01 FRONT PAGE (9-11-2021)_Layout 1 11/9/2021 1:27 AM Page 1
Tuesay, 9 November, 2021 I 3 Rabi-us-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 131 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Ceasefire agreed between govt and ttP: fawad M News Desk
INISTeR for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Monday announced that a ‘complete ceasefire’ has been agreed between the government and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after negotiations. “Under an agreement, the government of Pakistan and banned Tehreek-i-Taliban [Pakistan] have agreed upon complete ceasefire,” the minister told the media while referring to the interview of Prime Minister Imran Khan with a foreign television, in which he had hinted at these negotiations. He said the negotiations with the TTP are underway and would be carried out in accordance with the Constitution and law of the land. “Obviously, no government can hold such negotiation, which contravenes the Constitution and law of Pakistan.” In these negotiations, writ of the state, national security, peace of relevant areas and socio-economic stability would definitely be taken into account. The minister said that persons affected due to the TTP in different areas would not be ignored during the negotiations. Therefore, they are also being taken into confidence, he added. He said that ceasefire would be extendable in light of progress of negotiations. Authorities of Afghanistan’s interim government played the role of a facilitator in these talks, he added. Fawad said that certainly, it is welcoming to note that
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,277,160
LAST UPDATED AT 10:33 AM ON NOVEMBER 8, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
9
449
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
1,225,880 28,547 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
471,963
441,176
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
178,643 AJK/GB:
33,338 ISLAMABAD:
34,495/10,394
107,151
after a hiatus, complete peace would eventually return to those areas, which had been affected due to the TTP. Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that the government is in talks with some factions of the TTP that are looking at peace and reconciliation with the country. In an interview with TRT World in Islamabad, the premier had said that some of the groups actually want to talk to the government for reconciliation. When asked by the interviewer if the government is in talks with the TTP, the PM had said, “Yes, with some of them. There are different groups that form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It’s a reconciliation process.” When asked if the government is negotiating with some of those TTP groups to lay down their arms, the premier had responded, “Yes, and then we forgive them and they become normal citizens.” Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari said that policies drafted without taking parliament into confidence lack “legitimacy”. Speaking to the media after a high-level security briefing, Bilawal said that the government cannot take “unilateral decisions” when it comes to the country’s Afghanistan policy, talks with the TTP and agreements made with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan. “No policy can be made [regarding] these issues without the approval of Parliament,” he said. “Any policies made without the approval of Parliament will lack legitimacy and will not be successful.”
Military briefing to lawmakers: ‘Pakistan will continue support for peace in afghanistan’ News Desk At a high-level security meeting held on Monday, lawmakers were told that Pakistan desired a government in Afghanistan that was representative of its people and would continue its “all-out support for peace and stability” in the war-torn country. At the Parliament House in Islamabad, the closed-door briefing was given during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) by senior military officials to the parliamentary and political leadership, members of the National Assembly and Senate, provincial leadership andZ the Azad Kashmir prime minister. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired the meeting at 11:30am. The meeting lasted around five hours. The meeting had Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, ISPR chief Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar and other senior military officers in attendance. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan was not amongst the attendees. “The participants were comprehensively briefed about matters pertaining to national security, foreign affairs, and internal and external challenges faced by the country. They were also briefed about regional and political challenges especially the situation in [Indian-occupied Kashmir] and Afghanistan,” a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat said after the meeting. During the meeting, it was outlined that Pakistan had played a “responsible and positive role” for peace in Afghanistan, and would continue its complete support for stability in the war-torn country. “Pakistan believes that peace in Afghanistan would pave [the way] for regional peace and development,” the NA press release stated. The meeting was also apprised about the border-control system installed on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. According to the statement, the parliamentary and political leadership expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s strategy to tackle internal and external challenges and expressed good wishes for the prosperity, development and progress of Afghanistan. “They also said that such meetings paved the way for harmony and unanimity of views on national issues,” it said. The participants were further informed that Pakistan was “making every effort to ensure that the current situation does not give rise to another humanitarian and economic crisis which would add to the plight of the people” and was in constant touch with the international community in this regard, it added. “It was also hoped that the territory of Afghanistan would not be used against Pakistan.” A question-and-answer session was held at the end of the meeting, in which members of the committee presented their recommendations. After the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking to press said the ISI chief had given a “presentation” during the meeting, while the army chief answered questions from the lawmakers.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
TLP ends Wazirabad sit-in LAHORe Staff RepoRt
The activists of the Tehreek-iLabbaik Pakistan (TLP) party announced the ending of their sit-in on Monday, a day after the government lifted the ban on it following a deal with its leadership. The decision to revoke the ban was made after assurances from the group that it would abide by the law. Hundreds of detained supporters of the party were also released from detention as part of the deal, its members had been removed from the Fourth Schedule —a list on which suspects of terrorism and sectarianism are placed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The announcement to end the protest was made by a party leader, Syed Sarwar Shah, who called on the protestors to return to Masjid Rehmatallil Alameen in Lahore. “Mufti Muneeb ur-Rahman had given us the guarantee and told us to go back to Masjid Rehmatallil Alameen when 50 percent of our demands are met,” Shah told the participants. Initially, they had kept the GT Road blocked for three days before shifting to an adjacent park after the TLP struck a deal with
MORE INSIDE
PM directs to bring sugar stock out for sale in market STORY ON BACK PAGE
Global convergence on Afghanistan vital to avoid humanitarian crisis: COAS STORY ON BACK PAGE the government. “The government should now the rest of the agreement within the [promised] time,” the TLP spokesperson said. Adding to that he revealed that “The protesters will now move to Rehmatul Lil Alameen Mosque after the fulfilment of half of the demands [the government had committed to] in the agreement,” as had been guaranteed by the TLP leadership and Mufti Muneebur Rehman — who facilitated the negotiations between the two sides, a TLP spokesperson said on Monday. Rehman had also guaranteed that TLP chief Saad Rizvi will “attend the Urs [of Khadim
Hussain Rizvi’s first death anniversary] with us,” he said. “We will not go to our homes, we will go to Masjid Rehmatallil Alameen.” r, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan — who is heading a steering committee to oversee the implementation of the deal between the government and the TLP — dubbed the development “Pakistan’s win”. “The TLP dharna has peacefully dispersed from Wazirabad without any further unrest or losses. Negotiations and dialogue are key to the solution of many problems,” he tweeted.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 04
Shaukat Tarin urges people to pay taxes STORY ON PAGE 02
Sirajul Haq approaches SC, demands inquiry against those involved in Pandora leaks STORY ON PAGE 03
02
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
Shaukat tarIn urgeS people to pay taxeS
a
NewS DeSk
DvISER to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin urged the public on Monday to make it clear that they can not get away with evading taxes, while adding that those not paying their taxes should not be allowed to cast votes. While addressing the Kamyab Jawan Convention in Islamabad as the chief guest, Tarin revealed that the government would abolish all taxes except the general sales tax (GST) and income tax in the years to come. Tarin told the gathering, jointly organised by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and the Kamyab Jawan Programme that “[When] the German finance minister came to meet me, she said ‘no representation without taxation’. If you don’t pay taxes, you don’t have the right to representation or vote either.” Tarin went on to elaborate that people refuse to pay taxes because they believe that the government did not provide any facilities in return, however, such people must keep in mind that they use roads, electricity, and benefited from the maintenance of law and order, the army defending them at the borders and the police. He added that taxes such as withholding
and turnover tax would be scrapped in the next 2-3 years. “Where will all this [money] come from? So forget that there will be no tax. However, we will simplify [the tax regime]. There will only be two taxes — income tax and consumption tax (GST),” Tarin said the government now had all the data of tax evaders, including their bills, bank accounts and information about travel, cars and houses, which it would use to estimate such people’s income through artificial intelligence as well. “You will get a bill saying this is your income and this is the tax due,” he said, emphasising that authorities would not use any force but request people to pay their dues if they thought they had been accurately calculated, while adding that “It is the state’s right to receive tax” The adviser said he had also straightforwardly told traders from across the country at a meeting last week that “we all have to pay the tax. If you think we will not, then our country will not progress.” However, later he assured government facilitation for the traders, saying he had put an end to “harassment” at the hands of the Federal Board of Revenue and that in case of any disputes, third-party audits would be carried out. Tarin further noted that the current tax-
Imran stresses importance of morality for a nation’s success ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Imran Khan emphasised the importance of morality, particularly truth and honesty, in the reformation of a nation and society. In a tweet on Monday, the prime minister said the welfare state of Medina under the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had become a great civilisation on the basis of such principles of morality. “Our beloved Prophet PBUH first raised the moral standards of the state of Medina through his own supreme example (Sadiq and Amin) before they became one of the greatest civilisations,” the tweet read. Khan also quoted Roman statesman Scipio which says: “No society is fortunate when its walls are standing while its morals are in ruins.”
to-GDP ratio in Pakistan was nine per cent which was very low and needed to be doubled to 20pc, and raising the ratio to 20pc could improve the growth rate and provide employment opportunities to the youth. He further stated that in the 1960s, “we were counted among economies like China and Japan, when we were economically strong,” he recalled, adding that the government was focusing on human resource capital and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which would be its top priority going forward. Tarin went on to state that the country could not move forward without empowering its youth, which accounted for 60pc of the population. He cited the provision of interest-free loans, skills development courses for young people, agricultural loans, home loans in
easy instalments and health cards as steps in this direction. Earlier, advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin has said that the government is determined to uplift the living standards of people and ready to provide necessary support and resources to Punjab. The advisor on Monday held a meeting with the Finance Minister of Punjab Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht at the Finance Division. Secretary Finance Division, Finance Secretary Punjab and senior officers participated in the meeting. Adviser to the Prime Minister and Punjab Finance Minister discussed various aspects of promoting progress and prosperity in ex-FATA districts and allocation of 3% provincial share to a divisible pool for carrying out development initiatives in ex-
FATA districts. Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht apprised that the Punjab government is ready to play its role and contribute to the development of exFATA districts with a clear perspective of the actual amount of share for Punjab province. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin emphasized that a meeting of the subgroup of NFC may be convened to discuss and settle the issue of allocation of 3% provincial share at the priority. Later, Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht gave a detailed presentation on various reforms and initiatives being carried out in the province for the welfare of people and good governance. Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht appreciated the Federal government for providing all-out support and requested the federal government to play its role in solving various financial issues being faced by the Punjab government. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue said the Federal government is determined to uplift the living standards of people and ready to provide necessary support and resources to the Punjab government as the welfare and progress of people is the top priority of the present government.
Pakistan among first countries to meet ‘Bonn Challenge’: Faisal NewS DeSk Senator Faisal Javed Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) revealed on Monday that by restoring over 600,000 hectares of land into forests and planting a billion trees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan has become one of the first countries to meet the international ‘Bonn Challenge’ Senator Faisal stated Pakistan has taken a lot of initiatives under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan to tackle the threat of climate change, while addressing COP26, a climate change conference in Glasgow. “Now we have committed to planting another 10 billion trees across the country and of that 10 billion, Pakistan has already planted over 1.5 billion trees”. Senator Mushahid Hussain and MNA Munaza Hassan, who is the Chairperson of the Climate Change Standing Committee were also in attendance of the moot on the invitation of Scottish Parliamentarians to discuss climate action under the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held on November 7. The PTI senator said that “Pakistan contributes less than 1% of the global greenhouse gas emissions but yet it is constantly amongst the top 10 countries affected by climate change” while calling for an “action oriented approach” in his speech to the IPU. It is pertinent to note that the IPU co-organised the COP26 parliamentary meeting in Glasgow over the weekend with the British Group of the IPU (BGIPU). Over 200 parliamentarians attended the IPU session held in the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow. The IPU has long supported the engagement of parliaments in annual COP meetings through the organisation of parliamentary meetings. The parliamentary meeting in Glasgow was open to all parliamentarians attending COP26. It merits mention that Pakistan had already met the
UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 13: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”, a decade before the deadline of 2030,” revealed the Senator, while mentioning the other important initiatives taken by Pakistan to combat climate change like the Protected Areas Initiative, the Clean Green Pakistan Index for cities and Ecosystem Restoration Fund. “We are playing our part but developed countries really need to come forward and collaborate with developing countries”. He said COP26 needed to come
up with concrete pledges and commitments. The sessions covered a broad range of topics relating to climate change and the road to reaching the net-zero objectives. The objective of the meeting was to promote cooperation and open dialogue among international parliamentarians and inspire delegates to call on national governments to set ambitious plans to meet all the obligations of the Paris Agreement targets. Similarly, Senator Mushahid talked about Pakistan’s role in combating the climate change challenges, on the occasion. Senator Mushahid said as chairman of Defence Committee he had put an effort to redefine the concept of national security, which was traditionally based on military might only, but now redefined to focus on human security, protecting lives and livelihoods of people, giving priority to health and pandemics, population planning, education, and climate change and environment. He proposed that all global initiatives for connectivity like China’s BRI, the United States’ B3W and the European Union’s Global Gateway, allocate especial funding for climate mitigation projects amongst the most vulnerable climate change affected countries like Pakistan, which he added would help in effectively meeting the challenge of climate change – the biggest non-traditional security threats facing humanity which requires a collective response to meet this common challenge, above partisan politics. Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries amid climate change, and suffered major “freak weather incidents” like floods, forest fires and avalanches, he said, referring to the fact that 10 years ago, around 20 per cent of the country was under water due to floods in Sindh and K-P and the Gyari avalanche had left at least 150 soldiers and civilians martyred at Siachen Glacier, 12,000 feet above sea level.
Nawaz Sharif’s property in Lahore to be auctioned on November 19 NewS DeSk Assistant commissioner Lahore Cantt on Monday has given directive to auction the Lahore property of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, following a verdict of an accountability court given earlier in April. A petition filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi for the auction of assets owned by Nawaz was accepted by the accountability court on April 23, after he was declared a proclaimed offender in the Toshakhana reference. The AC in a notification stated that “The auction of property known as 135 Upper Mall Lahore, situated in Mouza Mian Mir, Tehsil Cantt. Lahore is scheduled to be held on Friday, 19.11.2021 at 10:00AM at the compound of Assistant Commissioner’s
Office Cantt,” Pertaining to this case, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected three petitions submitted for hearing against the auctioning of properties Nawaz, earlier in May. It is pertinent to note that an accountability court last month had ordered the confiscation of the property owned by former PM Nawaz in the Toshakhana vehicles’ reference, which also includes expresident Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. The NAB reference filed against Nawaz and Zardari accuses them of obtaining cars from Toshakhana (the gift depository) by paying 15% of the price of the cars. The assets and property included 1,650kanal agricultural land in Lahore, a Mercedes, a Land Cruiser, two tractors, local and foreign
bank accounts, a bungalow in Murree, and 102-kanal land in Sheikhupura.
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD
SIrajuL Haq aPProaCHES SC, DEmanDS InquIry aGaInSt tHoSE InvoLvED In PanDora LEaKS
j
News DesK
AMAAT-E-ISLAMI (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq on Monday moved the Supreme Court (SC), asking to initiate an inquiry against all those Pakistanis who are involved in the Pandora leaks. It is to note that Sirajul Haq had filed a similar petition when the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) disclosed the establishment of offshore companies registered in Panama. Sirajul Haq prayed before the SC, stating that while the ICIJ was still investigating the matter of illegal transfer of funds through the said established companies, the consortium published yet another list of individuals involved in transferring public money. The petition added that “The process of investigation in the matter is to be taken by the
Dhol maestro Pappu Sain passes away MoNitoRiNg RepoRt Legendary dhol player Pappu Sain passed away in Lahore Sunday following a prolonged illness. Sain, who had been suffering from liver problems for over two years, was admitted to Shaikh Zayed Hospital in Lahore earlier this month after his health deteriorated. His medical tests had revealed that 80 percent of his liver was damaged. Following this, the doctors had suggested a transplant as well as more tests. However, they also cautioned if the condition of the liver worsens further, the procedure could not be performed as the infection was spreading fast, leading Sain’s family to seek financial help from the Punjab government. The internationally renowned artiste was known for his powerpacked performances at the tomb of Shah Jamal in Lahore’s Fazlia Colony neighbourhood and beyond. He was buried in his ancestral village of Chak Jhumra per his wishes. Sain leaves behind a son, Qalander Baksh, who continues his dholplaying legacy at the shrine.
Imran calls for allowing int'l organisations and media access to IoK News DesK Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday emphasised the urgent need for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), human rights organisations and international media to be allowed access to Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), so that independent investigations could be carried out into human rights violations in the region. He expressed these views during a meeting with OIC's Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir Yousef Aldobeay — who is currently on a six-day visit to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, according to a tweet by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Aldobeay was accompanied by OIC Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Tarig Bakhit. Senior members of the OIC delegation were also present on the occasion. According to the PMO, the premier underlined the importance of the "OIC’s principled position on the [...] Kashmir dispute and the resolute support of the Islamic ummah to the just struggle of Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination." He also highlighted the atrocities being committed by India in the occupied valley, which had "over 900,000 troops deployed in the occupied territory, making it the most militarised zone in the world", the statement said. The premier also told the OIC delegation that the " illegal and unilateral" actions of India since August 5, 2019 — when India stripped the region of its special autonomy — were aimed at disenfranchising Kashmiris and altering the demographic structure of the valley in order to convert it into a Hindu-dominated territory.
respondents, yet neither the names of those persons already announced by the Pandora Papers are being acknowledged by the respondents nor any action is proposed by the respondents against the said persons” The petition further added that the publishing of Pandora Papers is a continuation of the Panama Leaks published in 2016. Both the leaks involved the transfer of public funds and the establishment of offshore companies with that money.
The petition prayed that “Since a similar petition is also pending before this Honourable Court, therefore, the petitioner seeks the indulgence of this Honourable Court for a direction to the respondents for the purpose of inquiry/investigation” “By allowing this petition, the names of the persons involved in the transfer of public money, as mentioned in Pandora Papers may also be allowed to be brought on the file for the purpose of inquiry/investigation,” Siraj concluded.
Pakistan in ‘far better’ position due to effective Covid-19 strategy: minister isLAMABAD StAff RepoRt
As the Covid-19 positivity rate dropped as low as 1.08 percent over the weekend, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan was in a far better position than the rest of the world due to its effective handling of the health crisis which was also appreciated by the international community. Pakistan reported 449 new cases after conducting 41,709 tests — a positivity ratio of 1.08 percent — and nine more deaths in the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Monday. Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, has attributed the success against coronavirus to teamwork. In a tweet, the minister said: “There are a number of learnings from the NCOC experience, having huge implications for the way governance is carried out.”
ANKARRA Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar marked the first anniversary Sunday of Azerbaijan’s victory in the Karabakh war. Speaking at an event in Istanbul, Tatar said Azerbaijan’s victory is also that of the TRNC, Turkey and the entire Turkish world. Congratulating Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the anniversary, he said it is necessary to act with unity as they are the “sons of the same ancestry and the same nation.” “We have to develop such a policy to be strong together in the future,” he said, adding they have to stand tall to maintain unity and solidarity. Bilal Khan Pasha, the consul general of Pakistan in Istanbul, also celebrated the anniversary and expressed his condolences to the families of those who were martyred in the 44-day war. Noting that Pakistan always
03
Lieutenant General Saeed takes command of Karachi Corps News DesK As per the official statement by the military, days after the appointment of new director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the change of command ceremony was held at Corps Headquarters Karachi on Monday. “Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum hands over command of Karachi Corps to Lieutenant General Muhammad Saeed,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated. Earlier on October 26, PM Imran Khan notified the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem as the new DG ISI. “The Prime Minister has seen and approved the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, HI (M) as Director General Inter-Services Intelligence, with effect from November 20, 2021,” a notification issued by the PM’s Office last month stated while adding that the current spymaster, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed “shall continue to hold charge as the Director General Inter-Services Intelligence till November 19, 2021”. It is pertinent to note that the PM has set a precedent for the appointment of the DG ISI in the future, although the premier chose the same general who was named as the new spymaster in October 6 press release of the military’s media wing. It merits mention that this is the first time that a PM has interviewed potential candidates sent to him by the ministry of defense before the appointment of the new ISI chief. The incoming DG ISI is a graduate of the Combined Arms Centre, UK; Staff College, Quetta, Advance Staff Course, UK, the NDU, Islamabad, the APCSS, USA and the Royal College of Defence Studies, UK. He holds a Master’s degree from the King’s College, London and the NDU Islamabad. As per the ISPR, the new DG ISI was commissioned in the Light Anti-Tank Battalion of the Punjab Regiment. He has diversified experience of command, staff and instructional assignments.
ECP to take action against officers involved in Daska by-election fiasco News DesK
In his tweet, Chaudhry said the political opponents were spreading lies in frustration and in this situation, the supporters of the ruling party should play their role in bringing facts to the public knowledge. Commenting on rising inflation, he said Pakistan was not located on “some other planet” and international prices of commodities impacted it as well. He said it was a fact now that Pakistan’s industry had revived, the
Pakistan participates in first anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh victory AnAdolu Agency
NEWS
stands by the side of Azerbaijan in its just cause, he said this support is based on friendship and is far from self-interest. “Turkey, Azerbaijan and the TRNC are three states and a nation. Pakistan is with you as a brotherly country,” he added. Liberation of KarabaKh: Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions. New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements. During the 44day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
construction sector was fully operational, the agricultural economy was prosperous and information technology exports had more than tripled. The incomes of workers, farmers and people working in the industrial sector had increased, he said. The minister hoped in the next six to eight months, prices of commodities in the international market would come down which would have a positive impact on Pakistan as well.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday discussed reports of two inquiry committees, which were earlier formed to probe the Daska by-election. The meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was attended by ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Mahmood Jatoi, ECP secretary, and other senior officials. According to the press release issued by the ECP, the commission had formed two inquiry committees to probe the by-election. According to details, the first committee, comprising Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Saeed Gull, Regional Election Commissioner Gujranwala Majid Sharif Dogar and Special Secretary Finance Mujahid Sherdil, was formed to probe against the administrative officers. The mandate of this committee was to determine the negligence in duty on the day of polling due to which law and order was violated. The second committee, comprising Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Saeed Gull, was set up to ascertain the role of the presiding officers and security personnel on duty, who had gone missing on the election night and later come to the office of the returning officer on the morning of February 20.
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD
EArLy DETECTiON iS ViTAL TO rEDuCE PrEVALENCE OF DiABETES Karachi
P
Press release
REDIABETES Train the Trainer is a one-of-a-kind awareness program that aims to create awareness about Prediabetes being the step that leads to Diabetes and is reversible. This is an initiative by Martin Dow Marker Ltd, which is a leading pharma company with expertise in Diabetes portfolio. To understand the importance of Prediabetes stage and how to make this stage reversible, it is important to provide medical fraternity the knowledge and expertise to detect the disease at an early stage. As per International Diabetes Federation, Pakistan is 3rd among the countries with highest prevalence of Diabetes. In Pakistan, every 4th person is a diabetic and every 6 person is a prediabetic. The purpose of this event is to create awareness amongst doctors about the Prediabetes stage which is a critical as it leads to diagnose of diabetes within
the next 5-10 years and to reduce the level of Diabetes in Pakistan with tests & treatment on Prediabetes stage. The Prediabetes stage is reversible if the patients change their lifestyle and take necessary steps as advised by their doctors. This Initiative is a nation-wide program starting from Karachi, which aims to reduce the level of diabetes in Pakistan with increased awareness of the
Prediabetes stage and guidance on how to avoid moving to the diabetic stage. Speaking at this occasions, Mr. Nauman Lateef, Chief Commercial Officer, Martin Dow Marker (Ltd) said ‘’ Lack of physical activities and food-centric lifestyle of our people plays a critical role in increasing the diabetes level. It is vital to know that the Prediabetes stage, if identified at the beginning, can be pre-
vented. The food-centric lifestyle in Pakistan also plays critical role in increasing the diabetes level. ‘’ Mr. Lateef further said that our people are unaware of the factors that lead to Prediabetes e.g. People who are obese, have high weight circumference, have a family history of diabetes or are women who have history of Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are more likely to being diagnosed with Pre-diabetes. As a nation, we don’t give preference to health and Prediabetes stage is not difference. It is critical to note that Prediabetic patients have 10%-40% chances of developing Cardio-vascular related complications. Prediabetes stage can be identified via screening tests and people are advised to get the screening done regularly. A large group of medical practitioners expressed their views during this seminar and unanimously agreed that people who fall under Prediabetes range should consult doctors regularly and take all the necessary steps to prevent themselves as it is a common believe that ‘prevention is better than cure’
J. fragrances organises event to host celebrities Karachi Press release
Khushhali Microfinance Bank wins ‘Best Microfinance Bank Award’ by CFA society Karachi Press release
Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited has once again won the ‘Best Microfinance Bank Award’ 2020, at the 18th annual Excellence-Awards ceremony, recently orchestrated by the CFA Society of Pakistan. Prime Minister’s Advisor on Finance & Revenue Shaukat Tarin graced the event as the chief-guest, where he personally presented the award to the Khushhali Microfinance Bank. “The Microfinance sector in the country is promising a brighter and healthier future, as the nation continues to achieve bigger milestones towards financial-inclusion, while overcoming the Covid-19 to minimize the impact of this global health-crisis. The government is fully committed to provide the financial sector and the microfinance industry with a conducive regulatory environment to secure the investments and empower the deprived segments,” the PM’s advisor said. President & CEO Khushhali Microfinance Bank Ghalib Nishtar, who is also the chairman of Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN), said: “It is a great honor for Khushhali Bank to be recognized, year after year, as the Best Microfinance Bank in Pakistan, by the most prestigious forums. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the CFA society of Pakistan and other stakeholders of the industry, for recognizing our revolutionary measures and technological advancements, for reaching out to the vast un-banked population, to accelerate socio-economic development and sustainable growth in Pakistan.”
Arif Habib Limited makes history at CFA Awards Karachi Press release
Arif Habib Limited (AHL), Pakistan's leading Brokerage and Investment Banking Firm, makes history by winning the awards of "Best Brokerage House", "Best Corporate Finance House", "Best Economic Research House" and "Best Research Analyst" by CFA Society Pakistan in their 18th Excellence Awards for 2020. The occasion was graced by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin. AHL Head of Research Tahir Abbas was recognized as the Best Research Analyst for the third time. These annual awards are considered capital markets’ benchmarks and are based on a confidential poll, surveying respondents comprising the buy-side asset managers and investment professionals from Pakistan’s financial sector including Banks, Asset Management Companies, DFIs and other financial Institutions. AHL has achieved the distinction of winning all the three House awards, Brokerage/Corporate Finance/Economic Research, in any award ceremony organised by the CFA Society of Pakistan. AHL has received the Best Corporate Finance House award for seven consecutive years.
J.fragrances organized a star studded meet & greet at the historical venue of Governor house Karachi in the honour of Turkish super stars Cengiz Coskun and Nurettin Sonmez aka Turgat and Bamsi from iconic drama serial Ertugrul. The event setup was based on Turkish theme and hosted by actor /singer Tipu Sharif. During the question answers session with Mr Sohail Hamid Khan the managing director of J.and Almirah, Sohail Hamid Khan said ‘collaborating with 2 of Turkey’s biggest stars for their signature fragrance launch was definitely a bold step but it played a very important role in improving Pak-Turk relationship, also it was a huge opportunity for our brand J. Fragrances to establish and expand our international footprint in collaborating with international celebrities” In the question answer session with Cengiz Coskun said “My experience of visiting Pakistan has been an overwhelming because of the love and hospitality I received by Pakistani people” Similarly Nurettin Sonmez termed his visit as one of his best foreign tours because of the love and appreciation he received for his role in Ertugrul as Bamsi from Pakistani audience. The highlight of this meet & greet event was a face reading session of the Turkish stars by renowned Mystery Performer Shaheer Khan.The man who has read the mind of our sitting prime minister along with other famous celebrities like Mahira khan, Wasim Akram, and Humayun Saeed created curiosity with his remarkable skills amongst the guests present at the event. J. Junaid Jamshed started in 2002 with the aim to promote Pakistani culture through apparel. It has now expanded across the world with 30+ international outlets across US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and South Africa. While
Mobilink Microfinance Bank bags Gender Diversity at Workplace award IslAmAbAd: Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank (MMBL) has won the prestigious Gender Diversity at Workplace Award (Banks) at the 18th Annual Excellence Awards Ceremony, by CFA Society Pakistan. Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin graced the event as the chief guest and presented the award to MMBL President & CEO Ghazanfar Azzam in a ceremony held on Friday at Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi. Upon receiving this prestigious award, Ghazanfar Azzam shared that the bank recognizes that over 49% of the total population in Pakistan comprises of females and their participation in the economic sphere is key to achieving sustainable development. “Women empowerment is a key strategic priority at MMBL and we are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion so that every employee feels equally valued and performs at their best. This award is a testament to our Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) agenda, which is strongly anchored in MMBL’s core philosophy,” he added. Press release
cMYK
having a network of 100+ outlets across Pakistan. As J. Fragrances rightly anticipated that the launch of Warrior and Defender would garner recognition on an international level. These two fragrances which were created in collaboration with two of the biggest Turkish celebrities: Cengiz Coşkun and Nurettin Sönmez, became an instant hit with their unique product design and strong aromas. It was termed as the biggest launch of the year in Pakistan and for J. Fragrances as a brand. J. made the bold decision of bringing Cengiz Coşkun and Nurettin Sönmez to Pakistan to elevate the promotional opportunity while simultaneously improving Pak-Turk relations. Bringing two of Turkey’s biggest celebrities to Pakistan was more than just good publicity for J.Fragrances as a brand, as it also presented an opportunity to portray a softer image of Pakistan and did so successfully. J. created two very unique DVCs for both the fragrances; Warrior and Defender, featuring Cengiz Coşkun and Nurettin Sönmez. The spectacle of the DVC alone was a big step for marketing in Pakistan. When the video promos were released, it gave the Ertugrul fans the impression that a new serial was on its way, which further generated a lot of excitement.
Haleem assures support to family of Fahmida Sial KARACHI: The Central Vice President PTI and Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, reached at village Khairpur Yuso of district Larkana on Monday and offered condolence to family members of Fahmida Sial. Haleem Adil Sheikh expressed deep sorrow and profound grief over murder of the innocent woman and assured support to the bereaved family. Member Sindh Assembly Raja Azhar, president PTI Sukkur region Syed Tahir Shah, Dr. Masroor Sial, Samiullah Abro, Moula Bux Pathan, Nisar Arain, Muhammad Ali Hakro, Naheed Khuhawar, Ume Rubab and others were also accompanied with the opposition leader. Haleem Adil Sheikh, speaking to media at the occasion, said that he came to offer condolence of Fahmida Sial who was murdered inside her home by Sahaheed Hussain Isran, father of a PPP MPA Ganhwer Khan Isran in presence of local police. Haleem said that he has been there in the village of Larkana on directives of Prime minister Imran Khan and Governor Sindh Imran Ismail to console the affected family and to assure them that no stone would be left upturned for dispensation of justice to the bereaved family. Press release
NEWS
05
Total Parco Pakistan inaugurates the first ever EV charger at Packages Mall Lahore lAHORE:- The inauguration was held by the CEO of TOTAL PARCO Mehmet Celepoglu, Managing Director PARCO Shahid Mehmood Khan, CEO Packages Mall Khurram Raza Bakhtayari and other dignitaries. Present at one of the prime locations in the city of Lahore, this initiative is intended to support the growth of electric mobility in Pakistan. This new EV Charging Station provides an environmental friendly solution and convenience to electric vehicle owners in the form of a new technology called ‘Rapid Charge’. The state-of-the-art ‘Rapid Charge’ station deployed at Packages Mall is top-of-the-line, delivering a blisteringly fast charging time of 20 to 45mins. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TPPL, Mehmet Celepoglu, states, “Total PARCO will continue to play its role as a responsible energy company by consistently offering value products and services to our customers. We are committed to stay aligned with the policies of the Government of Pakistan towards clean energy and long-term environmental sustainability.” Commemorating the partnership, Khurram Raza Bakhtayari, CEO Packages Mall had this to say: “Packages Mall congratulates Total PARCO for evolving with the changing dynamics of the automobile sector and revolutionizing the industry by launching the EV Charger facility within the premises of our mall. We look forward to its success.” This partnership strengthens Total PARCO’s position as a key player in electric mobility in Pakistan by facilitating a carbon-neutral energy landscape that negates the adverse effects of climate change, while providing value to society by catering to the people’s energy needs. Press Release
Haleeb Foods starts plantation at National Highway as part of PM’s Clean Green Pakistan initiative Karachi Press release
Haleeb Foods Limited has started plantation in support of Prime Minister's Clean Green Pakistan initiative and aims to plant saplings and maintain a 500 sq ft greenbelt along national highway network on Multan road. Under this plantation drive Haleeb Foods will plant hundreds of indigenous tree saplings at the front of Bhai Pheru Plant.Speaking on the occasion, HFL CEO Syed Mazher Iqbal said “We believe in giving back in order to make a positive impact on communities we operate in. Trees’ contribution to this planet range from carbon storage and soil conservation to water cycle regulation. This initiative aims to enhance its green cover to make environment more sustainable. Tree saplings will secure our environment from climate effects and it will restore beauty of Pakistan’s National highway”.
Mastercard partners with Pakistan’s One Network to digitise road toll payments KARACHI: Mastercard has signed a strategic partnership with the Pakistani intelligent transport systems provider, One Network, to digitize the country’s road toll payments network. The announcement was signed at the Pakistan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, where Mastercard is the official payment technology partner, in the presence of Frontier Works Organization, Pakistan’s biggest toll collection entity. The partnership will see Mastercard integrate its digital payment gateway infrastructure into One Network’s newly launched Apple and Android smartphone app, allowing motorway commuters to top-up their MTag cards in advance from anywhere using their mobile devices. The newly developed app will also enable motorists to review their travel history and check their balance in real-time. With the integration of Mastercard’s digital mobility payment solutions, commuters can add credit whenever and wherever is most convenient to them through the new application without interrupting their journeys. Press release
06-07 Comments - 9th November 2021_Layout 1 11/8/2021 11:35 PM Page 1
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021
06 COMMENT
Insanity vs sanity
Security briefing
Gag order may be counterproductive
t
He briefing given to the Parliamentary Committee on national Security by the military high command, including the Chief of Army Staff, was placed under a gag order by PemRA, and the ban on journalists covering the proceedings prompted pressmen to stage a sit-in outside Parliament House while the meeting took place. they had been refused entry because of ‘security reasons.’ it is relevant that the committee did not meet in a committee room, but in the main hall of the Assembly, to which journalists would have access from the Press Gallery. it seems difficult to guess what is the point of all this. Who were the journalists supposed to threaten; the senior military officials or the Parliamentary bigwigs who were present, or was this part of the attempt to enforce the gag order. When the Committee had received a similar briefing in July, its contents had been reported by dint of information gathered from those parliamentarians who had attended. the question arises as to why the gag order was imposed? the Speaker does have the right to declare any committee meeting in camera. indeed, he can declare a session of the House as in camera. However, if anyone thinks that this prevents foreign countries, hostile or just interested, from finding out the contents of the briefing, would be sadly mistaken. the secrecy surrounding the briefing is likely to give rise to speculation, and a lot of wink-and-nudge retelling of the briefing. the best way of preventing this would have been for any of the officials involved, probably the Speaker, to have issued a press release, one reasonably enough to satisfy pressmen. internally, there would be interest in how the security establishment perceived the internal challenge posed by the teheeik Labaik Pakistan, and how the taliban takeover of Kabul was perceived. these and other topics are too important for any garbled versions to be given currency the press is committed to watching over the three branches of government, and of informing the public of their doings. However, that does not mean it is ignorant of the demands of national security. it may not accept a definition handed to it. that means that this gag order will merely mean members of the media going out and getting the story, telling it some way disconnected from the briefing. Does the government really want that?
No contest
HASAN AFTAB SAEED
I
t has been said that commercial ads of a society are an accurate reflection of the values of that society at large. in so many ways the whole world is one society now, so we have the same products and pretty much the same ads everywhere. Judging from what is constantly bombarded from tV screens and billboards around the world, the future therefore looks equally gloomy worldwide. Welcome to the global village! Admen were never known for their scruples. they would happily give any message in their ads so long as it makes their clients happy by selling their products. they are extremely focused as well. they are least bothered about any adverse effects of their marketing campaigns. For example, consider the slogan: ‘if i don’t look my best, how will i give my best?’ this rhetorical question is the punch line from
Revisiting Iqbal Museum More research required
Tearaway bowler PTV makes things worse instead of mending fences
O
netime demon fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar found himself out of PtV after his on-air run-in with host Dr nauman niaz, whose failure to apologize for some remarks about mr Akhtar made him feel he had no option but to walk out of the studio. mr Akhtar has made a career for himself as an analyst and media personality since he hung up his boots in 2011 (after taking 178 wickets in 46 tests and 247 wicket sin 163 one-day internationals), and was a worthy successor of the chain of fast bowlers that was started by the present Prime minister, mr imran Khan. that he could be left feeling humiliated by the host of the programme, Dr nauman niaz, whose association with cricket is murky; the only clarity being that he never played even first-class cricket. there has even been some speculation that PtV was bothered by mr Akhtar not giving it exclusivity, and merely used the spat with Dr niaz as an excuse to do what it did. PtV clearly pays more attention to Dr niaz, for he was only removed from the programme he hosts on the personal intervention of mr Khan himself. However, he could be said to have had his revenge, as PtV sent mr Akhtar a notice of Rs 10 million for breach of contract. Dr niaz has issued an apology to mr Akhtar, but mr Akhtar is still involved in a battle with PtV. instead of taking a more conciliatory path, a prized sports host and one of its most high-profile analysts, PtV has chosen to add fuel to the fire. Such an incendiary role is not expected of the PtV being a publicly run national television channel. the Legal notice that has been served to mr Akhtar, in the context of what transpired on air with Dr nauman, indicates a callous attitude on party of PtV. A matter that could have been handled internally should have been dealt as such. there seems to be a political angle to the entire episode that speaks to the way PtV is being run.
MuHAMMAD ZAHiD RiFAT
E
VeR-GRAteFuL nation is observing another death anniversary of great thinker and poet Dr muhammad iqbal on April 21, 2019 to pay homage to him for his great services in the creation of Pakistan. He had awakened the muslims of the sub-continent and, more importantly and significantly, he had also presented the concept of a separate homeland for the muslims where they could lead their lives according to their religious tenets and be socially and economically free from Hindus economic subjugation. this concept = was translated into reality by Quaid-i-Azam muhammad Ali Jinnah through his inspiring leadership and statesmanship in a very short period. As per his concept, Pakistan had come into existence on August 14, 1947 but Allama iqbal had not lived to breathe in a free homeland and had expired about nine years earlier on April 21, 1938 and since then is lying in eternal rest in peace on the right side of the stairs of historical Badshahi masjid, in Lahore. Dr muhammad iqbal had breathed his last in Javed manzil which he had himself got constructed in the name of his younger son Javed iqbal. Javed manzil has since been turned into iqbal museum housing personal belongings and handwritten manuscripts and lot of other daily use articles. A visit to the iqbal museum on the eve of birth anniversary of the great philosopher and poet turned out to be quite an educative and informative experience. Dr iqbal had lived in couple of other places in Lahore for varying period prior to getting Javed manzil constructed and shifting there in may 1935. According to the information gathered from different sources, Dr iqbal on his return from Germany had lived in upper storey of a shop of Attar Chand Kapur booksellers in Anarkali, mcleod Road and also somewhere inside Bhatti Gate between 1906 to1935 Construction of Javed manzil and its ownership
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi
Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Joint Editor
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
the ad of a hair-care product. the line is uttered by a woman, not portraying a model or an actress, but an ordinary office lady. the fact that there is no reason why a woman in an office cannot give her best without looking her best is neither here nor there. the whole point of repeating mindless slogans on the part of cynical admen is that people rarely challenge anything they hear on the tV or see on giant billboards. the models employed in these ads are invariably very pretty. Few in the audience answer to the same description. What is worse, they are aware of the fact. But they are also convinced of the absolute ‘necessity’ of looking pretty. Psychologists would no-doubt have a great deal to say about the havoc this conflict can play with somebody’s psyche. many of the modern psychological issues conceivably have their origin in this sort of conflict. Vanity is a deep-seated human emotion, and for a very good reason. One’s very survival depends upon having a good opinion of oneself. But it is notoriously easy to blow it out of proportion, even without external help. With ads glorifying beauty and glamour everywhere, it is a miracle if a youngster does not end up getting messed up in the head. Why should women obsess about their looks at the workplace is an uncomfortable question for the liberals. A popular explanation is that it is not done for others; that they wear makeup, high heels etc to look good so that they can feel good about themselves. One does not doubt that they genuinely feel happy when they think they look good. that is precisely what the admen wanted and succeeded so spectacularly in achieving. What about those large sections however that, despite doing everything in their power, are still not convinced that they look good. is there any doubt regarding the net increase (or decrease) of happiness because of the worldwide obsession with looking good? i commented a few moments ago that the themes of the ads were the same globally. i feel obliged to revise this statement. it is true that barring difference in noise levels, for the most part the ads are the same
I
Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
I
on road leading from Railway Station to Garhi Shahu which has since been named as Allama iqbal Road makes quite an interesting and illuminating reading in general and particularly for the iqbaliyat research scholars. While living at rented premises on mcleod Road, Allama iqbal had bought a piece of land in 1934 measuring seven kanals in open auction in mauza Garhi Shahu in the name of Javed iqbal at which the house was constructed and completed at a cost of Rs 42025 and had shifted there in may 1935. He had rented three front rooms for his living from his son on monthly rent of Rs 50 and rental document “karaya namah” so written can be seen along with several other documents in the museum now. Dr iqbal was apparently in the habit of putting every transaction in writing and documented these for the posterity to see and learn something. While living in Javed manzil for couple of years, Dr iqbal had many illustrious visitors including Quaid-i-Azam muhammad Ali Jinnah and his sister Fatima Jinnah in 1936 and Hindus leader Pandit Jawahir Lal nehru who was also a great admirer of the great poet and thinker. Within days of shifting to newly-constructed Javed manzil, Dr iqbal had suffered a great personal loss when his wife Sardar Begum, mother of Javed iqbal, expired on may 24, 1935. Allama iqbal was born on november 9, 1877 to Shaikh noor muhammad in a Kashmiri family in Kashmiri mohallah Sialkot in a house , which is now known as iqbal manzil, which was purchased by Allama iqbal’s grandfather Sheikh muhammad Rafiq in 1861. His date of birth was confirmed officially after extensive research by the national Committee for Birth Centenary Celebrations was set up by Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who had also visited the mazar of great thinker and poet on January 1, 1977 to mark inauguration of yearlong centenary celebrations. this very committee had also suggested that the federal government should buy Javed manzil and turn it into a museum where all personal belongings of Dr muhammad iqbal be preserved and displayed for the posterity. Allama iqbal museum was formally inaugurated on December 2, 1977 by COAS/President General muhammad Ziaul Haq. Since then, november 9 is officially celebrated as birthday of great thinker and poet both nationally and internationally by every succeeding federal government and colourful ceremony of change of guards takes place on this at the mazar of Allama iqbal besides host of other functions are organized officially and otherwise to pay homage and rich tributes to Dr muhammad iqbal. Death anniversary of Dr iqbal is also duly observed with due respect and reverence every year on April 21, and a number of functions are held to remember and pay homage to Dr iqbal for his illustrious services towards creation of a separate homeland for the muslims besides his literary and poetic works. this was done accordingly and Javed manzil possession was taken over by the federal government
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
I
Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
I
everywhere. But in our case there still are a few notable remnants from the local ‘civilization’, so we are in the peculiar position to have the worst of both the worlds. this is typical of the subcontinent, where each foreign thing (if bad) is gleefully accepted, and each indigenous thing (if good) is happily let go of. Consider the ad where the prospective in-laws are visiting the home of the prospective bride (a common setting for desi ads). everything seems to be going well. the prospective groom’s father chooses this happy moment to shock the hosts by announcing: ‘i must make it clear that in our household women do not work after marriage.’ this is terrible news considering that the bride-to-be is a working lady. everybody starts breathing again, however, and the air of festivity is restored when the father-in-law-to-be clarifies that he only meant house chores. this is great news because it implies the existence of a team of servants. Vanity is a worldwide phenomenon, but snobbery of this ilk is a very subcontinent thing. there are only two choices for the impressionable women watching. either settle for nothing less than this lifestyle; or make themselves miserable by comparing their lives with pretty, successful, witty, thin, and rich women having ideal in-laws. it is hard to be optimistic in this regard. the situation is gloomy because there is absolutely nothing in opposition to this ubiquitous, insane propaganda. What is worse, even if one could think of a saner message for the youth, it would hardly be half as glamorous and appealing. it would therefore be unreasonable to expect young boys and girls to pay heed to anything sensible in the face of this relentless propaganda. it would be nothing less than a miracle, therefore, if a woman (or a man for that matter) remains completely sane despite the incessant insanity coming her way from all directions. The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed
in December 1977 and turned into iqbal museum which was renovated by some Japanese engineers who had especially visited Lahore for this purpose at the invitation of the federal government and iqbal museum was formally inaugurated by President/Chief of Army Staff General muhammad Ziaul Haq in December 1984. During the fag end of tenure of President/Army Chief General Pervez musharraf, on his express directions about 50 articles on display in the newly converted iqbal museum were borrowed and taken to islamabad and put on display in the newly-established national monuments museum there. Curartor of iqbal museum Dr Rustam Khan on being contacted told this scribe that none of these items have so far been returned, there is no harm if these remain there as these have been put on proper and nice display appropriately also in the national monuments museum in islamabad. He said that these are being viewed with lot of interest by the visitors there personal belongings of Allama muhammad iqbal as the people from islamabad cannot come all the way to Lahore to visit iqbal museum for this purpose. He said, a library and auditorium are being added in the iqbal museum. He said that in the library so being developed, books on and about Allama iqbal will be placed for the general visitors particularly the research scholars for benefitting from these books. . On the persuasion of General muhammad Ziaul Haq, Javed manzil owner Justice (retird) Dr Javed iqbal had agreed to sell the house as well as all belongings of Allama muhammad iqbal to the federal government for turning it into a museum on payment of hefty amount of Rs 3.5 million. Afterwards, Dr Javed iqbal had shifted to a bungalow of his choice on the main Boulevard in Gulberg where he had breathed his last couple of years back. in one of the room of the bungalow, there is big mural. this is transformation into colours of Allama iqbal’s poetic collection “Javed namah” which has been done by prominent Pakistani artist Jimmy engineer at the invitation of Dr Javed iqbal and completed this challenging task in one year 1980-8 during which he had stayed there as well. in fact, Dr iqbal in one of his letters to son Javed iqbal had stated that in the first instance no artist can transform “Javed namah” into colours in a mural but whosoever accomplishes this challenging task, he will attain international reputation and fame. Jimmy engineer takes genuine pride in having accomplished this task which no other local and foreign artist could undertake though several had tried over the years. He regards this one of his major artistic achievement along with Pakistan movement series of paintings. to know much more than this little piece about Dr muhammad iqbal, research scholars should be visiting iqbal museum more frequently than now. there is lot more to see, to know and learn. On display there in the museum are all personal belongings, books, utensils, dresses, handwritten manuscripts in urdu, Persian and letters etc The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) , Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
06-07 Comments - 9th November 2021_Layout 1 11/8/2021 11:35 PM Page 2
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. e-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively
Depression in Pakistan
The ghost of AQ Khan? Analysing history
AMjED jAAvED
I
n an article, published in israel’s Haaretz, renowned researcher Ayesha Siddiqa Agha has flogged a dead horse, Dr. AQ Khan, dubbed the father of Pakistan’s “islamic bomb”. Siddiqa, is author of magnum opus, Military, Inc.: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy. She is very objective in her writings. But, in the Harretz article she appears to have overlooked many facts. She pilloried Dr. AQ Khan for clandestinely procuring the blueprints of the Germandesigned G-1 and G-2 centrifuges from his workplace at Almello, Holland. She accuses Dr. Khan also of “technology swap” with north Korea and diversifying strategic partnerships with other states in West Asia and europe”. What Siddiqa overlooked: india’S hoStility: india has toujours been at daggers drawn with Pakistan. Before his final flight (Aug 7, 1947) from Delhi to Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam sent a message to the indian government: “the past must be buried and let us start as two independent sovereign states of Hindustan and Pakistan, i wish Hindustan prosperity and peace.” But, india’s strongman Vallabhbhai Patel replied from Delhi: “the poison has been removed from the body of india. (maleeha Lodhi (ed.), Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis State)”. even nehru, an ostensibly liberal leader, regarded the creation of Pakistan as a blunder. His rancor against Pakistan reaches a crescendo in his remarks: “i shall not have that carbuncle on my back.” (D. H. Bhutani, The Future of Pakistan, page 14). Ayesha Jalal says: `Just before his own death, Jinnah proposed a joint defence with india as the Cold War started to shape the world and the two power blocs began to form. Jinnah was still thinking as a South Asian nationalist…had Jinnah’s vision prevailed and found an echo in india, we would have seen a very different South Asia...there would have been no crippling defence expenditures’(Ayesha Jalal, Why Jinnah Matters, a paper in maleeha Lodhi (ed.), Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis State). india’s jingoistic military expenditure ratchets up Pakistan’s defence outlays. india threatenS PakiStan: in the guise of Operation parakram (valour), india intended to walk over Pakistan. india conducted another military exercise Ashwamedha, along Pakistan’s borders from April 29-may 3, 2007.
Ashwamedha connotes a “horse sacrifice ritual for acquisition of power and glory through subjugation of one’s neighbours”. Pakistan’s military ruler Ziaul Haq indirectly conveyed to india that Pakistan, too, was nuclear-capable. the uSA came to know that Pakistan, in self-defence, had stored at least eight A-bombs in mated form near an airbase. And, it exerted pressure on Pakistan to put PALs (permissive action links) on the bombs to avoid their accidental detonation. What motivated PakiStan to go nuclear? international institute of Strategic Studies (iiSS) published a “research” dossier titled “Nuclear Black Markets: Pakistan, A. Q. Khan and the Rise of Proliferation Networks”. However, it would be unfair not to look at the silver linings in the dossier. the dossier is accompanied with a prefatory statement by Dr Johan Chipman, Director General of the iiSS. this statement gives a fair opinion of Pakistan’s motivation to go nuclear. Dr Chipman points out, ‘Pakistan’s motivation to acquire nuclear weapons was sparked in large part by competition with india. .. the major boost [to Pakistan’s weapons programme] came in December 1971 after Pakistan’s traumatic defeat by india. embitterment over the loss of east Pakistan also provided a psychological motivation to Dr A.Q. Khan offers his services to his home country by stealing enrichment technology from his workplace in the netherlands. With that boost, it took Pakistan only ten years to reach the point where it could produce a nuclear weapon, despite the withdrawal of nuclear assistance from Western countries’. no military or governmental involvement: Despite its pro-india bias, the dossier admits “Khan may have acted largely on his own volition, for his own profit” (page 2, ibid.). “Khan’s nuclear activities were largely unsupervised by Pakistani governmental authorities and his orders of many more components, than Pakistan’s own enrichment programme required, apparently went undetected”(p. 66, ibid.). “most of Khan’s dealings were carried out on his own initiative” (DG, iiSS, press statement dated may 2, 2007). “A.Q. Khan and his known cohorts are out of business”. the dossier also notes that “A new defence policy was adopted in march 2004. this policy reportedly intended to “further strengthen institutionalization of control of strategic assets”, and “turn all policies and decisions from an invisible secrecy into solid documentary form following recent proliferation scandal” (p. 36, ibid.). nuclear eSPionage by other countrieS: the dossier observes ‘Pakistan was not the only country to evade nuclear export controls to further a covert nuclear weapons programme (page 7, ibid.). ‘Almost all of the countries that have pursued nuclear weapons programmes obtained at least some of the necessary technologies, tools and materials from suppliers in other countries. even the united States (which detonated the first nuclear weapon in 1945) utilized refugees and other european scientists for the manhattan Project and the subsequent development of its nascent nuclear arsenal. the Soviet union (which first tested an atomic bomb in 1949) acquired its technological foundations through espionage. the united Kingdom (1952) received a technological boost through its involvement in the manhattan Project. France (1960) discovered the secret solvent for plutonium reprocessing by combing through open-
source uS literature. China (1964) received extensive technical assistance from the uSSR’. black-market linchPinS: From the dossier, one gets to know that Asher Karni, an israeli businessman, and Alfred Hempel, an ex-nazi who died in 1989, are co-fathers of india’s “indigenous” bombs. Hempel, a German nuclear entrepreneur, helped india overcome difficulties of heavy-water shortage by organising illicit delivery of a consignment of over 250 tonnes of heavy water to india’s madras-i reactor, via China, norway and the uSSR. the duo also arranged transfers to india of sensitive nuclear components. iS PakiStan the Sole Proliferator? Qadeer was forced by the uCn to translate documents relating to German designs of G-1 and G-2 centrifuges. Why did the Dutch authorities sheepishly comply with ‘CiA advice’ not to arrest Dr Qadeer? At a belated stage, Dr Qadeer was sentenced in absentia by a Dutch court to four years’ imprisonment. the sentence was withdrawn. But, why did the Swiss prosecution not appeal against that decision? interestingly, the erudite Dr. Siddiqa does not say a word about misuse by india of Cyrus reactor and know-how acquired from norway, Russia, China France and Canada to make her A-bombs and probably H-bombs (india is believed to have now developed a neutron bomb). the documentary keeps mum about the role played by uSA’s ‘Atoms for Peace’ programme as precursors to ‘Atoms for War’. What were the uSA’s policy motivations for blinking at bomb-oriented “peaceful” nuclear research in several countries? kaShmir nuclear tinderbox: talks on outstanding issues Kashmir, Sir Creek and Junagadh are stalled. instead of discussing Kashmir, the most intractable dispute, india carried out surgical strikes at about 25 targets deep within Azad Kashmir. Later it carried out an air strike at Balakot. in an editorial, Hindustan Times dated January 28, commented that armychief’s statements `provided Pakistan with an excuse to build short range, nuclear-capable missiles, like nasr, to target indian formations undertaking conventional strikes’. ` india is unmindful of possibility that his strikes could lead to a nuclear confrontation. But, John thomson, in his article ‘Kashmir: the most dangerous place in the world’ warns of a nuclear war (Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu, Bushra Asif and Cyrus Samii (eds), ‘Kashmir: New Voices, New Approaches’). Carnegie endowment for international Peace has, inter alia, pointed out that ‘avoiding nuclear war in South Asia will require political breakthroughs in india-Pakistan’. concluding remarkS: Dr. Khan, if anything, was a retail merchant to the international nuclear black-market including some israeli businessmen. But, international media keeps bashing AQ Khan. All states should aspire to bring about a nuclear-free world. Kashmir is a nuclear tinderbox. it may lead to a nuclear Armageddon. nuclear victory would at best be pyrrhic. We know how the Bay of Pigs missile crisis pulled down nuclear threshold. it’s time the world community took notice of military preparation and belligerent statements from Pakistan’s next-door neighbour, india. The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com
DePReSSiOn is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide. Approximately 280 million depression cases happen annually. it has been estimated that mental illnesses affect at least 3.8% of the population, including a large proportion of the youth. most people confuse depression with bipolar disorder and often depression is understood as usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to the challenges of everyday life. However, depression is a separate mental illness, which can become a serious condition if there is a recurrent pattern with moderate or severe intensity. if depression is left unaddressed, it can cause the affected person to suffer significantly and function poorly at work, school, and in the family. At its worst, depression results in suicides. According to a World Health Organization report, globally depression is more common among women than men. the report also reveals that an estimated 5% of adults suffer from depression around the world. the ever-changing dynamics of the world has further contributed to the rise in depression amongst the youth. this includes increased competition, urban lifestyles, and hectic schedules, competing counterparts with the same results, etc. Surprisingly, depression is seldom part of the popular discourse in Pakistan. the most horrifying part is the non-acceptance of its existence. most people in Pakistan consider temperature as more dangerous than depression. However, research has revealed otherwise. today, approximately 3.4% of total deaths are caused by depression. the Covid pandemic has led to a surge in depression amongst the youth in Pakistan. it is time to begin raising awareness and addressing depression. Awareness campaigns, seminars and workshops on the identification of the symptoms of depression and prevention methods must be conducted regularly. if we fail to address this effectively and promptly, it will result in the loss of many lives and have a negative impact on society. the psychological health care system is woefully deficient in Pakistan, and the way it is mainly managed explains why accessing psychological help is a taboo subject. At the time of independence in 1947, there were three asylum-like hospitals, one each at Hyderabad, Lahore, and Peshawar, with a total of 2000 beds. these were in a miserable shape with no psychiatrists and managed by medical officers only. these hospitals were called mad-houses or “pagal khanay,” and patients were often brought there in chains. Before the mental Health Ordinance (mHO) of 2001, the law related to mental health provision was the Lunacy Act of 1912. After the 18th Amendment, health became a provincial subject in Pakistan. the Sindh Provincial Assembly took the lead and passed the mental Health Act in 2013. the Punjab government enacted the Punjab mental Health Act in 2014. Seven decades after independence, the health care system is still not adequate. Whereas the median number of mental health beds per 100,000 population is above 50 in high-income countries, and 11.3 in the more developed countries of the eastern mediterranean Region, this figure is around 1.7 for Pakistan. A recent survey showed that nearly a third of the respondents believed that people fail to access mental health services because mental health professionals are not accessible. in the absence of a formal functioning health system that is adequate for the needs of the population, traditional spiritual healers call the shots in Pakistan. Popularly known as baba, pir, or Sufi, the spiritual healers are well respected in the community. they practice at their residences, clinics, shrines or mosques and explain mental illness in terms of possession by an evil spirit, or by magical influences cast by enemies. Abdul KhAliq lAsbelA
Education in Sindh nO nation can think of attaining prosperity without having an inclusive education system. those that realised the significance of education have achieved unprecedented success while those that continue to undermine its importance have been handicapped by wicked problems such as corruption and nepotism. Like many other postcolonial societies, the crisis of education in Pakistan is acute and chronic. in this regard, the abysmally low passing ratio in the JeSt test — a test conducted for recruiting junior elementary school teacher — should come as no surprise to the policy-makers of Sindh. Pervasive poverty, rising rate of early dropouts, existence of ghost schools and teachers, and sheer negligence are just some of the factors that lie at the heart of the education crisis in Sindh. moreover, the latest Annual Status of education report has put the education system of Sindh at the very bottom due to underlying structural flaws. to begin with, it illustrates that 56.2% of children in grade 5 cannot read a story in any national language while 69.5% cannot solve basic mathematics problems. However, what is most worrisome is the fact that a staggering 6.5 million children are currently out of school in the province. Owing to corruption, the biometric mechanism introduced by Sindh government proved to be a counterproductive and failed to compel ghost teachers to be punctual in schools. Without an efficient, vibrant and impartial system of accountability, educational anomalies cannot be solved and good results cannot be achieved. the government must take prudent measures to improve the overall system. it is true that the crisis of education has further been exacerbated by the pandemic, but the province can overcome the crisis by taking serious efforts and introducing meaningful reforms. the world has reached at its peak level in educational field, but the students of Sindh are suffering under decades old teaching practices and rote learning. inexperienced or low qualified teachers are appointed both in private and government institutions. Because of this, students’ rising abilities are destroyed, and their future is at stake. As they do not achieve education, instead they learn bad manners and cheating strategies. in addition, there are more students in a class than chairs, especially in government schools, and students have no alternative but to sit on the floor. the government has failed to refine the standard of education. Although every now and again we hear the amount of budget allocated for the improvement of education sector, i wonder why we still have to go through an old curriculum, why are we destined to be studying under the old teaching methods; why are we not provided with desks or chairs? this is ironical condition of schools in all parts of rural Sindh and of Karachi’s government schools. Furthermore, i am a student and as far as my knowledge is concerned, it is all hogwash to invest in metro trains, flyovers, motorways and buildings, and instead, investing in human development and strengthening institutions to encourage meritocracy and to encourage talent is the only way for a nation to progress. Abdul WAhAb MAgsi KAshMore
08 WORLD VIEW 9th November 21_Layout 1 11/8/2021 10:03 PM Page 1
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021
08 WORLD VIEW
ParenTs should welcome coVId- The cyberwar between Israel and 19 VaccIne for TheIr chIldren
USA TodAy
T
Dr SuSan Hata
he Food and Drug Administration voted last week to recommend Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11, after the company reported that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on it Tuesday. As a pediatrician, I have spent months preparing for the task now at hand: vaccinating children whose parents have been eagerly awaiting a decision about vaccine approval. Parents in my practice have no problem understanding the overall public health benefit of vaccinating children but also often ask me if COVID-19 vaccination provides a specific benefit to their individual child, given that children are at significantly less risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes than adults. It’s heartening that parents are so thoughtful about the risks and benefits of consenting to a new vaccine. To me, it’s a sign that they are doing their job and seeking the best possible scientific information to make an informed decision, so I welcome these conversations. While the best discussions are those in a trusting relationship between individual caregivers and clinicians, let’s pretend this is our exam room so I can share how COVID-19 vaccines benefit kids, and why I believe parents should vaccinate every eligible child. First, children do get sick with COVID and do get long-haul COVID. Vaccination prevents this. Contracting COVID-19 is not trivial for a child. Thousands of youths in the U.S. have had a serious complication of COVID called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The journal Nature reports that as many as 10% of infected children under 12 have symptoms of COVID that last longer than five weeks, and a United Kingdom study showed that 7.4% of children under 12 still have at least one symptom 12 weeks after infection. Many teens whose cases of COVID were mild, or even asymptomatic, are experiencing troubling cognitive effects lasting for
months and affecting their schooling and sports performance. Reducing transmission of COVID among children and around the world also reduces the possibility that another COVID variant will emerge that is more dangerous to children. As a pediatrician — and as a parent — one of the things that has sustained me this year is the fact that though we have witnessed the deaths of about 750,000 adults in the U.S., mercifully we have not also lost 750,000 children. Pause for a moment to consider that. Most vaccine-preventable infections are dangerous to children: diphtheria, pertussis, measles. It is a tremendous relief that children are not dying of COVID at the same rate as adults. We cannot squander this opportunity by waiting for that to change. It’s also critical that parents understand that we don’t know what late complications of mild childhood COVID infection will arise in the next decades. For example, one in three adults will experience a painful episode of shingles, which is a late complication of a chicken pox infection they experienced often 50 years earlier! Children today are vaccinated for chickenpox and will never experience shingles. In the same way, vaccinating kids for COVID-19 now could prevent them from unforeseen future late effects of mild childhood infections with COVID-19. CONSIDER CHILDREN’S EMOTIONAL HEALTH: Vaccinating children increases the likelihood that they will have an emotionally healthy childhood. Attending school in person, playing with friends and being able to visit relatives are all essential parts of healthy well-being. The mental health crisis we are seeing in children is devastating, and we need to do everything possible to avoid continued periods of social isolation and disruption. Reducing COVID in the community also helps adults, and this directly helps kids. Less COVID in the world means fewer family stressors like unemployment, financial strain and the stresses of having limited childcare options. Parental stress has been shown to affect children’s mental health problems, and keeping parents healthy benefits kids. VACCINE INGREDIENTS ARE KNOWN AND SAFE: Another parental concern is fear that the ingredients of the COVID-19 vaccine could potentially cause unknown harms. however, the vaccine ingredients are familiar to researchers and nearly all of them are already used in other food and medicine products. After mRNA triggers our body to generate the protein that causes the immune response, it breaks down and ceases to exist, making it
unlikely to cause any future issues. Dr. Vicky Forster, a research scientist (and a survivor of childhood leukemia) says the best way to think of mRNA is that it’s like “a recipe”: it gives specific information to your cells and lets them read those instructions and discards them after making the recipe. As a physician, the fact that mRNA self-destructs and leaves the body when it’s done it’s job tells me that it will not cause long-term problems. The other ingredients in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine include sucrose (table sugar, which helps molecules maintain their shape during freezing); salts (which help balance acidity in the body); and four different lipids, which provide a greasy exterior to the mRNA so it can slip inside the body’s cells. The decision to vaccinate a child for COVID-19 may feel harder than most vaccination decisions, given the lack of longitudinal data, and that’s understandable. But as parents and as physicians, all we can do is make the best decision we can with the best information available to us now. As of Oct. 28, 600 children had died of COVID-19 (9 deaths per 100,000 pediatric cases of COVID-19). Consider an everyday parallel: We know that 5 in 100,000 children will die in a car accident each year. We also know that seat belts save lives. There are rare events in which children are seriously injured by their seat belt in an accident, and yet, parents faithfully buckle children into car seats and seat belts every time they get in the car, knowing that the chance of the seat belt saving their child’s life is much higher than the rare risk of harm. Children with COVID-19 are 75% more likely to die of COVID-19 this year than in a car accident. Think of the COVID19 vaccine like a seatbelt for your child. It is true that any vaccine might cause an unexpected bodily reaction in a small number of recipients, but those incidents are likely to be miniscule in number as compared to the majority of children who will be spared the ravages of COVID-19. If you are a vaccinated parent thinking about vaccinating your young child in the coming months, your pediatric provider welcomes your questions. Many of us are vaccinated parents thinking through the same decision for our own children. Let’s face this together. My hope is that all of us will be alive decades from now to reminisce with our adult children about how much we loved them during these years, that we were willing to bravely face courageous decisions to keep them healthy. Dr. Susan Hata practices internal medicine and pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project.
Iran is heating up
Middle eAST MoniTor
I
Dr aDnan abu amer
T is becoming clear that the cyberwar between Israel and Iran is heating up, although neither side has accepted responsibility for recent attacks. Things became even clearer when hundreds of thousands of Iranians found themselves unable to fill the fuel tanks in their vehicles due to a computer glitch in a major supply network. It was discovered later that it was the victim of a cyberattack. Although Iran and Israel have many enemies, few are able to launch large scale, accurate and effective attacks on either country, except for themselves, of course. Although they do not officially recognise it, others have confirmed their responsibility for the attacks. Neither need official confirmation from each other to know who is responsible. Such attacks have been happening for more than a decade, but in the past two years civilian targets on both sides have been hit. Shortly after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Iranians attacked the systems at six water and sanitation facilities in Israel. The occupation state determined immediately where the damage was and repaired it. Its response came within a few weeks when computer facilities at Iran’s largest port, Bandar Abbas, were subjected to an Israeli cyberattack. Three months ago, unknown attackers targeted the Iranian Railways computer system in a way similar to the attack on the petrol network last week, causing thousands of trains to be cancelled. The Iran response was to target the systems at hillel Yaffe hospital in hadera. This was a more serious attack than those earlier. It forced the hospital staff to work manually, which could
have jeopardised Israeli lives. The attack on the petrol supply network is believed to have been a response to the hospital attack; it was sharp, widespread and meaningful. With actions and reactions, this is thought to be just the beginning of a long conflict. It is true that human lives are generally not lost in cyberwarfare. Israel, in particular uses strong safety measures. however, the Iranian attacks are becoming more sophisticated, like the attack on the electricity network and internet servers, which caused serious damage to the banking sector. Things would be more serious if Israelis have to buy emergency generators, or make backup copies of their computer files for fear of being hacked by Iran. Israel has warned that it is not ready for cyberattacks that might cause fatalities. As the tit-for-tat attacks grow, though, there are corresponding fears in Israel that it is not ready for an increase in the pace of Iranian attacks against civilian and military sites with the potential for a lot of damage and huge losses. It is true that Israeli attacks against Iranian targets may be more deadly, but Israel fears that Iranian attacks could paralyse its economy and technical capabilities, whether in the banks, hospitals, commercial institutions or infrastructure. Cyberattacks on various websites and hillel Yaffe hospital, expose Israel’s unpreparedness for such attacks. Indeed, as a country, Israel is highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. There is evidence that there have been 245,000 cyberattacks and cyber-enabled crimes since 2019, including defamation, sexual harassment and robbery. Cyberattacks can be deadly if they lead to drinking water being contaminated, or target operations systems in sensitive areas such as missiles or other weapons. While neither side really wants this cyberwar to escalate to an all-out confrontation, Iran is not going to sit and do nothing in the face of Israeli attacks. It has teams of hackers who respond against Israel frequently, but this is not a video game; the stakes are high, and there could be fatal consequences. At the moment, Israel has obvious superiority over Iran in this cyberwar. however, as has happened in earlier stages of their confrontations, the Iranians are learning, improving their capabilities, and ready to respond to Israeli attacks.
Blacklisting the merchants of spyware
inTernATionAl Policy digeST
I
binoy KampmarK
N a modest effort to disrupt the global spyware market, the United States announced last week that four entities had been added to its blacklist. On November 3, the US Department of Commerce revealed that it would be adding Israel-based companies NSO Group and Candiru to its entity list “based on evidence that these entities developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments that used these tools to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers.” Russian company Positive Technologies and the Singapore-based Computer Security Initiative Consultancy also made the list “based on a determination that they traffic in cyber tools used to gain unauthorized access to information systems, threatening the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide.” The move had a measure of approval in Congress. “The entity listing signals that the US government is ready to take strong action to stop US exporters and investors from engaging with such companies,” came the approving remarks in a joint statement from Democrat house Representatives Tom Malinowski, Anna eshoo, and Joaquin Castro.
This offers mild comfort to students of the private surveillance industry, who have shown it to be governed by traditional capitalist incentive rather than firm political ideology. Steven Feldstein of Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program observes how such entities have actually thrived in liberal democratic states. “Relevant companies, such as Cellebrite, FinFisher, Blue Coat, hacking Team, CyberPoint, L3 Technologies, Verint, and NSO Group, are headquartered in the most democratic countries in the world, including the United States, Italy, France, Germany, and Israel.” The relationship between Digital China and Austinbased Oracle shows how talk about democracy and such ideals are fairly meaningless in such transactions. Digital China is credited with aiding the PRC to develop a surveillance state; software and data analytics company Oracle, despite pledging to “uphold and respect human rights for all people” was still happy to count Digital China a global “partner of the year” in 2018. Its software products have been used to aid police in Liaoning province to do, among other things, gather details on financial records, travel information, social media, and surveillance camera footage. What’s bad for human rights is very good for business. In its indignant response to the Commerce Department’s blacklisting, NSO wished to point out to US authorities how its own “technologies support US national security interests and policies by preventing terrorism and crime, and thus we will advocate for this decision to be reversed.” Portraying itself as a card-carrying member of the human rights fraternity, the company claimed to have “the world’s most rigorous compliance and human rights programs that are based [on] the American values we deeply share.” Previous contracts with governments had been terminated because they had “misused our products.” As NSO has shown on numerous previous occasions, such strident assertions rarely match the record. In July, an investigation known as the Pegasus Project,
an initiative of 17 media organisations and groups, reported how 50,000 phone numbers had appeared on a list of hackable targets that had interested a number of governments. The spyware used in question was Pegasus, that most disturbingly appealing of creations by NSO designed to infect the phone in question and turn it into a surveillance tool for the relevant user. The range of targets was skin-crawlingly impressive: human rights activists, business executives, journalists, politicians, and government officials. None of this was new to those who have kept an eye on the exploits of the Israeli concern. Its sale of Pegasus has seen it feature in lawsuits from private citizens and companies such as WhatsApp keen to rein in its insidious practices. Despite denying any connection, the company will be forever associated with providing the tools to one of its clients, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to monitor calls made by Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a fellow dissident scribbler, Omar Abdulaziz. While NSO has hogged the rude limelight on the international spyware market, that other Israeli-based concern, Candiru, has been a rolling hit with government clients. Their products are also tailored to infecting and monitoring iPhones, Androids, Macs, PCs, and, discomfortingly enough, cloud accounts. Those behind this company evidently have a distasteful sense of humour; the original candiru of Amazon River fame is, goes one account in the Journal of Travel Medicine, “known as a little fish keen on entering the nether regions of people urinating in the Amazon River.” equipped with spikes, the fish invades and fastens itself within penis, vagina, or rectum, making it a gruesome challenge to remove. however colourful the imaginative accounts of the candiru’s exploits are – William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch is merely one – the Israeli version is far more sinister and deserves consternated worry. In July this year, the Citizen Lab based at the University of Toronto identified over 750 websites that had been influenced by the use of Candiru spyware. “We
found many domains masquerading as advocacy organizations such as Amnesty International, the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as media companies, and other civil-society themed entities.” The company, founded in 2014, maintains an opaque operations and recruitment structure, reputedly drawing expertise from the Israeli Defence Forces Unit 8200, responsible for code encryption and gathering signals intelligence. Within two years of its founding, the company had raked in $30 million in sales, establishing a slew of clients across europe, states across the former Soviet Union, the Persian Gulf, Asia, and Latin America. A labour dispute between a former senior employee and the company shed some light on the company’s activities, with one document, signed by an unnamed vice president, noting the offering of a “high-end cyber intelligence platform dedicated to infiltrate PC computers, networks, mobile handsets, by using explosions and disseminations operations.” NSO Group’s reputation, and credentials, are now impossible to ignore. The Israeli government, which grants the export licenses that enable the likes of NSO and Candiru to operate, is splitting hairs. “NSO is a private company,” insists Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, “it is not a governmental project, and therefore even if it is designated, it has nothing to do with the policies of the Israeli government.” In his view, no other country had “such strict rules according to cyber warfare” and “imposing those rules more than Israel and we will continue to do so.” No Israeli government is likely to entirely abandon companies that make annual sales of $1 billion in the business of offensive cyber. The efforts by governments the world over to attack encrypted communications while trampling human rights on route have become unrelenting. In that quest, it matters little whether you are a citizen journalist, a master criminal, or a terrorist. Those deploying the spyware rarely make such distinctions.
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
Oil RiSeS AfTeR ARAmCO RAiSeS CRUde SellinG PRiCe tokYo
O
Agencies
IL prices rose on Monday after Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil producer Aramco raised the official selling price for its crude, suggesting demand remains strong at a time of tighter supplies. Brent crude was up by 90 cents or 1.1% at $83.64 a barrel, after dropping nearly 2% last week. US oil gained 87 cents or 1.1% to $82.14, having declined almost 3% through Friday. Aramco late on Friday raised its December official selling price to Asia for its Arab light crude to $2.70 a barrel versus Oman/Dubai crude, up $1.40 from this month. The move by Aramco suggests “demand remains strong” as the OPEC producer and other
Rupee resumes downward trend against US dollar NEwS DESk The rupee on Monday resumed its slide against the US dollar, falling around 0.29 per cent to reach Rs170.51 in the inter-bank market. Earlier on Friday, the rupee had remained unchanged against the US dollar, closing just above the 170 level in the inter-bank market. The local currency had been on an uptrend since Pakistan received funds worth $3 billion from Saudi Arabia last week and had gained around Rs5.30 against the greenback during the period between October 27 and November 3. Article continues after this advertisement. On October 26, the rupee had dropped to its lowest level, closing over the 175 level for the first time. According to media reports, analysts predict that the local currency is expected to depreciate against the dollar in the ongoing week due to a lack of affirmation by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on its $6 billion worth Extended Fund Facility, and importers’ demand for the greenback.
major oil exporters keep the reins on supply, ANZ Research said in a note. Article continues after this advertisement. he Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, together known as OPEC+, agreed last week to stick to their plan to raise oil output by 400,000 barrels per day from December. US President Joe Biden had called on OPEC+ to produce more barrels to dampen rising prices and on Saturday said his administration has “other tools” to deal with the higher price of oil. Elsewhere, China’s oil imports slumped in October to the lowest in three years, as stateowned refiners withheld purchases due to higher prices, while independent refiners were restrained by limited quotas for bringing in crude.a
USC automates all stores in capital, 20pc of commodity sales ISLAMABAD ghulAm AbbAs
Govt to end supply of subsidised gas to industry MoNItorINg rEport The government is going to withdraw subsidised gas rates of $6.5 per unit for the industrial sector as first part of a three-phased tariff rationalisation plan with the ongoing supply shortages and unsustainable average cost of gas, according to a report by Dawn. The report quoted a senior government official saying that the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) had already moved a summary to the federal cabinet in this regard, including captive power plants, immediately. The Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday is expected to take up the summary for a decision given urgency of the matter. The official said the average prescribed price of local gas stood at about Rs645 per unit (million British thermal units) while the delivered cost of latest LNG cargoes had gone beyond Rs5,000 per unit. The average LNG (liquefied natural gas) sale price last month stood at about Rs2,730 per unit. Domestic gas supply to the export industry and its captive power plants currently stands at Rs820-852 per unit, while general industry is getting gas at Rs1,055, ice factories at Rs1,050 and CNG sector at Rs1,370 per unit. The new rates will be finalised based on the cabinet’s decision. According to the three-phased tariff rationalisation, rates for residential consumers would also be increased after sometime depending on the socioeconomic-political situation.
Following the government’s decision to provide targeted subsidies to inflation hit masses, the Utility Store Corporation (USC) has automated 20 per cent of its commodity sales while fully automating stores in Islamabad. According to officials, during a meeting held at the Ministry of Industries and Production on Monday, it was informed that USC would inaugurate the automated systems in the federal capital next week. The meeting, which was chaired by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, was held to review progress of the digitisation and automation programme of USC under the Digital Pakistan Initiative (DPI). The meeting was attended by secretary Industries and Production, USC MD, senior officials of the ministry and representatives of
PTCL and NRTC. The USC managing director briefed the chair on the progress of digisation including encompassing it’s business process under enterprise resource planning (ERP), including supply chain, warehousing, financials, deployment of POS, human resources, and targeted subsidy which will be consummated by the end of November. While reviewing the progress, Bakhtyar highlighted that the government would provide targeted subsidies at the Utility Stores for Prime Minister Ehsaas Programme beneficiaries by linking their Ehsaas Cards and NICs with sale points to make the stores a targeted subsidy tool. He informed that upon completion, the Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate the automation programme as Digital Pakistan’s vision has been very close to his heart. He remarked that the project would be the largest digitisation programme of
any public sector oriented company and also lauded the ongoing cooperation of PTCL and NRTC to work hand-in-hand with USC to carry out automation processes. Under the Ehsaas umbrella, the national scale targeted subsidies programme will identify beneficiaries through the Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Survey Registry, 2021. The programme has specifically been designed to provide inflation relief to the poor. Under the federal-provincial partnership, the programme will be implemented in collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and USC. Subsidies will be granted to beneficiary households on selected essential commodities. Ehsaas has developed a digitally enabled mobile point of sale system in partnership with NBP to serve beneficiaries through a network of designated Kiryana stores all over the country.
Agencies
China’s daily coal output hit 11.93 million tonnes last week, a multi-year high as more capacity returned to operation, the state planner said in a statement on Monday, as Beijing tries to fill a supply shortage ahead of winter. On Sunday, China’s State Grid Corp warned of a “tight balance” between power supply and winter demand, even after an energy crunch eased following measures to boost
PTA chairman, Chinese ambassador discuss matters of mutual interest Press Release The Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, His Excellency, Mr. Nong Rong called on Chairman PTA, Maj General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) at PTA Headquarters, Islamabad today.The two sides discussed matters of mutual interest , investment opportunities including enhanced cooperation in the field of information & communication technologies (ICTs) and discussed opportunities in Pakistan’s fast-growing telecom sector for the foreign investors. The Ambassador and Chairman PTA agreed to further expand mutual collaboration for mutual benefit of both countries.
Govt will raise tax-to-GDP ratio from nine to 20pc: Tarin ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt
Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin on Monday said that the current tax-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate in Pakistan was 9 per cent which was very low and needed to be doubled to 20pc. Speaking at Kamyab Jawan Convention in Islamabad, he said that raising the tax ratio could improve the country’s growth rate and provide employment opportunities to the youth. ““We will try not to trouble you, but you will also have to keep in mind that
there is no way out without paying taxes because we use the resources of this country; taxes are obligatory on all sections, including traders,” he said, adding that no one has the right to use national resources without paying taxes. The finance advisor, however, said that the government would abolish all but two taxes in next two to three years in order to simplify the country’s tax system. He said all unnecessary taxes such as withholding and turnover ones would be done away with and only the general sales tax (GST) and consumption tax being mandatory for citizens. The adviser said that the government is
focusing on human resource capital and Small Medium Enterprises ( SMEs), which would be the government’s top priority. The adviser said the government was working hard on human capital, interestfree loans, skills development courses for young people, agricultural loans, home loans in easy installments and health cards which, according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, are important policy steps for the youth which makes up 60 per cent of the country’s population. He pointed out that it is the premier’s vision to facilitate youth in every possible way so they can better serve the nation.
China daily coal output hits multi-year peak, prices expected to fall BEIJINg
09
coal supplies and get large users to cut back on electricity. Average daily coal output for Nov. 1-5 reached 11.66 million tonnes, up by 1.2 million tonnes from end-September, logging 11.93 million tonnes for one of the days during the period, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said. Coal inventories have also gained. Stockpiles at power plants exceeded 117 million tonnes as of Saturday, said the NDRC, while portside inventories gained nearly 1.5 million
tonnes from over a month ago to 5.39 million tonnes on Nov.7. “With more coal capacity to be released and production to continue to increase coal prices are expected to continue to decline steadily,” the NDRC said. The most-traded thermal coal futures contract on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange fell 3% to 920 yuan ($143.79) per tonne as of 0215 GMT. China’s coal futures have plunged 52% since a historical high of 1,908 yuan per tonne on Oct. 19.
“The Kamyab Jawan Programme has been launched with the same objective to tap the potential of the youth,” he added. Tarin said interest-free agriculture and business loans being disbursed under another initiative of the Kamyab Pakistan Programme will uplift the living standards of about four million marginalised families. “Back in the 1960s, we were counted with economies like China and Japan when we were economically strong,” he said. “The government wants to bring back Pakistan’s past economic glory when Pakistan was one of the four largest economies in the Asian region,” he concluded.
Crypto rally lifts ether to new record, bitcoin to near 3-week high SYDNEY Agencies
Bitcoin rose to a two-and-a-half-week peak on Monday and ether climbed to a fresh record as cryptocurrencies ride higher on a wave of momentum, flows, favourable news and inflation fears. Bitcoin was last up about 3% at $65,121 and ether , which underpins the ethereum network, sat at a record top of $4,711. Ether is up 57% since the start of
October and bitcoin about 50% as investors have cheered last month’s launch of a US futures-based bitcoin exchange-traded fund and sought exposure to an asset class sometimes regarded as an inflation hedge. Falling real yields, as traders brace for inflation, adds to the attractiveness of assets such as gold and cryptocurrencies which do not pay a coupon, said Kyle Rodda, analyst at broker IG Markets, adding that the mood in the sector has also been good.
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD
10 FOREIGN NEWS
Taliban vicTory sparks hopes of peace in rural afghanisTan KABUL
i
AFP
N the villages that once bore the brunt of Afghanistan’s frontline fighting, the Taliban victory has broken a cycle of air strikes, gun battles and funerals. The group’s takeover of Kabul and the sudden collapse in August of the US-backed regime shocked the world and upended the freedoms of Afghans, which were particularly enjoyed by the urban middle class. But away from major cities, where little of the international aid worth billions of dollars ever reached, many believe the movement’s rule could bring a stop to the fighting and the hope for an end to corruption. “I would give everything for the Taliban,” said 72-year-old Maky as she prepared cotton fibre in her hardened hands with a group of other women in Dashtan, a remote farming settlement in northern Balkh province. “Now, there is no sound of shooting,” she told AFP. “The war is over and we are happy with the Taliban.” ‘no infiDels’: Desperately poor, the villagers are preparing for winter by drying animal dung to use as fuel. A bitter breeze whips up dust in the central cemetery, where the graves of Taliban fighters are now decorated with colourful trinkets and flags. In one of the well-tended plots lies the
son of 82-year-old village elder Hajifat Khan, who celebrated the group’s victory. “The men and women of this village are Taliban supporters, young and old,” he said, cross-legged in a neighbour’s home. “Now I’m satisfied. Now there are no infidels,” he told AFP, adding he had been beaten by a local pro-government militia just before the takeover. He said Dashtan — about 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of Balkh town — used to be a thriving community with more than 60 families. After many fled the fighting and poverty, now only a handful of families remain among the eroded foundations, collapsed domed roofs and empty dwellings. caught in crossfire: A US-led invasion ousted the brutal, repressive Taliban regime in 2001, after which two decades of military intervention by NATO forces followed. A democratic government was restored, women were once again allowed to work and study, and a vocal civil society was rebuilt. But corruption and vote-rigging allegations plagued government institutions, justice was slow and ineffective, and foreign troops were tainted by accusations of colluding with warlords, abusing Afghans and disrespecting local customs. Thousands of civilians were killed or injured each year in attacks by Taliban insurgents and air strikes by US-led forces, with
progress largely limited to cities as the worst of the war raged in rural areas. Mohammad Nasir earns 200 to 300 Afghanis (two to three US dollars) a day at a cotton field on the outskirts of the historic town of Balkh, yards from the 9th-century Noh Gonbad Mosque, believed to be Afghanistan’s earliest Islamic building. He weighs the white crop from a scale hanging on a tree, before stuffing it into huge orange bags, ready for collection. Nasir said he did not support either side in the conflict that raged through most of his life. “I was against both of them because I wanted peace,” the 24-year-old from nearby Zawlakai village told AFP. “I didn’t want to fight.” At another plantation nearby, 26-yearold Farima is among dozens of women and children harvesting cotton in the sunshine, wrapped up warmly against the wind. During the war, she avoided leaving her home, afraid of being injured. With the cotton-picking season ending, she is now working on the land each day with her daughters Asma, 10, and Husna, 9, and son Barktula, aged just three. The pickers in the fields in Dawlatabad district are paid about 10 Afghanis (11 cents of a US dollar) per kilogram, each making 200 to 300 Afghanis. Wearing pink rubber gloves to protect her hands from the sharp bolls of the cotton plants, Farima told AFP it was hard work. “But what else can I do?” she said.
For her, life since the Taliban takeover remains unstable and exhausting. While the end of the conflict is a relief, hardship and insecurity endure. “What change has come? We are still hungry and there are no jobs,” she says. fooD prices soaring: A looming economic disaster means the Taliban’s window for holding on to loyalty may be short. Essentials like cooking oil, rice and tomato paste now cost a lot more after the national currency, the Afghani, depreciated and the country’s reserves were frozen abroad. Afghanistan is now home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than half of Afghans expected to suffer “acute food insecurity” this winter, as a severe drought devastates the country. In neighbouring Samangan province, where 93 percent of the 440,000-strong population live in the countryside, Noor Mohammad Sedaqat grows onions, carrots, okra, tomatoes and pumpkins. In the months before the takeover, he was caught in the crossfire of heavy fighting
between government forces to the west and the Taliban to the east. On one occasion a group of farmers was mistaken for Taliban by a local militia, and narrowly avoided being killed, he said. Sedaqat’s situation on the frontline meant he dared not show allegiance to either the Taliban or the government. “If we went to one side, the other side would beat us, and vice versa,” he said. The 28-year-old father of nine, who works a plot of land in Yakatut village, about 20 kilometres from the provincial capital Aybak, says the new government has cut crime and corruption. But his earnings are plummeting. He hitches a ride to Aybak every one to two weeks to sell his produce at the bazaar, and hopes to make 6,000 to 7,000 Afghanis per trip. But on the morning he spoke to AFP, he made just 3,000 Afghanis for 10 to 12 days’ work. “If it goes on like this, we can’t be happy with the Taliban,” he told AFP, as his children snacked on sunflower seeds.
Vax the kids? A bitter dispute for separated couples WASHINGTON AFP
Christchurch mosques attacker weighing life-term appeal WELLINGTON AFP
The Christchurch mosques attacker is considering appealing his unprecedented whole-of-life jail term, arguing guilty pleas made in the wake of the 2019 terrorist attacks were obtained under duress, his lawyer said Monday. Self-proclaimed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism last year. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the first time a whole-life term has been handed down in New Zealand. Tarrant did not offer a defence at the time but his lawyer Tony Ellis said the Australian national was questioning his decision to plead guilty. Ellis said the terrorist, 31, had told him the pleas were entered under duress because he was subject to “inhuman and degrading treatment” while being held on remand. “He decided that the simplest way out was to plead guilty,” Ellis told Radio New Zealand. Ellis reportedly took over as Tarrant’s lawyer ahead of a coroner’s inquiry into the March 2019 attacks and advised his client to exercise his right of appeal. “He was sentenced to over 25 years, that is a sentence of no hope and that’s not allowed, that’s a breach of the Bill of Rights,” Ellis said. Armed with an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, Tarrant attacked Friday worshippers at Christchurch’s Al Noor mosque first, before moving on to the Linwood prayer centre, livestreaming the killings as he went. His victims were all Muslim and included children, women and the elderly. New Zealand does not have the death penalty and in sentencing in August last year, Judge Cameron Mander said he was imposing the harshest possible term for Tarrant’s “inhuman” actions. “Your crimes are so wicked, that even if you are detained until you die, it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation,” Mander said at the time. Ellis declined to comment when contacted by AFP, saying his client had instructed him to speak only to selected local media outlets. There was no immediate response from the Coroner’s Court.
Michael Thompson, a 47-year-old executive recruiter from Illinois, expects his former wife to take him to court over-vaccinating their two children against Covid-19. He doesn’t trust the vaccine for children, but she wants to follow US health guidelines and have their eight-year-old and 10-year-old inoculated. It is a clash repeated among separated families across the United States, where widespread vaccine hesitancy has thwarted efforts to end the pandemic despite injections being free and easily available. “I’m vaccinated, but I don’t feel the need for my kids to get the vaccine until it’s been proven more,” Thompson told AFP. “We don’t know the long-term effects for kids.” Thompson says this week’s decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to approve the Pfizer vaccine for children aged five and over appeared rushed. And he is ready for a costly fight against his ex-spouse. “She’s pushing back against me and will likely take me to court, which will cost me between $5,000 and $10,000. But to me it’s worth it,” he said. “I’m skeptical (of the vaccine) because it involves my kids. I think I’d be an irresponsible parent if I wasn’t.” Divorce anD litigation: Family attorneys say the CDC decision has opened the floodgates for divorce and litigation. For Sarah Stark, a 52-year-old divorced therapist from St. Charles, Illinois, approval of vaccines for children is a major relief. Her 10-year-old daughter Shayna has been homeschooling for the last two years because a history of strokes and a blood clotting disorder puts her at higher risk. And even though her ex-husband is against getting their daughter vaccinated, Stark is able to because she has sole custody and is responsible for medical decisions. “He doesn’t think the vaccine is a great idea but luckily it’s not his decision to make,” Stark said. For many divorcees, things are not as clear cut. Family law varies state by state, and many parents share custody and medical decisions — creating a scenario that often must be decided by a judge. “We saw a few disputes over the vaccines for 12-year-olds, but I think we should expect to see a lot of battles regarding the younger kids because custody battles are usually about younger children,” said Holly Davis, a family law attorney
with Texas-based firm Kirker Davis. Davis added that currently about 20 percent of her cases involve vaccination disputes, but she expected that number to increase now that younger kids can be given shots. chilD’s best interests: Most parenting agreements have a provision requiring parents to try mediation before taking their dispute to a judge, but if that doesn’t work, they can end up in court. A judge will often appoint an independent party, known as a guardian ad litem, to act in the child’s best interests. Chantelle Porter, a family law attorney at A. Traub in suburban Chicago who has been a guardian ad litem, said the vaccination issue was coming up more and more, and judges were looking to science for guidance. “It’s one of those issues that is very hard to meet in the middle,” she said. “Both parents are legitimately concerned about the safety and wellbeing of their children on both sides. “Every case is an individual case and unique […] but I do believe that the court is going to look at the medical guidance from the public health organizations.”
Even when couples are still together, vaccinations can bring relationship problems to a head. “We’ve had a good amount of divorces over the parents disagreeing over that one issue,” said Brent Kaspar, managing partner of Kaspar Lugay in Marin County, California. “Obviously, they had underlying issues but that pushed them over the edge.” Kaspar added that while he anticipates an uptick in cases reaching the courts, he believes the outcomes will be predictable. “Here in California, it’s been mandated that kids will have to be vaccinated by next year to attend school. The court is going to look at that and say that it’s in the best interest of the kid.” The pain and upset of family disputes over vaccines is another sad aspect of a pandemic that has ripped up normal life around the world. “I thought we’d go through this really tough moment in our history as a society and pull together,” said attorney Valentina Shaknes, of New York-based Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri, which has seen a sharp increase in divorce cases. “So many people got sick, so many died, and I hoped it would have brought out the better qualities in people but instead it brought out the worst.”
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021 | ISLAMABAD
SPORTS 11
T20 WorLD CuP: InDIa Thrash namIBIa By nIne WICkeTs DUBAI
I
AFP
NDIA hammered Namibia by nine wickets to give Virat Kohli a winning farewell in his last match as Twenty20 captain and finish their disappointing World Cup campaign on a high Monday. India, who bowed out of the tournament on Sunday, rode on a 87-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma, who hit 56, and KL Rahul, who made an unbeaten 54, to reach their target of 133 in 15.2 overs in Dubai. India, the 2007 champions, finished the tournament with three wins from five Super 12 matches but missed out on the semi-finals. Namibia signed off with a single win in their first appearance in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup.
Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets each to set up the victory after they kept Namibia to 132 for eight. David Wiese scored 26 off 25 balls and lifted Namibia from a precarious 94-7 to a respectable total, but it was not enough to challenge a powerful Indian batting line-up which came good towards the business end of the tournament. Rohit, who remains the frontrunner to take over the T20 duties from Kohli, hit his second half-century of the competition. Rohit finally fell to Jan Frylinck’s left-arm medium pace but only after he smashed seven fours and two sixes in his 37-ball knock. Rahul kept up the pace to make his third consecutive fifty and struck the winning boundary. Suryakumar Yadav hit an un-
beaten 25 off 19 balls. India had only managed to post 151 and 110 in their opening two losses against Pakistan and New Zealand that dented their chances of making the semi-finals. New Zealand beat Afghanistan on Sunday to eliminate India from the competition and join Pakistan as the teams
into the final four from Group 2. In the final Super 12 match, the Indian bowlers took control after pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah sent back Michael van Lingen for 14 to end a 33-run opening stand. Jadeja struck three times with his left-arm spin and off-spinner Ashwin also rattled the Namibian middle and lower order with fig-
ures of 3-20. Wiese put on 23 for the eighth wicket with Frylinck, who made an unbeaten 15, to add useful runs in the final few overs. Number 10 Ruben Trumpelmann made 13 from six balls, including a six and a four in the 20th over from Mohammed Shami, but Namibia’s total was not enough. teamS: India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (captain), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah. Namibia: Stephan Baard, Michael van Lingen, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Zane Green, David Wiese, Jan Frylinck, JJ Smit, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz.
PCB announces squad for T20I series against Bangladesh NEWS DESK The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday announced its squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh, scheduled to be held from November 19 to 22 in Dhaka. After discussions with Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez opted out to allow younger batters to perform and gain international experience and exposure. The board added Iftikhar Ahmed to the middleorder that also includes Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah. The Pakistani squad for the two Tests, which will be played from November 26 to 30 and December 4 to 8 in Chittagong and Dhaka respectively, will be announced in due course. Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir.
Australia to tour Pakistan next year for first time since 1998 ISLAMABAD The AssociATed Press
Cricket legend Dev says Indian players put IPL before country NEW DELHI AFP
Indian legend Kapil Dev accused the nation’s cricket players of prioritising the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) over national duty, after the pre-tournament favourites were dumped out of the T20 World Cup. “When the players prefer to play IPL over playing for the country, what can we say? I believe that every player should feel proud playing for their country,” Dev, who led India to a World Cup victory in 1983, told ABP News. “I believe that your national team should come first and after that franchise or any other team.” India on Sunday crashed out of the Twenty20 World Cup after New Zealand beat Afghanistan to book the second semi-final berth from Group 2. Virat Kohli’s side, who went into the tournament as one of the favourites, thrashed Afghanistan and Scotland but it was too late after losing heavily to arch-rival Pakistan and then to New Zealand. In the build-up, Indian regrouped just two days after the IPL ended on October 15 in Dubai, adding to the time that the players spent in draining Covid-19 bubble conditions. “I am not saying don’t play cricket there (for franchises) but it is now BCCI’s responsibility to plan their cricket (schedule) better for the future,” the 62-year-old Dev said of the Indian cricket board. “What we can learn from this defeat is to not repeat the mistakes that have been made. This is the biggest lesson.” The Times of India daily said that preparations for the next T20 World Cup, in Australia next year, should begin immediately. That includes infusing “fresh blood” into the side, such as partnering likely new T20 captain Rohit Sharma with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the batting order and giving chances to Suryakumar Yadav, Harshal Patel and Deepak Chahar, the newspaper said. The Hindustan Times reported that after their exit was sealed on Sunday, India called off a training session ahead of the final match against Namibia on Monday “as players brooded what might have been”. “India’s inability to hold their weight in knockout rounds of ICC events has been sticking out like a sore thumb. This time they have also missed the bus to reach the last four,” the newspaper said, bemoaning that India “failed to adapt and tweak their tactics according to the conditions”.
Australia will tour Pakistan for the first time in nearly 24 years when it plays three Test matches, three One-Day Internationals and a T20 international next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Monday. Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore are scheduled to host the Test matches in March and the limited-overs portion will be played in Lahore from March 29 to April 5. The Test matches will be part of the World Test Championship. The ODIs will be counted toward World Cup Super League. The announcement is a huge boost for Pakistan cricket after New Zealand and England cancelled tours in September, citing undisclosed security concerns. The confirmation of the Australian tour comes just days before the two countries are scheduled to meet on Thursday night (PKT) in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Dubai. Next year’s tour will mark the first time Australia have played in the country since late 1998, when a three-Test, three-ODI tour featured their incumbent coach Justin Langer as part of the Test-playing eleven and saw Andrew Symonds make his ODI debut. Mark Taylor led Australia to a 1-0 victory in the Test series. The tour was made famous when he scored an epic
334 not out in the second Test. Since then Pakistan has hosted Australia four times at neutral venues in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. While Australia have enjoyed considerable home success against Pakistan in recent years, their record against them in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been poor. Australia lost the 2014 series in the UAE 2-0, with captain Misbah ul-Haq equalling the then-record for the
fastest Test century, and again lost 1-0 in October 2018, their last away series against Pakistan, and Langer’s first as coach of Australia. “Australia are one of the high-performing sides and them playing in our backyard for the first time after a gap of 24 years will be a special treat for the fans,” PCB chairman Ramiz Raja said in a statement. “Likewise, it will be a great opportunity for the Australia cricketers to not only play at our iconic venues but also feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore.” Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Nick Hockley acknowledged the efforts of the PCB in planning the tour and said he looked forward to close cooperation to finalize the necessary operations, logistics, security and Covid-19 protocols. “The safety and welfare of our players and staff remains our No. 1 priority,” Hockley said in a statement. “We will continue to work with the PCB and relevant agencies to ensure that appropriate and sufficient arrangements are put in place for the tour.” The PCB said a CA delegation will visit Pakistan to meet with various government officials and finalise arrangements. West Indies are also touring Pakistan in December, playing three T20s and three ODIs.
Djokovic’s greatness will be recognised eventually, says Medvedev PARIS AFP
The tide is turning in tennis legend Novak Djokovic’s favour in gaining the respect he deserves from followers of the sport but he may have to wait for years post-retirement to be fully appreciated, says Daniil Medvedev. World number two Medvedev was speaking after Djokovic had come back from a set down to beat him 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final in Paris for a record-breaking 37th Masters 1000 title on Sunday. This came a day after the 34-year-old Serbian won his semi-final to assure himself of another milestone — season-ending world number one for a seventh time. In doing so he ended Medvedev’s slim hopes of toppling him, two months after the Russian dashed Djokovic’s dreams of a Grand Slam sweep in the US Open final. Djokovic has spoken of the love he felt from the US Open crowd that day which has not always been the case elsewhere — in the Wimbledon final this year he was riled on several occasions by spectators siding with opponent Matteo Berrettini. For many years too he has been seen as the odd one out of the three great rivals who have won 20 Grand Slams apiece. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are generally loved but the intense, deepthinking Serbian provokes lukewarm sen-
timents. Medvedev, though, believes the man he calls “his friend” will eventually get the recognition he deserves for his achievements. “I have the feeling that people start more and more to respect what he has done in tennis,” said Medvedev. “Because, well, he continues to beat the records. “I feel like unless they are real haters, which are not real fans, people start to see what he’s done and to see that he’s able to do more.” ‘Break all t h e recordS’: Medvedev says this comprehension of just how great a player Djokovic is will not reach full
bloom quickly. “I think that maybe ten years after he retires, because there is going to be people who will start watching tennis who will not have seen him play,” said Medvedev. “Just like me, I didn’t see (Pete) Sampras play, I was too young but I heard he was amazing — it’s going to be the same. “There are going to be new people coming to tennis who
are just going to read in Wikipedia what were the results. “Who was the World No. 1 for most weeks, for most times in the end, and they are going to see Novak everywhere. “That’s when people are going to start to understand, Okay, that’s amazing what he has done.” Djokovic has a stock
reply to questions as to how he rates his achievements. “Of course, when I surpass one of the past champions, particularly someone that I looked up to when I was a kid like Pete Sampras (prior to Saturday he was tied with the American on six for finishing season-ending world number one), it means the world to me,” said Djokovic. “It’s kind of a surreal feeling. But, yes, I mean, in general terms, it’s just difficult for me to reflect fully on what was achieved. “Not just this week but just in general in my career, I can’t really devote myself to thinking about the historic achievements.” Djokovic, though, makes no secret of his desire to keep setting new standards. “It is an objective, yes, to prove that I can break all the records,” he said. “I’m very motivated to carry on.” In his moment of triumph he offered encouragement to ‘The Octopus’, as Medvedev is known for his ability to retrieve balls from impossible positions. “He’s a complete, all-round player,” said Djokovic. “He’s closing on the World No. 1 ranking. I’m sure he’s going to get it eventually, and when he does, it’s completely deserved. “He’s the leader of the next generation of players, challenging the three of us old guys.”
Tuesday, 9 November, 2021
pRayeR timingS
NEWS
FAJR SUNRISE
ZUHR
ASR MAGHRIB ISHA
5:09
11:52
3:31
6:34
5:09
6:34
PM directs to bring sugar stock out for sale in Market
P
NewS DeSK
M Imran gave directive to the concerned authorities on Monday to bring the entire sugar stock for sale in the market, while adding that strict actions against hoarders. The PM presided a meeting regarding price control in Islamabad today, where it was decided that sugarcane crushing, in accordance with strict enforcement of crushing laws would commence from November 15 across the country
It has been discussed in the forum that sugar prices were increased due to the closure of sugar mills in Sindh, though an adequate quantity of the commodity was available in the market. “Commodity prices are rising in the international market,” the PM said while addressing the meeting. “As Pakistan is dependent on imported goods, it is having an impact on the local market. However, the government is taking all possible steps to reduce the burden on the poor.” “The Sugar Factories (Control) Amend-
ment Act 2021, Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Act 2020 and Punjab Registration of Godowns Act 2014 against sugar mafia and hoarders should be implemented,” the premier stated that profiteering and hoarding will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The PM said that people should be apprised of “real facts”, and an effective awareness campaign in this regard should be launched. The premier further stated that different schemes under the Ehsaas programme, such as the Ehsaas Rashan, Kamyab Pakistan,
Global convergence on Afghanistan vital to avoid humanitarian crisis: COAS TLTP Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reiterated the dire need for global convergence on Afghanistan to avoid a humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country. The army chief expressed these remarks during a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of Canada Marta Morgan at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement. The COAS said that Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement and wish for long-term and multidomain enduring relationship with Canada. He reiterated the dire need for global convergence on Afghanistan to avoid a humanitarian crisis. According to the ISPR, matters of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation in various fields, overall regional situation and collaboration in humanitarian measures in Afghanistan were discussed during the meeting. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in evacuation operation in Afghanistan, regional stability and pledged to play her role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.
Earlier, during the ‘4th Round of Bilateral Political Consultations’ held between Pakistan and Canada in Karachi, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to remain engaged to further boost bilateral relations, which has been increased with the passage of time in different spheres of cooperation. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood led the Pakistan delegation while the Canadian side was led by Marta Morgan. “The two sides affirmed their commitment to remain constructively and meaningfully engaged to further reinforce Pakistan-Canada bilateral relations,” a statement shared by the Office of the spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs read. A wide range of bilateral relations, as well as regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest, were discussed during the meeting. “The Canadian deputy foreign minister noted that Pakistan is a long standing friend and reaffirmed Canada’s desire to build a multifaceted relationship with Pakistan with increased people-to-people exchanges,” it read. She appreciated Pakistan’s assistance in the evacuation of Canadian nationals from Afghanistan and lauded Pakistan’s role in efforts for bringing stability to Afghanistan.
Kisan Card and Sehat Card, had been launched to provide relief to the lower-income strata of the country. “The government should be focused on serving the people beyond politics,” he said, adding that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) was aware of the inflation’s effect on the people. The meeting had federal ministers Hammad Azhar, Fawad Chaudhry, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Syed Fakhar Imam, Dr Farogh Naseem, Finance Advisor Shaukat Tarin, Interior and Accountability Advisor
Shahzad Akbar, SAPM Dr Shahbaz Gill, and chairman FBR in attendance. It had been reported earlier that Inadequate supply of the essential commodity in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi remains a problem with almost all neighbourhood stores (kiryana) running out of sugar. Also, not only consistently long queues were witnessed at utility stores since the past few days, owing to the incessant shortage of sugar, but the price of the commodity was also soaring.
Pakistan tops world normalcy index NewS DeSK Out of 50 countries, Pakistan has been ranked first in The Economist’s World Normalcy Index. The index aims to track which countries are returning to their pre-pandemic levels, while using eight different indicators of human behaviour that include; time not at home, retail, office use, public transport, road traffic, flights, cinema and sports attendance. Pakistan is followed by Nigeria, Britain and Germany on the list which was last updated on Friday. The easing of restrictions and better mobility, along with the gaining momentum of the vaccination drive, have led to a gradual recovery of the economy. Speaking on this achievement, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhay said “this shows our huge success in fighting against the pandemic“. “The world appreciated Pakistan’s brilliant strategy against coronavirus. We are in a much better position than the rest of the world today,” he tweeted. He noted that it is a fact that Pakistan’s industry has been revived as the construction sector is fully operational, the agricultural economy is prosperous, IT exports have tripled, and the incomes of workers, farmers and people working in the industrial sector have increased. He hoped that in six to eight months, the global commodity prices will also begin to normalise and that in turn will provide impetus to Pakistan’s economy. The normalcy index report said although most of the population in developed countries are vaccinated, still, Covid-19 poses a threat. The positive ratio or cases are likely to increase in the coming months as cold weather in the northern hemisphere forces people to spend more time inside, it added. In recent months, with the easing of sanctions, the index has risen to 79 points (equivalent to the 100 average pre-epidemic behaviour) – its highest level since March 2020. The pre-pandemic level of activity has been set at a score of 100. In recent months, the global normalcy index rose to 79 points as Covid restrictions were eased off.
Pakistan rejects Indian claim of fisherman’s killing KARACHI Staff RepoRt
Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) rejected the Indian claim of the killing of a fisherman by the navy personnel. An India Today report claimed the coastal security on Saturday evening fired at the boat of 32-year-old Sridhar Ramesh and killed him near the international maritime boundary line in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast. However, the PMSA observed the boat was only “cleared towards [the] Indian side”. “On Nov 5, 2021, at about 4:00 pm — while a PMSA ship was on routine patrol in
Eastern Maritime Region — observed few Indian fishing boats about 8NM into [Pakistan’s] Exclusive Economic Zone involved in illegal fishing.” “One of the boats named Padmani Kopa not adhering to the instructions was apprehended and has been handed over to Police on November 6 for further legal proceedings. The boat crew names are Bhupat Babu (Nakhuda), Sanjy Shidwa, Kishore Mashya, Nirender Bujad, Ajay Vodu, Santosh and Ramu Bujad.” The agency, the statement said, is “unaware of any incident where someone has been killed or injured”.
“Further, official documents of the apprehended boat show no such name as claimed by some foreign media. PMSA has no knowledge about the boat JALPARI or its crew state. It is reiterated that PMSA as per standard operating procedure uses nonlethal means while undertaking law enforcement actions. Humanitarian aspects are always kept in mind while dealing with fishermen. PMSA would like that each country’s maritime forces take necessary steps to curb illegal intrusions by fishermen into other country’s EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone].”
Top Afghanistan diplomat to visit Pakistan: report KABUL/ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is expected to visit Pakistan, Sputnik reported citing a source. “The date has not been determined yet, but Muttaqi has been invited and he accepted the invitation,” the Russian state-owned news agency said, without specifying the upcoming visit’s agenda. Reportedly, Muttaqi, a senior member of the Taliban movement, was extended the invitation by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who visited Kabul in October for the first time since the Taliban victory in August. There, Qureshi said Pakistan was determined to help Afghanistan avoid a collapse of its economy and agreed to measures to ease some border restrictions and facilitate trade, including on-arrival visas for business travellers
from that nation. A Foreign Office statement issued ahead of that trip said Qureshi would focus in his talks with Muttaqi and other Taliban leaders “on ways and means to deepen cooperation in diverse areas”. This is the first visit of a minister from the interim government in Kabul after the group took over the reins of the government in August. The report also said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are in constant touch to finalise details of the visit. People familiar with the developments told the agency Muttaqi’s visit is part of the ongoing engagements by Islamabad with Kabul. Pakistan has clarified the visit should not be seen as an act of formal recognition of the Taliban government, however. Pakistan has provided essential humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in recent months of insecurity in the form of food and medicines.
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
During his visit, Qureshi promised to provide humanitarian aid worth $280 million to Afghanistan to help its new rulers overcome a severe humanitarian crisis in the country. Other measures to support the government on Islamabad’s part also include resumption of flights with Afghanistan and boosting bilateral trade, according to Sputnik. Also in October, the Taliban government sent an envoy to run the Afghanistan embassy in Islamabad. Mohammad Shokaib was appointed first secretary or charge d’affaires at the embassy, which has not had an ambassador in place since the previous Western-backed government withdrew its envoy in July. As Pakistan does not officially recognise the new Taliban government, Shokaib does not have the formal title of ambassador but is in charge of the mission.