Friday, 24 September, 2021 I 16 Safar, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 85 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
FM urges OIC tO FInd sOlutIOn tO KashMIr CPEC progressing Issue FOr saKe OF peaCe wIthIn the regIOn successfully despite
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AKiSTAN urged the Organisation of islamic Cooperation to push for peace within Kashmir, stressing that the region could not achieve stability until the Kashmir dispute was resolved. “There will be no peace in South Asia until the just and equitable resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and wishes of the Kashmiri people,” Qureshi said in his remarks at an informal meeting of the OiC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir held in New York on Thursday. The minister condemned indian forces for using pellet guns, imprisoning Kashmiri political leaders, abducting children and women, staging fake encounters and indulging in a killing spree of Kashmiri youth in the occupied territory. “Since 05 August 2019, over 8 million Kashmiris continue to face lockdown, military siege, arbitrary detentions, and unprecedented restrictions,” he said at the beginning of his address. He stressed that the indian occupation forces were operating “under draconian laws” with “complete impunity”, adding that they were “committing unspeakable atrocities to silence the voice of the Kashmiris and break their will to resist the occupation.” The foreign minister highlighted that the indian army continued its cordonand-search operations during the pandemic, as well as how they had put down
protests violently, continued the use of pellet-guns and torture, imprisoned Kashmiri political leaders, abducted children and women, staged fake “encounters”, and indulged in a killing spree of Kashmiri youth in iiOJK. Qureshi stated that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Bharatiya Janata Party had been following the Hinduvata ideology, which entailed plans to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory and obliterate the distinct identity of the Kashmiri people. He spoke of the purported “Final Solution” of the RSS-BJP regime, wherein the indian government had allegedly crafted and issued over 4.2 million fake domicile certificates under the so-called “Jammu
and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020”. “The most recent example of indian barbarity was the treatment of mortal remains of the great Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who passed away on 01 September 2021 after prolonged illegal indian detention and house arrest. “Syed Geelani was incarcerated for 50 years but never wavered from his demand for Kashmir’s freedom,” he said on the occasion. “Even as his family mourned his loss, and prepared for his funeral, a heavy contingent of india’s occupation forces entered their home, and over the protests of family members, forcibly snatched Syed Geelani’s body, denied him the last rites of a Muslim funeral and buried him in a non-descript place rather than the ‘Cemetery of Martyrs’ as desired by Syed Geelani before his death,” the FM added, further stating that these actions were because the indian government was afraid of Geelani and what he stood for. “This clearly shows that india would trample all civil and human values to perpetuate its brutal occupation of iiOJK,” the minister remarked. Speaking on the dossier recently released by Pakistan, he stated that it contained the “entire range of gross, systematic, and widespread violations of human rights” perpetrated by indian forces in the iiOJK. NEWS DESK
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FM tells US state secretary Pakistan cannot take more Afghan refugees Upon meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly session, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that Pakistan does not have the capacity to bear more Afghan refugees. Pakistan has time and again called on the international community to help the Afghans and unfreeze the country’s assets abroad after the Taliban took over the country in mid-August in a lightning sweep. The foreign minister met his counterpart on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he informed him of Pakistan’s stance on Afghanistan. The foreign minister, during the meeting, said Pakistan was working towards averting a possible humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, as he called upon the international community to play a positive role and engage with the newly-formed Taliban government in Kabul. NEWS DESK CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
challenges: Asad Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. Addressing the 10th Joint Coordination Committee on CPEC on Thursday, the planning minister said the government considers the project critical for future growth and development of the country. He said all the federal and provincial governments as well as political parties are supportive of and standing behind the CPEC project. He expressed the confidence that they will realise the vision of their two leaders and meet the expectations of their nations by working together. Asad said that despite many challenges, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was progressing successfully as many projects under the corridor have been completed in accordance with their set deadlines. The development of
CPEC projects continued despite the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the whole world, he added. “The CPEC cooperation successfully stood the test of time during the pandemic and work on all CPEC projects continued mainly due to the resolute commitment of the top leadership of both the countries,” he said. The planning minister pointed out that the first phase of the CPEC has already provided dividends in the shape of filling in voids in energy and communication infrastructure. He said the phase-ii of the project is now successfully underway, which has a much broader scope of cooperation. This second phase is focused on accelerated industrial cooperation, trade, agriculture and socio-economic development. “The industrial zones of Rashakai and Allama iqbal industrial City in Faisalabad were testimony on deepening of CPEC,” he maintained. NEWS DESK
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Friday, 24 September, 2021
KARACHI
NEWS
MARyAM diSTAnCeS heRSelf fRoM PMl-n’S voTe To CoAS exTenSion ISLAMABAD
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MIaN abrar
AKISTAN Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday distanced herself from her party’s vote for extension in the tenure of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, saying that she did not share the ‘sin’ of voting for extension of the army chief.
Speaking to media here at a local court, Maryam said that her party would comment if the chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is granted an extension too. Maryam Nawaz also reacted to the claims of fake registration of vaccination in the identity card of her father Nawaz Sharif, terming it ‘ridiculous’. “Like the current government, the vaccination record is also fake. I am concerned that the international community may question
that the entire record of Pakistani vaccination campaign is fake,” she asserted. Replying to another question, Maryam Nawaz said that the PTI government has been attacking every institution, which would question its incompetence. “Just take example of the Election Commission of Pakistan which is facing the government’s reprimand. The PTI has failed on every diplomatic front. I do not remember the sort of humiliation and disgrace we are
facing today,” she claimed. Maryam Nawaz said that even CNN TV described Prime Minister Imran Khan as no more than the mayor of Islamabad. “Such embarrassment has never come to prime minister of Pakistan. Despite being targeted personally, the PML-N leaders did not target the state institutions. But the PTI government is encouraging the members of the election commission to take action against the election commissioner which is
a dangerous omen,” she maintained. Maryam Nawaz also discarded the proposal of electronic voting machines, saying that the EVMs would be another scandal like the Result Transmission System (RTS) which cannot be trusted at all. She said that before coming to power, Imran Khan used to make speeches against receiving gifts by heads of the state during foreign tours. “However, after taking over as PM, Khan has refused to give details of the gifts received. These gifts are neither personal property of Imran Khan nor his family’s property,” she added. Maryam Nawaz said that the current government has increased the prices of petrol, wheat-flour and sugar. “So now Prime Minister Imran Khan is responsible for it as he used to blame the prime minister for the increase in prices in the past,” she concluded.
Noor Mukadam murder case: Court to indict Zahir Jaffer, other suspects on October 6 ISLAMABAD INP
SC directs Sindh to compensate demolition victims within year KARACHI INP
The Supreme Court Thursday released its written order on compensating the victims of antiencroachment campaigns along Gujjar and Orangi drains A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Justice Gulzar Ahmed, ruled that the Sindh government’s excuse of a lack of funds to rehabilitate the victims, whose accommodations were demolished during the anti-encroachment drive, was not acceptable. Take every possible step [you can] to compensate them, the order said. With all basic utilities, the government is directed to resettle the families within a year and for which purpose, an initial report detailing the plan must be furnished within two weeks from now. In a short order announced Wednesday, the bench had directed the chief minister, Murad Ali Shah, to ensure arrangement of funds for the purpose. During the proceedings, the apex court said it was the responsibility of the provincial government to rehabilitate the people who lost their houses during the drive. The dressing down was given after the advocate general informed the bench that the Sindh government had no funds to resettle the affected people as 6,500 houses were needed to be built at a cost of Rs10 billion and requested the bench to provide the same amount from the funds being deposited by Bahria Town Karachi with the Supreme Court.
Ambassadors of Pakistan, Russia, China hold talks in Afghanistan MOnItORIng REpORt The of Pakistan, Russia and China held talks with representatives of the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. It said President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq and China’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, held two-day talks in Kabul on the invitation by the Taliban. The acting prime minister of the interim Taliban government, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, along with acting foreign and finance ministers gathered with the envoys and discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan in a constructive and elaborate manner. The statement noted that encouraging friendly relations with foreign countries in addition to Afghanistan’s neighbours, the inclusiveness of the government to ensure territorial integrity and unity of the country, human rights, improving economic and social ties were highlighted at the event. The parties agreed to maintain constructive talks for peace, prosperity, regional stability and development. The special envoys also met with former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the former head of the national reconciliation council.
The Islamabad High Court will indict 12 persons, including prime suspect Zahir Jaffer, on October 6 for the murder of Noor Mukadam. Zahir Jaffer and six other suspects, including Therapy Works owner Zahir Zahoor, were brought to court today to attend a hearing related to the bail petitions filed by Zahir Jaffer’s parents Zakir Jaffer and Ismat Adamjee. The victim’s father and plaintiff
Shaukat Mukadam’s lawyer Advocate Shah Khawar told the court that the murder case should be held in a special court, as per the provisions of the presidential ordinance. In response, Justice Aamer Farooq said the ordinance has expired. “It seems as if you want to delay the trial,” he said. To this, Khawar responded by saying that was not the objective of his request. “If you think the trial court does not have jurisdiction to hear this case, file a petition at a relevant court,” the judge said. Khawar told the judge that Zahir
Jaffer was communicating constantly with his parents the day of Noor Mukadam’s murder. “The parents were constantly in touch with the suspect, they are connected to the murder,” he said. “It was a grisly murder, the suspects should not be granted bail.” He informed the court that the prosecution had not included any unnecessary witnesses in the case. The judge asked the lawyer how the parents of the suspect and the Therapy Works employees were connected. “Zahir Jaffer’s mother used to work
for Therapy Works as a consultant,” he revealed. A day earlier, the IHC had granted respite to the lawyers of Therapy Works’ employees for preparation in the Noor Mukadam murder case, while hearing a petition seeking the suspension of bail to the employees of Therapy Works. Justice Aamer Farooq had heard the plea of Tahir Zahoor and five other suspects for bail suspension on Wednesday. The court granted respite to the lawyers after hearing their plea, asking for more time to prepare a case. Meanwhile, an additional sessions judge approved the bail of six suspects after submission of surety bonds worth Rs500,000. The plaintiff had already appealed to the Islamabad High Court to cancel the bail of the suspects.
PML-N, PPP join hands on NAB chief, ECP appointments ISLAMABAD INP
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has made a secret contact with the Pakistan Peoples Party on the instruction of the Pakistan Democratic Movement over the appointment of the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau and two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan. The joint opposition alliance seeking to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government asked the PMLN to propose to PPP its candidates for the posts, reports citing people familiar with the development said. Following the request, PML-N MP Rana Tanveer Hussain, who also heads the public accounts committee
of the National Assembly, called on the PPP MPs Syed Naveed Qamar and Shazia Marri. The PPP that quit all PDM offices in April following an internal rift has assured the alliance of its support. Reportedly, the alliance is against extending the tenure of incumbent NAB chief, retired Justice Javed Iqbal, who has since his appointment to the post in 2017 opened a plethora of graft cases — most of them against members of the opposition parties. The sources suggest the PDM has announced to oppose the government’s move to extend Iqbal’s tenure. The PPP has also assured to support the PDM on the appointment of two members of the election commission which has locked horns with the government over the proposal of the introduction of
electronic voting. The PPP would cooperate with the PDM inside the parliament on an issue-to-issue basis. Iqbal is due to retire in a fortnight. The government is considering extending his tenure — a move that the NAB laws don’t allow. NAB chairman is appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the opposition leader in the National Assembly. However, since Shehbaz Sharif is accused in corruption references filed against him by NAB, Prime Minister Imran Khan is not willing to consult him. Earlier this week, PML-N vice president, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, said that his party would approach the court if the government decides to give an extension to Iqbal. “This is not acceptable and we would definitely move the court if any such move is made,” Abbasi said.
Indian agent who spied on Pakistan, lives a miserable life ISLAMABAD INP
Indian agents working for the notorious Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) feel dejected and abandoned by their parent spy agency, forcing them to live the rest of their life in squalid conditions. For people like Daniel who served a four-year sentence in Pakistan, life has become miserable as now he has to drive a rickshaw while his wife works as a maid washing dishes, to earn some livelihood, an Indian News channel Pro Punjab said. In an interview, Daniel, a Christian, who lives in an Indian Punjab village, bordering Sialkot and Narowal area, claimed that he worked for his country’s spy agency RAW, on lucrative promises of money and a government job, and was smuggled into Pakistan in 1992 to carry out the dirty work. “We used to feel very proud while working for RAW,” he said to a question, however, felt disheartened that his agency had abandoned him. Daniel said he traveled back and forth across the border ten times in a year, till he got caught in 1993 in Lahore. When questioned about his arrest said he did not utter a single word about being tasked by the RAW to gather information from Pakistan, during the tough interrogation. He said they were told to pose as smugglers or act like someone who crossed over to the other side by mistake. He said he was shifted from various jails and was eventually released from Kot Lakhpat jail Lahore. He said in one of his earlier ventures into Pakistan he barely escaped arrest and
hid under a culvert as a Rangers team patrolled the area. ”We hid there for over an hour till it was clear to move in the dark.” About the tasks assigned to him, he said he was asked to gather information about the location of various army units, their movement and said at times he was tasked to make friendly contacts with Pakistani working or retired military personnel and try to get any type of information. They looked for the Railway timetables and any other information. He said he and his other fellow agents also used to lure some Pakistanis to work for RAW and in those days since only the Indian side was fenced they faced no problem in smuggling people, as the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) always facilitated them. He said after infiltrating into Pakistan they used to stay with their contact Lala Bashir in village Ali Abad near the Jassar railway station, from where they used to move to selected areas. He said they were also tasked to carry huge amounts of “PC”‘ – Pakistani Currency – to be used for subversive activities through RAW’s sleeper agents. He said when they returned to India the BSF allowed them entry when they used code words. He said at times he was given the code word of “kalakar” and no one questioned as they knew that he worked for RAW. Describing his experience of Pakistani people he termed them very warm and friendly and said they shared the gifts brought to them by their family members in jail and treated them well. However, years after his return to India, Daniel said no one bothered about the welfare of the people who risked their lives. He said he met local politicians
including Pratap Singh Bajwa who was earlier a Member of the Legislative Assembly and asked them for some relief but to no avail. He said he had agreed to work for RAW as they promised good money, but at the end of the day, they paid him only Rs 15,000 when he contacted the RAW office and got his signatures on a blank paper, and told him that it was the sanctioned amount for him. He regretted that he was neither paid the money he was promised nor compensated in any other way. During his jail term in Pakistan, his mother got a payment of a paltry Rs 500 per month. He recalled that he and another agent – ‘Channa’ who spent 18 years in Pakistani jail were also taken to New Delhi and asked to carry out bomb explosions in Pakistan. He said when they demanded Rs 50 lakh in payment, they got no response. “I feel abandoned and used,” he said and hoped that if he gets some money at least he could build a home and live a decent life, or get a job for his elder son.” The story told by Daniel to the Indian channel is not the story of anyone individual who got ditched. There are hundreds of other people who have been abandoned after being used. Similar stories can be heard from the Indian military personnel who work under deplorable conditions, with poor food, medical or other facilities, while in service or even after retirement. Daniel, along with his wife now lives in a shabby single-room rented home and still has a faded picture on one of the walls; one where he is seen in a Pakistani jail, in shackles, as the only memoir of his past life.
Three secure bail extension in TikTok actor harassment LAHORE INP
A district and sessions court in Lahore on Thursday extended the interim bail of three suspects in a case pertaining to the harassment of a female TikTok actor and her partner who were purportedly assaulted by a crowd at Greater Iqbal Park on the eve of Independence Day. Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Saeed granted Shehroze Saeed, Akhtar Ali and Ilyas extension until October 6. The counsel for the suspects stated his clients wished to join the investigation but feared their arrest. Meanwhile, another suspect, Usman Aziz Shaikh, withdrew his bail after police declared him innocent. Last month, police opened cases against hundreds of unidentified men after Ayesha Akram was assaulted and purportedly groped by a crowd of more than 400 men in the park as she made a TikTok video. The shocking assault was captured on several videos, which went viral and showed a mob descend on the woman. Akram registered a case against 300 to 400 unidentified persons with Lahore police, according to the case report.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
KARACHI
NEWS
Late mONSOON raINS CauSe fLOOdINg IN KaraChI
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Shehryar sensitises OIC contact group on IOK dispute ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt
Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi on Thursday attended the meeting of OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir in New York. The OIC contact group has made invaluable contribution in galvanizing global attention to the worsening situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). During the meeting, all members of the contact group reaffirmed OIC’s continued and unequivocal support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and its resolution in line with the UNSC resolutions. In his capacity as the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Khan Afridi sensitised the OIC secretary general on the deteriorating human rights situation in IOK.
NEwS DESk
He torrential downpour of the late monsoon rain on Thursday has caused roads to flood in Karachi again, wherein cars submerged and commuters struggling to reach their destinations. No casualties were immediately reported in the latest spell that began in the afternoon and disrupted life across the city in a matter of a few hours, reported Dawn. Videos and pictures shared on social media showed numerous areas, especially in the city’s Central district, inundated with rainwater and vehicles submerged up to their wheels. A large truck could be seen lying on its side near Nagan Chowrangi as residents waded through the water with their motorcycles and cars. According to Karachi police, traffic flow was affected due to accumulated rainwater from Liaquatabad to Teen Hatti, Jinnah Bridge Turning to ICI, and Jahangir road to Gurumandir, at Gurumandir Chowk, Karsaz to Pir Bukhari, FTC to Avari, PIB in front of Central Jail, Murshid Bazar, Tibet to Regal, Tibet Chowk, Patel Para, Lasbela Chowk, Denso Hall, Regent Plaza to FTC, Anklesaria Chowk, Shaheed-eMillat turning, Nagan Chowrangi, Club Chowk, and Aiwan-i-Saddar road. Police advised residents to tune into SPFM 88.6 for traffic updates and call 1915 (021-99216356-58) to seek assistance. The highest amount of rainfall was
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Nawaz Sharif ‘vaccinated in Lahore’ despite being in London LAHORE recorded by 2 pm in Surjani Town at 70 millimetres. It was followed by PAF Base Faisal (36mm), Nazimabad (18mm), Airport Old Area (14.2mm), Jinnah Terminal (10.2mm), Saadi Town (7.2mm), Quaidabad (5.5mm) and University Road (5.2mm). While out on a post-rain tour of the city, Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab said areas such as North Nazimabad, New Karachi and North Karachi saw flooding because of problems with the Green Line bus project infrastructure where two small pipes were unable to carry all the water. He said while one side of the Nagan Chowrangi road was “completely clear”,
the other side was inundated because rainwater had been blocked by the Green Line structure. The flow of water started after work was done to clear the pipeline, Wahab added. Responding to criticism directed at the Sindh government in the aftermath of today’s rain, the PPP leader said, “Those railing against the Sindh government were saying [only] 10 days ago that rainwater did not accumulate in Karachi because the federal government had cleared the city’s nullahs. Where are these people now who were taking the credit?” K-electric, meanwhile, said its staff were working to restore electricity in the
areas where rain caused blackouts. It said the power supply was continuing through more than 1,850 feeders. The power utility urged residents to exercise caution to prevent electrocution incidents. On Tuesday, the Met department had forecast rain/thunderstorms in Sindh from September 22 till Sept 25, saying monsoon currents were expected to penetrate into the province. “Under the influence of this system, rain-thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls and occasional gusty winds are likely in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar and Badin districts during Sept 22-25,” the department’s advisory stated.
Women can inherit only during lifetime, SC rules ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt
In a far-reaching verdict, the Supreme Court has ruled a woman could claim inheritance only in their lifetime and her children could not make a claim against the estate after their mother’s demise. The court acknowledged the children’s right to inheritance but observed the jury was still out on the situations wherein they had willingly rescinded their right or simply did not assert it. Inheritance is the main avenue through which Muslim women acquire independent ownership of land
and housing. However, despite the law, it is local customs and traditions that determine inheritance rights for Muslim women the world over. The customary laws are largely patriarchal and do not favour women. Traditional leaders or judges often exclude women from inheriting land and property based on discriminatory cultural practices, wrongly assuming these are Islamic principles, experts say. In the case of married women, fathers and sons become willing to give them a share of the parental property because they believe she belongs to the husband’s family, and that she has already been compensated with a dowry at the time of her marriage.
The apex court ruling was issued in a case wherein the children of two deceased women claimed a share in their maternal grandfather who in 1935 transferred his property to his son without giving a share to either of his two daughters. Neither of the daughters had challenged the move in their lifetime to assert their right on the property but their children filed a case in 2004 to claim their share. While a civil court had ruled in their favour at the time, the high court had later nullified the judgement. The Supreme Court upheld the high court’s decision, with Justice Umar Ata Bandial observing that the law provided protection to women’s inheritance rights.
APP
Alluding to the Billion Tree Tsunami programme, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the world to follow the lead of his Pakistan counterpart, Imran Khan, in combating the challenge of climate change. In his address to the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (early Thursday in Pakistan), Johnson said: “We are going to plant millions of trees in the UK but I was blown away [by the billion tree project]. I would like to invite everybody to follow the example
of Imran Khan of Pakistan who has pledged to plant ten billion trees in Pakistan alone.” He added it was important that the developed world recognise its obligation to help less developed countries down this path in these technologies [to cope with climate]. Per the text of his speech, Johnson said: “And we also recognise that this is not just about using technical fixes for CO2: we need to restore the natural balance, we need to halt and reverse the loss of trees and biodiversity by 2030, and that is why we in the UK are committed to beautifying the landscape, strengthening our protection against flooding, by planting millions
A fake Covid vaccine entry using former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s CNIC has been made at a Lahore vaccination centre, it was learned on Thursday. As per details, the fake entry using Nawaz Sharif’s CNIC was made at Lahore’ Kot Khawaja Saeed hospital, Wednesday, sources privy to the development said. The record has been uploaded to the National Database and Registration Authority’s protocol. It is noteworthy that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is currently in London for the last two years, after getting bail on medical grounds from the Islamabad High Court. The cases of fake Covid-19 vaccination entries are being frequently reported nowadays from various parts of the country. Suspects have been arrested from Karachi, Lahore and other major cities of the country including the staffers of the vaccination centres for their alleged involvement in preparing fake Covid vaccination certificates. Recently the National Command and Operation Centre ordered Federal Investigation Agency to act against individuals involved in preparing fake Covid vaccination certificates in the country. Following the National Command and Operation Centre directives, the FIA has started collecting records of people allegedly involved in preparing fake COVID certificates besides also arresting a few of them from various cities. In August, the Sindh government asked National Command and Operation Centre to block the national identity cards of the accused involved in the fake Covid19 vaccination certificates scam.
NCOC daily update: 2,333 new cases, 58 deaths from Covid-19 ISLAMABAD
UK PM hails Billion Tree project at UN ISLAMABAD
INP
StAff RePoRt
[of] more trees.” “We started this industrial revolution in Britain: we were the first to send the great puffs of acrid smoke to the heavens on a scale to derange the natural order,” he underscored. Meanwhile, the researchers have also linked the planting campaign to the erosion of culture and livelihoods of a nomadic group called the Gujjars. Traditionally, Gujjars rent winter pastures from landowners in parts of Pakistan to graze their animals. But through the tree-planting campaign, many of those landowners have replaced grazing land with tree plantations.
Pakistan reported 2,357 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, the National Command and Operation Centre said on Thursday. The overall tally of the infected people climbed to 1,232,595 across the country, the department leading campaign against the pandemic said. Sindh has been the worst hit, with a total of 453,051 cases, followed by Punjab where the virus was detected in 425,703 people. A total of 27,432 people died of Covid-19 in Pakistan, including 58 patients who lost their lives to the pandemic over the last 24 hours, the NCOC said. The nation currently has 61,558 active cases, while 1,143,605 others have recovered. The vaccination drive has also picked up the pace, with 25,493,964 people fully inoculated in the country, according to the latest official data.
S&GAD prohibits government employees from using social media, interacting with press LAHORE ShAhAb omeR
The Punjab government’s Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) has banned all government employees from using social media, making press statements, sharing documents and speaking against the government. In this regard, a confidential letter from S&GAD has been sent to Board of Revenue, Planning and Development Board, all administrative secretariats of Punjab, IG Punjab Police, all deputy and divisional commissioners, accountant general Punjab, Punjab Public Service Commission, Punjab
Service Tribunal, autonomous bodies and attached departments. The letter indicated that how the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964 prevent government employees from sharing information and making statements. “Under the rules, no government servant can participate in any media platform except with the express permission of the government. Rule 18 of the rules bars a government servant from sharing official information or document with a government servant unauthorised to receive it, a private person and press. Rule 22 of the rules refrains a government servant from making any statement of fact or opinion,
which is capable of embarrassing the government, in any document published or in any communication made to the press or in any public utterance or television programme or radio broadcast delivered by him or her. Furthermore, Rules 21, 25, 25-A and 25-B of the rules bar a government servant from expressing views against ideology and integrity of Pakistan or any government policy or decision. Besides, these rules also bar a government servant from offering views on any media platform which may either harm the national security or friendly relations with foreign states; or offend public order, decency or morality; or amount to
contempt of court or defamation or incitement to an offence; or, propagate sectarian creeds,” the letter stated. The letter further stated that despite all the laws, it is observed that many government employees are violating these rules. “Despite the aforementioned instructions and the guiding legal framework, it has been observed that government servants often engage themselves with social media – websites and applications that enable users to create and share contents or participate in social networking or online groups. They, while using different social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram to air their
views on a host of subjects, sometimes indulge in actions or behaviour that does not conform to the required standards of official
conduct as envisaged in the rules ibid,” the letter revealed. The letter directed government employees to abide by the rules.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
04 NEWS
KARACHI
PresidenT seeks sTePs To feTCh foreign invesTmenT in iCT seCTor
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NEWS DESK
RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi has underlined the need for improving the business environment by simplifying the procedure for registration of companies and capital movement to attract foreign investments in the country. Addressing a meeting via videolink with the Pakistani diaspora in the United States on Thursday, the president called for establishing an institutional framework to encourage the multinational companies and the Pakistani diaspora to extend their business set-ups in Pakistan, particularly in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. He said the government is taking serious measures to provide an enabling environment to foreign investors. He said the ICT sector is being strengthened owing to its great potential to put the country on fast-track development. He emphasised the need to develop a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to cope with the cyber threats by ensuring the safety of cyberspace for citizens and businesses. The president highlighted that Pakistan produces 30,000 IT graduates every year, of whom only 5,000 get employment while the rest face difficulties in getting jobs due to
lack of marketable skills. He also emphasised the need to improve the skills of IT experts and graduates by training them as per
market requirements. The president assured the Pakistani diaspora of his support to help address their concerns by providing them a
business-friendly environment. The meeting deliberated upon the issues being faced by the foreign investors and Pak-
Policy being devised for cross-sectoral development of SMEs: Bakhtyar NEWS DESK The development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is imperative for sustainable economic growth in the country and the government is working on a comprehensive policy for cross sectoral development of SMEs, particularly export-oriented businesses. This was stated by Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar while chairing a review meeting on the National Coordination Committee on SME Development on Thursday. The minister highlighted that the
government is focusing on enhancement of credit financing to tax filer SMEs as well as increasing credit limit to collateral asset owning enterprises for expansion of existing business. He said that the new policy would focus on the enlargement of the bandwidth of micro-financing and the venture investment for SMEs with help of international donors. The minister noted that the proposed SME policy would outline incentives for women-oriented businesses; thus reducing the gender gap in financial inclusion and mainstreaming the role of women in the economy.
He said that the Ministry for Industries and Production would allot land to SMEs on rental lease model in SEZs. He called for a specialised lending scheme for the garment sector and IT enabled services within the purview of SME policy. The forum comprehensively deliberated upon the framework of proposed National SME policy. The chair was briefed about the prominent features entailing financial incentives (enhancing SMEs access to collateral-free lending); fiscal incentives (simplified taxation regime for SMEs), SME registration portal, formation of common facility centers & warehouses and guillotine/ regulatory
simplification for SMEs countrywide. The minister directed relevant provincial departments and SMEDA to finalise the new SME policy according to the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to promote cross-sectoral small business across the country. Jawwad Raffique Malik, Secretary Industries and Production, along with senior officials of ministry, Hashim Raza, CEO SMEDA, Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Afzal, and representatives of State Bank of Pakistan, Board of Investments, Ministry of Finance and provincial departments participated in the meeting.
Gold price slips to Rs95,500 per 10gm NEWS DESK Gold prices retreated in the international market on Thursday following a slightly hawkish US monetary policy, according to economists, a day earlier. At 1325 hours GMT, gold in the international market was available at $1,756.60 per ounce after shedding $12.30. Meanwhile, the price of 10 grams of yellow metal in Pakistan decreased to Rs95,500 after shedding Rs1,100. The closing prices of the yellow metal in the country remained Rs96,600 on Wednesday
last. The decrease in local gold prices was also due to overnight change in gold price when the local market was closed. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the US central bank could begin scaling back asset purchases as soon as November and complete the process by mid-2022, after officials revealed a growing inclination to raise interest rates next year. Powell, explaining the US central bank’s first steps towards withdrawing emergency pandemic support for the economy, told reporters that tapering
Cryptos’ cap breaches $2tn mark again amid bullish trend NEWS DESK The cryptocurrency market turned bullish on Thursday after witnessing bearish trends for three straight days, with the market capitalisation crossing the $2 trillion mark again within twenty-four hours after dropping below it. The crypto market capitalisation increased by 5.3 percent to reach $2.05 trillion as of 1345 hours GMT. Earlier on August 15, the total market value of cryptocurrencies rose above $2 trillion. The price of bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, gained 4.21 percent to reach $44,024. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of the biggest cryptocurrency has reached $828.7 billion. Likewise, ether (ETH) price went up by 5.91 percent to reach 3,109. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of ETH has reached $364.7 billion. Similarly, XRP price gained 7.03 percent to reach $0.989. The market capitalisation of XRP stands at $98.9 billion after this increase. Following suit, cardano (ADA) price gained 6.32 percent to reach $2.24. Its market capitalisation has reached $72.4 billion after this increase. In the same way dogecoin (Doge) price gained 5.81 percent to reach $0.222. With this increase in price, the market capitalisation of doge has reached $29.2 billion. According to experts, bitcoin (BTC) recovered above the $40,000-$42,000 support zone after oversold signals appeared on the charts. Initial resistance is seen around $46,000, which could limit further upside over the short-term, they added.
“could come as soon as the next meeting". That refers to the policy gathering on November 2-3, though he left the door open to waiting longer if needed and stressed that tapering was not meant to be a direct signal on the timing of rate lift-off. “The timing and pace of the coming reduction in asset purchases will not be intended to carry a direct signal regarding the timing of interest rate liftoff,” he said following the completion of the two-day gathering of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).
istani diaspora while setting up businesses and making investments in Pakistan. The leading IT experts of the Pakistani diaspora from Silicon Valley highlighted the issues being faced by them such as the complicated procedure for registration of companies, lengthy process of opening of bank accounts and lack of one-window operation, which hindered foreign businesses and investors coming to the country. The experts suggested various measures to improve the business environment to make Pakistan an attractive destination for investments in the IT sector. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) informed the meeting that the registration process for companies had been simplified, and it took only four hours to register a company with SECP. The secretary Board of Investment (BoI) informed that commercial courts have been set up in 23 districts of the country to resolve commercial and trade disputes. Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr Reza Baqir informed the meeting that the State Bank is making efforts to provide an enabling environment to businesses and foreign investors. The meeting also stressed the need to amend and simplify the existing notarisation procedure to facilitate foreign investors.
Pak-China friendship unbreakable: Jizhe NEWS DESK Alluding to various projects being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Vice Chairman of Chinese National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) Ning Jizhe has said that Pakistan-China friendship is unbreakable. Ning Jizhe said this while co-chairing the 10th Joint Coordination Committee on CPEC along with Planning Minister Asad Umar on Thursday. He said that China wants improved security conditions for its workers in Pakistan who are working in different CPEC projects. “Recently, we have seen an unfortunate increase in tragic incidents happening to Chinese people and Chinese companies in Pakistan,” Ning said. “We hope that Pakistan will take effective measures to strengthen the protection of Chinese people and Chinese employees in Pakistan so they can work in [a] safe environment.”
Taxpayers offered 5pc discount on e-payment till 30th NEW DESK The Punjab excise and taxation department has offered a 10 percent rebate and 5 percent discount on the token tax payment if a taxpayer pays tax through ePay Punjab. The citizens have been advised to hurry up as just seven days left to get this special offer and pay the token tax before September 30. The excise and taxation department has also offered a five percent discount on full payment of property tax till Sept 30 and 10 percent concession if the payment is made through ePay Punjab.
Crude price continue going up; Brent reaches $76.47 a barrel NEWS DESK Crude oil prices continued their winning streak for the third straight day on Thursday due to supply concerns from the US offshore facilities. At 1355 hours GMT, Brent, the international benchmark for two-thirds of the world's oil, gained $0.28 (+0.37 percent) to reach $76.47 a barrel. Similarly, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) reached $72.64 a barrel, up by $0.41 (+0.57 percent). The price for Opec Basket was recorded at $73.68 a barrel with 0.29 percent increase, Arab Light was available at $74.44 a barrel with a 0.98 percent increase, while the price of
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Russian Sokol jumped to $74.70 after gaining 1.03 percent. According to experts, growing fuel demand and a bigger-than-expected draw in US crude inventories supported the oil prices. The market was also supported by a return of appetite for risk assets as concerns eased over a potential default by property developer China Evergrande and its possible fallout on the world's second-largest economy. They said that increase in natural gas prices also increased oil demand as supply shortage of gas could encourage power utilities to shift from gas to oil. Natural gas prices have risen sharply around the globe in recent
months. That has been due to a combination of factors, including increased demand particularly from Asia as it enters its post-pandemic recovery, low gas inventories, and tighter-thanusual gas supplies from Russia. Meanwhile, Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE minister of energy, has said that Opec+ will stick to its plan to incrementally bring 2 million barrels per day back to the markets by the end of the year. "I think that if things move as they are, of course that's a group decision, not a single country's decision, but I don't see any reason why we shouldn't continue with the plan," Mazrouei told reporters at an event in Dubai a day earlier.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
KARACHI
NEWS
CPEC PRogREssing suCCEssFuLLy DEsPiTE CHALLEngEs: AsAD
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continued from page 01
CCORDING to Umar there is also progress on the development and operationalisation of the Gwadar port and free zone that reflected the optimism of CPEC’s future, particularly in industrial cooperation. The minister said that CPEC’s south zone at Gwadar is almost complete and that Prime Minister Imran Khan recently inaugurated the north zone, which is approximately 37 times larger than the south zone. “Pakistan welcomes investments from other countries into CPEC,” Asad Umar said. He added that learning from Chinese experiences and in line with PM Imran’s vision, the government had shifted focus towards developing “remote regions of Pakistan to alleviate poverty”. The minister emphasised that the Pakistani government was also investing its own substantial resources
HBL extends its ATM network to accept Finja debit cards
for CPEC projects on the Western route, adding that many development projects were underway in Balochistan to make Gawadar an effective port and “more attractive for investment and trade”. “Phase-II especially focused on the development of agriculture and livestock, which have tremendous potential,” the minister stated. “An agreement to this effect was signed last year to pave way for its [PhaseII] development”. He said that Pakistan was in dire need of developing the agricultural sector to help farmers and low-income people earn, adding that its future focus was on science and technology. “Agriculture is what we need today and for the future; we need to develop science and technology infrastructure to usher in a new era,” he said. Asad Umar said there has been progress on Ml-1 progress and hoped both the countries will soon enter into the implementation phase in order to upgrade the infrastructure of Pakistan Railways. He said it has been
decided to establish a dedicated investor facilitation centre for Chinese companies to fully facilitate the Chinese investment in the country. “We have also brought about significant improvement in the visa regime for the Chinese workers and investors.” As regards the security of the CPEC related projects, Asad Umar said that many countries in the world are unhappy and nervous by the successful development of the CPEC. He said Pakistan has designed an expanded security system which has been shared with the Chinese side to provide a secure working environment to those working on the corridor related projects. “It is a matter of satisfaction that both of our countries have been able to deal with the pandemic in an effective manner,” he said. He lauded the Chinese government’s support, terming it ‘unprecedented’ at a time when all other vaccine-producing countries were prioritising their own citizens, China provided muchneeded support to Pakistan to combat the virus.
FM calls for robust strategy to meet D-8 decennial roadmap
KARACHI: HBL, in a first of its kind partnership has enabled the acceptance of Finja Debit Cards on the Bank’s ATM network free of cost. Through this arrangement, the Finja Debit Cardholders will have free access to HBL’s extensive network of over 2,100 ATMs, the largest in the country. As part of expanding access to HBL’s banking technology, this cutting-edge facility will enable Finja Debit Cardholders to process self-service transactions such as cash withdrawals and fund transfers without any cost via HBL’s ATM network. This initiative furthers HBL’s vision of becoming a ‘Technology Company with a Banking License’, as it will facilitate in providing innovative solutions and unmatched open Application Programming Interface (API) banking services through the Bank’s digital assets like Konnect by HBL, Mobile and Internet Banking platforms for new-age companies and clients. Commenting on the collaboration, HBL Chief Operating Officer Sagheer Mufti said, “HBL has taken one more step towards customer convenience by leveraging its digital platforms. The partnership with Finja will extend our business model by providing access to HBL’s vast network.” Finja CEO Co-Founder Qasif Shahid remarked, “Collaboration between banks and fintech is imperative to foster the digital ecosystem and platform-based business models. HBL through this partnership is leading the way.” PRESS RELEASE
K-electric launches mobile health vaccination units for a Covid-free Pakistan KARACHI: Committed to supporting the fight against COVID-19, K-Electric has launched a fleet of Mobile Health Vaccination Units to facilitate access to vaccines in communities across Karachi and its adjoining areas. These Mobile Health Vaccination Units are a collaboration between the Government of Sindh, K-Electric, and HANDS, a leading non-profit organization in Pakistan. The fleet was inaugurated by Chairman NEPRA Tauseef Farooqi on a recent visit of NEPRA’s delegation to Karachi. PRESS RELEASE
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Pakistan has called for the need to adopt an effective strategy and monitoring mechanisms to ensure implementation of the decisions and initiatives of the D-8 Decennial Roadmap 2020-30. Addressing an informal luncheon of the D-8 ministers hosted by Bangladesh, as chair of the D-8, on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to D-8 objectives and vision, said a statement.
He also highlighted the country’s role in achieving the goals of the organisation and said that among other meetings, Pakistan hosted the 8th D-8 Summit in 2012, which adopted two landmark documents, including the D-8 Charter and its Global Vision. The 15th and 16th sessions of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) were also hosted by Pakistan in 2012 and 2013, he added. The foreign minister also reiterated the five-pronged roadmap proposed by Prime Minister Imran Khan at the 10th D-8 Summit, including mobilising resources to re-
cover robustly from the economic and health crises induced by the Covid pandemic; taking concrete actions to take intra-D-8 trade to $500 billion by 2030; developing a “Youth Engagement Strategy”; intensifying cooperation for technological development; and making D-8 more relevant to the lives of the D-8 citizens by promoting food security, enhancing health and sports cooperation. The foreign ministers and representatives of D-8 member states, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey attended the luncheon meeting.
ECC approve sugar import tenders of 50,000 MT iSLamaBad APP
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Thursday approved the import of 50,000 MT of sugar to maintain sufficient stock in the country. The ECC approved to import sugar in 03 segregated tenders of 50,000 MT each so that there is more participation and increased competition when international prices fall, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance here.
Finance minister Shaukat Tarin presided over the meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet. Secretary, M/o Industries and Production, Jawwad Rafique Malik briefed the Committee about the availability of sufficient stocks of sugar. He further apprised about the steps being taken to import sugar for building strategic reserves. The Committee further emphasized ensuring a smooth supply of sugar throughout the country and directed to initiate crushing by sugar mills at the beginning of November 2021 as done last year.
FM tells US state secretary Pakistan cannot take more Afghan refugees continued from page 01 The foreign minister told his counterpart that Pakistan aspires to promote trade, investment, and people-to-people contact with the United States. After Blinken had said that Washington would reassess its relationship with Pakistan in the coming days, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar On Sep-
tember 16 had said the United States’s announcement was “surprising” as we have played a positive role in the Afghan peace process. Following the meeting, Qureshi said he had reiterated Pakistan’s focus on a relationship with the USbased on trade, investment, energy and regional connectivity. Both US and Pakistan said they will issue statements at the meeting
later in the day. Blinken is also scheduled to give a press briefing at 4:45 pm local time. Speaking to various US media sources, senior US State Department officials said they were aware of the Taliban’s request but the deliberations “would take some time”, indicating that the Taliban representative would not address the UNGA on Sept 27.
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Dawood Basketball Centre inaugurated at Aitchison College Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood inaugurated the Dawood Basketball Centre at Aitchison College on September 18, 2021, in the presence of Aitchison College principal, staff, students, old Boys, BARD Foundation’s Board of Directors and some esteemed guests. The state-of-the-art basketball centre was funded by the BARD Foundation as a platform for young, determined and aspiring athletes and sportsmen to practice, train and compete in the hopes of representing Pakistan at the national and international level. Three basketball courts have been refurbished and upgraded in the Aitchison premises, which include one main court and two practice courts for students. Aitchison College has a history of producing some of the finest sportsmen in Pakistan, and with the esteemed addition of the basketball centre, BARD foundation is hopeful to nurture and promote more upcoming sportsmen that will go on to represent Pakistan. NEWS DESK
Coca-Cola kicks off Pakistan’s First Plastic Road Project IslAmAbAd: Coca-Cola Pakistan and Afghanistan has partnered with Capital Development Authority and TeamUp / National Incubation Center (NIC) to work towards creating a World Without Waste. This megaproject involves locally introducing the concept of re-carpeting national roads with plastic waste. For now, a one kilometre road in the Islamabad Capital Territory will be modelled as a proof-of-concept. This partnership was finalized on 21st September 2021 in an MOU signing ceremony held at the TeamUp / NIC offices in Islamabad. In attendance were environmental experts and government officials who discussed and debated the project in a panel discussion that followed the signing. Fahad Ashraf, VP and General Manager of Coca-Cola Pakistan-Afghanistan said, “This idea provides a break through solution to bring back plastic waste into the productive economy. And we also want to focus on building a community around the idea and the innovation itself. For any concept to be applied and adopted, the people must first believe in it, and it needs to make social and commercial sense.” This is where TeamUp and NIC come in. Working towards expanding the idea nationwide via hackathons, conferences, white papers, policy changes, and a coalition of partners, TeamUp/NIC hope to make this a success. Parvez Abbasi and Zouhair Khaliq representing the strategic leadership of the TeamUp/NIC added, “When CocaCola came to us with the willingness to be part of the solution. PR
FM urges OIC to find solution to Kashmir issue for sake of peace within the region continued from page 01 The 131-page dossier covers accounts of 3432 cases of war crimes perpetrated by senior officers of the Indian occupying forces. The crimes catalogued in the dossier are corroborated by audio and video evidence that we have meticulously gathered over time. After the revival of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding along the Line of Control February, Pakistan expected that India would take positive steps to enable the resumption of engagement for the resolution of the dispute. Instead, India intensified its repression, the minister said. “Pakistan is prepared to engage with India for a resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he added, but underscored that, for this, India must create a conducive environment through a reversal of its unilat-
eral and illegal measures instituted since 05 August 2019, stop its human rights violations in IIOJK, and halt and reverse the demographic changes in the occupied State. While appreciating the OIC’s continued and unequivocal support on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the minister said that this organization has been at the forefront of efforts to support the just and legitimate struggle of the people of IIOJK for their inalienable right to self-determination, as reflected by the decisions and resolutions of the Islamic Summits and Council of Foreign Minister sessions, and the statements issued by the General Secretariat and IPHRC. “In view of the grave situation, it is imperative that the OIC enhances its efforts to facilitate a lasting solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The oppressed people of Kashmir, now more than ever, count on OIC
and the Muslim Ummah,” Qureshi said. “I also request Your Excellencies’ active support in raising the issue at relevant UN foras, including the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council,” he concluded. Separately, the foreign minister, in an interview with The Associated Press said that Pakistan was in sync with the international community wanting to see a peaceful and stable Afghanistan with no space for terrorist elements to increase their foothold. He said like the international community, Pakistan also wanted the Taliban to ensure “that Afghan soil is never used again against any country.” “If they live up to those expectations, they would make it easier for themselves, they will get acceptability, which is required for recognition,” Qureshi said, who is currently in New York to attend the United Na-
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tions General Assembly session. He said, “At the same time, the international community has to realize: What’s the alternative? What are the options? This is the reality, and can they turn away from this reality?” He urged the world community to be more realistic and innovative to engage with the Taliban as the way that they were being dealt with had not worked. The foreign minister urged the United States, the International Monetary Fund and other countries that have frozen Afghan government funds to immediately release the money so it can be used “for promoting normalcy in Afghanistan.” He pledged that Pakistan was ready to play a “constructive, positive” role in opening communications channels with the Taliban because it, too, benefits from peace and stability. He said the Taliban were listening, “and
they are not insensitive to what is being said by neighbours and the international community.” Qureshi stressed that the Taliban must make decisions in the coming days and weeks that would enhance their acceptability. “What the international community can do, in my view, is sit together and work out a roadmap,” Qureshi said. “And if they fulfil those expectations, this is what the international community can do to help them stabilize their economy. This is the humanitarian assistance that can be provided. This is how they can help rebuild Afghanistan, reconstruction and so on and so forth.” He added: “With this roadmap ahead, I think an international engagement can be more productive.” Qureshi said there were different forums where the international community could work out the best way to approach the situation.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
06 COMMENT
The Gathering Storm
Afghanistan poised over the abyss
China and the USA both make moves aimed at the other
A measured dose of pressure is needed that does not kill the patient
At Penpoint
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OTING the gravity of the state of affairs in Afghanistan, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation had tasked China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran to exert positive influence on Kabul to help stabilize the situation. Special envoys of China, Russia and Pakistan subsequently visited Kabul where they held talks with the top government leadership beside meeting former Afghan President hamid Karzai and Afghan leader Abdullah Abdullah. The envoys reportedly underlined the need on the part of Taliban to form an inclusive government, implement human rights and prevent terrorists from establishing sanctuaries, control the drug trafficking and avert the looming humanitarian crisis. At the same time the envoys stressed the importance of global engagement with the Taliban to avert any catastrophe. The crisis already looms over the horizon. UN officials have warned that the Afghan state could collapse as the poverty rate climbs, hunger soars, and the economy tanks. The country is critically dependent on foreign aid which was up to 43 percent of its GDP in recent years. The pause in aid by the USA, its Nato allies and international organizations is reflecting itself in non-payment of dues to government employees and closure of aid-dependent private enterprises. A WhO team visiting Kabul recently noted that nine out of 37 covid-19 hospitals have already closed and all aspects of the covid-19 response have dropped including surveillance, testing, and vaccination. The team warned that the country faces an imminent humanitarian catastrophe. The world is unwilling to recognize the Taliban government unless it establishes an inclusive administration, enforces human rights and puts an end to terrorist sanctuaries. The Taliban government says it is making moves in the direction. There is a perception however that the moves are slow and insufficient. A few non-Pakhtuns belatedly inducted in the cabinet are from the Taliban’s own camp, and their number is insignificant while there is no woman in the Cabinet yet. What is more, the girls secondary schools still remain closed . While the USA and Nato countries are using aid as leverage, there is sense in Chinese Foreign Minister Wang yi’s observation that Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves are national assets that should be returned to the country’s people instead of being used as a bargaining chip.
M A NIAZI
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he Sino-American standoff is becoming more serious, though it has not yet reached the stage of a hot war. however, there are peaceful manoeuvres going on, looking like nothing so much as a stately dance, as the two countries gather forces, and prepare for the sort of showdown that both actually dread more than their allies do. The USA announced AUKUS,an alliance of Australia, the UK and the USA, which centres around a submarine deal, while China saw the admission of Iran to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, meaning that the Penta is finding some formal structure as a contrast to the Quad, which is the regional alliance the USA is developing against China. It is worth noting the racial component of the USA’s latest alliance. Apart from the USA and Australia,the Quad includes India and Japan. They have been excluded from AUKUS. The new alliance excludes NewZealand probably for the same reason that the earlier alliance, ANZUS, came to grief. ANZUS was signed in 1951, being part of the ring of alliances that the USA tried to throw around the USSR, such as NATO, SeATO and CeNTO. however, in 1986, New Zealand was suspended, because it had declared a nuclear-free zone around itself. Not only did the USA wish to disclose whether its conventional ships carried nuclear weapons, but many of its ships and submarines were nuclear-propelled. It became impossible for US warships to operate in New Zealand waters. As nuclear submarines are at the centre of AUKUS, it would not be possible to bring New Zealand on board. however, the racial bias remains. Recently Pakistan tasted this when New Zealand cancelled a cricket tour because of a terrorism alert received from Five eyes, which includes only Anglo-Saxon countries, the USA< the UK, Australia and Canada. Of those, england has cancelled its tour, and Australia is expected to. At the centre of the new AUKUS alliance is the USA sharing the technology for nuclear propulsion with Australia, making it the only country apart from the UK with which it has done so. While the UK has operated Trident submarines, caring Polaris nuclear missiles (and which have been the mainstay of British
Right to Information
nuclear forces), Australia will not deploy nuclear weapons, but simply operate nuclear-propelled submarines, carrying conventional torpedoes and antiship missiles. The advantage of nuclear propulsion is that there is virtually no limit to the amount of time a submarine can remain underwater, and on station. The crews’ endurance of the cramped conditions thus limits the amount of time that a submarine can remain on patrol. Also, diesel-electric submarines have to surface periodically to recharge their batteries. This has created ripples in europe, because Australia has also cancelled it’s a $ 90 billion deal for 20 conventional submarines with France. France is so upset that it has recalled its Ambassadors from the USA and Australia. Apart from the loss of the business, which is immense, France also resents being left out. Though all the USA would not like it to be seen that way, the USA has apparently ditched the nonwhite members of the Quad, and latched on to its only other Anglo-Saxon member. With the UK on board, this impression is strengthened. Indian glee at its inclusion in the Quad may now die down, though there are probably those who see an opportunity also to seek US nuclear-propulsion technology. The Indian Navy has been operating ex-Soviet nuclear submarines since the late 1980s. In the Subcontinent, nuclear-missile submarines would be particularly destabilizing, because they give their country a second-strike capability. Assuming a counterforce strike, in which an enemy destroys land-based missiles, a sea-based nuclear capability, based on nuclear submarines carrying nuclear missiles, will survive, because submarines are notoriously hard to detect. They can then be used to launch a retaliatory strike. India would be pressing the USA to give it the necessary technology, just as it was allowed a civilian nuclear deal which got it into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. however, for the time being, it has been excluded. Without nuclear subs, it would not be able to compete with the Australian Navy, once it has acquired the planned subs, in combating the Chinese navy, whose submarine fleet consists of both nuclear and diesel-electric boats, as well as ballistic-missile vessels. Meanwhile, China is lining up the Penta: itself, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. Only Turkey is not a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after Iran was included at the recent summit in Dushanbe.
It is worth noting that India is also a member of the SCO, which made a certain amount of sense when the SCO was founded in 2001, when it was meant to coordinate a response to terrorism, but it is difficult to see it remaining if it becomes a platform for China to combat the USA. One of the inherent tensions in the SCO is Russia, which has its own axes to grind with the USA, and which will be a competitor with China for leadership of the ani-US bloc. however, now that the SCO is trying to make inroads into Afghanistan under the Taliban, it has led to an interesting prospect, that of Afghanistan being made to join the SCO. As the new regime is anti-US, it would suit China to have a new member who would drive the organization further in an anti-US direction. Pakistan is crucial in this respect, but it is also suspect. It has resisted US attempts to break it way from China, but it has also resisted Chinese moves. If Turkey comes into any formal arrangement with the Penta, it will mean another historically pro-US state in the Penta. This means that while it is intended to strengthen the Penta, it will actually act as a brake on the group, and will thus not predispose it to conflict. The members are thus not pushing China towards a conflict. China may be finding itself in the same situation as Japan in the build-up to World War II. Japan was trying to expand, and it has been said that it actually started World War II by invading Manchuria in 1931. however, by attacking the USA at Pearl harbor, it brought it into the War. It also then occupied Indonesia, the Philippines and Burma, one of its motives being to secure the oil supply so crucial to its industry. In the same way, China has been careful, while carrying out the Belt and Road Initiative to make sure that its oil supply from the Middle east is secured. That is one reason for the importance of the China-Pakistan economic Corridor; it provides a convenient route for fuel, all the way from Gwadar Port to China. In World War II, India had been opposed to Japan, and was even invaded, with the major Imphal battle taking place in Manipur. Though Indian troops fought the Germans in North Africa and also played a role in invading Italy, they played a major role in fighting the Japanese. This time around, it may find itself facing the brunt of China. It has already fought China, almost 50 years ago, back in 1962. That war only ended with the USA guaranteeing Indian integrity. While there are now danger signs beginning to pop up, conflict is neither near nor certain. however, the world stepped a little nearer to conflict as the two main protagonists very publicly performed the equivalent of twiddling with the pieces they had arranged on the chessboard.
The writer is a member of staff.
The liability of ‘Protection of the Motherland’
Information commission is a toothless institution
T
he right to information was only given protection by the 18th Amendment. The Right to Information Act provided a mechanism by which a Pakistani could obtain information about the government’s activities: after a request had been denied by a department, there would be an appeal to the Pakistan Information Commission, whose order would be sent to the Cabinet Division. however, that does not seem to be how things work. Inquiries by citizens about various issues have run up against the obduracy of officials, who have been quick to opt for the ‘national security’ excuse, to carry on concealing information as before. Government departments are quick to go to court with this excuse. The latest example has been provided by the refusal of the Cabinet Division to disclose the details demanded in an RTI request of the gifts made to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the ground that such disclosure would jeopardize the conduct of foreign relations, and was thus a threat to national security. The decision on whether there is indeed a threat to national security will be made by the Supreme Court, where the Cabinet Division has appealed the Information Commission’s order saying it must provide the information. This would be entirely proper, only the Supreme Court, acting through its Registrar, has itself been reticent when a request for information about judges’ salaries and perks was made. There has been similar refusal about the COAS’s and the number of vehicles Punjab’s CM uses. The Information Commission is a full-time institution, but it seems toothless, and unable to resist the conspiracy of silence that all spending taxpayers’ money seem to engage in, whether civil or military bureaucrats, judges or politicians. The idea of the RTI law was to disclose how government money was spent, and how certain individuals exploited state resources by tailoring the rules to suit themselves. The idea was not to expose illegalities as how the rules were followed, even though some shady things were being done. Clearly, there are those who do not want their activities exposed. It might be legal, but it will be hard to explain.
How we can learn from Norway
ShAZIA ANwer CheeMA
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y visit to Oslo was just after the Norwegian Parliamentary elections held on 13 September, therefore my foremost interest as a Communication practitioner was to understand the dynamics of these elections, their impact on the future politics of Norway, and the role of media within the Norwegian political system. The Labour Party has emerged as the largest party on the Left Wing side and the election results indicate a clear divide between the urban and rural areas. The urban areas voted for the environmentally friendly parties and the rural area voted mostly for the Farmers Party (Centre Party). It has placed itself in the third position with 28 seats in Parliament. The Farmer Party and the rural area voters are traditionally “anti-centralization” and “anti-eU”. The issue resulting in the gain for the Farmers party was its anti-eU stance. The party is considered as the bulwark against the centralization of power in Brussels, having a negative impact on Norwegian agriculture and fisheries. The Centre Party follows the political philosophy of the Nordic agrarian parties. Positioning themselves in the centre of the political spectrum, these parties are non-Socialist and typically combine a commitment to small businesses, rural issues, and political decentralization, and, at times, skepticism towards the european Union. The parties have divergent views on the free market and environmentalism.
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi
Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Joint Editor
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Executive Editor
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Another interesting issue I found is strong criticism in the Norwegian media against the US-Norway Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA), although this issue did not get any attention in the latest parliamentary elections. The Norwegian media believes that a constant buildup of US troops and military equipment on Norwegian soil, gives extraordinary blanket powers to US troops. Norwegian journalists believe that their governments under both Labour and Conservative leadership have been accepting NATO and the US military demands while forgetting the Norwegian cultural background of being anti-nuclear. On the other hand, supporters in the media of the US military buildup believe Norway shares a border with powerful Russia, therefore the US presence is in favour of Norwegian security. however, critics in the media believe that the 20-year US presence against a resourceless enemy (the Taliban) ended with embarrassing withdrawal so how would a US presence in Norway be helpful against one of the most powerful countries of the world—- the Russian Federation? It is pertinent to remember that Norway joined NATO with a condition that its soil would not host NATO troops or atomic weapons. however, the severe threat of Russia injected by US-sponsored think tanks and media, and of course Russian taking back Crimea. made things easy for the Pentagon and Norwegians are now psychologically accepting the heavy US military presence in their country. Media highlighted controversial landings of new US bombers in Norway and the USA’s renewal of requests to use a civilian harbour not far from downtown Tromsø for its nuclear submarines. The local city council of Tromsø turned down initial requests in 2016 and 2019 and residents have been mounting demonstrations against the USA’s unwelcome nuclear submarines. Recently the Norwegian media reported that the US military is now set “to move in” to Norwegian military bases, as part of an agreement. This is not part of any NATO agreement, but is a bilateral agreement between Norway and the USA. Norway’s defense department told the media that having US soldiers at Norwegian bases will give Norway “extra protection.” NATO’s security guarantee will be more credible, says Foreign Minister Ine eriksen Søreide, a former defense minister herself. The USA also wants to land and take off with their own bombers, fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and transport planes. In April 2021, Norway and the USA signed the new Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement
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(SDCA). This will enable the USA to build facilities at three Norwegian airfields and one naval base to further enhance cooperation between the two armed forces. The latest arrangement will also allow US infrastructure investments at all four locations, which are Rygge Military Air Station and Airfield, Sola Military Air Station and Airfield, evenes Military Air Station and Airfield, and Ramsund Naval Station. The USA will have unimpeded access to, and use of, these facilities and areas. All US military presence, training, and exercises will be regulated in accordance with SDCA. The agreement also offers a framework to build cooperation between Norwegian and US authorities regarding activities and operational and security issues. If we look in the history of US military Deployment on foreign lands, it is evident that local residents usually expressed their concerns, but political parties irrespective of the economic condition of the countries either keep quiet or indirectly support such deployments. however, the media always raises issues linked with these deployments. A research “Understanding how Populations Perceive U.S. Troop Deployments” conducted by Michael A. Allen, Michael Flynn, Carla Martinez Machain, and Andrew Stravers indicates that US military deployments in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, and Turkey created several non-security dimensions of these deployments, including social, economic, and political effects. Research indicates that host-state residents’ perceptions regarding the USA, its government, and people are created through such deployments and US military personnel faced an underappreciated situation. The same state of affairs has been reported from downtown Tromsø. The narrative of “security threats” are usually behind these deployments, therefore, no political party takes the risk to contest such deployment because the liability of “Protection of Motherland” is so heavy to take responsibility. Apparently, it does not matter if a country is poor or rich, if the USA decides deployment, then democratic institutions stand with the USA. The writer Shazia Anwer Cheema is a Praguebased Foreign Affairs expert writing for national and international media outlets. She is a Ph.D. Scholar of semiotics and Philosophy of Communication at Charles University Prague. She can be reached at her: Twitter @ShaziaAnwerCh Email: shaziaanwer@yahoo.com
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Friday, 24 September, 2021
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
Child abuse in Pakistan
Shootings inside courtrooms Too often, one goes to court for revenge, not justice
hAfIZ MuhAMMAd AZeeM
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OURTROOMS are not safe anymore in Pakistan. Legally speaking, a court is a place where trials are conducted and legal cases are decided in accordance with the law. Persons facing trials, or litigants claiming rights, come to court with a belief that it is the safest place where their rights will be protected, determined, and respected; they are under the protection of the law; they will get justice. however, with an increase in killings, shootings, fighting, and squabbling inside, outside, or even near the courtrooms, the trust of citizens upon which the premises of justice stands is starting to diminish. Therefore, it is high time to make sure that the courtrooms are the safest places to get justice. In Pakistan, work in courts have been divided according to subject: civil, criminal, family, tax, banking, service matters, and so on. Likewise, in the higher judiciary, work is also distributed amongst benches. It is becoming common day by day to watch the situation of chaos inside, outside, or near the courtrooms. What to speak of district judiciary, even the higher judiciary is no exception to it. Civil and criminal are two major divisions of the court work. In civil matters, quarrel amongst litigants often ends with police intervention, even though late, or after catching TV channel cameras, etc. but never ends with the death of anyone, because only future or financial interests are involved. however, in criminal matters, the situation is entirely different, because the loss of life is involved. In criminal litigation, especially murder trials, litigants come to court not to get justice but to take revenge. It is not the hope of justice that is the leading factor, under the present circumstances of the criminal administration of justice in Pakistan, rather it is the rage and revenge that urges litigants involved in murder trials to come to court; many a time,
only to get a chance to kill the accused or to injure him or his family members inside, outside, or near the courtrooms during trial hearings. In recent days, only in Punjab, it can be seen that the situation inside criminal trial courts is very grim. Moreover, as per news and circulated videos on social media, a man wearing the uniform of an advocate shot down his target during court proceedings in the presence of police. everyone was unsafe: the judge, the prosecutor, the stenographer, the reader of the court, the police officials, the clerks, the lawyers. This is not unpreventable, rather this can be avoided with the use of modern technology. Our criminal laws are old: 1898 Procedure, 1908 Penal Code. When electric light was rarely available. When mobile phones are unimaginable. When the Internet was beyond thought. When for summons we needed many days and a person for this job only. Whereas, as per research, in 1973, the first call from a handheld device was made with a phone-shaped device of Motorola company. And January 1, 1983, is considered the official birthday of the Internet. After that life has changed. Today the world is one click away. This is the age of light, speed, and the internet. Sadly, still today we are roaming around governed by archaic laws made by colonial masters not to favour the citizens of the Subcontinent, rather to rule over them. Resultantly, we are still losing the lives inside, outside, or near the courtrooms: for what, justice? Anyhow, by using modern devices, not only can these killings surely be prevented but also the state expenses can be minimized in conducting court proceedings. The summoning and attendance of accused persons, either on bail or under custody, should be made possible through the use of modern devices that must be installed inside each criminal trial courtroom. Although the colonial masters’ designed laws fixed the recording of evidence in the presence of the accused; it does not debar the use of modern devices for achieving the
In Pakistan, work in courts have been divided according to subject: civil, criminal, family, tax, banking, service matters, and so on. Likewise, in the higher judiciary, work is also distributed amongst benches.
ends of justice. In a recent case Muhammad Israr versus the State, the honourable Peshawar high Court has provided detailed guidelines that must be followed by trial courts in recording evidence through the use of modern devices which can be taken as the first drop of rain. Likewise, the Supreme Court of Pakistan also time and again has highlighted the use of modern devices in recording the evidence. Judges should not act as spectators, and courts should not act as post offices. It has often been seen that accused persons facing trial moved applications that their lives are under threat, and judges just pass stereotyped orders for the police officials: mostly to the Station house Officer of the police station to ensure safety, who in compliance increases the quantity of deputed officers. Amongst those officers, Re TOhSe mostly have remained on various raids, or who have been deputed on whole-night security, and are thus much too tired to actively obey the orders; so, they leave things in the hands of fate, and the accused to the tender mercies of his accusers. What should be done is that whenever any witness or accused, or any complainant, or even anyone attending court proceedings, moved an application of a life threat, it should not be considered lightly, rather his attendance must forthwith be shifted and be ensured through the use of modern devices: one TV, Internet device, and one operator inside the courtroom; one TV, Internet device, and one operator inside the police station in case of persons other than accused or accused on bail, or inside the jail premises in case of accused facing trials. That police station or jail then simply will be connected through the Internet and court proceedings can be conducted safely. This is not rocket science, this is very simple, a child of today’s age can do it. So, to conclude in the words of Stephen hawking that “we are all connected like neurons in a giant brain”, it is the utmost requirement of the time that safety of lives be ensured inside the courtrooms through the use of modern technology and use of modern devices which is available in the hands of more than 180 million citizens of Pakistan.
This is not rocket science, this is very simple, a child of today’s age can do it. So, to conclude in the words of Stephen Hawking that “we are all connected like neurons in a giant brain”, it is the utmost requirement of the time that safety of lives be ensured inside the courtrooms through the use of modern technology and use of modern devices which is available in the hands of more than 180 million citizens of Pakistan
The writer is an Assistant District Public Prosecutor, got the first position in competitive exams, and writes on various topics. He can be reached at Khokhar.azeem@yahoo.com. He holds an LL.M. from the Punjab University and teaches law.
ARTICLe 25 (1) of the pakistani constitution states that “all citizens are equal before Law and entitled to equal protection of Law” Children also need to be protected but unfortunately children are suffering from child abuse as Child abuse is one of worst issue by which Pakistan is suffering . child abuse is an action of abusing the children when they are at a young age .children are abused sexually and also you say the child Labour one of the abuses on children when at young age they go for work they are beaten and sexually abused that makes their physical contact bad. There are many people who involve the children in bad works like drugs, sexual participation and force them to do bad things . Furthermore children are very innocent and are most vulnerable, least powerful and they are unable to protect themselves from the abusers.child abusers often know how to emotionally manipulate their intended victims , gaining their trust well in advance of the actual abuse . furthermore there were many children who were raped and killed in these following years , some of the following cases have occurred in workplace the issue is pending and children are unsafe According to the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse (ISPCAN), overall ust41.69 percent respondents were sexually abused in one form or another. Child abuse is become social problem in Pakistan this all because of the poverty , the poor families who send their children for work and are often abused In near 1,780 cases, children were abused by their acquaintances while service providers, such as teachers, shopkeepers and drivers, were involved in 91 such cases. We live in such a sick society where fear of sending the children outside when a children is abused due lack of support from family members, friends and neighbours or the community leads to the isolation of the victim, making him hesitant to share his experience about his abuser.and many of commit suicide Besides other factors responsible for child abuse are socio-economic stresses; unemployment, low selfconfidence and feelings of incompetence, loneliness .more ever ,According to data released by an NGO, eight children were abused every day in Pakistan in one form or the other while 51pc of the victims were girls and 49pc boys and. 2,960 major crimes against children were reported in the four provinces, including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) in 2020. What is going on in our country is how our society is so sick and in the worst condition of kidnapping the children and abusing them. As the children are the future of the nation and it is a rising issue and media can also play an important role in it by creating awareness and the government needs to establish stronger laws regarding children. If once better laws are made against child abusers children can be protected. HomEr Jan BalocH laHorE
Curing corruption CORRUPTION is the utilization of public offices, official positions, ranks status, and powers for private benefits. The word corruption is experienced almost everywhere. The most triggering spurs, which encourage corruption, are the paucity of transparency, ineffective accountability, and institutional vulnerabilities. here, everything is possible by spending a penny either legal or illegal. Owing to this shortcoming, corruption is continuing despite multiple preventive paces. Its hazardous implications are immense such as it is a big barricade to social, political, and economic development. Furthermore, It imposes its stringency and curse in multiple modes. These corrupt behaviors include bribery, fraud, embezzlement, nepotism, and appropriation of public assets and property for illicit use. It is verified that corruption spread is the yield of great neglect. Lastly, The wise committee should be arranged to check the outcome of devised policies. Making policies isn’t a big act, but its complete implementation till its requisite results is a tremendous job. however, Plentiful policies are planned, but their fruits can’t be harvested. These are useless and futile in this regard. The useful conclusion can emerge that corruption is a proven fact, corruption hampers the countries from attaining development. Firstly, Owing to massive corruption, many projects do not meet the deadlines timely. muHammad afzal KHairpur mirS
Menace of drugs DRUG addiction is one of the most detrimental dilemmas in Pakistan . It is alarmingly ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands people in Pakistan . It takes the youth towards a dark and egregious future and it kills and destroys their lives awfully . Afghanistan is a neighboring country of Pakistan which rapidly supplies dozens of kinds of drugs to Pakistan. UNODC gauged that 800000 youth of Pakistan are addicted to drugs. Due to these drugs , the life of every soul is falling into destruction and misery. Lastly, I would like to plead to the government of Pakistan to stop the drugs so that the future of Pakistan’s youth would be secured . SHoail raSHid laHorE
Tech troubles
TODAy’S world is jamed with technology .The main inventions which are playing an important role to destroy our health’s such as computers, mobiles and social media etc. Which almost every family owns. Originally it was created to make our lives more easier then before but later on researches were carried on and it came up that our physical and mental health suffers because of immoderate usage of technology. Technology appears to create global network bringing people together but infact this technology ends up the importance of real life communication the enjoyment of life even because of this we forget to give time to our relatives,families and friends. In today’s world it’s a habit of almost every people to live in their own world stuking at the device screen even when surrounded with the kith and kins. This technology have ruined the peace of people specially, the most inferior impact of technology is that it reduced the quantity and quality of sleep and today’s generation have become habitual of technology. So we should not fail to think of that this technology have harmful effects too for our health so we should not accustomed to technology. We should take care of our health also. urooJ nadEEm HydEraBad
Friday, 24 September, 2021
08 WORLD VIEW
afghan ReSiStance leadeRS, long backed by cia, have fled following taliban takeoveR
IntErcEpt
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MAtthew Cole And Ken Klippenstein
HE son of afghanistan’s most celebrated antiTaliban resistance leader has escaped into neighboring Tajikistan, less than a month after vowing to defend his homeland “no matter what happens.” ahmad Massoud, son of the late northern alliance leader ahmad Shah Massoud, fled to Tajikistan shortly after the Taliban seized control of the Panjshir Valley on September 6, according to a senior u.S. intelligence official, a Pentagon consultant, and two former senior afghan government officials. Massoud was joined a few days later by amrullah Saleh, the former afghan vice
president and longtime intelligence chief, who left afghanistan by helicopter, the senior u.S. official and two former afghan officials said. The retreat of the two key afghan resistance figures contradicts public claims that they are still in afghanistan and holding out against the Taliban and signals a remarkable shift in their fortunes: For the first time in decades, the united States government and the CIa do not appear to be backing them. Massoud and Saleh are both seeking military aid and equipment from the West, but the Biden administration is not supporting them and has given no indication of whether it will provide future assistance, according to the two former afghan officials and a retired u.S. intelligence official. On Wednesday, Massoud hired Washington lobbyist robert Stryk. Massoud and Saleh have been embraced by prominent republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is keen on the u.S. returning to afghanistan. neither Massoud nor Saleh has been seen in public since the Taliban took Panjshir. Massoud is currently in a “safe house” in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, according to a former senior afghan government official who spoke with him last week, while Saleh is in a nearby location. Saleh last tweeted on September 3, as the Taliban began encircling Panjshir. In an accompanying video, he dismissed reports that he had already fled afghanistan
as “totally baseless.” “The rESISTanCE is continuing and will continue,” Saleh tweeted. “I am here with my soil, for my soil & defending its dignity.” On Monday, ali Maisamnazary, a spokesperson for Massoud, told The Intercept that Massoud “is inside afghanistan … in an undisclosed location.” Saleh could not be reached for comment. Saleh, who once worked as an aide to ahmad Shah Massoud and served many years in senior positions in afghanistan’s u.S.-backed government, tweeted last month that he was the legal successor to former afghan President ashraf Ghani, citing Ghani’s decision to flee to the united arab Emirates. “as per d constitution of afg, in absence, escape, resignation or death of the President the FVP [First Vice President] becomes the caretaker President,” Saleh tweeted on august 16, the day after the Taliban seized control of Kabul. “I am currently inside my country & am the legitimate care taker President.” In august, prominent republicans like Graham and rep. Mike Waltz called on the Biden administration to recognize Saleh and Massoud as the “legitimate government representatives” of afghanistan. “We will be going back into afghanistan,” Graham told the BBC earlier this month. “We’ll have to because the [terror] threat will be so large.” “I want his voice out,” Graham said of Saleh in an interview with Politico last week. “I’m gonna go all in.
how india’S newS media became an elaboRate PR machine
nEws Laundry Aunindyo ChAKrAvArty
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HaT caused India’s news media to become an elaborate Pr machine for the government and corporates? It’s the economy, stupid. Let me unpack this a bit by comparing two numbers from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’s monthly employment data. Five years ago, in September 2016, there were about 10.3 lakh people working in India’s media and publishing industry. In august 2021, it dropped to 2.3 lakh. That’s a whopping 78 percent drop in media and publishing jobs. Effectively, four out of every five media employees have either lost their jobs or have left the profession. and no, it is not because of Covid. The biggest collapse of these jobs took place between January and December 2018. If one takes a three-month average of employment in media and publishing, we find that there were about 8.3 lakh jobs between January and March 2018. That dropped to an average of 3.7 lakh jobs between October and December 2018. That means 56 percent of those working in this industry lost their jobs or left it, within the span of just one year. Of course, CMIE’s data is about media in general and not just news media. But anecdotal evidence tells us that the trend was worse in news. The reason for this is not political. Even the most pro-Modi news organisations have had to downsize because they ran out of money. The seeds of this collapse were planted in the early 2000s, when stock markets were booming across the world. Media companies wanted to make the most of it by listing their shares on the bourses. By the mid-2000s, media stocks were on fire. Brokerages had dedicated analysts who tracked media companies. Promoters were being advised by investment bankers to expand and diversify, to increase the valuation of their companies.
Within the companies, there was a sense of euphoria and a hunger to quickly maximise value. as the media business was flooded with funds, employers could offer top dollar to poach – or retain – their key talents. news media salaries went through the roof and editors and top anchors began to earn what their peers in the corporate world were getting. Senior journalists were flying their families in business class and holidaying in five-star resorts. They drove the latest audis and bought multi-crore homes. all this was happening without any commensurate increase in advertising revenues. news companies were almost entirely running their operations with money they had raised from the markets or through stake sales. Some companies began to make strategic investments in unrelated businesses. as late as 2012, one big media house had “private treaties” with over 350 companies where they accepted shares in exchange for advertising. Even journalists were being paid a part of their salary in employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs. narratives were being built in every newsroom about how wealth will be “unlocked” as their companies expanded into entertainment and sports broadcasting. Many companies were planning to “demerge” individual channels and list them separately to “unlock value”.and then 2008 happened. The global financial crisis that began in the uS caused stock market crashes across the world. Money escaped to safe havens and investors began to seek earnings. Every bloated stock – media, power, infrastructure – that was based on promises of “future” earnings got decimated, quite literally: several media stocks dropped to one-tenth their peak price in the space of one year. The first round of media retrenchments and salary cuts began around 2009-10. newsrooms started to shed flab and become “efficient”. Bench-strength was reduced sharply, Hr consultants were hired to suggest ways to increase productivity and cut costs. news was now to be produced for consumers living in the key advertising markets. If the reader or viewer was in Delhi or Mumbai, then news was going to be about what interested them. Many companies shut down bureaus which were not considered important for the news “market”. For several years, news companies tried various ways to cut costs, without actively sacking people. news-gathering budgets were slashed, and newsrooms turned to agencies, like PTI and anI, for routine coverage. The same soundbites collected by anI began appearing on every channel, and stories in newspapers often went with an “agency copy” byline. Companies followed an invisible
downsizing policy by not filling posts that had become vacant after people left their jobs. as news channels moved away from ground reports and investigations, loud chat shows took over. This was very inexpensive TV. all you needed was an anchor and a few guests and an incendiary, polarising topic. What made it even more attractive was that this kind of news entertainment attracted a much wider, albeit mostly male, audience. Channels that became studio-centric got more viewership, and consequently got more ads. This was a vicious cycle which made journalists increasingly redundant. However, despite this winning formula, news organisations weren’t really making big money. GroupM’s estimates suggest that ad spends on TV channels grew by an average of 11 percent per year between 2012-19. ad spends on print grew by just one percent per year. While legacy print companies didn’t have much debt, TV news channels were sinking in it. Given their low earnings and the high net debt on their books, listed TV news companies needed much better earnings growth than they could show to their investors. This is what caused the second big round of retrenchments in 2018. By then, all hopes of an economic recovery were dashed. Managements in media houses decided to contract and survive, instead of trying to expand. If there were any investments, they were in the digital side of the business. Since new hires in the digital space had never seen the fabulous salaries of the 2000s, they could be paid less. In a sense, digital media could be sustainable right from the beginning because it didn’t have the legacy costs of the boom period. In the midst of a political atmosphere that was increasingly becoming hostile to independent journalism, news organisations decided that the only way to survive was to become cheerleaders of the government. Editors, anchors and journalists who were critical of the government were slowly eased out. Those who were willing to bat for the government were promoted and given primetime slots. reporters were directed to do certain kinds of stories and lay off those that could embarrass those in power. Pressure came from advertisers as well, who did not want to associate themselves with anything that criticised government policies. Behind all this, big corporates were taking over media houses. reliance Industries, the aditya Birla Group, and others were buying out promoters or acquiring significant stakes in news companies. a few exemplary sackings here and there sent a message to others that they should either fall in line, or exit.
[The Taliban are] holding our people hostage. They’re a terrorist group. They’re a radical Islamic jihadist group.” Graham also reportedly secured Saleh a slot on Sean Hannity’s Fox news show in august; Waltz managed to get Massoud booked on Fox news as well. On Tuesday, James Hewitt, a spokesperson for Waltz, reiterated the congressman’s call to recognize Saleh and Massoud as the legitimate representatives of afghanistan, saying, “Yes, this is still his position,” and linking to a press release titled “Waltz, Graham Call on Biden to recognize Opposition Forces in the Panjshir Valley.” Graham did not respond to requests for comment. a growing number of republican senators have also been urging Biden to designate the Taliban as a terrorist organization, with Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco rubio introducing legislation that would do just that — a move that would likely doom diplomatic engagement with the new government. The u.S. has long supported opposition groups in afghanistan, going back to the CIa’s role in arming afghan mujahideen to fight the Soviets under President ronald reagan. ahmad Shah Massoud, a legendary resistance commander, received CIa funding under reagan and subsequent u.S. administrations. It is not clear whether ahmad Massoud and his national resistance Front will win the support of u.S. or other Western governments this time around. Prospects for the resistance appear grim, with the new York Times reporting last week that “combat had largely ceased” in Panjshir province and that “what resistance remained seemed confined to mountainous areas.” Though Western intelligence agencies have not formally cooperated with Massoud, they reportedly have held informal meetings. There is also ample historical precedent for opposition groups fleeing to neighboring countries to plot their eventual return.
Reading golwalkaR and SavaRkaR
IndIan ExprEss
k
ApoorvAnAnd
annur university has reportedly decided to drop the writings of V D Savarkar and M S Golwalkar from its master of arts course on Governance and Politics. The university had included portions from Golwalkar’s books, including Bunch of Thoughts, and Savarkar’s Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? in the syllabus of PG Governance and Politics. This course is taught only in Brennen College, under Kannur university, so the syllabus was prepared by the faculty of the Brennan College, which is how it should be. after opposition by the student wing of the Congress and the IuML, the CPM’s student wing SFI, which was earlier silent on the issue, found the readings unacceptable. The student outfits of the opposition parties agitated, alleging that the university was saffronising the syllabus by including these two ideologues of Hindutva. The state government led by the CPM sought an explanation from the university. Vice-Chancellor Gopinathravindran rejected the charges, saying: “The saffronisation allegation is completely baseless. If you raise such allegations against Kannur university, you can raise similar charges against Jawaharlal nehru university in new Delhi also. V D Savarkar is included in the syllabus of Jnu also.” This is not a very sound argument. Jnu cannot be a benchmark for all academic decisions. They should stand on their own merit. The VC was right to an extent when he said that the syllabus should have representation from all ideologies to allow students to study them critically with a comparative mind. But a syllabus cannot fight politics. So, the VC had to form an external expert committee, which has apparently suggested that it be removed from the third semester. This controversy reminded me of an unrelated incident. approximately 15 years ago, when the uPa was in power and Du was looking for a new VC, I bumped into a leader of a communist party. She informed me that she had managed to stop a problematic academic from being considered for the post. How can a scholar who had made Savarkar part of the syllabus be allowed to head Du, she asked. I was dumbstruck. That having Savarkar in the PG course of political science
would pollute the minds of the students was an absurd idea. Hindutva is a political reality of our times and we need to understand how it works intellectually. Savarkar and Golwalkar are the most significant proponents of this ideology. Without reading them, how can you have an idea of this project which has overrun India and is attractive to many minds? a syllabus is not a set of propaganda material. When we include readings of different kinds, we expect them to be read and examined critically from all angles. Obviously, you do not compromise with some fundamental values. How do you understand fascism if you do not read Mussolini or Mein Kampf? But we fight our syllabus battles in a very unacademic manner. It remains all about representation, be it historical figures or writers. We never look at the making of a syllabus from the pedagogical angle. In his essay, ‘Education after auschwitz’, Theodore adorno said that the primary task before education today is to not let another auschwitz happen. How can you achieve this if you do not understand how people willingly became complicit in the crime and how others found it acceptable? also, why did many people not think it their business to be bothered about it? It would be instructive to look at the debate in Germany on the teaching of Mein Kampf in schools. after the expiry of the book’s copyright, its publication became possible. The German teachers’ union and SocialDemocratic Party (SPD) asked for extracts from the book to be included in the school curriculum as a means of teaching students about the roots of racism and modern anti-Semitism in Germany. It was argued that it was important to historically unmask this anti-Semitic, dehumanising polemical pamphlet. It could be done by explaining the propaganda mechanism with the help of appropriately qualified teachers. The reference to Mein Kampf evokes strong emotions and the concerns of the Jews cannot be ignored. But by not critically analysing “this antithesis of humanity, freedom and openness to the world”, you leave it open to be read only as propaganda. The VC of the Kannur university should have engaged the critics in a discussion on these lines, as to how we deal with an antihuman text to build society’s resistance to the temptation of such a monstrous ideology. It is not a question of doing a balancing act by having the texts of all ideologies together without any educational objective. In a country like India, where Islamophobia is ruining national life, the task of education is to make young minds aware of the theoretical underpinnings of this disease. It is all the more important as followers of Savarkar and Golwalkar do not want their writings to be discussed critically. The rSS wants to whitewash Golwalkar to hide his real intent. The task before the scholarship is to present him in his entirety to make the students see what his ideology is. The writer teaches at Delhi University.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
KARACHI corporate corner Syngenta Pakistan pays respect to the environment
RuPee SLIPS 35 PaISaS tO RS169.03 aGaINSt uSD
a
CCORDING to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Pakistani rupee slipped 35 paise to settle at Rs169.03 against the greenback on Thursday. The data indicates that the rupee depreciated by 0.21 per cent.
MULTAN: Under the umbrella of Good Growth Plan, Syngenta Pakistan took another initiative towards greener Pakistan as a CSR activity, in collaboration with Parks and Horticulture Authority, Multan. 500 ornamental trees (Terminalia) planted inside and outside of Jinnah Park, Multan for a greener Pakistan. Provincial Minister for Energy, Dr Akhtar Malik, Members Provincial Assembly, Javaid Akhtar Ansari & Sabeen Gul and Chairman, PHA Multan, Ejaz Hussain Janjua were present at the occasion. Vice-Chancellor, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan, Dr Asif Ali Dean, Dr Shafqat also participated in the plantation drive. Syngenta believes in greening the planet and recognizes tree plantation as an important step towards reducing carbon footprint, improving biodiversity, and adopting sustainable practices. PrESS rELEASE
Inaugural session of Leaders In Islamabad Business Summit by Nutshell Conference Group and Martin Dow
Standing (L-R) Mohammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder & CEO, Nutshell Group, Saquib Ahmad, Country Managing Director SAP, Shireen Mazari, Federal Minister for human rights, Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail, Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Information Minister, Ali Zaidi, Federal Minister for Ports & Shipping, Ali Akhai, Chairman Martin Dow Group, Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Education Minister & Saira Awan Malik, Vice President, TCS Holdings Limited at the inaugural session of Leaders In Islamabad Business Summit. PrESS rELEASE
Vaccination Drive at Soneri Bank Central Office
KARACHI: Soneri Bank Limited with its vision to serve its customers has initiated a three-day vaccination drive at its central office – PNSC Building, in collaboration with the Government of Sindh and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC). The vaccination drive #VaccinateToEradicate is centred on creating awareness about COVID-19 SOPs and how it is beneficial for the people of Pakistan to get vaccinated. The vaccination drive was inaugurated by Muhtashim Ahmad Ashai, President & CEO, Soneri Bank, along with the senior management. Speaking at the occasion Ashai, President & CEO, emphasised the importance of COVID-19 vaccination and why the general public needs to get vaccinated against COVID-19, to bring the lives back to normal, which will create a positive economic impact across the country. The vaccination drive will cover all the staff, their families and the general public, starting from Karachi, on 21st, 22nd and 23rd of September from 10 AM – 5 PM. This vaccination drive aims to ensure that every Pakistani gets easy access to vaccinations. #VaccinateToEradicate drive will continue to serve all the SNBL staff and the general public across the country. The initiative has been set up with the vision to support the Government of Sindh’s ongoing efforts to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. PrESS rELEASE
The local currency has continued its downtrend since May 2021 and has depreciated by almost 11pc in the past few months. Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen on Wednesday claimed that the reason behind the exchange rate depreciation is the increasing oil prices and the import of vehicles.
He mentioned, “Pressures have built up owing to higher imports as oil and LNG prices increased significantly in six months, automobile imports, dollar outflows to Afghanistan instead of inflows in the past and perceptions that speculators and importers also exploited.” MONITOrING rEPOrT
Tarin takes up $800m outstanding dues issue with Etisalat ISLAMABAD TLTP
The government has taken up the issue of an outstanding amount of $800 million with Etisalat against the privatisation proceeds of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL), which have been outstanding for over 14 years. Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin held a virtual meeting with Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of Etisalat International, at the Finance Division on Thursday. The finance minister underscored the significance of resolving outstanding issues and moving ahead for a sustainable solution with all the stakeholders onboard. Tarin also called for setting up a mechanism for fair assessment of properties by hiring internationally renowned evaluation companies. Dowidar agreed to this proposal and affirmed to have evaluation of properties completed within a couple of months. The participation of Etisalat in the re-
cent auction of spectrum in Pakistan affirms its commitment to Pakistan’s telecommunication sector, he said. Both sides agreed to proceed ahead for the resolution of all outstanding issues between Etisalat and the Privatisation Commission in a spirit of goodwill. Tarin said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the major economic partners of Pakistan. The expatriates from Pakistan, settled in the UAE, contribute significantly through remittances to enhance the foreign currency reserves. Pakistan attaches great value to the brotherly relations with the UAE and intends to further strengthen business and trade linkages between the two countries, he added. Pakistan had previously asked Etisalat to deduct around Rs9 billion ($60 million) of the total $800 million. The dispute between the government of Pakistan and Etisalat had come down to the 33 properties whose titles could not be
Circular debt increased by Rs400bn in three years: Hammad ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar has said that the petroleum sector’s circular debt has increased by almost 50 percent during the three years, from Rs0.7 trillion in June 2018 to Rs1.1 trillion by May 2021. Azhar informed the National Assembly about petroleum sector debts during the question and answer session on Thursday. Apprising the assembly of the reason behind the surge in debt, he said that the ministry has been told that a delay in recoveries in the gas sector are the main reason for the increase in debt. “Similarly, the poor financial condition of government institutions is another reason for the increase in debt,” said Azhar. The minister further stated that a working group of petroleum companies has been formed to resolve the matter of circular debt in the petroleum sector. Meanwhile, total power generation for August 2021 was recorded at 16,078GWh, which is nearly 10 percent higher than the same month last year. On a sequential basis, the power generation surged 3 percent. Incorporating the latest numbers, the total generation for the eight months of CY21 (January-August 2021) lands at 93,934GWh, nearly 11 percent more than what was seen during the same period last year. Comparing the fuel mix, it has changed substantially in the eight months of CY21. The biggest change was seen in the share of hydel generation, which declined from 32 percent during the eight months of CY20 to 27 percent during the same period of CY21. On the flip side, the share of furnace oil (FO) in the fuel mix has gone up from 4 percent to 7 percent over the period. Meanwhile, the share of coal, gas and regasified liquefied natural gas remained mostly unchanged. The substantial decline in hydel generation was also visible in the per unit fuel cost, which shot up from Rs4.58/KWh during the eight months of CY20 to Rs5.77/KWh during the eight months of CY21. TLTP
transferred in the name of PTCL. The sale deed required the dispute over properties to be settled through valuation of assets by both sides. In case of difference over valuation, the valuation by Etisalat has the preference under the deed, unless the matter is taken up for arbitration. The government, which still had 62 percent stake in PTCL, has now provided the list of all 3,248 properties to Etisalat with details why the remaining 33 properties could not be transferred to PTCL. Etisalat had made upfront payments of $1.4 billion in a couple of instalments but then stopped the remaining amount of $800 million on the premise of non-transfer of all properties in the name of PTCL. The government sold 26 per cent stakes of PTCL to Etisalat with the management control in 2005 at the price of $2.6 billion. However, because of a dispute on PTCL properties, Etisalat withheld the payment of $800 million.
Samsung in talks with Tesla to make next-gen self-driving chips -Korea Economic Daily SEOUL: Samsung Electronics is in talks with Tesla to make Tesla's nextgeneration self-driving chips based on Samsung's 7-nanometre chip production process, a South Korean newspaper reported on Thursday. Since the beginning of this year, Tesla and Samsung have discussed chip design multiple times and exchanged chip prototypes for Tesla's upcoming Hardware 4 self-driving computer, the Korea Economic Daily reported, citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.Samsung declined to comment. Tesla did not have an immediate response. If Samsung wins the order, it is expected to make the chip on its 7-nanometre production process, the report said. Samsung already produces chips in Tesla's current Hardware 3 computers. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said in the company's AI Day event in August that Tesla would introduce new hardware for its self-driving computer for its Cybertruck electric pick-up truck in "about a year or so." In the chip contract manufacturing industry, Samsung is second to TSMC which had 52.9 per cent of market share compared to Samsung's 17.3pc as of end-June, according to analysis provider TrendForce. AGENCIES
BUSINESS 09 SCCI launches investment facilitation centre in KP PESHAWAR AzIz BuNErI
An endeavour to attract investment and building a favourable business climate under the vision of Prime’s Minister Imran Khan of ease of doing business, the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in collaboration with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has formally launched a webportal, called the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Investment Facilitation Centre (KP-IFC). The idea of KPIFC was conceived by SCCI, with the notion to promote investment and resolve business community through digitization means under one window operation service, which is also a testimonial and reflection of PM’s vision and efforts toward Ease of Doing Business (EoDB). In this regard, a formal launching ceremony was held in a local hotel on Thursday, which was chaired by SCCI President Sherbaz Bilour. The participants thanked the UNDP and USAID for extending financial and technical support for the informal execution of the KPIFC project. The provincial ministers Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Mian Khaliqeer Rehman, Muhammad Atif Khan, Shah Muhammad Khan, MNA Zile Huma, SMEDA Provincial Chief Rashid Aman, ANP parliamentary leader, Sadar Hussain Babak were in attendance on the occasion. Besides, the Chamber Senior Vice President Engineer Manzoor Elahi, Vice President Junaid Altaf, former president FPCCI Ghazanfar Bilour, former president Malik Niaz Ahmad, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz, former vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, executive members Syed Minhajuddin, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Zahoor Khan, UNDP Sub-office representative Tania, heads of different government institutions, high officials and representatives relevant stakeholders were also present in the launching event. The SMEDA CEO Hashim Raza and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Ms Aliona Niculita participated in the ceremony through a video link. Bilour while speaking on the occasion said the launching of KPIFC is a step toward ease of doing business and creating a favourable business environment to attract investment in the province. He expressed hope that the SCCI initiative would play a pivotal role in the resolution of business community and investors issues under one roof. He, on the occasion, stressed the need for regional trade and building close linkages between the business community, government and academia for framing sustainable policies and creating more job opportunities in the province. He informed me that a digital economy committee will be formed at the SCCI level very soon. He extended special gratitude to UNDP and USAID for extending financial assistance for the KPIFC project. Later, speaking on the occasion, the provincial ministers widely hailed the joint initiative of SCCI and SMEDA for attracting investment in the province. They said the incumbent government was taking pragmatic steps to facilitate the business community at every level. The provincial ministers said the country’s economy has put them in the right direction owing to the prudent policies of the present government. They viewed that the steps have been taken to provide a congenial atmosphere to investors under the PM’s vision of ease of doing business and assured the SCCI to extend full cooperation to make this important initiative a success. The KP ministers furthermore lauded the role of business community contribution towards economic development as what they said if the businessmen would be prosperous, so the country’s economy would be flourished as well. The present government, they added, was adopting a policy to facilitate the business community to boost up investment and improve the national economy.
Rs6bn released under DLTL for exporters: Dawood ISLAMABAD TLTP
The Ministry of Commerce has released refunds worth Rs6 billion under the duty drawback on local taxes and levies (DLTL) scheme. This was informed by Advisor to Prime Minister on Trade and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood in a tweet on Thursday. Dawood tweeted, “Pleased to an-
nounce that MOC has released the new refunds worth Rs6,000 million under the DLTL schemes.” He added that the refunds include Rs5,400 million for the textile sector and Rs600 million for the non-textile sectors. “I hope this will resolve the liquidity issues of our exporters amid the Covid-19 pandemic and enable them to enhance exports,” he said. Increasing exports is vital for Pakistan’s economy to ensure its trade
deficit remains manageable, which has become a major concern for policymakers. The government is hopeful that by 2023, the country's exports would reach $50 billion and for this purpose, the government has initiated a 'Make in Pakistan' trade policy, which aims to introduce Pakistan's traditional and non-traditional export sectors and local products in the international trade market. As per the data released by the
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), textile exports for the month of August 2021 registered a growth of 46 per cent on a year-on-year basis to stand at US $1.46 billion. “The improvement in global demand backdrop for textile products has created opportunities for local textile players, increasing the share of exports amidst global economies (EU and North America) opening up,” said AKD Securities in its report.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
10 FOREIGN NEWS
KARACHI
After fAll of BAshir, sudAn closes door on support for hAmAs KHARTOUM
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ReuteRs
UDANESE authorities have taken control of lucrative assets that for years provided backing for Hamas, shedding light on how the country served as a haven for the Palestinian group under former leader Omar al-Bashir. The takeover of at least a dozen companies that officials say were linked to Hamas has helped accelerate Sudan’s realignment with the West since Bashir’s overthrow in 2019. Over the past year, Khartoum has won removal from the US state sponsors of terrorism list and is on course for relief of more than $50 billion in debt. Hamas has lost a foreign base where members and supporters could live, raise money, and channel Iran weapons and funds to the Gaza Strip, Sudanese and Palestinian analysts said. Seized assets detailed by Sudanese official sources and a Western intelligence source show the reach of those networks. According to officials from a task force set up to dismantle the Bashir regime, they include real estate, company shares, a hotel in a prime Khartoum location, an exchange bureau, a TV station, and more than a million acres of farmland. Sudan became a centre for money laundering and terrorism financing, said Wagdi Salih, a leading member of the task force — the Committee to Dismantle the June 30, 1989 Regime and Retrieve Public Funds. The system was “a big cover, a big umbrella, internally and externally”, he said. A Western intelligence source said techniques were used in Sudan that are common
to organised crime: Companies were headed by trustee shareholders, rents collected in cash, and transfers made through exchange bureaux. Bashir openly supported Hamas and was friendly with its leaders. “They got preferential treatment in tenders, tax forgiveness, and they were allowed to transfer to Hamas and Gaza with no limits,” said a task force member, speaking on condition of anonymity. Sudan’s journey from pariah state to US ally has been gradual. In the decade after Bashir took power in 1989, the country became a hub for radicals, sheltered Osama bin Laden for several years, and was sanctioned by the United States over links to Palestinian fighters. Bashir later tried to distance himself from hardline groups, stepping up security cooperation with Washington. In 2016 Sudan cut ties with Iran and the following year US trade sanctions against Khartoum were dropped after Washington accepted that state support for Hamas had ceased. But until Bashir’s fall, networks that had supported Hamas remained in place. Hamas investments in Sudan began with small-scale ventures such as fast-food restaurants before venturing into real estate and construction, according to an official on the task force. An example was Hassan and Alabed, which started as a cement company and expanded into large real estate developments. The task force says it was in a network with about 10 other large companies with interlinking share ownership connected to Bashir ally Abdelbasit Hamza that moved large sums through foreign bank accounts. The biggest was Alrowad Real Estate
Development, established in 2007 and listed on Khartoum’s stock exchange, with subsidiaries that the Western intelligence source said laundered money and traded in currency to finance Hamas. Hamza was jailed in April for 10 years on corruption charges and sent to the Khartoum prison where Bashir is being held. The task force said he had assets worth up to $1.2 billion in his name. Hamza’s lawyer, who also represents Bashir, could not be reached for comment. A second network, worth up to $20 million, revolved around the broadcaster Tayba and an associated charity named Almishkat. It was run by two Hamas members who got citizenship and amassed businesses and real estate, according to Maher Abouljokh, the caretaker brought in to manage Tayba. The TV channel was funnelling money from the Gulf, laundered millions of dollars, and had clear links to Hamas, said Abouljokh. Contacted by Reuters, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri denied the group had investments in Sudan, but acknowledged an impact from Sudan’s political shift: “Unfortunately, there were several measures that weakened the presence of the movement (Hamas) in the country (Sudan) and limited political ties with it,” he said. NORMALISATION By last year, Sudan was desperate to escape the sanctions list, a prerequisite for debt relief and support from international lenders. Under pressure from the United States, it joined the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in agreeing to normalise ties with Israel — though it has moved slowly to implement the deal. A former US diplomat who worked in Sudan under the Trump administration said shutting down the Hamas network was a focus in negotiations with Khartoum. “We were pushing on an open door,” he said. The United States gave Sudan a list of companies to shut down, according to one Sudanese source and the Western intelligence source. The State Department declined to comment. Many Hamas-affiliated figures went to Turkey with some liquid assets but left behind about 80 percent of their investments, the task force official said. Sudan’s transitional leaders “consider themselves the exact antithesis of Bashir in regional terms,” said Sudanese analyst Magdi El Gazouli. “They want to sell themselves as a component of the new security order in the region.” “The coup against al-Bashir caused real problems for Hamas and Iran,” said Palestinian analyst Adnan Abu Amer. “Hamas and Iran had to look for alternatives — alternatives that had not been in place because the coup against al-Bashir was a sudden one.”
French envoy to return to US after fence-mending Biden-Macron call PARIS/WASHINGTON ReuteRs
The US and French presidents moved to mend ties on Wednesday, with France agreeing to send its ambassador back to Washington and the White House acknowledging it erred in brokering a deal for Australia to buy US instead of French submarines without consulting Paris. In a joint statement issued after US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone for 30 minutes, the two leaders agreed to launch indepth consultations to rebuild trust, and to meet in Europe at the end of October. They said Washington had committed to step up “support to counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel conducted by European states” which US officials suggested meant a continuation of logistical support rather than deploying US special forces. Biden’s call to Macron was an attempt to mend fences after France accused the United States of stabbing it in the back when Australia ditched a $40 billion contract for conventional French submarines, and opted for nuclear-powered submarines to be built with US and British technology instead. Outraged by the US, British and Australian deal, France recalled its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra. “The two leaders agreed that the situation would have benefited from open consultations among allies on matters of strategic interest to France and our European partners,” the joint US and French statement said. “President Biden conveyed his ongoing commitment in that regard.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, interacting for the first time since the submarine crisis erupted, had a ‘good exchange’ on the margins of a wider meeting at the United Nations on Wednesday, a senior State Department official told reporters in a call.
The two top diplomats were likely to have a separate bilateral meeting on Thursday. “We do expect that they’ll have some time together bilaterally tomorrow,” the official said, and added that Washington ‘very very much welcomed’ France and European Union’s deep engagement in the Indo-Pacific. Earlier on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki described the call as “friendly” and sounded hopeful about improving ties. “The president has had a friendly phone call with the president of France where they agreed to meet in October and continue close consultations and work together on a range of issues,” she told reporters. Asked if Biden apologised to Macron, she said: “He acknowledged that there could have been greater consultation.” The new US, Australian and British security partnership (AUKUS) was widely seen as designed to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific but critics said it undercut Biden’s broader effort to rally allies such as France to that cause. Biden administration officials suggested the US commitment to “reinforcing its support to counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel” region of West Africa meant a continuation of existing efforts. France has a 5,000 strong counter-terrorism force fighting militants across the Sahel. It is reducing its contingent to 2,5003,000, moving more assets to Niger, and encouraging other European countries to provide special forces to work alongside local forces. The United States provides logistical and intelligence support. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the US military would continue to support French operations, but declined to speculate about potential increases or changes in US assistance. “When I saw the verb reinforce, what I took away was that we’re going to stay committed to that task,” he told reporters.
Indian man on bail in rape case ordered to wash women's clothes for six months NEW DELHI AFP
An Indian man accused of attempted rape has been given bail on condition that he wash and iron the clothes of all women in his village for six months. Lalan Kumar, 20, will have to buy detergent and other items needed to provide six months of free laundry services to about 2,000 women in the village of Majhor in Bihar state, under the ruling made on Wednesday. Kumar, who washes clothes for a living, was arrested in April on charges including attempted rape, Santosh Kumar Singh, a police officer in Bihar's Madhubani district, told AFP. No date has been set for his trial. “All the women in the village are happy
with the court decision,” Nasima Khatoon, the head of the village council, told AFP. “It is historic. It will boost respect for women and help to protect dignity,” added Khatoon, one of the village dignitaries who will monitor Kumar. Women in the village said the order had made a positive impact by making crime against women a subject of discussion in their community. “This is a remarkable step and a different kind of punishment that sends a message to society,” said Anjum Perween. India's rape laws were overhauled after a 2012 gang rape in New Delhi but the number of offences remains high, with more than 28,000 rapes reported in 2020. Police have long been accused of not doing enough to prevent violent crime and failing to bring sexual assault cases to court.
Friday, 24 september, 2021
sPOrTs 11
kArAchi
Chelsea edge past Villa on penalties, Man United oUt of leagUe CUp LONDON
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AFP
ANCHESTER United crashed out of the League Cup as West Ham avenged their painful loss to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, while Chelsea and Tottenham survived penalty shoot-outs to reach the fourth round on Wednesday. The Hammers suffered a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat against United in the Premier League on Sunday when David De Gea saved Mark Noble’s stoppage-time penalty after Jesse Lingard’s late winner. But David Moyes’ men got a measure of revenge three days later as Manuel Lanzini’s first half goal dumped United out in the third round. Solskjaer made 11 changes and Moyes opted for 10 alterations, with West Ham’s understudies making the most of their moment in the spotlight. Ryan Fredericks ghosted past Alex Telles and cut back for Lanzini to sweep past United goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the ninth minute. That was enough for Moyes to secure a first win over United since they sacked the Scot after less than a season in charge in 2014. It was also West Ham’s first victory at Old Trafford since 2007, earning them a home tie against holders Manchester City in the last 16. Solskjaer criticised his team’s tentative opening, saying: “A slow start again and that needs addressing. “I’ve never actually won this tournament, so that hunt will keep going. But we have to make the decisions to have the squad up to speed for the rest of the season. Sometimes you have to take risks.” At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa. Much-maligned German forward Timo Werner headed Chelsea into the lead in the 54th minute, finishing off Reece James’ cross for his first goal in 11 games. With Villa fan Prince William watching from the stands, 19-year-old striker Cameron
Archer equalised in the 64th minute with a close-range header from Matty Cash’s cross. James scored Chelsea’s winning penalty in the shoot-out after Ashley Young and Marvelous Nakamba missed for Villa. KANE BACK ON TRACK: Harry Kane ended his goal drought as Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo knocked out his former club Wolves 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw
Andy Murray reaches ATP quarter-final after two years at Moselle Open METZ AFP
Former world No 1 Andy Murray reached his first ATP quarter-final in two years on Wednesday with a straight sets win over Canada’s Vasek Pospisil at the Moselle Open. Murray, now ranked at 113, swept to a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory and will face either top seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland or French player Lucas Pouille for a place in the semi-finals. It will be his first appearance in the lasteight since winning his 46th career title at Antwerp in October 2019. The 34-year-old Murray, who has undergone two hip surgeries in the last three years, broke the 66th-ranked Pospisil four times in his one-hour, 24-minute triumph to claim a fifth win in six meetings against the Canadian. On Tuesday, Murray had defeated France’s 26th-ranked Ugo Humbert 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round. “This period has been the most tournaments I’ve played recently and my body feels
good and I’m starting to gain just a little bit of confidence with each match,” three-time Grand Slam title winner Murray told atptour.com. “There have been times in the past year where I’ve been a little bit confused and not seeing how the points are developing which for me was always a strong part of my game and it made me feel quite uncomfortable on the court when I was feeling that way. “I’m starting to get that back and the results are coming and my tennis is getting better.” Meanwhile, Pouille defeated another Canadian, Brayden Schnur 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk, who made the fourth round of the US Open as a qualifier, beat French lucky loser Antoine Hoang 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain enjoyed a 7-5, 6-2 win against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer. He will next face highly-regarded 18-year-old Danish qualifier Holger Rune who downed fifth seeded Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4.
at Molineux. Tanguy Ndombele gave Tottenham a 14th-minute lead when he charged down Conor Coady’s clearance and shot past John Ruddy. Kane, without a goal in his four previous games, increased Tottenham’s advantage after 23 minutes. Dele Alli’s perfect pass sent Kane clear and the England captain found the bottom corner.
Leander Dendoncker pulled one back for Wolves seven minutes before the break when he headed in Rayan Ait-Nouri’s corner. Daniel Podence levelled 13 minutes into the second half from Dendoncker’s pass. In the shootout, Dendoncker, Ruben Neves and Coady all missed for Wolves. “He has much more to give and it’s about the game, improving and growing to-
gether,” Nuno said of Kane. Arsenal eased to a 3-0 win against third tier AFC Wimbledon at the Emirates Stadium, setting up a last 16 clash with Leeds. The Gunners, featuring 10 changes from the weekend win at Burnley, went ahead in the 11th minute. Gabriel Martinelli was fouled by Nesta Guinness-Walker and Alexandre Lacazette slotted home the penalty.
Ronaldo leapfrogs Messi in Forbes list of top-earning football players
JERSEY CITY REUTERS
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has reclaimed top spot in the list of the world's highest-paid football players from Lionel Messi, according to Forbes. Ronaldo, 36, rejoined United from Juventus in August after 12 years away, while Messi has swapped boyhood club Barcelona to join Paris St Germain. Forbes said Ronaldo, among the world's most popular ath-
letes with over 500 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, is set to make $125m before taxes in the 2021-22 season, with $70m coming from salary and bonuses at United. The rest will come from endorsements and partnerships with brands including Nike, Herbalife, Clear and his CR7 brand. Messi, who topped last year's list, will be paid a salary of $75m with an additional $35m from endorsements for total expected earnings of $110m. The Argentine's strike partner at PSG Neymar, who in May signed a new contract until 2025, is third on the list with total earnings of $95m. Another PSG player, Kylian Mbappe ($43m), is fourth on the Forbes list while Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ($41m) is fifth. TOP 10 HIGHEST EARNERS IN FOOTBALL: Cristiano Ronaldo - $125m Lionel Messi - $110m Neymar - $95m Kylian Mbappe - $43m Mohamed Salah - $41m Robert Lewandowski - $35m Andres Iniesta - $35m Paul Pogba - $34m Gareth Bale - $32m Eden Hazard - $29m
No special Covid-19 deals for touring England cricketers, says Australian prime minister SYDNEY AFP
England cricketers heading to Australia for the Ashes this year will get “no special deals” allowing their families to join them, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has declared. The five-Test series is due to start in Brisbane on December 8, but whether England bring a full-strength squad remains to be seen. Some players, particularly those with young children, have expressed concern
that their families may be unable to travel with them because of strict Australian border controls. Morrison told reporters following a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Washington on Wednesday night that he would “love” to see the Ashes go ahead, but there would be no favours. “There’s no special deals there, because what we’re looking to have is vaccinated people being able to travel,” he said referring to Australia’s national plan out of the pandemic, under which international bor-
ders are set to re-open to vaccinated people when 80 percent of the population over 16 are fully jabbed. The figure currently stands at almost 50 percent, although officials in some states have indicated they will set their own timetables for opening up. The prime minister added that he does not see “a great deal of difference” between cricketers and people attempting to come to the country for work or to study even after the vaccination goals have been reached. Morrison faces a complicated situation
with thousands of Australians still stranded overseas due to border closures and limited space in quarantine facilities, and giving special treatment to the families of England cricketers would likely spark an outcry. Johnson had told reporters after having dinner with Morrison that “I raised it and he said he was going to do his best for the families.” “The cricketers, it’s very tough to be away from their families for so long over Christmas. He merely undertook to go away and come back with a solution,” he added.
Despite Morrison’s comments, Cricket Australia told broadcaster ABC Thursday they were “supremely confident that the full contingent will come and will play the full five Tests”. The governing body’s chief executive Nick Hockley said earlier this month he was sympathetic to England’s plight. “The work we are doing at the moment is to ensure we provide optimum conditions for both sides and all the support staff and families that want to accompany them,” he said.
Friday, 24 September, 2021
PrAyer Timings
NEWS
ImrAn sAys hE’d wIn ThE ‘wAr AgAInsT mAfIA’ LAHORE
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APP
RIME Minister Imran Khan has vowed to win what he dubbed as a war against the mafia and expressed confidence that he’d succeed in ensuring the rule of law in letter and spirit. “If we have to become a great nation, that was the concept [behind Pakistan’s birth], we have to ensure the rule of law,” the prime minister said while addressing the Kissan Convention in Dera Ismail Khan city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He, however, added that the people will also have to change their behaviour to become a great nation. ”It is shameful that some people
residing abroad, living in the properties worth billions of rupees cannot show even a receipt of how they earned that money, and make speeches from there,” he lamented. The prime minister said “big mafias” do not want the rule of law to establish in Pakistan because they benefit from the status quo and corrupt system, and just seek NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance). “If the situation persists, how will the country move forward,” he questioned. The prime minister recalled he often referred to the state of Medina and its principles but clarified he does not do so for any political gains. “I don’t use the name of Islam for personal benefit or for a vote. It is the part of my faith,” he said.
Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercise 2021 begins in Pabbi The opening ceremony of the Joint AntiTerrorist Exercise (JATE) 2021 was held at National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Pabbi as part of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. Troops from People’s Liberation Army China and Pakistan Army are participating in the exercise. The JATE is being conducted with a view to practice and master various drills and procedures involved in counter terrorism operations including cordon and search, compound clearance, close quarter battle and medical evacuation. The exercise is aimed at enhancing synergy and interoperability among special services and law enforcement agencies of SCO member countries for combating international terrorism, practice mechanisms to respond to a crisis situation and capacity building of the forces. Stage one of the exercises was conducted in respective countries from July 26 to 31, whereas two-week long stage two of the exercise is being conducted in Pakistan. Major General Javed Dost Chandio was chief guest in the opening ceremony. news desk
Uncle of Pakistanorigin teen who refused arranged marriage detained in Paris ROME: The uncle of an 18-year-old girl who disappeared months ago in Italy after refusing an arranged marriage in Pakistan was detained late on Wednesday on the outskirts of Paris, according to Italian authorities who fear the teenager may be dead. Saman Abbas was last seen in late April by neighbours in the vicinity of her family’s home in the farm town of Novellara, near the city of Reggio Emilia. The AssociATed Press
Khan said that being a student of history, he had studied a lot about Islam, the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the principles of the state of Medina. He said there was a need to know, and understand, the principles adopted by the people in the first welfare state in the history of mankind which led to the fall of two powers of that era, enabling the Arabs to conquer the world in a short span. “If we want to become an honourable nation, we have to take care of our self-respect without fear from anyone except Allah Almighty,” he remarked. The prime minister said the state of Medina brought a revolution in the lives of its people by enforcing the rule of law and ensuring justice.
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‘Show patience’: Qureshi details path to Taliban recognition NEW YORK The AssociATed Press
Be realistic. Show patience. Engage. And above all, don’t isolate. Those are the pillars of an approach emerging in Pakistan to deal with the fledgling government that is suddenly running the country next door once again — Afghanistan’s resurgent, often-volatile Taliban. Pakistan is proposing that the international community develop a road map that leads to diplomatic recognition of the Taliban — with incentives if they fulfil its requirements — and then sit down face to face and talk it out with the militia’s leaders. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi outlined the idea Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s meeting of world leaders. “If they live up to those expectations, they would make it easier for themselves, they will get acceptability, which is required for recognition,” Qureshi told the AP. “At the same time, the international community has to realize: What’s the alternative? What are the options? This is the reality, and can they turn away from this reality?” He said Pakistan “is in sync with the international community” in wanting to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with no space for terrorist elements to increase their foothold, and for the Taliban to ensure “that Afghan soil is never used again against any country.” “But we are saying, be more realistic in your approach,” Qureshi said. “Try an innovative way of engaging with them. The way that they were being dealt with has not worked.”
Expectations from the Taliban leadership could include an inclusive government and assurances for human rights, especially for women and girls, Qureshi said. In turn, he said, the Afghan government might be motivated by receiving development, economic and reconstruction aid to help recover from decades of war. He urged the United States, the International Monetary Fund and other countries that have frozen Afghan government funds to immediately release the money so it can be used “for promoting normalcy in Afghanistan.” And he pledged that Pakistan is ready to play a “constructive, positive” role in opening communications channels with the Taliban because it, too, benefits from peace and stability. This is the second time that the Taliban, who adhere to a strict version of their religion, have ruled Afghanistan. The first time, from 1996 to 2001, ended when they were ousted by a US-led coalition after the 9/11 attacks, which were directed by Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan. During that rule, Taliban leaders and police barred girls from school and prohibited women from working outside the home or leaving it without a male escort. After they were overthrown, Afghan women still faced challenges in the male-dominated society but increasingly stepped into powerful positions in government and numerous fields. But when the US withdrew its military from Afghanistan last month, the government collapsed and a new generation of the Taliban resurged, taking over almost immediately. In the weeks since, many countries have expressed disappointment that the Taliban’s interim government is not inclusive as its spokesman had promised.
Italy seeks Pakistan extradition over missing teen
ROME AFP
Italy said Thursday it had asked Pakistan to extradite the parents of a teenage girl suspected of having been murdered by her family after refusing an arranged marriage. The announcement came after news Wednesday that the uncle of 18year-old Saman Abbas had been arrested in Paris, accused of her murder alongside her parents and two of her cousins. The case has sparked outrage in Italy and has become front-page news since police began investigating the teenager’s disappearance in May. Her body has yet to be found. “Justice Minister Marta Cartabia […] has signed and sent to Pakistan the two extradition requests for the parents of Saman Abbas, who are under investigation for the murder of their daughter,” the justice ministry said Thursday. Prosecutors had on
Wednesday announced the arrest on a European warrant of the teenager’s uncle on the outskirts of Paris. Saman Abbas, who lived in the northern Italian town of Novellara, last year refused her family’s plan to have her marry a cousin in Pakistan. While still a minor, she turned to social services and in November was moved into a shelter home. She also reported her parents to the police, but on April 11 returned to them. Police began searching for her on May 5, when officers visited her house and found nobody. Officers then discovered that the girl’s parents had left for Pakistan without her, and found images from a nearby security camera that made them fear the worst. Late on April 29, five people could be seen walking off from the house holding shovels, a crowbar and a bucket, and returning after about two-and-a-half hours. One cousin accused in the case is currently in jail in Italy.
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? WASHINGTON The AssociATed Press
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? No, experts say there’s no strong evidence yet that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus, although delta has led to a surge in infections among kids because it’s more contagious. Delta’s ability to spread more easily makes it more of a risk to children and underscores the need for masks in schools and vaccina-
tions for those who are old enough, said Dr. Juan Dumois, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg city of Florida. Weekly infection rates among US children earlier this month topped 250,000, surpassing the wintertime peak, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children’s Hospital Association. Since the pandemic began, more than 5 million children in the US have tested positive for Covid-19. The delta variant has been iden-
tified in at least 180 countries, according to the World Health Organisation. In many of them, the spike in infections has also meant an increase in hospitalisations in young children and teens. In the US, the hospitalisation rate for Covid-19 was less than 2 per 100,000 children in late August and early September — similar to the peak last winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the portion of kids hospitalised with severe disease hasn’t changed significantly.
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