EpaperISB_22-1-26 by Pakistan Today

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 I 22 Jamadi-al-Sani, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 208 I 14 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan slides 16 sPots, ranks 140th on CPi g

In TI's CorrupTIon perCepTIon Index 2021, pakIsTan sCores 28 ouT of 100

ISLAMABAD

staff report

He absence of a central agency to coordinate action against corruption was a core factor in driving pakistan to its lowest in recent years on a global perceived corruption index in 2020, watchdog Transparency International said on Tuesday. The group’s annual report on business leaders’ perceptions of corruption — which gave pakistan a score of 28 out of 100, down from 31 in 2020 — also cited the “failure” of the state to uphold rights and consult citizens. That put pakistan, at 140, behind India in 85th place, while Bangladesh stood at 147 with a Corruption perceptions Index (CpI) of 26. The 2021 index ranks 180 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. The index assigns scores of between one and 100, one being highly corrupt and 100 clean. The score is derived from a range of 13 sources measuring corruption perceived by

experts and business executives. It measures the use of public office for private gain, nepotism, bribery, the diversion of public money and state capture. The score is also a reflection of the strength of integrity and anti-corruption systems, including “the existence of adequate laws on financial disclosure, conflict of interest prevention and access to information”. Transparency trumpets the CpI as “the most widely used indicator of corruption worldwide”. But the high-profile and widely reported index has amassed its fair share of critics over the last two decades. a Guardian report attacked the CpI’s reliance on the opinions of a small group of experts and business people. “This embeds a powerful and misleading elite bias in popular perceptions of corruption and can lead to inappropriate policy responses,” it said. pakistan is among two-thirds of nations across the world that are either stagnating or showing signs of deterioration in their anti-corruption efforts. under the government of pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (pTI), which came to power on an anti-corruption platform, pakistan’s

ranking has gradually slid. In 2019, it was 120 out of 180 nations, 124 in the following year, and in 2021, it slipped further to 140. In contrast, in 2018, the last year of the pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (pML-n) government, the rating stood at 117 out of 180 governments. Commenting on the report, the vice chairperson of the Berlin-based agency’s pakistan chapter, retired Justice nasira Javed Iqbal, observed there was no change in CpI scores of India and Bangladesh from 2020. The top performers in the asia pacific are new Zealand (88), singapore (85) and Hong kong (76). However, most countries sit firmly below the global average of 43. This includes three countries — Cambodia (23), afghanistan (16) and north korea (16) — with some of the lowest scores in the world. “While countries in the asia pacific have made great strides in controlling bribery for public services, an average score of 45 out of 100 on the 2021 CpI shows much more needs to be done to solve the region’s corruption problems,” a Transparency report said. The government is also battling to improve the regulations to avert being blacklisted by the global financial body, the financial action Task force (faTf), in what could be a bitter blow to an economy already beset by a weakening currency, rising inflation and slower growth. Many have urged the state Bank of pakistan (sBp) to push banks to improve antimoney laundering systems and information sharing across the sector. RESIGNATION OF GOVT SOUGHT: Commenting on the contents of the report, pML-n president shehbaz sharif declared Transparency International testified for the second time the pTI government “has broken all records of corruption in the last 20 years”.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PDM vows to take out ‘anti-inflation’ march on Pakistan Day ISLAMABAD staff report

pakistan democratic Movement (pdM) chief Maulana fazlur rehman Tuesday said the alliance had refused listen to the government’s requests and decided to moving ahead with its plan to hold an “anti-inflation” long march to Islamabad on pakistan day, March 23. The pdM chief, while speaking to the media in Islamabad after a meeting of the heads of the pdM’s component parties stated that the military parade would begin early morning and wrap up by Zuhr prayers. He stated that the pdM rally will come after “Zuhr prayers”. When asked how the pdM would enter the federal capital on March 23 as security arrangements would be tight due to the military parade and a session of the organisation of Islamic organisation (oIC), he replied: “The pdM will enter. They [the government] knew that we were staging a long march on that date. under what conspiracy did they

make such recommendations?” during his press conference, the Maulana also touched on all the things discussed during today’s meeting and came down hard on the government for its alleged failure in effectively tackling the country’s issues. He said that the pdM had rejected the recently passed finance (supplementary) Bill, generally known as the “minibudget”, and called for it to be withdrawn. He said that inflation had broken the backs of the country’s citizens and trapped the nation in a place where there was no possibility of escape. rehman claimed that the government was not cognisant of the people’s screams for help. “a ruler who can’t fulfil the responsibility of the common man or the economy has no right to remain in power.” He said that the opposition parties valued the country’s freedom and would not allow the government to trade it.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

M A S S A G E S DR. ARIF ALvI President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (On the occasion of International CustomsDay

akistan Customs is celebrating international Customs Day on 26th January under the auspices of the World Customs Organization (WCO). i convey my sincere felicitations to Pakistan Customs on this auspicious international occasion. the government of Pakistan concurs with and supports the theme chosen by World Customs Organization for the year 2022: "Customs Digital transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem". Digital transformation is no more an option. it is a reality. We must accept it. it has become imperative for Pakistan Customs, Federal Board of Revenue and business community of the country. Pakistan Customs, being part of the global customs community through World Customs Organization and World trade Organization, is ready today to embrace a data culture and build a data ecosystem for the digital transformation of its Customs service. i am glad to know that Pakistan Customs is an automated organization. if Pakistan Customs can successfully put in place an indigenously developed digital system-Web Based One Customs (WeBOC)-encompassing all types of business processes, it is capable enough to effectively and efficiently undertake another venture as well-Customs Digital transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem. inter-dependence and interconnection of international trade in this age of increasing globalization requires infrastructural upgradation and capacity building of the Customs administrations to achieve the object of digital transformation. it is need of the hour that apart from information & intelligence sharing, Data sharing and Data Communication system is made more efficient and effective. i am happy to note that Pakistan Customs, Federal Board of Revenue is already deploying and implementing digital trade hub known as 'Pakistan single Window. the system is to automate public sector entities dealing with cross-border trade and will provide an integrated single interface with private sector to carry out imports, exports and transit trade.

THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAkISTAN On The Occasion Of International Customs Day

am pleased to know that international Customs Day 2022 is being commemorated. On this occasion, i felicitate Pakistan Customs on their contribution in trade facilitation, revenue collection and safeguarding the country's borders against smuggling and illicit trafficking. Our Government has initiated and is implementing paperless E-system to ensure transparency and collection of authentic data. it is a matter of satisfaction to note that Pakistan Customs has been able to generate useful data regarding trade transactions which is not only being utilized by Federal Boardof Revenue in revenue analysis and audits but also by many other government organizations for policy making. this year's international Customs Day theme "scaling up Customs Digital transformation by embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem" emphasizes the need for Pakistan Customs to further strengthen and develop data analytics. it will enable the Government to effectively manage and process the trade and seizures data to upgrade Risk Management system for better trade facilitation and strict enforcement. Our Government achieved record tax collection and it was possible by employing e-filling for ease of tax-payers. Moreover, under the policy of “Ease-ofdoing-business”, the Government is facilitating investors through one-window by utilizing online portals. it is, therefore, imperative to adopt digital technologies for the benefit and welfare of people. i hope that in this financial year Pakistan Customs will keep on performing with greater zeal, utmost professionalism, and integrity in supporting government's vision of a prosperous Pakistan.

THE HONORABLE FINANCE MINISTER OF PAkISTAN On The Occasion Of International Customs Day

n the occasion of international Customs Day, 2022, i felicitate Pakistan Customs on joining the Customs administrations around the globe to celebrate this annual event. Customs plays a key role in differentiating between legitimate and illicit trade, while putting in place policies and procedures to make the flow of trade as speedy as possible for law-abiding companies. Making Customs processes faster and less cumbersome can boost economic activity, create jobs and stimulate growth. When Customs processes are complicated, it is the small businesses that lose out the most. small and medium businesses have the greatest potential to fuel economic growth but they often lack the financial and human resources to comply with complicated border procedures. By making Customs processes transparent and less costly, Customs authorities can grant small business a level playing field, for the benefit of all. the contribution of Pakistan Customs in anti-smuggling, trade facilitation, and revenue collection has remained outstanding especially in the recent years. Pakistan Customs’ WeBOC system is a completely paperless import, export and transit trade clearance system. through the digitization of Customs Clearance procedures, Pakistan Customs has created a Big Data warehouse of trade transactions which can be effectively utilized by Federal Board of Revenue to improve its revenue collection and enforcement. the international Customs Day’s slogan for this year is “scaling up Customs Digital transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem”.

Dr MUHAMMAD ASHFAQ AHMED

CHAIRMAN FBR ON INTERNATIONAL

SYED MUHAMMAD TARIQ HUDA MEMBER CUSTOMS (OPERATIONS) ON INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS DAY

On the occasion of International CustomsDay

t is a matter of immense pleasure for me to join Pakistan Customs in celebrationof the international Customs Day, 2022. the theme of this year's event "scaling upCustoms Digital transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem" marks the resolve of Customs organizations around the world to build andsmartly manage Big Data for cross border transactions, regulatory approvals andseizures of contraband goods for better trade facilitation and effective controls. Byadopting latest business intelligence and data analytics tool, Pakistan Customs canprocess trade data for improving its clearance processes, and exercising bettercontrolsagainst revenue evasion and smuggling. the effective use of cross-border data can alsobe helpful to broaden the tax base. Over the years digital technologies have evolved rapidly and Customs can alsotap data from open-source platforms and other government agencies to augment its datawarehouse. to build a proper data eco system, Pakistan Customs needs to shiftcompletely on paperless clearance and 2022 may be marked for accomplishing this task.By making use of international data formats such as WCO Data Model. thestandardization of data can be ensured for proper data exchange. thus a robust databank will help Customs to make informed and evidence based decisions.

akistan Customs is celebrating the international Customs day in unison with the World Customs Organizationunder the theme of“scaling up Customs digital transformation by embracing a data culture and building a data ecosystem”. in principle, this theme indicates the direction Customs Organizations world over should taketo enable them to perform the heavy taskmandated by their respective countries. Evidently, technology averse Customs administration would neither be able to support its country’s industry and innovationnor protect it from cyber-attackson its economy in a highly digitized world. this is therefore a do or die situation and smart nations have been quick to adopt a data culture. On this account i am very proud to say that Pakistan Customs has already embarked on this journey leading the Pakistan single Window Project which when completed should be no less than world class. it will totally transform Pakistan’s cross border trade, directly reducing the cost of doing business and linking our industry into the global value chain. On the enforcement side, data and analytics willenable Pakistan Customs to thwart illicit cross border trade,thereby protecting our society from its harmful effects. Pakistan Custom’s performance is measured bythe revenueit collects,as a department within FBR,yet my administration remains cognizant of its other significant mandates liketrade facilitation, industry protection and trade competitiveness by cutting un-necessary costs.

Cnergyico SPM Helps Unclog Oil Terminals

ntil some years back, two oil terminals in Karachi - Karachi Port trust (KPt) and Fauji Oil terminal (Fotco) — handled all of Pakistan’s oil imports. Crude oil and petrol were handled at Karachi Port’s Keamari terminal while diesel, furnace oil, and some petrol imports were handled at Fotco, which is located at Port Qasim. However, these ports often experienced severe congestion and the infrastructure came under great pressure. the importers of crude oil and oil products faced a tough situation and incurred severe economic losses. Carriers had to wait for long periods to be unloaded and the heavy demurrages imposed on them were transferred to consumers and sometimes even thre¬a¬tened the oil supply chain. Setting up Cnergyico’s (formerly Byco Petroleum) Single Point Mooring Facility in 2012 - the first and only one in Pakistan - solved port congestion problems to a great extent. An SPM is an open sea anchorage with sub-sea and subsoil pipelines connecting it to on-shore facilities. the Cnergyico SPM facility has revolutionized the handling of imported crude oil and other petroleum products.

Cnergyico’s Single Point Mooring (SPM) and Pipeline Project started in 2010. the project was commissioned in 2012 as the first-ever SPM facility in Pakistan. in December of that year, the first oil tanker berthed at the newlyestablished deep-sea SPM. the SPM is the only floating liquid port in the country, allowing Cnergyico to import both crude oil and refined petroleum products directly. the SPM gives a great advantage to not just Cnergyico but also the broader oil sector. At a time when the other two key oilimporting ports face extreme congestion due to increased port operations, Cnergyico’s SPM gives a strategic advantage to the economy. the SPM is located in the deep sea, at a distance of approximately 15 km from Mouza Kund in Balochistan. the floating jetty is connected to a crude oil tank farm of approximately 130,000 metric tons, via 3.3 km on-shore and 11.5 km off-shore 28-inch pipelines. the SPM can handle vessels of 100,000 deadweight tonnage and has the capacity to add more pipelines. it also can handle Very large Crude Carriers (“VlCC”s) of up to 250,000 DWt since large oil carriers do not have to enter constricted port channels.

Supertankers can now deliver oil and refined oil products at 25 meters depth. this is what enabled Cnergyico to cater to the largest ever shipment of crude oil in 2017; a record 102,000 metric tons of crude - the largest ever in the nation’s history - was received through its SPM. Cnergyico is Pakistan’s largest oil refining company with the total throughput capacity of 156,000 BPD. it produces a wide range of petroleum products, including motor gasoline and high-speed diesel. the company is modernizing its oil refining complex. it will install 15 new state-of-the-art plants that will increase production of high-value and more environmentally friendly Euro-V grade fuels. Recently, Cnergyico’s Board of Directors approved the acquisition of 57.37% shares of Puma Energy. this will increase Cnergyico’s oil marketing business significantly. With 982 retail outlets, Cnergyico will become the nation’s largest private-sector OMC. Additionally, the acquisition will enhance Cnergyico’s storage capacity of petroleum products by 10,500 Mt, further cementing its position as one of Pakistan’s largest energy infrastructure firms.

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

NooR muRDER CaSE: ISLamabaD PoLICE REvEaLS ZahIR’S ShIRt waS StaINED wIth vICtIm’S bLooD

NEws DEsK

SLAMABAD police on Tuesday clarified the progress in the Noor Mukadam murder case by revealing that at the time of arrest, the shirt of the primary accused, Zahir Jaffer, was stained with the victim’s blood. It is to note that the police’s statement comes a day after the investigation officer (IO), during his cross-examination by Zahir’s lawyer, told an Islamabad court that there were no bloodstains on Zahir’s pants when he was arrested and that he did not get the photo collected from the digital video recorder (DVR) vetted through a photogrammetry test. He further stated that the National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA) did

not find Zahir’s fingerprints on the knife, which was the murder weapon. However, according to a statement issued by the police today, Islamabad IG Mohammad Ahsan Younas held a meeting to review the progress of the case “in context of yesterday’s proceedings and media reports” and also asked senior officers to “explain the proceedings”. The statement said that some media reports had “misinterpreted” the proceedings and the IO’s responses to questions by the defence counsel. “The answers must corroborate with the facts of the case file. However, this whole proceeding got misinterpreted in some media reports,” the statement said. The police chief further told that during the IO’s cross-examination, the officer answered briefly as he had been

told to answer either “yes” or “no”. Explaining the lack of fingerprints on the murder weapon, he stated that while there were no fingerprints found on the knife recovered from the crime scene, other forensic findings did point towards the involvement of the primary accused. The statement further revealed that as per the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) report, the pants were not stained but “the shirt of the accused was stained with the blood of the victim”. “The knife recovered from the crime scene was taken into custody, sealed by NFSA and sent to PFSA for fingerprints which could not be developed by the latter. But the report confirmed [the] blood of Noor on the knife,” the statement said.

Regarding the photogrammetry test for identifying the victim, police said that it was not conducted as it is used to identify the accused only “so that he could not negate his presence at the crime scene”. “The detailed report of the PFSA is yet to be read on the next hearing which contains comprehensive forensic evidence, sufficient for the conviction of the accused. The crime scene was visited by senior most officers at the time of occurrence and [the] scene was completely preserved by forensic experts of NFSA to avoid any contamination,” the statement added. The statement also highlighted five facts that had been confirmed by the reports from the PFSA, including the fact that Noor was raped before being killed. The shirt worn by and recovered from Zahir was stained with Noor’s blood and her DNA was also found on his shirt. Police also said that Noor was killed with the Swiss knife recovered from the crime scene as her blood had been found on the blade and handle. “(She) made every possible attempt to save her life before being killed,” the police said, adding that Zahir’s DNA, i.e. his skin, had been found under her nails.

Karachi’s ex-commissioner nabbed, gold bricks, currency recovered KARACHI News Desk

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday arrested Korangi’s former municipal commissioner Masroor Memon after recovering gold bricks from his house. NAB Rawalpindi launched a raid on Memon’s house in a fake accounts case and recovered huge stockpiles of currency notes, both national and

Find My Doctor raises Pre Series A from TPL at $5 million valuation, Tesla alum to lead its tech

international and gold bricks. Aside from gold bricks, the team also recovered gold buttons and foreign currency in dollars, dirham and riyal. According to sources, NAB had to count the money using machines. The anti-corruption agency also recovered Telephonic Transfer (TT) receipts during the operation showing the transfer of millions of rupees after which the commissioner was arrested along with account officer Vikas and audit officer Dharamveer.

Find My Doctor announced today that it has raised a Pre Series A funding round from both TPL e-Ventures, investment arm of TPL Corp and TPL Insurance at a $5 million valuation. The funding will be used to open dark stores, improve technology and hire new talent. Find My Doctor currently offers its services in 7 of the largest cities of Pakistan namely Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Peshawar, Hyderabad while plans are in place to enter 10 more by the end of 2022. Apart from core tech, the Healthtech App will be improving upon its insurance-related services, supported by TPL Insurance, which is Pakistan’s leading Insurtech and one of the largest retail insurance providers in Pakistan. Although insurance is critical to healthcare services around the world, in Pakistan it is yet to cover the wider population, leaving room for substantial growth for any entity which can offer reach and affordability. Find My Doctor, aims to offer innovative features to the general public as well as the corporate sector to make insurance easier to enroll and benefit from. Healthcare sector continues to experience an exponential volume of traffic due to Covid19 but the nature of the pandemic highlighted various inefficiencies of physical infrastructures, one of them being the inability to cater to a large crowd in a safe and quick manner. Telehealth and doorstep services on the other hand, proved to be quick, safe, convenient and, efficient.

BankIslami Joins Eat Festivals 2022 As Oﬃcial Payment Partner KARACHI pr

BankIslami, the country’s leading Islamic finance institution with one of the most digitally advanced infrastructures, is empowering Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Eat 2022 as the official partner for the events. The Bank had an exclusive lounge at Karachi Eat event that was dedicated to food and entertainment enabling engagement and interaction with existing as well as potential customers of all segments. The lounge was set up with complete compliance towards COVID-19 SOPs including social distancing and availability of masks as well as sanitizers for visitors. BankIslami is also set to step foot in Lahore and Islamabad Eat festivals as well. The “Eat” festivals held across three major cities in the country is one of the most popular attractions for the citizens of the cities due to the variety of food and entertainment options that they provide. The festival provides an elaborate platform for various brands and organizations to showcase their efforts towards their customers with stalls and kiosks established not just to offer different options in terms of food but also offer other avenues for enjoyment. BankIslami is amongst the leaders in driving digital innovation in the banking sector and this partnership with the extensively visited Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Eat festivals is another step in the direction of establishing a robust image for the Bank amongst the general public and facilitate customers in a unique manner.

EPI Sindh and IRD Pakistan Launch ‘Choti Khushi Immunization Incentive KARACHI pr

Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho inaugurated the “Choti Khushi” Immunization Incentive Support Program today for low immunization coverage districts in Sindh province, Pakistan. The launch took place at the Khalid Jamil Dispensary in Karachi where the Health Minister was accompanied by representatives from the Sindh Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), the Provincial Health Department, UNICEF, WHO, and other public health organizations. The Program aims to provide mobile-based small conditional cash incentives (up to PKR 1,200) to caregivers of children aged 0-23 months in 7 low-coverage districts of Sindh: Karachi East, Central and West, Hyderabad, Sujawal, Kambar, and Jacobabad. These districts are marked by the lowest pentavalent-3 and measles-1 vaccines coverage. IRD Pakistan has launched the Choti Khushi program in close collaboration with EPI Sindh and Federal EPI, with support from the Government of Sindh’s Health Directorate and the Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) program.

Global economic confidence dips amongst global accountancy and finance professionals in Q4 2021

4 arrested in murder of Lahore reporter LAHORE staff report

KARACHI

According to NAB officials, Memon has been arrested for the corruption of oil purchases and other works as well. “Memon was involved in approving tenders in return for bribed money which was deposited in fake accounts and then sent abroad,” said the sources. Police presented the arrested suspects before an accountability court in Karachi and acquired threeday transit remand to shift them from Karachi to Rawalpindi, after which they will be presented before an accountability court for trial.

Four suspects have been apprehended in the last 24 hours in connection with the murder of a journalist in Lahore, while gunmen are being tracked using surveillance footage, police said Tuesday. Gunmen on a motorcycle shot and killed Husnain Shah, who worked for the Capital TV news channel as a crime reporter, on Monday before fleeing the scene. The attackers targeted Shah near the Lahore Press Club. The police arrested the owners of four motorcycles during the initial probe. The shooters were traced to Brandreth Road with the help of closed-circuit television footage. “Cameras as Brandreth Road are also being analysed to further draw an escape path used by the shooters,” people familiar with the probe said.

A preliminary investigation report has also been submitted to the Punjab police chief which said Shah was on his way to his office when his vehicle was targeted near the Shimla Pahari neighbourhood. “Two motorcyclists fired at him with eight bullet wounds found at Shah’s abdomen and chest,” it said, adding the attackers appeared to be expert shooters. It further said the incident is apparently linked to personal enmity and the police have further accessed the mobile data of the victim to analyse other aspects in the case. Inspector-General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan directed the Lahore police to immediately arrest the perpetrators. Angered over the attack, journalists rallied in Lahore, condemning the assault and demanding the arrest of the killers. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also condemned the attack and ordered a probe into the incident.

Muhammad Rizwan to teach a masterclass course on Abwaab PR Pakistan cricket team’s talismanic wicketkeeper batsman and one of the nation’s most loved cricketers, Muhammad Rizwan has just begun one of the most meaningful partnerships of his career in a field of education. After having a record-breaking 2021, being dubbed ‘Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year’ by ICC and ‘Most Valuable Player’ by PCB, Rizwan is determined to inspire young Pakistani students and help them maximize their potential. Becoming Brand Ambassador Abwaab is the first step towards building a solid future for Pakistan. In addition, Rizwan will also be teaching a master class course, available exclusively to Abwaab students - which is a testament to his commitment to the cause. Sharing his thoughts and motivation behind this partnership Muhammad Rizwan said, “My motivation behind joining hands with Abwaab is its quality content and ease of use. This platform has the power to transform Pakistan's educational landscape for good. It can play a key role in making quality education accessible & affordable for everyone. Children from every corner

of Pakistan, especially girls, will be able to get a great educational experience and play their role in the prosperity and development of our country. Abwaab is a game changer and I am honored to be a part of this great journey.’’ Speaking on the momentous occasion, Country Head Abwaab, Pakistan – Raja Ahmed Shuja said “Rizwan’s partnership with Abwaab will go miles towards helping us in our mission of unleashing the human potential of Pakistanis through education. Rizwan being the face of Pakistan cricket will help us amplify our message and take it across the country.” CEO and Founder Saya Corporation Global Sports Group, TalhaRehmani added "I am extremely delighted with our collaboration with Abwaab as it gives us the opportunity to build a solid foundation for the future generations of Pakistan. It will be a very significant and impactful partnership that fits in perfectly with Saya Corporation’s vision of investing into the youth through education. This also has the potential to strengthen the bridge of mutual understanding through collaboration and cultural exchange. ”

KARACHI pr

The latest results from a regular global survey of accountants’ and finance professionals’ views about the global economy reveals their economic confidence fell by 12 points in Q4 2021, due to the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid-19 strain. Conducted during late November and early December 2021 at the start of the outbreak, the ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS) shows that global orders were little changed in Q4, up just one point, signalling that growth will continue at a steady pace early in 2022. Other key activity indicators remain relatively little changed with the capital expenditure index up one point and employment index down by six points compared to Q3 results. GECS’ fear indices, which track concern about suppliers and customers going out of business, were also little changed in Q4 but are above pre-pandemic levels. Michael Taylor, ACCA’s chief economist said: ‘Accountants are often the first to sense the impact of economic activity, informed by the work they do on a daily basis sustaining economies and from the feedback from their clients, especially in the small business sector. GECS reveals their concerns about costs increasing again, seeing this measure double over the course of 2021 indicating growing inflationary pressures in many markets around the world.’ Looking at specific jurisdictions, confidence fell the most in Western Europe by 28 points, which was the first region to see the rapid spread of Omicron. Confidence increased modestly in two regions – Asia Pacific by five points and North America by 10 points. Only the Middle East recorded a fall in the orders index of six points, with South Asia showing the biggest increase at +8 points. The biggest economic risk this year is that inflation, already elevated, stays higher for longer, partly because of prolonged supply shortages. Upside surprises to inflation would trigger a greater degree of monetary tightening than is currently discounted by financial markets. The effect would be to slow global economic growth, preventing a return to its pre-pandemic trend. For emerging markets, the 2022 picture is mixed, says Michael Taylor: ‘Some emerging markets have made progress, while others, such as South Africa and Indonesia, have suffered renewed economic contraction. Overall, their recovery to the pre-pandemic trend rate of growth remains hampered by a lack of fiscal capacity and slow progress with vaccination.’

Pakistan releases 20 Indian fishermen IsLAMABAD staff report

Pakistan released 20 Indian fishermen who were imprisoned for unlawfully entering its territorial waters, the Foreign Office said Tuesday. The fishermen were released from a

jail in Karachi and transported to Lahore where they were handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border on Monday, it said in a statement. “These prisoners have been released on completion of their sentences.” The new move comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two

nuclear-armed rivals, which have been simmering since New Delhi scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s decades-long semi-autonomous status in August 2019. The two countries frequently arrest fishermen for violating each other’s territorial waters due to poorly demarcated water boundaries and ill-

equipped boats without the technology to determine exact locations. Owing to long-standing strained relations between the two neighbours, prisoners are kept in prison for longer periods of time, and in some instances, even after their jail terms end. “The issue of prisoners is of humanitarian nature and Pakistan expects the government of India to reciprocate the gesture in the same spirit,” the Foreign Office said.

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

IndIa fannIng hatred, PakIstan brIngIng hearts closer: alvI KARACHI

gunmen kill policeman guarding polio workers PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

Gunmen shot and killed a Pakistani policeman who was providing security for polio vaccination workers in Jarma union council of Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, according to police. The assailants fled the scene, and no one claimed responsibility for the attack in Kohat, local police official Dikdar Khan said. He added the body of the slain policeman had been transported to a hospital. No polio workers were harmed in the attack, police said, a day after the government launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign. Attackers target polio teams and police assigned to protect them, falsely believing the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilise children.

first lady emphasise women empowerment thru vocational training

KARACHI app

First Lady Samina Alvi stressed the need for the empowerment of women through vocational training programmes to help them meet their financial needs. Visiting the Government Polytechnic Institute for Women in Sukkur on Tuesday, Alvi said the government was striving to provide relief to the downtrodden segments of the society since the day it assumed power. She said the government was committed to the empowerment of women to put Pakistan on a development trajectory and promised all-out support to differently-abled persons to improve their vocational proficiency bringing them to the mainstream of national development process. Alvi said women were provided vocational training as per job requirements before their placement to help them not only to become self-sufficient but also to be able to support their families. She visited classrooms where she also talked to the students getting technical education. The girls presented flowers and a traditional ajrak shawl to the first lady. Later, Alvi also visited Dar ul-Ehsaas orphanage. Speaking on the occasion, she questioned if the women, who formed 50 percent of the population, sat at home, how will the country progress?

fM meets sri lanka trade minister on boosting bilateral, economic ties MoNItoRINg REPoRt Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday met with visiting Sri Lankan Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena to discuss bilateral and economic relations, the Foreign Office said. During the meeting, the foreign minister highlighted the importance of strengthening the existing fraternal relations between the two countries through high-level exchanges, it said in a statement. Qureshi underlined the need to capitalise on the immense goodwill that exists between Pakistan and Sri Lanka by expanding cooperation across diverse areas including trade and investment, tourism, culture, education, defense, agriculture, and human resource development, said the statement. “All efforts must be made to enhance bilateral trade relations through optimal utilization of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA), particularly by expanding interaction between the business communities on both sides, and joint ventures and investments in high potential sectors,” he was quoted as saying. Both sides also agreed to continue close collaboration in multilateral fora and to strengthen regional cooperation, the Foreign Office said.

Staff RepoRt

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said India was sowing the seeds of hatred among its communities, while Pakistan was focused on “bringing the hearts closer”. Addressing at a function at Cadet College Ghotki, the president said Pakistan took great pride in the twonation theory that defined its identity and sovereignty. He said the nation was strong in moral character and had the potential to make its mark in the world. He recalled that Pakistan had also played a positive role in resuming peace in Afghanistan. The hosting of four million refugees from the neighbour-

ing country for four decades has never faced any opposition by the host nation, he added. However, the president said the West was employing double standards on morality and ethics as the immigrants faced utmost difficulties. Alvi also emphasised the importance of merit, terming it important to acknowledge the hard work of students. In present times, knowledge was not limited to books and the students could acquire it online as well. However, he stressed it was the responsibility of teachers to guide the students towards the goal of knowledge. Institutions, he said, could suffer deterioration due to violation of merit. He said protests and vandalism incurred damage to the country as an obstacle to development.

Pakistan students in China eye Beijing Olympics ISLAMABAD Xinhua

With the Chinese New Year and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics approaching, Nawaz Shah feels more passion for winter sports across China. Shah, 29, comes from Malakand and is a third-year postgraduate student majoring in infectious diseases in Ningxia Medical University in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. He still remembered the joyful scenes a few weeks ago when his university organised a winter sports meeting and Shah was among the 27 international students to take part. “It was like flying. It was so much fun that I will never forget,” said Shah, adding he’s now too busy with his studies to do much else, but understands China’s efforts in involving 300 million people in winter sports. “Now I know almost everything about Beijing 2022,” said Shah. “I hope all the athletes focus on their sports and try their best. They can be the best of themselves.” During his 11 years of studying in China, Shah has been to over 20 cities across the country. He visited Harbin Ice-Snow World and was impressed with the vivid ice sculptures. He also traveled to southern China’s Hainan Province for a trip which he described as “entering warm spring after a three-hour flight in a thick down jacket.” “But I still love winter best. Just like my hometown, Yinchuan’s winter is dry cold,” said Shah, adding that every year he would drive about 300km to practise winter sports at a big ski resort in southern Ningxia. Muhammad Saad, 31, is studying for a postgraduate degree in orthopaedic surgery at Ningxia Medical University. Saad was previously not that interested in winter sports, but things changed after he joined in the meet-

ing. “It was the first time for me to take part in those games, and I tried cycling on ice, ice sliding, ice boating and many others,” recalled Saad. “It was fun, interesting and felt amazing. It’s fast and we could feel the cold wind.” Knowing that athletes from Pakistan will participate in Beijing 2022, Saad started to pay more attention to the event. “I wish all the Olympic athletes good luck in Beijing and hope they achieve good results and win gold medals. They are all the best competitors from their countries and regions so I wish them the best of luck and hope they have the best time of their lives in China,” said Saad.

In Shah’s opinion, Beijing 2022 is colourful with snow white and also clear green. “Our national flag consists of these two colours, and green means peaceful life in my country,” explained Shah, adding that he has also witnessed China’s efforts and achievements in building a low-carbon event. “China advocated a low-carbon lifestyle, and I can feel this kind of lifestyle. Local buses are powered by clean energy, and when I go outside, I always go by electric bike or walk,” said Shah. “China is trying its best for the Winter Olympics. Check the slogan ‘together for a shared future’, it connects the whole world and mankind, so most people will support it. We should make the world a great place for mankind, not just for one country,” he added.

Exports surge by 25pc in first half of FY2021-22 INP Pakistan’s exports increased by 25 per cent to $15,127 million in the first half (July–December) of the fiscal year 2021-22 compared to $12,110 million in the corresponding period of 2020-21, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Exports stood at $2,765 million in December 2021 compared to $2,901 million in November 2021, down 4.69 per cent, but up 16.86 per cent as against $2,366 million in December 2020. The main export commodities in December 2021 were knitwear ($442.58 million), ready-made garments ($348.63 million), bed wear ($254.92 million), rice others ($192 million), cotton cloth ($190 million), cotton yarn ($107 million), towels ($95.7 million), fruits ($70.2 million), made-up articles ($69.6 million) and fish & fish preparations ($51.3 million). Compared to December 2020, exports of fish and fish preparations surged by 97.25 per cent, knitwear 42.37 per cent, ready-made garments 34.75 per cent, bed wear 9.57 per cent, rice 5.34 per cent, cotton cloth 29.31 per cent, cotton yarn 22.59 per cent, towels 26.95 per cent and made-up articles 6.34 per cent. Abdul Razak Dawood, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce and Investment, who convened a consultative meeting to review trade trends recently, said that exports of fish and fish products, plastics, cement, fruits and vegetables, petroleum products, natural steatite, and other materials had increased. In terms of market diversification, there was an increase in exports to Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, etc. He added that Pakistan’s exports to the United States, China, the Netherlands, and Spain increased in

CMYK

December 2021, while shipments to the United Kingdom, Germany, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation, Indonesia, and the Czech Republic decreased. On the other hand, exports of fruits and vegetables, surgical instruments, electrical and electronic equipment, tractors, pearls, and precious stones declined in December 2021 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. On the other hand, imports totaled $40,649 million during July–December 2021 against $24,454 million during the corresponding period of 2020, up 66.23 per cent.

On a monthly basis, imports in December 2021 were $7,666 million compared to $7,899 million in November 2021, down 2.95 per cent, but up 53.75 per cent compared to $4,986 million in December 2021. The main imported commodities in December 2021 were medicinal products ($981.3 million), petroleum products ($905.89 million), liquified natural gas ($485.3 million), crude petroleum ($356.3 million), palm oil ($318.5 million), iron & steel ($281 million), plastic materials ($265 million), iron & steel scrap ($253 million), mobile phone ($235.3 million) and electrical machinery & apparatus ($231 million).

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PDM vows to take out ‘anti-inflation’ march on Pakistan Day contInueD froM pAge 01 Commenting on the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill, which was also recently passed by the National Assembly, he lamented the fact that the country’s institutions were being handed over to international financial institutions. Commenting on the Transparency International (TI) report released earlier today, the PDM chief said that the government had labelled all opposition leaders as corrupt and called them thieves. “But the TI report has laid bare their artificial honesty.” He lamented the fact that over the span of a few years, the country’s ranking on the TI corruption index had gone from 114 to 170. He went on to state that the current PTI government had proven to be the most incompetent and unsuccessful in the country’s history. “Despite this, they are trying to gear up for the next elections and are planning to do rigging using electronic voting machines (EVMs).” He added that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been proven a criminal in the foreign funding case and had hidden around 26 accounts. He called on the election commission to conduct daily hearings in the case, to disqualify the prime minister and to ban the PTI. “Parties formed by external powers are not the true representatives of the people.” He also talked about the calamity in Murree in which 22 people died after their cars were stranded in a snowstorm in the resort town earlier this month. He said that all countries take measures to ensure roads are clear and to help tourists when there is snowfall. “But the administration [in Murree] was asleep.” He added that the Punjab government had removed officials for the role they played in the incident when the premier and the chief minister should have resigned. It is pertinent to note that last week, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had urged the opposition alliance to change the date as the nation would be celebrating Pakistan Day while foreign guests would also be present in the country for the OIC summit. Rasheed suggested that the PDM reschedule its march to hold it four days before or after March 23. The minister had also indirectly conveyed to the PDM that there was a chance that the government might seal Islamabad due to the parade and other activities.

KP PolICe regIsters rare Case of Pet KIllIng peSHAWAr

staff report

ISTORY was made as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police has registered a firstof-its-kind case of theriocide after a pet dog was shot dead. The FIR mentioned that the animal was in agony after being shot and was not helped by onlookers. The pet was reportedly guarding its owner, Shah Rehman, who was playing in the fields when two armed men opened

fire on the dog. The pet was reportedly guarding the owner – Shah Rehman son of Saifur-Rehman – who was playing in the fields when two armed men – Shoaib and Tahir – opened fire on the animal. “I have no enmity with anyone. The accused shot for fun and killed the dog,” Shah Rehman said. According to the report lodged at Matni Police Station, the incident took place three days ago but the accused managed to escape from the scene as they were residents of Darra Adam Khel, a sub-division of

Kohat District in KhyberPakhtunkhwa. Police stated that the investigation is underway and various sections of the law would be included in the case after the post-mortem report of the animal is received. Police officials added that efforts were underway to arrest the accused. “It is illegal to kill birds and other animals,” said senior advocate of the Peshawar High Court Abbas Sangeen while talking to The Express Tribune. He added that the law provides three to five years impris-

onment and a fine under section 429 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for such acts. Another senior advocate of the high court, Ali Gohar, said if a pet, such as a horse, camel or a dog was killed or paralyzed by giving poison, then according to section 428 of the PPC, the crime was punishable by two years of imprisonment and fine. “Very few people in Pakistan are aware of the laws regarding the killing of animals and birds. In Europe, killing animals is punishable by many years, with heavy fines,” Gohar added.

Foreign diplomats attend art exhibition Woman dead, 33 children rescued as boat overturns in Khanpur Dam

Current account deficit increases to $9.1bn

ISLAMABAD staff report

According to data released by the central bank the current account deficit has climbed to $9.1 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year, as compared to a $1.2 billion surplus in the same period last year. According to reports, the current account deficit stands at 5.7 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2021, the calendar-year deficit stood at $12.2 billion compared to a $245 million surplus in the previous year. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data showed that one of the major components of the current account, the trade deficit, increased 106 per cent to $25.5 billion in July-December FY2022. In the last six months, the current account’s performance has deteriorated as imports have outpaced exports due to domestic economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and higher global commodity prices. The SBP expects a deficit of 4 per cent of GDP during the current fiscal year, while analysts forecast the deficit to be 5 per cent of GDP or $16.8 billion. Pakistan debt repayment for FY2022 stands at $14.3 billion (including China’s safe deposit of $4 billion). The country has to repay a foreign loan of $8.6 billion in the second half of FY2022. The government is confident of easing macroeconomic concerns and improving performance of the current account after the potential resumption of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme. The revival of the IMF bailout is expected to unlock financing from other international financial institutions. In addition the government is also set to issue a seven-year dollar denominated sukuk in the international debt markets. Monitoring report

A teacher was drowned while 33 kids were rescued when the boat carrying them overturned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, media reported. The teacher and the students were on a school trip to the Khanpur Dam, some 47 kilometres northwest of Islamabad. The accident happened during their boating in the lake. Some of the kids including four who were in critical condition were shifted to a nearby hospital. The Khanpur Dam is a famous tourist site where people go sightseeing and for activities including boating, jet-skiing and cliff jumping.

ISLAMABAD staff report

The Little Art, a non-profit arts education organisation, organised National Child Art Competition and Exhibition in Islamabad. The chief guest of the event was Australia Charge d’Affaires Bryce Hutchesson. The event was also attended as the guests of honour by Ambassador of Spain Manuel Duran Gimenez-Rico, Ambassador of Netherlands Wouter Plomp, UNICEF Pakistan Representative Aida Girma among others. ArtBeat is supported by Australian High Commission in Pakistan through the Direct Aid Program. On the occasion, the chief guest said; “In a country as diverse as Pakistan, the universal language of art – which defies linguistic and other boundaries – can help build awareness and appreciation of peace, democracy, and human rights. Australia is pleased to support The Little Art’s Artbeat competition and exhibition, which focuses

on these important themes. Australia will continue to work with government and civil society in Pakistan to support socially cohesive and peaceful societies, including through exciting projects such as this.” Girma added: “We see creative expression are children’s fundamental right. It is such a pleasure to see amazing artworks by children and young people on a range of issues and topics, which are aesthetically pleasing and make us think as well.” The project aimed to engage children and young people to make artworks on identified issues of peace and social cohesion, conducted workshops with schools teachers on using visual arts for conflict resolution and community engagement and is organizing physical and virtual exhibitions of artworks for wider community dialogue. A curated show of over 116 artworks was showcased at the exhibition at the gallery in PNCA. The show remained open to the public for three days. Child artists who were selected to present their works at the gallery exhibitions in Lahore were awarded certificates and prizes by the guests.

Pakistan slides 16 spots, ranks 140th on CPI contInueD froM pAge 01 In a statement, Sharif, who is facing a plethora of corruption cases, claimed corruption had “decreased” during his party’s government as a result of “transparency, good governance and legal reforms”. Under deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s “transparency [and] good governance”, corruption had declined as legal reforms of PMLN improved the ranking of Pakistan in the corruption index by 23 points and the country’s image improved in the world.

Pakistan raises $1bn, oﬀers highest-ever rate for a sukuk of 7.95 percent ISLAMABAD reuters

Pakistan has raised $1 billion with a 7-year sukuk, offering an interest rate of 7.95 percent, the highest return the South Asian nation has ever paid on an Islamic bond, a Ministry of Finance official said on Tuesday. The issuance comes at a time when the gross foreign reserves have fallen to nearly $17 billion from $19 billion in the past two weeks due to debt repayments. Finance Division spokesman Muzammil Aslam said international debt markets worldwide had suffered shocks since December due to expected increases in interest rates in the United States and Europe. “So given the situation, we have got a

good deal in this uncertain time,” he told Reuters. Pakistan sees foreign funds inflows as critical given that the external account deficit has widened on the back of soaring global commodity prices — in particular oil, which makes up about a third of the nation’s payments. Foreign exchange reserves are also a key buffer to stabilise the rupee. Pakistan only last year adopted a market-based exchange rate, resulting in a sharp depreciation of the rupee. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) review board is meeting on January 29 to approve a $1 billion tranche of a $6 billion loan signed with Pakistan in 2019. The last sukuk Pakistan issued was a fiveyear sukuk in 2017 at a rate of 5.6 percent.

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06-07 Comments - 26th January 2022_Layout 1 1/26/2022 12:37 AM Page 1

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022

06 COMMENT

More dangerous than Covid

Delay no-confidence move, long march on date

Hile Prime minister Khan is no more confident of the establishment’s support the PDm is still unsure if a no-confidence move would succeed against him. While there are reasons for the establishment’s estrangement from the Pti government, the former would not favour the fall of the Pti government without an alternative arrangement. the PDm knows that unless the allies abandon imran Khan, or a sufficient number of Pti mNas are willing to openly vote against their own government, there is little chance of the no-confidence move being successful. it suits the Pti’s coalition partners to extract as many benefits as they can from a beleaguered government. there are claims that some of the Pti members are willing to rebel in return for Pml(N) tickets in Punjab which might not suit the latter. the PDm has therefore decided to move cautiously instead of launching a frontal attack in the absence of solid guarantees. meanwhile going for a long march on islamabad suits both the PPP and PDm. the PPP through its tractortrolley marches has succeeded in showing its presence in Punjab which is otherwise considered the Pml(N)’s stronghold. the PDm would make its presence felt in Sindh also, besides other provinces. the bigger the opposition’s processions the greater the demoralization in the Pti’s ranks that could lead more Pti lawmakers to veer towards the opposition and openly rebel against their own leadership. as both the PPP and Pml(N) are facing pressure from the Pti government, they often stand together in Parliament. But as the two are also competitors in elections their rivalry has at times led to open confrontation, the latest example being the exit of the PPP and aNP from the PDm. Presently there is little possibility of the PPP joining the PDm. this would not however help the Pti as both the PPP and PDm are competing hard in organizing protests against the government. the PPP would put up a countrywide show of power from January 27. the PDm will work hard to put up a much bigger demonstration of public support from march 23 onwards. even if the opposition fails to bring down the Pti government through threats of a noconfidence move or public protests, the two tactics would cause enough demoralization in the Pti ranks by the time the elections are held next year.

Climate destroys health too, not just the world

dr Zeeshan Khan

limate change is the biggest health threat facing humanity. Recently, lahore has been ranked number one for air Pollution and smog in the World. indeed, it is more dangerous than Covid-19. it has long lasting damaging effects on respiratory system, heart, plants, Parkinson and growth of children especially. it is becoming an unlivable city within the next five years. People used to wear mask due to air pollution before the advent of the coronavirus. eyes, nose and throat are completely under threat due to this air pollution and smog. it is an increasing trend and this year all previous records have been shattered in this regard. there are lots of reasons due to which these circumstances are being observed. Green belts have been holistically decreased. Necessary measures have been forgotten. the carbon sink is the real issue. trees have decreased to astonishing limits. No positive difference has been left behind. town planners are deprived of wisdom and why do they not understand that by widening roads, traffic problems can never be resolved? even Canal Road in lahore has been widened many times but no effect has been observed in case of traffic management, even though trees have been cut many times for it. alas! still the issue of traffic on the Canal Road exists. local government and city government only can manage such things, and if local government does not exist then these problems only worsen. if there is a local government system then it can manage such problems. there must be a restriction of private cars with odd and even numbers running for three days a week each. this was also done in Greece, Singapore and even in india. additionally, climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250, 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. the direct damage costs to

ECP flexing its muscles All parties must be made to follow code of conduct

S the second phase of KP’s lB polls begins, starting with lower and Upper Dir, the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) has sprung into action to ensure that elections are held according to its code of conduct. Not known to exercise its authority very effectively, the eCP has become quite active of late, making sure that no political party is allowed to break rules and regulations. that it has sent a letter to the administration and police of lower Dir to stop a proposed rally in the district to be attended by Prime minister imran Khan is a welcome and courageous step towards more fair and clean elections. Rules barring any visit by the President, Pm, governor, Cm, speaker or chairman senate and assembly, federal or provincial cabinet member, advisor or any public office holder to an area where elections have been announced are quite clear. it is unfortunate that the Pm violated this rule in the first phase of the KP lB polls as well when he visited Peshawar and launched a health scheme despite the eCP’s warning days before elections were to be held. it seems likely that the visit to lower Dir will again be categorized as part of the Pm’s “official schedule” and won’t be called off. What is more, KP Cm mahmood Khan already visited Upper Dir yesterday, ignoring the eCP’s letter demanding cancellation of visit. Such blatant flouting of the eCP’s code of conduct by the Pti government is attributable to two facts. One, the Pti took a beating in the first phase of the lG polls in KP despite running the province for nine years. the party therefore ill affords another major upset in the second phase. Secondly, the Pti and eCP do not see eye to eye on a number of issues, be it the former’s foreign funding case or matters related to electoral reforms such as the use of evms. the eCP must go a step further than simply issuing warnings, it must take punitive action so that all parties and their candidates are discouraged from breaking the law and violating its code of conduct in such a flagrant manner.

Mustafa abdullah baloch

veRy high has a low, every rise has a fall, similarly every show has an end. the topsy turvy play of tabdeeli seems to be reaching its climax. On 30 October 2011 Pti was relaunched in lahore as a third mainstream party in Pakistan’s politics. media gave exceptional coverage to all its rallies and public gatherings. apparently the agenda was to break the two-party system and pave the way for a third party with a character that could be easily controlled and dictated to. in the 2013 general elections the new character who happens to be famous for his U-turns, couldn’t deliver much as he was not a political mind, and with weak candidates he couldn’t make any substantial impact in parliamentary politics. His party remained in opposition and Nawaz got power. later mr U-turn was on streets waiting for some miracle and signal from the umpire but he was told to wait and drum about rigging in four constituencies. Following the script he kept harping about those four constituencies in almost every press conference and television interview, but this strategy too remained in vain. even his 126 days sit-in couldn’t

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Rationally, climate change should be the greatest unifying force among different nations as it has consequences for everyone. Nip the evil of climate deterioration in the bud. The burden of responsibility is not equally divided, however. Developed nations should bear the responsibility, both financially and morally.

Dr. Zeeshan Khan is a doctor, WHO Certified professional with Certification ‘’CCRP” in clinical research from Canada, Social analyst and commentator based in Lahore. He can be reached at Twitter: @DrZeeshanKhanA1 Email: dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com

The curtain falls

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

health (i.e. excluding costs in health-determining sectors such as agriculture and water and sanitation), is estimated to be between $2-4 billion a year by 2030. areas with weak health infrastructure– mostly in developing countries– will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy-use choices can result in improved health, particularly through reduced air pollution, and health professionals worldwide are already responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding crisis. the intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (iPCC) has concluded that to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths, the world must limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. the climate crisis threatens to undo the last 50 years of progress in development, global health, and poverty reduction, and to further widen existing health inequalities between and within populations. it severely jeopardizes the realization of universal health coverage (UHC) in various ways– including by compounding the existing burden of disease and by exacerbating existing barriers to accessing health services, often at the times when they are most needed. Over 930 million people - around 12 percent of the world’s population- spend at least 10 percent of their household budget to pay for health care. With the poorest people largely uninsured, health shocks and stresses already currently push around 100 million people into poverty every year, with the impacts of climate change worsening this trend. Climate change is already impacting health in a myriad of ways. the Healthy Climate Prescription, a letter from the health community worldwide to COP26 national climate negotiators, called for effective action to limit warming to 1.5°C, increased financing from high-income countries to support low-income countries’ transitions, and for strengthened investment in adaptation and resilience. a joint editorial in over 200 health journals has called on governments to take emergency action to tackle the “catastrophic harm to health” from climate change. according to the World Health Organization (WHO), specific pollutants are the driving factor for pneumonia and childhood death due to the presence of particulate matter (soot) in the children’s airways in Pakistan in addition, such air pollutants are also

likely to contribute to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, particularly stroke, ischemic heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. ambient (outdoor) pollution sources are mainly from increased fossil fuel consumption, traffic emissions, power plant generation, and industrial emissions. moreover, cardiovascular diseases including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathies and mitral stenosis were the chief conditions for eR visits all year round in Pakistan. in this vein, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) funding could be allocated to the wellbeing of people affected by high temperatures and humidity in most needed locations. environmental factors and climate change are leading problems and the UN SDGs aim to complete 17 goals by the year of 2030 in order to provide peace and prosperity for people and the planet. amongst these 17 goals, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and climate action would provide substantial benefit to public health. China and the USa are the two biggest polluters followed by india. China committed to phase down her coal production, not phase out. China (54 percent), india (12 percent) and the USa (6 percent) are the world’s largest coal consumers. lastly, every human being on earth must realise his responsibility towards climate change as it is like slow poison. Pollution of any sort is unacceptable at all. Commitment can be shown by slamming the usage of plastic polybags at once. the Conference of Parties (COP26) concluded in Glasgow, Scotland where world leaders met to decide on the collective struggle against climate change. it is the first conference which openly called out the coal and fossil industries for damaging the environment. it must not be a ‘justtalk, no-action’ conference. Rationally, climate change should be the greatest unifying force among different nations as it has consequences for everyone. Nip the evil of climate deterioration in the bud. the burden of responsibility is not equally divided, however. Developed nations should bear the responsibility, both financially and morally.

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

make him climb up to the Prime minister’s house. Day by day his desperation was touching the threshold and then finally the Panama scandal got unearthed leading to the ouster of Nawaz Sharif. later, the 2018 general election, which was alleged to have been a rigged election by almost all political parties, brought him to power. But with big ego, little experience, immature team, weak party structure and lots of arrogance he landed himself to a time where his own ace, the- former Cm KPK and current federal minister, criticized him harshly in front of party and cabinet members over the gas crisis; and mr U-turn remained awestruck by this attitude of his closest party member. this time fingers were raised on the Pm himself who also happens to be the Chairman of the ruling party. the dramatic argument increased the temperature of the meeting room so much that the Pm himself asked if he could quit his job and hand it over to someone else. this news spread like wildfire in almost all news channels creating an epic embarrassment and chaos for the government. meanwhile, the unpopular money bill which the Pti government bulldozed in the national assembly infused further exasperation amongst masses as the bill introduced additional burden of taxes on the people of Pakistan who are already struggling with the rising inflation. the frequent rise in prices of petrol, electricity and food items has brought instability in the overall economy of Pakistan. However, the opposition remained loud and aggressive in the House against the federal government for handing over the State Bank of Pakistan to the imF and providing amnesty to its governor from any sort of accountability whereas opposition itself has been constantly under the radar of strict and harsh accountability. the failed experiment of launching and ballooning a third party just to cut down the size of the two mainstream parties has given devastating results with instability, a weak economy and isolation from the

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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international world. Hence it has been proved that gradual and natural evolution of democracy is the only way forward for progress in Pakistan the current situation is not favorable for mr Uturn as his own house is seemingly not in order. the tall cabinet member is also running back and forth marketing himself as the next Pm if mr Uturn is ousted. meanwhile, the foreign funding case has also unearthed some shocking revelations which have been undefendable for the ruling party. a special advisor of the Pm anda Pti donor was awarded a multi-million dollar contract for a five-star hotel in Nathiagali; raising questions about ‘conflict of interest,’a term thr Pm kept harping on when he was not in power. there has been quite a huge gap in the statements and actions of mr. U-turn which is why today his government has sunk deep into the quicksand of unpopularity. However, the ultimate victima of this mess are the members of the public. Now they are banking on the opposition for an immediate relief from this economic crisis. therefore, the opposition parties have fastened their seat belts and are charged up for a long march towards islamabad as the tolerance of the public at large has reached its threshold level. it won’t be easy for the federal government to sustain the public pressure due to the uncertain economic situation and above all the revolt brewing in the federal Cabinet which has raised quite a few eyebrows. the possibility of a forward bloc within Pti cannot be ruled out in this situation as mr U-turn is not in a position to keep his numbers intact, so a noconfidence motion can send him back to the pavilion. Now, let’s see when and how this curtain falls and who pulls the rope. meanwhile, the countdown has already begun! The writer is a columnist and member PPP. He tweets @MustafaBaloch_

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 26th January 2022_Layout 1 1/26/2022 12:37 AM Page 2

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022

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

Covid-19: A tool to hide incompetencies

The HEC is on an imported ventilator The HEC itself is creating the imbalance it was created to end

dr IMtIaZ ahMad

He university teachers have been divided by the Higher education Commission of Pakistan (HeC) into two different categories even if they have the same nature of duties and qualifications. this odd division still is not justified though the same was introduced in 2004. the HeC has amazingly spent a lot on supporting the unnatural division of faculty in two groups of Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 90% and the tenure track System (ttS) 10% but did not get any achievements based on this illogical discriminatory division as was expected. Surprisingly, even the policymakers are now seeking the merging of the same created groups. Why was the division done? Who did it? Who is responsible for it? Why did it badly fail? is it expected that it may bring some positive change or shall ruin more the system and the high esteemed universities? Why it has been supported by illegal discriminatory notifications? Why the proverb regarding failed and outdated theory of One Nation two Systems is exercised only in Pakistan? Who is the real culprit? Why are standards of teaching declining? Why research is not fruitful for the country, though millions of research papers are being published? Why fake research is promoted? Why do we pay for publication instead to earn from it? Whyare even published papers declared as withdrawn due to fake facts? Why is each faculty forced and pushed to research though hired for teaching? Whydoes HeC only require and love research? Why does HeC not consider teaching even for re-reappointment in the name of promotion? are universities only research institutions or are they supposed to keep a standard of higher education? Why are the standards of higher education declared as substandard of top-ranking universities even when evaluated by the HeC? Why each day are new universities established even the existing ones are facing financial and administrative problems. Why is the HeC ordinance being violated even for the basic right of promotion of teachers Why are only the teachers being deprived of the right of promotion just in the name of blind love for research? Why is HeC not launching and supporting national journals and forcing teachers to publish and waste public money on international publi-

cation? Why did HeC not try to earn through such publications? Why does HeC prefer internationally published papers over national ones? Why is a balance in teaching and research not maintainable? Why do we neither receive the values of research, nor maintain the values of higher education? i am sure that an endless series of more such questions shall soon be continued and the officials of HeC shall admit its failure instead of defending it. For all such and other basic questions, each Pakistani has the right to ask the policymakers, in this case, the HeC and especially the Commission. the Commission was established with the aim of magnifying the standard of higher education and research values in the country, but unfortunately, it failed to do so, as the HeC has recently issued itself a report that even the topmost ranked universities of the country have almost no standard of higher education. Why do we face such a miserable condition even after spending a lot on universities? indeed, all is answered with the simple observation that the policy of HeC is not standard, and it requires a quick revision. the splitting of the teaching community is indeed a crime of the HeC as the theory of one nation two systems has been declared to have a bad end that has been achieved, so no more waiting. the division motivated the faculty towards the undesirable race for artificial research that is of no or less use and unfortunately has pushed the teachers to ignore the values of standard teaching. the HeC has created a game of promoting undesired research that is required for re-reappointments of BPS faculty in the name of promotion though the same must be granted on the quality teaching for which the faculty is hired. Why balance in these is not maintained? Why is teaching not granted the required value? Why is research given more importance though the same is dependent only on quality teaching? Why are the hired teachers forced to concentrate only on useless research, and teaching is not considered for appointment and promotion? What portion of published millions of articles in high impact factor expensively paid journals has been used for the benefit of the country? the current policy is indeed beyond the level of common sense as it may not have been designed by the educated the HeC has completely failed to achieve its goals due to not understanding the real situation of blind love for research and its consequences on the quality of teaching. actually, research is a slow process that requires a long

time for stability and its utilization in the real sense, while quality teaching is essential throughout the system including research. the blind love for research has unbalanced the universities’ structures. this is the revised wrong and senseless policy that has ruined the standards of teaching in universities. this wrong policy has put the HeC on the way even to violate its ordinance and has created a situation wherein the fundamental rights of promotion for BPS teachers are denied. the same right is granted discriminatorily to the ttS and the administration including HeC and in other government departments that have imbalanced the seniority and have created a situation of harassment for the BPS teachers. the university BPS teachers are now on strike not only for their legitimate rights of promotion at par with the rights of other government employees and university teachers but also demanding for revision of the fake policy that has ruined the standards of education. the university teachers are striving against discrimination among the teachers and are united under their countrywide association, the all Pakistan Universities teachers’ a s s o c i a t i o n (aPUBta). the aPUBta has submitted a draft of statutes for consideration by the commission that shall soon be approved otherwise the teachers are committed to saving the universities and education at any cost as the fake policy of HeC is no more tolerable. a quick and simple solution to resolve such a situation is to honour the teachers and restore their dignity through the HeC ordinance. the drama of re-reappointment in violation of the ordinance must be stopped immediately otherwise the situation shall be worse as most of the teachers are now on peaceful protest under the umbrella of aPUBta that may lead to a countrywide strong protest. Furthermore, the incumbent BPS faculty must be granted the right to backdate financial benefits on deserving positions to secure their seniority and can balance the discrimination among the two categories of teachers. Otherwise, a law-and-order situation in universities shall soon be observed due to the discriminatory policies of HeC in violation of the HeC ordinance.

The incumbent BPS faculty must be granted the right to backdate financial benefits on deserving positions to secure their seniority and can balance the discrimination among the two categories of teachers. Otherwise, a law-and-order situation in universities shall soon be observed due to the discriminatory policies of HEC in violation of the HEC ordinance

The author is a Ph.D. from the University of Essex, United Kingdom, and is working as an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Malakand. He can be reached at iahmaad@hotmail.com

tHe prosperity of any country depends on its political and economic stability, especially in this contemporary world. the world’s largest economies have never compromised on these two areas. During the Covid19 outbreak, almost all countries of the world faced catastrophic economic crises, especially developing countries, Pakistan in particular. in the economic context, Pakistan has witnessed a bleak past and is passing through a murky present. Currently, Pakistan is wallowing in grim economic uncertainty, more than perhaps it ever has faced. But the question is: Who is to be blamed? is this all due to Covid-19? are the previous governments responsible for this crisis? Or can it be attributed to the present government? However, it will be quite wrong to blame Covid-19 and previous governments for this financial meltdown of Pakistan. Pakistan has observed a record increase in GDP growth rate (5.5%) for the fiscal year 2017-18. Contrarily, the current gruesome economic situation can be attributed to the bad governance, failure of government and folly decisions made by its economic managers. the federal budget for the fiscal year (2020-21) is a glaring example in this context. even knowing this, Pakistan is an agricultural country, only (1.78%) of the total budget was allocated for the agriculture sector that resulted in the shifting of Pakistan from wheat exporter to importer. Furthermore, the federal budget 2020-21 is based on assumptions and presumptions. But the ministers and this belowaverage team of economic managers are accusing previous governments of this crisis and using Covid-19 as a tool to hide their incompetencies. the Chief executive of the state rather than assuring reforms are still praising this inept team of economic managers. it is imperative to take immediate and revolutionary measures and Pm should re-evaluate the governance system of the government and performance of the economic team and replace them with an apt, proficient and experienced team whose focus must be the state of Pakistan and its 210 million masses. ENGR. ALI HAIDER LAHORE

Pakistan’s progress PaKiStaN is a country blessed with the best human resources as well as with the abundance of natural resources of all kinds but is still struggling to take a centre stage in the world. there are multiple reasons why the country could not progress the way it should have. every Pakistani thinks in that way, but have we done enough on the ground, that is the basic question. Here in the homeland, there is a different kind of division among people, more importantly, the negativity has prevailed over the years rather than the positivity. everyone is justifying his/her role and criticizing the role of others. But remember, the best politicians in the world have played some kind of role in the military setup, but in our country, some corners are defying the role of the defence forces in the political, social and scientific development in the country. We need to seriously think about how the country can progress. as the evil eyes have different plans, one such plan is to cripple the economy of the country. to prevent such happenings, rather than foresee such planning by the evil eyes we have to have our eyes open. For that our eyes can be the degree-awarding postgraduate strategic institutes, which may be as many as possible, in the field of crop sciences, pharmaceuticals, vaccinology/immunology, human health and disease control, medical appliances, animal health and disease control, animal breeding and production, sociology/ideology and religion, engineering, information technology, space technology, computer software engineering, food safety and security, tourism, energy infrastructure, policy planning, law and regulations, human resource, etc. there can be many other such degree-awarding postgraduate institutes. all these institutes ultimately should be under one umbrella. these postgraduate institutes should have serving and retired people from armed forces and paramilitary forces, serving and retired professionals from public and/or private institutions, and the students doing their master and PhD as the main force behind. these institutions should thus be developing the required technology or information and directly supplying it to the government and the armed forces where further planning can then take place, and the information can also directly go to the national security council for further debate and future planning. each of the institutions should get the students as manpower from across the country on a competitive basis and carry out research work to write a thesis report, under the supervision of the highly professionals/teachers/researchers. this letter is written to sensitize the policymakers and planners of the country and i do hope that this will not go a waste and our policymakers and planners will look into it seriously. long live Pakistan. M. TARIQ JAVED FAISALABAD

Separate quota for FATA i want to draw the attention of the concerned quarters regarding the resentment and despondency among the tribal youth in the wake of the abolishment of the separate quota in services and admissions in professional colleges, in the wake of the merger of Fata with KPK. ironically, Fata was merged with KPK without getting the consent and approval of the majority of the populace. it is pertinent to mention that the tribal areas had willingly joined Pakistan on the eve of partition and guarded the Western frontiers of the country since then. However, the traumatic developments of 9/11 had utterly transformed these areas and made them a battleground causing immense physical and material damages. Unfortunately, the military and the political leadership instead of giving Fata a separate province took the wrong decision in 2018 by merging it with KPK — a province already confronted with myriad administrative and financial issues. though a lot of promises had been made at the time of the merger, they proved to be hollow slogans. the tribal youth who were deceived in the name of change got a rude shock when the doors of employment in federal jobs and admission in professional colleges were slammed by revoking the separate quota as enshrined in the 1973 Constitution. it is requested that the 4% quota for the tribal districts should be restored in federal jobs and 30% quota be reserved in the provincial services on the line of the Sindh urban-rural quota system. PARKHA KHAN ISLAMABAD

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

The Russian MysTeRy A RULE OF WAR IS THAT YOU STRIKE AT MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE, AND GIVE AWAY NO ADVANTAGE. THE RULE OF DIPLOMACY IS TO MAKE A LOT OF THREATS BEFORE MAKING A DEAL. RIGHT NOW, IT’S ONE OR THE OTHER Geopolitical Futures

GeorGe Friedman

N looking at Russian strategy in Ukraine, and indirectly toward the United States, there is a mystery that seems to have an obvious answer but that is difficult to simply accept. Moscow started with a relatively slow deployment of forces along the Ukrainian border. It appeared to be in a position to invade Ukraine with minimal opposition. Rather than attack, though, Russia engaged in a diplomatic confrontation with the United States, demanding that Ukraine never

be admitted into NatO, and that NatO limit its deployment of weapons in Eastern Europe. Russian negotiators knew full well that the U.S. would never agree to these terms. For one thing, it’s a decision for NatO, not Washington. For another, NatO members in the region are at the easternmost frontier of the alliance. they are the most exposed to potential Russian actions, particularly if Russia takes control of Ukraine. In short, capitulating to Russian demands would leave Eastern Europe open to Russian attacks. Most important to Washington, though, is that its credibility would be mortally wounded, not just in Europe but around the world. allowing the Russians to force the

Biden’s ukRainian alBaTRoss ron paul institute For peace and prosperity

daniel mcadamS

hEN-SECREtaRY of State Colin Powell is given credit for popularizing the “Pottery Barn” rule of foreign policy.though he denies using that exact phrase, in arguing against what became the disastrous 2003 US attack on Iraq Powell made the point that, as in Pottery Barn, “if you break it, you own it.” Bush and his neocons – ironically with the help of Colin Powell himself – did indeed break Iraq and the american people as a result “owned” Iraq for the subsequent 22 years (and counting). It was an idiotic war and, as the late former NSa chief Gen. Bill Odom predicted, turned out to be “the greatest strategic disaster in american history.” attacking and destroying Iraq – and executing its leader – not only had no value in any conceivable manner to the United States, it had negative value. In taking responsibility for Iraq’s future, the US government obligated the american people to pick up the tab for a million ransacked Pottery Barns. there was no way out. Only constant maneuvering and manipulation to desperately demonstrate the impossible – that the move had any value or even made any sense. So it is with Ukraine. In 2014 the Obama/Biden administration managed to finish what Bush’s neocons started a decade before. With the US-backed overthrow of the Ukrainian government that year, the US came to “own” what no one in their right mind would ever seek: an economic basket case of a country with a political/business class whose corruption is the stuff of legend. Rather than admit what a colossal blunder the whole thing had been, the US foreign policy establishment doubled down.“Oh, this might be a neat tool to overthrow our own election: let’s pretend trump is Putin’s agent!” In fact, trump was impeached because a certain Col. alexander Vindman – himself of Ukrainian origin and doing the bidding of a Ukrainian government installed by Washington – solemnly testified to adam Schiff and his Democrat colleagues in charge of the house that trump was clearly Putin’s puppet because his lack of enthusiasm for continuing to “own” Ukraine went against “the Interagency Consensus.”We “own” Ukraine and there is no way back – at least if the US foreign policy establishment has its way. that is why our hapless State Department today continues to peddle the fiction that Russia is about to invade – and thus “own” – Ukraine. US foreign policy is one of projection: accuse your rivals of doing what you yourself are doing. No sane country would want to “own” Ukraine. Except the Beltway think tank class, thoroughly infused with military-industrial complex money. that is why the US government, though its Embassy in Kiev, is bragging about the arrival of $200 million in lethal aid, all pointed

THAT IS WHY OUR HAPLESS STATE DEPARTMENT TODAY CONTINUES TO PEDDLE THE FICTION THAT RUSSIA IS ABOUT TO INVADE – AND THUS “OWN” – UKRAINE. US FOREIGN POLICY IS ONE OF PROJECTION: ACCUSE YOUR RIVALS OF DOING WHAT YOU YOURSELF ARE DOING directly at Russia. that is why the US State Department is maintaining the fiction that Russia is about to launch a ground war to occupy Ukraine by dramatically announcing an “evacuation” of all “non-essential personnel” from its Embassy in Kiev. It’s just too bad that we don’t share the opinion of who are really “non-essential” State Department personnel in Kiev: the last person out could be asked to turn off the lights. By overthrowing an elected government in Kiev in 2014, the US government disenfranchised millions of voters in eastern Ukraine who voted for the overthrown president. those voters unsurprisingly came to view the US-installed regime as illegitimate and sought self-rule under the concept of selfdetermination. as ethnic Russians, many of these successfully sought Russian passports. Russia has been clear for a long time about Ukraine: it will not allow an armed invasion of eastern Ukraine that would result in the deaths of thousands of Russian citizens. Were the shoe on the other foot, the US – and any country – could be expected to react the same way. the US is nearly the last country on earth that still holds to the WWII-era concept of war for territorial gain. Russia wants to “own” Ukraine like most people want to “own” a 2003 Saturn. that is why despite neocon/neo-liberal hype, magnified by the lock-step US media, Russia is not about to invade Ukraine. this fantasy is being pushed by those who desperately need to continue to gin up enthusiasm for a thoroughly idiotic and counterproductive imperial enterprise. Biden while vice president sowed the regime change winds in Ukraine. Now his inept administration will reap the whirlwind of that continuing train wreck and eventual dissolution of the country. No matter what antony Blinken peddles to the contrary.Even the comedian Zelensky knows this is a really bad joke.

United States to agree on future relations with a sovereign state was simply a nonstarter. the consequences would be global, and not for nothing, it would create a political crisis in the United States the administration could not manage. It doesn’t make sense for Russia to delay military operations while making demands it knew were going to be rejected, especially since its military was already deployed. Why would Russia, if fully committed to entering and occupying Ukraine, give the West time to prepare military countermeasures? Moscow understands that its actions would be seen as a threat because that is how they were meant to be seen. It understands there would be a re-

sponse, but it also understands it can’t be certain what the response would be. air and naval forces and anti-tank weaponry, for example, could dramatically complicate the invasion. an invasion of Ukraine is difficult in the best conditions. the country is roughly the size of afghanistan, and coordinating a complex armored operation presents untold opportunities for failure. the Russian army has not carried out an armored operation since World War II, so the troops are inexperienced. Minimizing the possibility of an anti-Russian buildup would increase the risk to the operation. In an operation of this magnitude, the attack should be made as early as possible. By waiting, Russia increased the risk of failure. It’s possible, then, that Moscow wanted to float an impossible proposal for propaganda purposes. But the value of world public opinion compared to a successful military operation is minimal. after an invasion, public opinion would be against Russian aggression regardless of diplomatic niceties. the value of public opinion, in other words, only takes you so far. the only conclusion to be drawn is that Russia has no intention of invading Ukraine, as Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has repeatedly said. Given that Russia failed to act when it could and arguably should have, it seems to me that he

might have been telling the truth. On the other hand, we have seen the Russians be active, albeit more subtly, in Belarus, the Caucasus and Central asia. Logic dictates that Russia must rebuild its historic buffer zone and that Ukraine is essential in this regard. Moscow has done everything in its power to create an atmosphere of crisis. Perhaps it had intelligence that the U.S. and NatO would fold their cards. But the U.S. can’t afford to do nothing. President Joe Biden’s threat to the Russian banking system is either far more devastating than I can fathom or simply a cover for military action. So in this sense, the U.S. is being coy as well, just not nearly as confusingly as the Russians. My best guess is the Russians have set up negotiation with the most extreme demands as a normal negotiating strategy. But the fact remains that Russian forces are deployed, and resistance is being strengthened. It may be that the Russians are simply confident that their force is still able to win. But a rule of war is that you strike at maximum advantage, and give away no advantage. the rule of diplomacy is to make a lot of threats before making a deal. Right now, it’s one or the other. George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs and the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures.

The invenTion of The 'Middle easT' Middle east Monitor

Hany Soliman

hat is the Middle East? Why is it the "middle"? and to whom is it "east"? We should take into consideration that what is "east" to certain geographical location is "west" to another. thus, turkey, Iran and Russia are east of Europe, but they are west of Japan. What we know as the Middle East, is actually the Middle West for Japan! In Orientalism, Edward Said argues that the "Orient" was a western invention made to be exploited by the Europeans. For the Europeans, "the world is made of two unequal halves, Orient and Occident" and the "relationship between Orient and Occident is the relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a complex hegemony." the East for European/Western historians, scholars, researchers, leaders, artists, merchants and traders, was a "career", as stated by Benjamin Disraeli. this argument is clear if we trace the development of the geo-political concept of the East. For a long time, the East for the Europeans was the Muslim lands that are flooded with milk and honey; the lands of One thousand and one nights; that of the great capitals of Jerusalem, Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo and their hidden treasures. For the Crusaders of the 12th and 13th centuries; kings, princes, knights, officers and soldiers, the East was a holy mission, a designated profession and a long-lasting career. the East for them was the land of the holy Bible that must be captured and kept for ever. When the Ottomans captured the arab-Muslim countries in the 16th century, the East for the Europeans became the lands of the Ottoman turks, who as well capturing their western borders, threatening their existence. When the Europeans reached China and initiated their conflict there by the 19th century, they discovered that the East was "so big" and that it extends beyond what they have known as East. they then divided this "vast" East into the Near East, the one they already knew, and the Far East, that they had just discovered. the British introduced a new concept in the mid-19th century. they established their hegemony on India; and it was that East that separated their homeland in Europe from their Jewel of the Crown. they then introduced the term Middle East to describe the area that extends from the Red Sea to the British Empire in India. they looked to capture this Middle East to extend, or link, their Empire from the European borders up to the Indian sub-content. Following World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Middle East fill victim to British and French colonisation. Both competed to establish their domination over the countries released from the Ottoman hegemony and they succeeded

THE MIDDLE EAST "PROPER" IS THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THAT EXTENDS FROM THE NILE VALLEY IN THE WEST UP TO THE BORDERS OF THE SOVIET REPUBLICS (AT THAT TIME) IN THE EAST

to dominate the East till the end of World War II. the Middle East "Proper" is that geographical area that extends from the Nile Valley in the West up to the borders of the Soviet Republics (at that time) in the East. this area traditionally included the following countries: – the countries of the arabian Peninsula: Saudi arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, the United arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. – the Fertile Crescent: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine. – turkey, Iran, Cyprus and Egypt. Israel was created in 1948 and was considered a Middle Eastern country only because of its geographical position within the region, although it lacked all characters of Middle Eastern countries, in terms of language, religion and/or shared history and culture and in spite of being rejected by all arab countries of the region. In the French discourse, the terms Middle and Near East are used interchangeably, and do not include the Northern african countries. the French wanted to separate the Middle East that they shared with the British from the Northern african countries that they captured separately. Many american scholars and historians nominate the Middle East on a wide regional sphere that extends from Morocco to Pakistan. after the end of World War II, and with the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, the world witnessed the departure of the British and the French from the Middle East and North africa. the americans sought to replace the British and the French in the entire region, and so they reclaimed their definition of the term Middle East to include all the countries occupied by Britain and France together, i.e. the traditional Middle Eastern countries in addition to the

North african arab countries. after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States became the only superpower, and this was the time of the "Greater Middle East", a term launched by Secretary of State of america Condoleezza Rice in 2004, to the G8 countries in February 2004 as a reform project development in the Middle East and arab countries. the term refers to the 22 arab countries that are members of the League of arab States, in addition to Cyprus, turkey, Israel, Iran, Pakistan and afghanistan, and therefore the new designation includes the traditional countries of the Middle East and North africa in addition to Pakistan and afghanistan as well. these are the countries that america sought, and is still seeking, to impose its domination and control over them, either militarily, politically or economically. the american plan to dominate the greater Middle East did not proceed for several reasons, perhaps the most important of which was the arab Spring revolutions that erupted in 2010 and led to the fall of many of the region's rulers on whom america was relying to impose its military and economic hegemony on their country. however, perhaps the opportunity led america to re-impose its control over the region, after the "earthquake" of the new arab-Zionist normalisation that began in 2020, and the subsequent attempt to impose the so-called abraham accords on the peoples of the region that were quarrelling, intersecting and even warring. here america will not be the only leader of the new Middle East, but will share control with Israel, the historical, first and main enemy of the peoples of the region, and at the same time the first, closest and most important friend of the rulers of those peoples.

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner Ehsaas 8171 SMS Registration service closing tomorrow at 12 midnight ISLAMABAD: The Ehsaas 8171 SMS service to register deserving families for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme is closing tomorrow at 12 midnight. “Jan 26, 2022 is the last date for low income families to register themselves under the Rashan Riayat programme of Ehsaas. All arrangements are in final stages to roll out the programme in partnership with National Bank of Pakistan. Also, family eligibility of applicants is currently being determined and we will start sending the eligibility messages very soon, said Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM while announcing the closure of Ehsaas Rashan registration of families. Further, she added, “The registration of Karyana stores is not closing with 8171; and it will continue through the web-portal: ehsaasrahsan.pass.gov.pk.” Before the 8171 closes at 12 midnight, families earning below Rs. 50,000 monthly can sign up by sending their CNIC. Only one member of an applicant family whose mobile number is issued on his own Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) can register his family on 8171. Under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat, a targeted subsidy of Rs. 1,000 per month will be granted to each of eligible families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil. A subsidy of Rs. 22 per kg will be given on the flour, Rs. 55 per kg on pulses and Rs. 105 per liter/kg on cooking oil or ghee at the designated Kiryana shops. In total, 20 million deserving families will be identified through the Ehsaas survey. Overall, 130 million people will benefit from the programme countrywide that equates to 53% of the population. Provincial Governments of Punjab, KP, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK are participating in the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. The federal government and all participating federating units are sharing fiscal resources in the proportion of 35/65. pr

ThE Bank of PunjaB To RaISE RS 13Bn dEBT foR Lucky ELEcTRIc

FTER successfully raising Rs 7.9bn debt financing for Lucky Electric Power Company Limited (LEPCL) in two tranches, the Bank of Punjab (BOP) has been awarded a third debt arrangement mandate by the company to raise an additional Rs 5bn working capital. To mark these successful transactions and award of fresh mandate, a ceremony was held at the head office of Lucky Cement recently which was attended by Mr. Mohammad Ali Tabba (CEO - Lucky Cement Limited), Mr. Ghazanfar Jillani (Director, BOP) and Mr. Zafar Masud (President & CEO, BOP) along with other senior officials of the two institutions. LEPCL is developing a 660MW coal-fired power plant at a project cost of USD 850Mln.

The Project shall operate on Thar coal after expansion of the coal mine and

help bring down the cost of Thar coal through economies of scale.

Olive Oil Processing Centre inaugurated at Quetta

5,615 drivers fined during ongoing month for careless driving ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued 5,615 fine tickets during the ongoing month to those drivers involved in careless driving on roads. Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mazhar Iqbal said that as per direction IGP Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younis special squads have been constituted to take action against carless drivers putting the lives of others at risk. He also asked to adopt decent attitude with road users. He said that all officials have been directed for strict action against such drivers and to ensure steps for safe road environment in the city. He said that directions have been made to ensure renewed efforts for awareness about traffic rules among citizens by ITP education wing. He directed ITP’s teams to visit educational institutions to create traffic sense as several students have joined ITP as traffic volunteers. The SSP (Traffic) said that purpose of action against such drivers is to ensure their own as well as others safety. He also assigned task to ITP’s education team to present weekly report about its performance. pr

Agricultural research must reach the poor farmers of the province; Governor Balochistan Balochistan Land is suitable for olive cultivation; Chairman PARC Inaugural ceremony of Olive Oil Processing Centre was held at Balochistan Agricultural Research & Development Centre (BARDC) of PARC at Quetta. Governor Balochistan Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha was the Chief Guest of the event. Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Dr Ghulam Muhammad

Ali, FAO representatives Waleed Mehdi, Sabai, MD of Pak Oil Seeds Department Dr Khair Muhammad Kakar, Dr Nadeem Sadiq and Director Research Javed Tareen were also present on the occasion. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the latest olive oil processing centre, the Governor Balochistan Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha said that 70 percent olive cultivation of the country is being done in Balochistan. Governor Balochistan further said that 30 percent olive oil is being extracted

in Balochistan during the present era. He also added that government would spend Rs 600 billion on development projects in Balochistan to improve the living standard of locals. Before inauguration, the Governor was also briefed that the project worth Rs. 2 billion would provide machinery and other facilities to the farmers of Balochistan. This is followed by another project costing Rs. 4 billion in which farmers will also be provided three months trainings. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali Chairman PARC said that PARC is working on the project to promote olive cultivation in Balochistan, if the olive project in Balochistan is successful, the economy of the province can go very high and it can earn a lot of foreign exchange. The land of Balochistan is very suitable for cultivation of olives. Olives require less water which is suitable for the conditions of Balochistan. Its fruit is not wasted. All support will continue to be provided to the center. pr

Swiss International signs 3rd Royal Swiss hotel in Rawalpindi at the business district of Bahria The Royal Swiss Bahria-Rawalpindi will open its doors in the summer of 2025. Baar (CH)/Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), 20th of January 2022 - Swiss International Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of the 165 rooms and suites Royal Swiss.

The hotel will be located The Nexus, Business District, Bahria Town phase 8 – Rawalpindi. Royal Swiss Bahria - Rawalpindi will offer its guests: • Swiss Flavours – restaurant

• The State room - specialty steak restaurant • TED & Co – Bar & Lounge • Swiss-Select Lounge • Eventives for meetings & events • Business Center with free Wi-Fi in-

ternet access • Inspirations pool & gym • Inspirations lounge • Spa • Mall The hotel will be developed and realized by the Edgestone (Pvt) Ltd, one of the biggest real estate development companies in Pakistan. Mr. Azam Shahid, Edgestone’s C.E.O said: “Bahria town is an exciting development in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and it needs a top-quality luxury hotel. Swiss International is truly committed to the Pakistan hospitality industry. They have signed or committed to 8 hotels for the country already. The Royal Swiss brand perfectly fits our expectations.” Swiss International’s President & CEO, Mr. Henri Kennedie added: “Edgestone has proven to be a high-quality developer and is very reliable. The plans for Bahria are great, as the city is expanding. Our Royal Swiss brand has proven to be very much appreciated by the Pakistani guests and corporate accounts.” Swiss International has with the Royal Swiss Lahore, one hotel open and now 2 more Royal Swiss hotels signed in Islamabad and now in Rawalpindi. Other hotels that are signed is the Swiss international in Changla Gali, Swiss International in Lahore-Gulberg and one Swiss International in Lahore-DHA. pr

Being one of the most efficient coal-fired power projects in Pakistan, the project will also help to bring down the cost of electricity in Pakistan. The award of third debt arrangement mandate over a period of just two months is a testament of Lucky Group’s trust on the investment banking capabilities of The Bank of Punjab under its new leadership. Mr. Mohammad Ali Tabba appreciated the role of BOP, which is fast emerging as one of the most active commercial banks in the market with a seasoned investment banking team, for arranging financing for LEPCL. Mr. Zafar Masud expressed his keen desire to further deepen BOP’s relationship with Lucky Group which is cementing its place as one of the largest industrial conglomerates of the country. pr

IGP Islamabad for resolving public complaints on priority ISLAMABAD: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Muhammad Ahsan Younas while listening public complaints during khuli kacheri directed all police officials to resolve the public complaints on priority. The IGP while listening public complaints strictly directed all zonal officers to take immediate and strict action against land grabbers. No one would be allowed to grab property of any citizen, he added. He said that it is our prime responsibility to provide protection to the lives and property of the citizens and resolve their problems on priority. He said that citizens at `Open Court’ should be behaved in a respectful manner and their trust on police department to be won through resolving their issues. The IGP said that interaction with people also ensures accountability of the policemen and they should address public complaints on merit by considering them their own issues. Muhammad Ahsan Younas said that positive image of policemen should be ensured before them through unbiased approach towards anyone. The IGP hoped that interaction during `open katcheries’ would help to promote friendly policing. Such interaction with citizens are aimed to promote community policing, resolve the issues of people at their door steps through merit and curb activities of anti-social elements, he added. pr

Man acquitted of blasphemy charge after 10 years

A sessions court in Lahore on Monday acquitted a man in a case of alleged blasphemy. Asim Aslam was apprehended following the FIR registered on the complaint of his brother Faisal Aslam under section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code by Mughalpura police in 2011. The suspect had filed an application for his acquittal under section 265-K of the Cr.PC. Additional District & Sessions Judge Khalid Wazir allowed the application of Aslam and acquitted him of the charge. “He be released immediately, if not required in any other case,” says the order issued by the trial judge. Earlier in 2015, the suspect had challenged the decision of a trial court, awarding him life imprisonment on the basis of his confessional statement, before the Lahore High Court (LHC). The high court in 2021 had suspended the sentence and directed the sessions court to hold a fresh trial of the suspect in light of his mental health. It is pertinent to mention that the complainant had himself admitted in the FIR that the suspect had a history of mental illness. news desk

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

RepoRt FiNdS MUSliM CoMMUNitieS aMoNg MoSt diSCRiMiNated agaiNSt iN UK LONDON

AnAdolu Agency

RITISH Muslims have been categorized as being one of the most discriminated communities across the UK, according to a new report on Islamophobia published on Monday. The analysis by the University of Birmingham and data analysis firm YouGov discovered that the British public are more likely to hold discriminatory and negative views on Islam than on any other religion and a significant minority of this population hold incorrect and conspiratorial views on British Muslim communities. The study revealed that the demographics of those most likely to hold such Islamophobic views and beliefs are among the elderly popu-

lation, working-class, males, and those who voted to leave the EU as well as supporters of the Conservative Party under Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “Prejudice towards Islam and Muslims stands out in the UK, not only because it is much more widespread than most forms of racism, but also because prejudice toward Islam is more common among those who are wealthier and well-educated,” said Stephen H. Jones, the lead author of the study. “No one is calling for laws regulating criticism of religion, but we have to recognize that the British public has been systematically miseducated about Islamic tradition and take steps to remedy this,” Jones added. According to the report, the nonMuslim British public is three times more likely to hold prejudiced views of Islam than they are of other faiths.

Biden caught insulting Fox News journalist WASHINGTON AFP

US President Joe Biden was caught on a live microphone Monday calling a Fox News journalist a “stupid son of a bitch” on the sidelines of a White House photo op. As journalists were leaving the room after the event, a reporter from Fox News, the favourite channel of conservatives, asked whether inflation is a political liability. The Democratic leader, possibly unaware that his microphone was still on, began by deadpanning: “It’s a great asset. More inflation.” And then muttered, “What a stupid son of a bitch,” before glancing briefly down. A pool reporter who was in the room at the time admitted to not being able to hear what Biden actually said over the noise. But he added that he would “direct your attention to video of the event if you are curious how the president really feels about being asked about inflation from Fox’s Peter Doocy.” Doocy shrugged the insult off in a later interview on Fox. “Yeah nobody has fact-checked him yet and said it’s not true,” he said, nonchalantly.

US F-35 crashes on aircraft carrier in South China Sea AFP Seven US sailors were injured on Monday in a Navy F35C fighter “landing mishap” on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea, the Navy said. The accident occurred while the F-35C Lightning II, a stealth combat aircraft, was attempting to land on the USS Carl Vinson during routine flight operations, the US Pacific Fleet said in a statement. The pilot of the aircraft was in stable condition after ejecting and being rescued by a helicopter. Seven sailors were injured, three of whom were evacuated to Manila, Philippines for treatment, where their condition was listed as stable. Four others were treated aboard the ship, and three have been released, the statement said.

Support for the prohibition of Muslim migration to the UK is 4-6% higher than it is for other religious and ethnic minority groups and British people are more confident in making incorrect judgments about Islam than other non-Christian faiths. The report further finds that over one in four people hold conspiratorial views on the so-called “Sharia nogo areas.” Some 26.5% agree that there are certain areas of the UK that operate under Sharia law and that non-Muslims are prohibited from entering. 36.3% agree that Islam threatens the British way of life. The vast majority of them are Tory and Brexit supporters. Just over a quarter of the British public harbor negative views towards Muslims with 9.9% feeling “very negative” towards them. In comparison, only 8.5% of the public hold negative views for Jewish peo-

ple, 6.4% for Black people, and 8.4% for other white people of different nationalities. The study, however, found that people from middle and upper-class occupational groups are also more likely to hold prejudiced views against Muslims and Islamic beliefs. People from higher social groups are

4.8% more likely to view Islam as “literalistic,” without interpretation, than other lower social groups. As well as reporting on the scale of Islamophobia in the UK, the report also offered various recommendations to combat and offer solutions to anti-Muslim discrimination, including the public acknowledgment

of Islamophobia by the government and equally higher public institutions. “Civil society organizations and equality bodies concerned with prejudice and discrimination should acknowledge that systemic miseducation about Islam is common in British society and forms an important element of Islamophobia.” “Government and other public figures should publicly acknowledge and address the lack of public criticism that Islamophobic discourses and practices trigger, and how Islamophobia stands out compared with other forms of racism and prejudice.” The publication of the report comes shortly after accusations were leveled against the Tory party after Muslim minister Nusrat Ghani was sacked due to her “Muslimness” making other ministers uncomfortable.

NATO sends additional troops to Eastern Europe amid rising tension in Ukraine MOSCOW/BRUSSELS Agencies

NATO said on Monday it was putting forces on standby and reinforcing eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets, in what Russia denounced as Western “hysteria” in response to its build-up of troops on the Ukraine border. The U.S. Department of Defense in Washington said about 8,500 American troops were put on heightened alert and were awaiting orders to deploy to the region, should Russia invade Ukraine. Tensions are high after Russia massed an estimated 100,000 troops in reach of its neighbour’s border, surrounding Ukraine with forces from the north, east and south. Russia denies planning an invasion and Moscow is citing the Western response as evidence that Russia is the target, not the instigator, of aggression. President Joe Biden, pushing for transatlantic unity, held an 80-minute secure video call with a number of European leaders on Monday from the White House Situation Room to discuss the Ukraine crisis. Biden told reporters “I had a very, very, very good meeting” with the Europeans, which included the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Poland. He said there was “total unanimity.” A White House statement said the leaders “discussed their joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression a g a i n s t Ukraine, in-

cluding preparations to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia for such actions as well as to reinforce security on NATO’s eastern flank.” Welcoming a series of deployments announced by alliance members in recent days, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg earlier said NATO would take “all necessary measures.” “We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defence,” Stoltenberg said in a statement. He told a news conference that the enhanced presence on NATO’s eastern flank could also include the deployment of battlegroups in the southeast of the alliance. So far, NATO has about 4,000 troops in multinational battalions in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, backed by tanks, air defences and intelligence and surveillance units. U.S. officials said the Pentagon was finalising efforts to identify specific units that it could deploy to NATO’s eastern flank. One of the officials said up to 5,000 could be deployed, while a NATO diplomat said Washington was considering gradually transferring some troops stationed in western Europe to eastern Europe in the coming weeks. Denmark, Spain, France and the Netherlands were all planning or considering sending troops, planes or ships to eastern Europe, NATO said. Ukraine shares borders with four NATO countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. A Polish official said Warsaw would draw the line at sending troops to Ukraine. GrowinG Tensions: As tensions

grow, Britain said it was withdrawing some staff and dependents from its embassy in Ukraine, a day after the United States said it was ordering diplomats’ family members to leave. U.S. diplomats are being allowed to leave voluntarily. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the West of “hysteria” and putting out information “laced with lies”. “As for specific actions, we see statements by the North Atlantic Alliance about reinforcement, pulling forces and resources to the eastern flank. All this leads to the fact that tensions are growing,” he said. “This is not happening because of what we, Russia, are doing. This is all happening because of what NATO and the U.S. are doing and due to the information they are spreading.” Global stock markets skidded as the prospect of a Russian attack quashed demand for riskier assets such as bitcoin, and bolstered the dollar and oil. The rouble hit a 14-month low against the dollar, and Russian stocks and bonds tumbled. Russia has used its troop build-up to draw the West into discussions after presenting demands to redraw Europe’s security map. It wants NATO never to admit Ukraine and to pull back troops and weapons from former Communist countries in eastern Europe that joined it after the Cold War. Washington says those demands are non-starters but it is ready to discuss other ideas on arms control, missile deployments and confidence-building measures. Russia is awaiting a written U.S. response this week after talks last Friday – the fourth round this month – produced

Boris Johnson had lockdown birthday party: report AFP Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke lockdown rules by having a birthday party with up to 30 people present at Downing Street in 2020, a British television channel alleged Monday. The latest claim comes as the prime minister fights for survival amid a growing scandal over lockdown parties at Downing Street attended by him and his staff, currently the subject of an investigation by a senior civil servant. ITV reported that Johnson’s then-fiance Carrie Symonds, who has since become the PM’s wife, organised a surprise party for his 56th birthday on June 19, 2020 with up to 30 staff attending. Under the rules in force at the time, social gatherings were only permitted between 6 people outside.

Johnson had recently urged the public to “show restraint and respect the rules”. The ITV report said it understood that those present in the Cabinet Room, a meeting room at 10 Downing Street, included an interior designer who was working on the prime minister’s flat but was not a member of his staff, Lulu Lytle. It alleged that Symonds and Lytle presented Johnson with a cake and his staff sang happy birthday at a party lasting around half an hour. Downing Street said that staff gathered briefly after a meeting and Johnson attended for less than 10 minutes. It denied as “totally untrue” a second allegation that the prime minister held a separate party that evening with family friends, saying he met a small number of family members outside.

no breakthrough. ‘Painful, violenT and bloody’: Asked whether he thought an invasion was imminent, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told broadcasters that intelligence was “pretty gloomy on this point” but that “sense can still prevail.” He repeated Western warnings that invading Ukraine would be “a painful, violent and bloody business” for Russia. The United States and the European Union, wary of Russia’s intentions since it seized Crimea and backed separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine in 2014, have told Russia it will face crippling penalties if it attacks again. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels warned Russia it would face “massive” consequences, but are divided over how tough to be on Moscow and did not say what the consequences might be. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told EU President Charles Michel, who was also on the call with Biden, that it was important for Kyiv that the EU showed unity. “Ukraine will not fall for provocations, and together with its partners, will remain calm and restrained,” his office said. The European Commission, the EU executive body, proposed a 1.2-billion euro ($1.36-billion) financial aid package to help Ukraine mitigate the effects of the conflict. A Russian delegation source said political advisers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany would meet in Paris on Wednesday for talks on resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in which some 15,000 people have been killed since 2014. Previous efforts have failed to yield any breakthrough.

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

Pakistan Customs National Targeting Centre (NTC) A NATIONAL SINGLE WINDOW FOR ENFORCEMENT FOR ALL LEAS

uStoMS administrations throughout the world have undergone tremendous reforms to match the changing demands of international trade as well as the emerging trends in the international security paradigm.this re-defined domain is more focused on implementation of trade policies, money-laundering,immigration and border management, counter-terrorism, antiintellectual property piracy, anti-smuggling operationsincluding human and drugs trafficking, cyber-crimes, safeguarding public health and morality and a myriad of other issues.Such engagements bring alongthe wealth of multi-stream data that can ultimately lead to digital transformation by embracing a data culture and building a data ecosystem.therefore, most of the developed countries are now embarking upon Coordinated Border Management (CBM) through a single agency at the national entry/exit points. theconcept of a“single face at border”is usedto facilitatebonafideprassengers and cargo while interdicting only the risky ones which essentially forms the basis of a National targeting Centre (NtC). NtCconcept is based on linking all the

Syed ASAd RAzA Rizvi ColleCtoR of CuStomS-expoRtS, KARAChi/ pRojeCt diReCtoRNAtioNAl tARgetiNg CeNtRe available data streams and to provides a single platform for multiple law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for identifying and profiling of any suspicious passenger, baggage, cargo or conveyance based on an “integrated Risk Management System”. the basic functional model consist of data sources, operational modules, core NtC analytics module and interagency linkages. the operational support is provided using risk related information exchange and subsequent tactical analysis through

stakeholders cooperation and coordination. Most of the developed Customs Administrations adopt a monolithic approach to raise an NtC from the scratch due to their extensive financial and technological reources and they can build multiple modules from a single platform. however, developing countires like Pakistan have to adopt an integrated approach while linking data provided by many off-the-shelf and easily available information systems and then integrating the information using a collating platform. in order to cater for the above objectives, establishment of Pakistan Customs National targeting Centre (NtC) has been envisaged as a National Single Window for Enforcement for all LEAs under the lead of Pakistan Customs and in line with international best practices. the NtC will have a Central Command and Control Centre at islamabad and will be linked to various field targeting teams embedded in different field formations.information on specific roles of different LEAs will be shared on real-time online basis in order to ensure a complete 360o coverage. Besides trend analysis, the system will be capable of generating alerts to all teams operating at different entry/ exit points to ensure a quick interdictions.

Regional connectivity through transit trade Engr. habib ahmEd

diReCtoR, diReCtoRAte geNeRAl of tRANSit tRAde, KARAChi

N the aftermath of the Second World War the world realized that major realignment of international economic institutions was needed for political and economic stability and dependability. Besides groups of countries started down the path of economic and trade connectivity leading to integration and cargo facilitation for mutual benefits. the trailblazing role of European union and more recently of ASEAN is worth emulating. Regional connectivity though

transit trade has always been part of such initiatives. Due to geo-strategic location of Pakistan enabling it to be a gateway to Central Asia and beyond, utilizing transit trade as the jumping board for mutual economic and allied benefits is a viable option which till late has been under emphasized. Fortunately, now with renewed focus of the Government on regional connectivity swift progress is being made on this front. taken together, the landlocked region of Central Asia comprising of uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, Kazakhstan, tajikistan, the adjoining areas of Russia and Xinjiang province of China have a population of 120 million, GDP of uS$ 800bn, imports of uS$ 140bn and exports of uS$ 160 bn. the access to waters to uS$300bn international trade of this region is available through Russian ports of St Petersburg and Kaliningrad on Baltic Sea, Vladivostok on the Pacific and Murmansk on Barents Sea, Chinese ports on its Eastern coast and Pakistani ports of Gwadar, Karachi and Port Qasim. however, the route to waters through Pakistani ports is shorter and the number of days required for the journey are lesser by one day to five days depending upon the destination. the National Freight and Logistics Policy of Pakistan, 2021, while highlighting the potential benefits of an effective logistic system stated that for each day less that freight spends in a supply chain, the corresponding trade can increase by 4.5%. hence for the aforementioned region having international trade of uS$ 300bn, utilizing the ports of Gwadar, Karachi and Port Qasim and transit of cargo through Pakistan to respective destinations is economically the most viable transportation option. unfortunately, over the years the international transit trade through Pakistan has been restricted to Afghanistan only. the total international trade of this country in 201920 was uS$ 8.5 bn. out of this,trade worth uS$ 5.5 bnweighing 2.5 million tons transited through Pakistan.

Compliance Risk Management System (CRMS) transforming Trade Facilitation and Customs Controls Sanaullah abro diReCtoR, diReCtoRAte geNeRAl of RiSK mANAgemeNt SyStem (RmS)

ithout digital transformation, Customs administration cannot be modernized in 21st century. And Customs Risk Management System (RMS) is always at the core of any digitally transformed modern customs processes. the Customs RMS technically termed as Compliance Risk Management System (CRMS) is the central and a critical function of Customs clearance system in any country of the world. it is the tool which Customs administrations all over the world are relying upon to strike a most difficult balance between trade facilitation and Customs controls. the CRMS reduces the cost of doing business, eradicates human intervention in clearance of goods, and eliminates delays in clearance process and put to an end to red tapism and corrupt practices from Customs processes of trading across borders. in addition, it brings, transparency and efficiency but keeps unpredictability in selection of consignments for inspections and documentary checks to promote compliance. Pakistan Customs has successfully achieved

the digital transformation of Customs’ core processes of trading across borders including import, export, transit and transshipment. the recent phase of digital modernization started in 2004-5 with development and introduction of Pakistan Computerized Clearance System (PaCCS) which first time introduced the Risk Management System (RMS) in Customs clearance system. it was major shift for change management in Customs administration. After its shocks and maturity, Pakistan Customs was able to develop its own customs clearance system known as the Web Based one Customs (WeBoC) with indigenous resources in 2011. Since then, the WeBoC has been scaled up in terms its scope, functions and modules ranking it as one of the modern efficient customs clearance system. the untiring efforts of customs officers and PRAL technical team and its software engineers have successfully brought the digital transformation as per needs of the businesses. the Risk Management System has the central role for customs clearance system for imports, exports, and transit which decide and select the suspected consignments for physical inspections and allows the rest to be cleared through fast track green channel. there is no human intervention in selectivity of consignments by the RMS.

Wednesday, 26 January, 2022

prayer tiMiNgs

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:44

12:20

3:09

7:10

5:29

6:56

PM KHAn DiReCtS MiniStRieS to get weLL PRePAReD foR ‘ALL iMPoRtAnt CHinA viSit’ ISLAMABAD

MiaN abrar

RIMe Minister Imran Khan Tuesday directed five federal ministries and attached departments to make all necessary arrangements and preparations for the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements set to be signed during his upcoming visit to China. Well informed sources have informed that Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Planning and Development, Information and Broadcasting, Interior and Railways are likely to accompany Premier Imran Khan on his three-day trip to China. Khan is scheduled to also attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing, China. The premier also briefed the ministers regarding the COVID-19 protocols to be followed during the visit to China. He further directed all ministers to take necessary briefing from their ministries ahead of this important trip.

PM Khan, Prince Salman discuss ways, means to further enhancing Pakistan, Bahrain cooperation

It is pertinent to mention here that Foreign Office had confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics as he will visit China from February 3-5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed had said that during the prime minister’s visit, officials of Islamabad and Beijing would discuss the China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC), among other matters. The Pakistani prime minister’s presence will be of great significance as some major western countries have decided the diplomatic boycott of the mega event, set to begin on February 4. The United States, Britain, Australia, and Canada have announced a diplomatic boycott of the event, while North Korea was the latest country to pull out, citing the pandemic as the reason. Though athletes from around the world will travel to compete in the four-yearly event, no dignitaries from the aforementioned western countries are expected to watch the Games.

COAS Gen Bajwa appreciates football legend Michael Owen for visiting Pakistan

ISLAMABAD staff report

Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday received a telephone call from Prince Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The two leaders leaders discussed ways to further strengthen and diversify bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in the multilateral fora and close coordination on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The Crown Prince strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Lahore on 20 January 2022, which claimed three lives and left several injured. He extended deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of the injured. The Crown Prince expressed solidarity with the people, leadership and government of Pakistan. The Prime Minister conveyed his gratitude to the Crown Prince for Bahrain’s support and solidarity as well as for the sympathies and condolences. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

RAWALPINDI News Desk

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa appreciated former england ace striker Michael Owen for visiting Pakistan and promoting sports particularly football, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Tuesday. A statement issued by the mili-

tary’s media wing said that football legend Owen met the COAS today. “Sports promote peace and this initiative for developing football infrastructure and young talent in Pakistan is a welcoming step,” said Gen Bajwa. Owen arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday on a three-day tour. He will meet with Pakistani PM Imran Khan and his Special Assistant

Usman Dar to discuss GSV’s football reform plan for the country. The former striker is also scheduled to attend a high-profile presidential dinner hosted by President Arif Alvi. On January 26, Owen will address a press conference in Karachi at the NeD University to officially lay the groundwork for Pakistan’s first soccer city and reveal images to the world.

LHC terms Ravi Urban Development Authority ‘unconstitutional’ The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) to return money it had acquired for the project to the Punjab government, after declaring it ‘unconstitutional’ on Tuesday. According to the LHC judge, Section 4 of the RUDA Amendment Ordinance violated Article 144 and the ordinance itself was unconstitutional. The judge said the agricultural land could only be acquired when there are proper legal mechanism is in place. Justice Shahid Karim in his decision that was reserved on December 21 last year, stated that RUDA failed to prepare a master plan in accordance with the law. He added that any scheme without a master plan is contrary to the constitution. It is pertinent to note that during the previous hearing after which the judgment was reserved, the petitioners’ counsel had said that sections 29-31 of the RUDA Act pertaining to the land acquisition were contrary to Article 24 of the Constitution. He said there was no comparison between RUDA and the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). LDA counsel Waqar A Sheikh argued that the LDA chairperson was the CM of Punjab. “The LDA board also comprises public representatives but public representation has been ignored in RUDA,” he added. The powers of the public representatives have been given to the nonelected representatives in RUDA, the counsel said, adding that the RUDA Act was against the democratic principles. After the ruling, Amicus Curiae Aaminah Qadir in a tweet said that the LHC struck down the RUDA ordinance because it was “offensive to the environment law”. “LHC has declared that govt should pass laws to ensure agricultural lands of farmers are not acquired depriving them of their right to property. Current #RUDA process of land acquisition declared ultra vires and offensive to environment law,” she tweeted. It is pertinent to note that RUDA ‘s counsel apprised the court that the provincial assembly had passed the RUDA budget and that all requirements were met before the project started. Petitioners’ counsel had informed the court that the agricultural land was being acquired to build the Ravi city, even though Lahore was one of the most polluted cities in the world. The petitioners had also requested the court to take the smog factor into account while hearing the case against RUDA. They had also asked the court to direct the respondents to perform their statutory obligations and to take precautionary measures against smog. News Desk

Foreign exchange reserves nearing $20 billion: Senate told The Senate was informed on Tuesday that the country’s foreign exchange reserves are nearing $20 billion and exports and growth rate have reached record levels, leading to a reduction in the current account deficit. Briefing the upper house, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan however acknowledged the issue of inflation and claimed efforts were being made to control the situation in the next quarter through an enhanced tax on the import of luxury items under the

Finance Supplementary Bill, 2021. The ruling party’s minister said that initiatives have been taken to encourage the local assembly of mobile phones, LeD TVs and new investments were being made in the ceramic and tiles industry for import substitution. Responding to a supplementary question, Khan said the government is investing in new varieties of cotton seeds in order to bolster crop production. On the matter of agricultural productivity, he claimed that the country

has witnessed “record production of wheat and a record sale of tractors”. Khan further informed the Senate on the viability of e-commerce within the country, highlighting that the volume of e-commerce has increased by more than a 100%, and would be “linked up with the Special economic Zones (SeZs)”. Responding to a ‘calling attention’ notice, The minister claimed that the economy was now on an upward trajectory, citing significant increases in exports. News Desk

Visit of Saudi delegation to unveil era of climate diplomacy: minister ISLAMABAD staff report

Minister of State for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Tuesday said the recent visit of the Saudi delegation for experience sharing and to commence collaboration on the Middle east Green Initiative (MeGI) would unveil a new era of “green diplomacy” introduced by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Addressing a media briefing along with Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover Chief executive Officer (CeO) Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, Aslam welcomed the Saudi delegation and said the collaboration would open a new chapter of cordial ties between the two nations. “This is the new Pakistan envisioned by the Prime Minister that has emerged during the times of Covid-19 pandemic with 5.37 percent GDP growth. The economist has ranked Pakistan among the top three countries with the growing economy during the pandemic,” the minister observed.

In recognition of the successful attempt at nature conservation and ecosystem restoration efforts under the Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation initiative, Aslam said Pakistan was crowned Asia Forestry Champion by the United Nations environment Programme (UNeP). “Pakistan has been declared a model of forestry to be replicated by Asia,” Aslam said. He mentioned the Saudi delegation has arrived to learn from Pakistan’s experience in forestry, adding: “They will visit our national parks, mangroves, and Ten Billion plantation sites across the country.” On this occasion, he offered Al-Abdulkader that Pakistan wanted to offer its experience in forestry to chip in the ambitious MeGI. The so-called green collaboration between the countries was backed by strong green leaderships and the visions of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Al-Abdulkader said he was glad to be in Pakistan to ex-

perience Islamabad’s “green initiatives”. He said Saudi Arabia has launched a target of 10 billion trees across the country and 40 billion for the Middle east region under the Saudi Green Initiative. “All these initiatives are for great collaboration between Saudi and Pakistan. Pakistan’s green initiatives are globally praised and we want to see it on the ground and visit the plantation sites of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project,” he said. He mentioned Riyadh employed a vision to enhance its national parks and drive environmental conservation for sustainable human existence. “We have opened doors for the entire global community to collaborate in 40 billion trees plantation drive,” he said. Al-Abdulkader said the focus of the plantation drive would be indigenous climate adaptable species since Saudi housed 2,600 such species. Responding to media queries, Aslam said the visit was part of the technical group

created after the memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked last year for collaboration under the Saudi Green Initiative. “The Saudi delegation wants to study Pakistan’s on-ground initiatives whereas in the next phase a joint working group will be

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

created to spearhead the partnership under the SGI,” he added. Later, the minister presented a souvenir of Billion Tree Honey to the visiting delegation. “The honey is just as sweet as the brotherly Pakistan-Saudi ties,” he said.

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Wednesday, 26 January, 2022

CMYK

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Wednesday, 26 January, 2022

WORLD VIEW

The good SamariTanS of 4, fane road WHEN THE KAPUR FAMILY WAS FORCED TO LEAVE LAHORE OVERNIGHT IN THE WAKE OF PARTITION, THE NEIGHBOURING KASURI FAMILY HELPED THEM SET UP THEIR LIVES IN DELHI

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aanchal MalhoTra

HE trial for the Lahore Conspiracy Case began on 10 July 1929 in Borstal Jail, Lahore, where Bhagat Singh and 27 others were charged with murder and waging war against King George V. The average age of the revolutionaries was 22. Their case was presided over by judge Rai Sahib Pandit Sri Kishen, and the accused were defended by a body of seven prominent Indian lawyers, one of whom, Amolak Ram Kapur, would outlive the 1947 Partition to tell a story of cross-border friendship and humanity. When I meet Kapur’s daughter, Raj Suneja, in Delhi, she recalls the Lahore of undivided India. “4, Fane Road was our address, close to the Punjab high court where my father practised.” Fane Road, prominent due to the many lawyers who inhabited it, was named after General Sir Henry Fane, once commander-in-chief of the Indian Army. She says the kothis on the street were few but large, and tries to recall the owners from memory, “Bakshi Tek Chand, Bishan Narayan, Grover sahib, the Suris, the Sonis….” Unable to remember any more names, she says, “It was quite a close-knit community, where families respected one another, regardless of religion.” Fane Road was also home to the small legal chamber of none other than the late author Khushwant Singh. When I ask her whether she still thinks about Fane Road, Suneja smiles and says in Punjabi, “Iss umar pe toh kayi cheezein bhool jaati hai, lekin bachpan da Lahore kadi nahi bhoolta, o’ shehr di baat hi kuch aur si (Age makes the past hazy, but memories of the Lahore of my childhood never leave me. There was something truly special about the city).” Fondly, she continues to speak about the public park on Fane Road, the akhara (wrestling area), their beautifully manicured garden, the two cars, cows and tanga (a horse-drawn carriage). She notes with pride that theirs was the first home on the street to get a Godrej refrigerator. But the highlight of No.4, Fane Road was undoubtedly Amolak Ram Kapur’s grand library, with hundreds of books collected over the years. Suneja opens her arms as wide as they go, to show me the vastness of the book

collection. And then she reveals that the family had to leave it all behind when they migrated to Delhi during the summer of 1947, hoping the move would be merely temporary—for a week or two, at the most. They had fled in haste, acting in response to rumours of ghastly violence against women in Lahore, carrying minimum belongings and clothing. During the early days in Delhi, they relied on the goodness of friends and other refugees. Partition had not yet happened, but Kapur’s eldest son, K.K. Kapur, a wellknown film distributor, had an office space in Lahore and proposed to exchange it for a Muslim friend’s property in Delhi. And so it came to be that the family occupied 9, Rajpur Road, Civil Lines, in Delhi. Suneja remembers walking along Connaught Place, seeing many of her father’s old friends and acquaintances selling their wares on the roadside. At home, food was sparse and relatives from across the border flocked into the small property, making it feel no less than a refugee camp. But whatever the circumstances, their door would always remain open to all. With the sudden influx of family, friends and other refugees, Kapur, once a member of the Lahore bar and owner of a thriving, prosperous practice, was now grateful for the additional financial support from his eldest son. As the date for Partition approached, the family would listen to bulletins on the radio and read the newspaper, fearing with every passing day that their home and life in Lahore would soon become a thing of the past. As the summer of 1947 came to a close, Kapur reached out to an old friend with a sincere request. It is the mention of this very communication that first caught my interest. In his memoir, Neither A Hawk Nor A Dove, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, a Pakistani politician, also alludes to 4, Fane Road, Lahore, writing from the perspective of his family. In the summer of 1947, the Kasuris were vacationing in Murree, an idyllic hill station. Young Khurshid recalls eagerly waiting for the pastrywala when his father told the family they had to pack up and return to Lahore immediately. Khurshid, having just turned 6, writes about being very angry at one “Amolak Ram Kapur, whoever he may be” for having cut short his summer vacation. Later, he found out that Kapur was not only a noted Hindu criminal lawyer and his father’s close friend, but had also rung up to ask whether the Kasuris could occupy his now abandoned house on Fane Road, as he feared looters and thieves might enter the grand premises. When Partition was declared, Kapur realized that his temporary absence would certainly be permanent, and the Kasuris began to pack the Kapur family’s belongings. Boxes upon boxes were fitted in a truck and sent across the new border to an old friend. With tears in her eyes, Suneja recalls the contents of the boxes, “Not only had

Hum dekhenge: If state agencies fail to follow laws citizens will follow suit. Don’t push them to the brink Times of india The recovery notices with a stiff seven-day deadline issued by eight Uttar Pradesh districts to over 450 CAA protesters who allegedly vandalised public property raise several questions. States are justified in recovering costs from rioters and ordinarily this course would hugely boost the rule of law. After all, deterrence is sorely needed against those who get away with violence. However, there is a problem when state cannot dispel perception that laws are selectively enforced. Take for instance encounter killings, where instant justice undermines the state’s authority, mocks due process, and creates victims who are among the most marginalised or vilified. Governments wishing to act against rioters are hamstrung by the toothless Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, which merely prescribes a jail term and fine for convicts. The political class must take the blame here but that is no excuse for ad hoc rulemaking. UP is relying on a 2010 Allahabad high court judgment that empowered government to set up a competent authority to accept damage claims, give hearing to all parties, and pass appropriate orders within 30 days. However, this verdict diverges from 2009 Supreme Court guidelines that mandated respective HCs to appoint a sitting/ retired judge as claims commissioner to adjudicate on damages. The need for impartial judicial adjudication is underscored by videos and testimonies exposing acts of vandalism from UP police side too. Relatives of anti-CAA protesters point to the difficulty and fear of filing complaints before the same cops. Reports of police soft-pedalling FIRs on killing of protesters even as they double down on the rioting cases hint at institutional bias. Little different is IIT Kanpur setting up a probe panel to investigate iconoclastic poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s anthemic ‘Hum Dekhenge’. Ignorance about the poet and his verses which have achieved a timeless power to speak the human condition and challenge authoritarianism, while unfortunate, is understandable given the paucity of multi-disciplinary heft in Indian academia. However, to probe lyrically and peacefully protesting students on serious charges like communalism reeks of scare tactics. With judicial scrutiny beginning to kick in, two Muslim men arrested for alleged violence in Delhi’s Seelampur have secured bail after police couldn’t furnish video footage or eyewitnesses. Yogi Adityanath’s “badla” mode is bound to lead to miscarriage of justice, harassment and loss of livelihoods. Instead, UP’s goal must be truth and reconciliation to restore peace and order.

Raj Suneja holding a photograph of her father, Amolak Ram Kapur.

they sent across my father’s vast legal library and his complete and enviable collection of the works of Shakespeare, but the boxes even included all of our warm clothes.” Winter was arriving, and because they had left in haste and had no means to buy new winter clothes, the Kasuris made sure they would not freeze. It was a gesture of absolute kindness and consideration. “From the boxes, yet another treasure emerged,”Suneja opens an old dusty file and offers it to me. A photocopy of old pages written in longhand, beginning from Sunday, 13 September 1914. This was Amolak Ram Kapur’s personal journal that he had begun as a 14-year-old boy in 1914. Carefully, it too had been packed and sent across to its rightful owner. As I perused the pages of history, Suneja smiled as the inheritor of her father’s legacy. “I think the Partition broke him—physically, emotionally, even professionally. It took a few months before the East Punjab high court was established in Shimla, and we could return to a life of normalcy. Eventually, my father was appointed president of the Bar Association of the Punjab and Haryana high court. But even in those

first few years of beginning again, we tried to hold no malice for all that happened. Lahore had now long been left behind. But if we lost our homes, then so did people on the other side; and if we were witness to communal violence, then so were they. The pain of Partition is shared amongst the people of India and Pakistan, and though we constantly remember the madness and bloodshed, we often forget or ignore the courageous acts of kindness and friendship that also occurred. “My father was so touched upon receiving the boxes of our belongings that he wrote a letter of gratitude to his friend, Mian Mahmud Ali Kasuri,” she says. In his memoir, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri recalls his father reading the letter out loud to the family. “Aap kay liyee dil se dua nikaltee hai, I pray for you from the bottom of my heart,” read the contents of the note. It was truly a friendship that survived the divide and has sustained for generations. Aanchal Malhotra is an oral historian and author of Remnants Of A Separation: A History Of The Partition Through Material Memory.

BJP govt created Chief of Defence Staﬀ post without addressing several fundamental questions WILL THE CDS AS PERMANENT CHAIRPERSON OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE OUTRANK THE THREE SERVICE CHIEFS EVEN THOUGH THEORETICALLY ALL ARE FOUR-STAR OFFICERS?

ouTlook Manish Tewari

On December 30, 2019, the BJP-led NDA government announced the appointment of the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). With this appointment, a new institution has been created not only in the Ministry of Defence, but also in the Indian Republic. This may well have Constitutional implications. In order to fully appreciate the importance of this decision one needs to look at history. Between 1861-1947, there were 20 Commanders-in-Chief of the Army in India or the British Indian Army as it was then called. The Headquarters of the Army in India — AHQ India— shifted to Delhi in 1911 when the capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi. During summer, some components of the headquarters would further move up to Shimla, concurrently with the colonial government as the imperialists could not stomach the Delhi heat. At the commencement of the Second World War, the AHQ was re-designated as the General Headquarters –GHQ India Command. GHQ India remained in actuality up till August 15, 1947. It was disbanded upon the partition of undivided India. A new headquarters of the Pakistan Army was formed out of the Northern Command of the Army in India, and a new headquarters of the Indian Army took over the HQ in Delhi. Field Marshal Auchinleck, the last Commander-inChief of the Army in India, was appointed as the Supreme Commander of the Army in India and Pakistan to transfer responsibilities to the new armies, and to organize the withdrawal of British Army units, former officers and men of the British Indian Army. On August 15, 1947, both India and Pakistan assumed operational control over their respective Armed Forces. From August 15, Auchinleck was re-designated as the Supreme Commander in order to avoid abstruseness with the new Commanders-inChief of the two Dominion states. Vide the Joint Defence Council Order of August 11, 1947, Auchinleck was vested with limited authority. He had no responsibility for law and order or operational control over any units except those in transit from one Domin-

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ion to another. Even in the exercise of his limited authority he was dependent on co-operation of the two Dominions. Although he represented a legally constituted authority, his position was at best tenuous. The office of the Supreme Commander attained quietus on December 1, 1947 upon the formal retirement of Field Marshal Auchinleck. Major General L. G. Whistler was appointed the General Officer Commanding British Troops in India in 1947 and remained in the saddle until the last British unit — the 1 Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry -Prince Albert’s —left on February 28, 1948. The 2nd Battalion — The Black Watch -Royal Highland Regiment — was the last British Army unit to leave Pakistan on February 26, 1948. The position of the chief of the Indian Army was also known as Commander-inChief from 1947–1955. There were four officers who served in this position. However, in 1955, a conscious decision was taken by the government and this designation was renamed as the Chief of the Army Staff. General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja was the last Commander-in-Chief and the first Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army. It may be pertinent to note that while the Army Chief was called the Commander-inChief till 1955, the designation was limited to the Indian Army and Air force and the Navy continued to be headed by their respective commanders. Sixty-four years later, on December 24, 2019, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) put out a press release about the Cabinet clearing the appointment of a CDS. The communiqué inter-alia stated: “The following areas will be dealt by the Department of Military Affairs headed by CDS: The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters. The Territorial Army. Works relating to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions, as per prevalent rules and procedures”. It further read that “The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the Department of Military Affairs, will also be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to Raksha Mantri on all tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise RM on matters exclusively concerning their respective services. CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership”. Herein lies the contradiction. As Secretary to Government of India (GoI), in-charge of the

Department of Military Affairs and having superintendence over the Army, Navy and Air Force, there would be an implied subordination of the three service chiefs to the CDS notwithstanding any declaration to the contrary. Moreover, the President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Article 53 (2) of the Indian Constitution declares: “Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, the supreme command of the Defence Forces of the Union shall be vested in the President and the exercise thereof shall be regulated by law”. What then would the position of the CDS be qua the Supreme Commander – the President of India? There are also other questions that need to be looked at. What implications does the nomenclature Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister qua the three service chiefs have in relation to Military advice tendered to the government? Will the advice of the CDS override the advice of the respective Service Chiefs as he heads the newly created Department of Military Affairs? Will the CDS as Permanent Chairperson of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee outrank the three service Chiefs even though theoretically all are four-star officers? Would the three Chiefs now report to the Defence Minister through Defence Secretary or CDS? In theory, the service chiefs report directly to the Defence Minister while in practice all files and decisions are routed through the Defence Secretary. What will be the position of CDS qua the Defence Secretary? Would the Defence Secretary, in terms of Rule eleven of Transaction of Business Rules, continue to be the administrative head of the Defence Ministry? What is the remit/ mandate of the proposed Department of Military Affairs? Would the CDS override the Service Chiefs with regard to operational command and control of tri-service agencies and organizations. And finally, what are the implications of the appointment of a CDS for Civil Military Relations? The last part is profoundly serious, for the singular success of India going back to 1947 has been the supremacy of the civilian leadership over the military even in military matters. For all the reasons that have been articulated by the Kargil Review Committee, Group of Ministers that went into the report of the Review Committee to make its own recommendations, and subsequently the Naresh Chandra Committee, all of whom looked at higher Defence Management issues, there still remain a lot of grey areas as far as the institution of the Chief of Defence Staff is concerned. Are we down another portentous path? The author is a lawyer, MP, Member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Defence, and former Information and Broadcasting Minister, GoI.