Epaper – October 26 LHR 2021 by Pakistan Today

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 I 19 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1443 I Rs 40.00 I Vol XII No 117 I 48 Pages I Lahore Edition

Green InItIatIve SummIt: Pm urGeS world to GIve clImate chanGe ImPortance for SurvIval

News Desk

RIMe Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the world to give climate change more importance. The premier highlighted the steps taken by Pakistan on this front and warned of consequences if immediate action fails to take place. “I hope that all of us collectively take this challenge much more seriously than what we have done so far,” the premier said while addressing the opening ceremony of Middle east Green Initiative Summit in Riyadh. The PM pointed out that just 10 per cent of the world’s countries were responsible for emissions causing environmental damage. “And unfortunately, we (Pakistan) are among the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change,” he said, sharing with other participants that over the past 10 years, the country had faced “152 extreme weather events … which had triggered an economic loss of over $3.8 billion”. He went on to state that Pakistan’s future climate adaption costs were estimated at between $6bn

and $14bn. “So, we decided that before the world takes any action, we, as a country, for our own survival, must [do] whatever is in our reach,” he said. The PM stated that Pakistan would shift 60pc of all its energy production to clean sources by 2030. Additionally, the government planned to shift

30pc of all transport was to electric vehicles by 2030 and the country had committed not to initiate any new coal projects. “We have already shelved 2,400 megawatts of coals projects [and] replaced them with 3,700 megawatts of hydroelectricity,” he said. He added that his government

had also focused on nature-based initiatives, primarily the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project. “We have already planted 2.5bn [trees] ” of the 10bn target, he said. He added that “In the process, we have also provided green jobs — jobs that are related to improving our environment,” he said, adding that 85,000 jobs had been created in this area and the number was expected to rise to 200,000 by next year. The PM went on to reveal that the World Bank had ranked Pakistan as the top country for using development finance for climate-friendly initiatives and gave examples of green bonds, blue bonds, nature bonds and a mechanism devised by the government for the transition to clean energy. While calling the climate change “one of the biggest crises” the world faced today, the premier stated that the problem was visible 20 years ago, but unfortunately, the world failed to realize the consequences. The PM concluded by highlighting that glaciers were melting at a rapid pace due to climate change and as a result, Pakistan and several other countries were at risk of facing water scarcity which needs to be taken care of.

coronavIruS In

PakIStan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,269,234 LAST UPDATED AT 6:52 AM ON OCTOBER 25, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

698

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,216,908 28,386 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

467,814

439,171

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

177,519 AJK/GB:

33,196 ISLAMABAD:

34,441 / 10,383

106,710

MORE INSIDE

Bizenjo resigns from position of Balochistan Assembly speaker QUeTTA Staff RepoRt

Pakistan desires to maintain bilateral ties with Canada: COAS News Desk Canadian High Commissioner Wendy Gilmour Monday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Islamabad. Speaking on the occasion, the COAS said Pakistan desires to maintain the tradition of bilateral engagement and wish for long term and multi-domain enduring relationship with Canada, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) media release. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation in various fields, overall regional situation and peace and stability in Afghanistan were discussed. The COAS reiterated that there is a need for global convergence on Afghanistan to avoid humanitarian crisis together with coordinated efforts for economic uplift of the Afghan people. The visiting dignitar y appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation including successful evacuation operations and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two countries. Last week, NATO Senior Civil Representative Stefano Pontecorvo had called on Gen Qamar to discuss issues related to mutual concerns, particularly the situation in Afghanistan.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Quddus Bizenjo stepped down from his office Monday and submitted his resignation to the secretariat. “I, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, hereby, tender my resignation from the office of speaker, provincial assembly of Balochistan on Monday,” said a handwritten resignation letter addressed to the Balochistan governor. As per the letter, the speaker stepped down from his post in accordance with Article 53 and Article 127 of the Constitution. The development comes a day after the chief minister, Jam Kamal Khan, resigned hours ahead of a vote of no-confidence against him in the assembly. Khan had been facing criticism from the opposition as well as some members of his own Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) over the past few months. 16 members of opposition parties, who also claimed the support of some members of the ruling party, had submitted the no-confidence motion against Khan last month. Bizenjo, then speaker of the House, had fixed October 25 (Monday) for the vote. Khan was accused of governing poorly, including doing little to counter soaring unemployment. He was also criticised for approving a budget that his opponents said would further deepen poverty in the province. Khan rejected the charges as unfounded. Bizenjo belongs to the Awaran district of Balochistan and was elected on a Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) ticket during general elections in 2013, and on a BAP seat in the 2018 elections.

Speaking in the House Monday, BAP lawmaker Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran — who had tabled the motion — said Bizenjo will be the leader of the House in days to come. “I had already said I won’t rest until the removal of Khan as the chief minister,” he told the legislature. He also claimed he was offered Rs200 million in return for giving up on the demand of Khan’s resignation. “I was threatened with dire consequences after I rejected the offer.” Bizenjo remained chief minister of the resource-rich province between January and May 2018 after he succeeded in toppling the government of Nawab Sanaullah Zehri during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government through a no-trust vote. Meanwhile, speaking to media outside the assembly, Saleh Sardar Bhootani, another BAP lawmaker, said a few names were under consideration for nomination to the office. He stressed that consultation on the matter was important with allied parties and not just a single party. Bhootani said his party would strive to make the change visible for which all endeavours were being made. The ‘missing’ MPAs: Last week, opposition members had claimed that three female and one male MPAs had gone missing because they had signed the no-confidence motion against Jam Kamal. The four MPAs had gone missing on the day when the angry group with the support of the opposition parties tabled the no-confidence motion in the Balochistan Assembly on Oct 20. They later surfaced in Islamabad, claiming there had been no foul play. The MPAs, Akbar Askani, Bushra Rind, Laila Tareen and Mahjabeen Sheran, returned to Quetta in the official plane of the Balochistan government.

Rasheed vows to fulfil commitments made with TLP STORY ON BACK PAGE

Not a good time to talk about improving relations with India: Imran STORY ON PAGE 02

SC directs Karachi commissioner to demolish Nasla Tower within a week STORY ON PAGE 03

Pakistan, Bangladesh agree to strengthen ties STORY ON BACK PAGE IN TODAY S ISSUE

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Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

NOt A gOOd tiMe tO tAlk AbOut iMPrOviNg relAtiONS with iNdiA: iMrAN

News Desk

DDRESSINg the Pakistan-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday acknowledged the significance of improving ties with India, but sarcastically commented that after what happened in the T20 World Cup, a day earlier, it would not be ‘a good time” to think about this. The PM went on to state that “We have excellent relations with China, but if somehow we improve our relationship with India — I know after last night’s thrashing by the Pakistan team in the cricket match, it’s not a very good time to talk about improving relations with India.” PM Imran went on to say that Indian-occupied Kashmir is the only major issue between the two countries. “It’s all about human rights and the rights of the people of Kashmir for selfdetermination as guaranteed by the United Nations Security Council 72 years ago. “If that right is given to them, we have no other problems. The two countries can live as civilised neighbours […] just imagine the potential”, he added. While highlighting Pakistan’s strategic location, the PM said that Saudi businessmen could benefit from what the country has to offer. He mentioned the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project and the Central Business District project and called for investors to invest in them. He also mentioned another project along

the River Indus with 300,000 acres of fertile land. He said that water was available, but a canal was required to water the land. “All we need is energy to lift that water in a canal and this whole area becomes cultivable.” He said that the project had immense opportunities for both the countries. PM Imran while concluding his speech said that he wanted relations between the two countries to go to another level. “A level that will benefit both the countries.

PM accepts Jamshed Cheema’s resignation as SAPM on food security News Desk Jamshed Iqbal Cheema’s resignation as special assistant to the PM on food security has been accepted PM Imran Khan on Monday. The PM had approved the appointment of Jamshed Iqbal Cheema as the SAPM on food security on April 19, earlier this year. The reason for Cheema’s resignation is because he is gearing up to contest for the NA-133 by-election in Lahore, which will take place on December 5. The former SAPM submitted his nomination papers today. It is pertinent to mention that the seat fell vacant after senior PML-N leader and MNA Mohammad Pervaiz Malik, 73, had passed away earlier this month.

NCOC daily update: 698 new cases, 9 deaths from Covid-19

“The advantages that Pakistan has are different to the advantages Saudi Arabia has. Therefore, if we come together, it will mutually benefit both the countries.” On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed that the international community needs to work pragmatically to preserve peace and security, prevent an economic collapse and avert a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan in a meeting on Monday with American politician and

Surging dollar rate is ‘destructive’ for Pakistan’s national economy, security: Shehbaz Sharif News Desk PML-N President and leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called the consistent rise in the dollar rates “destructive” for the national economy and “dangerous” for national security. He said that continuous increment in the dollar rate is making people poorer but the incumbent government doesn’t pay heed to it. “History is witness that any increase in the dollar prices has always augmented inflation in the country,” said Shahbaz, adding that the rulers are maintaining a “criminal silence” over the matter of dollar price hike just like their silence over the inflation. Shehbaz stated that the surge in the value of the dollar and inflation could be the result of a “clandestine agreement with the International Monetary Fund

kARACHI

IsLAMABAD Pakistan added 698 new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Monday. The number of overall confirmed cases has risen to 1,269,234, according to the NCOC, the department leading the campaign against the pandemic. Another nine people lost their lives over the last 24 hours in Pakistan, taking the death toll to 28,386, according to the NCOC, adding that 1,524 patients are in critical condition. Over the last 24 hours, 666 patients recovered from Covid-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,216,908, said the NCOC. Sindh is the worst-affected province by the pandemic with 467,814 infections, followed by Punjab which has reported 439,171 cases.

(IMF)”. He went on to state that the government informs the Parliament about the result of the talks with the IMF if the deal with it hasn’t ended. “Hiding the terms and conditions agreed upon with the IMF from the Parliament has something fishy about it,” said Shahbaz. It is pertinent to note that the rupee touched a new all-time low of Rs174.43 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Monday in the wake of mounting pressure of import payments as well as looming uncertainty regarding a delay in the IMF’s decision regarding the resumption of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). At the moment, the value of the dollar is Rs175.5 in the open market. As of today, the dollar has risen by Rs0.43 in the interbank market, while in the open market, the value of the dollar has risen by Rs1.20.

Former PPP minister Memon indicted in assets reference Staff RepoRt

Staff RepoRt

diplomat John Kerry. The Taliban-run government in Afghanistan faces isolation as countries have yet to recognize their regime since they took over after ousting Ashraf ghani in midAugust. Kerry, the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and the prime minister spoke on the sidelines of the “Middle East green Initiative (MgI)” Summit in Riyadh.

The premier is in Saudi for a three day visit — from October 23-25. During their meeting, the prime minister underscored the need for positive engagement and the release of seized economic resources and financial assets for the welfare of the Afghan people. The premier underscored the importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for Pakistan and the region. Speaking about climate change, the prime minister stressed the need to reinforce national as well as global emphasis against what he described as an existential threat. The prime minister shared his perspective with the special envoy on challenges faced by Pakistan and other developing countries due to climate change, while highlighting Islamabad’s experience of launching nature-based solutions to address environmental challenges, including the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project. Reviewing the ongoing collaboration between Pakistan and the US on climate change and environment, PM Imran Khan expressed satisfaction on the recently held inaugural meeting of the “US-Pakistan Climate and Environment Working group” which explored potential areas of bilateral Pak-US cooperation on climate action. Kerry said the Pakistan-US relationship should be further reinforced in areas of mutual convergence, including climate and environment. He acknowledged various initiatives undertaken by Pakistan to fight climate change.

An accountability court in Karachi on Monday indicted Pakistan Peoples Party MP and former Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon and other suspects in an assets beyond declared income reference. Memon is accused of owning assets beyond known sources of income and was probed under Section 9(v) of the NAB Ordinance. The section says: “If [a public office holder] or any of his dependents or benamidars owns, possesses, or has any right or title in any movable or immovable property or pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income, which he cannot reasonably account for.” Memon and other suspects turned up before the accountability court after it resumed hearing. They pleaded innocence when read the charges. The court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present its witnesses at the next hearing to record their statements. The court then adjourned the proceedings until November 10. According to the dirty money watchdog, the former minister allegedly amassed assets to the tune of Rs2.43 billion through corrupt means. The agency filed a reference against him, his wife Sadaf Sharjeel, mother Zeenat Inam and others in 2019. In addition to the assets reference, Memon is

facing a number of other graft cases, including one related to Rs 5.76 billion embezzlement in the Sindh Information Department.

He was arrested on charges of awarding the advertisements at exorbitant rates in 2007 and was later released on bail in June 2019.

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

SC direCtS kArAChi COMMiSSiONer tO deMOliSh NASlA tOwer withiN A week

NEWS

Punjab launches door-to-door vaccination drive LAHORe INp

kARACHI

Staff RepoRt

HE Supreme Court (SC) has given directive to the Karachi commissioner on Monday to demolish Nasla Tower, a 15storey residential building located at the intersection of Sharae Faisal and Shahrah-i-Quaideen, through “controlled blasting” within a week and submit a report. The court has given instructions to ensure that no harm was caused to other buildings and persons in Nasla Tower’s vicinity because of the blast. The matter was taken up by a threemember bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, at the SC’s Karachi registry, where the city commissioner appeared before the court. It also directed the builder of Nasla Tower to refund money to registered buyers of the residential and commercial units, adding that the city commissioner should ensure that the refunds were made. A three-judge SC bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan gulzar Ahmed, had initially directed for the demolition of the 15-storey building for encroaching on the land meant for a service road on June 16. Issuing a detailed order for the same on June 19, the court had also directed the builders of Nasla Tower to refund the amount to the registered buyers of residential and commercial units within three months. The court had said in its judgement that “After examining the entire record and scrutinizing the reports submitted by all concerned agencies and departments,

we are in no manner of doubt that the tower in question (Nasla Tower) has indeed been constructed on encroached land which amongst other things has also blocked a service road.” “Being illegal construction and there being no provision for compounding such illegality specially where a service road has been blocked, the same is liable to be demolished,” it had added. The builder of Nasla Tower had filed a review petition against the June 16 order, which was dismissed by the apex court last month. Subsequently, the district administration served notices to the residents of Nasla Tower earlier this month, directing them to vacate the 15storey building by October 27 or face coercive action by relevant authorities. The Supreme Court summoned Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a case pertaining to the

demolition of leased properties built along Orangi and gujjar drains in Karachi to inquire as to why its order was not implemented. During the proceedings Monday, the court came down hard on the Sindh government over delays in the compensation to the people who lost their accommodations in forced evictions. Chief Justice gulzar Ahmed is currently in Karachi on a week-long trip and will be hearing important cases pertaining to illegal and unauthorised constructions, encroachments on amenity plots, conversion of residential and amenity land into commercial spaces in the provincial metropolis. During the hearing, Justice Ahmed asked the Sindh attorney general for updates on compensation to be provided to over 6,000 affected people. The court asked what has been the progress so far

and what were the ground realities. The attorney general, however, could not satisfy the court. “Summon Sindh CM immediately, we will ask from him if they are trying to make fun of the court,” the chief justice said. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court released a written order in the antiencroachment case and ordered the authorities to compensate the people whose leased houses have been demolished in the drive along the drains. At a hearing on September 23, the court chided the Sindh government over delays in the compensation for the affected people. “Shame on you [Sindh government],” Justice Ahmed had said. The court instructed Shah to resettle the victims within a year and summoned a report on it, adding that resettling the affectees is the state’s responsibility and we have to find a way to do that. gujjar and Orangi drains are two of the three stormwater drains that are being widened to ensure a smooth flow of rainwater. Mehmoodabad is the other one. After the court order, on October 5, Shah had announced in a provincial cabinet meeting that the victims of the campaigns will be paid Rs15,000 a month for two years. It was agreed the evacuees will be given residential units in the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme as well. Sindh Local government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah briefed in the meeting that 344 houses near the gujjar drain and 60 houses and six factories near the Orangi drain have been demolished so far. “We will take an Rs300,000 subsidy from the federal government and provide 30,000 residential units to the victims,” Shah revealed, adding the land for the houses will be provided by the Sindh government.

Policeman on polio vaccination duty killed in KP IsLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A policeman was killed in firing by unidentified gunmen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to police officials. Unknown assailants opened fire on the police constable late Sunday as he was on his way back home after performing his duty with a polio vaccination team near the Multan Road neighbourhood of Dera Ismail Khan district, Najam ul-Hasnain Liaqat, the district police officer of Dera Ismail Khan, said. The injured constable succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to a hospital, the official said, adding that the attackers fled the scene afterwards, and a search operation is underway to arrest them. The gunmen also took away the victim’s official weapon and a vehicle, according to local reports. In a similar incident in August, a police officer assigned to guard polio vaccination workers was killed in a firing incident in Dera Ismail Khan.

The Punjab government on Monday launched a door-todoor coronavirus vaccination campaign in the province. The “reach every door” drive was launched in all 36 districts of the province to meet the target of 81 million vaccinations by year-end, officials said. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said that to make the drive a success, the health department has established 14,000 new vaccination centres across Punjab along with more than 12,000 mobile teams that will visit every village and neighbourhood to vaccinate people. To ensure the success of the campaign, lawmakers and social workers have also been taken in the loop along with the health and district administration officials, he said. “It is a rare opportunity for the districts with low vaccination ratios to achieve the vaccination target,” Buzdar added. “The war against coronavirus can be won with vaccinating the maximum number of people,” he added. By vaccinating most of the people enough herd immunity could be built against the Covid-19, experts said.

AtC gives death sentence to 2 cops for intizar’s planned killing News Desk On Monday, an antiterrorism court in Karachi gave death sentence to two police officials for murdering Intizar in a “planned encounter” in 2018. The ATC judge found police constables Bilal Rasheed and Mohammad Daniyal, and now DIg Muqaddas Haider, guilty of killing 19-year-old Intizar by shooting him to death. The court also awarded life imprisonment to six other ACLC officials, including then-station house officer Tariq Mehmood, former inspectors Tariq Raheem and Azhar Ahsan, then-head constable Shahid Usman and ex-constables ghulam Abbas and Fawad Khan. The deceased teenager’s father stated that “I am satisfied that the murderers of my son have been awarded the death sentence. It has been proved that both the accused shot dead my son,” Ishtiaq Ahmed, the victim’s father, told Dawn.com after hearing the order pronounced by the ATC-VII judge, who conducted the trial at the judicial complex inside the central prison. “But justice will be fully served when the sentences awarded to the accused are executed,” he added. Earlier in 2018, Intizar was travelling in his car with a friend, Madiha Kayani, on January 13, 2018, when policemen in plain clothes chased his car and shot him dead in DHA after he failed to stop the vehicle upon the cops’ direction. Kayani had managed to escape the scene unscathed in a rickshaw. Intizar’s killing was initially termed an act of targeted killing by police but after a few days, it transpired that ACLC officials were involved in it. A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder) 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, at the Darakhshan police station on the complaint of the victim’s father.

Taliban scheme gives further credibility to Pakistan’s call for aid to Afghanistan IsLAMABAD app

Pakistan has been consistently urging the international community to help Afghanistan avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe as a fallout of the exit of foreign troops in August. The call for international aid to Afghanistan has become more relevant after its interim Taliban government launched a programme to offer wheat in exchange for labour to fight hunger and unemployment. The security experts believe the “food for work” scheme is in fact signalling a looming crisis. The scheme, to tackle hunger and unemployment, will be rolled out in major towns and cities and employ 40,000 men in the capital of Kabul alone.

“This is an important step for fighting unemployment,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said during a press conference, adding the labourers must “work hard”. Afghanistan — which is already suffering from poverty, drought, electricity blackouts and a failing economic system — is now facing the onset of what may be a harsh winter. The two-month programme will see 11,600 tons of wheat distributed in the capital, with about 55,000 tons for elsewhere in the country, including Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif and Pol-i-Khomri. Work for the labourers in Kabul will include digging water channels and catchment terraces for snow in the hills to combat drought.

The Taliban’s food-for-work scheme will not pay labourers, targeting those who are currently unemployed and most at risk of starvation during the winter. A humanitarian crisis is imminent, Pakistan fears, as the United States refuses to sanction the new government in Afghanistan, blocking its access to over $9 billion in held assets. The war-ravaged country has suffered a lot over four decades of hardships. The security analysts say that relief for the people is still a distant dream even after the exit of regional forces. With winters setting in, the people are likely to face even worse. It is time for the international community to act and act fast to avert a looming crisis, they said. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo grandi has

called on the world to engage with the Taliban government or risk a “humanitarian crisis” resulting from the collapse of the state. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, approximately half of the 40 million people in Afghanistan are estimated to need humanitarian assistance. As many as 8.7 million people would need long-term and consistent assistance. As per the report of the UN Consolidated Appeal Process, the need for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan in 2021 was estimated to be €1.3 billion. In September, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at a joint press conference with his german counterpart, Heiko Maas, said: “This is a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s history. The international community must remain engaged.” Pakistan has so far sent 53 truckloads

and four C-130 aircraft carrying 1,096 tonnes of humanitarian aid comprising edibles, medicines and shelter to Afghanistan between September 9 and October 21. It also collaborated with Turkey for the dispatch of another nine trucks assistance carrying 146.7 tonnes of food and medicines. On October 20, Pakistan was among the regional countries at the Moscow Forum that asked for the need to support Afghanistan to avert an economic and humanitarian crisis. Pakistan along with other states at the forum asked for convening an urgent UN donor conference on Afghanistan, suggesting the main burden be borne by the forces whose military contingents had been present in this country over the past 20 years.

04 NEWS 26th October 2021_Layout 1 10/26/2021 12:37 AM Page 1

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

04 NEWS

IMF sEEks ClosurE oF publIC EnTITIEs’ bank aCCounTs undEr Tsa PAKISTAN ASKED TO SHIFT DEPOSITS OF RS2,900BN INTO FEDERAL CONSOLIDATED FUND

MoNItoRINg RepoRt

TRESSING the importance of the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA)-1, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has placed a condition on Pakistan to close all the bank accounts of public sector entities and the defence ministry in private commercial banks, it emerged on Monday. According to local media reports, the Fund has demanded that a framework to be put in place by December this year for this purpose with the money transferred to the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) account whereas the Ministry of Finance has asked for at least two years for making the TSA-1 fully functional. It may be recalled that Pakistan already agreed to withdraw Rs2,900 billion from commercial banks and shift it into the account number of the federal government

with the central bank, known as the Federal Consolidated Fund (FCA), in a bid to close commercial bank accounts that are funded through government money. The IMF, however, insists on a framework to be put in place by December this year. The minister for finance was expected to establish and make functional the TSA-1 under the structural benchmark for May 2021 under the existing $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). However, the all-powerful ministries, including the Ministry of Defense and others, did not yet accomplished such assigned tasks within the stipulated time-frame. It is pertinent to mention here that the Fund’s demand is aimed at bringing back hundreds of billions of rupees under the government’s control that are currently placed with the commercial banks in violation of various instructions by the finance ministry. According to a report by The Express

Islamabad police arrest five drug dealers ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Police have arrested a fivemember gang of drug dealers and recovered over 30 kilograms ketamine. On a tip off a team of Shalimar police station under the supervision of DSP Hakim Khan seized a vehicle bearing number LS-593 from a posh sector in the federal capital. The accuracy used the vehicle to supply drugs to various customers in the capital city. A case has been registered against the suspects and further investigation underway. Capital police has launched a massive crackdown againt drug suppliers and an anti-drug squad has been formed in that regard, following directions of IGP Islamabad Qazi Jamil Ur Rehman. An intelligence based operations were being conducted across the city to purge the menace from the city. It was a first time that such a large consignment of rare high quality drugs has been seized by the federal capital police. IGP Islamabad and DIG Operations appreciated the police team and announced commendation certificates for the personnel. Islamabad police has appealed the citizens to cooperate with the force and identify such elements in their surroundings for timely action against them. PR

TikTok ban violation of constitutional rights: IHC News Desk It has been observed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday that banning the video-sharing application, TikTok, was a violation of the rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition challenging the ban, during which he told the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) that the platform was a source of income for thousands of lower income people. “By taking this decision the PTA is also discouraging talent,” he added. “Should we shut down every social media platform, since objectionable content is present on almost each and every one of them?” CJ Minallah asked. “Hate speech and pornography is not just on TikTok. This matter should be handled in a professional manner. A society’s values should be strong enough for people to not watch something wrong,” the judge added. Justice Minallah remarked that these are the challenges of advanced technology. “Do we want to be cut off from the rest of the world?” he further asked. “Why did you cite India’s example? What other country is the app banned in except India?” the judge asked the PTA authorities. “What could be more surprising than the PTA not even knowing who the social media experts are in the country? If banning is the only way to go then it must be implemented across all platforms,” he added. The court further remarked that as per the PTA’s affidavits submitted with the Peshawar and Sindh high courts only one per cent of the content on TikTok was objectionable. The PTA filed the report but there was no response to the court’s directive, the high court added. “The federal government and PTA should submit the names of social media experts to the court. Keeping all things in consideration, blocking the platform is a violation of rights enshrined in the Constitution. The PTA should satisfy the court in the next hearing,” The hearing has been adjourned by the court till November 22.

Tribune, till June last year, there were about Rs500 billion deposits in various accounts of the armed forces that had now grown close to Rs600 billion.

Under the first phase, the commercial bank accounts of the government ministries and attached departments had to be closed by May 2021. However, only 4,500 of the

Pakistan Cables signs up business ambition for 1.5°C commitment KARACHI: Pakistan Cables Ltd, represented by the Chairman, Mustapha A. Chinoy and the British High Commission, represented by Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner Karachi & Trade Director for Pakistan signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C Commitment at the Pakistan Cables Urban Forest, Nooriabad. The commitment aligns the company’s ambition with keeping warming to 1.5°C and reaching science-based net-zero emissions by 2050. Pakistan Cables is amongst the first 26 companies in Pakistan to sign on to the Race to Zero ahead of the COP 26 that will be held in Glasgow, Oct-Nov 2021. There ceremony was also attended by Muna Shamsuddin, Director Operations Pakistan Cables Arshad Shafiq and other team members. PR

IMC partners with Karwan-e-Hayat to organise health camps KARACHI: Indus Motor Company (IMC), under its Neighbour Community Uplifting Programme, has partnered with Karwan-e-Hayat (KeH) - a nonprofit institution -to carry out free psychological health-related camps for the economically disadvantaged communities residing in six villages located in the company’s vicinity. The MoU was signed at the Company’s headoffice at Port Qasim, by the Chief Executives’ of IMC and KeH, Ali Asghar Jamali and Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babar, respectively. PR

6,000 of these accounts could be closed whereas a balance of about Rs5 billion was transferred to the central bank. According to a report by The News, private banks hold at least Rs1,665 billion which belongs to different federal ministries and divisions while over Rs1,100 billion has been identified to be of provincial governments. Furthermore, media reports have claimed that the delay in reaching a stafflevel agreement was the IMF’s insistence to roll out the TSA-2 system within the current fiscal year (FY22). Under the TSA-2, the Fund is asking the attached departments of ministries such as NHA, OGDCL, FWO, NLC, SCO and others to follow the same rules and shift their deposits into consolidated accounts. Moreover, the global lender also wants the government to introduce a finance bill in parliament to withdraw tax exemptions and slap more taxes. Pakistan has remained unsuccessful in its third attempt to conclude the 6th review talks with the IMF that originally began in June this year, which means that the completion of the 7th review that was to begin from September 3 and December 8 this year, would be delayed.

Engro Fertilizers recognised as largest taxpayer in fertiliser sector

KARACHI: Engro Fertilizers, Pakistan's premier seedto-harvest solutions provider, has been recognized as the “Largest Taxpayer in the Fertilizer Sector”, in a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Nadir Qureshi, CEO of Engro Fertilizers, received the award from the Honorable President Dr. Arif Alvi, who was the chief guest on this occasion. According to Nadir Qureshi, “For over 50 years, Engro Fertilizers has remained committed to serving the farmers of Pakistan with world-class products and solutions. Our contributions to the community and the national exchequer are a testament to our philosophy of doing good while doing well. We fully support the Government’s vision of transforming the agricultural landscape and improving the well-being of the farmers of Pakistan.” The ceremony was organized by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to appreciate the contribution of leading taxpayers and business institutions in the development of economy, while also highlighting the government’s efforts to facilitate the taxpayers. The event was also attended by the Federal Minister for Privatization Muhammad Mian Soomro, senior FBR and government officials, President RCCI Nadeem Rauf and other prominent business personalities. PR

UBL continues strong momentum in 2021 kARACHI PRESS RELEASE

UBL continued its strong momentum in 2021 as the bank earned Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs39.3 billion for the period ended September 30, 2021, a strong growth of 49% year on year, with earnings per share (EPS) of Rs18.6 (9M’20: Rs13.1). The bank declared a dividend of Rs4.0 per share for Q3’21, which is in addition to the Rs8.0 per share declared earlier, taking the overall payout to Rs12.0 per share year to date. UBL remains one of the key financial institutions in the country serving over 10 million customers, with a network of 1,344 branches within Pakistan, 1,436 ATMs, over 35,000 Omni agents, well supported by the bank’s award win-

ning digital banking services. The Branch Banking Group delivered a record performance in 2021, with strong growth in average domestic deposits of over 21% as the bank continues to expand its customer base across key geographies. Domestic deposits averaged Rs1.5 trillion in 9M’21, with the domestic CASA to total deposits ratio at 85.5% for 9M’21. This aggressive deposit mobilization enabled the UBL to expand its average market share to 8.4% in 9M’21 (9M’20: 8.1%). UBL sees Islamic banking as an emergent and growing opportunity and is aggressively focusing on expanding within this key space The Islamic branch network consists of 114 branches as well as 201 Islamic Banking Windows. Islamic banking deposits grew to

CMYK

Rs127 billion at Sep’21, an increase of 14% since Dec’20. Islamic asset acquisition remains a key priority for UBL. The loan book for this segment averaged Rs34 billion in 9M’21, growing by over 71% year on year. The economic environment within the GCC has started to pick up momentum as the pandemic gradually recedes and is also supported by a sharp rise in oil prices. Within International, UBL is looking to build a sustainable business model driven mainly by a strong base of low cost deposits. On the asset side, lending remains selective, confined to existing quality relationships, with rigorous oversight to contain any new NPL formation. After going through a challenging period of de-risking and optimizing the business model, the bank’s

International business has entered a period of stability, recording a PBT of USD 30.1 million in 9M’21. We continue to be well recognized as the bank was declared the ‘Best Digital Bank’ in Pakistan for the second consecutive year by Asiamoney. The award recognizes UBL’s leading role as one of the most progressive and innovative banks in the country. UBL was also declared the 'Best Digital Bank' at the 2020 Pakistan Banking Awards. We have also recently introduced the UBL Digital Islamic Account and launched wealth management services on the mobile app. The bank is well on target to cross 2 million digital customers this year, with the number of digital transactions increasing by over 90% year on year.

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

WTI crude OIl rISeS AbOve $85 Per bArrel fOr fIrST TIMe SInce OcT 2014 LONdON

NEWS

Ombudsman takes notice of delay in burial of bodies LAhORE

AgencIeS

StAff RePoRt

IL prices extended pre-weekend gains on Monday to hit multiyear highs, lifted by tight global supply and strengthening fuel demand in the United States and beyond as economies recover from pandemic-induced slumps. Brent crude futures rose by $1.10, or 1.3%, to $86.63 a barrel, the highest since October 2018. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.46, or 1.7%, to $85.22 and reached their highest level since October 2014. Both benchmarks closed last week with slight gains despite rising coronavirus cases in Britain and Eastern Europe, signalling a potentially difficult winter ahead. "The global energy supply crunch continues to show its teeth, as oil prices extend their upward march this week, a result of traders pricing in the ongoing rise in fuel demand — which amid limited supply response is depleting global stockpiles," said Louise Dickson, senior oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy. Goldman Sachs said a strong rebound in global oil demand could push Brent crude prices above its year-end forecast of

Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan took notice of the news item aired on a news channel about the delay in the burial of 51 unidentified bodies at Mayo Hospital’s morgue, his office said. He subpoenaed the primary and secondary healthcare secretary, as well as Lahore deputy inspector general (investigations), and asked them to submit a detailed report about the matter. He further directed to provide complete data of all the mortuaries in Punjab, along with their capacity, present status and asked them to bury all such dead bodies according to guidelines. Khan also took notice of the faulty machinery at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and directed its medical superintendent and specialised healthcare secretary and medical education department to get repair the faulty cardiac machinery. A summary should be sent to the Punjab government for the replacement of angiographic equipment and all other faulty machines for the provision of the best coronary care. A campaign should also be launched to give awareness to the patients to benefit from such facilities at nearby government hospitals, as well as the PIC, advised the ombudsman.

$90 a barrel. The bank estimated gas-to-oil switching could contribute at least one million barrels per day (bpd) to oil demand. After more than a year of depressed fuel demand, gasoline and distillate consumption is back in line with five-year averages in the United States, the world's largest fuel consumer.

Meanwhile, US energy companies last week cut oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in seven weeks even as oil prices rose, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said on Friday. Money managers raised their net long US crude futures and options positions in the week to October 19, the US Commod-

ity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday, underlining strong market sentiment. Oil prices have also been bolstered by worries over coal and gas shortages in China, India and Europe, which spurred fuel switching to diesel and fuel oil for power.

Hindu students beat Kashmir fellows after Pakistan thrash India in WC opener

PTA, GSMA organise workshop on mobile identity opportunity in Pakistan ISLAmAbAd PR

SRINAGAR AnAdolu Agency

After India’s historic loss to Pakistan in the ICC T20

World Cup, the cricket sports frenzy spread to two campuses in the nation’s northern state, when Hindu students attacked Muslim students from the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

The incidents occurred at Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Sangrur district and Rayat Bahrat University in Kharar, Mohali, in Punjab, shortly after Pakistan’s historic 10-wicket victory over India’s topranked squad in Dubai. “The students were assaulted by students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana (states),” Nasir Khuehami, the national spokesperson for the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said. Some students from the same state came for their help, he told Anadolu Agency over the phone. “Such incidents have increased the sense of insecurity and anxiety among Kashmiri youth studying and working outside as well as among their parents and relatives in Kashmir,” Khuehami said in a statement released by the association. “We demand immediate arrest of all those involved in the assault on Kashmiri students and ensure adequate arrangements for the safety, security of our students,” he added. Members of the opposing group allegedly barged into the students’ hostel rooms and thrashed them. Immediately after the match, they vandalized the rooms of Kashmiri students, it added. “The issue has been resolved,” Swapan Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for the Sangrur district, told Anadolu Agency. “Both groups have agreed not to lodge any complaints against one another and have offered apologies to the management,” he said. “They have promised that such incident will not be repeated in future. In the interest of students, we have not registered any case,” he added.

Rear Admiral Mian Zakirullah Jan takes over as Karachi commander KARAchI PR

Rear Admiral Mian Zakirullah Jan assumed the responsibilities as Commander Karachi (COMKAR) during change of command ceremony held at Karachi. Vice Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami handed over the Command to the newly appointed Commander Karachi. Upon assumption of Command, Rear Admiral Mian Zakirullah Jan is now Commander of all training units of Pakistan Navy at Karachi. Rear Admiral Mian Zakirullah Jan was commissioned in Operations Branch of Pakistan Navy in January 1990. The Admiral has an illustrious career with wide ranging Command and Staff experience. His major Command appointments were Commanding Officer 27 Squadron, N3 (Air) at HQ NAVCENT Bahrain, Head of P3C mission USA, Director Naval Aviation and Project Director Eagle Fort. His distinguished Staff appointments include Assistant Chief

of Naval Staff (Operational Plans), Directing Staff at NDU, Director General Defence Purchase at MoDP, Chief Staff Officer to Commander Pakistan Fleet, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Admin) and Naval Secretary. Prior assumption of duties as Commander Karachi, the Admiral was serving as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Training & Personnel) at Naval Headquarters Islamabad. Rear Admiral Mian Zakirullah Jan is a graduate of Pakistan Navy War College, Lahore and National Defence University, Islamabad. The Admiral also holds MS Degree in National Security and Resource Strategy NDU, USA. The Admiral has been awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) by Government of Pakistan in recognition of his meritorious services. During Change of Command ceremony, the Admiral was presented Guard of Honour and introduced to the Commandants/ Commanding Officers of units under Command. The ceremony was attended by Pakistan Navy officers, CPOs/ Sailors and Navy Civilians.

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The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the GSMA, organized a workshop on 25th Oct, 2021 at PTA Auditorium, with the aim of exploring the benefits of digital Identity to consumers and businesses in order to advance the digital transformation agenda in Pakistan. The workshop was attended by PTA senior officers, representatives of all mobile operators and Infobip, a global cloud communications platform. During the workshop, GSMA and Infobip speakers presented the key requirements and functionalities of mobile Identity with focus on use cases and improved security measures to safeguard customer data. Sessions were succeeded by an interactive round of open dialogue among the participants where it was agreed that mobile industry has a leading role to play in digital identity, and the commercial opportunities for operators. The mobile operators have a collective responsibility to ensure consumer trust that is vital to the continued growth of the digital economy. PTA has always been proactive in supporting the introduction of consumer-centric innovative solutions like mobile identity to achieve the Digital Pakistan vision. It was agreed that consultation process will continue in the form of a working group that will include representation from more stakeholders in the mobile identity process.

06-07 Comments - 26th October 2021_Layout 1 10/25/2021 10:09 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021

06 COMMENT

History of Western philosophy

Dealing with an aberrant soul-mate TLP and government’s flip flops

In 800 words

hE Interior Minister has given a clean chit to the tLP. he conceded that the government had done nothing positive in the last six months despite signing an agreement with the network. Sheikh Rasheed even denied that the government had ever banned the organisation maintaining that in fact it had only proscribed it, whatever that may mean. he ordered the release of more than 350 activists of the organization. Religious Affairs Minister Noorul haq Qadri said the government would “seriously consider” the demands of the tLP. this raises the question why the government had used force against the protestors if their demands were genuine, and they were within their right to put them up as according to Qadri they were the third largest political party in the country. the use of force led allegedly to the killing of some of the protestors while injuring several others. Or is the government not telling the truth? Did it know that the tLP’s demands like the expulsion of the French ambassador could lead to economic repercussions like the withdrawal of GSP Plus status, which offers benefits to Pakistan in terms of increase in exports particularly in the textiles and Garments that brings home billions of dollars? With France as the upcoming President of EU any action like expelling its ambassador would be widely resented by Europe. So in April when the violent cadres of the tehreek-iLabbaik Pakistan (tLP) unleashed mayhem across the length and breadth of the country, the PtI decided to agree to its demands but did not bring the issue to Parliament hoping that with the passage of time it might be possible to make the party change its stance. there is an affinity between the government and the tLP on the issue of blasphemy. the tLP was used by the establishment to destabilise the PML-N government while Sheikh Rashid lavished praises over the organisation during its Faizabad sit-in. this too stands in the way of action against the tLP like sentencing its members involved in killing, injuring and kidnapping of police personnel. With the government involved in peace talks it is bound to send the police a highly demoralising message, while taking wrong decisions under the pressure of militants would be seen by the world as the sign of a weak government.

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

ANy histories of Western philosophy have been written over the years. these histories doubtless have many undeniable merits, but all suffer from a fatal deficiency. Namely, they are neither for the faint of heart nor for those brave yet unfortunate mortals who whose unavoidable lot it is to earn a living and to live a life. this demographic, which is not insignificant, has for a long time been clamouring for a shorter, crisper history of Western philosophy. this article addresses that demand. Professional philosophers tend to throw around some impressive sounding keywords such as logical positivism, anti reductionsim, emergentism, rationalism and solipsism, which can be rather intimidating for the ordinary mortal. however, it is also on good authority that the whole of Western philosophy is but a footnote to Plato. this means that as far as philosophy is concerned, we are very much where we stood in the fourth century BCE. this makes my project of presenting a succinct account of the history of philosophy considerably simpler. Philosophy originated by focussing on the question ‘What is existence or being?’ two fancy names given to this line of speculation are metaphysics and ontology. Was the ‘stuff’ of the world mental or material? Was it one organic whole with the distinction of things being only an illusion or was the observed

Breaking the curse Pakistan’s comprehensive win against India comes at just the right time

t was surreal to be rooting for Pakistan in a highintensity World Cup match, that too against arch rivals India, and not feeling the familiar anxiety caused by the uncertainty of the result if the match goes down to the wire nor the crippling disappointment felt when it becomes clear very early on that it is going to be a one-sided affair in favor of the opposing side. Instead, the entire nation felt a profound sense of shock, disbelief, relief and immense euphoria as Pakistan obliterated India with a comprehensive 10-wicket win in the 17th over of its opening t20 World Cup match. the fact that this breaks Pakistan’s 29-year streak of not winning against India in any World Cup showdown is only one aspect of this victory that makes it so special. that the entire squad uncharacteristically displayed and maintained a composure, calm and confidence throughout the match, especially in such a high-pressure contest, is truly remarkable. Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissing India’s openers with two brilliant deliveries in two consecutive overs laid the foundation for a calculated and well executed bowling attack that was complimented by near-perfect fielding with no catches dropped and a very visible effort being made by everyone on the field to restrict runs. Babar Azam’s captaincy and batting were both clinical. Making the right bowling changes and field placements at the right time while playing a true captain’s knock with not a false note in sight, he surely stepped up to the task and did not disappoint. But it was perhaps Muhammad Rizwan’s energy and brilliant running between the wickets that made the run-chase look so effortless, supporting Babar by giving him the time and mental ease to get comfortable at the crease and start playing those trademark classy shots of his. this is perhaps the fittest opening pair that Pakistan has produced in recent times and that mattered as much as talent on the day. Pakistan cricket has gone through unprecedented challenges and changes just a month earlier. New Zealand’s abrupt and yet unexplained tour cancellation with England following suit dealt a crushing blow to the long-awaited return of international cricket to Pakistan. Simultaneously, a new top management at PCB, new coaching staff and a new squad was put in place, making experts and fans pessimistic about the team’s prospects at the t20 WC. this win therefore comes at just the right time as it silences all those critics who had written off Pakistan as a contender and solidifies the undeniable reality that Pakistan is truly a resilient and unpredictable side. If Pakistan continues to play as it did on Sunday, there is no team it cannot beat.

ATTiyA MuNAwEr

UR political leadership talks a lot about democracy but is not ready to follow democratic traditions and values. On the one hand, political leaders do not deny the usefulness of the local government system, but, on the other hand, they are not ready to activate this local government system. the Supreme Court had ruled in March this year that the government’s order dissolving local government institutions was unconstitutional despite this clear court order, the government has been reluctant to restore local bodies. the government had issued a notification for the restoration of these institutions. But some political and some similar personal difficulties in the practical restoration of the local bodies are not meeting any end. It has been a long-standing problem of our democratic system that the verbal utility of local bodies is expressed here, but its practical significance has never been recognized. the consequences are very clear that our people have a very limited choice for democratic elections, political parties are facing the same problem and it is having a negative impact on political parties, yet political parties remain focused on the election season and “gaining power through electables”. Political parties can get out of the mess of electables by focusing on the basic democratic

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Having failed to get to the bottom of the essence or reality of the world, philosophy then turned its attention to the question of how we know the things that we think we know, and how certain can we be about this knowledge.

The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

Deliberately delayed to hold on to power

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

ble, and rather silly, to try and compete with empirical science in the latter’s domain. thereafter, they decided it was best to avoid that confrontation by turning to the exciting realms of linguistics (analysis of language) and phenomenology (the meaning of phenomena in our subjective experiences), where they thought science would leave them alone. this retreat was reminiscent of the earlier capitulation of what passed for religious philosophy. Under the relentless onslaught of science, the Protestants had been reduced to concede that their truth was subjective, not objective like that of the scientist. the project of grounding morality in a priori principles was thus abandoned and ethics too were gradually confined to the experimental or the empirical realm. It was concluded that since there was no such thing as revelation, all problems faced by humanity could only be solved by the collective human intellect using experience as its only guide. thus, the various isms stemming out of humanism were born. When, around this time, Bertrand Russell turned for a while from philosophy to writing novels he famously remarked that the latter was only another kind of fiction. there was no limit to the scope of speculation once the floodgates of fiction opened. Philosophers have since proceeded to break much fresh ground in unfathomability in the form of doctrines such as existentialism and post-modernism. Consider this (representative) gem: “Existence is primarily the problem of existence (i.e., of its mode of being); it is, therefore, also the investigation of the meaning of Being.” It would be safe to say that there is no danger of the scientist (on anybody else for that matter) understanding such thoughts, much less refuting them. For the foreseeable future, philosophy appears to have found a dwelling place where it can reside in peace.

LGs and the promotion of democracy

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

plurality in the universe real? What was ‘reality’ anyway? Numerous unreadable books and many centuries later, nobody was any the wiser regarding these questions. It became obvious to all that this dead horse could not be flogged any further. It was time to choose a new frontier to conquer. having failed to get to the bottom of the essence or reality of the world, philosophy then turned its attention to the question of how we know the things that we think we know, and how certain can we be about this knowledge. this pursuit was lovingly referred to as epistemology. this proved to be another dead end because outside of pure mathematics and logic (both of which were sets of tautologies) one could not be certain of any knowledge. In the empirical sphere, one could only be sure of one piece of information. that of one’s ‘own’ ‘existence’ (albeit with both ‘own’ and ‘existence’ in inverted commas). the most that could be said about events was that one appeared to follow another. there was no such thing as cause-and-effect. At best one could talk in terms of probabilities, not individual events. hardcore philosophers were none too happy to conclude this since probability was a branch of applied mathematics. Philosophy had thus hit another immovable wall. In the intervening years, philosophers’ foray into psychological/mental phenomena was also stopped in its tracks. For this speculation too was appropriated by science on the ground that ‘mind’ was nothing but a conglomeration of matter. Philosophers realized that reports of extensive, albeit rather silly, experiments conducted on mice in cages were too much to confront in the age of scientific enthusiasm. Psychology was thus reduced to Behaviourism. Although in psychology science never came close to replicating the successes it had had in determining physical laws, philosophy had regardless been expelled from this Garden of Eden too. Philosophers now finally realized something they ought to have realized long ago. that it was impossi-

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

process and establishing their deep influence and lasting vote bank among the people, but they have more shortcuts instead of following the right path because they don’t have to devolve power to lower levels. In every era, there has been a prattle of activating the local government system and devolving power to lower levels, but in practice, no government has played a significant role in activating the local government institutions. PtI had also claimed a new local government system as soon as it came to power, but after three years, the new local government system has not been able to function, nor has the old one been activated. there is no abomination in it other than political and personal interests. Government representatives are not ready to form any political force, also they do not want any other virtuoso real representatives of the public to oppose them. If our political leadership emerges from grassroots politics out of fear of insecurity and realizes the facts if the basic democratic system is promoted, it will prove to be a nursery of leadership for the political parties, from where trained and graduate leaders will be able to do a lot for the development and prosperity of the country and the nation. It is through the local government system that talented public leadership grows all over the world, but our political leadership is focused on achieving its goals rather than on leadership, so political parties far from basic democracy are really far from the people. the relationship between the people and the political party should be based on ideology. this relationship can be lasting, but in our country, political parties have nothing to give to the public in the name of ideology and political programs. this political affiliation is based on individualism and ends in despair. Political parties have no real relationship with the people, so they are free

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from the fear that they will be questioned. No one in this country is ready for accountability; everyone likes to call themselves trustworthy even after looting everything. If there is talk of accountability, then there is an uproar of retaliation. If there is talk of transfer of power, then defects in the system begin to appear. Although, the only way to promote democracy is to give the same importance to the democratic process at the local government level as at the national and provincial levels. Can a Member of the Provincial or National Assembly or Senator support postponing the elections of their respective bodies for a period of time? If the importance of provincial and national elections is that this process for government formation must be completed within the stipulated time, then what is the justification for obstruction at the local level? Unfortunately, it is the democratic political parties that stand in the way of the basic democratic institutions and then the intervention of the higher judiciary is needed. It is in the national interest to change this attitude. Respecting the decision of the judiciary, the government has decided to provide facilities to the local body representatives under the law. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has said that the notification of functioning of local bodies has been issued. the local government Act will also be finalized soon and presented in the cabinet meeting. the government had earlier resorted to notifications. this time too, the notification is being discussed. It is hoped that in the case of local bodies, the government will not repeat the tradition of the past and will not allow this system to derail by recognizing the importance of local bodies.

If our political leadership emerges from grassroots politics out of fear of insecurity and realizes the facts if the basic democratic system is promoted, it will prove to be a nursery of leadership for the political parties

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

The writer tweets @AttiyaMunawer

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 26th October 2021_Layout 1 10/25/2021 10:09 PM Page 2

Tuesday, 26 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

Overcharging of fares in the public transport

The greatest leader of all times Corrupted power can never garner results, build successful states

wAjEEHA BilAl

ANy thinkers and political figures since the ancient world have formed different ideas about the goals that politics can achieve. From moralists (who believe that political life is a branch of ethics or moral philosophy) to realists (who focus on power, conflict, and war), political life is definitely a necessary response to the challenges of everyday life and the realization that collective action is better than individual action. Making sense of human life from ancient times to the Middle Ages, and the present time requires an understanding of the variety of political ideas and achievements established throughout history. It is generally acknowledged in the West that Magna Carta also called the Great Charter, written by a group of thirteenth century barons to protect their rights and property against a despotic rule, was the first ever proclamation of rights in which all parties were entitled to social, administrative, and religious rights. Universally considered as the first document to establish a tradition of civil rights, it is the basis of most constitutions of modern nation states. however, analyzing history, the first person who actualized the formation of a constitution for multireligious and diverse community is the holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh). the fact is that the Constitution of Madinah, antecedes Magna Carter. the prophet of the Islamic faith, hz. Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬laid the foundation for an Islamic state. he was its political and military leader as much as its spiritual guide. After hijra to yathrib in 622, he continued to spread his message and ultimately organized the city into a unified Islamic city-state. the city was renamed Medina (city of the prophet) and it became the world’s first Islamic state with a constitution that formed the basis of an Islamic political tradition. the constitution addressed the rights and duties of every group within the community, the rule of law, and the issue of war. the key aims were peace within the Islamic state and the construction of a political structure that would strengthen Islam. the constitution helped ensure agreement among different communities securing their lives and properties. this was the first treaty in history defining how a diverse community was to function. It helped commute mutual trust for all parties

holding them to the terms and conditions of the agreement. though the guidelines had been laid down many centuries back, they still stand true for diverse communities and their governments. Since the establishment of the current government in our country, there has been a continuous stress on ruling through the doctrine of Riyasat-e-Madinah. Being an independent country, that was established on the Islamic identity, while giving rights to multi religious and ethnic communities, Pakistan’s dream was formed on the principles of that great charter, not just in writing, but also in spirit. the concept of Riyasat-e-Madina was embodied in a lawful state of Madina which was created by the holy Prophet Muhammad ‫( ﷺ‬PBUh) where all human beings were equal with the basic rights of living a peaceful life. Where no one had any superiority, and everyone was treated equal according to the law. While the Islamic state of Madina was successfully able to govern itself on the Islamic principles, our country since its creation has been struggling to do that. What the leaders of struggling states fail to understand is that it is the leadership that sets an absolute example of a lawful state not vice versa. Corrupted power is the cause of poverty, oppression, and injustices. “We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Martin Luther King Jr. All the leaders who cite examples of great states like Medina should focus on their leadership qualities before having a perfect state to run. Instead of having debates over the corruption of others and how imperfect the previous governments were, the present leaders need to focus more on their own characters. Before establishing the perfect Islamic state, the Greatest Islamic Leader witnessed a very miserable society of Arabs. the Prophet ‫( ﷺ‬PBUh) embodied the true essence of greatest leadership, through which he revolutionized the uncivilized lives of Arabs and gave them a lawful purpose to live by. As new potentials arise for the execution of power, control and credibility, new political ideas and theories come to be formed. “Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians”- Charles de Gaulle. Witnessing corrupt and unjust leaderships through media, the present Politics concerns all of us, so we try our best to understand and find ways to address the issues and spread a positive message. Great leadership qualities have strong connections in Islamic tradition, they are also uni-

versal in spirit, making them fitting to any leader, of every religion and ethnicity. though Muslims believe that there can be no one as pure a leader as the holy Prophet ‫( ﷺ‬PBUh) but there can definitely be great leaders who follow his footsteps and lead with honesty and truthfulness. Prophet Muhammad ‫( ﷺ‬PBUh) had a very strong and virtuous character with a perpetual display of honesty and truthfulness in his negotiations. his integrity played a vital role while forming the treaty of hudaibiyyah, when his followers felt disappointed with in the short term, but later witnessed the rise of Islam in the long term. the Companions of the holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ (PBUh) tried to follow his footsteps in handling the matters of the state. Great states and governments are built through men with great characters and qualities. “The best of you are the best in character.” the present corrupted and unjust society is in a dire need of truthful leaders who follow Sunnah, in politics instilled with ethics and morality. Leading by Example was an integral characteristic of the Prophet’s personality, as he acted upon the enforced Islamic teachings himself and lead by example to be remembered forever. Muslims around the world celebrate the birth (the Mawlid alNabawi) of the greatest leader in the history of mankind, on the 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal, with religious devotion and solemnity. the influential quality of hazrat Muhammad ‫( ﷺ‬PBUh) is still prominent in both spiritual and social issues of life. Spreading of Islam throughout the world was made possible by his meaningful and effective Sunnah. When considering the greatest leader of all times, the name of the Prophet Muhammad ‫( ﷺ‬PBUh) comes on top, not just for Muslims, but also for other honorable researchers and historians such as Michael hart, who named Prophet Muhammad as number one in his compilation of the hundred greatest leaders in history. Michael hart in “the 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in the history”, claimed, “My choice of Muhammad (PBUH) to lead the list of world’s most influential persons… he was the only man in the history who was supremely successful on both the secular and religious level… It is this unparalleled combination of the secular and religious influence which I feel entitles Muhammad (PBUH) to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.”

All the leaders who cite examples of great states like Medina should focus on their leadership qualities before having a perfect state to run. Instead of having debates over the corruption of others and how imperfect the previous governments were, the present leaders need to focus more on their own characters.

The writer is a published author. Her work includes “The Conscious Ego” and “The Beautiful Present”

I want to enlighten public opinion against the malpractices of the transporters of our province. Most of the transporters are greedy and selfish by nature. they try to maximize their profit by unlawful methods. the increasing rate of petrol has provided them a pretext to fleece the people. Due to overpopulation, the number of passengers is increasing. Also, there is a need for new buses and transport companies in cities. they exploit the situation and overload their buses. this makes every passenger very uncomfortable. there are proper unions of transporters and if any of them obey government rules and charge fair fares, they threaten them too. they do not receive the fare fixed by the government. If any passenger protests against it, he is not allowed to travel and they have to suffer a lot financially. Also, overloading is also one of the major causes of accidents. In order to eradicate this social issue, I want to give following suggestions: n Media should raise its voice against this malpractice. n the defaulter should be heavily fined and sent to jail. n there should be proper check and balance at bus stations to ensure comfort of passengers. n Display of fare list at stations and in bus should be ensured. n Special taskforce/helpline to cope with this problem should be introduced by the local government. n Like intra-city government transport service, the government should also introduce transport service inter-cities. ARBAB ABBASI LAHORE

Khairabad, a neglected village KhAIRABAD is a small town situated in tehsil tump and it surrounds several houses along and is very poplulous. the village is suffering at so many levels. From educational crisis, health issues to poorly constructed roads, so on and so forth. there is only one secondary school across Khairabad, that too lacking basic facilities including classrooms, boards, and chairs. Moreover, the school fails to have a library, which is essential for students to study and broaden their horizons. Besides this, the heath conditions are worsening day by day. there is only one hospital in the village which fails to have basic facilities. there is always a shortage of medicines,beds, and competent staff. Apart from this, poorly constructed roads are major problems for travelling. the roads were once built during Zubaida Jalal’s regime, but were never repaired again. they are very serious problems which need attention. I urge the high authorities to ensure attention on the issues of Khairabad. ABduL RAHmAn SHAHBEER KHAIRABAd

Water woes FOUR million people in the UK staged a protest to register water crisis. According to the proclamations in next two decades, we would confront water shortages. In this 21 century, 7/4 water is utilized and we are facing global water crisis. hence, world is available with 326 million trillion water only. however, 95% is salty water, 2% is frozen and only 1% remains for human usage. In the upcoming centuries, water will be considered to be as worthy as petroleum, being traded at soaring prices. the process of desalination is extremely important in these pressing times. Desalination means to isolate salt from water. the process requires alot of money and energy. It is pertinent to preserve it for the next generation if want to provide them with pure water. FIzA GuLAm AKBAR KARAcHI

Polio and Pakistan DISEASE is one of the many mirrors we can use to understand ourselves and the societies we live in. the Polio virus is one of the dangerous diseases in the world which attacks saphenous nerve cells. the world first recorded a polio case in 1908, when Karl landsteiner and Erwin popper discovered that polio virus was caused by virus which came from animals. the first polio cases occurred in Oslo, Norway with 14 cases in 1868. Later 13 cases were reported in Northern Sweden 188. In 1988 poliomyelitis paralysed and killed hundreds of thousands people every year. Polio is highly infectious consisting of stereotypes 1, 2 and 3 horizontal transmission usually occurs via the faeco-oral, with faeco- oral contributing to the majority of cases in regions with poor hygiene and sanitation. Pakistan’s polio eradication programme has come under international scrutiny due to its position as the main driver of global wild polio spread in recent years. Roughly 20,000 wild poliovirus cases were reported in Pakistan in the early 1990s but the polio eradication programme has reduced this by up to 99%. In 2014, Pakistan became the world’s highest number of polio cases. Later in 2019, only 1 case was registered in Punjab, 0 in Sindh, 16 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 0 in Balochistan, also no cases were reported in Gilgit Baltistan. In 2021, only 1 case was registered in Punjab, 2 cases in Sindh, 4 cases in Balochistan, and 1 case Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. No cases were registered in Gilgit Baltistan, owing to the success of polio eradication drives by the government. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries where the disease is still present. I hope the government of Pakistan will work hard on this dangerous disease and eradicate it from the country. nAjEEB SAwALI AwARAn

08 WORLD VIEW 26tht October 21_Layout 1 10/25/2021 9:31 PM Page 1

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TOLLS AND MORAL HAZARDS OF DRONE WARFARE

inTercepT

Murtaza Hussain

n what would be the last day of his life, Zemari Ahmadi, an employee of a U.S.-based nGO, was being watched by a remote crew piloting a Predator drone above the skies of Kabul, Afghanistan. As Ahmadi went about his work, running a series of errands across the city, the drone operators, though they did not know his identity, were making plans to kill him. A series of innocuous actions, like Ahmadi loading water containers into his car, were interpreted in the minds of the operators watching as sinister preparations for a suicide bomb attack. After surveilling Ahmadi for several hours, the drone operators issued a death sentence, firing a Hellfire missile at his car as he drove up to his home, just as three children were rushing out to greet him. A total of 10 people, all civilians, were killed in the attack that the U.S. military had initially insisted had targeted a terrorist working with the Islamic State. The deaths of Ahmadi and his family members were unique in the level of public attention they received. It was sadly unremarkable, though, in the context of the larger U.S. drone war that has been waged over the past 20 years. Armed drones have become a staple of modern American warfare, placing operators at a historically unprecedented remove from danger. At the same time, they have exposed those targeted, whether combatants or civilians, to a form of violence that they can neither defend themselves against nor surrender to. Freed from the traditional reciprocity of war, in which both sides put their lives on the line, drone operators have become more like judicial executioners: putting people on trial on the other side of the planet without due process and meting out death sentences by remote control. The U.S. pioneered this style of warfare but is no longer alone in using what are technically called unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. Other countries, including U.S. rivals, are ramping up their own drone programs, signaling that this style of killing at great distance is likely to become a defining feature of war in the 21st century. Understanding what this means is the task of two recent books, “Asymmetric Killing: Risk Avoidance, Just War, and the Warrior Ethos” by neil Renic, an international relations scholar at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg in Germany, and “On Killing Remotely: Phelp’s book is based on hundreds of interviews with drone operators who have carried out strikes. Examining how drone warfare fits into the broader culture of the U.S. military, the volume also gives a remarkable insight into the psyche of drone operators tasked with carrying out targeted killings. Unlike traditional forms of combat where events often move with brutal speed, drone operators, through a high-definition camera in the sky, often intimately follow their targets over long periods of time, sometimes several months, getting to know their habits, personalities, and even families, before one day pulling the trigger and killing them. While drone strikes are often viewed as an antiseptic, dehumanized form of killing — comparable to blowing up targets in a video game — many operators interviewed by Phelps describe it as a psychologically difficult. Some even develop parasocial relationships with those they are tasked to stalk and kill.

TWO NEW BOOKS SHED LIGHT ON WHAT REMOTE WARFARE DOES TO MILITARY OPERATORS, THE STANDING OF THE US, AND SOCIETIES ABROAD In one case discussed in the book, an intelligence analyst working on the CIA’s drone program was part of a team tasked with six months of 24-hours-a-day surveillance of a man said to be a “high-value target.” In addition to the behavior that was alleged to justify his killing, the analyst observed his target walking his children to school on a daily basis and taking care of his family, as part of a long-term surveillance routine known as pattern-of-life analysis. In a strange way, the analyst got to know his target, even developing a level of sympathy born out of spending so much time seeing how he interacted with others, especially his wife and children. Eventually, the day that the intelligence analyst would have to kill him came. After such a long period of voyeuristic intimacy with the man — about whom the analyst himself said, “there was no doubt that he was a good father” — it was nothing like a video game. A father himself, the analyst related on a human level with the man he had been following. In many ways, the level of closeness and knowledge about his target, gleaned by watching him for months through a drone’s lens, was far greater than that in traditional combat situations, where combatants have little personal knowledge about those that they kill. As Phelps notes, “the analyst said that when the time came to strike this guy, whom he had observed being a normal dad every day for six months, it was emotionally difficult.” Other drone operators describe experiencing physiological stress during their missions, as well as brief bursts of adrenaline following successful shots that supported friendly ground forces engaged in active combat. When they were asked to describe their worst day on the job, many of their responses dealt with what drone crews saw in the aftermath of certain strikes. One sensor operator on a drone described their worst day to Phelps this way: “Watching the son of the person I just obliterated with a Hellfire missile pick up the pieces of his father. It wasn’t the act of killing I focused on, it was watching the boy’s face and interactions with the rest of his family that continue to haunt me.” A contractor working as a tactical controller on a Reaper drone crew also provided their view on the long-term consequences of a killing that he had helped carry out: Although I would not do it differently, conducting surveillance on a confirmed HVT [high-value target] and seeing him positively interact with his spouse and children, like a caring father and husband, playing soccer with his son, and ultimately taking a kinetic strike opportunity far from his home. no collateral damage occurred, however, had full viewing in HD of the family mourning and could not help but think that the son would be the next generation of terrorist due to this event. Phelps approaches drone warfare as a military insider. He is mainly concerned with reducing the stigma against drone operators within the military hierarchy and finding ways of making the process of remote killing psychologically easier. He suggests creating greater social distance between operator and target, using technical language to describe the people involved, and breaking up tasks so that the person doing intimate, pattern-oflife surveillance on an individual is not the same person pulling the trigger or observing the target’s family in grief in the aftermath.

not everyone who takes part in drone warfare is troubled by their experience. Some take the righteousness of their operations for granted. nonetheless, in his descriptions of the psychological impact of targeted killing on drone operators, Phelps dispels the notion that taking a life with a drone is always as easy as playing a video game for the people doing it. “It’s ridiculous the idea that we don’t see the humanity. I’m watching a target for eight hours. I’m going to watch him go to the store and go to his wife. I’ve had targets that I followed for four or five days. I know where they live, I know what they do,” one drone operator told Phelps. “Then eventually you kill this guy. Absolutely I know that his wife is out there and that we just made her a widow and that we just took a father away from his three kids. It sucks. I wish it was just a guy in a car that we didn’t know. Those shots are easy.” Embedded in Phelps’s analysis in “On Killing Remotely” is the assumption that targeted killing with drones is just another evolution in how human beings have created advantages for themselves in combat, comparable to the bow and arrow, cannon, sniper rifle, bomber plane, and ballistic missile. That assumption is put to the test in neil Renic’s “Asymmetric Killing.” Renic argues that drones establish a “radical asymmetry” of violence unlike anything created by prior weapons. The utter lopsidedness of the violence, where one side is completely free from danger and the other at their total mercy, calls into question whether what is happening is a war at all — or something more sinister. In countries like Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, the U.S. has carried out thousands of strikes in the absence of a meaningful U.S. ground presence. The people being killed on the ground in these strikes usually do not, and indeed cannot, pose any conceivable threat to Americans. Renic argues, with reference to philosophical traditions like “just war” theory, that this makes even many purportedly legitimate drone targets, particularly the low-level, rural, foreign fighters who bear the brunt of the drone program, little different from civilians. The concept of war as a legal and morally regulated activity was historically built on an assumption of mutual risk and danger among those taking part. That dynamic simply no longer exists when one side

Aiding Afghanistan Times of india Editorial

n what was India’s second official-level contact with Taliban after it returned to power in Afghanistan, the Islamist group revealed that new Delhi had offered to provide extensive humanitarian assistance. While the Indian side is yet to confirm this, humanitarian assistance for ordinary Afghan citizens isn’t a bad idea. After all, the situation in Afghanistan is dire today with supplies of essentials running low. The country’s economy is in a mess with its foreign reserves frozen

is fighting only with robots from the other side of the planet. While prior technological advances may have reduced the structural threat between combatants, drone warfare is the first time that one side has made themselves absolutely immune to violence. “UAV-exclusive violence marks a fundamental shift in the nature of hostilities, from an adversarial contestation to something more closely approximating judicial sanction,” Renic writes. “One outcome of this shift has been the dehumanization of those targeted by the United States.” What emerges in place of war as a situation of mutual risk is simply an unending series of executions carried out from the skies. The task of the people carrying out many strikes is less about overcoming an enemy in battle than issuing moral judgments and death sentences against individuals who pose no conceivable threat to the U.S. and whose customs, circumstances, and even identities are often unknown to them. To use a chilling metaphor, Renic argues that killing through drone strikes outside of active combat situations is less like war, as traditionally defined, and more like “a creative process of disinfection.” In cases where drones are targeting highlevel terrorists who are directly planning attacks against the U.S. or where they are supporting friendly ground forces in combat, the strikes are more justifiable, according to traditional moral schema. These are not often the circumstances of drone strikes. Thousands of strikes have taken place outside of active combat zones over the years or have targeted low-level fighters or even unarmed individuals who posed no direct threat to U.S. forces or civilians. An investigative report recently published by the military-focused news site Connecting Vets, including leaked footage of many strikes, outlined the extent to which U.S. military commanders became obsessed with killing low-level suspected Taliban members in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during a 2019 drone campaign. Fixated on increasing their “kill counts” as a metric of operational success, military commanders authorized drone strikes even against unarmed individuals in the province suspected of having walkie-talkies or wearing tactical vests. The attacks were in stark contrast to Phelps’s characterization of U.S. drone warfare as intelligence-driven, targeted strikes against bad actors: Participants in the Helmand campaign described it as “nihilistic,” stating that “the drone strikes were punitive. Killing for the sake of killing.” As much as drone warfare has eliminated mortal risk on one side of war almost entirely, it has simultaneously displaced that risk onto civilians whose safety the military is ostensibly tasked to defend. By making themselves wholly immune to retributive violence from an enemy that they kill from afar, the U.S. military makes it more likely that those enemies will respond by attacking whatever target is available, usually civilian ones, rather than accept surrender or annihilation in the face of relentless one-way violence. That does not make the killing of civilians, whether Americans or locals in foreign countries, by militant groups any less morally objectionable. Yet by military officials’ own accounts, the displacement of the violence onto the defenseless is a foreseeable outcome of policies that primarily seek to protect soldiers from physical danger at all costs.

“Attempts to armorize our force against all potential enemy threats … shifts the ‘burden of risk’ from a casualty-averse military force onto the populace,” wrote American Marine Maj. Trent Gibson in a 2009 paper titled “Hell Bent on Force Protection: Confusing Troop Welfare with Mission Accomplishment in Counterinsurgency,” which drew on experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. “In doing so, we have lifted the burden from our own shoulders and placed it squarely upon those who do not possess the material resources to bear it — the civilian populace.” “On remote killing” ends with a word of warning about the prospect of autonomous weapons platforms, which may have the capacity of distancing human beings from war even further by automating the entire killing process using artificial intelligence. Phelps compellingly argues that “war is a human endeavor and there must be a human cost to undertaking it.” Though his book establishes that taking lives is not as easy for drone operators as stereotypes may suggest, for those who have been on the receiving end of violence over the past 20 years, simply knowing that there is a human being who pulled the trigger that killed their family members is not much comfort. After initially trying to cover up the killings of Zemari Ahmadi and his family in Kabul, the Pentagon subsequently backtracked following a stream of news reports disproving their narrative about killing an ISIS-K terrorist, the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan. Though it was forced to admit responsibility, the military has said that no disciplinary action would be taken against anyone involved in the attack that took the lives of 10 members of an innocent family. If drone warfare, whether autonomous or not, is to have any moral component at all, it must include some accountability for the innocent people regularly killed in strikes like the one that ended the life of Zemari Ahmadi. Periodic apologies aside, moral responsibility toward the tens of thousands killed, maimed, or deprived of their loved ones over the past 20 years has been in short evidence. “That is not enough for us to say sorry,” Emal Ahmadi, Zemari’s brother, told reporters in the aftermath of the drone strike. “The U.S.A. can see from everywhere. They can see that there were innocent children near the car and in the car. Whoever did this should be punished. It isn’t right.” The Psychology of Killing With Drones,” by Wayne Phelps, a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who participated in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ON BOTH HUMANITARIAN AND STRATEGIC GROUNDS, INDIA MUST PROVIDE SUCCOUR TO ORDINARY AFGHANS

by the US and IMF. In fact, Afghan civil servants and medics have not been paid in months, and the WHO last month said that 90% of its 2,300 health clinics across Afghanistan risked shutting down. Sending aid to Afghanistan is complicated by the fact that Taliban’s interim government is yet to be internationally recognised and comprises members who are proscribed as terrorists. But Afghan citizens shouldn’t be made to suffer because their previously elected government fled. Plus, if the humanitarian crisis exacerbates, the fallout will be on neighbouring countries who will not only have to deal with a further exodus of Afghan refugees, but also a worsening security situation in Afghanistan.

True, totally bypassing Taliban in aid delivery may not be possible. But the aim ought to be to encourage the group to reform, respect human rights and become inclusive. Plus, India needs to aggressively cultivate strategic options in Afghanistan to blunt the impact on Indian Occupied Kashmir, which is witnessing a new phase of terrorism. Thus, a twotrack approach where ordinary Afghans are helped and Taliban incentivised is the best way forward. In this regard, India would do well to restart normal processing of medical and student visas for Afghans. This will help preserve the huge goodwill India enjoys in that country, even as it works out a new equation with Taliban.

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

NEWS

NA sPeAker vows To urge govT To exTeNd coNsTrucTIoN PAckAge ISLAMABAD APP

PEAKER National Assembly (NA) Asad Qaiser on Monday assured that he would raise his voice at every relevant forum, including the National Assembly, for further extension in the construction package so that more investors could benefit from it. He said that construction projects like Gulberg Green Islamabad should be started in other provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to provide better lifestyle to the people. He expressed these views while addressing

to other industries to help the industrial sector flourish and economy to improve. He said that Gulberg Green’s construction projects had provided employment to many people besides promoting business activities. Gulberg Green Society Secretary Shujaat Ullah Qureshi said that the land for E and F executive blocks of the project had been acquired and development would start soon while people would be able to start construction of houses with the completion of development work in the next two years. He said that 11 per cent discount would be given to the members of ICCI in the executive blocks.

as chief guest at a ceremony organized by the Gulberg Green Islamabad. Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Muhammad Shakeel Munir, Senior Vice President Jamshed Akhtar Sheikh and others were present on the occasion. Speaking at the occasion, the ICCI president said that the prime minister had taken a positive step by announcing an amnesty scheme for the construction industry that had given a boost to construction activities. Article continues after this advertisement He urged the government to consider extending this scheme to attract more investment and further urged the government for providing a similar package

Rupee hits 174.43 against US dollar MonItorIng report

Pakistan’s IT exports increase, touch $635m mark in Q1FY22 ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood on Monday informed that the country’s Information Technology (IT) exports increased to $635 million in the first quarter of current fiscal year (Q1FY22). “Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled service in the first quarter of FY2021-22, exports increased to $635 million from July to September as compared to the exports value of the last year, which stood at $445 million, showing an increase of 42 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) growth, the adviser said this on his official Twitter account.

The rupee touched a new alltime low of Rs174.43 against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Monday in the wake of mounting pressure of import payments as well as looming uncertainty regarding a delay in the International Monetary Fund’s decision regarding resumption of $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The rupee has maintained the downtrend for the past five months. It has lost 14.55 per cent or Rs22.16 to date compared to the 22-month high of Rs152.27 recorded in May. With a fresh decline of 0.25pc, the rupee has depreciated 10.72pc or Rs16.89 since the start of the current fiscal year on July 1, 2021, data released by the central bank revealed.

Gold price increases again as local demand remains low UPTREND IN COMMODITY PRICES IN GLOBAL MARKET, DIVERTS ATTENTION TO YELLOW METAL MonItorIng report Gold prices on Monday recorded a gain of Rs600 per tola in the local market whereas the precious commodity has gained Rs9,800 in the past six sessions. Similarly, prices in the local bullion market recorded an increase of Rs515 per 10 grams to settle at Rs127,800 per tola and Rs109,568 per 10 grams. In the international market, the price of the yellow metal remained recorded an increase of $9 to settle at $1,802 per ounce.

Meanwhile, silver prices in the domestic market remained unchanged at Rs1,470 per tola and Rs1,260.28 per 10 grams as of Monday. Article continues after this advertisement It is pertinent to mention here that the increase in prices is negatively affecting the local demand as lack of purchasing power has disrupted the local demand for gold even as wedding season kicks off. Market specialists have said that the uptrend in commodity prices — especially coal and oil — in the global market, has also diverted attention to gold.

Indian celebrities launch NFTs amid global craze MUMBAI Agencies

Indian celebrities from the world of Bollywood and cricket are increasingly launching digital memorabilia through non-fungible tokens (NFT), hoping to rake in thousands of dollars by cashing in on growing interest in such assets. NFTs are a type of digital asset which use blockchain to record the ownership of items such as images, videos and other collectibles. Their roaring popularity has baffled many but the explosive growth shows no sign of abating. Bollywood superstars such as Amitabh Bachchan https://www.beyondlife.club and Salman Khan https://www.bollycoin.com are planning to launch NFTs soon. While Bachchan’s NFTs will include autographed posters of his movies, Khan has been building excitement on his Twitter account by telling his 43 million followers about the planned NFT launch. “NFTs are right now alien to Bollywood but I am sure they (film stars) will

see this as another platform where they can use their existing content and generate revenue,” said Ayaan Agnihotri of Bollycoin, an NFT marketplace for Bollywood assets. Article continues After this Advertisement: Agnihotri said that within days of launch this month, his platform sold 8 million of the 20 million available so-called “BollyCoins”, crypto tokens that can be used to buy NFTs when they are launched. One BollyCoin is worth 10 US cents. But its still early days for celebrity NFTs in India. Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik is auctioning a digital art reel https://bit.ly/3m28fNc from a cricket match where he hit a match-winning six on the last ball for around 5 ethereums, a digital currency, worth around $20,000. But he has yet to receive any bids. “NFT has picked up a lot in the West in the last one year with now iconic moments from basketball being bought by fans digitally, which gave us the idea,” Karthik told Reuters.

Others have had success. One of India’s top fashion designers, Manish Malhotra, recently sold NFTs of digital sketches of some of his most famous creations for $4,000 a piece. Malhotra’s website shows one can purchase some of his bridal wear outfits at a lower price range of $2,500-$3,500. The rise of NFTs has baffled many who say it makes little sense to spend large sums of money on items that don’t physically exist and can simply be viewed online. Still, global sales volumes of NFTs have galloped to $10.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021, making an eightfold increase from the previous quarter, data from market tracker DappRadar showed.. Vishakha Singh, vice president for NFTs at Indian crypto exchange WazirX, said celebrity participation in the segment is set to create excitement in the space. This, she said, “is great for the ecosystem. This will help us in garnering more awareness towards this new game changing world of digital assets,” Singh said.

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Sudan’S MiliTary TakeS power in coup, arreSTS priMe MiniSTer KHARTOUM

The AssociATed Press

UDAN’S military seized power on Monday, dissolving the transitional government hours after troops arrested the acting prime minister and other officials. Thousands of people flooded into the streets to protest the coup that threatens the country’s shaky progress toward democracy. The takeover comes more than two years after protesters forced the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and just weeks before the military was expected to hand the leadership of the council that runs the African country over to civilians. After the early morning arrests of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other officials, thousands poured into the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman. Footage shared online appeared to show protesters blocking streets and setting fire to tires as security forces used tear gas to disperse them. As plumes of smoke filled the air, protesters could be heard shouting, “The people are stronger, stronger” and “Retreat is not an option!” Videos on social media showed large crowds crossing bridges over the Nile to the centre of the capital. At least 12 protesters were wounded in demonstrations, according to the Sudanese Doctors Committee, which did not give details. In the afternoon, the head of the military, General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, announced on national television that he was dissolving the government and the Sovereign Council, a joint military and civilian body created four months after al-Bashir’s ouster to run

the country. Burhan said quarrels among political factions prompted the military to intervene. Tensions have been rising for weeks between civilian and military leaders over Sudan’s course and the pace of the transition to democracy. The general declared a state of emergency and said the military will appoint a technocratic government to lead the country to elections, set for July 2023. But he made clear the military will remain in charge. “The armed forces will continue completing the democratic transition until the handover of the country’s leadership to a civilian, elected government,” he said. He added that the country’s constitution would be rewritten and a legislative body would be formed with the participation of “young men and women who made this revolution.” The information ministry, still loyal to the dissolved government, called his speech an “announcement of a seizure of power by military coup.” The international community expressed concern over Monday’s developments. Jeffrey Feltman, the US special envoy to the Horn of Africa, said Washington was “deeply alarmed” by the reports. Feltman met with Sudanese officials over the weekend in an effort to resolve the growing dispute between civilian and military leaders. European Union foreign affairs chief Joseph Borrell tweeted that he’s following events with the “utmost concern.” The UN political mission to Sudan called the detentions of government officials “unacceptable.” the COup: The first reports about a possible military takeover began trickling out of Sudan before dawn on Monday. The infor-

mation ministry later confirmed that Hamdok and several senior government figures had been arrested and their whereabouts were unknown. Hamdok’s office denounced the detentions on Facebook as a “complete coup.” It said his wife was also arrested. Internet access was widely disrupted and the country’s state news channel played patriotic traditional music. At one point, military forces stormed the offices of Sudan’s state-run television in Omdurman and detained a number of workers, the information ministry said. There have been concerns for some time that the military might try to take over, and in fact there was a failed coup attempt in September. Tensions only rose from there, as the country fractured along old lines, with more conservative Islamists who want a military government pitted against

those who toppled al-Bashir in protests. In recent days, both camps have taken to the street in demonstrations. After the September coup attempt, the generals lashed out at civilian members of the transitional power structure and called for the dissolution of Hamdok’s government. The Sovereign Council is the ultimate decision-maker, though the Hamdok government is tasked with running Sudan’s day-to-day affairs. Burhan, who leads the council, warned in televised comments last month that the military would hand over power only to a government elected by the Sudanese people. His comments suggested he might not stick to the previously agreed timetable, which called for the council to be led by a military figure for 21 months, followed by a civilian for the following 18 months.

Under that plan, the handover was to take place sometime in November, with the new civilian leader to be chosen by an alliance of unions and political parties that led the uprising against al-Bashir. Since al-Bashir was forced from power, Sudan has worked to slowly rid itself of the international pariah status it held under the autocrat. The country was removed from the US’ state supporter of terror list in 2020, opening the door for badly needed foreign loans and investment. But the country’s economy has struggled with the shock of a number of economic reforms called for by international lending institutions. Sudan has suffered other coups since it gained its independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956. Al-Bashir came to power in 1989 in one such takeover, which removed the country’s last elected government. Among those detained on Monday were senior government figures and political leaders, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to share information with the media. They include Industry Minister Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Information Minister Hamza Baloul, Cabinet Affairs Minister Khalid Omer, and Mohammed al-Fiky Suliman, a member of the Sovereign Council, as well as Faisal Mohammed Saleh, a media adviser to Hamdok. Ayman Khalid, governor of the state containing the capital, was also arrested, according to the official Facebook page of his office. After news of the arrests spread, the country’s main pro-democracy group and two political parties issued appeals to the Sudanese to take to the streets. One of the factions, the Communist Party called on workers to go on strike after what it described as a “full military coup” orchestrated by Burhan. The African Union (AU) has called for the release of all Sudanese political leaders including Hamdok. “Dialogue and consensus is the only relevant path to save the country and its democratic transition,” said Moussa Faki, the head of the AU commission.

Former Saudi spy claims MBS sent death squad to assassinate him: report WASHiNGTON AFP

‘Friends’ actor James Michael Tyler dies LOS ANGELES

In an interview with US broadcaster CBS News‘ “60 Minutes”, Saad bin Khalid al-Jabri — formerly a top spy and interlocutor between the kingdom’s intelligence services and Western governments — alleged he was targeted after he fled the country following a 2017 power grab by the crown prince. A friend at a Middle Eastern intelligence service, he said, warned he could face a fate similar to that of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who investigations have alleged was murdered by a Riyadhlinked death squad after visiting the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018. “The warning I received, don’t be in a proximity of any Saudi mission in Canada. Don’t go to the consulate. Don’t go to the embassy […] You are on the top of the list,” al-Jabri told “60 minutes”. He said the team arrived in Canada in October 2018 — only to be deported when they lied to customs officials and were found to be carrying suspicious items. AFP was unable to independently verify al-Jabri’s claims, and requests for comment to the Canadian foreign ministry went unanswered.

But Canadian officials told “60 Minutes” they were “aware of incidents in which foreign actors have attempted to […] threaten […] those living in Canada,” describing the threats as “completely unacceptable.” al-Jabri said the group was made up of members of a group named in investigations as the “Tiger Squad” — a shadow team of paid killers set up by Prince Mohammed specialising in “extrajudicial killings, rape, and torture,” according to a 2019 legal complaint filed by the former spy. He said the group was part of a pattern of despotic behaviour by the crown prince, who was once hailed as a reformer but has ruthlessly purged opponents since becoming the heir-apparent. Al-Jabri also said two of his eight children had been detained by Saudi authorities in retaliation for his fleeing the kingdom. “I am here to sound the alarm about a psychopath, killer, in the Middle East with infinite resources, who poses threat to his people, to the Americans and to the planet,” he said.

AFP

Tyler died at his home in Los Angeles after battling prostate cancer that he was first diagnosed with in 2018, according to a representative. “The world knew him as Gunther (the seventh ‘Friend’), from the hit series Friends, but Michael’s loved ones knew him as an actor, musician, cancer-awareness advocate, and loving husband,” representative Toni Benson said in a statement to US media. His “Friends” character appeared in some 150 episodes across all 10 seasons of the beloved 1990s sitcom, sarcastically managing Central Perk — the cafe where the other characters hung out — and pining after Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston. “Michael loved live music, cheering on his Clemson Tigers and would often find himself in fun and unplanned adventures. If you met him once, you made a friend for life,” Benson said. Tyler appeared in a number of other roles in series such as “Scrubs,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and “Modern Music.” Warner Bros TV tweeted that it was mourning the loss of “a beloved actor and integral part of our FRIENDS family. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues and fans.” Tyler announced on NBC‘s “Today” show in June that he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in September 2018, which had spread to his bones. The cancer was discovered during a routine physical.

Xi hails restoration of PRC's seat in UN BEijiNG Agencies

President Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech at a commemorative meeting marking the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat in the United Nations in Beijing on Monday. Here are some highlights. The restoration of all the rights of PRC in the UN 50 years ago is a victory of the Chinese people, and the people from around the world The restoration of PRC's seat in the UN is of significant, far-reaching importance On China's development and contributions The past five decades have witnessed China's peaceful development and its commitment and dedication to the welfare of all humanity Chinese people have always safeguarded international fairness and justice, and made major contributions to world peace and development Chinese people have always upheld the authority and sanctity of the United Nations and practiced multilateralism, and China's cooperation

with the UN has deepened steadily over the past 50 years China has blazed a path of human rights development that is consistent with the trend of the times and carries distinct Chinese features, thus making major contribution to human rights progress in China and the international human rights cause On multilateralism: No civilization in the world is superior to others; every civilization is special and unique to its own region. Civilizations can achieve harmony only through communication and can make progress only through harmonization To build a community with a shared future for mankind is not to replace one system or civilization with another We shall be firm in opposing all forms of hegemony and power politics, as well as all forms of unilateralism and protectionism The international community is confronted by regional disputes as well as global issues such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity. Only with more inclusive global governance, more effective multilateral mechanisms and more ac-

tive regional cooperation, can these issues be addressed effectively We should resolutely uphold the authority and standing of the UN, and work together to practice true multilateralism We need to encourage green recovery, green production and green consumption and promote a civilized and healthy lifestyle The world should step up cooperation and work together to address the various challenges and global issues facing humanity Countries around the world should put their people front and center and strive to realize development with a higher level of quality, efficiency, equity, sustainability and security On China's COmmitment: China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development and always be a builder of world peace. China will remain committed to the path of reform and openingup and always be a contributor to global development. China will stay committed to the path of multilateralism and always be a defender of the international order.

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021 | LAHORE

T20 World CuP: AFghAnISTAn CruSh SCoTlAnd by 130 runS DUBaI

Agencies

PINNER Mujeebur Rahman took five wickets in Afghanistan's record 130-run rout of Scotland in their opening Super 12s match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Mon-

day. Chasing a daunting 191 for victory, Scotland were bowled out for 60 in 10.2 overs with five batters dismissed for ducks in Sharjah. Mujeeb returned his best T20 figures of 5-20 and fellow spinner Rashid Khan claimed four wickets to hand Afghanistan their biggest victory margin in the game's shortest format.

Najibullah Zadran set up the win with his 34-ball 59 to guide Afghanistan to their best total of 190-4 in the tournament after they elected to bat first. Mujeeb remained the hero with his three wickets in one over, including two in successive deliveries, to decimate Scotland's top and middle order. Scotland, who made the Super 12s of this event for the first time after they won all three matches in the qualifiers, could never recover after Calum MacLeod, Richie Berrington and Matthew Cross fell without scoring, and the team crashed to their lowest T20 total. Earlier, Najibullah and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (46) put together an attacking 87-run partnership for the third wicket, tearing into

PAF chief congratulates Pakistan cricket team Pr Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu has congratulated the Pakistan cricket team for clinching a remarkable tenwicket victory against India in the T20 World Cup in Dubai. "The performance has made all Pakistanis proud and we wish best of luck to the team for all upcoming matches of the T20 World Cup," he said.

Indian bowler Shami ‘horribly abused’ online after Pakistan humiliation DUBaI AFP

Violence against Muslims in India was also reported after the emphatic 10-wicket win on Sunday. Cricket clashes between Hindu-majority India and Pakistan frequently heighten tensions between the neighbours, who have fought three wars since their independence in 1947. The 31year-old Mohammed Shami became the main target after the defeat in Dubai, even though India captain Virat Kohli acknowledged that his side had been “outplayed”. Hundreds of messages were left on Shami’s Instagram account saying he was a “traitor” and should be thrown out of the Indian team. But many fans and politicians also urged support for him, calling on Indian players to reject the hate messages just as they had backed the Black Lives Matter movement by taking a knee. “Team India your BLM knee-taking counts for nothing if you can’t stand up for your teammate who is being horribly abused and trolled on social media,” Omar Abdullah, a former chief minister in the Muslimmajority region of Kashmir, said on Twitter. “Ignore the haters, most of India’s grateful for your effort,” said another supporter on Instagram. People set off celebratory gunfire in Islamabad and Karachi after the famous win, while hundreds ignited firecrackers in occupied Kashmir, where troops are fighting an intensified freedom campaign. Gautam Gambhir, a former India Test cricketer who has become an MP for the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, said it was “shameful” that people were celebrating Pakistan’s win. In Punjab state, students from held Kashmir said they were beaten up. A student at an engineering and technology institute said dozens of men armed with hockey sticks and batons attacked them as they watched the closing stages of the game. “They entered our room, switched off the lights and beat us. They destroyed our laptops,” the student told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity because of fears of more trouble. “We are safe now and we have support from our college. But we didn’t expect this at all. We are Indians.” The match also sparked violence in neighbouring Bangladesh. Two Pakistan supporters were beaten by India fans as they celebrated the win in one southern district, media reports said.

the Scotland bowling with seven sixes between them. Najibullah fell on the final ball of the innings while attempting his fourth six in a 34ball blitz that took Afghanistan past their previous tournament high of 186 in 2016. Hazratullah Zazai put on a quickfire opening stand of 54 with Mohammad Shahzad, who made 22. Zazai smashed 44 off 30 balls but Mark Watt denied the batsman a fifty after bowling him with a toe-crushing yorker. Safyaan Sharif took two wickets in an innings that witnessed 11 sixes in total. The win puts Afghanistan at the top of the Group 2 table above Pakistan, who thrashed rivals India by 10 wickets on Sunday. “We have been playing some good

cricket to get here, but sometimes things don't go to plan,” Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer said after the thumping.

SPORTS 11

“We fought hard in the field. It's just a level check to see where our standards are. We'll be better for it in the next game.”

Proud to have made history against India: Babar Azam NewS DeSk Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Monday stated that he and his players were “proud” to have made history by defeating India for the first time in a World Cup match. Pakistan defeated their arch-rivals with a ten-wicket victory. The win was Pakistan’s first in 13 World Cup matches (seven in the 50 over World Cup and six in the Twenty20 World Cup) dating back to 1992 in Australia. “It is definitely a proud moment for me as well as for all my players that we have made history,” Babar stated in an exclusive interview. Lanky paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi put India on the back foot from the start with the wickets of openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul off his first seven deliveries. He finished with 3-31 after dismissing India’s top scorer, skipper Virat Kohli, for 57 in a total of 151-7 in 20 overs. Babar along with fellow opener Mohammad Rizwan knocked off the target in 17.5 overs without losing a single wicket. Babar hit 68 not out while Rizwan finished with an undefeated 79. “We realise how important and how much needed that win is as everyone wanted us to win and to have made history is one of the defining moments in our careers,” Babar said. “I had said before the match that records are meant to be broken so we have broken that jinx and we are very happy, in fact the whole country is happy and celebrating.” Babar said the ‘special’ match was as usual of high intensity. “All of us know that when Pakistan plays India there is very high intensity and it’s a pressure game,” he said. “The whole world waits for this match, so it is a special match.” Babar admitted the noise in the stadium made his task of arranging his fielders tough. “The stadium was nearly packed,” said Babar of the Dubai stadium where a 70 per cent crowd was allowed in under relaxed Covid-19 restrictions. “There was so much noise in the stadium that I found it tough to call my players, I told them to keep looking at me so that I can move the fielders in between overs. “We have gelled well over the years so we are used to that. The response from the players was extraordinary. We got a head start in bowling when Shaheen got us wickets and then we batted as per our plan.” This was Pakistan’s first ten wicket win in all Twenty20 internationals and the first defeat by this margin for India. Babar said he had been part of two defeats against India, in the Junior World Cup in Australia in 2012 as skipper and then at the 2019 World Cup in England. “I remember that we lost to India in the quarter finals of the Junior World Cup in 2012 so it was a much desired thing to beat India,” he said. Babar said his team prepared well ahead of the tournament, despite New Zealand abandoning a tour due to a security alert last month without playing any of the eight limited over games scheduled. England followed suit in withdrawing its men’s and women’s teams from touring ahead of the Twenty20

World Cup. “We prepared well in the National Twenty20 in Pakistan,” Babar said. “Our plan was to keep things simple and through that we effected that turn around.” Pakistan next plays New Zealand in Sharjah on Tuesday. According to the official site for the T20 World Cup, Babar and Rizwan’s 152-run partnership was the biggest opening partnership in the history of the men’s T20 World Cup and Pakistan’s second-biggest partnership in a T20 International for any wicket. Sunday’s explosive performance by the two cricketers overtook the previous record — 145 runs by West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Devon Smith against South Africa in 2007. The third spot on the current ranking is also occupied by Pakistan, with Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt scoring 142 runs against Bangladesh in 2010. “It was a partnership of the absolute highest quality, coming in both players’ T20 World Cup debuts, with neither having made the Pakistan squad five years ago,” the report said. In addition, Babar and Rizwan’s 152 is the second-biggest partnership for any wicket in men’s T20 World Cup history, 14 runs shy of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s 166 against West Indies in 2010, the report said. The partnership is also the biggest for any wicket in a T20I against India, it added A day earlier, Pakistan finally got the monkey off their back with a 10-wicket thumping of arch-rivals India but skipper Babar Azam refused to get carried away and reminded his jubilant team mates to stay focused on the task ahead at the T20 World Cup. Azam led by example as Pakistan outclassed neighbours India in a World Cup showdown for the first time in their 13th attempt, triggering wild celebrations at the

Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. “We prepared well, and just kept the history out of our mind,” Babar, who combined with opening partner Mohammad Rizwan to chase down the target, said after the memorable victory. “We applied our plans and got the results. We, the openers, kept it simple and built a partnership and because the wicket was getting better so we just wanted to keep batting till the end.” The 2009 champions face New Zealand in their next Group 2 assignment on Tuesday and Babar warned his team mates against dropping their intensity. “It won’t get easier just because we beat India,” said the elegant opener. “We will take the confidence, but we’re taking it one match at a time, and there’s a long way to go in the tournament.” Shaheen Afridi was adjudged man-of-the-match for his 3-31, which included the prize wicket of India captain Virat Kohli, who top-scored for his side with a classy 57. Afridi rattled India early with the new ball, dismissing openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in his successive overs to deny them a strong start. “It was a historic moment for all of us,” Afridi told reporters. “This was the first time I bowled three overs on the trot in the powerplay. I got some swing in the first two overs and my effort was to earn quick breakthroughs for my side which, fortunately, I was able to achieve. “Bowling yorker with the new ball has been my strength and I tried the same against Rohit. It luckily worked. “Batting against the new ball was tough, so credit goes to Babar and Rizwan for the way they played.” With additional input from agencies

Kane Williamson expects no acrimony in Pakistan T20 World Cup match Sharjah AFP

Kane Williamson hopes Pakistan will not hold any grudges over New Zealand abandoning a tour on security fears last month, when they meet in a Twenty20 World Cup match in Sharjah on Tuesday. Pakistan cricket authorities were left fuming after New Zealand ended the tour minutes before the start of the first one-day international in Rawalpindi, citing an unspecified security alert. Williamson, not part of the squad in Pakistan as he was playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), played down talk of a grudge match. “There are a lot of good relations within the two teams. Over the years they've played a lot against each other, and a number of players have played with each other, as well,” said Williamson on the eve of the match. “I am sure the game will be played in the right spirit.” A week after New Zealand left, England also withdrew their men's and women's teams from a tour to Pakistan due to concerns over the physical and mental health

of the players. That prompted newly elected chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja to proclaim New Zealand will be one of the targets in the T20 World Cup. “We had one team in our target, our neighbours (India), now add two more teams, New Zealand and England,” Raja said last month. Williamson, who admitted the decision to abandon the tour was based on New Zealand government advice, praised the Pakistan team. “I suppose the focus now is here at the T20 World Cup, and no doubt after the performance last night, Pakistan have some momentum and are feeling pretty good about their cricket,” said Williamson. TiTle conTenders: Pakistan thumped arch-rivals India by 10 wickets in the teams' opening Super 12 match in Dubai on Sunday. Williamson labelled Pakistan as one of the “favourites”. “Yeah, I mean, it was a fantastic performance. I think Pakistan have come to the T20 World Cup full of confidence, having played in these conditions more than most,” he said.

“They certainly put it on show last night and showed why they're one of the favourites in the competition.” read: Proud to have made history, says Babar Azam after T20 win against India Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3-31 to keep India to 151-7 in 20 overs before openers Mohammad Rizwan (79 not out) and skipper Babar Azam (68 not out) wiped off the target in just 17.5 overs. “Tomorrow I'm sure they'll be very strong again, so for us, it's focusing on the cricket that we want to play and trying to adjust to conditions.” Pakistan can count on being well supported after playing most of their home matches in UAE in the wake of terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009. Williamson said Pakistan, who at third are ranked one place above New Zealand in T20, have a key blend of youth and experience. “They've got a very well-balanced side, and also a great mix between youth and experience with Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik in the middle order, as well, which brings a lot of experience to the side.”

Tuesday, 26 October, 2021

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Rasheed vows to fulfil commitments made with tlP

News DesK

NTERIOR Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Monday said that the government will fulfil the commitments made with the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). He went on to say that the matter would be discussed during a federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s return from Saudi Arabia. While addressing a presser in Islamabad, he said he had found the TLP’s incarcerated chief, Saad Rizvi, to be “very cooperative” compared to other leaders of the proscribed organisation. He added that “We are keeping our word. There is information that one road has been opened which is very good. We will fulfil the promises we made to them.” He further revealed that the PM had instructed his principal secretary before leaving for the visit to ask the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to unfreeze the accounts of TLP madressahs and to allow them to open new ones. It would be better that way because the FBR would know about the funds being received and spent by the madressahs, he explained . The minister further stated that he wanted to conclude the matter once and for all because “something new happens every six months and people face difficulties” — a reference to the TLP’s fre-

quent protests which brought life in the twin cities to a halt. “It is my wish that matters conclude in the way they have been discussed with the TLP. We will fulfil our commitments. If something bad happens somewhere, what can I do?” While responding to a question pertaining to Rizvi’s release, the interior minister said there were legal lacunae that the TLP chief “understands”. “A lot of other people insist on [free-

ing him] right now. Decisions cannot be taken right now. There is a legal process that we will follow. We will talk to the prime minister after his return tomorrow,” he reiterated. Replying to another question about the damage caused during TLP protests, Ahmed said: “Vandalism is illegal. No one should cause damage because Pakistani organisations have been banned internationally. “I asked Saad Rizvi […] I met him

twice […] that France is heading the European Union right now and [is] against our atomic technology and missile system. We are the Muslim world’s biggest power. There is talk of sanctions in America, there is one point left to be fulfilled in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), [and] there are economic crises. In this situation, TLP should also understand.” Ahmed concluded by stating that he had signed an agreement with the TLP and would present it in the National Assembly. The interior minister later tweeted that “We have released 350 TLP workers up to now and we are still waiting to open both sides of road of Muridke as per the decision with the TLP. “Perhaps the people will say that the state has surrendered. But it is not the job of the state to use the stick (force),” the minister said, explaining that the duty of the state was to find a path of reconciliation. “This is my viewpoint as the interior minister,” he quickly added. Earlier on Saturday, the relatively less-equipped and poorly trained workers of the proscribed TLP had bulldozed all security layers of the Lahore and Sheikhupura police and entered Gujranwala. After leaving Lahore, they had slowed down and decided to spend the night in Muridke. Three policemen and two workers of the banned outfit had been killed on Friday when fierce clashes erupted between the protesters and police at Chauburji Chowk in Lahore.

Pakistan, Bangladesh agree to strengthen ties News DesK High Commissioner for Pakistan Imran Ahmed Siddiqui on Monday called on the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Both the countries have agreed upon strengthening their bilateral relations. It is the second time that the high commissioner’s has held a meeting with the Bangladeshi prime minister, where he conveyed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s message of goodwill and friendship. In re-

sponse to that, the Bangladeshi prime minister reciprocated her good wishes for the leadership and people of Pakistan. “The meeting which lasted for 45 minutes was held in a very cordial [environment],” the official statement said. The statement further revealed that the high commissioner thanked Hasina for her support in implementing his diplomatic mandate in Bangladesh. The envoy also shared videos of his engagements in

Pakistan during the summit, a photograph of Rahman’s portrait in Lahore Museum, as well as a Bangla version of a coffee table book “Alla’ma bil Qalam” containing calligraph-art rendered by Pakistani artists. The high commissioner presented a photo album of former prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s visit to Pakistan in 1974 to attend an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit, the statement added. “Prime Minister Hasina thanked the high commissioner for the gifts,” the statement concluded.

Qatar to host china-afghanistan moot IsTANBUL anadolu agency

China’s State Councilor Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet a delegation of Afghanistan interim government during his visit to Qatar on Oct 25-26, Beijing said on Monday. The two sides will exchange views on the situation in Afghanistan and other topics of concern for both sides, Chinese daily Global Times quoted China’s Foreign Ministry as saying. “It is a continuation of communication between the two sides since their meeting in north China’s Tianjin in July,” the report added. Last week, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s interim Foreign Ministry, had said Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will meet his counterpart, Wang Yi, though he had not revealed the time and date for the meeting. It will be the first high-level engagement between China and Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in August amid the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the war-torn country. “As a traditional friendly neighbour and partner of Afghanistan, China has always advocated dialogue to tide through difficulties,” Wang Wenbin, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Early in July, Wang had hosted a nine-member Taliban delegation led by Mullah Baradar Akhund in Tianjin city where the Chinese foreign minister had said the Taliban have an “important role” in Afghanistan’s peace, reconciliation, and reconstruction process. Until now, the interim Afghan government has held meetings at the Foreign Ministry level with Qatar, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Pakistan.

PIA starts new flights to UAE KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has started regular flight operations from three cities to Fujairah city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The national flag carrier launched the inaugural flight from Lahore Monday while flights from Islamabad and Peshawar will begin on Wednesday.

The first aircraft, PK-243, with 296 passengers on board landed at Fujairah International Airport at 10:58 am, records showed. The airline has been increasing operational capacity since the sheikhdom eased entry restrictions for residents stranded in Pakistan. In August, it launched flights from Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi to the northernmost emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

It has already been operating flights from all major cities to different emirates of the UAE, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Earlier in October, the airline resumed its Kuwait operations with two weekly flights after it was allowed to operate in the kingdom following a decade-long suspension due to a host of reasons. Signalling a boom in business, PIA announced last month acquir-

More than half of Afghans face ‘acute’ food crisis: UN agencies KABUL afp

This winter, millions of Afghans will be forced to choose between migration and starvation unless we can step up our life-saving assistance,” said David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme. The crisis is already bigger in scale than that facing Yemen or Syria, and worse than any food insecurity emergency apart from the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials told AFP. “Afghanistan is now among the world’s worst humanitarian crises — if not the worst — and food security has all but collapsed,” Beasley said in a statement. “We are on a countdown to catastrophe and if we don’t act now, we will have a total disaster on our hands.”

According to the statement issued by the World Food Programme and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, one in two Afghans faces Phase 3 “crisis” or Phase 4 “emergency” food shortages. Phase 4 is one step below a famine, and officials told AFP that Afghanistan — already struggling to emerge from a 20-year civil war — is facing its worst winter in a decade. In August, the hardline Taliban overthrew the US-backed regime and declared an interim government, vowing to restore stability. But the Taliban still face a range of international sanctions and a campaign of bloody attacks by rival hardliners the Islamic State — while climate change has made Afghanistan’s droughts more frequent and intense. In the west of the country, thousands of poor families have already sold their

flocks and fled, seeking shelter and assistance in packed temporary camps near major cities. Asked about the humanitarian crisis, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP on Sunday: “We are trying to get our people out of the current situation and help them. Global humanitarian aid has also arrived.” “We are trying to arrange and distribute, including food and clothing. All worries will be resolved,” he promised. “Regarding the drought, we hope to have a wet winter. But if the drought continues we will take appropriate measures in the spring.” The UN agencies warned that their humanitarian response plan is only a third funded as it stands. The FAO is seeking $11.4 million in urgent funding and a further $200 million for the agricultural season into 2022.

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ing an Airbus-320 on dry lease for a period of six years, making it the third aircraft that will be inducted into its fleet under the incumbent management. Airbus-320 “Another reached Islamabad International Airport from the French city of Perpignan via Egypt. The aircraft will be inducted into PIA’s fleet in the next few days,” a PIA spokesman announced at the time.