exchange reserves were empty because of Khan’s ineffective economic policies. “The previous government wreaked havoc on every sector and incidents involving terrorism witnessed a rise,” she said, adding

that Pakistan was at a stage where PML-N was not concerned with politics but was worried about saving the country. Commenting on the rising inflation in the country and the increased prices of petrol, the PML-N vice president added that the coalition government had to make hard decisions due to the agreement between Khan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

04 NEWS

BJP leaderS’ BlaSPHemouS remarKS SParK gloBal outCry

AgeNCIeS

NDIA’S ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) continued to receive flak over the weekend over its national spokesperson’s blasphemous remarks against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Al Jazeera and Arab News reported on Monday. BJP’s national spokeswoman Nupur Sharma and Delhi media operation head Naveen Jindal were reported by the media to also have been expelled from the party. Saudi Arabia joined a host of Muslim countries — including Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iran and Pakistan — that took strong exception to derogatory remarks made

against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by leaders of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to an Indian daily, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and another party leader, Naveen Kumar Jindal, made disrespectful remarks about the Prophet (PBUH) and after worldwide condemnation, India’s ruling party had to distance itself from their statements, announcing disciplinary action against the duo. Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned India’s envoy to register their protest on Sunday, while Pakistan issued a strong demarche to the Indian charge d’affaires on Monday. Qatar has sought a public apology from India for allowing such “Islamophobic” views without retri-

bution. Kuwait, in a statement, said it had handed over an “official protest note expressing the State of Kuwait’s categorical rejection and condemnation of the insulting statements against the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Islam and Muslims issued by one of the officials in the ruling party”. Saudi Arabia also issued a statement condemning the remarks and called for respect for religions. President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called out the comments made by the BJP leaders. The president noted that the remarks had hurt the feelings of Muslims around the world. “India under [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s Hindutva philosophy

is trampling religious freedoms of all its minorities and persecuting them without any impunity”. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz tweeted, “… Have said it repeatedly that India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note & severely reprimand India.” He said the love of Muslims for the Prophet (PBUH) was supreme and they could sacrifice their lives for the Holy figure. In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said it “reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion and refuses to prejudice all religious figures and symbols”. The country also welcomed the BJP’s decision to suspend Sharma, the statement added. Qatar summoned the Indian envoy and handed him an official note that expressed Qatar’s disappointment and “its total rejection and condemnation [of] the controversial remarks made by an official in the ruling party in India against Prophet Mohammed … Islam and Muslims,” according to a statement issued by its foreign ministry. Qatar said it is “expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India”.

Sharif expresses grief over Bangladesh container depot fire ISLAMABAD Staff RePoRt

Farrukh Habib lashes out at Nawaz Sharif over fresh fuel price hike NewS DeSK Former state minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Farrukh Habib on Monday took a jibe at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif over a recent fuel price hike. Addressing a press conference, Farrukh Habib said Maryam Nawaz used to say in past that Nawaz Sharif feels pain in his heart over the increase in petrol price. “Petrol has now been jacked by Rs60 per litre, has Mian Sahab felt pain in his heart,” Farrukh Habib asked Maryam Nawaz. On the derogatory remarks of BJP leader, the former state minister said the government failed to condemn the issue in a befitting manner. The former prime minister raised the blasphemy issue at the United Nations and got the resolution passed against it, he added. He asked why the demand for sending an Indian envoy back to New Delhi is not being raised now. He alleged that the PML-N government is trying to ‘favour’ Indian PM Narendra Modi. Habib asked the government to take concrete steps over the derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him as mere condemnation will not serve the purpose. Earlier in the day, Pakistan summoned Indian Charge d’ Affaires and conveyed categorical rejection and strong condemnation of the highly derogatory remarks made by two senior officials of India’s BJP about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The foreign office spokesman in a statement shared that it was conveyed that these remarks are totally unacceptable and have not only deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Pakistan but of Muslims across the world.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday expressed grief and sorrow over the tragic fire incident at a container depot in Bangladesh. “Sad to hear about the loss of precious lives in the fire incident,” the prime minister said in a tweet. “My heartfelt condolences and

most sincere sympathies are with the government and people of Bangladesh,” Sharif said. Firefighters in Bangladesh battled for a third day on Monday to stamp out a massive fire that killed 41 people at a container depot in an incident that spotlights the South Asian nation’s poor safety record. Drone footage showed thick columns of smoke and rows of burnt-

out containers as Saturday’s fire persisted after a huge blast and shipping container explosions at Sitakunda, 40 km (25 miles) from the southeastern port city of Chittagong. The fire has been largely reined in but not entirely extinguished, as containers nearby loaded with chemicals pose a risk of life-threatening explosions, fire officials said. Officials revised the death toll

China’s SCLF launches ‘Junior Cultural Ambassadors’ event ISLAMABAD INP

In order to promote cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and tighten people-to-people bonds between different countries, China’s Soong Ching Ling Foundation launched here the 2022 “Junior Cultural Ambassadors” event, Gwadar Pro reported on Monday. The event is expected to build a platform for young people all over the world to make acquaintance with each other both online and offline, and bring out more junior cultural ambassadors who would make their own share of contribution to people-to-people exchanges. The 2022 event, under the theme of “Get Connected Through Art: My Favorite Chinese Arts”, encourages young people to exchange ideas and tell stories about Chinese culture through videos. With the support of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and

Guangming Online, the event is hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People and China Cultural Centers Overseas. Exchange among civilizations spurs diversity, mutual learning promotes the richness of civilizations. Different civilizations complement each other and together constitute a world that blooms with cultures. In an announcement of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, teenagers aged 13-16 around the world are invited to participate in the event. It is recommended to use UN working languages in the video. These include Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, and Spanish. Participants who are not of Chinese origin using Chinese will be given extra points during the review. In the less-than-4-minutes video, participants could show a Chinese art in the fields of painting, calligraphy, music instruments, opera, architecture, costumes, folk arts and crafts, etc., or tell their stories about Chinese arts through writing, performing, producing etc.

SHC accepts marriage of Karachi teen, disposes of case KARACHI INP

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday accepted the marriage of Dua Zehra, a teenage girl from Karachi, and declared Zaheer Ahmad, a young man from Punjab, as her husband. Zehra appeared before the court to record her statement. She said she was not kidnapped rather she contracted marriage with Ahmad of her free will. She further claimed she was of legal age, 18. After hearing her statement, the court accepted her union with Ahmad and pronounced that the kidnapping case had been disposed of. Zehra requested the court that she wanted to go with her husband Ahmad and refused to meet her parents. But Zehra’s mother pleaded that she wanted to meet her daughter. On this, the judge said what could he do when the girl herself does not want to meet her mother. However, later he said that if the parents wanted to meet Zehra, they could. Emotional scenes were witnessed in the court when Zehra’s mother kept on calling her daughter’s name but she ignored her.

‘Lost’ girls and loopholes in criminal justice system LAHORe MaNal JaffeRy

The year 2021 ended on a sour note for the vulnerable female youth of Pakistan, as numerous cases of missing girls surfaced. The year ended, but not such cases which continue to haunt helpless parents, vulnerable teens and their unabated misery. The question of women protection still remains unresolved in Pakistan, as women, especially girls in their teens struggle for their rights, respect and identity which has become an uphill battle for them. However, the continued denial of the girls’ rights by the society, the government and the judicial system continues unabated. Kidnapping of teenagers, forced marriages and possibility of human trafficking have aggravated the situation. Perhaps, just like previous governments, the current Pakistani administration believes they are doing enough but the truth is the opposite. Today, the abduction, forced child marriages that may result in human trafficking of young Pakistani girls have become one of the biggest human rights crises of the era. Another issue remains unattended is the excessive exposure of young kids, especially the girls, to the internet which is a major source of teen girls being lured into relationship and fake promises. Earlier, on 26th November 2021, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) published a report which highlighted the practice of forced marriages which amplified steadily in recent years that

hints at the calamitous handling of the government to reinforce much-needed legislation to curb this inhuman crime. Similarly, the government has failed to implement the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 and the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013, which raised the legal minimum age of marriage to 18 in Sindh province. Regrettably, these laws have not been implemented properly in Sindh and other provinces of Pakistan. The victim girls are largely left in the custody of their kidnapper throughout the trial process, where they are forced to claim that the marriage was consensual. A similar practice has been witnessed in the Dua Zehra case which has grabbed the attention nationwide. Dua Zehra who is an underage girl (which her parents claim through NADRA registered documents), who went missing from her house in Karachi. After hectic efforts of Police, the girl finally appeared in Sindh High Court along with her spouse and claimed that she is 18 years old and also made a statement that she had married the young man of free-will. The case got media hype as her father approached higher ups. Following that, the girl was probably forced to give a confessional statement so that the family stops proceeding with the case. However, her parents remain adamant in their struggle for justice. During today’s hearing in the SHC, Dua recorded her statement before the court, claiming that she was 18 years old. “I was not kidnapped. I married Zaheer of my free

will and want to live with him,” she said. The Sindh Advocate General argued that “the girl has said that she went off her free will,” while reiterating that “no crime” occurred in Sindh and that the marriage was contracted in Punjab. Here, Justice Ghaffar remarked: “This means that the petition regarding her recovery has now become redundant. “The girl is standing in front of us and is saying that no one abducted her,” he added, and subsequently ordered that Dua be sent to a shelter home. Dua further refused to meet her parents despite their pleas. The court believes her statement, and declares the couple as husband and wife, while giving a ruling that ‘no crime has taken place in Sindh’, which means that whatever happened in Punjab is irrelevant at this point. Following the ruling, the girl was sent to

down to 41 from 49, with more than 200 injured. The tally included at least nine dead firefighters, while 10 policemen were among the 50 rescue officials injured, said city police official Alauddin Talukder. More deaths are feared, however, as some of the injured are in critical condition, said Chittagong doctor Mohammed Elias Hossain.

a shelter home in Karachi. The court’s controversial ruling has raised many questions. What if Dua Zehra was actually kidnapped? Wouldn’t the court’s ruling give an easy escape to the offenders by committing a crime in one province and fleeing to another to avoid accountability. Also, in the very first hearing of this case, why didn’t the court order for her medical right away? The court sent her off with her husband without confirming her age, which was one of the prime examples of the loopholes in our judiciary system. Why do our courts and judges fail to realize the severity of such issues? Why is it so difficult for our law to comprehend that it is extremely easy and common in Pakistan to blackmail and pressurize a victim to give statements in favor of the offenders in courts? A similar case caught media’s attention later in 2021, where a 13 year old Christian girl Arzoo Raja was abducted and forced into marriage by a 44 year old offender in Karachi. However, when Arzoo was recovered and presented in court, she gave the exact same statement that Dua Zehra gave. She stated that she wasn’t kidnapped and had left with her offender Azhar voluntarily. The offender’s lawyer kept on arguing that Azhar could not be arrested as they claim to be husband and wife. The police cannot acquire remand either for this reason, he claimed. However, after the medical board confirmed that she was around 13 years of age, and it was not possible for her to enter into a legally valid marriage as her consent had no legal value, she

was sent to a shelter home and her offender got arrested. Soon afterwards, the girl moved an application with the SHC, seeking to return to her parents’ house. It is pertinent to note that until her offender was arrested, the girl kept on giving statements in her offenders’ favor, which proves that the statements were being given by minor girls under pressure and should hold no legal value. Unfortunately, the judiciary is taking rather longer time to understand the real problem, which is causing huge damage to the country’s reputation. We are all familiar with the fact that this crisis is a product of the government’s failure over decades to protect females from abuses and victim blaming. It is evident that Pakistan’s ineffective policy reforms to address forced marriages have exacerbated the situation. It is wholly illogical and disappointing that such marginal opportunities for legislative and policy reforms are flushed down by entrenched lines of incompetence and lack of seriousness. It is no surprise that such astonishingly oppressive measures have played a role in creating a pandemic of forced marriages. Secondly, the police often turns a blind eye to reports of abduction, forced child marriages, and set up impunity for perpetrators by refusing to record a First Information Report (FIR) or falsifying the information. As a result, the victim girls are largely left in the custody of their kidnapper throughout the trial process, where they are subject to rape and forced to claim that the marriage was consensual. Such earth-shattering events often implant a ticking time bomb in victims that may detonate repeatedly in their lives, in the form of emotional breakdown, self-harm or extreme anxiety.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS Balochistan people still await health card facility The people of Balochistan are still waiting to avail heath card facility as the government has decided to provide the facility to every individual to ensure universal coverage of the initiative. The provincial government has made all arrangements to launch Balochistan Health Card facility soon at the cost of Rs 5.914 billion, under which health insurance of Rs one million would be provided to 1.875 million families of the province. According to programme, the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) will be considered the health card for the permanent residents of the province. Talking to APP, an official of Balochistan government said the objective of the program was to improve the health status of the targeted population through increasing access to quality health services and to reduce poverty through reduction of outof-pocket payments for health expenditures. “Currently over 1.8 million families are settled in Balochistan and there will be 100 per cent coverage under the initiative and the scheme would be funded by regular budget in the future.” He said healthcare services to the beneficiaries will be provided in the public and private hospitals and more than five to six hundred hospitals all over the country would be on the panel. The Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments had already launched the programme and providing best healthcare facilities to the poor masses in public and private sector hospitals. app

Pakistan fully committed to fighting climate threat: ministry ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is fully committed to taking ambitious actions to address climate change and environmental hazards, the Foreign Ministry said while marking the World Environment Day. The occasion is significant this time because “it marks fifty years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which was the first international meeting on environment and led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),” the ministry said in a statement. As one of the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries, Pakistan highly values the global efforts to combat climate change, halt and reverse biodiversity loss, reduce pollution, and restore ecosystems, the statement said. The country is already in the midst of one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to expand and restore its forests, according to the foreign ministry. It is imperative for the international community to take ambitious actions and translate political commitments to combating climate change and environmental degradation into tangible steps on the ground, said the statement. “We reaffirm our resolve in taking action on combating climate change, protecting biological diversity, and reversing ecosystem degradation,” said the foreign ministry. Monitoring report

Govt to raise salaries only after getting nod from IMF The government is contemplating on a suggestion to give a 5% to 15% raise in the salaries of its employees and pensioners but the decision will be subject to the IMF approval. Sources say that the government has got readied three proposals regarding federal budget and government employees’ salaries and pensions. According to the proposals put forward by the finance division, a 5% to 15% raise in salaries and pensions has been suggested. A 5pc to 10pc increase is suggested for employees working in grades up to BS 19 under the head of ad hoc allowance, while 10% to 15% increase has been suggested for government officials working in BS 20-22. Similarly, the government mulls raising pension of its retired employees by 5% to 10%. But sources informed that the government would implement these proposals if the International Monetary Fund approves them. The Pay and Pension Commission would forward its report to the government. Increase in tax on annual income exceeding Rs1 million On the other hand, the government is fully kowtowing to the IMF and is willing to accept all of its harsh conditions. According to FBR sources, in the forthcoming budget, the government is going to withdraw all concessions in the income tax. It is considering to raise tax on an annual income exceeding Rs1 million. inp

Govt vows to BrING dowN loadshEddING to 3.5 hours FroM today contInueD froM pAge 01

HE press conference comes days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities to come up with an "emergency plan" within 24 hours that was aimed at reducing electricity loadshedding. He had issued the directives

while presiding over a meeting on Saturday. The meeting came amid reports about hours-long loadshedding in various parts of the country, leaving the people to suffer in high temperatures. The meeting which lasted five hours reviewed the loadshedding situation in the country and discussed measures to reduce the electricity

shortfall. Over the weekend, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had proposed the nation to take advantage of "365 days of sunshine" and operate markets in the daytime as opposed to the convention of "opening markets at 1pm and closing them at 1am". "Our markets open at 1pm and close at 1am. This [practice] is found

IHC dismisses petition challenging amendment in election laws ISLAMABAD staff report

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a petition with regard to an amendment in the procedure of overseas Pakistanis’ vote. Chief Justice Athar Minallah hearing the petition said the petition is premature as the president has sent back the bill of amendment in the law to the Parliament. “The proposed amendment has not become a law to be notified,” Justice Minallah said. “Nothing as yet happened which needs to be struck down.” “I have collected all relevant laws of the world for the court,” the counsel for the petitioner said. “Didn’t overseas Pakistanis exercise their right to

vote in previous elections,” the bench questioned. “They did so in by-elections,” the lawyer replied. “Are you respect the constitution, the Parliament must also be esteemed,” the judge remarked. “This process began 30 years ago, we want a continuation of the process, which has been halted,” the lawyer pleaded. “You should peruse the laws of all American states, which are divergent with regard to the vote of the overseas nationals,” the court observed. “You file a new petition after amendment in the law,” the bench said and dismissed the plea. In the previous hearing, Justice Minallah said overseas Pakistanis have not been disenfranchised in the amendment. “If nine million overseas citizens will vote in a single constituency,” he questioned.

Rupee sheds Rs2.14 against US Dollar Exchange rate of Pak Rupee weakened by Rs2.14 against the US Dollar in the interbank trading on Monday and closed at Rs200.06 against the previous day’s closing of Rs197.92. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of dollar in the open market were recorded at Rs197.6 and Rs199.6 respectively. The price of Euro appreciated by Rs1.96 and closed at Rs214.88 against the previous day’s closing of Rs212.92. Meanwhile, Japanese Yen remained unchanged to close at Rs1.52, whereas an increase of Rs2.04 was witnessed in the exchange rate of British Pound, which was traded at Rs251.06 as compared

to its last closing of Rs249.02. The exchange rates of Emirates Dirham and Saudi Riyal increased by 58 paisas to close at Rs54.46 and Rs53.33 respectively. app

PTI’s flagship Billion Tree Tsunami project comes on NAB’s radar Billion Tree Tsunami, the flagship project of former prime minister Imran Khan, has come on the radar of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on account of alleged irregularities in it on Monday. A team of the NAB has sought records from the district forest officer (DFO) of Dera Ismail Khan for inquiry into the Billion Tree Tsunami Project. According to the official documents of the Forest Department, a total of 240 million saplings were planted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province which is 20 per cent of Imran Khan’s claims. The sources also revealed that the ‘competent’

officials of the Forest Department relied on the natural environment for 759 million saplings to grow. Moreover, for the growth of saplings in natural environment, 30 million seeds were dropped from helicopter, whereas, 153 million saplings were also distributed to citizens for plantation. It merits a mention here that the first Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in the KP province spent about Rs14 billion on the Billion Tree Tsunami project in 2014. The NAB team also paid a visit to Dera Ismail Khan from March 7, 2022 to March 11, 2022 which was hidden from the media. news desk

nowhere in the world," Asif had tweeted late Saturday night. "God has given our country 365 days of sunshine and yet we turn on the lights in the dark to do business." If markets set the right business hours then — with Karachi excluded — 3,500MW of electricity can be saved. "Tough circumstances call for tough decisions," he had said.

Eastbay Expressway to help Gwadar port for international logistics: Zhao BEIJING: The newly-inaugurated Eastbay Expressway project will help Gwadar port to play a better role as a hub for international logistics and boost the economic development in the region, said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday. The other day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the inauguration ceremony of the Eastbay Expressway, a $153 million project in Gwadar. This expressway will connect the Gwadar port and the national expressway of Pakistan and also extend the transportation for the locals to other places in Pakistan, the spokesperson said in response to a question asked by APP during his regular briefing held here at the International Press Center (IPC). Zhao Lijian, who paid several visits to the Gwadar port and attended launching ceremony of the project during his posting as Deputy Head of Mission in the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, expressed his pleasure over the completion of the project. “When I was posted in Pakistan, I paid several visits to the Gwadar port. I also once attended the launching ceremony of the Gwadar Eastbay Express Project and I am glad to see the opening of this expressway”, he said. He remarked that China-assisted project would help Gwadar port to better play its role as a hub for international logistics and boost the economic development in its neighbourhood. Zhao Lijian said that this project was an early harvest projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and also an important transport infrastructure and to promote regional connectivity. “China will continue to work with Pakistan to ensure the projects are run efficiently so as to better promote regional integration and improve people’s well being”, he added. The Eastbay Expressway project was completed after 54 months of construction, becoming an important traffic link that connects Gwadar port and its free zone with the national road networks, and providing Gwadar port with much-needed on-land access to international cargo distribution. app

No funds suggested for Covid-19, natural disasters in next budget No allocations have been suggested for the Covid19 response and natural calamities in the upcoming financial plan for the fiscal year 2022-23. Sources informed that the cash-strapped Pakistan is not allocating any funds for the Covid-19 Response programme and other natural disasters in its upcoming annual financial plan. However, the finance managers are proposing to set aside Rs2.42 billion for the aviation division. inp

Better urban mobility initiatives in Capital imperative to cater bulging population, vehicles The experts at a webinar in connection with World Environment Day said the capital was going to embrace high-rise residential apartments that would bring thousands of vehicles at a time on the roads which needed to be addressed through better urban mobility initiatives. The experts demanded a dedicated Islamabad Transport Authority (ITA) and robust urban mobility to address challenges due to rising fuel prices and provide cost effective alternative means. The webinar titled Rising Fuel Prices and Alternative Means of Urban Mobility organised by the Institute of Urbanism was participated by Director General Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PakEPA) Farzana Altaf Shah, Head of Islamic Institute of Economics Professor Dr Abdul Rashid and founding Executive Director of the Institute of Urbanism Mome Saleem.

DG EPA Farzana Altaf Shah said the federal capital needed a dedicated Islamabad Transport Authority and price management body to regulate transport fares and ensure effective urban mobility that would help control emissions and reduce vehicular congestion with better service delivery to the public. She said the capital’s population and vehicles’ number was rapidly spiking up with incompatible connectivity infrastructure that could not cater with such bulging size of automobiles. Shah said the country’s capital lacked a proper mass transit system that could provide holistic commute to all the sectors of the metropolis. During COVID-19 pandemic, she said the air quality improved dramatically that provided two indicators that less vehicles on roads and fuel combustion in mobility resources could ensure less air pollution.

The Pak-EPA DG added that the capital was going to embrace high-rise residential apartments that would bring thousands of vehicles at a time on the roads which needed to be addressed through better urban mobility initiatives. She underlined the need to develop a mechanism for determining the automobile’s engine life as there was no system to determine the life of an engine in the country and therefore, many second and low quality engines were plying on the roads causing both environmental and health hazards. Founding Executive Director of Institute of Urbanism Mome Saleem welcomed the suggestions of the EPA DG and assured that these ideas would be raised before Parliamentarians caucus of the institute for further debate. She informed that the institute was working on a smart application to introduce

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car pooling on the sequel of such apps, not meant for monetary purposes, developed in western particularly European countries to encourage car pooling. Saleem said the institute was holding policy and advocacy dialogues with the parliamentarians to promote healthy debate and informed policy making. Head of Islamic Department of Economics Professor Dr Abdul Rashid said Urban mobility and behavioural change were vital to overcome increasing pressure on environment and economic impact of rising fuel prices. He said Urban mobility does not mean only mass transit rather a strategic system of well planned connectivity in mega urban centers linking key economic hubs and areas mass utility in an interconnected system reducing vehicular number and enhancing smooth access to key spots of utility.

He appreciated the Institute of Urbanism survey that indicated 65% people of 400 individuals interviewed in a survey who intended to sell their vehicles if a decent and efficient mass transit system was provided to them. “It is a general habit of our nation that we provide good suggestions during survey but we practically follow those ideas very less in our personal lives which needs to be improved,” he added. He said in terms of behavioral change the society should shun it’s practice of everyday shopping and adopt weekly shopping habit that would reduce vehicular emissions and congestion on roads. Dr. Rashid said better urban mobility ensures improved economic opportunities and business activities due to smooth and comfortable approach to key business centers, super markets and areas of public connectivity and networking. news desk

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022

06 COMMENT

The inevitable price explosion

From charter of economy to grand dialogue Need to go ahead

N 2019 Shehbaz Sharif floated the idea of a roundtable discussion between all parties for reaching a consensus on a minimum economic agenda that was to be called charter of democracy and followed by every party when it came to power. Shehbaz maintained the charter was also needed so that no government could use the economy for the sake of politics. It was understood that there were more agreements than dissentions in political parties over economic policies. they all supported free market economy. Both PPP and PML-N had floated bonds in international markets and taken loans from the IMf and the World Bank. this was to be later followed by the PtI also. While Asif Zardari supported the idea of the charter of economy, PtI rejected it out of hand the need for a grand dialogue on economy is again being felt because of the bad state of the economy. the challenges facing the country include current account deficit, fiscal imbalance, the rupee under pressure and declining forex reserves. there are things every party coming to power had struggled with like broadening the tax base and documenting the economy. there is a desire to work out a strategy that enables the country to decrease the unbearable pressure on the people caused by the lifting of subsidies on petrol, power and gas and helps the country to develop without taking resort to IMf. the PtI has refused to join the dialogue, as it had done in 2019. Instead of canceling the dialogue, the several parties comprising the PML-N led alliance should sit together to work out a commonly agreed charter of economy to overcome current economic problems besides breaking the country’s cycle of eternal return to the IMf.

Political cost of a bad economy

YouSAF NizAmi

fter putting off the inevitable for over two months, the PML-N has, albeit belatedly, started rolling back the fuel and electricity price subsidies introduced by the previous government. the PtI government’s decision to slash petrol prices despite IMf’s restrictions and international oil prices soaring came at a time when it was desperate to relieve some of the immense economic and political pressure built-up due to rising inflation and the increasing likelihood of being ousted. former Prime Minister Imran Khan can perhaps now at least see the silver lining in what he terms a ‘US-backed conspiracy to remove him from office’, that he doesn’t have to bear the political cost of fuel being sold at rs210 per litre and electricity costing rs8 per unit. Had he remained in office, he would have been made to do the same as there was no practical way to sustain a subsidy that was unfunded. Alternatively, had his prime ministership not been challenged by a collective opposition that was gaining momentum and attracting allies, there would not have been any need for the subsidy in the first place. the financial damage inflicted upon an already struggling economy by the outgoing PtI government up until the PDM got the vote of confidence through parliament was enough to cause significant problems for the incoming PML-N financial team. Apart from the obvious absence of a practical and implementable post-Imran economic plan, the PMLN’s messaging and communication of the direction it would be steering the country in was at best confused but largely missing. this is partly attributable to the fact that there was simply too much happening politically from the get go, be it the formation of a cabinet or the on-going battle for power in Punjab, to focus on ‘the narrative’. the remainder of the delay is due to a lack of consensus within the PML-N itself. even if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and finance Minister Miftah Ismail were clear over what to do about the PtI-subsidy, no meaningful decision could be made without the consultation and sign-off of PML-N supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif and former

India, that is Bharat An existential crisis promising to be worse than Pakistan’s

rrANt and problematic statements by leaders of political parties are often subsequently clarified by the official spokespersons of their parties. these were their personal views, and have nothing to do with the official position of the party, such clarifications usually read. It was interesting to see next door in India, where the ruling BJP had to issue clarifications on what one of its principal national spokespersons said on live television. the spokesperson’s views aren’t our party’s views. reads like a non-sequitur. At the centre of the current controversy is, yet again, another mosque-built-over-a-temple claim. tensions are running high, and that’s how they played out on live television when Ms Nupur Sharma, a national spokesperson for the ruling party spewed out some venom against our beloved Prophet (SAWS.) there was immediate backlash and Ms Sharma, as well as another party spindoctor, were suspended from their positions. Muslim - and secular Hindu - backlash has lesser and lesser returns in today’s India but what turned the tide in this incident was the sheer severity of what the mainstream leader had said, and more importantly, the fact that several Gulf countries, host to many India workers, registered protest. What is more telling is that this wasn’t some rustic fringe leader from the cow belt but a national spokesperson coming from a westernised background, with a degree from the London School of economics. this, truly, is the India of today, where world-class software engineers might write sparkling code for Silicon Valley, but at the same time nurse murderous ambitions in their hearts. And not be shy about expressing them either. the BJP’s apology is half-hearted because its second-tier leadership is still shuffling its feet in fully owning the condemnation. Ms Sharma herself, though apologising for the statement, said she was paying back in the same coin, which is intellectual dishonesty; Lord ram or the Goddess Sita weren’t being blasphemed against by the other side, only the veracity of a fountain being the site of an ancient Shiv Lingam was being contested. the bar for offense keeps falling lower and lower when it comes to the Muslims of India. Soon even calls to prayer will be considered sabre rattling. the Idea of India faces an existential crisis.

For every crisis is also an opportunity

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

e careful what you ask for. Sages have been stressing this a long time. Like most pieces of advice however, it is easier said than done, as the PDM just found out. the present regime under Shehbaz Sharif had made much of its administrative expertise, while in opposition. None of it came close to being realized after it came to power – hence the unprecedented hike in fuel prices and the return of loadshedding with a vengeance – earning the administration widespread criticism from the public. A social media friend remarked that, counting the administration’s previous incarnations, the ‘capable administration’ myth had been exposed for the two-hundred-and-thirty-fiftieth time. In hindsight, Imran Khan now appears to have managed the perpetual power crisis – along with the other challenges faced by the country – miraculously well, a feat that looks even more impressive considering the Covid challenge that he had to contend with. While the present dispensation deserves all the flak that it is receiving (and more), it is hardly going to suddenly start showing signs of sagacity as a reaction to being made fun of. the ordinary man may be able to let some steam off by subjecting the administration to ridicule, but the exercise would

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

With the subsidies gone, the PML-N led government has made good on the IMF’s primary demands and there is now a likelihood of passing the ongoing seventh review to get that valuable seal of approval from the fund to qualify for various other international lenders’ credit.

Writer is editor, Pakistan Today

Spiritual benefits of loadshedding

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

finance minister Ishaq Dar. the immediate withdrawal of the fuel and electricity subsidies would have made the impending IMf talks in Doha go much smoother than they eventually did. Miftah Ismail returned with nothing more than what was expected: a demand to first roll back subsidies before any consideration for resumption of the stalled eff could be made. Additionally, it became abundantly clear that there is a clear split within the PML-N from a policy-level point of view, with one side unwilling to burden the party with the political cost of attempting to address an inherited economic mess while the other believes completing its constitutional term by hook or by crook is necessary. It seems the latter has prevailed but for there to be any chance of making it to ‘fullterm’ as it were, there needs to be relative economic and political stability, both of which are lacking at the moment. two consecutive rs 30/litre petrol price hikes did calm down the markets, but only temporarily. the rupee, which broke the critical rs200 barrier against the dollar, gained back some of its value, dropping to rs197 over the days following the initial increase. the stock market too, after shedding points consistently, rallied back. But the dollar has since regained lost ground, selling again at rs200 in the interbank. A bearish sentiment has yet again set in at the stock market with the KSe-100 falling 3.6% last week. What is more, the PML-N also has to deal with a load shedding crisis. It would perhaps have been preferable for the electricity to be out during some parts of the day given the rs8/unit price rise that accompanied the fuel price hike, only if the weather permitted. What makes this worse is that the PML-N prides itself on resolving the load shedding issue during its last tenure from 2013 to 2018 by installing excess electricity generation capacity only for the PtI to enjoy its political benefits. Now back in power, the PML-N has to contend with the same problem but the cause is different: while it possesses the capacity the state simply doesn’t afford enough furnace oil to burn

and generate the requisite amount of megawatts. there has however been some reprieve, with China refinancing a $2.3 billion commercial loan, a first and much needed economic win for the government. this major inflow that is yet to be received would help shore up net reserves with SBP that slipped below $10 billion last week. revised conditions also make it possible for Pakistan to use the proceeds of the facility that will be financed at a reduced interest rate of around 3.8%, thereby creating some short-term breathing room for the government. With the subsidies gone, the PML-N led government has made good on the IMf’s primary demands and there is now a likelihood of passing the ongoing seventh review to get that valuable seal of approval from the fund to qualify for various other international lenders’ credit. Chinese aid will provide the necessary external account cushion to manage matters until such a time that the IMf’s next tranche is received. A fundamental requirement for the current economic plan to materialize successfully is reasonable political stability and maintenance of law and order. What transpired last month in various locales of the country was highly unfortunate, blame for which must be shared equally by the government and Imran Khan’s PtI. the PML-N overreacted and used excessive force through indiscriminate shelling. the PtI violated the SC’s order and made its way to D-Chowk, where trees and greenbelts were set ablaze. Such anarchy creates an added layer of risk that potential investors, international lending agencies and foreign allies take into account before making any financial or diplomatic commitments. With Imran Khan gearing up for another ‘long march’ and rana Sanaullah threatening the latter with imminent arrest, it is becoming increasingly likely that another bout of street agitation by the PtI and a high handed response from the government is imminent. One hopes better sense prevails, or is at least made to prevail, more timely this time round.

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hardly help him reconcile with the new realities of life. Until he adapts a philosophy more suited to the situation, that is. If he is to maintain his sanity, the average citizen needs to immediately start seeing the positive side of things. that would help him negotiate not only the exorbitant loadshedding, but all other difficulties life is likely to throw his way in future. Here, then, are a few spiritual benefits that he is encouraged to appreciate. the perceptive reader would, no doubt, discover many more on his own. 1. A step in the direction of minimalist living. there is way too much materialism in the world; and until recently there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Loadshedding, in this respect, has been nothing short of a godsend. Appreciate it. those who want to go far must travel light, and all that sort of thing. 2. Protects mother earth. Most people have no clue as to the havoc each kWh wreaks on the environment. they fail to realize that to produce ‘clean’ electricity, the dirty work has inevitably been done somewhere upstream, causing pollution and entropy. Corporate greed sees to it that progress of a nation is gauged by the number of units of electricity consumed (per capita) by its inhabitants. Any wonder then that consciously looking to cut down on electricity usage is looked down upon? Loadshedding will probably achieve what the environmentalists have failed to do in decades. 3. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Never in the entire history of mankind there was a more alarming dearth of men equipped with stiff upper lips. We have come a long way from the era of gallant knights in shining armours to men who are constantly worrying about their complexions and skin tones. this fall from grace not only prevents men from helping the world at large but also results in their coming off second best in all domestic conflicts against their wives. By getting them started on the road to the rough-and-tough, loadshedding is almost certain to change things for the better. 4. Back to the nature! there is no denying the fact that transformers, electric poles, transmission lines and LeD lights are not natural. Neither is their most devastating consequence: the modern lifestyle of retiring late and waking up even later. the more the loadshedding, the greater the opportunity to tune

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one’s body-clock in sync with nature. for the spiritual benefits of this, refer to any yogi or naturalist. 5. Get to know your immediate family. Loadshedding forces you to spend time with your family members, who – to your immense astonishment – usually turn out to be quite decent specimens. for full benefit, also switch off the mobile data and the internet UPS (if there). 6. Journey towards a fitter you. Physical fitness and spiritual health go hand in hand. You can ramp up the former by utilizing for exercise any one of the many hours of loadshedding – no doubt strategically dispersed for your convenience. A detectable improvement in the latter should only be a matter of time. 7. Less bills. In the Islamic republic, bills are inversely proportional to one’s spiritual wellbeing. to avail the maximum possible benefit, dispense with items such as the UPS and the generator as well. 8. Your contribution to the national cause. Not everybody is grand enough to be able to defend the motherland against external and internal threats. the ordinary man can take solace in his contribution in the form of an unflinching courage facing the triple whammy of the darkness, the summer heat, and a loving spouse. Do not deal with these challenges as one resolves not to make a fuss in the dentist’s chair; instead, be a picture of cheerfulness while doing it. Bask in the glory of the knowledge that you are doing it for the country. 9. A more punctual and dutiful you. One of the major reasons behind man’s professional and religious shortcomings is his inability and/or reluctance to get out of the comfortable bed. this leaves him a perpetual victim of guilt; and the cycle continues with each instance of weakness on his part. With the loadshedding hours coinciding with most prayers times and the time to wake up for work, this failing should soon be a thing of the past. 10. Appreciation for the life of the less fortunate. Last but not the least, loadshedding makes one appreciate the situation of those countless millions who never had, and probably never will have, the luxury of electricity. The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

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Tuesday, 7 June, 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

Will Europe’s Past Be Asia’s Future?

Missing law on missing persons Year of inaction has brought us to this stage

moHSiN SAlEEm ullAH

feW days ago, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the federal government to serve notices on former president General Pervez Musharaff and all successive chief executives including the incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for following an “undeclared tacit approval of the policy” in enforced disappearances. the order is the latest in a string of multiple similar directives and judgments on the matter, none of which have done more than pay lip service to the plight of the disappeared persons. Since the 1980s, Pakistan has had a long history of enforced disappearances, which begin during the military rule of General Zia ul Haq when political workers were detained, tortured, and killed for personal and political gains. Later, these enforced disappearances re-emerged on the rationale of a threat to national security when the US alleged Pakistan harbouring militants. Soon, what began as a counter-insurgency tactic, morphed into a way to target secular and liberal activists, voicing out victimization, and blatant violation of their constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, and assembly through an institutionalized tool of terror. enforced disappearance is constituted as an offense and a violation of both fundamental constitutional and human rights. Such crimes constitute a flagrant violation of the right to life, liberty, security, and the right to not be subject to arbitrary detention. Most disappearances begin with an initial arrest followed by the refusal to acknowledge the fate of the disappeared and they are often placed outside the protection of the law. It's agonizing to see that incommunicado detention is torturous for the family of the disappeared which remain stuck in frozen trauma. they can neither mourn the death of the disappeared nor can they do anything about the situation. especially, women in highly patriarchal societies such as Pakistan, suffer severe hardships because of enforced disappearances. Not only do they have to provide for themselves and their families, but they also have to face an uphill legal battle

for the sake of the disappeared, while their marital status is stuck in limbo. the unfortunate situation becomes from bad to worse, as state authorities are either non-cooperative or actively depict hostile attitudes in such cases. the fIr is the first legal battle for families, which is advertently not lodged by the police, instead, the witnesses and families reporting disappearances are either ignored or threatened with dire repercussions. there have been several reported incidents, where police refused to register fIrs of disappeared persons, thereby causing the Supreme Court of Pakistan to direct police to lodge an fIr of the complainant. Unfortunately, enforced disappearances are not criminalized under Pakistani law, therefore such crimes are misdiagnosed. they are filed as either kidnapping or abduction against unknown persons, which completely ignores the impact of victimization suffered by enforced disappearances. the issue is not a mere ‘wrongful confinement’ or illegal detention of the disappeared. It is rather the absence of information, and grounds for the detention. Additionally, the law sections applied to enforced disappearances cases, ignore the basic fact that the perpetrators of these crimes are none other than the state institutions. Sad and unfortunate to mention that certain laws do provide de jure support for enforced disappearances. two of such laws are significant to the current discussion. first is the Protection of Pakistan Act, 2014 which grants security forces impunity for human rights violations in the name of national security. Section 6 of the said Act allows detention and internment of people while Section 9 allows the government to withhold information about the fate of the disappeared and Section 20 provides immunity to security forces for ‘acts done in good faith.’ Surprisingly, the KPK Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Ordinance 2019 gives wide powers to the military in the region. Under this law, the military is allowed to detain persons in certain notified areas on vague and ambiguous grounds, and they may also be transferred to unknown detention facilities for an indefinite period. the Ordinance also suspends the application of the law of evidence in the region. Instead, Section 19(2) of the ordinance states that a mere statement by a member of

the armed forces constitutes sufficient evidence to convict an accused person. the Pakistani government has made halfhearted attempts to stop violations of enforced disappearances. In 2010, the Ministry of Interior established the Commission of Inquiry on enforced Disappearances (COIeD) after the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the matter. According to its mandate, the Commission must conduct inquiries into disappearances, fix responsibility on the perpetrators, direct the police to register fIrs against those causing the disappearance, and can direct the production of a detained person. However, the Commission remains a toothless watchdog, which is satisfied with merely ticking people off its list of disappeared persons. the commission only provides status reports on the disappeared person, and no details are provided to the families other than whether the individual is alive, dead, detained, or returned. the COIeD’s definition of enforced disappearances is inconsistent with international law and not a single person has ever been punished by the body. Instead, the commission is often used as a tool by the security agencies to delay proceedings. In 2021 a proposed amendment was presented before the parliament to include enforced disappearance, as a crime in Pakistan Penal Code. While it is a positive step, state authorities can use the same amendment to discourage families from reporting disappearances. the proposed amendment also sets out criminal charges against individuals making false allegations of enforced disappearances. So, what can Pakistan do? for starters, we must ratify the declaration against enforced disappearances and codify the offense of enforced disappearances in the Pakistan Penal Code. the parliament must suspend the operation of laws that provide legal immunity to security agencies and make laws to push the government to conduct investigations and provide sufficient reparations to the longsuffering victims of the disappeared. enforcing the right to truth can also help the families of the disappeared person to know the circumstances of death, the cause of death, and the location of the burial.

Enforced disappearance is constituted as an offense and a violation of both fundamental constitutional and human rights. Such crimes constitute a flagrant violation of the right to life, liberty, security, and the right to not be subject to arbitrary detention.

The writer reports for Fox News Digital and also a freelance columnist. He is currently pursuing an LLM at UC Berkeley and can be reached at mohsin.saleemullah@berkeley.edu

ANArCHY in the past has engendered devastations as history witnessed in eighteenth-century europe. Anarchy in the international system is the key foundation of the security dilemma which triggered the idea of getting power so a nation can maintain its ultimate legitimacy in the absence of some supranational authority. In the eighteenth century, europe created upheaval and fanned the flames of three major wars till the world became unipolar. Now if we compare the past with the present then the Asia Pacific may be considered a new war theatre because many developing nations like India and China are emerging in Asia. Along with this United States of America (USA) considers China’s growth as a menace to its hegemony. So the point is will Asia forget the massive destructions of bloody wars in past and follow the footsteps of europe or will it choose to be a pacifist? If nations opt to be optimistic and learn from the past then there could be many reasons to evade war. firstly due to globalization, economic interdependence around the globe has created a wasted interest of nations in other nations’ economies. According to some estimates, the US owes China approximately $1.06 trillion as of January 2022 and the withdrawal of those will seriously devalue the US currency. On the other hand, according to the estimates of the World Bank 35% of China’s GDP is dependent on foreign trade which means conflict between them can cease the growth or even destroy their economies. Secondly, Asia will not be ripe for rivalry as was europe because of its unique geographical features such as the Himalayan mountain range which separates the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. thirdly, Asians follow the culture of collectivism and according to Samuel Huntington both “european-type hegemonic wars” and “european style balancing of power” are absent from Asia. He suggests that with the rapid rise of China, other nations must have to choose between “power balanced at the price of conflict” or “peace secured at the price of hegemony”. Western societies might opt for power balancing but history and culture strongly suggest that Asia will go for peace and hegemony. IQRA MEMON, Sukkur.

Graduates Are Unemployed

tHe issue of unemployment, particularly among graduates keeps on rising. thirty-one percent of young people in Pakistan are currently unemployed, and many of them have professional degrees. this issue has occurred for various reasons. Such as the poor education system in the country, many educational institutions do not provide quality education and also do not train the students according to the market requirements. the education system is not trained from the primary level to college graduates, that only focuses on educating theoretically whereas, not trying to use applications of those theoretical concepts in the physical world for that reason, students are only bounded by books. therefore, our education system must need to train skills like entrepreneurial skills and characteristics in youth. Another reason is the lack of sources, graduates have been waiting for vacancies for a long time because of the lack of correspondence between vacancies and their skills and competencies. for example, more or fewer graduates have brilliant skills and competencies, but they face barriers in meeting some of the vacancies because of inconsistency. As high-level graduates in their field do work in other fields to survive and they waste their degrees in particular fields. recently observe a qualified marketing MBA working in a clerical position instead of a sales department in any business. Moreover, the lack of opportunities the country desires to be a talented nation, but due to the poor employment system, many talented graduates do not find a specific platform to show their skills that’s why many graduates remain jobless. In addition, lack of experience when graduates went to job interviews they frequently ask the question “how experienced you are?” although systems need to provide a chance to experience for skilled graduates everyone asks for high experience in their fields. to conclude, the public must show concern for this issue. the government must take action and provide more or less job security for people who work in the business sector. SEHRISH ABID SOOMRO, Sukkur.

Water System Framework tHe summer set in before in Sindh, so the water system supply to fulfil the agronomic needs of the territory ought to come before as well — as should our public water dispersion technique. Late-spring crops are fundamental for the agrarian economy of Sindh — from mangoes and vegetables to cotton and rice. early produce from Sindh gets great market costs. In the event that, in any case, late-spring sowings in Sindh are denied of water, in addition to the fact that the ranchers endure, the agrarian economy of Pakistan contracts too. regardless of April and May being a very long time of little precipitation, the Indus stream and its feeders begin expanding during this time due to snowmelt in the mountains. As the snowmelt disappears by mid-April, icy liquefy kicks in. the streams continue expanding as frigid dissolve continues expanding with increasing temperatures. from July to September, the rainstorm downpours add to the icy liquefy and the streams begin spilling over their banks, immersing dynamic floodplains and re-energizing riverine groundwater. toward the finish of September, when both the downpours and icy soften are finished, the groundwater from the dynamic floodplains begins leaking once again into the stream and keeps the waterway streaming until the colder time of year downpours in the middle between January to March. In its normal beat, the Indus never dries up. Anthropogenic agronomical practices in the Indus bowl have advanced around the rhythms of the stream over centuries. However, with the alleged advancement of the current water system, people chose to direct the actual streams through courageous design. the most amazing of all works came about as a result of the Indus Waters treaty, with respect to which feeders of the Indus would be permitted to stream and which ones wouldn’t. Waterways were delegated excess and inadequate and between streams, moves were worked to adjust them. Waters streaming out to the ocean were announced to be “escapades”, and advisors were brought in to prompt how much escapades ought to be permitted. five enormous dams were permitted under IWt to control the significant feeders of the Indus stream framework. two of these dams in Pakistan, Mangla and tarbela, are promoted today as the foundation of our water system framework. IMAN HAFEEZ, Chakwal.

08 WORLD VIEW 7th June 2022_Layout 1 6/6/2022 11:39 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

The world’s energy crIsIs could geT worse IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SAUDIS AND, PERHAPS, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE LIKELY REDUCTION IN RUSSIAN SUPPLY, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY JOE BIDEN IS SCHEDULED TO MEET CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN

sydNey MorNiNG Herald

StEPhEN BArthOLOmEUSz

USSIA’S invasion of Ukraine, coming just as the world was emerging from the worst of the pandemic, is permanently reshaping the global energy markets. It’s creating a crisis of supply and price in the near term but could well accelerate the shift to non-fossil fuels in the medium term. In the meantime it is reordering the way energy flows around the world. Energy prices were already recovering from their pandemic lows when Russia launched its invasion on February 24 as lockdowns began easing and demand began picking up. Oil prices that had been briefly negative during the worst of the pandemic were nudging up towards $US100 a barrel, having started the year below $US80, even though the OPEC cartel had begun adding back some of its curtailed production. It had agreed to increase production each month by about 432,000 barrels a day. With some OPEC members struggling to meet their commitments – it’s easier to turn the oil pumps off than on and investment had been reduced in response to the outbreaks of COVID – the increased supply was still only barely matching demand. Last Friday OPEC, under pressure from the US and

Europe, increased the rate of the monthly supply hikes to 648,000 barrels a day for July and August (the current OPEC supply agreement runs out in September) but that barely dented oil prices that are now above $US120 a barrel. there is scepticism, given the immobility of some producers to meet their lower targets, that the extra volumes will reach the market but, perhaps more importantly, the recently-toughened European sanctions on Russia oil exports – the EU has banned seaborne oil imports by its members and imposed a ban on insuring ships carrying Russian oil – are threatening a significant slice of Russia’s oil exports. It’s not just that the EU plans to reduce its purchases of Russia’s oil by 90 per cent by the end of this year but that the EU and UK dominance of the insurance market for shipping threatens to have a more profound impact on a country that was producing more than 10 per cent of the world’s oil supplies. It is possible that the Saudis and, perhaps, the United Arab Emirates, might be able to make up for some of the likely reduction in Russian supply, which explains why Joe Biden (who had threatened to turn Saudi Arabia into an international pariah for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi) is scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the kingdom later this month. It is also why the US is making overtures to Venezuela, whose oil output has been decimated by US sanctions and its own incompetence, to try to restart its production and why there have been rumours that the US is signalling Iran that it will turn a blind eye to any increase in its (also sanctioned) output. the Biden administration has been trying to encourage its own oil and gas companies to lift production but the volatility in energy prices and in the economic environment appear to be limiting the response, as it has been

south Africa is not a peaceful country Mail aNd GuardiaN

DiviNE KAtAY

t least every other year, there are campaigns or protests concerning gender-based violence, unemployment, poor service delivery and, of course, xenophobic attacks. History shows that South Africa has scored poorly because of high levels of criminality, easy access to weapons, relatively high levels of political terror as well as high levels of violent demonstrations. In July last year, we witnessed how underprivileged South Africans used the opportunity of former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment as motivation to loot stores and retaliate against the government for the persistent levels of poverty, poor service delivery, unbearable living conditions and the overall poor state of the economy. this well-orchestrated economic sabotage led to deaths of about 350 people and R50-billion in damage. It is not surprising that matters of concern such as poverty, unemployment and relative deprivation “provide fuel for political entrepreneurs to light the spark of protests and insurrection”. One of the key findings in the study on intra-ANC rivalry to explain the 2021 July unrest showed that those most prepared for dissent and violence are ruling party members contesting positions and seeking better opportunities in the party and in the government as a whole. During such occurrences, South Africans feel that their government is failing them and are always prepared to take matters into their own hands. First it was the unrest caused by Zuma’s imprisonment and now Operation Dudula, whose members have decided to replace the police and the home affairs department to get rid of all undocumented foreigners who they perceive as a threat to

employment. It is also argued by the government that the “police work more closely with government departments at district levels to ensure a plan is laid out to address the socioeconomic problems that make the population vulnerable to criminal conduct”. If that really is the case, can it then be said that the government is unprepared in handling social problems? And, the health of the economy has been at stake since the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic, another question is, what are the effects of the ongoing social unrest on the society-state-economy relations? the government should provide fair treatment to its citizens and protect the minority of law-abiding, documented foreigners. the government has a huge responsibility to ensure peace and justice by putting South Africans first. But if South Africans reject jobs and these are accepted by hardworking and vulnerable documented foreigners, they should not be seen as a threat. the drug dealers and human traffickers should definitely go but the poor documented low-wage workers (such as domestic workers, cleaners, security guards, waiters, et cetera) who contribute to the country’s economy should not be victimised in the process. One can argue that South Africans can do those jobs, but how many of them are actually willing to do the work? Most of the documented foreign workers are not protected by labour law and are exploited by their employers but still accept their poor working conditions because they have no option. Most South Africans would never settle for such menial jobs and small business employers do not like the challenge and “choose” to hire foreigners who do not know South African labour law and can easily be exploited without becoming a threat to the company.

doing elsewhere. the US producers are milking their existing investments for cash and shareholder returns rather than investing in expanding their output. So far the effects of the sanctions on Russia’s exports have been limited. It has been able to offset the loss of about 800,000 barrels a day with the higher prices it has received, even though it has been selling its oil to China and India at discounts of around $US35 a barrel. the loss of European customers and the impact of the insurance bans on its ability to redirect its oil by sea elsewhere ought, however, to have a far more marked impact on its production and therefore on the supply side of the global market. the impact of the invasion of the market for gas is proving even more profound and structural, even though it is logistically far more difficult for the EU to reduce its dependence on gas piped from Russia, which has supplied up to 40 per cent of the EU’s needs. Europe doesn’t have the infrastructure to easily shift to importing gas, although it is scrambling to buy floating LNG storage and regasification terminals and build and re-open its own LNG receiving infrastructure and the pipelines needed to distribute the gas. that is already causing a global shortage of those floating terminals (and causing headaches for plans for several east coast terminals to receive west coast gas in Australia). the abrupt entry of Europe into the global LNG market is also reshaping that market. traditionally the LNG market was primarily an Asia-Pacific market. Almost overnight a new and very large market has emerged, with the Europeans prepared to pay astronomical prices for the gas to secure supplies and build reserves ahead of their winter. the LNG market was tight even before the invasion and current production simply isn’t sufficient to absorb the level of EU demand that would come if Europe is

able to eventually wean itself off Russian gas. there are a number of large new LNG export projects in the pipeline in Qatar, the US and Australia but those will enter the market from about 2025 onwards. While that’s not out of kilter with the timetable for the EU’s transition away from Russian gas, there is either going to have to a lot more gas produced and LNG export and import infrastructure built or the world will have to reduce its demand for gas if that European demand is to be absorbed. that suggests that not only will the geography of the LNG sector and the price of its production change, structurally, but there will be an incentive to put a ceiling on the world’s gas consumption and that ceiling has been brought forward quite significantly by Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine and by the EU and the rest of the West’s response. take Russia out of the energy equation and shift Europe’s demand elsewhere and the supply-demand imbalances and the prices they will generate provide a massive incentive for the world to accelerate the transition to renewables and hydrogen, which have abruptly become far more competitive and necessary. to get to that point where new sources of supply of traditional and non-traditional energy balance, however, will take years and some dislocations and pain. If the West and the EU in particular holds their lines on Russian energy, the oil and gas crunch now being experienced around the world may not be, and probably isn’t, a temporary phenomenon. It could, and probably will, get worse. Stephen Bartholomeusz is one of Australia’s most respected business journalists. He was most recently cofounder and associate editor of the Business Spectator website and an associate editor and senior columnist at The Australian.

Princeton University has disgraced itself Newsweek

I also do not believe that some jobs are strictly meant for foreigners. What should security, cleaning and domestic work companies do when recruiting workers: wait for South Africans that are willing to accept this kind of work to get the position even when they lack the skills and experience? Or employ those that are fit or the position, be it citizens or skilled and documented foreigners? What would be considered fair in this matter? From a foreigner’s point of view, I understand the frustration of some South Africans who campaign against illegal foreigners. If an undocumented foreigner owns a business, there is no way they are paying taxes, which weakens the economy because tax money is used to fund crucial services such as healthcare, safety, housing, roads, railways, education and social grants that documented foreign nationals should also benefit from by law. From the beginning of Operation Dudula, it was clear that its supporters wanted illegal foreigners kicked out of the country. But South Africans are against Operation Dudula because they believe their actions against foreigners is xenophobic. this controversial operation has divided South Africans because people who feel marginalised by the government are taking matters into their own hands and are contributing to rising xenophobic tensions. the Operation Dudula supporters claim that: “I am African before I am South African and I always put humanity first. However, illegal immigration is criminality and a threat to national security” and argue that the government should deal with the problem. Whether the government is able to do so without victimising documented and legal migrants remains to be seen. Divine Katay is a master’s candidate in industrial sociology at the University of Johannesburg.

PAUL DU QUENOY

t is our collective responsibility not to shrug our shoulders" or accept "the normalization of untruths," Dr. Anthony Fauci told Princeton's 2022 Class Day on May 23. that same day, Princeton's Board of trustees, acting on the recommendation of its President Christopher L. Eisgruber, fired star c assics professor Joshua Katz after nearly 25 years of employment. In July 2020, in the wake of George Floyd's killing, Katz criticized a Princeton faculty letter demanding preferential treatment for minority faculty members, the disbanding of Princeton's security, and the creation of faculty panels to police colleagues' work for supposed racism. Katz was immediately branded a racist and ostracized by his colleagues. Eisgruber condemned him for having used his freedom of speech "irresponsibly." Princeton grudgingly admitted that Katz could not be sanctioned for his dissenting statements, but wasted no time finding a pretext to dispose of him. the student newspaper spent months muckraking through Katz's private life and confidential university business, and discovered that he had once been suspended for a consensual relationship he had with an undergraduate student, way back in 2006. Casting due process to the wind, Princeton reinvestigated the matter and cryptically determined that Katz had "misrepresented facts or failed to be straightforward" the first time. Along the way, in August 2021 Princeton produced a mandatory "anti-racist" internet feature for incoming freshman that placed Katz in the same category as slaveholders among Princeton's founders, segregationists among its later leaders, and discriminatory admissions policies, among other sins. A group of Katz's colleagues filed a complaint on his behalf last October, but the university's diversity bureaucracy dismissed it out of hand without appeal. In a moment worthy of Orwell, Eisgruber refused to remove the language about Katz, suggesting that doing so would "censor" the free speech of those who wrote it. A few days later, Princeton's Board of trustees praised Eisgruber for his purported commitment to free speech and renewed his $1 million annual contract for at least the next five years. Earlier this month, Eisgruber recommended Katz's termination to Princeton's Board. He and other university officials have sheepishly denied that it had anything to do with Katz's pubic speech and instead insist that it resulted from a personnel matter dredged up from 16 years ago that just happened to resurface at the exact moment the speech issue emerged. If you believe that, I have an ivory tower to sell you. to anyone even mildly capable of critical thought, Princeton appears to have transparently resuscitated a personnel matter to punish a dissenter for exercising his right to free speech while attempting to shield itself against legal claims. As Katz's lawyer Samantha Harris put it, his

abysmal treatment "will have a powerful chilling effect on free speech, because anyone who might wish to express a controversial opinion knows that they must first ask themselves if their personal life can stand up to the kind of relentless scrutiny that Dr. Katz's life was subject to." Free speech advocates agree. "I'm embarrassed I went there," said Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Judith Miller, a Princeton alumna and leading advocate for free speech, upon hearing of Katz's termination. Katz has told the New York times that he believes he was treated with "gross unfairness." He is understandably "angry and heartbroken." In a letter to the Wall Street Journal published just hours after he was fired, he convincingly lamented that Princeton "fed me to the cancel culture mob." His legal claims are strong, however. "the law in New Jersey," Princeton alumnus and former New Jersey state Superior Court judge Andrew P. Napolitano told me, "requires private schools disciplining faculty members to follow basic due process. Punishing Prof. Katz again for a matter for which he has already been punished is an egregious violation of the law." the internet slurs associating Katz with Princeton's history of racism also suggest a strong defamation claim. Colleges and universities routinely lose such cases these days, and Princeton will be hard put to deny that it branded Katz a racist and thereby caused him significant reputational harm. Nor is it a foregone conclusion that Katz cannot recover. Last week, the University of Central Florida was legally compelled to restore psychology professor Charles Negy to employment and tenure (with back pay) after he was fired for criticizing tenets of the Black Lives Matter movement. Regardless of the legal outcome, Professor Katz can also take comfort in Princeton's grotesque myopia. By firing him from a prestigious job he loved for reasons that look absurd and downright shifty, it has simultaneously made him a figure of national importance, with almost every major news outlet covering his story. Once the sting fades, he may well realize that he is now a public intellectual of greater stature and higher moral authority than all other classics professors in America combined. Shorn of his affiliation with a disreputable university that exerts a frightful amount of control over the speech, behavior, and private lives of its employees— and no longer weighed down by the groupthink of creepy conformist colleagues there—he now has the ultimate freedom to say and do what he wants without reference to a failing academic culture that will soon be dead and buried. It smarts to lose a job, but it is wonderful to be handed a megaphone. Let us look forward to hearing Professor Katz use his. Paul du Quenoy is president of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

corporate corner PBA strongly recommends FBR not to impose any additional tax on the banking sector KArAchI: Chief Executive Officer, Pakistan Banks Association, Tawfiq Hussain, said the banking sector is playing a vital role in the economic development of the country and is supporting major initiatives of the government, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). It also plays a pivotal role, as Executing Agents, in supporting the government and SBP’s interventions to respond to challenges like the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is also one of the largest contributors to the national exchequer and should therefore be treated equitably. He said that for the year ended Dec 31, 2021, the banking sector paid total taxes of about Rs.178 bn to the national exchequer. The sector collected and paid to the FBR, withholding tax of over Rs.162 bn. In 2021, the total contribution to the national exchequer from the members of PBA was over Rs.340 bn. Regarding business income of the corporate sector, the PBA CEO said the government had taken a very positive step by progressively reducing its income tax rates, starting from 35% to 34% for tax year 2014 and to 29% for tax year 2019 onwards. Unfortunately, he said, no such reduction has been provided for the banking sector. According to him, the tax rate of 35% for banks is not only one of the highest in the region, but is also very high when compared to other business sectors in Pakistan, including the financial service sector, like mutual funds, DFIs, leasing companies, insurance companies, etc. since they are taxable at 29% tax rate. PBA believes that in order to provide a level playing field, banks should also be taxed at a uniform tax rate of 29%, as was applicable to other sectors of the economy. The PBA CEO has also brought into focus the payment of Super Tax by banks. He said Super Tax was introduced in tax year 2015 at the rate of 4% for banks and 3% for entities other than banking companies which had an income of Rs 500 million or more. It was only a one-time levy to cater to specific needs "of rehabilitation of temporarily displaced persons". However, it was extended each year for both banking and non-banking sectors. It was then abolished for the nonbanking sector in tax year 2020, but was made a permanent feature for the banking sector with the promulgation of the Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2021. In the banking sector’s view, Super Tax on it is discriminatory, as not only was the rate initially 1% higher for the banking sector as compared to the non-banking sectors, but now, with the recent amendment, only the banking sector had been singled out for levy of Super Tax. He said this means all other sectors of the economy, including financial institutions and insurance companies, have been exempted from Super Tax. pr

Wheatflour on subsidized rate available at 2000 USC sale points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ISLAMABAD: On the special directive of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, secure supply of Sasta Atta (Wheat flour) has been launched for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other remote areas of the country through mobile utility stores and more than 2000 Sasta Atta sales points. These mobile stores will be operated in areas where utility stores are not available. The Prime Minister has a special initiative for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This will provide access to remote areas by the Utility Stores Corporation and will also provide cheap flour to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at their doorsteps. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had promised the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a few days ago to provide cheap flour. This is the fulfillment of the Prime Minister's promise to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It should be noted that the Utility Stores Corporation is already providing subsidized sugar, ghee and flour to consumers across the country as per the orders of the Prime Minister of Pakistan. pr

UnileveR PAKiStAn ReCyCleS PlAStiC WASte U

NILEVER Pakistan has collected and recycled plastic waste equivalent to half (50%) of the plastic used in its operations annually. This has been achieved in a period of two years, as part of the ambition of becoming 100% plastic neutral by 2025. Last year, Unilever Pakistan had pledged to recover, recycle and reuse 100% of the plastic generated through its operations by 2025. As part of this effort, the company partnered with stakeholders from the industry, government, and the development sector to eradicate plastic waste and invest in initiatives to reuse and repurpose plastic. Amir Paracha, Chairman & CEO, Unilever Pakistan said on the occasion, “Protecting the world from the impact of climate change needs all of us to work collaboratively. Reducing the plastic footprint is just one aspect of this cause and one organization alone cannot turn the tide. We must work together to find innovative ways to amplify the impact of positive climate actions to create a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous world for everyone.” The announcement was made as part of celebrations of World Environment Day 2022, where Unilever Pakistan announced the results of a recent partnership, titled ‘Dastan-e-Plastic’ with ISP Environmental Solutions for the collection of plastic waste in Lahore. The effort is part of a pilot project, collecting plastic waste from 5,440 households in Lahore. The project is expected to become self-sustaining by the end of 2022, and provides sustain-

able employment for 22 scavengers and 21 informal recyclers (kabaris). On the day, Unilever Pakistan also signed an MoU with Sharmeen Polymers to use recycled plastic in the packaging material developed for Unilever products. The Research and Development team at Unilever Pak-

istan and Sharmeen Polymers are collaborating to develop Pakistan’s first shampoo bottle, using locally sourced recycled plastic. Unilever Pakistan is also a founding member of Pakistan’s first packaging alliance CoRe (Collect & Recycle), working to responsibly produce and recycle consumer plastic. pr

Jubilee Life Insurance wins two major awards at Pakistan Digital Awards 2022 Jubilee Life Insurance, the leading life insurance company in the private sector, has been awarded with two major accolades at the Pakistan Digital Awards Ceremony 2022. For its exceptional outreach, the campaign for HBL PSL Season 6 by Jubilee Life Insurance bagged the ‘Best Integrated Media Strategy’ award while the campaign for the Jubilee Life Customer Testimonial Videos was honored with the ‘Best Content of the Year’ award. This is the fourth time in a row that the organization has won awards at the prestigious Pakistan Digital Awards forum. At the heart of both campaigns from Jubilee Life is the face of the brand, Mr. Befiker Bilal Ashraf, who was present at the ceremony to receive the award along with the brand and agency team.

Pakistan Digital Awards are known for recognizing brands for their unique and out of the box ideas. The awards identify campaigns which are able to effectively target audiences and engage with them. The criteria set by the Pakistan Digital Association for judging

each nomination is decided through a strict and transparent evaluation process which analyzes the campaigns for their effectiveness and results. Jubilee Life Insurance is revolutionizing the respective space not just through their innovative products but

through their creative marketing efforts as well. Jubilee Life Insurance strives to deliver the best in whatever they do. Delivering digital solutions that enhance their customer experience remains an important part of their commitment. Winning these awards for another consecutive year at the Pakistan Digital Awards 2022 is a testament to this commitment. Jubilee Insurance is a global brand of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) that offers diverse insurance solutions (life, health, general and Takaful) and is committed to the vision of being Pakistan’s best service provider from the insurance industry and is among the top 25 companies of the Pakistan Stock Exchange; it happens to be the only insurance company to make it to this prestigious list. pr

CDC ITMinds, Pak Qatar sign agreement for back oﬃce service provision Karachi pr

ITMinds Limited (ITMinds), a wholly owned subsidiary of Central Depository Company of Pakistan Limited (CDCPL), has entered into outsourcing arrangement with Pak Qatar Asset Management Company Limited (PQAMCL) & Pak Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL) to provide Back Office Accounting Services to PQAMCL & PQFTL. The agreements were signed by Mr. Farhan Shaukat CEO-PQAMCL, Mr. Ahsan Qureshi CFO-PQFTL with Mr. Iqleem-uz-Zaman Khan CEO-ITMinds in

the presence of Mr. Badiuddin Akber Director-ITMinds & CEO-CDCPL. Through this arrangement, ITMinds will facilitate PQAMCL and PQFTL in concentrating on their core business activities, i.e. managing investors’ money and savings, by relieving them from various non-core critical back office functions like accounting services. Settlement of portfolios, Unit management related activities, Funds NAV calculation, Facilitation for Compliance/ Reporting, Information Security, Business Continuity and IT arrangements. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Farhan Shaukat, CEO-PQAMCL, said that this arrangement

will enable PQAMCL to concentrate on its core business of managing investors’ funds while outsourcing the back office functions to a Professional Fund Administrator. Also commenting on the occasion, Mr. Badiuddin Akber, Director ITMinds & CEOCDCPL, said that the concept of outsourcing noncore critical business activities has proved to be efficient and cost-effective in today’s business world. Hence, we have commissioned ITMinds with this aim to enable AMCs and other organizations to outsource their back office functions to a competent and reliable BPO partner, thus facilitating them to augment the focus of their management.

CJCSC for avoiding ‘unnecessary and unfounded views’ on Pakistan’s nuclear programme iSLaMaBaD staff report

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) General Nadeem Raza on Monday said Pakistan is a responsible nuclear power and urged for avoiding “unnecessary and unfounded views” on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. The comments of Gen Nadeem Raza were made during a keynote address delivered at a seminar on “Regional Environment and Imperatives of Security” at the NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) here. The seminar was attended by students, academics and distinguished experts from

different parts of the country, the ISPR said. Commenting on the regional security environment, General Raza, who is also the deputy chairman of the National Command Authority (NCA), reiterated the significance of Pakistan’s nuclear capability as the guarantor of deterrence and defence of Pakistan. “Pakistan’s nuclear programme enjoys across-the-board support of all political parties and the people of Pakistan. The NCA, with all its political and military leadership, stands firm for the strategic programme,” he said. He asserted that national security is indivisible and assured that under no circumstances shall Pakistan allow a compromise on its nuclear program.

“Pakistan is a confident and responsible nuclear power. It pursues the policy of fullspectrum deterrence within the precincts of credible minimum deterrence. Our national security and safety architecture meets all national and international obligations and caters for all kinds of scenarios.” He went on to say that as a norm in other nuclear-capable nations, “unnecessary and unfounded views on the strategic program should be avoided”. “When necessary, NCA is the right forum to issue specific responses or views.” The statement by the top military official comes after PTI Chairman Imran Khan had urged the military establishment to make the “right decisions”.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ChINa CallS For reStraINt aS South Korea, uS FIre 8 mISSIleS FollowING DPrK’S weeKeND lauNCheS isLamabaD

Mian abrar

HINA on Monday called for restraint on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue after the South Korea and U.S. fired eight missiles following the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s weekend launches. “Under the current circumstances, we hope relevant parties can remain calm and exercise restraint and avoid taking any action that may escalate tensions,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian during a regular press conference. It serves the common interests of all parties to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and promote the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, he said. South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles into eastern waters on Monday in response to the missile launches made by the DPRK the previous day, Yonhap reported, citing the South Korean military. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles from an eastern coastal region in Gangwon

Province starting at 4:45 a.m. local time for around 10 minutes. “The South Korea-U.S. combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces,” the JCS said in a press release. “Our military strongly condemns the North’s series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns,” it added. The South Korean military said the DPRK launched eight short-range

Gun attack on church in Nigeria leaves 21 dead

ballistic missiles from four different locations into eastern waters on Sunday. Pyongyang has not commented on the report. The latest missile launches by the DPRK and the South Korea-US alliance came amid escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK fired a series of ballistic missiles in May – before and after the inauguration of new South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Seoul also claimed that Pyongyang has completed preparations for a nuclear test. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said in late April that the country will develop its nuclear capabilities “at the fastest

pace.” He stressed that the fundamental mission of the DPRK’s nuclear force is to deter war. Top nuclear envoys of the United States, South Korea and Japan held a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Friday, vowing to strengthen coordination and deterrence. Yoon said on Monday that his administration will “respond firmly and sternly” to any provocation from Pyongyang. He said the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs “are reaching the level of threatening not only peace on the Korean Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia and the world.” Denuclearization talks have been stalled for over three years since the collapse of a summit between the DPRK leader and then U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam’s Hanoi in February 2019. China has repeatedly called on all relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint. Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, who attended Yoon’s inauguration ceremony last month, told the South Korean president that China sincerely supports efforts by Seoul and Pyongyang to improve relations and advance reconciliation and cooperation.

Angry UK lawmakers trigger confidence vote in Boris Johnson

Lagos

LoNDoN

app

afp

Gunmen killed at least 21 people, including children, in an attack on a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria on Sunday, local officials said. The bloodshed at St Francis Catholic Church in Owo town during a service was a rare assault in Nigeria’s usually safer southwest. Richard Olatunde, spokesman for the Ondo State governor’s office, told AFP that dynamite exploded inside the church before gunmen opened fire on worshippers attending the service. “They did not even enter the church, they were shooting through the windows,” he said, confirming a death toll of 21 people. National Emergency Management Agency local representative Olanrewaju Kadiri said 22 people were killed, including several children, with another 40 people wounded. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo arrived on Monday to visit some of the wounded, an AFP reporter in Owo said. The state government declared a seven-day mourning period for the victims, and ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast in Ondo. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Monday also appealed to residents to donate blood for the wounded. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack and the motives were not clear. One witness told AFP he saw at least five gunmen on the church premises. “I was passing through the area when I heard a loud explosion and gunshots inside the church,” the witness, who gave his name as Abayomi, told AFP.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a crunch Conservative Party confidence vote later Monday after 54 of his Tory MPs triggered a contest following a string of scandals that have shattered confidence in his leadership. The beleaguered UK leader has spent months battling to maintain his grip on power after the so-called “Partygate” controversy saw him become the first serving UK prime minister found to have broken the law. If he loses, he will be forced to step down as Conservative party leader and prime minister. A scathing internal probe into the scandal said last month that he had presided over a culture of Covid lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street that ran late into the night and featured a drunken fight among staff. Johnson, who won a landslide election victory in December 2019 on a vow to “get Brexit done”, has steadfastly refused to stand down. The 57-year-old has said he takes responsibility for the saga and pointed to a reorganisation of the structure inside No 10 while insisting that he must get on with the job.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Johnson “welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs” and Monday’s vote was “a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on”. threShOld triggered: Minutes earlier, Graham Brady, who heads the backbench committee of Conservative MPs which oversees party leadership challenges, confirmed that the threshold of 15 percent of Tory MPs seeking a confidence vote had been exceeded. “In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 (1700 and 1900 GMT) today,” he said, noting the votes would be counted immediately afterwards and an announcement then made “at a time to be advised”. Brady told reporters that Johnson was informed last night — as four days of national celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee ended — that the threshold to trigger a vote had been reached. “We agreed the timetable for the confidence vote to take place and he shared my view… that vote should happen as soon as could reasonably take place and that would be today,” he added.

Brady did not disclose how many letters of no-confidence in Johnson he had received from Conservative MPs, noting some colleagues had post-dated their letters until after the jubilee celebrations. ‘ChArAde’: The 359 Conservative MPs currently sitting in parliament will decide Johnson’s fate by secret ballot, and if he wins — half the votes cast plus one — the embattled leader cannot be challenged again for a year. However, the Tory party could change its own internal rules to allow another contest sooner. If he loses, a leadership contest follows in which he cannot stand. Speculation has been mounting for months that Johnson would face a challenge to his leadership, as support for him among Conservatives has ebbed away. Many thought he would face a no-confidence vote earlier this year, as the “Partygate” storm intensified, but the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and Johnson’s leading response to it bought him time. But the end of a police probe into the scandal, which saw dozens of his staff and officials fined for attending illegal gatherings during the pandemic, and the publication of the internal report reignited the controversy.

SFJ calls upon Indian Sikh soldiers to support Khalistan referendum iSlAMABAd: Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has given a call to the Indian Sikh soldiers to stop performing their duties and defending Indian borders. The group also urged the Sikh soldiers to fully support the Khalistan referendum to liberate Punjab from the Indian occupation. SFJ general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in his video message, to the serving Sikh soldiers called for “Stop Defending Indian Borders – Join Ardas At Sri Akal Takht Sahib” to ‘Liberate Punjab’ from the Indian occupation through “Khalistan Referendum”. They were asked to leave Indian army units, reach Sri Akal Takht Sahib on June 6 to join Ardas for the announcement of Khalistan referendum, which was a voting date in Punjab. The SFJ also saluted Sikh soldiers of Sikh regimental centre, Ramgarh, in Bihar, 18th Sikh Jammu, 9th Sikh at Ganagnagar, Rajsthan,14th Punjab at Pune, Maharshatra and 171 Field regiment at Alwar, Rajshtan who had fought the Indian army to avenge Operation Bluestar – the military attack at Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. app

India distances self from blasphemous remarks by top BJP leaders new delhi: India on Monday said recent remarks by officials from the country’s ruling party that insulted Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) do not reflect the views of the government, with the “relevant bodies” taking strong action against these individuals. Nupur Sharma, the spokeswoman of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had made insulting remarks against the prophet in a TV debate, triggering a wave of condemnation at home and from the Islamic world. The party has since distanced itself from her remarks and suspended the spokeswoman. Another BJP spokesman, Naveen Kumal Jindal, was expelled from the party over comments he made about Islam on social media. Leaders of Muslim groups in India have called for legal action against Sharma in response to the comments Muslim groups in Kanpur city of the northern Uttar Pradesh state protested against the BJP spokeswoman’s comments on Friday. On Sunday, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran summon Indian envoys over the officials’ remarks, while Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan also issued statements condemning the remarks. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the International Union of Muslim Scholars also denounced the comments. In its statement, the OIC noted the comments came amid an “escalation of hatred and abuse of Islam in India,” and pointed to “systematic practices against Muslims and restrictions on them,” such as several bans against headscarves in educational institutions, demolitions of Muslim property, and an “increase in violence” against Muslims. On Monday morning, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi rejected the OIC statement saying it was “unwarranted a narrow-minded.” “Government of India categorically rejects OIC Secretariat’s […] comments,” the spokesman said, adding that the government “accords the highest respect to all religions.” Bagchi said the tweets and comments “denigrating a religious personality” were made by “certain individuals.” He stressed they “do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India.” “Strong action has already been taken against these individuals by relevant bodies,” he said, accusing the OIC Secretariat of making “motivated, misleading and mischievous comments” in the face of the incident. “This only exposes its divisive agenda being pursued at the behest of vested interests,” he said. “We would urge the OIC Secretariat to stop pursuing its communal approach and show due respect to all faiths and religions.” The Indian official also made a statement on Pakistan’s condemnation, accusing Islamabad of “engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.” Pakistan had said it voiced alarm at the “rise in communal violence and hatred against the Muslims in India” and said the measures taken against the officials were “belated and perfunctory.” “Pakistan strongly urges the BJP leadership and the government of India to unequivocally condemn the sacrilegious comments of the BJP officials and ensure that they are held accountable through decisive and demonstrable action against them for attacking the dignity of the Holy Prophet,” it added. anadolu agency

China claims to achieve biggest sci-tech progress in past decade The past decade has witnessed China’s biggest progress in science and technology, with the country climbing to the 12th position on the global list of most innovative economies, up from the 34th place in 2012, a Chinese official said on Monday. Wang Zhigang, Chinese minister of science and technology, made the remarks at a press briefing in Beijing, citing the Global Innovation Index released annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In 2021, China’s total expenditure on research and development (R&D) reached 2.79 trillion yuan (about $420 billion), the second-highest in the world. It accounted for 2.44 percent of the country’s gross domestic

product (GDP), which was close to the average level of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, Wang said. That’s up from the 1.03-trillion-yuan investment in R&D in 2012, which took up 1.91 percent of its GDP back then, according to Wang. China’s funding for basic research is 3.4 times what it was ten years ago, reaching an all-time high for the country, Wang noted. The country’s science and technology talent pool has also been growing over the past decade. In 2021, China’s R&D manpower reached 5.62 million man-years, which was the highest globally and 1.7 times that of 2012, he said.

In 2021, China’s turnover of technology contracts reached 3729.4 billion yuan, 5.8 times that of 2012, accounting for 3.26 percent of the country’s GDP. The number of invention patents owned by every 10,000 people rose to 19.1 in 2021 from 3.2 in 2012. The proportion of scientifically literate citizens in the country increased from 3.27 percent in 2010 to 10.56 percent in 2020. Open wider tO the wOrld: China will open wider to the world in science and technology, exchange and cooperate with more countries, and make more contributions to the world’s scientific and technological progress and sustainable development, Wang said.

Wang said openness and cooperation are intrinsic to the development of science and technology and indispensable to addressing global challenges. China pursues an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial international cooperation strategy in science and technology, which leads to cooperation with 161 countries and regions, Wang added. World-leading scientific and technological infrastructure such as the Five-hundredmeter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is open to all scientists, domestic or not. “The FAST has provided observation service to 27 scientific projects in 14 countries around the world,” said Hou Jianguo, head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

China just launched the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship on Sunday, sending three taikonauts for a six-month mission to help complete the construction of the country’s space station by the end of this year. Since last year, the country has successfully launched the Tianhe core module, three Tianzhou cargo ships and carried out two manned missions to construct the space station. With the International Space Station set to retire in the coming years, China’s space station will become the only one orbiting the Earth. Officials from the China National Space Administration have expressed willingness for international cooperation and for non-Chinese astronauts to participate in the country’s future space station missions. agencies

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022 | KARACHI

PAkistAn’s tubA, bisMAH noMinAted foR iCC PLAyeR of MontH AwARd

News DesK

WO Pakistan stars and an up-andcoming 17-year-old have been nominated for ICC Women’s Player of the Month for May 2022, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday. Pakistan’s Tuba Hassan took to the international stage like fish to water. In her very first outing on the international stage, against Sri Lanka, she took home the Player of the Series award after finishing as her side’s highest wicket-taker. It was a dream debut for Tuba, who took home the Player of the Match in the first T20I. She struck off the second ball of her first over to Anushka Sanjeewani and scalped Anushka Sanjeewani and Kavisha

Dilhari thereafter to finish with magical figures of 3/8 on debut. Skipper Bismah Maroof lead from the front in the T20I series and finished as the highest run-getter with 65 runs in three matches. In all three games, she walked out when her team were in a spot of bother. In the first match, her patient 28 off 32 balls took Pakistan to touching distance of a win. In the remaining two matches, she ensured she batted through till the end to guide her team home. In the second game, she played the perfect second fiddle to Ayesha Naseem with a 29-ball 22*. In the final match, Maroof took her team home in a crunch encounter with a brace off the final ball. Though she only scored 15* off 15, she won the Player of the Match for her crucial innings. Like Tuba Hassan, Trinity Smith of Jer-

sey too made her debut last month and already finds herself on the shortlist for ICC Women’s Player of the Month. The 17-year-old all-rounder made her debut against France in the quadrangular series that also involved Spain and Austria. She didn’t get a chance to bat but picked up a wicket on debut. In the first opportunity she got to bat, she scored 59* off just 43 balls and later picked up 2/18 in four overs with her right-arm medium pace. In Jersey’s final game of the series, she smashed yet another fifty (56* of 40 balls) and also picked up a wicket. Jersey finished the series unbeaten with four wins out of four. Smith played a crucial role in it, with 120 runs at a strike rate of 136.36 with the bat and also picked four wickets in as many games at an economy of 6.58.

Pakistan teen cueist Ahsan Ramzan targets gold medal at The World Games 2022 APP

Ruthless Minjee Lee on path to ‘golf greatness’ sYDNeY afp

Minjee Lee was hailed in Australia Monday as “on the path to greatness” after her composed victory at the US Women’s Open, which her proud golfing brother Min Woo admitted brought tears to his eyes. The 26-year-old from Perth raced to a four-stroke win in North Carolina to capture her second major following her breakthrough at last year’s Evian Championship in France. But it was the manner in which the world number four achieved the feat under huge pressure that won plaudits in her homeland, holding her nerve to finish with a 72-hole event record 13-under-par 271. “Minjee Lee’s ruthless US Women’s Open victory proves this ‘kid from Perth’ is on the path to golf greatness,” public broadcaster ABC said. “Her performance in the final round… at Pine Needles must rank among the greatest in Australian golf history. “Lee was brilliant in establishing her 54-hole lead, but the mental strength and physical skill required to close out the victory as she did is hard to quantify.” Lee, whose parents are from South Korea, captured her eighth LPGA title by holding off American Mina Harigae to claim a record $1.8 million top prize from a $10 million purse, the richest in women’s golf history. Lee’s brother Min Woo is also a professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, where he has posted two wins, and he too was in awe of his big sister. “This one hits hard. Tears in my eyes,” he tweeted alongside a picture of the pair as young children after phoning her during the trophy ceremony. “So so proud. Just a kid from Perth. Two major wins to her name now.” The Sydney Daily Telegraph said Lee had earned the right to be recognised as “one of Australia’s biggest sports stars”. “Minjee Lee’s spectacular win in the United States Open should ensure her recognition level in Australia surges to a level appropriate for her exceptional performances,” the newspaper said in an opinion piece. Her hometown newspaper the West Australian agreed, saying she joined “Australia’s all-time golf greats”. Only two other Australians -– Karrie Webb (twice) and Jan Stephenson -– have won the US Women’s Open. Lee has been threatening to hit the big time since dominating the amateur scene, winning a US Girls’ championship in 2012 and the Australian Amateur in 2013 and 2014 before a seamless transition to the professional ranks.

Pakistan teenage cueist Ahsan Ramzan will compete in World Games, scheduled to be staged from July 7 to 17, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. “Yes, I’ll be representing my country at the quadrennial sports extravaganza [The World Games]. It’s a big honour for me to vie at such a big platform,” Ahsan told APP on Monday. Ahsan shot to stardom in March, this year when at 16 he became the youngest IBSF world champion after outclassing seasoned Amir Sarkosh of Iran in the final in Doha. “It was after that feat that I qualified for The World Games,” said. At The World Games, he is set to feature in the snooker discipline’s 15-Reds Men category wherein 15 other topnotch cueists from around the world will also be trying their luck. “The competition is going to be very tough as the best of the best from around the world will be vying in it.

“But I’m up for the challenge. I’m working hard on my physical fitness. I’ll be trying to do which no one has done in the past [to win a gold medal for my country],” he added. Pakistan has been participating in various disciplines of the multi-sports event since its inaugural edi-

TOKYO Neymar’s penalty 13 minutes from time earned Brazil a 1-0 win over fellow World Cup qualifiers Japan at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Monday as the Paris St Germain striker moved to within three goals of Pele’s all-time national scoring record.

tion in 1982 but so far managed to win only one medal when cueist Shokat Ali finished third in snooker’s Men’s Category at the 2001 World Games in Akita, Japan to claim bronze. Muhammad Bilal, another snooker prodigy from Pakistan chipped in the 15-Reds Mixed category at The World Games 2017, Wroclaw, Poland but remained unable to impress as he ended 9th in the event. The Lahore-born cueist said, he was thankful to Pakistan Billiard and Snooker Association (PBSA) for continuously supporting him. “It is due to the constant support and encouragement of the PBSA that I became world champion. They’ve been supporting me financially for my foreign trips and once again are fully funding my participation in The World Games. “I’ll be trying to live up to the expectations and doing my best to make history. But for that I need my nation’s prayers,” he said. The 11th edition of the Games, originally planned for 2021, was postponed to 2022 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Games celebrated their première in 1981 in Santa Clara, California, and now, a little more than 40 years later, they return to the USA. Around 3,600 athletes from 34 sport disciplines and over 100 countries will be competing for 223 medals in The World Games.

Bajaur clinches Inter-Madaris Games Badminton title

PesHAwAR staff RepoRt

Bajaur District clinched the trophy after defeating Khyber District in the final by 2-1 played here at indoor Wadood Badminton Hall of the Peshawar Sports Complex on Sunday. Director Sports Merged Area Pir Syed Abdullah Shah was the chief guest who witnessed the final. Two of the international badminton coaches Muhammad Nadeem and Hayat Ullah, organizing Secretary Awan Hussain, Khursheed Khan, players and officials were also present. In the final match, Bajaur players did hard work against the strong Khyber District team and despite losing the first singles, staged a strong comeback in the doubles and a single and thus marched into victory. In the semi-final Bajaur defeated sub-district Peshawar by 2-1 in the first semi-final and Khyber District recorded victory against Orakzai district in straight sets

by winning the first singles and a doubles. In the quarter-finals Bajaur secured victory against South Waziristan District by 2-1, sub-district Peshawar beat sub-district Kohat by 2-1, in another quarter-final Khyber beat Orakzai by 2-1, District Khurram beat Mohmand by 2-1, and North Waziristan beat sub-district Lakki Marwat by 2-0 while sub-district Kohat beat subdistrict Dera Ismail Khan by 2-0. During the final match, Secretary Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs Muhammad Tariq Orakzai also came and witnessed the thrilling final. Soon after the final price distribution ceremony was held with all the position holders awarded with medals, trophies and cash prizes. Speaking on the occasion, Tahir Orakzai said that it was a welcome development that a large number of madrassa students from the amalgamated districts were participating in the competitions which were provided with all facilities. He said that for the first time in history, the youth of the amalgamated districts who are studying in different madrassas have been given an opportunity to participate in healthy activities again. He said that this series will not stop here. Now this time these games have been organized at district level while next time these games will be organized at Union Council, Tehsil, District and Provincial levels so that students belonging to different madrassas can engage in healthy activities. He said that since we have a youth directorate with us, we will also organize various youth activities at this level in which the youth belonging to the madrassas will be provided full opportunities. He said that it was a matter of happiness that the students belonging to the madrassas performed brilliantly in various competitions and helped to bring out the hidden talent in them which was the main objective of this game.

Neymar strikes from penalty spot to see oﬀ Japan ReuteRs

The forward coolly slotted the ball past Shuichi Gonda to hit his 74th goal in 119 internationals after being frustrated on several occasions by the Japanese goalkeeper in front of a rain-soaked crowd of 63,638 fans. Brazil’s win came off the back of their 5-1 thrashing of South Korea on Thursday as Tite’s side prepare for their assault on

SPORTS 11

the World Cup in Qatar in November. The visitors threatened early, with Lucas Paqueta hitting the post inside the first two minutes when he latched on to Neymar’s instinctive backheel pass inside the area. Fred fired over from distance soon after and Raphina forced Shuichi Gonda to save with his feet before Neymar’s firmly-

struck, curling effort from outside the area was palmed to safety by the goalkeeper after flying through a crowd of players. Gonda was on hand again to keep out the visitors three minutes before the end of the half, with Pacqueta slipping the ball through to Neymar, but the Paris St Germain man was denied. Neymar continued to probe, seeing a shot blocked by Endo’s head eight minutes after the restart, while Ko Itakura made a perfectly timed intervention to put himself between the Brazilian striker’s volley and

Mohammad Hasnain’s biomechanics test report sent to Cricket Australia News DesK The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent Mohammad Hasnain’s biomechanics test report to Cricket Australia (CA) after his action was deemed illegal during the Big Bash League. Hasnain’s action was initially report while he was featuring for Sydney Thunder and was later asked to undergo a test from ICC-accredited biomechanics lab where the arm-extension and other things are tested. Earlier in February, his bowling action was deemed illegal. “The PCB today received a formal and detailed report from Cricket Australia on Mohammad Hasnain’s assessment test, which stated his elbow extension for his good length delivery, full length delivery, slow bouncer and bouncer exceeded the 15-degree limits,” the PCB said in a statement. “The PCB has discussed the report with its own bowling experts and is confident that the problem can be resolved. The PCB will now appoint a bowling consultant who will work with Mohammad Hasnain so that he can rectify his bowling action and be ready for a reassessment.” Following this statement, PCB sent Hasnain to Lahore for various training sessions at the National High Performance Center for improvement in his bowling action. After training, two seperate tests were conducted and the results of which have been sent to Cricket Australia. The coaches and other memebers remain hopeful that Mohammad Hasnain will be able to get back on his feet and make a comeback in international cricket once again. the Japan goal. The pressure eventually told, however, with Neymar at the heart of the action once more. The 30-year-old’s initial effort was well saved by Gonda but as substitute Richarlison attempted to collect possession he was brought down by Endo and referee Alireza Faghani pointed to the spot. Neymar sent Gonda the wrong way to score for the ninth time in five appearances against the Japanese and move closer to eclipsing Pele’s long-standing mark.

Tuesday, 7 June, 2022

Prayer TImINGS

NEWS

PrESIDENT AlvI orDErS ACTIoN AgAINST EDuCATIoN MINISTry for wASTINg gErMAN AID SINCE 30 yEArS islamabad

NewS deSk

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi on Monday held the Ministry of Education responsible for criminal waste, inefficiency and irresponsibility for the non-utilisation of Germany’s donation of Rs13.707 million since 1993-94. President Alvi observed these in his decision on the appeal preferred by the Central Directorate of National Saving (CDNS) against the decision of the Federal Tax Ombudsman. Dr Alvi said that the donation which was given 30 years ago for the purchase of paper to enable the printing of cheap textbooks remained unutilised until today, while the government is asking for grants and loans internationally to meet its immediate needs. The president directed the hitherto defunct Ministry of Education and now the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to conduct an inquiry, hold specific people responsible, and take action against them according to law. He cautioned the Ministry of Educa-

tion not to shift the burden of such inquiries on the retired people and directed it to submit the compliance report to the FTO within 45 days. He highlighted that the said fund remained in the non-profit bearing account for six years, and nobody cared about it. Had it been an officer’s personal money, he would have not allowed even one day to lapse and would have deposited it in a profit scheme, he added. He pointed out that the loss incurred due to keeping the money idle accumulated to Rs17,490,730 which even exceeded the principle sum of Rs13.707 million. Moreover, even this loss could have been greater had it not been pointed out by the audit. The president said that the forgotten money was deposited in Special Savings Certificate from 23-07-1999 to 23-072014. During this time the government policy for SSC was for automatic roll over every three years that did not require investors’ prompting. He further observed that after 23-032014 when the automatic rollover of investment stopped, there was not a single individual in the Ministry of Education who cared about this money and the min-

PM to address prebudget conference on business, agriculture, IT islamabad Shahzad Paracha

The Prime Minister of Pakistan will address a pre-budget conference on business, agriculture and IT that has been planned for June 7, 2022. As per the details, Pakistan is currently facing several economic challenges, including accelerating inflation, large external deficits, exchange rate depreciation, declining foreign exchange reserves, and mounting uncertainty. In addition, the prevailing global economic situation is also posing risks to the domestic economic outlook. The present government has inherited an economy with growing macroeconomic imbalances that have brought Pakistan to the brink of financial collapse. To overcome this, the present government has taken steps in a short time to strengthen the economy, and price stability, and maintain the sustainability of the external & fiscal sectors through various immediate measures. The present government is preparing the budget for the next financial year 2022-23 and it is the vision of the PM to make a progressive, developing and people-friendly budget by fostering public participation in budget making. Therefore the present government desires to partner with the business sector to ensure the budget reflects the expectations of the private/business sector and the public. The private sector is the backbone of the economy and has the opportunity for the public and private sectors to contribute for the development of the economy of the country. To sensitize the private/business sector and incorporate their valuable input and suggestions, a pre-budget conference on Business, Agriculture and IT has been planned on 7th June, 2022. The conference will provide an opportunity for renowned businessmen, agriculturists and IT experts to deliberate, exchange new ideas and present recommendations on IT, Agriculture, Textile, Business and Export sectors for incorporation in the next budget. It is the aim of the government to bring an inclusive pro-public budget that will steer the economy onto a higher, sustainable, and inclusive growth path and provide an opportunity for the public and private sectors to contribute to the development of the country in these challenging and pressing times.

istry let the entire amount remain idle without earning any profit. He termed the act of the Ministry of Education for non-utilisation of principle amount and profit thereof which had increased to Rs54,265,500 as shameful as the money that was supposed to be used for the purchase of papers to make cheaper school textbooks was parked in an investment scheme without any utilisation it was intended to. Later when in 2020, the government ordered that all funds of ministries lying in different banks be deposited in the national treasury, the audit revealed this gross negligence of keeping the German grant in the non-profit account. However, when the ministry withdrew the money in response to audit objection, the matter of deduction of Zakat and withholding tax came to the surface. President Alvi concluded while deploring and condemning the ministry of education on mainly two accounts. One that the said ministry did not bother, did not care, and totally forgot about a foreign grant given for paper for cheaper textbooks 30 years ago and secondly, due to this criminal negligence, the people of Pakistan were deprived of Rs36,357,051

as profit that could have been earned if the money was properly invested. He observed that the Ministry of Education also failed to obtain the Income Tax and Zakat deduction exemption certificates to claim exemption from deduction of withholding tax and Zakat which as per policy in vogue was admissible to the ministry. As a result, the CDNS deducted both withholding tax and Zakat on account of the non-furnishing of the exemption certificate which again reflects poorly on the Ministry of Education’s ability to handle government investment prudently and efficiently. The president exonerated the CDNS on account of acting in good faith and on deduction of both withholding tax and Zakat due to want of exemption certificates. The president directed the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to approach the FBR and Zakat Department for getting exemption certificates with retrospective effect and also directed the FBR and Zakat Department to consider issuance of Exemption Certificates on a “One Time Basis” in accordance with the Rules and Regulations.

Govt to reinvigorate trade, investment ties with Japan: PM Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said his government was focusing on reinvigorating ties with Japan in the field of trade and investment. In a meeting with a delegation of Japanese companies, the prime minister said hurdles would be removed in the way of smooth functioning of the investment infrastructure. The prime minister, in this regard, set up a committee to resolve the issues faced by the Japanese companies in Pakistan on a priority basis and sought a report within a week. PM Sharif termed Japan a close friend of Pakistan and lauded that the country was one of the largest donors to Pakistan in the public sector development. He said the generous Japanese donations amounted to $13 billion dollars in seven decades and contributed immensely to the development of Pakistan. He mentioned that Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) played a positive role in providing Pakistan the technical support to grant aid and bilateral loans through the conduct of technical feasibility studies. He recalled that in the 90s, several Japanese companies were operating in Pakistan and mentioned that in 2016, the agreement with automobile manufacturing Suzuki resulted in providing employment to thousands of people.

The prime minister appreciated the manner Japan focused on improving the public development sector, adding that he was personally inspired by the principles of Japanese business. He stressed immediate steps to exempt the Export Processing Zones from taxes. He invited the Japanese companies to invest in Pakistan’s diverse sectors including coal in Thar, iron ore in Chiniot, renewable energy, infrastructure, and public transport. PM Sharif said Pakistan and Japan were celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2022, and added that by promoting cooperation, Pakistan could benefit from Japan’s experience. He said Pakistan attached great importance to its bilateral ties with Japan and wanted to further expand

cooperation in various fields. The Japanese companies expressed full confidence in the business-friendly policies of the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. They also expressed keen interest in increasing investment in electric vehicle manufacturing, food processing, Special Economic Zones, textiles, telecommunications, and auto-parts manufacturing. The delegation included the representatives from Japanese countries, Japan’s ambassador Mitsuhiro Wada, and the Commercial Attache’ of Japan. Federal ministers including Khurram Dastagir, Miftah Ismael, Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood and the officials concerned attended the meeting. NewS deSk

FAJR SUNRISE

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NEC to approve proposed macro-economic framework, PSDP, economic performance islamabad Ghulam abbaS

The National Economic Council will approve the economic performance of the ongoing fiscal year and proposed macro-economic framework with the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) worth Rs800 billion to achieve an ambitious growth target of 5% for the next fiscal year. Sources said that the planning commission has prepared a proposal to be submitted to the NEC scheduled to be held here on Tuesday. The meeting of NEC would be chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by Chief Ministers of provinces including AJK and GB. As per the details, the NEC would be informed that the fiscal year 2021-22 started with positive prospects as the growth supportive policies induced aggregate demand pressures hence, the tenuous spillover between growth acceleration and the external sector vulnerabilities resurfaced. The structural characteristics of balance of payments constrained growth along with a global surge in commodity prices manifested in the highest ever import surge. These developments led to fiscal and monetary policy responses aimed at rebalancing growth in aggregate demand with the external sector sustainability. While the combination of macroeconomic indicators is reflecting a spurt in economic activity, yet the external sector balancing in an escalating globally inflationary environment remains a massive challenge for the economy. Last year’s rally in international prices of commodities has now turned into a commodity super-cycle which is likely to prevail over an extended period of time. Besides, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has worldwide spillovers through commodity markets, trade and financial intermediaries. This conflict is retarding economic growth and adding to inflationary pressures. Elevated inflation has already complicated the trade-offs for central banks between containing price pressures and safeguarding growth. Interest rates are expected to rise as central banks tighten policy, exerting pressure on emerging markets and developing economies. Moreover, developing countries like Pakistan have limited fiscal policy space to cushion the impact of the war on their economies. The meeting would further be informed that in its latest Economic Outlook April 2022, IMF has projected global growth to slow down from 6.1% in 2021 to 3.6% in 2022 and 2023. This is a downward revision of its earlier projection of January 2022 by 0.8%age points for 2022 and 0.2%age points for 2023. Emerging markets and developing economies are likely to face more intense spillover than advanced economies because of their limited capacity for policy support. IMF expects inflation to remain elevated for longer than expected, driven by war-induced commodity price increases and broadening price pressures. The IMF has adjusted their projections for inflation to 5.7 percent in advanced economies and 8.7 percent in emerging market and developing economies 1.8 and 2.8 percentage points higher than projected in January. So, Pakistan’s higher inflation is to persist for some time. As per details about economic performance during 202122, the economy was expected to consolidate on the growth momentum generated in FY 2021 hence GDP of 4.8 percent was envisaged for FY 2022 with respective contributions from agriculture (3.5 percent), industry (6.5 percent) and services (4.7 percent). This growth target was based upon the assumption that positive response to the fiscal and monetary stimulus packages will continue to provide impetus to the growth momentum including favorable weather conditions, vaccination drive to reach maximum population and easing of COVID-19 related restrictions before the end of first half, managing current account deficit, consistent economic policies etc. The growth supportive policies induced aggregate demand and demand pressures remained strong as reflected through sale of durables, higher imports of consumables and credit uptick for the private sector. Credit to the private sector reached its highest ever level. Google mobility index shows 59% increase in mobility across Pakistan over the baseline (pre-Covid). In this backdrop, the economy surpassed the envisaged target of 4.8% (the target is on an old base so might not be truly comparable) with a wide margin and registered strong growth of 5.97%.

BUDGET: Govt to raise tax on online gaming, social media apps The federal government is considering over a proposal to increase tax on income made through social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube and other apps, sources said on Monday. According to well-placed sources, the coalition government is mulling over a proposal to hike income tax on income generated through online gaming, TikTok, YouTube and other social media platforms. The authorities are also considering a

proposal to hike income tax on income of over Rs1 million per annum, they added. The development took place amid tough conditions imposed by International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure a $1 billion tranche from the international lender. The sources say that IMF has placed tough conditions for resumption of its program and has asked the Shehbaz government to reduce income tax credits and allowances. Moreover, the federal government is

also mulling over proposals to increase the salaries and pension of government employees and had prepared three proposals for a hike in the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. According to sources in the finance ministry, there is a plan for a five to 15 percent increase in salaries of the government employees, however, it is linked with prior approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “The ad-hoc allowance for employees

in BPS-1 to BPS-19 will be hiked by 5 to 10 percent,” they said adding that for BPS-20 to 22, the salaries will be increased by 10 to 15 percent. They further said that the pension will also be increased by 5 to 10 percent. “Pay and pension commission has not yet submitted its report and the government has directed them to submit it as soon as possible,” they said. The govt is likely to present Budget 2022-23 on June 12. INP

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