Issuu

Friday, 22 october, 2021 i 15 Rabi-ul-awwal, 1443 i Rs 15.00 i Vol Xii No 113 i 12 Pages i lahore Edition

FATF decides To keep pAkisTAn on grey lisT islamabad

staff report

HE Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has decided to keep Pakistan on the grey list. Announcing the decision, FATF President Dr Marcus Pleyer said that Pakistan had to complete two concurrent action plans with a total of 34 items. “It has now addressed or largely addressed 30 of the items,” he said. “Its most recent action plan from June this year, which largely focused on money laundering deficiencies, was issued after the FATF’s regional partner — the Asia Pacific Group — identified a number of serious issues.” “Overall, Pakistan is making good progress on this new action plan. Four out of the seven items are now addressed or largely addressed,” he added. In a statement, the Finance Division said that the FATF had recognised the “considerable progress” made by Pak-

istan on both the action plans. The statement said that Pakistan had completed four of the seven items on the 2021 action plan, adding that these were completed “much before” the timelines prescribed by the FATF. It said that progress on the remaining three items was “well underway” and the aim

was to complete them ahead of the timelines set by the financial watchdog. “The action items that have been completed include amendments in the Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2020, AML/CFT [anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism] supervision of designated non-financial

Pakistan pledges Rs 5 billion assistance to avert crisis in afghanistan islamabad mian abrar

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced on Thursday that Pakistan will give humanitarian assistance worth Rs5 billion to Afghanistan to help avert humanitarian crisis in the war-torn neighbouring state. Speaking to the media after a day-long visit to Kabul, the minister said: “If they need medicines at hospitals […] or whatever else their priorities are, they will tell us and we will be ready to give them humanitarian assistance in-kind.” During the press conference, Qureshi said that the Afghan government recognised and were “thankful” for how Pakistan had helped them in times of difficulty and the way the country had housed refugees for decades. “Right now there is a transition, there are challenges and to overcome that, Pakistan will play whatever role it needs to play,” he said. The foreign minister said that the high-level delegation that accompanied him on the trip also included officials from different ministries and institutions. “The point of taking [the delegation] was so that after the main discussion, they would break off into sub-groups and hammer out the details of different issues related to visas, trade and border movement.” He said that to follow-up on the issues discussed during today’s meet, a Taliban delegation will visit Islamabad in the next few days. Qureshi said that the Taliban leadership also assured their complete support on projects of interest, including the CASA-1000 project, the TAPI

gas pipeline project and the Transnational Railway project. Commenting on various other decisions made during the meeting, the minister said that Pakistan authorities would no longer require Afghans crossing the border to obtain a “gate pass” from the interior ministry. He said that Pakistan will allow the duty-free import of fruits and vegetables from Afghanistan to facilitate bilateral trade and border crossings will remain open 24/7 for trade. He also announced that Afghan businessmen will now be able to get a visa-on-arrival, adding that the embassy in Kabul had also been authorised to issue five-year visas to businessmen. Qureshi also said that the Afghan leadership had assured the Pakistani delegation that it would not allow anyone to use its soil against Pakistan, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). ViSiT To KaBul: Earlier today, Qureshi had arrived in Kabul, leading a high-level delegation to meet with Afghan officials and leaders on bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. Footage released by state broadcaster Associated Press of Pakistan showed Qureshi disembarking the plane, followed by Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed. They were received by Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan Ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan at the airport’s tarmac.

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Take one for the team: SBP governor tells middle class State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir has said that while people who use imported products and can somewhat manage to travel abroad for vacations will find it difficult to downgrade their standard of living, overseas Pakistanis and their families will benefit from the ongoing depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar. The remarks were made by the central bank chief in a press conference in Manchester, United Kingdom (UK) on Thursday. “Obviously people with the power to purchase expensive imported items, the ones who can afford vacations abroad, will face some difficulty,” Baqir said. “Rising dollar rates benefit some people and harm others. Overseas Pakistanis benefit because their family members receive more remittances. We should not forget those who benefit,” the exIMF official added. “In every economic policy, some people benefit while others do not, so it should also be taken into account how many people have benefited.”

“Suppose if our remittances in this year reach $30 billion — we hope they will be even more — and if our exchange rate [against the dollar] in the last few months has depreciated even 10 per cent then an additional $3bn are reaching the families of overseas Pakistanis — this turns out to be more than Rs500bn.” He said the “additional money” is being sent to Pakistanis in the country, reiterating that every economic policy of the government proves to be beneficial for some, while not for others. The SBP chief also talked about the country’s economic situation and said GDP growth had been recorded at close to 4pc in the fiscal year that ended in June. “Real GDP growth means that people’s income increased 4pc more compared to inflation,” he said. It is pertinent to mention here that a sizable amount of Pakistan’s population is middle class.

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businesses and professions (DNFBPs), transparency of beneficial ownership information and implementation of targeted financial sanctions for proliferation finance by DNFBPs,” the statement said. The remaining items in the 2021 action plan include investigation and prosecution of money laundering cases, confiscation of assets and UN listings, it added. Regarding the single item remaining on the 2018 action plan, the Finance Division said that Pakistan had submitted a comprehensive progress report in this regard. “The FATF acknowledged Pakistan’s continued political commitment, which led to significant progress across a comprehensive CFT action plan and encouraged Pakistan to report further progress on investigation and prosecution,” the statement said. The Finance Division noted that “considerable work” has been carried out on the remaining items of both action

plans, adding that the FATF will review Pakistan’s progress in February 2022. Commenting on the action plan devised in 2018 which focused on terror financing, the FATF president said that Pakistan was still assessed to have largely addressed 26 out of 27 items. “Pakistan has taken a number of important steps but needs to further demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions are being pursued against the senior leadership of UN designated terror groups,” he said. Responding to a question about whether Pakistan would be blacklisted for its failure to act against those on the UN terrorism list, Dr Pleyer said that the country had completed 30 items out of 34 on two action plans. “This shows the clear commitment of the Pakistani government so there is no discussion on blacklisting Pakistan and the FATF urges the country to address the remaining four items,” he said, adding that the government was cooperating with the financial watchdog.

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

InveStMent IS a vItal coMPonent oF econoMIc growth and develoPMent, eSPecIally In develoPIng countrIeS: haMMad azhar ISLAMABAD

r. Hammad Azhar, Minister for Energy made a statement on behalf of the Prime Minister of Pakistan at the “World Leaders’ Investment Summit”, one of the high level events of 7th World Investment Forum (WIF). The 7th WIF is being hosted by the UAE Government virtually, in collaboration with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) from 18-22nd October, 2021. World Investment Forum is one of the pre-eminent global platforms for policy debate on investment for development.

PM Khan for protecting youth from exposure to unethical online content ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that in this era of modern technology, it was inevitable to protect the country’s youth especially the kids from being exposed to immoral and unethical content available online. The prime minister, while chairing a meeting on blocking pornographic websites in the country, said character building was very crucial in the era of modern technology. “The proliferation of tech gadgets and 3G/4G internet technology has made all sort of content available to everyone,” he commented. The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to ensure effective gate-keeping of the online content to shield innocent brains against the ruthless onslaught of immoral and pornographic content online. Earlier, the prime minister was apprised that Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) particularly Cloudfare with 1-2% of total internet traffic share had complaints of serving pornographic content. Other CDNs did not serve pornographic material as per their policies, it was told. He was also informed that PTA needed to work with ISPs/CDNs for blocking pornographic content through CDNs, particularly Cloudfare. The PTA also needs to enhance its Warehouse Management System (WMS) capability by integrating with some global and regularly updated database of pornographic sites to block them at URL and domain level.

Fact-finding committee formed to probe unprecedented suicide cases in Sindh KARACHI app

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh Surendar Valasai said that there is a need to set up a fact-finding committee on unprecedented cases of suicides in Mirpurkhas division and elsewhere to meet the demands of justice. He expressed such views while speaking on the occasion of the first meeting of the Sindh Human Rights Vigilance Committee (SHRVC) held here on Thursday. The meeting was attended by members of the committee and Secretary Human Rights Department Sindh, Javed Sibghatullah Mahar. Surendar Valasai said that the main objective of the Provincial Human Rights Vigilance Committee is to ensure protection of the rights provided to the people in the Constitution. Appreciating the suggestions of the committee members, the Special Assistant directed the Secretary HR to write a letter to the Department of Education to include the UN Declaration of Human Rights in the syllabus. He said that human rights committees would be formed at district level soon. At the request of the members, Surendar Valasai said that smart ID cards should be issued to the committee members by the Human Rights Department so that in case of any human rights violation, they can introduce themselves to the concerned department. Surendar Valasai said that out of 9 UN Conventions on Human Rights, 7 conventions have been signed by the government of Pakistan.

Mr. HammadAzhar underscored the importance of investment by saying that investment is a vital component of economic growth and development, especially in developing countries and FDI inflows are more necessary now than ever. He pointed that investors require legitimate guarantees to mitigate risks and secure reasonable returns and proposed deployment of public finance as a means to de-risk private investments and said that Pakistan should prioritize investment flows to areas aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He suggested that Multilateral Development Banks (World Bank, Asian Development Bank), Development Aid Agencies and private sector can play a major role to mitigate potential risks and through this approach can

create huge impact in terms of human development, poverty alleviation, public health, education, jobs and livelihoods. The Minister proposed an integrated sustainable infrastructure facility under the UN umbrella for sustainable infrastructure to harmonize investment policies, provide assistance to developing countries for preparation of project and feasibility studies, and to access financing both from public and private sources. He agreed that developing countries, as recipients of investment flows; need to provide an enabling investment environment and a regulatory framework that is fair and balanced. He further stated that PTI government has made progress on the investment front and that Pakistan has

been ranked among the top ten improvers in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2020. He also shared that the government has issued Green Bonds and is also exploring options to swap debt for environmental protection related projects. He added that the government is setting up Special Economic Zones and Technology Parks in the country and invited the global investors to avail a range of investment opportunities in infrastructure, energy, communications, technology and other areas in Pakistan. Speaking at the World Investment Forum, International Investment Agreement (IIA) Conference 2021, another high level event of WIF, Secretary Board of Investment (BOI), Ms. FareenaMazhar underscored that Pakistan is going to re-negotiate all the Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) on the new BIT template and that there is a positive initial response received from the BIT partners. She also highlighted that BOI is working on reforming the overall investment policy and legal framework, for which UNCTAD has agreed to assist. Ms. Fareena said that presently, governments around the world are facing pressing and controversial questions relating to their BITs, and are re-thinking their approaches to those agreements as BITs have not been as instrumental in attracting the much-needed FDI as a result unilateral terminations are taking place.

Ershad Mahmud appointed new DG of Kashmir Liberation Cell MIRPUR Staff RepoRt

Seasoned journalist, analyst, historian and expert on Kashmir affairs and Central Secretary Information PTI AJK Ershad Mahmud has been appointed as Director General Kashmir Liberation Cell of Azad Jammu & Kashmir government. Official Notification Issued by the Kashmir Liberation Cell Secretariat on

Thursday said the Chairman of Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Cell / Prime Minister of Azad Government of the State of Jammu & Kashmir has appointed Muhammad Ershad Mahmud as Director General (BPS – 20) of Kashmir Liberation

Cell, AJK government. Ershad Mahmud is a keen observer of the Kashmir affairs and a native of Rawalakot, Azad Jammu Kashmir. He attended series of national and international conferences on Kashmir issue both at home and abroad besides participating hundreds of talk

shows on media. Ershad Mahmud is also presently holding key slot – as Executive Director of the world-fame Kashmiri think tank – Center for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR) which managed series of the intraKashmir summits with prime focus to move ahead for lasting peace in South Asia through the peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue.

PDM chief to lead protest rally in Karachi today KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s schedule for the Karachi visit has changed and he would lead a rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Karachi today. The PDM chief will land in Karachi at 7:00 am on Friday to lead a protest rally against rising inflation. The protest demonstration will be held at Empress Market situated in Karachi’s Saddar area. The rally will be held under the banner of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh chapter leadership would also participate in the protest demonstration. In a video message shared on social media yesterday, JUI-F Sindh secretary-general Rashid Mehmood Soomro said that PDM will kick off protests across the province from October 22 (Friday). “The PDM will hold a massive protest demonstration at Empress Market in Karachi’s Saddar on October 22 after Friday prayers,” the JUI-F general secretary had said in a video message.

Veteran journalist recalls restoration of China seat at UN UNITED NATIONS Xinhua

“I have never seen such a resounding applause in my life,” remarked Iftikhar Ali, a journalist who witnessed the moment half a century ago when the legal seat of China in the United Nations was restored. Ali, who covered the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in 1971 for the Associated Press of Pakistan, witnessed the historical event when the UNGA voted on China’s legal representation. After a week of debates, the 135-member UNGA convened on the night of October 25, 1971, to discuss a draft resolution jointly proposed by Albania, Algeria and 21 other countries calling for the recognition of the People’s Republic of China as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations”, Ali said in a recent interview with Xinhua. The assembly then adopted the draft resolution by a roll-call vote of 76 to 35, with 17 abstentions, as Resolution 2758. “Huge excitement” erupted immediately after the result was announced, recalled Ali. Cheers and applause filled the air, and people were hugging and shouting, said Ali. “Some ambassadors also got up and danced.” A photo of Tanzanian Ambassador Salim Ahmed Salim dancing was published in US newspapers the next day, said Ali. “At that time, I had to leave to file the story,” said Ali, who had no time to participate in the celebration. He rushed all the way to the third floor of the General Assembly building and shot a flash in one of the telegraph rooms to the APP headquarters:

“UNITED NATIONS CHINA IN TAIWAN OUT APP.” The big news had to be announced “in the fewest words” possible through telegram since there were no telex machines or computers at that time. “Another word would delay it,” Ali explained. The veteran journalist has been covering UN news ever since. While many events have become fuzzy over time, the night of October 25, 1971, remains vivid in his memory. This was an issue of “universal membership,” Ali stressed, adding that most countries thereafter insisted that “Taiwan is a province of China.” In addition to what happened in the General Assembly Hall, Ali noted that the Chinese delegation’s arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 11 was another highlight for China’s restoration of its lawful seat at the United Nations. There was a huge crowd of reporters waiting outside the airport for the arrival of the delegation, which Ali called a “sea of people.” Many people “were beating drums and gongs and shouting welcome slogans.” Journalists, as well as permanent representatives of the 23 sponsors of the draft resolution and some UN representatives of other countries, as well as “officials, friends and colleagues from various walks of life,” went to the airport to greet the Chinese delegation. “I was really proud of China when I saw the fivestar red flag raised high in front of the Roosevelt Hotel,” Ali said. In Ali’s view, the restoration of China’s legitimate seat at the United Nations has had a significant impact

on the UN’s ecology. “The whole United Nations, the whole scenario has changed because of the presence of the People’s Republic of China,” he said, adding that China is a country “with a development policy on the thinking and in support of the third-world countries.” Ali also believes that the presence of China at the Security Council has made the most important organ of the world “balanced.” “China has been a strong advocate of multilateralism, and it continues to be an important supporter of developing countries,” said Ali, adding that China has constantly insisted that decisions regarding international affairs should be reached through consultation between all members. On China’s principle of safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, Ali said that China has done a great job in this regard. He thanked China for helping Pakistan build the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, which he said has brought “prosperity to the people of Pakistan.” Ali told Xinhua that he has strong feelings and love for China and its people as his first visit abroad was to the Asian country. He visited China in 1964 as a member of the Pakistani delegation to Beijing to celebrate the 15th anniversary of China’s founding. “I have been to China seven times. My last visit was in 1976,” said Ali. The international community made a wise choice 50 years ago, “we are very proud of that,” said Ali, who expects to visit China again sometime in the future.

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

SaPM Shahbaz gIll dareS journalISt aSMa ShIrazI to Prove allegatIonS agaInSt buShra bIbI ISLAMABAD app

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Thursday dared journalist Asma Shirazi to prove the allegations made by her against First Lady Bushra Bibi in an article published by the BBC Urdu. Addressing a news conference, he alleged that the female journalist targeted Bushra Bibi, who is a housewife, to please

certain elements. He also wondered as to how a credible news outlet like the British Broadcasting Corporation has published such an article, which is tantamount to tarnish the image of a housewife. He appealed to the journalist community and opposition to refrain from promoting dirty politics in Pakistan as it would not serve anyone. Questioning credibility of Asma Shirazi, he said it was her who remained allegedly involved in taking favours from the

government departments. He recalled the way the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) withdrawn a notice which was served upon her lately. The SAPM said he would contact the FBR and seek clarification as to how the notice was withdrawn. The FBR would also be asked to investigate as to how she had made a house in Islamabad’s F-8 sector. The appointment of her brother in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) would also be investigated, he added. He asked how a journalist could take a favour from the

government departments. The SAPM said writing such an article is a ‘shameful act’. With this act, it seemed that there were some elements in the media who did not spare any opportunity to mislead the nation by criticising every act of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He appealed to abstain from promoting use of abusive language. About the reaction against the article on social media, he said those who used derogatory language against PM Imran Khan and his family would definitely be taken to the task by the people.

Gill maintained that the prime minister was elected by the people of Pakistan and had not come into power through backdoor as like of his predecessors. About price hike in petroleum prices, he said the increase in fuel prices in Pakistan were relatively less than of other countries. The oil prices were only surged by 17 percent in Pakistan as compared to the world where it witnessed 113 percent hike. Likewise, the gas price was increased by 17 percent in the country, while globally it was surged by 101 percent, he added.

EBM acknowledged as the ‘Best Place to Work’ in Pakistan Take one for the team: SBP governor tells middle class KARACHI pR

English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM) has earned the top position in the ‘Best Places to Work’ award in the FMCG Industry. The ranking portrays the commitment of EBM to continuously elevate the standards of its operations as well as its products. EBM’s tireless efforts have been recognized by the industry on numerous occasions. The rankings have been compiled and issued after a thorough survey carried out by the ‘Pakistan Society of Human Resource Management’ (PSHRM) and ‘Engage Consulting’. It was introduced in the year 2008, when it started conducting the survey every alternate year. For the year 2021, 62 MNCs and 98 local organizations participated. The

survey measured the level of engagement and commitment of employees with respect to the organizations and their vision. EBM has won this accolade for the fourth time this year. Its continuous recognition in this prestigious ranking has proved EBM’s dedication and commitment towards creating and providing the best and most enabling workplace for their employees. EBM has successfully implemented the most enriching work-environment models, adopted from the finest international standards. EBM provides ample space to its employees for constant growth, training sessions and other enrichment opportunities. At EBM, the employees are considered to be the most valuable assets of the enterprise.

French ambassador cannot be expelled on TLP’s request, says Rasheed Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Thursday that the French ambassador cannot be expelled from Pakistan at the request of Tehreek-eLabbaik Pakistan (TLP). The interior minister’s remarks came a day after the organisation’s members staged protests for the release of party chief Saad Rizvi, as well as against ‘arrests’ of fellow party members. He was addressing police passing out parade ceremony wherein he calmed that no one was a ‘greater soldier of defending finality of Prophet (PBUH) than him’. It is pertinent to note that on April 23, lawmakers during the National Assembly session were divided on a resolution presented by the government on the issue of Namoos-e-Risalat and expelling the French envoy over the publication of blasphemous caricatures in his country. The minister went on to state that, “Expelling the French ambassador means pulling oneself out of the European Union. Whether it is the TLP or PDM, neither should do anything to take the law in their own hands.” Regarding the opposition’s protest against the sitting government, Rashid added that they had been doing so for the last three years, adding that the law will take its course if they try to take it into their own hands. “I’m glad the PDM chose my city [Rawalpindi],” the interior minister said. “If they protest with great enthusiasm and do not take the law into their own hands, there will be no problem. If they spread anarchy, they thy will be digging a grave for themselves.” He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan was keeping a keen eye on every problem and that the people were wrong to believe otherwise. newS DeSk

BiP launches ‘status’ feature: Users will now be able to share videos, photos by clicking on new ‘status’ tab Karachi: BiP’s mother company Turkcell keeps adding new features to BiP, a global life and communication platform home-grown in Turkey. The company recently launched the ‘status’ feature for its app. Now, users can instantly share their videos and photos and add text to images. Other users can also and view them and comment on them. The new feature allows BiP users to share their videos or photos, and their fresh or previously archived an image or a video in gallery. They can also see who has viewed their ‘status’. Those who share their status can see others’ status as well (from their contact list). They can also enter their chat window and reply to other people’s statuses. Turkcell stores BiP users’ data at special high-security data centres across Turkey. BiP itself features an HD voice and group video call conferencing system (max. ten people) and an HD photo sharing. Likewise, its ‘instant translation’ feature allows you to chat in up to 106 different languages. pR

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NA debate on bandits turns ugly as PTI comes under ‘friendly fire’ ISLAMABAD newS DeSk

The National Assembly session on Wednesday started off with a discussion on bandits that turned ugly and then saw the deputy speaker exchanging heated words with a PPP MNA. The situation took another turn when the PTI government came under ‘friendly fire’ of its own lawmaker from Rajanpur, Sardar Riaz Mazari, said the people of his town were fed up with the tyranny of bandits and criticised his own federal and provincial governments for doing nothing against bandits and outlaws. During the session, PPP member Shazia Marri raised the issue of 10 people being killed by bandits. She added that the residents were so scared that they were reluctant to give their statements to police. In response, Federal Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari said Kashmore – where the incident took place — was in Sindh where the provincial police “patronised” bandits. “When any action has to be taken there, they [police] send the bandits from Sadiqabad to Rajanpur areas of Punjab,” she alleged. When Rafiullah tried to speak, Suri told him to remain seated. The deputy speaker told Rafiullah that he was a member and had a status of his own. “Why are you resorting to being a lackey?”

Rafiullah retorted by saying that you people were also lackeys of “Peerni”, a reference to PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi. When PPP lawmakers, especially Agha Rafiullah, protested against this, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri told them to calm down. PTI member Sardar Riaz Mazari, fed up with the tyranny of bandits, erupted against his own federal and provincial governments. “Bandits are ruling from Rajanpur to Kashmore. Our people don’t ask for streets or complain about dirty sewage pipes. They just want peace.” The PTI lawmaker said with the exception of army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, he had raised the issue with the prime minister, chief minister and ISI chief, but nothing has happened. “It is sometimes said that the BLA [Balochistan Liberation Army] are doing it. Whoever is doing it, it’s still our government who is responsible to stop it.” State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said interfering in domestic affairs would not be tolerated at all. “This is not the PPP’s style of politics. Maybe it had been affected by the PML-N,” he added. The state minister recalled that former premier Benazir Bhutto had expelled a member from the PPP for making obscene remarks against a woman.

Finance committee summons economic team on soaring inflation rate ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

While taking notice of soaring inflation rate in the country, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has summoned top officials of the government including the adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor, secretary Finance and FBR chairman FBR in next meeting to explain the reasons behind price hike. The committee meeting was held under the chair of Senator Talha Mahmood here on Thursday. The parliamentary committee also discussed the decision to withdraw instructions to chief commissioners not to attach bank accounts without giving prior notice to owners. FBR Member Operations Qaiser Iqbal informed the committee that as per law, the tax commissioner was authorised for attaching bank accounts, which has a proper mechanism. “The FBR does not attach an account without

asking from the owner,” he said, further informing that former FBR chairman had retained the power of commissioner of attaching bank accounts with himself. Later, the Senate’s committee decided to call the former chairman FBR in the next meeting to explain his position. The committee members noted that FBR had misused the rules earlier and asked the government to maintain the previous position regarding this matter, noting that businesses are getting affecting due to the issuance of notices from the bureau. Cases related to the rebate of flour mills owners along with amounts due for the year 2015-18 were also discussed. Furthermore, the committee also opposed an ordinance for making digital payments to the corporate sector. It was informed that an amended ordinance was introduced in September this year, which allowed making digital payment from Rs2,50,000 instead of cheques; however, the move was questioned as members opined that the move would create issues as the corporate sector would never accept it.

Baqir’s statement comes as the rupee, which currently being traded above 173 in the inter-bank market, has lost over 12 per cent of its value against the greenback since its recent high achieved five months ago. Speaking about Pakistan’s compliance with the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) targets, adding that Pakistan had fulfilled 26 out of its 27 conditions. “Pakistan will soon come out of the grey list,” he said. On talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the central bank governor said that negotiations with the fund are heading in a positive direction. “The deal with the IMF will be made public and added that no deal will be struck with the IMF that will further damage the country’s economy. Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund held their latest talks in Washington from October 4 to 15 for the release of a $1bn tranche from a $6 billion extended loan facility approved in 2019. Reports had suggested that the talks did not lead to a staff-level agreement because of differences over a macroeconomic framework and uncertainty over the nation’s economy. However, the government has denied this. The presser has attracted criticism back home; however, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Saleem Mandviwalla took exception to the comments and said it was the first time that he had seen a central bank chief hailing the devaluation of the rupee as something positive. “This means he isn’t the SBP governor but of some other country’s [bank] where devaluation is considered good,” he said. Mandviwalla said everyone said the devaluation had “wrecked” the nation. He also hit out at the government over the country’s economic situation which he said was “dangerous”. Mandviwalla claimed that the country was heading towards riots over food and essentials where people would come out on the streets due to hunger.

Dettol collaborates with The Citizens Foundation for Global Handwashing Day

Karachi: This Global Handwashing Day, Dettol, one of Pakistan’s leading Germ-kill brand, partnered with The Citizens Foundation (“TCF”) to support the cause of education and specifically hygiene education to educate the school going kids on the importance of hand washing with soap. As part of this collaboration, Dettol will also fund a TCF classroom for a year for the less privileged children and encourages all its consumers to support TCF in providing education nationwide. pR

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

KP to Hold lB eleCtIoNS IN deCemBer

IHC issues notices on petition challenging NAB ordinance

PesHAwAR

IsLAMABAD

INP

HYBER Pakhtunkhwa government Thursday announced to hold elections for local bodies institutions across the province in December. Kamran Bagash, special assistant to KP chief minister, said a letter has been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding holding the elections. The provincial government will ensure all the arrangements for the polls and vowed that Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf will win the election. Earlier, the KP cabinet had approved Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government (First Amendment) Act,2020. The KP LB regime completed its tenure in August last year and the ECP recently held a meeting to review arrangements for the polls. The commission is bound to hold elections within 120 days after the expiry of the tenure under Article 140 (A) and Section (4) 219 of the Election Act, 2017. In May, the Sindh government conveyed to the ECP it could not hold local government elections in the province in 2021 owing to its reservations on population census. According to sources, the LB polls could not be held nationwide this year after the provincial government conveyed to the ECP that it could not do, without elaborating further.

Some elements tried to misinterpret Bilawal’s speech: PPP News Desk The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Thursday clarified that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had not targeted the media in his speech at a rally in Karachi on Sunday, adding that the people should “understand the context of a statement instead of believing in propaganda”. The party issued a video for clarification, containing a part of Bilawal’s speech from the rally, in which he appeals to Pakistanis to “not fall for the media’s character assassination”. The video clarifies that Bilawal’s statement was misunderstood as he had not said that the media was indulging in character assassination but he has said that the media was being targeted and discredited, and the people should not accept it. The video also referred to another statement made by Bilawal, in which he had said, “You should not follow those who bark against the PPP”. On this, the PPP clarified that this statement was not directed towards the media, but those trolls who target the PPP with false assertions. “Some elements are trying to misinterpret Bilawal’s speech in a way that has no connection with the reality,” said the statement. Earlier, PPP leader Sherry Rehman had said in a tweet, “I hope the misunderstanding has been cleared. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was talking about the political trolls who spout hate speech as a norm in the media. He was certainly not taking a pot shot at the media.”

India fans condemn after animated Superman shows Kashmir as disputed region News Desk A video showing Superman and Wonder Woman resolving the Kashmir dispute is doing the rounds online in India — and for reasons unrelated to the creativity, or the plot. Released Tuesday, DC Comics’ latest animated Superman movie — Injustice — sparked a controversy after it showed the lead protagonists referring to Kashmir as a disputed region and shedding light on the rights abuses in the Muslim-majority state. The animated film shows Superman and Wonder Woman invading Kashmir. Superman who describes Kashmir as a disputed territory destroys all the weapons of the Indian troops stationed there to bring peace, ZeeNews reported. The protagonist further says there is no place for weapons and an army in the region. While there is no apparent mention of India or Pakistan, the viewers in India are clearly unhappy with the producers at Warner Bros.

Recently promulgated NAB Amendment Ordinance, 2021 has been challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). A resident, Lateef Qureshi, challenged the ordinance through his counsel. The plaintiff said that mega corruption has been legalised through the NAB ordinance. After the preliminary hearing, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar MinhaAllah issued notices to the PM Office, presidency, secretary law, chairman NAB, secretary Senate, National Assembly and attorney general of Pakistan to submit their response in the petition within 14 days. President Arif Alvi had promulgated the ordinance, paving the way to extend the tenure of the chairman of the anti-graft watchdog. As per the new law, the accountability court would have the authority to approve the bail plea of the suspect. Attorney General Khalid Javed earlier said a consultation would be made with the opposition leader over the appointment and extension of the NAB chairman. “The incumbent chairman will continue to work until a consensus is reached on the appointment or extension,” the AG said.

Indian occupation of Kashmir ‘worst manifestation’ of colonialism, Pakistan tells UN New YORk APP

Pakistan has called on the United Nation’s Decolonisation Committee and the Security Council to take action to end India’s colonialisation of Jammu and Kashmir and enable its people to exercise their right to self-determination. “Eradicating colonialism is part of the unfinished agenda of the United Nations,” Ambassador Munir Akram emphasised in a speech to the General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonisation (Fourth) Committee on Wednesday. After his speech, delegates of India and Pakistan had a verbal duel over the Kashmir dispute. In his remarks, Ambassador Akram said that the Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir is the “worst manifestation of modern-day colonialism”. Since 1946, 80 former colonies have gained independence, he pointed out but still, the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine are among those who are denied the right to self-determination. Noting that the Declaration on Decolonisation proclaims that all people have the right to self-determination, Ambassador Akram said that in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, this right was further sanctified by the UNSC resolutions that state the future of the region should be decided by its people through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN aus-

pices. But Kashmir today is the most densely occupied place in the world, with 900,000 Indian troops, deployed in the disputed territory, he said, adding that the entire Kashmiri leadership has been imprisoned, thousands of Kashmiri youth, including women and children, detained, protests put down violently, with neighbourhoods and villages destroyed as “collective punishment”. “It (India) has locked down the internet and locked out impartial observers from occupied Kashmir,” Ambassador Akram remarked. The body of iconic Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was snatched from his family, whisked away and buried hurriedly in a non-descript place, denying his family the right to the prescribed Islamic burial rites, he recalled. “This is not only a measure of Indian tyranny but also its fear of the free voice of the Kashmiri people,” the Pakistani envoy said. Since its illegal attempt to annex Jammu and Kashmir, he said, India aims to achieve its ominous “final solution” by seeking to change the demographics of the region, providing fake domicile certificates to Hindu outsiders. “This surely amounts to genocide,” he stressed, calling for action by the Security Council that would enable the people of Kashmir to exercise their right to self-determination. Speaking about UN peacekeeping operations, Ambassador Akram emphasised the need to protect peacekeepers

and welcomed the use of modern technology to strengthen camp security, monitor convoy movements and provide troops with telemedicine care. Over the last six decades, he said, Pakistani peacekeepers have operated effectively in some of the most challenging environments due to high morale, discipline, rich experience and training. Underlining that the UN SecretaryGeneral’s A4P (Action for Peacekeeping) initiative stipulates that peacekeeping is most effective when it is supported by an overall political strategy, he said considerable work needs to be done in this context. The Security Council, Ambassador Akram pointed out, has been unable to develop political solutions to several old and new disputes across the world, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, where one of the oldest UN missions, the

United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), is stationed. Reacting to Ambassador Akram’s tough statement, an Indian delegate repeated allegations about Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism and said that by raising the Kashmir issue, Pakistan had wasted the committee’s time. The Indian delegate also claimed that “the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be an integral part of India.” Pakistan’s Delegate Bilal Mahmood Chaudhry hit back at India immediately. He said that drawing attention to the continued Indian colonisation of Jammu and Kashmir is not a waste of the committee’s time. “Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory, and not an integral part of India. Making a wrong claim, again and again, does not alter the legal reality,” remarked Chaudhry, who is a counsellor at the Pakistan mission to the UN. The Security Council resolutions, he said, established self-determination as the governing principle for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute. “This is the world body’s commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Pakistani delegate said. Pointing out that for its narrow political reasons, India equates the freedom movement in Kashmir to terrorism, he said that such propaganda is only meant to deceive the international community.

South Africa set to take trade with Pakistan to US$2 bn mark: says envoy RAwALPINDI MIAN AbrAr

High Commissioner of South Africa Methuthuzeli Madikiza Thursday said South Africa considers Pakistan an important market for trade cooperation and is keen to further enhance bilateral trade as the two countries have good potential in many areas. The envoy expressed these views during his visit to the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI). The envoy said that the trade relations between the chambers of commerce and the private sector of both countries need to be further strengthened. The High Commissioner said that the bilateral trade volume is below one billion dollars and it could increase to $2 billion in the next few years. “Cooperation and joint ventures

can be initiated in other sectors, including mining, construction, tourism, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and services. The efforts of the Rawalpindi Chamber in expanding trade activities and promoting trade relations are commendable,” he said. He assured that the South African High Commission would facilitate the business community of Pakistan in linking them with South African counterparts for promoting collaboration in areas of mutual interest. RCCI President Nadeem Rauf briefed the high commissioner about the ongoing activities and future programmes of the chamber. In order to increase trade with South Africa, trade related information should be shared and exchanged at the delegation level, he suggested. He also apprised the high commissioner of the investment opportunities in

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Pakistan. Memoranda of Understanding were also signed with South Africa and the Minara Chamber to promote chamber to chamber relations, he added. Joint ven-

tures can also be launched in the fields of information technology and construction, including pharma, marble, engineering, poultry and textiles, he concluded.

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

VACCiNATioN TARgETS muST bE mET To AVoiD fifTh CoViD wAVE: ASAD iSLamaBad

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ATIONAL Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) head Asad Umar warned on Thursday that the Covid-19 pandemic could rear its ugly head again if the country fails to achieve its target of vaccination against the viral disease. “To ensure there is no 5th wave of Covid, we have to meet vaccination targets set,” the planning and development minister wrote in a Twitter post. “Otherwise, despite sharp decline in cases, we remain vulnerable if large number of people remain unvaccinated,”

President approves summary to retain Shaukat Tarin as member NEC

he said, stressing that the second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine is vital for protection against the virus. In another tweet, Asad Umar shared the names of cities that have made great progress in vaccinating its citizens. “Best vaccination progress: Islamabad, Peshawar, Gilgit, Mirpur. Good progress: Skardu, Charsadda, Sargodha,” he wrote and added Hyderabad, Nowshera, Faisalabad, Quetta, Karachi, Mingora and Mardan need to improve their vaccination rate. Separately, the NCOC said a total of 753,557 shots were administered on October 20, taking the total number of jabs administered since the start of the vaccination drive to 98,607,708.

KP govt to open Arandu crossing point with Afghanistan for trade

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CM MAHMOOD KHAN TO INAUGURATE CHITRAL SEZ IN NOVEMBER

President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday signed the summary to retain Shaukat Fayyaz Tarin as a member of the National Economic Council (NEC). The president gave the approval on the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan under Article-156 of the Constitution, the president’s media office said. Tarin will now be a member of the Advisory Council instead of the finance minister. Earlier on Wednesday, the government had decided to get Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin elected as a senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), to pave way for his reappointment as the federal finance minister. As per sources, the decision was taken after PTI’s Ayub Afridi resigned as a senator. The lawmaker will be appointed as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide on State and Frontier Regions (ASFRON). It is pertinent to note that the government had appointed Tarin as an adviser after his six-month stint as finance minister ended on October 15. An official notification issued on the appointment read that Tarin’s new status will be equivalent to that of a federal minister.

continued from page 01 Later, Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Abdus Salam Hanafi hosted a luncheon in honour of Qureshi and his delegation. A large number of members of the Afghan interim cabinet were present on the occasion. Hanafi welcomed the foreign minister to Kabul, while Qureshi thanked the Taliban leadership for their “warm hospitality”, according to an FO statement. In his remarks, Foreign Minister Qureshi said Pakistan was determined to help the Afghan people to save them from an economic crisis. Speaking to the media after the meeting, the foreign minister said that he had a detailed and result-oriented discussion with the Taliban leadership. Qureshi said that almost all members of the Afghanistan cabinet were present, and the two sides talked about a wide array of bilateral issues, including steps to increase trade and regional connectivity. The minister said that he had also been accompanied by a delegation, consisting of representatives from different ministries, that met with Afghan officials. “Hopefully, their delegation will come to Islamabad in the next few days so that we can take these talks forwards and settle matters.” He reiterated that the meeting was “effective” and said that he would give more details once he arrives back in Islamabad. The FO earlier said: “During the one-day visit, [Qureshi] will hold talks with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and call on [the] leadership of the interim government in Kabul. He will meet other Afghan dignitaries as well.” The talks will cover the “entire spectrum” of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan with a focus on methods to deepen cooperation between the two countries in diverse areas, the FO said. “Utilising the opportunity, the foreign minister will share Pakistan’s perspective on issues of regional peace and stability.” The FO statement said that as a “close fraternal neighbour”, Pakistan had always stood by Afghanistan, mentioning a number of measures in this regard such as keeping border crossing points open, the institution of a facilitative visa regime for Afghan nationals and provision of humanitarian aid and assistance in the form of food items and medicines. “The foreign minister’s visit reflects Pakistan’s consistent policy of supporting the brotherly Afghan people, deepening bilateral trade and economic relations, and facilitating closer people-to-people contacts,” the FO said.

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peSHaWar Aziz Buneri

On the direction of Punjab Ombudsman retired Major Azam Suleman Khan, dues worth Rs3.9 million have been paid to complainants belonging to different districts along with the fulfilment of legal rights by provincial government departments, his office said. Tayyaba Bibi of Kasur complained to the office of the Punjab ombudsman that her father had died during service as Chowkidar with the food department. She had approached the food department for the provision of financial assistance and the creation of an officer of special duty (OSD) post but to no avail. Upon the direction of Khan’s office, the Kasur food department created the OSD post along with the provision of Rs0.2 million as pending dues and financial assistance valuing Rs1.6 million to the applicant. In a similar case, the provincial local government and community development department has provided Rs1.6 million as financial aid to the applicant Fouzia Bibi, widow of Mahboob of Minchinabad tehsil of Bahawalnagar district, and posted her son, Ali Bahadur, as Naib Qasid. In a separate case, Ayesha Arif, widow of Arif Mahmood, has been given Rs0.5 million as a death grant by the Punjab Workers Welfare Board, Lahore on the direction of the office of Punjab ombudsman. The applicants have appreciated the proactive approach of the ombudsman office to resolve their issues.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to open Arandu crossing point, which lie on the border with Kunar province of Afghanistan, in a bid to boost trade and generate more employment opportunities for the local population. In this regard, Special Assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) for Industry, Abdul Karim Khan, on Thursday said that Arandu and Shah Saleem crossing points are the nearest and oldest routes to access central Asia and boost national exports. Khan informed that these borders will be inaugurated by CM Mahmood Khan during the two-day conference, 4th Chitral Economic Development, on November 12 and November 13. Khan said that the CM will also inaugurate several other projects along with laying the foundation stone of the Chitral Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and National Bank building. The CM’s aide said that these projects will boost the local industry in Chitral, adding that the KP government has started projects including the

construction of road infrastructure, Chitral Special Economic Zone (SEZ), opening of Arandu border crossing, hydraulic power generation projects, promotion of tourism, as well as promotion of the mines and minerals sector for Chitral’s economic and industrial development. He further said that a huge uplift fund has been allocated in the budget for this purpose and all arrangements have been finalised. He said that investment would also be attracted under public-private partnership for the development of agriculture, minerals, tourism and other sectors so that people could get jobs in their local area. It was also decided at the meeting that Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority will train the youth of Chitral.Coordinator Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sartaj Ahmad Khan said that the conference would be a milestone for the construction and development of Chitral. Sartaj hoped that the conference would also invite investors from all over the country to invest in Minerals, Minerals, Hydel, Tourism and Agriculture sector of Chitral.

ECP again summons Swati to explain caustic remarks Election Commission of Pakistan Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati after he failed to appear before the regulator to explain his caustic remarks against the body. The commission served notice on Swati and Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry on September 16, asking them to provide within week evidence of the accusations of bribes and always rigging” the elections they had levelled against it and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar

Pakistan pledges Rs 5 billion assistance to avert crisis in Afghanistan

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Khurshid secures bail in assets case

Dues worth Rs3.9m cleared on Punjab ombudsman’s orders

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Sultan Raja. Last month, during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs to discuss proposed amendments to the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2021, Swati came down hard on the commission and said it should be “set on fire” for making fun of the government and “ruining” the democracy in Pakistan. After the minister failed to appear Thursday, the commission while expressing resentment summoned him in personal capacity again on October 26. Responding to Swati, the ECP rejected his allegations and decided to demand evi-

dence from Chaudhry and him in this regard. The ECP members have also expressed anger over ministers for accusing them of taking bribes. The allegations are baseless and unacceptable as the ECP is a constitutional department, they said. However, this was not the first time when the body faced strong criticism and serious allegations from the ruling party. In March as well, the commission after the Senate polls had advised the party to stop mudslinging and come up with evidence if it had any objections to the constitutional requirements, declaring the institution would not succumb to any pressure.

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The Supreme Court Thursday accepted the bail request of Pakistan Peoples Party MP Khurshid Shah in a case pertaining to the holding of assets beyond declared income. However, the court decided to keep his name on the Exit Control List but said the accountability court that was hearing the case could decide to remove it. The court also directed the former opposition leader in the National Assembly to submit bail bonds of Rs10 million to finalise the bail. Justice Umar Ata Bandial — part of the two-judge bench, other being Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, that took up Shah’s bail request — directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to continue its investigations but not keep the politician in jail “permanently”. He was arrested in September 2019 by the dirty money watchdog and has since been under police custody though he was admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Sukkur days later for treatment. Multiple corruption cases against Shah are under investigation with NAB. In 2012, an accountability court had directed the agency to file a reference against him on a complaint pertaining to the alleged accumulation of illegitimate assets. In 2013, NAB had reopened two corruption cases against Shah under the directives of the Lahore High Court. In July 2019, NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal had approved nine inquiries against different personalities, including Shah. Shah enjoys an influential position in the PPP and was its chief whip in the 2008-2013 National Assembly. He is considered a trouble-shooter as far as relations with other parties are concerned, mainly on account of his good connections with all political parties.

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Friday, 22 October, 2021

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A bridge too far?

Governments build bridges when facing crisis The PTI goes for confrontation

The 58-2b moment?

T’S time the Prime Minister and his close circle come out of their echo chamber. Despite prices being on a steady rise, PTI ministers continue to harp on inflation being a global phenomenon. While prices are generally on the rise all over the world, what attracts people’s attention is Pakistan’s place in the ranking. The SBP’s Inflation Monitor for April 2020 showed that Pakistan’s residents witnessed the highest inflation in the world. This year it has been ranked the fourth most expensive among 43 countries of the world by The Economist. While the majority of the population feels the pinch, those below the poverty line are forced to cut down food intake. The combined impact of the petrol and power price hike is likely to set off a chain of consequences that even the most adept PTI spin doctors might not able to explain away. The continuous fall of the rupee would fuel inflation, curb growth and discourage investment. With the PM totally fixated on a single-point personal agenda of exposing the corruption of his political rivals, the problems faced by the people and the country have not been on the government’s priority list. The government hopes to wade its way out of these financial woes through hollow promises. These include Asad Umar’s claim that Inflation would go down from March next year. One has heard more than once the promise to cut GST and customs duty by half and abolish two per cent additional customs duty on edible oil, thus introducing what is being described as a major targeted subsidy programme. We are told that the government is waiting for the arrival of the PM’s Finance Advisor to implement the promise. how much subsidy on a limited number of items the government can afford to provide to how many people has yet to be revealed. The government, we are told, also intends to provide a subsidy on petrol for bikes and rickshaws, while how to do this remains yet to be determined. The tendency to shout down the opposition, rely on ordinances and bulldoze controversial bills has left the opposition with little choice but to take to the streets. The PDM has announced a 15-day protest against inflation. While the opposition has the right to protest one expects that its rallies will be peaceful and the protestors would abide by Covid-19 protocols.

At Penpoint M A NIAZI

he inordinate delay in the issuing of the notification of the new DG ISI has meant many things, but one of the most significant is the way in which the ISI has been dragged into the public eye. This discomfiture may be rooted in domestic politics, and the most egregious effects will indeed be on domestic politics, but the greatest beneficiary is going to be India, particularly its own intelligence agency, RAW. Is Imran Khan indeed having his Junejo moment? Or as is likelier than not, is he having a 58-2b moment? The example of Junejo is mentioned because Junejo finally turned, and from being a completely obedient puppet, he stopped consulting President Ziaul haq, even though he had hand-picked him to head the partyless assemblies elected in 1985. Ultimately, in 1988, Zia used the powers left to him under the eighth Amendment, of dissolving the National Assembly, to sack Junejo. One view is that Junejo was about to use the Ojhri Camp blast to devastating effect upon the armed forces. It is said, among other things, that the investigation would have found various officers responsible for blowing up the ammo dump to destroy evidence of large-scale embezzlement from arms shipped by the USA to the Mujahideen. however, be that as it may, more painful for Zia was Junejo’s overruling of the Army Selection Board’s rejection of a major general for promotion to lieutenant general, and that too after according to the affected officer a personal hearing. It should be remembered that Zia was Chairman of the Selection Board, as COAS. Article 58 (2-b) was used, but it seemed a toxic provision. Zia’s successor used it not only against Benazir Bhutto, but against Nawaz Sharif. The second dissolution was thrown out by the Supreme Court, but the Nawaz Government was so destabilised that it had to go, as did President Ishaq. In the presidential election, a seemingly unbreakable combination arose. Benazir Bhutto became PM, and Farooq Leghari, a party loyalist, became President. his party loyalty did not stop him sending the PPP government packing through Article 58(2-b). This prompted a wag to remark that even if Mian Nawaz was to have his father Mian Sharif elected President, he would dissolve the government. Mian Nawaz himself is thought to have attempted to sack Pervez Musharraf because he had carried out the Kargil Operation without telling the PM, but the

Taliban not in control Recent attacks show that neighbours are right to worry

he suicide blast in a Kandahar Shia mosque which killed at least 41 congregants at the Friday prayers has not had anyone claim responsibility, as the Islamic State-Khorasan did for a similar blast the week before in Kunduz, at which 55 died. however, the blast made a number of things clear. First, the Taliban have not got to grips with governing. Though they are known to have sectarian proclivities, either they have failed to understand that the very essence of governance is to ensure the protection of all, no matter their sectarian background, or they have failed to establish the sort of control needed to prevent such outrages. That the blast occurred in Kandahar is significant, for that is supposed to be the Taliban heartland. The previous blast took place in Kunduz, which has a significant Tajik population, and borders Tajikistan. Kubduz has been pro-Taliban in the past, but the blast in Kandahar is more worrisome from the Taliban point of view. Afghanistan is already on the verge of economic collapse, but the Taliban never claimed to be good economic managers. On the other hand, their old reputation as being good at establishing law and order is now in danger. Their neighbours are naturally concerned. Russia is hosting a conference which is being attended by Pakistan, the USA and China, as well as India and Iran. Afghanistan is also going to attend, which would mark the first time for more than two decades that the Taliban will be attending an international conference as the Afghan government. Though they have not been recognized as such, their presence at the conference shows that they are on their way. It is also noteworthy that Pakistan is choosing not to make an issue of India’s attendance. This alone may indicate how seriously Pakistan is taking developments in Afghanistan. Apart from the need to establish peace in the country, the Taliban also have to show due regard for human rights, and establish an inclusive government. If not, what with the impending economic crisis, a flood of refugees might land on the borders of neighboring countries, including Pakistan.

The ‘Iranian Model’ deserves a chance

AsAdullAh RAIsANI

he USSR`s Afghan invasion in 1979 and then the episode of 9/11 left many Afghans with no option but to leave their homeland in search of peace. Today, the number of Afghan refugees abroad is above 5 million, most of them are hosted by Iran and Pakistan. The fall of the US-supported Ashraf Ghani`s government and the Taliban`s takeover of Kabul has made chances of another refugee influx inevitable for Pakistan and as well as for Iran. According to the most recent UNChR`(United Nations high Commissioner for Refugees) data, as of June 2021, 1,435,445 Afghan refugees are registered in Pakistan, and 327,247 of them live in Balochistan.Most of refugees in Balochistan are engaged in different businesses and work in Quetta, the provincial capital. Whereas the number of unregistered Afghan refugees in Pakistan is somewhere around 1.5 million, making the total around 3 million. It is estimated that as many as 500,000 Afghan refugees are hosted by Pakistan’s economic capital, Karachi, alone. Moreover, the number of unemployed people in Pakistan rose to 6.65 million people last fiscal year,

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fluencing Army postings, except discussions with the COAS. By selecting or rejecting officers at the level of lieutenant-general, the PM can exert an influence on postings, but not decide them. If an officer whom the COAS intended to be DG ISI is rejected by the PM, the COAS still has to find him a slot. Thus, by delaying the posting of a new DG ISI, the Corps Commander Peshawar cannot go to his new assignment as National Defence University President. The present President was supposed to go to Karachi Corps. Which has not been vacated by the DG ISIdesignate, who is stuck for the time being. The delta in the notification means a stasis in two corps, the country’s premier intelligence agency and the NDU. Warfare has always been complex, but the present situation is insescent of nothing so much as the way Germany rushed into World War I, dragging the rest of europe with it, because it began a mobilisation as a threatening gesture, but found it too complex to stop once it had started because of the intricate railway timetables drawn up by the General Staff to send troops from peacetime locations to the front. The whole situation has gone beyond any talk of the same page. So why has such an obedient PM gone beyond this? The only explanations being offered is that of the influence of superstition, of numerology, of dates which are supposed to have astrological significance. That simply doesn’t add up. That is not how people are supposedd to run countries. In a way, that is the progression that would have occurred. The military made two experiments before. The first was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was brought forward under the Ayub regime, but then broke with it. Then came Mian Nawaz Sharif, who became a national leader under Ziaul haq. Imran illustrated a hybrid system, where the civilian chief executive allowed the primacy to the military, though he looked to it to keep him in office. Another aspect that emerges from the whole episode is the centrality of the DG ISI. This is not solely because he is the lead in the military of playing politics, but it is an important reason. If history is anything to go by, the institution will protect itself by making short shrift of Imran. Perhaps the only reason he might survive to the end of his term is the lack of a replacement. This is not to say that there are no volunteers, but none is willing to make the promises Imran did. It is worth noting that there are two things who have been downplayed because of the delay: the collapse of the economy and the appearance in the Pandora Papers of a number of PTI leaders, and retired officers’ relations. The economy cannot be missed, but those who want sleeping dogs to lie, have had their wish fulfilled.

The writer is a member of staff.

Balochistan cannot accommodate any more

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

episode of Lt Gen Tariq Parvez, then Corps Commander Quetta, who was the brother-in-law of Raja Nadir Pervez, himself a decorated ex-Army officer, and a PML(N) MNA. Lt Gen Tariq Pervez was summarily retired by the COAS for meeting the PM without the COAS’s permission. That incident made Musharraf wary about being replaced, and the rest is history. Nawaz repealed Article 58(2-b), as well as the power that gave it teeth, the President’s power of appointing the service chiefs in his discretion, not on the PM’s advice, but that did not stop him being ousted by a military coup. Musharraf tried to bring it back in the Constitution, but it was repealed by the PPP in the eighteenth Amendment. It seems that Imran may have exercised his discretion because he could. he also opted for the route most likely to cause disruption. Part of the problem is that the posting of an officer as DG ISI is not an isolated event, a one-off which can be isolated from the rest of the Army. The officer posted has to be replaced, and then the replaced officer, who has vacated a post, has to be replaced, and so on, until one is left with a certain number of vacant posts, but one runs out of officers. It might seem a simple solution to promote a number of officers, but then there are vacancies in that rank, which are filled the same way until one runs out of officers, and then there must be promotions at the level below, which create a new set of vacancies, and create a new demand for officers. Vacancies are naturally created by bretirements, and deaths whether natural or because of the exigencies of service. When retirements come, it is not a matter of the DG ISI, but of all posts who can be reshuffled. It is also a good time to ensure that officers are posted so as to qualify them for the next rank. The desire to ensure that the present DG ISI is eligible to become COAS by commanding a corps should not have anything sinister read into it. The Army likes to have a number of officers qualified for a particular post, and ensure that a maximum number fulfill the criteria. It must be remembered that Army officers at every rank are supposed to have one command posting and one staff appointment in that rank, to be eligible for promotion to the next rank. Thus Lt Gen Faiz hameed has done a staff job by serving as DG ISI, and therefore needs to have a command to be eligible to become COAS. however, his appointment would involve his superseding a large number of officers. Both Ziaul haq and Perez Musharraf were appointed COAS after superseding a number of officers. The experiments did not turn out well, as they both replaced their benefactors. The DG ISI is the only officer posted by the PM directly. Otherwise, officers are posted by the Military Secretary’s Branch. The PM has no other means of in-

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2020-21. The unemployment rate among degreeholders is three times higher than the other unemployed. The so-called `war on terror` has already cosd Pakistan over 75,000 precious lives and over $123 billion of infrastru0cture. Balochistan`s capacity to handle more refugees is not good either.According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 30 percent of Balochistan`s population, over 3.5 million people, had reported food insecurity by the end of March 2020. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, also known as IPC Scale, draws a graph showing that 1,178,000 people in Balochistan are stressed and 571,000 are in crisis. Whereas according to government officials of Balochistan, poverty rate in the province had risen to 68 percent in the first three months of lockdown alone and the unemployment rate is likely to rise to 4.45 percent this year. Besides, Balochistan is the most vulnerable province considering water scarcity, making it vulnerable to long term droughts and natureimposed migrations. Considering ground realities, the government’s decision to not host more refugees, instead of following the `Iranian model` is a good decision indeed, and must be put into action. What is the `Iranian Model? Iran hosts around 3 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees. According to the UNhCR, the Iranian Government has issued Amayesh cards (Refugee Identity cards) to 951,000 Afghan refugees to register them. Refugees with Amayesh cards can work and get employed in 87 different types of employment. They can also get access to a limited number of health care centres, can get education and conditional freedom of movement. Many of these Amayesh card holders are living in settlements across the country. Whereas refugees without these cards do not have easy access to most sectors and areas in the country, which might compel them to get registered. Then there are 450,000 passport-holder Afghan

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

refugees in Iran. They received passports under the Comprehensive Regularization Plan (CRP) launched in 2010 to get more Afghan refugees registered. This is another policy to register Afghan refugees and their families. Duration of visa can be extended as Iran often extends it on the requests of the applicants and meetings with Afghan high officials. Registered Afghan refugees can get education and have access to health care, including covid-19 treatment and other humanitarian aid. Whereas unregistered refugees are always vulnerable to deportation. As stated by Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan will not open its borders, but instead adopt the `Iranian Model` which must be implemented in the fullest capacity of the state. Settlements should be built on the bordering areas with Afghanistan and then the refugees should be asked to register themselves with the government of Pakistan to get access to basic healthcare, education and conditional freedom of movement. They should be allowed to work in a limited number of sectors. Unregistered refugees must be vulnerable to deportation and must not be able to get jobs and easy livelihood to compel them to get themselves and their family members registered. Refugees who want to invest, should be given passports and visas after consultation with their higher officials so that they can invest here but still remain notified about returning home someday. Registered refugees must be given cards for their convenience and these cards should expire after a year or so to regularize refugees` numbers on an annual basis. The international community, particularly the ones who have stakes in Afghanistan, like the USA and its NATO allies, should contribute in the management and accommodation of these Afghan refugees.

Registered refugees must be given cards for their convenience and these cards should expire after a year or so to regularize refugees` numbers on an annual basis.

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

The writer is a Research Assistant at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 22nd October 2021_Layout 1 10/21/2021 11:04 PM Page 2

Friday, 22 October, 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

Child abuse in Pakistan

Pakistan and the IMF This is not the first time Pakistan has negotiated with the IMF

BARRIsteR IMRAN AhMed KhAN ABRo

he International Monetary Fund promotes international financial stability and monetary cooperation, facilitates international trade, promotes employment and sustainable economic growth, and helps reduce global poverty. Governed by and accountable to its 190 member countries, it was established in 1944 in the aftermath of the Great Depression. 44 founding countries sought to build a framework for international economic cooperation. Today, 190 countries are members, with staff from 150. The main difference between the IMF and the World Bank lies in their respective purposes and functions. The IMF oversees the stability of the world’s monetary system, while the World Bank’s goal is to reduce poverty by offering assistance to middle-income and low-income countries. Pakistan joined the IMF in July 1950 as it had faced fiscal problems since its creation in 1947. Due to the economy’s unpredictability and heavy dependence on imports, the IMF has lent to Pakistan 22 times since it joined. In 1958, for the first time, Pakistan went to the IMF for a bailout.. In 2018, Imran Khan became Prime Minister of Pakistan. From the start, Pakistan had a large balance of payment deficit and its foreign reserves were only good enough for two months. For this, the government arranged friendly loans from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab emirates and China to avoid tough IMF conditions. In 2019, when economic conditions worsened, they went to the IMF for the 22nd time for a loan of SDR $1 billion. The IMF gave the loan based on conditions such as hike in energy tariffs, removal of energy subsidy, increase in taxation, privatization of public entities and fiscal adjustments to the budget. For decades, Pakistan has had chronic problems collecting tax and the programme envisages reforms to improve public finances and cut public debt. however, failing to cope with these issues the Pakistan government had to resort to taking loans. hence under Imran Khan the government signed loan agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAe, China and the IMF. To keep the balance of payments in check and to meet the financial obligations, the government unfortunately always resorts to loans; hence the government has now resorted to the IMF. The primary purpose of borrowing from the

IMF is because the Government wants to stabilize its deteriorating economy, exchange rates and balance of payments. however this relief is short-term and usually yields a new crisis in the long term as the debt matures and the government gets into a monetary crisis again due to inadequacy of dollars in the reserves. The IMF provides huge loans for this, which seems very lucrative at first sight in the short term. This bailout has laid several conditions on the Pakistani government including those on taxes and subsidies, government spending, interest rate and foreign exchange rate but the most stringent condition laid by the IMF for Pakistan was to account in detail the Chinese financial outlay in the China-Pakistan economic Corridor and give firm assurances that Pakistan will not divert IMF loans to service its China debts. Pakistan needs $12 billion this year to bridge the gap between its foreign currency holdings and what is required to pay for loans and imports. After the IMF the biggest donor to Pakistan is China. An estimate is that around $19-20 billion out of $90 billion total debt and liabilities of Pakistan, is Chinese, that is, over one fifth of the overall debt. Surpassing Japan to become the single biggest bilateral lender to the Government of Pakistan. China also happens to be the biggest lender to the private sector too. There is no number for private sector borrowing; but virtually all the increase in the last three years has come from China. The total private sector external loan increased from $3 billion in June 2015 to $7.2 billion in December 2017. Pakistan will have to pay back $100 billion to China by 2024 on the total investment of $18.5 billion which China has invested in bank loans in 19 early harvest projects under CPeC. Although CPeC has the potential to transform the Pakistani economy, experts fear this transformation could come at heavy price for Pakistan. According to the Centre for Global Development, in 2011, Tajikistan wrote off an unknown amount owed to China in exchange for 1,158 square kilometres of land. And this was only five percent of the land demanded by the Chinese. Then in Sri Lanka, China did a debtto-equity swap against an $8 billion loan at 6 percent provided for construction of hambantota Port against a 99-year port management lease. hence for Pakistan this loan could mean losing Gwadar port to China but only time can tell what actually will happen. CPeC brought development and business avenues with it in Pakistan in exchange for the Chinese loan. Similarly, the IMF loan is expected to enable Pakistan to repay its loans, boost its dollar reserves, acquire dollars to pay its import bill and cure the soaring economy. Due to the terms of the loan Pakistan will see a new tax regime, enhancement in foreign exchange reserves and improved credit ratings from reduction in default risk. however to achieve all this Pakistanis will have to pay the cost in the form of currency devaluation, freezing of non-development expenditure, decline in economic activity hence in GDP and allied economic indicators, a rise in markup rates and cost of interbank transactions, and increase in central excise duty on services and agriculture. One area the IMF has focused on is tax collection. Pakistan has for years struggled to raise its tax rev-

enue and increase its tax net. The IMF’s main aim is to increase the borrower’s revenue of the borrowing countries but in Pakistan tit has not been able to do much in the past. In the long run the IMF plan hints towards an even bigger financial crunch than itoday. The debt taken by Pakistan from the IMF increased in rupee terms by Rs 70 billion to Rs 811 billion due to currency devaluation. hence in the long run the IMF loan may harm Pakistan and its economy in a more devastating and brutal way than the Chinese CPeC loan. There is also little chance Pakistan will maximize the benefit of the positive impact on exchange rate i. Whether the programme is harmful or beneficial depends on how the public responds to the measures and how thoughtfully the government implements them. For now the government has no option but taking the loan so as to prevent the financial structure from collapsing. The current economic condition and the government’s future agenda indicates Pakistan has fallen in a debt trap. Pakistan’s debt and liabilities have risen steeply to Rs 35.1 trillion or 91.2 percent of the economy’s size. Yet the government is indicating to borrow more. The fresh rounds of talks between Pakistan and the MF for the release of a $1 billion loan tranche and an economic approval certificate to the nation has remained inconclusive. The talks from October 4 to 15 failed to reach a staf- level agreement because of differences over the macroeconomic framework and uncertainty over the future of Pakistan’s economy. The talks failed despite Pakistan having implemented a prior condition of increasing electricity and petroleum products prices.Pakistan and the IMF could not agree on the quantum of additional taxes and the roadmap for fiscal stability of the power sector. There were also issues about an increase in gas prices and measures to keep the current account deficit manageable.The IMF had demanded additional taxes equal to at least one percent of GDP or over Rs 525 billion, but the government was willing for only Rs 300 billion. Pakistan has already accepted two IMF conditions. It has increased the electricity prices by Rs1.68 per unit and also jacked up the petroleum products prices to a new level of Rs 137.79 per litre. The IMF wanted the cost of fuel to be passed on to the consumers and the government only did so while increasing prices by Rs10 per litre. This time, IMF has made it clear that the staff-level agreement of $6 billion is subject to “timely implementation of prior actions and confirmation of international partners’ financial commitments.” That means that FBR will have to show how it wants to increase the revenue in the next budget. The State Bank will have to ensure that the rupee-dollar parity is now being set on the basis of the free-market float and increase the primary lending rates. hence there are more chances that the plan will not only be beneficial in the short run but also in the long run as well. Since Pakistan had no option but to borrow because foreign exchange reserves were barely enough for two months of imports and inflation was over 8 percent. To let it shore up fragile public finances and strengthen a slowing economy, we should focus on how to make the most of the IMF plan rather than debate the loan and imagine a better deal if the government negotiated. The most worrisome part is what will happen when these loans will mature as in 2022 IMF 13th bailout will mature, in 2023 Saudi Arabia’s loan ($9.6 billion) and UAe’s ($6.2 billion) will mature, and in 2024 China’s $100 billion. The writer is a freelance columnist

ARTICLe 25 (1) of the pakistani constitution states that “all citizens are equal before Law and entitled to equal protection of Law” Children also need to be protected but unfortunately children are suffering from child abuse as Child abuse is one of worst issue by which Pakistan is suffering . child abuse is an action of abusing the children when they are at a young age .children are abused sexually and also you say the child Labour one of the abuses on children when at young age they go for work they are beaten and sexually abused that makes their physical contact bad. There are many people who involve the children in bad works like drugs, sexual participation and force them to do bad things . Furthermore children are very innocent and are most vulnerable, least powerful and they are unable to protect themselves from the abusers.child abusers often know how to emotionally manipulate their intended victims , gaining their trust well in advance of the actual abuse . furthermore there were many children who were raped and killed in these following years , some of the following cases have occurred in workplace the issue is pending and children are unsafe According to the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse (ISPCAN), overall ust41.69 percent respondents were sexually abused in one form or another. Child abuse is become social problem in Pakistan this all because of the poverty , the poor families who send their children for work and are often abused In near 1,780 cases, children were abused by their acquaintances while service providers, such as teachers, shopkeepers and drivers, were involved in 91 such cases. We live in such a sick society where fear of sending the children outside when a children is abused due lack of support from family members, friends and neighbours or the community leads to the isolation of the victim, making him hesitant to share his experience about his abuser.and many of commit suicide Besides other factors responsible for child abuse are socio-economic stresses; unemployment, low selfconfidence and feelings of incompetence, loneliness .more ever ,According to data released by an NGO, eight children were abused every day in Pakistan in one form or the other while 51pc of the victims were girls and 49pc boys and. 2,960 major crimes against children were reported in the four provinces, including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) in 2020. What is going on in our country is how our society is so sick and in the worst condition of kidnapping the children and abusing them. As the children are the future of the nation and it is a rising issue and media can also play an important role in it by creating awareness and the government needs to establish stronger laws regarding children. If once better laws are made against child abusers children can be protected. HomEr Jan BalocH laHorE

Curing corruption CORRUPTION is the utilization of public offices, official positions, ranks status, and powers for private benefits. The word corruption is experienced almost everywhere. The most triggering spurs, which encourage corruption, are the paucity of transparency, ineffective accountability, and institutional vulnerabilities. here, everything is possible by spending a penny either legal or illegal. Owing to this shortcoming, corruption is continuing despite multiple preventive paces. Its hazardous implications are immense such as it is a big barricade to social, political, and economic development. Furthermore, It imposes its stringency and curse in multiple modes. These corrupt behaviors include bribery, fraud, embezzlement, nepotism, and appropriation of public assets and property for illicit use. It is verified that corruption spread is the yield of great neglect. Lastly, The wise committee should be arranged to check the outcome of devised policies. Making policies isn’t a big act, but its complete implementation till its requisite results is a tremendous job. however, Plentiful policies are planned, but their fruits can’t be harvested. These are useless and futile in this regard. The useful conclusion can emerge that corruption is a proven fact, corruption hampers the countries from attaining development. Firstly, Owing to massive corruption, many projects do not meet the deadlines timely. muHammad afzal KHairpur mirS

Menace of drugs DRUG addiction is one of the most detrimental dilemmas in Pakistan . It is alarmingly ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands people in Pakistan . It takes the youth towards a dark and egregious future and it kills and destroys their lives awfully . Afghanistan is a neighboring country of Pakistan which rapidly supplies dozens of kinds of drugs to Pakistan. UNODC gauged that 800000 youth of Pakistan are addicted to drugs. Due to these drugs , the life of every soul is falling into destruction and misery. Lastly, I would like to plead to the government of Pakistan to stop the drugs so that the future of Pakistan’s youth would be secured . SHoail raSHid laHorE

Tech troubles TODAY’S world is jamed with technology .The main inventions which are playing an important role to destroy our health’s such as computers, mobiles and social media etc. Which almost every family owns. Originally it was created to make our lives more easier then before but later on researches were carried on and it came up that our physical and mental health suffers because of immoderate usage of technology. Technology appears to create global network bringing people together but infact this technology ends up the importance of real life communication the enjoyment of life even because of this we forget to give time to our relatives,families and friends. In today’s world it’s a habit of almost every people to live in their own world stuking at the device screen even when surrounded with the kith and kins. This technology have ruined the peace of people specially, the most inferior impact of technology is that it reduced the quantity and quality of sleep and today’s generation have become habitual of technology. So we should not fail to think of that this technology have harmful effects too for our health so we should not accustomed to technology. We should take care of our health also. urooJ nadEEm HydEraBad

Friday, 22 October, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

STop being poliTe Colin powell waS a killer THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, POWELL DID A SWELL JOB OF RALLYING AND MAINTAINING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR IMPERIAL KILLING – AND PUTTING AS ‘POLITE’ A FACE AS POSSIBLE ON IT

al Jazeera

BELEn FERnAnDEz

OLIn Powell has died, and the hagiographic obituaries are upon us. The new York Times hails him as a “pathbreaker”: the United States’ first Black national security adviser, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, and secretary of state. The rest of the US mainstream media have taken a similar line, erupting in characteristic American selfadulation at the idea that a once-discriminated-against Black man was able to make it so far in life. Cnn proudly quotes Powell’s words at his 2001 Senate confirmation hearing for secretary of state, which he claimed “shows to the world that: Follow our model, and over a period of time from our beginning, if you be-

lieve in the values that espouse [sic], you can see things as miraculous as me sitting before you to receive your approval”. After all, there is pretty much nothing as miraculously post-racial as a guy who was born in harlem – and who as a youthful US army officer was prohibited from entering certain restaurants and motels in the country he was serving – going on to orchestrate the obliteration of countless brown people abroad, not to mention folks of other colours. MSnBC took the hagiography a step further by showcasing an assessment from richard haass, president of the US Council on Foreign relations, according to which Powell was “one of the most intellectually honest people I ever met”. It is anyone’s guess, of course, how the term “honest” might apply to the person whose 76-minute lie in front of the United nations Security Council in 2003 directly set the stage for the George W Bush administration’s pulverisation of Iraq – which did not prevent MSnBC from titling its posthumous Powell segment: “richard haass: Colin Powell was grounded in reality”. If Powell’s reality included non-existent Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and other threats, what does “reality” even mean in the end? At the moment, at least, it means that the US political-media establishment is tripping over itself to eulogise at length a single human who died after helping to cause the deaths of literally hundreds of thousands of human

beings across the globe – who have themselves not been deemed worthy of more than a scant mention in any mainstream Powell tribute. The Washington Post, for example, manages to squeeze in a reference to “more than 100,000 Iraqi deaths” on account of the “US-led war and occupation” – a figure that, in addition to being an obscene underestimate, appears only after the obviously more important “thousands of American deaths” in Iraq. So much for Powell’s prediction that his 2003 Un speech would “earn a prominent paragraph in my obituary” – or that backing the Iraq war was a “blot” on his record. Unbeknownst to Powell, perhaps, the Iraq lies were not the only “blot” on his record, at least objectively speaking. As chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George hW Bush, Powell oversaw Operation Desert Storm in 1991 – or what former University of Texas journalism professor robert Jensen has referred to as the “massacre we call the Gulf War”. Writing in the Los Angeles Times in May of 2000 – nearly three years before the blot to beat all blots – Jensen observed that the massacre in question had thus far been “one of the most concentrated attacks on an entire society in modern warfare”, comprising targeted as well as indiscriminate bombing of civilians. In both cases, Jensen emphasised, the bombing constituted “war crimes under the Geneva Conventions”. In 1989, too, Powell presided over all manner of bomb-based devastation in the Central American nation

The power of ‘bad girls’ AMONG THE LIVING “BAD GIRLS” IN THE BOOK ARE MADONNA, OPRAH WINFREY AND MALALA YOUSAFZAI

Korea Herald

KIM SEong-Kon

rADITIOnALLY, men have harbored prejudices against smart and capable women. Feminist scholars have pointed out how often a shrewd woman in a fairytale is called a “witch” or “wicked stepmother” by male writers. Chauvinistic social conventions describe astute and perceptive women only as “bad girls.” however, those “bad girls” have accomplished many splendid things with their creativity and competence. recently, I came across an intriguing book, “Bad Girls Throughout history” by Ann Shen. At first, I thought the book was about notorious women in history. Yet while browsing the contents, I came across some familiar names: harriet Beecher Stowe, Madame Curie and Jane Austen, who one would think could not have been a “bad girl” even if she tried. Indeed, in her provocative book, Shen convincingly argues that Stowe was a “bad girl” because her book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” helped to ignite the US Civil War. According to Shen, Madam Curie was a “bad girl,” too, because she did not abide by her country’s rule that prohibited women from entering college, leaving Poland for France to pursue higher education. As a result, Madam Curie became not only the first woman nobel laureate, but also the first person to win it twice. Jane Austen was among the “bad girls” as well because she wrote novels at a time when social conventions did not welcome women writers. Given these circumstances, Austen chose to publish her novels anonymously, using the byline, “By a Lady.” In the introduction to her book, Shen wrote; “This is a book about those who came before us, who knocked up against that glass ceiling and made a tiny fissure into a full-on crack.” Shen introduces and reinterprets famous courageous women who might be “bad girls” in their own time, and yet who turned out to be

“good girls” later. Appropriately, the subtitle of the book is “100 remarkable Women Who Changed the World.” Among the “bad girls” was Lady Godiva, who married the earl of Mercia, Leofric. When he levied a heavy tax on the people, Godiva pleaded with him to cancel it. Leorfric told her that if she rode through the town completely naked, he would withdraw the tax. Without further ado, Godiva mounted a horse -- naked -- to save her people from tyranny. The name of the famous Belgian chocolate, Godiva, stems from this genuinely “noble” woman. Of course, no good deed goes totally unpunished. When Lady Godiva was riding the horse, all the townsfolk closed the doors of their homes and turned away for decency. however, a curious naughty boy named Tom peeped through the door. hence, the english expression “Peeping Tom” refers to someone who pries into others’ private matters. In Shen’s category of “bad girls,” the reader can find many legendary historical women, such as Cleopatra, Joan of Arc and Marie Antoinette. Using her considerable charm to woo Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, Cleopatra saved egypt. Joan of Arc, too, saved her country, France, by valiantly riding with the French Army during the hundred Years’ War between France and england. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian princess who married the French king, Louis XVI, modernized the French court using her “innovative fashion sense” and thus became an idol queen. Shen argues that Marie Antoinette was a scapegoat during the French revolution. “If bread is not available, let them eat cake,” Shen adds, was likely to be fabricated because the statement was in a book by Jean Jacques rousseau already, referring to “a Spanish princess long before Marie Antoinette was even born.” Other “bad girls” include Florence nightingale, helen Keller. Lucille Ball, hedy Lamarr, Betty Friedan, eva Peron and Margaret Thatcher. Among them, hedy Lamarr was an Austrian actress who came to the US and not only became a famed movie star, but also an inventor of “an alternative to radio wave technology” that became the precursor to today’s Wi-Fi. Betty Friedan wrote a precursor to modern feminism with her monumental 1963 book, “The Feminine Mystique.” eva Peron was controversial, and yet “she was a passionate advocate for trade unions, labor rights and women’s suffrage.” Margaret Thatcher was the UK’s first female prime minister, and led the UK with outstanding leadership and vision, overcoming economic difficulties. Among the living “bad girls” in the book are Madonna, Oprah Winfrey and Malala Yousafzai. Although perceived as “bad girls” by some in their own time, these courageous and competent women broke the glass ceiling and changed the world. Let us now praise the “bad girls.” Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College.

of Panama, where an untold number of mainly impoverished Panamanian civilians were slaughtered by the US military as it carried out “Operation Just Cause” against longtime US ally and CIA asset Manuel noriega. This operation, which served as a test run for the Gulf War, was – surprise, surprise – predicated on a fabricated and sensational narrative, which only got better when the US army triumphantly announced that it had discovered a stash of cocaine in a house noriega was known to visit. never mind that the “cocaine” was subsequently revealed to be tamales wrapped in banana leaves. Anyway, it was all apparently in a day’s work of “intellectual honesty” and “grounding in reality”. Over the course of his decades-long service on behalf of the US empire, Powell was also indirectly linked to such noble US endeavours as the infamous My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the Iran-Contra scandal. In her Powell obituary for Jacobin magazine – titled “Colin Powell, Politely Anguished War Criminal, Dead at 84” – Liza Featherstone recalls that the man was “so popular” that people in both US political parties had “begged him to run for president for decades”. But even in his lesser posts, he still did a swell job of rallying and maintaining bipartisan support for imperial killing – and putting as “polite” a face as possible on it. Speaking on Cnn’s State of the Union programme last year, incidentally, Powell criticised then-US President Donald Trump as being someone who “lies about things, and he gets away with it because people will not hold him accountable”. But if the current hagiographic outpouring is any indication, accountability in US politics would be nothing short of miraculous. Belen Fernandez is a contributing editor at Jacobin Magazine, and has written for the New York Times, the London Review of Books blog, etc.

Social media should be held responsible for its toxic impact SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS ARE COMING UNDER INCREASING SCRUTINY FOR THE TOXIC CONTENT THEY PROMOTE Jerusalem Post

EMILY SCHRADER

he pressure on Facebook and other social media networks is increasing by the day, but as of yet, it’s not enough to make meaningful change in the way social media impacts society, in particular Gen Z. For years, activists have spoken out about the problem of racism and antisemitism on social media networks, including that the trends are skyrocketing on newer platforms popular among teens, like TikTok. But if we have learned anything in the last month with Facebook’s whistleblower Frances haugen, it’s that hate speech is only the beginning of the predatory social media practices that are dominating and fundamentally changing our world as we know it. Facebook CeO Mark Zuckerberg came under heavy scrutiny this month when haugen, a former data scientist at the company, spoke out about Facebook’s willful targeting of teens through its advertising practices, despite internal research demonstrating negative effects of Instagram on teens. For example, one study showed that UK girls reported a 13.5% increase in suicidal thoughts after using Instagram, another that 32% of teen girls who feel bad about their bodies felt worse after using Instagram. Despite this, Facebook allowed targeted advertising promoting unhealthy products to those specific audiences, and they also structured an algorithm that gives users more of the same products which makes them feel worse. Additionally, platforms like Instagram and TikTok have had a profound negative impact on young girls who, after using unrealistic filters, have been requesting plastic surgery in unprecedented numbers to make themselves look like the filters they see trending online. TikTok and Instagram both also have a massive problem with targeted harassment and bullying which can be fatal in young teens, disproportionately so for young girls. even the biggest TikTok stars, some not even legal adults, are targets of vile, shocking, and often sexist hate speech that has been shown in numerous studies to increase anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Is it any wonder mental illness is reaching unprecedented numbers at increasingly younger ages? haugen’s congressional testimony also exposed that Facebook has actively covered up what they knew about how its platform impacts youth negatively and that they have misled the public and investors in regard to how its own platform was used by the organizers of the Capitol hill siege on January 6. In short, Facebook has the ability to shut down hate speech and incitement and they have the power to do good in how they build their algorithms. Instead, they have consistently chosen to do otherwise, harming younger generations knowingly – and then lying about it. While disappointing, those of us who have advocated for serious reform in social media hate speech standards are not surprised. After all, if Twitter, for example, has the ability to completely remove Donald Trump from its platform, surely they have the ability to remove the ayatollah of Iran who uses the platform to call for genocide against Israel. Yet despite paying lip service to the importance of fighting hate speech, Facebook and other platforms have not been transparent in how much hate they have tracked or removed. While the US Congress debates how to regulate social media companies like Facebook, Israel too is joining the discussion. Last week Communications Minister Yoaz hendel announced he would be forming a committee to examine how to hold social media companies liable for the content censored – or not censored – on the platform. This comes after years of failure to rein in hate speech, as the algorithms on multiple social media networks actually promote (whether unintentionally or not) incitement to violence and other inflammatory content. In Israel, this has led directly to stabbing attacks and other acts of nationalistic violence. Sadly, this is no longer an issue of freedom of speech of users, as it is Facebook, and other social media platforms, deciding what speech is promoted and given more visibility through their algorithms. As such, they should also bear legal responsibility for the content they promote, and they should be held accountable for their toxic impact on society. The writer is the CEO of Social Lite Creative LLC.

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

corporate corner Chairman nhA visits lodhran-multan highway, lahore–Abdul hakeem & khanewal–Multan motorway

ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Highway Authority Capt ® ️ Muhammad Khurrum Agha visited under construction Lodhran-Multan Highway Project. He expressed his complete satisfaction on the pace and quality of work. He directed to complete construction work in stipulated time period for people’s convenience. NHA’s General Manager Lodhran-Multan Project Mr. Asad Khurshid Malik, Project Director Lodhran-Multan Project Mr. Mujahid Raza Malik, Deputy Project Director LodhranMultan Project Mr. Rana Nazir Ahmad and Senior Representatives of Supervisory Consultants and Contractor accompanied him. Earlier Chairman National Highway Authority Capt ® Muhammad Khurrum Agha also visited Service Areas & Rest Areas of Lahore – Abdul Hakeem Motorway (M-3) & Khanewal-Multan Motorway (M-4 Extension) in order to check the service delivery to General Public/Road users. During site visit of Tandlianwala Service Area, he checked that Deputy Commissioner’ (DC) approved rate lists of different edibles which have been displayed at prominent places along with the contact numbers of NHA officers. pR

AnF seizes 1102.149 kg drugs valuing uS$ 89.780 million in 36 operations, arrested 41 persons including 2 women involved in drug trafficking and impounded 10 vehicles Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Pakistan seized 1102.149 Kg narcotics valuing US $ 89.780 Million internationally, arrested 41 culprits including 2 x women and impounded 10 vehicles while conducting 36 counter-narcotics strikes throughout the country. The seized drugs comprised 92.372 Kg Heroin, 859.04 Kg Hashish, 118.2 Kg Opium, 7.81 Kg Amphetamine, 24.362 Kg Methamphetamine (Ice), 54 x Ecstasy Tablets, 0.00786 Kg MDMA Tablets and 0.358 Kg weed ANF Balochistan, recovered 533 Kg drugs in 2 operations while arrested 5 accused including 2 women and seized 1 x vehicle. The seized drugs comprised 523 Kg Hashish and 10 Kg Opium. ANF Punjab, recovered 7.862 Kg drugs in 4 operations while arrested 4 accused. The seized drugs comprised 3.2 Kg Heroin, 4 Kg Hashish, and 0.662 Kg Methamphetamine (Ice). ANF KPK, recovered 12.55 Kg drugs in 4 operations while arrested 5 accused and seized 2 x vehicles. pR

ADB to provide $ 600 million for Ehsaas Program under Integrated Social Protection Development Plan ISLAMABAD: Yong Ye, Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB) called on Omar Ayub Khan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, here on Thursday. During the meeting, Omar Ayub Khan, Minister for Economic Affairs congratulated Yong Ye on assuming charge as Country Director in Pakistan. Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Minister for Economic Affairs, appreciated the ADB Management and Board of Directors for their continued technical and financial support to the Government of Pakistan. The Minister also acknowledged the ADB’s timely support for procurement of COVID Vaccine. The Minister reiterated that the Government is committed to provide maximum vaccination coverage to eligible population. Both the sides also discussed to mobilize additional financial resources for mass vaccination drive in the country. The Minister shared the government’s vision and development priorities with ADB team. He highlighted the importance of improved road network and digital connectivity which are fundamental for service delivery and economic growth through enhanced mobility of individuals, farm to market access, trade of goods & services, exchange of information and e-commerce. The Minister also emphasized on capacity building of project executing agencies and staff for efficient project implementation. He stressed on using digital tools and satellites for effective project monitoring across the country. Mr. Yong Ye, Country Director briefed the Minister on ADB’s portfolio in Pakistan. The Country Director highlighted that ADB has committed to provide US$ 6.3 billion under Country Operation Business Plan (2021-2023) to Pakistan. At present, 32 projects worth US$ 6.4 billion are under implementation in energy, road & transport, agriculture & irrigation, urban services, education, health and social protection. Staff RepoRt

OIl FAllS AS InvESTORS TAkE PROFITS, BuT FuEl SwITChIng CAPS lOSSES TOKYO

agencieS

IL prices fell on Thursday as some investors scooped up profits from the recent rally, though solid demand in the United States and a switch to fuel oil from coal and gas amid surging prices capped losses. Brent crude futures fell 54 cents, or 0.6%, to $85.28 a barrel by 0649 GMT, turning down from earlier gains that took the benchmark to the highest since October 2018. It rose 0.9% the previous day. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for December dropped 33 cents, or 0.4%, to $83.09 a barrel. November WTI crude, which expired on Wednesday, settled up 91 cents, or 1.1%, after touching the highest since October 2014 earlier in the session. “We saw some correction, but overall sentiment remained firm as there have been no large increases in output by the United States or OPEC,” said Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst with Rakuten Securities. “Brent could reach $90 a barrel later this year as tightness in global oil markets will likely continue as US de-

carbonisation efforts will cap output increases while demand will increase as more power companies switch fuel from coal and gas,” he said. Crude prices have risen as supply has tightened, with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) maintaining a slow increase in supply rather than intervening to add more barrels to the market. Oil refiners are ramping up output to meet a synchronised uptick in demand across Asia, Europe and the

United States, but plant maintenance and high natural gas prices are expected to constrain supply in the fourth quarter. Oil markets hit multi-year highs this week, also supported by a global coal and gas crunch, which has driven a switch to diesel and fuel oil for power generation. Strong demand in the United States was confirmed by the latest weekly data. US crude stocks fell by 431,000 barrels in the week to Oct. 15 to 426.5 million barrels, compared with ana-

lysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.9 million-barrel rise, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday. US stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub hit their lowest level since October 2018, pointing to tightness in the market that may take some time to alleviate. US gasoline stocks fell by a morethan-expected 5.4 million barrels to 217.7 million barrels, the lowest since November 2019, the EIA said, while distillate stocks fell to levels not seen since April 2020. “Crude oil inventories at Cushing have been drawing dramatically, supporting WTI flat price and structure, with the backwardation on the prompt end of the WTI curve strengthening above 50 cents,” Citi Research said in a note, noting the trend comes despite the autumn maintenance season. In a sign of market tightness, WTI futures contracts are currently in steep backwardation, where later-dated contracts trade are at a lower price than the current contract. Normally later months trade at a higher price, reflecting the costs of storing oil. The steep backwardation encourages companies to sell oil immediately rather than keep it in storage.

Unilever warns of even higher inflation next year NEW YORK agencieS

Unilever warned inflation was likely to accelerate next year, keeping the pressure on consumer goods companies as they hike prices to try to offset surging energy and other costs. The maker of Dove soap and Knorr soup beat third-quarter sales growth forecasts on Thursday and kept its full-year profit margin guidance, defying some analysts’ fears of a cut. However, finance chief Graeme Pitkethly saw little let up in inflationary pressures, in a potential blow to central bankers who are hoping the current spike in prices will be transitory. “We expect inflation could be higher next year than this year,” he said on a media call. The maker of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream said underlying sales rose 2.5% in the three months ended Sept. 30, above the 2.2% forecast by analysts in a company supplied consensus.

Growth was helped by demand in the United States, India, China and Turkey, while a 4.1% increase in prices more than offset a 1.5% decline in volumes. More than two-thirds of the volume decline came from South East Asia, where a rise in cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus forced governments to implement stringent lockdowns that curbed consumption. Unilever shares were up 1.2% in early trade. “Relative to low expectations this feels like a ‘good enough’ quarter to us, with decisive progress on pricing a positive for us in the current climate. But the underlying challenge remains the one of accelerating volume growth,” said Jefferies analyst Martin Deboo. Consumer goods companies face soaring prices of raw materials such as energy, edible oils and packaging, as well as higher transport costs as economies recover from the pandemic. KitKat and Nescafe maker Nestle raised its fullyear sales target on Wednesday as it also hiked prices to cope with the extra costs. But analysts say Unilever faces a tougher task as

New airline K2 Airways gears to launch operations, again AIRLINE INTENDS TO SERVE AT NUMEROUS DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS ACROSS PAKISTAN, INCLUDING ISLAMABAD, SKARDU AND CHITRAL ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

K2 Airways, a proposed Pakistani airline to be based at Islamabad, is once again aiming to begin commercial flight operations in the Pakistani market, revising its launch date to mid-2023. In this connection, the federal government while relaxing the rules to accommodate the airline in a bid to boost the economy, has approved the renewal of the private airline’s charter license. Having secured its Operator’s Licence (OL) from the Pakistani government in 2018, K2 Airlines had originally planned to start charter and cargo flights before moving into the scheduled flights sector. In January 2019, the airline announced it was planning to start operations in May of that year; however, the plan did not materialise. Sources said that the Aviation Division had requested the federal cabinet for renewal of Charter License Class-II (Domestic) of M/s K2 Airways (Pvt.) Ltd, proposing that the provision of National Aviation Policy (NAP), 2019, may be relaxed to grant the company an extension till May 29, 2023, to acquire its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) for stimulating economic growth in the country by increasing job opportunities and providing affordable and efficient air travel to Pakistani citizens. It may be mentioned here that according

to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules, if an operator fails to obtain an AOC within a maximum of two years’ time from the date of issuance of a respective license, 10 per cent of the total security deposit is levied as non-conformance charges. Although the remaining security deposit is refunded, another Rs10 million has to be deposited as security for license renewal. Subsequently, an application for a fresh license has to be submitted. Sources said that the CAA has informed that K2 failed to obtain an AOC within the validity period of its license due to indecision regarding the operational plan and then the disruption caused in the aviation sector by the Covid-19 pandemic. K2 Airways has now submitted a 100pc cash security deposit. Profit has learnt that K2 Airways has informed the CAA that it is in the process of preparing engineering manuals, technical documentation and has also shared a Letter of Intent (L0I). Besides, it is also in touch with Airworthiness directors for Type Certification Approval (TCA). “The airline is also finalising its flight crew training organization at CAE Abu Dhabi in coordination with flight standards CAA,” officials said. The airline has been allocated space at Jinnah International Airport, Allama Iqbal International Airport and Gwadar Airport for flight operations.

it makes about 60% of turnover in emerging markets, where inflationary pressures are fiercest. In July, the group cut its full-year operating margin forecast to “about flat” from “slightly up.” The group said on Thursday that, despite cost inflation remaining at “strongly elevated levels” – such as a 3 billion euro ($3.5 billion) increase in outbound logistics and distribution costs this year – it was sticking with its latest margin forecast. Palm and soybean oil and crude oil derivatives such as resin were some of key areas of cost pressures, it added. Pitkethly said volumes fell by a high single-digit percentage in South East Asia, despite the company taking “negligible” pricing actions in the region, which contributes to about 14% of Unilever’s turnover. The company also saw consumers there shift towards cheaper brands, which has stepped up competition in markets such as Indonesia. “We are not as competitive as we’d like to be in South-East Asia,” Pitkethly said.

RCCI and FBR bestow Jazz with the Best Taxpaying Company Award ISLAMABAD: Jazz has been bestowed the ‘Best Taxpaying Company’ award under the large taxpayers category (largest withholding agent nationwide) at the inaugural Taxpayer Recognition Awards organized by the Rawalpindi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) in collaboration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The ceremony took place at the President House, where the president of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi handed over the award to Jazz’s Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer Syed Fakhar Ahmed. In the year 2020, Jazz contributed a total of PKR 65 Billion in taxes to the national exchequer in the form of corporate tax, advance tax, withholding tax, sales tax, and import/customs duties. In the last two years, Jazz has also invested over $560m towards the expansion of 4G network mainly in rural and semi-urban areas. Speaking at the occasion, Syed Fakhar Ahmed, said, “Since its inception, Jazz has invested USD 9.6 Bn in the local telecom industry while having paid PKR 255 Bn to the national exchequer in the form of taxes during last five years (2016 to 2020). We are delighted that our contributions to national revenue and tax collection are recognized today. This ceremony to celebrate companies that are duly fulfilling their tax obligations to foster economic growth and development is welcome, as it will promote the tax culture locally.” The award is reflective of Jazz’s commitment to Pakistan and an endorsement of its ethical business practices. The mobile operator advocates for fair, accountable tax systems that promote digital inclusion. This inaugural award ceremony is meant to recognize the largest taxpayers from across the country, coming from large scale as well as small and medium industries. By highlighting their achievements, RCCI believes other corporations will be encouraged to follow suit. Minister for Privatization Mohammad Mian Soomro, RCCI President Chaudhry Nadeem and representatives from the corporate sector were also in attendance. pR

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ChangIng FaCebooK’s name wIll noT deTer lawmaKer, regulaTory sCruTIny: experTs CALIFORNIA

reuTers

ENAMING Facebook Inc. is unlikely to enable the tech giant to distance itself from regulatory and public scrutiny around the potential harms caused by its social media apps, marketing and branding experts told Reuters. Tech publication The Verge reported on Tuesday that the California-based firm is planning to change its corporate branding to reflect that as well as owning the social media platform that made it a global household name, it also now includes other thriv-

ing businesses like Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus. The company declined to comment regarding the report on the possible rebranding. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. Facebook is battling intense scrutiny after a whistleblower leaked thousands of internal documents that showed it contributed to increased polarisation online when it made changes to its content algorithm, failed to take steps to reduce vaccine hesitancy, and was aware that popular social media app Instagram harmed the mental health of teenage girls. The U.S. Senate held a hearing earlier this month into the effect of Instagram on

young users. “Legislators and politicians are sufficiently smart to not be fooled by a rebranding,” said James Cordwell, an internet analyst at Atlantic Equities. Renaming can be an effective strategy to allow subsidiary brands to maintain their own reputations, said Marisa Mulvihill, head of brand and activation at Prophet, a branding and marketing consultancy. But the media and regulators “are not going to stop investigating or creating reforms just because you rebranded,” she added. The new parent company name could reflect Facebook’s focus on building the ‘metaverse,’ The Verge reported, referring to

a proposed digital world where people can use different devices to move and communicate in a virtual environment. It could also prevent a possible negative perception around the Facebook name from affecting WhatsApp, the messaging app used by nearly 2 billion people globally, and Oculus, its virtual reality brand, experts said. According to Prophet’s annual ranking, Facebook’s brand relevance to U.S. consumers has dropped “precipitously” over the past several years, Mulvihill said. “What you don’t want is for that to proliferate and have a negative halo effect on other parts of your business,” said Deborah Stafford-Watson, head of strategy at brand

consultancy firm Elmwood. Other major companies have taken similar steps. Google reorganised under a holding company called Alphabet in 2015, as the company best known for internet searches increasingly pursued ambitions like autonomous driving technology. In 2003, cigarette seller Philip Morris rebranded itself as Altria, at a time when the company owned Kraft Foods. It later spun off the food division. While the move to rebrand as Altria didn’t remove the negative connotations of tobacco from the cigarette brands itself, it did help to limit the effects on Kraft, Mulvihill said. Facebook will continue to confront the same pressures even after a rebrand, the experts said. “I don’t think it’s going to help Facebook mitigate regulators’ scrutiny or the general public’s scepticism, if not distrust,” said Natasha Jen, a partner at Pentagram, a design studio that does advertising and communication work. “Trust is something you need to earn.”

Three Afghans from IS killed near border: police PESHAWAR The AssociATed Press

15 ‘Israeli spies’ held in Turkey ISTANBUL AnAdolu Agency

At least 15 people with links to an Israeli intelligence service have been apprehended in Turkey, sources said on Thursday. They were arrested as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office, according to Turkish judicial sources. The suspects were relaying information and passing documents to the Israeli spy agency, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media. The network relied on Palestinian and Syrian nationals living in Turkey, who received payments through wire transfers and couriers, the sources added. The suspects were presented in court and then transferred to the Maltepe prison in Istanbul.

Taliban strike journalists at Kabul women’s rights protest KABUL AFP

A group of about 20 women marched from near the ministry of education to the ministry of finance in the Afghan capital. Wearing colourful headscarves they chanted slogans including: “Don’t politicise education”, as traffic drove by shortly before 10 am. The women held placards saying: “We don’t have the rights to study and work”, and” “Joblessness, poverty, hunger”, as they walked with their arms in the air. The Taliban authorities allowed the women to walk freely for around an hour and a half, AFP journalists saw. However, one foreign journalist was struck with the butt of a rifle by one Taliban fighter, who swore and kicked the photographer in the back as another punched him. At least two more journalists were hit as they scattered, pursued by Taliban fighters swinging fists and launching kicks. Zahra Mohammadi, one of the protest organisers, told AFP the women were marching despite the risks they face. “The situation is that the Taliban don’t respect anything: not journalists — foreign and local — or women,” she said. “The schools must reopen to girls. But the Taliban took this right from us.” High school girls have been blocked from returning to classes for more than a month, while many women have been banned from returning to work since the Taliban seized power in mid-August. “My message to all girls and women is this: ‘Don’t be afraid of the Taliban, even if your family doesn’t allow you to leave your home. Don’t be afraid. Go out, make sacrifices, fight for your rights’,” Mohammadi said.

The counter-terrorism forces said they killed three Afghan militants who belonged to the Islamic State group during a raid on a hideout near the border with Afghanistan. The gunbattle was the latest episode of violence in Pakistan involving extremist groups that appear to have been emboldened by the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The dawn raid was carried out in Peshawar, said Javed Khan, an officer with the provincial Counter-Terrorism Department. The branch is a special police unit that fights local and foreign militant groups. Khan said the slain militants were Afghans, and that

the raid foiled a possible terrorist attack. Two other fighters managed to flee, he said, giving no further details. Pakistan has witnessed scores of terrorist attacks in recent months, most of which were claimed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the IS group. Both organisations have been emboldened by Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan, where TTP militants are still believed to be hiding. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in Kabul along with a delegation on Thursday for talks on a range of issues, the Foreign Office said before news of the raid was released. It was unclear whether the matter would come up in discussion.

Nearly 200 perish in India, Nepal rains NEW DELHI AFP

Experts say that they were victims of the ever-more unpredictable and extreme weather that has hit South Asia in recent years caused by climate change and exacerbated by deforestation, damming and excessive development. Nepal recorded the sharpest rise in casualties, with officials saying that 88 people have died, among them a family of six including three children whose house was obliterated by a sudden avalanche of soil and debris. “All District Disaster Management Committees have been actively working for the rescue and relief operations. Under the committee, Nepal Police, Armed Force Police, Nepal Army and other agencies have been mobilised,” emergencies official Dijan Bhattarai said. In the Himalayan northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, 55 people were confirmed Thursday to have died — five of whom were from a single family whose house was buried by a massive landslide. Many bridges and roads have been damaged and many towns have been cut off, and the army has been brought in to restore contact and reach thousands of people stranded. State Disaster Secretary S Murugeshan said that the death toll may rise further, with a number of people still missing including 20 tourists who went trekking on a glacier. Five people were killed in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, including two girls aged eight and 10 from the same family swept away as heavy rains pounded the hills of Darjeeling and other districts. “Mud, rocks and water tumbling down the hills of

Darjeeling damaged nearly 400 houses and several thousand people were evacuated away from the swollen rivers on the foothills,” disaster management minister Javed Amhed Khan told AFP. “Several hundred tourists are stranded in the hill resort of Darjeeling… Landslides blocked highways and roads in the region,” he said. The Met Office issued a red alert for the state, warning that extremely heavy rainfall would continue in

Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurdur on Thursday. In Kerala in southern India, where 42 people have died since last week, the weather department has issued warnings of heavy rains in at least three districts in the state after a respite in recent days. The flooding in the state adjoining the Arabian Sea — which scientists say is warming — has revived memories of 2018 when nearly 500 people perished in the worst flooding there in a century.

Trump announces new social media network called ‘TRUTH Social’ WASHINGTON AFP

Former US president Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to launch his own social networking platform called “TRUTH Social,” which is expected to begin its beta launch for “invited guests” next month. The long-awaited platform will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which also intends to launch a subscription video on-demand service that will feature “non-woke” entertain-

ment programming, the group said in a statement. “I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech,” Trump, who was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the Capitol insurrection carried out by his supporters on January 6 this year, was quoted as saying

in the statement. “We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favourite American President has been silenced. This is unacceptable,” he continued. The Trump Media & Technology Group will merge with blank check company Digital Acquisition Corp to make TMTG a publicly-listed company, the state-

ment said. “The transaction values Trump Media & Technology Group at an initial enterprise value of $875 million, with a potential additional earnout of $825 million in additional shares (at the valuation they are granted) for a cumulative valuation of up to $1.7 billion depending on the performance of the stock price post-business combination,” it stated. Ever since he was banned from the world’s dominant social networks as punishment for stirring up the mob that ransacked

Congress on January 6, Trump has been looking for ways to reclaim his internet platform. In May, he launched a blog called “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,” which was touted as a major new outlet. But Trump, who was also banned from Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat in the wake of the Capitol mayhem, cancelled the blog just a month later. Former Trump aide Jason Miller launched a social network called Gettr earlier this year, but the former president has not yet joined it.

Friday, 22 October, 2021 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

PAkIstAn fIne tunes stRAtegy foR IndIA shoWdoWn

NewS DeSk

AKISTAN has finalised a strategy for the blockbuster match against arch-rival India in the upcoming match scheduled to be played on Sunday in the T20 World Cup. Sources privy to the matter said that the Pakistan team will enter the ground with six batsmen, two spinners and three fast bowlers. Allrounder Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik can also bowl if needed. Out of form Haider Ali is likely to be ruled out in the important match. The team management has planned to go into the match against the arch-rival with a combination of

senior and experienced players. Skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will start Pakistan’s batting innings in the match while Fakhar Zaman will be launched at one down. Experienced Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik will play their role to support the middle-order batting line. Asif Ali has been given the task of hitting and aggressive bating. Spinners Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan can also play an aggressive game. Moreover, for Pakistan’s bowling attack, fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hassan Ali and Haris Rauf have been picked. It was decided that Muhammad Wasim jun-

ior will not be included in the match. It is pertinent to mention here that dew falls in Dubai; hence, whoever will win the toss will likely prefer to bowl first. A day earlier, Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle had said the Pakistan team was heavily reliant on its openers — wicketkeeperbatsman Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam. Bhogle, according to CrickWick, said: “Pakistan depend very heavily on Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. They are wonderful players; Babar Azam is in tremendous form.” However, he pointed out that despite Pakistan’s experienced

Pakistan can be kings again despite India’s IPL riches, says Nazar ISLAMABAD AFP

India urged to boycott World Cup opener against Pakistan as tensions rise DUBAI

Former all-rounder Mudassar Nazar insists Pakistan will once again be the kings of Asian cricket despite India’s rise as world-beaters on the back of the riches of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pakistan were kings of the sub-continent from the mid-1980s to the 1990s with their on-field brilliance under Imran Khan, who led them to the 1992 World Cup, before India turned the tables. “I don’t think Pakistan has changed. It is India who have changed,” Nazar told AFP ahead of the eagerlyawaited India-Pakistan clash at the Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday. “With the advent of the IPL, they have used the money really, really well. If you look at the domestic competition in India, look at all the associations, how well they are organising their cricket.” He added: “Everybody has got their own stadium, their own academies, school cricket, state cricket. Cricket is thriving in India. “But the people who have been consistently doing well have been England and Australia […] India is in the forefront and among the three best sides in the world.”

Starting in 2008, a year after the inaugural T20 World Cup, the IPL ushered in a new era of white-ball cricket that witnessed the game break new ground in viewership and fan base. The IPL emerged as the world’s richest T20 league with its brand value estimated at $6.7 billion in 2019 by the Duff and Phelps financial consultancy. At the same time, Pakistan was becoming a no-go zone for international cricket following the 2009 terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team. “The BCCI has been very clever in how they used the IPL money. Indian cricket was powerful before that but since then it has seen a lot of consistency,” said Nazar. “They have got all the areas covered. You talk about fast bowling, you talk about spinners, fielding, the physical side, it’s a powerhouse. They seem to be getting topclass batsmen every season. At the moment they are looking very formidable.” ‘Tables will turn’ But Nazar remains hopeful that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) — the nation’s premier T20 tournament — and new management will revive the game. “It is also a matter of cycles. One decade we could be better than the rest of the world and then somebody else catches up,” said Nazar, who played 76 Tests between

middle-order batsmen, if India hit a couple of runs in the power play, it would be enough to defeat the Men In Green. The commentator noted that as Pakistan has never won any World Cup match against India, the Babar Azam-led team will be under pressure, as the match will attract millions from across the globe. “Of course, teams are going to be nervous but it’s a question of how you channel that nervousness. If it tightens you up, makes you unsure of yourself, then you have lost the game there. I think India might have an advantage on that front because a couple of times Pakistan has been nervous in the past,” Bhogle said.

1976 and 1989 with a batting average of over 38. He also sees a bright future under new PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja. “Things have started to improve with the PSL, but it will take time. It took time for India to revive.” “There is no club cricket and there is hardly any state cricket, so that’s a stumbling block. But now with the new management coming in, Ramiz is a former cricketer and I think he will shape things better, put us on the right path and in the next couple of years probably we will be as strong as we used to be.” Pakistan once had a far better head-to-head record against India who played catch up with their arch-rivals from 2000 onwards. Nazar, who had been part of that strong Pakistan setup, said the national team will someday turn a corner and notch up their first win against India in a World Cup. “When we were playing, we always had the edge and towards the end of my career we won more games against India than we lost,” said the 65-year-old Nazar. “It needs somebody to come up with some brilliance. Somebody has a damn good game. Somebody has a decent century and bowls a decent spell and all of a sudden the tables will turn.”

AFP

Cricket tensions between India and Pakistan have been heightened by boycott calls in India ahead of their T20 World Cup clash on Monday. A series of killings in occupied Kashmir has set off the anger, even though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has insisted the national team cannot withdraw from the game. Decades of bitter rivalry between the neighbours often clouds their cricket encounters. India has largely refused to play bilateral games against Pakistan since 2008, after deadly attacks in Mumbai which India blamed on Pakistan without providing evidence. Now they only play each other in international events. The last meeting was at the 50-over World Cup two years ago but even that was at the centre of boycott calls. The killings of 11 migrant workers and minority Hindus and Sikhs in the occupied region have led to the latest demands made in India, which frequently accuses Pakistan of backing Kashmir pro-freedom groups. The hashtag #BlacklistPakistan was trending on Twitter late Wednesday. Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI vice president, said earlier that the country had a contractual obligation to take part. “We strongly condemn the killings. However, under the International Cricket Council’s commitments, you can’t refuse to play anyone (game),” Shukla told Indian media. A cabinet minister, Giriraj Singh, had also urged the government to consider intervening to stop the match. “I think if relations are not good, then this should be reconsidered,” Singh said when questioned about the match. Other politicians have also joined the calls. However, India’s badminton great Prakash Padukone said: “sports and politics should not be mixed and according to me it (the India-Pakistan match) should go on.” India was also urged to boycott the 2019 World Cup game against Pakistan because of a Kashmir suicide bomber attack in February of that year in which more than 40 troops were killed. Pakistan denied any role in the assault but the two countries came to the brink of war. India won the game which went ahead in June 2019. India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2013 during a brief thaw in their rivalry.

Rashid eyes World Cup glory not wedding bells DUBAI AFP

Still only 23, Rashid Khan is key to his nation’s hopes of a first world title and a potential triumph that would deliver a rare bout of good news for his home country. However, Rashid told AFP that speculation over his private life in the run-up to the tournament, currently underway in Oman and the UAE, will not derail his ambitions. He denied he ever said: “I will marry when Afghanistan win a World Cup.” “Actually, I was so shocked when I heard this because, to be honest, I never made a statement that I will marry once I win the World Cup,” said Rashid, whose family lives in Nangarhar in the eastern part of Afghanistan. “I just said that in the next few years, I have more cricket and three World Cups (the 2021 and 2022 Twenty20 World Cups and the 50-over World Cup in 2023) so my focus will be on cricket rather than on getting married.” Rashid, who made his Afghanistan debut when he was 17, is one of international cricket’s most indemand players. He has already played 51 T20 international matches and more than 280 games in the format for franchises around the world. A lucrative career has seen him ply his trade in England, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and, of course, the IPL in India where he has been a regular for Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2017. He has 95 wickets in T20 internationals with an average of just 12.63 and in 2020 was voted the ICC’s Cricketer of the Decade in the format. On the low, slow wickets of the Gulf, the spin will be key. “I think it will be a spinners’ World Cup,” said Rashid.

‘Slower and Slower’: “The wickets here are mostly very good for spinners, so I think that’s the main reason most of the teams have more spinners in their attack.” India have packed four slow bowlers in their 15 with Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy and Rahul Chahar while England have Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone. Defending champions the West Indies have Akeal Hosein, Hayden Walsh and Roston Chase. Chris Gayle can also turn his arm over. Pakistan can call on Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim as frontline spinners. Veterans Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik can also give the ball a tweak. New Zealand have Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Todd Astle. Australia, yet to win a T20 World Cup, will look to Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar. Rashid is not Afghanistan’s only front line spinner — there is also Mujeeb ur-Rahman and skipper Mohammad Nabi. “What I noticed during the Indian Premier League (the conclusion of which was also played in the UAE) was that wickets were good but there was not that much spin,” said Rashid. “But I think the more we play in this World Cup we might see wickets which are a bit different and the more you play on these tracks it becomes slower and slower and they will be handy for spinners.” Rashid refused to predict any favourites for what is the seventh edition of the World Cup. “Well it’s T20 and anyone can beat anyone on the day,” said Rashid, who stepped down from the captaincy ahead of the event over not being consulted in squad selection. “We have a mixture of both experienced and young players and most importantly it’s quite balanced with a few all-rounders which makes the side very balanced, especially in T20 when you have more of that all-round option.”

Wasim Akram not impressed with Ramiz Raja’s decisions as chairman PCB NewS DeSk Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram is unimpressed with Ramiz Raja’s decision-making since taking charge as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Akram believes that Raja should have assessed the situation first before making changes at the highest level. “Whenever a new CEO of President joins an organisation, he assesses the performance of employees for the first 90 days or two months. After that the process of changes starts as it is the prerogative of the person in charge. However, here [PCB] it has happened earlier than usual,” said Akram while speaking on A Sports. “Anyways bygones are bygones, but I know that these guys [Misbah and Waqar] worked really hard,” he added when questioned about Misbahul Haq and Waqar Younis’ resignation as Pakistan’s coaches before the start of the T20 World Cup. He also criticised social and conventional media for their biased opinions. “As far as media is concerned, I’m sorry to say that some people become personal. Sometimes the reason why they are against a player is because he might have refused to give them an interview, that’s it,” he said. “It’s not possible to make everyone happy so there is no point listening to social media. Just do your job, the right and fair job and don’t worry about anything else,” he concluded.

Friday, 22 October, 2021

prayer timinGs

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:48

11:48

3:00

6:08

5:26

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RAsheed leAves FoR duBAi AMid TlP PRoTesT ThReAT ISLAMABAD

staff report

INISTER for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed left for Dubai Thursday reportedly to attend the Sunday cricket match against archrivals India even as Lahore police are on high alert after proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) resumed protest to put pressure on the Punjab government for the release of its chief, Saad Hussain Rizvi. The group resumed protests on the eve of Eid Milad un-Nabi by staging a sit-in on Multan Road neighbourhood near its headquarters in Lahore. Rizvi, son of the late firebrand cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, was arrested in April on charges of inciting his followers and party activists to take the law into their own hands after, according to him, the government had reneged on its promise to expel the French ambassador over the publication of blasphemous caricatures. His detention was scheduled to end on July 10 in light of a decision of the review board of the Supreme Court. However, the office of the deputy commissioner issued a fresh notification extending the detention for another three months under Section 11-EEE (powers to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. On August 2, Rizvi, through his

uncle, filed another petition with the high court, claiming the government extended his detention with “mala fide intention”. He said it implicated him in 14 criminal cases following his detention. Through the petition, Rizvi’s uncle asked the court to declare the extension of the detention period illegal and order his release. Two weeks later, on August 17, the court sought replies from the authorities on the request. Subsequently, on October 1, the court declared as illegal the detention of Rizvi. Following the court order, the Lahore deputy commissioner, Umer Sher Chattha, also issued orders for his release. However, before the orders could be complied with, the Punjab government on October 11 challenged the Lahore High Court order in the Supreme Court. During the meeting on Tuesday, where senior TLP leaders delivered fiery speeches and accused the government of using delay tactics in releasing Rizvi, the party announced to launch a new series of protests, without elaborating further. Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Awami Tehreek of Tahir ul-Qadri have also issued dates for protests. Qadri’s party will organise its demonstration outside Rawalpindi Press Club on October 23 while the JI will march towards D-Chowk in Islamabad on October 31, a copy of the schedule shared on Twitter said.

Friction between BAP members, CM Kamal continues, Kamal calls no-trust motion ‘negative propaganda’ Disgruntled lawmakers of opposition and ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) have taken refuge in Speaker House over no-confidence motion against CM Jam Kamal. According to details, the 35 members, who supported the notrust motion spent the night at Speaker House. Meanwhile, Zahoor Buledi has said that their four members are still missing and expressed concerns that other disgruntled members could also be pressurized if they leave the premises. On the other hand, vote on no-confidence motion will be held on October 25. Member Balochistan Assembly Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran moved the motion in the assembly against CM Jam Kamal. The disgruntled members of assembly stood on their seats to announce their support for the motion. The opposition need a simple majority of 33 members to pass the noconfidence motion against the Balochistan Chief Minister. However, after submission of the noconfidence motion Chief Minister Jam Kamal has again reiterated that he would not resign from the post under any circumstances. The chief minister said that he would accept the decision taken on the day of polling and but will not resign. On the contrary, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said on Thursday that the “negative propaganda” being done by members of the Balochistan Assembly was unwarranted. news desk

Before leaving, Ahmed called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday at his office to brief him on the law and order, and the political situation in Pakistan. The two also discussed the security situation in Afghanistan, APP reported. During his three-day visit, the minister would visit the Pakistan Pavilion at Dubai Expo on Friday. PAKISTAN V/S INDIA MATCH: Pakistan’s campaign in the T20 World Cup would open with a high-octane against India on Sunday. But cricket tensions between archrivals have been heightened by boycott calls in India ahead of the clash. A series of killings in occupied Kashmir has set off the anger, even though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has insisted the national team cannot withdraw from the game. Decades of bitter rivalry between the neighbours often clouds their cricket encounters. India has largely refused to play bilateral games against Pakistan since 2008, after deadly attacks in Mumbai which India blamed on Pakistan without providing evidence. Now they only play each other in international events. The last meeting was at the 50-over World Cup two years ago but even that was at the centre of boycott calls. TLP FIASCO: The government outlawed the hardline religious group in April after it blocked main highways, railways and access routes to major

cities, assaulting police and burning public property. Four police officers were killed and more than 500 wounded. The violence erupted after the government detained Rizvi ahead of a planned countrywide anti-France campaign to pressure the Islamabad government to expel the French ambassador in response to the publication of blasphemous cartoons in France last year. In subsequent talks, the TLP presented four main demands. They included the expulsion of the French ambassador, the release of Rizvi and around 1,400 arrested workers, lifting the ban on the group and the dismissal of Minister of Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. Relations between Paris and Islamabad worsened last year after President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to a French history teacher who was beheaded by an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a class on freedom of speech. Protests erupted in several Muslim countries over France’s response to the killing of the teacher. The cartoons were reprinted elsewhere as well. At the time, the government allegedly signed a deal promising to present a resolution in parliament by April 20 to seek approval for the expulsion of the French envoy and to endorse a boycott of French products.

Rupee continues slide against US dollar, hits newest record low The Pakistani rupee’s slide continued against the United States (US) dollar in the inter-bank currency market on the fourth day of the trading week, depreciating by another 60 paisa to reach another low of Rs174.10 in the interbank market, down from the previous day’s closing rate of Rs173.50. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (AFP), the buying rate of the greenback was recorded at Rs174 and the selling rate at Rs174.10 in the interbank trade by the session’s end. The dollar’s value in the open market was recorded at

Rs174.40 after the greenback appreciated by 20 paisa at around 4:20 pm. The currency’s buying rate in the open market was recorded at Rs174 and the selling rate at Rs174.40 at the time, data compiled by the forex association showed. A report by Mettis Global, a web-based financial data and analytics portal, identifies the surging prices of oil and other commodities in the international market as another reason for the latest round of erosion in the rupee’s value. news desk

Ministry of Commerce urges facilitation of transit trade through Iran via Taftan ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbas

The Ministry of Commerce on Thursday urged for the facilitation of transit trade through Iran via Taftan border for exports to Central Asian Republics (CARs), Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkey etc. In this regard, during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce here on Thursday, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood briefed about transit trade to Azerbaijan and CARs via Iran. The meeting was chaired by MNA Syed Naveed Qamar. It is pertinent to mention here that while banks in Pak-

istan do not issue an e-form for export to Iran due to sanctions on the neighboring country, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is also not issuing the form even though no banking transactions take place between Iran and Pakistan for transit of goods through Iran. The chair pointed out that a large number of complaints of goods being stopped are being receiving from borders. He emphasised that the Ministry of Commerce must set up a mechanism for the quick resolution of such day to day issues and ensure free flow of goods at borders. It may be recalled here that last month, the first consignment of National Logistic Cell (NLC) had left Pakistan for Turkey and Azerbaijan through Iran.

Pakistan Army prepared to defend territorial integrity, sovereignty of Pakistan against all odds: CoAs RAWALPINDI staff report

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Thursday said Pakistan Army was prepared to defend territorial integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan against all odds. The Army Chief visited Bahawalpur and witnessed training activities of formation at Asrani and Khairpur Tamewali (KPT), said an ISPR news release here received. Interacting with the troops, the COAS emphasized on realistic training in line with the emerging threats and challenges to defeat nefarious designs of our adversaries. The mechanized troops demonstrated battle drills involved in the operational cycle of the formation including offensive maneuvers. The COAS also witnessed field firing of different weapon systems at KPT ranges. It included integrated firepower display of various components including Armour, Mechanized Infantry, Artillery, Air Defence, ATGMs duly supported by Pakistan Air Force and combat aviation. The COAS appreciated high standards of training and operational preparedness of the formation. Earlier, on arrival, COAS was received by Corps Commander Bahawalpur Lieutenant General Khalid Zia.

PdM announces to hold nationwide rallies against inflation today The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an opposition alliance, has announced to hold protest rallies nationwide against rising inflation on Friday, a news outlet reported. According to the report, the PDM will lead rallies against rising inflation in the country and the demonstrations will be held in various cities across the country, including Lahore, Peshawar, Sargodha, Khushaab, Mianwali, Bhakhar, Jhang, Joharabad and other cities of the Punjab province. Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb said that the PDM will hold the rallies in different cities of the country while in Mianwali and Bhakhar, the demonstrations will be held on October 24. The PML-N had held its first power on Wednesday. news desk

TLP to begin ‘long march’ to Islamabad today After days of staging protests in Lahore’s streets, the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) announced on Thursday that it will start a “long march” towards Islamabad on Friday, according to a statement issued by the TLP media cell. “The peaceful Namoos-i-Risalat march of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan towards Islamabad will start after Friday prayers” from the TLP’s markaz (headquarters), the statement said, adding that the group also had a “plan B” in case its members were stopped from marching on the capital. Hundreds of TLP workers have been taking part in the protest in Lahore to exert pressure on the Punjab government for the release of its chief, Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, the son of its late founder Khadim Rizvi. The younger Rizvi has been kept in detention by the Punjab government since

April 12 for “maintenance of public order”. In a statement issued prior to the announcement of the long march, the TLP’s Majlis-i-Shura (executive council) had decried that the group’s members had been staging a “peaceful protest” in the streets for the past 15 days, yet their demand for the implementation of an agreement eached between them and the government earlier this year remained unmet. The agreement required the government to present the terms of a previous accord — signed between the two sides last year following protests by the TLP in a bid to pressurise the government to expel the French ambassador over the publication of blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) — in parliament before April 20. The earlier agreement had said the government would reach a consensus in parliament

regarding the expulsion of the French ambassador within three months, would not appoint its ambassador to France, would release all the arrested workers of the TLP and would also not register any case against the TLP leaders or workers in connection with the matter. The TLP’s executive council had said in its statement that the government had promised the implementation of the agreement within three days of the signing of the accord but none of the commitments had been fulfilled even after the passage of six months. It had warned the government of announcing a plan of action if its demands remained unfulfilled. “We have tried staging protests without blocking roads and have exposed the ugly face of the government to the public,” it had said, adding that a minister from Prime

Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet had agreed to the terms of the agreement and now he was in denial. The interior minister, Sheikh Rasheed on the matter pertaining to initiate a crackdown against the people staging protest stated that “As we saw yesterday [during the TLP’s protest] that such demonstrations cause traffic jams, [but] action would [only] be taken against them if they take the law into their hands.” He added that accepting the TLP’s demand of expelling the French ambassador would lead to the severing of ties with the entire European Union. It merits mention that the TLP had taken out a massive rally on 12th of Rabiul Awwal (Tuesday), where its senior leaders delivered fiery speeches, accusing the government of using delay tactics in releasing Saad Rizvi.

Soon after, hundreds of TLP workers had reached outside its headquarters in groups and blocked both sides of the busy Multan Road by staging the sit-in there. Later, the TLP’s executive council had also given an ultimatum to the government to fulfil the agreement between them, or it would announce another “plan of action on Thursday by 5pm.” It had said in a statement that already several TLP workers had lost their lives and had warned the government against making a move that would lead to further “bloodshed”. In order to maintain law and order situation, the Ministry of Interior, on the request of the Punjab Home Department, had asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to block internet services in Samanabad, Sherkot, Nawankot, Gulshan-i-Ravi, Sabzazar and Iqbal Town areas of Lahore. news desk

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk