Friday, 25 March, 2022 I 21 shaʽban, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 266 I 12 Pages I Islamabad edition
CruCial NatioNal assembly sessioN today to deCide oN imraN KhaN’s premiership g
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house is liKely to be adjourned without business today due to demise of Khayal Zaman mna
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15-point heavy agenda suggests no trust motion may be moved on monday
152 opposition members have moved no trust move against imran Khan
ISLAMABAD
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crucial session of the national assembly is all set to meet today at 11am to deliberate on the opposition’s no-confidence resolution against prime minister imran Khan. the session, which will be the 41st of the current national assembly, has been summoned after the joint opposition made the requisition for it under article 54 of the Constitution along with the submission of the no-confidence motion
against the prime minister on march 8. national assembly speaker asad Qaisar has summoned the session at the parliament house at 11:00am. according to the 15-point agenda issued by the national assembly secretariat, around 147 members of the national assembly have moved the motion seeking grant of leave to move no trust motion against prime minister Khan. all members of the motion belong to the opposition benches and none of the pti rebels have moved the motion. “that leave be granted to move resolution for vote of no confidence under
article 95 (1) of the Constitution of the islamic republic of pakistan, read with rule 37 of the rules and procedures and Conduct of business in the national assembly, 2007, against mr. imran Khan, the prime minister of the islamic republic of pakistan,” reads the agenda, a copy of which is available with pakistan today. meanwhile, 152 mnas have moved the no trust motion against prime minister Khan if leave is granted. “this house is of the view that the prime minister of pakistan mr imran Khan, has lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the national assembly of pakistan, therefore, he should cease to hold office,” the motion reads. however, according to sources, the national assembly session is likely to be adjourned today without taking up any business due to demise of Khayal Zaman mna. Khayal Zaman, the pti lawmaker from Kurram agency, had recently died due after suffering from cancer disease. “as per the parliamentary tradition, there is no business in the house on the first day of the new session after any sitting lawmaker dies,” an official told pakistan today requesting anonymity. other than the no trust motion, there is a heavy business as 15-point agenda items reflect that speaker national assembly may not take up the no trust motion today.
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Not counting MP’s votes during no confidence session tantamount to contempt: Bandial ISLAMABAD staff report
Chief justice of pakistan (Cjp) umar ata bandial on thursday said discarding lawmakers’ vote during the no-confidence motion against the prime minister is “insulting” and added that a member of the national assembly (mna) cannot be barred from voting. a larger bench of the top court heard the presidential reference which sought an interpretation of article 63-a of the Constitution which deals with the disqualification of the parliamentarians over defection. the fiver-member apex bench which was led by Chief justice of pakistan (Cjp) umar ata bandial – also included justice mazhar alam Khan miankhel, justice ijazul ahsan, justice munib akhtar and justice jamal Khan mandokhail. during the hearing, the Cjp said that apex court, under advisory jurisdiction, could not fill blanks as could be done through parliament. justice mandokhail referred to articles 55 and 95 which mentioned
the mna’s right to vote. justice miankhel also asked agp Khalid jawed Khan whether he wanted to make the party head like a king. another member of the apex bench, justice ijaz ul ahsan asked the agp regarding the scope of the election Commission of pakistan’s (eCp ) inquiry under article 63 of the Constitution justice ahsan noted that the eCp would examine procedural lapses during the inquiry and noted that the Constitution does not justify defection under article 63-a of the Constitution. the Cjp also asked agp that the government should not link with the court’s opinion in this case. when the agp read out the benazir bhutto case judgment, wherein certain observations were given against horse-trading and floor crossing, the chief justice said that the judgment was an issue and article 63-a was inserted through the 18th amendment in 2010. ResPoNses: pti, pml-n, jui-f and the supreme Court bar association (sCba) also submitted written replies today.
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Friday, 25 March, 2022 | IsLAMABAD
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APP RIME Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated the nation on the successful holding of the 48th session of Council
PM congraTuLaTes naTion on hosTing ‘successfuL’ oic-cfM MeeTing
of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on March 22-23 in Islamabad and said Pakistan, as the new chair of the OIC-CFM, would strengthen the voice of the Muslim world at the global platform.
“As CFM Chair, Pakistan will promote partnerships for unity, justice, and development to strengthen the voice of the Ummah globally,” he said in a tweet. He mentioned that the session, which was joined by the foreign ministers of the 57-member Islamic body, agreed on strengthening joint
efforts for the unity of the Islamic world and addressing the challenges including Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, and Islamophobia. “Unity of Ummah reflected in agreement over a broad range of actions on advancing just causes of Kashmir and Palestine,
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, combating Islamophobia and plight of Muslims,” the tweet read. In a speech delivered at the opening session of the two-day conference, PM Imran had regretted that the OIC had failed in making an impact on the burning issues of Palestine and Kashmir despite
representing 1.5 billion people. “We have failed both Palestinians and Kashmiris. I am sad that we have not been able to make an impact despite being the massive voice of 1.5 billion people,” the prime minister had said in the presence of the foreign ministers.
Suspect in attack on PML-N MPA secures bail LAHORE Staff RepoRt
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday granted pre-arrest bail to the prime suspect in a case pertaining to an attack on Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Yasin in December. The court granted post-arrest bail to Mian Haseeb alias Mian Vicky until March 31 and directed him to submit Rs100,000 in surety bonds. Reportedly, Vicky, who is currently
TikToker arrested for filming videos in police uniform
in Dubai, mastermind the attempt on Yasin’s life. In February, the Ministry of Interior issued red warrants for his arrest which were handed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation by its Pakistan counterpart. Lahore police registered a case against unidentified suspects at Data Darbar police station under Sections 34 (common intention) and 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Rabbani seeks to become party in floor-crossing reference ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani on Thursday approached the Supreme Court to become a party in the presidential reference seeking the interpretation and scope of Article 63-A of the Constitution. He moved an application in the apex court stating he headed a parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms that were introduced into the Constitution through the 18th Amendment. Rabbani said he has first-hand knowledge of the background discussions that led the then lawmakers to incorporate Article 63-A in the
RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt
The Rawalpindi police on Thursday arrested a man for filming TikTok videos donning police uniforms. According to police, the man used to record videos in police uniform and then upload them on TikTok – a social media platform. The police have registered a case against TikToker and launched further investigation. In a similar case, a girl landed in trouble after filming a TikTok video in a police uniform. A girl namely Amber shared a video in a police uniform which went viral on social media. Okara police registered a case against the girl. It is pertinent to mention here that the cops in Punjab have also been banned from posting on the short video-making app, TikTok. The Punjab police department had barred all cops from using TikTok during duty hours. The new rules were communicated in a letter issued by AIG Operations to all RPOs. The police department had warned that if a video of any officer goes viral on a social media app, strict departmental action will be taken.
Lahore man confesses ordering hitjob on brother’s family LAHORE Staff RepoRt
A Lahore man has confessed to ordering a hitjob to kill brother, sister-in-law and niece over a property dispute. Amanat Ali, his wife Shabana and their two-month-old daughter Azal were murdered on February 27 in Agrics Town in Lahore’s Chohang area. Police arrested Amin, his son Shehzad and hitman Ashiq who confessed to their crimes. Amin was also imprisoned in 2014 for his father’s murder where he met Ashiq who was among the most notorious inmates for their ruthlessness. He got Ashiq out of the prison and offered a contract of one million rupees to kill his brother, sister-in-law and their child. In his confessional statement, Amin said they entered Ali’s house where Shehzad held Amanat Ali at gunpoint. Then they took him to the washroom and slit his throat. After this, they tied and killed Shabana and strangled Azal, an infant. Amin did not want his brothers Saleem and Amanat Ali to have a share in their father’s property. He killed his father over the same issue. Ali, who was a lawyer, was pursuing the case. Amin also planned to kill Saleem, but the police arrested him and foiled his bid.
The FIR said Yasin was visiting PML-N worker Mian Ikram Kami’s house along with another person. The three were talking outside Kami’s residence when two unidentified individuals approached them on a motorcycle, mounted off and fired at Yasin with intent to kill. According to the FIR, Yasin requested for action to be taken against the culprits and said they were around 20 to 25 years of age, adding he would be able to identify them if they were presented before him.
Constitution. A large bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, resumed hearing of the reference today. Earlier, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) submitted in the apex court its reply to the presidential reference, saying an individual MP can participate in the proceeding of a vote of no-confidence against a prime minister under Article 95. “An MP’s right to vote is an individual right under Article 95 and this right doesn’t belong to the political party he or she belongs to,” the body contended, adding no member of the Lower House could be barred from exercising the right to vote.
‘US only now coming to terms with Afghan situation’ NEWS DESk There was ‘surprise and frustration’ in Washington when Kabul fell to the Taliban but gradually, they understood the situation, says Pakistan’s US Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan. “Obviously, it came as a surprise for everybody, contrary to the intelligence estimates here and earlier than anybody had expected,” said the outgoing ambassador, explaining why Washington reacted so strongly to the fall. Ambassador Khan, the longest serving Pakistani diplomat in the US, leaves for Islamabad on Thursday from where he will head to Brussels as his country’s new envoy for the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg. He served as Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington from Jan 7, 2019, to March 24, 2022. He has also served in Washington as the deputy chief of mission for four years and spent six years in New York, including as a diplomat at Pakistan’s UN Mission. Asked to define the most difficult issue he handled in Washington, Mr Khan acknowledged that the Afghan issue was difficult but pointed out that “both sides have never shied away from addressing problems”. And this (US-Pakistan) “has never been an easy relationship,” he added. The United States and Pakistan, he said, have had a “clear convergence” in Afghanistan because “the US is as much interested in peace and stability in Afghanistan as we are”. Mr Khan represented Pakistan in Washington during much of the Doha talks between the United States and the Taliban that were facilitated by Pakistan. The talks ended on a peace deal that led to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and consequently to Kabul’s fall to the Taliban. “Our job was to articulate and convey our national position to Washington and to listen to the concerns expressed here and explain how Islamabad looked at developments in Afghanistan,” he said.
The embassy, however, was not involved in arranging the visits of Taliban officials to Doha as that was handled by Islamabad, he added. Ambassador Khan said that Pakistan’s key role in facilitating the evacuation of those wishing to leave Afghanistan also helped improve bilateral ties after the fall of Kabul. “We saw appreciation for Pakistan’s positive contribution during the peace process and dealing with the aftermath of the Taliban takeover,” he said. “People understood that the international community must come together to stabilise Afghanistan as Pakistan alone cannot do this.” Ambassador Khan hoped that the Ukrainian crisis
would not drive the world’s attention away from the humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan. Asked if the embassy was ever asked to arrange a telephone call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Imran Khan, Ambassador Khan said: “You don’t make formal phone call requests. Leaders do get in touch on issues and such possibilities are explored. But it is dependent on the convenience of the leaders.” Mr Khan also said that telephone “calls should not be a yardstick for any relationship, and certainly not for US-Pakistan ties”. The relationship, he noted, has been moving at its pace and there have been regular contact between the national security advisers, cabinet ministers and the military leaderships of the two countries.
Friday, 25 March, 2022 | IsLAMABAD
Zero daiLy covid-19 deaThs for second day: ncoc ISLAMABAD
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Staff RepoRt
AKISTAN recorded no new deaths from coronavirus for a second straight day on Thursday, according to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Pakistan’s death toll from the pandemic stood at 30,333 as of March 24, the same as the number of deaths reported on the previous day, government data showed. The nation confirmed its first death from the coronavirus on March 18, 2020, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The patient, Saadat Khan, had just returned from Saudi Arabia and tested positive the
same day. Meanwhile, the number of positive cases rose by 210 to 1.52 million on Thursday from the previous day, the data showed. The infection numbers are far lower compared to other countries, such as India. The positivity rate was recorded at 0.69 percent, the NCOC said, which added the number of patients in critical care across the country declined to 445. Last week, the government announced the lifting of all coronavirus-related restrictions, following declining infections across the country. Announcing the decision in Islamabad, Umar, who also leads the anti-virus strategy, said the country is “returning to normality.” “We need to gradually return towards a normal,
ordinary life because it seems that the pandemic will continue and become a part of our lives,” he said, adding “that is why the government has decided to lift all Covid-related restrictions.” All the schools, colleges, government offices, and transport were allowed to operate at full capacity, whereas the ban on indoor dining and wedding halls has also been lifted. About 101 million people in Pakistan, or 46 percent of the population, have had two vaccine doses. The government authorised booster doses for citizens over the age of 30 in January. Children over the age of 12 are also being offered vaccinations at their schools.
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nisar may not join PTi after all: report ISLAMABAD MonitoRing RepoRt
ECP serves notice on Bilawal for violating election code ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent a notice to Pakistan People s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for addressing a public meeting in Malakand Division on March 23. Malakand district monitoring officer (DMO) issued the notice for addressing the meeting in violation of the code of conduct for the second phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The notice read: “It has come to the knowledge through monitoring teams and media that you have participated in a public meeting at Tehsil Dargai District, Malakand as a part of an election campaign for PPP candidates […] despite issuance of an advisory letter on March 22.” “You were allowed to participate in the election campaign of the candidate as per clause 16 (i) of the revised Code of Conduct issued by Election Commission of Pakistan.” The clause reads: “The parliamentarians like members national assembly, provincial assembly and senate are allowed to participate in the election campaign. They will strictly abide by the code of conduct directions, instructions and regulations issued by the ECP and violations thereof will entail legal consequences including contempt proceedings as
KPra conducts registration drive in nowshera AzIz BuNERI contemplated in section 10 of the elections act 2017.” The ECP added the power show was nevertheless held and Bilawal addressed the participants in violation of clause 30 of the code. “In exercise of the powers, conferred upon the DMO, under section-234 (3) of Election Act, 2017, Bilawal has been called upon to appear in person or
through counsel to explain position for violating the clause 30 of the Code of Conduct, on 25th March at DMO Malakand.” The commission said that in case of failure to appear and submit a written reply by the due date, the matter will be dealt with and decided under the law, rules and available record in absence.
Exports to UK can swell to £10bn with GSP plus TLTP The UK-Pakistan Business Council has urged exporters to reap maximum benefits from GSP plus as the exports to UK can swell to £10 billion if all available potentials are fully exploited to maximum extent. UK-Pakistan Business Council Chairman Kashif Ashfaq expressed this while talking to a delegation of women exporters on Thursday, said a press statement. Ashfaq said that GSP plus has strengthened Pakistan’s commitment to further improve decent
work standards and labor rights, full protection to the rights of minorities besides to do with child labor. He said the apparel sector supported by GSP plus employs more than 33 per cent women workers with many others in key positions. He said increased bilateral trade created jobs and bettered the working conditions of workers. He said sustainable policies framed with the consultation of stakeholders for the business sector yielded positive impact on the national economy. He said still vast scope exists to fully explore the
untapped European markets and volume of export could be enhanced manifolds from the existing level of 12.2 billion euros bilateral trade last year which shot up from 6.9 billion euros in 2013 after grant of status. Ashfaq said EU GSP plus is a mutually beneficial arrangement leading to increased exports for both sides. He said that Pakistani exports have increased by more than 100 per cent in 12 EU member states which speaks of prudent economic policies of the government to facilitate the exporters.
OIC supports Pakistan’s call for joint probe into India missile fire ISLAMABAD anadolu agency
The foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have endorsed Islamabad’s call for a joint probe to establish the facts surrounding the “accidental” firing of a missile into Pakistan from India earlier
Disgruntled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan will not join the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party, maintaining his independent status, Geo News reported a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan revealed he recently met his “friend from Aitchison College”. “Nisar will neither return to PML-N nor work under PPP boss Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari,” said the report, quoting sources. The development came after Khan, during a conversation with reporters, conceded he met the longtime PML-N stalwart a while ago and said he would respect “whatever decision he made”, without further elaborating.
this month. In a resolution adopted Wednesday at the culmination of the two-day OIC Foreign Ministers Summit in Islamabad, the top diplomats expressed “serious” concern over the incident, said a statement from Foreign Office. New Delhi on March 11 acknowledged that “in the course of
routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile” on March 9 that landed in the city of Mian Channu, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the border. Regretting the incident, India said it had ordered an inquiry into what happened. Pakistan, however, demanded a joint probe into the rare incident. The incident, the resolution said, constituted “multiple violations of international law, the UN Charter, Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, civil aviation rules and safety protocols, and endangered human life and property, besides posing a grave threat to regional and international peace, security and stability.” Calling on India to “fully” abide by its international obligations, the resolution stresses that the duty to protect dangerous arsenals and materials and systems related to weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) as well as to ensure nuclear security is a strict liability obligation under international law.
It further calls on the UN secretarygeneral and relevant international bodies, including the UN Security Council and the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO), to pursue the matter with India, in line with their mandated duties, to “accurately establish the facts to prevent such occurrences in the future.” It exhorts the international community to take serious notice of the incident of grave nature in a nuclearised environment and play its role in upholding strategic stability in South Asia. The foreign ministers urged India to work constructively with Pakistan for enhancing regional security and stability through the settlement of outstanding disputes and positively respond to Pakistan’s proposal for a Strategic Restraint Regime, including measures for arms control, restraint and confidence building. “The OIC Secretary-General has been requested to communicate the resolution to the UN Secretary General and to remain seized of the matter,” the statement concluded.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) on Thursday conducted a day-long registration drive in Nowshera to facilitate taxpayers. On the special directives of KPRA Director General Fayyaz Ali Shah, the registration week started for Mardan region continued for the fourth consecutive day. Teams of KPRA set-up mobile registration camp at Usmania restaurant on G.T Road and the field officers including Assistant Collectors, Inspectors, Auditors and Facilitation officers visited business premises of service providers located in Nowshera City, Cantonment, Hakimabad, Taru Jabba, Pabbi and Risalpur. The teams provided information regarding sales tax on services along with on the spot registration to unregistered service providers in the city. The drive has been started for the facilitation of taxpayers and service providers in the areas of Mardan, Swabi Nowshera and Charsadda from Monday to Friday with the financial aid and technical support of USAID. On Friday, the team will set-up its mobile registration camp in Charsadda where service providers are welcomed for getting information regarding KPRA and resolving their issues relating to sales tax on services.
Friday, 25 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
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NEWS
MARCh 27 RAlly To MAke New hiSToRy iN CouNTRy’S poliTiCAl dyNAMiCS: BuzdAR LAHORe
Four soldiers lay down their lives in countering infiltration bid from Afghanistan ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Four soldiers Wednesday night laid down their precious lives in countering an infiltration bid from Afghanistan. According to the ISPR, a group of terrorists on midnight 23/24 March attempted to infiltrate inside Pakistan from Afghanistan in Hassan Khel, North Waziristan District. However, due to alertness and timely response of own troops, the infiltration attempt was foiled. Terrorists retaliated with fire which was reciprocated in a befitting manner. The terrorists having failed, fled away and as per intelligence reports, suffered heavy casualties. However, during intense exchange of fire, four soldiers, having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat. Shaheeds include Lance Havaldar Wajahat Alam, 34, resident of Ghizer, Gilgit Baltistan; Sepoy Sajjid lnayat, 25, resident of Sheikhupura; Sepoy Maqbool Hayat, 32, resident of Ghizer, Gilgit Baltistan; and Sepoy Sajjid Ali, 22, resident of Skardu. Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve, said the ISPR.
Turkish Armed Forces CGS calls on CJCSC Gen Nadeem Raza
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uNJAB Chief Minister Sardar usman Buzdar has said that March 27, public rally will carve out a new history in the political dynamics of Pakistan and a large number of people across the country will attend the rally. This was stated by him while talking to more than 20 Members of National & Provincial Assembly including Provincial Ministers called on him here on Thursday. Parliamentarians expressed their complete trust in the leadership of PM Imran Khan and Punjab CM Sardar usman Buzdar and expressed severe condemnation on the horse-trading being staged by the opposition. Matters pertaining to mutual interest, progress on development schemes in their respective constituencies and political situation came under discussion. The chief minister outlined that the nation will come out in the public rally against the looters and plunderers on the 0call of PM Imran Khan. He emphasized that the rally will prove to be a last nail in the coffin of the opposition’s negative politics. He deplored horse-trading tactics on the part of the opposition adding that they should come to their senses. He outlined that PTI believes in displaying courtesy and patience in politics and denounced that the opponents have promoted a wrong political culture in the
country by indulging into politics of doing criticism for the sake of criticism. He vowed that the PTI government has served the masses with devotion and will continue to do so under the dynamic leadership of PM Imran Khan. usman Buzdar stressed that holding the OIC conference in the country is such a unique milestone achieved by Prime Minister Imran Khan which will be remembered for ages. He condemned that the opposition by doing politics of anar-
chy want to destabilize the country. He maintained that the nation will not allow spreading any sort of chaos or anarchy as the country needs stability instead of political unrest. The chief minister underlined that the whole nation is standing behind PM Imran Khan and the 27th March public rally will prove to be a public referendum against the opposition. CM urged the parliamentarians to vigorously participate in the public rally.
Those who met the CM included Provincial Ministers, Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed, Murad Ras, Akhtar Malik, Jehanzeb Khichi, Sardar Asif Nakai, Rai Taimoor Bhatti, MNAs Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari, Aurangzeb Khichi, Ch. Tahir Iqbal, Faiz ullah Kamoka, Raja Yawar Kamal Khan, Taimoor Lali, Waris Aziz, Wasif Mazharan, Saleem Akhtar and others. Chief Whip Punjab Assembly/MPA Syed Abbas Ali Shah was also present on this occasion.
Pakistan, Turkey reaffirm resolve to expand trade, defence ties ISLAMABAD tLtp
RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt
General Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Turkish Armed Forces called on General Nadeem Raza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi. Besides security and regional issues, particularly the latest developments in Afghanistan, matters relating to enhancing the level and scope of bilateral military engagements and cooperation were discussed. Both sides reaffirmed the commitment; that being ‘allweather’ friends, Pakistan and Turkey would continue to forge deeper strategic ties. Earlier, upon arrival at Joint Staff Headquarters, a smartly turned-out tri-services contingent presented ‘Guard of Honour’ to the visiting dignitary.
Pakistan and Turkey have reaffirmed the resolve to further improve bilateral relations in trade, culture and defence, and support each other at various regional and international fora. An understanding to this effect was reached during a meeting between President Dr Arif Alvi and the visiting Chief of the Turkish General Staff, General Yasar Guler on Thursday. The two sides agreed that peace in Afghanistan is very important, which will help bring prosperity to its people as well as promote regional trade and connectivity. President Alvi reiterated that Pakistan will continue to support Turkey on Cyprus. He also thanked Turkey for always supporting Pakistan, particularly its stance on the Kashmir dispute The president said that Pakistan and Turkey enjoy deep-rooted relations which need to be further broadened for the mutual benefit of the two countries. He emphasised the need for increasing cooperation in the fields of trade, IT and defence. He reiterated that Pakistan would continue to support Turkey on the Cyprus issue. Congratulating the president on successfully holding the Pakistan Day parade, General Yasar Guler said that Turkey will continue to support Pakistan at every platform. He underlined the need for further strengthening friendly relations between the two countries and expressed the hope that the new generations of the two countries would take forward the bilateral ties to new levels. He also appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in supporting Afghanistan at difficult times. Turkish Ambassador Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul also attended the meeting. Separately, President Alvi has expressed the resolve
that Pakistan will gain an influence in the world by making its economy stable and maintaining a strong defence line. He was speaking at a ceremony after giving awards to the organisers of Pakistan Day Parade on Thursday. The president stressed on a constant vigilance to counter nefarious designs of the enemy and called for effectively addressing the emerging challenges, particularly cyber warfare. He said nobody can cast an evil eye on Pakistan in the presence of its disciplined and professional armed forces. Paying glowing tribute to the country’s armed forces
Lawyers group claims SCBA ‘chasing vested interests’ NeWS DeSk Members of the Professional Group of Lawyers led by Hamid Khan, on Thursday strongly opposed the role of the present cabinet of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and claimed that the body has vested political interests. Addressing a press conference at the Lahore High Court (LHC), former representatives of Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), along with Lahore Bar Association (LBA)’s president Rao Sami, spoke
against the conduct of the SCBA’s representatives accusing them of “following a specific political party’s agenda rather than rendering its [SCBA] due role”. Former LHCBA’s president Maqsood Buttar furthered that while the fraternity has been successful in its role of upholding the legal community’s standards and paving good relations between the ‘bar and bench’, it has been observed that Bar representatives are following a political party’s interests- forgoing the cause and the purpose for which they are elected. Former LHCBA’s president Shafqat
Chohan highly regretted that the SCBA’s present cabinet is chasing vested interests for the “ease of a political party”. He added, “we had a lot of problems within the bar associations, but I am at a loss to understand why a political party’s agenda is being taken ahead”. Responding to a query regarding the personal political biases of candidates who are elected to the Bar Association, former president Shafqat Chohan said, “bar representatives should render their roles to resolving issues faced by lawyers and aim to shrink the gap between bar and bench”.
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for defending the frontiers, Dr. Arif Alvi said Pakistan always emerged victorious from difficult situations and foiled the conspiracies of the enemy. He said Pakistan Army is the only military in the world that fought the war against terrorism and extremism in a “proper and effective manner”. The president mentioned that the army always provided relentless services to the nation in times of natural disasters, may it earthquakes or floods. He said Pakistan secured the atomic capability for its defence and it has the potential to meet any challenge.
Friday, 25 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS Crucial National Assembly session today to decide on Imran Khan’s premiership continued from page 01 Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hit out at the government and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar for allegedly ‘violating the Constitution’ by exceeding the 14-day limit of convening a National Assembly session after a requisition of the session was filed by the opposition. According to Article 54, once a session of the National Assembly has been requisitioned with signatures of at least 25 percent of the members on it, the speaker has a maximum of 14 days to summon a session. Therefore, the speaker had to call the lower house in session by March 22. Bilawal accused the NA speaker of flouting the Constitution, saying the opposition would pursue the matter legally at the Supreme Court. “Our lawyers will raise legal and constitutional points on the matter and our case is strong,” he said. He pointed out that there was a 14-day limit after the requisition to call a session, stressing that the speaker could not go beyond the limit as it was “unconstitutional”.
Spanish national youth killed by in-laws in Sarai Alamgir guJrat Jazan Dar
Mohammad Akhlaq, a Spanish national of Pakistani origin, was killed here in Sarai Almagir allegedly by his in-laws. Akhlaq had arrived Pakistan recently and had recently divourced his wife. He along with his father came on two motor bikes to pick his kids from his father-in-law’s house in Khambi Meer village on the outskirts of Sarai Alamgir. Afzal, the father-in-law of Akhlaq, however, entered into a dispute with Akhlaq. Later, Afzal’s son Asad also joined in. Asad shot dead Akhlaq along with his accomplices. The victim has a daughter and a son. SHO Police Station Saddar, Mujahid Abbas reached the spot along with the Police personnel and started investigation and gathering evidence. A case has been registered in the complaint of Noor Hussain, father of the victim. Police said that a committee has been formed under the supervision of DPO Gujrat Omar Salamat to ensure justice to the family of the victim.
Forex reserves fall for 6th week on debt, other payments: SBP news desk The foreign exchange reserves of the country dropped for the sixth straight week by $843.7 million (3.78 percent) on a week-on-week basis to reach $21.44 billion. According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday, the foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank decreased on a weekly basis during the week ended on March 18 to $21.44 billion from $22.28 billion recorded on March 11,2022. The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank decreased by 5.49 percent on a weekly basis. On March 18, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $14,962.4 million, down $869 million compared with $15,831.6 million on March 11. According to the central bank, the decrease came due to external debt and other payments. Similarly, the reserves of commercial banks inched down by $25.5 million to $6.47 billion from $6.45 billion in the previous week. The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board on February 2 approved Pakistan’s request for an $1 billion loan tranche. A meeting of the IMF’s Executive Board took place to discuss and finalise Pakistan’s request for the completion of the sixth Review and release of a $1 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank soared to an all-time high of $20.15 billion after Pakistan received a general allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) worth $2,751.8 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on August 24.
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PuNjAB to regISter NurSerIeS to INCreASe exPort oF FlowerS: gArdezI
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HE government of Punjab is executing a project to register various nurseries across the province to increase the production and export of flowers. Punjab Minister for Agriculture Hussain Jahania Gardezi said this while addressing a Floriculture Conference at Agriculture University
Faisalabad. While congratulating the organisers for holding this conference, Gardezi said that such conferences will provide a platform to all the stakeholders. He called for increasing the production of flowers. He emphasised on capacity building and training programmes so that new varieties of flowers could be discovered which are compatible with the current climate
change. Earlier, AUF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan, while addressing the conference, emphasised on the importance of creating an integrated value chain of flowers and training the staff to increase flower exports. Dr David from Netherland and Jafar Jaskani along with other speakers also addressed the conference. Agricultural experts, students of the univer-
sity and nursery owners participated in the conference. Later, Hussain Jahanian Gardezi inaugurated a tent pegging competition, Kisan Mela Jashan-e-Baharan, at the university. He said that such extracurricular and healthy activities have a positive effect on students. He also distributed shields and prizes among the position holders in tent pegging competitions.
Foreign Secretary, Qatar’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs discuss bilateral ties, int’l issues Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood was called on by the Qatar’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Regional Affairs, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, on the sidelines of the 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Islamabad. The Foreign Secretary and Assistant Foreign Minister reviewed the multi-faceted Pakistan-Qatar relations besides exchanging views on regional and international issues. While highlighting the excellent bilateral relationship, Sohail Mahmood reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to enhance cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. He also lauded Qatar’s constructive contri-
bution towards regional peace and stability, particularly in the context of the Afghan peace process. The Foreign Secretary also noted the convergence of views between the two sides on the imperative of addressing the urgent humanitarian and economic needs of the Afghan people. He stressed that after 40 years of conflict and instability, there was a unique opportunity to consolidate peace in Afghanistan and this opportunity must be seized. Qatari Assistant Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan’s leadership in facilitating concrete outcomes from the extraordinary session of the OICCFM held in Islamabad in December 2021 for addressing the humanitarian situation in
Afghanistan. He also congratulated Pakistan on the successful hosting of the 48th OIC-CFM session. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood apprised of the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He also emphasized that the recent incident of firing of a missile into Pakistan from India raised multiple disturbing questions which required a joint probe for establishing the facts. While Pakistan was acting with restraint and responsibility, India’s irresponsible conduct was posing a threat to regional peace and security. The Foreign Secretary stressed that the international community must hold India accountable for its actions. news Desk
Not counting MP’s votes during no confidence session tantamount to contempt: Bandial continued from page 01 The response submitted by JUI-F leader and senior advocate Kamran Murtaza said the opinion sought by the president under Article 186 in this particular case was “beyond the scope of the constitution as such be returned unanswered”. “That the subject Reference goes beyond the advisory jurisdiction of this August Court under Article 186 of Constitution and seeks declarations similar to the Constitutional Jurisdiction of this August Court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, hence not maintainable,” the lawyer contended. According to the response, the PTI did not hold intra-party elections, therefore, the party was “being run through selectors”. “The question would be that still the directions to ‘vote’ or ‘not to vote’ have any effect under Article 63A of the Constitution.” It further stated, “That the opinions sought only deal with the circumstances where voting is required. However, if a situation under Article 63A of the Constitution arises where the Party Head tells the MNAs to vote but some MNAs abstain from voting then should the honourable Speaker be empowered to count their vote even though MNAs chose not to vote? Should the honourable Speaker, after counting the votes of MNAs who refused to vote, then disqualify them for life?” It said giving the powers to the speaker to reject the votes of the MNAs for not complying with directions of the party head would “lead to such absurd and flawed interpretations”. It further added that the opinion sought by the president does not have to be answered within a certain timeframe, adding, “As the no-confidence motion is pending and if there is an apprehension of defection, then the matter will likely reach this August Court being the appellate body under Article 63A(5) of Constitution. Giving an opinion beforehand that too without examining the facts of each case will make the forum of Election Commission of Pakistan as completely redundant.”
In a further criticism on the reference, the JUI-F said opinions were sought on the issues in need of clarity. “This August Court has given Judgments on the issue at hand and in the present scenario, the issue may be raised again before this Court under Article 63A(5) of Constitution, thus the opinions sought ought to be either deferred for now or returned unanswered.” It said the president wanted the court to extend beyond its mandate and to “put on the robes of the legislature to create law regarding the no-confidence motion as per the wishes of the ruling party”. “That the advice sought under Article 186 of Constitution carries inferences that the president and prime minister of Pakistan will always be righteous and sagacious and the ruling party’s MNAs voting in no-confidence motion are always doing so for illegal benefits,” it added. It said the interpretation sought by the president would render Article 95 – the “only lawful mechanism” to remove the prime minister – ineffective. “However, the type of interpretation the president seeks would render Article 95 of Constitution as ineffective and the only mechanism left to remove the prime minister would be widespread protests and anarchy on the streets across the country or Martial Law.” The response further said Article 63-A was already undemocratic in nature. “An example of it is that those MNAs who were elected independently and without the support of any political party, but later join the same party as the Prime Minister of the time, are also bound by Article 63A of Constitution even though they likely do not owe the party their seat or any other material benefit, yet they cannot vote against the Prime Minister simply because they choose to join the Prime Minister’s party after the elections and cannot choose to leave the party unless they resign as MNA,” it added. “The president, on behest of the ruling party, seeks an unconstitutional approval from this August Court, whereby all elected MNAs, will be left at the mercy of the Speaker of National Assembly,” it said,
adding that the reference also implied that the speaker would always be “righteous person” who will be neutral and act in accordance with the constitution. President Alvi is seeking to give dictatorial powers to the speaker, it said, adding that the “constitution is clear on the consequence which states that the member shall cease to be the member of the House and the seat shall become vacant”. “Ceasing to be a member of the House in itself is a penal measure and it is for the people of his or her constituency to decide if he or she chooses to become the candidate in elections, whether the defection carried out was right or wrong.” “Having severe consequences like lifetime disqualifications for defections from party under Article 63A of Constitution without the vote being counted will undermine the already weak democracy, and this August Court should refrain from further eroding the supremacy of parliament.” “In view of the submissions above, it is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that the subject reference may kindly be held as beyond the scope of Article 186 of Constitution and an attempt to undermine the parliament hence may be returned unanswered,” it concluded. The SCBA, in its written response, stated that voting under Article 95 of the Constitution is an individual’s right and not of any political party. “Under Article 95, every vote is counted and member of the National Assembly is free to exercise his/her right to vote,” the SCBA stated. “No member of the National Assembly could be stopped from voting.” In Its response, the PML-N termed the presidential reference filed for interpretation as a ‘waste of valuable court time’. “Articles 63-A and 95 of the Constitution are clear that every member has the right to vote, which will be counted. The presidential reference is a premature and unnecessary exercise. The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution and but not to amend it,” it stated.
Covid helped identify areas to replace humans with technology: Hashim LaHore TLTP
Pakistan’s performance battling the Covid19 epidemic remained much better than other countries as it not only demonstrated a better strategy in the field of health but economic indicators have also been better than other countries. Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht said this while addressing the fourth edition of Pakistan Leadership Conversation (PLC 2022) centred on the theme “Rethinking our world: Sustainable growth for Pakistan” organised by the
Association of Chartered Certified Accounts (ACCA). Hashim said that the smart lockdown policy proved effective in controlling the spread of the epidemic. There has also been a relative decline in mortality due to the proportion of patients in hospitals and the proportion of epidemic protection facilities. He said that Ehsaas programme facilitated the working class while the businesses class took advantage of the special measures of the State Bank of Pakistan. He observed that the credit of the revival of business and economy to keep afloat goes to the current government.
Hashim said that Covid-19 provides great learning experiences for the government as well as the private sector alongside many losses. The Covid-19 provided an opportunity to the government to use technology as flaws of the human resource system were exposed during the pandemic. The healthcare system has improved while small works flourished. The government for the first time has taken concrete steps to grow the business, he added. He said that a relief package of Rs56 billion was introduced in Punjab. The tax rate on more than 20 services was reduced from 16 percent to 5 percent while special dis-
cmYk
counts were given to construction services. He mentioned that a sustainable model of emergency investment was developed for the preparation of the budget in view of Covid19 and Covid-centric budget. The finance minister disclosed that the government also got an opportunity to know what kind of human resources are required to improve the performance of different institutions while working with one-third of the Punjab Workforce during Covid-19. Further, the areas were identified where with the shortage of human resources and the shortage was managed with the use of technology. Hashim said that the Punjab govern-
ment three years ago introduced a mobile application called E-pay for tax collection for the convenience of common man which was very successful as Rs70 billion have been collected so far through the application. He observed that use of E-pay type applications improved governance of the government. He further said that in the model of sustainable development, economic growth depends on increasing exports in which technology is of key importance. He also announced the establishment of federal-style special technology zones in Punjab during the leadership conversation.
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06 COMMENT
Witching hour approaches
Opposition’s charter of reforms Parties will be judged by how they implement it
The entire country is seared, not just Imran
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At Penpoint
He ppp, the pML(N) and the JUi(F) have jointly announced a charter of reforms, promising to implement it after prime Minister imran Khan’s exit. some of the promises apparently seem easier to implement if pursued seriously, like consensus-based electoral reforms to ensure free and fair elections, strengthening the relevant institutions on professional lines to deal with security issues and elimination of terrorism through effective implementation of the National security policy and National Action plan. Keeping in view the domestic liquidity constraints combined with rising prices of petrol and foodgrains and a further disruption of supply chains due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the promise to ameliorate the lot of the poor and fixed-income groups might take years to fructify, and that too after an inter party consensus on the basics of a reasonable economic policy which is then implemented irrespective of who is in power. every time the ppp and pti are out of power they demand the recovery of victims of enforced disappearances. Let’s hope they fulfill the promise this time. the independence of the judiciary has been compromised throughout our history due to pressures from the establishment and ruling parties. While the establishment has also tried to control media, threats from mainstream political parties and terrorists too have created constraints for it. the opposition’s charter simply ignores the elephant in the room. political parties have themselves made electoral alliances with, or sought the support of, extremist groups, a policy which they need to renounce. similarly they have to stop seeking the support of the establishment against political opponents. Unless this is done, issuing calls for all stakeholders to accept the supremacy of the Constitution or for elimination of undemocratic interference in politics would sound hollow. Much depends on whether the parties remain wedded to the charter when they contest elections against one another after the departure of Mr Khan. Keeping in view the breaking of solemn pledges made by the ppp and the pML(N) in the past, including the violations of the jointly agreed Charter of Democracy and their failure to remove, despite promises, the atrocious amendments introduced in the Constitution by Ziaul Haq, including in Article 62, many will take their promises with a pinch of salt.
M A NIAZI
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HeN these lines appear, the vote on the no-confidence motion against prime Minister imran Khan will still be days away, but the whole process, through which the country will have gone through, will have an end in sight. Whatever the result, the question has to be raised: what brought the nation to this juncture? though the process is constitutional and parliamentary, it is not the same, qualitatively, as of order. For one thing, it is much rarer. though motions of no-confidence are not unknown, they have not so far brought down a government. it is as much an indicator of the spirit in which imran Khan played is cricket that he has not just resisted, but has been willing to tear down the entire structure. However, maybe he has changed. it was not merely a contradiction between his playing days’ campaigning for neutral umpires. to have a one-onone meeting with the speaker, who is supposed to be a neutral custodian of the House, but it was noticeable that there was no hypocritical attempt to conceal the meeting; instead, the speaker called openly on him, at the prime Minister’s Office, but a videotape released to the news channels. the speaker does not even make a pretense of neutrality, and has assured at least one public meeting that the vote would be defeated. in the fag-end of his life, it seems, imran has come to the conclusion that neutrality is over-rated. He has not only made neutrality a theological issue, but also a biological one: animals are neutral; opposing him and his government amounts to immorality. Neutral umpires were necessary to prevent the game from being corrupted. every competitive sport has to have someone supervise it. A lot of what umpires do could well be done by players, like keeping track of the number of deliveries bowled in an over. However, it does need someone fair to decide whether those deliveries are fair, or no-balls or wides. then there is the ever-controversial lbw decision, which led to neutral umpires being introduced. it is perhaps sad that imran has seen the end of neutral umpires in test matches just as he might be
Costs of conflict
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He iMF has prepared a World economic Outlook report which will revise downward growth projections for most countries, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. though the conflict itself is, at least for now, limited to these two countries, the importance of both as commodity producers has created a global impact. the export of oil and natural gas by Russia, and its transport across Ukraine, has meant that global prices have spiked, with the result that oil-importing countries, especially in the third World, have been negatively affected. that is not all, for Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s biggest producers of wheat, providing 30 percent of the world’s exports, and the world price is now at record heights. this is a threat to food security in the third World. While pakistan is suffering from the impact of these two, it will not suffer so heavily from other effects, such as a fall in remittances or disrupted supply chains or tourism. However, as the impact of higher oil and wheat prices is coming hot on the heels of the dislocations caused by the covid-19 pandemic, pakistan is hurting all that much harder. the world has not yet descended into a world war, and though the Ukrainians are suffering greatly, the damage is limited. Unlike World War ii, when there were casualties all over the world. However, one of the results of globalization has been that the entire world is disrupted by a limited dislocation. the economic impact of this conflict does seem like that of a world war. A lot of the impact has been because of sanctions by countries supporting Ukraine, especially the UsA. those sanctions, especially financial, have disrupted the commerce of the globe, because the financial superpower has sanctioned a major commodity producer. the Western countries must concert measures to prevent human suffering that will inevitably take place, not because of the conflict, but because of the disruption generated by it. such an effort will mean all parties have to soften hardened positions, and will have to involve economic players, not just conflicting parties. it is not just Russia and Ukraine that must be involved, but the UsA and China as well.
The mistrust of previous failures must be overcome JubedA Chowdhury
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espite having some ongoing crises worldwide, a piece of good news for the world is that Myanmar has expresses its interest in taking back/repatriating some Rohingyas (estimated 700 Rohingya initially) in Rakhine. Although the estimated number of refugees regarding Rohingya repatriation in Rakhine is very low, the significance of the issue seems to be very important. Myanmar military starts to understand that Rohingyas are the people of the Rakhine (Myanmar). it is appreciable that Myanmar understands the reality in the long run. But Myanmar should have goodwill and commitment to repatriate the Rohingyas. it would be pragmatic when Myanmar would ensure the implementation of its goodwill. Bangladesh is continuously emphasizing the efforts to facilitate early repatriation of the displaced people of Myanmar’s Rakhine state. However, it is a matter of hope to note that there is a sign of progress in negotiations over the repatriation of the Rohingya ethnic minority of Myanmar from Bangladesh who were subjected to expulsions from Myanmar in 2017. earlier, Bangladesh signed bilateral agreements with Myanmar on 30 October 2017 and on 30 October 2018 respectively. But the world didn’t see the implementation of the agreements. Although there are more than 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. 0.7 million new ones have come, 0.4 million were there before. Bangladesh has shown its humanity by sheltering these huge numbers of Rohingya. Neighboring Myanmar, on the other hand, has always played a controversial role at home and abroad. According to various reports published in Bangladeshi newspapers recently, the junta government of Myanmar has sent a letter expressing its interest in taking back the Rohingya. A list has also been sent to Dhaka for the speedy return of 700 Rohingya after screening. the Rohingya repatriation process could start at any moment. Bangladesh and Myanmar have made all kinds of preparations for the repatriation process. Myanmar has expressed interest in taking back 700 Rohingya in the first phase.
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi
Umar Aziz
Joint Editor
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
The writer is a member of staff
Myanmar’s proposed Rohingya repatriation process must be smoothly implemented
The Russia-Ukraine conflict impacts developing countries harshly
Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
seeing the introduction of neutrality in politics. Neutral umpiring was one of the first casualties when test cricket resumed after the covid-19 pandemic, and the present pakistan-Australia series, the first in so many years, is being supervised by pakistani umpires at both ends. ‘At a lower level of cricket, even below the club level, umpires are routinely members of the batting side. they are expected to be fair. this is part of the self-administration of the game, when batsmen routinely toss back to the bowler the ball, which they have deadened with a forward defensive stroke, even though by doing so theory lay themselves open to appeals for ‘handled the ball’. to make such an appeal is the height of bad form. the inducement for members of the batting side to be fair is that when they themselves will bowl, they will have to rely on members of the opposing team to be fair. similarly, when one of the panels of chairmen presides over the session of a legislature, he or she is expected to be fair; which is usually the case. Fairness means making sure that all members get a fair hearing and that all the rules are interpreted uniformly. if the House is hearing the president’s annual address, or the Finance Minister’s Budget speech, the speaker has it easier than during the debates on these addresses, which will tax not just his energy but also his patience and his temper. the speakership in pakistan is not quite the Westminster model, but has taken on some of the characteristics of the Us speaker, who is not only partisan, but the leader of his party if the president is of the other party. the speakership is a one-term affair, with no National Assembly speaker ever having been elected to a second term. it has thus become a sort of Ministry, but even though the speaker is dependent on the government to hold office, he must be neutral. even now, the speaker is elected by secretary ballot and the pM by a division. While the speaker is not supposed to know who voted against him (because otherwise he might be unfair with him in calling upon him to speak), the pM must. it would be a turn-up for the books if he was to nominate to the Cabinet someone who had voted against him in the election. By the same token, the vote of no-confidence is by division, so that the pM knows who his opponents in the House are. imran and his party have not said so in so many
words, but they seem to regard the National Assembly as an electoral college for the prime Minister, who can pick his team from outside parliament, who can legislate through ordinance, and enjoys untrammelled authority over state institutions, which also have to pull down his political opponents, along with their day jobs. that parliament is not only the main legislative organ, but also the principal repository of the national wisdom, is ignored. this belief in the National Assembly majority as something to be demonstrated once, and then getting the right to a fixed term is Us-influenced. What it seems to forget is that a president comes in place of a king, while a prime minister is the chief agent (grown powerful) of that king or president. His position depends on his being able to ‘serve the king’ by having a parliamentary majority which can legislate. the problem that imran is facing is because the umpire is refusing to supervise the game. therefore one has the hope. Widely expressed by pti supporters, that imran will be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat, and defeat the no-confidence motion. However, that has not happened so far. the reason imran’s supporters are giving for the move against him is that there is a Western conspiracy against him, that he is being punished because he refused to give the UsA bases after its withdrawal from Afghanistan. that is an attempt to tap into the same trope that had Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto being made a horrible example. However, Bhutto had rubbed the UsA the wrong way because he espoused socialism, which imran does not. true, even without nationalizations imran has attempted a populist social agenda. imran stands for a type of non-ideological populist social democracy. it should not be ignored that Bhutto was bright, very bright, and formidably well read. imran may have been to Oxford, but no one has accused him of intellectual prowess. imran may learn the hard way that while such a spirit is helpful sometimes, it does not work all the time. perhaps more important than his fate is the question of what has happened. At best, he will survive, but he will not be unscathed. the question naturally arises, is what more does the establishment want? the requirement seems to be for someone who can run the economy well (thus keeping people, especially salaried people, quiet), and achieve the establishment’s goals. Whatever promises might have been made, that might not be possible, not with the compulsions that exist. the establishment already has to deal with one ex-protégé asking “Mujhe kyoon nikala?” Does it need another?
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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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in contrast to this position of Myanmar, Bangladesh wants to send back 1100 family members together. According to various reports from open sources, Myanmar is ready to start the repatriation process in the first phase. in this regard, Bangladesh Minister of state for Foreign Affairs shahriar Alam said that Myanmar has so far completed the screening of 26,000 Rohingya. Bangladesh hopes to repatriate 750000 Rohingya in various phases. And this repatriation is supposed to be done voluntarily and by ensuring a safe environment. the UN will also be involved in this process. the process of Rohingya repatriation has been stalled for a long time due to elections, military coups, and the Covid-19 pandemic in Myanmar. Discussions resumed on January 26 this year at a virtual meeting of the technical committees of the two countries. Following the tripartite meeting mediated by China in January 2021, Bangladesh offered all possible assistance in light of the three bilateral agreements signed between the two countries to expedite the screening process of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Moreover, both sides expressed their willingness in this technical-level discussion to find out the reasons for the delay in securing the previous residency of Rohingya in Rakhine. Highlighting the technical complexities and lack of information at the meeting, the Myanmar delegation assured assistance in completing the pending verification process. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to migrate to Bangladesh after the start of the military operation in Rakhine on August 25, 2017. Despite international pressure, the Myanmar government made an agreement with Bangladesh to take back the Rohingya, but the repatriation has not started even today. On the contrary, Myanmar has repeatedly obstructed the repatriation process by resorting to various tactics. the international community has also not taken a strong stand on the Rohingya issue. On the contrary, they ended their ‘liability’ with boastful words. the prime Minister of Bangladesh sheikh Hasina Wazed has always shown humanity on the Rohingya issue. Myanmar’s current interest should not be manipulated in the end. in this case, Bangladesh must remain vigilant as always. if we want fruitful and durable repatriation of Rohingyas in Rakhine, now the international community must compel Myanmar to abide by some in-
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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ternational customary law regarding the repatriation of the Rohingya. Myanmar government must fulfill such criteria: 1) Rohingya repatriation must be safe, continual, dignified, and sustainable based that is something Myanmar must guarantee. 2) they should amend the ‘1982 citizenship law. they must consider Rohingyas as a legal ethnic group in Myanmar. 3) safe zone for Rohingyas must be ensured. 4) they must fulfill the requirements or proposals of the Kofi Annan Commission (the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state), and the Bangladesh prime Minister’s proposals at the 74th, 75th, 76th UN General Assembly. 5) However, analysts advise Bangladesh to be cautious if Myanmar now wants to take back 700 people. they must keep their words. Myanmar must confirm it will take back all stranded Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. 6) they must be committed that the process would be a continual process. All Rohingya would be repatriated gradually. 7) Bangladesh needs to increase diplomatic contacts Bangladesh needs to take a holistic stance on the Rohingya issue in various forums regarding the proposed Rohingya repatriation. third parties such as UNHCR, Asean and even third countries can be included in the process. 8) Myanmar must act as a friendly neighbour with Bangladesh. it isn’t possible for Myanmar and Bangladesh to interchange the neighbours. Basically, Myanmar and Bangladesh must engage with a neighbourly spirit. Myanmar and Bangladesh must strengthen their ties to resolve the long-pending Rohingya crisis. Whole south Asia and southeast Asia could benefit from resolving this regional humanitarian crisis. 9) Myanmar must have goodwill to engage positively with Bangladesh. the world wants to see a fruitful and sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis. Rohingya crisis solution would be essential for the safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya people to Myanmar from Bangladesh. However, Myanmar’s proposed Rohingya repatriation process must be smoothly implemented, continual, sustainable. The writer is a freelance columnist
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
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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
Manufacturing tiles
Closing the gap, increasing the gains Bangladesh/Pakistan relations: moore needs to be done
MehJAbIN bhANu
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espite being south Asian countries, sharing the same religion, culture, and history, the relations between pakistan and Bangladesh aren’t warm at the present time. the lukewarm relations between Bangladesh and pakistan even after five decades of separation, the creation of Bangladesh through a particularly violent liberation war are caused by two main reasons – the hurt of 1971 liberation war is still quite raw and more importantly, so far pakistan has not officially apologized for the war crimes committed during the nine-month long liberation war in 1971. However, as they say, quite a bit of water has since gone down the Buriganga and the indus rivers. there are now new realities that call for both sides to appreciate and mutually empathize with the evolving dynamics. Both Bangladesh and pakistan need to resolve their problems and move forward. policymakers from both sides need to be sensitive to each other’s expectations as well as challenges. indeed, for the sake of prosperity and security of both the nations, relations between Bangladesh and pakistan must be improved. it is evident that for the last two years, prime Minister imran Khan and his government have been trying to strengthen relations with Bangladesh and given that both Bangladesh and pakistan share same political history and similar cultural and social norms and more importantly, that both countries tend to gain economically through improved trade and investment relations, it is important relations between these two countries are cemented as soon as possible. the younger generation of both countries are very keen to forge stronger ties between these two Muslim-majority countries in the region. there is huge potential for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Among other things, the trade imbalance between the two countries must be addressed. According to the state Bank of pakistan, pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh in 2019 stood at $736 million, while Bangladesh’s exports to pakistan were only $44 million. Despite some challenges, the good news is that bilateral trade between pakistan-Bangladesh is growing, albeit, gradually. According to the media report and statements of the state Bank of pakistan, pakistan’s trade with Bangladesh witnessed an increase of 46.65 percent during the first six months of the financial year 202122 as compared to the corresponding period the previous year. the overall exports to Bangladesh from pakistan were recorded at $399.408 million during July-December against exports of
$274.246 million during the same period the previous year, showing a growth of 45.63 percent, Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, during December 2021, exports to Bangladesh from pakistan increased 52.01 percent, from $54.433 million to $82.746 million. similarly, on a month-on-month basis, imports rose by 14.38 percent during December 2021 in comparison with exports of $72.339 million in November 2021. it is true that Bangladesh and pakistan can benefit from growing trade ties. pakistan and Bangladesh should ink a free trade agreement to boost the trade volume. in today’s globalized world of free trade, every country is leaving, to the extent possible, politics behind and focusing on closer economic and trade ties for mutual benefits. there are also moves to establish compatible economic zones and alliances. However, given the history and recent horrific memories of war violence that Bangladesh suffered at the hands of the pakistan military in 1971, forging closer ties between Bangladesh and pakistan is anything but easy. Relations between these countries have been mostly sour or bumpy at best. For example, relations between the two countries which have been okay but not the warmest nosedived in 2016, when in a 1971 war crime trial, Bangladesh executed several leaders of the Jamaat-e-islami for their participation in 1971 war crimes. pakistan, where the Jamaat-e-islami has a strong following and as many of the Bangladeshi Jamaat leaders who were sentenced to death and executed, used to be former colleagues of the pakistan Jamaat, and thus the latter condemned in the pakistani parliament the execution of their former colleagues and labelled the executions politically motivated. Bangladesh saw this as pakistan’s “interference” in its internal affairs and as a result, relations between the two countries deteriorated to the extent that diplomats were expelled from respective sides. since imran Khan became the prime Minister of pakistan in 2018, things have started to improve significantly. His phone call to Bangladeshi prime Minister sheikh Hasina Wazed in December 2020 was proof that pakistan was ready for a change. During the phone call imran Khan invited sheikh Hasina to visit islamabad. in August 2021, imran’s phone call was followed up with what has come to be known in diplomatic circles as “Mango Diplomacy” – a euphemism for the Bangladesh prime Minister’s gift of basket of Bangladesh’s well-famed delicious mangoes to imran. After this, the pakistani envoy to Bangladesh met sh Hasina in October 2021. During the meeting, she expressed her desire to strengthen bilateral trade ties with pakistan. indeed, there were indications of melting the ice between the two. Now these initiativ es-
must be continued for bolstering relations. these are signs that both countries are warming up to each other and this is realpolitik. Realpolitik also implies that pakistan must never interfere into Bangladesh’s internal affairs nor question Bangladesh’s close ties with india, a country that has actively helped Bangladesh in its liberation, a relation that has passed the test of time and is historic and therefore, pakistan must respect and appreciate these realities and work its way through issues more pragmatically and maturely. in other words, Bangladesh and pakistan must capitalize on the recent goodwill promoted by imran Khan and ‘follow up’ with measures that translate these into tangible outcomes.A more viable and less painful way is indeed through stronger economic ties, as such ties can not only benefit both countries and in the process and over the years create better empathy and bondage between the people of these two estranged countries, while strong economic and political ties may also be of immense geopolitical benefits to both countries. therefore, it is important that both countries take steps to reduce tensions and take steps to re-bond and work together to promote the wellbeing of both the nations at multiple levels. it is noteworthy that both pakistan and Bangladesh seem to be moving ahead though cautiously and this is good. Both countries have taken some initiatives to develop closer diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations. indeed, it is time to restructure relations. pakistan should have a lasting dialogue with the Bangladesh government on how to move the bilateral relations in a positive direction. Both should work together and advance their relationship on any issue related to trade, culture, and mutual interests. Bangladesh and pakistan together make up five percent of the world’s population. the people-to-people contact, religious tourism, scholarship exchange and so on, can be the potential sectors to explore to promote better understanding and mutual empathy between the two people. At economic level, reconnecting ports (air, sea) between the two states is very necessary to bolster the ties and in this regard, Bangladesh should explore use of pakistan’s seaports (Karachi port, Gwadar port, Keti Bandar, port Qasim, CpeC). At the same time, pakistan can take advantage of Bangladesh’s emerging and buoyant consumer market and more importantly, through Bangladesh’s port facilities, access the landlocked markets of Nepal, Bhutan, and southeast Asia, more generally. Closer economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties between Bangladesh are key to the mutual benefits of both these countries and more importantly, essential to the broader prosperity of the region.
Bangladesh and Pakistan together make up five percent of the world’s population. The people-topeople contact, religious tourism, scholarship exchange and so on, can be the potential sectors to explore to promote better understanding and mutual empathy between the two people.
The writer is a freelance columnist
ALMOst every individual reading this letter has used a plastic bottle, bag, or box within the last 24 hours. plastics have become a cornerstone of modern convenience and lifestyle in recent times. several recent investigations have highlighted the catastrophic worldwide crisis caused by the use of plastic. two facts stand out right away. One is that mankind buys a million tonnes of plastic each minute. the second point is that only 91 percent of all plastic is recycled. the COViD-19 pandemic has damaged efforts to reduce plastic pollution, with the disposal of discarded ppe kits, gloves, masks, sanitiser dispensers, and other items creating a “plastic pollution pandemic” scenario. plastic trash is a global problem that is getting worse and worse every day. Nearly 70% of the country’s plastic garbage (2.6 million tonnes) is mishandled, with the majority of it ending up in landfills, mismanaged dumps, or littered throughout the country’s land and water bodies. this growth is the outcome of a disposable-goods system that mixes short-term convenience with long-term environmental damage. Banning plastic bags alone will not suffice to eliminate plastic pollution. innovative solutions are required to prevent and alleviate plastic waste and pollution. Reusing 10% of plastic waste will prevent nearly half of it from entering the ocean. An innovative solution to plastic waste disposal and recycling has been discovered after conducting research into the suitability of various plastic waste materials such as polythene, polypropylene (pp), polyethene terephthalate (pet), high-density polythene (HDpe), low-density polythene (LDpe), and polyvinyl chloride (pVC). My version of innovation is based on the same concept. the idea is to make plastic waste bricks, tiles, roof pavements, and construction blocks for use in the construction of roads, sidewalks, roofs, and buildings. the manufacturing of these recycled material tiles is both straightforward and creative. the first step after receiving the raw material is to wash it before placing it in a shredder to shred the plastic. the shredding facilitates and speeds up the melting of the plastic. the shredded plastic is then blended with the desired ratio of sand and colourants in a mixer. the sand and plastic are well mixed before being introduced to the melting process. the melting device creates a mixture like the one that resembles traditional bricks and tiles but is made primarily of sand and recyclable plastic waste instead. Blobs of this mixture are then shaped in a hydraulic press or mould to the desired form, size, and pattern. When the final product has cooled, it is ready to use. this product will be beneficial in the making of a variety of construction materials that are less expensive than conventional ones. the tiles that are created in this manner are set quickly and are highly durable. Depending on the mould, you can make the floor or paving tiles, as well as wall bricks. they’re also good rainwater harvesters because they’re nonabsorbent, which means they’re less likely to collect dew, algae, or fungus and give pure water. the insulation provided by these tiles and bricks is excellent, keeping one warm in the winter and cool in the summer. the sand in the tiles acts as a fire extinguisher. the objective of this product development is to create a low-cost, long-lasting construction solution. this product is manufactured from waste plastics that have no recycling value. this could aid pakistan in dealing with trash management concerns such as those currently plaguing Karachi. We don’t have many garbage dump locations in pakistan. Normally, only around 20% of waste is recycled, and the rest is either burned to pollute the air or found in garbage piles along the roadside. it has the potential to provide, clean up the environment, develop new construction materials, and drastically reduce the amount of trash LDpe entering the oceans by converting waste plastics into a useful resource. AMNA ZUBAIR LAHORE
Russia-Ukraine clashes pAKistAN has always been more inclined towards the Us for various reasons. Due to Us influence in this region and its very prolonged stay in Afghanistan, the inclination was natural. Although pakistan is much dependent on Us assistance and Us influence over World Bank and almost all major organizations, it seems unlikely for pakistan to completely sever its ties with the Us. For a long time, analysts were suggesting that we should look for other options as the Us never actually appreciated pakistan’s efforts and Us assistance is no match for the cost we endured in Wot. strained relations between pakistan and the Us have compelled the former to look for other options. Relations between pakistan and Russia have seen many ups and downs. pM imran Khan in order to improve its ties with Russia visited Russia but the timing of the visit raised many objections due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. it was speculated that the pM visit will have adverse effects on our foreign policy and might not be received well in the West. However, our government dispelled the impression saying that it was scheduled earlier. pM imran Khan in his visit also regretted the Russia-Ukraine conflict and said that pakistan had hoped diplomacy could avert a military conflict. speaking to a pakistani media outlet, information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “We have close ties with Russia and the United states of America […] we will not be dictated into severing ties with any nation”. Responding to a question during a briefing regarding prime Minister imran Khan’s Visit, Us state Department spokesperson Ned price on Wednesday said the Us had communicated its position regarding Russia’s “renewed invasion of Ukraine” to pakistan, adding that it was the responsibility of every country to “voice an objection” to Russian president Vladimir putin’s plans. Heightened fears of a military conflict between Russia and Ukraine have been present for some time, and eastern Ukraine has been the location of a proxy war between the two countries. soon after Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, proRussian separatists proclaimed two republics in the eastern part of the country: the Donetsk people’s Republic and the Luhansk people’s Republic. since then, there have been ongoing skirmishes and fighting in the region, which is known as the Donbas, between Ukraine’s troops and separatists. Germany and France have tried to broker peace deals between Russia and Ukraine, known as the “Minsk agreements.” However, putin’s government blamed Kyiv for their failure. the Minsk agreement that was signed by Russia, Ukraine and separatist in Minsk, Belarus back in 2015 was meant to allow Ukraine to pass rules and laws for greater autonomy for the Ukrainian provinces, in understanding with Russia. HUMA NAWAZ LAHORE
Friday, 25 March, 2022
08 WORLD VIEW
IndIa-RUSSIa cURRency SWapS bypaSS US SancTIonS DEAL IF EXECUTED WILL BE FIRST OPEN DEPARTURE FROM THE DOLLAR-BASED SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINANCING
AsiA Times
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DaViD P GOLDMaN
NDIA and Russia will have currency swaps in place to finance trade in rupees and rubles, bypassing the US sanctions regime against Russia, the president of India’s export association told CNBC Wednesday (March 23). Several of India’s stateowned banks will execute the swaps under the supervision of the Reserve Bank of India, starting as early as next week, according to A. Sakthivel, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO). Although the volumes of prospective trade to be financed under this swap arrangement are small, the IndiaRussia agreement, if executed, would be the first open departure from dollar-based system of international trade financing.
The US sanctions regime doesn’t extend to Russia’s oil and gas shipments to Europe and Asia, which earn Moscow more than $1 billion a day, and Russia customers do not need to seek alternative financing mechanisms. The India-Russia swap, though, is an open break with the dollar regime. Saudi Arabia reportedly is considering accepting China’s RMB as payment for oil, but the Gulf countries have released no information on non-dollar oil payments. India has been an aggressive buyer of Russian oil, reportedly at discounted prices. News media cite a twomillion-barrel sale to Hindustan Petroleum and a threemillion-barrel sale to Indian Oil, although the true totals aren’t known. Asian countries now have $380 billion of local-currency swap lines, which allow importers and exporters to pay in their own currencies rather than in US dollars in case of need. The balance of trade would then be settled by transfers among central banks in any acceptable reserve asset, including US dollars or gold. These swap lines remain inactive, as an emergency backup system. But Asian central banks have been eager to expand them. Japan’s central bank is a strong advocate of swap line
expansion, according to Asian government sources. Politically, the activation of the Russia-India swap line is a clear statement from New Delhi that it will pursue its own foreign policy backed by its own financing arrangements. India has remained neutral on the RussiaUkraine conflict and abstained from voting on UN Security Council resolutions condemning Russia. In another indication of New Delhi’s distance from Washington, India invited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to make a “surprise stop” in New Delhi on Friday, Reuters reported Wednesday. The Chinese official is in Pakistan for a conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This is the first Chinese visit at ministerial level since 2019, when border clashes aggravated relations between India and China. The purpose of Wang’s visit is “normalization of ties with India,” the Hindustan Times reported. China became India’s largest trading partner in 2021, thanks to a surge in India imports from China. In December 2021, India’s imports from China rose to an annual rate of more than $120 billion. India’s biggest export market remains the US, but China is its largest supplier.
Time to rethink US-India ties AMERICA AIDS INDIA’S ADVANCE AS A GLOBAL POWER, EXPECTING LITTLE, IF ANYTHING, IN RETURN. WASHINGTON DOES SO BELIEVING THAT A STRONGER INDIA, EVEN IF IT DIVERGES OFTEN FROM U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, WILL INVARIABLY CONSTRAIN CHINA. THIS SERVES AMERICA’S PRIMARY NATIONAL INTEREST
rCW arif rafiq
As Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, one major democracy has noticeably balked at siding with the rest of the free world: India. New Delhi has thrice abstained from United Nations votes on the Russian invasion, voting the same as China. Earlier this month and because of New Delhi's requests, a joint statement by the leaders of the Quad — a proto-alliance that includes the United States, India, Australia, and Japan — stopped short of condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. and other Western officials say the future of the world order is at stake in Ukraine. But India’s inaction at this critical juncture reveals the limits of our strategic convergence. A BLANK CHECK FOR INDIA: With its massive economy, large naval forces, and strategic location in the Indian Ocean region, India could serve as a counterweight to Beijing in South Asia and the broader region. Washington and New Delhi have taken significant steps to improve military cooperation, including the interoperability of forces. Over the past two decades, U.S. policy toward India has been underpinned by what scholar Ashley Tellis calls “strategic altruism.” The idea is this: America aids India’s advance as a global power, expecting little, if anything, in return. Washington does so believing that a stronger India, even if it diverges often from U.S. foreign policy, will invariably constrain China. This serves
America’s primary national interest. But strategic altruism has amounted to a blank check for India. It allows India to remain a free rider, benefiting from American magnanimity while never having to make the sacrifices necessary for a truly meaningful strategic partnership. It also gives India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party the protective cover to dismantle the country’s secular system. FUNDAMENTAL DIVERGENCES: Observers sympathetic to India’s strategic predicament argue that its choices on Russia are constrained by their historic relationship. (Formal Russia-India ties date back to the Soviet era, and New Delhi still relies on Moscow for more than 60% of its military hardware.) They also note that New Delhi has taken steps to diversify its foreign arms procurement. But rather than decisively moving away from Russia, in the past year India has taken significant steps to bolster the bilateral defense partnership. In December, as the momentum for war against Ukraine gained pace, India renewed a 10year military cooperation pact with Russia and received a delivery of the S-400 Russian air defense system, despite the threat of U.S. sanctions. Like any sovereign country, India has every right to pursue its national interest. But American policymakers must accept reality. The U.S.-India strategic divergence goes beyond Russia. It is far more fundamental. GEOPOLITICAL POLYAMORY: Senior Indian officials like Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar say plainly and publicly that they have no aspirations to become an ally of the U.S. They declare that their country will maintain its strategic autonomy and avoid formal alignments. India sees America as a declining power. They see an emerging, multipolar world order with multiple centers of power. As a result, India pursues what it calls “multi-alignment.” In Jaishankar’s words, it seeks “convergence with many but congruence with none.” This is the geopolitical equivalent of commitmentfree polyamory. India will never join the ranks of
America’s liberal democratic allies. Unlike our Transatlantic partners, India’s strategic community has little affinity for American global leadership. As a postcolonial country, India resents the global power structure created after the end of the Second World War. Tellingly, from 2000 to 2019, India’s key votes at the U.N. General Assembly aligned with those of America only 20% of the time. By comparison, Australia and Japan voted with the U.S. nearly 70% of the time over the same period. It is time for America to abandon strategic altruism and demand more of India. APPLYING PRESSURE: The United States must draw a clear red line on India’s relations with Russia. The Biden administration should sanction India under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act for its purchase of the S-400. Washington also must end the “India exception” on human rights. With the rise of Yogi Adityanath – a militant Hindu monk who could succeed Prime Minister Narendra Modi this decade — the fate of India’s Christians and Muslims hangs in the balance. Later this year, the State Department should finally designate India as a violator of religious freedom. The U.S. government should also sanction Indian officials and ruling party members who have orchestrated religious violence, including the anti-Muslim pogroms that took place during Donald Trump’s 2020 visit. Finally, as press freedoms erode in India, it is important that the U.S. re-establish the Voice of America Hindi service, which was shut down in 2008. The U.S.-India relationship is important to balancing China in Asia. But we cannot continue to overestimate India’s geopolitical value and its desire to partner with us. All relationships must be two-way streets. By pressing India on Russia and human rights, we can begin to restore balance to a relationship that from our end has been far too altruistic. Arif Rafiq is president of Vizier Consulting, LLC, a political risk advisory company focused on the Middle East and South Asia.
The Biden Administration threatened to impose sanctions on Chinese entities that bypass US sanctions, but there has been no word from Washington about a possible reaction to India’s refusal to accept the sanctions regime imposed by the US, Europe and Japan. Russia is the main supplier of weapons to India’s armed forces. India has ordered Russia’s S-400 air defense system, reportedly the most advanced anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system available on the world market, at a projected cost of over US $5 billion. Indian exporters also are eager to fill the gap in the Russian market left by the Western boycott, FIEO’s Sakhthivel told CNBC. “Export to Russia is not much, only in agriculture and pharmacy products. Now that the whole of the West is banning Russia, there will be lot of opportunities for Indian firms to enter Russia,” the trade official said. President Biden March 22 called India’s stance towards Russia “somewhat shaky,” but Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland spoke more cautiously the same day in an interview with India’s NDTV. “We have been supporting the sourcing of security needs for Ukraine, along with our allies and partners, from around the world, including some Soviet-era equipment. And those are the kinds of things that we can do with India as it continues to evolve its position,” Nuland told an Indian interviewer. In a March 22 commentary published on the Chinese website guancha.cn, technology executive Chen Jing argued that China and India had an opportunity to repair relations after the 2020-2022 border clashes. “The opportunity may be precipitated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in which China and India have very similar positions. For economic and trade reasons, India needs China. India will be at a disadvantage if it continues to fight with China. It won’t benefit from a border conflict with China, which will only benefit several developed countries, including the United States, Japan and Australia, which want to make trouble. These countries offer no benefits to India,” Chen wrote.
Why India is losing faith in the West WHILE THE U.S. AND EUROPE ARE CONGRATULATING THEMSELVES OVER THE SPEED AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA, MANY INDIANS DECRY THEIR HYPOCRISY AND UNILATERALISM BloomBerg Mihir SharMa
On Wednesday, Indian government officials said that state-controlled Indian Oil Corp. had reached a deal to buy 3 million barrels of oil from Russia’s Rosneft Oil Co. at a 20% discount to global prices. This is a drop in the ocean of India’s oil needs, which stood at 4.5 million barrels a day in January. Still, if a payment system in rupees is worked out that insulates the transaction from sanctions placed on Russia, much more could follow. The United States isn’t happy. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said India should worry about how it will feature in the history books when the story of the Ukraine invasion is written. If this one deal leads to more, you should expect questions about whether the West has reposed too much faith in India. Yet India has equal cause to wonder if it’s placed too much faith in the West. Even as Europe and the U.S. congratulate themselves on the speed and effectiveness of their sanctions against Russia, they seem blind to the impact of these sanctions on the rest of the world. To India and many other developing countries, Western powers and the institutions they dominate appear to have different standards for conflicts close to home. While the World Bank has been slow to address the concerns of other war-torn nations, it has put together a $700 million package for Ukraine in record time. Some economists say the International Monetary Fund may be skirting its norms to send $1.4 billion in emergency funding to Ukraine. Meanwhile, those same Western nations are proving themselves poor stewards of the global commons. Take the cutoff of several Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system. We have grown accustomed to thinking of interbank communications as a global utility; they’ve now been turned into a tool of Western foreign policy. This was a unilateral decision by the countries that control SWIFT which, besides the U.S. and Japan, are all European. Little thought was given to how countries such as India, which rely on SWIFT to pay for oil and fertilizers from Russia, would manage the fallout. It should come as no surprise that India’s reaction has been to look for a way around the sanctions by settling trade with Russia in rupees and rubles. Criticizing India for continuing to buy oil from Russia is especially galling, given that European nations have yet to wean themselves off Russian energy supplies either. And, unlike them, India can hardly afford such bills. If oil remains above $70 a barrel for months, the rupee will collapse, the government will run out of spending money, inflation will skyrocket and the country will have to start worrying about a balance of payments crisis. We have lived through this sort of disruption at least twice before, in 1991 and 2012. Yet our supposed partners in the West do not seem to recognize that avoiding another one is a major national priority. Nor do they appreciate how hypocritical their talk of sanctions can appear. The U.S. spent most of the last decade trying to convince India not to buy Iranian oil, only to try to get Iranian shipments back on the market as soon as the focus shifted to Russia. While the U.S. and Europe expect other countries to bear the costs of sanctions, they’re too timid even to send Polish fighter jets to Ukraine. Moreover, in the long-term, Indians fear that sanctions will push Russia ever closer to China and expand Beijing’s control over the global economy. If some in the West worry that India is not lining up on their side, just as many Indians worry that the West’s notion of “their side” does not include India. Both are being short-sighted. Whether the guardians of muscular Indian nationalism like it or not, India benefits from Western patience right now as it struggles through social turmoil and economic underperformance. It needs European capital, Japanese investment and U.S. technology to modernize its economy — not to mention weapons and diplomatic support in order to stand up to rival China. Its media and ruling establishment should also remember that Russia caused this crisis with an unprovoked invasion of a smaller neighbor — and India can hardly be on the side of the aggressor. For its part, the West needs to learn, yet again, that its actions have consequences. Countries such India, struggling to manage deficits, or Kenya, facing a mounting grain import bill, may not be suffering as much as Ukraine is, but they are victims nonetheless. The international system needs to make space for these unexpected challenges through bailouts, central bank liquidity swaps and other extraordinary measures. This is a test case. The world can only build effective mechanisms to deter aggressors — whether Russia or China — if countries such as India have a voice in them. Otherwise, as with SWIFT, they will ignore and undermine those systems in their own national interests. Mihir Sharma is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi and head of its Economy and Growth Programme.
Friday, 25 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS corporate corner Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited enables Merchants to book Inventory on flexible loans Digitally ISLAMABAD: The largest digital bank of Pakistan, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) is ushering in unparalleled enablement for Pakistani traders and merchants by allowing them to book inventory on credit, via their distributor. The latest offer, being introduced in partnership with AdalFi – a digital lending fintech – completely digitizes the banking experience of its business customers, particularly the micro, small, and medium business enterprises by manifold. MMBL is the first and only microfinance institution to offer merchant lending based on credit scoring. Under MMBL's digital brand DOST, applications for distributors and merchants, retailers can book inventory through MMBL's seamless digital banking ecosystem through competitive and flexible financing. This will enable merchants to grow their businesses, besides providing convenience through notifications and options to repay via Inter Bank Fund Transfer (IBFT), or over the counter/branches. pr
nIcvD organizes “karachi open Street Health Festival”
PakISTan, SauDI InveSTMenT MInISTerS MeeT In TaSHkenT To DIScuSS InveSTMenT STraTegy TASHKENT pr
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INISTER of State and Chairman Board of Investment (BOI) Pakistan, Muhammad Azfar Ahsan had a detailed meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Investment, H.E. Mr Khalid Al-Falih here in Tashkent. CEO of National Companies Promotion Program (NCPP) Mr. Badr Al Badr, Chairman ACWA Power Mohammad Abunayyan and Saudi Ambassador in Uzbekistan were also a part of the meeting. During the meeting, an insightful discussion about devising a long-term strategy between KSA and Pakistan was held in order to create an atmosphere of
investment facilitation in both countries. Both sides highlighted deep-rooted bilateral ties and cordial relationship between the two countries. They underscored the need for increased collaboration and investment in various sectors including agriculture, food processing, mining, renewable energy, refinery, petrochemicals, Information Technology, etc. and vowed to strengthen business and economic ties. The Saudi Investment Minister expressed the need for greater mutual investments in different fields and proposed to create a joint team between BOI and National Companies Promotion Program (NCPP) to finalize investment projects in Pakistan. Chairman BOI briefed the Saudi investor in detail about the investment regime of Pakistan. He shared that Pak-
istan is taking measures to increase both savings and investment to augment the employment generating ability of the economy as well as to raise resource availability for investment. Mr. Falih was also apprised on report issued by Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI) which illustrates that a vast majority of investors in Pakistan are optimistic about the growth potential of Pakistan and ranks Pakistan better than 6 out of 10 regional countries in terms of investment opportunities and growth. Mr. Ahsan sensitized the Saudi Minister about measures taken by BOI to reduce compliance burden in the SME sector and briefed about the Pakistan Regulatory Modernization Initiative (PRMI). He also mentioned the special incentives offered to investors in Special
ISLAMABAD pr
The Chief of the General Staff Turkish Armed Forces General Yasar Guler called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi at Naval Headquarters, Islamabad. Upon arrival at Naval Headquarters, the Turkish General was received by
Naval Chief. During the one-on-one meeting between the dignitaries, matters of mutual interest including bilateral collaborations and regional maritime security milieu were discussed. The Naval Chief highlighted Pakistan Navy initiative of Regional Maritime Security Patrols for ensuring maritime security and peace in
the region. The Chief of the General Staff Turkish Armed Forces appreciated Pakistan Navy’s efforts and initiatives in support of collaborative maritime security in the region. The recent visit of Chief of the General Staff Turkish Armed Forces will further enhance bilateral collaboration between the armed forces of the two countries.
ACCA Pakistan continues the momentum, converging thought leaders KARACHI pr
ISLAMABAD: Balloting of plots for Nova City Peshawar, Peshawar Division was held today at Pakistan Sweet Home Islamabad on the occasion of Pakistan Day. The lucky allottees of the 125 yards, 250 yards and 500 yards plots have been given two Umrah tickets. Nova Group Chairman Chaudhry Junaid Afzal announced the names of the three lucky winners of Umrah tickets through lottery. pr
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Pakistan, in collaboration with SEED Ventures, closed a successful series of its flagship conferences Pakistan Leadership Conversation (PLC 2022) in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore respectively. The fourth edition of PLC
centered on the theme “Rethinking our world: Sustainable growth for Pakistan” and brought together leading policy makers, thought leaders, corporate influencers, academia and business operators for a dialogue centered on the power of digital, sustainability/ESG, ethics and future ready workforce. In Karachi, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Mr. Nadeem Hussain,
Chief of Turkish General Staff, Air Officer Commanding 22 group Royal Air Force call on Air Chief ISLAMABAD pr
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force met Chief of Turkish General Staff and Air Officer Commanding 22 Group, Royal Air Force in two separate meetings today. Matters of professional and mutual interest were discussed during the meetings. Chief of the Turkish General Staff, General Yasar Guler commended the professionalism of PAF and acknowledged its
Economic Zones (SEZs) with an overall objective to accomplish economic and industrial development goals. Saudi Arabia’s Investment Minister was highly appreciative of the initiatives introduced by government of Pakistan to facilitate investment in the country. He invited the BOI team to visit Saudi Arabia along with relevant stake-holders to market investment projects from public and private sector and shared that he will soon visit Pakistan to provide an impetus to bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries. It was agreed that shovel ready projects including expansion project of Pakistan Refinery will be evaluated by Saudi Government. Saudi Aramco Refinery in Pakistan is also in the preferred projects from KSA.
Chief of General Staff OF Turkish Armed Forces calls on Naval chief
In view of rapidly increasing heart diseases especially in younger population, there is an urgent need for comprehensive prevention strategies. One crucial step in this record is sensitizing general public about role of healthy life style in prevailing chronic disease for example heart diseases, stroke and diabetes. pr
Balloting of plots for nova city Peshawar Division held
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developing indigenous capacity in aviation industry. Air Chief said that Pakistan and Turkey had longstanding religious, cultural and historical bonds which were manifested through strong ties between the Air Forces of two countries. The Air Chief reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries. In a separate meeting, Air Officer Commanding 22 Group of Royal Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Richard Maddison OBE also called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed
Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force. Air Chief said that Pakistan values its strong diplomatic, economic and defence relations with United Kingdom. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional stability. He also acknowledged professionalism of Pakistan Air Force. He assured to play his role for further improvement in diplomatic and military cooperation with Pakistan at all levels. Measures to further enhance professional cooperation between the two countries were also discussed during the meetings.
Founder Planet N Group of Companies/Chairman Pakistan Fintech Network attended the event as Guest of Honour. Speaking on the topic of Accelerated Financial Inclusion, he said, “Digitalization plays an imperative role in enhancing social mobility and these shifts cannot be made without understanding the customer need and creating the simplest customer journey.”
Meezan Bank provides Shariahcompliant solution to Inland Bill Discounting Facility for Huawei Technologies KARACHI pr
Meezan Bank - Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic bank has successfully instituted an Islamic alternate to Inland Bill Discounting Facility for Huawei Technologies Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited – a first-ofits-kind transaction in Islamic banking industry, developed as a Shariah-compliant alternate to local bill discounting facility. The first drawdown under the facility was made against a deferred payment inland Letter of Credit (LC) opened by Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (Ufone) in favour of Huawei. The transaction has been developed by the Bank under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani - Vice Chairman Shariah Board, Meezan Bank, after a series of deliberations and persistent efforts. On this occasion, Mr. Abdullah Ahmed - Group Head, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Meezan Bank stated, “Meezan Bank is pleased to offer yet another milestone solution for the Islamic banking industry i.e., a Shariah-compliant alternative to discounting of long tenor inland bills with provision of variable profit rates. We are hopeful that this solution will serve as a precedent for unique transactions pertaining to trade within telecom industry.”
Friday, 25 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
10 FOREIGN NEWS
WaNg YI SaYS ChINa NEvER SOught SElfISh gaINS, SphERE Of INfluENCE IN afghaNIStaN KABUL
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Agencies
HINA has never interfered in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and never sought selfish gains or a sphere of influence, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with Afghan Taliban officials in Kabul on Thursday. Wang met with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of the Afghan Taliban’s interim government earlier in the day. His visit comes ahead of the third Foreign Ministers’ Meeting among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan, which is now being prepared by the Chinese side. China and Afghanistan are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers and bilateral exchanges spanning over a thousand years, Wang said. He said China respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, respects the independent choices of the Afghan people, and respects
Afghanistan’s religious beliefs and ethnic habits. Citing the Afghan saying that China is the only major country that has never harmed Afghanistan, Wang said China is willing to continue the traditional friendship between the two peoples and develop normal, friendly and good-neighborly relations with Afghanistan based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. He said China is willing to help Afghanistan become independent, achieve independent development, and take Afghanistan’s future and destiny into the Afghan people’s hands. The Chinese foreign minister arrived in Kabul from the Pakistani capital Islamabad, where he attended a two-day meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Visit of top China diplomat sends ‘positiVe message’: taliban China’s foreign minister Thursday arrived in Afghanistan on his maiden trip to the country after the exit of US-led foreign forces last year.
As most countries worldwide have taken a wait-and-see approach to the country’s Taliban interim government, officials said the visit by Wang Yi sent a “positive message.” The visit comes a day after Yi attended the foreign ministers’ summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hosted by Pakistan, but also after Taliban officials canceled education beyond sixth grade for girls — a move widely decried.
After arriving in Kabul, Yi met with interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and other top diplomats, said a ministry statement. Yi also met with Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of Afghanistan’s two interim deputy prime ministers. “Stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of the region and world, a goal attained,” Muttaqi told Yi. “It is now the responsibility of the world to enhance this stability by cooperating in po-
litical and economic areas,” he said. In a statement, ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the two sides discussed politics, economics, transit, air corridors, dried fruit exports, educational scholarships, visas, mining, and Afghanistan’s role in China’s multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. Lauding Beijing for its support, Muttaqi said Yi’s visit to Kabul sent a “positive message to Afghans and the world.” “The security brought about by the new government lays the foundation for foreign investment, including China, in Afghanistan that ensures their interest besides cooperating with Afghans in economic growth and stability with the full support of the new government,” Muttaqi told Yi. ‘non-inteRfeRenCe in afghan affaiRs’: Yi said his visit to Afghanistan is a “step towards strengthening comprehensive relations.” He said China “conducts a policy of non-interference in Afghan internal affairs.” According to Balkhi, Yi also expressed “objections to the political and economic sanctions imposed on Afghanistan.” “He praised the changes and security under the new Afghan government,” Balkhi said. Yi said a meeting of foreign ministers of Afghanistan’s neighbours set to be held in China next week is “important.” Muttaqi is expected to attend the meeting. Beijing has extended support to the Taliban administration since the fall of the USbacked Kabul administration last August. It has sent humanitarian aid and also received imports from Afghanistan.
Afghan Taliban deny replacing PM Mullah Hasan Akhund neWs DesK Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Thursday denied rumours that the group’s Prime Minister Mullah Hasan Akhund has been replaced by his deputy. Earlier in the day, reports of the Taliban government’s Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar replacing Akhund started doing rounds on social media. Subsequently, Mujahid, in a tweet, clarified that media reports of any reshuffle of the prime minister and changes in the cabinet were untrue.
State oppression: Notice to be issued to Muslim Indian officer for comments on social media bhopal: Angered by the comments of Indian Administrative Service officer Niyaz Khan wherein he has suggested that a film should also be made on the sufferings of Muslims, authorities in the BJP-ruled Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have decided to serve a show cause notice to him. According to Kashmir Media Service, the IAS officer Niyaz Khan, while giving his response to the controversial film ‘The Kashmir Files’, had tweeted: “Kashmir File shows the pain of Brahmins… The producer must also make a movie to show the killings of large number of Muslims across several [Indian] states. Muslims are not insects but human beings and citizens of country.” Khan, who is working as Deputy Secretary in the Public Works Department, also said that he was planning to write a book highlighting the massacre of Muslims so that a movie like ‘The Kashmir Files’ could be produced by someone to bring the pain and suffering of minorities before Indians. Agencies
global diplomatic community remembers Madeleine albright, dead at 84 Washington: Tributes poured in Wednesday from diplomatic players around the world remembering Madeleine Albright, the first female US secretary of state and one of the most influential stateswomen of her generation, who has died at age 84. Albright, who came to the United States as an 11-year-old political refugee, rose to serve as the country’s top diplomat under president Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. Clinton, as well as successors George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, hailed her historic service. Albright “paved the way for progress in some of the most unstable corners of the world, and was a champion for democratic values. And as an immigrant herself, she brought a unique and important perspective to her trailblazing career,” Obama said in a statement. Born in Prague in 1937, Albright’s family — who were Jewish, although she did not know of her heritage until later in life — fled ahead of the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939, losing several family members to extermination camps. She moved first to England, then to America a decade later. “A Czechoslovak born leader, a strong advocate for democracy & human rights. Today more than ever, Central Europe remembers her commitment to NATO enlargement. My heartfelt condolences to her family,” the Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Twitter. AFP
“There has been no change in the cabinet of the Islamic Emirate or anywhere else,” he added. In September, the Taliban appointed Akhund as its new head of state. Prior to his ascension to the top office, Akhund was the head of the Taliban’s Rehbari Shura or leadership council. He hails from Kandahar and is also said to be one of the founders of the movement. The rumours of Akhund being replaced emerged after China’s FM Wang Yi, for the first time since the Taliban takeover, arrived in Kabul unannounced on Thursday morning.
Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi (L) welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) on his arrival to Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday. The visit comes a week before Beijing hosts a twoday conference — on March 30-31 — comprising Afghanistan’s neighbours on how to assist the Taliban government. Pakistan and Iran had earlier hosted similar meetings after the Taliban takeover. The two sides are expected to hold talks on important issues, focusing on China’s role in stability and development of war-torn Afghanistan.
Trump ‘guilty’ of numerous felonies, says New York prosecutor who resigned neW YORK AFP
Donald Trump is “guilty of numerous felony violations,” said a prosecutor who resigned from a criminal probe into the former US president’s business practices, according to his resignation letter published Wednesday by the New York Times. Mark Pomerantz, who led the New York investigation into Trump’s finances, resigned on February 23 along with Carey Dunne, the other lead prosecutor on the case. Pomerantz’s letter said that he had quit over the decision by new Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg not to move ahead with prosecution of the Republican billionaire. That decision, he wrote in the letter which the US daily published in full, was “contrary to the public interest.” “The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbours no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did,” Pomerantz wrote. The investigation had probed whether Trump fraudulently overvalued multiple assets to secure loans and then undervalued them to minimise taxes. It was launched by Bragg’s predecessor Cyrus Vance, with Bragg taking over the case when he took office in January. When Dunne and Pomerantz resigned last month, Bragg’s spokesperson said that the investigation was “ongoing.” The Times reported that he has told aides the case can move forward if new evidence emerges or
a Trump insider decides to turn on the former president. But, Pomerantz wrote: “No events are likely to occur that will alter the nature of the case… There are always additional facts to be pursued.” But the decision not to prosecute “will doom any future prospects that Mr. Trump will be prosecuted for the criminal conduct we have been investigating,” he continued. Republican Trump, 75, has not been charged and has repeatedly described the case as a political witch hunt by a Democratic prosecutor. In July last year, the Trump Organization and its long-serving finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, were charged with 15 felony fraud and tax evasion charges. They pleaded not guilty, and Weisselberg’s trial is due to begin in the middle of this year. The criminal investigation into Trump is very similar to a civil inquiry being conducted by New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who is also a Democrat. In January, she said her probe had uncovered “significant evidence” of fraudulent or misleading practices at the Trump Organisation. James can sue the Trump Organisation for damages over any alleged financial misconduct but cannot file criminal charges. Trump has so far kept Americans guessing about whether he intends to seek the Republican presidential nomination again, but the host of legal probes threaten to complicate any bid for another run at the White House in 2024.
North Korea fires ‘new type’ ICBM toward East Sea, says ROK and Japan Agencies The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the East Sea on Thursday, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japanese militaries said. That would be the first full-capability launch of the nuclear-armed state’s largest missiles since 2017. According to Japanese authorities, the launch appeared to be a “new type” of ICBM that flew for about 71 minutes to an altitude of about 6,000 kilometers and a range of 1,100 km from its launch site. It landed inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 170 km west of the northern prefecture of Aomori, at 3:44 p.m. (06:44 GMT), the coast guard said. The ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff put the missile’s maximum altitude at 6,200 km and its range at 1,080 km, adding that the projectile was launched “at a lofted angle,” Yonhap News Agency reported. That is further and longer than the DPRK’s last ICBM test in 2017 when it launched a Hwasong-15 missile that flew for 53 minutes to an altitude of about 4,475 km and a range of 950 km. During Thursday’s regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called on all parties to focus on the peace and stability of the region and promote the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue when asked to comment on the matter. The ROK tests fire its own missiles in response Just hours after, the ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed in a statement that the ROK was prompted to test-fire “some of its key missiles” as a clear counter-message against Pyongyang’s missile launch. The ROK has tested a volley of its own, smaller ballistic and air-to-ground missiles to demonstrate that it has the “capability and readiness” to strike missile launch sites precisely and command and support facilities and other targets in the DPRK if necessary, read the statement. The United States and the ROK have recently warned that Pyongyang may be preparing to test-fire an ICBM at full range for the first time since 2017. U.S. officials said at least two recent tests, on February 27 and March 5, featured the DPRK’s largest ICBM system yet, the Hwasong-17.
Friday, 25 March, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
SPORTS 11
Pakistan’s imam, shafique stay solid to set uP thrilling final day LAHORE The AssociATeD Press
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AKISTAN openers Imamul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique made a solid start on Thursday to set up a thrilling final day in the deciding third Test in Lahore, keeping the hosts in the hunt for a seriesclinching win against Australia. Australia captain Pat Cummins made a sporting declaration in the final
session of the fourth day at the Gaddafi Stadium, calling his side’s second innings closed on 227-3 and setting Pakistan a target of 351 to chase. On a wicket offering turn for the spinners and some deliveries keeping low after pitching, Imam and Shafique denied Australia any success to take Pakistan to 73 without loss at stumps with the hosts needing 278 more for victory. Imam was unbeaten on 42 with Shafique 27 not out.
Steve Smith, who has had a tough time in the series with his catching, dropped an edge from Shafique off part-time leg-spinner Marnus Labuschagne in the final over of the day’s play. The first two Tests — the first between the sides in Pakistan since 1998 — were drawn. Usman Khawaja hit his second successive century and Steve Smith became the fastest batter to 8,000 Test runs as Australia extended its lead to 325 runs against Pakistan in the third Test on Thursday. Khawaja batted for the entire two sessions on day four to reach 100 in the last over before tea off 169 balls. Australia was 202-2 and aimed to set up a challenging target in its first tour of Pakistan since
1998. Smith, needing seven to reach the milestone, drove Hasan Ali through covers for a boundary and was unbeaten on 12 at the break. He reached 8,000 runs in 151 Test innings, one quicker than the record held by Kumar Sangakkara. Smith is the seventh Australian to the mark. Khawaja has been prolific on tour in the country of his birth. The left-handed opener missed made 97 in the drawn first Test at Rawalpindi, and 160 and 44 not out in the drawn game at Karachi. Despite being ill on the opening day of this Test in Lahore, he scored 91 in the first innings as Australia racked up 391. Pakistan, which conceded a massive first-innings lead of 123,
could chip out only one wicket each in Australia’s two sessions as Khawaja batted resolutely to raise their hopes for a series win on a worn-out pitch. Khawaja combined in a 96-run opening stand with David Warner, 51, who was clean bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the penultimate over before lunch. Marnus Labuschagne, with 36, then shared another brisk 65-run stand with Khawaja before he swept hard at left-arm spinner Nauman Ali and was caught at deep midwicket in the second session. Nauman gave Labuschagne a reprieve after lunch when he couldn’t hold onto an overhead catch at point off a top-edged sweep. Earlier, in an eventful morning
session, Pakistan missed out on an opportunity to dismiss Warner early; Khawaja escaped on 31 after he was bowled off Naseem Shah’s no-ball and then umpire Aleem Dar was involved in an animated conversation with Warner likely about how and where the veteran batter was running on the deteriorating pitch. Warner removed his helmet and gloves, exchanging words with Dar before play resumed after nearly three minutes. Video suggested Hasan got a thin edge off Warner’s bat in his second over of the day, but Pakistan didn’t appeal. Warner showed Australia’s intent to score quickly when he hit Afridi for three boundaries in the day’s first over.
Salah vows revenge for Egypt AFP Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has vowed to avenge an Africa Cup of Nations final loss last month to Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal when they clash again on Friday in a 2022 World Cup play-off. Failure in the continental final was particularly bitter for prolific Liverpool scorer Salah as he was also part of the Egyptian team that lost the 2017 Cup of Nations final against Cameroon. Liverpool teammate Mane played a pivotal role in the first Cup of Nations triumph of Senegal — atoning for a penalty miss in regular time by converting the spot-kick that won the shoot-out. Egypt host the first leg on Friday and Senegal have home advantage next Tuesday with the aggregate winners filling one of five places reserved for Africa at the 32-nation finals in Qatar. Here, AFP Sport looks ahead to the five first legs with Cameroon seeking a record-extending eighth appearance by an African nation at the World Cup and Mali hoping to reach the finals for the first time. Senegal coach Aliou Cisse says the Cup of Nations triumph is history and all that matters is securing a second straight World Cup appearance. “Winning the Cup of Nations is not an end in itself because we share a common goal of playing at the World Cup again,” he told reporters. With a ‘spine’ comprising Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye and Mane, Senegal are well equipped to succeed. Egypt welcome back star goalkeeper Mohamed el Shenawy, who missed the Cup of Nations final through injury, but
they were the second best side in the African title decider and start as underdogs. The Egyptian media reported Egypt captain Mohamed Salah telling his teammates after the penalty shoot-out defeat in Cameroon that “we meet them (Senegal) again next month and inshallah (God willing) we will take revenge”. Nigeria are favoured, but tradition suggests a close affair with each nation winning twice in previous World Cup qualifiers and four other meetings drawn. Both fared poorly at the Cup of Nations with Ghana shock first-round casualties after losing to minnows Comoros and Nigeria making a timid last-16 departure against Tunisia. Nigeria boast a stronger squad than they had in Cameroon with forwards Emmanuel Dennis, Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen now available, but in-
jured midfielder Wilfred Ndidi misses out. Ghana fired Serb coach Milovan Rajevac after the Cup of Nations debacle and brought in Otto Addo with former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton lending assistance. Hosts Cameroon fired Portuguese Toni Conceicao after finishing third at the Cup of Nations and hired legend Rigobert Song on the orders of President Paul Biya. Song has chosen most of the team eliminated by Egypt in the semi-finals and there will be much interest in how he treats Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Choupo-Moting was furious at the not making the starting line-up against the Pharaohs and teaming up with captain and leading Cup of Nations scorer Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi.
Algeria suffered a disastrous Cup of Nations title defence, going out after the first round, and coach Djamel Belmadi has dumped 11 of the squad he took to Cameroon in January. The Democratic Republic of Congo are alone among the 10 contenders in not having the benefit of match practice at the Cup of Nations — they came third in a qualifying group and missed out. It could be advantageous, though, as Morocco will not have recent footage of the Leopards, whose only previous World Cup appearance was in 1974 when the country was called Zaire. However, it is no secret that Dieumerci Mbokani is the man Morocco must shackle after the 36-yearold scored four goals in qualifiers having been recalled after several years in the wilderness. Cup of Nations quarter-finalists Morocco boast a star full-back in Ashraf Hakimi, but Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech will be absent due to a fall-out with coach Vahid Halilhodzic. Mali and Tunisia met at the Cup of Nations in Cameroon and a tale of two penalties ended with the Eagles from west Africa winning 1-0 after Ibrahima Kone scored and Wahbi Khazri missed. More close encounters are likely with Mali hoping to create history, and deny Tunisia a sixth World Cup appearance. A boost for Mali is the belated decision of France-born Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure to represent the country of his parents. Tunisia, who fell to Burkina Faso in the Cup of Nations quarter-finals, have recalled forward Taha Yassine Khenissi after he completed a sixmonth doping ban.
Ramiz Raja takes notice of Pakistan women team’s poor performance in World Cup The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has taken notice of the poor performance of the women’s team in the ongoing World Cup. Earlier today, Pakistan became the first team to be knocked out of the competition having only won one game. Their victory came against West Indies in a thrilling encounter. The sources have confirmed that the performances of the senior players will be evaluated and their dismissal from the international squad could be on the cards as per Ramiz Raja’s instructions. There are also rumors of grouping within the women’s team squad and the PCB will also address those issues by taking the players, management, and staff in confidence. Pakistan have underperformed in the Women’s World Cup as they sit last on the points table and have already been knocked out of the competition. In order to get the best out of the squad, the PCB has made the right decision to dissect the team and part ways with the underperforming senior players to pave way for new talents to shine. News Desk
Swiatek poised to be No.1 with Barty coming off ranking list
Expanded IPL returns to India, but crowds remain under Covid curbs NEW DELHI AFP
The Indian Premier League (IPL) returns for its biggest season on Saturday, with a galaxy of top names and two new franchises expanding the world’s richest cricket competition to 10 teams for its 15th edition. But crowds in the cricket-mad nation will, initially at least, be limited to 25 percent capacity with group games restricted to four venues — one in Pune and three in Mumbai. The venues for the three playoff matches and the May 29 final are yet to be announced. International T20 greats such as Australia’s David Warner and England’s Jos Buttler will be back for two months of high-octane cricket, but fellow Englishman Ben Stokes and West Indies veteran big-hitter Chris Gayle are big names who will be missing. The teams will be divided into two groups of five, based on their previous IPL records, for a 70-match regular season that promises to be the first completed entirely in India since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic. “This season is going to be with crowds and we are hoping to have full capacity soon,” Arun Dhumal, treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told AFP. “The new teams bring a lot of excitement and after the player auction, in a way, all the teams are new.
“There is a lot of new blood and we are hoping that it will be exciting for the players and the fans.” The 10 teams splurged $75 million to buy 204 players in last month’s auction with Mumbai Indians bringing back Ishan Kishan for a whopping $2 million. England batter Liam Livingstone was the most expensive overseas player, costing the Punjab Kings $1.52 million to bolster their bid for a first IPL title. The two new teams — set up at a combined cost of a staggering $1.6 billion — are Gujarat Titans, owned by US venture capital fund CVC, and Lucknow Super Giants, backed by Indian tycoon Sanjiv Goenka. Kohli under pressure: The Rohit Sharmaled Mumbai Indians have been the most successful IPL team, winning a record five titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Chennai Super Kings, led by veteran former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are the defending champions and will open the season against Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Saturday The two-month extravaganza will see 74 matches in all with teams coached by some of cricket’s former greats including Australians Ricky Ponting and Tom Moody, Stephen Fleming of New Zealand and Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka. Debutants Gujarat Titans have snapped up highly-
rated spinner Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, but the explosive pace of England’s Jofra Archer may not be on display for Mumbai Indians after he missed the Ashes in Australia with an elbow injury. Of the home superstars, Virat Kohli will be under pressure after stepping down as captain of India and enduring, by his lofty standards, a lean spell with the bat having not scored an international century since November 2019. Having tried and failed to win the IPL title for nine seasons as skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore, “King Kohli” has also stepped aside with South Africa’s Faf du Plessis taking charge. “(Kohli) doesn’t look that confident but he also needs a bit of luck. I am sure you will enjoy the same Virat, batting very freely, very dominating,” Vijay Lokapally, a veteran journalist and a Kohli biographer, told AFP. “And it’s good if we expect him to excel every time, it speaks for the respect he has in the cricket world.” The tournament began in India in April last year but had to be suspended at the halfway point a month later as Covid infections surged across the country. It eventually resumed in September in the United Arab Emirates, with Chennai Super Kings beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final on October 15 in Dubai. The pandemic also forced the IPL to be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020.
BrisBAne: Ashleigh Barty said Thursday that she will remove herself from the WTA rankings after announcing her retirement, opening the door for Poland’s Iga Swiatek to become world number one. The three-time Grand Slam-winning Australian has held the top spot for more than two years but stunned the sports world on Wednesday by quitting at just 25. The 20-year-old Swiatek is a massive 2,204 ranking points behind Barty, but could be elevated to number one depending on what happens at the ongoing Miami Open. “My name will be taken off the list in the next ranking,” Barty said at a press conference in Brisbane, the first time she has spoken publicly since her retirement announcement. “It’s going to be an exciting time for the WTA Tour with a new number one and it’s going to be a really cool period for them now. “But we have done everything that we needed to on our side with them. We have worked with the WTA Tour and they have made my journey so enjoyable and made it really comfortable.” Swiatek is currently 691 points ahead of third-ranked Maria Sakkari of Greece after winning at Indian Wells last week, her second title in as many tournaments after her triumph in Doha in February. AFP
Friday, 25 March, 2022
Prayer tiMingS
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PM IMRan gIveS fInal tOucheS tO StRategy fOR MaRch 27 Rally ISLAMABAD
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RIME Minister Imran Khan Thursday gave final touches to the ruling party’s strategy for March 27 rally to be held in the federal capital. Chairing the political committee meeting of the party, the PM said that he would fight the ‘mafia’ till the end and would emerge victorious in the motion of no-confidence. The Premier was briefed about the political scenario and contacts made with the allied parties, and communication with their MNAs amid the upcoming notrust move. Prime Minister Khan also consulted his legal team and was briefed
Political instability may serve as trigger for early election: Rasheed
on the hearing of the presidential ordinance in the Supreme Court on Thursday morning. During the meeting, the Prime Minister said that he would persist and fight the “Mafia” till the end and would emerge victorious in the motion of noconfidence. It’s the opposition’s misunderstanding that Imran Khan can be pressurized, the PM added. Imran Khan said that the people of Pakistan, on March 27, would show who they stand with. According to sources, the PTI also strategized their rally on March 27. Senior leaders would lead rallies from their respective areas and bring them to Islamabad, Hammad Azhar and Pervaiz Khattak would lead rallies from Lahore and Peshawar respectively.
Minister says govt has ‘full confidence’ in Supreme Court
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The no-confidence move against the prime minister has risked constitutional, administrative and economic crises, a logjam that could be the trigger the government uses to call an early election. Speaking to reporters following a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in Lahore, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Thursday reminded defecting Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) MPs “that early elections can also be called”. Switching loyalties won’t do the turncoats any good, he said, reiterating Imran Khan will defeat the noconfidence vote against him. In his rather explosive presser, the minister said if the opposition has the support of some government MPs, the ruling party, too, was supported by some opposition MPs. Terming those lawmakers “responsible”, he said they understood it would be “better” if Khan completed his term. “The opposition has to rethink the situation in view of the global scenario,” he added. “I want Pakistan and democracy to progress […] the situation in the country is gradually moving towards normalcy […] with every passing day.” The minister further said members of the ruling coalition are taking their time to see which way the camel sits and expressed hope they will decide to vote for Khan. Until now, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), an ally in the Centre, has assured Khan of unflinching support during the vote, while other allies — Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) — remain indecisive. Earlier in the day, Ahmed called on Chief Minister Buzdar to discuss the law and order situation ahead of Friday’s vote on the motion. On the occasion, Buzdar said he stands firm behind Imran Khan. Ahmed said the opposition is in for a surprise on the fateful day. Earlier in the day, Buzdar said he does not believe in the politics of blaming nor he has ever done such sort of politics. In a statement, the chief minister said he believes it is waste of time to even respond to the accusations levelled by his political opponents. The adversaries can keep on levelling accusations but we will keep on serving the nation, he added. The parliament will convene on Friday to start proceedings into the no-confidence motion, which could take seven days to actually go for voting to decide whether Khan will be removed.
As a five-member bench heard the presidential reference seeking opinion on Article 63-A of the Constitution, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhary said the government has full confidence in the Supreme Court that it will move forward in accordance with the law and constitution on the matter. Talking to the reporters outside Supreme Court on Thursday, the minister said the government unequivocally condemned the social media campaigns launched by the PML-N against the bench. He said it has been the hallmark of the opposition party to attack the institutions. The minister said the public meeting on March 27 will be historic. The allied parties are part of the
government and will remain so. Speaking after Chaudhry, Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar said it is an old tradition of the PML-N to make the institutions controversial. He said the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition parties is an attack on the economy which is heading in the right direction. He said the economy is growing by five percent while a record increase has been seen in exports and remittances. This, he said, was not palatable to the opposition parties. He said the move will face defeat. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan has always practised honesty in politics and never indulged in horse-trading. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communications Shahbaz Gill said cracks have started to appear in the ranks of the opposition parties.
Pakistan, IMF talks delayed due to ‘political uncertainty’ ISLAMABAD Shahzad Paracha
The ongoing talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the seventh review appear to have been delayed due to political uncertainty in the country. Sources said that the IMF staff team is closely watching the political developments in the country before taking a decision with regard to the conclusion of the seventh review even after around twenty days since the start of the discussion. Both the Finance Ministry and IMF officials are claiming that they remain engaged in discussions. The Ministry of Finance on Thursday in a statement stated that the IMF wanted some further discussions on the industrial promotion package over the next few days. The Ministry of Finance issued this clarification after a re-
port claimed that Pakistan failed to convince the IMF over the amnesty scheme. As per the documents, Pakistan had assured the IMF that it will not announce an amnesty scheme however Prime Minister on February 28, 2022, announced an industrial package that was basically an amnesty scheme. The Finance Ministry further states that negotiations under the seventh review are continuing as planned and the two sides remain engaged on a regular basis at a technical level through virtual meetings and data sharing. The focus of negotiations under the seventh review has been on the agreed targets between the two sides, as well as the recently announced relief and industrial promotion packages adding that there is a consensus that all the end-December agreed targets have been achieved, while progress on other actions mentioned in the Memorandum on
Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) for the sixth review has also been found to be satisfactory. On the relief package, complete details, including financing options, have been shared with the IMF and a general understanding has been developed. IMF has, however, indicated the need for some further discussions on the industrial promotion package over the next few days. An understanding is expected to be developed on the said package subsequent to those discussions. Upon completion of the technical talks, the text of the Memorandum on Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) for the seventh review will come under discussion. The Government is confident that the finalization of the MEFP would lead to the IMF board meeting towards the end of April. The government remains committed to completing the IMF program successfully in September.
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PM calls on faithful to throng Sunday power show ISLAMABAD Staff rePort
With detractors claiming the prime minister is feeling the heat of the no-trust vote, Imran Khan Thursday made an impassioned appeal to his supporters to join the power show his party has arranged for March 27 in Islamabad to express solidarity with the beleaguered premier and show disapproval of the menace of horse-trading. In a brief video message, the prime minister observed that a posse of politicians, which “looted and plundered” the country for over 30 years, is now deploying its ill-gotten wealth to buy the conscience of the MPs to topple the government. This is a crime against democracy and the nation of Pakistan, he declared. Khan said the Almighty also ordains in Quran to stand with the good and abhor the vice. He said the nation should make it clear to those crossing the floor that the constituents are against this practice, so that no one could dare damage the institution of democracy. The invitation to join the rally came hours after a tweet from Senator Faisal Javed Khan announcing the prime minister will personally deliver an important message to the nation and invite them to attend the jalsa on Sunday. OPPOSITION ‘IN FOR A SURPRISE’: PM On Wednesday, Khan said he would not resign, rejecting opposition calls to step down ahead of the toughest challenge to him since coming to power in August 2018. The parliament will convene on Friday (tomorrow) to start proceedings into the no-confidence motion, which could take seven days to actually go for voting to decide whether Khan will be removed. The no-confidence move has risked constitutional, administrative and economic crises amid a pending International Monetary Fund (IMF) review to issue next tranche of a $6 billion rescue package, which was scheduled this week but has yet to happen. Opposition parties filed the motion earlier this month, insisting Khan has lost his parliamentary majority after a dozen of his party MPs defected, calling on the prime minister to step down. “I will not resign come what may,” Khan said in a statement from his office issued late Wednesday night. Khan said he would not surrender without a fight and questioned why should he quit under pressure from “crooks”. Along with the defection of the lawmakers, some of his coalition partners have also suggested they may join the opposition.
Opposition on same page to form national govt, claims Shehbaz ISLAMABAD Monitoring rePort
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif said none of the opposition parties opposed his idea of the formation of a national government after the success of the no-trust vote against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government in the National Assembly. Talking to a news channel, Sharif said there was no question of backtracking on the no-confidence motion. Also on Wednesday, the opposition said it would now set out on a long march towards Islamabad against inflation on March 26 instead of Thursday due to the session that had been convened on March 25. Announcing the decision after chairing the opposition parties’ meeting, Sharif said PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and his son Hamza Shehbaz will lead the marchers from his residence in Model Town. He claimed the people would give their verdict against the government after reaching Islamabad on March 28. Exhorting the people to join the march in large numbers, the PML-N president expressed the hope the march will fulfil the people’s desire to get rid of the “worst economic crisis”, inflation and joblessness by sending the government home.
OIC adopts joint action plan on Kashmir issue The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) member states have praised Pakistan for playing a pivotal role as an anchor of stability in South Asia and its efforts for promoting regional peace in the subcontinent. The 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) concluded with Islamabad Declaration issued by the member stated and the resolve to pursue a shared global vision for peace, security, development and human rights based on a faithful commitment to the universal principles of equity and justice, sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-interference in the
internal affairs of countries. Meanwhile, the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has adopted a comprehensive joint communique including an action plan on the Kashmir issue to contemplate greater coordination between the member states. This plan will involve joint efforts by the member states to lead the outstanding Kashmir dispute towards a peaceful resolution under the UN resolutions. Under this plan, the OIC countries will raise the Kashmir issue in their bilateral engagements with India and underscore respect
for the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people, as well as lend support to monitor human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK). They will also coordinate their positions on peace and security, human rights and humanitarian dimensions of IOJK at the United Nations (UN) and other international platforms. Moreover, the OIC Secretary-General will also raise the Kashmir issue separately in engagements with international, regional, human rights organisations and various other interlocutors. “We condemn massive violations of
their human rights in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). We reiterate rejection of India’s illegal and unilateral actions since Aug 5, 2019, aimed at altering the demographic composition of the occupied territory, suppressing the realisation of the inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiris in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.” This was stated at the conference of the CFMs. The member states declared that the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dis-
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pute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions was indispensable to durable peace in South Asia. “We reiterate our call on India to reverse its unilateral and illegal measures instituted since Aug 5, 2019, cease its oppression and human rights violations against the Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, halt and reverse attempts to alter the demographic structure and redraw electoral constituencies in IIOJK and take concrete and meaningful steps for full implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.” aPP